With a new year comes resolutions.

So I don't usually do resolutions, mainly because I never kept them (shame on me). But I decided this year I would make a few and would really try and keep them. These are mostly blog/book related. I have some for my "real" life too.

-I want to keep better track of my books.

-I am going to keep track of how many pages I read.

-Go to the library more than the bookstore (I need to save money).

-When I think of a good idea, actually write it down instead of waiting then forgetting.

-Try to do some author stuff on the blog....I haven't so far because I'm a too big of a chicken to ask.

-Spend more time reading books than other blogs...instead of the vice versa I do now.

-Be a better commenter. I go to tons of blogs and read tons of entries but can never figure out what to put as a comment. I WILL do better with that this year.

Sooo yeah, that's a small list of what I want to do in 2011.

Maybe I'll think of some more later and add them.

Did you make any resolutions?

AND! Debut Author Challenge 2011 starts tonight at midnight! WOOHOO! So excited to start. I will be starting Across the Universe as my first book. What are you going to start first?

Into The Old World Reading Challenge.

About the challenge:

Hosts : Splash of Our Worlds and My Love Affair With Books

Starts: 1st January 2011

Ends: 31st December 2011

Eligible Books: Any books published BEFORE 2009 . All Genres included

I will be making a challenge page for this and working on a list of books to read. Hopefully that will be up in the next couple of days. But I have tons of books on my TBR list that are before 2009 so this is just the kick in the pants that I need to start reading them. Should be loads of fun :D!

Go sign up HERE.

Letters To Elise by Amanda Hocking.

"In My Blood Approves, Peter Townsend fell in love with Alice Bonham, but she wasn't his first love. In a new novella told through his letters, his history is revealed."- Goodreads.

ebook, 101 pages

Published December 20th 2010

I absolutely LOVE Amanda Hocking's "My Blood Approves" series. One of my favorites. And my favorite character happens to be Peter. I love him. I can prove it. Just call Santa up and ask him what was on my Christmas list. Peter was. 

Well, I don't think Santa will be showing up with him and putting him under my tree, but this book was a pretty good alternative.

In the "My Blood Approves" series Peter is very quiet and distants himself from his family when Alice starts coming around. 

In this novella, it's all about Peter, and boy is he an emotional being. Talk about a tear jerker!

It's a pretty quick read. I got it done in about 2 hours. I liked how it was written in letter form. Very different and you really got to see his personality and how he became who he is really well.

Oh! And the last entry! Let me tell you, that was not fair. 

I don't just want the next MBA book, but NEED it because of that entry.

You should definitely read this though.

If you haven't read the "My Blood Approves" series you should read that too. I personally would suggest those first, then this one because some things would make more sense. But it would probably work reading this one first. Either way you do it. Read them!

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2)-Suzanne Collins

 "Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying."- Suzanne Collins Website.

Hardcover, 391 pages

Published September 1st 2009 by Scholastic Press

I was so nervous to read book 2 in The Hunger Games trilogy. I LOVED the first one and was scared this one wouldn't live up to how great the first was. I didn't even actually know what was going to go on in this book because I didn't read the description first.

It was amazing, to say the least. This was one of those books that I did not want to put down. I actually hid it under the corner of the table when my husband's aunt held poker night for us and some of his family. I wasn't playing but they wanted me to watch. But I read instead.

As I've stated before, I love dystopian stories. And this is by far one of my favorites. 

The world that Suzanne has created is actually scary to me. The control the Capital has. The sick pleasure the people of the Capitol get from watching kids slaughter each other in The Games...just everything makes me happy I don't live there.

Katniss is trying to keep everyone she loves safe by pleasing the Capitol, but also isn't sure she likes what she has gotten herself into with Peeta. I like what Haymitch tells her about Peeta though, that she could do a whole lot worse. Which is true. Peeta is great. So sweet too. 

I loved where this book when. I didn't see it coming and I cannot wait til I can get to the bookstore to buy Mockingjay. Cannot wait to see how the whole thing ends!

If you have not read this series, seriously, start it now. It's getting crazy. I've actually started having dreams about it!

5/5 for Catching Fire!

Matched by Ally Condie.

 "Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow." -Goodreads.

