Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. (:

Today's pick:

Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart

Spoilers for books 1-3 in the Ruby Oliver series ahead!

description from goodreads:

Ruby Oliver, the neurotic, hyperverbal heroine of the The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, and The Treasure Map of Boys, is back!

Ruby Oliver is in love. Or it would be love, if Noel, her real live boyfriend, would call her back. But Noel seems to have turned into a pod-robot lobotomy patient, and Ruby can’t figure out why.

Not only is her romantic life a shambles:
Her dad is eating nothing but Cheetos,
Her mother’s got a piglet head in the refrigerator,
Hutch has gone to Paris to play baguette air guitar,
Gideon shows up shirtless,
And the pygmy goat Robespierre is no help whatsoever.

Will Ruby ever control her panic attacks?
Will she ever understand boys?
Will she ever stop making lists?
(No to that last one.)

Roo has lost most of her friends. She’s lost her true love, more than once. She’s lost her grandmother, her job, her reputation, and possibly her mind. But she’s never lost her sense of humor. The Ruby Oliver books are the record of her survival.

---

Need this book now! Ruby is one of my favorite characters and series. I am dying to find out what happens to Ruby and her many boys.

(Side note: The fact that this cover won't match my others is going to KILL ME.)

Released December 28.

Somebody Everybody Listens To by Suzanne Supplee

[description from goodreads]

Retta Lee Jones is blessed with a beautiful voice and has big dreams of leaving her tiny Tennessee hometown. With a beaten down car, a pocketful of hard-earned waitressing money, and stars in her eyes, Retta sets out to make it big in Nashville. But the road to success isn’t a smooth one in a town filled with dreamers, and Retta begins to have doubts: can she make her mark while staying true to herself?

From the breakout author of Artichoke’s Heart, this bighearted novel is a must-read for anyone who has ever chased a dream (or hummed along with Taylor Swift).

Review:

The mention of Taylor Swift in the summary alone made me a little wary of this book (not a TSwift fan. At all.). I'm so not a country music person, but I gave this one a shot because it came for review. I enjoyed it- not my favorite thing, but not bad. I'm sure that if I liked country music I would have liked it more, but it was still a decent read.

Somebody Everybody Listens To has a more, I suppose, pessimistic stardom plotline. It seems like the only other celebrity books I've read involve people unwillingly thrust into the spotlight or celebrities who want out. Those stories are already getting old to me, which is why I liked the plot in this book. It's not the most exciting storyline, but there are always different things happening. Some things I saw coming, but a couple were delightfully unexpected. The unexpected things always seemed to come at a good time too-- sometimes Retta would be in the same place for a while that I would start to get bored, but then (usually) something new would happen.

Retta is much more developed than any of the minor characters, who I would discuss, but they were so insignificant to me that I can't recall any names. On the other hand, I actually liked Retta. I liked that she continued to go after her dream even though she faced many hardships and had family/friend drama at home. Although she did develop by the end, I liked that some of the personality traits she had in the beginning caused for an unexpected ending.

Though it's much more realistic than other "wannabe celebrity" books, I can't say that I loved Somebody Everybody Listens To. It was refreshing to read something so light, but it didn't blow me away.

Book details: Dutton/Hardcover/$16.99

Source: received from publisher for review

OMG

SO EXCITED.



The opening scene was kind of cheesy but OMG I AM SO EXCITED. *dies*

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie. (:

Descriptions from goodreads!

Got two awesome-looking books for review this week.

Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl

Prisoners in the Palace -- London, 1838. Sixteen-year-old Liza's dreams of her society debut are dashed when her parents are killed in an accident. Penniless, she accepts the position of lady's maid to young Princess Victoria and steps unwittingly into the gossipy intrigue of the servant's world below-stairs as well as the trickery above. Is it possible that her changing circumstances may offer Liza the chance to determine her own fate, find true love, and secure the throne for her future queen?

Meticulously based on newly discovered information, this riveting novel is as rich in historical detail as Catherine, Called Birdy, and as sizzling with intrigue as The Luxe.

---Yay historical!!

The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams

Not your everyday coming-of-age novel

This story was supposed to be about Evie how she hasn't made a friend in years, how she tends to stretch the truth (especially about her so-called relationship with college drop-out Jonah Luks), and how she finally comes into her own once she learns to just be herself but it isn't. Because when her classmate Elizabeth "Zabet" McCabe's murdered body is found in the woods, everything changes and Evie's life is never the same again.

---Yay mystery!!

Also, this cover is awesome.

Let's talk about COVERS!

I noticed that a two new covers of books I am highly anticipating were released this week, so I thought I would mention them. Talking about covers is one of my favorite things.

bigger version

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton (out February 15, 2011) (book summary, etc)

---The model looks a bit bored, considering she is carrying a big ax sword thing. But I like this cover! The book is a new take on fantasy/paranormal, and I think the cover reflects that. You can tell it's a paranormal novel right away, but it looks a bit different- more moody and hardcore- than many other paranormal covers. Although, I wish you could see the girl's hair a bit better since I don't really like such dreary looking covers-- I like more color.

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney (out February 2011) (book summary/picture source/bigger picture/etc)

- This cover looks like it is FULL OF SECRETS. Why is the girl hiding her face? What's that stuff on her arm? What is she holding? She's hiding something. (Well, somethings that are given away in the summary but if you just saw this cover on a bookstore shelf you'd be like "she has secrets! I would like to know them!") The fact that her shirt looks like it has faded into nothingness kind of confuses me, but no matter! Pretty cover. I like the little swirlies on the side.

