Omigod!

OMIGODOMIGODOMIGOD.

I reached 200 followers!

Thanks, guys! I'll hold a 200-follower-contest sometime this month. Promise.

EEEEEEEEEEE.

Love you all!

~N

Stephenie Meyer

May I announce my new favorite blogger: Donna from Lil Bites.

Why?

Read this, guys. [full post here]

My favorite part?
Stop referring to yourself as a “vampire girl” when you know nothing of vampires. Stop criticizing other vampire works when you haven’t even so much as laid eyes on them. Stop writing in genres you know nothing about. If you insist on continuing, be a real writer and do the work required. That means research and reading. Fuck your religion. If you can write about the occult, pedophiles and stalkers, you can watch a real vampire movie and read a real vampire book. Stop being a hypocrite. It’s unbecoming.

Keep it real, Donna.

Fangs for all,

~N

PS: The August contest ends at midnight! So... go enter. ;)

The Earth, My Butt, And Other Big Round Things

The Earth, My Butt, And Other Big Round Things
Author: Carolyn Mackler
Series: ---
Publisher: Candlewick Press
How Received: library

Fifteen-year-old Virginia Shreves has a larger-than-average body and a plus-size inferiority complex, especially when she compares herself to her slim, brilliant, picture-perfect family. But that’s before a shocking phone call — and a horrifying allegation — about her rugby-star brother changes everything.

Title win.

Now, I read it a while ago - why review it now? I didn't know what to say when I finished reading it other than the fact that it was a fantastic book. The characters were realistic, strong, and well developed. The plot line was well thought out, and Carolyn managed to find humor in some serious situations all while delivering a fantastic message.

I'm sure the main reason I didn't review this right away was because, though I loved Virginia, I couldn't relate to her. I've never been overweight, I tend to keep on the average curve - le gasp, a girl talking about her weight! The horror! - and therefore I couldn't analyze the character and what I would have done if it were her situation or if she was annoying me. And I think I liked it that way. I simply enjoyed reading about her and was rooting for her to win in the end.

All in all, it's a great book with a great message for anybody.

Overall Rating & Final Comments: I'm going to give it a 9/10 from what I remember. It could vary from a 8.2 to a 9.4, though.
T.E.M.B.A.O.B.R.T. or Same Difference?: Siobhan Vivian's Same Difference is one of my favorite books, and wins this battle. However, both are great books to read - both show how two vastly different girls have vastly different struggles and overcome them both in different ways. I'm a sucker for female characters that learn to kick some ass.

Hey, A Very Potter Musical fans - I definitely wouldn't give it more than a 9.8. There's always room for improvement.

Happy reading!

~N

Want

Numero uno book on my wishlist right now?



I should have it by the end of the week - I can't wait!

Final Friday Interview - Mandy Hubbard

The perfect pair of shoes, one slip and fall, and you're sent back in time... sounds crazy, right?

Mandy Hubbard's debut novel, Prada and Prejudice - in which the main character Callie experiences just that - hit stores this past June and has since become a New York Times bestseller. Even Abigail Breslin (actress in My Sister's Keeper) loves it! And, of course, we all love Mandy Hubbard herself...


Quick - you have to live the life of either Callie in Prada and Prejudice or Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice. Which do you choose and why?
Oh, dang! That is one tough question. I really ♥ Mr. Darcy, too. But I think I’ll go with Callie. *ducks to avoid flying objects.*.

I really love Elizabeth and think it would be amazing to be her, but with me and my twenty-first century brain, I’m not sure I could pull it off. Mr. Darcy would probably run screaming from the room.

At least Callie gets to assert her modern sensibilities while in 1815!

It's that time of year. Sale time! You make a mad dash through your house, get to the store- and, as you're in line, realize that you have left your credit card at home. What do you do!? (Because you can't possibly leave those gorgeous shoes where just anybody can take them.)
You totally know I’ve done this like, a zillion times, right? I would just hide the heels somewhere, go to the bank and get cash (I do have my ID, right?) and run back to buy them before someone else discovers them. ;-)

On that note - your favorite pair of shoes.
I hate to be totally lame, but I really love my tan-and-white camo converse. I have a few pairs of heels that are way cute, but I’ll put them on with the intention of wearing them to work, and I always end up taking them off and choosing flats before I even get out the door.

I only have two pairs that I’ll actually wear all day, and they’re both plain black. NOTHING like Callie’s fiery red stilettos!

What inspired you to write Prada and Prejudice? And why the name Callie?
I love the era, but I also love books where the heroines talk and act more like I do. So I combined the two into my dream book. As for Callie’s name, I honestly don’t remember. With my characters I tend to pick whatever random name comes to mind when I’m typing the story, and on occasion I use find and replace if I decide I don’t like the name, but usually it stays the same.

