February 26, 2009: English as a Second Language

I read English as a Second Language by Megan Crane for the 2009 Chick Lit Challenge. This story follows Alex as she attends graduate school in England to prove an ex-boyfriend wrong (kind of a silly reason to go to school overseas, but to each her own). While in England, Alex pretty much drinks a ton, hangs out with her friends, smokes like a chimney and crushes on her teacher....not really focusing on her graduate work until the later part of the novel.

Honestly, this book was not fabulous. I loved Names My Sisters Call Me, but I just could not get into this book! I think the reason is that I didn't like Alex very much. To me, she came off as a spoiled brat. She used her daddy's money to go to England and work on her Master's....maybe I am just jealous, but I couldn't gather any sympathy for her artificial problems. This book was kind of a let down.

February 22, 2009: Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher....wow! This book will really get you thinking about how what we say or do can affect other people's lives. It can seem inconsequential at the time, but may have a huge impact.

This is the story of Clay. He receives of shoebox full of cassette tapes and when he listens to them, he is shocked to hear Hannah Baker's voice. He is shocked because Hannah Baker committed suicide a few weeks before. As he listens through the tapes, it is explained that each person on the tape contributed to Hannah's suicide in one way. It is like a really creepy chain letter, each person must pass the cassettes to the next person on the list and if they are sent out a set will be released for everyone to hear.

The tape starts out with Hannah's first kiss. No, her first kiss wasn't so awful that she had to run out and kill herself. Instead a rumor was formed that shaped Hannah's life from that point on. I believe she referred to it as a "snowball effect". That rumor took shape, people began making assumptions, they tried to do things with Hannah, started more rumors and the list goes on. The way that Asher writes Clay and Hannah's narrative is very powerful. I like that we can hear what Clay is thinking and how he wishes he would have paid more attention to Hannah and that he could have saved her.

I think that parents and teens should read this book to facilitate the discussion on how our behavior can affect other people. It is no secret that high school is rough and this book proves it. In fact, many parents may not even realize how tough high school is getting - I'm sure it is much more difficult today than even when I graduated (2002).

My book came with thirteen questions for Jay Asher and I liked how he said (paraphrasing since I don't have the book) that one of his favorite compliments was a girl saying that this book made her want to "be wonderful". I think that is a great theme to come away with after reading this book....it really does make you want to be more kind and pay attention to how you affect other people.

Please, please, please read this book and let me know your thoughts!

Book Round-Up

Monday: None

Tuesday:
Ask Again Later by Jill A. Davis [BookMooch]

Wednesday: None

Thursday: None

Friday:
Wake by Lisa McMann [Border's]
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher [Border's] * I started reading this and man is it amazing so far! I think this is the perfect book to end my reading drought!
Nancy Drew Pocketbook Mysteries by Carolyn Keene [Border's] *basically this is a Nancy Drew purse (!) that contains books 1 & 2 of the Nancy Drew series....better yet, it was in the Bargain Bin for $4.99! I love Nancy Drew and I know I already have these books somewhere, but it was just too cute!

Saturday: None

February 16, 2009: Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown

Whoa - am I delayed on this one or what? I just have been in kind of a blah mood the past week. This past weekend, I had grand plans to read all weekend and be lazy...instead I was just lazy and only read Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown by Adena Halpern...by the way isn't Adena the coolest name?

Anyways, I found this book in the bargain bin at Border's about a month ago! I had wanted to read it for awhile and I needed another book for the 2009 Chick Lit Challenge, so I picked it up! Anyways, this book is about Adena's life story told through her closet. Basically, her memories stem from shopping excursions, new outfits, etc. I'm not going to get too in-depth here because I am so tired :(. This was a good, fun book for all the single ladies out there....which is why I read it on Valentine's day :)

Now, if I could just get my butt into gear and read a book this week!

Off Topic: The Perfect Purse

I have a silly dilemma! I need a new purse, and I just cannot find one that I love.

Here are some of my requirements.....
1.) Color -- pink (bright); navy blue; dark purple; red
2.) Size -- I like a big purse! It has to fit my books, cell phone, chapstick and wallet. The bigger the better
3.) Handle -- I like a shoulder bag that fits comfortably.
4.) Budget -- Under $150.00

If you have any suggestions, feel free to e-mail me (adw7984 at gmail dot com) or leave me a comment :)

.......

