The Naughty List: Cheerleaders, Cheating Boyfriends, and Secret Detectives

Release Date: February 4th, 2010
Description:
Tessa Crimson: Cheerleader By Day, Spy By Night
As the leader of the SOS(Society of Smitten Kittens), Tessa's mission is twofold: prep preservation and relationship salvation. That's right, Tessa is head cheerleader whose night job is catching cheating boyfriends in the act! Thank goodness her own relationship with Aiden is strawberry-smoothie purrfect- except for the fact that she's been concealing her nocturnal habits for, oh, two years.
Aiden suspects something's up, and his patience is wearing thin. But in the meantime, Tessa's far too busy to deal with her own romantic roadblocks. The Naughty List is at maximum capacity: because so far, every single suspect on it is 100% guilty.
When sultry Chloe Ferril transfers to Washington High, things only become more catastrophic. Tessa knows this predatory vixen won't stop hunting Aiden until her claws are planted firmly in his backside...
But Tessa's in for an even bigger shock when Aiden's name shows up on The Naughty List, and she's finally forced to confront the unthinkable: is her own boyfriend just as naughty as all the rest?

My thoughts:
This was a wonderfully cute read. Nancy Drew turned cheerleader. Since her former cheer captain was cheated on the cheerleaders where turned secret investigators. Following suspected cheaters and providing proof of whether or not they can be trusted. Going on two years Tessa is the happy cheerleader dating the basketball captain by day and being secret detective by night. Only thing is every case the SOS takes on is proven correct and its making Tessa doubt Aiden. Can her boyfriend really not be cheating on her? Seeing the new girl Chloe hang all over her sweet only makes Tessa worry more. Then everything comes crashing down when SOS gets a tip that Aiden is cheating on her.
This was a very cute quick read. Cheerleaders, cheating boyfriends, and undercover detectives. If you like any of these things you will love this book. I can't wait to read the next book So Many Boys. I give this book 3.5 out of 5 penguins. Sorry but I can't figure out how to do a half a penguin.










We are privileged to have with us the Suzanne Young.


She was kind enough to take the time out of her day and answer a few questions:
The Naughty List deals with a lot of cheating boyfriends. Was there are reason why you wrote about this? Maybe a personal or a friends experience?

When I thought about what SOS would investigate, I considered several options. But I decided to focus on cheating boyfriends because it’s somewhat universal. And like a lot of girls, I was burned in some of my past relationships. So I can relate to a lot of the character’s feelings.

The main character is the captain of the cheer leading team. Were you ever a cheerleader?

I was a cheerleader for half a season in eighth grade. Unfortunately, I was pretty awful.

Is there any advice you would give your readers or even yourself that you wish you would have had when you were younger?

There are so many things I’d tell myself! But my mistakes have made me who I am. If there’s only one thing I’d do differently, it’s to spend more time with my grandmother. So I’d tell teens to not sweat the small stuff and try to remember what’s important.

You are a writer right now but did you ever aspire to be something else? I personally wanted to be a vet whenever I was younger but that was before I realized that I am deathly frightened of being attacked by cats. I know strange.

HAH! That’s pretty funny! Um, I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Although, I was really into theatre and eventually became a teacher for a while.

Tessa is always nice to everyone, viewing it as the Smitten Kitten way. Are also always a perky person?

If you asked other people, they’d probably say yes. I don’t feel like I am, especially at home, but I guess for the most part I’m pretty dang friendly and smiley.

I personally love to listen to authors play lists. Is there anything you listened to while you wrote The Naughty List?

For the first book I really liked songs like Just a Girl by No Doubt and This Year’s Love by David Gray. But for So Many Boys (book 2) I’m more into songs like Boys with Girlfriends.

Is there anything else you would like to say to your current and future readers?

Just that I hope you enjoy the series. It’s been a blast to write and I hope it’s as fun to read!



Look out for Suzanne's next book in the series;
So Many Boys coming out in summer 2010.

In My Mailbox 9/30

So like always In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. Its sort of funny how it seems I get the same number of books every week. The ARCs I received in the mail are:

Tessa Crimson: Cheerleader By Day, Spy By Night
As the leader of the SOS(Society of Smitten Kittens), Tessa's mission is twofold: prep preservation and relationship salvation. That's right, Tessa is head cheerleader whose night job is catching cheating boyfriends in the act! Thank goodness her own relationship with Aiden is strawberry-smoothie purrfect- except for the fact that she's been concealing her nocturnal habits for, oh, two years.
Aiden suspects something's up, and his patience is wearing thin. But in the meantime, Tessa's far too busy to deal with her own romantic roadblocks. The Naughty List is at maximum capacity: because so far, every single suspect on it is 100% guilty.
When sultry Chloe Ferril transfers to Washington High, things only become more catastrophic. Tessa knows this predatory vixen won't stop hunting Aiden until her claws are planted firmly in his backside...
But Tessa's in for an even bigger shock when Aiden's name shows up on The Naughty List, and she's finally forced to confront the unthinkable: is her own boyfriend just as naughty as all the rest?

