Smart Boys and Fast Girls by Stephie Davis

2/5 Stars

This book is a stereotypical book about a girl who likes a guy, but doesn't think she can get him. Meanwhile she gets put together with another guy who she's not interested in...but guess what happens...she gets interested.

This is a book for teens. It's like an 8th grade chick-lit book. The characters are all spelled out...there are the jocks and the geeks and the drama of school.

Overall, it was a cute easy read. Predictable, for me...yes. For an 8th grade girl...not sure.

Love on the Lifts by Rachel Hawthorne

2/5 Stars

B&N:
Kate's Aunt Sue invites Kate and her two friends, Leah and Allie, to spend winter break in her rental condo in Snow Angel Valley during their three-week winter school break. Meanwhile, Aunt Sue invites Kate's brother, Sam, and his two friends, Joe and Brad, to come for break and stay in the same condo. Aunt Sue is an adult that Kate respects and looks to for answers in this coming-of-age story. Aunt Sue has never married, but she always has a new, young boyfriend. In Snow Angel Valley, Aunt Sue rents condos and operates a bookstore/hot-chocolate cafT. Several of the book's chapters take place in this bookstore/cafT setting. Kate has a huge crush on Brad, who ignores her. Meanwhile, Joe becomes interested in Kate. Kate's friend, Allie, pairs up with Kate's brother, Sam. Brad moves out to another girl's condo, while Leah pairs up with one of the ski instructors. So, what will Kate do and what choices will she make? This teen romance, written in first person, is a sweet book, which will prove a quick read even for the most reluctant teenage girl. 2006, Avon/HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 12 up.

My Review
I got this book used thinking it was an adult chick-lit book...surprise it's a teen romance! It reads like one, too. I almost put it down, but then decided to read it like I was a teen. So, after getting in that mind frame- it's a decent book. Yes, it's predictable- but it's still cute. There is no swearing or sex! Well- they do say that a girl sleeps in a guys bed- BUT they really don't make it sound like they have sex, so you could actually believe that they're just cuddling and kissing. The characters were typical stereo-type characters...but it's not meant to be a deep book. It's a fun, quick read for teens. I was happy with who ended with whom. Again- it was cute.

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead #4 Vampire Academy Series

4/5 Stars

B&N:
How far will Rose go to keep her promise?

The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir's Academy was the deadliest ever in the school's history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers, and guardians alike. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them. . . including Dimitri.

He'd rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa—the one she has sworn to protect no matter what—and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most?


My Review:

I love this series. I still liked the 2nd and 3rd in the series the most (Blood Promise is the 4th), but this was was really good. Mead did not disappoint with the characters. I liked how it showed Rose's story, but also kept us up to what was going back at the academy.

I am a huge Dimitri fan, but in this book I really liked Adrian (I liked him before, too- but he came through even more in this book.)

Overall, a good read. I can't wait for the next one to come out! I guess there will be 6 in the series. Even knowing that- it doesn't give anything away. There are always really good twists added into the series to keep you wanting to read!


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Um the end!!!! I love Dimitri. I really hope that the alchemist and Lissa can do something for him and bring him back! Overall- that would be great.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

5/5 Stars

B&N:

ABout to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooma in the palace--and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust--and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

My Review:

This has become one of my favorite books.

Another reread. LOOOVE this book. About a girl who is in prison and she gets the chance to be the commanders food tester (for poisons) or she is next up to hang. The thing is...she has to try all the poisons in order to know them. SUCH a good book! You start reading it and you just can't stop! I've had many friends read this (and my book group) and almost every single person has loved it. It's just a really well written story. The plot is exciting, the characters are true to life (as much as they can be) and of course there's some great romance...

Oh and it doesn't hurt that the author is so nice! I contacted her about some classroom stuff and she responded so fast and we wrote back and forth a few times. I love when authors do that!

***The entire series is good, but you really don't want to read what the others are about until you've read this one.

The Summoning (Darkest Powers Series #1) by Kelley Armstrong

3/5 Stars

B&N:

After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home.

At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behavior. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…

My Review:

Eh- it was OK. I get freaked out reading about ghosts so there were some parts that freaked me out. Overall it was decent. I'd read the 2nd one and then I guess a 3rd one is coming out. Let's put it this way- I read it in a day or so but wished I had waited to get it out of the library. I hate wasting money.

Shadow-Kiss by Richelle Mead #3 Vampire Academy Series

5/5 Stars

I'm not going to post the B&N synopsis because it will give too much away if you haven't read the series.

My Review:

I loved this book...minus one little part. Let me explain... The 1st book set the vampire world up and introduced the characters. The 2nd book really took you into the world and the characters. I get very into my books- I usually feel what the characters feel...etc. While reading the 2nd book, I fell in love with some of the characters. I wanted things to go how I wanted them to go! Haha...I became selfish.

The pace of the 2nd book is great. You can't put it down. The 3rd book...just the same. The 4th book doesn't come out till Aug. 24th...I can't wait that long! I need to see if I'm going to really want to throw the book across the room (this involves characters and what the author will do with them, of course.)

