Posted on 3 Comments on Weekly Recap 9/5/10

Weekly Recap 9/5/10

I am finally caught up on reading books by authors at the Decatur Book Festival and stuff I had to read for PBS Games.  It’s a very liberating feeling!  Of course, now I want to read every book on my shelves immediately.  And those books that are not on my shelves but in stacks around the living room.

Books Read:

Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson – I was a little worried that I wouldn’t like this book, but I ended up liking it a lot.  It brought up some of my own issues with church that I have grown through, like knowing why you believe something, not just believing because you’re told to.  Overall the story was really good!

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting – This was really good and hard to put down!  I was so sucked in to the mystery that I kept picking it back up when I needed to be doing other things, like cleaning my apartment.  Oops!  I really liked Violet and Jay’s relationship.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore – This book was okay.  I like the premise more than the execution.  The characters were a little flat and the story dragged at times.  I was expecting a little more action.

Scott Pilgrim vs The World by Bryan Lee O’Malley – I am still completely amused by this series!  They’re hilarious and creative.  I love Scott, but his friends are my favorite part(s).

Holes by Louis Sachar – Now that I am done, I don’t know why I’d never read this book before!  It was so good.  Stanley and Zero were awesome.  I loved how the story from the past was interwoven with the current story.  I can definitely see why this won the Newbery Award.

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren. Click here to learn more about it.

Books Received/Bought: 13

  • The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (PBS Game)
  • As They See Em: A Fan’s Travels in the Land of Umpires by Bruce Weber (PBS Game)
  • Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card (PBS FIFO)
  • I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (PBS Game)
  • Eleventh Grade Burns (Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, Bk 4) by Heather Brewer (PBS Game)
  • Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci (Amazon)
  • Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (Amazon)
  • Scott Pilgrim Versus the World (Scott Pilgrim Vol 2) by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Amazon)
  • Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness (Scott Pilgrim Vol 3) by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Amazon)
  • Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together (Scott Pilgrim Vol 4) by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Amazon)
  • Accomplice by Eireann Corrigan (Borders)
  • The DUFF by Kody Keplinger (Borders)
  • One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt (PBS Game)

Books Mailed:

  • The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (PBS Game)
  • I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (PBS Game)
Posted on No Comments on Weekly Recap 8/29/10

Weekly Recap 8/29/10

Mockingjay Day finally came!  Yes, it was an actual holiday for me.  I took the day off work and spent it reading, except for a doctor appointment in the afternoon and dinner with friends.

Books Read:

Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley –  I really liked this!  It was so funny and the graphics were really great.  I’m definitely going to continue in the series and maybe even see the movie. :)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – SO GOOD!  I was a little worried I wouldn’t like it because a few books that I have been really excited about this summer ended up kind of as duds, but this one didn’t disappoint.  I kind of had a hard time getting in to the book at first.  Part of that was because I just wanted to know how it ends so I was being impatient.  :)  But by the first battle scene, I was hooked.  I’m not giving away any spoilers, but I will say I laughed, I cried, I cursed Suzanne Collins, lather, rinse, repeat.  I am okay with how it ended.  I’m really glad I read the first two again before starting this one.  After I read some stuff from authors at this year’s Decatur Book Festival and some swap reading, I’m going to pick this back up and read it again!

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller – Didn’t finish…  Haven annoyed me and I realized after 1/4 of the book that I just didn’t care.

The Julian Game by Adele Griffin – This was cute.  At times it was predictable and occasionally unpredictable.  I liked Raye.  The end seemed kind of rushed, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

Lady Macbeth’s Daughter by Lisa Klein – I liked this book.  Albia was a very likable strong character.  I haven’t read Macbeth, but I know the basic story, so it was interesting to see how the story was woven into the original story.

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren. Click here to learn more about it.