Suzanne Young is super nice and I love the cover so I can't wait to read this.


Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those who have fallen -- and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

I got this from the B&N First Look club and I was so excited when I opened the box and it was right there. I was worried I wasn't going to get it since I signed up so late. Everyone has been saying how good this is so I can't wait to read it.



I'm marooned.

Abandoned.

Left to rot in boarding school . . .

Viola doesn't want to go to boarding school, but somehow she ends up at an all-girls school in South Bend, Indiana, far, far away from her home in Brooklyn, New York. Now Viola is stuck for a whole year in the sherbet-colored sweater capital of the world.

Ick.

There's no way Viola's going to survive the year—especially since she has to replace her best friend Andrew with three new roommates who, disturbingly, actually seem to like it there. She resorts to viewing the world (and hiding) behind the lens of her video camera.

Boarding school, though, and her roommates and even the Midwest are nothing like she thought they would be, and soon Viola realizes she may be in for the most incredible year of her life.

But first she has to put the camera down and let the world in.

I love the cover on this. Its nice and shiny and its one of the best that I have seen lately.



Discovering Pig Magic follows the exploits of Mattie (or Miss M, or just M) and her friends Ariel and Nicki as they attempt to overcome the problems that plague their thirteen-year-old lives. After discovering a book of spells, the three girls perform a ritual that will grant each the object of her desire. But as the magic takes effect, their achievements are accompanied by unanticipated consequences and the girls must figure out how to break the spell before something very bad happens.

Maybe I shouldn't call this an ARC because the Hardcover has already been out but this the paperback that is coming out in a couple months.



Emerson Price cannot remember a time when life was ordinary. She was four-years-old when she and her mom were diagnosed as HIV-positive – infected with the virus that causes AIDS, and eight when her parents divorced. Now she is thirteen and her mother is dead. Emmy moves in with her father and stepmother, but she feels completely alone. Even though everyone has always accepted her, no one – not her father, or stepmother, or even her best friend – understands what it’s like to have to take medicine every single day, to be so afraid of getting sick, and to miss her mom more than she ever thought she would.

When Emmy’s dad and stepmother send her to Camp Positive, a camp for HIV-positive girls, Emmy is certain she is going to hate it. But soon she realizes that she is not so alone after all – and that sometimes letting other people in can make all the difference in the world.

The author is donating a portion of her proceeds from this book to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Another great cover and the book is helping an important cause.

I got this book from YA Central:

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words--and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

Its been unfortunate that I haven't been able to read any of John Green's books thought I've heard wonderful things about all of them. I don't know if I wait till Banned Books Week to read this or not. I'm just be too tempted to resist.

I bought these a few months ago waiting on their releases:



Rose Hathaway's life will never be the same.

The recent attack on St. Vladimir's Academy devastated the entire Moroi world. Many are dead. And, for the few victims carried off by Strigoi, their fates are even worse. A rare tattoo now adorns Rose's neck, a mark that says she's killed far too many Strigoi to count. But only one victim matters . . . Dimitri Belikov. Rose must now choose one of two very different paths: honoring her life's vow to protect Lissa—her best friend and the last surviving Dragomir princess—or, dropping out of the Academy to strike out on her own and hunt down the man she loves. She'll have to go to the ends of the earth to find Dimitri and keep the promise he begged her to make. But the question is, when the time comes, will he want to be saved?

Now, with everything at stake—and worlds away from St. Vladimir's and her unguarded, vulnerable, and newly rebellious best friend—can Rose find the strength to destroy Dimitri? Or, will she sacrifice herself for a chance at eternal love?

I can't wait to read this fourth installment in the Vampire Academy series.


Mated to werewolf Charles Cornick, the son—and enforcer—of the leader of the North American werewolves, Anna Latham now knows how dangerous being a werewolf is, especially when a werewolf who opposes Charles and his father is struck down. Charles’s reputation makes him the prime suspect, and the penalty for the crime is execution. Now Anna and Charles must combine their talents to hunt down the real killer—or Charles will take the fall.

I can not get enough of Patricia Brigg's sexy werewolf series, Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega. This definitely on my top list of books to read very soon.

That is all I got this week. What did you get? Leave some love!

WoW: So Many I Want!

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. Its a weekly event for people to help upcoming releases. It was so hard to pick one so I'm going to do a couple.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver:

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last. Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.


Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder:


Restless souls and empty hearts

Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.

Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

I'm only going to do those two though I have quite a few I want to put but I'll wait until next week. I've been seeing a few people with Before I Fall in their mailboxes and I absolutely love the cover and the description sounds really good. Plus it seems like sad coming to terms with your death books are usually really good.
I also put Chasing Brooklyn because I want to read some more ghost stories. It seems like all I have been reading of the supernatural genre is with vampires and werewolves. So this will be a nice change.

I'm sorry if you guys haven't seen me around lately. I've been really busy with school and stuff so please don't feel neglected. I wish there was more hours in the day since it seems like I never have enough time to do all things I want and need to do. I love you all and I give hugs and kisses to anyone who leaves a comment.
Talk To Yeah Laterz,
Rachel

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is hosted by the Story Siren. I'm a little late doing this because I've been so busy so please forgive me.

