Sorry, Sorry, Sorry

I'm sooooooo sorry I've been gone so long. I'm on spring break, and in the weeks before this one, all of my teachers decided to overload on projects, tests, and other evil things, so I have been so very very busy. But, since I am now on spring break, I will (hopefully) be posting all this week, including the very special spotlight post that I was talking about!!!!! I swear I will be posting.

Kelsyyyyyy (sorry again)

Yay! Books!

Oh lordy have i had a busy week. I have read quite a few books, but there is one in particular that i loved. However, I think I'm going to save that one for a special spotlight post, but here are 4 books that i read that I'm reviewing.

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult- Summary from Amazon-Trixie Stone is an imaginative, perceptive 14 year old whose life begins to unravel when Jason Underhill breaks up with her, leaving a void that can only be filled by the blood spilled during shameful self-mutilations in the girls' bathroom. While Trixie's dad Daniel notices his daughter's recent change in demeanor, he turns a blind eye, just as he does to the obvious affair his wife Laura, a college professor, is barely trying to conceal. When Trixie gets raped at a friend's party, Daniel and Laura are forced to deal not only with the consequences of their daughter's physical and emotional trauma, but with their own transgressions as well. For Daniel, that means reflecting on a childhood spent as the only white kid in a native Alaskan village, where isolation and loneliness turned him into a recluse, only to be born again after falling in love with his wife. Laura, who blames her family's unraveling on her selfish affair, must decide how to reconcile her personal desires with her loved ones' needs.

Review- This book, though sad, lonely, and painful, was interesting and provided a glimpse into the mind of a rape victim. Jodi Picoult is an amazing storyteller, and she knows how to weave a plot so intricately that one has no hope of untangling until the book is done. The end was a bit of shock, but I liked the drawings in the book and Laura's teachings of Dante's Inferno. The book was thoughtful and emotional, and it captured me until the end. Though it was sad and heart-wrenching, The Tenth Circle left me with a feeling of hope, and I enjoyed the book. A

Too Good to be True by Kristan Higgins- Summary from Amazon-Three weeks before her wedding, Grace’s fiancé calls it off to date her younger, prettier sister. Grace is a history teacher, and the only males she meets are her teenage students, elderly men at the dance class her friend teaches at the nursing home, and guys at her Civil War reenactment-society battles, where it’s hard to flirt when they have to play dead. Sick of being pitied, she tells everyone that she’s happily involved with a pediatric surgeon.

Review- I kind of loved this book. It was adorable, and interesting, and the main man, Callahan O'Shea, was gorgeous and sexy, and Grace was funny and interesting. Grace was smart and could hold her own, and her family was really entertaining, especially with her parents constant bickering and her older sister Margaret's wisecracks. The only character I really didn't like was Grace's younger sister Natalie, because she was spoiled and privileged. I enjoyed this book, and it was one of the first I read on my Nook, so I was pretty happy with it overall. A-

In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth- Summary from Amazon- When a small mistake costs sixteen-year-old Eagan her life during a figure-skating competition, she leaves many things unreconciled, including her troubled relationship with her mother. From her vantage point in the afterlife, Eagan reflects back on her memories, and what she could have done differently, through her still-beating heart. When fourteen-year-old Amelia learns she will be getting a heart transplant, her fear and guilt battle with her joy at this new chance at life. And afterwards when she starts to feel different—dreaming about figure skating, craving grape candy—her need to learn about her donor leads her to discover and explore Eagan’s life, meeting her grieving loved ones and trying to bring the closure they all need to move on.

