Tuesday, August 31

Book Review: Stargirl

Title: Stargirl
Series: yes
Author(s): Jerry Spinelli
Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Pages: 186

Summary:
 Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first. Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal. In this celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love.



My Thoughts: I adored this inspirational book! Stargirl was the character and person everyone wishes they could be with her bold characteristics, and insane outfits. Leo occasionally annoyed me because he tried forcing Stargirl to change, and didn't realize what he had in front of him. All the characters in this book were very realistic and represented many challenges about high school life. The writing did an even better better job of letting this story flow. Overall the story was eye-opening and heart warming with great characters, and a good but simple plot line. 


Overall Rating: 5/5

One word/phrase sum up: inspiring and heart warming 

Saturday, August 28

Book Review: Dark of the Moon

Title: Dark of the Moon
Series: Dark Guardian Series
Author(s): Rachel Hawthorne
Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 261

Summary: 
I've loved him forever, but he can never be mine. BRITTANY is determined to prove herself to the Dark Guardians. And yet she's been keeping a devastating secret: She hasn't experienced any of the intense, early signs of change that mark a Dark Guardian's transformation. The only intense feelings she has are for Connor—and she's kept that a secret, too. But she knows she'll never truly have Connor's love if she's not a Shifter like him.
At the first full moon after her birthday, her greatest fear is realized: She doesn't transform. Brittany is so desperate to become a wolf that she'll go to extremes she never thought possible . . . and put all the Dark Guardians in incredible danger. 


My Thoughts:  Just like book 1 and 2 of this series, this book is a great read with realistic characters, and great writing matched with a exciting plot line. In the first two books I thought Brittany was a little annoying and super tough but in this book I realized that was just her shell, and she was actually a good person. I felt really bad for her most of the book, but I was glad at the end. I read this book a month ago an forgot to review it so I can only remember the basic plot line. Overall it was great writing, plot lines, and passionate characters. 


Overall Rating: 4/5

One word/phrase sum up:dark and riveting  

Thursday, August 26

Top Ten of The Moment (11)

Top Ten of the Moment is a meme hosted by me! It is pretty self explanatory, just look at this weeks theme make a list of your top ten favorite, then grab your link and put it in the Mr. Linkey!



This weeks theme is: Fictional Women who inspire you



Note: she can be from a TV show, movie, or a book.

  1. Elizabeth BennetI have read Pride and Prejudice and seen the movie(both versions) and I think Elizabeth Bennet is an inspiring character with a great heart! I find it amazing that despite the fact she will have no money to her name when her father dies she refuses to marry anyone unless she is truly in love with him! She refuses 2(I think) marriage proposals before she agrees to someone who had already proposed! I think she is a great strong women!
  2. Marianne Dashwood-  Although Marianne was sometimes over passionate in her ways of showing happiness and grieving she was a character with drive and power. Her passion, despite its overbearingness, was truly inspiring. She always had a goal or a hope that she drove to accomplish.
  3. Elinor DashwoodEven though I have only ever seen the movie, I thought that Elinor was a great level headed character with a strong mind. Although she often put others needs in front on her own, it was with a kind heart. I found her endearing, sweet, and the backbone of a poor family.
  4. Scarlett O'Hara- Even though I think she is a spoiled brat when she is rich, and a ruthless mean snot when she is poor, Scarlett O' Hara is a very strong character that overcomes a lot of hard challenges!
  5. Maggie Armstrong(from Leaving Paradise)- Even though she was seemed sad and depressed all the time in this book after she got hit by a car, and was left with horrible scars, and a limp. I actually think she was an inspiring character dealing with all she had to, and still being nice, sweet, and caring


  6. Lyddie(from the book Lyddie)- Even though I did not like this book at all Lyddie was a tough character! She always had her family in mind, and never stopped trying to get them into a better situation!


    Sorry I am very busy right now with vacation, so I have to cut this post short! Have fun making your own lists!




