Book Review: Bittersweet

Bittersweet
by Sarah Ockler
378 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Source: Blog Tour
Add it on GoodReads here!

Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances... a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life...and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last....

What's so awesome about Bittersweet? Allow me to name the ways:

Super adorable little brother who also happens to be a kid genius? Check.

Super mega delicious sounding gourmet cupcake descriptions? Check.

Totally sweet and swoonworthy hockey boys? Check.

Oh and of course there's also figure skating, waitressing, and did I mention the cute hockey boys?

Sarah Ockler has quickly become my favorite contemporary author. I've fallen in love with each and every one of her books and Bittersweet is no exception. This book is the perfect winter read to curl up and drink a cup of hot cocoa with. It's funny, sad, sweet, and reminded me that life doesn't always work out the way we plan, but even so that doesn't mean it can't be good.

There were so many fun characters in this book that I don't know where to begin. Hudson for one was a great protagonist. I loved watching her story unravel and her sense of humor was killer. Another stand out character was Hudson's little brother Bug. He wasn't a huge character but he stole every moment that he was in. Who doesn't love the "wise beyond their years" little brother type? And of course there were the hockey boys. Oh the hockey boys. I'll be the first to say I know nothing about hockey and I really don't know much about what kinds of guys play hockey but Sarah Ockler made me fall in love with this group of dudes! Oftentimes authors fall into the trap of writing stock guy characters but not Sarah Ockler. There were no stereotypical "mean jock" or "player" characters. Instead Bittersweet had guys that were just plain realistic guys. They were funny, charming, and just a tiny bit obnoxious. I couldn't help but wish that they were a group of guys that I could hang out with!

Friendship, life decisions, and forgiveness were all big ticket issues in Bittersweet and they were dealt with in the perfect Sarah Ockler fashion. Like Twenty Boy Summer and Fixing Delilah, there was the perfect combination of the serious and the lighthearted. I also absolutely loved the cupcake descriptions at the beginning of each chapter even though they made me crave cupcakes like CRAZY! >.<

Overall Bittersweet is an awesome contemporary and the perfect winter read. In fact just writing this review has made me want to read it again! I'll definitely be buying Bittersweet and curling up with it a second time when it's released on January 3rd.

Julia :)

Book Review: Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have)

Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have)
by Sarah Mlynowski
354 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: January 11, 2011
Source: Library
Add this book on GoodReads

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house – parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3) "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

In this hilarious bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart.. one thing she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.

Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have) was one of those books that I originally was a little wary of. After all the cover is one of the "incest" covers I talked about in my sexy YA post last week! Hehehehe. But all the reviews were really positive and I thought it would be a fun little contemporary romp so I decided to read it. After all there was a hot tub. A HOT TUB. You can't go wrong with a hot tub right?

Wellll...... Okay I'm just gonna cut to the chase here. I was not a big fan of this book. I wanted to like it so bad! In fact I was looking forward to reading this book all summer long. But when it got right down to it Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have) disappointed me. I guess it met my expectations in that it was "fun" but honestly I found the story to be rather shallow.

April was a really hard character for me to connect with. Straight off the bat she lied to her dad to get what she wanted and it was nothing but downhill from there. April made bad decision after bad decision and as the reader I could tell that I was supposed to have sympathy for her but instead I was just frustrated. *facepalm*

I probably should have guessed by the cover but there was this huge sex undertone that I wasn't expecting. On top of that most of the "fun" things that the characters did (like buy the hot tub and throw a crazy party) were done in a dishonest and somewhat illegal manner. I mean one of the characters literally paid off a police officer so he wouldn't crash their party and arrest them for underage drinking. Seriously?

I guess you could say that the title of this book says it all: these really were ten things the characters shouldn't have done. There was a message to Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have) (mostly about forgiving people and "growing up") but it was so mixed up in the sketchiness of the rest of the story that it was hard to find.