Hardcover, 366 pages

Published November 30th 2010 by Dutton Juvenile

"Do not go gentle into that good night."

This was a really fun read. I love dystopian stories so when I heard about this one I could not wait to get it. The cover is what caught my eye and then the description intrigued me even more.  But seriously, what an awesome cover. So simple, yet says so much about the story. I appreciated it even more after I read it. There would be parts that I would read then close the book and look at the cover and think how it just goes.

I really enjoyed Cassia. She has lived her whole life in this Society and has only heard a little bit about what life was like before and was told everything about our world and way of living was wrong. That they need to be told what to do and how to live in order to live correctly. Everything in her life is controlled. So when Cassia sees Ky's face on her Match screen she starts to wonder how a mistake like that could happen. 

Then her Grandfather gives her something that makes her start question everything even more. 

Love Ky. He is so sweet and willing to do whatever he can to be with Cassia, even if it is only for a short time.  So I'm pretty sure I am rooting for Ky.

I liked Xander, but I just didn't feel like I really got to know him so I really didn't care if he got Cassia.

There are some pretty good twists in the story too, so I cannot wait for the next one!

4/5 for Matched!

Delirium by Lauren Oliver.

"Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love - the deliria - blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy. 

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love." -Goodreads.

Hardcover, 440 pages

Expected publication: February 1st 2011 by HarperTeen

I received this book from Netgalley and HarperTeen to review.

"Love. It kills you both when you have it, and when you don't."

This was an AMAZING book. I cannot wait til I can buy a copy to add to my bookshelves.

I am very big on love. I believe everyone deserves it and I love giving it. So when I read the description of a book that is about a world that "cures" love, I HAD to read it. Let me tell you, I felt a whole slew of emotions during my reading time. I even ended up crying. 

The characters are great. Molded by the society they live in and what they think is right. The writing is wonderful and just pulls you right into the story.

Lauren Oliver makes the world feel small. That the place Lena lives is the only place to live. But then as Lena starts realizing how much world and life is beyond the fence you can really feel a shift in the feeling of the story. It's so great.

The whole book was pretty fast paced, but the last few chapters. Oh wow, heart-pounding and intense. I do not see how I am going to be able to wait until 2012 for the next book.

So awesome.

5/5 for Delirium!

Getting settled in.

Thank you to everyone who wished my husband and I a safe move. It ended up being a pretty smooth transition.  Except it took our new internet company almost a week to set everything up. Why?...that I don't know. But it did. So now I have TONS of blogs to go read and catch up on. And 4 reviews to write and post. Hopefully I will be all caught up in the next couple of days.

And thank you to all the new followers. It was very nice coming back and seeing all the new faces and comments.

While I am writing reviews, I think everyone should tell me what their Christmas plans are and if you have any special books on your list to Santa :)

Going MIA for a little bit.

In a few hours my husband and I are going to be heading into Nashville to pick up his parents. They were nice enough to come up from Texas to help us move.
Today is going to be pretty busy, tomorrow is going to be even busier with loading everything into the Uhaul and Friday we leave for Colorado. AS much as this move has stressed me out I am very excited and feeling very blessed that we get to go to Colorado. I love it there, my husband loves it there, it's going to be great.

This is where I am going to be living: :)

So beautiful.


I'm hoping a couple of the hotels we stay in over the weekend have free WIFI so I can do a couple posts from the road. But on the off chance they don't I will be back hopefully by the middle to end of next week and I will have a couple of reviews to post to make up for lost time.
And I'll probably have to post some pictures to show off our new home.
Don't have to much fun around the blogosphere without me, okay? :)

Once in a Full Moon.

Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber
Release date- December 28th, 2010 
Published by Katherine Tegen Books


"Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever.

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves—Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight.

Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.

Psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf are the perfect formula for what happens . . . once in a full moon."-Goodreads.

I got this book through Netgalley to review.
There were aspects that I liked, and aspects that I didn't like. It was a good premise, but the story just didn't seem to develop. Every chapter was Celeste wanting to be with Brandon, but stating all the reasons why she should stay with Nash. I really saw no competition there; Nash was a jerk. She said so, in every chapter. She also said the only few things he had going for him were that he was hot, popular, and her 2 best friends were dating his 2 best friends, so they all liked hanging out together. Those are not reasons to stay with someone. Her friends didn't help much either. Celeste said many times they were just looking out for her, but they were controlling.
I didn't feel like I got to see anyone's personality, other than Brandon's (and his still felt a bit limited).  I just never got to "know" any of the characters really well.

