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Instructions For A Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson Release Date: May 1, 2011 Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire Age Group: Young Adult Pages: 304
Summary: Three days before her drama club's trip to Italy, Jessa Gardner discovers her boyfriend in the costume barn with another girl. Jessa is left with a care package from her best friend titled "Top Twenty Reasons He's a Slimy Jerk Bastard," instructing her to do one un-Jessa-like thing each day of the trip. At turns hilarious and heartwrenching,Instructions for a Broken Heart paints a magical Italy in which Jessa learns she must figure out life-and romance-for herself.
My Thoughts: Whats a girl to do when she's set to go to Italy in 3 days and finds her boyfriend in the closet with another girl? Not just any other girl, but another girl that is going on the same trip with them. Jessa is beyond mortified and hurt. How can he do this to her?
She sets off to Italy with her best guy friend by her side and a packet full of envelopes from her best girl friend. The plan is to open two a day and follow the directions enclosed. They are supposed to "help" her get over her ex-boyfriend.
Jessa learns a lot about herself. One of those lessons is, don't kiss your teacher! HA! She learns that its ok to hurt and just let it out. Don't keep it all bottled up inside. She learns to defend herself. And of course, it doesn't hurt to meet cute boys along the way, right?
She steals back her shirt from her ex, throws a drink in his face, and grows inside as a person. She also has her best guy friend and teachers to lean on during these hard times.
Want to find out what happens to Jessa? Read the book to find out.
Overall: Instructions For A Broken Heart was a cute book but I just didn't feel like it lived up to my expectations. I was hoping to feel more for the characters and the plot than I did. I just didn't develop deep feelings for any of the characters, I couldn't connect with them. I just wasn't Wowed by it, but its still a worthwhile read. In my opinion, it was just ok. Besides, you may like it way better than me so go try it out!
Cover: I like the cover. I like how all the colors come together. It's a very realistic cover.
Rhymes with Cupid by Anna Humphrey Release Date: December 21, 2010 Publisher: HarperTeen Age Group: Young Adult Pages: 240
Summary: All Elyse Ulrich wants is to get through Valentine’s Day as painlessly as possible, but working at Goodman’s Gifts & Stationery—surrounded by singing Cupid dolls, tacky heart-shaped balloons, and sappy cards with poems that don’t even really rhyme—is not helping.
Neither is Patrick, the new boy at the mall who keeps asking her out. So what if he’s charming, considerate, funny, and, okay, really cute? Elyse isn’t interested in putting her heart on the line. But as February 14th approaches, avoiding Cupid’s arrow turns out to be a lot harder than she expected.
My Thoughts: As soon as I saw this book up for preorder on amazon, I knew it was my kind of book! It looked so adorable! It sounded adorable and the cover is really cute!
We are introduced to Elyse who has sworn off Valentines Day and boyfriends. Her ex-boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend so she has no reason to even think about being in love again! She won't do it. She never wants to get hurt again. She works at Goodman's Gifts & Stationary which would be a good job except for the fact that she has to stand around selling mushy cards all day. And of course its almost Valentine's Day. She wants to forget the day even exists. The only good thing about working is spending time with her friend and co-worker Dina.
Elyse and her mom even moved to the other side of town just so she doesn't have to run into her ex-boyfriend and best friend. Her new neighbor Patrick starts showing interest in Elyse, she tries to hook him up with Dina. And of course he's also her new driving instructor. So, Elyse finds herself spending more and more time with Patrick and getting to know him and slowly starting to think maybe he is one of the nice guys. But Dina likes him, so what can she really do?
Want to find out what happens between Dina, Patrick, and Elyse? Read the book to find out!
Rhymes With Cupid was a cute book! It was brain candy! Sweet and tasty!
Overall: I really enjoyed it! It was cutesy and fun to read. There wasn't a whole lot of deep thought to it, I think its supposed to be a cute book that makes you go "awwwwww." Loved Patrick. He was such a cutie!
Cover: Love This Cover! I love how he is feeding her, and that ice cream looks so yummy!!! Wonder if there is any in the fringe right now!
Wither (The Chemical Garden Trilogy) by Lauren Destefano Release Date: March 22, 2011 Publisher: Simon And Schuster Age Group: Young Adult Pages: 368
Summary:What if you knew exactly when you would die?
Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.
When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.
But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.