Tuesday, August 24

Movie Review: Gone with the Wind

Movie Review: Gone With the Wind
Leading Actress: Vivien Leigh (played Scarlett)
Leading Actor: Clark Gable (Rhett Butler)
Supporting Roles:
Laslie Howard (Ashley)
Olivia de Havilland (Melanie/Melly)
My Thoughts: This really was a great movie. Even though some of the backdrops seemed fake, but I have to remember that this movie is a classic and was made in 1939! I still haven't read this book yet, despite the fact I have gotten it from the library twice... 
Scarlett was really an annoying though. When she was rich she was a snot, and when she was poor she was heartless, and mean to everyone. Also she had one goal in life: Ashley, and even though he was happily married she still attempted to throw herself on him! It was painfully annoying because Melly was such a nice harmless person who only carried for others. Then in the end when she realized Rhett was all she wanted or needed it was to late! All the characters were different, and fun. Rhett was so funny to me, and Melly was the sweetest person ever. Mammy was so funny, and some of the other characters were quit funny. She was a horribly annoying character but she is so strong after the war at Tara that that is one redeeming quality. Other than that it was a great plot line with tons of surprises, and despite the fact Scarlett was a snot all the other characters were great.

Sunday, August 22

Book Review: Full Moon

Title: Full Moon
Series: Dark Guardian
Author(s): Rachel Hawthorne
Genre: Fantasy 

Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 320

Summary:  
I may be promised to another...but thoughts of Rafe consume me. I don't know how much longer I can resist.
LINDSEY is wild and reckless, a natural rebel—maybe because her entire life was laid out for her even before she was born. Her parents are among the most powerful members of the Dark Guardians, an ancient tribe of werewolves, and they arranged Lindsey's betrothal to Connor long ago. The next full moon is coming all too soon, and then her commitment to Connor will be final—no turning back. She should be happy...so why can't she stop thinking about gorgeous, brooding Rafe?
When a dangerous threat on the pack escalates, so do tensions between Connor and Rafe. A fight over Lindsey is imminent, but will it be to the death?


My Thoughts:  There was only one huge problem with this entire book for me. The writing, it was just as good as the last one but it took me nearly one hundred pages to get it in my head that it was Lindsey talking not Kayla because the writer did not do a good job at distinguishing a voice between the two. Whenever Lindsey started hitting on Rafe or Connor I unconsciously thought she was cheating on Lucas. It was very hard to keep track of. It was also annoying because I knew what it was supposed to feel like with your mate, and she had that with Rafe, but like the first book the girl tried to deny it! Other than that it was an amazing plot line that kept me clinching onto every word with its amazing characters and plot line. Overall this book was hard to get into, but in the end easy to like because it was a great story.


Overall Rating: 3.5/5

One word/phrase sum up: annoying but good

Friday, August 20

Author Interview: Beth Fantaskey

This is an author interview with Beth Fantaskey author of two amazing books, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (review here), and Jekel Loves Hyde(review here)!


Here it is:


1. When it comes to writing what is the one most critical piece of advice you think an aspiring author should know?


The best advice I received as an aspiring author was to join one of the national organizations that represent writers, such as Romance Writers of America and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, etc. (There are groups that deal with various genres.) I was going it alone, then on the advice of a published friend joined RWA, and I learned so much about the industry and got to network with other writers, editors and agents… That was crucial to me. I was glad someone clued me in.




2. All of your characters are different, realistic, and unique. How do you come up with these characters, and which one is most like you, or is based off of someone you know?


Although I’m shy like Jill Jekel, aside from that similarity, all of my characters are pretty unique unto themselves. I don’t base them on people I know. They really just come to life in my mind, and “meeting” them is almost like meeting anyone new. As I write the first draft, I get to know them better and better as the “individuals” they are. (That’s true except for Lucius, the vampire prince in Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. He just sort of walked into my office one day and started dictating his letters, and it was like I knew him perfectly from the first time I “heard” him speaking.)


