tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28822447098795052962024-03-21T02:23:44.342-07:00Valley Of WordsValley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-46707890179903783592012-10-17T05:28:00.002-07:002012-10-17T05:30:06.051-07:00In My Mailbox #22<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieg5i4MXL09Nmmus5vi_oIJlZh9X_Zgza3j3AcEZi9a0ddN9wkrrRlJBJ5tIKyRK1BMUzLXcVhdCNlejCWi_lI2ZzPgkls498A1pUYXn0WjF1jDvM8opdEmmV2waIvfVqWkzJBpxa4C03L/s1600/2012-10-15_16-08-06_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieg5i4MXL09Nmmus5vi_oIJlZh9X_Zgza3j3AcEZi9a0ddN9wkrrRlJBJ5tIKyRK1BMUzLXcVhdCNlejCWi_lI2ZzPgkls498A1pUYXn0WjF1jDvM8opdEmmV2waIvfVqWkzJBpxa4C03L/s400/2012-10-15_16-08-06_300.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">Hey y'alls! I'm sorry for this late IMM, my internet has been down for a while, but I'm back! Ready to get my read on :) </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /><u><i>Books I Purchased: </i></u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">Across the Universe by Beth Revis (paperback)<br />Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy bk: 6)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /><u><i>Books I Got for Review:</i></u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://corrinejackson.com/wordpress/books/touched/">Touched </a>by Corrine Jackson<br /><a href="http://www.jhtrumble.com/">Where You Are</a> by J.H Trumble</span>Valley Of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11129567901883819244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-75866209380406375662012-09-30T20:15:00.002-07:002012-09-30T20:15:43.033-07:00Gone by Micheal Grant<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 30px;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/28/Gone_Michael_Grant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: black; clear: left; color: white; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/28/Gone_Michael_Grant.jpg" width="263" /></a><i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><u>Released: April</u></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> 20, 2009</span></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 30px;">
<i><label style="border: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Publisher: Harper Collins</span></label></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 30px;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; line-height: 23px;"><i><u><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Pages: 576</span></u></i></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 30px;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; line-height: 23px;"><i><u><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Rating: 5/5</span></u></i></span></i></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><i><b><u><span style="background-color: black; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></u></b></i></span></i></div>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: Corsiva; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<b style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b></div>
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.</i></span></b><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I have to say, that this book has been sitting on my bookshelf for quite a while. I'd been just a bit doubtful when I picked it up, it didn't seem like my type of story. (and it's pointed more toward middle grade) But boy am I glad I picked it up! It was amazing, absolutely a great read, one I regret not reading earlier.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The plot was great, in a matter of seconds all the adults have disappeared leaving only kids from the age of 14 and below to fend for themselves in the small town of Perdido Beach, California. No grown-ups. No doctors, no fire-fighters policemen, or teachers. No parents. An impenetrable wall is also discovered all around the town, up and below, sealing it. Things are changing rapidly. The action in the book doesn't take long to start but instead it hits you right away. I loved clawing my way trough the entire mysterious plot.</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There is quite a number of characters to keep track of. However it's not hard as each and every one of them are memorable - whether through their personality traits, or their own super skills, they're easily identifiable. It's also made simple. There's good versus evil. Then you can even break it into smaller groups based on their 'social status'. You can even go further and organize the characters by their skills or powers if they have any. It was a great way to identify the character and remember them throughout the book. More do get added as the story progresses, but their personality traits are different from one another so it's not hard to remember them at all. Some of them are even beginning to grow power and some of that totally reminded me of X-men. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">All in all, this book was amazing, I have yet to pick up Hunger and just devour the goodness of it too. </span></span></span>Valley Of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11129567901883819244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-2980315056372203342012-09-02T17:13:00.000-07:002012-09-02T17:13:03.805-07:00Future Wants: Ten by Gretchen Mcneil<a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/TEN-jacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.thestorysiren.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/TEN-jacket.jpg" width="264" /></a><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"> Release Date: September 18th, 2012</span></span><br />
<em style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></em>
<em style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ten Teens.</span></em><br />
<div style="line-height: 18px;">
<em><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Three Days.<br />One Killer.</span></em></div>
<div style="line-height: 18px;">
<i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The countdown is on….</span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 18px;">
<i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—three days on Henry Island at an exclusive house party. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their own reasons for wanting to be there, which involve their school’s most eligible bachelor, T. J. Fletcher, and look forward to three glorious days of boys, bonding, and fun-filled luxury.</span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 18px;">
<i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.</span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 18px;">
<i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Suddenly, people are dying, and with a storm raging outside, the teens are cut off from the rest of the world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for three days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?</span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 18px;">
<i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 18px;">
<i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: black; line-height: 18px;"><i>Ten is definitiley a novel I'm really looking forward to reading. Everything about Ten is completely intriguing. One of the major reasons I'm interested in this novel is because of the plot; its very different from your normal YA story. Can't wait for this to come out! Make sure you check it out too.</i></span></span><br />
<i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Gretchen's Website: </span><a href="http://www.gretchenmcneil.com/">http://www.gretchenmcneil.com/</a></span></i>Valley Of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11129567901883819244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-88741514718101680392012-08-31T20:44:00.003-07:002012-08-31T20:44:30.932-07:00The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4dYSrJEcFLg/T8crA6Jl4kI/AAAAAAAAHSA/EnXmkj_y6Kc/s1600/1921goddess_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4dYSrJEcFLg/T8crA6Jl4kI/AAAAAAAAHSA/EnXmkj_y6Kc/s400/1921goddess_cover.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i> <span style="line-height: 30px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><b><u>Released: </u></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">April 19, 2011</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 30px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><label style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Publisher:</label><span style="line-height: 18px;">Harlequin</span>
</i></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 30px;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; line-height: 23px;"><i><b><u><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Pages: 304</span></u></b></i></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 30px;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; line-height: 23px;"><i><b><u><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Rating: 2/5</span></u></b></i></span></i></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span></span><div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"> I have so many mixed up feelings about The Goddess Test that honestly I don't know were to begin. I will not say that The Goddess Test is one the best books I've; because it is not, it was a good read but not something that I would say overly amazing. I felt that the pace of the story was slow, I wasn't eager to pick it up when I but it down. I love Greek mythology and I felt as if Carter didn't really do justice to the concept. It was all changed to a more modern style</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span><div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Now coming to the plot and storyline, which was good, but I felt like it missed something, first off, it felt to me like it was rushed, one thing kept happening after another which kind of made it confusing. I felt as if all the mythological elements were missing from it, it literally felt like i was in the Nevernever with fae, rather than in Eden Manor with Greek Gods and Goddesses.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"> </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The protagonist; Kate was not my favourite charecter despite her self-sacrficing kind of personality, and the reason for that i believe is because i couldn't relate to her, she had no teenager quality in her, and okay i get her mothers sick and all she wants to do is take care of but honestly, i felt as Kate if was more of 42 year old than an 18 year old. Henry was definitely not my favourite character, I mean he was Hades, Hades isn't just some crazy lovestruck dude, he's like the GOD of the Underworld man. I really think Carter did not do justice to the role of Henry. Now coming to Ava, although she had a bitch quality to her, I liked her, I could relate more to her than to Kate. And my favourite character was definitley James, he was a sweet and caring guy, just simple, but James wasn't in the story a whole lot. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">In conclusion, the book did not live up to my expectations at all, with that said, I would still like to pick up the second novel in the series and see where that goes as the book ended in my favour. </span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Valley Of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11129567901883819244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-16558275655807547772012-08-30T10:18:00.002-07:002012-08-30T10:20:06.819-07:00The Duff by Kody Keplinger<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white;">