Okay so maybe I'm being a little bit hard on this book. It was good for a laugh (even if I was mostly laughing at the characters stupidity) and I guess it could be relatable for a lot of other teenagers. I'm just not really the party-hardy-trying-to-figure-out-how-to-lose-my-virginity type that this book was catering to.

I give Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have) 3 out of 5 ice cream cones.

If you're looking for a contemporary that is fun but doesn't really have a lot of substance then you might want to give Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have) a chance. Otherwise, I would think twice about picking it up.

Julia :)

Kawaii Monday: Angry Birds Edition!

This week's Kawaii Monday features the Angry Birds! Who doesn't love the Angry Birds? Okay so I guess its kind of a love/hate relationship at this point but personally I am really digging the Angry Birds. I blame this on my cousin who is obsessed with all things Angry Birds. But whether or not you're a fan of the video game or the franchise in general you have to admit the Angry Birds and their counterparts are pretty cute. Just look at the Angry Birds plush toys!

I particularly love the red one! But even though the Angry Birds are cute I have to give the cutest award to the crown wearing pig plush!

ADORABLE!!!!!! <3

I don't have any of these plush guys but I do have two Angry Bird erasers! They're selling them in packs of two but you don't know which two you are gonna get. Here's a picture of most of the options:

Awesome right? I was lucky enough to get the red angry bird (only mine has a black eye LIKE A BOSS!) and the pig with the crown in my pack! They are super adorable and I love them to bits. If I were to get another pack I would hope to get the mustached pig because who doesn't love mustaches? On pigs at least.... >.<

So out of the bajillion Angry Birds products they have out there these two are my favorite!

Even though I love the Angry Birds I do have a confession to make: I have never played the game. Ever. Maybe I should go buy it for my iPad....

So are you guys loving the Angry Birds as much as I am? Which Angry Bird/pig is your favorite?

You can buy the Angry Bird plushes here, the pig plush here, and the erasers here.

Julia :)

Cover Comparison [20]

The cover of Cryers Cross by Lisa McMann recently got a paperback makeover so I've decided to do a cover comparison for it! I mentioned this new cover in last weeks post about sexy YA covers so you might already know how I feel about it but I decided to do a cover comparison anyway because I'm curious to know what you guys think of it!

                                          Original Cover         Paperback Cover

Original Cover: SO MUCH CREEPINESS!!!! But that's what makes this cover so perfect. It gives off a great eerie/scary vibe and it captures the essence of the story exactly. This is definitely one of my favorite covers of 2011!

Paperback Cover: If you read my post on sexy YA covers then you know where I stand on this one. I'm just not a fan. This cover makes Cryer's Cross look like some sort of paranormal romance when it totally isn't. I just don't see why they thought the original cover needed a redesign! *sigh*

So who wins: The clear winner (for me at least) is the original cover. Its so perfectly creepy and unique. It definitely stands out from the crowd! The paperback cover just can't measure up to the awesomeness of the original.

Which cover of Cryer's Cross is YOUR favorite? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!







Julia :)

Cooking Adventures: From Lamb Stew to Butterbeer

This past weekend me and my friend Cristian got together again for another cooking day! Last time we got together and cooked up the Hunger Games meal of citrus chicken. This time we decided to go all out and cook up not just one book inspired dish but four! Here was the lineup:

1. Apple and Goat Cheese Tarts (The Hunger Games)
2. Peeta's Raisin and Nut Bread (The Hunger Games)
3. Butterbeer (Harry Potter)
4. Lamb Stew with Dried Plums (The Hunger Games) 

So we started out the day with the Apple and Goat Cheese Tarts. These aren't exactly a prominent element of The Hunger Games but Peeta does mention once that he makes them at the bakery. The prep for these guys took FOREVER but they turned out really cute!

Unfortunately the we added too much salt to the pastry dough so they tasted well... really salty. :P In the words of my mother: "These are practically inedible!" Yeah it was bad... She took it upon herself to make a brand new batch of pastry dough and we did it all over again. They tasted MUCH better this the second time around!

