Wicked Good Books: July 2009

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

"Intensely Alice" Review

Intensely Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Publisher: Atheneum (June 2, 2009)

Reading Level: Young Adult

288 pages (hardcover)

Summary: This twenty-fourth title in the popular Alice series will grab readers with the contemporary coming-of-age story of friendship, family, love, sex, loyalty, faith, work, and loss. Alice, 17, serves as a bridesmaid at her cousin’s wedding (and enjoys the wild, sometimes raunchy, bachelorette party), volunteers with her friends at a homeless shelter, visits her boyfriend in his college dorm (she packs condoms but does not use them), and much more. At the story’s climax, a tragic loss makes Alice confront what she believes. As candid, funny, and touching as the rest of the series. Grades 9-12. --Hazel Rochman (from Booklist)

Review: I first started reading the Alice series in 4th or 5th grade. I have grown up with these books and have loved each and every one of them. Intensely Alice starts off with Alice and her friends just wanting to do something for the summer. She sees that her family have already made plans for themselves and decides that she is going to go to Chicago and visit her boyfriend Patrick at his college dorm. Meanwhile, the gang meets up at Mark Stedmeister's pool, like they've done every year, since middle school. One of the first things I've noticed about this book, was the character interaction and I got to know the characters better.

Alice gets a called from her cousin Carol and is asked to be a bridesmaid at her wedding -in Chicago- after one of the original bridesmaid pregnancy takes toll. Alice still doesn't know where she'll be sleeping when she visits Patrick, so she packs "things" she might need for the visit. In Chicago, her cousin takes her and the other bridesmaid to a fun bachelorette party and prepare for the wedding. This part of the book brought back memories from the other books and I remembered all the things Alice and her older cousin have shared over the years and how Alice looked up to her for advice, since her own mother was dead. The wedding turned out to be great and Alice is finally able to go see her boyfriend Patrick at the university.

Alice and Patrick remain to be my favorite couple in the series and I absolutely loved the parts of them in this book. I don't want to give away any spoilers but their relationship grows a lot more in this book. Once Alice gets back home, her and her friends volunteer at a soup kitchen. Now, one thing I didn't expect to read in this book was about religion and spirituality. After volunteering at the soup kitchen, she contemplates a lot about her faith and is her faith in God is tested in a huge way after a death. The death took me by surprise, it had me in tears. I thought this book was really good and the ending was phenomenal.

Rating:

Characters: 8/10

Originality: 8/10

Ending: 9/10

Writing: 9/10

Plot: 7/10

Total score: 41/50

Favorite character: It's hard to pick a favorite character since I think all of them are awesome, but I really liked Patrick in this book. I always felt that he always cared about work and studying more than anything else, but we see a different side to him in this one, we see his social life and how he spends his time in Chicago.

Overall: I thought this book was one of the best Alice books in a couple of years. I loved it!

Cover: D, because I honestly just didn't like the scenery, the colors or how the people were positioned...

"Waiting On" Wednesday. (4)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine.

Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin

Release date: September 8, 2009

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Official Book Club Selection is Kathy Griffin unplugged, uncensored, and unafraid to dish about what really happens on the road, away from the cameras, and at the star party after the show. (It’s also her big chance to score that coveted book club endorsement she’s always wanted. Are you there, Oprah? It’s me, Kathy.)

Kathy Griffin has won Emmys for her reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, been nominated for a Grammy, worked and walked every red carpet known to man, and rung in the New Year with Anderson Cooper. But the legions of fans who pack Kathy’s sold-out comedy shows have heard only part of her remarkable story. Writing with her trademark wit, the feisty comic settles a few old scores, celebrates the friends and mentors who helped her claw her way to the top, and shares insider gossip about celebrity behavior—the good, the bad, and the very ugly. She recounts the crazy ups and downs of her own career and introduces us to some of the supertalented people she encountered before they got famous (or, in some cases, after fame went to their heads). Word to the wise: If you’ve ever crossed Kathy Griffin at some point in your life, check the index for your name.

Along the way, Kathy reveals intimate details about her life before and after she made the big time. She opens up about everything from growing up with a dysfunctional family in suburban Illinois to bombing as a young comedian in L.A., from her well-publicized plastic surgery disasters to her highly publicized divorce, and more. Only in this book will you learn how the dinner table is the best training ground for a career in stand-up, how speaking your mind can bite you on the ass and buy you a house, and which people in Kathy’s life have taught her the most valuable lessons—both inside and outside the entertainment industry.