The Monstrumoligist by Rick Yancey

These are the secrets I have kept. This is the trust I never betrayed.

But he is dead now and has been for more than forty years, the one who gave me his trust, the one for whom I kept these secrets.

The one who saved me...and the one who cursed me.

So begins the journal of Will Henry, orphaned assistant to Dr. Pellinore War throp, a man with a most unusual specialty: monstrumology, the study of monsters. In his time with the doctor, Will has met many a mysterious late-night visitor, and seen things he never imagined were real. But when a grave robber comes calling in the middle of the night with a grueso me find, he brings with him their most deadly case yet.

Critically acclaimed author Rick Yancey has written a gothic tour de force that explores the darkest heart of man and monster and asks the question: When does a man become the very thing he hunts?

Hollywood Is Like High School With Money by Zoey Dean

Twenty-four-year old Taylor Henning has just landed her dream job as an assistant at a major movie studio. But when her catty coworkers trick her into almost getting fired, she realizes that the old saying "Hollywood is like school with money" just may be true. The thing is, Taylor wasn't exactly a social butterfly in high school-how is she supposed to do any better the second time around?

That's when she meets her boss's popular sixteen-year-old daughter Quinn, and has an epiphany: maybe this teenager can teach her how to use her queen bee tactics to succeed in the Hollywood popularity contest. Quinn comes up with a plan to teach Taylor one lesson a week-everything from "Fake it 'til you make it" to "It's *never* your fault"--and soon Taylor finds herself winning the war against rival assistant Kylie. Until, that is, she's directed to steal Kylie's boyfriend, and something happens that's not in the game plan: Taylor falls for the guy. Now she must do the impossible-- harness her inner mean girl while staying true to herself.

The Anatomy of Wings by Karen Foxlee

Ten-year-old Jennifer Day lives in a small mining town full of secrets. Trying to make sense of the sudden death of her teenage sister, Beth, she looks to the adult world around her for answers.

As she recounts the final months of Beth’s life, Jennifer sifts through the lies and the truth, but what she finds are mysteries, miracles, and more questions. Was Beth’s death an accident? Why couldn’t Jennifer—or anyone else—save her?

Through Jennifer’s eyes, we see one girl’s failure to cross the threshold into adulthood as her family slowly falls apart.

How Shall I Tell The Dog? by Miles Kington which I won from Bites

When some people are told they have only a few months to live, they might travel around the world or write their memoirs or put their affairs in order. When it happened at the age of 66 to Miles Kington-one of England's best-loved humorists-he did what he did best, offering sharp, wry, laugh-out-loud observations and ideas about his situation. Following his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, Kington proposes crazier and crazier ideas for his next book (what he calls "cashing in on cancer") in a series of letters to his
literary agent, Gill.

And what sort of things capture Kington's attention in his waning months? The sudden grimness of those 1,000 Places to See Before You Die books, for example. (What about 100 Things to Do Before You Die, Without Leaving Home?, he suggests. Instead of bungee jumping and whitewater rafting, learn to whistle with two fingers in your mouth, yodel, or steam open envelopes.) The irony that his dog, Berry, will probably outlive him, or the semi-outrageous idea of creating a funeral video:

The answer is quite simple.

Make a video in advance of my farewell speech, to be shown on a monitor, from the pulpit, or on a screen behind the stage, or wherever the best place would be.

I have already visualised the opening shot.

It is of me, smiling ruefully, and saying to camera: "Hello. I'm sorry I couldn't be here in person with you today."

Mischievous and utterly original, MilesKington's words in the face of death are memorable and surprisingly uplifting.


Dragon House by John Shors

Set in modern-day Vietnam, Dragon House tells the tale of Iris and Noah—two Americans who, as a way of healing their own painful pasts, open a center to house and educate Vietnamese street children.

Iris and Noah find themselves reborn in an exotic land filled with corruption and chaos, sacrifice and beauty. Inspired by the street children she meets, Iris walks in the footsteps of her father, a man whom Vietnam both shattered and saved. Meanwhile, Noah slowly rediscovers himself through the eyes of an unexpected companion.

Resounding with powerful themes of suffering, sacrifice, friendship, and love, Dragon House brings together East and West, war and peace; and celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.

A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi

The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. The town’s top detective, perplexed by a complete lack of leads, calls in FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children.

Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist at Newbury’s hospital, searches desperately for the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings’s devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya’s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope.

The situations confronting Leia and Peter converge when Naya begins drawing chilling images of murder after being bombarded by the disturbing images in her dreams. Amazingly, her sketches are the only clues to the crime that has panicked Newbury residents. Against her better judgment, Leia explores the clues in Naya’s crude drawings, only to set off an alarming chain of events.

In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder.

That's everything I got this week, what about you?

Jenna Fox, Who is That?