3. On Goodreads I saw a book called Jessica's Guide to Ruling on the Dark Side that is scheduled to be released in 2011. Can you give us a hint in what will happen in that book?


The book, which may ultimately have a different title, is the sequel to Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, and picks up Jess and Lucius’s story after the “mini sequel” that’s posted on my website, bethfantaskey.com. (The internet chapters tell the story of Jess and Lucius’s wedding.)
Basically, the full sequel’s about how Jess tries to adjust to being married to a hot vampire prince, deal with ruling a nation of unruly undead – and cope with being kind of homesick for her old life, too. And, of course, it will explain what really happened to Mindy when she disappeared with Lucius’s best man, Italian vampire Raniero, at the wedding…


4. What is your favorite paranormal creature?


Definitely vampires. They’re so mysterious and dangerous – yet suave and well-mannered. What a combination! I think it’s irresistible.


5. Jekel Loves Hyde is a great book, and is definitely a new idea. How did you come up with the ideas to both of your books?


I’m never really sure where the ideas come from. With Jekel Loves Hyde, the title just popped into my head, and it seemed so full of possibilities that I ran to my computer to see if it had ever been used. When I learned that it hadn’t, I started to daydream about what would happen if the original novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, had been based in reality, and there really was a formula that could turn nice people into monsters…
Jessica’s Guide is somewhat rooted in my life. My children are adopted, and we often wonder what their birth parents were like. With Jess, I took that to the extreme by imagining her birth parents as not only vampires, but vampire royalty.
I guess inspiration comes from all sorts of different places!


6. What has been the best thing about becoming a published author?


Hearing from fans who love the books, or say they laughed and cried while reading them. That’s really amazing, to be able to give people that experience. I feel very humble and grateful for that opportunity.


7. Before you became a published author what did you do? Do you have lots of other first drafts, and story ideas that have been left unfinished?


I’ve been a writer for more than 20 years, working mainly in politics, public relations and journalism. Basically, that’s been my whole career. About ten years ago, I started writing short stories, to see if I could make the move to fiction. After I sold a few of those, I wrote two novel-length manuscripts that went nowhere before finding a project that I was really passionate about (Jessica’s Guide). I think finding a story I really wanted to tell was key.


8. Did you always want to be an author, and are there certain books that you enjoy or that impact your writing?


I guess I answered the first part already. As for books that impacted my writing – I’d say Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo is my biggest influence. I love his use of cliffhangers, his sense of drama, and the way his heroes are very dark, but also humorous and gallant. Edmond Dantes is my all-time favorite character in literature.


9. How long did it take you to finish both drafts?


I average about three months on a first draft, and about six months on second drafts. They really are like “babies” to me!


10. In Jekel Loved Hyde you wrote in dual perspectives while in Jessica's Guide you wrote from solely Jessica's viewpoint with letters from Lucious to his Uncle. Why did you write in that style, and what made you change for the second book you wrote?


My style starts with my preference for first person, which I like because I think it makes the reader feel like part of the action and the emotions. So I definitely wanted both my books to be first person. Beyond that, I also wanted to give readers the chance to see what the guys were thinking, so their perspective had to be in there, too.


With Jessica’s Guide, I had specific reasons for expressing Lucius through letters. He’s a literature-loving, eloquent vampire, so it makes sense that he’d write, and the letters are also a little bit more mysterious than just having him narrate directly to the reader. He expresses aspects of himself to his uncle – but he doesn’t tell us everything.


I decided to use a straight dual perspective with Jekel Loves Hyde because I wanted readers to know exactly what was going on with Tristen Hyde. What happens inside of his head – his struggle – is really the heart of the book, so readers needed to see that.

Thursday, August 19

Top Ten of the Moment(10)

Top Ten of the Moment is a meme hosted by me! It is pretty self explanatory, just look at this weeks theme make a list of your top ten favorite, then grab your link and put it in the Mr. Linkey!



