The Book...Spot

Article 5 ~ Kristen Simmons (ARC) review

2012-01-27T09:08:00.059-05:00

Article 5
Tor Teen
January 31, 2012
368 pages
add to Goodreads/buy on Amazon

It's been three years since the war ended but already life in the United Sates is almost unrecognizable. Seventeen year old Ember Miller remember what it was like before: when there were police, not just the soldiers, the Federal Bureau of Reformation; when there was the Bill of Rights, not the Moral Statues; when you could read the books you wanted, go out after dark, when there was enough food to go around, new things were still to be had and cities - and people - were whole.

Now, though, cities have been abandoned, some destroyed, too, by the war. The FBR, or MM (Moral Militia) as Ember and her friends call them, rule all. Despite her single mother who seems to all but love breaking the rules (reading inappropriate books and magazines) that can lead to citations and arrests, Ember has learned how to stay under the radar, how to get by.

Until, that is her mother is arrested.

Arrested for not complying with Article 5 of the Moral Statues.

What's even worse is that one of the MM officers at the arrest is Chase Jennings. The boy who left years ago. The boy Ember still loves.

Ember's life falls apart when her mother is arrested . . . but that moment is only the beginning of a dramatic journey for Ember in this new, drastically different society.

Kristen Simmons' debut is so, so splendidly amazing. It's a book that will keep you up late reading and inf you do have to sleep (darn you, sleep), you'll find yourself putting off everything else during the day (breakfast, personal grooming, work, whatever) to finish it. It's truly remarkable that this is her debut novel.

The chemistry that is present between Ember and Chase - even while they are doing their best to deny it to each other, themselves, and anyone who might notice or listen - is absolutely enticing. It's the kind of chemistry that draws you in as a reader and makes you want to somehow be a part of it. (Though, like literal chemistry, adding another element would likely cause some sort of combustion, explosion, fizzling or other harm ) The fact that Simmons can so well portray the relationship between these two characters given the situation (and I won't give it all away) that they find themselves is that much more impressive.

I'm kind of in love with both of them - separately and together.

Another thing that really makes Article 5 shine is how well the author conveys emotion. The language and phrasing she chooses is just phenomenal and really pulls at you. I looked for quotes I wanted to use but as I typed them in, I worried they were to spoilery. . . trust me?

Kristen Simmons creates characters, makes you care about them, places them in a world that could seem absurd but really, truly does not, and then jerks those characters around (and you, the reader with them). You worry for the characters, you feel their pain, there's suspense, you feel their hope, there's anger. When I say Article 5 is an emotional book it's not just emotional because it's sad at points, it has the full spectrum of emotions.

The only, only thing that - while reading - I could possibly have wanted from Article 5 that I didn't get was a little description of the war or how it started or why there wasn't water or if it was just the US. Background, I guess. But, the book stays so in the now, in the present, that I soon forgot about all of that. After finishing the book, I'm not sure it was necessary or a missing element, actually.

This is a gripping, emotional debut with two main characters I need to read more of...
Rating:10/10

Requested from TorTeen for review

Other Books You Might Like: Beyond the Gates (Tomorrow Girls #1) by Eva Gray and Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Thursday 13

2012-01-26T10:20:00.000-05:00

13 Books I'm Glad I Don't Live In

(They're Imaginative and Engrossing [for the most part] . . . But I'd Hate to Live There For Real!)

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons (hoping to get that review up later today if my migraine lets up - otherwise tomorrow am)
Hunger Games series
Eve by Anna Carey
Bumped by Megan McCafferty
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Roboapocalypse by David H Wilson
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Memento Nora by Angie Smibert
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch WIlliams
The Awakening by Kate Chopin (I LOVE this book - but I think the lack of women's lib would bring me down . .. along with the character's overall feeling)
The Scarlet Letter (again with the women's lib and also, I don't like this book -sorry)

(Thursday 13 is hosted here)

***
Don't forget to Enter to WIN a Blu-Ray copy of To Kill a Mockingbird 50th Anniversary Edition today's the LAST DAY!!!
***

Waiting On Wednesday

2012-01-25T10:36:00.000-05:00

The first is another book I suppose I figured you'd all just psychically know I was wanting to read (it's possible based on the book) but in case not, here it is in a post:

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

June 19, 2012 from St Martin's Griffin

What's not to love about a book written by Courtney Summers? Really? Also, it has zombies. That is all.

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

May 1, 2012 - HarperCollin's Children's Books

Hate to break it to you, but my 'why' for this is going to be short, too . .. it's the sequel to Divergent (which apparently I still need to post a review for?!?!). Also, it's a sequel to Divergent - and have you seen how old Veronica Roth is not? You should have to be older to come up with such great great things (flawed logic, I"m sure but still, my logic).

Once (Eve #2) by Anna Carey

Sixteen years have passed since a deadly virus wiped out most of the Earth’s population. After learning of the terrifying part she and her classmates were fated to play in the rebuilding of New America, eighteen-year-old Eve fled to the wilds and Califia, a haven for women determined to live outside the oppressive rule of the king of New America. However, her freedom came at a price: she was forced to leave Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. Eve quickly learns that Califia may not be as safe as it seems and soon finds herself in the City of Sand and the palace of the king. There she uncovers the real reason he was so intent on her capture, and the unbelievable role he intends her to fill. When she is finally reunited with Caleb, they will enact a plan as daring as it is dangerous. But will Eve once again risk everything—her freedom, her life—for love?

Brimming with danger and star-crossed romance, and featuring a vivid dystopian landscape, this electrifying follow-up to Eve, which bestselling author Lauren Kate called “a gripping, unforgettable adventure—and a fresh look at what it means to love” is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes adventure of The Hunger Games and the irresistible love story of Romeo and Juliet.

out July 3, 2012 from HarperCollins

While Eve was not my absolute favorite, favorite book of the fall (review) after its ending, I very much want to see where the story takes things. Even more so after reading a bit of that synopsis and finding that things might not be as safe as Eve thought they were going to be - and are likely even less hopeful!!

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield

On the night of Becca’s high school graduation, the discovery of an unidentified dead girl left to bleed out on the side of a dirt road sends the town—and Becca—into a tailspin. Becca has always longed to break free from her small home town, but as the violence of the outside world creeps into her backyard, she withdraws and retreats inward, paralyzed for the first time in her life.

Short chapters detailing the last days of Amelia Anne Richardson’s life are intercut with Becca’s own coming-of-age summer, unfolding into the parallel stories of two young women struggling with self-identity and tense romantic relationships as the summer’s tumultuous events twist Becca closer and closer to the truth about Amelia’s murder.

July 5, 2012 from Dutton Juvenile

While this is not like Lauren Myracle's Shine (review) it does have enough shades of it in the summary that I find it incredibly appealing. I also love small towns, self discovery/identity and the idea of finding out what it was that happened to Amelia . . . the tension that could possible create would make for a great (if frustrating?) read.

I also really love that cover. It's simple but oh so beautiful.

Those are the books (I couldn't pick just one or two this week) that I'm excited to read - what about you?

In Darkness ~ Nick Lake (eARC) review (blog stop)

2012-01-24T11:05:00.000-05:00

In Darkness
Bloomsbury USA Children's
January 17, 2012
352 pages
add to Goodreads/buy on Amazon

In darkness I count my blessings like Manman taught me. One: I am alive. Two: there is no two.

After the Haitian earthquake of 2004, teenage 'Shorty' is trapped beneath the rubble of a hospital. There for a shooting wound, Shorty is now thirsty, hungry, scared, and alone in the darkness. Raised in the slum of Site Soleil Shorty has seen more violence in his short life than most of us will ever see. Drawn to the gangsters that rule his are, he has also become a part of it.

He has seen his father killed and his twin sister taken away. A twin sister he longs to find again. A twin sister who has the other half of his soul, someone he is linked with forever.

His long-lost twin is not the only one Shorty is linked with, though. He also has a link with Toussaint L'Ouverture. Two centuries ago, Toussaint led a slave rebellion to get the French out of Haiti.

As Shorty grows weaker and weaker in the darkness her relives his life, leading up to the bullet wound that brought him to the hospital. Toussaint's life and rebellion are also seen - as is what connects the two.

Can either of the two, living in Haiti, hundreds of years apart, ever be free?

I will say right away, that In Darkness is going to be a hard book for me to review. Something about it just did not engage me. The story is incredibly compelling. The way that the 2004 earthquake is used as a sort of catalyst for readers learning Shorty's story (or his telling it) is really fantastic - and perfect, too because it's not only something that did happen and was an overwhelming event but given the characters in the book, I can't think of another time (or reason) that any of them would sit down and reflect on their life.

I don't know why either I didn't connect with the book or it didn't connect with me. How the two stories were told (Toussaint's and Shorty's) through Then and Nows was very well done. They seemed to fade into each other well, without seeming jarring or like one was stopping or starting too suddenly.

In Darkness does let readers in on a part of Haiti - and I would say life in general - that is too seldom addressed both in fiction and nonfiction. Through Shorty's recollections and small mentions of his life in the Site, we see just how little they did/do have. And one can only imagine how much of that is likely gone now after the earthquake (and cholera). Nick Lake doesn't beat readers over the head with the hardships of his characters - fictional but from a real place - but sometimes its the subtlety that makes the most impact.

I would say that the last twenty of so pages did resonate with me. I did have more of a connection with them than with the rest of the book. It is a very strong ending that really pulls everything from the rest of the book together incredibly well.

I just could not get into this book, could not connect with it (or, therefore, the characters) though. (I may try to reread it sometime and see if we get on better then.)

Rating: 6/10

Thank you to Kate at Bloomsbury for my NetGalley copy of the novel

Everneath ~ Brodi Ashton (arc) review

2012-01-23T10:24:00.000-05:00

Everneath
Balzer + Bray
January 24, 2012
384 pages
add to Goodreads/buy on Amazon

Nikki Beckett disappeared for six months . . . only for her it was more like one hundred years. While her friends and family had no idea where she was, Nikki was in the Everneath with Cole. Cole is an Everliving survives by feeding off the emotions of humans. During the Feed, Nikki was the human he fed off of.

Now, instead of staying with Cole, Nikki has decided to Return to the surface, to humanity for six months. She hopes to make it up to everyone, her boyfriend Jack mostly but also her father, her brother, her friend Jules, for suddenly disappearing on them last spring. Before, that is, she disappears again . . . for good.

Something made all the more hard by Cole who has left Everneath and followed her not only to the surface, but to her hometown and high school.

Does redemption exist for anyone, let aloe Nikki - and will she be able to find it in time? As Nikki's sixth months draw to a close will she be able to accept that time is all she has or will she want to tempt her fate in a an attempt to stay with Jack longer? Or will she return to Everneath with Cole?

Everneath is a book that starts off with the reader not knowing the full story. You don't really know how/why Nikki disappeared, just that everyone seems not that pleased with her even though she is back. Half of the story is told in the present and half in flashbacks so we learn about Nikki's life before she went to Everneath and we slowly learn what led to her going to Everneath even as we see why she doesn't want to be there now.

I did go through the beginning (and even middle, actually) of the story feeling like I was missing something. There was such a little amount of discussion about either the how or why Nikki had disappeared - either from her father (especially) or younger brother or friends questioning her or Nikki offering some sort of (likely false) explanation. Same for her return. It just seemed that a teenage girl who had been gone for six months would inspire more questioning than what occurred. There seemed to be a general consensus that she had been off doing drugs and there a was a little of that used, but I still thought she slipped back into life too easily.

Maybe I'm just being picky. (Or not.)

The premise of the story (aside from my little grip above), all of the mythology used, the way things around that mythology played out, and the different characters were all incredibly original. The ending (or 100-150 pages) was fantastic. The way the different elements and the little things mentioned throughout the novel really come together is great.

As this is book number one in a series, I'm really excited to see where the second book takes the characters (especially after that ending).

I love that there are some books now that are putting new twists on some of the ancient myths - so much better when they're so incredibly original, well thought out, and resolve themselves well but leave you itching to see what happens next!

Rating: 7/10

(review copy received from publisher)

Cinema Saturday [To Kill a Mockingbird]

2012-01-21T14:09:00.000-05:00

Today's Cinema Saturday post is a bit late (I overslept this morning!), sorry about that.

Today's movie is To Kill a Mockingbird 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-Ray/DVD Combo.

I'm so, so happy I watched this film again. I know how much I liked it when I watched it several years ago in junior high when we were reading Harper Lee's classic of the same name. Now, though, I've gotten so much more out of it.

Not only is this remastered (and Blu-Ray quality) version just stunningly beautiful, but I've noticed things in the plot that I know I didn't before. I don't know if it has to do with not watching it when I knew I was going to have (or just had, I can't remember) a test on the subject or if it's because I'm older . . . either way, but I'm getting a lot more out of it this time.

Before I loved the movie for the plot and the way it could resonate with just about anyone at just about any point in time, now, though, I can almost appreciate the cinematic beauty of To Kill a Mockingbird. Just about any shot would be a beautiful still photo.

To Kill a Mockingbird deals a lot with innocence - whether it's childhood innocence (both the children growing up and losing [some of] theirs or how their innocence affects the adults around them); criminal innocence or even childlike innocence.

It's lovely to see how great Gregory Peck is as a father figure and a role model. Someone who is trying to do right by his children and the community, even when its not what they want from him. I had really missed, I believe, when I saw the movie before how Jem's view of his father grew over the course of the film.

This Anniversary Edition of To Kill a Mockingbird absolutely magnificent. It will leave you wanting a giant TV to watch it on because it's really that gorgeous looking - and you'll want to reread the book (or read it if you somehow haven't read it before) because it portrays it that beautifully.

The special features are really worth watching, too: interviews with Gregory Peck and Mary Badam (Scout) and more.

Even if you already have this on DVD, you really need this version - it's a film that you really should own on Blu-Ray!

My Giveaway of the Blu-Ray

(I need to watch this and A Time to Kill some day . . . they're both fantastic court dramas that really deal well with injustice, too.)

To Kill a Mockingbird (Movie) 50th Anniversary Edition Giveaway

2012-01-20T09:36:00.014-05:00

Win a Blu-ray copy of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

50^TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD: Top Ten American Classics of Our Time

Digitally Remastered and Fully Restored with Over Three Hours of Bonus Materials Including Two FullLength Documentaries

On Limited Edition Collector’s Series Blu-ray™ Combo Pack,

Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, one of the screen’s most beloved and critically acclaimed films, celebrates its 50th anniversary with a commemorative Limited Edition Collector’s Series Blu-ray™ Combo Pack as well as on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD from Universal Studios Home Entertainment on January 31, 2012. The powerful and poignant adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel hits the half-century mark, digitally remastered and fully restored from high resolution 35MM original film elements, plus more than three-and-a-half hours of bonus features chronicling the making of the cinematic masterpiece.

I am absolutely thrilled to be able to host a giveaway of this film. Not only is it a remarkable film - it's one of probably two classic films (along with Rebecca) where I just LOVE both the book and the movie adaptation equally.

This anniversary edition has some amazing special features:
Fearful Symmetry which is a feature-length documentary on the making of the movie featuring cast and crew interviews; plus a visit to Harper Lee's hometown
A Conversation with Gregory Peck feature-length documentary with the film's star that includes interviews film clips, home movies and more
100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics a look at the film restoration process (Since The Film Foundation started talking about movie restoration on DVDs I've been interested in this, so this should be great!)

plus a whole lot of other great special features including Mary Badham who played Scout sharing her experience . . .

(Giveaway using Rafflecopter at the bottom of the post - click 'read more' if you don't see it!)

Unquestionably an American classic, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is one of the most beloved films and novels of our time. In honor of its release on Blu-ray on January 31, we will take a look back at other classic books and movies that have helped define our nation over the last century.

THE GREAT GATSBY (1925)

Set on Long Island’s North Shore and in New York City during the Roaring Twenties, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is often cited as one of the best novels of the 20^th century. The novel has spawned seven film adaptations, numerous book and graphic novel interpretations, stage productions, a BBC radio special, computer games and even an opera.

THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)

Based on the 1900 children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1939’s The Wizard of Oz is adored by both children and adults the world over. This film is unique due to its early use of Technicolor, special effects, and bizarre characters, sets, costumes and makeup. Despite all of the love the film receives now, it was initially a financial failure, but rereleases have more than made up for its early disappointment.

THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1939)

John Steinbeck’s amazing novel The Grapes of Wrath won the Pulitzer Prize in 140, as well as the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. The novel is set during the Great Depression and focuses on a family trying to escape their bleak life in the wake of the Dust Bowl. This classic American novel has been the inspiration for a great film of the same name, a play, an opera and a song by Bruce Springsteen.

CITIZEN KANE (1941)

Starring and directed by Orson Welles, Citizen Kane is considered by many to be the absolute greatest American film ever made. The film is loosely based on the lives of both William Randolph Hearst and Welles himself. Citizen Kane is noted for its innovative cinematography and unique narrative structure, and was nominated for nine Academy Awards.

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE (1951)

J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye has become incredibly popular with teenagers over the past 60 years. The book focuses on angst, alienation and rebellion, and some of the content, like its use of profanity and sexuality, have made it frequently challenged and sometime banned by different governments. This novel has also been famously linked to numerous murders and crimes, most notably that of John Lennon by Mark David Chapman.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)

The 1962 film adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird is often cited as one of the greatest films ever made. This film’s impact on American cinema is widespread, and it has received many honors over the past 50 years, including being preserved in the National Film Registry and winning three Academy Awards. Atticus Finch has often been cited as one of the greatest movie heroes, and Gregory Peck’s performance is widely considered to be one of the great performances in American film history.