My favorite parts were Celeste and Brandon. He is such a nice character and made the love story part really sweet.
Ellen Schreiber 's website says it's part of a new series, and there is a bit of a surprise at the end that will lead nicely it into another book. So if you read this one, be expecting to want to read the next so you know what happens.
If you are looking for a quick and easy read, this would be it. Doesn't take too much time to get through. And there are some cute parts in it, so I'm sure if you love YA and fantasy you will probably eat this right up. I'm hoping the next books picks up a little bit more though.


I'd give it a 3 out of 5.

Busting The Newbie Blues.

I first saw this post on Katie's blog over at Call Me Crazy and really liked the idea. So I went over to Small Review and checked out the main post about it. I chose to do the "established blogger" questionnaire. And I will explain why in the questions below.

When did you start your blog?

I started it in August of this year. But for many many months before that I followed a bunch of other bloggers. I'm one of those people that, in some situations, I like to watch other people and see how they do something before I do it. So I sat back and observed for about 4 or 5 months before I set mine all up.

Why did you start your blog?

I've always enjoyed reading. I read my first book by myself when I was 4 and haven't stopped since. I went through a couple reading slumps, especially when I started working 50+ hrs a week and going to college full time. Then I got married last Oct. and became a stay at home wife and haven't started going back to school yet, so I had lots of time on my hands to fill. So I did, with reading. My husband even bought me a Kindle for our first Christmas last year. I don't know a lot of people that like the books I like and I can't help but talk about them. So after some internet research this seemed like the best idea. Talk about books all I want with other people that love them just as much as I do.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far? Did you make any mistakes new bloggers can learn from?

The biggest challenge so far has been finding a reviewing style that fits me. Every blogger has a different style, whether it be shorter, longer, really in-depth, or just skimming the surface. It really stressed me out at first because I was nervous I wouldn't do it right and no one would want to read what I wrote. Don't do that. It's not worth it. Just write what you want to say. It's soo much easier that way. And much more enjoyable not to stress over how other people are doing things.

What did you find most discouraging about being a new blogger? How did you deal with this?

Feeling like everyone had such a big head start on me. All these other people had awesome blogs and always seemed to be getting new books all the time I didn't think I would ever be able to catch up and make my blog noticeable. Once I got going I just started realizing it's okay, everything comes with time. Everyone else put time and effort into their blogs and that's just what I needed to do too. Everything will come with a little bit of time.

What do you find most encouraging?

Other bloggers. Everyone I have met has been so nice and encouraging. Also when other bloggers and readers stop by and tell me they like something I've posted, that's always nice. Let's me know what I am doing right. Reading all the Dear Story Siren posts (The Story Siren) help a lot too. She is really great about answering questions. Stuff new bloggers would like to know but don't know where to get the answers. It's encouraging seeing how awesome her blog is and she started just where I was, and she's willing to share what she's learned. How nice :) Click on the link above to go read her stuff. Trust me, even if you're not new, it's great stuff.

What do you like best about the blogs you read? Have you tried to replicate this in your blog?

I love when bloggers find out about new books coming out, so I really hope to be able to keep up with new stuff coming out and bring it to readers attention. It always fun putting a new book that you're really excited about on your to be read list.

What do you dislike about blogs you’ve read? Do you try to avoid this?

Bloggers bashing authors and/or books. I understand not every book is for everybody, but you don't have to bash it. Just tell me what you didn't like about it, if there is anything that you did like about it. Usually bloggers that bash just make me want to read that book more to see if they were just over reacting and if they are credible and a good blog to follow. 

Do you have any advice for new bloggers?

Don't try to rush everything. It is hard seeing other blogs with tons and tons of followers, and doing giveaways all the time or receiving ARCs of books you want. But it takes a little bit of time. If you try to do everything all at once, you will get burned out and it won't be fun anymore. That's not how it should be. It should be fun and relaxing.

How did you bring your blog to the attention of so many people?