This weeks theme is: Top Ten Childhood Favorites!
 
Note: Mine aren't in order... it is very hard to put them in order because ther are so may memories!
 
 




 Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

 Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak


 The Little House on the Prarie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

 The Lorax by Dr. Suess




 Make Way For Ducklings ny Robert McCloskey

 


The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner



and last but not least...

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Thanks! Have fun making your own list!

Tuesday, August 17

Random things

Here is a pile of Random things I found intreating that are not big enough to be made into a single post, most of this is little things I picked up on Goodreads


  • The cover for Entice(third book in Need series) is out(shown at right)! Doesn't it look simply amazing! I really hater Captivate but I loved Need so much i will have to get this one!
  • The title to the third book in the Fallen series by Lauren Kate will be named Passion, and is set to be released some time in 2011
  • The third book in the series by Aprilynne Pike(first book titled Wings, and second titled Spells) has been set to be released April 8th(1 month before my birthday!) and is titled Enchantments while the next book in the series and the last is going to be named Illusions!
  • T he third book to Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry series is titled Chain Reactions , and is going to be released sometime in 2011! Here is what Simone said: "Good news! Right now I am working on Luis Fuentes’ story. I can’t give away any of the exciting details because I just started writing the book so don’t email me asking for details or hints, but I will tell you that all of your favorite characters (Alex & Brittany and Carlos & Kiara) will be back. Even some of the supporting characters might make an appearance, like Tuck and Isa (and maybe some characters you don’t want to be there will be there, too)." 
  • Also Beth Fantaskey is working on a second book to Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side which is called Jessica's Guide to Ruling on the Dark Side!
I am leaving to go on a vacation, and have a couple of scheduled posts but I won't be back for a little over 2 weeks so if I don't comment don't be offended!

Thursday, August 12

Top Ten of The Moment (9)

Top Ten of the Moment is a meme hosted by me! It is pretty self explanatory, just look at this weeks theme make a list of your top ten favorite, then grab your link and put it in the Mr. Linkey!
This weeks theme is: favorite scenes/paragraph you like to write(if you are not a writer then make it favorite scenes to read)

Also if you can't reach ten just go as far as you can.




  1. Corny love scenes- These are my all time favorite to write because they include cheesy lines that have to be taken out in the second draft but are still fun to hear and play around with. For me they are also fun to write because I like to pull out a thesaurus when they kiss just to add as many adjectives as humanly possible!
  2. Any scene involving exercise- I love any workout scenes because I am a swimmer, so I like to describe that based on past experiences. I also love describing running because I have an addiction to trying to describe wind.
  3. Scenes in the woods- I used to go to an environmental school where we spent countless hours doing phenology, so I have spent many hours describing various settings outdoors. After 2 years of that school I feel connected to the outdoors so when I write about it I try to tap into that.
  4. 1. First impression/ description scenes- I know. They aren't actually scenes but I love the small paragraphs of description especially with paranormal creatures or the love interest because I love giving them one bold characteristic that is constantly mentioned. In the book I am reading right now the paranormal creature has multi-colored eyes to ark it as what it is, so I love describing all the colors that twirl together but are still so distinct.
  5. Action scenes- I don't have to many of these but when I do I try to make my main character part of the action because she is a girl and I have way to many sexist books where the girls are giggly and hopeless in a fight so whenever I have one I make quite a big deal about involving the girl because it just... AHHH it is so annoying, so when I write them girls do kick butt!
  6. Suspenseful scenes- I find these hard to do, but in a fun challenging way. I know what's coming but the reader doesn't and I have to build it up. I love having small suspenseful paragraphs that lead up to her running into a cat making a scratching noise(no I haven't written that, but that type of stuff horror movie stuff)
  7. Endings- I am in a love/hate relationship with endings. I hate that I never know exactly how to do it but I love playing out crazy scenarios in my head.
  8. Transition sentences- I like spacing my story but summing up a week in between crazy mini-climax points in a sentence, or two, but I love to add funny details that make it seem like a week actually passed because she/he has a story to go with it.
  9. Best friend bonding scene- I love writing them because I have so many great friends to base it off of. Sadly all my friends have requested one thing, "Base a character off me... then kill it!" , so I have one character that has all my friends wraped in it, but I have to kill her! I cried when I outlined that scence because the friend I am killing has tons of "bonding" moments were the main character releases so much stress, and now the main character is lost.
  10. Party scenes- Mostly because my character never drinks I like to have her point out how dumb underage drinking is, and how it harms so many. I hope I can prove a point with that because I want to rely that message that drinking under age is stupid so I want to make points of how stupid it is.
I think next weeks topic may have something to do with music....