Right before we cooked up Peeta's bread there was a little fire fiasco in the oven. Lets just say that I almost burned my house down.... I kid, I kid it wasn't that bad! Cristian and I did sort of freak out though. Our conversation went something like this:

*opens oven door*

 (we took a picture for posterities sake)

Julia: Ummm Cristian. The ovens on fire.
Cristian: WHAT?!?!
Julia: What do I do?!
Cristian: Do you have a fire extinguisher?
Julia: No! Not that I know of. Should we throw water on it?
Cristian: I don't think that's a good idea. You do realize that your smoke alarm is gonna start going off?
Julia: We don't have a smoke alarm.
Cristian: Seriously?

Hahahaha so maybe my house isn't the best when it comes to fire safety.... >.< Turns out we do have a fire extinguisher but its actually not pressurized correctly so we wouldn't have been able to use it anyway. Here's a picture of me after we put the fire out:

As you can see I was VERY happy about this. Hehehe.

So after we put the fire out we were able to put Peeta's bread in the oven. It ended up turning out super good! SO DELICIOUS! I got the recipe from Fictional Food and I really encourage you guys to try it!

Next we made butterbeer! I got the recipe from the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook (I downloaded it for free from iBooks!). This was basically a syrup that we cooked up and then mixed with club soda. I would have liked it to have a bit more of a butterscotch flavor but overall it was really tasty!

We put some whipped cream on top for a foam effect! After trying this I'm really curious to know what the butterbeer at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter tastes like.

And last but not least we made Katniss' favorite dish Lamb Stew with Dried Plums! I didn't really know what to expect from this dish (especially after the last Hunger Games meal we cooked) but I shouldn't have been too worried since the recipe was derived from a Julia Child recipe and everyone knows that Julia Child can do no wrong! Again, I got the recipe from Fictional Food. This dish turned out AMAZING. I can definitely see why it was Katniss' favorite capitol dish. I didn't know what the addition of the plums was going to be like but it turned out to be my favorite part. They add a nice sweetness to the sauce and when eaten with the rest of the stew they really add a richness to the flavors. My whole family loved it and we'll definitely be cooking it again!

Here's a sort of crappy picture of what the stew turned out like:

Believe me that its much tastier than it looks. :P

So despite a pastry mishap and a little fire fiasco all the dishes turned out pretty swell! I don't know what we'll be cooking next (maybe the Hunger Games fish stew?) so if you guys have any book inspired recipes you think I should try let me know!

Julia :)

Kawaii Monday: Elephant Banks

This week's Kawaii Monday features Elephant Banks! I know what you're thinking: "Julia, there can't be any type of bank cuter than a piggy bank!" Well just wait because that's exactly what I thought till I saw some elephant banks. Prepare yourself for the cuteness!

 So simple and yet so adorable! I WANT THIS GUY SO BADLY!!!! :P

 This one is from Urban Outfitters. Why do they always have the cutest stuff? Plus he's surprisingly affordable at $12!

I randomly ran across these guys from Norway Finland. Who knew Norwegian Finnish elephant banks could be so cute? (Thanks to Miss Spooky Muffin for correcting me on the country of origin for these guy!)

Piggy banks have now been ousted as the cutest bank. ELEPHANT BANKS ALL THE WAY!!!! Not to say that piggy banks don't still have their place in my heart. For example I would love to own this orange polka dotted cutie:

Still not quite as adorable as the elephants though..... Can I just have one of each please? >.<

You can find the first elephant bank here.

The Urban Outfitter elephant bank can be found here.

And just in case you're wanting to buy some Norse banks you can find them for sale here!

Last but not least the orange piggy bank can be found here.

Julia :)

In My Mailbox Vlog [25]

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted over at the lovely blog The Story Siren. The point is to blog about books that you have somehow procured during the week!

This week I only got two books but they are really awesome so I thought I would share them with you all!



Won
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (Thanks Epic Reads!)

For a Tour
Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

That's what I got "In My Mailbox" this week! What did you guys get?