IN COLD BLOOD (1966)

Truman Capote’s 1966 novel In Cold Blood detailed the 1959 murders of a Kansas farmer, his wife, and two of their children. This non-fiction work took Capote six years of work, researching the family, their community and their killers, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, with his childhood friend (and author of To Kill a Mockingbird), Harper Lee. At the time, the book became the best selling crime novel.

THE GODFATHER (1972)

Based on a 1969 novel of the same name, 1972’s The Godfather is an epic American crime film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film won three Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Best Picture and helped revitalize Brando’s career. This stunning film also starred film greats Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton.

BELOVED (1987)

Set after the Civil War, Toni Morrison’s breathtaking 1987 novel Beloved is the story of an American slave who escaped slavery by fleeing to a free state with her children. After killing one of her children rather than sending her back into slavery, the woman and her family are haunted by the presence of the child’s ghost. Beloved won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988, and was adapted into a film staring Oprah Winfrey in 1998.

SCHINDLER’S LIST (1993)

1993’s Schindler’s List is a film about a German businessman who saved the lives of thousands of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film, directed by Steve Spielberg, won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Schindler’s List stars Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes.

For your chance to win a copy of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD 50^TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION, simply answer the following question:

To Kill a Mockingbird was written by which Pulitzer-Prize-winning American Author?

· Harper Lee

· Alice Adams

· Isabel Wilkerson

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To Kill a Mockingbird on IMDb, on Amazon here and a Collector's version here

(I was asked to post this copy as part of hosting the movie giveaway;it was provided ThinkJam)

If something doesn't work, let me know in a comment or Tweet me (@thebookspot)

Don't Breathe a Word ~ Holly Cupala review

2012-01-19T10:07:00.001-05:00

Don't Breathe a Word
HarperTeen
January 3, 2012
320 pages
add on Goodreads/buy on Amazon

Joy Delamore's asthma is suffocating her. Her parents barely let her go anywhere, if they do they want her supervised by one of them. Her older brother has been charged with her care. They'll do anything to keep anything from happening to her. All this after Joy's asthma almost claimed her life.

Her new boyfriend promises them to he will take care of her. Soon, he's smothering Joy just as much - or more.

She can only take their 'caring' and Asher's intensity for so long before she has to get away. Joy leaves it all behind to seek out Creed, the one person who has offered her help; a homeless boy.

Leaving her old life behind Joy finds a new life on the streets of Seattle and learns more about her self in a short time than she ever did in her years in with her parents.

After reading Holly Cupala's first book Tell Me a Secret and finding it incredibly emotional, I very, very much wanted to read Don't Breathe a Word; I was thrilled when Harper sent me a copy to review. About a seemingly completely different subject matter - yet also a difficult one to approach - than Tell Me a Secret, Don't Breathe a Word is also about a young girl finding her own strength in the midst of a very difficult situation. One where a lot of people (of any age) could easily lose themselves.

Holly Cupala writes great novels of girl-power that are also just about you-power, whether you're female or male. I do think that Don't Breathe a Word will work better with male audiences (given the subject matter) than her first book.

Cupala's sophomore novel is much stronger and more consistent, if maybe less emotional, than her first book.

I had more of a personal connection with the story in Tell Me a Secret so it's possible that's why I found that tale to have more of an emotional impact. This one does have more of a subtle emotional kick all of the way through.

I'm thrilled the publisher gave me the chance to read and review this title and am already looking forward to Holly Cupala's next title (and recommending this one!).

Rating: 9/10

Thank you to HarperTeen for my copy for review

Internet on Strike

2012-01-18T10:47:00.000-05:00

Waiting On Wednesday [The Selection]

2012-01-18T10:31:00.000-05:00

Instead of just swooning over the cover for this book and ~~whining~~ talking about it on Twitter when ever it comes up, I am going to make a full Waiting On Wednesday post about:

Kiera Cass' The Selection

The dress on the chis cover is one that makes me wish I had some sort of 'creation' machine where I could either stick the book in or point at it and say 'Make that!' and have that dress. It's glorious; it's magnificent!

The novel itself sounds a bit like Wither meets maybe Entwined and something entirely original . . . here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

if you want to add the book to your Goodreads (I'm sure you do), it's page is here and it's here on Amazon.

The Selection releases April 24 from HarperTeen by debut author Keira Cass who is pretty entertaining on Youtube :)

Stolen Away ~ Alyxandra Harvey (eARC) review

2012-01-17T11:58:00.000-05:00

Stolen Away
Walker Children's
January 17, 2012
288 pages
add to Goodreads/buy on Amazon

After bringing us humor, romance, a little violence and a lot of adventure (along with some some vampires) in her Drake Chronicles series and romance, humor and a very swoon-worthy boy in the spiritualist era stand-alone Haunting Violet Alyxandra Harvey is back, this time with the fae, in Stolen Away.

Eloise is a normal seventeen-year-old, spending early days of fall with her friends, trying to escape the oppressive summer hear that won't seem to break. She is eating ice cream with her best friends Jo and Devin when a strange young man approaches her. It's his attire (easily something more out of A Knight's Tale era than today), calling her Lady Eloise while kneeling, and insisting she come with him to be safe that disconcerts Eloise. Of course, he is gorgeous, too, but that's not really of issue at the moment.

The three friends are able to get away from Lucas. But it's definitely not the only time they see him and he is definitely not their only problem. In fact, his warnings might have been right.

Eloise is stolen away by Lord Strahan and imprisoned in his Rath. She knew little to nothing about the fae beforehand but now she is their prisoner. Strahan is only meant to rule for seven years, as faery law dictates but he refuses to comply. He hopes to use Eloise to lure her, somewhat elusive and mysterious Aunt Antonia, his wife to him as she is the only thing threatening to end his reign. A continued reign that is wreaking havoc on both worlds.

Eloise knows, as everyone works to rescue her, that she is going to have to rescue her aunt - even if it means working with the fae.

Stolen Away is another absolute stunner of a book from Alyxandra Harvey. She has taken all of her strengths from her previous novels, the humor, the romance, the action and adventure and introduced them - and readers - to an entirely new world and characters. And the fae.

Harvey has a talent for writing best friend relationships that seem so absolutely real that you, as a reader, just almost need to be their friend, too. There's closeness, humor, background, history, jokes, sometimes fights, everything in those relationships that make them honest and realistic and amazing. She writes my favorite best friend relationships in books. (Besides the friend relationships in The Drake Chronicles and in Haunting Violet, the only other best friend relationships that good are in Jennifer Lynn Barnes' Raised by Wolves series - maybe it's something with the Devon/Devin name?)

I think I really, truly adore that Alyxandra Harvey's books have characters that are sneaky and backstabbing and manipulating . . . unless they're supposed to be.

This is a story that - when it's not making you just that little bit anxious as to the outcome and sometimes even then - makes you happy to read. There are lines that make me smile, the characters interactions are sweet or snarky - or both. The way they work together is brilliant and refreshing. It's a book that will make you smile.

The only, only thing I didn't love to pieces was that I thought Jo was 'in love' a little fast with her guy. I don't think it affected the plot any (in fact, I think it actually helped it) but I just wasn't seeing where her words came from, personally.

The faery lore used is really great. While I don't read a ton of fae themed/focused books, I do read quite a few and there were several things in Stolen Away that either I hadn't heard before (or had possibly forgotten) or they were things that were rarely, rarely used. Alyxandra Harvey really draws from outside of the commonly used faery mythology in Stolen Away.

After reading Stolen Away (and Bleeding Hearts just about a month ago), Alyxandra Harvey is in my top three favorite author - if not the very top!

Rating: 9.5/10 . . . so we'll round up for tagging purposes and such ;-)

Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for my digital galley

Fracture ~ Megan Miranda (eARC) Review + Interview

2012-01-16T09:49:00.100-05:00

Fracture
Walker Children's
January 17, 2012
272 pages
add to Goodreads/buy on Amazon

There's only so long a person can fall through ice, be in the freezing water and survive. At least that's what Delaney Maxwell thought before she fell through the ice of Falcon Lake. Delaney was under the ice for eleven minutes before she was pulled out. Eleven minutes.

Her heart stopped. Her brain stopped. Delaney was dead.

Common - and medical knowledge alike say that Delaney should have brain and other damage yet when she wakes up from her coma, she seems fine. At least, outwardly.

Brain scans show her brain is damaged, but there's no evidence of that damage in her actions . . .

The only way Delaney feels different is the inexplicable 'pulls' she feels. Suddenly, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. But what comes first: her appearance or the fact that they will die?

With everything in and around her seemingly different, Delaney feels more alone than ever. When a mysterious new boy, Troy, appears and claims to know about her, about comas, will he help her, be an outlet? Or will her bring more trouble?

Fracture is an amazing debut. When we learn of Delaney's coma - and her waking from it - the detail that is used is great. It helps understand everything that the characters are experiencing - both Delaney and her parents. It's much better than if Delaney had just woken up, details had been glossed over but the general picture given. The details really help me as a reader connect with Delaney.

I very much enjoy the directions the different characters take over the course of the story. They weren't all predictable - in fact, most of them were not - yet their actions did fit with the plot and what was happening around those characters. I love when characters do things that aren't predictable or expected, that are deeper, more thought out than the easy, predictable actions. When they flow as well as they did in Fracture, that is.

Megan Miranda seemed to have a great grasp of the characters emotions given some very difficult situations, no less. Her writing, too, was something I really loved. The different phrases she used, seemingly simple but such a beautiful way of comparing or portraying things.

The only place where I could have wished for maybe just a little bit more was with Troy. I wouldn't have hated just a little bit more development of his character.

The ending of Fracture is . . . ooh, I love it. It sneaks up on you, but then wow is it there. And it is pretty darn amazing.

Rating: 9/10

egalley received, through NetGalley, thanks to Kate at Bloomsbury

Author Interview with Megan Miranda

You were a high school teacher, have any of your students made their way into your book?
They have not. Actually, it was something I tried to be really careful about—at first, I went so far as to make sure none of the names overlapped, either. But there are so many! 90 kids a semester…that’s a lot of names. So eventually I gave up—I’m sure some of the names overlap, but I promise none of them are based on any real people. It’s more likely that parts of my high school friends made it in (but they didn’t, I swear!), because I knew them in all their dimensions, not just as a teacher.

Which of the Apocalypsies would be your book's BFF? (Or character would be Delaney's?)
Slide by Jill Hathaway would totally be Fracture’s BFF. They both have a paranormal element set in an otherwise typical world. And I’m sure Delaney and Vee would have a lot to talk about. They both know things that they’d probably rather not…

How did your science knowledge/background help in writing Fracture?
I think it helped even more than I originally thought it did. It was really the questions about the unknown that inspired me to write Fracture, but I would never have had those questions if I hadn’t spent that time studying science. So, sure, my background helped with the details, but it was also essential in coming up with the entire premise, even though it wasn’t necessarily a conscious decision.

Your book tour's going to Chicago; any chance you'll be ice skating anywhere? [note to readers: the Chicago part is not that random - ever skated on the rink by Marshall Field's?] Or do you stay away from ice/frozen lakes after writing Fracture?
Oh, definitely not! Though part of me thinks this is also just a product of me getting older. There are things I did when I was younger that I now cringe about. Walking on ice was definitely one of them. So after A) getting older; and B) writing Fracture…you couldn’t pay me enough.

Also, I am highly, highly uncoordinated. Ice skating, even on a rink, is probably not something that would end well.

Any writing/upcoming book news you can share?
My 2nd book should be coming out early 2013 from Walker/Bloomsbury. It’s another standalone, psychological thriller that walks the line between science and paranormal. But it’s also very different from Fracture. It’s about memories, the thin line between the real and the imagined, and friendship.

Is there an upcoming 2012 YA novel that you think we all just have to read?
Well, I already mentioned Slide, so that’s a definite. I think humor is really hard to pull off, but I laughed so hard through Robin Mellom’s Ditched. Highly recommended. And I loved Veronica Rossi’s Under The Never Sky.

Congratulations on Fracture's release!
Thanks for having me!

Thank you Megan for the interview and Kate for setting it up!!

While I don't have a giveaway, Jill Hathaway, author of Slide is being a good book BFF and has a giveaway that ends Thursday!! Here it is L I N K

And here is Megan Miranda's Fracture tour schedule and the Facebook page

In My Mailbox Monday

2012-01-16T09:03:00.047-05:00

This is actually a In My Mailbox post that covers about two weeks (I forgot to make one last week!) . . .

from Harper:

Black Boy White School by Brian F Walker

add to Goodreads

Memory Boy and its sequel The Survivors by Will Weaver

add Memory Boy to Goodreads/add The Survivors to Goodreads

Forbidden by Syrie James and Ryan M James

add to Goodreads

Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani

add to Goodreads

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

add to Goodreads

from Penguin/Philomel:

Robbie Forester and the Outlaws of Sherwood Street by Peter Abrahams

add to Goodreads

from Random House/Sandra Kring:

A Life of Bright Ideas by Sandra Kring

add to Goodreads

from ThinkJam

What's Your Number

IMDb

The Big Year

IMDb

Did you get any good reads - or views - this week (or the last)? Anything you're hoping to get this coming week?

Cinema Saturday [Frenemies]

2012-01-14T12:41:00.001-05:00

Frenemies
January 13, 2012 premiere (US) on Disney; May 2012 (UK)
Based on novel by Alexa Young
TV-G
IMDb/Wikipedia/Disney page

The Disney Channel Original Movie Frenemies is based on the novel - of the same name - by Alexa Young. The movie, which premiered last night (it re-airs today and tomorrow as well) is quite a bit different from the middle grade novel.

While the book was about Halley and Avalon and their besties to frenemies and back relationship (my review is here), the movie focuses on three relationships that do the same. The tree pairs of friends are: Jake Logan (Nick Robinson) and his dog Murray (Winston), Savannah and Emma (both played by Mary Mouser from Body of Proof); Avalon and Halley (Bella Thorne and Zendaya from Shake It Up).

All of the characters go to school together and live in the same town so viewers are able to see characters the story isn't focused on. A bit like the movie Valentine's Day where the characters' lives intersect in little ways.

We start with Jake and Murray. The two do everything together, Murray wakes Jake up every morning, the eat breakfast together and Murray walks partway to school with Jake. Until a girl comes between them. It seems a little strange having one of the 'besties' be a dog but he's such an adorable dog - and really talented, too so it's almost impossible not to sympathize with him. (I do think it's hard to like Jake after he gets that angry with his dog, though.)

Then we get Halley and Avalon. We saw them - and their GeeklyChic webzine - a bit in the beginning and during Jake and Murray's story but now things are focused on them. The two love their GeeklyChic website (this is similar to the book) and, of course, want it to be bigger and more popular. When an opportunity presents itself, they think they've finally achieved their dream . . . until it becomes clear it can't be for both of them.

Savannah meets Emma in the mall - a girl who looks exactly like her - whom she's never seen before (British sounding Emma attends a private school) and a bit of a a "Parent Trap" moment occurs. Avalon and Halley - who neither girl knows - appear in this story as they were at the mall when the two met. Jake is also a part as Savannah has a crush on Jake. Their frenemie bit is . . . uhm, not that evident.

Frenemies was missing the cuteness and humor that a lot of Disney/other tween shows (Wizards of Waverly Place, Good Luck Charlie, Victorious, iCarly) have. It lacked the extremes (possibly because such a lavish life for the two main characters wouldn't go over well right now) that made Frenemies so enjoyable.

It might have been a movie that just didn't translate to to anyone past the targeted age range . . . I'll have to look for some other reviews - and stick with the other Disney shows I do really enjoy. The dog is mega adorable, though!

Check your listings for the upcoming airings of Frenemies.

Frenemies the book seems to be unavailable (in print) on Amazon, but the second book Faketastic is available as a bargain book.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight ~ Jennifer E Smith (eARC) review

2012-01-13T13:24:00.001-05:00

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Poppy
January 2, 2012
236 pages
add on Goodreads/buy on Amazon

It's the tiny things in life that make the huge differences. Likely, you've heard that before, but rarely has it rung so true than in Jennifer E Smith's new novel The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. A series of tiny (on their own) things make Hadley Sullivan four minutes late for her flight.

Missing her flight by only four measly minutes would have been bad enough if it weren't a flight from JFK to Heathrow, New York to London, a last minute flight to her father's second wedding. Possibly late to her father's wedding (she doesn't want to attend) to a soon-to-be stepmother she's never met, Hadley is miserable.

Then she meets Oliver. Gorgeous, British Oliver who's also waiting for the next flight to London. He's even seat 18C to Hadley's 18A. Suddenly several hours spent in the airport - and then several more on a plane - might not be so horrible after all.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is possibly the only book that will make you wish you for an upcoming transatlantic flight just for the possibility of meeting your own Oliver and having an experience like the one in TSPoLaFS. Told over just twenty-four hours, Hadley and Oliver's story deal so well with fate and chance, of course, but also with familial relationships and love.

Hadley's relationship with her parents (her father especially) is also looked at in flashbacks that help explain how things go to where they are now. Some of the flashbacks are so good, so engrossing that it's easy to forget they're not the main story.

Any story that focuses on just a few characters in a confined setting (like an airport or airplane) for a sustained period of time runs the risk of feeling forced or running or the dialogue not working. Here, though, it's really fun. Hadley and Oliver talk about incredibly varied things which almost seem random but allow them - and readers - to learn about them, too.