For my next YA, the three main girls are all named after my cousins, simply because they were the easiest names to think of!

What's your favorite online website and why? We all know you use Twitter, of course, but that can't possibly be it. Can it?
Oh, Twitter, how I ♥ thee… Also, I will assume that YAHOO!, which I use for email, doesn’t count. (Because it’s not YAHOO I want, its just the email—I am obsessed with email.) Let’s eliminate all the networking sites—facebook, twitter, livejournal, yahoo… if we do that my fav site is probably the message boards at verlakay.com. Oh crap, that’s probably networking too, huh? What am I, some big network monger?

Okay how about plain old Nascar.com. God I’m lame.

If you could take one fictional character and do anything with/to them, who and what would you do? (If your answer is Edward Cullen, I automatically lose respect for you. Unless it's to desparklify him.)
Just so you know, if I had chosen Edward, I’d totally scrub him with a brillo pad just to see if the glitter comes off. So we’re in the clear there.

Can I make out with Mr. Darcy? Pre-Elizabeth, of course. I don’t like cheaters. (FYI, there is TOTALLY a book in which this happens—it’s also a time travel, and it is HYSTERICAL. It’s called Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready.)

It must be difficult to write a whole spiffeh shiny book. What's the hardest part?
Oh, don’t worry, I don’t write shiny books. I write really crappy books. But then I revise, revise, revise…until they start turning shiny. That’s the hard part—knowing when it’s done, and not stopping until then. SO much work, but SO worth it.

YOU HAVE NEW BOOKS COMING OUT! Can we get some details?
My next release is DRIVEN, a romance novella for Harlequin due out June 2010. It’s about a twenty year old female mechanic named Mia. She’s the only girl in NASCAR who works under the hood, and she falls for a pit crew member on a rival team. She’s afraid that once the other guys find out about it, it’s going to overshadow her work, so she’s trying really hard to keep it under wraps.

After that, (tentatively scheduled for August 2010), I have my YA, which is currently (subject to change) titled YOU WISH. The details are top secret, but suffice to say it’s another high concept romantic comedy, and I hope it’ll appeal to readers of Prada and Prejudice.


Thanks for stoppin' by, Mandy! Catch Mandy at her website [link] or on Twitter [link]!

Curious as to who will be visiting WORD in September? Well, guess what - it's Tony DiTerlizzi, co-creator of The Spiderwick Chronicles!

Intertwined

Intertwined
Author: Gena Showalter
Series: Intertwined (#1)
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
How Received: ARC

Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:
One can time-travel.
One can raise the dead.
One can tell the future.
And one can possess another human.

With no other family and a life spent in and out of institutions, Aden and the souls have become friends. But now, they’re causing him all kinds of trouble.

Like, he’ll blink and suddenly he’s a younger Aden, reliving the past. One wrong move, and he’ll change the future. Or, he’ll walk past a total stranger and know how and when she’s going to die.

He’s so over it. All he wants is peace.

And then he meets a girl who quiets the voices. Well, for as long as he’s with her. Why? Mary Ann Gray is his total opposite. He’s a loner; she has friends. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks; she tries to make everyone happy. And while he attracts the paranormal, she repels it. For her sake, he should stay away. But it’s too late...

Somehow, they share an inexplicable bond of friendship. A bond about to be tested by a werewolf shape-shifter who wants Mary Ann for his own and a vampire princess Aden can’t resist. Two romances, both forbidden....

This book was acceptable. Harlequin Teen found a much better book in My Soul To Take, but Intertwined was still an enjoyable read. I loved the characters - that is, the ones in Aden's head. They were all fleshed out regardless of the fact that they actually had no history. Aden himself could be a bit annoying at times, as was Mary Ann.

The vampires are traditional vampires, and it kind of annoyed me that there was no spin but on them. Even the names - Victoria and Dmitri - were classic vampire names. What bothered me more was that the other magical creatures, though a welcome addition to the story, were just kind of... there. They didn't do anything to enhance the plot line, and they were there and gone as suddenly as they appeared. Perhaps Showalter plans to dive further into that with the other books, but I think that it would have been a much better novel had she cut out all of the seemingly extra creatures.

All in all, it was simply an okay novel. Certainly nothing I would run out and buy right away, but something to pass the time with it when you have nothing better to do.

Overall Rating: 5/10.
Intertwined or My Soul To Take?: Harlequin Teen definitely made a better choice with My Soul To Take - the plot line, characters, and overall writing style are vastly better than Intertwined.

Happy reading, all! Come back tomorrow for my interview with Mandy Hubbard!

~N

Hush, Hush Trailer

WANT.