Great series. I highly recommend it. If you start the 1st one and just "don't know about it"...keep going. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Now onto the actual discussion of the book... don't read behind this part if you haven't read it.


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Rose and Dimitri
I love Rose and Dimitri. The tension that builds in the 2nd book is great...but the 3rd book- holy hell it's great!

I was so unbelievably happy when they got together. It was so great how happy they were. It made me so happy! And then the author went and put a stake in my heart (haha.)

How could she make him turn into a Strigoi!!!!! Honestly- I really really get into my books and when I read this I wanted to cry. I wanted to throw the book across the room and pretend that part never happened!!!

I read the 1st chapter of the 4th book (the author posted it online) and it didn't let me know i he really is one or not.

Most will say he is- they say it right in the book- but I don't want to believe it!

Maybe it's a trick... or maybe if he is one- Lissa can turn him back. I know, I know...wishful thinking.

But how can the author do that! I am not a fan of sad books- I need my happy ending. I'll be so sad if I don't get it with this series.

Christian

I love him. I liked him the 1st time he was mentioned in the book. I'm not a huge fan of Lissa- never was. But, I do like his character and he wouldn't be there if it wasn't for her...so I guess I can deal. haha.

I really enjoyed how much he came out in this book. I liked how the author made him and Rose be put together. That was a nice twist. I also liked Eddie with Lissa. But back to Christian...

I really enjoyed reading his interaction with Rose. It was funny and just seemed right. I loved how they ended up fighting together.

Rose

She is just an amazing character. I love her. Her interactions with everyone are just perfect. Also I really love how the author made all that happens to her happen. Each even in the book fit perfectly.

Overall

Great great book. There were a few mistakes I noticed in the books- things I believe the editors should have picked up...but oh-well.

I'm going to look at her other books now. If they are as good as these- it'll be sooo exciting.

Yes, I know...I'm a total geek... I'm ok with that. :)

Frostbite by Richelle Mead #2 Vampire Academy Series

4/5 Stars

I'm not putting the B&N summary because it would give too much away...

My Review:

I liked this book. It made me want to read the rest of the series. The part I wasn't thrilled with was the prologue. The author basically retells everything that happened in the 1st book.... I understand needing to catch the reader up with a little reminding...but no need to retell the entire 1st book. If someone is starting the series on the 2nd book- that's their fault. Those of us who read the 1st book didn't need the 1st 5 pages to just be a summary of the 1st book.

Besides that I really enjoyed it. The characters were much better developed than the 1st book. I finished it in one day and wanted to go out and get the 3rd book right away.

I started reading the House of Night book, Marked, first and then read Vampire Academy because they seemed to have similar plot lines- but they're pretty different. I picked up the 2nd House of Night book, Betrayed, and couldn't get into it. I wanted the 3rd book of the Academy one. So, after I read all the ones that are out for the Academy one, then I'll go back to the House of Night series.

Then maybe the Sookie series... or whatever it's called. Not sure if I can handle it though due to the horrendous writing

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

4/5 Stars

B&N:

St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school—it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's—the very place where they're most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.


My Review:

Hmm..I'm between liked it and really liked it. The beginning- I liked...the middle and end I really liked.

At first it gets...not really confusing, but you have to pay attention to what's going on because there's all this made-up terminology that goes along with the series. Once you get that down, the book flies.

I liked the characters. I ended up feeling for Rose and wanting things to happen to her and getting frustrated when bad things happened. I also really liked Dimitri and Christian...oh and Mason. Lissa- the other main character was ok. I think because the book takes place from Rose's perspective you get more of her. I think that there needed to be a bit more with Lissa if we are to believe and agree with her bond with Rose.

I would like to put this in my 8th grade class library, but I'm not sure I'm going to. The author mentions drinking and smoking weed countless times---and really, it wasn't necessary. The drinking- I could see why it was put in there...realistically teens do that. Yes, I know they smoke weed as well, but that wasn't necessary. Especially seeing it was mentioned in the beginning of the book...I think the author could have just stuck with the drinking. Some may ask why have either in them...well to make it realistic. But also, I can see why the drinking made some events happen- well not necessarily happen- but added to some parts of it.

Also...the sex thing. Them talking about it- never showing it- but the mention of it...again...it's realistic, but did it need to be there? It added to the book yes- but could it have been done without it.

These things for me reading it were fine- minus the weed- that just annoyed me- but to put in my classroom...those are the things that will stop it.

Oh- also...did one of the characters really have to be a cutter? I felt that the author just put that in there because, unfortunately, cutting is a popular thing.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. I'm actually planning on going out tomorrow and buying the rest of the series. Once I got into the book I needed to keep on reading it to see where it was going. It wasn't a very predicable ending- which is nice.

So- even though I didn't like some things- I did give it 4/5 stars.