Refreshingly candid, unflinchingly honest, and full of hilarious “Did she really say that?” moments, Official Book Club Selection will make you laugh until you cry, or just puke up a little bit.

Why I want this book: Okay, so I'm a bit obsessed with the show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. Kathy is hilarious and I'm positive her memoir will be too!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

In My Mailbox 3

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren.

Everything Sucks by Hannah Friedman: "By my senior year [in high school] I am the chair of the student body and disciplinary committee, coordinator of 3 community service programs, I have a 4.0 GPA, a millionaire boyfriend with a BMW, and finally, for the first time in my entire life, I am considered 'cool.' But when an article of mine about the college admissions process is published in Newsweek, everything I've worked so hard to achieve is pulled out from under me...and I resolve once and for all to stop allowing other people to define me."

The Elite by Jennifer Banash: When her mother moves to London to do research, Casey finds herself living with her grandmother in a rent-stabilized apartment in a posh building on the Upper East Side of New York City. The Bram is the home to an assortment of the rich and fabulous, including Madison, Phoebe, and Sophie, three of Casey's new classmates at the exclusive Meadowlark Academy. Casey quickly finds that her clothes and her pocketbook are not in the same league with those of the Bram Girls, but they form a wary friendship that will be tested by her budding interest in Madison's on-again, off-again boyfriend Drew. Switching points of view among Casey, the Bram Girls, and Drew, Banash tries to cram too much into the pages, and her characters suffer. Solutions to Casey's boy and money problems magically appear when needed. Sophie's struggle to accept the news that she is adopted takes place largely off-page, and her cutting habit is mentioned only in passing. Phoebe's adulterous mother is forgettable. Madison's sob story of disastrous first sex actually makes her more interesting than most.

In Too Deep by Jennifer Banash: The Bramford building’s newest resident and small-town transplant Casey McCloy is adapting to life in the Big Apple and loving it. She’s got the look, the attitude, and a delish new boyfriend, Drew Van Allen. But she’s starting to have second thoughts as to whether the “New York” Casey is the real Casey. And she’s not so sure she likes herself much anymore. She’s not the only one. Madison Macallister has always had her Manolo Blahniks firmly planted on the top rung of the social ladder—until that corn-fed cow Casey stole Drew away from her and made her look the fool. So what if Madison wasn’t exactly dating Drew at the time? She wanted him. And everyone knows that Madison gets what she wants, like Drew—and a little revenge.

Simply Irresistible by Jennifer Banash: Small-town girl turned Big Apple beauty, Casey McCloy is really beginning to enjoy the high life in her high-rise. She's climbing the social ladder, to the dismay of her neighbor and rival, Madison Macallister. And Casey could end up as popular as Madison now that the two are set to star in their own reality show, "De-Luxe." But reality TV can be so unreal…Madison loves the attention, but having every bit of her life caught on tape is often less than glamorous. Yet fame comes at a price-and she's willing to pay. Meanwhile, now that Casey and her almost-boyfriend Drew Van Allen are currently more off than on, she's beginning to wonder if everything in her life is just an illusion-and how much longer the illusion can last.

Little Black Lies by Tish Cohen: Sara and her father are moving to Boston from small-town Lundun, Massachusetts. She is going to attend the prestigious Anton High school—crowned “North America’s Most Elite and Most Bizarre” by TIME Magazine—harder to get into than Harvard. As the new girl, Sara doesn’t know anyone; better yet, no one knows her. That means she can escape her family’s checkered past, and her father can be a surgeon instead of “Crazy Charlie” the school janitor. What’s the harm of a few little black lies? Especially if it transforms Sara into Anton’s latest “It” girl. But then one of the popular girls at school starts looking into Sara’s past, and her father’s obsessive compulsive disorder takes a turn for the worse. Soon, the whole charade just might come crashing down...