<a href="http://www.garotaquele.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/duffbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.garotaquele.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/duffbook.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; line-height: 23px;"><i><br /></i></span></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; line-height: 23px;"><i><b><u style="background-color: black;">Released: September 7th, 2010</u></b></i></span></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; line-height: 23px;"><i><b><u style="background-color: black;">Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers</u></b></i></span></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; line-height: 23px;"><i><b><u style="background-color: black;">Pages: 288</u></b></i></span></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; line-height: 23px;"><i><b><u style="background-color: black;">Rating: 4.5/5</u></b></i></span></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The Duff is one of the most honest and realistic contemporary book I have read in a quite some time. Maybe its because the author is so young but Kody Keplinger did a phenomenal job of writing Bianca and getting into the teenage mindset. Bianca is sarcastic, cynical, snaky. After her enemy Wesley Rush labels her as "the Duff" (Desginated Ugly Fat Friend) in her group of friends she's outraged, dumps her drink on him and storms off. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">By no means is Bianca perfect. Her mother is absent all the time, her parents marriage is falling apart and she knows it. Seeking a distraction from all her problems she finds it from the most unlikely person…Wesley Rush. On the outside Wesley is a womanizing playboy and is only interested in girls and sex. He doesn't seem to mind that Bianca is using him. But Wesley has family problems of his own and Bianca soon realizes they have more in common than she thought…and worse of all is she might just be falling for him. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">The Duff is a hilarious, honest and real to what teenagers have felt. We all feel like the Duff at one point of another so this book is one that teenage girls should read and be able to relate to. </span></span></span></span>Valley Of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11129567901883819244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-15578960378916058112012-02-12T13:14:00.000-08:002012-02-12T13:17:31.211-08:00In My Mailbox #12<a href="http://images.borders.com.au/images/bau/97808570/9780857072276/0/0/plain/silence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://images.borders.com.au/images/bau/97808570/9780857072276/0/0/plain/silence.jpg" width="209" /></a> <span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"> <b><i><u>Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick</u></i></b></span></span><br />
<b><i><u style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></u></i></b><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They''ve overcome the secrets riddled in Patch''s dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they''ve worked for-and their love-forever</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kh6jtkeIE-I/Tv7CNqExBRI/AAAAAAAABbM/6KFBKwd2-Kc/s1600/born-wicked-cover+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kh6jtkeIE-I/Tv7CNqExBRI/AAAAAAAABbM/6KFBKwd2-Kc/s320/born-wicked-cover+%25281%2529.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><b style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><i><u>Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood</u></i></b><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Blessed with a gift...</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">cursed </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">with a secret.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they''re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship - or an early grave. </span><br style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother''s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family''s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. </span><br style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren''t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood - not even from each other.</span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #414042; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_Muy7bXdGT-Xu6wSOq2vdLUOII9dAiNLxk9yafOO7Av66hulV63d4jLBKqUl29riZ1V9Oo-FHrds8-SXd8ax6jivOXdJqgWXHCUd1fcEwCMc4uVrcCFtlGljL-fVpD61vbupb08XacI/s1600/Jane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_Muy7bXdGT-Xu6wSOq2vdLUOII9dAiNLxk9yafOO7Av66hulV63d4jLBKqUl29riZ1V9Oo-FHrds8-SXd8ax6jivOXdJqgWXHCUd1fcEwCMc4uVrcCFtlGljL-fVpD61vbupb08XacI/s320/Jane.jpg" width="211" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_Muy7bXdGT-Xu6wSOq2vdLUOII9dAiNLxk9yafOO7Av66hulV63d4jLBKqUl29riZ1V9Oo-FHrds8-SXd8ax6jivOXdJqgWXHCUd1fcEwCMc4uVrcCFtlGljL-fVpD61vbupb08XacI/s1600/Jane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: black; line-height: 18px;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <span style="background-color: black;"> <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> Jane by April Linder </u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: black; line-height: 18px;"><u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br />
</u></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance. </span><br style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">But there''s a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane''s much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?</span><br style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic </span><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: normal; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jane Eyre</em><span style="line-height: 18px;"> promises to enchant a new generation of readers.</span></span>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-9791792406958133562012-02-09T11:44:00.000-08:002012-02-09T11:49:22.715-08:00Firelight by Sophie Jordan<div style="background-color: white;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ReKZqJniyJNpPlJ8P8KJfOIWlWZvEXc-_ONTeh3vWeMQ8zAQ5cF1sHOJsRPtfEAGs0pWik2mb9pmWzhUD7ZM7jlS7DBRj3_wIaFzoL7-dx29WoHuKRphsS2kAiwskG1ET-xkZ9dvmo4/s1600/Firelight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ReKZqJniyJNpPlJ8P8KJfOIWlWZvEXc-_ONTeh3vWeMQ8zAQ5cF1sHOJsRPtfEAGs0pWik2mb9pmWzhUD7ZM7jlS7DBRj3_wIaFzoL7-dx29WoHuKRphsS2kAiwskG1ET-xkZ9dvmo4/s400/Firelight.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><div><br />
<div><i style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Released: August 29th, 2011</span></i><br />
<div><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><i style="background-color: black;">Pages: 352</i></span></div><div><i style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Publisher: HarperTeen</span></i></div><div><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><i style="background-color: black;">Rating: 5/5</i></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><i style="background-color: black;"><br />
</i></span></div><div></div></div></div><div><i style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">A hidden truth. </span></i></div><div><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><i style="background-color: black;">Mortal enemies.<br />
Doomed love.</i></span></div><div><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><i style="background-color: black;">With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness forces her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is the gorgeous, elusive Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.</i></span></div><div><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><i style="background-color: black;">Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.</i></span></div><br />
I'm in love with this novel. I had been pushing it off for a while and I completely regret it. I finished this book in just a day; it was so hard to put down because of all the suspense and yes, romance too.<br />
<br />
I loved all the character's, every single one of them, even the bad ones. Jordan, described each character so well it was hard not to fall in love with them. Especially Will. Will just captured my heart and I had no problem in understanding why Jacinda, the protagonist couldn't resist him even though they were enemies. I completely understood Jacinda's situation. Being the only draki (descendants of dragons) in about four thousand years to breath fire came with its advantages and disadvantages. She had her entire life already laid out for her, forced to being with a boy to have children just for the sake of the pack. Don't get me wrong I loved Cassian, but I felt as if he was forcing himself on Jacinda. Jacinda was a great protagonist, the way Jordan narrated her was great, you felt for her and wished her only the best.<br />