It is nice that the whole book doesn't take place on the plane and allows the two to be separate for a while. We see how they affected each other, what they learned from each other (in their short few hours together) as well as how/what they think about the other when the other is not right there.

The Statistical Probability takes the beginning of a young couple's romance and shows you the first 24 hours. It doesn't smoosh and entire courtship into a single day, leaving them professing their undying love at the end . . . it keeps things realistic but also romantic. You feel the connection between Oliver and Hadley, that it's something more than just someone they met at the airport or some new friend or someone they'd like to call for a date.

The novel does an amazing job of keeping the spark between the characters obvious but without having anything rushed.

It will definitely have you feeling hopeful next time you're headed to the airport!

Rating: 9/10

Thank you to LBYR (and Faye), Poppy & NetGalley for ny egalley of this title

To Kill a Mockingbird Clip/News

2012-01-13T09:47:00.000-05:00

Next week I will have a giveaway of the 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-Ray of To Kill a Mockingbird!! In celebration/anticipation of that, here is a clip from the movie:

Atticus' Closing Statement Clip
(the Google Docs link as I had that uploaded before ThinkJam was lovely and sent me an embed code)

and the embedded clip (same clip):

Movie synopsis:

Atticus Finch, a lawyer in the Depression-era South, defends a black man against an undeserved rape charge, and his kids against prejudice. (from IMDb)

and the book synopsis

The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.

Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.(from Goodreads)

The book is one of those absolute classics that hopefully you have read in school - or if somehow you did not, you need to read it on your own. It's one of the books everyone really needs to read at some point in their life (and hopefully will love!).

And then you need to see the film. Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch is one of those roles -and characters - that you just don't forget (as evident in the clip, which, oh I hope you can see!).

Even if you have the DVD (or VHS), I hope you'll stop by next week and enter my giveaway - subscribe by email if you want to be sure not to miss it as I"m still deciding on the date for sure sure. (It won't be before the 20th, though.)

find info about the movie on IMDb or on Amazon; information about the book on Goodreads or on Amazon
.

Am I the only one who's thrilled this movie is getting the Blu-Ray, anniversary edition treatment?

Video Veneris [Tempest]

2012-01-13T09:16:00.001-05:00

I first saw Julie Cross' debut novel Tempest on LibraryThing's Early Reviewer's (sadly, I didn't get the book) and thought the premise sounded very, very interesting! (It's my belief that not nearly enough books have time travel in them, not nearly enough.)

Here, thanks to Zeitghost Media and the publisher, I have the trailer and some links to share!

About Tempest:

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps– it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future. Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

A success in the making: Pre-empted by Summit Entertainment (producers of Twilight) for feature film, with foreign rights sold in more than a dozen countries, Tempest, on sale January 17, is the first book in the buzzed about Tempest series by Julie Cross.

“Julie Cross's thrilling debut is brimming with excitement, romance, and intrigue. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!” —Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling author of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

Do you see that? It has Beth Revis, author of Across the Universe and the just released sequel A Million Suns telling you how awesome it is - if you're still waiting on your copy of A Million Suns (or already finished it!), surely you'll want to add Tempest to your list :)

And here is the trailer:

If you're still unsure, the first four chapters are available on the Facebook Fan Page here.

There's also a prequel, Tomorrow is Today, available free from Amazon here (and Julie Cross, the author) explains on her blog why you might want to read the four sample chapters and then the prequel!

Tempest on Amazon and Goodreads and Julie Cross' Twitter

Hallowed ~ Cynthia Hand (ARC) review

2012-01-12T10:11:00.001-05:00

Hallowed (Unearthly #2)
Harper Teen
January 17, 2012
416 pages
add to Goodreads/buy on Amazon

*Spoilers for Unearthly (Unearthly #1) below*

Four months since the day of the fires - the day that taught Clara that her purpose was much more confusing than it would seem. Now, torn between her love for her boyfriend Tucker and the baffling feelings she has for the angel-blood Christian -both a part of that day she trained for, the one that was supposed to fulfill her purpose - Clara doesn't know what to do.

Still working to figure out what it was she was supposed to have done that day, in the fires, Clara's life becomes even more complex. Now a part of the battle between White Wings and Black Wings (Samjeeza, specifically) Clara has to watch her back all the time.

All of this on top of a new dream . . .vision letting her know that someone close to her will die very soon.

It's hard to remember at times just what happened in Unearthly while you're reading Hallowed but enough little hints are given by the characters that while you still won't remember quite a few things, it's never enough to make things confusing. If you do have time and it's something you want to do, rereading Unearthly (or parts of it) might be a good idea.

Hallowed delves into the lives of the angel-bloods much more than Unearthly did. We don't get as much interaction between the other characters (like we did in the first book) because the ins and outs of what it means to be part angel are examined more this go-round.

It'd definitely necessary - both for the plot of this individual installment as well as the series as whole - for the characters and readers, alike to know more about the mythology around around angel-bloods. It does, however, take a little bit away from the character interactions and relationships that made the first novel so, so great.

The human characters are less prevalent in Hallowed and I did miss them - and their contributions. There were new characters that were added and the angel-blood characters from the first book had somewhat expanded roles and I hope that both are even more expanded in third book.

As with the first book, the originality (even with the number of angel themed books that have come out since Unearthly) does not fail to impress. Hand's world of angels and angel-bloods is complex and very well thought out and has new things for both the readers and the characters to discover. What's even better is that they're new things that don't seem to contradict any of the story thus far; new developments flow into the story lie and plot, even when they're startling or completely surprising - they fit.

This is a great series! Just like with the first book, once you get going in he book, you won't want to put it down!

Rating: 8/10

Thank you to Harper for my review copy!

Waiting On Wednesday

2012-01-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

Somehow I have mentioned a book series in at least two Waiting On Wednesday posts, but have not (up 'til now) made a post for the new book in said series . . . how has that happened? How, I ask you?

I have no idea. To remedy it, here's my Waiting On Wednesday pick for today:

The Last Echo (The Body Finder #3) by Kimberly Derting

In the end, all that’s left is an echo.

Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her family and her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet’s talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals—including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe—it’s Violet’s job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice.

When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by “the girlfriend collector” she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new “relationship” and Violet may have caught his eye....(summary from Goodreads)

I LOVED the first two books in this series, The Body Finder (my review) and Desires of the Dead (my review) and am really just cannot wait to read this one. In one sense, of course, I'm terribly eager to see where this next installment of the series takes both the plot (I love the premise) and the characters.

I thought the second book was better than the first, so I can't wait for the third!

I've only seen Princess Bookie's review of this so far - and she, somehow, has me even more excited . . .

The Last Echo is the book I am anxiously Waiting On, what book's release are you waiting on?

(Out April 17, 2012 from HarperCollins - in hardcover. Goodreads page & on Amazon)

Books into Movies

2012-01-10T11:35:00.000-05:00

As I am definitely not feeling well enough to write and post a review . . . Are there any books into movies that you're looking forward to seeing? Ones out on DVD or coming to theaters soon?

I've been reading (slowly because of all of the books I have for review in January and February) 20 Times a Lady by Karyn Bosnak which was adapted into the movie What's Your Number - I haven't seen the movie yet but it does look cute.

Here's the movie's Dating Survival Kit website with a trailer, etc.

I'm also just itching to see The Hunger Games movie . . . and I kind of need Beautiful Creatures to be a movie very, very soon (and the subsequent books in the series as well). After reading Cinder I think it would make a brilliant film (or series of them as its a book series, of course!) as well.

What about you? What movies adapted/based on books are you dying to see . .. which have been your favorites - or what books are you just crossing your fingers will be movies??

Unraveling Isobel ~ Eileen Cook (eARC) review

2012-01-09T09:42:00.001-05:00

Unraveling Isobel
Simon Pulse
January 3, 2012
304 pages
buy on Amazon

Unraveling Isobel is the first book by Eileen Cook I've read - I have others on my TBR list and have meant to read them but this is the first one I've read. It is a great one to start with. It leaves me wanting to know about all of the other books she's read. Unraveling Isobel is creepy and different.

Just months after meeting him on the internet, Isobel's mother has moved them to some tiny island to live with her new husband. It's Isobel's senior year and she has to leave Seattle behind, leave her friends behind. All to live with her mother and some man she doesn't even know in his huge, creepy mansion estate. Oh, and his incredibly good looking but incredibly off limits son, her new step-brother.

Just when Isobel thinks life couldn't get much worse, her first night in the house she sees something that leaves her with two options: Either she's losing her mind like her artist father did . . . or she just saw a ghost.

Isobel isn't quite prepared for just what life in this new town - and house - is going to bring.

Unraveling Isobel is like a perfect blend of Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca and the Buffy episode "Ted," with a twist of Holly Schindler's A Blue So Dark.

The serious plot lines continue to progress and the characters develop all while this paranormal story line is happening. A paranormal background that, at first, seems like it may be imagined, but as things unravel we learn that there's more and more to it. And things get creepier and creepier. Both for the characters in the novel and for readers reading about it.

Unraveling Isobel doesn't go for the horror factor or pile of the gore of the violence, it's the best kind of creepy with things making you jump, things startling you, things being eerie or just that little bit off. It's fantastic.

That the interpersonal relationships don't suffer for sake of the paranormal in the book is great. Readers still get to see Isobel adjusting to being a new student (one who very much does not want to be there), learning things about her new step-father and brother - both from the island's residents and by living with them, and dealing with her mother and their relationship.

They also get to learn about the estate Isobel and her new family are living on - and what's happened there in the past. Big, creepy, old houses are perfect for spooky books.

There is one part/element that is pretty predictable (to say what it is would be spoilery, I think) but I don't think the story suffers for it. It may even supposed to have been that way - where the readers could guess it but not the character, I'm not sure.

Unraveling Isobel is a book I loved - one that is creepy, has a great setting (both the island and the estate) and the characters are well developed and have relationships with each other that progress well throughout the book. I hope you'll love it, too.

Rating: 10/10

egalley read thanks to S&S GalleyGrab!

Reading Challenge Suggestion

2012-01-07T11:14:00.000-05:00

This might be strange, suggesting you all sign up for a reading challenge when I haven't signed up for it yet, but it's a way to read some really great books!!

The YA Saves Reading Challenge at Patricia's Particularity is a 10 (or more) book challenge - here's the description:

YA Saves Reading Challenge is a way to challenge yourself to read any Young Adult book that can be considered a YA Saves book. What is a YA Saves book you may ask? It is a book that tackles hard issues, in any genre (fantasy, contemporary, etc) as long as it is Young Adult.

Some of my favorite books from 2011 (and 2010) are part of the challenge: Hold Still by Nina LaCour, The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle, By The Time You Read This I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Then there are Ellen Hopkins' books which I've been meaning to read . .. there are lots of possibilities.

Interested in signing up? Know of any books coming out in 2012 that would be considered YA Saves books?

Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse ~ Lucas Klauss (eARC) review

2012-01-06T13:03:00.001-05:00

Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse
Simon Pulse
January 3, 2012
402 pages
add to Goodreads/buy on Amazon

Philip's sophomore year isn't exactly off to a great start: Track is already horrible - running hills in the heat - and now his coach has decided to single him out. One of his best friends has decided to ditch him (and their other best friend) for a group of complete jerks. His dad is selling the emergency supplies that fill their basement - even though the world could end any day now.

Philip, who usually enjoys his apocalypse, the-world-is-doomed books finds his attention captured by Rebekah a girl he's never met before who saves him from the wrath of his track coach. And invites him to her church's youth group.

Living with an atheist father, Philip knows the youth group won't exactly be an okay activity, nevertheless he finds himself intrigued . .. more so by the chance to see Rebekah again so he goes.

Will what he finds there be what he's looking for or will it lead to even more questions.

With Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse, I liked the beginning better than the end which I liked better than the middle. The introduction to Phillip Flowers, the main character, his father, his brother, his two best friends - Asher and Mark - and the girl he can't get out of his head, Rebekah draws readers in.

Philip's personal relationships - the one he has with his atheist father, the one with his two best friends and the one he develops with Rebekah - are anything but simple. They are real and feel true to life, with their ups and downs and the drama that everyone encounters (just, maybe, ratcheted up a little for sake of the story).

As Philip starts attending church with Rebekah and thinks he's found a new purpose or calling for his life, each and every one of the other relationships in his life changes drastically. Either due to his new(found) beliefs or the characters changing with age - or both. It's nice that the stories of the relationship continue parallel to Philip's religious discovery.

Philip's decision that Rebekah's church - and really, religion in general - was so definitely for him, didn't quite click with me. I am all for more religion in YA books (maybe not always evangelical religion, though), I just didn't see where he found this great connection.

Things in that section of the story seemed to develop either too quickly or without enough development for me to really feel them. I understood Philip wanting to explore religion - especially as we got to see more of his past - but it seemed that he was just suddenly very gung-ho for it.

There were also too many anti-gay remarks for me to be okay with. I can understand that the novel was dealing with a) teenage boys and b) evangelical Christians but . . . I don't think it was necessary.

I loved the first part of this book, probably until about fifty percent of the way through. After that, I wasn't as able to connect with the character or understand his reasoning/motivation.

Rating: 6/10

Read thanks to S&S's Galley Grab

Video Veneris [Cinder]

2012-01-06T08:43:00.001-05:00

Video Veneris which (incredibly, I'm sure) loosely translated means Video Friday is where I post book trailers . . .

I know I posted the trailer for Marissa Meyer's Cinder at the end of my review of the book yesterday but in case you missed it (you really should give it a peek) and because I'm so fond of the book, I"m also featuring it today.

Here it is:

if you're interested in more, here is a link to the Lunar Chronicles Facebook page and Marissa Meyer's Facebook page

Or you can follow Marissa Meyer on Twitter or her LJ

Cinder ~ Marissa Meyer (ARC) review . . . + trailer

2012-01-05T09:29:00.002-05:00

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)
Feiwel & Friends
Janurary 3, 2012
400 pages
add to Goodreads/buy on Amazon

Marissa Meyer's debut Cinder is one of those books that will make you curse your need for sleep. Be prepared to stay up way past your bed time and/or hate the moment you have to put it down even for just a few hours.

On the busy streets of New Beijing, humans and androids alike rush around going about their lives - or helping others go about theirs. Cinder, is an amazing mechanic, filling her days working to earn money for her ungrateful stepmother - she's also a cyborg.

With cyborg's seen as second-class citizens and her step-mother blaming her for her step-father's illness years ago, Cinder's life is far from perfect . . .

With a plague ravaging the planet's populace and lunar people threatening from above, Cinder doesn't know just how important her chance meeting with the Prince one day may be. For her. For everyone.

I loved Cinder so much. Every time there's been any sort of fairy tale re-imagining announced, released or even speculated on, I hope it's going to be about Cinderella. Marissa Meyer came up with something better than I - or possibly anyone else - could have imagined with Cinder. It's a cyborg Cinderella with a kick-butt mechanic; The Jetsons meets Once Upon a Time meets Cinderella. Tell me that does not all sound awesome?

There's enough of the Cinderella tale we all know that it's fun to try to guess where certain things will go or what other parts will be included, but it's also most definitely different. No glass slippers here. And no Gus Gus either . .. but there is Iko, Cinder's android who's more than outdated and has what her step-mother calls a 'faulty' personality chip. She definitely makes up for the lack of Gus Gus and the other mice that were in the Cinderella movie.

Meyer's debut is one where it's hard to believe it is, in fact, the author's debut. The writing is great, the characters are great, the world she has imagined is truly spectacular, there's not much I don't like about Cinder.

We don't get a lot of background into the characters - which would have been nice since they are such great characters - but that fits with the plot and, I think, this being the first book in the series. There were a few plot points that may also be explained if this happens.

A few things were predictable, but being pretty sure I knew them didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. (Even when I was right.)

I am now very much eagerly awaiting the release of the next book . . .

If you're looking for a great book to start of 2012 with, this is most assuredly it.

10/10

Book received from the publisher

and here's Cinder's trailer if you want some more!

Waiting On Wednesday

2012-01-04T09:53:00.000-05:00

I, oh so very nicely, blame Jennifer Lynn Barnes for making me want/need to read another werewolf book. Well, not werewolf book but another YA book with werewolf's in it.

Then Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock throws in an investigative character named Mac - I can't be the only one who loved Mac on Veronica Mars and doesn't care if they have nothing in common, but just loves that she's named Mac . . . can I? - and a murder mystery that needs solving. Really, what more do you need in order to know you need to read this book?

Would the synopsis do? Here it is via Goodreads:

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love

Was I right, or what? Hemlock, Kathleen Peacock's debut and the first in a trilogy is out May 8, 2012 from Harper Collin's Children's Books.

Add to Goodreads or pre-order on Amazon

*I know I said it for another book - how the Body Finder books have me looking for a great YA murder mystery, too, so I didn't want to mention it here - but the cover does have a quote from Body Finder series author Kimberly Derting

Giveaway ~ Switched [Trylle] by Amanda Hocking

2012-01-03T09:26:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Zeitghost Media and St Martin's I am able to host a giveaway of Amanda Hocking's Switched!!

Here's a little about the book (watch for giveaway at the end):

From Amanda Hocking, million-copy bestselling author and internet sensation comes the Trylle series… it all begins with Switched, available everywhere 1.3.12. As a special gift to readers, Switched contains a new, never-before-published bonus story, “The Vittra Attacks,” set in the magical world of the Trylle.

The Trylle series continues with Torn, on-sale 2.28.12, and concludes on 4.24.12 with Ascend.

