Review: Bad Taste In Boys by Carrie Harris

Title: Bad Taste in Boys (Kate Grable #2)

Author: Carrie Harris

Pages: 201 pages

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Published on: July 12th' 2011

Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Someone's been a very bad zombie.
Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steriods are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate! She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town  . . . and stay hormonally human.

(Summary from Goodreads)

Review:

Bad Taste in Boys was both insanely hilarious and insanely creepy! I loved it! Carrie Harris definitely has to be one of the best debut authors of 2011! Kate Grable is one kickass heroine! I absolutely loved her! This book is a riot! Carrie Harris has definitely made a new meaning to "zombie apocalypse" with her witty lines and gory details, Bad Taste in Boys will definitely leave you wanting more... More... Braaaains! Absolutely fantastic. LOVED IT. Can't wait to read more of Kate Grable's (mis)adventures! And, of course, her romance with Aaron!

Rating:

Review: Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Title: Shut Out

Author: Kody Keplinger

Pages: 273 pages

Publisher: Poppy

Published on: September 5th' 2011

Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention

Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling...

(Summary from Goodreads)

Review:

I'll have to admit that if I were to choose between The DUFF and Shut Out, I'd still pick The DUFF. And while Shut Out was brimming with sexual tension (which I love) and super hot soccer players, there was just something a bit lacking with it. The story took a while to build compared to The DUFF's fast-paced writing and that sort of affected its impact. Though I did feel like the story really needed that slow build up, I've always just liked my Contemps happy and fast-paced but that didn't stop me from loving it anyway.

I really did enjoy Shut Out not just because there were shirtless soccer players involved but also because of the relationships happening in the story. And as well as the sweetness of the romance that did eventually happen.

Lissa

Lissa, the protagonist, really goes through a lot in this book and we really see how far determination and sheer willpower will get a person. She's this character that's vulnerable at times and really fierce at the other. You can really relate to what she's going through because she pretty much goes through the same thing an normal teenager goes through: peer pressure, fear of the unknown, fear of losing someone important and the like.

Lissa and her family

Lissa lives with her brother and her father. Her father has been in a wheel chair for a while because of an incident that broke a few parts of his body. I really love how close she is with these two and that even though they lost her mother, they didn't let it completely overshadow their family. You can really see how much they love each other and I really appreciated that. (And it doesn't hurt that her brother is a hottie.)

Lissa and Randy

I actually thought that they made a pretty cute couple at first but towards the middle of the book, I just thought of how much of a douche he really is. He treats Lissa like a possession and that's just not something she should be subjecting herself to. I really liked that Lissa was her own person but there were times where her thoughts were clouded with how much she loves Randy. News flash, dude, the puppy-dog eyes don't look good on seventeen-year-old jocks.

Lissa and her friends

Ever since the girls made the pledge not to have sex with their boyfriends, girls who weren't really talking before have gotten relatively closer. You can really see the bond that was created by the girls because they weren't just friends to each other, they were practically sisters and it was in these parts of the book that really made me appreciate how important friends really are.

Lissa and Cash

Okay, I'm super excited for this because I love them together. Their sexual tension was so thick that if you came within ten-feet of them, you'll get thrown back through sheer force. I really loved how sweet Cash is. He's basically this really hot and unattainable guy with a really sweet and cheesy side (I know, swoon!) He's such a really character and that's something I really loved about him, he doesn't pretend to be someone he's not and he's obviously willing to fight for the girl he wants.

If you want to read a sweet, at times poignant and hilarious book, Shut Out is for you. Contemporary books have always been a big favorite of mine and I'm so happy to be able to share these titles with you. Hope you enjoy Kody Keplinger's books because Geraldine and I are HUGE fans!

