View on English Classroom Discussion

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I was a very precocious kid; I liked to learn. I can remember my whole schooling career, up to college where I'm in my second year and they allow you to gain your own understanding, being frustrated with my teachers telling me what an author meant. I would sarcastically think, "What, did you know {said author} and they told you what meaning they were trying to give their readers?"

I loved to write from a young age and I would think that when I wrote poems especially, I barely thought about what meaning I was putting into my poems. Poetry is about expression and I don't know anyone who didn't care about what they were writing, sitting down and trying to pack meaning they didn't care about into their writing.

All of my teacher analyzed everything to death too. Every word meant something; every comma or new stanza or paragraph was done purposefully. What if they were just trying to make things look better?! What if they just wanted things to flow more easily?

I always just wanted to read a poem or story first and feel it. Just feel the tone and then go back and see what it was all about. I know a lot of authors, like Poe for example, went back and edited his writing to make sure every action in the story fit the plot and was helping to makes it apparent to his readers what the feeling or though behind the piece was about.

But not all authors or not all of their stories or poems need to be analyzed the way curriculum is set up. I know they're getting us ready to write papers in later grades and college and give us some insight, but that's why a lot of kids lose interest. They push it too far and leave no room for individuality and creativity.

Teaser Tuesday (2)

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This weekly meme is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. All you have to do is:

• Grab the book you're currently reading.
• Open to a random page.
• Share 2 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on the page
• DON'T INCLUDE SPOILERS
• Share the title and author so other participants can add the book to their TBR pile, if wanted.

"I was turning to look for Stark when he was suddenly there beside me, His hand trailed down my arm until our fingers met and threaded together."

pg. 75 of Destined by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer Review

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From Goodreads: Calla has always welcomed war.

But now that the final battle is upon her, there's more at stake than fighting. There's saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay's wrath. There's keeping Ansel safe, even if he's been branded a traitor. There's proving herself as the pack's alpha, facing unnamable horrors, and ridding the world of the Keepers' magic once and for all. And then there's deciding what to do when the war ends. If Calla makes it out alive, that is. In this remarkable final installment of the Nightshade trilogy, international bestselling author Andrea Cremer crafts a dynamic novel with twists and turns that will keep you breathless until its final pages.

Rating: 4/5

Plot: 4.5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 4.5/5

I rushed right into this book, needing to find out what happened after Calla brings Ren back to the Searcher's in Italy. I'm a Team Ren member and gained a lot of satisfaction from Calla rescuing him. The old Calla is finally back after her departure from the last book. In my review of Wolfsbane, if you didn't see it, I had some complaints. She becomes her alpha wolf and forces the love triangle between her, Shay, and Ren to become second to their mission to finish the Elemental Cross and destroy the Wraiths and, essentially, the Keepers.

The story is fast-paced as usual, because the Searchers have to work fast. Ren and Adne are also able to meet and start to develop a relationship--one of many relationships that get to develop! There's a lot of action and I loved reading about the adventures and new information the pack and the Scion gets to learn about their world. One of the only reasons I stuck with reading the last book, besides curiosity, was all the great information we got about The Keepers and the pack.

I was surprised and amused, gaps in stories and actions are close up, and felt closer to the characters a lot more in this book. Ren is more dimensional and most other characters' lives and actions are given explanations. Call is as confused as ever but as the end of the book nears, her feelings become more clear. Bloodrose is a huge step up from Wolfsbane, for me and very, very engrossing and emotional. I don't think it's really because of any major flaw, but the story changes so rapidly that it's hard for the readers emotions to catch up.

**SPOILERS**

I think Cremer created the love between Calla and Ren so well that their love isn't seperate or different enough to the love of Calla and Shay. Yes, she "had" to be with Ren but her feelings were real, she even admits that. Honestly, I think she could have gotten away with choosing either one of her guys and it would have made sense.

I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY ALL ENDED UP BEING WOLVES. IT WAS PERFECT BUT ALSO VERY, VERY UPSETTING. AND REN, MY POOR REN.

I think it was a little convenient that Ren and Shay are both alpha males and Calla doesn't want to hurt Ren because she knows she's already made her decision, and then he is killed. I'm glad he died fighting Emile and that Calla had such a strong reaction to it. It was very touching. It was also very conveneient, but nice, that the wolves got to become wolves and basically not deal with all the pain and deal with living in new world.