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
265 pages
Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a year-long coma, and she's still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. Her parents show her home movies of her life, her memories, but she has no recollection. Is she really the same girl she sees on the screen?
Little by little, Jenna begins to remember. Along with the memories come questions-questions no one wants to answer for her. What really happened after the accident?
In this fascinating novel, acclaimed author Mary E. Pearson presents an unforgettable look at one human life and a glimpse into a possible future that may be closer than we think.
This book started out slow. If I didn't force myself to read through the first couple of chapters I probably would have put it down to never pick it back up again. Once it starts getting good you can't put the book down. Wanting to read the next page and then the next. Her name is Jenna; she has been in a coma for a year and a half; at least that's what her parents tell her. Jenna can't remember anything. Sitting in here room watching movies of supposedly herself; she starts to remember. But, she can't remember the important things. Like if she has friends? What happened that she was in a coma? And, is it that it seems they are in hiding?
What was really the turning point with the book was when she starts going to this charter school that isn't far from where they live. There she meets Dane, Allys, Gabriel, and Ethan. Dane is gorgeous with wavy surfer hair and the jackass personality to go with but watching him Jenna can only describe him with one word, empty. Allys is opinionated with her illegal under 49% biodigital enhancement opinions and her fake prosthetic limbs. Quite Ethan who lives in the church and must have something wrong with him since he's with the rest of the freaks. Gabriel isn't even mentioned accept for maybe three sentences out of the entire book. One boy make her feel like she never thought she could and another will show her believe she could be the empty thing that the laws are trying to not happen.
This is a book about the big questions: How much can you be prosthetic till you aren't human? If your 90% bio-gel do you still have a soul? Are you the same girl before the accident or one entirely different?
This was a good book though a little slow at the beginning. The ending was a little abrupt. She could have done another book if she wanted. I give this book a 7 out of 10.

Come One, Come All! Awards 4 All!!!

I am horrible at giving out awards. So sorry I'm so late about doing this. The Book Blab and My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale nominated me for this. Thanks so much you guys. Your the sweetest!
The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all.
Here are my ten nominees:
A Book A Day
A Flight of Minds
A Passion for Books
Angieville
B.A.M. Book Reviews
Bibliophile By the Sea
Books Obsession
Debbie's World of Books
Feed Your Imagination
Frenetic Reader

Thanks again you guys for nominating me. I love you all. So please don't hate me if you aren't above.

I haven't done a book review in a couple days because I've been rereading all the Sookie Stackhouse books. All nine books but I wouldn't say read them more like read through them. Like I only read the good parts and then flip through the lulls. That pretty much means reading everything where Eric or Bill was mentioned. And, I have to say I am forever more


Team Eric!

WoW: To Be Mona

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. For my WoW this week I chose To Be Mona by Kelley Easton. I first saw this was coming out in I think October of 2010 but it was actually a reprint. I like the cover a lot better than the first one.


Sage Priestly is seventeen, and she longs to reinvent herself -- to strip away the fat, the past, the crazy mom, the unpaid bills. She longs to be her own version of the gorgeous and popular Mona Simms.

Sage starts dieting and exercising. She gets blond highlights and throws away all of her black clothes. Bit by bit she transforms herself. This is deeply troubling to her best friend, Vern, who is secretly in love with Sage just the way she is. But the boyfriend Sage wants -- the popular jock Roger -- suddenly notices her. And when they start dating, Sage thinks her life is turning around.

So why isn't Sage happier? Yes, Roger is a little too controlling and pushy, but isn't that what boys are like when you date them? What is it about the image Sage has created that just doesn't fit?

Smart, honest, and tough, Sage is a teen with more going for her than she thinks, but she still has a lot to learn.

What is your WoW for this week?

Jennifer Sturman Q&A

Jennifer Sturman author of And Then Everything Unraveled took the time out of her day to answer some questions. Here they are:

T.K., Delia's mother is a cause activist. Does that reflect you at all?
Mostly it reflects the sort of person T.K. is – she’s all about identifying a problem and solving it, in a very committed, won’t-take-no-for-an-answer way. I could learn a lot from her – I care about a number of issues, but I tend to take less of a hands-on approach, instead donating to related organizations or volunteering when I can.

What is something that you like to read in a book review other than your book being great that is?
I try to avoid reading reviews altogether. Even if it’s 99% positive, I focus on the 1% negative and obsess!

Delia's first kiss is mentioned in the book. Do you remember your first kiss?
Answering this question online might come back to haunt me, so I’m going to plead the fifth…

What is a book that you are looking forward to reading right now?
This is going to sound crazy, but I’ve been saving the last Harry Potter for two years! Part of me just didn’t want the series to end, and part of me wanted to wait until I was in the right frame of mind. But I’m taking a long trip in September, and I think the time has finally arrived.

I very much love to hear author's play lists for their books. Was their anything that you listened to while you wrote?
Delia’s aunt Charley is a huge fan of teen movies from the 80s, and I found myself listening to a lot of 80s music while I wrote. I even created a radio station on Pandora with artists like Flock of Seagulls, Modern English, New Order, OMD, the Plimsouls, Psychedelic Furs, Simple Minds, the Smiths, and a bunch of other bands. Some of my friends would mock me if they knew, but I see no reason to tell them.