I don't know what to say about the events of the past weekend - it's all so horrifying. I'm sure you have all heard about Flight 3407 - it's been everywhere. I'm the type of person who has so many fears in life, that sometimes I feel I am paralyzed by them. Last year, I flew for the first time ever! My sister, cousin and I flew from Buffalo to Alabama to visit my grandparents on their yearly vacation. My sister and 10 year old cousin were so sweet the whole time - they knew I was terrified and they talked me threw it.

I was proud of myself for doing it, but at the same time I knew I probably wouldn't do it again for a long time. I can safely say that I won't be flying ever again...I know I might need to at some point but at the moment I am saying no and I will cross that bridge when I get there.

Thursday night, my sister and I were in Buffalo at 10:00 - we were just leaving Mamma Mia...if we were still in Buffalo at 10:17, would we have heard it? I imagine it would have been pretty loud. To say that the mood around our area is somber is an understatement. I just can't even imagine what any of the families are going through; I hope they are able to heal through this process and I hope that the two women who escaped the house are able to heal from that experience.

go to the Buffalo News for more info

Book Round-Up

My week in books:

Monday:
** So I had a great start to the week when my order from bookcloseouts.com came in!
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Without You by Anthony Rapp
Almost Forever by Maria Testa
26A by Diana Evans
The Deed by Keith Blanchard
Drive Me Crazy by Nancy Warren
The ABCs of Love by Sarah Salway
The Farther You Run by Davida Willis Hurwin
All of these books for only $21.46!

Tuesday: None

Wednesday:
Envy by Anna Godbersen [amazon.com]

Thursday:
The Laws of Harmony by Judith R. Hendricks [Thanks Gayle!]

Friday:
Bloomability by Sharon Creech [BookMooch]
The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum [BookMooch]

Saturday: None

February 11, 2009: Living Dead Girl

Living Dead Girl is my first Elizabeth Scott book (can you believe it?!) I have read a lot of YA blogs and everyone just loves her and I can really see why.

This book is very simple but powerful. The chapters are short (sometimes just a paragraph) but each word written, really touches on something important and powerful. The story is of Alice, she was abducted when she was 10 years old on a school field trip. Ray, her abductor, starves her so that she doesn't mature; threatens her parents if she tries to escape and most importantly he abuses her - sexually, physically and emotionally. It is so disturbing to read, yet so hard to take your eyes off of the story.

Scott portrayed Alice as empty inside - her only moment of joy is when she hears that Ray wants another little girl. Alice thinks she will finally be free (even if it is in death) and is okay with subjecting another young girl to her pain, as long as she gets to leave. When she learns that Ray wants to keep them both to become some sort of family, she thinks of ways to escape while Ray kidnaps the new girl. The ending chapter had only one sentence, but it was a great way to end the book. I would be interested on reading about her life after becoming free - how does she deal with being home, how do her parents react, some peeks into her counseling.

The entire time I was reading this book (not long because I was so enthralled); I kept picture myself in Alice's shoes - what would I do in that situation? Would I make a run for it? Tell the police? I understand why she didn't do either of those things, but sometimes it was frustrating - probably because I've never been in that situation. I think this is an important read, even if it may make you uncomfortable.

Girly Reading

On Tuesday I babysat my precious little cousin. She is 3 going on 30, I swear! Anyway... she loves when I read to her, so we had a blast reading the following books together.

She absolutely loves Pinkalicious! It is so cute reading this story to her, she knows most parts of the book (from memory) and reads along and does hand gestures! It is too precious! I picked this book out for her because she loves pink and she thinks she is "the cupcake maker"; it is odd because I love pink and I think I am "the cupcake maker"! It is a really fun book :)


Fancy Nancy is so posh. Posh is a fancy word for fancy. This book is so funny too! We had a very girly night reading these books over and over again :)

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Pop-Up Book

This may sound creepy, but I just love the Children's section at Border's! No, I'm not a creepy pedophile....I just love looking at all the books that I had as a child and I love picking out books for my young cousins! I found this book, and I had to have it - if you read my last post, you will see why when you look at the top of my bookshelf! I posted some of my favorite parts of the book - but the whole thing is absolutely amazing. The pictures do not do justice!