So that's how it is.

Yesterday's post seems to have been eaten by a zombie monkey.

His name is Fred.

My apologies.
Posts will resume as normal tomorrow.

Bookish Meme

Scott fails today - he forgot to set himself up a review. What am I going to do with that boy?

So... here is a meme. I found this over at Frenetic Reader. Sorry for the two-memes-in-a-row bit...

Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?
If I'm going to invest in something I love, I'll buy hardback, but if it's just something I'm reading that I'm not sure I'll like/might not read again/just for review, always paperback of any kind.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?
I love Borders, I do. It's a lot cozier. But B&N has a bigger selection. (And better food.)

Bookmark or dog-ear?
Bookmark. Not only is not non-abusive, but bookmarks are SPIFFEH.

Amazon or brick-and-mortar?
Brick-and-mortar. Because, let's face it, the internet just doesn't cut it.

Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random?
Well. I work in a library, so I should be saying author's last name. But my own shelves are actually really random, though they do tend to be grouped by author.

Keep, throw away, or sell?
Throw away?
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU.

Keep dust jacket or toss it?
...but... but... it's pretty.

Read with dust jacket or remove it?
Normally I remove the dust jacket while reading unless I know it'll stay in place.

Short story or novel?
Novel.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Series vs. author?
Question fail.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
If I'm tired, I read until the end of the chapter then stop.
So both?

Buy or borrow?
My library rocks, as do my friends. I try to borrow as much as possible - mainly because if I get in the habit of buying...

Well. I'd be a hobo.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
All three.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
I like a tidy ending with a bit of suspense if it's a series - flat out cliff hangers annoy the crud out of me.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
ALL DAY READING! -throws confetti- A reading party!

Stand-alone or series?
Some things work better as series, others as stand-alones. I've read a lot of series, so... series?

Favorite series?
To answer that would be to condemn myself to a lifetime of uncertainty...

Favorite children’s book?
Where The Wild Things Are

Favorite YA book?
I refuse to answer due to my already questionable sanity.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer - for a famazing series, so many people haven't heard of it or haven't read it. But it's amazing.

Favorite books read last year?
So many! According to last year's blog post, it was The Hunger Games. And I would have to agree.

Favorite books of all time?
The Harry Potter series. The Bloody Jack series. The Hunger Games. Shiver. DragonRiders of Pern. The Queen Geek Social Club.

What are you reading right now?
Intertwined.

What are you reading next?
Probably a book for school.

Favorite book to recommend to an 11-year-old?
You mean books I recommended to my sister last year? Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries series.

Favorite book to re-read?
Harry Potter is always fun, as is Bloody Jack. And DragonRiders of Pern...

Do you ever smell books?
... just the old ones...

Do you ever read primary source documents like letters or diaries?
Psh no. Not unless I can help it.

---

Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?
Lord of the Rings...

If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?
PART-AY. It would be Jacky Faber from Bloody Jack, because she's amazing. Katniss from The Hunger Games, just to ask how she managed it. And Dimitri from Vampire Academy. For eye candy.

(Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realize it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?
My math book.

Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?
Most things in my tenth grade English class, actually...

As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you had read, only to realise when you read a review about it/go to ‘reread’ it that you haven’t? Which book?
Not off the top of my head. I've thought I hadn't read a book and then gone to read it and realized I've read it. (I've done this with The Golden Compass three times now.)

You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (If you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead and personalize the VIP.)
Everybody does seem to love The Hunger Games, but I might also offer Shiver or Bloody Jack.

A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?
English.

A mischievious fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?
Bloody Jack.

That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead—let your imagination run free.

09 Book Meme

I found this over at Sharon Luvs Cats, who found it on Brooke Reviews Blog. Funfunfun!

Let's see how well I do, considering I haven't read much this year...

Using only books you have read this year (2009), cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title. It's a lot harder than you think!

Describe Yourself: Demon Princess
How do you feel: Same Difference
Describe where you currently live: Medalon
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Treason Keep
Your favorite form of transportation: Catching Fire
Your best friend is: Jane Eyre
You and your friends are: Intertwined
What's the weather like: Fairest
Favorite time of day: Wake
What is life to you: Bliss
Your fear: The Otherworldlies
What is the best advice you have to give: The Price of Pleasure
Thought for the Day: Love You Hate You Miss You
How I would like to die: Bite Me!
My soul's present condition: My Soul To Take



Not bad, actually. Have you done this? If so, I want to read them - they're fun. Just comment with the link!

Friday Fronts - Uglies

Face it. We all judge a book by it's cover.



Everybody knows Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is one of my favorite books, and I first picked it up because of it's cover. The whole design for it is fan-tabulous.

As are the covers to the sequels! Come on, who could resist a series so well written with covers like this?