Sea by Heidi R. Kling

[description from goodreads]

Haunted by recurring nightmares since her mother’s disappearance over the Indian ocean three years before, fifteen-year old California girl Sienna Jones reluctantly travels with her psychiatrist father’s volunteer team to six-months post-tsunami Indonesia where she meets the scarred and soulful orphaned boy, Deni, who is more like Sea than anyone she has ever met.

She knows they can’t be together, so why can’t she stay away from him? And what about her old best friend-turned-suddenly-hot Spider who may or may not be waiting for her back home? And why won’t her dad tell her the truth about her mother’s plane crash? The farther she gets from home, the closer she comes to finding answers.

And Sea’s real adventure begins.

Review:

I've been pretty unenthusiastic about quite a few of the books I've read this year, but Sea not one of those books. I liked it so much that I edited this video twice (I didn't save the first time- fail). I was terrified that Sea would disappoint me, but luckily, it didn't.

I'll get my few negatives out of the way first: I would have loved to see more of Sienna's work with the kids. The scenes where she interacted with the children were some of my favorites- they were sad but sweet and a nice break from the romance, even though I loved that aspect of the novel. I also don't see what the big deal about Spider is. Many of the other reviews I've read have made a point of mentioning how much they love him, but he's in the book for like 30 pages. Maybe I don't see the hype because surfer boys totally don't interest me, but I really don't see the appeal.

On to the happy lovey stuff: While I don't see the Spider appeal, I definitely see the Deni appeal. He's kind of totally awesome and sweet and ahh. Lovely. The romance between him and Sienna is completely believable, and I'm SO glad that it wasn't love at first sight (I'm over that plot element). Their relationship was sweet to begin with, but as it developed it became even more lovely to read about. I also liked that their time wasn't perfect- there were plenty of obstacles in their way that made their story all the more realistic.

Most of the other story elements were excellent as well- Sienna's back story and grief were written beautifully. I totally understood why she was so distraught over her mother and father's developing relationship with a new woman; seeing her try to overcome her issues gave the story much more depth- it's not just a fantastic romance.

And the ending? Broke my heart. That twist! I may have cried. Maybe.

I haven't written a mostly positive review in a while, and I think it shows, because this review is not my best (and I think the negative paragraph is almost as long as the positive parts). But all you need to know: IT'S SO GOOD!

Book details: Putnam/Hardcover/$17.99

Source: sent by publisher for review

Possessions by Nancy Holder

[description from goodreads]

Lindsay is hoping for a fresh start, to get out of San Diego, where everyone remembers when she had her breakdown, and get away to boarding school, even if it is a boarding school as creepy as Marlwood Academy. But Lindsay is happier, and even manages to make a great new friend, Julie. Then, the school's most popular girl, Mandy starts acting super creepy. Rumors abound, but it's becoming more and more clear to Lindsay that something else is at work...something darker and more dangerous than just a houseful of mean girls.

Review:

Why wasn't this summary on the back of the ARC? The one on the back- the one I read- gave the ending away. Because I already knew the ending, the entire book was boring to me. But even if I didn't know, I'm not sure that I would have loved it.

There was a nice mystery in Possessions, one with a backstory that is far more interesting than the actual plot of the book. The problem with it, though, is that it moves so slowly. It never seemed like Lindsay made much progress at figuring out what was going on. She spent most of her time freaking out or trying to guess, but it wasn't until the very end that she figured it out. Perhaps it would have been more suspenseful if I didn't already know the mystery's solution, but still. The "mean girl" element made it a bit more interesting to read- there were plenty of pranks, eventful parties, and such- but there's only so many complaints about rich, mean girls that I can read before going crazy.

Because Lindsay is not one of the rich girls, though, she is a bit more easy to relate to. She had an entertaining voice and I liked that she did actively seek out new information regarding the spooky problems at the school. However, I wish there was a bit more given about her past. She mentions her mom and breakdown frequently, but hardly ever gives any new information about them. What she did mention helped me understand her personality and insecurities a bit better, but there seemed to be so much more that she could have shared.

Although I didn't like Possessions all that much, I still gave the sequel, The Evil Within, a try. It was a bit better- more exciting, more twists, and more creepy. However, I still thought that it took an obnoxiously long time to get to the real mystery.

Book details: Razorbill/paperback/$9.99

Source: both books sent by the publisher for review

Waiting on Wednesday: The 1920s

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. (:

I love historical fiction, so here are two book set in the 1920s that I am dying for.

Descriptions and such from goodreads!

Vixen by Lila Fine

Set in Jazz Age Chicago, the first book, Vixen, follows 17-year-old socialite Gloria Carmody, who longs to be a flapper and is caught between her conservative fiancé and a sexy jazz musician.

---

Not the most descriptive summary, but jazz! Love triangle! Flappers! Hot!

Released December 14.

---

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Bright Young Things is the first in an epic four-book series about three teenage girls finding their way in the glittering metropolis of New York City and the glamorous mansions of Long Island. It’s 1929 and Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey have escaped their small Midwestern town to chase big dreams and even bigger secrets. In New York, they meet Astrid Donal, a flapper who has everything she could ever want, except for the one thing Letty and Cordelia have to offer—true friendship. Set in the dizzying summer before the market crash, against the vast lawns of the East End and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls will find romance, intrigue, and adventure.

Just as The Luxe books brought the Gilded Age to readers of Gossip Girl, Bright Young Things will bring the Jazz Age to bestselling author Anna Godbersen’s devoted fans and to new readers alike.

---

I love the Luxe series (though I still haven't read book 4) so I was already eager to read Anna Godbersen's next book. This one sounds wonderful- any mention of secrets or Broadway automatically captures my interest.

Released October 26.

Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone

[description from goodreads]

When poor Boston girl Stephanie is abandoned by her abusive mother and taken in by Annie’s Beverly Hills family, she feels anything but home. Her dark complexion and accent stick out like a sore thumb in the golden-hued world of blondes and extravagance. These are girls who seem to live life in fastforward, while Stephanie is stuck on pause. Yet when a new rival moves to town, threatening Annie’s queen-bee status, Stephanie finds herself taking sides in a battle she never even knew existed, and that feeling invisible is a wound that can only be healed by standing up for who she is.

Brilliant newcomer Mary Hanlon Stone delivers a compulsively readable insider’s view of growing up in a world where money and privilege don’t always glitter.

Review:

I'm starting to really, really hate book summaries. They always end up giving half the book away or mentioning things that don't happen until half the book is over. The latter is the case with Invisible Girl. This rival the description mention doesn't show up for a long time, leaving me frustrated that the promised plot took forever to develop.

The first few chapters of this book were definitely intriguing- they're tense and give a nice introduction to Stephanie's background. But once Stephanie goes to California, I was not as interested. I spent most of my time wondering if the California kids were serious. On one hand, they're pettiness and mean attitude toward Stephanie and the "rival" Amal were realistically done. On on the other hand, I was never sure if they were 12 or 16 or somewhere in between. They sometimes acted like they thought they were mature, when they were really just stupid and annoying. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but it distracted me. The California kids also brought out the most awkward feelings in Stephanie, and I would often get a major case of secondhand embarrassment, which I really don't do well with.

I definitely prefer plot driven books, and because there really was no plot during the first half, I was bored. There was always hope that there would be some romance or another subplot, but these hopes never developed into anything interesting. The second half was much better- once Amal arrives there is much more tension. I also liked reading about her because she is not as obnoxious as the California kids. Her and Stephanie's relationship was done believably as well.

Character driven books need to be spectacular for me to enjoy them, but sadly, this one wasn't. I liked Stephanie's character growth and most of the characters' actions were realistic, but the lack of plot and abrupt ending were too much for me to get past.

Book details: Philomel/Hardcover/$16.99

Source: sent by publisher for review

"It's medicinal. Cramps."

Welcome to the Part 3 of the second edition of our so-called "Pretty Little Roundtable," in which Carol (Book Lover Carol), Alea (Pop Culture Junkie), and I discuss the new show Pretty Little Liars, based on the book series.

Spoilers for episode two, The Jenna Thing, are ahead! If you want to watch the episode it's on hulu and on the ABC Family website.

Part 1 can be found at the aforementioned Alea's blog, and Part 2 will be at Carol's.

Best/worst line(s):

Khyrinthia: I don't think there were any best lines this week. But there weren't any "do you mind if I smoke some weed?"s either!

Carol: I have crappy ones: "She's a teenage girl, Ella. Aren't they all moody and unpredictable?"
"She's everywhere." "New girl who just moved into dead girl's house."

Alea: Yeah, the new girl line was really awkward.

Carol: Oh "Still having trouble with that bursa sac....should I give it another rub?"

Khyrinthia: OH GOSH I FORGOT ABOUT THAT. EW

Carol: I know, right! So creepy!

Music:

Khyrinthia: I didn't really notice music this week!

Carol: Same here. (I normally don't listen to the music on episodes)

Alea: I of course really like the song from the Ezra/Aria rain scene. Supabeat by Sweet 17!
Since there was so dialogue that really had to set the mood and carry the scene.

You can see all the songs here: http://abcfamily.go.com/specials/music/blogs/pretty-little-liars-music-guide-episode-102/473993

Final Thoughts:

Khyrinthia: The guys are creepy since they just keep showing up (WILDEN). Not enough tension yet either. But I still like it!

Alea: The show is really starting to get going finally. I didn't think much happened in the first episode so I'm glad for that. Also, A needs to get creepier faster. And you could really start to see the differences from the book in this episode.

Carol: A is not creepy enough; the guys need to change; and the show is deviating from the books, but I still thought it was good.

---

Our thoughts on how the show and books differ are over at Carol's and thoughts on the best and worst scenes are over at Alea's! And if you watched the show, what did you think?

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie. (:

I had a surprisingly big week this week so no summaries- just links to goodreads/amazon. :D

Sorry that the titles are backwards. I took the picture with the webcam on Chadwick, my new laptop and I didn't feel like figuring it out how to flip it.

For review:

- Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine - looks great!

- Zoey Zeta and The Sisters of Power by Robert Simon - this one is a comic that I accepted for review because the summary made me think of the Powerpuff Girls. xD

- Lifted by Wendy Toliver - love the premise for this one.

-You Wish by Mandy Hubbard - sounds really cute! I'm happy I get to read it before I buy my friend a copy for her birthday (she loved Mandy's first book).

-Paranormalcy by Kiersten White - YAAAAAAY!

-Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin - prettypretty cover.

-Virals by Kathy Reichs - not as excited about this because I don't watch Bones and none of these adult authors crossing over into YA have impressed me, but I'll give this one a shot.

-Rosebush by Michele Jaffe - also has a prettypretty cover.

Book Fairy:

-The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer - I was excited about this one before but since I found out David Levithan edited it I am doubly excited.

-I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan - looks cuuute.

-And Then I Found Out the Truth by Jennifer Sturman - I like the brightness of this cover.

-Sellout by Ebony Joy Wilkins - the summary in the book for this one is a bit overwhelming but I'm curious to see how much I like it.

-A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley - I love books with music in them!

So Many Boys by Suzanne Young

Spoilers for the first book in the series, The Naughty List, ahead! You can read my The Naughty List review here if you wish. But here's a summary of that review: loved it!