Dorothy arriving in Oz...

The Emerald City...

They even give green glasses to view the Emerald City in all it's glory...unfortunately it didn't make for a pretty picture!

Finally, the hot-air balloon. I wish this picture were better, the balloon actually sways back and forth - it's so cute!

I hope you all enjoyed a peek at my newest book :)

My Bookshelf

I have seen a lot of people showing off their bookshelves, so I thought I would get in on the action! Here is my hot mess of a "bookshelf" (a.k.a. a baker's rack)

Here is the top shelf - as you can see this is where I put my Wizard of Books and some other collectible items.

This is my bottom shelf - there is really no rhyme or reason here - I would say that this is the shelf I keep all of my favorites. In the back row (which you can't see), I have all my Wendy Corsi Staub books and Nicholas Sparks books. They do carry over to the front row a little, which is where I keep some Judy Blume and Sarah Dessen.

This is the first shelf - it is such a hodgepodge.
Here is an example of how the books are two rows deep
This pile of books consists of the books I need to read for the two challenges I am doing this year.

This scary pile of books is my TBR pile....and yes it is two columns!
Here is the aerial shot...So that is my bookshelf. I have another shelf that holds all my Jodi Picoult books, and have many boxes in my attic and garage. I am seriously researching how to build a wall of bookshelves, because I think they would be amazing!

February 9, 2009: Do The Math: Secrets, Lies and Algebra

I have to admit that I only picked this book up because the cover caught my eye. Do the Math: Secrets, Lies and Algebra by Wendy Lichtman turned out to be a funny read.

Tess's life seems to be falling apart. She doesn't know if the cute boy, Richard, cheated on his history test and she doesn't know if she can tell anyone! Her mother thinks that her friend Rob killed his wife and Tess doesn't understand why she can't tell the police. Oh yeah - this is all happening to 13 year old Tess right before the winter dance.

Tess can relate every problem to math - a lot of which I still remember (shocking!). It was kind of fun to see how a teacher saying something wrong about math makes Tess feel anxious. When Tess learns of DNE (Does Not Exist) math is kind of turned upside down for her. How can a problem have no solution.

I liked this story because it was really enjoyable to see how Tess relates simple problems in her everyday life to math. I was happy to see that her friends stood by her (though there were rough patches) and her family stuck together in the end! This was a fun, easy read - which appears to have been the theme for my weekend :)

February 8, 2009: Coraline

I didn't even know Coraline was a book! So when I saw this Neil Gaiman gem at the library, I knew I had to read it. I definitely want to see the movie, and after reading the book, I want to see it even more!

This is definitely a quick read, I finished it very quickly last night. Coraline just moved to a new house with her parents and finds a door that has a wall of brick behind it. One night Coraline opens the door and the brick is completely gone, so she travels on over. When she goes over she ends up in a distorted mirror of her old life. The house is the same, yet something is off. Her other parents look similar, except they have button eyes. And the black cat that has been following her around can talk! Coraline doesn't like this world so she goes back through the door. After 2 days, Coraline has not seen her mother or father. She goes back to search for them.

Her other mother claims that she loves her and locks the door behind her. Coraline then gets stuck in an intense game with her other mother - she is trying to find the souls of her parents and of three other children. Coraline knows her other mother is evil and will not send her back. In the end, Coraline tricks her other mother and gets her old life back!

I loved this book! It was dark, spooky and intense and I couldn't put it down! I can't wait to see the movie now!

February 8, 2009: My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins and Fenway Park

I picked up My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger for two reasons. First, I really love Mary Poppins and the title made me happy and second, I recently read Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger and enjoyed it.

I started this book on Saturday night and couldn't really get into it, but after I really sat down with it, I finished it very quickly! This story is told in the perspective of Alé, TC, and Augie and it chronicles their most excellent year for a senior project. All three chose their freshman year and through a series of notes, e-mails and IM's we are given a look at how these three people developed as friends.

I loved Augie and TC's relationship. They were brothers, though not by blood. One day, after TC's mom died, Augie and TC declared themselves brothers and have been inseparable ever since. They called each other's parents Pop, Mom and Dad and they even had their own beds, dressers, clothes in each other's house. I was really envious of them. Can you imagine having such a great friend that they became family? It was truly a touching relationship and it was nice to see that it was solid - nothing could break them.