Marked by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

3/5 Stars

B&N:
Enter the dark, magical world of The House of Night, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed. Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has just been Marked as a fledgling vampyre and joins the House of Night, a school where she will train to become an adult vampire. That is, if she makes it through the Change--and not all of those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no average fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to Imprint her human ex-boyfriend. To add to her stress, she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers: When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

My Review:
It was ok. Not amazing. It was poorly written. I didn't notice that so much until after I read the Vampire Academy series. After I read the VA series, I wasn't able to pick up the 2nd book of this series... I'll try again, but for some reason the characters kind of annoyed me.

19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult

3/5 Stars

B&N:

In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five.... In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge.

Sterling is a small, ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens -- until the day its complacency is shattered by a shocking act of violence. In the aftermath, the town's residents must not only seek justice in order to begin healing but also come to terms with the role they played in the tragedy. For them, the lines between truth and fiction, right and wrong, insider and outsider have been obscured forever. Josie Cormier, the teenage daughter of the judge sitting on the case, could be the state's best witness, but she can't remember what happened in front of her own eyes. And as the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show, destroying the closest of friendships and families.

Nineteen Minutes is New York Times–bestselling author Jodi Picoult's most raw, honest, and important novel yet. Told with the straightforward style for which she has become known, it asks simple questions that have no easy answers: Can your own child become a mystery to you? What does it mean to be different in our society? Is it ever okay for a victim to strike back? And who -- if anyone -- has the right to judge someone else?

My Review:

Eh- I liked it. Didn't love it. While reading it I felt horrible. I really sympathized with Peter. It was all just so sad.

I liked the beginning and I liked the end. The middle- dragged for me. About 200 of the pages I was like- ok got it- now tell me why it happened. I think it would have been much better if it was only 1/2 th size. I only finished it because I wanted to see how the author was going to pull off the ending.

Also, I hate sad books. Never read them. This was my 1st by this author that is so popular and most likely my last.

m or f? by Lisa Papademetriou and Chris Tebbetts

2/5 Stars

B&N: Frannie is desperate to get the attention of her crush, Jeffrey, but too shy to make a move. Frannie's gay best friend, Marcus, advises her to get the ball rolling by chatting with Jeffrey online, but Frannie won't type a word. Marcus takes over at the keyboard, and soon his plan is a success! But the more he chats, the more it seems Jeffrey is falling for Marcus, not Frannie. Whose romance is this, anyway?

My Review: I picked up this book for like $1. I bought it because I wanted to know who ended up getting Jeffrey! I didn't expect it to be amazing writing. It wasn't so bad though. It kept me reading the whole time- read the whole thing in one sitting and it's 320pages... The ending was so good. It had such a neat twist that made me happy that I read it. Again, wasn't a fantastic read that I'd read over and over again, but the ending made it worth the read.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

3/5 Stars

It's a 2nd time read. I HATED it the 1st time I read it. There were so many "WTF" moments! I only finished it because I needed to know what happened. I read it the first few days it came out and waited till just a few days ago to reread it. I'm glad I did. I also just reread Eclipse. I liked Breaking Dawn better the 2nd time I read it (Kinda like the movie Twilight- really didn't like it the 1st time I saw it- the acting was HORRIBLE! But after watching it a few times more- I like it.)

Anyways, I still think that she could have done a much better job with Breaking Dawn. There was so much to do- it really could have been two books. The end was rushed and no fight? Really- there should have been a little something.

Also, I didn't like how Edward really wasn't in the book...well except for sex. Maybe all the pressure got to Meyer and she just couldn't deal with it. It's sad because I LOVE the series.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

4/5 Stars

B&N:

“ I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.



My Review:

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't a fast paced book...it's one you read over a few days. Pick it up when you're feeling relaxed and get taken back in time to a small island during WWII. I think I was really interested in this book because I teach about the Holocaust and such and there is mention of the Germans taking over the island and a Holocaust survivor.

You get to feel like the people in the story are real to you. It's written in all letters which is pretty neat.

Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson

4/5 Stars

B&N: As a little girl, Jane has no one. Her mother Vivienne Margaux, the powerful head of a major New York theater company has no time for her. But she does have one friend--Michael--and no one can see him but her. But Michael can't stay with Jane forever, and on her eighth birthday, her imaginary friend must leave her.

When Jane is in her thirties, working for her mother's company, she is just as alone as she was as a child. Her boyfriend hardly knows she's there and is more interested in what Vivienne can do for his career. Her mother practically treats her as a slave in the office, despite the great success of Jane's first play, "Thank Heaven." Then she finds Michael--handsome, and just the same as she remembers him, only now he's not imaginary. For once in her life, Jane is happy--and has someone who loves her back. But not even Michael knows the reason behind why they've really been reunited.


My Review: I really enjoyed this book. It was a light read until you got towards the end when it takes a turn. I read it in less than 2 days because I just wanted to know what was going to happen. I could see why some people won't like this book because it doesn't seem like a lot happens- I liked this book because I'm single and it pulled at my heart to find your one true love. I want that. So, overall- good book, quick read.