My Thoughts: First off all, I'll start off by saying there are a lot of books similar to this book releasing this year. Even though it is very different from Delirium and Matched, it still had that feel to it. It's not a bad thing at all, I loved them all! In Wither, we are introduced To Rhine. She's 16 and basically an orphan. She's been living with her twin brother just going about each day and trying to survive. The book starts off with us learning a little about the society in which they live. There is a sickness that effects the new generations and men die at age 25 and women at age 20. She hopes for a cure but it hasn't happened yet for other generations. She than gets kidnapped. It happens so fast we don't know what hit us! We don't learn much about her past until later in the book when she has flashbacks or memories.
She is stolen and forced into being a wife. But not just any wife, a sister wife; which means she won't be the man's only wife! She is picked out along with Cecily, the 13 year old and Jenna who is 19. She is brought to the house and basically put under lock and key along with the two others. They know they have to get along with each other. She also than learns why she was kidnapped. To replace the previous wife Rose who is already dying. Her new husband is Linden. They get married so quickly she doesn't have much time to form an escape plan so she's stuck there. She also does not take a real liking to Linden for a long time and even than she just tolerates him. I wouldn't say Linden is a bad guy, he was just naive sometimes. We are also introduced to Gabriel. He is one of the servants and Rhine immediately takes a liking to him. Of course, I was in love with Gabriel from minute one.
Basically, Wither is about a girl who is just trying to survive, to find a way out of the lifestyle that has been forced on her. People die, people get hurt, things happen that make me want to scream. For example, the babies! The way Linden's father is! The way she can't seem to get out! It was so heartbreaking knowing her brother was out there, probably driving himself crazy worrying about her.
Wither was amazing! It was beautiful in its own way. The way Destefano wrote this book, it just made the words pop out at you. It was addicting to read. I finished it in a day. There were just so many little details its hard to put it into words and explain how truly magnificent this book really is. I was satisfied with the ending but since there is another book coming, its hard to say what is going to happen! I can't wait to read it!
Overall: Loved It! Beautiful. Amazing. Brilliant.
Cover: Love the cover! It is very beautiful! And I love the girls dress and her hair! Simply pretty!
Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer Release Date: February 15, 2011 Publisher: HarperTeen Age Group: Young Adult Pages: 336
Summary: What if your worst enemy turned out to be the best friend you ever had?
Meet Brooke: Popular, powerful and hating every minute of it, she’s the “It” girl at Douglas High in Lake Champion, Minnesota. Her real ambition? Using her operatic mezzo as a ticket back to NYC, where her family lived before her dad ran off with an up and coming male movie star.
Now meet Kathryn: An overachieving soprano with an underachieving savings account, she’s been a leper ever since Brooke punched her at a party junior year. For Kath, music is the key to a much-needed college scholarship.
The stage is set for a high-stakes duet between the two seniors as they prepare for the prestigious Blackmore competition. Brooke and Kathryn work toward the Blackmore with eyes not just on first prize but on one another, each still stinging from a past that started with friendship and ended in betrayal. With competition day nearing, Brooke dreams of escaping the in-crowd for life as a professional singer, but her scheming BFF Chloe has other plans. And when Kathryn gets an unlikely invitation to Homecoming, she suspects Brooke of trying to sabotage her with one last public humiliation.
As pressures mount, Brooke starts to sense that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had. But Kathryn has a decision to make. Can she forgive? Or are some rivalries for life?
My Thoughts: I did not know what I was going into as I started this. Backstabbers? Check. Hot guys?Check. Best friends turned rivals? Check. Music? Check. High school? Check. Guy best friend? Check. As you can clearly see this book had it all and was everything I was looking for. We are introduced to Kathryn and Brooke. Brooke was always Queen B and popular while Kathryn just kept to herself and was a loner. That is until Brooke befriends her and introduces her to her clique and the world of popularity. Brooke has another best friend named Chloe and soon Chloe starts to get jealous over Kathryn. Kathryn is so much different than Chloe and she really gets Brooke so her and Brooke become super close really fast.
Kathryn and Brooke are also really into music and are both great singers. They both excel in music and always feel like they are on the same level and one could easily beat the other.
Basically, we are swept away in past memories and flashback chapters than jolted right back to the present. We discover how two great friends went from best friends to bitter rivals. How they went from helping one another out with music and loving it to competing against each other in the same competition. Each wants to win the competition and knows what they will lose if they do not beat the other.
Kathryn has spent the last year getting over the horrible episode that went down between her and Brooke. I won't tell you what exactly happened, read the book to find out! Kathryn never really quite understood what happened. But she does know how she's had to suffer through major loads of embarrassment. She went right from the top to the bottom as quick as humanly possible. Brooke's crew basically tormented her the past year and she's been left to face it every day since.