There were a few things in the book that involved the economy, oil, and gas prices. Did you have to conduct any research during the writing of your book?
I probably should have dedicated this book to Wikipedia! I have a business background, and I’m a bit of a news junkie, so I could draw somewhat on my knowledge of current events, but I did a lot of research online to fill in the holes.

I hope I don't sound like a broken record and I'm sure many people have asked you this dreaded question that seems to always be asked. Is there any advice you would give your teenage self that you know now?
This is a tough one, because though it sounds soppy, there’s something to how all of your experiences, both the good and the bad, make you what you eventually become, and if you go back and change something who knows how things might have turned out instead? I will say this, however: I sort of regret getting my ears pierced.

What was your favorite quote out of the book?
I’ve been taught to get rid of my favorite parts, as they tend to be the ones that are forced or overwritten. That said, I do think Charley gets a lot of the best lines, like in Chapter 4 when she’s talking about studying zoology and says: “Giraffes and elephants are one thing, but who can get excited about mollusks, except maybe the French. And they’ll eat anything.”

Is there anything else you would like to say to your readers?
Apparently there’s been some confusion about whether UNRAVELED has a sequel, but it does! AND THEN I FOUND OUT THE TRUTH will be published in 2010 – I hope you and your readers will check it out!

Thanks so much Jennifer for taking the time to do this and I can't wait till And Then I Found Out The Truth comes out next year.

Rowling vs Meyer

Oh my goodness I watched this and I just had to post it. Hope you guys like it.



I'm made of money *fart* see I just farted money. Hahaha! Oh my goodness I'm still laughing just ignore me.

Talk To Me Trees!

Description:
Rin is sure that something is wrong with her…something really bad. Something that is keeping her from feeling at home in the Forest homestead where she’s lived all her life. Something that is keeping her from trusting herself with anyone at all. When her brother Razo returns from the city for a visit, she accompanies him to the palace, hoping that she can find peace away from home. But war has come to Bayern again, and Rin is compelled to join the queen and her closest allies—magical girls Rin thinks of as the Fire Sisters—as they venture into the Forest toward Kel, the land where someone seems to want them all dead. Many beloved Bayern characters reappear in this story, but it is Rin’s own journey of discovering how to balance the good and the bad in herself that drives this compelling adventure.

My thoughts: Sorry if its a little jumbled but their is just so many things going on in this book. I couldn't put this down while I was reading it. Ever since Rin was little she has had a connection with the forest but after an incident with a neighborhood boy they have drawn away from her. Now when she touches them she can fill this worm of evil inside of her. Razo, her brother comes to visit and he suggests she come to the city with him. At the city she becomes a lady in waiting for the Queen of Bayern. Listening to the other ladies babble and watching over Tusken, the little prince. Cecile another lady in waiting comes back and Rin can tell she means Tusken harm. An attack is made on a village so the king and his guards including Razo go out to help. Once there they are attacked by Fire-speakers. Rin listens while the Queen talks with her friends but something is strange in the way they are talking. Saying that her, Enna, and Dasha are riding out alone. What is so strange about these girls and why does Rin feel so compelled to be with them.

I haven't read any of the other Books of Bayern and this is the fourth one but I still loved it. The only time it was confusing is that all the characters from the other books are in it and it would have made the book even better if I had read their stories also. Forest Born is more on the adventurous-finding-yourself theme while I can tell that romance played a major part in the other books. Rin is so self conscious of herself. Always wanting to be a good person that it makes you really admire and relate to her. The book is very descriptive and I felt like I was standing right beside the characters the whole time. If you like books like Graceling then you'll love this series.

The only complaint I have is at times days would pass in a sentence and I wish at those times that she would have kept the story going. I probably wouldn't have picked this book up on my own because I don't like the cover very much. Other than that this book is a must read and I'm going to read the rest of Shannon Hale's books as soon as I can. I can just image Enna's tale is going to be great because she is such a descriptive character. You can visit Shannon Hale's site here. I give this book an 8 out of 10.

Lost Mothers, Stowaway Boys, and Proper English Girls

I decided to make better review titles from now on instead of just putting the book titles.


Title: Unclaimed Heart
Author: Kim Wilkins
Pages: 305
I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in one sitting. Constance Blackchurch has lived with her Aunt Violet her whole life. Growing up without a mother and a barely there merchant father. On one of her Father's visits she ease drops on a conversation and learns there's been news of her mother. The mother she hasn't seen since she was a baby. The mother she doesn't have any memory of. Her father sails immediately. Unknowing that Constance has stowed away on the ship. Somewhere along the way they pick up Alexandre, a boy with the dark eyes and the French accent. You don't need me tell you were that goes.

Were to start with this book? I loved it. At first I couldn't get into it at the beginning but as I read I grew to love everything about the story. A girl trying to find her mother. Whether she'll learn that her mother has been held captive all these years or the unthinkable that she left of her own free will she just can't keep live with the unknown. They end up picking up Alexandre along the way who helps Constance with her search for her mother and along the way they both grow to have hidden feelings for each other. Constance is all the while trying to be the best person she can and that means doing things proper girls aren't suppose to which disappoints the father she's always trying to please. And, all the while they're on ships or exotic islands. Their is something in it for everyone; romance, adventure, sadness.

