Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Angel Fall by Coleman Luck



Characters:
Dialogue:
Plot:
Lightning in is falling in sheets.
A wind is blowing that is larger than this world.
In the middle of the strangest storm in history, an airliner crashes into the ocean and only three young people survive - a brother and his two sisters. But they are not together and the cean is not on earth.
Alex, Amanda, and Tori Lancaster have entered Boreth, a world of ancient devestation and deep evil ruled by the Worwil - seven creatures of immense power who existed before any world began. Through this world they must travel, into terror and temptation, every choice taking them closer to endless night. Scarred with fires of hell and heaven, their pasts are torn from their souls.
But shadowing each of them is a mysterious Being covered in scars wo has faced ten-thouand battles. A being filled with the longing of ages. A longing to heal the broken-hearted.
Okay, so.... this book is a piece of art. It is a masterpiece. I loved everything about it! I loved Tori and Amanda's fearlessness as they went on their journey, and their hope and love for something greater than themselves. And yes, I even liked Alex, even though he was the one who made all the stupid mistakes. (After all, you have to have at least one character that makes stupid mistakes.) Now, the only part I wouldn't have normally given five stars is the dialogue. BUT I did give it five stars because it had poems and songs from that fantasy world that made it seem so real. Oh and the imagery, I fell in love with Boreth! Coleman Luck painted a beautiful picture in my mind. And last but not least, I also loved the plot. There were many twists and turns, and the characters were constantly fighting a new enemy (not necessarily a tangible object or person.) The characters were constantly fighting against themselves, their environment, or another person. There aren't a lot of books that you get character vs self, character vs nature, and character vs character. And Coleman Luck wrote all of these conflicts incredibly well. Definitely one of my favorite books, and hopefully soon to be yours.
Love always,
Amanda

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause



Plot:

Characters:

Dialogue:

Vivian Gandillon relishes the change, the sweet, fierce ache that carries her from girl to wolf. At sixteen, she is beautiful and strong, and all the young wolves are on her tail. But Vivian grieves for her dead father; her pack remains leaderless and in disarray, and she feels lost in te suburbs of Maryland. She longs for a normal life. But what is normal for a werewolf?
Then Vivian falls in love with a human, a meat-boy. Aiden is kind and gentle, a welcome relief from the squabbling pack. He's fascinated by magic, and Vivian longs to reveal herself t him. Surely he would understand her and delight in th wonder of her dual nature, not fear her as an ordinary human would.
Vivian's divided loyalties are strained further when a brutal murder threatens to expose the pacl. Moving between two worlds, she doesn't seem to belong to either. What is she really- human or beast? Which tastes sweeter- blood or chocolate?
Okay, so I picked this up at the library because it fit with June's Genre of the Month, Supernatural. Well, I'll start with the things I didn't like. In the beginning of the book, the way Vivian spoke seemed sort of crude. Overall, the writing in the beginning was not very poetic at all. BUT as the book went on, I didn't hate Vivian as much, and the writing did pretty well. And even though Aiden did not seem like someone I would have liked, his character was pretty loveable. Again, my only complaint with the characters was Vivian, she was very crude and open. But I guess the author was just illustrating the werewolf side of her, so I understand. One thing I LOVED though was the plot. It had so many twists and turns! It was predictable, but not too predictable. Like, there was a teensy bit of foreshadowing and you got clues from the characters' behaviour. All in all, this book was pretty good. I only wish there was a sequel, because the ending was unexpected and I wanted to know what happened next. But still, I'd recommend this book.
Love always,
Amanda







Hey guys! So I was reading my book, when one of the characters talks about how he gets to eat chocolate cake for breakfast. (How cool is that?) which made me want to bake a cake. So I did :) Anyways, I'm just curious and wanted to know what books have made you want to do weird things, no matter how strange! Comment below, I want to hear your stories!
Love always,
Amanda
p.s. how cool is it that we can text in blog updates? As you can see I'm a little excited :)

Book Club Week 2

Hey guys, we just had book club yesterday! Lets see what everyone is reading this week!

L -
Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell

Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

City of Masks by Mary Hoffman

S -
A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Meet Me at the Boardwalk by Erin Haft

M -
TTYL by Lauren Myracle

Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

J -
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Pendragon: The Lost City of Faar by D.J. MacHale

The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Shelbie -
LA Candy by Lauren Conrad

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Four Summer Stories (Fireworks) by Niki Burnham, Erin Haft, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle

Dragonspell by Donita K. Paul

Amanda -
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Fan boy and Goth girl by Barry Lyga

Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Thats it for book club this week! Enjoy!

Love always,

Amanda

Book Club Week 1

Today after school our book club went to a local resteraunt and had our first ever book club meeting! Heres what after the swap we ended up with:

Shelbie:
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
My Antonia by Willa Cather (Its required reading (: )

Amanda:
Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn
Pendragon: The Lost City of Faar by D.J. MacHale
Tamar by Mal Peet

S:
Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

J:
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

L:
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Gothgirl by Barry Lyga

M:
City of Masks by Mary Hoffman
LA Candy by Lauren Conrad
Dragonspell by Donita K. Paul

Have any of you read any of the books above?! Let us know by commenting!

xoxo,

Shelbie

How To Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation by Simone Elkeles




Characters:

Plot:

Writing:

Cover:


Guess who's jetting off to the Holy Land this summer! Yes, it's me - Amy Nelson-Barak. I've volunteered for ten days of military training in Israel with my friends. The Sababa brochure said it would be a "fun" summer experience.