Review- This book was good, and I liked Amelia a lot, but throughout the book, Eagan annoyed me. She was stuck-up, ungrateful, and just rude. I also did not like her mom. Now I know books, especially YA books, tend to have negative parental figures. And I also understand that this book needed the mom to be a super annoyance. But sometimes it got to the point where I just did not want to read it and I had to put the book down. I did, however, love Amelia. I liked that she was shy, and that she was interesting and cool, but still nice. I also really liked Ari, because he was sweet and cute. Though I had issues with one of the main characters, I still enjoyed this book. B

Ironside by Holly Black- Summary from Amazon- In the realm of Faerie, the time has come for Roiben's coronation. Uneasy in the midst of the malevolent Unseelie Court, pixie Kaye is sure of only one thing -- her love for Roiben. But when Kaye, drunk on faerie wine, declares herself to Roiben, he sends her on a seemingly impossible quest. Now Kaye can't see or speak to Roiben unless she can find the one thing she knows doesn't exist: a faerie who can tell a lie. Miserable and convinced she belongs nowhere, Kaye decides to tell her mother the truth -- that she is a changeling left in place of the human daughter stolen long ago. Her mother's shock and horror sends Kaye back to the world of Faerie to find her human counterpart and return her to Ironside. But once back in the faerie courts, Kaye finds herself a pawn in the games of Silarial, queen of the Seelie Court. Silarial wants Roiben's throne, and she will use Kaye, and any means necessary, to get it.

Review- I personally did not enjoy this book as much as Tithe. I did, however, like the addition of Luis and Dave, and I enjoyed the last half of the book far more than the first half. Throughout the book, it seemed like Kaye's only goal was to pity herself. I didn't like that side of her, and that was nearly all there was. I also wished Roiben had been in the book more, though I understand why he wasn't. The entire book was full of crossed signals and misunderstandings, and that annoyed me quite a bit. However, I did enjoy the ending, and i liked Corny and Luis's relationship and Corny's quirkiness throughout the book. Corny became one of my favorite characters, as did Lutie-loo, so this book was not all bad. I really wanted to like it more than I did. C+

Next time, I will be reviewing a couple more books and hopefully I will have my surprise spotlight post up later in the week. Thats all for now!

Kelsy

Happy March!

March is probably one of my least favorite months, just because its soo long and hard to get through, but I am trying desperately to get through it. I can already tell its going to be okay though, because I saw alice in wonderland, and I loved it so much, so how can the month not be good? Okay, now on to the reviews...

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks- Summary From Amazon- In 1932, two North Carolina teenagers from opposite sides of the tracks fall in love. Spending one idyllic summer together in the small town of New Bern, Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson do not meet again for 14 years. Noah has returned from WWII to restore the house of his dreams, having inherited a large sum of money. Allie, programmed by family and the "caste system of the South" to marry an ambitious, prosperous man, has become engaged to powerful attorney Lon Hammond. When she reads a newspaper story about Noah's restoration project, she shows up on his porch step, re-entering his life for two days. Will Allie leave Lon for Noah?

Review- I personally loved this book. The movie is in my top 5, so I had very very high hopes for this book, and it did not disappoint. I tend to enjoy books set in past eras, and I liked that this one flipped from the 1930's and 1940's to present day, and I loved the vivid descriptions. I also loved that it was set in the South, and how pure Noah and Allie's love was. I also really liked Lon, even though I didn't particularly want to. It was hard to choose one favorite character, because I loved them all so much, but I really liked Noah's dad and all of his scenes. This book captured me, and I loved it. A

The Sweet Potato Queen's Book of Love by Jill Conner Browne- Summary From Amazon- Unlike other beauty queens, the Jackson, Miss., Sweet Potato Queens are self-crowned, rule for life (there's no "former" tag for these gals) and are real women?figure flaws and all. Originally organized in 1982, the Queens are, by their own account, "fallen Southern belles" and "female drag queens"?and as such, they are all about attitude and humor. This buoyantly funny guide to life and love is a hoot from the get-go as ringleader Browne offers queenly observations on life's most pressing issues.