There was quite a few times that I wanted to jump in the book and shout at people. Like Constance's father who is always thinking shes a silly girl or English people treating others badly because of their social standing. I just felt like there could be a second book continuing the story. It felt like it ended a little abruptly. Giving you a line that could go either way if the story continued. The book was originally published in Australia it looks like. So details are some what hard to understand. You can visit Kim Wilkins site here. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, romance, or just a sad story. I give this book a 9 out of 10 rating.

Award Giveout

Thanks to Eleni from LA FEMME READERS who nominated me for this award. Go check out her wonderful blog.
The Lemonade Award is a feel good award that shows great attitude or gratitude. Here are the rules for accepting this award:

•Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post.
•Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude.
•Link your nominees within your post.
•Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
•Share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award.
The blogs I nominate for this award are:
A Circle of Books
Cornucopia of Reviews
Em's Bookshelf
Feed Your Imagination
Frenetic Reader
I Was A Teenage Book Geek
Just Blinded Book Reviews
Katie's Bookshelf
Laina Has Too Much Spare Time
Sharon Loves Books and Cats


Sorry if you aren't on here and thanks again to Eleni.

Friday Finds

What great books did you hear about this week? Friday Finds is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading. I'm kind of late doing this today but here are my finds:





Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block
Pub. Date: September 22, 2009:
Charlotte Emerson seems to have the perfect existence. She is enviably beautiful and lives alone in a mansion full of reasures and beautiful clothes, perched atop the cliffs of the Pacific Palisades. But Charlotte has been lonely and dead for almost a century. Now she might get a second chance at life.






Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Pub. Date: October 6, 2009:
Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She’s a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn’s paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.








The Monstrumologist by Rick and Richard Yancey
Pub. Date: September 22, 2009:

These are the secrets I have kept. This is the trust I never betrayed.

But he is dead now and has been for more than forty years, the one who gave me his trust, the one for whom I kept these secrets.

The one who saved me...and the one who cursed me.

So begins the journal of Will Henry, orphaned assistant to Dr. Pellinore War throp, a man with a most unusual specialty: monstrumology, the study of monsters. In his time with the doctor, Will has met many a mysterious late-night visitor, and seen things he never imagined were real. But when a grave robber comes calling in the middle of the night with a grueso me find, he brings with him their most deadly case yet.

This is all the books I'm going to post since I'm so lazy. Hope you find something you would like to read.

And Then Everything Unraveled review

Title: And Then Everything Unraveled
Author: Jennifer Sturman
YA Ficition

Inside flap description:
Delia Truesdale has no idea her life's about to change forever. She's too busy enjoying the California summer. Her internet tycoon mother, T.K. Truesdale, is out of town, and that means Delia can spend all her time at the beach, surfing.
That is, until everything unravels.
Her mother suddenly goes missing, and everyone thinks she's dead- except Delia, who knows T.K.'s way to organized to simply disappear. But Delia's still sent to New York to live with her two aunts - a downtown bohemian and an uptown ice queen. And in case that's not bad enough, she also has to deal with a snotty new school and trying not to fall for the wrong guy. Oh, and finding her mother.
As she delves deeper into the tangle of conspiracies and lies surrounding T.K.'s disappearance, Delia begins to suspect that the wrong guy may be the right guy ... and that some secrets - especially the dangerous ones - were never meant to be unraveled.

This books about Delia, a Californian girl who loves to surf, who's internet tycoon mother goes missing. Shes forced to live with her aunt in New York and go to a school were the cool group gives a new meaning to the word inexpressive. Everyone but Delia thinks her mothers dead. Not going to give up on her mother she investigates. With some help from a psychic, a girl who only thinks about how shes going to get into Stanford, and a guy who might or might not have given her her first kiss.

Delia is smart, sweet, and your modern day Nancy Drew. If you like books with mystery, a snobby school, and a dash of the cute popular guy then you'll love this book. One minute she's talking to an undercover detective and the next kissing the boy of her dreams. It'll take your breath away and at the same time have you anticipating for the next clue.

I couldn't connect with some of the background characters. You don't hear very much about T.K., Delia's mother. I felt like the aunt Charley was really her mom for some reason the entire book. Their was so many similarities between the two I just felt like she was some how actually her daughter. It wasn't the most deep book I've ever read but its a cute fun read.

This is a wonderful first book for Jennifer Sturman's series and I can't wait for the next, And Then I Found Out The Truth. I give this book an 7.5 out of 10.

Giving Out Awards

I've been very bad. I haven't sent awards like I'm suppose to so please don't shank me. I've gotten two awards:


The Lemonade Award from The Book Scout
Rules:
The Lemonade Award is a feel good award that shows great attitude or gratitude. Here are the rules for accepting this award: -Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post. -Nominate at least 3 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude. -Link your nominees within your post. -Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog. -Share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award. Here is my list of nominees:

The Story Siren- With the whole mean blogger thing going on I thought she handled it wonderfully. Its a wonderful blog with great YA reviews, author interviews, and contests.