Okay, so I didn't sign up to prove I'm not a princess... I did it to surprise my hot Israeli boyfriend stationed at the same base.

Too bad nobody told me:


1) It's hot in the Negev desert... like, so hot your makeup melts off and you get under-boob sweat spots.

2) You can't sleep in until 11 a.m.

3) You shouldn't kill bees with your flat iron - don't ask.

4) Peeing in a hole isn't easy (when you're a girl) - double don't ask.




Again, this is the summary from the back of the book, but I liked it too much to write my own. :) So, I loved this book :) The characters were so real, I wanted Avi as my boyfriend! Anyways, usually I like a writer's dialogue the most, but I really liked the plot and characters in this book. The plot had lots of funny, sad, and happy twists and turns, and it kept you in suspense but not so much that you felt like the characters wouldn't overcome their problems. Also, this book is the third in a series, but it didn't feel like it. When Amy has little flashbacks, it doesn't feel like boring backstory, which is what I loved about this story. I also loved the characters. You have Avi, the hunky and chiseled soldier boyfriend who has a sensitive side that makes you melt. And then, you have Nathan who is a pervy yet funny best guy friend. Then there are Jess and Miranda, the two best friends. Tori, the resident witch with a b. And finally, Amy. She is an American princess with Jewish roots who has come to see her boyfriend, but sees something WAY different. All the characters were loveable and hatable, Elkeles makes her characters seem so real! In short, I adored this book. Hopefully, I'll pick up the first two tomorrow!

Love always,
Amanda

Summer of Sarah

So, I was reading some posts on The Story Siren's blog, which happens to be one of my favorites, when I came across this post. Basically, http://sarah-land.ning.com/ (Sarah-land) is a Sarah Dessen fan site. (The official one? Does anyone know?) They are having a 9 week countdown featuring all of Sarah Dessen's novels, starting with her first book, That Summer. For the first week, two signed copies of That Summer by Sarah Dessen are available to win. The first contest to win is on The Story Siren's website at www.thestorysiren.com. The second, is at the Sarah-land link above. For the Story Siren contest you simply have to fill out a form, but for the Sarah-land contest you must read the book and answer 15 questions. Unfortunately, I think the Sarah-land contest is over, but they are having a 9 week extravaganza, so you can enter for a new book next week! AND anyone who enters the contest will be put in a raffle to win a full set of Sarah Dessen's signed books. I don't know about you, but I am ready for a sarah fest! Enjoy!
Love always,
Amanda

Cassandra Clare: Jocelyn's Story

Hey guys! This news update is a couple of days old, but I was on the road when I heard so here it is late
So... in honor of getting 10,000 followers on Twitter, Cassandra Clare has posted a short story she wrote (technically a City of Glass outtake) called Jocelyn's story. I haven't read it yet, but I am about to. You can see the story here. Enjoy!

Love always,
Amanda

A list of Amanda's fave books/authors. (Childhood and current.)

So, a while ago I was thinking of my old tastes in books compared to my new ones. So I created a favorite childhood book/author list and a favorite current book/author list. Enjoy!

Favorite Childhood( chapter book) books:
Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Sister Spider Knows All by Adrian Fogelin
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
The Divide by Elizabeth Kay
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Wringer by Jerry Spinelli
So B. It by Sarah Weeks
Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech

Favorite Childhood Authors:
Judy Blume
Jerry Spinelli
Margaret Peterson Haddix

Current Favorites:
The Mortal Instrument Series by Cassandra Clare
Fire by Kristin Cashore
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann SandellGathering Blue by Lois Lowry
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Angel Fall by Coleman Luck
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Current Favorite Authors:
Kristin Cashore
Cassandra Clare
Libba Bray
L.M. Montgomery
Sarah Dessen

Anyways, there are my favorites. There is one more book to add to the childhood list but I can't remember the name, anyways, what are your favorites?

Love Always,
Amanda

Just FYI

Currently, we are in the process of moving the site over to this new site. So, everything is going to go into the archives under June, even though it was not all posted in June. Some of the news is old, but bear with us (: We just want to make sure everything gets moved to this site. Thank you!

Love always,

Amanda

LOTW 7: Top Four Official Series Websites

4.) The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare (http://www.mortalinstruments.com/)

3.) Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (http://www.fallenarchangel.com)

2.) Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (http://www.percyjacksonbooks.com/)

1.) The Curse Workers by Holly Black (http://www.thecurseworkers.com)

Let me know other websites you like and what you think of these!

xoxo,
Shelbie

LOTW 6: 5 Coolest Girl Names

I did guys last week, so it's girls this week. My five favourite character girl names, I like the random outsider number five... but I like that name!

