Repost Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon

I was reading along yesterday logging reviews and I realized that this review got posted before it was finished (that will teach me to re-read before I post)! I am slightly embarrassed. So I am re-posting it, finished.

5 yummy tagalongs.

Cover Love: Yes! It is so beautiful.

Why I Wanted to Read This:
Well, the cover was a big reason, it caught my eye very quickly! Secondly, it is a re-telling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, one of my favorite fairy tales. And I love re-tellings of most fairy tales! Here's the synopsis from Good Reads:

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

I Kept Reading Because: It was awesome. Easy to read and follow.

Romance?: Yes!

What I Liked (& Didn't):
First off, it was very well written. This is a big book (480 pages) but was so smoothly written that it didn't take any time at all to read it.

I really liked Azalea. She was a strong heroine who had her moments of doubts. It made her more accessible for the reader. I didn't really like Bramble (the second sister), luckily she's not in there a ton so it didn't ruin anything for me.

I thought it was clever that the princess were named after flowers, but also alphabetically.

I love the story of The 12th Dancing Princesses. I liked that in this tale the royal family is more of a figurehead for it's country. And that the princesses were poor so dancing truly was their one escape.

Great villain also, very creepy.

I liked the King and overall he seemed to be the one that did the most growing in the book. A nice touch.

I loved that not only Azalea had a romance, but Bramble and Clover also each had one. A nice twist for this fair tale.

To Sum Up: A great main character and several romances lighten up this dark tale. One for my middle school library shelves and my personal library shelves!

Book requested and received from Greenwillow. Thanks!

Review: Betrayal by Lee Nichols

3 fudgy brownies.

Cover Love: I don't like it as much as Deception, but it fits the series.

Why I Wanted to Read This:
I adored Deception and was excited to read more about Emma. Here's the synopsis from Good Reads:

Emma Vaile is the most powerful ghostkeeper in centuries. Which is great when she's battling the wraith-master Neos, but terrible when she's flirting with fellow ghostkeeper (and soul mate) Bennett. When ghostkeepers fall in love, the weaker one loses all power, and that's not something Bennett can handle. Heartbroken and alone, Emma tries to lose herself in school with fellow ghostkeeper, Natalie. When a new team of ghostkeepers arrive—one a snarky teen
boy, the other a British scholar—Emma finds solace in training for the battle against Neos. But as the team grows stronger, they are threatened by an unknown force. One they thought was good.
As chilling and page-turning as Deception, this sequel will grab readers and hold them to the last page. No one is safe from suspicion as Emma closes in on the traitor.

I Kept Reading Because:
Despite being slow at the start, it picked up in the middle and finished strong.

Romance?: Yes. But a romance from afar.

What I Liked (& Didn't):
Okay, I have to say it. I am not a fan of Bennett nor of Emma and his relationship. I liked Coby so much more (and still do). I wish what happened to him hadn't happened so there could be more of a triangle.

I saw glimpses of an Emma I could root for, but want her to embrace her powers and be more of a leader.

I liked the addition of her team. Simon and Lukas were good additons to the story.

I didn't like the whole Harry and Sara subplot. It made Emma seem weak. She hardly stood up for herself and she had every right too.

I still love the idea of ghosttkeeping. It is so unique. I like the different powers.

I was satisfied with the action at the end and do look forward to the next book.

To Sum Up: I bought both of these books for my library and have been able to get several readers interested in them. I felt this one was weaker than the first, but will continue on with the series!

Book requested and received from Kate at Bloomsbury. Thanks!!

Summer Books: Beach vs. Camps

I have read a bunch of summer themed books this year. I started off with Jenny Han's wonderful and emotional Summer series (The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You, We'll Always Have Summer (links to my reviews)). I moved onto Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz and Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton. Lots of romance and lots of beaches.

I love the beach. And I love the idea of having a beach house. However, I live in a landlocked state with no beach in sight. We have forests and lakes. Which brings me to the next popular summer romance genre: summer camp.