The Neverending Shelf- Another YA blog with great and often reviews. This is a must visit site.

LA FEMME READERS- Another must visit blog. She hosts reviews, giveaways, author interviews, upcoming movies, ect. She's one of the people who really helped me whenever I first started my blog. Big thank you to you Eleni.



One Lovely Blog Award from TBQ's Personal Book Palace


Here are the rules for this award:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here's the great blogs I've found:

Bloody Bookaholic- I love this blog. Shes got great reviews and updates on great things like movies. She also plays music on her blog so that's a big plus.

Hope's Bookshelf- If you want daily book reviews and author interviews then this is the place to go. All the books you can't wait to get your hands on shes reviewed. I stalk this site on a regular basis because there's so many goodies.

J. Kaye's Book Blog- Another great blog that gives great reviews all the time. This isn't a new blog but its still a great blog so I had to put it on here. You can just about reload the page and she'll have something new on there.

Thanks again to those who gave me this award and I'm sorry to all who I didn't put on here. It was so hard to choose.

Waiting on Wensday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. WoW helps spread the word on upcoming new release books. This weeks WoW is:

Positively by Courtney Sheinmel which comes out September 15.


Emerson Price cannot remember a time when life was ordinary. She was four-years-old when she and her mom were diagnosed as HIV-positive – infected with the virus that causes AIDS, and eight when her parents divorced. Now she is thirteen and her mother is dead. Emmy moves in with her father and stepmother, but she feels completely alone. Even though everyone has always accepted her, no one – not her father, or stepmother, or even her best friend – understands what it’s like to have to take medicine every single day, to be so afraid of getting sick, and to miss her mom more than she ever thought she would.

When Emmy’s dad and stepmother send her to Camp Positive, a camp for HIV-positive girls, Emmy is certain she is going to hate it. But soon she realizes that she is not so alone after all – and that sometimes letting other people in can make all the difference in the world.

The author is donating a portion of her proceeds from this book to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Which makes it even better. This sounds intriguing and deep and I can't wait to read it. I love the cover with her letting go of the red balloon.

Teaser Tuesday

I'm looking around at everyone's blog today and I see Teaser Tuesday every where. Not one to be out of the loop, I decided to participate. Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. All you have to do is the following:
a) Grab your current read
b) Open to a random page
c) Share two (2) teaser sentences from somewhere on the page.
d) Make sure not to include spoilers!
e) Share the title and author, so that other TT participants can add it to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This weeks Teaser:

""You get to go to an office and interact with other people all day and then come home to a dinner already prepared and a child bathed and in bed, but I'm the one who knows where to find the scissors around here, ha!" And then on some nights, like tonight, I look at Maya drawing at the kitchen table with her crayons, her tongue poking out from between her lips in concentration as she draws, and I realize I'm not the only one in our house who's missing out."

- pg.46, "The Possibility of Everything" by Hope Edelman

Alice In Wonderland Trailer

I saw this Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland trailer and I had to post it. Here's the URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7880qvyrzk

Hehe I got one off some spanish site.
The graphics look so good. I can't wait to watch this.

Look Forward To:

I'm currently reading The Possibility of Everything by Hope Edelman.
Here's the description:
n the autumn of 2000, Hope Edelman was a woman adrift, questioning her place in her marriage, her profession, and the larger world. Feeling vulnerable and isolated, she was primed for change. Into her stagnant routine dropped Dodo, her three-year-old daughter Maya's curiously disruptive imaginary friend. Confused and worried about how to handle Maya and Dodo's apparent hold on her, Edelman and her husband made the unlikely choice to bring her to Mayan healers in Belize, hoping that a shaman might help them banish Dodo-and, as they came to understand, all he represented-from their lives.



Examining how an otherwise mainstream mother and wife finds herself making this unorthodox choice, The Possibility of Everything chronicles the magical week in Central America that transformed Edelman from a person whose past had led her to believe only in the visible and the "proven" to someone open to the idea of larger, unseen forces. A deeply affecting and beautifully written memoir of a family's emotional journey, it explores what Edelman and her husband went looking for in the jungle-and what they ultimately discovered-as parents, as spouses, and as ordinary people-about the things that possess and destroy, or that can heal us all.



It comes out in September and Hope has agreed to an author interview so keep a look out for it posted on here in a couple days.

Review: The Black Tattoo

Back description:
Jack Farrell never thought he would end up in Hell. Certainly not when he was still alive. And definitely not by choice. But that's exactly where he does end up-in one of Hell's prisons cells, no less, with only a giant two-headed tapeworm for conversation.
But what else can he do? Jack's best friend, Charlie, is in serious trouble. An ancient demon called the Scourge is using Charlie to bring about its evil ends-which unfortunately, involve the destruction of the entire universe.
Now Jack and the butt-kicking, sword-wielding Esme must contend with floating sharks, moving jelly, over sized centipedes, gladiator pits, and vomiting bats, all for the sake of saving Charlie from the Scourge. And, hopefully, saving the universe from total and utter annihilation.