I was very shocked though, that 1) The Searched knew that the pack would be destroyed of their human lives and yet they carried on 2) the pack seemed to accept it so easily and 3) Shay was Scion and a wolf.

One of the World's Smallest Books

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I saw this article on the main Yahoo! page and I had to share it because I'm a fan of miniature books (aren't they so cute?) and I thought it was interesting.

The article, Revealed: A Book the Size of a Ladybug, explains that miniature books are recognized being fewer than 3 inches in length and width; this book is a .138 inches square and .04 inches thick. The university of Iowa owns it, among other books, and before they knew for sure, using a high-end microscope, figured it was a Bible.

It has a larger, sister book and they were both sold at the World' Fair in 1965. After decades apart, they are both now together and it was found out they contain the same content.

I don't know about a book this small, but I would love to have a miniature book collection of my favorite books, just for fun.

Vampire Academy Movie

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I think I've come to realize that I don't like movies that are made from long series of books. If it's a solo book, like Perks Of Being A Wallflower, which is a great movie BTW, I think there's less to focus on and less pressure to create a franchise.

I knew years ago that Richelle Mead had sold the rights to her book for a movie and a company was going to produce it. But I hadn't heard much about it so I forgot for over a year until about a week ago. I got to see who was playing all the characters and....I was severely disappointed.

I don't know why Hollywood insists on screwing up book series (and I wish more authors were vocal about it).

Rose is supposed to be half Turkish and have tan skin and dark brown eyes. She's supposed to be curvy. And here we have Zoey Deutch.

Don't get me wrong, she's beautiful. But she's not who I pictured for Rose, at all.

I'm a bit happier with the pick for Dmitri, Danila Kozlovsky. I hope he looks good with long hair!

And, of course, there's Lucy Fry as Lissa. I think they could make her look more thin and pale!

But the character who I think looks most like who I pictured, is Victor. He'll be played by Gabriel Byrne. He has that creepy but good-feature thing going on!

And who can forget Mason! He'll be played by the amazing Cameron Monaghan, from one of my favorite TV shows--Shameless.

I would never, as an author, sign away rights to the movie unless I was involved int he script and the casting.

And one last thing, I like that instead of just plain old Vampire Academy, the movie title will be Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters!

Song Stuck In My Head Saturday (21)

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This is one of my memes that I'm bringing back on my blog! We all always have that one song we hear on the radio or we listen to on our iPods that just can't get out of our heads--whether we like the song or not.

It's been almost 2 weeks since Warped Tour and months since I purchased Sempiternal by Bring Me The Horizon. They are on eof my favorite bands but I know they're an acquired taste if you're not used to metalcore.

It's hard to pick one song because the whole album is amazing and I find many of them in my head throughout the day!!! But Empire is one of my favorites! Listen from Spotify:

It's also on YouTube for free streaming FYI.

My Golden Comfort

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For as long as I can remember, I have always been watching Golden Girls.

I can remember every network it's ever been on the times they showed it. Nowadays, it's on the Hallmark Channel every night from 12-2 am and every morning 8-10 am. And this summer TvLand picked it up and it plays at different times every day. It's a dream come true!!

Oh, and I own all the seasons on DVD...

If Golden Girls isn't making me feel better when I'm in a bad mood or down in the dumps, then everyone knows there's something wrong.

When I moved into my dorm last year, my first roommate (who I had never met) bought me a mini poster at the bookstore's poster sale the first week of classes. For my birthday in April, my hall's CA (Community Assistant) wrote a 'Happy Birthday' sign like she did for everyone and she referenced the Golden Girls.

You know how each person is known for something? Well my thing is watching the Golden Girls every night.

Fever by Lauren DeStefano Review

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From Goodreads: Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.


Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

Rhine and Gabriel have left the mansion and instead of finding the freedom they wanted, much to my disappointment but not shock, they get caught up in another new-world scheme: a "carnival". Madame, a first generation who is an addict and most often fakes a light French-German accent, runs a prostitution ring in a desolate area. All she cares for is money and when Gabriel is saved by Rhine's beauty and ability to gain some of Madame's trust. Rhine, once again, must blend in with her environment in order to escape and get to Manhattan.

Fever was as exciting and rich as Wither and I really enjoyed the new storyline. A lot more information was found out, secrets revealed, and depth was added to the story when I thought it was already perfect.Everything was planned perfectly and I didn't have many qualms about this book. It all seemed to fit together and was believable (for their world anyway). There was so much story packed into this book I thought it could have been 2 books!