I have always wanted to go to summer camp! I like the idea of being away from parents for three or four weeks in the summer. Of meeting friends that you could count on seeing year after year. Of working there as a counselor when I get older. I never went to a summer camp though (I did plenty of sports camps).

I am currently reading The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy. It is a fun story about three sisters and the summer camp they attend. I am loving it! Another summer camp book I loved was Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita (I read it before I was reviewing regularly on this blog--but I really liked it. It was more about the cattiness of girls during camp than romances). Another fun middle grade summer camp read is Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire by Brenda A. Ferber(I love that cover!).

What other summer camp books are there? How about beach reads?

Which kind are your favorite summer themed books?

Tween Tuesday: Sidekicks by Jack D. Ferraiolo

5 super awesome frosted maple cookies.

Cove Love: Yes! Like always Amulet has done a super job of creating a reading experience with their book design.

Why I Wanted to Read This:
One of my favorite reads of the past few years was The Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiolo. When I heard he was writing a new book I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! Here's the synopsis from Good Reads:

Batman has Robin, Wonder Woman has Wonder Girl, and Phantom Justice has Bright Boy, a.k.a. Scott Hutchinson, an ordinary schoolkid by day and a superfast, superstrong sidekick by night, fighting loyally next to his hero.

But after an embarrassing incident involving his too-tight spandex costume, plus some signs that Phantom Justice may not be the good guy he pretends to be, Scott begins to question his role. With the help of a fellow sidekick, once his nemesis, Scott must decide if growing up means being loyal or stepping boldly to the center of things.

I Kept Reading Because: I couldn't put it down!

Romance?: Yes, an adorable young teen romance--I loved it!

What I Liked (& Didn't):
There were so many awesome twists in this story that I am afraid that I will give something away in my review, but I am going to try really hard to not do that...

One thing I can safely talk about it Mr. Ferraiolo's writing. It is so smooth and so funny. It just goes down and before you know it you've read 100 pages. The story moves along with no glitches. Excellent!

And there is so much humor in there! It's the kind of humor that adults get pretty easily and more saavy middle schoolers will as well. Both of his books have that same kind of subtle humor. It's the kind of humor and writing that makes you smile as you read.

And Scott is a great character. He has so many insecurities and he has to live two lives.

The action in this book was non-stop and the world of these supers (or pluses) is one I want to visit again!

If There's a Sequel: There definitely could be a sequel to this book, however, it also could stay where it ended. Either was I would be satisfied. If there is a sequel I would like Scott to be more socially comfortable and able to make a few friends.

To Sum Up: There is a ton of action and so many twists and turns. It will keep middle school readers on the edge of their seat and up late at night reading. Great book!

Check out the trailer the author made here. It's hysterical and you will find yourself wanting to read this book even more after watching it.


And read the always interesting "Evolution of a Cover" from Chad Beckerman's website, about the Sidekicks book jacket.

Book requested and received from Amulet (thanks Laura)!

Tween Tuesday is hosted by Sarah the GreenBeanTeenQueen. Thanks Sarah!

Review: Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

4 very sweet ice cream sandwiches using homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Cover Love: Yes. It is perfect for the feel of this book.

Why I Wanted to Read This:
I got this from Simon & Schuster's Galley Grab program and I am currently a sucker for summer romances. Here's the synopsis from GoodReads:

Anna is dreading another tourist-filled summer on Dune Island that follows the same routine: beach, ice cream, friends, repeat. That is, until she locks eyes with Will, the gorgeous and sweet guy visiting from New York. Soon, her summer is filled with flirtatious fun as Anna falls head over heels in love. But with every perfect afternoon, sweet kiss, and walk on the beach, Anna can’t ignore that the days are quickly growing shorter, and Will has to leave at the end of August. Anna’s never felt anything like this before, but when forever isn’t even a possibility, one summer doesn’t feel worth the promise of her heart breaking….

I Kept Reading Because: I adored the romance between Anna and Will and was very interested in how the author was going to end the book.

Romance?: Yes--it's what the whole book is all about.