5.) Princess Raisa ana’Marianna (The Demon King, Cinda Williams Chima)

4.) Veronica Miller (The Last Song, Nicholas Sparks)

3.) Gemma Doyle (A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray)

2.) Alison DiLaurentis (Pretty Little Liars, Sara Shepard)

1.) Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Rick Riordan)

xoxo,
Shelbie

LOTW 5: Five Coolest Male Names

So as I am running out of ideas to make our list's on I came up with this one! I love searching for names and finding out what they mean, so I thought I would do my top five male book names! Hah! I have something to do for next week! :)

5.) Cabel Strumheller (Wake, Lisa McMann)

4.) Dexter Jones (This Lullaby, Sarah Dessen)

3.) Boniface (The Thief Lord, Cornelia Funke)

2.) W.W. Hale the Fifth (Heist Society, Ally Carter)

1.) Jace Wayland (City of Bones, Cassandra Clare) edit: Who doesn't love everything about Jace, including his name?! - Amanda

xoxo,
Shelbie

LOTW 4: 5 Kick Butt Heroines

Hi, Amanda here! I decided to post our list early this week, because they're supposed to be posted on Saturdays or Sundays but I'm posting it today. As you know, I love romance in my books. But I'm not a huge fan of damsels in distress. So here is my list of my favorite female characters who really show some awesome girl power!

5) Katniss from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Katniss really is kick butt. She is able to get her and Peeta out of the worst predicaments, very good and lieing to thegovernment to save her butt, and she has a big heart. Her big heart is evident by the way that she takes care of her and Gale's families, and volunteers to take her sister's place in the hunger games. The only reason she is number five, is because of the few stupid things about her. She doesn't realize her and Peeta are meant to be, and she really trusts no one, though you can't blame her for the place she lives in. Bu otherwise, she is so kick butt!

4) Maerad from The Books of Pellinor series by Alison Croggon
Ok, I just started reading this series, and I love it! And Maerad is definitely kick butt, because she, like Clary, has a power that no one has ever seen before, and she is the One. The One who is supposed to save everybody from the Nameless One, aka the bad guy. Already she has saved Cadvan, her teacher/friend, many times, and found her long lost brother Hem on instinct. The only reason she is only number four is because she is just learning how to use her powers, and makes many mistakes, and is somewhat like a stubborn child. But she is only 17, it's got to be hard handling her Gift at that age, especially when she just found out!

3) Elaine from Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell
Elaine is the only girl living in an army encampment during the days of King Arthur, a reason she is already kick butt, if she can handle that. I love her because she is spunky and wild! And then, when her and Gwynivere, a girl she hates, are captured into an enemy encampment, she befriends Gwyniver and then continues to save them from the enemy encampment with only Gwynivere's help. On top of all that, she is a great healer, very smart, and ends up with the right guy. Amazing!

2) Clary from The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare
I love when the characters underestimate a girl and then she proves them wrong. Because that is exactly what Clary does! She has a power unlike anything anyone has ever seen, and she is definitely kick butt!

1) Fire from Fire by Kristin Cashore
Fire is my ultimate favorite! Everyone starts off as hating her or loving her too much(see my review of Fire), and she gains the whole kingdom's trust, and uses her power for the good of the kingdom, withouth letting the government use her as a tool. Not to mention, she scores the guy because of all of these things. Not just because of her beauty. She is amazing!

Enjoy!

Love always,
Amanda

p.s. if you have any ideas for a new list of the week, feel free to tell us! We'd love your input!

LOTW 3: Top 5 Series that are Ending/ Ended

So seeing as the end of 10 Things I Hate about You is in thirty minutes, I am in a very melancholy "everything is ending" mindset. Hello! Lost? Anyone. And with graduation in roughly
15 days where I go to school, like I said, very "everything is ending."

So I thought I'd spin that into something positive-ish, and do my top 5 series that have ended/are ending VERY soon. So, here they are, enjoy it while you can! :)

5.) The Heir Series. I loved all the characters and Cinda Williams Chima's writing, I also loved the idea and the plot.

4.) The Gemma Doyle Trilogy. I love, love, love Libba Bray's writing. I also loved Gemma's perspective on things, and that this series was chilling, but didn't have me completely shaking in my boots.

3.) The Gallagher Girls Series. I loved the whole spy school idea, and I love the cast, especially the love interest, Zach, oh Swoonage! But, I do feel that this is where it should end.

2.) Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I will miss Percy deeply, but I am super phyched for the new Camp Half Blood series, beginning with The Lost Hero, I wonder how it will differ from Percy, it will be interesting to see.

1.) Pretty Little Liars. Pretty Little Liars was totally my guilty pleasure! Getting through i think four in one trip with friends, I was so hooked. How can you not be? I love the drama and the intrigue and the secrets! An added bonus of a little romance and witty lines, plus a little bit of 'don't look behind you' creepy-ness. I will definitely miss Pretty Little Liars when it ends with Wanted on June 8th.

xoxo,
Shelbie

LOTW 2: Top 5 Most Villainous Villains

Last week I did lover's so this week I thought I would do villains :)

5.) A (Pretty Little Liars) A know's all of your secrets. AND is willing to hit your best friend with a truck. Watch out.

4.) Valentine (City of Bones) evil fathers to a whole new level. This one is hell bent on taking out everyone you hold dear...

3.) Visily Romani (Heist Society) Taking down someone who can steal already stolen artwork. Good luck with that.

2.) The Capitol (The Hunger Games) Try and take down your whole government while your at it...

1.) Kronos (The Lightning Theif) Fighting a god? No prob. Fighting a TITAN? Now that's a challenge.