Anyway make your post, and put your URL directly to your post in the linkey below!

Wednesday, August 11

Book Review: Moonlight

Title: Moonlight
Series: Dark Guardian
Author(s): Rachel Hawthorne
Genre: Fantasy 

Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 263

Summary: 
I see him and knows what this turmoil inside of me means: He's the one. My forever.
KAYLA is the nature lover, the all-American beauty who can't understand why she's so drawn to distant, brooding Lucas. Adopted as a young child, she has no way of knowing that she's inherited a terrifying-and thrilling-gene that will change her life forever.
LUCAS is dangerous, gorgeous ... and a werewolf. As leader of the Dark Guardians, shape-shifters who gather deep within the state park, he has sworn to protect his pack. But when Lucas finds his true soul mate, his love could put them all in harm's way.

As Lucas and Kayla struggle with their feelings for each other, a greater danger lurks: Humans have discovered the Dark Guardians and are planning their destru
ction. Kayla must choose between the life she knows and the love she feels certain is her destiny.


My Thoughts:  I really loved and hated this book. I loved it more than hated it but still. It seemed like every other book where girl meets boy with mystical powers who then tells her se needs to make a life changing choice at seventeen. I don't know why I love that plot line but I do. It somehow occurs in almost every book I read but I still love every moment of it. The writing was spectacular but I was sometimes thoroughly annoyed at how Kayla tried not to like Lucas because he was to intense for her! That made me mad! She had pure burning passion for him which caused her to try not to like him! In the end I finally adored every moment of it. It is one of those books you need to hunker down and read then at a certain part everything clicks and suddenly all of your thoughts revolve around this book, and you must know what happens. 

The writing was, as I said earlier, spectacular in the way it described Lucas and Kayla's relationship with such intensity it made me thoroughly jealous I did not have a super possessive Shifter boyfriend! All the characters were realistic, and I loved everyone in the sherpa group! Overall this was a fantastic book, and I can not wait to read the next one in the series!

Overall Rating: 4/5

One word/phrase sum up: dark and lovely 

Sunday, August 8

Book Review: A Long Way From Chicago

Title: A Long Way From Chicago
Series: Yes
Author(s): Richard Peck
Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Puffin
Pages: 160

Summary: 
What happens when Joey and his sister, Mary Alice--two city slickers from Chicago--make their annual summer visit to Grandma Dowdel's seemingly sleepy Illinois town? In the tradition of American humorists Mark Twain and Flannery O'Connor, Richard Peck has created this memorable world filled with characters who, like Grandma herself, are larger than life and twice as entertaining.  

My Thoughts:  There was nothing particularly wrong with this book. Great writing, funny characters, and good short stories but it lacked a plot line to propel it forward with. Grandma Dowdel was a mischievous character with a crazy mind. She was always surprising, and made the summer trips Joey, and Mary Alice took fun. The small country town setting caused for many reoccurring characters who carried gossip like bees do pollen, and when Grandma Dowdel decided to really shake them she could. Each story was completely different, and caused me to laugh heartily. In the end if you ever want a light read about with fun stories that sound like something you would hear around a campfire pick this up.  