Don't forget to come back next Friday for this month's Final Friday interview with Mandy Hubbard!

Blood Promise

Blood Promise
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Vampire Academy (#4)
_{Previous VA Novels: Vampire Academy; Frostbite; Shadow Kiss}
Publisher: Penguin Group
How Received: publisher

How far will Rose go to keep her promise? The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir's Academy was the deadliest ever in the school's history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers, and guardians alike. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them. . . including Dimitri. He'd rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa—the one she has sworn to protect no matter what—and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most?

Oh, I was SO excited when I got this and hoped the book would live up to the expectations the other three had set. Richelle Mead doesn't disappoint in the newest Vampire Academy novel, presenting another fast paced and exciting novel.

I was a bit hesitant at first, because many new characters are presented - Sydney, an Alchemist, Dimitri's dhampir family, Avery, a Moroi, and various other new characters. However, Richelle pulls everything together seamlessly, each of the characters flowing easily into their necessary place in the story.

I won't tell you what happens when Rose and Dimitri finally meet. That's one spoiler you're not getting out of this girl. What I will tell you - I didn't expect Rose to do what she did to/with Strigoi Dimitri quite as easily as she did.

Mad props to Richelle for managing to keep Lissa tied into this whole novel - giving her her own plot line that tied in so well to Rose's. Though Rose has always been my favorite female VA character, I loved being able to still see what was happening to Lissa and what happened with her spirit power.

Am I looking forward to the next one? Two words:

Hell yeah.

Overall Rating: 10/10. As if that wasn't painfully obvious.
Shiver, Catching Fire, or Blood Promise?: Why am I comparing a werewolf novel, a futuristic novel, and a vampire novel? All three are in the running for winning my favorite book of 2009. Which is best?

Well... you'll just have to wait until the end of 2009 to see which I pick.


Happy reading! Blood Promise comes out August 25. To order, head on over to
B&N, Amazon, Borders, or your local indie store.

Happy reading!

~N

Buffy versus Twilight

Note: Season 4 Buffy Spoilers



You can all blame Chelsea at The Page Flipper and Dean at DeanDiMarzo.com for getting me hooked on Buffy...


Check out more of some rather amazing mocking stuff here.

And check out this post over at Book Nerd Extraordinare!

Abarat

Abarat
Author: Clive Barker
Series: Abarat Series
Publisher: Harper Collins
How Received: own

Chickentown, Minnesota - a place where nothing happens. Well, until now.

Candy Quackenbush - yes, that is her name - wants more in life. She doesn't quite expect that to be a man with eight heads appearing from the middle of nowhere being chased by a moneter. (But hey, it's better than no excitement at all!) And so Candy's adventure to the islands of the Abarat begins...

I love this story; I always have. The world of the Abarat is a magical, vividly drawn place in which you can lose yourself for hours. From the settings - all thirteen islands - to the characters, it's a bright, fantastically drawn world.

Overall Rating: 9/10
Abarat or The Lost Years of Merlin?: The Lost Years of Merlin has a much more fantastical and realistic story and one I enjoy so much. Abarat is still a wonderful novel; I just prefer the story of Merlin more.

Happy reading!
~ Nicole

Sundays with Scott - Charlie Bone and the Hidden King

Charlie Bone and the Hidden King
Jenny Nimmo

There’s never a quiet semester at Bloor’s academy for Charlie Bone. That holds true for this one, and it’s by far the strangest. A new power has entered the city, a very dangerous power wielded by a very dangerous man. Animals disappear all throughout the city, and students are quickly turning against Charlie and his friends. When finding and releasing the Red King from a spell is the only solution, how can Charlie possibly succeed by himself?

Thank god, this book is much better than the last one. It might actually be my favorite out of the series! With more new characters and drama, Nimmo has written another exciting book!

Charlie Bone and the Hidden King or Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy? - Hidden King, no doubt. Probably the best book I've read all summer actually!

Rating: 9.5/10

You'll see the review of the next book last week! Er, last book next week.

- Scott

J.K. Rowling versus Stephenie Meyer

Oh, Craig Ferguson. You remind us of why we love being able to talk to authors via Twitter and other various online things.

Because we actually have an *idea* of what they do with their spare time...
... and we know it doesn't involve making out with dolls.


For another take on Harry Scarface vs. Twi-sparkle, click here to check out the post from Bites.

Friday Fronts - The Luxe

For the coverwhore inside all of us.

I am far too much of a coverwhore not to share my favorite covers with you. So why not? Starting this Friday, I'm going to share some of my faaaaaaavorite covers.