[description from goodreads]

Tessa goes from strawberry smoothie to suddenly single!

After her center-court split with Aiden, Tessa puts the SOS behind her. After all, cheaters never prosper! Now she’s busy working on her faux-relationship with Aiden and negotiating the unfamiliar waters of “technically single and pseudo-dating.”

Life can’t get any more dismal for a one-guy kind of girl until an imposter hijacks the SOS, and it’s up to Tessa to save her squad from slander. But with her best boy hot and cold, what’s a kitten to do?

Even worse, Tessa doesn’t realize how much she’s up against—because this copykitten is far more naughty than nice.

Review:

If it's possible, I like this installment in the series even more than book one. There's more spying, more twists, and, perhaps most importantly, more boys.

Though not full of crazy intense action that I tend to prefer, I was completely entertained by Tessa and the squad's antics throughout the entire book. Tessa still manages to get into the craziest, most awkward situations even though she's not on the squad, but I liked seeing her in a normal environment too. Since she's out of her "must always be positive" leadership roles, she's not as overpowering as she was in book one, which was an insanely nice change. (Loved her in book one, but she was a little too strawberry smoothie for my liking then.) Even though I did sometimes want to slap her to get her to stop making such stupid mistakes, I loved her growth by the end.

So Many Boys is full of so many twists. Every few chapters there is a chapter from the fake SOS's point of view, which is definitely one of the highlights of the book. I loved that they kept my guessing as to who the fake SOS is; they were also exciting to read because of how spy-y they are (great vocabulary, I know). The little subplot those chapters included was super fun to read too, even though Tessa and the squad's investigating was more interesting.

And one last thing: So Many Boys completed changed my view on some characters. Some I hate more than I did when I started reading, and some I like even more. But even through my shock and hate, I could see why the betraying characters did what they did. I can't wait to see how book three handles some new revelations and changes, because some of the revealed scandals turned everything around.

So Many Boys escaped the Second-Book-in-a-Series Curse: it's just as exciting and awesome as book one.

Links: author blog/twitter/my interview with the author, Tessa, and Aiden

Book details: Razorbill/Paperback/$9.99

Source: bought

Mistwood by Leah Cypess

[description from goodreads]

The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwod.

But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty--because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.

Review:

Fantasy is a genre I've come to like less and less as I've gotten older, as I'm never fully satisfied with the world-building*, among other issues. I had that problem with Mistwood but I actually liked the book much more than I thought I would. Much of my enjoyment stemmed from the fact that I read the book in a British accent** but even if my mental voice read in its normal way, I'm sure I would have liked it just as much.

For quite a while, I was never fully sure what the central plot was supposed to be. I knew there was some sort of danger ahead, but it never fully came into play until half the book was over. However, there was plenty of mystery and politics to keep me interested the entire time. I enjoyed learning about Isabel's past and the legend of the Shifter, because as new details about each popped up, all my guesses about what would happen changed. I was constantly kept on my toes, all the way until the end, where a huge twist occurs. A twist I would have liked to know more about, and one I wish I had more time to get used to, but one I loved and did not see coming.

I'm also not a huge fan of third person narrative, but I thought it worked almost perfectly in this book. The only parts I didn't like was that I was easily confused by the sudden changes in point of view, which would sometimes paragraph to paragraph. The more detailed action scenes were also a bit difficult to follow and I had to reread a few passages before continuing. But because Isabel isn't technically human and does not really have a personality-- at least in the beginning-- the detached third person style fits well (it also helps that the book is written quite wonderfully). Even when Isabel begins to change and develop, the style fits because she's never really sure of her own feelings, and therefore it would be odd to describe them in detailed first person.***

Mistwood is definitely not my typical read, but I really really liked it. I'm completely fascinated by the world and legend Cypess has created and hope to learn more about it sometime soon!

---

*And yet I can never remember everything I'm supposed to in order to understand what's going on.

**Reading this book in an accent seemed very fitting. Do not question it.

***Also, reading from any of the minor characters' point of view would have been entirely too boring/obnoxious for a whole book. Isabel's story was by far the most interesting.

Links: author website/twitter

Book details: Greenwillow/Hardcover/$16.99

Source: BEA

Also this is like the shiniest book in the universe. Seriously, the jacket SHIMMERS.

Here's a movie I won't be seeing!

Miley Cyrus in the adaptation of Wake by Lisa McMann? Really? Love the books but Miley Cyrus? Really?

(Also I hate how that article is like "these books are EDGY!!!!11!!! And so is Miley!!!111)

As of right now I won't be seeing this movie (assuming it actually gets made and Miley is still the star) because Miley Cyrus annoys me quite a lot. If they cast the right Cabel I would consider it.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Look, let's say you hated graves, okay?"

"Hated graves?"

"Yeah, detested tombs. Loathed sepulchers. Abhorred anyplace anyone was buried. Understand?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Hypothetically hated graves."

"Um, okay. I hate graves."

"Excellent. Perfect. But you'd still go to the Taj Mahal, wouldn't you?"

"Um, I'd go where?"

"The Taj Mahal! The most beautiful building in the world! You know all those Indian restaurants around the corner, with the murals on the wall?"

"Yeah, I know the one you mean: lots of arches, a pond out front, with a kind of onion on top?"

"Exactly. And gorgeous."

"I guess. And somebody's buried there?"

"Yeah, Moz, some old queen. It's a total tomb. But you don't suddenly think it's ugly just because of it's category, do you?"

"So, in other words...you don't mind if you're in a band that plays alternative death-metal cypherfunk, as long as it's the Taj Mahal of alternative death metal cypherfunk. Right?"