SWITCHED… at birth:
When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

Here's the Trylle Series' Facebook page and on Goodreads or buy on Amazon

Now for the giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(if you have any problems with the Rafflecopter widget, let me know on Twitter or email me [it's on my profile])

The Queen of Kentucky ~ Alecia Whitaker (eARC) review

2012-01-02T10:46:00.000-05:00

The Queen of Kentucky
Poppy; imprint edition
January 2, 2012
384 pages
add to Goodreads/buy on Amazon

Ricki Jo Winstead is fourteen and about to start high school. She's lived her whole life in the tiny town of Breckinridge, Kentucky but thanks to attending private school school through junior high, she's about to be the new girl at the public high school.

Determined to reinvent, Ricki Jo decides she's going to be called Ericka and make all new friends, the right friends.

But leaving 4-H Ricki Jo who helps out on her best friend's tobacco farm behind for Ericka who hangs with the cheerleaders, has the right clothes and the best date for homecoming might be harder than she thought. And it might change her more than she thought, too.

Queen of Kentucky was a cute read. There aren't a lot of (contemporary) books that are set in the South that don't either a) have wealthy, debutante characters throwing some ball or something or b) make fun of their characters. Whitaker's debut does neither of those things (well, some of the characters might be debs in a few years, I'm not sure - but they aren't in the book).

That Luke's (Ricki Jo/Ericka's best friend) family and previously Ricki Jo's family are tobacco farmers is definitely a unique addition to the novel. It definitely fits well with the geography and gives Ricki Jo something to want to change about herself.

I'm not sure about how well the characters (especially Ricki Jo/Ericka) developed over the course of the book. It's understandable that she is only fourteen and also getting used to high school but it was hard to understand the way she reacted to characters (one in particular0 and their actions - towards others, yes, but especially towards her. There were several instances when I was sure she was going to be done with some of them, but things didn't seem to really bother her that much.

I don't know if she was not supposed to have enough self esteem to see that she could do better than that or if those things weren't supposed to be viewed as that bad . . . or what. If the characters had apologized more - in some cases at all - or there'd been more time, I think it would have been easier for me to see the other characters as sympathetic and understand Ericka sticking with them.

The story overall, as well as Ricki Jo working to find how she fit in as this new - and just how new she wanted to be - person in high school, Ericka was pretty cute. The ending was definitely one of the book's strong points and something that those characters definitely deserved.

Rating: 7/10

Thank you to Faye at LBYR for the eGalley of this on NetGalley

2012 Reading Challenges

2012-01-02T09:04:00.007-05:00

I'm signing up (and planning on completing) three reading challenges this year - which is probably insane since I don't think I did any last year . . . They seem like great challenges, though:

(co-hosted by IceyBooks and I Like These Books)

My Goodreads shelf dedicated to the Challenge*
Books:
(lists are going to be filled in as I read them - tentative books are on my Goodreads shelves)
1) The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker
2) Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse by Lucas Klauss
3) Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook
4) The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith
5) Fracture by Megan Miranda
6) Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)

(hosted by Chick Loves Lit)

My Goodreads shelf dedicated to the Challenge*
Books:
1) Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
2) Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

(hosted by The Story Siren)

My Goodreads shelf dedicated to the Challenge*
Books:
1) The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker (started in December)
2) Cinder by Marissa Meyere
3) Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse by Lucas Klauss
4) Fracture by Megan Miranda
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)

(hosted by Patricia's Particularity)

My Goodreads shelf dedicated to the Challenge*

Books:

1) Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

10)

There are a few challenges I'm still debating - signing up for - I'll add them to this post if (and when) I do sign up and join them :-)

Are you doing any fun/interesting/exciting challenges? I'd love it if you'd link me to them!

*books all subject to change :-)

Cinema Saturday [Another Cinderella Story & The Visitor]

2011-12-31T11:09:00.000-05:00

I have two very different movies this week: Another Cinderella Story (with Selena Gomez, Drew Seeley and Jane Lynch) and The Visitor (with Richard Jenkins and Haaz Sleiman).

Here is part of Amazon's description of The Visitor:

A deeply moving drama built around longtime character actor Richard Jenkins, The Visitor is a simmering drama about a college professor and recent widower, Walter Vale (Jenkins), who discovers a pair of homeless, illegal aliens living in his New York apartment. After the mix-up is resolved, Vale invites the couple--a young, Syrian musician named Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and his Senegalese girlfriend (Danai Gurira--to stay with him. An unlikely friendship develops between the retiring, quiet Vale and the vital Tarek, and the former begins to loosen up and respond to Tarek’s drumming lessons as if something in him waiting to be liberated has finally arrived.

The Visitor has some great relationships and dynamics that play out between the characters. It wasn't a movie I was that sure I even wanted to see, but I ended up really enjoying it. It's quite different from anything I've seen lately (and possibly ever). It's a slower, more subdued movie - - but one that definitely works that way.

It does, for sure, make a political point with its story, but the rest is so enjoyable, I'm not sure you have to agree to like the movie.

The interactions between the actors were really fantastic and I hope to see some of them in more things.

The music in -- and a part of -- the movie is just great. I love the way that music is worked in and used as another part of the story, how it progresses (as a mirror to Jenkin's character Walter) is great to watch.

The Visitor on IMDb and Amazon (104 mins/PG-13/2007)

The other, much lighter movie I saw this week was Another Cinderella Story. This sequel/really-a sequel to Cinderella Story with Hilary Duff stars 'Wizards of Waverly Place's Selena Gomez, Secret Circle's Jessica Kennedy, High School Musical's Drew Seeley and Glee's Jane Lynch.

While the plot is ever so slightly similar to Cinderella Story - it's also similar to Cinderella and other adaptations of the classic tale.

Here's the summary via IMDB:

A guy who danced with what could be the girl of his dreams at a costume ball only has one hint at her identity: the Zune she left behind as she rushed home in order to make her curfew. And with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in front of him, he sets out to find his masked beauty.

Really, any summary that has 'the Zune she left behind' sounds kind of bad, admittedly, but Another Cinderella Story is super cute.

Jane Lynch adds a great bit of comedy to the film - - she's actually a bit similar to her Glee role here as Mary's evil guardian who's also a past-her-prime pop star. (And there's a music video or two.)

You probably have to be a fan of Disney type movies - - like Princess Protection Program or any of the newer tween-targeted ones, to truly love this movie, but fans of teen movies that involve less sex and swearing and drinking, should also have fun watching it.

I, personally, love all dance movies - all the Step Up movies - and, it seems, movies with Selena Gomez so this one was a definite win. Hopefully if you get a chance to watch it, you'll like it, too.

Another Cinderella Story on IMDb and Amazon (92 mins/PG/2008)

Waiting On Wednesday [Slide]

2011-12-28T09:45:00.000-05:00

I'm loving seeing the comments on my The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers Swag giveaway and review post about what late Dec/January books you most want to read (and you can comment on that without entering the giveaway, too)!

In fact, I'm hoping to get Cinder finished and reviewed this week :-)

and now for my Waiting On Wednesday post:

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

Really, how does that summary not sound all kids of amaze-balls? After reading Kimberly Derting's Body Finder series, I've really been interested in more YA murder mystery type books and this one has the added element of the main character being a narcoleptic - or, at least, everyone thinking she is.

I LOVE the sound of this one.

It's out March 27, 2012 from Balzer + Bray - a great Harper Collins imprint, you're going to want to read this debut novel!!

On Goodreads and Amazon

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers ~ Lynn Weingarten review + swag giveaway

2011-12-27T12:26:00.000-05:00

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers
Harper Teen
December 27, 2011 (today!)
352 pages
add on Goodreads/buy on Amazon

Lucy Wrenn has her plan for her boyfriend's return all worked out. He's been away all summer, with very little contact between them and she knows just how she's going to greet him . . . Only it doesn't go at all like she had planned. He breaks up with her.

Lucy has no idea how she's going to make it through sophomore year. Until, that is, Olivia, a senior finds her crying her eyes out in the bathroom and hands her a orange silk scarf to dry her eyes on. So begins Lucy's journey to becoming a Heartbreaker.

All she has to do now is meet a boy, make him fall in love with her, and break his heart. All within seven days.

It all sounds impossibly to Lucy, but Olivia and the two magical girls who are her friends, make it sound possibly possible.

Lucy's definitely in for a crazy, unique adventure she never expected.

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers makes you feel for the main characters, Lucy, right from the first chapter. Her boyfriend breaking up with her really knocks Lucy down - and it needs to for the story, but it also really leaves readers feeling for Lucy.

One of the female secondary characters I never really got a feel for - I don't know if I just couldn't separate her from the others enough? - but I found the other two unique and thought they had their own personalities and added to Lucy's development.

While there were times that it was hard to understand why Lucy wasn't over Alex yet - especially with all that she was doing - you also have to remember that the novel happens over a really short time period. While I would get frustrated with her at times, I'd have to remember it had only been x number of days, so her feelings, really, made sense.

Lucy's friend Tristan was great fun and a terrific addition to the book. He was one of those kinds of best friend characters that you wish had more of a role to play in the story because they really make all of the scenes they are a part of, that much more fun.

The end of the book was probably my favorite part. I had been worried about how certain things were going to go, but the last third or so of the book draws you in the most.

8/10

thank you to Harper Teen for my copy of this book for review...

and thanks to Lynn Weingarten I have some temporary tattoos like those in the trailer and some mini swag packs (little 2x3 inch envelopes signed by her with some tattoos and stickers inside) to giveaway (Two winners get a envelope with sticker & tattoos and two get some tattoos). . . Enter below using the Rafflecopter widget :-) Ends 12:01 am EST on the 7th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Trailer ~ Switched

2011-12-27T09:03:00.006-05:00

I just found out my library has the already published versions of the Trylle Series (really looking forward to reading some ahead of the January 3 release of the revamped first book in the series) . . . what's just as great, I have the trailer to share:

From Amanda Hocking, million-copy bestselling author and internet sensation comes the Trylle series… it all begins with Switched, available everywhere 1.3.12. As a special gift to readers, Switched contains a new, never-before-published bonus story, “The Vittra Attacks,” set in the magical world of the Trylle.

The Trylle series continues with Torn, on-sale 2.28.12, and concludes on 4.24.12 with Ascend.

SWITCHED… at birth:
When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

Here's the Trylle Series' Facebook page and on Goodreads

In My Mailbox Monday

2011-12-26T10:36:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful day yesterday - whether it was Christmas for you or just another Sunday!!

Here are the books - and bookish things I got this past week :-)

NetGalley books (no idea why I always forget to include my NetGalley books!):

(as part of Bloomsbury blog tours)

Fracture by Megan Miranda

In Darkness by Nick Lake

from LBYR:

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith

The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitacker

from Harper for review:

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris (arc) out in April

and from Macmillan/Feiwel & Freinds:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (arc)

Christmas present books:

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

Melody Burning by Whitley Strieber

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep (because I meant Touch of Frost - the first book, but told someone this one . . .oops!)

and I also got a Crossroads 2012 calendar magnet from Jeanne C Stein!

Did you get any good - or even not so good - books this week? I'd love to know :-)

Glee Celebrates Arts Programs & Brittany Wishes You a Merrry XMas

2011-12-24T11:54:00.000-05:00

While it's obvious that books, reading and writing help with education, I firmly believe that music and the arts do as well . . . That's why I"m so thrilled that Glee is doing so much to help school's music and arts programs!

Recently, Jayma Mays and Dot Marie Jones awarded a $10,000 check to one of the winning schools:

GLEE Stars Dot Marie Jones and Jayma Mays Present $10,000 Check to Culver City Middle School Arts Programs on Dec. 16

Los Angeles school is one of 73 national winners of “Glee Give A Note”
$1 million dollar campaign to help save at-risk music and arts programs

WHO: Glee stars Dot Marie Jones and Jayma Mays along with Twentieth Century Fox and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) presented Culver City Middle School students and educators a check for $10,000 as part of the “Glee Give A Note” competition

WHAT: Culver City Middle School is one of 60 second place winners of the “Glee Give a Note” campaign to receive a $10,000 grant to support the school’s arts programs. 73 schools nationwide will receive grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000

Students across the country harmonized, boogied and conducted their submissions in video form during an open call for entries that started three months ago. In October, the eligible entries were posted on www.GleeGiveANote.com and put up for public vote for 30 days to determine the finalists. A panel composed of NAfME members conducted a final vote to select the winning programs. The list can be found at www.GleeGiveANote.com
Two-time winner, Glee was nominated for a third consecutive year for a Golden Globe® Award for Best Television Comedy.

Definitely give the website a look - some of the schools have some really great videos!!

PHOTO CREDIT:

Dan Steinberg Photography

(if my computer ever uploads the video, I'll try to post it)

And!! In celebration of today being Christmas Eve and tomorrow being Christmas Day, here are some great e-cards from me - well really, Think Jam and Glee and Brittany! - to you:

Thank you to Think Jam for the info, pics and the ecards (in anticipation of the Glee in Concert DVD)

Ten Things We Did ~ Sarah Mlynowski (arc) review

2011-12-23T13:48:00.001-05:00

here is my third broken-computers-that-eat-reviews-are-mean catch-up review:

Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have)
Harper Teen
June 7, 2011
368 pages
add to Goodreads/buy on Amazon
(for a limited time, the ebook is only $0.99 - B&N, Kobo, iTunes, Amazon, sony reader - so really what are you waiting for?*)

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house – parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

When April finds out her Dad and step-mom are moving, she does not want to go. While a lot of teens would also feel that way, not a lot of teens would - successfully - find a way to stay behind sans parents.

With some finagling of the truth and clever emailing, April works out a way to stay in her hometown, with her boyfriend and her friends and live, unsupervised, with her friend Vi for the rest of the school year.

Of course, with two teenagers living alone, trouble most definitely ensues.

Ten Things We Did is one of those novels that once you pick it up, you really just cannot put it down. It is enormously fun to read. It seems like it's just going to be a goofy, crazy book about two girls that get up to a bunch of shenanigans because they have no parents to tell them not to, but there's more to it than that.

They do, absolutely, get up to some really, really crazy stuff. Things that I really don't think some people ever would dream of doing . . . Yet, you either seem to find said things to be amazing ideas (and kind of wish you could do/get away with them) or if you still think they're absurdly insane, you still find the characters doing it to be fun. Things in Ten Things don't get so crazy that people can't connect with the characters.

Ten Things We Did has heart, though. underneath all the wacky adventures, there are real relationship between the characters. There's something real between April and Vi - as lighthearted as the story is at times. And between the girls and their parents, as well.

All of this on top of the incredibly crush-worthy boys in this book. They, alone, are enough to for you to say thank you for the lack of parental supervision - without it, they would probably have been around a lot less. And they would have been missed.

This book is absolutely worth a read - and with the ebook currently on such a deal, why not buy it? For yourself, for someone else, for yourself and someone else?

9/10

On a random-ish note, the girl on the cover makes me think of Minka Kelly (in her Lyla Garrity FNL days) . . . and makes me want to watch Friday Night Lights!

*check out Epic Reads for 9 more books at the special price!

Undercurrent ~ Tricia Rayburn review

2011-12-23T13:06:00.002-05:00

here's the second of my broken-computers-that-eat-reviews-are-mean catch-up reviews:

Undercurrent (Siren Trilogy #2)
EgmontUSA
July 12, 2011
352 pages
add to Goodreads/buy on Amazon

Life is definitely still not back to normal for Vanessa Sands. Still dealing with the death of her older sister Justine (caused by sirens that Vanessa learned of over the past summer), she also now knows just about everything she ever thought she knew about her family is, in fact, a lie.

Her boyfriend Simon - who was there with her through everything, all summer - and her friend Paige are the only one's she thinks she can trust.

But once the school year starts up again and Hawthorne Prep's biggest charmer sets his sights on Vanessa, she needs someone to turn to even more. Suddenly unsure of things with Simon, Vanessa doesn't know what to do . . . and there's one big secret she still hasn't been able to tell him.

And the sirens she thought they'd banished don't seem to be as gone as previously thought. With more than one problem on her hands, Vanessa doesn't know who to turn to - or what to do.

Undercurrent starting at the start of the school year while Siren took place over the summer is fantastic reading-wise. It makes the second book feel very much like it's a continuation of the first and not as much a separate entity - leaving it harder for the reader to connect the two story lines - the way some sequels/series do.

A lot of the beginning of the book focuses on Vanessa and Paige as well as Vanessa and her family - and their coping after Justine's death. At times it almost feels like the siren aspect of the story is taking a backseat to the family and interpersonal and school drama that is going on with and between the characters. Of course, the story is not at all the weaker for any of this because we, as readers, get to know a lot more about the characters and subtly, get to know more about things that we don't even realise we're learning.

Then, just as you decide maybe the siren part of the story isn't as important in Undercurrent as it was in Siren . . bam! there it is in a major - and pretty great, too - way.

The ending of Undercurrent is pretty amazing. It pulls on things from all different parts of the books (little things, big things, things that seemed inconsequential), as wells as some things from Siren. It is a more than satisfactory addition to the Siren trilogy.

9/10

Copy received from the publisher for honest review - thank you.

Trial by Fire ~ Jennifer Lynn Barnes (arc) review

2011-12-22T10:01:00.000-05:00

I lost several reviews when my computer broke, now that I have time to revisit the books and give them at least close to the reviews that they deserve: here's the first one . ..

Trial by Fire (Raised by Wolves #2)
EgmontUSA
June 14, 2011
357 pages
add to Goodreads/buy on Amazon

*contains spoilers for Raised by Wolves*

Now the alpha of her own pack, the Cedar Ridge Pack, Bryn is getting used to what it means to be alpha - or what it means to her, at least. Things are different when you're a human tenth grader leading a pack of werewolves - different when you're Bryn.