<br />
Now moving on to the romance between Jacinda and Will. Oh, Will, I wish you were real. Will was just amazing, although being a draki hunter, I never even once hated him; his personality had such depth I couldn't help but to fall head over heels for him. Jacinda's mother and sister annoyed me bit, they were so not understanding, I mean they both did have their reasons but never once did they hear Jacinda out. The ending left me off at such a cliffhanger I have to go out and pickup Vanish, ASAP! Firelight kept you on your toes till the very end and I highly recommend this book to every YA reader.Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-32813149532696124832011-11-27T15:05:00.000-08:002011-11-27T15:06:13.168-08:00Misfit by Jon Skovron<a href="http://openbooksociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/misfit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://openbooksociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/misfit.jpg" width="269" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Released: August 1st, 2011</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Pages: 384</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Publisher: Harry M. Abrams</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Rating: 4.5/5</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I really enjoyed reading Misfit; it was great. At some point in a person's life, they feel like they don't quite fit in. The same thing apply's for Jael, she know very well that she doesn't fit in with other teenagers her age. The plot of this story was amazing. I love the unique perspective on demons that Skovron had; just that had me flipping pages rapidly. The setting of the book was quite interesting; a half demon at a Catholic school. One thing i wish had happened in the plot, especially towards the end was that it had been a bit more developed. I loved the idea's but felt that some thing were rushed a bit.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I really enjoyed the characters. I wish some of the characters like Father Aaron had played a bigger role. I really enjoyed his character. Jack was quite a lot of fun - for the smaller role he played I thought he was great. Rob was quite the charmer as well. I loved Jael's confidence she had throughout the book. She really grew as a character with each chapter. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I loved this book a lot, in fact I'd recommend it to everyone. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I fell in love with the characters and the story. </span></span></span></span>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-15216875684401262242011-11-18T20:16:00.000-08:002011-11-18T20:16:34.601-08:00The Author's of The Writers Voice!<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/?action=view&current=omgnewbutton.png" style="background-color: black; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/omgnewbutton.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;" /></span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Writers Voice</span> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Where you get to know the people behind the pages</span> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">(Please stop by and follow us at <a href="http://ourbooksourvoice.blogspot.com/" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">http://ourbooksourvoice.blogspot.com</a>) </span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">This is Emma Michaels, the author of 'The Thirteenth Chime’ and<br />
'Anasazi' and I am taking over! Don’t worry, it is only for one post. To<br />
introduce you to the team of amazing authors who are a part of a new<br />
blog called, ‘The Writers Voice’. A blog run by 10 authors and dedicated<br />
to letting you get to know each of us and the authors we feature! Here<br />
is a glimpse at a few of our perspectives by seeing our answers to:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Tell us something about your book that we wouldn’t know just by reading the blurb!</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/?action=view&current=emmasmallbutton.png" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/emmasmallbutton.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
“Some of you will know what this means if you have read The Thirteenth Chime. The saying everyone has been asking about it Haitian and yes it is a clue for the future!”<br />
-Emma Michaels</span></span></blockquote></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
<br />
</span></span><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/?action=view&current=Samanthasmallbutton1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/Samanthasmallbutton1.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<blockquote style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">“In my novel Blood Past (Warriors of Ankh #2) it is mentioned in the blurb that the characters go to Scotland. What isn’t mentioned is how many places in Edinburgh are actually my old haunts. I used to live in Edinburgh so Blood Past is full of little anecdotes about places I love. The character of Tobe mentions doing a few things in Edinburgh that are very personal to her (such as attending the city’s beautiful Christmas Service even though she’s not religious) and in fact these are things that are personal to me.”<br />
-Samantha Young</span></span></blockquote></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/?action=view&current=Jamiesmallbutton1.png" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/Jamiesmallbutton1.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">“There is a glowing passage that connects all dimensions of the universe. It is just as dangerous as it is beautiful. The travelers of Chara must face the threat of unpredictable storms of energy to find the ones that complete their soul.”<br />
-Jamie Magee</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/?action=view&current=Jaydesmallbutton1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/Jaydesmallbutton1.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">“I tend to come up with a title first and then base the entire book around the title.”<br />
-Jayde Scott</span></span></blockquote></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/?action=view&current=victoriasmallbutton21.png" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/victoriasmallbutton21.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">“My book, The Magic Warble has a message of hope, perseverance, and faith.”<br />
-Victoria Simcox</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/?action=view&current=brendasmallbutton1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/brendasmallbutton1.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">“The Talisman series has vampires and the Mer Tales has mermen and mermaids.”<br />
-Brenda Pandos</span></span></blockquote></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/?action=view&current=meggsmallbutton1.png" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/meggsmallbutton1.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"> “It has a piece of my soul woven into the words.”<br />
-Megg Jensen</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/?action=view&current=Kristiesmallbutton1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/Kristiesmallbutton1.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">“You will find a unique mythology and creatures you’re familiar with, some you are not and some that are original.”<br />
-Kristie Cook</span></span></blockquote></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/?action=view&current=rainesmallbutton1.png" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/rainesmallbutton1.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
<br />
</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">"Before the Daughters of Saraqael are born, there are nine different Estilorian classes. An Estilorian’s class is identified through the color of his or her eyes and wing color."<br />
-Raine Thomas</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/?action=view&current=kimsmallbutton1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/kimsmallbutton1.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
<br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">“In my version of the afterlife, primates operate elevators.”<br />
-Kim Richardson</span></span></blockquote></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Oh yeah, did I mention we have amazing guest authors? </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Here is a sneak peak of a few of the interviews we have planned for the future:</span></span></div><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/For%20Tour/?action=view&current=JuliaKarrsmaller.png" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/For%20Tour/JuliaKarrsmaller.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">"It's not ALL about sex!"<br />
-Julia Karr</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/For%20Tour/?action=view&current=megancrewesmaller.png" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/For%20Tour/megancrewesmaller.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">"You wouldn’t know from reading the blurb that THE WAY WE FALL is written in journal format. I wanted to give readers the sense of living through the story as my main character does, not knowing what else might happen after she stops writing for the day, and to fully capture her feelings as her world starts to fall apart."<br />
-Megan Crewe</span></span></blockquote></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/For%20Tour/?action=view&current=kcnealsmaller.png" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/For%20Tour/kcnealsmaller.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">"Have you every wished you could read people’s thoughts or move objects with the power of your mind? Well, the Pyxis series has a fun mix of paranormal powers—ESP, pyrokinesis, and other similar powers. When I was a kid, I loved reading stories with these kinds of elements. The series also a strong element of magic that’s drawn from nature."<br />