Lets talk about some of the other characters for a minute. First, there is Matt. I really liked Matt. He was always there for Kathryn, to listen to her problems, to help her along the way. Next came Brooke and Kathryn's families. Each girl had a very different family. We come to know their parents and how they operate, which roles the girls play. Than came Brooke's brothers. You could tell instantly they would be the life of the party and out to have a good time. Next was Miles, whom Kathryn dated for a while during her popularity spurt. I clearly hated him from the get go. haha. Than there was John who seemed to take an interest in Kathryn while Brooke had the hots for him. I actually really liked him. He did seem different and I came to respect him. As for Chloe and Brooke's other friends, I could tell how fake they really were, and they were just out for themselves, to stay popular and on Brooke's good side.
Honestly, I really liked both Brooke and Kathryn. Usually I would be rooting for one or the other but I actually thought they were both decent girls. They both had great personalities and were unique and lovely in their own way.
Rival was an enjoyable read. I loved the different prospectives from each girl. And how both girls made me feel as though I was experiencing life in their shoes. The flashbacks were awesome. It told the story perfectly. The plot of best friends who realized the truth and were left to deal with the aftermath of what went down was remarkable. Rival had an enjoyable voice and left me wanting to read more from Wealer. Since it wasn't a book purely based on romance, it had just the right sparkle of romance dabbled into it.
Overall: Really enjoyed it. One you should definitely read this year. Rival was a memorable experience for me and I will be recommending it to others!
Cover: Love it! I love the flowers and how the petal has fallen off. Neat cover.
Demonglass (Hex Hall #2) by Rachel Hawkins Release Date: March 1, 2011 Publisher: Hyperion Book CH Age Group: Young Adult Pages: 368
Summary: Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.
That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.
Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.
But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Acher to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?
My Thoughts: Wow, Wow, Wow, what can I possibly say? I reviewed Hex Hall a few months ago and like I said before, I was hesitate about this series but than I read Hex Hall and I loved it. So of course I was looking forward to Demonglass but I wasn't sure if it would be as good. Demonglass outshined my expectations, it was even better than Hex Hall!!!! We are back with Sophie who has spent the last few months trying to get over that fateful night she lost a lot. Her dad's back in the picture, her friend is dead, her beloved Archer is missing (or hiding). Whats a girl to do?
Her dad shows up and suggests taking Sophie back to his house (or maybe not his house exactly) and she wants to bring Jenna with her. Her dad agrees and he also suggests a mystery guest as well. Who is the mystery guest? Cal! Remember Cal, he was the guy that was a few years older that stayed on campus when he graduated and more or less became the janitor. He heals people. Yep, that Cal. Why on earth is Cal coming I asked myself? Well, on page 18, I got my answer and I laughed so hard I thought I was going to cry. I loved that!!!!
Of course leaving the school, Sophie gets a strange feeling that all 3 of them will not be returning. Sophie and her friends go back to the mansion aka Thorne Abbey. There they spend the next few months discovering secrets about Sophie's heritage, and just how powerful she really is. The Eye is still out to get her as well, and Archer shows up a lot throughout the book.
Of course Sophie doesn't know who she should really trust. When it comes down to it, everyone seems hunky dory on the outside but Sophie starts wondering about her dad's "friends," who Archer "really" is, and just how many people she can really trust.
With a new set of characters, more intensity in Sophie's life, the fact that the school may not be what it seems, and the Eye out to kill her, Demonglass was a hit!
Let me finish by saying this, I really liked Archer in the first book but after getting to know Cal, my feelings started leaning towards him and I desperately wanted something to really happen between Sophie and him. And everything he sacrificed made me feel so giddy I wanted to jump up and down with excitement. But of course she's still got it bad for Archer! How do you choose between a super powerful warlock and a hot older healer? Decisions, decisions.
Demonglass was AWESOME! And of course it ends with such a cliffhanger that Demonglass will make people want to cry because as of right now, they can't run to the bookstore and get the next book! Write faster Hawkins!
Overall: Loved Demonglass!!! Love Sophie, Cal, Jenna, Archer, her dad, just everyone!!!
Cover: It's awesome. Love it. Its even nicer than Hex Hall! Beautiful cover!
Welcome Holly to Princess Bookie!! Glad to have you here today!!!!