Overall Rating: 3.5/5

One word/phrase sum up: a fun tale 

Saturday, August 7

Author Interview: Aprilynne Pike



Here is my author interview with Aprilynne Pike

1. When it comes to writing what is the one most critical piece of advice you think an aspiring author should know?

It will probably take you more than one book to get published. And that's okay! Most authors have a trunk novel of two (or three, or ten) that are basically the stories they learned on before they wrote something good enough to be published. Do pour your heart and soul into every novel you write, but it's okay to let it go too, because the next one will probably be better!
 

2. Your characters are all very realistic but different, and unique. Who is your favorite character, and how did you come up with him/ her?

I like Chelsea! She just kind of evolved. She was hardly more than a mention in the first draft of Wings, and as I went through revisions with my editor, she started to become an integral part of the story. In Spells, she was, again, not going to be such a big part of the plot, but she kept finding her way into scenes.:D I don't know that I really "came up" with her, so much as that she naturally came into being. I love it when characters just 
are!
 

3. How many books will be in this series?

Four books. The third will be out next May and I am in the process of writing my first draft of the fourth book now!

4. What is your favorite paranormal creature?

Faeries! I'm not really sure what I'm going to move onto next! It's hard to leave them behind, but after the fourth book, Laurel, David, and Tamani's story is done . . . so I have to do something else.:D
 

5.  Are you on Team David or Team Tamani? The way you writes it makes me think David but how could you like him more than Tamani because the way you write him makes him beyond perfect!

I'm afraid that because I know how the series ends, that's a question I can't answer.:D When I started writing this series, I set out to write two versions of the perfect man. And I have so many fans on both sides of the fence, so I think I managed to succeed.:D But don't worry, she will make a choice at the end, and I hope even the fans whose "team" she doesn't choose will still think the ending is right.
 

6. What has been the best thing about becoming a published author?

Meeting fans from all over the country. Wow! Definitely the best part!!!!


Thursday, August 5

Top Ten of The Moment (8)

Top Ten of the Moment is a meme hosted by me! It is pretty self explanatory, just look at this weeks theme make a list of your top ten favorite, then grab your link and put it in the Mr. Linkey!
This weeks theme is: top 10 favorite books of 2010... so far

(Choose your favorite books of 2010 up till now. Must have been read in 2010 but could have been published any time.)













1. Fallen  by Lauren Kate 
There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.







2Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick 
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...until Patch comes 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 whom 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 far 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.



 Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents’ rules – especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father’s office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything – even Tristen’s love – just for the thrill of being… bad.


4. Spells by Aprilynne Pike
Six months have passed since Laurel saved 
the gateway to the faerie realm of 
Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, 
honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her 
human family and friends are still in mortal danger--and the gateway to Avalon is more 
compromised than ever. 
When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human 
boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her
connection is undeniable?



5. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks 
#1 bestselling author Nicholas Sparks's new novel is at once a compelling family drama and a heartrending tale of young love.Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alientated from her parents, especially her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church.The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels--first love, love between parents and children -- that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them.



6. Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles 
 Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares — has been canceled. 
After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers. 
Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other. 



7. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg
Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows: no more. It's a personal choice. . .and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways . . . which is too bad, because there's this certain boy she can't help but like. . .




8. Heist Society by Ally Carter
When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.
Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help. 
For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way. 


9. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles 
  When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart 


10. Fire by Kristen Cashore

ls. The young King Nash clings to the throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves and lawless men.
This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair color of a flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she has the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many people of her own.
Then Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City. The royal family needs to uncover the plot against the king. Far away from home, Fire begins to realize there's more to her power than she ever dreamed. Her power could save the kingdom.
If only she wasn't afraid of becoming the monster her father was.


Thanks and I promise to try to make next weeks theme easier to do because dragging in covers is such a painful task!




    Related Posts with Thumbnails