Julia :)

Cover Comparison [19]

Someone on Twitter suggested I do a cover comparison for The Giver and I thought it was an absolutely fantastic idea especially since I had never seen any alternate covers before. Turns out there are quite a few different UK covers but only one US cover. Interesting huh? I decided that instead of doing a comparison with all of the UK covers (there were 4!) I would just pick my two favorites. Here are the covers:

                           US Cover                UK School Edition           UK New Edition

US Cover: I'm pretty sure everyone reading my blog has seen this cover before once in their life. There's nothing too special or flashy about it. In fact the picture of the old man kind of gives me the creeps... I don't remember much of The Giver (I heard the audiobook years ago) but it seems like there has to some better representation of the story then a picture of an old man. Especially for a middle grade novel.

UK School Edition: I quite like this cover! It gives off a bit of a cheesy vibe but the images and color scheme are nice. I would definitely be more likely to read this version of The Giver than the US one.

UK New Edition: This cover is a bit strange to me. I mean why does it look like a time warp? I love the vibrant colors but the whole swirling images thing is throwing me for a loop.

So who wins? I've gotta give it to the UK Library Edition. I love the image they used of the adult  "giving" something to the child. The other two covers are fine but this one seems to fit the book best, at least in my mind.

Which cover of The Giver do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!









Julia :)

Shameless Promotion is Shameless :P

So I've entered the I Heart Daily Books contest over at Figment and I would LOVE it if you guys voted for my entry! Basically for the contest you were supposed to pick a favorite book of 2011 and then write a short review of it. I decided to write a review of Forgotten by Cat Patrick!

If you want to head on over and vote for my entry you'll first have to create a Figment account and then you just vote on my entry by giving it a heart. The top 10 most hearted entries by December 23rd will then get read by the awesomesauce Melissa Walker (author of Small Town Sinners!) and she will pick a winner. The winner gets the new Kindle Touch preloaded with 5 books! I don't know about you but that is one sweet prize.

You can join Figment and vote for my entry here.

It would so, SO make my day if you guys voted for me! Like I said in the post title: shameless promotion is shameless. :P

And how can you possibly resist this face?! >.<

But honestly Figment is an awesome site and this contest is awesome and I need all the help I can get to make it into the top 10! Just the thought of Melissa Walker possibly reading my review is all sorts of squee worthy!!!! :D

If you do end up voting for me then a HUGE thanks in advance! I love you guys. <3

Julia :)

I'M IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL!!!!! :D

A few days ago I was contacted by Alexandra Alter to get interviewed for an article she was writing for the Wall Street Journal about cooking food from fantasy books.

My first reaction:

Is this for real? Someone wants to interview me? For The Wall Street Journal?! Yeah right! This has got to be fake....

*checks legitimacy*

Second reaction (Darren Criss FTW):

"OH MY GOSH IT IS REAL SOMEONE WANTS TO INTERVIEW ME FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL!!!!!"

I was ecstatic to say the least though I think my mother and sister were actually more excited then I was. When I told my mom she screamed like a crazy person. XD

Anyway Alexandra Alter had seen my post about cooking the meal from The Hunger Games and she wanted to ask me about the experience. She also talked to a bunch of other fantasy food cooking people for the article including my favorite food blogger Crystal from Fictional Food! The article is really neat (but that's pretty obvious since I'm in it huh? Just kidding. Hehehe.) so if you want you can check out the article here.

Julia :)

When YA book covers get their sexy on...

For the past few weeks I've been highlighting some different cover themes and today I decided to talk about the sexyfied book covers. The covers with people kissing, about to kiss, or just giving each other that "lets go downstairs baby" kind of look. Feeling uncomfortable yet? Well I'm just getting started!

I'm not a fan of this cover trend at all. Its slowly been building up steam in the YA world and honestly it bugs me even more than the shirtless covers. If a cover has people about to make out/making out on it I will flat out not read it unless a bunch of people are recommending it like crazy and even then I won't normally pick it up.