Rating:

Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Title: Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1)

Author: Josephine Angelini

Pages: 487 pages

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published on: May 31st' 2011

Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Set on the island of Nantucket, STARCROSSED tells the tale of Helen Hamilton, a young woman whose destiny is forever altered when she meets Lucas Delos and tries to kill him in front of her entire high school. Which is terribly inconvenient, not only because Lucas is the most beautiful boy on the island, but also because Helen is so achingly shy she suffers physical pain whenever she is given too much attention.

Making matters worse, Helen is beginning to suspect she’s going crazy. Whenever she’s near Lucas or any member of his family she sees the ghostly apparitions of three women weeping bloody tears, and suffers the burden of an intense and irrational hate. She soon learns that she and Lucas are destined to play the leading roles in a Greek tragedy that the Three Fates insist on repeating over and over again throughout history. Like her namesake, Helen of Troy, she’s destined to start a war by falling in love. But even though Lucas and Helen can see their own star-crossed destiny, they’re still powerfully attracted to each other. Will they give up their personal happiness for the greater good, or risk it all to be together?

(Summary from Goodreads)

Review:

I absolutely LOVED Starcrossed! The book was so fast-paced and straight to the point that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! I love how Josephine Angelini managed to take Greek mythology to a whole new level. How she was able to mix ancient Greece with modern Nantucket! When I first read Starcrossed I was astonished to find out that Starcrossed was Josephine Angelini's first novel! Starcrossed was so beautiful wrought and so intricately woven that I felt like I was reading from a master's hand. Starcrossed is definitely something I believe everyone will enjoy! I especially love how Helen literally tried to kill Lucas from the start, the hate and the loathing brought on by the Furies was definitely a nice twist to the story. Of course, a book wouldn't be complete without a hunky, swoony protag! OMGods, Lucas Delos had me the first time Helen ever saw him! His luscious black hair and gorgeous blue eyes, ANY girl would want him! I literally felt my eyes burning just reading about him! He and Helen make such a great couple! I would hate to see them apart! Which leads me to my most hated character EVERR. I didn't think it was possible to hate a character SO much but I do! Oh dear God! I LOATHE Daphne! I think Josephine Angelini should kill her off ASAP. But no matter how much I hated her, it didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying this AMAZING book! Starcrossed was hilarious, suspenseful AND romance-filled! It was definitely a complete package. And I absolutely ADORED Claire and Jason! They were a very interesting couple and they definitely kept the story going especially when Helen and Lucas were in a tough spot. Claire definitely has to be my most favorite character EVER. There's something about that five-foot-two height that screams "Super-Ninja-Penguin Material!" I'd totally welcome Claire with open arms! Claire is what a person needs to look for in a best friend: loyal, kind and sticks up for you no matter what. Most of my favorite moments had Claire in them! She's just too adorable! All in all, Starcrossed is a PHENOMENAL debut, it's definitely a book fans of Percy Jackson and Twilight should read! This book has it all! Hot men (we can never run out of those ;D), action (did I mention, powers are involved in this?), comic relief (HOHOHO) and sweet, sweet romance ('nuff said <3)! Josephine Angelini is DEFINITELY an author to watch out for. ;) I'm sure everybody's DYING to read Dreamless! Prolly because Starcrossed ended with a HUGE cliffhanger!!!!! 2012 can't come fast enough! 

Rating:

In My Mailbox

I have been the WORST blogger EVER. I hardly post anything anymore! I've been such a bum... I'm sorry... I am now going to try to learn how to auto-post so that I'll be able to update every now and then. :)


IMM is a meme started by Kristi from The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.

The idea behind IMM was not only to put new books on your radar but to also encourage blogger interaction. IMM explores the weekly contents of my mailbox & books bought. And sometimes other fun goodies.

Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to only sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.

Books:

Blood and Flowers by Peeny Blubaugh

Teeth edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling

Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Eon by Alison Goodman

Eona by Alison Goodman

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

The Twilight Saga: Official Illustrated Guide by Stephenie Meyer

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Divergent by Veronica Roth

*signed* Starcrossed ARC by Josephine Angelini

Not pictured:

*signed* Season of Eden by Jennifer Lawrence

The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

SWAG:

A boatload. Too many to picture.