The whole book is about trying to capture this demon called the Scourge who has been imprisoned on earth for centuries and is now inhabiting Charlie one of the main characters of the book. There are three main characters: Charlie, Jack, and Esme. Charlie is so swept up with his hatred and self centeredness of finding out his fathers a jerk that it just might cause the destruction of everything. Jack is just along for the ride witnessing everything, dieing and being made part demon, and dealing with the fact that no one pays attention to him. And, Esme has been training her whole life and her only purpose is to capture and bind the demon who killed her mother and father.

I liked the imagination in this book. How there was so many different creatures of hell like a two-headed tapeworm. a giant blue swords women, a jelly substance that covers hell, a giant centipede slash hedgehog, and a flying shark. Oh and how could forget a Chinj or a talking bat like furry creature that who's main purpose is to puke into a bowl to give you food.

I didn't like the self centeredness of both Charlie and Jack. Charlie only thinks about how his father wronged him the whole time and only takes in consideration how he will be effected by his decisions. There is only one word to call Jack, annoying. The whole book he talks about how no one listens to him and how its always typical for him to end up in the bad situations. In a part of the book he is in the jaws of a flying shark about to meet his death and all he can say is how typical it is that he is the one in the situation. Throughout the book a physical tension between Jack and Esme is mentioned and that's all, no kiss not even a feelings talk. It would have made the book better if they would have explored that relationship in some way.

Other than that this is a good fantasy read for its fight scenes and the descriptiveness of its creatures. I give it a 7 out of ten.

In My Mailbox

Everyone has been making these and I thought it would be a good idea to show what books I got this week.
Randomhouse ARC:

In the autumn of 2000, Hope Edelman was a woman adrift, questioning her place in her marriage, her profession, and the larger world. Feeling vulnerable and isolated, she was primed for change. Into her stagnant routine dropped Dodo, her three-year-old daughter Maya's curiously disruptive imaginary friend. Confused and worried about how to handle Maya and Dodo's apparent hold on her, Edelman and her husband made the unlikely choice to bring her to Mayan healers in Belize, hoping that a shaman might help them banish Dodo-and, as they came to understand, all he represented-from their lives.
Examining how an otherwise mainstream mother and wife finds herself making this unorthodox choice, The Possibility of Everything chronicles the magical week in Central America that transformed Edelman from a person whose past had led her to believe only in the visible and the "proven" to someone open to the idea of larger, unseen forces. A deeply affecting and beautifully written memoir of a family's emotional journey, it explores what Edelman and her husband went looking for in the jungle-and what they ultimately discovered-as parents, as spouses, and as ordinary people-about the things that possess and destroy, or that can heal us all.

Booksamillion:


The rules for a young English woman in 1799 are simple: Do what you’re told; stay out of the way; and don’t, under any circumstances, ask questions.

But Constance Blackchurch is insatiable, headstrong, and complex; and the quest to find her missing mother is too much to resist…

…as is Alexandre Sans-Nom, the pearl diver who steals her heart, uproots all of her social expectations, and can either ruin or save the family she loves.



He holds the secret that can end the world.

The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly 700 years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life.

The records show that he died in 1418.

But his tomb is empty.

The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.

Sometimes legends are true.

And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.


An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-


One good...


One evil...


Who will prevail?


Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.


Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.


They just know they can't trust each other.

I also got these at the flea market today for four dollars, that's right you didn't hear wrong four dollars together.


Ana's life is a collection of bits and pieces of her past. Infected with HIV at birth, she's unaware of many details of her early childhood and barely remembers her mother. Living with her strict grandmother, she learns how to keep secrets – secrets about her infection and about the abuse she endures at home. But after Ana falls in love and becomes pregnant at seventeen, she begins a journey of hope – a journey of protecting herself and others. She is living with HIV, not dying from it.

Jenna Bush tells of Ana's struggle to break free from the cycle of abuse, silence, and illness with passion and eloquence. But this is not just Ana's story. It is also the story of many children around the world who are marginalized, neglected, and mistreated.


Miles Ryan's life seemed to end the day his wife was killed in a hit-and-run accident two years ago. Missy had been his first love, and Miles fervently believes she will be his last. As a deputy in the North Carolina town of New Bern, Miles Ryan not only grieves for Missy, but also longs to bring the unknown driver to justice.

Then Miles meets Sarah Andrews. The second grade teacher of his son, Jonah, Sarah had left Baltimore after a difficult divorce to start over in the gentler surroundings of New Bern. Perhaps its her own emotional wounds that make her sensitive to the hurt she first sees in Jonah's eyes, and then his father's. Tentatively, Sarah and Miles reach out to each other. Soon they are both laughing for the first time in years. . . and falling in love.

Neither will be able to guess how closely linked they are to a shocking secret -- one that will force them to question everything they ever believed in. . . and make a heartbreaking choice that will change their lives forever.

I'm looking forward to reading The Possibility of Everything, The Prophecy of the Sisters, and Ana's Story the most but I hope their all good.
I'm going to be posting a review tomorrow so keep your eye out for that. That's everything I got this week. What did you get?