What I Liked (& Didn't):
I loved this line, "Looking at Will was so different from looking at other boys." That just nails the feeling you get when you realize you have a crush on someone, doesn't it? I still feel that way when I see my husband.

There were many, many more introspective lines and paragraphs about young loves, first loves and crushes. The author truly got the correct tone and feel of how a first romance is.

I loved the beach setting again.

I didn't love how Anna kept trying to run away, but I understood it. She was very afraid of how she was feeling and how swept up she was getting in the romance. But I did like Anna as a character, and I adored Will.

I liked how the author used Caroline and Sam as a parallel for a first love.

To Sum It Up: A nice, clean summer romance that young girls will love.

Book from Simon & Schuster Galley Grab. Thanks so much!!

Quick Draw: Superheroes

Batman or Superman? (or someone else)?

Me--I like the darkness of Batman but I like the goodness of Superman.

Review: Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz

3.5 molasses cookies.

Cover Love: Not really. It does bring to mind summer, but it doesn't really appeal to me much. Although, I am not the target audience.

Why I Wanted to Read This:
This was another book from Simon & Schuster's Galley Grab. It was about to expire so I decided to give it a try! Here's the synopsis from Good Reads:

Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss?

Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive....

I Kept Reading Because:
Chase was a really good voice. So insecure and so interesting. It was interesting to watch him grow.

Romance?: Yes. And a "brother"-mance.

What I Liked (& Didn't):
Chase is such a good male protagonist. He is insecure and unsure and trustworthy and responsible. He is so different than his older brother Noah. But, Chase is constantly striving for Noah's attention and love when in reality it seemed that Noah gave him more love than he gave most of the other characters.

It was a weird relationship that could be analyzed endlessly: Does Chase want Noah so much so he doesn't have to be so responsible? Because I didn't see anything overly special about Noah that would make Chase desire his attention. In fact, I felt like Chase was the only one in his family that actually wanted something from Noah, so why did Noah always feel the need to leave?

This is Chase's story, but it is really the story of this relationship between these two brothers. Occasionally there was a girl, Melinda, who got in the way, but the main focus was these two brothers.

It bothered me that Chase did so much for the family and people he loved, yet nobody seemed to acknowledge it. I wanted someone to say "Thank you" to him!

To Sum Up: I enjoyed this book, and enjoyed Chase. It kept me interested, but something felt lacking. However, it was a good male voice written by a female author.

eBook received from Simon & Schuster Galley Grab. Thanks S&S!

Random Buzzers

I just have to tell you about Random Buzzers. It is this awesome site run by Random House and each week they have a different book they spotlight with an author interview. But the best part is the giveaways they have! I have won FIVE books from them since the beginning of the year! You should definitely check it out.

(if you sign up from this post my username is janaw--they might ask for who refered(?) you).

Tween Tuesday: The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall

5 wonderfully delicious, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies dunked in cold milk.

Cover Love:
Yes! I LOVE yellow and it fits with the other two books in the series. Also, I love that Batty is getting older in the pictures and once again, it fits the tone of the book.

I Wanted to Read This Because:
It's a Penderwick book. I adore them. You can read my past posts about the Penderwicks here:

One of my top 10 chapter books for the Fuse #8 poll
One of my favorite girl books
Daughters From Fiction I Would Like to Have
Puppy Love
I Am Rosalind
Tween Tuesday
Food From Fiction

As you can see, I like writing about these books because I think they are so wonderful. This is the third book in the series. Here's the synopsis from Good Reads:

When summer comes around, it's off to the beach for Rosalind . . . and off to Maine with Aunt Claire for the rest of the Penderwick girls, as well as their old friend, Jeffrey.

That leaves Skye as OAP (oldest available Penderwick)—a terrifying notion for all, but for Skye especially. Things look good as they settle into their cozy cottage, with a rocky shore, enthusiastic seagulls, a just-right corner store, and a charming next-door neighbor. But can Skye hold it together long enough to figure out Rosalind's directions about not letting Batty explode? Will Jane's Love Survey come to a tragic conclusion after she meets the alluring Dominic? Is Batty—contrary to all accepted wisdom—the only Penderwick capable of carrying a tune? And will Jeffrey be able to keep peace between the girls . . . these girls who are his second, and most heartfelt, family?