Review- This book captured me too, but in a different way. It was so funny, and interesting, and cute. I loved the southern phrases and the great little nuggets of wisdom. The stuff about men was so witty, and I liked the fact that the Sweet Potato Queens are a real organization. I thought the book was a cute, funny guide to life, and it made me want to visit the South even more. It also made me want to know my neighbors and eat fried chicken. It drew me in, and made me jealous of the Sweet Potato Queens, and I was interested. This book was quirky and different, but I'm glad I bought it. A-

Sorry Its Been So Long...

but I've been busy. I have a ton of books to review, so i'll get started.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart Summary From Amazon- Over the course of one summer, Frankie Landau-Banks, a somewhat geeky girl with an unassuming nature, has developed into a 15-year-old with an attention-grabbing figure, a new attitude, and sights set on making changes at her elite boarding school. The teenager also has a new boyfriend, a gorgeous senior who belongs to a long-standing secret society on campus—The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, known mostly for silly pranks and a history of male-only membership. With a witty, sharp, and intelligently scheming mind, Frankie manipulates the Loyal Order to do her bidding with pranks meant to make a political statement about the male-dominated and classist nature of the school.

Review- Truthfully, I didn't like this book as much as I expected to. I thought it was going to be a cute, easy, romantic comedy, but it was instead a feminist manifesto. Don't get me wrong, I love strong female characters in books, but Frankie got annoying at times, and she just didn't seem very relatable to me. Usually, I love E. Lockhart's books, but this one I just didn't find funny. I did like the use of underused words, and I liked how smart Frankie was, but I didn't really feel a connection to any of the characters in the book. C

What Happens here by Tara Altebrando Summary From Amazon- Living in Vegas, high school juniors Chloe and Lindsay are surrounded by imitations of the world's greatest places. They've always been like sisters and they plan to travel the world when they're older. Then, while Chloe and her family are on a European vacation, Lindsay is raped and murdered. Suddenly, in addition to mourning the loss of her best friend, Chloe must deal with the guilt of being the survivor. Complicating matters is her interest in Lindsay's brother, which she knows that Lindsay did not want her to pursue. Chloe finds she is unsure of who she is in a world without her friend.

Review- I found this book really interesting. I loved the descriptions of Las Vegas, and I love love loved Lindsay's brother. However, I had some major problems with this book. First, I really didn't like how unfriendly Lindsay seemed towards Chloe. They were supposed to be best friends, but the way Chloe relates it, Lindsay wasn't much of a friend at all. Also, by the second half of the book, Chloe had gotten mean. I understand that everyone grieves in their own way, and she made up for it in the end, but I don't think Danny deserved to be treated the way he was. I did enjoy this book, and I loved the Europe part, as well as the ending, so even though some parts bugged me, I thought it was good. B+

Tithe by Holly Black Summary from Amazon- Sixteen-year-old Kaye Fierch is not human, but she doesn't know it. Sure, she knows she's interacted with faeries since she was little--but she never imagined she was one of them, her blond Asian human appearance only a magically crafted cover-up for her true, green-skinned pixie self.

Review- I loved this book. I thought it was well written, edgy, unique, quirky, and so many other adjectives. I thought the descriptions were really great, and I thought that the characters were so great, especially Roiben and Lootie. Though parts were a little too much for me, I thought it was clear, and interesting, and it gave me a new vision of the faery idea. I will definitely be getting Ironside, the sequel to this book!! A+

Heartless by Sara Shepard Summary from Amazon- In Rosewood, Pennsylvania, neighbors gossip over picket fences, and gleaming SUVs sit in every driveway. But recently, friendly smiles have been replaced with suspicious glares and accusatory whispers—and it's all because Hanna, Aria, Emily, and Spencer just can't keep their mouths shut. First they claimed they found a dead body in the woods behind Spencer's house, only to have it vanish without a trace. Then when the same woods went up in flames, they swore they saw someone who's supposed to be dead rise from the ashes. And even after all that, the pretty little liars are still playing with fire. Hanna's trading in her Dior trench for a straitjacket. Aria's trying to contact the dead. Emily's dumped her boyfriend and is skipping town. And Spencer thinks someone in her family has gotten away with murder. The friends insist they're telling the truth about what they saw, but all of Rosewood thinks they're simply out for attention—and nobody likes a girl who cries wolf. So when the big bad killer comes after the girls, will anyone believe them or will they be the next to disappear?