- The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld

I was doing a little rereading yesterday and this passage totally made me think "I would like the Taj Mahal of dead people books like right now." Because I am tired of them and yet always read them, hoping that they will end up awesome. I think that there's a lot of potential in them but I've read so many similar things that I always end up disappointed.

This thought was reinforced by Choco's post yesterday. She always posts about things when I am thinking about them. Kind of freaky.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

[description from goodreads]

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris-- the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts fiercely alongside her. Now Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves and finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax-- but loving him means betraying her sister and has the potential to destroy all they've worked for.

Twenty-five-year-old Jackson Pearce delivers a dark, taut fairy tale with heart-pounding action, fierce sisterly love, and a romance that will leave readers breathless.

Review:

I was initially a bit hesitant to read Sisters Red because I'm already tired of werewolf novels. However, this book has a leg-up on other "werewolf books" because it 1) really isn't about werewolves as much as it is about sisters and 2) is a delightfully unique twist on the story of "Little Red Riding Hood" and therefore has a whole different feel to it. It's more folktale than "werewolves are hot, dark, and dangerous." That isn't to say that I LOVED it, though; I am somewhere between "I liked it" and "I liked it a lot."

A mystery drives quite a lot of the book (I won't say what the mystery is, because I'm not really sure if it counts as a spoiler). This mystery would have been much better if I didn't figure out the solution right after they started searching. Their searches bored me because I only doubted my guessing skills once or twice- I was a bit frustrated that they spent so many pages trying to figure it out. However, their lack of sleuthing skills made for an exciting ending. I just wish the road getting there had a few more twists that made me doubt my guesses.

I was much more interested in the hunting aspect of the novel. Every time one of the girls would go up against some of the Fenris, there was tons of awesome, bloody action. I could totally see why the girls felt like she needed to kill as many as possible; though I wish a little more mythology could have been included somehow, there was enough to make me believe that the Fenris really are creepy and horrible. I was nearly as excited as Scarlett when one was killed because of how terrible they are, and because the killing brought some excitement among the dull mystery solving scenes.

Sisters Red was too boring at times for me. I'm sure that if I didn't figure out the mystery so early, it would have been much better. Still, I loved the juxtaposition of the sisters, their relationship, and all of the bloody action.

Book details: Little, Brown/Hardcover/$16.99

"I hear prison food makes you fat."

Welcome to the Part 2 of the first edition of our so-called "Pretty Little Roundtable," in which Carol (Book Lover Carol), Alea (Pop Culture Junkie), and I discuss the new show Pretty Little Liars, based on the book series.

Spoilers for episode one, Pilot, are ahead! If you want to watch episode one

it's on hulu and on the ABC Family website. Also, slight spoilers for book 1 in the series (you can skip the TV vs. Book part to avoid book spoilers though).

Part 1 can be found at the aforementioned Carol's blog, and Part 3 will be at Alea's.

TV show vs. Book Series:

C: Other than the obvious differences between the book-girls and the tv-girls, another difference is the time. Instead of the five years that Ali has been missing, it was changed to one year. I like it better when Ali was missing for five years because then when they start to receive the messages from 'A', it's more...out-of-nowhere and really lets the girls know that even though much time has passed, they haven't gotten away with anything and their secrets are not as safe as they thought. The tension is higher when Ali has been missing longer. A lot of the things found in the first book are shown in the pilot, and it was nice to know that they didn't totally change the show from the books.

A: I thought in the books it was 3 or 4 years? But no matter, I wonder why they decided to go with 1 year since Ali’s disappearance, I wonder if it’s so they wouldn’t have to dramatically make the girls look younger? I also noticed that Spencer’s sister’s boyfriend Wren is her fiance on the show, makes the stakes of the coveting much higher! I was really impressed with how close they kept to the book, most of the major plot elements were exactly the same, and while the end of the first book (the funeral) is moved up to to the end of the first episode I think it will still work for everything they skipped to play out after the funeral on the show.

K: I think it's 3 years. I'm glad they kept to the storyline from the book! Except it's not as suspenseful as in the book yet. I'm sure it will get better once the girls start getting more messages. I'm hoping they are able to follow the books as long as possible- once they get to books 7/8 they're going to have issues though (if they make it that far).

C: I guess it is three years. I'm kinda bad with numbers :P

Best Line:

K: Anything but "do you mind if I smoke some weed?" or whatever it was.
C: Ditto, Khy. That was just so awkward. They're just talking about normal stuff and then bam, "Do you mind if I smoke some weed?"

---

Our thoughts on the best and worst scenes are over at Carol's and thoughts on the music and over feelings are over at Alea's! And if you watched the show, what did you think?

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie. (:

Descriptions and such from goodreads.

The images on the post are half missing and in the wrong spots because the internet has decided to hate me.

Bought:

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare

of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost.

---I bought this because it has the Courtney Summers Seal of Approval. I could not resist reading it and can totally see why Courtney loves it. It was fabulous.

I also bought a copy of So Many Boys by Suzanne Young but no summary because it is spoilery. I already read it as well and OMG need book 3 in the series now. It was so scandalous and awesome.

For review:

God is in the Pancakes by Robin Epstein

Fifteen-year-old Grace Manning is a candy striper in a nursing home, and Mr. Sands is the one patient who makes the job bearable. He keeps up with her sarcasm, teaches her to play poker . . . and one day cheerfully asks her to help him die. At first Grace says no way, but as Mr. Sands’s disease progresses, she’s not so sure. Grace tries to avoid the wrenching decision by praying for a miracle, stuffing herself with pancakes, and running away from all feelings, including the new ones she has for her best friend Eric. But Mr. Sands is getting worse, and she can’t avoid him forever.