Now, let it be known that I don't like The Luxe. I read a couple chapters into it and found it boring. However, the cover for The Luxe is a whole 'nuther story. First of all, the overall design for it is /gorgeous/. I think the dress is beautiful (though I could never wear it) and the person they chose not only fits the character in the novel well but looks fantastic doing so. The font is also fantastically chosen for the book.

Overall, a beautiful cover. And I do love beautiful covers.

Don't forget to come back on the last Friday of the month for this month's Final Friday interview with Mandy Hubbard!

Maggie Stiefvater: Writing Goddess

First off, if you don't know I positively adore Maggie Stiefvater...
I ADORE MAGGIE STIEFVATER.

Not only is she the author of Lament, one of my friend's favorite books ever, and Shiver, one of *my* favorite books ever, she's just an overall fantastic person. (Anybody who follows her on Twitter (@mstiefvater) already knows this.) Of course, she also has now written a fantasmagorical guide to writing that, if you haven't seen it already - well. It's fantasmagorical.

And composed of exactly two steps.

"All of these questions are really one question: “How do I write a book?”

And the answer, which I will explain in depth, is a simple two-parter:

1 - You decide to.

2- Butt in Chair.

To read the full guide, click here. DO IT. You know you want to.

~ Nicole

Reasons

13 Reasons I Would Never Wanna Be Isabella Swann-Cullen


1. She's annoying.
2. She's clingy.
3. She freaks at the sight of blood.
4. She faints. A lot.
5. She's a klutz. I already HAVE that problem.
6. She needs a guy to survive.
7. She strings guys along.
8. She never knows when to quit.
9. She's stupid enough to walk into a vampire trap.
10. Her mind power? Kind of sucks.
11. She's silly enough to have a vampire baby that's killing her slowly.
12. She's distracted by shiny things. ADD?
Please note: So am I. I, however, am distracted by glitter. Not vampires in the sun who also happen to be trying to resist the urge nom on my neck.
13. Guys staring at you while you sleep is only romantic if you actually know them and they aren't trying to kill you. Nice try, Bella.

A Very Potter Musical

I ADORE A Very Potter Musical.

AND IT HAS SOME FAMAZING FANART. (Courtesy of le facebook page)

(Click on the pictures to make them bigger.)

Blog Awards

First off, the last post was my 400th post! *fireworks* Soon we'll be up to the big 5-0-0... perhaps a contest!?

Also, I've earned some AWARDS! OOO SPARKLEH. *sparklesparklesparkle* They've been added up to the sidebar slideshow. What awards, you ask?

The following I got from Erica at The Book Cellar. Her blog also rocks. And... is full of zombie chickens?


MY BLOG ROCKS!
The following blogs also deserve this award:
Sarah's Random Musings [[link]]
Reading Junky's Reading Roost [[link]]
and Presenting Lenore [[link]]


Best. Award. Ever.
"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all..."
So, of course, it has to go to some of the best PEOPLE ever. These are just some generally awesome bloggers!
Chelsea over at The Page Flipper [[link]]
Tirzah at The Compulsive Reader [[link]]
and Khy at Frenetic Reader [[link]]

Remember to nominate three other blogs, nominees!

This award I received from Cate at Sparrow Review!

What? I have to name my seven of my favorite things!? And then nominate SEVEN blogs!? -mutters- Fussy award.

1. Books. ... duh.
2. BROADWAY. as opposed to Nicki Hell.
4.a. Nicki Heaven consists of chocolate, blog awards, and various other happy making things. Like books.
5. Johnny Depp
6. Fuzzy socks
7. A Very Potter Musical

As for blogs...

1. The Book Cellar is pretty famazing. [[link]]
2. I love Katie's Book Blog, too. [[link]]
3. We can't forget Liv's Book Reviews! [[link]]
4. And Confessions of a Bookaholic rocks. [[link]]
5. I've been reading And Another Book Read... since it started! [[link]]
6. Frenetic Reader gets another award. It's just that good. [[link]]
7. Pop Culture Junkie needs an award, too! [[link]]

Whoo. That's a lot of blogs. I should tell you guys, shouldn't I?

THANKS FOR THE LOVE, y'all! <3 you, too.

~ Nicole

The Vampire Diaries

I. Am. Excited.

The Dark Side (Of Blogging)

Recently, somebody has been bashing various YA blogs. The Story Siren seems to have been the YA blogger most attacked. If you know me, I love her blog. And this is just pissing me off.

She did a pretty nice job of summarizing what's happened/the general opinions in her post, The Dark Side (Of Blogging), but I just wanted to say that this whole thing is ridiculous.

But not only is it ridiculous, it's sad. The fact that somebody would stoop so low to curse out another book lover and try to make them feel bad just because they love books and happen to run an excellent blogger...