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson: The Hopewell Hotel, 75 years ago a stylish Upper East Side haunt, has fallen on hard times. Its proprietors, the Martin family, have let the last remaining employee go, and now it’s up to the four children, Spencer, Lola, Scarlett, and Marlene, to keep things afloat. Enter one Mrs. Amy Amberson, a flamboyant, mysterious guest, back in New York after a long absence, with some clandestine motives. Mrs. Amberson is to occupy the Empire Suite, just today entrusted to Scarlett as a “present” on her fifteenth birthday (a family tradition), for the entire summer, and keeping her happy will test Scarlett’s ingenious mettle. What follows is some utterly winning, madcap Manhattan farce, crafted with a winking, urbane narrative and tight, wry dialogue. Beneath the silvered surface, Johnson delivers a complex sibling relationship.

I won The Elite Series from The Story Siren (along with Gossip Girl season 1!!!) and Suite Scarlett from What Bri Reads! Thanks. :)

Look for reviews of these books soon!!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Lipstick Apology trailer

If you go to debut2009 on livejournal, you will see that they are holding a book trailer contest for Lipstick Apology.

The trailer I chose was:

I haven't read the book yet, but I think this trailer is awesome. I love the little lipstick notes and the song choice! Very cute.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

"Waiting On" Wednesday. 3

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Release date: October 13, 2009

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

In My Mailbox 2

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren .

From the library:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: "Featuring a new introduction written by Erica Jong, the classic 1847 novel traces the doomed love affair between an orphaned, independent-minded governess and her brooding employer, Mr. Rochester."

I get to keep this, because this is one of the books I chose for the teen summer reading program.

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson: " According to tradition, when the Martin children turn 15, they inherit a suite in the family's small Manhattan hotel and a job: to take care of the rooms and their occupant. On Scarlett's 15th birthday, Amy Amberson sweeps into the suite that Scarlett has just inherited. The woman is demanding and brash, but she does have her charms (and large amounts of cash). In the beginning, Scarlett is overwhelmed, but then her role becomes that of Mrs. Amberson's assistant for her projects, which change on a whim. When Amy decides to help the theater troupe that Scarlett's brother is involved in put on Hamlet, the teen begins a romance with one of the actors. Then everything starts to go awry, and when things get tough, Amy abandons ship, and plucky Scarlett is left to step in and save what needs saving, something that she does with flair. Scarlett's brand of humor is particularly dry and well articulated."

Can't wait to read this!

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton: "According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser"

This was another book I chose from the summer reading program. I love this version/cover of the book!

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott: "In this often astute, occasionally awkward take on family and unwanted fame, Hannah Jackson James tries not to live in her parents' dubious shadow. Her father is an aging reality TV star with a Hugh Hefner-esque castle full of girlfriends. Her mother, a minor actress and former girlfriend of Jackson's, now makes her money hosting a webcam show in skimpy underwear. When Hannah moved with her mom to a small town at age 12, she tried her hardest to blend in. Five years later, her concerns include staying unnoticed at school, making sure her mom can pay the bills, and deciding how to approach the object of her affection, a fellow student named Josh who works next to Hannah at the drive-through call center for a fast-food chain. Then her father calls for the first time in five years to invite her to visit him in New York. Hannah is torn between her desire for his love and her suspicion that the gesture is nothing more than a cynical ratings ploy. Scott's portrayal of Hannah's family situation is subtle and convincing. Readers will understand without being told that Hannah and her mother love one another, but that Hannah is as much a parent as a child. Her relationships with her peers are less believable. Her interest in Josh never quite seems genuine, and readers realize long before she does that Finn, a kind but irreverent goofball, is a better match."

Can't wait to read this! I love Elizabeth Scott's books!

The Man of my Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld: "Fourteen-year-old Hannah Gavener is abruptly shipped off from Philadelphia to live with her aunt in Pittsburgh when her mercurial, vindictive father breaks up his marriage and family, which includes Hannah's older sister, Allison, and their browbeaten mother. Sweet but insecure and passive, Hannah had "been raised... not to be accommodated but to accommodate," an upbringing that hobbles all her subsequent relationships. The novel follows Hannah through her teens and late 20s (from 1991 to 2005), as she searches for romantic fulfillment, navigates friendships (e.g., with her larger-than-life cousin Fig) and alternately tries to reconcile with her father and distance herself from him. But the most influential connection Hannah makes is with her psychiatrist, Dr. Lewin, whom she begins seeing her freshman year at Tufts. Although the novel aspires to be taken seriously and Hannah is a sympathetic protagonist, she remains a textbook case of a young woman who wants "a man who will deny her. A man of her own who isn't hers."

I absolutely can't wait to read this book!!! I loved 'Prep' and I hope this is as good as it. If you haven't read any of Curtis Sittenfeld's books, go read them!!

Received in the mail:

A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi: "The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. The town’s top detective, perplexed by a complete lack of leads, calls in FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children. Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist at Newbury’s hospital, searches desperately for the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings’s devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya’s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope. The situations confronting Leia and Peter converge when Naya begins drawing chilling images of murder after being bombarded by the disturbing images in her dreams. Amazingly, her sketches are the only clues to the crime that has panicked Newbury residents. Against her better judgment, Leia explores the clues in Naya’s crude drawings, only to set off an alarming chain of events."

I actually got this for review. I'll get that up as soon as I read it.

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler: ''“What is the statute of limitations on feeling guilty for cheating on a ghost?” Anna writes in her journal, or rather, writes to Matt, her first true love and her best friend Frankie’s brother. More than a year has passed since Matt’s sudden death, and all that time Anna has kept her brief relationship with Matt a secret from Frankie. Matt had planned to tell his sister but died before he had the opportunity. Now, while on a beach vacation with Frankie’s family, Anna finds herself falling for cute, sensitive Sam against her will—if she can love someone else, does that mean she no longer loves Matt?"

I won this in a contest!

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender: "High-school junior Alexis seems to be the class bad girl, complete with snide remarks, rebellious attitude, and listless motivation. At home, her overachieving mom has alienated her more laid-back dad, while her doll -obsessed, 13-year-old sister, Kasey, periodically morphs from a blue-eyed, ordinary girl to a green-eyed, evil child plotting against others in their small town. What has possessed Kasey and their family’s beautiful Victorian home?"

I won this from Fantastic Review's 5 Star contest. I can't wait to read this!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

"Waiting On" Wednesday 2

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine.

Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

Release date: October 1, 2009

"Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor's kid, it's hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam's personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel. In her third novel, acclaimed author Sara Zarr examines the coexistence of affliction and hope, and what happens when everything you thought you believed---about God, about your family, about yourself---is transformed." (from amazon)

I've read Sara Zarr's previous books and they were all great! I can't wait for this one! :)

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Teaser Tuesday 1

* Grab your current read. * Let the book fall to a random page. * Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. * Share the title of the book that you're getting your teaser from... That way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given! * Please avoid spoilers!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling (p. 249)

"Harry, Ron and Hermione fell on top of them; Harry and Ron managed to catch her but she was writhing so much they could hardly hold her."

Speaking of Half-Blood Prince, I'm going to the midnight premiere with my best friend tonightttttt! <33

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Win Simply Irresistible and Gossip Girl Season 2!!!

If you would like the chance to win book 3 of the Elite Series and more, head over to The Page Flipper to enter the HUGE contest!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

In My Mailbox 1

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by Kristi from The Story Siren.

Received In Mail:

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow (ARC): "Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.) Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?"

I have no idea why I received this book. I didn't put in for it or win it (at least I don't think so!) but nevertheless, I will read it. I mean, I can't just a let a book go unread, can I?

From The Library:

American Shaolin by Mattew Polly: "In this smoothly written memoir, 98-pound weakling Polly makes the age-old decision to turn his nerdy self into a fighting machine. Polly's quest for manhood leads this guy from Topeka, Kans., to the Shaolin Temple, ancient home of the fighting monks and setting for 10,000 chop-socky movies. As much a student of Chinese culture as he is a martial artist, Polly derives a great deal of humor from the misunderstandings that follow a six-foot-three laowai (white foreigner) in a China taking its first awkward steps into capitalism after Tiananmen Square. Polly has a good eye for characters and introduces the reader to a Finnish messiah, a practitioner of "iron crotch" kung fu, and his nagging girlfriend. We get the inside dope on Chinese dating, Chinese drinking games and a medical system apparently modeled on the Spanish Inquisition. The last hundred pages of the book lose focus, and Polly doesn't convincingly demonstrate how he transforms himself from a stumbling geek to a kickboxing stud who can stand toe-to-toe with the highest-ranked fighter in the world. Although Polly may fall short in sharing Shaolin's secrets, as a chronicler of human absurdity he makes all the right moves."

This isn't something I would normally get, but it's for a book club at my local library, and it actually looks good.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Hoddon: "Mark Haddon's bitterly funny debut novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, is a murder mystery of sorts--one told by an autistic version of Adrian Mole. Fifteen-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone is mathematically gifted and socially hopeless, raised in a working-class home by parents who can barely cope with their child's quirks. He takes everything that he sees (or is told) at face value, and is unable to sort out the strange behavior of his elders and peers.

Late one night, Christopher comes across his neighbor's poodle, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork. Wellington's owner finds him cradling her dead dog in his arms, and has him arrested. After spending a night in jail, Christopher resolves--against the objection of his father and neighbors--to discover just who has murdered Wellington. He is encouraged by Siobhan, a social worker at his school, to write a book about his investigations, and the result--quirkily illustrated, with each chapter given its own prime number--is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"

I also got this book for a book club. I have been wanting to read this book for a while now, so I went ahead and checked it out!

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenger: "On the surface, Henry and Clare Detamble are a normal couple living in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. Henry works at the Newberry Library and Clare creates abstract paper art, but the cruel reality is that Henry is a prisoner of time. It sweeps him back and forth at its leisure, from the present to the past, with no regard for where he is or what he is doing. It drops him naked and vulnerable into another decade, wearing an age-appropriate face. In fact, it's not unusual for Henry to run into the other Henry and help him out of a jam. Sound unusual? Imagine Clare Detamble's astonishment at seeing Henry dropped stark naked into her parents' meadow when she was only six. Though, of course, until she came of age, Henry was always the perfect gentleman and gave young Clare nothing but his friendship as he dropped in and out of her life. It's no wonder that the film rights to this hip and urban love story have been acquired"

I can't wait to read this book! I've heard so many good things about it and I know there is a movie coming out soon. :)

Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott: "Eighteen-year-old Danielle—aka Sydney, Rebecca, or whatever alias her mother chooses—has been stealing since she can remember. She and her theft-savvy mother move from town to town, mining the successful men whom her mother attracts for information that allows them to find and rob the toniest homes. Dani has no school, no friends, and no home until she and her mother land in Heaven, a small, wealthy beachfront town where Dani realizes what it is like to have a best friend and also a boyfriend, who just happens to be a cop. Scott tells a surprising story that features a mature teen who longs for the straight and narrow, even as the adults around her profit from crime and corruption. Dani’s first-person narrative includes a few winking references to the lucrative life theft can garner, which feel like odd, misguided shifts from the story’s strongest message that Dani is a brave teen who can and does shape a strong future for herself."

Having read two of Elizabeth Scott's previous books I had to get more of them! I absolutely adore her writing.

All summaries from amazon.com

Of course, I'm going to have to wait to read these books, because I have a pile of books to read before these.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

"Waiting On" Wednesday. Tricks

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a a weekly event hosted at Breaking The Spine.

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

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

Release date: August 25, 2009

"Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Three girls. Two guys. Four straight. One gay. Some rich. Some poor. Some from great families. Some with no one at all. All living their lives as best they can, but all searching...for freedom, safety, community, family, love. What they don't expect, though, is all that can happen when those powerful little words "I love you" are said for all the wrong reasons.

Five moving stories remain separate at first, then interweave to tell a larger, powerful story -- a story about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up. A story about kids figuring out what sex and love are all about, at all costs, while asking themselves, "Can I ever feel okay about myself?" (from amazon.com)

I love all of Ellen Hopkins previous books and I can't wait to read this!!!

Monday, July 6, 2009

Reviews by Author

Here are the list of reviews sorted under the author's name (last, first.) You will also find them linked to any interview or guest post.

•A•

Amato, Mary - Invisible Lines

•B•

Bantle, Lee - David Inside Out

•C•

Cohen, Tish - Little Black Lies

•D•

Dessen, Sarah - Along for the Ride

Done, Phillip - Close Encounters of the Third Grade Kind

Downing, Erin - Kiss It

•E•

Elkeles, Simone - Perfect Chemistry, Rules of Attractions

Eulberg, Elizabeth - The Lonely Hearts Club

•F•

Fitzpatrick, Becca - Hush, Hush

Friedman, Hannah - Everything Sucks

•G•

Green, John - Let It Snow (with Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle)

•H•

Han, Jenny - Shug, It's Not Summer Without You, The Summer I Turned Pretty,
Herbsman, Cheryl Renée - Breathing

Hopkins, Ellen - Identical,

•I•

•J•

Johnson, Maureen - Let It Snow (with John Green and Lauren Myracle)

•K•

Kluger, Steve - My Most Excellent year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins & Fenway Park

•L•

Lasko-Gross, Miss - A Mess of Everything

Lockhart, E. - The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

•M•

Martel, Yann - Life of Pi

McCafferty, Megan - Charmed Thirds, Fourth Comings, Perfect Fifths

McMann, Lisa - Fade, Gone, Wake

Myers, Walter Dean - Riot

Myracle, Lauren - Let It Snow (with John Green and Maureen Johnson)

•N•

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds - Intensely Alice

•O•

Ockler, Sarah - Twenty Boy Summer

•P•

Perez, Marlene - Unexpected Development

Picoult, Jodi - Handle With Care, House Rules

Preston, LM

•Q•

•R•

Rivkah - Steady Beat, Volume 1, Steady Beat, Volume 2
Roth, Veronica - Divergent

•S•

Sapphire - Push

Scott, Elizabeth - Stealing Heaven, Something, Maybe

Sittenfeld, Curtis - Man of My Dreams, The

Soren, Sasha

Spinelli, Jerry - Stargirl

Strasnick, Lauren - Nothing Like You

Summers, Courtney - Cracked Up To Be

•T•

Thompson, Alicia - Psych Major Syndrome
Trigiani, Adriana - Viola In Reel Life

•U•

•V•

•W•

Weeks, Sarah - So B. It

Wiesel, Elie - Night

Wiseman, Rosalind - Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials

•X•

•Y•

•Z•

Vlog for Eyes Like Stars release

This is my vlog congratulating Lisa Mantchev on the release of Eyes Like Stars.

Go check out Eyes Like Stars Release Extravaganza over at Reverie Media

Congrats Lisa!!!!

sorry about the video quality and the video it's self! i was a little nervous!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Identical

Identical by Ellen Hopkins (August 26, 2008)

576 pages

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Summary: "Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical down to the dimple. As daughters of a district-court judge father and a politician mother, they are an all-American family -- on the surface. Behind the facade each sister has her own dark secret, and that's where their differences begin. For Kaeleigh, she's the misplaced focus of Daddy's love, intended for a mother whose presence on the campaign trail means absence at home. All that Raeanne sees is Daddy playing a game of favorites -- and she is losing. If she has to lose, she will do it on her own terms, so she choose drugs, alcohol, and sex. Secrets like the ones the twins are harboring are not meant to be kept -- from each other or anyone else. Pretty soon it's obvious that neither sister can handle it alone, and one sister must step up to save the other, but the question is -- who?" (from inside cover)

Review: I was so excited to finally get my hands on Identical. Having read Ellen Hopkins previous books, I expected nothing but a phenomenal story, and it did not disappoint. The two main characters, Raeanne and Kaeleigh are identical twins, they look exactly alike, but their is no similarity in their personalities. With their mom gone due to the election process and herself as a candidate, they only have their dad. Kaleigh is favored by their father and begins to experience things no one should have to go through; sexual abuse. She works at a retirement home and meets an elderly lady, Greta, who shares her secrets and tries to get her to open up about her dark demon. Ian, her faithful boyfriend also tries to help her. Raeanne is all about sex, alcohol and drugs. Although she knows Kaeleigh secret, she still wants to be love by their father. Throughout the book, we learn of family issues like what happened to their father to make him the man he is. Why they've never met their grandmother, and what happened the day of the car crash, years ago. Towards the end of the book, there is a major twist. I had to reread it a couple times, just to make sure I was comprehending it right! I don't won't to give it away, but I will say this: people are not always who they seem to be.

Favorite character: Ian. That guy remained faithful and stood by Kaeleigh's side through thick and thin. Such a sweet character!

Overall: I think this book deserves 5 stars. For the plot, characters and originality! Ellen Hopkins is a fantastic writer! I can't wait until her next book!