Hope you liked!

xoxo,
Shelbie

LOTW 1: Top Ten Hunky Lovers


This week for my Top 10, I wasn't really sure what to do, but since I am re-reading The Truth About Forever I have been feeling totally love-y dove-y all day... So why not do my Top 10 Hunky Lovers? This will be a fun assignment :-)

10.) Robbie Jennings, Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging
9.) Joseph 'Seph' McCauley, The Wizard Heir
8.) Seth Mulo, Death by Bikini
7.) W. W. Hale the Fifth, Heist Society
6.) Finn, Something, Maybe
5.) Peeta Mellark, The Hunger Games
4.) Zachary 'Zach' Goode, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
3.) Wesley 'Wes' Baker, The Truth About Forever
2.) Patch Cipriano, Hush, Hush
1.) Jace Wayland, City of Bones

PLEASE PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT OF SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITES

xoxo,
Shelbie

Quotes 6.30.10

Hey Guys! I feel like I haven't done quotes in forever! These are all from White Cat by Holly Black, enjoy!

1.) "The easiest lies to tell are the ones you want to be true." White Cat by Holly Black

2.) "Clever as the Devil, and twice as pretty." White Cat by Holly Black

3.) "She says that what you did was a cry for help." "It was," I say. "That's why I was yelling 'Heeeelp!' I don't really go in for subtlety." White Cat by Holly Black

4.) "It feels like the whole world has turned upside down. There aren't any more rules. Hey, I say to Sam, because if the world's gone crazy, then I guess I can do whatever I want. "Guess what? I'm a worker." White Cat by Holly Black

5.) "Yesterday when we went over the plan again and again, I never thought about Grandad showing up. Because I'm an idiot, basically--an idiot with poor planning skills. Of course he's here. Where else would he be? Seriously, what else could go wrong?" White Cat by Holly Black

xoxo,
Shelbie

Quotes 6.14.10

Hey guys, haven't done these for a while, but here they are! :) (In no particular order.)

1) "Occasionally a geological occurrence takes place that is so dramatic, it actually shifts the earth on its axis. A tsunami. An earthquake. If you could go into outer space and film the planet at the exact moment the event occurs, you would literally witness the world move. I didn't realize it at the time, but that is what meeting Amanda Valentino would be for me" (The Amanda Project by Melissa Kantor. ) I don't know what I liked about this quote, I just found it really cool.

2) "Hodge sent me to wake you up. Actually, he offered to wake you up himself, but since it's five a.m., I figured you'd be less crancky if you had something nice to look at." "Meaning you?" "What else?" (City of Bones by Cassandra Clare)

3)"Now we're detectives? Maybe we should all have code names." "Good idea, I shall be Hotschaft Von Hugenstein." (City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.)

4)"A diary with no drawings of me in it? Where are the torrid fantasies? The romance novel covers?" (City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.)

5) "To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both looks like carelessness." (The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.) So, this one was actually quoted by Magnus bane in City of Bones, but I love Oscar Wilde's plays so I used the direct quote instead :)

As you can see, most of these were brought to you by the wonderful Cassandra Clare and her character Jace. I hope you enjoyed it:) I know I always love Cassandra Clare and Jace quotes :)

Love always,
Amanda

Quotes 6.2.10

Hey Guys, I thought I would put up new quotes for June!

1) "Spence has turned out many wonderful young women who've gon on to make vey good marriages." Translation: We dont expect much more from you, please don't embarrass us. (Libba Bray, A Great and Terrible Beauty)

2) "Power changes everything till it is difficult to say who are the heroes and who the villians." (Libba Bray, The Sweet Far Thing)

3) "You must remember, my dear lady, the most important rule of any successful illusion: First, the people must want to believe in it." (Libba Bray, The Sweet Far Thing)

4) "The trouble with morning is that it comes well before noon." (Libba Bray, The Sweet Far Thing)

5) "Because you don't notice the light without a bit of shadow. Everything has both dark and light. You have to play with it till you get it exactly right." (Libba Bray, Rebel Angels)
xoxo,
Shelbie

Quotes 5.24.10

So i realized our 'quotes of the day' are no longer quotes of the day... so this will just be quotes when we feel like it! :D
These quotes are brought to you by Sarah Dessen, enjoy. : )

1) "Love is needing someone. Love is putting up with someone's bad qualities because they somehow complete you."
(Sarah Dessen, This Lullaby)

2) "No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain something greater...The love we have for each other is bigger than these small differences. And that's the key. It's like a big pie chart, and the love in a relationship has to be the biggest piece. Love can make up for a lot." (Sarah Dessen, This Lullaby)

3) "It's just that...I just think that some things are meant to be broken. Imperfect. Chaotic. It's the universe's way of providing contrast, you know? There have to be a few holes in the road. It's how life is."
(Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever)

4) "It was like when you're a little kid and you run into your teacher or librarian at the grocery store or Wal-mart and it's just so startling, because it never occurred to you they existed outside of school." (Sarah Dessen, Just Listen)

5) "I don't believe in failure, because simply by saying you've failed, you've admitted you attempted. And anyone who attempts is not a failure. Those who truly fail in my eyes are the ones who never try at all. The ones who sit on the couch and whine and moan and wait for the world to change for them."
(Sarah Dessen, Keeping the Moon)

6) "Pieces and parts were always easier to process. The full picture, the entire story, was another thing entirely. But you just never knew. Sometimes, people could surprise you." (Sarah Dessen, Just Listen)
"Hate Spinnerbait!" (This one is for Jennifer O. :))
(Sarah Dessen, This Lullaby)
xoxo,
Shelbie

Quotes 5.11.10

The quotes today are brought to you by Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott of which I have just finished and LOVED my review should be up under the reviews tab today...