Well, I don't have a lot of followers yet, but I am not aiming to get tons of people. If I get 4000 followers that will be the coolest thing ever, but I don't want to be focused on only doing things to get a following. I just do stuff in the blog community. Memes help, commenting on other peoples blogs. Readathons a great way to get to know other bloggers. Find one and get involved :)
Just don't spam blogs. No one likes spam comments.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience?

It was easy to feel intimidated in the beginning, but there's no point in that. Everyone starts where I started and had to work their way up. So that's all I'm doing too, working my way up.  
And it also makes for a much more enjoyable experience if you don't stress about getting ARCs. Publishers and authors will reject you but that's okay. They aren't saying no for forever. Just that time. Don't be afraid to try again :)

In My Mailbox #1!

I am very excited about this post, it being my first IMM and all.

In My Mailbox is a bookish meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren. It's a neat meme for book bloggers to display books and other goodies they received or purchased for review that week. (Book links go to Goodreads.)

This week I bought:

Catching Fire-Suzanne Collins

Matched-Ally Condie

From NetGalley I received:

The Lipstick Laws-Amy Holder

Angelfire-Courtney Allison Moulton

The Cellar-A.J. Whitten

Received for review:

Across The Universe-Beth Revis

I had no idea this was coming. So thank you Penguin for that VERY nice surprise. When the FedEx lady handed me the package I thought it was my order of Matched, but when I opened it and found this gem inside I almost hugged her. That lady is now my hero for delivering this to me.

I'm really excited about the books I got this week, even though I have to wait until January 1st to read 3 of them since they are on my list to read for the 2011 Debut Authors Challenge (also hosted by The Story Siren).

So what did you get in your mailbox?

Beginning of Day Two. #Readathon.

   As predicted I didn't get as much reading done yesterday as I would have liked. But I got a TON of packing done. Hopefully today since I don't have as much packing needing to be done I can get a lot of reading in.

How are you doing in the readathon?

Holiday #Readathon!

The Holiday #Readathon starts tomorrow! The 2nd-5th.
Quite a few people have signed up and you still have time to sign up to if you haven't already.
All the information is HERE.
And it's for a good cause. If you'd like, pledge a certain amount, such as a penny or two for every page you read and keep track of all your pages. At the end of the readathon add it up and donate the amount to a charity of some sort for the holidays.

I am pledging $5 a book with a minimum of $10 because I know I won't be able to read as much this weekend as I would like to since I am still working on packing up my apartment to move next week. So no matter what I won't be giving less than $10. But if I do more than 2 books I will give more.

I really hope you sign up. It's going to a lot of fun and lots of blogs have mini challenges so you can win some really neat prizes too.
And on Sunday there is going to be a Twitter party that just for participating in you will be entered to win a prize.

So go sign up and join in the fun!
Hope to see you around the blogosphere or on Twitter with your readathon updates this weekend!

p.s. We are using the hashtag #readathon on Twitter.

Glimmer (Zellie Wells #2).

"Zellie Wells' life is changing. Her relationship with Avery is growing stronger every day, but their parents are still giving them ultimatums and trying to keep them apart. Her newly discovered powers have all but disappeared. Benjamin, another young Retroact, is back and has brought with him a painful shared vision and a troubled past. While working together to figure out what the vision means, Zellie discovers that Benjamin is a worthy friend and mentor. If only he could keep his hands off of her-if only she wanted him to..."-Goodreads.


Stacey Benefiel did a very cool thing and emailed out codes to get her books from SmashWords for people to review. I had been wanting to read them so I was not going to pass up the opportunity. I really enjoyed Glimpse. It was different from everything that I had been reading so it was refreshing. Going into Glimmer, I had high hopes of it being as good as Glimpse.
Now, it was not bad, but parts of it just were not necessarily my cup of tea. One of the biggest parts of the story is Zellie and Avery trying to have sex together. Then you have Ben talking about all of his previous partners AND trying to hook up with Zellie. And then there is Christopher with his ghost boyfriend who "satisfies him" with his energy. The sexual themes in this book were just too much for me. It actually surprised me considering it's a YA book. It is definitely for the older end of the YA spectrum.
The rest of the story is pretty good though. You get to learn more about The Society and their involvement with the retroacts and this book sets up nicely for the next book "Glow" which will be published in 2011 sometime.
If you liked the first one and sexual themes do not bother you, then you will probably enjoy this one.
I'd rate it a 3 1/2.