-K. C. Neal</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/For%20Tour/?action=view&current=merriehaskellsmaller.png" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/For%20Tour/merriehaskellsmaller.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">"Something about THE PRINCESS CURSE that you can't know from the blurb... well, nowhere in the blurb is Romania mentioned. My book takes place in a made-up region of medieval Romania (the year is 1489, if you want to get specific; and while there is no way to discover this from the text, and it proved completely unnecessary, I did calculate out the changes in the local calender based on when Transylvania switched over to Gregorian from Julian). But all the reviews discuss the Romanian setting, so I should choose a more interesting non-blurbed fact. Did you know that invisibility caps figure prominently in this story? They do! There are two of them, plus a Helm of Darkness, which is the name of Hades' invisibility helmet."<br />
-Merrie Haskell</span></span></blockquote></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/For%20Tour/?action=view&current=liehabelsmaller.png" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/For%20Tour/?action=view&current=liehabelsmaller.png" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb400/TheWritersVoice/For%20Tour/liehabelsmaller.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px;" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">"The cast is HUGE. Only the most essential characters are mentioned in the blurb, but the world I've managed to create sprawls out in every direction and is populated by a diverse range of people - I write all genders, all ages, all mortalities. And I love doing that. I especially love getting into the heads of new zombie characters, because they have such a unique take on the world.<br />
Also, I think some of the ARCs describe Bram as a young man who will eventually become a zombie - which is incorrect! He's already dead when he meets Nora, and she swiftly learns to look beyond that. That's the sort of relationship I like to write about. I'm an inveterate monster-lover - monsters, for me, convey romance, tragedy, and beauty of personality far more effectively than pretty-boy characters ever could."<br />
-Lia Habel</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div><span style="background-color: black; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I hope you will join us at The Writers Voice and hear more from our team and other writers from around the web! </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://ourbooksourvoice.blogspot.com/" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">http://OurBooksOurVoice.blogspot.com</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">“The Writers Voice: Where you get to know the people behind the pages”</span></span></div></div>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-73890934408755344532011-11-18T15:20:00.000-08:002011-11-18T15:20:36.675-08:00Amplified by Tara Kelly<div><a href="http://chickloveslit.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Amplified.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://chickloveslit.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Amplified.jpeg" width="283" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">Released: October 25th, 2011</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">Pages: 304</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">Rating: 4/5</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;"><br />
</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . .</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I loved this book so, so much. The whole aspect of it was so different and unique, I couldn't help but fall in love with it. I love music and that this book is based on music is even better.</span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The story starts off with Jasmine Kiss a wealthy girl from Woodside. After telling her father that she doesn't want to attend college, she leaves and goes to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. After living in the real world for sometime, she realizes things aren't what she thought they would be. She then meets Veta and Sean, siblings in a band called C-side and as they're friendship grow's things start to look and feel brighter. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">All the character's in this novel are so well developed, they're all flawed and have problems. I enjoyed Jasmine's character, she's trying so hard to pursue her life dream and is dealing with family problems too. She's a very inspiring protagonist and I think many readers will be able to relate to her. I also loved all the character's in C-side, they all mesh together so well; dealing with things all interconnected. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">And oh yes, Sean. Sean was my favorite character, he's so perfect but so imperfect at the same time! I really enjoyed watching his and Jasmine's relationship grow. It's not meant to be and it's not perfect making it so real; I just loved it.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The ending of this story made me crave for more. A completely moving story.</span></span></div>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-91303568894967037092011-11-18T14:10:00.000-08:002011-11-18T14:10:32.135-08:00Hunger Games Trailer!<iframe width="480" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/p-5ANq4sAL0?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><div>The Hunger Game's trailer is out! The movie is to be released on March 23rd, 2012.<div>I'am so stoked! This looks amazing, just cannot wait till March!</div></div>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-30291077172730813822011-11-16T18:10:00.000-08:002011-11-16T18:13:08.661-08:00Waiting On Wednesday #2<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjkwRUpVW965l7uUblJebFVpuHO0Z6-LAFOOy087rCHxsbUPMl0lZZtzBcxq1BdBHkzZ2XC3ih651PD6lN69QIxHf-Qcb9ct5KzSXCwzYG7uU0gs7g72OQNXBzKRMQ5f64zpEncs49_w/s1600/maquereddeath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjkwRUpVW965l7uUblJebFVpuHO0Z6-LAFOOy087rCHxsbUPMl0lZZtzBcxq1BdBHkzZ2XC3ih651PD6lN69QIxHf-Qcb9ct5KzSXCwzYG7uU0gs7g72OQNXBzKRMQ5f64zpEncs49_w/s400/maquereddeath.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></b><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin</span></b></u></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Pages</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">: 320</span></span></span><br />
<b style="background-color: black; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Publication Date</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">: April 24th 2012</span></b><br />
<b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"></b><br />
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;"><div style="display: inline !important;"><b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b>Publisher</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">: HarperCollins Children's Books</span></span></b></div></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 20px;">Everything is in ruins.</span> <br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i>A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.</i></div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 20px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">So what does Araby Worth have to live for?</span></i></div></span><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 20px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.</span></i></div></span><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 20px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.</span></i></div></span><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><i>Besides the stunning cover, I have been really anticipating this novel; it sounds FANTASTIC. The concept sounds so original and fresh. I am very excited for this novel, just going to have to wait till April! </i></b></div></span></span>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-37194683729325078822011-11-15T17:43:00.000-08:002011-11-15T17:45:14.471-08:00Teaser Tuesday #4<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxYYRUiWxUgTMbzqfeBEauuI7U4Vk0rxLg_-vFnAc3r9iLS-m30uj5b2_QbNBBx5paFsbBj7x2Lgx8QUTzUB7oVMWuETqI4HjkAsHsIj_ZeeZ_tGqllh0ALYWadWRhSfwWXSVO2joCnHJ/s1600/The+Iron+Queen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxYYRUiWxUgTMbzqfeBEauuI7U4Vk0rxLg_-vFnAc3r9iLS-m30uj5b2_QbNBBx5paFsbBj7x2Lgx8QUTzUB7oVMWuETqI4HjkAsHsIj_ZeeZ_tGqllh0ALYWadWRhSfwWXSVO2joCnHJ/s400/The+Iron+Queen.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><u style="background-color: black;">The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa </u></b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(Pages: 230-231) </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. " Something nudged me from behind, just enough to make me looser my balance. Shrieking like bean sihde on a roller coaster, I fell forward." </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. "Oh, of course not," I drawled sarcastically, taking a cue from Puck. "Big giant insect things holding me several hundred feet in the year? Whats there to be nervous about?" </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Teaser Tuesday is brought to us by </span><a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/?s=Teaser+Tuesdays" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-decoration: none;">Should be Reading</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></span></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rules:</span></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1) Grab your current read</span></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2) Open to a random page</span></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3) Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page</span></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4) BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)</span></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!</span></div>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-2858612532863525072011-11-13T17:33:00.000-08:002011-11-13T17:33:05.910-08:00The Sharp Time by Mary O'Connell<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://addicted2reading.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/the-sharp-time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://addicted2reading.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/the-sharp-time.jpg" width="260" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;">Released: November 8th, 2011</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;">Pages: 240</span></i></span></div><div><i style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Publisher: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Delacorte Books for Young Readers</span></span></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><i style="background-color: black;">Rating: 4/5</i></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br />