1) "Dear Diary: Will was an ass for the 467th day in a row. He's so dreamy."
(Elizabeth Scott, Perfect You)

2) "Will's trying to be funny, laugh so he'll shut up."
(Elizabeth Scott, Perfect You)

3) "Can I sit down?"
“Why?”
“Because when I eat standing up, people look at me funny.”
(Elizabeth Scott, Perfect You)

4) “My neighbor likes those, he’s six”
“Is that supposed to be some sort of insult? Because you’re the one discussing juice boxes with a six year old.”
(Elizabeth Scott, Perfect You)

5) “How could sitting and talking to him be so much harder than making out with him?”
(Elizabeth Scott, Perfect You)
xoxo,
Shelbie

Quotes 5.10.10

Well, hello there! This post has deleted itself twice since I've written it, because my internet keeps being stupid. But anyways, out of love for you guys I rewrote quotes of the day, twice, for the past two days I missed. Anyways, enjoy the awesome quotes and my use of Cassandra Clare and Oscar Wilde and their highly quotable writing. Love, Amanda (note: these are in no particular order.)

1)"All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his."- Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, Act 1

2)Indeed, no woman should ever be quite accurate about her age. It looks so calculating.The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde, Act 3.

3) “’ You invited him into bed?’ Simon demanded, looking shaken. ‘Ridiculous isn’t it?’ Said Jace. ‘We would never have all fit.’” City of Bones, Cassandra Clare

4) “I feel… as if… somebody… had handed me… the moon… and I didn’t know… exactly… what to do… with it.” Anne of Avonlea, L.M. Montgomery

5)”’ Come now. A mother can tell when her son lies. Are you eating?’ ‘No,’ Brigan said gravely. ‘I’ve not eaten in two months. It’s a hunger strike to protest the spring flooding in the south.’ ‘Gracious,’ Roen said, reaching for the fruit bowl. ‘Have an apple, dear.’” Fire, Kristin Cashore

6) “’ Take my advice and live for a long, long time,’ Mom reads. ‘Because the maddest thing a man can do in this life is to let himself die.’” Going Bovine, Libba Bray

Quotes 5.8.10

I felt bad, but I didn't have time to update it yesterday! So heres two days worth to make up for it!
10: "She'll kill me if she finds you in here. Can you climb trees? Tell me you can climb a tree!"
(Hush, Hush, Becca Fitzpatrick)
9: “That is how fires start. With a spark. And I see the spark catching the wind.”
(A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray)
8: "I always channel my emotions into my work. That way I don't hurt anyone but myself.”
(The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins)
7: “But then she slammed a door handle into my gut. And when a girl does that to a boy,it means she likes him."
(Wake, Lisa McMann)
6: “Three people can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.”
(Pretty Little Liars, Sara Shepard)
5: "Kate, don't be like that. You know I only did so well because I yearn-see, SAT word- to follow you to college and steal your heart." "Uh-huh. Too bad for you I don't plan on attending clown college." He grinned. "Only you would ignore the incredibly sweet thing I just said." "Only you would describe one of your asinine comments as incredibly sweet."
(Perfect You, Elizabeth Scott)
4: "Cute" is one of those words people use when they know you're smart enough to realize "you've got so much personality" means "you're ugly."
(Perfect You, Elizabeth Scott)
3: "Tacos?" "Tacos?" I echoed. "Tomatoes, lettuce, cheese." "I know what a taco is!"
(Hush, Hush, Becca Fitzpatrick)
2: "What are you grinning at? Is the ceiling about to cave in on my head or something? You look like we're both on the verge of an enormous joke." “Katsa, only you would consider the collapse of the ceiling a good joke."
(Graceling, Kristin Cashore)
1: "Well now, Jack," Hastings said from the sidelines. "I'm afraid you've been beheaded. Not a good start."
(The Warrior Heir, Cinda Williams Chima)

xoxo,
Shelbie

Quotes 5.6.2010

Hello there! Ok, so Shelbie made these posts quotes of the day. Yeah, everyday? Good luck with that one Shelbie. All though I have oodles of Mortal Instruments quotes, I doubt you guys want only those. So I started digging through my books... looking for my favorite quotes. Yeah, I need to start a quote journal from all my books. Well, here's your quotes of the day, brought to you by moi, Amanda. :)

only three today, oh well :)


3)"Had he been in my place, and I in his, though I hated him with a hatred that turned my life to gall, I never would have raised a hand against him. You may look incredulous, if you please! I never would have banished him from her society as long as she desired his. The moment her regard ceased, i would have torn his heart out, and drunk his blood!" Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Oh, I am a sucker for a classic :) I love Wuthering Heights.


2) "And now I’m looking at you,” he said, “and you’re asking me if I still want you, as if I could stop loving you. As if I would want to give up the thing that makes me stronger than anything else ever has. I never dared give much of myself to anyone before – bits of myself to the Lightwoods, to Isabelle and Alec, but it took years to do it – but, Clary, since the first time I saw you, I have belonged to you completely. I still do. If you want me." Cassandra Clare, City of Glass.



1) "But, Anne, a broken heart in real life isn't half as dreadful as it is in books. It's a good deal like a bad tooth... though you won't think that a very romantic simile. It takes spells of aching and gives you a sleepless night now and then, but between times it lets you enjoy life and dreams and echoes and peanut candy as if there were nothing the matter with it." Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery, p. 203 And that, my friends, is the beauty of Montgomery's writing. And you wonder why I love the Anne of Green Gables series so much... it's because quotes like this just make me sigh and my heart smile. Now that, is reading for the soul.