2011 Debutante Event.

While looking for some new blogs to follow I stumbled upon that is really cool. And has a totally awesome giveaway going right now.

"From the 1st-25th of December, Badass Bookie is going to be your guide to next year's hottest debuts! My lovely Debs just simply can't wait to meet you all so they are debuting early! Everything you need to know about your Debs and their amazing book will be here! Oh! and did I mention Giveaways Galore? Not only do you guys get to know the Debs better, YOU also get to win their books!!!"- Badass Bookie

That is what's going on.  It's a help-spread-the-word contest too. Tweet about it, blog about it, add the event button to your blog, let all of your book loving friends know about it, fill out the form and you could win some pretty awesome stuff. To find out everything and get a glance at some of the possible prizes go HERE.

And make sure you check back so that you can get the low down from all the 2011 up and comers.

My Dearest Harry Potter.

I finally saw The Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 tonight with my husband. A lot of people I know talk about all the differences from the books to the movie, but I enjoyed it a bunch. They are some of my favorite movies.
I have made a pact with myself though, that before the last movie comes out I will read all the books. I think that should be a pretty neat challenge for the next year.
Have you seen the movie yet? Did you like it?
Have you read the books and if you have do you like the books or the movies better? Or are they equal in your eyes?
Tell me, I'd love to know.

The Lying Game.

"I had a life anyone would kill for.

Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does—an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.

Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me—to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, carefree daughter when she hugs my parents good night? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?

From Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of thePretty Little Liars books, comes a riveting new series about secrets, lies, and killer consequences.

Let the lying game begin."-Goodreads.

By Sara Shepard. 307 Pages. HarperTeen.

Provided by: NetGalley.

   I love Pretty Little Liars the TV show and had been wanting to read the series but not while I was watching the show too (I thought that might get a little confusing).  So when I found out Sara Shepard had another series and the first book was available for request on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to get it and read it. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. One page you think you have figured out just what happened and just who did it, but then you turn the page and you start suspecting someone else entirely different.

   The story is told from Sutton's point of view, who was killed and now her spirit is watching her long-lost twin sister Emma try and be Sutton while she tries to solve her murder all while trying to not get killed herself.

   The twist and turns kept me on the edge of my seat, but were not overwhelming. I found myself starting to like a couple of the characters just to have that turned on me and those characters be made the murder suspects. That happened a couple of times so I finally decided it was probably better not to get attached to anyone, but that is going to be so hard because the characters are made to be so likeable. 

   The last couple of chapters had really good twists and then a cliffhanger that left me craving more. I cannot wait for the second book. Thank goodness it's not that long of a wait.

"Never Have I Ever (The Lying Game #2)" comes out April 8th 2011. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know a lot of people are putting everything they are thankful for on their blogs today, but there is way too much that I am thankful for to list it all here. From my husband to the ability to go to the store and buy books practically anytime I want to being able to cook such a feast on this day of gorging. Not everyone has the ability or resources to do all the stuff that I get to do and live life the way I live it, and I definitely remember to thank God everyday for blessing me so much.
I hope you take the time today to look around you and find a few things to be thankful for.
Have a great day! And Happy Thanksgiving!

Frostbite (Vampire Academy Book #2)-Banned Book.

"Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…

It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians—including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks….This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price…"-Goodreads.

   This one I enjoyed a lot, so much in fact that I finished it pretty quickly. The story kept moving the whole time, and unfortunately, Richelle Mead ended the chapters in such a way that made you want to keep going. Not fair...because I did keep going, really late into the night. My husband will probably be contacting Richelle here pretty soon asking her not to do that anymore so that he doesn't have to deal with a grumpy, sleep deprived wife. 

   There is a trifecta of guys and Rose has to figure out which one is right for her and worth her time (I think I'm still Team Dimitri...but now I have a bit of a crush on Adrian so I'll have to see where that goes in the next one).
   Her mom in her life again and is pretty stern about Rose changing how she acts about life and her guardianship and Rose has to learn how to deal with that without help from anyone really, because her best friend is to involved with her boyfriend to really hang out and talk with her much. The only person who is trying to help her cope with everything is Dimitri and that in itself is difficult because Rose wants to be with him and he has started showing interest in someone else.
  Dang, poor Rose. So much is on her plate in this story.