I need to get my hands on the next book ASAP!

**SPOILERS**

The one thing I had a minor issue with the past two books of the series was the pro-naturalists. I don't get how anyone would not want to try to find a cure. I feel like, in Wither, a lot of history was condensed and I wish the reader could know more about the history and the first generations.

I always get the feeling that all first generations are creepy. Especially when Rhine, Gabriel, and Maddie stay overnight at the restaurant they find. It seems like they're all corrupted because of the death of their children and the seemingly end of their world.

I loved that Gabriel opened up more and become more dimensional. He and Rhine faced reality and this story definitely wasn't as cushy as the Florida mansion. Even Rhine is learning more about herself and seeing the faults in Rowan and the world; except that she can't accept the fact that she will die at age 20.

Although I was at first disappointed that we weren't clued in more with how Rhine's eyes are so special and what she has to do with a cure, I did come to realize that that wasn't the sole focus of the story and the next book, the last one, should explain everything. I hope Rhine finds her brother early on because there's going to be  a lot going on: finding Rowan, learning about her eyes and her parents, getting back to Gabriel. It's going to be intense but I trust Lauren DeStefano to end this series well.

Stake That! by Mari Mancusi Review

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From Goodreads: Two sisters—as different as the sun and the rain. For one, getting into the Blood Cover is to die for, but it seems destiny has something else in mind...

Rayne McDonald had it all figured out. Get turned into a vampire, become the mate of the Blood Coven leader, and live the high-life for all eternity. Too bad the head vamp took a bite out of her twin sister by mistake. Now, not only is Rayne still not a vampire, but she learns she's a slayer instead—destined to destroy vamps gone bad. 

After being recruited by a secret organization, Rayne is given her first mission: infiltrate a seedy bar downtown and expose its vampire owner, Maverick, for purposely spreading a nasty blood virus. Luckily the Blood Coven sends some help—in the form of sexy vampire Jareth. Will vampire and slayer be able to settle their differences and work together to bring down the evil Maverick? Or will they find their own hearts on the line?

Rating: 1/5

Plot: 3/5

Characters: 2/5

Ending: 3.5/5

I want to start off by saying I read the first book a few years ago and I was much less mature and had not yet experienced better other books. That being said...Stake That! starts off a small time after the first book and is told mostly by Rayne's blog posts. Just the posts by itself makes it all so ridiculous and immature that I, even at only 19, could not stand it. I know Mancusi is trying to be light and funny, and sometimes it comes across, but mostly it's cheesy and ruined the plt for me. When Mancusi tried to be "serious", it failed--which was sad because I think the story and even the characters had a lot of potential.

I'm just not the right person to be reading this series and I will not read any further into it.


BTW, this is my only review (on this blog anyway) that has been this harsh and it kind of sucks!

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer Review

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From Goodreads: Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer–one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack–and the man–she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

Rating: 3.5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Ending: 5/5

It had been a long, long time since I read Nightshade when I picked up this book, but everything that happened came back and Goodreads reviews with spoilers also help (haha). Wolfsbane picks up where Nightshade left off; Calla and Shay are introduced into the world of the Searchers and the reader learns a lot more history of their world. It was all very interesting and, I dare say, I liked that aspect of the book better than anything else.

I was very annoyed the first 70 or so pages and almost didn't bother finishing the book because it seemed like no questions were being answered and Calla and Shay were still in the dark about the Searchers' world/intentions. It was like all the conversations Calla and Shay needed to have were put off. As a reader, I felt like something was always missing and unanswered and I knew it was done purposefully because the characters could tell too most of the time.

The book was well-written, very entertaining, and a good sequel despite everything else. Hopefully I won't be forced to plow my way through the next book, Bloodrose.

**SPOILERS**

I was very suspicious of Ariadne and Shay, and Calla was too but she never looked into it. Which, to me, is a sign that she didn't care that much. Yes she was occupied but I think she would have been more upset if Ren would have moved on than if Shay and Ariadne really were flirting (I'm Team Ren BTW).

It seemed like there were so many times when the Searchers are discussing the past or some plan they have or the first mission where things are left out and Calla obviously has questions and she either doesn't ask or when she does they sidestep her and she lets it go. She's an alpha, why does she let so many things go?!