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
You know, there’s so much work involved in writing, you start to feel guilty if you’re not directly involved in drafting new work, revising old, promoting current books out on bookstore shelves…
That having been said, though, I’m a huge reader (of course), and really have a love of all things vintage: classic movies, old costume jewelry, vinyl records…
I also spend an inordinate amount of time with my dog (a Pekingese named Jake), and because I’m so often glued to my keyboard in my office, I try to get outdoors as often as I can.
I’m an enormous music fanatic, too—playing, listening, scouting out new bands to fall in love with…I’d have to say music really is my “refresh” button, the way I unwind, relieve stress…after several hours of writing, a short music break really helps me get my head back in the game…
What does your family think of your writing?
Actually, when I got my master’s in ’01, my mom asked me to stay home and devote full-time attention to my writing.She asked me to forgo the full-time job, and to let her feed me while I got my writing career off the ground.It was all I wanted to do—ever since I was little—and she knew it.She didn’t want the dream to get derailed by day-to-day concerns about job, rent, groceries…
Even though I had no financial concerns and all the time in the world to devote to my writing, it still took seven and a half years to get the first book deal!
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
I write all the time.All. The. Time.Really.Since graduating in ’01, I’ve had one day off from writing—I took May 1, 2010 off, to celebrate the release of my debut, A BLUE SO DARK.
I have one of those AlphaSmart Neos—the thing’s pretty low-tech, but pretty fabulous, too!It runs on AA batteries, and I can take it anywhere to keep up with my work.Even when I have to be away from the house, I take the Neo with me—you wouldn’t believe how much writing I can get done in the passenger seat of the car.
How did you come up with the title PLAYING HURT?
Okay, so my mom’s also my first reader—and so far, she’s titled both my published books.
A BLUE SO DARK was actually titled THE OCEAN FLOOR when it was acquired.My editor was really lukewarm about it, though.He encouraged me to troll the manuscript for phrases that would make good titles.Mom and I both read the manuscript and made lists of phrases.I shot my editor several I liked from those lists.He was wild about A BLUE SO DARK, which—yup—was on Mom’s list.She was the first to suggest it.She was also the first to suggest PLAYING HURT as I was writing it…Flux kept that title once the book was in development.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
The years of rejection.I first drafted PLAYING HURT several years ago—around ’04 or ’05.I reworked that book several times over the years—and in-between rewrites, I submitted the novel to editors and agents alike.I know my debut, A BLUE SO DARK, was rejected over 80 times.And I’d say that PLAYING HURT was rejected at least twice as much.
…But then again, if I hadn’t gone through all that rejection, I never would have included Clint’s voice.Chapters written from his POV weren’t included until the last rewrite—in ’09!
I’m going to break the rules a bit and combine the last two questions:
Do you have anything specific you want to say to your readers? And, If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
I want to thank my readers whole-heartedly.Seriously.My readers have just been incredible.They’ve cross-posted reviews, recommended my books, hosted giveaways, and gotten in touch to let me know how much they’ve loved both A BLUE SO DARK and PLAYING HURT.
So—if I could host the dinner party of my dreams, it’d be with my readers.All of ‘em.I’d reaaaally love the opportunity to meet all of you face-to-face and just tell you all how much your support has meant to me.
______________________________________________
PLAYING HURT
Star basketball player Chelsea “Nitro” Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college—and everyone’s admiration in her hometown.But everything changed senior year, when she took a horrible fall during a game. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.
As a graduation present, Chelsea ’s dad springs for a three-week summer “boot camp” program at a northern Minnesota lake resort.There, she’s immediately drawn to her trainer, Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player who’s haunted by his own traumatic past.As they grow close, Chelsea is torn between her feelings for Clint and her loyalty to her devoted boyfriend back home.Will an unexpected romance just end up causing Chelsea and Clint more pain—or finally heal their heartbreak?
A BLUE SO DARK
Fifteen-year-old Aura Ambrose has been hiding a secret. Her mother, a talented artist and art teacher, is slowly being consumed by schizophrenia, and Aura has been her sole caretaker ever since Aura’s dad left them. Convinced that “creative” equals crazy, Aura shuns her own artistic talent. But as her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet draws Aura toward the depths of her imagination. Just as desperation threatens to swallow her whole, Aura discovers that art, love, and family are profoundly linked—and together may offer an escape from her fea
The Anti-Prom by Abby McDonald Release Date: April 12, 2011 Publisher: Candlewick Age Group: Young Adult Pages: 288
Summary: Three unlikely allies team up for a night of rebellion, romance, and revenge in a high-stakes dramedy from acclaimed young author Abby McDonald.