Robin Epstein has delivered an incredibly engaging, thought-provoking debut YA novel, with all the snappy dialogue and attitude of the movie Juno.

---A surprise book! Yay surprises! It sounds quite good. Mmm pancakes.

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Rae Seddon, nicknamed Sunshine, lives a quiet life working at her stepfather's bakery. One night, she goes out to the lake for some peace and quiet. Big mistake. She is set upon by vampires, who take her to an old mansion. They chain her to the wall and leave her with another vampire, who is also chained. But the vampire, Constantine, doesn't try to eat her. Instead, he implores her to tell him stories to keep them both sane. Realizing she will have to save herself, Sunshine calls on the long-forgotten powers her grandmother began to cultivate in her when she was a child. She transforms her pocketknife into a key and unchains herself--and Constantine. Surprised, he agrees to flee with her when she offers to protect him from the sun with magic. They escape back to town, but Constantine knows his enemies won't be far behind, which means that he and Sunshine will have to face them together. A luminous, entrancing novel with an enthralling pair of characters at its heart.

---This book has the most sparkly cover I have ever seen.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: Jem, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

---Another surprise book! I also got a copy at BEA. Which means I have two. Hmm...

New layout!

Blogger has this new customize your own layout thing so I decided to mess around with it. I must say that like the my new layout. It looks more ~fresh~ as my friend Zoe said. It's also much easier to read, I think. I did keep the same color blue as the background color though because I couldn't make myself get rid of it. xD

I still might mess around with the fonts and I need a new header, but do you like? I am a fan of the simple look, I must say.

Wanted by Sara Shepard

Don't read ahead if you haven't read up through book 7 in the series! No spoilers for this book, but there will be spoilers for 1-7.

[description from goodreads]

In Rosewood, majestic estates sprawl for acres, and Tiffany toggle bracelets dangle from every girl's wrist. But not all that glitters is gold, and the town harbors secrets darker than anyone could imagine—like the truth about what really happened the night Alison DiLaurentis went missing. . . .

Back in middle school, Ali plucked Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer from obscurity and turned them into the beautiful, popular girls everyone wanted to be. Ali was the best friend they ever had. But she also made them do terrible things and taunted them with their worst secrets. Now, three years later, all their questions about Ali have finally been answered and they can put this awful chapter of their lives behind them. Or so they think.

Not every story has a happy ending, especially when four pretty little liars have done so many wicked things. In the dramatic conclusion of Sara Shepard's bestselling Pretty Little Liars series, Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer could get everything they've ever wanted—unless A has one more horrifying twist in store.

Review:

I don't usually talk about series books on the blog but I am dying to find someone who has already read Wanted because I want to talk about it. It was crazy! Crazy but awesome.

I sped through this book in a matter of hours because I was dying to figure out who A was. I gave up on guessing about A's identity around book 6, so I was finally happy to figure out who was behind all the madness. I was also glad that even though this is the last book in the series, the author still found ways to include a whole bunch of new twists and turns. I wish the twists had a bit more time to develop because there were some HUGE things to get used to, but I was so caught up in the book that I didn't really notice while I was reading.

The twists are absolutely crazy and I definitely did not see them coming. I don't know how anyone could have predicted what happened- it was so unpredictable and suspenseful and totally awesome. The biggest one regarding Ali's death unfolds quickly but in a way that made me gasp and wish I could skip pages to find out the truth. Loved it!

I wish I had read the book before I watched the show, however, because the whole time I thought "I hope they are able to film the show up through book 8 because they would have a fun time trying to convince me the Spencer and Alison look alike."

Wanted was a extremely satisfying ending to one of the most addicting series I've read. I love the ending that all the girls were given, even though I desperately wished to knock some sense into them during the entire middle of the book.

Book details: HarperTeen/Hardcover/$16.99

Happy release day, Heidi R Kling!

We love Sea so much that we made a video about it:



So glad to finally get this up, as I edited it twice because I didn't save the first time and my computer died! But I think it came out pretty good, for me editing while I was frustrated and tired.

Sea by Heidi R Kling
http://heidirkling.com/
http://twitter.com/HeidiRKling

Official book trailer done by Vania: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjmQEP...

In order of appearance:

Khy (me): http://www.freneticreader.com/

Erica: http://www.thebookcellarx.com/

Sarah: http://sarahbear9789.blogspot.com/

Zoe: http://www.zoesbookreviews.com/

Mitali: http://www.thealleyofbooks.com/

Vania: http://www.vlcphoto.net/
http://reveriemedia.blogspot.com/

Sarah Ockler (author of TWENTY BOY SUMMER): http://sarahockler.com/

Last year's collab: http://www.youtube.com/hopesbookshelf...

I'M FREE! (and contests winners~)

SCHOOL IS OVER! For a week and a half. And then I start my summer class: economics. However, it will not take up as much of my time as the regular school year does so I have more time to do whatever I want.

For example, I can stare at this cover for as long as I desire:


prettyprettywantwant.

I can also finally get caught up on my review books and other bloggish things, like emails. I'm super behind on everything. Finals killed me.

My first order of business on getting caught up on blogging: contest winners! The winner of Nightshade is Jillian S and the winner of The Eternal Ones is Alyssa F (shadyglade). Congrats winners! If you would be so kind as to send me your mailing addresses (khyrinthia@gmail.com) I will get the books out ASAP.

