Love all of Ellen Hopkins books, another one of my favorite authors. Fallout comes out September 14th!


“Forever has no meaning when you’re living in the moment. I wasn’t ready for that moment to end.”
—
Ellen Hopkins

3 Book Giveaway!

Three books, one winner! Deadline is July 23, 2010

Compound by S.A. Bodeen
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Gone by Michael Grant



Rules for entering:

1. You MUST be a follower of this blog.
2. This contest is open internationally. US UK Canada
3. You MUST complete the form below. Do not leave info in the comments - will not count.
4. I will contact winner, after 48 hours with no response, another winner will be drawn.

Good Luck!

Favorite Series

My all time favorite series! What's yours?

“I’d said it before and meant it: Alive or undead, the love of my life was a badass.”
—
Rose (Blood Promise)


The site says:
Last Sacrifice will be the last book about Rose, but it’ll be followed by a spin-off series still set in the Vampire Academy world. Side characters we know from the current series will now be our main characters, and there’ll be a whole new storyline (not the last one told from a different perspective). So far, there is no title or release date info for the new series. Expect it in 2012.
But “Last Sacrifice” comes out in December. I CAN’T WAIT THAT LONG.

Random Passage, Random Page, Random Book off the Shelf.

"I'm in a band, I can hook the girls in if I wanted to. I'm like you. I've got the right looks, if you know what I mean. And I don't mean that in a vain way. Just being honest.

-Rachel Cohn, David Levithan, Naomi and Ely's. Page 108

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

In this futuristic world, when you turn 16, you get an operation that turns you beautiful. Everyone pretty gets a new house in the glamorous part of town-New Pretty Town. This is where Tally Youngblood wants to be. How can she help it, when all anyone learns in school is how much better life is when everyone is beautiful, and when all the people you know don't call you by your name, they call you by your main imperfection? Tally's best friend Peris has just turned pretty,too. After a daring escape into New Pretty Town(no Uglies allowed-after all, why would the plastic -surgeoned people want to look at a real face?) she meets Shay, who shares Tally's birthday. This means neither will have to leave the other for a single day while she becomes pretty,which makes Tally happy. But Shay is a little unusual. She hates the operation, and wants to keep her own face. Despite tally's protests she runs away to a mysterious place called The Smoke, where runaways can be safe, and stay ugly forever. Repulsive, at least to Tally, who Shay begs to come. But she won't. In just a few days, it's Tally's birthday, her ticket out of the Ugly dorm and gazing out the window at New Pretty Town. She'll be a Pretty. Then, on the long-awaited day there's a problem with Tally's operation. A barely believed group called the Special Circumstances takes the reins, giving Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find Shay and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. And Tally wants to be pretty so much... I could not put this book down. It's not pure unbelievability like some sci-fi, giving good reasons for why society is like this, but it's not boring either, fraught with hoverboard chases and things exploding. I'm totally hooked on the trilogy, and will definitely be reading more of Scott Westerfeld's books in the future. 5 STARS!

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

Popular author Sarah Dessen has managed to write yet another book on "teenage issues" without sounding like the school's preachy guidance counselor. This time, our protagonist is sixteen year-old Caitlin, who bares many characteristics of all of Dessen's leading ladies. On the morning of her sixteenth birthday party, she and her parents wake up to find her older sister, Cass, has run away to be with her new found love. All that's left is the present that Cass left for her sister and the note that was under the coffee maker. Caitin's structured family is in a tailspin. Her father is more withdrawn than ever and her mother becomes obsessed with finding her daughter. Caitlin shrinks into the background, living life as normally as she can. Her attempt at normality leads to cheerleading tryouts, coaxed by her best friend, Rina. Caitlin manages to make the squad even if she is lacking the zest that the other members seen to have a never ending supply of. It's not long until she meets Rogerson, a student from the fancy prep school, Perkins Day. Rogerson takes a liking to Caitlin and it's not long before they're a "couple". We watch as Caitlin changes from the good, B-average student to the chain smoking victim of an abusive boyfriend. Rogerson wants her to be with him at all times and if she takes a step out of line, she pays the price of a beating. The reader wants to scream, "Do something! Tell someone!" at poor Caitlin, but she can't. Anyone she could tell has their own problems to deal with. Caitlin has entered a sort of dreamland. Nothing - the cheerleading, her sister's disappearance, her abusive boyfriend- none of it seems real. She lives for the "safe periods" after Rogerson hits her when he's especially nice to her. It's heartbreaking to watch, but so incredibly real. It's the secret story of many real relationships. Dessen's writing is compelling, often humorous, sometimes depressing, but always powerful. Dreamland is an excellent read for anyone seeking the story of a girl that could be any one of us. 5 STARS!

What are you currently reading?

I don't normally feel like taking on too much, reading-wise, no matter how many books I'm juggling. I do feel it this time, though.

So I've got my nose in the following books:

• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
• Dawn by Kevin Brooks
• Devilish by Maureen Johnson
• The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore by Joan Nixon
• A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

What are you guys reading? Do you read one book at a time or are you going through several books at the same time, too?

Book Haul

Oooh look what came in the mail today from Amazon. What's better to a book lover than waking up in the morning to find a box full of box on your door step? I still have a bunch of unread books on my shelves but I caved in a bought some more. but HEY I really wanted these titles and heard lots of great things about all of them. From here on out (until I finish majority of my unread books) I promise myself not to buy anymore.

Michael Grant - Gone (first in a three book series so far)

Cinda Williams Chima - The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir (first two in another three book series)

Claudia Gray - Evernight (first in a three book series)

Harry Potter

We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.” —J.K. Rowling

Rereading all the books.

Nick Hornby Quote

“It’s no good pretending that any relationship has a future if your record collections disagree violently or if your favorite films wouldn’t even speak to each other if they met at a party.”
—
Nick Hornby

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Saving Francesca. For as long as Francesca Spinelli can remember, she has relied on other people to tell her who she is. Her mother, Mia, never let a day pass when she would not comment on Francesca's laziness, or talent, or passion. Her friend's at Stella's would compliment on her sweet and non-threatening nature. But in year eleven, Francesca has found herself St. Sebastian's - an all boys school that has recently started accepting girls. Forced out of her contented niche at St. Stella's, she fears she is invisible, believes she is silent and comes to the startling realisation that her identity may well be gone forever. The fact that her manipulative and over-bearing, but deeply relied upon and loved mother, has taken to her bed with depression, adds to Francesca's worries. It appears that life could not get any worse, and Francesca sets out on a turbulent journey to retrieve her identity and survive her mother's illness. 3 STARS!!

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

This is the first novel of Nancy Werlin that I have read, and I don't know that I will read others. I really wish I could write a fabulous review for Impossible, but the truth is, the book was amazingly dull. A few chapters into the book, I started formulating ideas about the ending, how things might turn out, etc. But I thought to myself, "Surely there's a twist and she brings in someone or something to shake things up!" But no. There was no twist. It was a quick read, but what a waste of time. Of course, a fairytale with few twists and turns might be just what you're looking for. 2 STARS!!

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

I loved Daniel Waters Generation Dead, and when I found out it was the first book in a 3 book series, I admittedly went out and bought the others. The book switches between three perspectives (Phoebe the goth heroine, Adam the best friend whos in love with Pheebs, and Pete the ringleader of the PainCrew) Teens are coming back after they die and most of the alive humans are having trouble accepting them, they treat these kids like parasites. Phoebe is crushing on 'dead kid' Tommy. Shes in a love triangle with Adam and Tommy. The PainCrew threatens to harm the zombies and everyone who is supportive of them. 5 STARS!!!