CALLA MAKES OUT WITH REN. LIKE. YAY BUT NOOOOOOO. She is killing me. I know you want freedom but you also want your pack; you want Shay but you also want Ren. She says she wants Shay but every time they make out memories of Ren come back and she's so attached to his ring? Those are signs. I know she can't get over him that easily, and she'll always love him, but I think it's so obvious that he's the guy for her. She can't just choose Shay and say he's more her type now because he's wolf and an alpha.

I think everything Calla was apparently running away from came back into her life anyway and she enjoyed it. I hope the next book clears things up because I was clearly frustrated with a lot of things. Thank god for Connor!

The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen Review

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From Goodreads: Ella and Micha have been best friends since they were kids. But one tragic night shatters their friendship and their lives forever.

Ella used to be a rule-breaker with fiery attitude who wore her heart on her sleeve. But she left everything behind when she went to college and transformed into someone that follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home. 

Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. If Micha tries to tempt the old her back, she knows that it will be hard to resist.

Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella’s skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he’s determined to bring his best friend, and the girl he loves back, no matter what it takes. 

(New Adult Contemporary)
*Mature Content** Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language.

Rating: 4.5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 4.5/5

Ending: 5/5

If it's not obvious, I've become a big Jessica Sorensen fan. I read this a couple days ago, days after I read The Coincidence. And I'm happy to say I loved this one just as much! It's scary to find a great book/author and then venture into their other books, worrying that they won't live up to the first book you read. But this book gave me a roller coaster ride, albeit not as intense and bladder pressing!

My first note: I love the cover! I thought it was a little cheesy before I read it, but afterwards I think the black and white, contrasting with the red has deeper meaning that I won't tell you (spoilers!). Ella and Micha's relationship was so precious and meant to be, the reader can tell from their first scene. Sorensen has a knack for developing relationships; I wish she could control the real world!

The Goodreads summary explains the plot pretty well, although I can add (without spoilers) that her friend and roommate from school does accompany her home, as she drives her. I wondered when they left, as a college student, how they managed to fit two girl's things in one car! My Dad borrowed a van from someone and we barely fit everything! I had to leave a microwave behind just to close the trunk. One more thing that I found a little unbelievable was that Micha's mother has allowed him, seemingly most of his life, to throw parties. Or maybe she doesn't know, it was never clarified. But these things were never explained but they were small enough that the story of Ella and Micha overshadowed it.

I could sense there connection and feel the heat right off the pages. It was exciting and sad for me to be involved in their story. Again, just like The Coincidence, I appreciated that the male and the female both had issues to deal with. They were presented as equals, everything balanced. I was immersed in their story, but I did at times wish the other characters, the friends and family (especially her brother) were showcased or explained a little more.

I'm impatiently awaiting the sequel!!

New Blog Design!

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I am a very poor person--I really am. So I can't afford a custom design like I would love to and my old design that I created I loved but I felt like I had had it too long and it was a little distracting...
But I'm still not in love with my new design either. Honestly, I changed the design and forget to save the original template so I had to use something, and I liked this one best.

I feel like this design is more cohesive but also a little distracting. Purple is my favorite color, which is why I picked it too! But I hate having the logo for the design site in the corner. Don't get me wrong, they deserve the credit; I just don't like how it just sits there and draws attention.

Maybe one day I can get my own design... Until then, don't be surprised if it changes again!


UPDATE: Literally 5 minutes after this post, I changed the design.

I'm guilty.

Book Blogger Hop: July 19-25th

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This week's question by Tanya: What is your favorite classic novel?

I must admit, besides books I had to read in school, I haven't read many classic novels on my own. But one of my favorites from school are To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger. On my own, I read Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and I loved it. I also recommend the PBS movie version of the novel!

And who can forget about Pride & Prejudice!? I'm working on reading all her books!

Big Brother 15 (Week 3)

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For anyone who doesn't follow me on Twitter I am a huge Big Brother fan. And week 3 of season 15 just ended and I have a lot to say!

Jeremy is finally gone. He was a huge threat to a lot of the players I liked and he also was arrogant. Even from his introduction I could tell but I still liked him; until he was an asshole to Helen and all the other have-nots after Aaryn had the idea to drink the wine and not wait until 12 with the rest of this house. Why would he protect her? And why did he have to bully everyone else? It wasn't necessary; like Helen said, he could have won if he came into the house as a nice guy, like he says he is.

