Monday, November 30, 2009

My New Moon Adventure

I went to see New Moon Friday the 20th at 8:00 PM. I was amazed. The theatre definately knew what was coming. It took us more than half an hour to get there when it usually takes less than 10 minutes because of the busy traffic.

New Moon outshined Twilight by a long shot. The movie kept much better with the book. I loved the entire thing. Ah-maz-ing.

Here are some pictures of what I wore to see New Moon.

This is my Twilight bracelet that I made by hand.

This is the amazing shirt that I custom made online and had sent to me. As you can see I'm Team Jacob.
-Amanda

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Waiting on Wednesday

The book that I'm waiting on this week is.....

Title: The Carrie Diaries
Author: Candace Bushnell
Release Date: April 27, 2010

The Carrie Diaries opens up in Carrie's senior year of high school. She and her best friends -- Walt, Lali, Maggie, and the Mouse -- are inseparable, amid the sea of Jens, Jocks and Jets. And then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture. Sebastian is a bad boy-older, intriguing, and unpredictable. Carrie falls into the relationship that she was always supposed to have in high school-until a friend's betrayal makes her question everything. With her high school days coming to a close, Carrie will realize it's finally time to go after everything she ever wanted.

-Amanda

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz

****The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz****

Originality- 19/20
Characters- 18/20
Remembrance- 8/10
Quote-ability- 5/10
Entertainment- 17/20
Ending- 8/10
Recommend to read- 9/10
TOTAL- 84/100
Grade- B

With the stunning revelation surrounding Bliss's true identity comes the growing threat of the sinister Silver Bloods. Once left to live the glamorous life in New York City, the Blue Bloods now find themselves in an epic battle for survival. Not to worry, love is still in the air for the young vampires of the Upper East Side. Or is it? Jack and Schuyler are over. Oliver's brokenhearted. And only the cunning Mimi seems to be happily engaged.

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The Van Alen Legacy is the fourth book in the Blue Bloods series and it was fantastic. While it was kind of hard to get in to at first, you get so much information out of it that I felt less as lost in this one. The continuation takes place a year after the last one, since Schuyler has gone into hiding and she looks for guidance in France.

Nothing is really as it seems in this book, and when you go from three different perspectives it's hard to know what to really believe and if this is really going on. More than ever, I felt sorry for Bliss and her predicament. The ending wasn't the best, but it makes for a great plot twist to start out with in the next book.

Now just to wait for the next one...

-Taylor

Monday, November 23, 2009

Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster

****Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster****

Originality- 18/20
Characters- 20/20
Remembrance- 8/10
Quote-ability- 9/10
Entertainment- 18/20
Ending- 9/10
Recommend to read- 9/10
TOTAL- 91/100
Grade- A

To whom the fat rolls...I'm tired of books where a self-loathing heroine is teased to the point where she starves herself skinny in hopes of a fabulous new life. And I hate the message that women can't possibly be happy until we all fit into our skinny jeans. I don't find these stories uplifting; they make me want to hug these women and take them out for fizzy champagne drinks and cheesecake and explain to them that until they figure out their insides, their outsides don't matter. Unfortunately, being overweight isn't simply a societal issue that can be fixed with a dose healthy of positive self-esteem. It's a health matter, and here on the eve of my fortieth year, I've learned I have to make changes so I don't, you know, die. Because what good if finally being able to afford a pedicure if I lose a foot to adult onset diabetes?

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This book was absolutely hilarious. We were able to read a weight loss story that was not filled with drama and eating disorders.

Jen was pretty much the perfect narrator. She was hilarious and very strongwilled in her journey to lose weight. Her various relationships with her husband, friends and parents show us her personality, support system, and maybe even a little bit of a backstory to her weight gain.

This is a truly inspring story that will definitely bring you to tears....from laughing so much. I can't wait to read Jen's other memoirs that she has written about various parts of her life.

-Amanda

Sunday, November 22, 2009

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a post where I tell you the books that I received this week either by buying them from the bookstore, going to the library or from my mailbox. Check out The Story Siren to learn more!