It's a rollicking ride as the Penderwicks continue their unforgettable adventures in a story filled with laughs and joyful tears!

I Kept Reading Because:
The world of the Penderwicks is so wonderful and sweet and cozy. I love being there!

Romance?: Yes, a little one for Jane.

What I Liked (& Didn't):
There is just so much to love about this book--the girls, the setting the new friends they make, Hound, Jeffery, Aunt Claire, everything!!

I love Jeanne Bridsall's writing, it is so comfortable and a bit old-fashioned. I love some of her wording and have decided to say that I am fond of things instead of I like it because I am fond of how that sounds (see?!).

I missed Rosalind, but I did like how this made Skye and Jane both grow up a little. I felt bad because of the pressure Skye put on herself, but she did a wonderful job as the OAP.

I adore Batty! And Jeffery!! He fits in with the family so well! I loved when he took over as acting OAP and made Skye work her butt off. And his storyline was so wonderful.

I am just so glad that the people they come in contact with are all good. There is no terrible drama or real bad things happening. They just meet good people.

And the bad things that do happen are simple and natural and real--like Jane's little summer romance. It was so perfect for Jane--from beginning to end.

I actually read this pretty slow because Penderwicks book only come out every three years or so. I didn't want it to end! And I have heard that the next one takes place 5 years in the future. I am not sure I love that idea, but I will follow Jeanne Birdsall no matter where she takes these girls!

My favorite sentence (and there are tons to choose from, but I just loved this one):
(talking about Batty & Mercedes) "They were having their first sleepover and were practically expiring from the thrill of it." It is just so simple and so true. If you remember your first sleepover, or if you have young children and remember their first sleepovers you know how true this statement is!

I actually cried with this Penderwick book--I might have cried a smidge at the beginning of the second one, but there was quite a bit emotion towards the end of this book (all good). It was good crying!

To Sum Up:
If you want a book that just makes you feel good, get one of these. And, if you have young girl readers in your life, start them on these books toot sweet! They are awesome!

Book requested and received from Lauren at Random House--thanks so much, it made my winter!!

Tween Tuesday is hosted by Sarah, the GreenBeanTeenQueen. Thanks!

Review: Monster High by Lisi Harrison

3 very weird frosted oatmeal cookies.

Cover Love: Yes!! Totally eye catching and fun.

Why I Wanted to Read This:
I bought a copy for my library because I have read a lot of good things about this series. I couldn't resist picking it up especially since there is a sequel coming out soon! Here's the synopsis from Good Reads:

From Lisi Harrison, the New York Times bestselling author of The Clique and Alphas, comes a new series with a fresh twist on high school, romance, and the horrors of trying to fit in.

They prefer to call themselves RAD (Regular Attribute Dodgers), but some call them monsters. So far, the "monster" community has kept a low profile in Salem, but this year two new girls enroll at Master High School, and the town will never be the same.

Created just fifteen days ago, Frankie Stein is psyched to trade her father's formaldehyde-smelling basement lab for parties and cheerleading. But with a student body totally freaked out by rumors of monsters who might be stalking the halls, Frankie finds that life in the "normi" world can be rough for a chic freak like her.

She thinks she finds a friend in fellow new student Melody Carver--but can a normi be trusted with her big secret?

I Kept Reading Because:
Honestly, I got approved for the ebook of the sequel on NetGalley, so I wanted to finish this one out.

Romance?: Yes. One for both Melody & Frankie.

What I Liked (& Didn't):
First of all, I truly enjoyed the premise behind this book! I love that there is a large group of RADS hiding out in plain sight. And there are several different kinds of monsters running around, it's awesome.

I felt like this was a good set-up for a series. It introduced a lot of characters and a web of relationships, and ended up on a great cliffhanger.