    I related to Rose more in this book. There were times when I just couldn't stop thinking "Whoa...that's what I would have done and/or said." I liked those parts because they usually ended up okay, which made me feel smart. And I knew how she felt with the whole "in love with one guy but he tells you you two cannot be together for certain reasons so you try dating someone else and it just doesn't seem to really work" thing. Yeah, been there, done that. But I am now married to that very same guy who told me we couldn't be together....so maybe there is still hope for Dimitri and Rose! This revelation has made my night.

   I'm not even going to lie to you...............I cried. Yeah, it's one of "those" books. But that just makes it feel all the more real.

   Now, onto the Banned Book part. This one, along with the entire series was banned in a school district in Texas for sexual content and nudity. Yes, there is a bit of fooling around, but before you read anything that happens between these two people a fade to black kind of thing happens. Would I suggest it to my 13 yr old cousin? No. But then again this is a young adult, and I don't consider her a young adult just yet. Seriously though, the scene would barely make a parent blink if they saw it in a pg-13 movie with their kid, but when it's in a book it's bad enough to be banned from the entire district? That is just a bit silly.

Entice by Carrie Jones (book trailer)

This is one of my favorite series and I cannot wait til this one is released.

Come on December 14th!

The Hunger Games. (challenged book)

"Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with every one out to make sure you don't live to see the morning? 

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. 

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning 
to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love."-Goodreads.

374 pages

Published October 1st 2008 by Scholastic, Inc..

I almost regret taking so long to read this book (I say almost because since I waited all the books are out and I won't have to wait for anymore to be released). I saw it in the bookstore right around the time that it was released but decided to wait on it and kind of forgot that I wanted to read it until recently with all the hype of Mockingjay being released. I bought it last week at Border's and when I started it I could not stop reading. Since I haven't read the entire trilogy I cannot yet say they are all my favorite, but I can say that The Hunger Games is now one of my favorite books. 

Dystopian is one of my favorite type of stories and this definitely hit the spot. It's a very intense story. Great characters, riveting plot, the writing is amazing...it's just an all around fantastic read.

And for right now, I am Team Peeta. LOVED him! I hope he stays sweet and amazing in the next two books.

If you haven't read this book, read it soon! I don't want you missing out any longer than you have to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Banned Books Year Read: (even though it is only a challenged book, that fits in my qualifications for my banned book year)

Now on to the challenged book part. Sometimes I hate the internet. When I searched for this one being a banned book I just got a bunch of links to other people asking if it was banned...BUT I did find one story that stood out to me.

A mother from New Hampshire challenged the book and wanted it removed from her 11 yr old daughter's entire school district after she started having nightmares because of the book, and she also thought that it would desensitize other kids to violence. You can read the entire article HERE.

Now this article states that the mother had not read the series, but other ones that I read said she had...but more often than not they do not read them so I'll go with she didn't.

I can understand an 11 yr old getting scared. As I said before, it is an intense story, and it is violent. If I had a child and found out she had to read it for school I would have read it with her because there are some things to be learned from the story. And I do not believe it will desensitize kids to violence. Most of the characters playing in the games do not feel right about having to kill and it shows them standing up against something they feel is wrong.

One comment that someone made on another version of the article that I liked was something to the effect of that school history classes teach about gladiators going into rings and fighting until the death so if that scares one kid are they going to stop teaching about roman gladiator history? No. So why should this be pulled?

I suggest reading the article. But if you haven't read the book yet, do not read the comments as people have posted spoilers in them.

2011 Debut Author Challenge!

2010 is almost over, so if you haven't decided what debut author books your are going to read in 2011, it is time to get on it!
The Challenge is coming up quick (January 1st through December 31st 2011) so get over to The Story Siren's blog and sign up for it.
If this is your first Challenge, as it is mine, you probably need a little info. Click HERE for some.
Basically what you do is read at least 12 middle grade or YA debut author books in 2011 and write a review for them somewhere. Either on your blog, or if you don't have one on Amazon, or Goodreads, etc.