Leftovers by Laura Wiess

Blair and Ardith are best friends who have committed an unforgivable act in the name of love and justice. But in order to understand what could drive two young women to such extreme measures, first you'll have to understand why. You'll have to listen as they describe parents who are alternately absent and smothering, classmates who mock and shun anyone different, and young men who are allowed to hurt and dominate without consequence. You will have to learn what it's like to be a teenage girl who locks her bedroom door at night, who has been written off by the adults around her as damaged goods. A girl who has no one to trust except the one person she's forbidden to see. You'll have to understand what it's really like to be forgotten and abandoned in America today.

Are you ready?
-Amanda

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Waiting on Wednesday

The book that I am waiting on this week is....

Title: Captivate
Author: Carrie Jones
Release Date: January 5th, 2010

Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

-Amanda

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder

**** Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder****

As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers--particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade--require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance--including her own--Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed...powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

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Okay, so I've read Poison Study and Magic Study. I wasn't really expecting much but when I first read Poison Study I did a double-take. And it wasn't only the books, Snyder's writing is fantastic. She can take you into another world, without acting like she was doing it in the first place because everything felt so natural. Sort of like how I felt when I read the Harry Potter series, but that's another time and place.

Storm Glass is a continuation of the Study trilogy (and I wish I would have known that, because I haven't read Fire Study yet, and it kind of spoils things) only focusing on Opal Cowen, who I vaguely remembered from Magic Study. I love how different the two stories can be while being in the same place. Things are still difficult in Sitia, and it's kind of obvious that Opal doesn't think she can handle it, but in this book you can see her grow.

I just really love this book. Even if I hadn't read most of the Study trilogy, I still would have been drawn to it just from the cover. I've been searching around my local Borders for Sea Glass, but I've yet to find it. Can't wait till I do!

-Taylor

Sunday, November 15, 2009

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a post where I tell you the books that I received this week either by buying them from the bookstore, going to the library or from my mailbox. Check out The Story Siren to learn more!

Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest To Discover if Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, Or Why Pie is Not The Answer by Jen Lancaster

To whom the fat rolls...I'm tired of books where a self-loathing heroine is teased to the point where she starves herself skinny in hopes of a fabulous new life. And I hate the message that women can't possibly be happy until we all fit into our skinny jeans. I don't find these stories uplifting; they make me want to hug these women and take them out for fizzy champagne drinks and cheesecake and explain to them that until they figure out their insides, their outsides don't matter. Unfortunately, being overweight isn't simply a societal issue that can be fixed with a dose healthy of positive self-esteem. It's a health matter, and here on the eve of my fortieth year, I've learned I have to make changes so I don't, you know, die. Because what good if finally being able to afford a pedicure if I lose a foot to adult onset diabetes?
Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult

Jack St. Bride was once a beloved teacher and soccer coach at a girls' prep school - until a student's crush sparked a powder keg of accusation and robbed him of his career and reputation. Now, after a devastatingly public ordeal that left him with an eight-month jail sentence and no job, Jack resolves to pick up the pieces of his life. He takes a job washing dishes at Addie Peabody's diner and slowly starts to form a relationship with her in the quiet New England village of Salem Falls. But just when Jack thinks he has outrun his past, a quartet of teenage girls with a secret turn his world upside down once again, triggering a modern-day witch hunt in a town haunted by its own history…
-Amanda

Saturday, November 14, 2009

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

****City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare****

Originality- 18/20
Characters- 18/20
Remembrance- 8/10
Quote-ability- 8/10
Entertainment- 18/20
Ending- 9/10
Recommend to read- 8/10
TOTAL- 87/100
Grade- B

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

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I just can't get over how awesome these books are. They are unlike anything I have ever read before. I usually think this about most fantasy books for a while until I read something similar. I have a feeling that I'll never read about Shadow Hunters anywhere else.

City of Ashes develops the story quite a bit. I can't give you too many details because I don't want to spoil it for you, but it's amazing. The book ends with Clary finding out there might be a way to cure her mother. Which pretty much caused me to steal my friend's copy of City of Glass, the next book.