Everything gets even more complicated when a severely injured teenage boy shows up on Bryn's land. He's not part of their pack . . . nor is he a lone wolf. He's part of another pack and his appearance could bring big trouble to Bryn and the Cedar Ridge Pack. Trouble that it will be up to Bryn, as alpha, to protect the Resiliants and the rest of her pack from.

With Trial by Fire the Raised by Wolves series gets even better. Readers got to know Bryn and how she, as a human, fit into this world of werewolves, in Raised by Wolves. Now, in the second book, we get to see Bryn as an alpha and her discovering what exactly that means - being just 16 and having to understand what it is to be a human and be an alpha and not ruthless like but still have power and make certain decisions.

The way the relationships from the first novel are expanded and developed was fantastic - especially those between Callum and Bryn & Bryn and Ali. The way Jen Lynn Barnes implements those characters - and their relationships' with Bryn is amazing. They're definitely not typical relationships, but both serve a great purpose for Bryn and also add a lot to the story for the reader.

When reading Trial by Fire it's near impossible to compare it to any other werewolf books - YA or otherwise - because it draws you in so deeply, gets you so immersed in the story, that you can't even remember that there are other werewolf books, let alone what they are.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a genius when it comes to her storytelling (possibly in other ways, too - have you read her bio?!). Things come together so well in each of her books/series and yet they're so different from each other. She's an author that I wait with bated breath to see what she'll come up with next.

I love this series and absolutely cannot wait for the next installment, Taken by Storm (and am shamelessly saying now that I will take any opportunity to review it!).

10/10

Waiting On Wednesday [Touching the Surface]

2011-12-21T09:53:00.000-05:00

This week's Waiting On Wednesday book is Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini. Here's the synopsis:

Life altering mistakes are meant to alter lives…

When Elliot dies for the third time, she knows this is her last shot. There are no fourth-timers in this afterlife, so one more chance is all she has to get things right. But before she can move on to her next life, Elliot will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed…and people she’s killed.

As she pieces together the mistakes of her past, Elliot must earn the forgiveness of her best friend and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever. (via Goodreads)

After including Sabatini's review of What She Left Behind in my WOW last week (when What She Left Behind was one of my picks) and mentioning that Touching the Surface was another book I was excited for, I couldn't not highlight it this week.

Out September 4, 2012 from Simon Pulse, Touching the Surface sounds like a book I would really like. I tend to really like well written books that deal with past-lives/dying several times/the afterlife (it's what drew me to Rebecca Lim's Mercy; Here Lies Bridget). Reading Sabatini's reviews on Goodreads has really drawn me to her writing and how she sees the plot and characters in books. I can't wait to read something that she's created!

Here is the Goodreads page. (Couldn't find an Amazon listing.)

Saving June ~ Hannah Harrington (eARC) review

2011-12-19T10:07:00.002-05:00

Saving June
Harlequin Teen
November 22, 2011
336 pages
add to Goodreads/buy on Amazon

Harper Scott's older sister recently - and unexpectedly committed suicide shortly before her high school graduation. . . Just a few more weeks and she would have been June who died in June, Harper thinks. But she didn't make it long. Harper's divorcing parents plan to divide June's ashes.

Harper plans to take them to the only place June ever really wanted to go: California. On a road trip with her best friend Laney and a guy, Jake who has a mysterious connection to June, Harper learns things about herself, June and life.

Saving June is an excellent story with very distinct characters. From Harper to Laney to Jake, each character is most definitely their own and when they're in a group, the novel really comes a live. Each of the characters has their own quirks and traits that make them, them - and different not only from each other but characters in other books.

The road trip of Saving June is, admittedly, not one that everyone reading would want to take. The characters do engage in some activities that are not for everyone. Yet, that's part of what makes it great. Whether you're one of the readers who thinks their trips sounds like the greatest one ever and will spend the book working out way to hide out as a stow-a-way or one who knows right a way it's a trip you would not work out on, it's still a book for you.

Neither Saving June's story nor its characters alienate anyone. Love everything the characters are and do or be incredibly put-off by some of it, it's okay. If you're the latter, you can still enjoy the trip vicariously. Harrington doesn't ask that you be the same as her characters to enjoy her book. The closest I can think to compare it to is I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert (yet much lighter).

All of that is not even talking about the absolute music love that is in Saving June. It's a great book for someone who's always watching Behind the Music but you want them to read a book - because it's almost Behind the Music in book form but with plot and emotion and greatness. (And playlists in the back!)

Saving June is really unlike any book I've read in a long, long while and I absolutely love that - and it.

8/10

read through NetGalley & the publisher - thank you!

Cinema Saturday [Mr Popper's Penguins]

2011-12-17T15:50:00.000-05:00

Mr Popper's Penguins
Twentieth Century Fox
December 6, 2011
94 minutes/PG
info at IMDb/buy on Amazon

Earlier this month, I reviewed the book Mr Popper's Penguins by Florence and Richard Atwater - the review is posted here. Thanks to Fox and Think Jam, I've now had the chance to watch the movie starring Jim Carrey.

At first time movie seems completely different from the children's novel. Here is the summary (via IMDb):

The life of a businessman begins to change after he inherits six penguins, and as he transforms his apartment into a winter wonderland, his professional side starts to unravel.

While the set-up to Mr Popper (Carrey) getting the first penguin is a lot different than the book and the Mr Popper character - his occupation and family life, especially - in general is a lot different as well, things become more similar from there.

The move has definitely updated the plot and made it fit with the current day - as opposed to 1938 when the novel was first published.

The overall feel of the movie does keep with the story the book was telling. It has a great family feel and the idea of the family really working together and triumphing.

It's also incredibly funny. Based on the trailer, I wasn't that sure how funny I would find the film but wanted to see it because of the book, but it's hilarious. It's definitely Jim Carrey-funny. Things are in the movie that would only work with Carry doing them, I don't know if it was done for him to be in the movie or what, but it works really well.

There was also a great supporting cast including Angela Lansbury.

Mr Popper's Penguins is a great film for just about all ages. It's a funny movie without being crass and doesn't rely on inappropriate humor but adults should still find it funny.

With the holidays coming up, Mr Popper's Penguins should make great - and funny - family viewing.

Think Jam provided my copy of this film.

Video Veneris [Dark Eden]

2011-12-16T12:03:00.000-05:00

Today's book trailer is Patrick Carmen's Dark Eden:

you can also read/experience Dark Eden online for free for the next 16 days HERE

Dark Eden, an interactive novel - with audio and video as well as the text - was released by HarperTeen on November 1 - here it is on Dark Eden, the publisher's site and Goodreads

Bleeding Hearts ~ Alyxandra Harvey (eARC) review

2011-12-15T13:01:00.005-05:00

Bleeding Hearts (Drake Chronicles #4)
Walker Children's
December 20, 2011
304 pages
add to Goodreads/buy on Amazon

Vampires from all over are descending on the Drakes because of the Blood Moon approaching, for the first time eve Lucy has been banned from the Drake household - for her own safety as Solange gets used to er new . . . existence, and Lucy's cousin Christabel is living with her

Things are definitely different around Violet Hill.

One thing hasn't changed, though. The Drakes still have their enemies.

Enemies who have realized just how much Lucy means to the family. When they attempt to kidnap Lucy and get Christabel by mistake, the entire Drake family is in pursuit . . but Connor especially.

Christabel who doesn't know about vampires and doesn't understand why she has to stay inside after dark has found her attention to the 'nice' Drake boy. The one who offers to fix her computer.

When she's threatened by Hel-Bar, will he be quick enough to save her?

Arghh! Okay, now that I'm done screaming about the ending of Bleeding Hearts, let's get to how amazingly awesomely fantastic it was. I absolutely love the Drake Chronicles series and Bleeding Hearts just might be my favorite of all of them.

The Drake Chronicles is a fantastic series; it's one of the very few that easily brings your right back into the story and the characters' lives. With so many series, by the time a successive book is released it's near impossible to remember what's happening with the plot and/or the characters, not so with The Drake Chronicles.With this series - and this book in particular - a few well places sentences throughout the beginning bring the reader up to speed and they remember what's happening. It's great.

All the best snark, humor and romance of the earlier three books are present in this book - in spades. Not to mention it's probably the plottiest (not a word, I know, but still very fitting) of all the books in the series. Plot points from all the previous books come to a head in this the fourth book, yet it's not too heavy, either.

Christabel and Connor are near perfect as the romantic leads. Chritabel has her book geekiness and her has his Star Wars, computer, etc geekiness - they're so lovable and fit together so perfectly. It's also great that their traits aren't used as ways to single them out (in a bad way) or exclude them from everyone else. They are different from, say, Lucy or Nicholas or Solange but in Bleeding Hearts it makes them great.

New characters are introduced to this series with each new novel and I love that they're each given their own story line and background, one that expands on the central story of the series. None of the characters seem to pop up out of nowhere or distract from what'a been happening in the series thus far. Kudos to Alyxandra Harvey for continually expanding the Drake's world so well.

The ending did make me want to scream - that or have Blood Moon (the next book in the series) in my hands ready to read - but only in the best way possible.

After the ending of Bleeding Hearts there is a short story (about 50 pages), "Lost Girls," about some of the adult Drake Chronicles characters as teens. It's a glimpse into the characters and how things all started. And will likely leave you wanting a book about some of them at some point, too! (I think "Lost Girls" is in print versions only.)

If you're not reading this series yet, I can't recommend highly enough that you start - like right now and get this book on the 20th!!

Rating: 10+/10

Read thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Bloomsbury - ginormous thank you!!

The Name of the Star ~ Maureen Johnson review

2011-12-15T09:29:00.000-05:00

The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1)
Putnam Juvenile
September 29, 2011
372 pages
add on Goodreads/buy on Amazon

When Aurora Deveaux's parents take a job in Bristol, New Orleans teenager Rory decides to attend a London boarding school for her last year of school. Her first day at Wexford, in London's East End is going to be a memorable one for Rory - one with many first: the first in London, the first in a boarding school, etc But it's also going to be a memorable one for many around the world, Londoners, especially, it's the day of the first gruesome crime mimicking Jack the Ripper occurs.

Soon 'Rippermania' has a hold of London - the world, really - and no one is safe, including Rory and her new friends Jazza and Jerome or anyone else at their school located right in the heart of it all. The police have very few clue, either. Until, that is, Rory sees a man one night. A man n one else could see.

Soon, it's not only the police that are interested in what Rory saw that night. A sighting that leaves Rory questioning her own abilities - and maybe even sanity - all while they put her in more danger.

The Name of the Star is different than most of Maureen Johnson's other novels. A bit like Devilish with elements of 13 Little Blue Envelopes mixed in. (Or maybe a boarding school YA novel with a smidge of Torchwood? Maybe Captain Jack could pop up in a latter book?!)

It's one of the best kinds of books set in boarding schools because readers get the social elements of the setting - the characters living together, eating together, the main character thrown into a situation where they know no one - the fishbowl social setting yet we don't have much classes at all. The academics aren't needed for the plot of The Name of the Star and their absence doesn't detract from anything so not having them really just 'stuck in' was great.

The parts about modern London that were included as well as those about the Jack the Ripper murders of the past really helped the story fell real and truly be 'in' London. Maureen Johnson can really write books that make you want to have a passport and a plane ticket on hand - even when they involve murder.

The way the supernatural played into this book was fantastic. At times it wasn't always clear what was going to be something paranormal and what wasn't. It's great when things aren't obvious right away and unfold for the reader as you read.

This is Shades of London #1 and will leave you waiting for #2.

9/10

Look for my review of Alyxandra Harvey's Bleeding Hearts coming soon!

Waiting On Wednesday

2011-12-14T11:02:00.000-05:00

I have three books for my Waiting on Wednesday picks this week - not because I want to read any of them any less than any of the others (or any previous picks), simply because there were too many great books only to pick just one!!

Timepiece
EgmontUSA
June 12, 2012
336 pages
add it on Goodreads/buy it or add it on Amazon

I don't think there's a synopsis out for this novel but I really don't care. It's the second book in the series, after Hourglass, and that is absolutely, positively enough for me. I need to read it. Right. Now.

What She Left Behind
Simon Pulse
May 1, 2012
256 pages
add on Goodreads/buy on Amazon

"Don’t even think of leaving…I will find you,” he whispered. “Guaranteed.”

Sara and her mom have a plan to finally escape Sara’s abusive father. But when her mom doesn’t show up as expected, Sara’s terrified. Her father says that she’s on a business trip, but Sara knows he’s lying. Her mom is missing—and her dad had something to do with it. Each day that passes, Sara’s more on edge. Her friends know that something’s wrong, but she won’t endanger anyone else with her secret. And with her dad growing increasingly violent, Sara must figure out what happened to her mom before it’s too late…for them both" (via Goodreads)

While reading this would probably have me on pins and needles the entire time, it sounds like an incredibly gripping novel I just can't wait to read - due, not in small part to Kimberly Sabatini's (author of the upcoming Touching the Surface) review of it on Goodreads: "... morbidly beautiful. It is the harsh reality of a less than ideal life, threaded with moments of love and hope." How have-to-read-it does that make it sound? Now, not only can I not wait to read What She Left Behind but I"m even more excited about Touching the Surface!

Lies Beneath
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
June 12, 2012
320 pages (A)/288 pages (G)
add on Goodreads/buy on Amazon

"Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him." (synopsis from Amazon & Goodreads)

First, let's just mention that cover! It has a sort of creepy ethereal quality to it - if that's even a thing. The water and the girl are beautiful but the red does also look a bit like blood. Which brings us to why I really kind of love the sound of this novel: murderous mermaids? Revenge? Then loving screwing everything up? Sounds rather perfect.

(And I am still kind of stuck on the evil mermaids bit. I said when I reviewed Between the Sea and Sky that I hadn't read a lot of mermaid books and I can't think of a better place to change that than with Lies Beneath where they're not the Disney kind of mermaids.)

Those are my picks for today - what are you Waiting On?

Happy Birthday to Me Again ~ Brian Rowe review

2011-12-13T13:02:00.055-05:00

Happy Birthday to Me Again
CreateSpace
September 22, 2011
314 pages
add on Goodreads/buy/add on Amazon

In Happy Birthday to Me, the first book in this trilogy, Cameron aged a year every day thanks to a curse put on him by Liesel Maupin. Going from a seventeen-year-old high school student to an old man in just a few weeks isn't just shocking for for Cameron (and his family and friends), it's possibly a death sentence.

He's saved just in time, though and now thinks couldn't be better. Cameron Martin is happy with his girlfriend Liesel - who is a witch - and looking forward to spending the long life (that he now has) with her.

Then he breaks off the engagement days before the wedding and she lets another curse loose on unlucky Cameron.

It's similar to the last time . . . only this time Cameron is aging backwards. Losing one year every day. Soon to be just a baby.

Happy Birthday to Me Again is similar to its predecessor but different in that it takes quite a bit longer to get to the altered aging part. As with Happy Birthday to Me that is the strongest part of this novel, as well.

The beginning of this novel has a lot of Liesel and Cameron's relationship as well as his relationship with his sister, Kimber and some with his parents - we see how everyone is dealing now that life with Cameron is back to normal. The romance aspect between Liesel and Cameron is not especially strong. After everything that's already happened between them -and to Cameron especially - it's hard to see just why they're so great together.

Once we get into Cameron's reverse aging and him trying to figure things out, the novel gets better. Working to find out what's happened to him, hide his changes from his family, etc adds a lot of drama to Cameron's life.

This novel was not quite as compelling as Happy Birthday to Me but it's written in a way that is easy to read and keeps the reader reading - and wanting to know what will ultimately happen.

There was more about Cameron's sister Kimber this time and that was great. It was a nice addition to see more of her life and have her interactions as part of the story. I'm still not sold on Cameron and Liesel's love but I'm not against it, either. The ending is one that will leave readers curious about the last novel in this trilogy.

6/10

Thank you to the author for a copy of this novel

In My Mailbox Monday & Book Drive Info

2011-12-12T10:27:00.000-05:00

Not much is better than getting an armful of boxes from the UPS delivery woman - unless one of those is sealed up with taped that says 'New Releases,' that is!

Received this week:

Magic of the Moonlight (Full Moon #2) by Ellen Schreiber add it on Goodreads
If We Kiss by Rachel Vail add it on Goodreads or buy it on Amazon
(has a different/new cover but I couldn't find it online)
The Amanda Project: Book 3: Shattered by Amanda Valentino & Laurie Faria Stolarz add it on Goodreads or buy it on Amazon
The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten add it on Goodreads or buy in on Amazon
I don't seem to have reviewed it, but I loved Wherever Nina Lies so I'm really excited to read this - think I actually just commented on someone's blog that I was a bit envious that they had it to read ;-)
(all from Harper for review consideration-thank you!)

then from Think Jam/20th Century Fox I got:

Snow Flower & The Secret Fan
Mr Popper's Penguins

This has nothing to do with books that came to me . . but Barnes and Noble is having its' annual Holiday Book Drive. Each store has a local organization that benefits from the drive. It's really easy, too. You go in the store, pick a card with an age on it (0-2 years, 5-6 years, 13-14 years, etc) find a book you like for that age range, purchase it and they put it with the other books and then later take them all to whatever the organization is and give it to the kids/teens.

This past weekend I bought Miranda Kenneally's Catching Jordan for my local store's Drive - it's new, I know my library doesn't have it (the organization getting the books helps families from my county and one other, and its gotten great reviews.