I will be setting up a separate page here pretty soon with a more complete list of what I want to read. But for starters here are some on my list:

Warped-Maurissa Guibord
Across The Universe-Beth Revis
XVI-Julia Karr
Unearthly-Cynthis Hand
Anglefire-Courtney Allison Moulton
So Shelly-Ty Roth
A Touch Mortal-Leah Clifford.

And that's just the beginning. I should have more up on the page here pretty soon. If you need some ideas The Story Siren has a HUGE list of books on her blog. 
So excited about this!

Hope you'll join all of us cause it's going to be tons of fun.

Team Were & Fairy Giveaway Entries.

  Cassay over at Vamps, Weres, & Cassay is having a super awesome giveaway!
For those of us who have vampire, werewolf, fairy, zombie, caster/wizard, and/or angel/fallen angel love this is definitely the contest to enter.
All you have to do is be her blog, facebook, or twitter follower, pick your team (she's cool enough to let you enter for multiple teams though), tell her why you team is the best, & then create a poster to advertise your team. Fun right?!
Normally I would be "Team All Of The Above", but I decided that I would try to narrow it down to two, so I picked two Teams that had books that I had not yet read but want to.
So for this blog entry and contest I am Team Werewolves and Team Fairy!

Team Werewolf Poster:

                                                                                    (photos courtesy of photobucket&google images)
Werewolves have definitely evolved from the old school wolves that were just looked like overly hairy men that stalked beautiful women. Now they are men and women, sexy and fierce, terrifying, protective, and a whole other slew of things. But their transformation from human to wolf is what really sets them apart from the paranormal creature category.  Vampires will always be pasty white and zombies will always be dead and rotting, but werewolves get to change from ferocious creatures that can rip you from limb to limb back to humans in a seconds and no one would ever know it was them. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

Team Fairy Poster:

                                                                                   (photos courtesy of photobucket&google images)
Fairies are another awesome paranormal creature. Who doesn't love fairies? Depending on the story you are reading they could be sassy little Tinkerbell, mischievous trouble makers, or just plain evil. But they always are so adorable, charming, alluring and/or hauntingly beautiful. And how cool would it be to have a pair of those amazing wings. Or a wand and fairy dust. Yep, fairies are definitely awesome.


So those are my team posters. Now you should go enter, but do it quick, the contest ends November 30th at midnight MST. Get to it and show your team spirit!!

~Happy Cheering!

The Dead and Gone.

"Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event--an asteroid hitting the moon, setting off a tailspin of horrific climate changes. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle.
     With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful new novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities."-GoodReads.

  I'm definitely thinking this is one of my more favorite series. I read "Life As We Knew It" earlier this summer which was right after I had lived through my first real winter. Being a native-Texan who has never really had "winter", the Tennessee cold was a bit of a shock. So pretty much during my time reading the first Last Survivors book I just kept thinking about how cold I had been and how I would have dealt with that kind of cold weather outside AND inside for months and months. This book made that even more intense.

In the first one the mother was a take action kind of person. She knew they were going to need supplies and did what she had to to get what they were going to need. She remembered tons of stuff that helped them survive. 

In book #2, Alex is only 17 and didn't keep up with the news reports on the moon so he didn't know how serious it was. Him and his younger sisters stay in their crappy apartment building that his dad works in waiting for their parents return (father went to Puerto Rico for a funeral and mother got called in to the hospital she worked in) which he thinks will happen really soon and that what they have will last them long enough. Pretty soon though days turn into weeks and weeks into months and he still hasn't made preparations for the early winter, so he ends up having to do some pretty crazy stuff to keep a little food in their bellies.

The first Last Survivors was written in diary form from the girls point-of-view and that worked well for that story. This one is written similarly, with the dates being written in to keep track of the days, but it is not Alex telling the story. This works though since he did not seem like the kind of kid that would keep a journal or would have time to keep up with it, so I liked it this way. 

What I found to be a little strange about the story was that Alex kept saying he wanted to be the first Puerto Rican president but he did not know very much about the current events. If he didn't have the nuns, priests, and one friend telling him what was happening in the world he would have never known. I would have thought that someone that wanted to be president would be more up to-date on stuff like that.

All in all though this was a good story. It showed a different side of the world wide tragedy and very different people. Can't wait to read "This World We Live In" to see how the two stories are entwined!

4/5