Augie dealt with a lot his Freshman year; he discovered he was gay (though everyone pretty much figured it out), had his first boyfriend, directed an awesome talent show and starred in Kiss Me, Kate. I loved that his family and friends accepted him as he was without any questions, concerns or comments.

Alé discovered that she could sing, dance and act - but didn't want her political parents to know. They had high hopes of her working at the French Embassy, and were shocked when they saw her sing and dance in the school play. I am happy that her and TC ended up together and they appear to be together in their Senior Year as well.

I don't know if this is intended, but TC appears to be the main character. His mother died when he was only 6 years old; him and his Pop have lead a really great life. They have a strong Boston accent, build huge school projects (often getting TC in a little bit of trouble). TC tries to maintain a B+ average, even though he is capable of A's. He doesn't want the responsibility of all A's, even though he is super smart (and apparently super cute). I love his relationship with Hucky, the deaf boy he talks to at one of his games. He would bend over backwards for that boy, so I was thrilled when Pop and TC decided to adopt Hucky in the end.

This was a great story of friendship and love. It illustrated love between friends, between brothers and between families! I really recommend it!

Book Round-Up

Whoa! I had a great book week :)

Monday: None

Tuesday:
Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs [BookMooch] -- I am lusting after the paperback cover coming out in April!

Wednesday:
Silver by Norma Fox Mazer [BookMooch]
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky [BookMooch]
*** I received a lovely thank you card and Book Nook gift certificate in the mail the other day...of course I went right to the Book Nook and bought some books!
Fault Line by Janet Tashjian [The Book Nook]
BSC Mystery # 13: Mary Anne and the Library by Ann M. Martin [The Book Nook] -- this is a completely dorky purchase. I probably already have this book, but it was the first time I had seen a BSC book in the store recently and I just had to have it!
Bliss by Lauren Myracle [The Book Nook]
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Classic Tale) by Lewis Carroll [The Book Nook] -- I saw this version and had to get it; I figured I can read it to my younger cousins and then to my future children :)

Thursday:
*The Library assistant at my local library lent me these books; she had to buy them for her Young Adult Literature class and thought that I would like to read them! Gotta love living in a small town :) I'm so excited to read these!
Smack by Melvin Burgess
Lady: My Life as a Bitch by Melvin Burgess
Sara's Face by Melvin Burgess

Friday:
Burned by Ellen Hopkins (Valentine's day present from my momma)
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott [Border's]
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: A Commemorative Pop-Up by L. Frank Baum [Border's]
* I am going to post separately on this book, with pictures. It is absolutely gorgeous!

Saturday: None

February 4, 2009: Identical

I have never read Ellen Hopkins before, but the book bloggers out there had positive things to say about her. The first Ellen Hopkins review I read was for Identical and I was very intrigued. I FINALLY got around to reading it this week, and I was not disappointed.

This book is written in verse, and it is done really well! Sometimes, I find that it can be distracting - but not in this case. This books tells the story of Kaeleigh and Raeanne; identical mirror twins with some major secrets/jealousy issues. Their parents are important figures in society and paint the picture of a beautiful home life. This picture is false; Kaeleigh and Raeanne each have secrets. Kaeleigh is "daddy's little flower" in the creepiest way possible. She finds that she is unable to assert herself against her father and cannot open up to anyone else in her life, including her boyfriend. Raeanne has a disturbing jealousy of Kaeleigh and masks it by doing drugs and have a lot of sex. It is obvious that both sisters are struggling - can they be saved?

This book is certainly intersting, but I must warn you that the talk of sex, drugs and alcohol is quite graphic (doesn't bother me, but some people get bothered). This book is almost 600 pages long and I figured out the shocking secret about 130 pages in. I was okay with this because the secret was more detailed than I originally thought, and after I figured it out I read the book in a completely different way. I really recommend this book; it is a bit dark, but an amazing read.

Follow Me!

Hi everyone! I have added the "Followers" button to my sidebar ---> (over there somewhere).

Please follow me if you like my blog :)

February 2, 2009: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

I read some really great reviews of The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson, but was unsure if it would interest me. I picked it up from the library and was immediately hooked! I read the book nonstop throughout the day yesterday and was called antisocial by my mom, but that is how good the book is!