I hope in your holiday shopping you'll consider B&N's Holiday Book Drive :)

Cinema Saturday [The Help]

2011-12-10T12:51:00.001-05:00

The Help
Walt Disney Studios
December 6
PG-13/146 minutes
info at IMDb/Buy on Amazon

* Post contains some spoilers for The Help novel *

Set in the Jackson, Mississippi of the early 1960s, The Help is adapted from Kathryn Stockett's The Help.

An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960's decides to write a book detailing the African-American maid's point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.

The Help is really a fantastic movie. It follows the book pretty closely and tells the same story quite well. A lot of the same events are used, but at times their order is so changed that it seems they were put in a bag and shook up in much the same way that Minnie teaches Celia to shake up the chicken they're planning to fry.

It's actually quite interesting how (almost) the same story can be told with events and dialogue moved around around so much.

It seemed like a decision was made to make Skeeter's - the 'aspiring author' of the synopsis - mother more sympathetic than she was in the novel. Her cancer is known - and present - throughout the movie. She seems much nicer to Skeeter (Emma Stone) than her character was in the book. I'm not sure if it was supposed to explain something about Skeeter's motivations or actions or just to make her a more likable character but it was definitely noticeable. (And took some getting used to.)

One scenario in particular was definitely different. Either the scenario/couple of scenes were different to fit with Mrs Phelan's (Allison Janney) different portrayal or the character was different because of the scenes. Either way, I do think that those particular scenes were better in the book - with the mother coming across as much less sympathetic.

Most of the interactions between Mae Mobley and Aibileen were also missing from the movie - the stories Aibileen tells Mae Mobley, in particular. Those times were a great addition to the novel and showed that Aibileen was really making an effort with Mae Mobley. The maids talked several times about how they raise the children only to have those same children turn around several years later and be their bosses - like Hilly or Elizabeth. The secret stories Aibileen and Mae Mobley shared, was Aibileen's effort to prevent Mae Mobley from being like those women when she grew up. I thought that was a really integral part of the novel and would really have been a fantastic addition to the film. Its absence simplified the story but also left it lacking.

The ending also made a few characters look more sympathetic in a way that I don't think was realistic given the time period and who the characters were. It was great for a movie ending (I don't believe it mirrored the book) and for making people feel better about them having a conscience but I don't think it was that realistic.

The movie will make you want to see Emma Stone in more dramatic roles. She's fantastic in comedy (loved Easy A) but now it's obvious that she can do some dramatic roles, too.

While the film did simplify a few things and made some characters more sympathetic than the novel did, it's definitely worth seeing - whether you've read the book or not.

(I also believe this coupon is still valid- it's this week only so, not sure when exactly it expires)

Shatter Me ~ Tahereh Mafi review

2011-12-08T09:40:00.000-05:00

Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)
Harper Teen
November 15, 2011
338 pages
add to Goodreads/buy/add on Amazon

Juliette has been locked up by The Reestablishment for murder. It's been 264 days since she's touched anyone. The last time was an accident - and what got her locked up for murder. No one can explain it, but Juliette's touch is deadly, lethal. If she doesn't touch anyone, no one cares . . . but it leaves Juliette terribly lonely. Not even her own mother could touch Juliette, or seemed to want to.

With the rest of the world coming apart - rampant disease, birds that no longer fly among other things - no one cares enough to pay attention to Juliette.

Except for The Reestablishment. They are the one's who said they knew how to fix things, the one's who put 17-year-old Juliette in a cell. The ones who want to use her for nefarious purposes.

Will Juliette be their weapon? Or will she fight back?

Upon first hearing about Shatter Me, I really wanted to read it because the Juliette reminded me of the girl on an episode of Angel who couldn't touch anyone (she electrocuted people?). Shatter Me takes things much, much further, though.

The Reestablishment is a bit like the Captitol in the Hunger Games; the Reestablishment started out with the people liking them, but now there are murmurs of war. That's where things are when they have Juliette locked up and decide they'll use her power for their own purposes.

Juliette, who has been plagued with this, literally, deadly touch her whole life.

Things really just escalate from there.

The way that little hints of the dystopian society were given at different points of the novel without a full, narrative explanation of the current state of things was different but also really, really nice. It kept a bit of mystery about what to expect later in the novel with what the characters would encounter. It also, interestingly, didn't leave the reader wanting for more because of how things were revealed, each bit felt like something extra, not like anything else was missing.

Those relationships between the characters other than the two romantic leads were stronger than the main romantic relationship. The characters seemed to connect more easily and honestly and it was a ton of fun to read their interactions. Between Juliette and her male counterpart there was still a very good relationship, it was just not as great as the other relationships.

I'm not sure how I feel about the strikethroughs used in Shatter Me. They're not distracting - and do seem less frequent later in the novel - but I'm not really sure I like them, either. I will say I don't really love the '1,' '2,' etc instead of 'one,' 'two' but that's me (and grammar rules).

The ending of this was one that definitely leaves you ready for Book Two . . .

8/10

Waiting on Wednesday [Don't Breathe a Word]

2011-12-07T11:17:00.000-05:00

I loved Holly Cupala's Tell Me a Secret so I am super eager to read her upcoming sophomore novel, Don't Breathe a Word.

Here is the summary of the novel due out January 3 (from HarperTeen):

Joy Delamere is suffocating...

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words - tender words, cruel words - until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe... if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

Don't Breathe a Word on Amazon & here it is on Goodreads (where there's also a giveaway)

Tell Me a Secret was so, so very real - even when I didn't agree with the characters - that while this certainly doesn't look like a light, easy book, I absolutely cannot wait to read it. I also like that it seems like it will also have a lead female character who works throughout the book to discover herself and, as the synopsis says, 'her own strength.' That was a true high point with Cupala's debut.

This wonderful sounding book's release date is almost here . . . and I'm so thrilled!

What's the book you're waiting on this week?

Frail ~ Joan Frances Turner review

2011-12-07T09:58:00.000-05:00

Frail
Ace Hardcover
October 4, 2011
384 pages
Goodreads/Amazon

Frail is Joan Frances Turner's second zombie novel, after Dust. Now that the Feeding Plague has made its way through the country - both human and zombie societies alike - the country is full of 'ex's. Everyone is either an ex-human or ex-zombie. Everyone that is except for Amy. She's the only human survivor in her town, a frail.

With exes - flesh eating ones - everywhere and ghost dogs only she can see - survival in this new America is all Amy has on her mind.

And the ex-human Lisa she meets on her journey, she may or may not be able be able to trust is the only one she can turn to when things get even more dangerous.

Frail is an amazingly well developed, well thought out zombie novel - or just novel period. I did not read Dust so I don't know how much, if at all, the two stories build on each other or overlap or how much knowing that novel and its events would help a reader be drawn into the events of Frail.

There was trouble (for me) getting into the first half or so of this book. It was still good enough to keep me reading, it just read incredibly slow for me. (I put it down and picked it back up a few times.)

The last third to half of Frail is what really draws a reader in, though. It's when the novel really gets more action, suspense and things about the society start to get explained. It's when you really cannot put the book down.

The world Turner has developed for Frail is unbelievably well developed and all encompassing. While some books are ones that seem like they would transfer well to film (and ones readers would love to see made into movies), Frail is one that would make a great television show. While it would have to be on cable - if not a premium cable channel - there is so much story there and the society is so completely developed that it would be a joy to see it unveiled over multiple episodes.

There is not a lot of gore in this novel - a fair bit of violence and some disturbing things, but not that much gore. The language/swearing (along with some of the events) pull it up to to an older YA/adult range.

7/10

thank you to the publisher for my copy of the book for review

Juliet Immortal ~ Stacey Jay review

2011-12-05T11:26:00.000-05:00

Juliet Immortal
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
August 9, 2011
320 pages
Goodreads/Amazon

For the past 700 years, Juliet Capulet has been working for the Ambassadors of Light. . . Ever since her murder. That's right, Juliet was murdered. She didn't take her own life as everyone was lead, by Shakespeare via Romeo, to believe, In fact, it was Romeo, in a trade for his immortality, who murdered his new wife.

Only he didn't know that Juliet would be granted immortality as well. Inhabiting the bodies of different people each go-round, Juliet works to bring lovers - soulmates - together while Romeo, a Mercenary, works to keep them apart.

Everything is the same every time - until Juliet meets someone she's forbidden to love and this time becomes completely different than every other. And Romeo will do everything he can to destroy her love.

I have only (sadly) read Stacey Jay's Megan Berry series books (You Are So Undead to Me), Juliet Immortal is definitely my favorite of hers - and I think the most well written as well.

Juliet Immortal it takes the Romeo and Juliet story that we all (some better than others) and turns it on its head. Romeo and Juliet are no longer the paradigm of true love. With quite a bit of hate to go around between them, it's more than a bit different at first. The relationship is very well done - and extremely well explained - so it's easy to get into the story as different as it is.

For those wanting a Romeo and Juliet story, there is still a bit of that type of tale; only with different characters. There are two characters whose romance has a definite Romeo and Juliet edge to it while staying modern and fitting in the story very well.

Shakespeare's classic given a supernatural twist is definitely something different but it's really, really enjoyable. Juliet Immortal is very well thought out, the characters are well developed and written and it will definitely keep you reading straight through to the end.

9/10

Team Emerson

2011-12-05T10:44:00.000-05:00

If you saw my review, you know I adore Hourglass by Myra McEntire and now the novel's heroine, Emerson Cole is up in Match #6 in the YA Sisterhood's Tournament of Heroines!!

Today's the day to VOTE!!!

Book Love 101 has a fantastic post on why you need to vote for Em - HERE

Voting is 24 hours only so you need to vote today, the 5th

(button made by Book Love 101)

Cinema Saturday [Another Earth review]

2011-12-03T10:55:00.000-05:00

Review of Across the Universe by Beth Revis here

Another Earth
20th Century Fox
November 29, 2011
93 minutes/PG-13
Amazon/IMDb

What I saw of the promotion of Another Earth, made it seem like a lot more of science fiction movie than it was. Which is definitely not to say that the movie is bad because of that, it's just different that what you might be expecting.

Celebrating her acceptance to college, 17-year-old Rhoda Williams is driving drunk when she causes a fatal car accident. Distracted by a blue dot in the sky that has just been identified as another Earth, a duplicate planet to ours, she hits the car of a family.

Four years later, Rhoda is released from prison. Still plagued by remorse she tries to find a way to apologize to the man who's wife and child she killed - and ends up as his maid. With very little information shared between them he has no idea she is the girl who killed his family and she tries to help his depressed life.

All this against the backdrop of scientists and the world discovering more and more about our mirror planet and Rhoda entering and essay contest to travel to the other Earth.

Another Earth is definitely an introspective film. It's very much about space travel and doppelgangers and personal choices and where they lead us. Having Rhoda's (Brit Marling) story - specifically her journey after leading prison and involvement with John (William Mapother) - parallel the developments/discoveries about the other Earth is a fantastic way to tell a story.

It doesn't give the space travel, here-are-the-other-planet's-people angle that would have made for a good but different movie - but it does give you a movie where very different things happen simultaneously (yet parallel to) so that they each help develop the other. Often without it being realized.

Brit Marling (who also is one of the film's writers and producers) is fantastic as Another Earth's star. I haven't seen her in anything else, but it's easy easy to believe she's just as seasoned as any other big-named star in any other movie. She doesn't have a lot of dialogue in most of the film, (nor do a lot of the actors, frankly - it's a not a very talky talky movie, the words count in this movie) but her emotions and actions tell the story in the silences, too.

The lack of superfluous dialogue is one of the things that makes this film really enjoyable. All of the actors' words matter and when they're not talking, that matters, too. It talkes talented actors to carry a film when there's not always something to say.

The lighting (a lot of blue tones) in the movie was really pretty and added to a mood. The music, a score almost all by Fall on Your Sword was a little bit different but really enjoyable and fit the feel of the movie and interacted well with the scenes.

After first seeing something about this movie on CBS's Sunday Morning last summer, I'm really glad to have seen this movie and hope you'll check it out, too.

Also on the disc:
BluRay:
Previews: Two great previews - one for The Descendants (longer than any I've seen and definitely made me want to see it) & another for The Art of Getting By which is also on my list now
Extras: Deleted Scenes; Three Fox Movie Channel Presents features; The Science Behind Another Earth; Creating Another Earth; Theatrical Trailer; Another Earth Soundtrack Info; Sneak Peek; Fall on Your Sword Music Video ("The First Time I Saw Jupiter");

thank you to ThinkJam for my copy of the movie

Across the Universe ~ Beth Revis review

2011-12-03T10:02:00.003-05:00

Across the Universe
Razorbill
November 29, 2011
432 pages
Goodreads/Amazon

I've had the hardcover of this on my shelf for a while and when I was given the opportunity last, in October, to review Another Earth, I thought the two would be a great (posting) pairing.

Even better, Another Earth came out on BluRay & DVD this past Tuesday and Across the Universe was released in paperback the same day! Here's the Across the Universe review and the Cinema Saturday post with my Another Earth review is coming up next!!
update: link to Another Earth review

Amy and her parents have been cryogenically frozen for a trip across space to a new planet. This three centuries long trip in a massive ship, Godspeed, will take them to a new planet hospitable to humans, a new Earth.

When Amy finds herself unfrozen and awake fifty years too early, everything is wrong. Her parents are too essential to the mission, the colonization of this new planet to be unfrozen, too so she is left alone with the people of the ship - people completely unlike her. And fifty years to wait. Fifty years before they reach the new planet at which point she will be older than her parents.

Elder, the young man who is there when Amy awakens is the future leader of the ship. He will take over charge of Godspeed once Eldest is too old to lead.

The people on the ship have no emotions, all look the same, and are nothing like the people Amy has grown up around - yet they're all Elder knows, all Eldest has taught his is right and natural.

When someone starts unplugging, unfreezing more people - killing them, Amy is outraged and knows she has to find the murderer and Elder realizes there might be things Eldest hasn't taught or told him.

Across the Universe, the first in a series, looks at what happens when people are really and truly isolated. We see the decisions that the community on Godspeed has made (in the past and the present) and how they have chosen to lead themselves.

There's also a really interesting look, through Eldest - and his and Elder's interactions - at our, current society. It would have been nice to see more of this. What lead to some of the distorted views that were held, how they came to be, how things came to be different, etc (when the changes came about, who made the changes and if they were willful/mindful ones, etc).

The beginning of the book was hard to connect with - between Amy being conscious but really just locked in her mind (only able to think, not move or interact) for so long, it was hard, frankly, to believe she could stay so sane. Decades upon decades - centuries even - of just thinking and she's still okay mentally? That was a little difficult to believe.

Elder was also a hard character, for me personally to relate to or care about. Some of that was his personality and worked well as the story progressed but for the start of the novel, it was hard to be drawn in to those chapters.

The mystery seemed not all that mysterious, but there was enough other plot - between characters interpersonal relationships, other story lines - that it was really a minor things. (It was also a time where even if the who was could be determined at some point, the why wasn't always known.)

The last one hundred or so pages of Across the Universe were the best. They upped the suspense, the characters' relationships really developed and more and more of the plot was really unveiled. The ending is definitely the most enjoyable part of the novel - and really leaves readers anxious for what will happen in A Million Suns, the second book in this series.

Rating: 7/10

Mr Popper's Penguins ~ Richard & Florence Atwater review & Activity Book

2011-12-02T09:27:00.000-05:00

Mr Popper's Penguins
Open Road Publishing
June 14, 2011 (first pub'd 1938)
Amazon/Goodreads

With Mr Popper's Penguins coming out on DVD soon (December 6th - this coming Tuesday), I decided to read the book of the same name by Richard and Florence Atwater.

In this children's chapter book, Mr Popper is a house painter who loves to dream of far off places - like the South Pole.One day a rather unexpected - and rather large - package arrives for Mr Popper. Inside is a penguin, shipped to him straight from the South Pole.

While his wife, Mrs Popper is not so sure about this addition to their home, Mr Popper (and their children) are quite thrilled at their new family member.

Soon, Mr Popper is going about making all sorts of changes to his home in an attempt to make the penguin comfortable and a real part of their life.

It doesn't take long before he discovers just how different life really will be with a penguin . . . and then with more than one penguin.

Mr Popper's Penguins is a really cute and fun read. It's a lighthearted children's book but you still learn a few things about penguins along the way. The length of the book (almost 150 pages/20 chapters with some illustrations) is great for a lot of different ages and would also be good as a read aloud book.

I especially loved the afterword about how the book was written by the husband wife team.

The movie, starring Jim Carrey does look to be different from the book, but the book was so cute that I am looking forward to seeing how it is interpreted on film and how it transfers to film. (I want to see the penguins and Jim Carrey can be really funny.)

If you saw the movie in theaters, what did you think? (IMDb link)

Thanks to Fox & Think Jam there's a fun little activity book I can share with you. It's 8 pages with some fun little things to do (word scramble, a maze, etc). Just click on the pic below to open the PDF version in Google Docs . . .

activity book provided by Fox - book provided by my library

The Last Letter from Your Lover

2011-12-01T11:03:00.000-05:00

The Last Letter from Your Lover
Pamela Dorman Books
July 7, 2011
400 pages
Goodreads/Amazon

It's 1960 when Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital with no memory. She cannot remember anything about her life, not her husband and not the accident that put her in the hospital. Later, back home and trying to decipher her life, Jennifer discovers a letter. The missive, urging her leave her husband is something else Jennifer doesn't remember. While she doesn't remember the man who wrote to her - it is signed only 'B,' either - it does let her know that her marriage is not everything she has been told.