It's a sad thing. I thought, out of all the communities, this would be the one place where everybody would get along. Sure, some people get more books than others. So what? It's not that big of a deal.

And Anonymous, whoever you are - petty, much?

~ Nicole

Sundays with Scott - Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors

Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors
By Jenny Nimmo

Things keep getting weirder at Bloor’s Academy. A replacement teacher calling himself Tantalus Ebony is teaching at Bloor’s, and it seems as if there’s more to him than meets the eye. At the same time, Charlie finds out that Billy has been adopted. But trickery and deception are what Mr. Bloor is best at. With Billy’s new guardian, Charlie must help Billy escape his captors and discover the secret behind the Castle of Mirrors-before it’s too late!


Finally, a book that’s not entirely about Charlie! This book would have been another great book in collection if only Ms. Nimmo hadn’t put so much new information in. This made some parts much harder to follow for me. Still a good book, just... off target a little.

Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors or Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy? - The Invisible Boy, only because of the info overload in book 4. It had so much potential.

Rating: 6.8/10, still deciding if the next book is gonna go up.

Peace!

-Scott

Let's Play Catch Up

Things That Have Happened This Week:

LOOK. It's a shiny new search bar! ------->
Play with it. Eez fun.

A Top Commenters widget? Erica's soul is slowly being consumed by her need to get to the top. (Which, I might add, she accomplished.)

A shiny new layout. Look. It even sparkles. *sparkle* See?

Lisa Mantchev and I have hashed it out over stolen cookies. And emo glitter. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, follow me on Twitter.

I reviewed a couple books. Yay reviews!

I actually ADDED CONTESTS to the list. YAY contests!


Bloomsbury got rid of their whitewashed LIAR cover and replaced it with one true to the book. Power to the people!




That was this week. What shall happen next week? ... the world may never know...

Until next week, anyway.

~ Nicole

Bite Me!

Bite Me!
Author: Melissa Francis
Series: ---
Publisher: HarperCollins
How Recieved: ARC

AJ Ashe isn't your typical seventeen-year-old vampire—as if there is such a thing! She's stuck in the middle of a huge fight between her two BFFs. Her ex-boyfriend—whom she's still totally in love with, by the way—is now her stepbrother. A former classmate—who, um, she may or may not have turned into a vampire—is stalking her. And now, apparently, the fate of humankind lies in her little undead hands. What ever happened to the good old days, when all a vampire girl had to worry about was the occasional zit and hiding her taste for blood?

I'm not going to say I didn't enjoy this story. I love a good vampire novel as much as the next teenage girl, and this one did have some aspects that I enjoyed. I loved the whole background on the history - her Serpentine background, the potential prophecies that the sequel will hold, etc. Aunt Doreen is a fantastic character. The drama between Ryan (her boyfriend gone stepbrother) and AJ was fantastic.

On the other hand, it seemed as if there were too many plot points. We had...
1) Ryan x AJ Drama
2) AJ & Friends Drama Hopefully more will be elaborated on Malia in the next book???
3) AJ & Stalker Drama SPOILER ALERT: Stalker ends up dead. The only use I saw for him was to add more drama... unnecessary drama. She could have tried to find out her family history with #5.
4) AJ & Evil Teacher Drama Sure, evil teachers are fun. But necessary? Uh. No.
5) AJ & Mr. Charles Drama
6) General Vampire Drama

Now, why do I refer to everything as "drama"? It was ALL dramatic. So far - we'll see if a sequel illuminates more - I saw no need for 3) AJ & Stalker Drama and 4) AJ & Evil Teacher Drama.

All in all, it wasn't a bad book. I just felt as if there was too much going on at once. I am looking forward to the sequel, though.

Overall Rating & Final Comments: 7/10. (Except Aunt Doreen. She gets a 9/10.)
Bite Me! or Demon Princess?: Which would you rather be, a demon in the human world or a vampire in the human world? Demon Princess had too little in the ending, where Bite Me! had too much overall. Personally, I'm a big vampire buff, so I'd recommend Bite Me!, though both had it's ups and downs.

Happy reading!

~ Nicole

The Lovely Bones

Looks SO good.

A Horse Called Wonder

A Horse Called Wonder
Author: Joanna Campbell
Series: Thoroughbred Series
Publisher: Harper Collins
How Received: own

Ashleigh Griffen's life was torn apart when a disease wiped out her family's breeding farm - including her favorite mare, Stardust. Swearing she would never care about a horse again, she is thrust into Townsend Acres, a Thoroughbred breeding farm. Her parents are the new breeding managers of the farm, and she flat out refuses to enjoy living there. In fact, she's determined to hate it.