</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;">Sandinista Jones is a high school senior with a punk rock name and a broken heart. The death of her single mother has left Sandinista alone in the world, subject to the random vulnerability of everyday life. When the school system lets her down, her grief and instability intensify, and she ponders a violent act of revenge. </span></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><i style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Still, in the midst of her crisis, she gets a job at The Pale Circus, a funky vintage clothing shop, and finds friendship and camaraderie with her coworker, a boy struggling with his own secrets. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Even as Sandinista sees the failures of those with power and authority, she's offered the chance to survive through the redemptive power of friendship. Now she must choose between faith and forgiveness or violence and vengeance.</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;">Wow, just wow. I loved The Sharp Time! Even though this novel is Mary's debut, the fee of it is too fluid and captivating, giving the feel that O'Connell has been writing novels for years.</span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;">We're introduced to Sandinista Jones our protagonist, who's just recently lost her mother. She's eighteen and is completely alone, her home is a lonely place, there's noting but and empty house to come home to. Sandinista gives up on school and starts to work at a vintage clothing shop. Her job opens the door to the friendship she's been craving for and the attention of several new acquaintances from the neighboring shops. I loved O'Connell's writing, the emotion's coming of of Sandinista felt so real and completely connectable to. I loved Sandinista, she was such a well crafted character, and well developed, even though the story revolves around Sandinista's anger she is still likable. Never once did she come across being a bitch, but she was smart, funny, tough and vulnerable at the same time. The novel's tension builds as as Sandinista ploy's a pack on abusive teacher at school. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;">Overall, a good read, and definitely recommended for contemporary lovers.</span></div>Valley Of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11129567901883819244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-91360583792456708622011-11-13T16:11:00.000-08:002011-11-13T16:11:00.284-08:00Need by Carrie Jones<a href="http://pics.livejournal.com/carriejones/pic/0006822s/s640x480" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://pics.livejournal.com/carriejones/pic/0006822s/s640x480" style="line-height: normal;" width="270" /></a><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">Released: December 22nd 2009</i></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">Pages: 336</i></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">Publisher: Bloomsbury USA</i></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">Rating: 4/5</i></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background-color: black; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background-color: black; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Zara collects phobias the way other girls collect Facebook friends. Little wonder, since life's been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother's pretty much checked out. Now Zara's living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays "safe." Zara doesn't think she's in danger; she thinks her mother can't deal.</span></i></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn't a figment of her imagination. He's a pixie-and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He's the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he's trailing Zara.</i></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">With suspense, romance, and paranormal themes, this exciting breakout novel has readers rapidly turning the pages.</i></span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I had very high expectations for need and to be honest, I was a little disappointed. I've heard many people rave on and on about how wonderful the series is and I was a bit let down. The story is equipped with highly expected cliche's; popular and snotty blonde girl, hot mysterious boy, hot boy best friend and a powerful secret which involves the supernatural. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To be quite honest, I actually loved all the character's, they were very connectable. Zara White, our protagonist has been sent to live with her grandmother after her stepfather dies. The way Zara's emotions were written out, made me feel the way she felt, they were written very well. One thing i really liked about Zara is that she has a hobby of listing phobia's which I found quite interesting. As much as I liked Zara, i pretty much hated Nick; Zara's love interest. He was that typical hot jock with a hero complex. One aspect of this story that I really liked was Zara's and Nick's relationship, it wasn't rushed and they both took their time with one another. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now, for the supernatural part. I absolutely loathed the pixie's and I figure we were supposed to. They're described as being evil and vicious, which they pretty much were. Zara doesn't feel secure in the new place she's been sent to live because she finds out there has been someone stalking her and later to find out it a deadly pixie is even more terrifying. Will Zara be able to cope with the death of her stepfather? Will she be able to avoid the creepy pixie? And is that cute guy at school who happens to be a werewolf?</span>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-63866042793637737652011-11-13T15:45:00.000-08:002011-11-13T15:46:01.101-08:00City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments #1)<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyqvoOuy2N36gO9w9ynCMU6r3XlE8_BM9DOX6hBXjzM6wt0JKmUkM8L_J14X7JE13yFczPjmygMHFPeLGXeLEwTBKWTGoJpf_O5npIb2dQdwEFMR5jSyIt48QhwxhfHROr8OC4yMtYNw/s1600/city_of_bones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyqvoOuy2N36gO9w9ynCMU6r3XlE8_BM9DOX6hBXjzM6wt0JKmUkM8L_J14X7JE13yFczPjmygMHFPeLGXeLEwTBKWTGoJpf_O5npIb2dQdwEFMR5jSyIt48QhwxhfHROr8OC4yMtYNw/s400/city_of_bones.jpg" width="265" /></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Released: February 19th 2008</span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><i style="background-color: black;">Pages: 512</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><i style="background-color: black;">Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><i style="background-color: black;">Rating: 4.5/5</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><i style="background-color: black;"><br />
</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><i style="background-color: black;">When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder-much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing-not even a smear of blood-to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?</i></span></span><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><i style="background-color: black;">This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .</i></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><i style="background-color: black;">Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.</i></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've heard many people rave on about Cassandra Clare's book, but for some reason it took me a while to pick it up. Better late than never, right? I absolutely loved this book, I regret not picking it up earlier, everything about this novel just reels you in. </span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First of, I thoroughly Cassandra's writing style, it was imaginative, vivid, descriptive and totally exciting! I could feel how she had created to two worlds, alongside each other, one normal and the other completely exotic, with Shadowhunters, demons, werewolves and vampires. I also loved how Cassandra created her character's some exploring the notions of evil and some of good. I had a bit of a problem with Clary, I thought she was a bit too whiny, she doesn't think and just rushes into situations. Although, she's a bit naive, but she's also loyal, which is the only thing I liked about her. I <b>loved</b> Jace, he's the sarcastic, macho and totally obnoxious Shadowhunter. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The plot in The City of Bones has so many twists and turn, which kept me turning pages rapidly. Many of those plot twist are foreshadowed in the book, making it ever better. Overall, I loved it, there's a nice balance of action and humor. I completely understand why everyone raves about this series. I can't wait to pick up the next installment. </span></div>Valley Of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11129567901883819244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-15877568524545281122011-11-12T20:06:00.000-08:002011-11-12T20:06:03.165-08:00Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DQJgx8rLjNQ/TFdbX41MZKI/AAAAAAAAKKk/596B7b9kGbI/s1600/infinite+days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DQJgx8rLjNQ/TFdbX41MZKI/AAAAAAAAKKk/596B7b9kGbI/s400/infinite+days.jpg" width="266" /></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;">Released: August 3rd, 2010</span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><i>Pages: 336</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><i>Publisher: St. Martin's Press</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><i>Rating: 5/5</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">"Throughout all my histories, I found no one I loved more than you...no one."