Jenna Fox wakes up from a coma a year after her accident and remembers nothing. She finds her mother and father to be strange and overhears them having odd conversations. She can remember history and literature, but can't remember her favorite color. Her parents are very protective of her and do not want her to leave the house and her grandmother appears to hate her. Jenna has so many questions, but is scared to ask for the answers.

Jenna feels as though the Jenna she is supposed to be (the one from before the accident) is not who she really is. When she is watching old home movies, she feels that she is not the same girl that is being videotaped. She really struggled with her identity early on in the book and even later in the book when she learned her secret.

I don't want to post the secret, but you can probably read it somewhere else if you want. I had an inkling of the secret before it was unveiled - but that didn't make it any less satisfying. I think that Mary E. Pearson did a great job of creating a book that is science-fiction but still very current. It would be interesting to imagine a future like Pearson has created; it worked because it wasn't so out there (if that makes sense). It asks so many interesting questions: Do our memories define us? What would you do to save a child you loved? Can we ever accept ourselves as we are?

I highly recommend picking this book up and reading it! I will definitely be buying a copy for my bookshelves.

Book Meme

I saw this book meme on a bunch of different blogs, but after reading Taylor's at For the Love of Books, I decided to fill out my own :)

One book you’re currently reading: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

One book that changed your life: Sharing Susan by Eve Bunting

One book you’d want on a deserted island: This is hard! Probably The Host by Stephenie Meyer, it is long and interesting; plus I probably missed a few things the first time I read it.

One book you’ve read more than once: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

One book you’ve never been able to finish: Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger (over and over again)

One book that made you laugh: Sammy's Hill by Kristen Gore

One book that made you cry: The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks (and every other book he wrote!)

One book you keep rereading: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

One book you’ve been meaning to read: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

One book you believe everyone should read: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Finally, grab the nearest book. Open it to page 56. Find the fifth sentence:

"You look like you're about forty-five."

from The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (kind of a silly, line that makes no sense on this meme! I guess that is the fun!)

January In Review

I am off to kind of a slow start this year, but hopefully February gives me the kick in the butt I need! Here are the books I read in January

January
7. Knit Two by Kate Jacobs (1/27/09)
6. Almost Like Being In Love by Steve Kluger (1/24/09) [lb]
5. The Retail Chronicles: The Customer is Always Wrong by Jeff Martin (1/19/09) [lb]
4. Escape by Carolyn Jessop with Laura Palmer (1/17/09) [lb]
3. The Road by Cormac McCarthy (1/4/09)
2. Names My Sisters Call Me by Megan Crane (1/3/09)
1. The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik (1/2/09)

February 1, 2009: Into the Wild

I remember when I was a junior in high school and we were required to read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. I read the first page and decided I was not interested in it at all; so I didn't read it. Seven years later I saw the book at Border's and added it to my TBR pile (and to the 2009 TBR Challenge). I figured I was more mature and ready to read it. I found out that it is not true.

Krakauer tells the story of Chris McCandless as he donates his entire savings to charity, burns his current cash and leaves without a word. I guess that Krakauer is trying to answer the question of why McCandless would take such a journey. I feel that he was trying to paint McCandless as a hero, and I just found him to be a little selfish. He went on a trip without any money and didn't even tell his parents. He did this to satisfy his own life without any concern for his loved ones. What he did was risky as well. I'm not saying he deserved to die; I'm just saying that it was kind of a silly adventure.

As far as the book goes...I really hated it. I'm sure that most people like it, but I just could not get myself interested. I had another Krakauer book on my wishlist, but I don't think I will be picking it up after this. It is hard to explain the reason why, the writing wasn't bad - I think I just didn't care for the story.

Book Round-Up

Monday: None

Tuesday: None

Wednesday: None

Thursday:
Identical by Ellen Hopkins [library]
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson [library]
My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of love, Mary Poppins and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger [library]

Friday:
Savvy Girl by Lynn Messina [thanks to The Compulsive Reader]

Saturday:
Do the Math: Secrets, Lies and Algebra by Wendy Lichtman [library]
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry [library]
Coraline by Neil Gaiman [library]
Whispers by Lisa Jackson [library sale]
When the Wind Blows by James Patterson [library sale]