This is, of course, until a beautiful copper filly is born. Not only does she look similar to Stardust, but she is small and sickly - a horse nobody thinks will live. Except Ashleigh. Can one girl's love save one tiny filly?

A Horse Called Wonder is meant for younger audiences, but for some strange reason, I love this series. (All 80+ of them. No, I haven't read all 80+ of them.) It's well written and manages to capture the feeling of being around horses wonderfully. I positively adore Wonder - especially as the series goes on. If you're not into horses, it's not something for you to read - but if you are, it's a fun, quick read.

Overall Rating: 8/10. With a horseshoe thrown in.
A Horse Called Wonder or Riding Lessons?: Both are equally enjoyable depending on your reading level or your mood. If you're in the mood for something quick and fun, A Horse Called Wonder is the book for you. If you're in the mood for something deeper, I'd recommend Riding Lessons.

~ Nicole

Cirque du Freak

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College Essays

From rough draft number one:_{I'm on number three.}

The way I feel when I am reading a good book – it is one of the best feelings in the world, and one of the most difficult to describe. I love being able to be a part of another world found just within the pages of a book. The ability to explore without ever leaving the comfort of my living room chair – it is something I would not trade in for the whole world.

I do enjoy writing about my love of reading.

The Supernaturalist

The Supernaturalist
Author: Eoin Colfer
Series: ---
Publisher: Miramix
How Received: bought

In the future, in a place called Satelite City, fourteen-year-old Cosmo Hill enters the world, unwanted by his parents. He's sent to the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys, Freight class. At Clarissa Frayne, the boys are put to work by the state, testing highly dangerous products. At the end of most days, they are covered with burns, bruises, and sores. Cosmo realizes that if he doesn't escape, he will die at this so-called orphanage. When the moment finally comes, Cosmo seizes his chance and breaks out with the help of the Supernaturalists, a motley crew of kids who all have the same special ability as Cosmo-they can see supernatural Parasites, creatures that feed on the life force of humans. The Supernaturalists patrol the city at night, hunting the Parasites in hopes of saving what's left of humanity in Satellite City. Or so they think. The Supernaturalist soon find themselves caught in a web far more complicated than they'd imagined, when they discover a horrifying secret that will force them to question everything they believe in.

The Supernaturalist isn't Eoin's best book, but it's by far one of my favorite books ever. I have to have read it at least ten times. The characters are engaging and intriguing, the plot line unique, and the Parasites creatures I'd never even heard of before. It's a short, fantastic read.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10
The Supernaturalist or Artemis Fowl?: The Artemis Fowl series, overall, is greater than The Supernaturalist. As stand alone novels, however The Supernaturalist almost out does Artemis Fowl.

Happy reading!

~ Nicole

My Soul To Take

My Soul To Take
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Soul Screamers (#1)
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
How Received: publisher

She doesn't see dead people, but…

She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next…

First off, if you don't follow me on Twitter, you missed the Tweets from Friday night.

My friend Liz is fangirling over My Soul To Take as much as some people have fangirled over Twilight. I'm doomed. #eternaldamnation

"It's so much worthy of fangirling over than Twilight. The romance (thought not as tasteful) is better." I'm scared. #eternaldamnation

Needless to say, I was forced into reading it. I'm quite glad I did, though. The book was intriguing and entertaining. It's rare to find a book on a banshee, or bean sidhe, in the YA world, and this one was not only original but compelling. Though the romance does happen rather quickly, it's not the same as it is in the way Twilight is - Nash, for instance, isn't tempted to kill her every time he looks at her.

As for the characters themselves, they were all rather well fleshed out and fun to read about, from the father who only appears near the end of the novel to the main characters.

I'm quite looking forward to the sequel.

Overall Rating: A solid 9/10.
My Soul To Take or Twilight?: My Soul To Take, and not just because the romance makes more sense. Though vampires will always be one of my favorite fantasy creatures, My Soul To Take is just written better, with an overall more original and well thought out plot line.

Happy reading! Harlequin Teen just put this one out - be sure to pick it up at your local bookstore if you have a chance.

~ Nicole

Sundays with Scott - Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy

Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy
Jenny Nimmo

This semester brings a few changes for Charlie and his friends. There is a new art teacher, Mr. Boldova, and a new student named Belle, who lives with Charlie’s aunts and has a strange power over them.

Emma and Charlie soon discover Mr. Boldova’s secret: he is the older brother of young Ollie Sparks, a boy who supposedly disappeared in the attics of Bloor’s Academy. Ollie had always been prying into matters that didn’t concern him, so Ezekiel Bloor made him invisible. When Charlie and his friends find him, Ollie is alone and hungry. They promise to make Ollie vi sible again with his brother’s help.

Can Charlie and his friends save Ollie?


