Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday

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

For Keeps by Natasha Friend
Publication Date: April 06, 2010

Josie's never met her dad, and that's fine with her. To Josie, Paul Tucci is just a guy who got her mom pregnant and then moved away. It all happened sixteen years ago, when Josie's mom was still a teenager herself. But now Paul Tucci is back in town, and Josie has to deal with not one but two men in her life—her father and her first boyfriend, who Josie fears will hurt her just like Paul hurt her mother.

-Amanda

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

Originality- 20/20
Characters- 18/20
Remembrance- 8/10
Quote-ability- 7/10
Entertainment- 18/20
Ending- 8/10
Recommend to read- 8/10
TOTAL- 87/100
Grade- B

In this highly-anticipated sequel to Prophecy of the Sisters, sixteen year-old orphan Lia Milthorpe continues her quest to end an age-old prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other. Having now accepted the responsibilities tied to her role as the Gate, Lia journeys to the uncharted isle of Altus to continue her search for the missing pages of the Book of Chaos--the pages that could tell her how to end the prophecy. Along the way, her courage, strength, and soul are tested in ways she never could have imagined. What's also tested is her loyalty to James.

Meanwhile, twin sister Alice continues to hone her spellcasting abilities, completely ignoring the rules that govern the Otherworlds. Alice will stop at nothing to reclaim Lia's role of Gate, and that's not the only thing she wants. There's also Lia's true love, James.

The outcome of this battle between sisters could have consequences of Biblical proportion. And in the end, only one sister will be left standing.
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This series is becoming really addicting. When I read the first book I didn't even realize that there would be two more books until I was finished. I am so glad that there is more.

This second book in the trilogy did just what it was supposed to do. It moved us forward in the prophecy, and the characters developed amazingly. Lia is growing up and making hard choices.

Just like any good series, this book included a twist. I can't tell you much about it, but it was very unexpected, realistic, and believable. It made you think about each decision Lia made in a whole new way.

While on their journey we meet some fantastic new people who keep the story interesting and fresh. We also get to go to new places that won't cease to amaze you.

Overall I would say that Guardian of the Gate was a great continuation of the trilogy and I absolutely can not wait until the next, and last, book. I would recommend this book to anyone who even slightly enjoyed the first book. You will not be disapointed.

-Amanda
Book received free from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Monday, March 29, 2010

BEA

Starting last year when I saw all of my favorite authors and bloggers talking about BEA I got really interested. There was absolutely no way I could go last year but I thought this year I would have a chance.

Now that BEA is getting closer I realize that it was always just a dream. Transportation wouldn't have been hard since we drive up to Pennsylvania every year and I know my mom would be willing to make the extra trip, but it's the timing. When BEA fun is going on I have school. My only chance would be to leave Friday and come back Sunday, but that's a total waste of a ticket.

It's times like this when I wish I had some close book blogger buddies who are going who could pick me up some swag, but alas, I have none. I have blogger friends but none close enough who are going to BEA.

Is there anyone else in the same predicament?

-Amanda

Sunday, March 28, 2010

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. In My Mailbox was created by Alea and turned into a meme by Kristi.

Scars by Cheryl Rainfield

Kendra, fifteen, hasn't felt safe since she began to recall devastating memories of childhood sexual abuse, especially because she still can't remember the most important detail-- her abuser's identity. Frightened, Kendra believes someone is always watching and following her, leaving menacing messages only she understands. If she lets her guard down even for a minute, it could cost Kendra her life. To relieve the pressure, Kendra cuts; aside from her brilliantly expressive artwork, it's her only way of coping. Since her own mother is too self-absorbed to hear her cries for help, Kendra finds support in others instead: from her therapist and her art teacher, from Sandy, the close family friend who encourages her artwork, and from Meghan, the classmate who's becoming a friend and maybe more. But the truth about Kendra's abuse is just waiting to explode, with startling unforeseen consequences. Scars is the unforgettable story of one girl's frightening path to the truth.

Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty

Jessica Darling is up in arms again in this much-anticipated, hilarious sequel to Sloppy Firsts. This time, the hyperobservant, angst-ridden teenager is going through the social and emotional ordeal of her senior year at Pineville High. Not only does the mysterious and oh-so-compelling Marcus Flutie continue to distract Jessica, but her best friend, Hope, still lives in another state, and she can’t seem to escape the clutches of the Clueless Crew, her annoying so-called friends. To top it off, Jessica’s parents won’t get off her butt about choosing a college, and her sister Bethany’s pregnancy is causing a big stir in the Darling household.

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

It's been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth’s climate. For Miranda Evans life as she knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce.

The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda’s father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda’s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Carlos Fuentes doesn't want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him in Boulder, Colorado. He wants to keep living on the edge, and carve his own path?just like Alex did. Unfortunately, his ties to a Mexican gang aren't easy to break, and he soon finds himself being set up by a drug lord.

When Alex arranges for Carlos to live with his former professor and his family to keep him from being sent to jail, Carlos feels completely out of place. He's even more thrown by his strong feelings for the professor's daughter, Kiara, who is nothing like the girls he's usually drawn to. But Carlos and Kiara soon discover that in matters of the heart, the rules of attraction overpower the social differences that conspire to keep them apart.

As the danger grows for Carlos, he's shocked to discover that it's this seemingly All-American family who can save him. But is he willing to endanger their safety for a chance at the kind of life he's never even dreamed possible?

Split by Stefan Petrucha

Wade Jackson has always felt split, his love for playing and writing music competing with his ambition to do well in school. But when his mother dies, this need for order competes with his desire to leave it all behind. What follows is a split in his consciousness that takes him to two very different worlds.

Told in alternating chapters that together form one cohesive story, Split follows both Wades as they pursue what they think is the correct path. One Wade continues working hard in school, pulling all-nighters to write a computer code he believes will save the world. The other Wade pursues the dream of being a dive-bar singer, pulling all-nighters to party, gamble, and live on the edge. But when these two worlds begin to collide, each Wade will need to find a balance between control and abandon, order and chaos, life missed and life lost, in order to save himself.

-Amanda