Special thanks to Josie for the Starcrossed ARC, you rock! Jennifer Lawrence, Nancy from Lush Budget Productions of a Ravenous Reader, my mom and dad for letting me buy an excessive amount of books. Love ya!

ARC Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Title: Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1)

Author: Josephine Angelini

Pages: 487 pages

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published on: May 31st' 2011

Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Set on the island of Nantucket, STARCROSSED tells the tale of Helen Hamilton, a young woman whose destiny is forever altered when she meets Lucas Delos and tries to kill him in front of her entire high school. Which is terribly inconvenient, not only because Lucas is the most beautiful boy on the island, but also because Helen is so achingly shy she suffers physical pain whenever she is given too much attention.

Making matters worse, Helen is beginning to suspect she’s going crazy. Whenever she’s near Lucas or any member of his family she sees the ghostly apparitions of three women weeping bloody tears, and suffers the burden of an intense and irrational hate. She soon learns that she and Lucas are destined to play the leading roles in a Greek tragedy that the Three Fates insist on repeating over and over again throughout history. Like her namesake, Helen of Troy, she’s destined to start a war by falling in love. But even though Lucas and Helen can see their own star-crossed destiny, they’re still powerfully attracted to each other. Will they give up their personal happiness for the greater good, or risk it all to be together?

(Summary from Goodreads)

Review:

Hihi. Excitement! Starcrossed is the first book in "Starcrossed" series. It was such a powerful and romantic story that I was reacting like crazy to some parts of the book. When I turned the first few pages of it, I devoured it like a maniac and finished it in a matter of hours. The story gets to you. It's interesting at the beggining, exciting at the middle, romantic in the end. I love how Helen was so clueless at first and as she learned what she was, she was all excited and really eager to learn. It's like an ancient Greek Romeo and Juliet but modern minus the whole suicide thing in the end. . . It's SUCH a must read. Fans of supernatural, history and romance novels should really read it. ENJOY!!!

SPOILERS~SPOILERS~SPOILERS~

Hihihi. I knew something special was going on with Helen the minute she dished about the pedophile touching her hair then her smelling burnt hair. At first, I thought she had fire powers and etc. But then I realized it was like, lightning. I also thought it was electricity because when Lucas uh, pinned her to his chest(?), she got a cramp and he let her go and "started convulsing on the floor"<- (I got that from the book) but then, lightning and electricity somehow go hand-in-hand, right? I also love how Lucas was so deeply madly in love but wouldn't try touch her because it would break the treaty made and start another war which will be worse and longer than the Trojan war. I also had mixed feelings when Noel, Lucas's mom said they were supposed to name him Paris. *sigh*

Rating:

Blog Tour: Detour 2 Death by J.R. Turner

Here is our interview with the lovely J.R. Turner:

Did you always want to be an author?

Yes! But like many authors, the way toward publication was long and winding. In second grade I wrote my first poem, then shortly after, my first play. The play was actually performed by other students for the entire school. I think at that point, I was hooked on the idea of becoming an author. I was a precocious child, which wasn’t always good for me. I understood adult concepts far too early and had difficulty just having fun as a kid. In eighth grade, I was caught reading a dictionary for fun—and the teasing didn’t end!

There was definitely an upside though. I excelled in school with little effort, which left me ample time to pursue writing and reading—my two loves.

What is your reaction whenever you see your books in the shelf of a store?

Oh gosh, this sounds weird, but I get a little freaked out. Normally when I go shopping I’m dressed in sweats, my hair in a ponytail, and usually I’m in between carpooling for my kids separate events. I always fear someone will recognize me and I’ll have to stand there like a doofus wishing I had dressed up a little. I live in a small town and having everyone know who you are makes it a little hard to relax in a book store.