Books Received/Bought: 7

  • Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Borders)
  • Will by Maria Boyd (Borders)
  • The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey (PBS Game)
  • Breathe My Name by R.A. Nelson (PBS Game)
  • Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka (PBS Game)
  • Losing It edited by Keith Gray (PBS FIFO)
  • The Julian Game by Adele Griffin (Amazon)

Books Mailed: 7

  • Kristy and the Dirty Diapers (Babysitters Club) by Ann M. Martin (PBS FIFO)
  • Fruits Basket Vol 1 by Natsuki Takaya (PBS FIFO)
  • Fruits Basket Vol 2 by Natsuki Takaya (PBS FIFO)
  • Fruits Basket Vol 3 by Natsuki Takaya (PBS FIFO)
  • The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June by Robin Benway (PBS Game)
  • The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller (PBS Game)
  • The Julian Game by Adele Griffin (PBS Game)
Posted on 2 Comments on Weekly Recap 8/22/10

Weekly Recap 8/22/10

This was a crazy week for me!  Not only did I have my sister’s dog for the week, but I actually had to go on a business trip in the middle.  Luckily my parents are awesome and agreed to spend the night at my place to take care of both dogs.  But because of that, I didn’t get as much reading done as I would have liked.

Books Read:

The Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez – I LOVED this book.  I’ve been fascinated by Cuba since learning about The Bay of Pigs in 6th grade.  This book really made me feel like I was there experiencing the changes with Lucia.  There were lots of other things I wanted to know about what was going on, but obviously they would have been out of place in this book.  But it would have been interesting! :) Christina Gonzalez will be at this year’s Decatur Book Festival.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins – Obviously not the first time I’ve read it, but I needed to refresh my memory before Mockingjay comes out on Tuesday!  I cannot wait!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren. Click here to learn more about it.

Books Received: 11

  • Half-Assed: A Weight Loss Memoir by Jenette Fulda (PBS Game)
  • Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Amazon)
  • The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller (Amazon)
  • Exposing the Real Che Guevara and the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him by Humberto Fontova (Amazon)
  • Charmed Life (Chrestomanci #1) by Diana Wynne Jones (Abebooks)
  • The Lives of Christopher Chance (Chrestomanci #2) by Diana Wynne Jones (Abebooks)
  • Maze of Bones (The 39 Clues #1) by Rick Riordan (Amazon)
  • The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot (PBS FIFO)
  • Princess in the Spotlight (Princess Diaries, Bk 2) by Meg Cabot (PBS FIFO)
  • Princess in Love (Princess Diaries, Bk 3) by Meg Cabot (PBS FIFO)
  • Princess in Waiting (Princess Diaries, Bk 4) by Meg Cabot (PBS FIFO)

Books Mailed: 5

  • Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard (PBS FIFO)
  • Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard (PBS FIFO) (yes, I had two copies)
  • Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs (PBS Game)
  • Sea by Heidi R. Kling (PBS Game)
  • Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (PBS Game)
Posted on No Comments on Waiting on Wednesday 8/18/10

Waiting on Wednesday 8/18/10

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

The book I am eagerly anticipating this week is John Belushi is Dead by Kathy Charles.

IN THE END WE ALL FADE TO BLACK.

Pink-haired Hilda and oddball loner Benji are not your typical teenagers. Instead of going to parties or hanging out at the mall, they comb the city streets and suburban culs-de-sac of Los Angeles for sites of celebrity murder and suicide. Bound by their interest in the macabre, Hilda and Benji neglect their schoolwork and their social lives in favor of prowling the most notorious crime scenes in Hollywood history and collecting odd mementos of celebrity death.

Hilda and Benji’s morbid pastime takes an unexpected turn when they meet Hank, the elderly, reclusive tenant of a dilapidated Echo Park apartment where a silent movie star once stabbed himself to death with a pair of scissors. Hilda feels a strange connection with Hank and comes to care deeply for her paranoid new friend as they watch old movies together and chat the sweltering afternoons away. But when Hank’s downstairs neighbor Jake, a handsome screenwriter, inserts himself into the equation and begins to hint at Hank’s terrible secrets, Hilda must decide what it is she’s come to Echo Park searching for . . . and whether her fascination with death is worth missing out on life.

You probably thought I was going to say Mockingjay again, didn’t you?  I am still ridiculously excited about it, but this is another book coming out next week that looks really interesting!  I love the cover, too.

Posted on No Comments on Weekly Recap 8/15/10

Weekly Recap 8/15/10

This is two weeks of recap because I was on vacation last weekend and forgot to post!

Books Read:

Lies (Gone, Bk 3) by Michael Grant – It took me a little while to get back in to the FAYZ, but after 100 pages, I couldn’t stop reading!  I really like this series and can’t wait for the next book.