I loved Frankie and want her to be able to come out and be accepted as her true self. I also loved Melody. They are two great main characters.

I didn't like Becca, but I don't think in the long run we were supposed to like her. Of all the monsters in the book, the normi is the worst one!

To Sum Up:
This is a fun book for middle schoolers, an easy sell for the readers in my school. I look forward to reading the next one to see how this conflict is resolved!

Book bought for my library.

Link-a-Doodles

I have been seeing some fun lists that I thought I would share:

*Crushable (the site that gave us The Babysitter's Club if written by Bret Easton Ellis) listed the 10 YA books that scarred us for life. Super good fun (you have to read the reasons they picked those books). FYI-A Summer to Die: Every time I got a nosebleed after I read this book I was afraid I had cancer. And both of my sons are plagued with nosebleeds, so I always worry about them too!

*The above list led me to a link called "5 Surprising Facts About Sweet Valley High." More good stuff!

*I spent more than a few minutes the other day taking quizzes about books from this site. Ultimate time waster! (This is the one I did the fastest)

*Time Magazine did a list of 10 Kid's Books Series we miss. I love Mrs. Piggle Wiggle--individual chapters are always great read-alouds.

*Beverly Cleary turned 95 this week. 95!! Wow. Here is a fantastic article from The NY Times about Beverly and an essay from Lisa Yee. A couple years ago we took our own Beverly Cleary pillgrammage in Portland. Check out that post here.

And some photos from that day:

Review: Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

3 pretty good peanut butter blossoms.

Cover Love:

Yes, I like this cover. I like how the model looks as if he is standing on the edge of a choice. Fits with the book.

Why I Wanted to Read This:

I have heard several really positive reviews of this book so I finally decided to give it a try. Here's the synopsis from Good Reads:

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

I Kept Reading Because:

The author did a great job of giving the reader crumbs to follow. I haven't read any of the author's grown up books about Dark-Hunters so I kept reading to find out just why Nick was so important to everyone.

What I Liked (& Didn't):

This book had a fast paced plot with a lot of action. It moved along quite quickly. However, I didn't really like Nick. He had such a huge chip on his shoulder and was so down on himself. I know he's a teen and that all of it made more sense in the end, it just made me uncomfortable as I read.

His mom also drove me nuts. She just never stopped with her own opinions long enough to listen to Nick. Most scenes with her bothered me.

This book did make me want to learn more about the Dark Hunters and the whole world Nick lives in, it piqued my interest for sure.

There were a lot of loose ends that didn't get tied up, makes me look forward to reading the sequel.

To Sum Up: This is a book that resonates well with it's target audience. Students in my school have loved it and are excited for the sequel. Since I want to know more about Nick I am looking forward to the sequel as well.

Book from my personal library.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

I have a monumental birthday coming up, the one with a 4 in it... At one point I mentioned that for my birthday I would like some bookshelves built into our basement (we have a friend who is a master at this). So after some measuring and discussing our friend built them over spring break. He and Scott just got done installing them this weekend, take a look:
And here they are with stuff on them:

Guest Post: Chris Rylander author of The Fourth Stall

I was delighted to be asked to be part of the blog tour for The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander (you can read my review here). This is Chris' first book and I was interested to know what influences him when he writes. The answer movies!! He is my kind of guy. Here's what he had to say:

I get asked a lot about movies, probably because my debut novel, THE FOURTH STALL, has such obvious ties to the movie The Godfather. Even the cover is a wink to the movie. THE FOURTH STALL has also been compared to Ferris Beuller’s Day Off. And yet another movie which helped inspire THE FOURTH STALL is Brick, a brilliant independent film that came out several years ago. But, anyway, I thought it’d be a good topic to discuss in my guest post because movies have played an even bigger role in my life than just inspiring the plots of a few stories.