I once dropped in to pick up a copy of Stark Knight to mail to someone. I had run out of those at home and figured it was faster and easier to just grab a copy from the bookstore. The gal behind the register chuckled and said, “I’ve never sold an author a copy of their own book before!” And yes, I was wearing sweats with my hair in a ponytail! ;)

What gave you the idea for a character like Kaylee Hensler?

All the books I had written before I began the Extreme Hauntings series featured strong female leads. They were the kick-butt, Lara Croft type gals who punched first and asked questions later. When my publisher asked me to write a YA series, I was a little stumped, until I figured I’d take one of my heroines back in time and see what she might be like as a teen.

Since there is a lot of physical action needed, I wanted to give Kaylee a chance to have some practice. Making her skater and captain of her swim team really pulled out the sort of elements in her character I thought were necessary for the upcoming battles she faced. Giving her a shrink for a dad and a social-worker mom with a history studying angelology gave Kaylee the necessary understanding of human nature to help her get through the more emotional aspects of the series.

Did you base your characters from real live people?

In some cases, yes. Mostly on secondary characters. The elderly man in the hospital in Detour 2 Death is based on my father. In DFF: Dead Friends Forever, Frank is based on a friend of my husband’s who helped us paint our first apartment and Will is based on a boy I dated when I was sixteen. In School’s Out 4-Ever I went a little different, since I had never been to a boarding school. I based the headmistress on Carol Lombard and Destiny is actually based on Destinee from Rock of Love with Brett Michaels.

The premise of Detour 2 Death is very interesting and gives only a bit away, can you tell us more about the third installment of your series?

This book was interesting to write because so little of it takes place in the real world. Most of it is in two different realms—a haunted “dark side” of the main location, a hospital, and a placed called Feverland that is deep inside the mind of Davey, her best friend who is in a coma.

Exploring all the aspects of the more primitive side to a person’s character, in this case Davey, created a much more violent overtone than I expected. Kaylee is torn between keeping her promise never to abandon him, and protecting herself from his rage. This dynamic was exceptionally difficult to write.

What gave you the idea to use ghosts, reapers and such?

Well, I didn’t feel comfortable giving Kaylee and Uzi to battle terrorists and bad guys, so I figured going supernatural would be truly awesome. She can blast monsters and evil entities to hell and back with the power of her mind—and the power that she’s gained from being healed by an angel in the first book.


QUICKIES:

Angel or Demon?

Angel, of course! But my horns hold up my halo ;)

Coffee or Hot chocolate?

Coffee, but did you know if you mix Vanilla Carmel Latte from International Coffee and hot chocolate, it tastes fabulous?

Cold or Warm?

Both—love my iced coffee. Currently, I’m addicted to McDonald’s Caramel Frappes.

Romance or Thriller/Mystery?

Gosh—love the mix of both!

Comedy or Horror?

Definitely horror ;)

Left or Right?

I’m a Righty :)

Up or Down?

I’m tall—and usually in a great mood—so I’d say up!

Movies or Books?

Both—but of course if I had to choose one, it would be books ;)

Fiction or Non-Fiction?

Fiction, totally.
Writing Indoors or Outdoors?

Oooo—I love writing outdoors—but I get soo distracted. So, for my pleasure—outdoors. For productivity—indoors ;)

Check out her new book Detour 2 Death! :)

Top Six Hottest Bookish Guys I'd Want to Date!

These are the Top Six Guys I'd totally want to hang out with~ I chose them because I think that the authors did an excellent job in making their characters realistic and concrete! :)



Ash from The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa because Ash is totally HOT and has a total badass aura around him. And his love for Meghan is so sweet! I get tingles every time I read a scene about them~ :) (I totally bawled my eyes out in the one!)



I ABSOLUTELY LOVE DEREK! If he was a real person I would totally marry him if I could! He's so... Fragile. There's something about the way Angela Morrison made this character that makes you ache and care for him.