</span><br style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Those were some of Rhode''s last words to me. The last time he would pronounce his love. The last time I would see his face.</span><br style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></i></span><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">It was the first time in 592 years I could take a breath. Lay in the sun. Taste.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Rhode sacrificed himself so I, Lenah Beaudonte, could be human again. So I could stop the blood lust.</i></span><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></i></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">I never expected to fall in love with someone else that wasn''t Rhode.</i></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></i></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">But Justin was...daring. Exciting. More beautiful than I could dream.</i></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></i></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">I never expected to be sixteen again...then again, I never expected my past to come back and haunt me...</i></span></div></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;">I really enjoyed this novel, after reading many mixed </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;">review's</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;"> I finally decided to give it a try and I do not regret it one bit. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Infinite Days gives a new and intriguing look on vampires. The love of Lenah's life sacrifice's himself so Lenah can be transformed back into a human. His dying wish is that she lives her life to the fullest. She starts of with attending Wikham, the best boarding school money can buy. Lenah was an interesting vampire, as vicious as she was when she was a vampire, she was completely clueless as a human. She starts to feel things for the very time, emotions and touch; it's all completely different from what she felt when she was a vampire. Everything's new to her and it gives such a likable innocence. Even though we don't get to see Rhode as much except in flashback's from Lenah, I still loved him. He has loved Lenah since he first set eyes on her centuries ago and is willing to sacrifice himself so she could be happy. It's all so tragically beautiful. Justin and Lenah, oh, where do I begin? It was hilarious watching Lenah get all googly eyed when she first see's him. Justin wasn't my favorite character, he was such a player, flirting with Lenah when his girlfriend wasn't around. Still, they were cute and had some nice moments.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">As a human, Lenah was completely different then she was as vampire, which was quite noticeable. As a vampire she took great pride in being the most cruel and powerful female, but as a human she was innocent and kind of different than the typical teen girls. It was fun to see her adjusting into her human like, but things don't always stay bright. Her coven is out on the look for her, they're coven leader. I was definitely not expecting the ending but I loved it. The cliffhanger is keeping me on my toes, and I cannot wait to get my hands on Stolen Nights, the sequel which is to be released in 2012. I totally recommend this novel. </span></span>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-20802128449078574532011-11-12T19:29:00.000-08:002011-11-12T19:29:39.454-08:00Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles<a href="http://authorscoop.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/perfect-chemistry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://authorscoop.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/perfect-chemistry.jpg" width="270" /></a><i style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Released: January 13th, 2009</span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Pages: 432</span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Publisher: Bloomsbury USA</span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Rating: 5/5</span></i><br />
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;"><br />
</i></span></strong><br />
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">A fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers.</i></span></strong><br />
<br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created "perfect" life is about to unravel before her eyes. She's forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for?her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.</i></span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I absolutely LOVED this novel, everything about it was just amazing. Honestly, it is one of the best Young Adult contemporary romance I've come across in a while.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The book changes from Alex's point of view to Brittany's point of view, which was nice, that way we get to know how both of them feel and think. I absolutely fancied Alex, he was a such and amazing guy, tough on the outside but soft on the inside. Considering he's part of a gang called the Latino Blood, he's never actually done anything wild. The one and only reason he's part of the LB is to protect his family. Brittany on the other hand is your typical girl, who puts of a perfect facade, even though her life isn't at perfect as it seems; its better than Alex's but still has it's own issues. In Brittany's life you get to see, that money can't buy you happiness, which is a great moral. I loved Alex and Brittany together, all though they're a far cry from each other, they complete each other as lovers.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Simone Elkeles's writing style is fresh and clean, even the most awkwardest moments seem so normal. I liked of the voice of Alex a bit more than Brittany's, its difficult to cast a man's voice if the author is a woman, but Elkeles did it flawlessly. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Overall, I loved it. The whole aspect of this novel was extremely different and so much fun to read. This book has easily become one of my all time favorite novels. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">This a great bad boy falls for the good-girl love story. Highly recommended.</span></span></span></span>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-51516377569253346062011-11-12T12:19:00.000-08:002011-11-12T13:01:25.817-08:00Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (Starcrossed #1)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTp6ytXCMTlgbJmGwOD20piu8_I4nZUr_gbfhcZ9rPSPRNhskaB7C3Gl-YUUPw2xI3YppyiV1O9htQUvtc7XuEHn7zhcdYGF4e-ckt19pHEl65kCtQK8-2tcMeVC4yySfU1JLJAhxSTI/s1600/Starcrossed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTp6ytXCMTlgbJmGwOD20piu8_I4nZUr_gbfhcZ9rPSPRNhskaB7C3Gl-YUUPw2xI3YppyiV1O9htQUvtc7XuEHn7zhcdYGF4e-ckt19pHEl65kCtQK8-2tcMeVC4yySfU1JLJAhxSTI/s320/Starcrossed.jpg" width="211" /></a><i style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"> Released: May 31st, 2011</span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Pages: 487</span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Publisher: HarperTeen</span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Rating: 4.5/5</span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: black; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: black; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">How do you defy destiny?</span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: black; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.</span></i><br />
<div style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.</i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: normal;">I absolutely LOVED this book, I had many expectations for this book and they lived up. I love Greek mythology and when I found out this book was based on it, I couldn't wait to devour it. Angelini has written this book marvelously. From the first fifty pages, I was hooked, and could not put it down.</span></div><div style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">There were many surprises in this novel, which made turn pages rapidly. Starcrossed is an amazing blend of mythology and romance. The Greek mythology aspect of the story was written in such good tastes, and had everything a book based on Greek mythology should have: powerful and stunning gods, feuding families, war and terrifying curses and prophecies.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The protagonist, Helen is a tall and beautiful, but every low on the social radar. Helen knows theres something different about herself, and she in great lengths to keep it hidden. Starcrossed has plenty romance and a great deals of angst. Lucas and Helen are tied together by fate but their relationship starts of on the curve; Helen loathes him and wants to kill him with her bare hands when they first meet, but I'm glad their relationship grows strong over time.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Overall, Starcrossed was a very entertaining read. The ending left me craving for more and the good news is that there will be a sequel, but the bad news is i'm going to have to wait till May of 2012.</span></span></div>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-31638261039572796942011-11-12T11:12:00.000-08:002011-11-12T11:18:20.852-08:00The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey #1)<a href="http://ageofsteam.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/the_iron_king.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ageofsteam.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/the_iron_king.jpg" width="204" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Released: February 1st 2010</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Pages: 363</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Publisher: Harlequin Teen</span></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 4.5/5</span></i></span><br />