Movies are what introduced me to storytelling. I mean, yeah, I read a lot as a kid and I loved books. But my favorite movies as a kid have stuck with me more distinctly than some of my favorite childhood books. And growing up, I always thought I wanted to be a filmmaker, not a writer. I thought writing a book might be cool to do someday, but what I laid awake at night dreaming about was someday making my own independent movie that would take the industry by storm much like Pulp Fiction did in the 90’s. So it was movies that first inspired me to start thinking like a storyteller.

And movies also showed me different ways to go about storytelling. They showed me that you can have your own unique voice as a storyteller. For instance, one of my favorite filmmakers is a guy named Jim Jarmusch. I watched several of his earliest films in one weekend when I was 15 or 16, including Down by Law, Stranger than Paradise, and Dead Man. And they blew me away. Here were movies where the story or plot didn’t matter nearly as much as the storytelling itself. The original voice of the storyteller (in this case, the writer/director) became the story. I relished in every little quirk and detail I saw in his movies. Dialogue and styles and methods that I’d never experienced before.

Jarmusch’s movies showed me that storytelling can be what we make it. He once said this, “I'd rather make a movie about a guy walking his dog than about the emperor of China." And that idea, I think, helped transform my mindset as a storyteller. Because it’s not always about the story being told, but instead HOW the story is being told that makes the difference. And that’s what made writing so much fun for me.

For example, I could write: “The President of the United States, who was also good-looking and rich, got into a huge jet plane and fired missiles at the enemy, causing massive explosions and fire and it was super action-packed.”

Or, I could write: “The night Ben found out that a lack of sleep causes hallucinations, he slept over at his friend Jason’s house with a few other kids. They made a bet over who could stay awake the longest. Well, Jason was still awake at noon the next day and he was so tired that he was wearing his blanket as a cape and was gnawing on Dustin’s ankle. When they tried to get him to stop, he wouldn’t and kept shouting, ‘You’ll never take away my Moon Pie! Never!’”

One is a story about cool, important things happening to cool, important people. The other is about nobodies, doing basically nothing. But if I’m allowed to tell that second story my own way, it becomes something more than the events actually occurring. The second passage was more fun to write because I feel like there are more possibilities for the unexpected.

Movies in general, and specifically Jim Jarmusch, also showed me that it’s okay to take inspiration from other works or a preexisting idea and make it your own. Storytelling allows you to take a preexisting plot and retell it in your own way so that it becomes something completely different, and can even appeal to totally different crowds. There’s nothing wrong with being inspired by other movies or books, and in fact, I think it’s a good thing. Essential almost.

I think my love of movies and books and writing and even video games throughout my life are all related. They are all, at their core, the same. They are all different forms of storytelling. They all appeal to the same part of me, just in slightly different ways.

So... what was my point again? Oh, oh yeah, movies are, like, pretty cool and stuff. Even as an author I get to say that. And without movies, I’m pretty sure I never would have become a writer. I’d love to leave you with another quote from Jim Jarmusch that I think perfectly sums up what being a storyteller is for me:

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: ‘It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to.’”

Thanks so much Chris! I loved his book The Fourth Stall. There are several places you can go to win a copy during his book tour. Check out the links on my sidebar or stop by the WaldenPond Press blog!

Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon

5 yummy tagalongs.

Cover Love: Yes! It is so beautiful.

Why I Wanted to Read This:
Well, the cover was a big reason, it caught my eye very quickly! Secondly, it is a re-telling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, one of my favorite fairy tales. And I love re-tellings of most fairy tales! Here's the synopsis from Good Reads:

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

I Kept Reading Because: It was awesome. Easy to read and follow.

Romance?: Yes!

What I Liked (& Didn't):
I really liked Azalea. She was a strong heroine who had her moments of doubts. It made her more accessible for the reader. I didn't really like Bramble (the second sister), luckily she's not in there a ton so it didn't ruin anything for me.

Stop & Start (& a Couple Links)

First of all the links:

*Suzanne Collins & Gary Ross gave a great interview about the movie making process so far. It made me excited for their vision. Then again, after reading this post about how the people at Lionsgate act I almost decided NOT to see the movie. I mean seriously, don't they realize that the fans' enthusiasm--especially book bliggers-- is one thing that will really drive this movie? Bad move Lionsgate, bad move.