Mostly, I'm so excited that America is this week's MVP! I'm tired of Elissa winning! And it's not because I don't like her, I do; her plan to create and all girls alliance on Day 1 was genius. I just don't like that she only wins because of "Brenchel" and not because she has the best game every week. I almost want her to go home so someone else can win; then we'd really know who America thought was doing the best.

Judd won HOH (which I predicted it would be him or Kaitlin before Jeremy even went home officially) and unless he nominates Aaryn as one of the nominees, I hope America votes her ass up on the block and Julie tells her it was America. I thought she was arrogant and disrespectful from the beginning but then she turned out to be racist also and there was no changing my opinion of her. It's evident too that the producers, with the disclaimer, and even Julie don't like her--she's made a few comments with a tilt to her voice. And it may be because her name is first in alphabetical order, but she was #1 on the list of people for America to vote as the third nominee by texting tonight.

Oh me, the showmances! They're everywhere. David and Aaryn's was kinda cute (only because I liked him) and GinaMarie and Nick's was almost non-existent to the viewer. She is one crazy woman for freaking out and crying like she did, dedicating everything she does to him, and creating a shrine on her dresser. Like, they know each other for a few weeks! You're in a game; do they think they'll live happily ever after in the game and have little BB babies and never have to go into the real world? It's so dumb how stupid they get.

Amanda and McCrae are an exception though. She seems to have her head on straight and is very smart and strategic. She's also hilarious and my favorite female on maybe all of the seasons. I think she could win if she didn't showcase it so much. She and McCrae are cute, weird, and funny without being mushy and alienating away from the house. But showmances are always trouble. Then again, Amanda doesn't really need the money.

Well this is all for now. I'll probably post again on Sunday night when we know who Judd puts up!

Waiting On Wednesday

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I am no longer a WoW virgin! Woot! This weekly meme comes from Jill at Breaking the Spine:

The Redemption of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen

The sequel to The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden, I'm so glad I just read the first one and I don't have to wait long for this release in August! Here's my review of the first book!

The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen Review

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From Goodreads: There are those who don’t get luck handed to them on a shiny platter, who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, who don’t get saved.

Luck was not on Callie’s side the day of her twelfth birthday when everything was stolen from her. After it’s all over, she locks up her feelings and vows never to tell anyone what happened. Six years later her painful past consumes her life and most days it’s a struggle just to breathe.

For as long as Kayden can remember, suffering in silence was the only way to survive life. As long as he did what he was told, everything was okay. One night, after making a terrible mistake, it seems like his life might be over. Luck was on his side, though, when Callie coincidentally is in the right place at the right time and saves him.

Now he can’t stop thinking about the girl he saw at school, but never really knew. When he ends up at the same college as Callie, he does everything he can to try to get to know her. But Callie is reserved and closed off. The more he tries to be part of her life, the more he realizes Callie might need to be saved.

Rating: 4.5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Ending: 2.5/5

Beware: this book deals with multiple types of abuse and is highly emotional.

Callie and Kayden's families are friends, but they haven't had any interactions in years. Until Callie comes to Kayden's rescue one night, and months later when they happen upon each other at college, Kayden can't let her just walk away from him again. Callie has closed herself off for years and Kayden wanting to get to know her takes a lot of effort, on both parts. The story is told from both POVs, which I appreciated!

I went through an emotional rollercoaster reading this book.From the first page the reader knew an intense story was coming. I didn't expect Kayden to have as many problems as Callie did, but I didn't think it was overkill or too coincidental because I think men are always portrayed ass stronger than women and the boys are always saving the girls, but in this relationship, they helped each other. It was more realistic to me because I suffered from self-harm and a bad childhood and I know a lot of people, especially guys, who could relate to Kayden. I do think, however, he fact that he was so popular and a football star was a little planned but I think it had to be to show the contrast of them both; it also played well into the story.

I would not recommend this book for someone who cannot handle intensity and things you may not have experienced because I think, especially for Kayden, a lot of things are inferred. It's hard to explain all the events and crazy, wonderful, odd feelings in this book to an audience that has no insight.

Jessica Sorensen did a great job showing the personal issues of the characters, their interaction with others, and with each other. Amazing book; I was not expecting it.