The Alison Dare Series by J. Torres, illustrated by J. Bone

[description from goodreads]

Alison Dare: Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft in fabulous, graphic adventures.Alison Dare is not your typical twelve-year-old. She's the daughter of an archaeologist/adventurer and the masked hero known as the Blue Scarab. To top it off, she's also the niece of an international super-spy; it's no surprise that a craving for danger is in her blood! Unfortunately, her parents have locked her away at the prestigious St. Joan's Academy for Girls, hoping that this would lead to a more "normal" life for their daughter.

But despite all the strict rules at the school, Alison and her best pals - Wendy and Dot - somehow manage to find themselves involved in adventures that rival those of Alison's globetrotting, planet-saving relatives. Whether it's magic genies, super-powered bank robbers, or a dastardly baron bent on world domination, Alison Dare delivers the best thrills since Indiana Jones and more action than Lara Croft!

---

The books in this series are Alison Dare: Little Miss Adventures and Alison Dare: The Heart of the Maiden. They both have similar summaries and formats- both are graphic novels that are made up of a bunch of smaller stories rather than one story with one main plotline- so I decided to review them together.

I'm not a big "short story" fan so I preferred the The Heart of the Maiden because the parts are more connected than in Little Miss Adventures. However, I still found the individual stories in each to be super amusing. Some stories were more exciting than others, but all of them were fun to read. I wish some were developed a bit more because it felt like there was always a little bit more to the magic/mythology included in each, but I liked being able to finish each story quickly, especially since I read these during crazy studying-for-finals time. Similarly, I wish there was a bit more character development/introduction- it felt like I was already supposed to know who everyone was when I began book one. Still, I liked the characters because they were quite fun and imaginative- superhero dad = awesome. Archeologist mom = also awesome.

The graphic novel format also super cool. I don't often read graphic novels, but I really like them. Staring at pretty pictures is always fun.

The Alison Dare series is definitely geared for a younger audience, but I very much enjoyed them. They're super cute and I'm sure Little Khy would have loved them.

Part of the blog tour is to take a picture of Alison out doing stuff. Here's mine:

In this photo, Alison Dare has encountered John Green Bobblehead and Nico the Barista. Based on the expressions on John and Nico's faces, I'm going to say that they are surprised Alison is driving. I am a bit surprised too, since she's only 12. However, I'm sure she needs the car for some wacky, entertaining adventure.

Links: author blog/illustrator blog/enter to win an Alison Dare prize pack over at the publisher blog

Book Signing: Sara Shepard and the Pretty Little Liars

(That sounds like a band name.)

On Saturday I went to the Pretty Little Liars event up. Not only was the author, Sara Shepard, there, but the four main actresses from the TV show were there: Lucy Hale (Aria), Shay Mitchell (Emily), Troian Bellisario (Spencer), and Ashley Benson (Hanna).

I got to the mall where the Barnes and Noble was about a half hour before the event was set to start, and I even though I was texting while walking, I looked up and saw a brunette who looked an awful lot like Lucy Hale from the side. I wasn't sure because she was wearing sunglasses but when we walked inside she took them off, and it was actually her. Both of us took the escalator up two floors, and because I was behind her, it probably seemed like I was stalking her. But I wasn't. We were just going in the same direction. I swear.

Of course I was too chicken to say anything to her, but like the twitter-addict I am, I tweeted about it:

After Lucy went the other direction, I went to sit in the event area. There were still a bunch of open seats so I just sat in the fourth row. But then one of the workers told me I needed a wristband, which I had no idea about because it was not anywhere on their website or anything (me? annoyed? never), so my mom had to go downstairs buy Wanted and get a wristband. I ended up with a blue wristband, which was supposed to mean that I didn't get a seat. However, since there were still a bunch of open seats, one of the workers just grabbed me and sat me in the second row. WHAT NOW.

I sat in my seat for like 25 minutes before the author came out. They had a projector playing all the show promos over and over and over. If I hear "Never trust a pretty girl with an ugly secret" or "Friends share secrets. That's what keeps us close." one more time I might lose my mind. (It did not help that I was studying for my history final at the same time and my mind was already half dead. [Yes, I really did bring my history notes. That's what I'm holding in all the later pictures.])

The author, Sara Shepard, came out and read the prologue of Wanted because it is spoiler free. Spoilers for this series are VERY VERY BAD.


After she read the prologue, the actresses came out:

A short Q&A followed:

- Lucy Hale originally auditioned for Hanna and Aria and got Aria, Troian Bellisario had only auditioned for Spencer, Ashley Benson had only auditioned for Hanna, and Shay Mitchell had originally auditioned for Spencer but got the part of Emily.

- It seems that all of the actresses and Sara are aware that everyone is mad the actresses don't look like how the characters are described in the books. Sara reassured us that she loves all the actresses and feels they ~embody the spirit~ of the characters, which is really the most important thing.

(Troian Bellisario [Spencer] and Lucy Hale [Aria])

- When asked about her inspiration for the series, Sara quickly described that she was always a fan of mysteries and she and a team of editors came up with the text messaging stalker idea. then Sara filled in all the blanks and started writing.

- Sara had originally planned four books in the series, but around book two knew there would be eight. She would love to continue writing the series but it is still ending at book 8.

(Ashley Benson [Hanna])

- The set designers even got the girls' bedrooms perfect, according to all five of them. Aria even has a Pigtunia.

- All four of the girls love their on-screen parents and siblings even though their characters don't get along on the show. (Aria's parents are portrayed by Chad Lowe and Holly Marie Combs, Hanna's mom is Laura Leighton, Emily's mom is Nia Peeples, Spencer's sister is Torrey DeVitto.) Troian said it's fun shooting the catfights with Torrey DeVitto because they just hug each other and laugh afterward.