Sea by Heidi R. Kling – I really wanted to like this more than I did.  Sienna (Sea) was very childish and selfish, which got old pretty fast.  Her “romance” with Deni was too fast and ridiculous.  The decisions she made in a foreign country were just plain stupid and made me wish she’d faced some consequences.  I liked the parts when she was at the orphanage interacting with the orphans that weren’t Deni.

The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June by Robin Benway – This was cute.  By the end of the book, I really like all three sisters.  The beginning was slow, and I felt like the premise was better than the actual plot and a lot more could have been explained.  The girls’ “superpowers” were pretty cool and I liked how they fit with each personality.

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren. Click here to learn more about it.

Books Received: 16

  • Sea by Heidi Kling (PBS Game)
  • How I Found the Perfect Dress by Maryrose Wood (PBS Game)
  • Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America by Steven Waldman (PBS Game)
  • You Are Here by Jennifer Smith (PBS Game)
  • Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald (PBS Game)
  • Scones & Sensability by Lindsay Eland (PBS)
  • Flawless (Pretty Little Liars, Bk 2) by Sara Shepard (PBS)
  • Unbelievable (Pretty Little Liars, Bk 3) by Sara Shepard (PBS)
  • Perfect (Pretty Little Liars, Bk 4) by Sara Shepard (PBS)
  • Della Says: OMG! by Keris Stainton (Book Depository)
  • Lady MacBeth’s Daughter by Lisa M. Klein (Amazon)
  • The Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez (Amazon)
  • The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June by Robin Benway (Borders)
  • Flyte (Septimus Heap, Bk 2) by Angie Sage (UBS)
  • Stitch ‘N Bitch by Debbie Stoller (UBS)
  • Marcelo in the Real World by Francis X. Stork (PBS Game)

Books Mailed: 14

  • Seth Baumgartner’s Love Manifesto by Eric Luper (audio)
  • The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees
  • Major Crush by Jennifer Echols
  • Sweethearts by Sarah Zarr
  • Betrayals by Lili St. Crow
  • The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti
  • Exposed by Susan Vaught
  • At First Sight by Emily Franklin
  • Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan
  • The Lost Summer by Kathryn Williams
  • Right Behind You by Gail Giles
  • Siren by Tricia Rayburn
  • Stormbreaker (Alex Rider, Bk 1) by Anthony Horowitz
  • Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray
  • The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher

I also took a bunch of books to the UBS, but I can’t remember what they were!

Posted on 7 Comments on Waiting on Wednesday 8/11/10

Waiting on Wednesday 8/11/10

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

The book I am eagerly anticipating this week is… well, anyone that knows me knows what book I can’t wait for this month!  I just finished listening to The Hunger Games audiobook.  I have to make myself wait until closer to the 24th to read Catching Fire.  I can’t get too excited yet or I’ll go crazy!

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

Posted on No Comments on Weekly Recap 8/1/10

Weekly Recap 8/1/10

aka “How did it get to be August already???” :)

Books Read:

Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson – I LOVED this book!!!  It was so good.  The characters were so real.  I felt like I was a part of their road trip.  I loved the “scrapbook” sections of the book, especially the playlists.  There was some good music in that car. :)  Definitely one of my faves so far this year.

Seth Baumgartner’s Love Manifesto by Eric Luper – I listened to this on CD on a road trip of my own.  I am not generally a fan of audiobooks, as I have the attention span of a gnat and stop listening every once in a while, but after the first couple CDs, this one really sucked me in.  I liked Seth.  I think I would have liked Dimitri more in written form.  I liked his humor, but the voice the reader used for him drove me nuts.

I also read about a third of Sapphique, the sequel to Incarceron.  I really liked the first book, but the second does not seem to have the same “magic” as the first.  I put it down for a little while so I can get my “PBS Swap reading” done.

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren. Click here to learn more about it.