Top Ten Tuesday

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Top 10 authors who deserve more recognition:

1. Laura Whitcomb- A Certain Slant of Light is one of my top 10 favorite books of all time and I never hear much about this author or any of her books!
2. Chevy Stevens- Still Missing was such an emotional book and it's not Stevens' only book! She's also very nice and when I made a quiz for the book on Goodreads she was nice enough to comment and even message me!
3. MaryJanice Davidson- Definitely more well-known among paranormal romance readers but I haven't read many series that are this long and this funny. She has many other series that I love too. And I love her addiction to shoes, as a fellow addict haha!
4. Amanda Hocking- She started off as an indie author and I received and bought her Trylle trilogy for reviewing. I loved the series and she was also very active with her readers and their concerns for her turning to a big publisher.
5. Tara Kelly- I remember Harmonic Feedback having a big following for a few week son the blogosphere but then not much on her second book. And a lot of my friends/family have never heard of the book or seen it displayed much in bookstores.
6. Lili St. Crow- Her books are read by a lot of people but I think they're overshadowed by a lot of more popular series when I think St. Crow is a phenomenal writer.
7. R.A. Nelson- I think Nelson is also overshadowed by other authors who reach a broader audience, but his novels, like Teach Me and Breathe My Name, have real substance and I think a deeper connection with the characters.
8. Beth Fantaskey- Her Jessica series is a very fun, guilty pleasure. Unlike other vampire series that are meant to be cute and/or funny, Fantaskey isn't that cheesy and I don't roll my eyes with every turn of the page.
9. Gabrielle Zevin- Memoirs and Elsewhere are two very good books that even I admit go under my own radar.
10. Leav Lang- First noticed her on Tumblr, where her text posts and poetry are loved and reblogged in the hundreds of thousands. She just published her first collect of poems, Love and Misadventures, and I hope everyone falls in love with her writing too!

Wither by Lauren DeStefano Review

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From Goodreads: By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?

Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

Rating: 4.5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Ending: 5/5


It took me a while to read this book and I wish I would've read it earlier! But the upside of reading books late, is the sequels are already out and there's no wait! I rated this book highly because the plot was so new and interesting. I couldn't imagine living, knowing I'd only live until the age of 2o, boys 25, when my ancestors were able to live longer. Society is so focused on protecting themselves, that only the rich first generations are able to look for answers. I will admit, though, that I didn't completely understand why women had to be captured and sold; I'm sure there were plenty of women from families of rich, first generations who were willing to marry. The extremes were plausible but I feel like I wanted more background, more information.

Rhine (I love that name) was a strong character, but also emotional, and so I really loved her. I found myself liking Linden too, even feeling bad for him. I, as a reader, started out like Rhine: I didn't like anybody for taking her away from her brother but as I read more and Rhine learned more about her "family", I grew to care for them all. Gabriel and Deirdre especially.

I didn't have many qualms with this book, actually (read them in the spoilers). My rating isn't perfect due to the fact that, as I said, I wish there was more background but I hope because it's the first in a series, more information is to come. I'm reading Fever now!

Losing It by Cora Cormack Review

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From Goodreads: Virginity.

Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible-- a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.


Rating: 3/5

Plot: 3.5/5

Characters: 3.5/5

Ending: 4/5

1) The boy on the cover looks like that, a boy. Garrick is supposed to be in his mid-twenties and it kind of creeps me out that he looks like a 14-year old on the cover.
2) Bliss' model looks NOTHING like how she's described in the book.

Besides the weirdness and awkwardness of the cover, I had a few problems with this book. But first, the good things: I liked Garrick and Cade's character. That's it.

The negatives: The plot was predictable and I was confused a lot. By the story, characters' actions, and Garrick's chapter didn't sound seperate enough from Bliss' POV. It sounded like the rest of the book and didn't match up with his character. Bliss' character was nice but also confusing. I don't believe a 22-year old who would be majoring in theater and not afraid of an audience, would be a virgin. And she would have noticed Cade's feelings for her. Bliss' character seemed to be molded to fit the storyline, not the other way around like it should have been.

Book Blogger Hop: July 5-11th

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I'm just getting back to blogging after a long hiatus and discovered the Hop had changed its host!

This week's question: Do you like or dislike Rafflecopter and why?


I actually like and dislike Rafflecopter. As a blogger, I like it because it's easy to use and picks a winner, but I'm not a huge fan of change and Random.org is just as good in my opinion. I dislike it as a reader because it's so much to go through sometimes and I have 2 twitter accounts so I can't just "Follow" or "Tweet" directly.