They’ve spent years at the same high school without speaking a word to one another, but that’s all about to change. Popular Bliss was having the perfect prom until she found her BFF and boyfriend making out in the back of a limo. Bad girl Jolene wouldn’t be caught dead at the prom, yet here she is, trussed up in pink ruffles, risking her reputation for some guy - some guy who is forty minutes late. And shy, studious, über-planner Meg never counted on her date’s standing her up and leaving her idling in the parking lot outside the prom. Get ready for The Anti-Prom, Abby McDonald’s hilarious, heart-tugging tale about three girls and one unforgettable prom night.
My Thoughts: Prom? Kissing? Betrayal? Friends? Check!!! We are introduced to 3 individual girls who could not be more different if they tried. First, there is Bliss who is popular, queen bee, has the perfect boyfriend (or so she thought) and is the girl who would most likely be prom queen. Next there is Jolene. Jolene seems like a rebel, she gets into trouble, she steps out against the norm. Last there is Meg. Meg is quiet, independent, nerdy, and the girl you'd want to help you with your homework. All 3 girls get thrown together during the night of their prom. None of their proms are what they thought it would be. They are left feeling upset and very dissatisfied. Bliss finds her boyfriend making out with her best friend, Jolene gets stood up, and Meg just wants to have a good time and maybe dance with the guy she's crushing on.
Bliss and Jolene start talking and realize they must do something about all of their problems! Meg basically gets thrown into the mix because she's the ride! Bliss ends up finding her best friends diary and has this notion to leave it in her friend's boyfriends doom room so he can discover she's cheating with Bliss's boyfriend. Jolene just wants to get her father back and make him understand. Meg just wants to learn to be more brave.
I really enjoyed The Anti-Prom! I liked seeing how Jolene's relationship with her guy friend developed. I really liked him! I liked the college boy Meg meets and I liked how Bliss realized she was better off without her cheating lying scum boyfriend.
This book was full of laughs and was made of fun. It was like a mini road trip of fun with these girls! Even though the guys weren't in the story very often I liked the little details into their personalities we do see. I liked seeing the girls become friends even though they were so different. Even though I did enjoy Boys Bears and A Serious Pair Of Hiking Boots a bit more; this author knows how to write a fun story.
Overall: Really enjoyed it! If you haven't read Boys Bears and A Serious Pair Of Hiking Boots be sure to check that one out too while your buying The Anti-Prom!
Cover: The cover is cute! Love how we can't see the faces and the balloons make it even funner!
Summary: On top of spending most of her time in a bunkerlike safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking has long been the nightmare of the Fae realm. A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together. Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the Faerie Queen wants her – and her rare Faeriewalker powers – dead. The smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?
My Thoughts: Another great novel by Black! We are back with Dana and her crazy faerie world. Both of her aunts are out to kill her, she's dealing with having her mom and dad around, feeling like a prisoner in her own new home, trying to stay out of Erklings sights, dealing with her feelings for boys, and trying to stay alive.
I really enjoyed seeing how Dana is growing up and gaining her independence. She is her own person.
The Wild Hunt has come to Avalon. Led by Arawn the Erlking, the arrival of the Hunt has Avalon's citizens both nervous and scared. I liked the new character Erkling. He's dark and mysterious at the same time. I wanted to hate him but I was on pins and needles everytime Dana ran into him.
I didn't really like Ethan as much in this book, however I did enjoy seeing Dana stick up for him and defend him. I loved seeing Keane throughout the book. I wish we could spend more time with him and get to know him a lot better.
There are so many secrets Dana is keeping from her family and she makes stupid decisions all the time so sometimes I want to smack her.
A lot happens in this one, and to truly understand you must read the book! There are surprises we don't see coming! For example, the thing she promised Arawn I had no clue what the purpose of it was, and than when she was told, my mouth dropped open!
With so many people out to kill Dana, how will she ever survive?
Shadowspell= Awesome!
Overall: I really loved this one as much as Glimmerglass. I can't wait until Sirensong releases!
Cover: Love the blueness of the cover! It's very pretty!
WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR BOOK PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT TELLING ME WHICH BOOK YOU RECEIVED!!!!! DO NOT SAY, I RECEIVED MY BOOK!!!!! YOU SHOULD BE TELLING ME THE TITLE!!!!!!!!
THANKS
_________________________ALL CONTESTS BELOW THIS LINE ARE CLAIMED!
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I will be emailing you all myself letting you know you won-easier for me. I already have the addresses.
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RECEIVEDAlex Van Helsing Voice of Undead- Kathryn- Kates Book Nook
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