Time for the third book of this fantastic series! This book focuses more on billy than the other books so far, and the attic adventures are always fun to read. Mrs. Nimmo has impressed me once again with her work of art!

Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy or Charlie Bone and the Time Twister? -this is a tough choice. If I were forced to pick, I would say book three, but it is pretty close.

Rating: 8.5/10. Book 4 review soon!

- Scott

Sweltering Summer - August Giveaway

This giveaway is over.

Well. If you're in New York, it's more "humid and RAINRAINRAIN giveaway."

Congratulations to Lauren, who won last month's contest! Her favorite author is Sarah Dessen - and I should probably read some of her stuff, as I haven't yet. (Don't glare at me like that. I'm a busy woman...)

Want to know what this month's books are for the Sweltering Summer giveaway? OF COURSE YOU DO!

The Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill
"The Icemark is a kingdom in grave danger. Its king has been killed in battle, its enemy lies in wait, and its fate rests on the shoulders of one girl. Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, a beautiful princess and an intrepid warrior, must find a way to protect her land from a terrible invasion. She will forge an extraordinary alliance of noble Snow Leopards, ancient Vampires, and ferocious Wolf-folk. She will find unexpected strength in her friendship with a young warlock. And she will lead her allies to victory with her fierce battle cry: "Blood! Blast! And Fire!" "


Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
"Cheerful and witty 14-year-old Miri loves her life on Mount Eskel, home to the quarries filled with the most precious linder stone in the land, though she longs to be big and strong enough to do quarry work like her sister and father. But Miri experiences big changes when the king announces that the prince will choose a potential wife from among the village's eligible girls-and that said girls must attend a new Princess Academy in preparation. Princess training is not all it's cracked up to be for spunky Miri in the isolated school overseen by cruel Tutor Olana. But through education-and the realization that she has the common mountain power to communicate wordlessly via magical "quarry-speech"-Miri and the girls eventually gain confidence and knowledge that helps transform their village."


Benjamin Manry and the Curse of Blood Bones by and autographed by Owen Palmiotti
"Benjamin Manry and the Curse of Blood Bones tells of the interwoven fates of Blood Bones, Captain Arthur F. Nelson, and our young hero-to-be, Benjamin Manry. At seventeen, Ben, his brother Harris, and their best friend Sal discover a map written in red dye. It leads them to the cursed treasure of Blood Bones, the ferocious pirate famously hunted by all of Britain in the 1700s. The three adventurers travel back in time to 1763 and join the crew of the Frendrich in the quest for Blood Bones. Little do the time travelers know, but they are an integral part of the curse on the treasure. Blood Bones had two things in mind when he created the curse: revenge and immortality. Can the boys survive and make it back to their own time?"


The Last Plague by Glen E. Page, M.D.
"A young girl is brought into Dr. Douglas Hunter's ER one night with her abdomen ripped open. One of her ovaries has been stolen; the other is as hard and black as coal. When the bodies of more young girls are discovered, their ovaries also missing, Dr. Hunter and his family of adopted misfits find themselves unwittingly drawn into a dark plot of government intrigue and biblical prophecy. As Dr. Hunter investigates the cause behind this mysterious plague, he and his family uncover unsettling connections, not only between their own painful pasts, but to war crimes in Nazi Germany and even events from the days of Christ. The investigation attracts the attention of a group of ruthless people with mysterious powers who are determined to keep the plague a secret. But as more secrets come to light, Dr. Hunter realizes his family may be facing the last plague, the beginnings of the Apocalypse. "


and Black Is For Beginnings by Laurie Faria Stolarz, a special preview edition.
"The series that put a spell on half a million young adult readers continues . . .in graphic novel format! Prophetic nightmares. Near-brushes with death. Killers pursuing her and her friends. Stacey Brown knows that being a hereditary witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. All she really wants to do is work things out with Jacob and figure out what to do with the rest of her life. But before Stacey and Jacob can have a future, they must face their pasts. Black is for Beginnings reveals the never-before-seen backstory—and what lies ahead—for the young, spellcasting lovers. It's happening again . . ."


Ready to enter? Here are the rules!

Contest Rules

• I want the name of a song and a book you think it goes well with. Any song, any book. The possibilities are endless!
• You must include what I've asked you to say, or else I'll understand you haven't read the post.
• Following my blog and informing me will get you THREE extra entries. Yay! (+3)
• Posting about this contest and informing me will get you an extra entry. (+1)
• Linking to WORD will get you an extra entry, but you must inform me or I won't know! (+1)
• Twittering about this contest and telling me will get you an extra entery. (+1)
• Following me on Twitter will give you TWO extra entries! Spiffeh. (+2)
• Contest valid only to U.S. residents. Sorry!

G'luck!

~ Nicole