Thanks for hopping over here!! <3 p="">

Where She Went by Gayle Forman (Part 2 My Less Crazy and Emotional, Calmed Down Insight)

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From Goodreads: It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

I have been craving to read this book for the longest time. My recent break from blogging and college stopped me from reading anything, and this was one of the first books I picked up after my revival. I was hesitant when I learned what the sequel would be about: I did not want to read about a world where Mia and Adam had left each other when I had grown so much in love with them.

As usual, Forman's writing is beautiful and the way she can plot out a story, man, is just amazing. I love to write but she makes me want to forget that hobby, she is that good. I felt is was appropriate that Mia got a break as a narrator and Adam got a turn. The heartbreak and emotions the reader gets to experience with Adam is so real; I just want to reach into the pages and hug him until he's okay. His pain made me so mad; towards him, towards Mia, towards the accident, just like the first book.

The story was so different but still the same. Mia and Adam has grown so far apart but yet they were still so together. And then they meet again! Just for one night they get to explore what has happened between them, and when you read this, beware that there is no way to prepare yourself.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman Review (Part 1 YOU MUST READ THIS FREAKING BOOK)

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From Goodreads: It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

I just finished reading this no more than 5 minutes ago and I cannot explain the amount and intensity of emotions I am feeling right now. I have not fell in love with a book or characters so much in my life. I have read some amazing books before but for some reason this one was like no other.

I'm a very observant and analytical person, if you haven't been able to tell from other reviews, and I did not find myself question anything once. Not the motives of the characters the dialogue, the storyline.

Everything was perfect. I was crying and smiling and upset and mad and just everything.

As I said on Goodreads, I could die right now or have a terrible life but the experience of reading this book would have made it worth it.

Bared to You by Sylvia Day Review

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From Goodreads: Our journey began in fire... Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness-beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily... Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other's most private wounds... and desires. The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart... "When it comes to brewing up scorchingly hot sexual chemistry, Day has few literary rivals." -- Booklist


Rating: 4/5

Plot: 3/5

Characters: 4.5/5

Ending: 4.5/5

I was so happy this was not another Fifty Shades of Grey; it was my biggest fear. I believe you have to rate books based on what they are and not compare them to others, so rating this as an adult, erotic novel I was quite impressed. It had a lot more depth than most books int he genre that I've read or heard about but the sex scenes and the writing was just as good. I didn't find myself rolling my eyes at all during this book and I was interested in the storyline as well.

I didn't see why Sylvia Day, however, took so long to let the reader find out about Eva's past--I could guess what happened from the first moment of a hint towards it. I can only assume, though, that because the details and intensity of what happened was so much, the author wanted to explain at the appropriate moment and envelope it into the story. Also, Gideon--I hate that name and have no idea how Eva thought it fit his manly, sexy personality--was not as easy to understand as I would have thought.

We have the pleasure of having Eva as the narrator but I would have liked to know Gideon more. And the fact the Eva didn't either, made me question just a little bit how she admitted her love so easily. But as I said, I did not roll my eyes because I understood and it made sense, it's just something I wouldn't have done personally. As we read more of the series, I hope to find out more about Gideon and understand his motives better because I don't blame all his flaws on his strange sleep disorder.

Forget You by Jennifer Echols Review

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From Goodreads: WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . .  AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?

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

Rating: 3.5/5

Plot: 4/5

Characters: 4.5/5

Ending: 4.5/5

I am a huge Jennifer Echols fan and was so excited to finally find this book in my local library but it's like the second and movie in a series (except Sherlock Holmes), never as good as the first. Btw, this is not a series but you know what I mean.

Without giving away anything, I felt like there was a lot of information missing. And I don't think it was because Echols forgot or didn't think it was warranted, but the things that were missing would have changed the plot and made the story something else. So I understand why but it also annoys me because it made me question and be confused.

Zoey's mother attempts suicide and she has to go live with her terrible, unloving father and soon-to-be 24-year-old pregnant step-mother. That's a lot to handle, but somehow it was a back story, while she and her love life was the focus. I just wish more of her discovering about herself and her relationship with her family was put into the book, instead of hints and a paragraph of summary that she stands up for herself.

One area I didn't need more of was the romance. It was steamy at times but also lovable and I didn't mind that I was confused about how it all came about.