Review- I have been reading these books since they came out, and I have loved each one. The same holds true for this one. Sara Shepard is just so good at crafting a suspenseful and mysterious novel, and the foreshadowing is always cool. This book is full of pop-culture references, fashion, and murder. Though some of the people that have died in these books have been my favorite characters, I understand why they have to die (mafia moment!). I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm going to stop here, but I definitely suggest going out and getting the books for yourself! A+

Thats all for now, but next time I will be reviewing Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook, and a surprise book! Also, there may be a giveaway in the near future, so get excited!!!

Reviews

two reviews today...

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout- I had very, very, very high hopes for this book, because of excellent recommendations by people i respect and admire. I mean, its a Pulitzer Prize winner, for goodness sakes, but I just could not get into it. Don't get me wrong, i was interested in Olive and Henry's story, but the fact that it was told in short stories made it hard for me to emotionally connect to what was happening. Towards the end, I felt a little more connected, but it still wasn't great. There are some books I can just fall into, the kind of books where i can read 100 pages without realizing it, but this wasn't one of them. I don't expect every book i read to be like that, but after hearing such fabulous reviews, I expected to at least become a little bit involved. I could admire the writing and the ideas, but it just wasn't for me. C+

On to the next one...

Blacklisted by Gena Showalter- I actually really loved this book. I didn't expect to enjoy it, because its about a girl fighting aliens, but it was really creative with how Ms. Showalter designed the A.I.R agency, and the agents she created were very cool, even though they were trying to kill the main characters. Erik was awesome and gorgeous, and I liked that the author gave him some depth, as opposed to being just a pretty face. My one dislike about the book was how the main character Camille hero-worshipped Erik throughout the book. Sure, he's cool, but that doesn't mean you have to act like he's a hero before he proves it to you. He was a hero, but until a little ways through the book, she had no proof of that. Also, their constant kissing was a little too much. Its like, we know you want to make out all the time, but you're kind of about to die, so control the hormones for a second. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book, and will now be getting her other books. A-

The Great Home of the Soul is the Open Road

Only one review today...

Velva Jean Learns to Drive by Jennifer Niven- I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought it was descriptive and interesting, and throughout the whole book, i felt involved in Velva Jean's story. My favorite character by far was Johnny Clay. He was an excellently written character, and he was easy to relate to. I thought that Ms. Niven excelled at drawing the reader into the story, and she really showed Velva Jean's development as a character. She showed Velva Jean's growth and maturity, and helped me sympathize with her feelings of loss, abandonment, and entrapment in Alluvial and Devil's Kitchen. The high point for me was her marriage to Harley, but the beginning bored me at first. All in all, a very creative, interesting, and unique book.

Wonderful Tonight

ha. there went that promise.

Wonderful Tonight by Pattie Boyd- This book was sososososososo good. I loved it. I have a serious love of the Beatles, and i was so excited to read this. it definitely did not disappoint. though i didnt care for the beginning, i loved all of her stories about modeling, and of course her relationships with george harrison and eric clapton. this book drew me in, and when i finished it, i felt that i belonged in the sixties. it sounds like such a party and so fun. she gave her own spin to things, and i really loved this book. A+

The Vampire Diaries by L.J Smith- I have recently gotten into these books, and im so happy i have. the love story between stefan and elena is believable, though he's a vampire. they have the same problems other couples have, until the whole supernatural thing gets going. i loveee bonnie and meredith, and am so sad they took meredith out of the show. dont get me wrong, i find the show super addictive, but some of the characters they have changed dramatically or cut out altogether which is annoying. Though this book can get a little overdramatic at times, there are some great one-liners, and this book made me so happy. A

Thats all for now, but i swear i will try to post more. i swear!!!