Jennifer's initial discovery of the letter sets into motion a whole series of events that take place over many years - even decades.

The Last Letter from Your Lover is quite an epic love story that has a lot of back and forth in time periods in the beginning - it can get confusing if you don't pay attention to the dates on the headings. The two main characters are also kept apart a lot but its their separation that grows their relationship and the book.

In the latter section of the book, new characters - one central and some secondary - are added to the story. They help to advance the original story line.

It's a difficult story to summarize, but the way it spans so much time and uses things relevant to the time period (both gender wise and other things I wouldn't have thought of) as well as making things difficult for extra-marital affairs, both for logistically and psychologically on those involved is fantastic.

The Last Letter from Your Lover is a book I picked up while looking for potential books to buy people for Christmas and it was an enjoyable read. I'm not sure it's a book that will stay with your or has any scenes that will stick in your head, but it's definitely worth a read - and one that I'm recommending.

Rating: 8/10

Waiting on Wednesday (delayed)

2011-12-01T10:04:00.000-05:00

Apologies again for the lack of a post yesterday, my migraine wouldn't let up enough for me to get the post done and posted :(

Today my Waiting On Wednesday book is The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee

Sixteen-year-old Rinn Jacobs has secrets: One, she’s bipolar. Two, she killed her grandmother.

After a suicide attempt, and now her parents' separation, Rinn and her mom move from California to the rural Ohio town where her mother grew up. Back on her medications (again!) and hoping to stay well, Rinn settles into her new home and school. She refuses to be daunted by the fact that the previous owner hanged herself in Rinn's bedroom, or that her classmates believe the school pool is haunted by Annaliese, a girl who drowned there. But when a reckless séance goes awry, and terrible things start happening to her new friends—yet not to her—Rinn is determined to find out why she can’t be "touched" by Annaliese...or if Annaliese even exists.

With the help of Nate Brenner, the hunky “farmer boy” she’s rapidly falling for, Rinn devises a dangerous plan to uncover the truth. Soon reality and fantasy meld into one, till Rinn finds it nearly impossible to tell the difference. When a malevolent force threatens the lives of everyone she cares about--not to mention her own--she can't help wondering: who should she really be afraid of?

Annaliese? Or herself?

Maybe I'm strange, but the idea of a book with a character dealing with mental illness, murder, another murder that occurred in her house and a ghost is incredibly appealing to me! It seems like a ghost story but with the added element of the main character being bipolar.

Ghost stories told in the modern day always have that question of whether or not the main character is really sane (even if it's only a quickly addressed question or done in a joking way) but to have the character really have a psychiatric condition seems to be a great added element.

This is the second WOW book (at least recently), after Joelle Anthony's The Right & The Real where a book that is not an author's first book that has attracted my attention when their first/previous have not really.

While some might see that as not a great thing, I see it as a fantastic thing! I love to discover an author's book, love it and then have other work by them that is already published. Much as I love debut authors, it's also great to already have something by a newly discovered author to go out and buy - and enjoy!!

Really can't wait to have a chance to read this one!!

Out July 17 from Bloomsbury - Amazon & Goodreads

Beautiful Darkness ~ Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl review

2011-11-29T11:37:00.000-05:00

Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles #2)
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint (paperback)
September 19, 2011
528 pages
Goodreads/Amazon

* Spoilers for Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1) below - that review is here *

Small-town Gatlin, South Carolina was the town that never changed. It was the town Ethan Wate grew up in and where he thought he knew what to expect - from the Civil War reenactments to the mean girls at school to the DAR women. But then Lena Duchannes came along and changed everything.

Now Ethan knows about supernatural beings and that Amma's little charms aren't just things that humor her - they actually serve a purpose.

But, after the events of Beautiful Creatures -suffering a great loss, Lena has changed and is withdrawing from Ethan. Magical things are still happening in Ethan and Lena's lives - and relationship - but now some, if not most, of those things are darker and Ethan's forced to figure them out without Lena.

With visions only he can see and more danger at every turn - plus the chance of losing Lena - Ethan will have to turn to new friends - and old friends in new ways.

I wouldn't have thought it possible but I do believe I loved Beautiful Darkness more than I loved Beautiful Creatures. While the first book set up who the characters were, what the supernatural elements were and how the characters, the supernatural, and the town all worked together, this sequel more than builds on that.

Beautiful Darkness is definitely an epic second novel. It goes way beyond the story of Lena and Ethan - while still focusing on them just the right amount. We learn a lot about each of the different characters in this second novel - not just the main characters, but also the secondary other characters and the parts they play in this Caster (and Mortal) world.

The World also really expands in Darkness. It's a big novel, both page wise and story wise. The characters do a lot and I found myself marveling at how the authors were able to come up with such a plot and keep it all straight. At times it's hard to completely follow just every single thing that's going on if you're not careful, but it all comes together so well that it's okay.

All of the developments in this were fantastic and the writing was marvelous (I loved having it as an ebook because I could highlight so much!). The Southern feeling of these novels is likely my favorite of any Southern Gothic/Southern Whatever novels I have ever read, I just loved the atmosphere these writers have created in this series.

(Look for a review of Dream Dark and Beautiful Chaos soon!)

Rating: 10/10

In My Mailbox Monday

2011-11-28T10:04:00.002-05:00

My In My Mailbox Monday post is small this week, but it's also pretty awesome (if I do say so myself, which I do):

this week I got Lauren Oliver's Pandemonium (Amazon link) the sequel to Delirium!!'

and I got this a few weeks ago, but I think I got it on a Monday and somehow skipped over it in my Mailbox posts which was not very nice of me:

Hallowed (Amazon link), the sequel to Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Epic Holiday eBook Deals

2011-11-28T09:15:00.000-05:00

With Cyber Monday happening, some of us are looking for good deals online to finish up/start/continue our holiday shopping . . . or get ourselves a little something. Or, if you're like me, you're wishing there had been just a few more book deals on Black Friday and hoping maybe today there will be.

Well, you're a bit of in luck. Bloomsbury has their Epic Holiday eBook Deals happening.

The publisher is offering over 60 eBooks (adult, teen and childrens') for under $3.99. Less than what you could buy most of the on sale DVDs you didn't really even want this past weekend!

And there are some great titles, too, including: Small Town Sinners (review), The Mark, Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance (review), The Actor & The Housewife, Austenland, Haunting Violet (review), & Need (review)

It's now through January 6th.

If that image isn't big enough to read the titles, here's a link to something larger: LINK

Cinema Saturday

2011-11-26T09:54:00.000-05:00

This Cinema Saturday is a bit different . .. over Thanksgiving we watched a few movies, only one was actually based on a movie: Atlas Shrugged: Part One. (Giveaway link at end of post)

When I heard (which may or may not actually, in fact, be true) that Atlas Shrugged was being read by some lawmakers and their staff - I became more interested in just what this Ayn Rand novel was about.

Extolling the virtues of putting self-interest and self above all else especially, others altruism and the common good, Atlas Shrugged is the ultimate story of putting yourself and your greed at the top - and that being okay, even good.

Movie synopsis:

Powerful forces trigger a global revolution when the highly anticipated film adaptation of Ayn Rand’s bestselling novel, ATLAS SHRUGGED: PART I, emerges on Blu-ray and DVD November 8. The first installment in a planned trilogy, ATLAS SHRUGGED: PART I uses a talented cast to explore themes of individualism, socialism, and anarchy.

In 2016, the country is on the verge of economic collapse. Dagny Taggart (Taylor Schilling, “Mercy”) runs one of the largest remaining railroads despite her inept CEO brother, James (Matthew Marsden, Resident Evil: Extinction). To save the railroad from financial ruin, Dagny seeks out entrepreneurial industrialist, Henry Rearden (Grant Bowler, “True Blood”), whose super-strength metal alloy holds the promise of the future.

As government interference continues and the country’s most competent and productive workers systematically disappear, Dagny refuses to give up. As she bears witness to seeing the motor of the world stopped, Dagny increasingly hears people reciting: Who is John Galt?

Atlas Shrugged is definitely a movie/story with a point. Whether you agree with that point or not, it does well not straying for that point. I don't think I would read the novel, so seeing part of the novel (it really is just Part One), in a film was a great opportunity.

The biggest distraction/drawback was probably having everything so focused on trains and rail lines. It would have made a lot of sense for how 2016 could have been viewed when the novel was published but not so much now...

Atlas Shrugged fully commits to its philosophy and doesn't make any apologies. Love it or hate it, it doesn't take a middle ground just to play things safe.

The acting and production of this movie were great. I really don't agree with the point/ideology of the movie, but it was well done so it was still an enjoyable movie - a great way to get the story.

My Atlas Shrugged: Part One DVD giveaway ends Monday at 12:01am and needs more entries - and what better way to see the movie than winning it/for free? So, ENTER away

In My Mailbox Monday

2011-11-21T09:20:00.000-05:00

While I have a small break in my nearly unrelenting coughing, here's a post about the books I got this past week. Most of them are library books (and not terribly new ones) because I"m reading some books that might want to give as Christmas gifts . . .

The Raising by Laura Kasischke

Light from a Distant Star by Mary McGarry Morris

The Violets of March by Sarah Jio

The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

and in the mail I received (my LT Early Reviewer book):

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour (Hold Still was amazing so I'm really excited to read this one.)

I will now resume my regularly scheduled coughing my head off . . . oh, I hope this gets better soon!

The Future of Us ~ Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler (ARC) review

2011-11-19T09:47:00.002-05:00

The Future of Us
Razorbill
November 21, 2011
356 pages
Goodreads/Amazon

Imagine that today, when you go to use your phone or iPad or whatever, there's a new app there. It's an app you know you didn't install and you don't know what it is, but out of curiosity - and against, perhaps, your better judgment - you decide to check it out. It shows you what you and all your friends will be doing in fifteen years. Not in some big, grand way, but with littler things, like where you live, if you're married (maybe who to), where you went to college ... and random updates from you throughout the day.

You'd probably just think it was some random play on Facebook, right?

We all know that there's already something out there that tells us what everyone's doing, where they go to school/work/live, etc. But Facebook hasn't been around forever. Hardly, forever, actually, only since 2005.

Which is why when, in 1996 in The Future of Us, when Emma gets an AOL disk - possibly remember those? - and installs it on her computer, the 'Facebook' that shows up on her Favorite Places is so foreign to her. It's why she and her friend, and next door neighbor, Josh think the whole thing is a joke when it starts telling them their future.

Soon, though, they learn that this future just might be real and, after each time they log or refresh the page things are different, they realize things they are doing in the present are affecting the future. They'll have to struggle with the decisions they make - both for the future and the present.

The Future of Us is at least ten kinds of excellent. It's co-written by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler but their writing styles work together seamlessly. Each of the two characters has their own personality and stays true to that (while still growing and developing) throughout the novel, but there's no problem at all with two different writers. (Some books it's clear who's written what, but with The Future of Us everything is unified and cohesive.)

A great tale of two friends figuring themselves - and their relationship with each other - out, this novel has the added plot line of the characters, Emma and Josh, seeing how it will turn out fifteen years later. Some of would like to travel into the future and see how things will be - and others wouldn't dare, these characters sort of have it forced upon them and we get to see how they react. And how it affects their everyday life.

In a sense it's a time travel book without the time travel.

You have to love that the 1996ness is kept true in the book. Things that are easy to have forgotten about (either because you were too young, they were little things, or you weren't alive!) are brought up in this book because they're a part of Josh or Emma or some other character's daily life in some small way. These little things really add to the novel and remind you that you're not in 2011 or 2005 or even 2001, you're in 1996. Yet, it doesn't feel like a dated novel. The characters and their relationships are so fresh and well written that despite the intentionally dating elements, it's quite timeless (unless I guess, we lose Facebook, then that part won't be -but the characters, etc will be).

I'll admit that at first I wasn't sure about the ending, but after reflecting on it for a little bit, it fit incredibly well with the novel and is an ending that works much, much better long term for both the book and the characters (and the readers) than any other would have.

Kudos to both Mr Asher and Ms Mackler for this novel (- I can only selfishly hope Jay Asher's next book is sooner than four years & catch up on Carolyn Macklers previously published ones!).

9/10

giant thank you to LibraryThing EarlyReviewers for my ARC of this

(Random, but can someone tell me if DVDs were actually out in 1996 - I thought it was after that, not a lot, but still after that)

Don't forget to enter my giveaway of Atlas Shrugged on DVD - still room for one more winner (ends Monday)

A Beautiful Dark ~ Jocelyn Davies review

2011-11-18T13:14:00.000-05:00

A Beautiful Dark (#1 in trilogy)
Harper Teen
400 pages
September 27, 2011
Goodreads/Amazon

The night of Skye's seventeenth birthday - during the surprise party she told her friends not to throw yet again - she meets two strangers. Both are mysterious in their own right, yet complete opposites of each other: one is dark haired and reckless, the other fair and controlled. Opposite ends of the spectrum, yet both incredibly appealing to Skye who can't get them out of her head.

Or her life it seems. Both boys, Asher the daring one and Devin the calm one, seem to keep popping up at every moment.

Skye isn't sure what the boys want from her, all she knows is that she finds herself drawn to both of them . . . and that strange things started happening to and around her once they made their appearance in town. Soon, she's not only questioning who these 'cousins' that can't stand each other are, but what it might mean about her present - and her past.

In the beginning - and even into the middle - of A Beautiful Dark there are a lot of hints that something paranormal is afoot. It's not clear what it is or even, necessarily, just who it involves but for at least half of the book, there are a lot of hints dropped that something is eventually going to be revealed - both to Skye and to the reader.

It makes that first part of the book a quick read. The reader can't help but wonder where all these hints are going and what it's all leading to. While that's all happening, we get a nice introduction to the different characters - Skye and her friends Cassie, Dan and Ian as well as Devin and Asher. We learn some of Skye's story - what's happened in her seventeen years of life.

However, once that paranormal 'what' of all those clues was revealed, you're left waiting. Waiting for something a little more emotional, for something with a little more action, just . . . more. Maybe there were too many little hints that something was coming and not enough of the something in this book (its a trilogy)? There just wasn't that emotional connection or that real oomph where you really engage as a reader.

The beginning was much better than the end . . .personally, I'm not even sure how I feel about the end. I am holding out hope for the other two books in this trilogy, though. There was a lot of good setup in this first book and I'm hoping that with more time/room to expand the rest can really grow.

Rating:7/10

thank you to the publisher for my copy of this book for review.

Video Veneris (Book Trailer Friday)

2011-11-18T10:30:00.000-05:00

I read the first 25 chapters of Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Mewhen HarperTEEN had ShatterDay on Facebook. Now that the book is out I can't wait to read the rest!

And in case you're still undecided, here's the trailer:

Review - of another book - coming later today

Sweet Venom ~ Tera Lynn Childs review

2011-11-17T11:05:00.000-05:00

Sweet Venom (Sweet Venom Trilogy #1)
Katherine Tegen Books
September 6, 2011
352 pages
Amazon/Goodreads

Grace and her family have just moved to San Francisco. Starting at a fancy new school, it's a move full of tons of new possibilities. One of thing, however, that Grace wasn't expecting to be a possibility was monster sightings. . . Yet, when a minotaur strolls into the room, that's just what happens. Matters get even more complicated when a girl that looks just like here shows up to fight the unbelievable creatures.

Gretchen's definitely more used to monsters than Grace - she's been after them night after night for years. They complicate her life, but it's something that has to be done. That night's monster is just another evil thing that needs to be gotten rid of, to her, only a little out of the ordinary. What is very of the ordinary is the girl who looks just like her.

Now that the two girls have seen each other, Grace will learn why she's seeing these 'monsters,' creatures she thought were only mythological beings. And Gretchen will have to share her knowledge, that she - and now, apparently Grace, too - is a descendant of the Gorgon Medusa and it's up to them to protect the mortal world. The evil creatures are only supposed to be able to enter the human world one at a time - and Gretchen finds them and kills them, sending them back, but now there are more.

The girls will have to figure out why . . . all while figuring out their relationship.

Sweet Venom was an incredibly enjoyable read. There have been a lot of books to twist or draw on different aspects of Greek mythology for their plot, but I don't think any (or at least any I have read) have used Medusa and the Gorgons, at least no in this sense. It was very refreshing.

It was great that each of the girls has their own story for how they were being raised. They were each different yet also very believable. It made them unique characters and gave them very different backgrounds. Each story was something not boring or ordinary- no girl got standout story and no girl got the standard, pat story, either.

It made things more interesting when they were brought together. It was obvious that they had their own personalities but once they interacted for a while, you could see the connection and that they were sisters even.

It's also amazing that there was an overlying problem/evil facing them. Throughout the book there was the story of Grace starting at the new school, Gretchen missing Ursula, the sisters' reuniting and their relationship but their was also the Big Bad(ness) storyline.

With a Big Bad storyline spanning the whole novel, Sweet Venom mirrors a Buffy season: Buffy always had to deal with interpersonal (and intrapersonal) things aside from whatever baddie she was dealing with and the sisters in Sweet Venom have to do the same. With kickbutt girls, boys I can see become crush-worthy, and monsters galore - it's like a Buffy fix in book form. I LOVE it!

This is the first in a trilogy and while there was a conclusion at the end of the book, there were also several things at the end of the book left unresolved - it left me eagerly awaiting the next book.

9/10

thank you to the publisher for my copy of this book

Giveaway Reminder

2011-11-16T15:28:00.000-05:00

A reminder to enter my giveaway for Atlas Shrugged: Part One on DVD . . . there will be three winners. All you have to do is go to the linked post and enter!!