(Shay Mitchll [Emily] and some random lady's hair)

disclaimer: my memory sucks and I could have entirely misremembered the above info. I'm pretty sure it's all correct though. Feel free to yell at me if it isn't.

After the Q&A, it was the autographing time. While waiting in line I heard the cast mention boxes of dirt and figured they were talking about the game. (The game, as explained by The Story Siren, Green Bean Teen Queen, and Pop Culture Junkie). When I got up there, I asked if they were in fact talking about that, and they all said "Yes! Do you have one!" Sadly I am not able to play the game so I said "No but I know a bunch of people playing!" (I didn't mention that I constantly pester some of these people- Alea- for game info).



None of them knew exactly what the game entailed- just that A sends the players texts with challenges. I tried to explain as best I could but ultimately failed because I was being rushed along because there was a long line behind me. I'm sure I confused the girls more.



After the whole seating debacle, it was a super awesome event. All of the girls are insanely nice and pretty and excited about the show. I am quite excited as well. You all better watch it tomorrow (at 8:00 on ABC Family) because I will for sure be blogging about it sometime this week.

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie. (:

Only bought one thing this week:
Wanted by Sara Shepard

description from goodreads:

In Rosewood, majestic estates sprawl for acres, and Tiffany toggle bracelets dangle from every girl's wrist. But not all that glitters is gold, and the town harbors secrets darker than anyone could imagine—like the truth about what really happened the night Alison DiLaurentis went missing. . . .

Back in middle school, Ali plucked Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer from obscurity and turned them into the beautiful, popular girls everyone wanted to be. Ali was the best friend they ever had. But she also made them do terrible things and taunted them with their worst secrets. Now, three years later, all their questions about Ali have finally been answered and they can put this awful chapter of their lives behind them. Or so they think.

Not every story has a happy ending, especially when four pretty little liars have done so many wicked things. In the dramatic conclusion of Sara Shepard's bestselling Pretty Little Liars series, Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer could get everything they've ever wanted—unless A has one more horrifying twist in store.

---

Technically this book isn't out until Tuesday, but I went to the Pretty Little Liars event yesterday and they already had it for sale (event pictures coming tomorrow!). This book is quite tempting at the moment but I'm saving it for Wednesday, when it will be my reward for finishing finals.

NYC Trip: Part Two

Part one can be found here! I would like to take this opportunity to say that I met Carol on Wednesday and she is awesome. (Happy now, Carol? :p)

On Wednesday night, Sarah (and our moms) and I headed over to Books of Wonder for a signing featuring all sorts of lovely authors, including Stephanie Kuehnert, Melissa Walker, and Linda Gerber.
Each of the authors read a little from their books and answered questions and all that fun book signing-stuff.
At this event, I learned that James Bond nerds actually exist. I had never thought about the possibility of James Bond nerds. One of the authors there wrote books about young James Bond, and there were quite a few people there who brought him James Bond things to sign. It was a good learning experience.

It was also good to see Melissa Walker because I looove her and seeing Stephanie Kuehnert again is always lovely.

Thursday:

My only mission for Thursday at BEA was to get a copy of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. A bunch of other bloggers and myself got there a couple hours early to stand in line because the ARCs were being given out at 9:00 AM. Don't Sarah, myself, Alicia, and Mitali look determined in this picture? Turns out that getting there a couple hours early wasn't that much of a help in getting to the Simon and Schuster booth. As soon as people were allowed to go in to the booths, everyone pretty much got out of line and RAN. Like, ran. The guy at the foreign booth was cheering everyone on in Spanish.

In my experience, book people don't tend to run, especially when they are caring a few bags. Which is why I wish I got to watch this whole scene from behind. I imagine it would have been hilarious.

But we all got the ARC, so running was worth it.

After the crazy line at the booth was over and we had our books in hand, we walked around the booths a bit before heading over to the Bloomsbury booth, where we met Simone Elkeles and the model from the Rules of Attraction trailer:

After that experience was over, we headed over to the autograph area, where we met Chelsea Campbell (The Rise of Renegade X)! There's Chelsea being authorly with her EMBOSSERS. Her embossers are awesome (and so is she)!

After this we headed back to the Bloomsbury booth to get Low Red Moon signed by Ivy Devlin, and then we probably walked to the autograph area again just because we needed to keep the walking back-and-forth pattern going.

We also ate lunch with Jaclyn Dolamore (Magic Under Glass) and Amy Brecount White (Forget Her Nots), who are both super great. I think Jaclyn wins the prize for the author I saw most on Thursday, because I only saw Stephanie Kuehnert like twice that day. At lunch, I also tried not to stare at Bernadette Peters, who was sitting a table away. I don't think I succeeded.

Eventually, we made it to the biggest signing line of all: TIM GUNN. Yes, the Tim Gunn. Sarah, Mitali, our moms, and I waited in line for a few hours to meet Tim Gunn. It was so worth the insanely long wait.

He took pictures with each person in the long line and talked to everyone for a few minutes. He's so nice! I don't remember what I said but it was probably something stupid. How can I be expected to sound intelligent in front of TIM GUNN?

After that line, we were all kind of sick of lines, but I made it over to the Forget Her Nots signing and we all made it to the Erin Bow (Plain Kate) signing.

Later that night, Sarah (and our moms) and I ate with Sarah Ockler (Twenty Boy Summer). She is even cooler in the ~real world~ than online. I love her! And her books. Fixing Delilah Hannaford, her next book, should definitely be on your wishlist (it comes out in the fall!).


The rest of the trip was not as exciting, but still awesome. On Friday I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and I loveloveloved it. On Saturday, my mom and I went to see Next to Normal which was AMAZING. But depressing. But amazing.