Books Received: 6

  • The Half-Life of Planets by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin (PBS)
  • Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (PBS)
  • The Alchemist (Nicholas Flamel, Bk 1) by Michael Scott (Amazon)
  • The Magician (Nicholas Flamel, Bk 2) by Michael Scott (Amazon)
  • Why I Let My Hair Grow Out by Maryrose Wood (Amazon)
  • I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak (Amazon)

Books Mailed: 5

  • Hate List by Jennifer Brown
  • Fang by James Patterson
  • Ninth Grade Slays by Heather Brewer
  • Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont
  • The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell
Posted on 1 Comment on Weekly Recap 7/25/10

Weekly Recap 7/25/10

Books Read:

Forget You by Jennifer Echols – Really good read, however not quite as good as Going Too Far.  It didn’t have the same emotional punch.  But it was definitely enjoyable.  At times it was confusing, but I guess that’s what happens when the narrator has amnesia. :)

Stormbreaker (Alex Rider, Bk 1) by Anthony Horowitz – This was really fun.  It’s British, so of course I liked it!  But I did like the story too.  I’ll definitely continue with the series.

Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell – So much fun!  I liked this a lot.  I love superhero (and supervillain) movies, and this was just as good.  Damien was great – so sarcastic and funny.  I’d love to see more of Renegade X and the world he lives in.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet: The Manga Edition – This was pretty cool.  I’ve read Hamlet before, but it was cool to see it as manga.

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs – I liked this a lot!  It was really cute.  At times it was a bit predictable, but the merworld was really fun and Lily was really endearing.

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren. Click here to learn more about it.

Books Received: 8

  • Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (PBS FIFO)
  • Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti (PBS FIFO)
  • Forget You by Jennifer Echols (Amazon)
  • Stormbreaker (Alex Rider, Bk 1) by Anthony Horowitz (Borders)
  • Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti (PBS FIFO)
  • Swim the Flyby Don Calame (PBS FIFO)
  • Point Blank (Alex Rider, Bk 2) by Anthony Horowitz (Borders)
  • Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter (Borders)

Books Mailed: 5

  • The Search by Nora Roberts
  • Forget You by Jennifer Echols
  • Watch Me by Lauren Barnholt
  • Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
  • Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti
Posted on No Comments on Weekly Recap 7/18/10

Weekly Recap 7/18/10

Books Read:

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater – I wanted to like this more than I did.  I think I might have built it up too much in my head, because I love her writing.  I really liked Cole and Isabel, but Grace and Sam kind of grated on me and were too melodramatic.  Parts of the book were a little slow and didn’t hold my attention.  I will most definitely read the last book in the series, Forever, and anything else Maggie Stiefvater writes, but this wasn’t one of my favorite books.

Hate List  by Jennifer Brown – Wow.  This book was really amazing and yet so painful to read all at once.  Part of me couldn’t stop reading and the other part needed a break all at once.   There were a lot of aspects of the shooting that seemed very familiar from the shootings at Columbine and Heritage in 1999.  Probably others, too, but those are the ones I picked up on, since I was a senior in high school when they happened and Heritage was my rival high school.  I cried a lot reading this.

The Search by Nora Roberts – Not my favorite NR ever, but better than some others I’ve read recently.

Hard to Get by Emma Carlson Berne – The Simon Romantic Comedies are kind of hit or miss for me.  Some I love, some just don’t work for me.  This one feel into the latter category.

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren. Click here to learn more about it.

Books Received: 11

  • The Kid Who Climbed Everest by Bear Grylls (PBS FIFO)
  • Intertwined by Gena Showalter (PBS Game)
  • Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner (PBS Game)
  • Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (Borders because Amazon didn’t change the date so I canceled my pre-order and picked it up in the store)
  • Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs (PBS Game)
  • X-Isle by Steve Augarde (PBS Friend)
  • Windblowne by Stephen Messer (PBS Friend)
  • Keys to the Repository (Blue Bloods, Bk 5) by Melissa de la Cruz (B&N Giftcard)
  • The Search by Nora Roberts (B&N Giftcard)
  • How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (PBS FIFO)
  • Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell (PBS Game)

Books Mailed: 3

  • Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien (PBS Game)
  • Mossflower by Brian Jacques (PBS FIFO)
  • Bras and Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski
Posted on 2 Comments on Waiting on Wednesday 7/14/10

Waiting on Wednesday 7/14/10

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

The book I am eagerly anticipating this week is Forget You by Jennifer Echols.

WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . .  AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?  There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.  But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

I LOVE Jennifer Echols’ books.  Going Too Far was one of my favorite books of 2009.  I made the mistake of reading the first chapter of the book on Echols’ website and now I am dying to have my hands on the rest of the book!