I think Martin has to be one of the most caring guys i have ever read about. The way he stands up for Alex is extremely impressive. I love the way he's always there for her when she needed someone to vent to. I'm pretty sure most girls would like a guy like this! ;)



I think Jay has to be one of my all-time male favorites! He's so compassionate to Violet and he's so protective of her. But not too protective of her that he's invading her space but just being there for her... Wow. I can't wait to read more about Jay and Violet in Desires of the Dead!



This spot totally goes to Alex because of the things he did for Lena. Delirium was such an amazing book and it became even more amazing because of Alex. I LOVE ALEX. Period. Next!



I'm picking Delvin for this one. Even though he's a total nerd, I like him. He's cool in a dorky way! :D And I'm a total dork! So, I'm tight with Delvin!

WINNERS!!!

WINNERS!!! Whoot!

For the SWAG winner:

CONGRATULATIONS to GILLIENE!

And for the *signed* copy of TORMENT by Lauren Kate:

CONGRATULATIONS to PRECIOUS!

We have already mailed out your prizes~ :)

THANKS FOR ENTERING! :D

Review: The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard

Title: The Secret Year

Author: Jennifer R. Hubbard

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Publication date: January 7th 2010

Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Take Romeo and Juliet. Add The Outsiders. Mix thoroughly. Colt and Julia were secretly together for an entire year, and no one?not even Julia?s boyfriend? knew. They had nothing in common, with Julia in her country club world on Black Mountain and Colt from down on the flats, but it never mattered. Until Julia dies in a car accident, and Colt learns the price of secrecy. He can?t mourn Julia openly, and he?s tormented that he might have played a part in her death. When Julia?s journal ends up in his hands, Colt relives their year together at the same time that he?s desperately trying to forget her. But how do you get over someone who was never yours in the first place?

(Image and summary taken from Goodreads.)

Review:

This book gave me really mixed feelings. The ending left me confused and depressed. Half the time I was reading it I wanted to chuck something at Colt and scream at him saying, "Dude! Julia's dead, let her go! She probably never loved you anyway!" What I didn't like about the book is that in the end he wasn't able to get over her properly and ended up losing great people. I disliked Julia. I thought that in a way she was only using Colt to have something interesting in her life. It's like she just wanted something in her life that was different. The story was very sad but I wouldn't call it tearjerking, just really sad. The ending was sad. The romance was sad. Though I'd have to say, kudos to Jennifer for her beautiful writing. Even though the story was (again) sad, her writing is great! You can really feel how Colt felt when he lost Julia. Especially since people didn't even know they were together, he wasn't able grieve for her properly and openly.

Though I prefer the cover of the paperback version more. (The hardback cover sort of got me in trouble in school. Haha.)

Rating:

Review: Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A. S. King

Title: Please Ignore Vera Dietz

Author: A. S. King

Pages: 326 pages

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Published on: October 12th 2010

Source: Boought

Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising.

(Summary from Goodreads)

Review:

I loved, loved, loved this book. One of the bests in 2010. At first, I didn't even know such book existed but then Louisse got it and read it then started telling me how great the book was and suited my book preferences. HA! WAS SHE RIGHT?? HELL YEAH! The book was so good, I finished the whole thing in 4 hours. STRAIGHT. I couldn't stop! At one point, I was getting sleepy but loaded myself on an a growth-forbidding drink (caffeine) just so I could go on! I felt like if I stopped, (which I didn't) I wouldn't be able to get the real "essence" of the story so I just kept going on and on and ON! HAHAHAHAHA! Loved this book to bits. It even made me cry at the near end when Charlie (SPOILER ALERT!!!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!!) confessed his love for Vera but it was already too late because he already died and couldn't do anything anymore except, well, maybe haunt her. I feel sad for Vera because I feel like she feels she's unloved but really she is. Her dad is full of humor too. Everyone- or thing in this book if full of wit and brains. (and the lime-green background with the lighter subject doesn't hurt too!)

A.S King, you smart, funny, talented writer, you! =))

Rating: