Featured over at Climbing Rose!

Hi guys! The wonderful people at Climbing Rose of the Wild Press featured me in an interview!

Go check it out HERE. The interview was so much fun doing! C:

Oh, I forgot to mention that I was also featured at BooksObsession.

Also, I'd like to remain everyone that there are only a couple more days to enter to win Explorer X-Alpha by LM. Preston! Don't miss your chance! Enter HERE.

AND today was the last day of school until January 4! YAHHHH! NO MORE FINALS. Will be posting reviews soon!

In My Mailbox (12)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren! Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

"There were no surprises in Gatlin County.

We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.

At least, that's what I thought.

Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.

There was a curse.

There was a girl.

And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything."

Thank you so much, Staysi!!! Have been waiting so long to read this book!

The Maximum Ride books.

Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampires Assistant

Cirque Du Freak: Tunnels of Blood

I got the last 2 sets of books for hosting a contest for them! Thank you!

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

A Match Made In High School by Kristin Walker

Release Date: February 4, 2010 (Razorbill)

Summary: "When the principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program, Fiona Sheehan believes that her life can’t get any worse. That’s until she marries her “husband”: jerky jock Todd, whose cheerleader girlfriend, Amanda, has had it in for Fiona since day one of second grade. Even worse? Amanda is paired with Fiona’s long-term crush, Gabe. At least Fiona is doing better than her best friend, Marcie, who is paired up with the very quiet, very dorky, very big Johnny Mercer.

Pranks, fights, misunderstandings, and reconciliations ensue in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors about mistaken first impressions, convoluted coupling, and hidden crushes."

Why I want it: I really like the summary of this book! I would love to read something like this and I've seen great reviews for it!

Review of Perfect Fifths

Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty

Publisher: Crown (April 14, 2009)

Hardcover: 272 pages

Reading Level: Young Adult/Adult

"Captivated readers have followed Jessica through every step and misstep: from her life as a tormented, tart-tongued teenager to her years as a college grad stumbling toward adulthood. Now a young professional in her mid-twenties, Jess is off to a Caribbean wedding. As she rushes to her gate at the airport, she literally runs into her former boyfriend, Marcus Flutie. It’s the first time she's seen him since she reluctantly turned down his marriage proposal three years earlier–and emotions run high. Marcus and Jessica have both changed dramatically, yet their connection feels as familiar as ever. Is their reunion just a fluke or has fate orchestrated this collision of their lives once again? Told partly from Marcus’s point of view, Perfect Fifths finally lets readers inside the mind of the one person who’s both troubled and titillated Jessica Darling for years. Expect nothing less than the satisfying conclusion fans have been waiting for, one perfect in its imperfection. . . ."

Review: I was quite anxious to read Perfect Fifths, mostly because I needed to find out how the series was going to end.

Perfect Fifths is written in a different style than the other books in the series. The story takes place within 2 days and yet this book is able to bring back a lot of the past characters, which is completely awesome. Half the book is in Marcus' POV and it was great to finally get the chance to read what went on inside his head.

Jessica and Marcus literally run into each other at the Newark Airport after not having seen each other in 3 years. From that point on, the book is spent pretty much on them catching up. I found myself actually enjoying the dialogue. They talked and talked and some parts, I didn't even understand what they were talking about! Still, I found all of it interesting. I liked what Jessica was doing for a living, I thought it was perfect for her.

Parts of the book were really funny. Like, every scene where there was some sort of Barry Manilow reference or song, I laughed. Jessica's ramblings to herself were humorous as well.

I was a bit disappointed with how it ended. There were a lot of questions left unanswered and I wasn't sure exactly where Marcus and Jessica stood. However, the ending was nothing bad. If you've read the previous 4 books, be sure to read this last one!

Other things I liked about the series as a whole (since I probably won't review the first 2 books):

• I REALLY loved the fact that Jessica was a cross-country/track runner during high school. I pretty much am obsessed with XC and I loved reading about a character who has the same interests as me. Well, actually, Jessica wasn't a fan of running, as it was her father who pushed her into it....but oh well.
• I liked how she's always been a writer/journalist. I think that's pretty rad. That's another one of my interests.
• There were a lot of good quotes in this series. I liked the You. Yes. You and all of that.
• I liked how all the titles of the books were explained. Especially, Sloppy Firsts and Fourth Comings.
• I liked how Jessica's best friend, Hope, remained throughout the series. I was actually kind of surprised, because after she moved in the first book, I just figured they would only just email each other and see each other occasionally. I'm glad they actually remained close.

Review of Charmed Thirds and Fourth Comings.

Rating:

Characters: 8/10pts

Originality: 7/10pts

Ending: 7/10pts

Writing: 9/10pts

Voice: 8/10pts

Plot: 7/10pts

Favorite characters: Marcus. I'm so glad that in this book we got to hear what he was thinking. I enjoy his personality.

Cover: C. Not really a fan, but it's not too bad.

Overall: I think that fans of the series will enjoy this book. It wasn't the best in the series, but it's enjoyable. Can not wait for whatever Megan McCafferty has in store for us next!

Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge

There's this really awesome contest that I just had to join! It's the Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge. I watch the show whenever I can, I haven't seen all the episodes or anything, but I definitely enjoy it. Here is some info on this challenge:

There are three levels of participation:

• Emily: Read 5 books from at least two different categories.
• Lorelai: Read 10 books from at least three different categories.
• Rory: Read 20 books from at least four different categories.

Right now, I'm going to stick with the Lorelai level. Here are some of my choices:

Classics

The Sonnets by William Shakespeare

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Children/Young Adult

The Outsiders by S.E. Hilton

Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers

Stuart Little E.B. White

Modern Classics

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

1984 by George Orwell

Nonfiction

On The Road by Jack Kerouac

Other

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides

High Fidelity by Nick Hornsby

Girl, Interrupted by Susan Kaysen

Letter's to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

Sophie's Choice by William Styron

*To sign up go HERE

Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind Review

Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind by Phillip Done

Publisher: Center Street (September 4, 2009)

Hardcover: 336 pages

Reading Level: Adult

"A twenty-year veteran of the classroom, elementary school teacher Phillip Done takes readers through a lively and hilarious year in the classroom. Starting with the relative calm before the storm of buying school supplies and posting class lists, he shares the distinct personalities of grades K-4, what he learned from two professional trick or treating 8-year-old boys, the art of learning cursive and letter-writing, how kindergartners try to trap leprechauns, and what every child should experience before he or she grows up. These charming, sweet, and funny tales of Mr. Done's trials and triumphs as an award-winning schoolteacher will touch readers' hearts and remind them of the true joys of childhood. We all have that one special, favorite grade school teacher whom we fondly remember throughout our adult lives - and every teacher also has students whom they will never forget. This is the perfect book for teachers, parents, and anyone else who is looking for a lighthearted, nostalgic read."

Review: I believed I won this book from a contest that I randomly entered. I probably wouldn't have picked up this book on my own, but I'm so glad I got the chance to read it. Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind will make you laugh out loud, reminiscent of elementary school days. You may even get a bit emotional. Phillip Done does an outstanding job writing about what it has been like teaching third grade over the years.

One of the things that I loved about this book (I guess you could call it a memoir) is that each chapter titled is a month of the year. He breaks down all these different school-related things into the appropriate chapters. He talks about back-to-school sales, teaching the kids cursive, 100th day, Christmas party and Valentines party, and so many other awesome stuff. This book was just so sweet.

There were a lot of times that I found myself laughing. Kids are just so adorable. Whenever Mr. Done had the kids write some sort of story, they always made spelling mistakes and he describes trying not to laugh at some of the words they write instead of what they meant. Or how he talks about how some of the girls in his class tell him what boys they like. One of the stories they he tells is how during Christmas one year, he went to a different country and him and some other adults gave the kids there (they were in some sort of orphanage) presents, and they were smiling and cheering but yet they hadn't even opened the boxes. The kids had never been given a gift in their lives. It touched my heart and I'll admit, I got a bit emotional.

I'm not sure exactly what I liked to do once I graduate HS, but I have been thinking about teaching elementary (3rd grade and below) and after Phillip Done's tales of teaching, it has truly inspired me to be a teacher even more. I would hugely recommend that people interest in teaching or just wants a nice, funny memoir, read this! It's filled with lots of amazing stories.

Cover: I think I'll give it a C+. It's not bad, but nothing great. I do like the chair and desk.

Writing: So good! Easy to get lost in the book with the way Done writes. It flows nicely.

Overall: I would most definitely give it an A+! (Yes, pun intended.)

Explorer X - Alpha Contest!

LM. Preston is graciously offering one (1) lucky winner to win her debut novel Explorer X - Alpha!

Summary: For most kids, a trip to space camp is a trip of a lifetime, for Aadi it was life altering. After receiving a camp immunization needed for travel to Mars, Aadi finds that the immunization is the catalyst of an insidious experiment. Lucky for him, he was engineered to survive, thrive, and dominate. Without realizing he is being trained to conquer worlds, and manipulated under the guise of a camp, he unfolds the plot too late for a change of fate. Aadi’s world is shaken upon the revelation that life before camp was not what it appeared. This solidifies his plan to save them all from the company that seeks to control him, only for his rescue to end abruptly due to a freak accident on a field trip to Mars. The full experiment is set in motion when he and his co-pilot, Eirena, crash in a distant galaxy called Shrenas, where they change and realize the full extent of their power. Holding onto his humanity, in the midst of turning into a god is Aadi's biggest battle yet. This turn of events causes him to put his childish thoughts away, forcing him to accept his change, and to decide to save a world, or to do what he was trained to do, dominate it. In the midst his struggles with his changes, his power is coveted by the warring leaders of Shrenas, and he is forced to choose sides to save a life, or to save himself. A decision that may prove just how much humanity he has left.

To enter please fill out this FORM.

The deadline for this contest is 11:59 PM (central time), December 22.