Not only is City of Ashes filled with action but also romance, comedy, and plot twists. You won't be able to put this one down.

-Amanda

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Updates

As you saw Tuesday I did not update. My lovely friend Taylor from Taylor's Rambles did. She plans to guest review every Tuesday due to our busy schedules. So here is my weekly outline. Hopefully I'll throw in some random contests and interest/debate worthy posts.

Sunday- In My Mailbox
Monday- Review
Tuesday- Review by Taylor
Wednesday- Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday- Review
Friday- A Look Inside/The Name Game
Saturday- Review (Hoping to make interesting posts too)

Also, I plan to do a new design very soon to accomadate taking on a new blogger.

-Amanda

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

****Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld****

Originality- 18/20
Characters- 18/20
Remembrance- 9/10
Quote-ability- 7/10
Entertainment- 19/20
Ending- 10/10
Recommend to read- 10/10
TOTAL- 91/100
Grade- A

It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. The Leviathan is a living airship, the most formidable airbeast in the skies of Europe.

Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way - taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

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Leviathan is the second book I've ever read written by Scott Westerfeld. I had attempted Uglies, but it didn't really do anything for me. Peeps did, though, and Leviathan definitely did.

I absolutely love the world that he takes us into -- I've always had a small interest in history, and the route he takes with this - the Clankers and the Darwinists - combines two of my favorite things: history and fantasy. The thing is, though, is that I've never really had much tolerance for the World Wars. Westerfeld kind of makes you interested when you learn the stories of Alek and Deryn and you just want to know more. The whole way through, I just kept thinking how cool it would be if the war had truly been like that.

I seriously cannot wait for the sequel, Behemoth, to come out.

Taylor

Sunday, November 8, 2009

In My Mailbox

Nothing this week..
What did you get?

-Amanda

Thursday, November 5, 2009

A Look Inside: Undone

"A Look Inside" Is a post where I'll have a featured author, and I'll choose a book that they wrote. I always come out after finishing a book with a favorite character, so I'll also have a featured character, and one of my favorite quotes from them.

Author: Brooke Taylor
Book: Undone
Character: Serena
Quote: "Girlfriend, huh? Think I can still get that frosty too? A good boyfriend would make it a Biggie."

If you have a favorite YA author, book or quote e-mail me it at txmandaxt@yahoo.com I'll make sure to give you credit!
-Amanda

Monday, November 2, 2009

Book Meme

Use the titles of books you've read this year to answer these questions.

Describe Yourself: Geektastic
How do you feel: Gorgeous
Describe where you currently live: North of Beautiful
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: City of Ashes
Your favorite form of transportation: Milestones
Your best friend is: Wondrous Strange
You and your friends are: Catching Fire
What's the weather like: The Sky Inside
Favorite time of day: Darklight
What is life to you: Killer
Your fear: Betrayed
What is the best advice you have to give: Shelter Me
Thought for the Day: Must Love Black
How I would like to die: Murder at the Lake
My soul's present condition: Untamed

-Amanda

Sunday, November 1, 2009

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a post where I tell you the books that I received this week either by buying them from the bookstore, going to the library or from my mailbox. Check out The Story Siren to learn more!

Secret Society by Tom Dolby

An eccentric new girl. A brooding socialite. The scion of one of New York's wealthiest families. A promising filmmaker. As students at the exclusive Chadwick School, Phoebe, Lauren, Nick, and Patch already live in a world most teenagers only dream about.

They didn't ask to be Society members. But when three of them receive a mysterious text message promising success and fame beyond belief, they say yes to everything—even to the harrowing initiation ceremony in a gritty warehouse downtown and to the ankh-shaped tattoo they're forced to get on the nape of their necks. Once they're part of the Society, things begin falling into place for them. Week after week, their ambitions are fulfilled. It's all perfect—until a body is found in Central Park with no distinguishing marks except for an ankh-shaped tattoo.

-Amanda