<i style="background-color: black; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: black; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Meghan Chase has a secret destiny-one she could never have imagined…</span></i><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan''s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.</i></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she''s known is about to change.</i></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="background-color: black;">But she could never have guessed the truth-that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she''ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.</i></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This novel was phenomenal. The world that Julie created was amazing; somewhere between Peter Pan and A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was a creepy, yet interesting and lets not forget dangerous faery world.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ever since Meghan Chase's father disappeared when she was six, Meghan felt like an outcast, a misfit. Then as her sixteenth birthday approaches, weird things start to happen. Her cute, bubbly, four year old brother Ethan seems to be possessed and Robbie, Meghan's best friend since childhood, seems to know more than he's letting on. Meghan's in shock when Robbie reveals to her a strange and deadly secret, that a world exists alongside on our own. In order to save Ethan, Meghan sets of on a dangerous journey, entering the deadly world of fey; the Nevernever.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Iron King is filled with adventure and a variety of interesting characters. Meghan, the protagonist, is a likable character, she grows as a person through the course of the book and truly has the potential of becoming a great heroine as the series continues. The supporting character are well developed and highly entertaining, especially Puck (Robbie). I must admit to liking Puck more then I liked Meghan. The Ice Prince of the other hand was much more mysterious and held back, so i felt that I couldn't connect to him as much as Puck and Meghan. The romance between Ash and Meghan, I think needed to be a but more developed as well. (All though I was hoping Meghan would end up with Puck)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;">Can Meghan rescue her brother? Can she keep Puck and Ash from literally killing each other? Does she dare give her heart to a prince who might enjoy seeing her dead? And most of all, if Meghan manages to survive through the overwhelming obstacles before her, w</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;">ill</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;">her life ever be the same again? </span></span>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-9040990506816931232011-08-03T20:57:00.000-07:002011-11-18T20:23:52.031-08:00The Thirteeth Chime by Emma Micheals<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278108325l/8531229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278108325l/8531229.jpg" width="228" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"></span><br />
<div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Released: August 13th, 2010</span></i></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i style="background-color: black;">Pages: 238</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: xx-small; font-style: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i style="background-color: black;">Publisher: Bokheim Publishing</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i style="background-color: black;">Rating: 4/5</i></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br />
</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;">HATRED NEVER DIES... </span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Destiny has finally found the life that she has always wanted. She is about to finish college, has a fiance that loves her, and a great summer on the West Coast planned with her friend, Stephanie. But her world is turned upside down when an antique clock mysteriously chimes thirteen times and someone attacks them, sending Stephanie and her mother to the hospital. </span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Alone, and without any help from the police, Destiny has no choice but to turn to the one man she had left behind a year ago - her ex-boyfriend, David. Together, they must solve the riddle of the thirteenth chime before the clock strikes thirteen again. Yet as they face their own past and hearts, a trap over half a century old is waiting for them to become its prey. </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: xx-small; font-style: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i> </i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">I read </span><i style="line-height: 20px;">The Thirteenth Chime</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"> in almost one sitting, mostly because I was scared I would get creepy nightmares and dreams about the book. The overall story itself is quite creepy. The Thirteenth Chime would actually be a perfect episode for Supernatural. The book was quite enjoyable it kept my attention and kept me on my toes to what would happen next. I think one of the best things about a book is that you don't end up knowing where the story is going and are fooled unexpectedly, which this book did perfectly. </span></span><br />
<div><div style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I liked the characters Emma created but I had a hard time connecting with them, they just didn't seem real to me. </span></div></div><div><div style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">While the action and horrifying scenes in this novel are very tight and well-written, there are </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-style: inherit;">other points in the novel, which are still rough around the edges</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">. For example, it appears that Emma writes description and tidbits of conversation that doesn’t actually contribute to moving the plot forward or developing characters further. Arguably, these moments are there because they help improve the reader’s awareness of the scene or setting, and I firmly believe that most teen readers won’t be bothered by them once they get into the over-arching plot.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Overall, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: inherit; line-height: 18px;">I do </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">recommend</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: inherit; line-height: 18px;"> this novel and will look forward to the next book in the series.</span></span></div>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-17288111722555074802011-07-30T09:20:00.000-07:002011-11-11T16:04:58.813-08:00Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKGLAzPQEva4X9TTRpoyt1UY5vCHOx9x8zeqLYtJEf7ZYJ74-pW4-XdTUpIh4Wr8Rcb5wxWTTNRFgQO3xcOCqWeobsbueD5PN0XNOXO5P-Aw6alzVTnpFFCEOg7adYFr4lKlsM15CdJsf/s1600/birthmarked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKGLAzPQEva4X9TTRpoyt1UY5vCHOx9x8zeqLYtJEf7ZYJ74-pW4-XdTUpIh4Wr8Rcb5wxWTTNRFgQO3xcOCqWeobsbueD5PN0XNOXO5P-Aw6alzVTnpFFCEOg7adYFr4lKlsM15CdJsf/s400/birthmarked.jpg" width="266" /></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"></span></div><div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline !important; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline !important; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i>Released: October 11th 2010</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span></div></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i>Pages: 284</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: xx-small; font-style: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i>Publisher: Square Fish</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i>Rating: 5/5</i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><i>In the future, in a world baked dry by the harsh sun, there are those who live inside the wall and those, like sixteen-year-old midwife, Gaia Stone, who live outside. Gaia has always believed it is her duty, with her mother, to hand over a small quota of babies to the Enclave. But when Gaia's mother and father are arrested by the very people they so dutifully serve, Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught to believe. Gaia's choice is now simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying.</i></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"></span><br />
<div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; line-height: 18px;">Caragh O'Brien's Birthmarked is one of the best books of 2010 . I've been letting my thoughts sit and simmer for a few days, in the hopes of being able to churn out a more coherent review. Which is oddly fitting, actually. See, I have all my favorite books, in hardcover, placed in a cluster on my bookshelf. Birthmarked is the latest addition.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Another aspect that I enjoy in YA literature is having a strong leading heroine. Gaia Stone fulfills that role admirably. There's no damsel-in-distress in Birthmarked, waiting around passively to be rescued. Gaia goes out there, and she gets it done. She brings the action, she forwards the plot, and she makes it happen. Sergeant Grey... hehehe, what can I say? He's pretty dreamy, yeah. <b>:)</b> Probably one of the best boys of YA, and all that jazz, no big deal or anything. (Subliminal message = read Birthmarked!)<br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'll admit - I was getting a little worried at the very beginning in regards to Gaia's initial reactions, and it was a little hard to suspend disbelief at that point. But once you get past the beginning, WOW. Just wow. And yeah, there were some plot elements that were a little predicatable, but the plot just worked here. It just meshed with the story, the characters..</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of the other great things about Birthmarked is simply how smart it is. The technology in it, the science behind it... it really adds an extra layer of depth, which is great to see. In case you can't tell from my review this far - basically, I loved Birthmarked.<br />
<br />