Quotes: 5.5.2010

All quotes today are from The Mortal Instuments Series because those are the quotes I happen to have on hand :)
5.) Number 5 happens to be a personal favourite of mine, it also happens to be one of our buttons on the sidebar right here ---->
'It means 'Shadowhunters: looking better in black than the widows of our enemies since 1234' -Jace
(City of Bones, Cassandra Clare)
4.) Number 4 was from a character that I originally didn't like in the series, but now I looove him because of his great quotes!
"From now on I will only address people by nodding at them."-Simon
"That's stupid why would you do that?"-Clary
"Because it says that 'I am a badass, and I recognize that you too, are a badass'" -Simon
(City of Ashes (?), Cassandra Clare)
3.) Number 3 is a great quote in my opinion, because 'Cooking the Soup' was code for something...... rather inappropriate for a while, and now you will know why :) feel free to use it in everyday language!
"Do you think Hodge would like some soup?" -Isabelle "No one wants any soup." -Jace"I would like some soup." -Simon"No you don't, you just want to sleep with Isabelle." -Jace
(City of Bones, Cassandra Clare)
2.) Once again another awesome Simon quote!
"I think I liked 'mundane' better than 'bloodsucker'" -Simon"With Jace, you don't really get to choose your insulting nickname." -Clary (City of Ashes (?), Cassandra Clare)
1.) I feel bad for stealing this one from Amanda but I just love this one sooooo much! Sorry Amanda!
"I'll just have them change the entry in the demonology text book from 'almost extinct' to 'not extinct enough for Alec. He prefers his monsters really, really extinct.' Will that make you happy?" -Jace
(City of Ashes, Cassandra Clare)
Alrighty, those are your 5 quotes of the day! Comment below if you have some to share!
xoxo,
Shelbie

Pendragon: The Lost City of Faar by D.J. MacHale



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Fourteen-year-old Bobby Pendragon is not like other boys his age. His uncle Press is a Traveler, and, as Bobby has learned, that means Uncle Press is responsible, through his journeys, for solving interdimensional conflict wherever he encounters it. His mission is nothing less than to save the universe from ultimate evil. And he's taking Bobby along for the ride.

Fresh from his first adventure on Denduron, Bobby finds himself in the territory of Cloral, a vast world that is entirely covered by water. Cloral is nearing a disaster of huge proportions. Reading the journals Bobby sends home, his friends learn that the desperate citizens of the endangered floating cities are on the brink of war. Can bobby - suburban basketball star and all-around nice guy - help rid the area of marauders, and locate the legendary lost land of Faar, which may hold the key to Cloral's survival?


So, I was kind of hoping this would be a Supernatural book, just so I could stick to the Genre of the Month, but it is obviously a fantasy. (With some sci-fi thrown in!) Okay, so L gave me this book at our last book club, and I have to say it ended up being pretty dang amazing! (Although there was no romance.) Anyways, to the review!

So, this is kind of a random non content related thing, but the first thing I liked about this book was it's smell. Call me crazy, but I miss the smell of the paper that was in all of my first chapter books. The rough greyish kind, do you remember? Well I didn't notice people stopped using it until I read this book and noticed the first paperback version came out in 2003, so it explained the paper. Anyways, actual content stuff now. Well, I have to warn you that this book is a sequel, and I did not read the first book. I think you should be fine with not reading the first, because the first two chapters catch you up on whats going on, which is a little boring but when you get to where Bobby enters Cloral, the pace really picks up. Okay, I love love LOVED the characters and their dialogue in this book. On Cloral, Bobby befriends a guy named Spader (who is the Traveler from Cloral but he doesn't know it yet.) and I absolutely loved Spader. I'd imagine Spader had somewhat of an Australian or British accent, just based on the way he says things like 'mate.' But he also has his own dialogue that is specific to the younger people on Cloral. Spader is VERY energetic and runs around saying things like 'Hobey-ho!' and 'We're in a bit of a tum-tigger aren't we, mate?' This may seem very goofy to you, but that is one of the best parts of the book. MacHale really knows how to come up with some great dialogue. Tell you the truth, I kind of have a little book crush on Spader. But off the topic of Spader now. Not only were the characters and dialogue amazing, but I loved the plot and setting. I don't know about you, but I love the idea of Atlantis possibly existing, and Faar is Cloral's version of Atlantis. Cloral itself is a world I want to live in. Everyone lives on huge, floating cities and gets ood from underwater farms. And everything there uses water in a way to make something or power something. I really loved the idea of water poweringerything. Their guns and cannons shoot water! (Which sounds ineffective, but it really was effective.) I've always been a bit of a sci-fi geek, so I wasn't exactly kicking and screaming at the thought of some sci-fi mixed in with my Fantasy. I know I've been rambling and basically just saying how I have a crush on Spader and want to live on Cloral, but that should be a hint to how amazing this book is. If it wasn't amazing, I wouldn't want to live in that world. Excuse my rambling :) But long story short, read this book!

ps. I really didn't get that into the chapters on Earth where his friends were reading the journal, but they are important, and it was probably due to the fact that I didn't get to know them in the first book.

Love always,

Amanda

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen





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It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.


I. Love. Sarah. Dessen. I actually think that Along for the Ride surpassed The Truth about Forever as my favourite Sarah Dessen book. Who knew that could happen? I didn’t. I didn’t think that any book could pass that one… ugh but they're both sooooo good. I think I’m going to post a poll below to see which one you like better, because I’m not sure. So yeah, I’ll do that at the end (: So I meant to read this on my vacation which is technically tomorrow since I am writing this at 3:13 am. Weird. But I just got sooooo into it (I’m saying so with a bunch of o’s at the end a lot. I must be really tired. (: I’ll go to bed soon, promise) Okay to the review.

Gosh, how to describe Along for the Ride? I have no idea, honestly. The characters are so real and so cute, I related to Auden, being a self diagnosed insomniac, hello, who else is up at 3:20? I related to her in other ways, having demanding parents at some points and needing to get away sometimes. Second, I loved Eli, Sarah Dessen can sure write a cute lover for the relationship aspect of her novels, Eli was everything I could have wanted in a book relationship and then some! I love when Dessen puts little quirks in the characters' relationship, In The Truth about Forever it was the game of truth and in Along for the Ride it was giving Auden her past back, Auden and Eli had late night coffee and pie, and they went BOWLING, which is sort of an inside joke between my friends and I, which made Eli even more amazing, finally, he’s a BMX-er! (is that a word? Or the right term? He competed in competitions, so I think that’s right, give me a break its 3:30) Once again, inside joke, but a few friends including Amanda went on a road trip and we saw a BMX competition and we fell in love with it. There wasn’t much on the other characters, because a lot of the book took place in the wee hours of the morning, but I don’t have anything particularly bad to say about them, except Auden’s father, who throughout the whole book couldn’t seem to get a clue and grow up. The plot was amazing, but I wish there was more of a conclusion, the ending seemed very okayimdonewritingnow where I was thinking there was missing pages, I wish there was more to that, I think it would have been absolutely breathtaking then (: Finally, the dialogue, Sarah Dessen, is an amazing writer when it comes to dialogue, she sure knows how to put just the right amount of witty back and forth, inside jokes where you feel just enough clued into it, and just enough backstory where you don’t feel completely out in the blue, but you don’t have to read through chapters of boring backstory that doesn’t really matter. Overall Sarah Dessen sure can write a novel, and a love story and I hope her next books are this good because I honestly feel like starting it over again. That’s how you know a book is mind blowing!


xoxo,

Shelbie

The Turning by Helen Ellis


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Mary Richards is a normal sixteen-year-old girl living in Manhattan. Well, almost normal. She goes to private school on the Upper East Side, having been saved from a life of squalor by an adoptive family. But she’s also slowly transforming into a cat.

Struggling to hide her physical metamorphosis, Mary discovers that she isn’t alone. A whole race of cat people prowls the streets of Manhattan at night, including Mary’s long-time crush, Nick.

Aside from heightened feline senses, hanging out with Nick is the best thing about discovering her inner kitty. But Mary’s transformation is special and could decide the outcome of a citywide turf war. She must decide whether to embrace her powerful feline side and become a pack leader or go back to being a normal teenage girl. Can she land on her feet or will curiosity be her downfall?


UGH! I so wanted this book to be good. I was at the B&N yesterday shopping for books to read over my vacation on Thursday, and I saw this one and was like wow, I judge books by their covers and until now that method hadn't failed me. I mean look at this cover. It’s beautiful! Unfortunately the story wasn't! I'm sad to say that this book was a waste of money. And it was a hardcover! ugh.

Mary Richard can turn into a cat. Actually for some reason, I had a cat fetish at the B&N yesterday. That I just realized. Anyway, The characters of The Turning seemed random, 1 dimensional, underdeveloped, and at some points boring. Mary was an okay character, being in the adoption system she seemed like she could never really have a solid home, but other than that there wasn't much else, what does she like, dislike? Nope. Nothing. Her love interest, Nick, was similar in the underdeveloped part, he seemed to be solely there to tell her what was going on, and so that the story could technically have a "love" plot. More on that, the "romance" between Mary and Nick happened overnight, literally. One night it was "Oh yeah I have a crush on him, but we haven’t spoken at all." then "Now were dating!" In one night? Get real. The supporting characters seemed to be there so the story could have supporting characters, there wasn't really any other reason for them to be there. The plot was okay-ish, from the cover it seemed like this intense, dangerous, thrill ride. However I found myself laughing at times that were supposed to be serious, things seemed rushed and forced. But the idea was there. Finally the dialogue. And I thought the characters were underdeveloped. Ellis seems to be the type of person who's into very descriptive writing but not when it matters. She seemed completely comfortable name dropping brands like "my Victoria's Secret sweatshirt that says Love Pink on the back" but couldn't describe crucial scenes like the first time Mary changed into a cat. The dialogue was also really confusing and I found myself having to re-read pages to figure out what was going on. Overall, if you really really want to read this book, check it out from the library or wait for paperback, it's definitely not worth hardcover price. Hopefully my next book will be better.

xoxo,

Shelbie

The Amanda Project by Melissa Kantor



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Freshman Callie Leary wishes that her mother hadn't mysteriously disappeared, that her family still had money, and that her father wasn't drinking. So far she ahs kept the state of her family a secret, but it's becoming more difficult. Then one morning Callie is called to the vice principal's office with two other students, Hal and nia. It seems that their classmate, Amanda Valentino, painted the vice principal's car with graffiti, left clues on their lockers, and then disappeared. Unsure of the connection between Amanda and themselves, they decide to follow the clues and solver her disappearance. But as they dig deeper, they find that Amanda wasn't exactly truthful about her life and finding her will not be easy.