Tell Me a Secret ~ Holly Cupala review

2011-11-14T12:34:00.000-05:00

Tell Me a Secret
HarperTeen
June 22, 2010
304 pages
Amazon/Goodreads

It's been five years since Miranda's daring older sister Xanda died. Miranda still wonders what the secret was that Xanda never got a chance to tell her . . . and what really happened the night Xanda died.

Now, finally, at he age of seventeen, Miranda has a real life of her own: a best friend who's enough like Xanda to bring Miranda into Xanda's world, a boyfriend who will be there with her in college, and a talent for art that's going to get her into art school and away from her family.

But, Miranda's keeping her own secret, something that's about to put all of that in jeopardy: two little lines on a pregnancy test.

With everything - and maybe everyone - about to be taken away from her, Miranda knows she has choices to make . . . and things to confront.

There were times when Miranda was thinking a certain way about her pregnancy or her family and/or friends (and their role in her decisions) and I could not disagree with her more. Most books it's easy to know whether that means the character just doesn't work for you or whether the character is meant to be a character who's unlikable or lacking some necessary growth that might come later. With Tell Me a Secret, though, it was hard to tell. It was unclear at times whether Miranda's views were what Cupala really wanted her to think as a likable, relatable character whose motivation you weren't supposed to find anything wrong with. Or, if you were supposed to see that she had a flawed perspective.

The novel's strengths, far outweighed this possible weakness. The way Miranda's relationship with her friends - and even her family - changed once her pregnancy was revealed seemed very accurate. In locations where teen pregnancy is not that prevalent (and maybe where it is), girls who get pregnant don't have it easy and the novel stays true to that. It doesn't become too fictional simply to give Miranda a happier story.

Tell Me a Secret is fiction, but it is very realistic fiction and rings all the more true because of that.

The last third of the book will really tear you down (especially if you've personally experienced certain events or know anyone who has). There's a lot of detail used - enough that anyone who's familiar with a similar situation won't be distracted by discrepancies - but not so much that the writing feels weighed down or the reader gets bogged down with it.

Holly Cupala has written a stunning debut novel with amazing looks at the relationships between mothers and daughters and between sisters. Readers will definitely want more form Cupala - and in January they'll get it with Don't Breathe a Word (Amazon & Goodreads).

(Great for older YA readers and even adults.)

9/10

Giveaway Roundup/Reminder

2011-11-10T12:21:00.001-05:00

DVD & Book Giveaways

(All are US/Canada only -sorry!; you can enter one or all of them)

Water for Elephants ~ DVD/Book Bundle - Ends 11/11/11 (Just a few hours left to enter!!)
Snow Flower and The Secret Fan ~ DVD/Novel Giveaway - Ends 11/15/11 (Great chances of winning)
Atlas Shrugged DVD - Ends 11/18/11 (Low entries so far!)
Love Begins DVD - Ends 11/24/11 (Brand new! Enter!!)

*all giveaways end at 12:01 Eastern on date listed

DVD Giveaway ~ Love Begins

2011-11-10T11:44:00.002-05:00

I have another giveaway for you - I wish I'd known when this movie was on, I would have liked to have seen it. Lucky for you, though, you get to enter to win a copy . . .

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

Win a copy of LOVE BEGINS, out on DVD November 22

Based on the novel, Love Finds a Home, discover how Janette Oke’s touching “Love Comes Softly” series began in LOVE BEGINS, arriving on DVD November 22 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

After their father passes away, Ellen Barlow (Julie Mond) and her sister Cassie (Abigail Mavity) struggle to maintain their family’s farm. When Clark Davis (Wes Brown) finds trouble in their town on his way to California, Ellen agrees to hire him at the farm to work off his debts. Before long, Clark and Ellen unexpectedly develop feelings for each other. Ultimately, the pair begins a legacy of love and faith together in this heartwarming family drama.

For your chance to win a copy of LOVE BEGINS on DVD, simply answer the following question:

What is the name of the character who has to work off his debts in LOVE BEGINS?
• Wes Brown
• Clark Davis
• Ellen Barlow

(if you're on the main entries page click 'read more' to find the Rafflecopter & enter using that)

Don't forget to also ENTER to win one of three copies of Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 on DVD!!

Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on: Twitter @FoxHomeEnt

(the Rafflecopter 'Tweet about this giveaway' was tweeting the wrong message - despite me changing it - if you tweet using the widget, you'll get credit, don't worry *eyes widget*)

In My Mailbox

2011-11-08T09:51:00.000-05:00

(NaNoWriMo's giving me trouble & some personal stuff came up, so posts are still slow - I really apologize)

This past week I did the novel thing and went to an actual bookstore and bought some books!!

Pregnant Pause by Han Nolan (Amazon & Goodreads) and Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (Amazon & Goodreads)

Both look great and the few pages I read seem really enjoyable . . . Get anything great book-wise this week?

Cinema Saturday [Bones - Season 6]

2011-11-05T12:55:00.000-04:00

Bones (Sixth Season DVD)
20th Century Fox
October 11
1000 minutes
imdb/Amazon [DVD; Blu-ray; Instant Video]/iTunes

The fifth season of BONES (airs Thursday at 9pm on Fox) ended on a pretty big cliffhanger - well, maybe not cliffhanger in the technical sense of the word, but it was a pretty big where-is-this-going-to-go-now ending.

In the fifth season finale, also the 100th episode, a lot happened: Angela and Hodgins are off to Paris; Brennan (Bones) (along with Daisy) is going to the Maluku Island for research for a year and Booth (after telling Bones of his feelings and her rejection) is back with the army and going to Afghanistan for a year.

Booth: I don’t do really good with change, I guess.
Bones: Well, you’re better than I am
Booth: The pyramids are better at change than you are. …It’s a joke. Hey, I was being affectionate.
Bones: Oh. [Pause] Will you go back to the army?
Booth: It’s what best for me right now.
Bones: I’ll only be gone for a year.
Booth: Me too. So, hey, what’s a year?
Bones: It’s the time it takes for the Earth to make a full revolution around the sun.
Booth: In the scheme of things. You know, the grand scheme of things. I’m just saying a year, you know, it’s not too bad.
Bones: Right.
Booth: Right?
Bones: We can come back, pick up where we left off. Nothing really has to change
Booth: No, things have to change. You know what? Hey, I taught you about eye contact, you taught me about evolution. So… here’s to change.
Bones: To change.
(transcript found on EW.com)

With not a lot of resolution, we're left wondering just where the characters - and, more importantly, their relationships with each other, will be once Season Six pick up . . .

And Season Six does not disappoint in the slightest. While the Season Five finale left the door open for so many possible disappointments, Season Six came in and seemed to know that, turning out to be, quite possibly the best season yet.

Focusing very much on the relationships - especially that between Booth and Bones - Season Six is a brilliant season of BONES. In the season opener The Mastodon in the Room, we find out what Booth and Bones -as well as Daisy, Sweets, Angela, Hodgins, and Cam have been up to during the time between seasons. Viewers don't have to worry about the gang being apart for long - and the writers come up with a great way of not only bringing everyone together, but also showing, quickly, how everyone feels about each other.

It's not, though, smooth sailing. New characters are introduced and old troubles from the past season are still present and did not remedy themselves during the characters breaks from each other.

While continuing to solve cases as brilliantly as they have done in the previous five seasons, the BONES characters are shown more personally and as individuals this season. The show maintains its ability for new - or sporadic viewers - to watch and episode or two and enjoy it without knowing the characters or their interpersonal relationships. Yet, it also rewards the loyal viewers who have been with it from day one by finally advancing those interpersonal relationships to somewhere great.

And using them to end the season on yet another I-need-to-see-the-next-season-now!! What's great for anyone who missed this season, though? You can grab it on DVD and catch up fast - then watch any missed Season Seven online and start watching the new Season Seven episodes Thursdays on Fox at 9/8c

This season, more than any other has me interested in reading Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan Novels series. I think it was the growth we saw with the characters. And that there was more interaction that year than others between them outside of the lab/working cases. The series starts with Deja Dead and I'm excited to being . . .

Favorite Quote from Season Six:
Micah (played by Enrico Colantoni aka VM's dad): "You're alive, and she's dead. Ergo, ipso facto Columbo Oreo."
Bones: "Those last two words, one is the capitol of Sri Lanka and the other is... a cookie."
Micah: "It sounds like Latin."

5 Standout/Favorite Episodes (in episode order):
The Body & The Bounty
The Doctor in the Photo
The Bullet in the Brain
The Blackout in the Blizzard
The Hole in the Heart

Special Features:
Audio Commentary–The Doctor in the Photo
Audio Commentary–The Blackout in the Blizzard
The Daredevil in the Mold–Extended Episode
The Bikini in the Soup–Extended Episode
The Visual Effects of Bones
Gag Reel
The Killing Pilot Episode
(and it's not a Special Feature but ep 19 'The Finder' is sort of the pilot of a spin-off)

(DVD provided by Fox for review - thank you)

DVD Giveaway ~ Atlas Shrugged [+Video Veneris]

2011-11-04T09:24:00.000-04:00

My last (as of right now) movie giveaway for November is ready to start!!

Thanks to 20th Century Fox, I have three - that's right, three - copies of Atlas Shrugged: Part I on DVD to give away (check the bottom of the post).

The movie's trailer:

Here's a little more about the movie:

Powerful forces trigger a global revolution when the highly anticipated film adaptation of Ayn Rand’s bestselling novel, ATLAS SHRUGGED: PART I, emerges on Blu-ray and DVD November 8. The first installment in a planned trilogy, ATLAS SHRUGGED: PART I uses a talented cast to explore themes of individualism, socialism, and anarchy.

In 2016, the country is on the verge of economic collapse. Dagny Taggart (Taylor Schilling, “Mercy”) runs one of the largest remaining railroads despite her inept CEO brother, James (Matthew Marsden, Resident Evil: Extinction). To save the railroad from financial ruin, Dagny seeks out entrepreneurial industrialist, Henry Rearden (Grant Bowler, “True Blood”), whose super-strength metal alloy holds the promise of the future.

As government interference continues and the country’s most competent and productive workers systematically disappear, Dagny refuses to give up. As she bears witness to seeing the motor of the world stopped, Dagny increasingly hears people reciting: Who is John Galt?

Click 'read more' if you're on the main entries page to find the Rafflecopter widget & enter using that.

For your chance to win one of three available copies of ATLAS SHRUGGED: PART I on DVD, simply answer the following question:

Who wrote Atlas Shrugged?
• Ayn Rand
• Taylor Schilling
• John Galt

Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on: Twitter @FoxHomeEnt

Giveaway copy provided by Fox

Waiting On Wednesday [Bittersweet]

2011-11-02T13:39:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to do NaNoWriMo so blog posts have not really happened this week (I apologize) - that should get a little better once I get this NaNo thing figured out a little bit . . .

My Waiting On Wednesday book for this week is: Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Bittersweet used to be called The Language of Impossible Dreams and had a different cover - but that's all okay because it's coming out January 3.

Sarah Ockler new-ness coming that soon? How amazing is that?

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances... a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life...and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last....

This is one of the books where I'm choosing not to read the synopsis because I really like to discover books as I read them - and I love Sarah Ockler's previous two books so much that I know this is a safe move here.

I can't wait!!

Amazon page & on Goodreads. Bittersweet is being released (January 3) by Simon Pulse - maybe someone will pre-order it for you for the holidays!!

DVD & Book Giveaway ~ Snow Flower & The Secret Fan

2011-11-01T09:21:00.003-04:00

Enter to Win a Copy of

Coming to Blu-ray and DVD November 1st

From Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Growing up in 19th century China, Lily (Bingbing Li, The Forbidden Kingdom) and Snow Flower (Gianna Jun, My Sassy Girl) are brought together in a Laotong friendship—a lifelong bond between two women who rely on each other for companionship and comfort. Amid the civil unrest and gender discrimination of the era, the pair deals with life’s hardships together until they are separated by marriage and childbirth. As sworn sisters, however, the women continue to communicate through the secret Chinese language of nushu, hiding their stories and messages within the folds of delicate silk fans.

In present day Shanghai, the Laotong’s descendants Nina (also played by Li) and Sophia (also played by Jun) struggle to maintain the intimacy of their own childhood friendship in the face of demanding careers and complicated love lives. Drawing on lessons of the past, the two modern women must understand the story of their ancestral connection or risk losing one another forever. What unfolds are two stories, generations apart, but everlasting in the notion of love, hope and friendship.

and the book by Lisa See that the film is based on:

In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, an “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s written a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on the fan and compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together they endure the agony of footbinding and reflect upon their arranged marriages, their loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace in their friendship, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their relationship suddenly threatens to tear apart.

To win a copy of this DVD, simply answer the following question:

What is the secret language Lily and Snow Flower use?
• Mushu
• Nushu
• Nishi

to enter - click 'read more' and answer the question using the Rafflecopter widget :)

(DVD copy provided by 20th Century Fox;; book info from Goodreads)

Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Twitter @FoxHomeEnt

Snow Flower Story
The Snow Flower Story is a visual experience that immerses people in the video, music and photography of the film. Through these pages, written passages from the original novel are brought to life and complimented by imagery and video to create a seamless blend of book and film.

Cinema Saturday ~ Water for Elephants ~ (DVD & Book) review

2011-10-29T10:33:00.001-04:00

Water for Elephants
Book (movie tie-in version)Algonquin Books/March 1, 2011/368 pages/
DVD Fox/November 1, 2011/120 mins; Blu-ray (+ digital copy)

(Giveaway info at bottom)

Ever dream of running off to join the circus? If you didn't, after reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen you'll be packing your bags. Jacob Jankowski is left penniless and without a degree when his parents both die during his final exams for veterinary school. It’s the 1930s and the Great Depression so neither jobs nor money abounds and Jacob sets off in search of Albany and some form of work.

He never makes it, though Instead he finds himself on a train belonging to the Benzini Brothers Circus. Soon he’s in charge of the animals. Working for Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth he meets Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star – and wife to August, the animal trainer who’s as enigmatic as he is twisted – and Rosie, the ‘untrainable’ elephant. The three will form a bond that may have to be stronger than any other.

The characters are what really drive – and make – this story, both human and animal alike. Even if you might suspect somewhere during the story, what will happen at the end – and you might still be wrong – it’s what’s happening in the middle that keeps you reading. Those middle parts – and, of course, the delightful characters and the circus. The circus in Water for Elephants is so well written and real feeling that you want to travel back in time and join a real, live traveling big top. You absolutely feel like you’re in a 1930s circus.

Jacob, the 90 – or possibly 93- year-old narrator (he’s not sure) is made absolutely lovable in both his grumpiness and the way you wish for him to be back as that 23-year-old working the circus. On principle you wouldn’t imagine that a 90 (or 93) year-old narrator would be that perfect, but he is.

Water for Elephants is a romance, but personally, I found the circus life and Jacob’s life independent of Marlena – or at least his interactions with her, not necessarily his recollections- were stronger and more enjoyable to read. I don’t think it was a lack of chemistry, etc. More that it was that Jacob was such a strong, enjoyable and lovable character that anyone else was really competing with him. It was his story.

Rating: 7/10

Water for Elephants is a brilliant film – sure to instantly become one of your favorites. Staying very close to the novel, the movie will be an excellent viewing for fans of the novel and those new to the story, both.

One of those movies you can easily watch again and again, Water for Elephants has everything good about the novel (see my review above), but is also one of the few, few book to film adaptations I liked even better than the book.

In the novel I saw the story more as Jacob’s story and didn’t view the romance as very strong. In the movie, however, it was fantastic. Both Reese Witherspoon as Marlena and Robert Pattinson as Jacob were very expressive and did a terrific job; the romance came through brilliantly. You truly feel for both characters – and their relationship with each other.

The movie is different by starting with Jacob at the circus and remembering the circus and things then staying in the thirties. It is very different from the book and all but takes out the elderly Jacob character (who I loved in the book) but it really allows the viewer to get immersed in the 1930s storyline and stay with things. It works fantastically.

There are a few scenes (from the novel) missing from the film but their absence does not detract from the film's quality. Instead it allows the movie to retain a more central storyline and keeps as much of the focus on the relationship between Jacob and Marlena (and the circus) as possible. (And the absence of some of the racier things from the book keeps a PG-13 rating, as well.)

The fashion in this film is great! It fits with the time period but also with the setting. It’s 1930s friendly and circus friendly . .. I really want to be a 1930s circus performer for Halloween now.

The filming of Water for Elephants is downright beautiful, too. There are some films that you watch and regardless of whether you like the content or not, you have to admire their cinematic quality – I would argue that this is one of those. It’s one to own on BluRay.

There’s really nothing bad I can say about this movie – it took everything I loved about the book and seeing the story portrayed one film improved other parts.

(Definitely check out the special features after you watch the movie, too – especially “The Traveling Show - Page to Screen” which looks at the transition from book to film.)
Here's a great study guide the wonderful Fox Publicity people sent me. It has some great things to think about:

From October 29, 2011

I addressed some of the Study Guide questions already in my review, one I didn’t address but would like to is: “Discuss Christop Waltz’s villainous August. Have you seen him in other films as the baddie? Die he add to the story and character of August in your opinion?” I’ve seen Inglorious Bastards and while watching Water for Elephants I remarked how perfect Waltz is for this period pieces – that it’s good he wasn’t living during this time period; he would have had to be a bad guy!

Rating 10/10

Now that you know how great both are, surely you want to win a Book/DVD bundle of Water for Elephants? ENTER HERE

gigantic thank you to Fox for my copy of Water for Elephants so I could review it!