These few paragraphs here hardly do Caragh O'Brien's Birthmarked justice. This is one to move to the top of </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the TBR list, a must-read. A dystopian masterpiece.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-4786130465121473552011-07-14T09:35:00.000-07:002011-11-11T16:05:57.747-08:00Phantom Universe by Laura Kreitzer<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"></span><br />
<div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1294109525l/9302283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1294109525l/9302283.jpg" width="264" /></a><br />
<div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline !important; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline !important; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i>Released: Febuary 15th 2011</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span></div></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i>Pages: 228</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: xx-small; font-style: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i>Publisher: </i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Obsidian Mountain Publishing </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><br />
</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i>Rating: 4.5/5</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></span></span></i></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sold into slavery to pirates at the young age of four, Summer learns to survive the rough seas of subterfuge and thieves through silence. When the boat she's lived on most of her life is destroyed, Summer finds herself washed up on the shore of a new world, a phantom universe full of the bizarre and extraordinary. She meets Gage, the one boy who understands the girl with no speech. But when their lives are put on the line, will Summer finally call out? Or will all be lost in the fathomless depth of silence?</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have really mixed feelings on this book and continue to even though l finished it on Monday. For many reasons l really like this book but there are a few things which take this book down from a 4.5 or even a possible 5 star rating. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It didn't take me long to get into this book, after one chapter l was gripped into Summer's world and desperately wanting to constantly find out what happens next. What l really loved and what engrossed me is how Laura takes you (the reader) back in time throughout the book to show you things that have gone on in Summer's life (flashbacks). It was a really shame when Laura just suddenly stopped doing that as l really liked how l was desperate to find out what happens next and then the book would go to something that happened in the past.<br />
Summer as a character is a very loveable one who you are quickly made to feel sympathy for and see things through her eyes, some chapters were quite hard to read and this book is in no way an easy read. You call tell the author, Laura, really feels strongly about the sad truth about kidnapping and has done research into this (she did a guest post on my blog). The characters around Summer really made me feel so many things from admiration for being patience to hatred.<br />
For me, some twists and turns in this book made me think and l still don't know if l like it or not. The problem, for me, with the time travel in this book is how much it lefts unsaid until quite late in the book. For a lot of the book l didn't really understand the time travel and was left waiting and waiting for the explanation and it became such a big issue in the book. l was surprised that when Laura explained it, it seemed rushed and like she use it to add to her story but didn't explain enough into what actually happened. Then of course along with the time travel came technology which most of the time Laura was great to keep it simple and not add too many advanced things which we wouldn't understand.<br />
This book touches on some very tough subjects which Laura wrote in an emotional and touching way which definitely made me feel for Summer. I feel maybe the time travel and the twists took too much away from the most interesting part of this book which was the kidnapping and when big issues like wars brought into it, l wanted more explanation than was offered. That said, l don't want to take anything away from the twists which are totally unexpected and very intriguing.<br />
I think in some ways this book would be perfect for a standalone if just another chapter was added to round things up but you can definitely tell there is going to be another book in the series (which there is)<br />
Over-all l REALLY recommend this book for anyone who is drawn in by the blurb as this book is such much better than even the blurb makes it sounds.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Areej -</span>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-2249485275529181672011-07-12T09:39:00.000-07:002011-11-11T16:07:41.171-08:00What Happened To Goodbye by Sarah Dessen<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fKvFSLwVBwE/TSou28W6r0I/AAAAAAAACRI/eZeOAPqN-xs/s1600/what+happened+to+goodbye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fKvFSLwVBwE/TSou28W6r0I/AAAAAAAACRI/eZeOAPqN-xs/s400/what+happened+to+goodbye.jpg" width="263" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"></span><br />
<div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><i></i></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span><br />
<div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline !important; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline !important; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><i>Released: May 10th, 2011</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span></div></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><i>Pages: 416</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"></span></span><br />
<div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><i></i></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span></span><br />
<div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline !important; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline !important; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><i></i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span></span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></i></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div style="display: inline !important; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; line-height: 23px;"><i></i></span></strong></span></i></span></strong></span></i></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span></span></span></div><div class="itemProductDescriptionPara" id="ctl18_itemProductDescriptionPara" readmore="250" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline !important; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><i>Publisher: Penguin Young Reader Group</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span></span></span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"><i>Rating: 5/5</i></span></i></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></strong></span></i></strong></span></i></i></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></span></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out.<br />
<br />
Combing Sarah Dessen's trademark graceful writing, great characters, and compelling storytelling, <em>What Happened to Goodbye</em> is irresistible reading.</span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Somehow Sarah Dessen has made another incredible book. I recommend everyone read this book! </span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Crushed; line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I laughed at Dave's straight forward way of thinking, I cried at McLean's dysfunctional yet not so dysfunctional family. I could relate to the character and have dreamed about re-inventing myself in a whole knew town but Dessen touch on the topic of creating someone else and loosing yourself in the process. </span></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
Although McLean probably lost herself when her family broke up we have to question if she ever really knew herself or just knew her family?<br />
<br />
Either way Sarah Dessen took a subject that doesn't hold a candle to some of her other topics, like rape and abuse (which when we think about it it really is, just on a seperate plane) and made it just as important, just as touching, and make me reflect on my life, like all her books do, and see just how good i have it.<br />
<br />
With no situation completely unrealistic and no character completely fake Dessen brought me into a different world that is somehow very familiar. I could basically draw a picture of the straight forward hunky Dave with his nerdy side shinning through his eyes as he lie on the pavement in a completely embarrassing and outrageously hilarious moment.<br />
<br />
So thats ten books total and about eight of them are incredible. Thats pretty good.<a class="readLessLink" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2882244709879505296&postID=224948527552918167&from=pencil" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </a></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"></span></div>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882244709879505296.post-48144037200270651322011-07-12T09:29:00.000-07:002011-11-11T16:08:40.775-08:00Update!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Hello everyone, me & Axelle are here to apologize for being gone so long. First it was school, me and Axelle had our final exams and we were busy with that, and then our grandfather passed away in Egypt so we had to travel there and were busy with that, its been quite a long period of time and we apologize, but we're back on track and will soon resume the book reviews , giveaways and more. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>-Areej & Axelle </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>We also are mentioning the winners for our John Green giveaway. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>WINNERS ARE: </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Amelia & Misty Ravenz ( no blog)</i></span>Valley of Wordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855551758450719483noreply@blogger.com1