Ok, so I found this book when I went to the library with our book club. Of course I was intrigued by the fact that it was the AMANDA project, but it ended up being more than I could’ve ever hoped for. When Callie meets Hal and Nia, she thinks they are total freaks. (Even if one is a hot freak.) But in the end this all changes, because (one of the many things I liked about the plot) Amanda’s disappearance wasn’t just a coincidence, and she doesn’t just want them to find her, she wants them to find each other. Amanda’s hidden motive was to bring them together to right Callie’s past. Another thing that lends to the amazing story was the dialogue and hat it gives to the characters. Everyone in the book has their distinct dialogue. Hal is the “deep” artsy peace maker. Callie is the complicated one, who makes sure to make her life look perfect on the outside even though it is truly horrible. And Nia is my favorite. She has so many witty comebacks and one liners! I also love how she keeps surprising Callie. She surprises her with her subtle style, her gorgeous parents, and seemingly perfect home life. I guess I like her because she is a lot like me. (: I also like the little twists and turns in the plot, they really get enhanced by Callie’s flashbacks. Overall this book is amazing, and you all should go read it. I am so excited because it is the first of 8 and the next one comes out on June 22 (: Enjoy!

Love always,

Amanda

Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn


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It starts in prehistory. A young man and a young woman fight over a precious jewel. Their time together is short, but the reverberations are lasting. Years pass. Generations pass. Centuries pass. But fate keeps drawing them together. Whenever their paths cross, there is that strange attraction. That unexplainable affinity. That feeling that they've been together before.

Theirs is a love haunted by history. From Egyptian slavery to Greek society. From Massachusetts witch trials to Civil War battlefields. From Paris in the 1930s to the present day. Circumstances will fight them... but a greater force will reunite them. Because some people are meant for eachother - no matter how long it takes.

Okay, so I would have written my own summary, but it's just too hard to explain.Overall, I think this was a pretty good book. Not amazing, but pretty dang good! I think what really drew me in was the little details that would travel on from life to life, and the fact that the supporting characters got reincarnated too. As you go throughout the book, the lovers always have something that symbolizes the green rock they fought over the first time, like a pair of green peridot earrings. And also, the love and the characters grow throughout all of the lives, so they don't start off from scratch each live. Like the guy who you start off disliking, because he seems forceful and just not nice, but you end up liking him as he goes about his lives. And then there is the redhead, who is always desperate for a man to love her, but in the end she becomes a good friend and lover. I also enjoyed the little quirks that got passed on to their future lives. Like the guy lover's headpain and scars, and his knack for writing music. And the girl lover's sprained ankle, fear of fire, and beautiful singing voice. It really made the reincarnation process a whole lot less confusing because their quirks let you know who was who. So anyways, those little details made the plot AMAZING. Weyn also wrote her characters really well, you really grew along with them. I'd have to say the thing I liked the least was the dialogue, just because there wasn't anything really special about her writing style. But otherwise, I loved this book!

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen



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A long, hot summer... that's what Macy has to look forward to while her boyfriend, Jason, is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evenings will be filled with the vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the traumatic loss of Macy's father. But sometimes unexpected things can happen -- things such as the catering job at Wish, with its fun-loving, chaotic crew. Or her sister's project of renovating the neglected beach house, awakening long-buried memories. Things such as meeting Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, the kind of boy who could turn any girl's world upside down. As Macy ventures out of her shell, she begins to wonder, is it really better to be safe than sorry?

I got this book checked out from the school library in eighth grade. And, I clearly remember, when I was done I RAN over and gave it to Amanda and was like "You have to read this book, its SOO awesome!" I also believe I got this book for her birthday one year, or maybe she gave it to me? I can't remember, one of us gave it to the other one. Now, I have to read almost EVERY one of Sarah Dessen's books and I have to say that none of them quite measure up to The Truth About Forever.

The characters of The Truth About Forever are very real, and I loved all of them, Macy, who was strong for everyone else after witnessing her father's death, I saw her need to have order and be perfect and I loved her journey from being 'perfect' to realizing the she could have flaws and that was okay, the Wish catering team was so perfectly balanced between wild, outgoing Kristy, quiet introverted Monica, funny end-of-the-world-obsessed Bert, smart insightful artistic Wes, and Delia, the motherly figure who has a habit for letting things be imperfect, the whole team is so opposite they complement each other in a chaos-worthy catering business. I actually understood Macy's mother throwing herself into work as a way of dealing with the loss of her husband, although I did want to throw things at her in a very un-ladylike manner at some points because she had me so frustrated. The plot was beautiful, full of its ups and downs, but kept me going, and cheering the characters on and kept reading when they had their downs there was funny moments, and little things that kept me reading, even when I wanted to yell at the characters and tell them to stop being so stupid. The dialogue was super cute, I loved Wes and Macy's game of Truth which kept adding background on the characters without being random, I also loved how witty the dialogue was, everyone had funny lines and everyone had something sweet to say. Overall this book is definitely one of my favs!


xoxo,

Shelbie