Secondly, I have a problem. I like starting books. I do like finishing them as well, but last week I found myself with six books that I had started. I know I will finish them all eventually, but for some reason I kept picking new ones up (I know the reason, pretty covers).

(Of course, Simon & Schuster Galley Grab doesn't help. Their books are no longer available after the release date. At least with NetGalley you can normally still read them even after the release date. But those S&S people are clever, I find myself reading books I might not have read normally because it was about to expire!)

Do you also have this problem? Are you a book starter? I normally give a book 100 pages, if it hasn't got me by then I stop reading. What is your rule for stopping a book?

Review: Stay by Deb Caletti

4 very yummy chocolate chip cookies made with bittersweet chocolate chunks.

Cover Love: Yes. It conveys the feeling of the book perfectly.

Why I Wanted to Read This: Again, Simon & Schuster Galley Grab sucked me in. This book looked so interesting and reading the synopsis I couldn't tell if it was going to be a thriller or not (although the cover certainly dones't convey any thriller-ness). Here's the synopsis from Good Reads:

Clara’s relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it’s almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he’s willing to do to make her stay.

Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won’t let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough....

I Kept Reading Because: It was so well written and so good. I couldn't really stop!

Romance?: Yes. The one Clara tells us she had with Christian and a new little one later on.

What I Liked (& Didn't):
Wow. This was so well written. It was a firsthand account of a super intense romance that turns into something much darker. The thoughts Clara has and the way she describes things that happened are amazing. I haven't been in a relationship like this, but I think this is probably one of the very best books written about obsessive relationships. I think every teenage girl should read this. It was just great.

I didn't think all that extra stuff with her dad needed to be there but it added an extra layer to the story.

I adored Finn, but I would think that Clara would never want to be in another relationship. However, it was important for us to see her healing.

I loved the beachside town. I would love to live there for a summer.

To Sum Up: Great story, intense and interesting to read. The author made you really care for the characters. I am going to read more by Ms. Caletti!

Book received from Simon & Schuster through their GalleyGrab program. Thanks!

The Hunger Games Casting Debate...

Needless to say I was disappointed in the casting that went on for The Hunger Games (the male roles anyway), but what I have found most interesting was the debates going on in the comment sections of some of the blogs. And since this is my blog I decided that I want to add somethings.

*It drives me nuts how people complain about the ages. Since when does that matter in an actor or actress? I don't think any of them look too old. And for the ones that whine that Jennifer Lawrence will be too old by the third movie-bah! First of all, there might not even be a third movie--let's see how the first one does. And second of all, look at the lives these characters lead...do you think any of them actually look young. By the third book Katniss (and Peeta) had survived TWO Hunger Games. Do you think they really still look like fresh faced teenagers? The ages of the actors have no bearing on my feelings. (And seriously, look at the ages of any actors on the high school shows on TV--why is that acceptable to fans but the ages in the movies actors are not?)

*I think it is nice that Suzanne Collins & Gary Ross released statements defending the castings, but I almost wish they hadn't. They made the decisions, just prove to us that you are right by making an awesome movie.

*I think that the movies will do fine. Think of all the people who whined about the Twilight casting (and how truly horrible the first movie was) but yet it still made a ton of money. I think that these movies will follow that. But, at this point I would even say I am not going to go. There are other things that have added to that decision and it started before the cast was even announced (but is other certain actors had been cast I would have for sure decided to go even if it looked terrible). However I will totally reserve that decision for when I start seeing images and a trailer.

*I also try to judge a movie based on the movie and NOT compare it to the books. It's hard to do, but a good movie should attract people who never read the book. I do believe that the team and company behind the movie can pull this off.

*So there are my thoughts. I am glad people feel strongly about what is happening. I do hope the cast clicks and was not a mistake and that the movie does well. Time will tell...

**ADDED**I know that there is really only one Effie in people's minds, but I do not think Kristin Chenowith would be a good Effie. I think she would be too over-the-top. Discuss.

Tween Tuesday Review: Suddenly in the Depths of the Forest by Amos Oz

3 thin mints.

Cover Love: I can't say that I love the cover because it feels so melancholy.

Why I Wanted to Read This:
I got this copy from NetGalley and thought it sounded very interesting. Here's the synopsis from Good Reads:

In a gray and gloomy village, all of the animals—from dogs and cats to fish and snails—disappeared years before. No one talks about it and no one knows why, though everyone agrees that the village has been cursed. But when two children see a fish—a tiny one and just for a second—they become determined to unravel the mystery of where the animals have gone. And so they travel into the depths of the forest with that mission in mind, terrified and hopeful about what they may encounter.

From the internationally bestselling author Amos Oz, this is a hauntingly beautiful fable for both children and adults about tolerance, loneliness, denial, and remembrance.

I Kept Reading Because:
It was well written and I knew there was a message in there. I wanted to get to the end to find out what it was!

Romance?: No.

What I Liked (& Didn't):
One of the reasons I wanted to read this book is because I thought it was dystopian, which I guess it was, but it felt way more like a folk tale. Makes sense because the above synopsis does say "fable." I liked that switch!

It is ultimately a book about bullying and tolerance. But one thing I liked was that the victim was questioned for his "revenge" tactics. Not that the village was in the right (and since I work in a middle school, the village was a perfect metaphor for a middle school).

It makes you think about a world without animals. Besides the companionship, and the sounds, there would be NO MEAT, NO DAIRY, NO EGGS! When I thought about it on that scope I could see why the village went a little crazy!

To Sum Up: Even though it was a book about tolerance and bullying, I felt there was no resolution. It made for an interesting read, but I needed more tying up of loose ends.

eBook from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt through Net Galley. Thanks HMH!
Tween Tuesday is hosted by Sarah, the GreenBeanTeenQueen! Thanks Sarah!

Review: We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

5 very emotional chocolate chip cookies.

Cover Love: Yes. I don't love it as much as the first cover, but it fits with the rest of the series.

Why I Wanted to Read This: I loved the first two books (The Summer I Turned Pretty and It's Not Summer Without You--links to my reviews). I was so excited when this one was available through Simon & Schuster's Galley Grab program. I held off reading it for a few weeks, but finally broke down. Here's the synopsis from GoodReads:

It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.

I Kept Reading Because: I couldn't put it down. At all.

Romance?: Oh yes. So much romance and so much love.

What I Liked (& Didn't): The first part of this book was hard to read. Everyone was acting so awful: Laurel (Belly's mom) was being a bitch, Jeremiah and Belly were being immature and stubborn and Conrad was once again trying to figure out his feelings.

I had ended the second book firmly on Jeremiah's side because Conrad was so crappy to Belly, but the first book & Belly's memories had already made Conrad so wonderful. It was hard to watch him self-destruct like he did. It was good to see him with his life back together. He had grown and matured and once again he was a boy worthy of bring loved.

You certainly got the feeling that Jeremiah was marrying Belly just to spite Conrad. I do believe that Jere loved Belly, always, but there was certainly an underlying reason to his desire to marry Belly so quickly.

And Belly's mom! Ugh. I understand Laurel's fear and unhappiness, however, why couldn't she see that the more she dug her heels in the more Belly felt she had to marry Jeremiah--she couldn't back down.

I enjoyed having a few chapters from Conrad's point of view. It was so nice to finally hear why he was such an ass in the second book. Sigh.

I don't feel I can write anymore without giving things away, however, the ending is very satisfying and while I am not sure it worked out well for everyone involved, I feel it worked out well for the reader.

Jenny Han wrote a tangled love story and wrote her way out of it. She is brilliant.

And Susannah was present--in spirit, loved that addition!

To Sum Up: Read these books. They are wonderful. Put them on your summer reading list and be ready to read all three straight through.