The biggest culprit? Simone Elkeles books. I have nothing against Simone Elkeles. In fact I hear she is a wonderful individual and that she is absolutely hilarious. However her books just don't appeal to me, mostly because of the covers. Just about every Simone Elkeles book has people kissing on it. No joke. Just look at the Perfect Chemistry Series:

Gahhhh I can't even believe I'm posting a picture of these covers on my blog. They scare me that much. Especially the Chain Reaction cover. Ummm is it really necessary to have a picture of your sexy times on the cover of the book? *shudder* I can't even look at these covers without feeling awkward....

Even Simone Elkeles' other series the How to Ruin Trilogy got a schmexified makeover. The covers were originally rather nice and mundane:

But now they look like this:

Okay so these covers aren't as kissy as the Perfect Chemistry ones but somehow they manage to make me feel twice as uncomfortable. I think its a mixture of:

1. The cover models looking like they're in their late 20's/early 30's but the books are for teenagers. Honestly the cover models look about the same age as some of the parents I babysit for and I don't know about you but that's just GROSS.

2. The awkward "looks" the models are giving each other. Just no..... >.<

Why did they have to change the covers from the original ones? Sure they maybe weren't as "flashy" but they also didn't make anyone cringe....

Of course Simone Elkeles' books aren't the only ones with sexy covers. Recently Lisa McMann's book Cryers Cross got a schmexy paperback makeover:

You know the saying "If its not broken don't fix it"? Well it applies here! The original hardback cover of Cryers Cross was absolutely perfect. It was creepy, and eerie and mirrored the content of the book exactly. So why did they feel they had to redesign the paperback to look all schmexy and not even be a good representation of the book?! IT MAKES NO SENSE!!!! *bangs head against desk*

Just in case I haven't shown you enough sexy awkwardness here's one final dose of covers:

Oh look! ANOTHER Simone Elkeles book! What a surprise. Hahahahaha.

This batch of covers here is my "favorite". My friend and I have so lovingly dubbed these the incest covers. Why? Because the couples on each cover look so alike that they could practically be siblings. Awkward but true.

I have made my stance on these covers pretty clear: I am not a fan. They make me feel uncomfortable, and they are even more awkward to read in public then a book with a shirtless guy on it.

Not even romantic comedies/romance movies find the need to have people kissing on their DVD covers! Okay besides The Notebook.... What I'm trying to say is why do publishers feel the need to make YA covers sexy? Do they think it will bring in more readers? Do they think its more modern? Why? I just feel like its completely unnecessary. Even if a book is a romance (like the books in the  Perfect Chemistry series) I feel like a super sexy cover is unnecessary especially when its marketed towards teens. We already get bombarded with sexual images from every other area of the media, why do we need it from our books too?

Sorry if this post came off as a bit ragey. I'm not trying to cut down Simone Elkeles or any other author with a sexy book cover. I just want to make that clear.

Now that I've said my opinion I really want to hear yours. What do you think of sexy YA covers? Are you for them? Against them? Do you have any funny/awkward stories from when you were reading one? I wanna know!

Julia :)

Words Wednesday [28]

A chance for me to highlight some of my favorite book quotes! This week's quote is from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Steven Chbosky. Well quotes actually. I really enjoyed this book and it is so full of beautiful quotes that I couldn't pick just one. So here are just some of my favorites.

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

“So, I guess we are who we are for alot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.” 

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is such a brilliant book. It really captures the feelings of being a teenager. All the qualms and the moments of happiness too. Definitely worth reading!

Julia :)

Book Review: Variant

Variant
by Robison Wells 
373 pages
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: October 4, 2011
Source: Library 

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he's trapped in a school that's surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school's real secret, he realizes taht playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape - his only real hope for survival - may be impossible.

Looking for a spell-binding thriller? How about something that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the last page is turned? Or maybe a book with an ending so crazy you'll be dying for the sequel? Well Variant is all that and more!

After reading a lot of positive reviews for Variant (especially this one by from Melissa at i swim for oceans) I was expecting it to be good but gosh darn it Variant wasn't just good it was downright phenomenal! This book is hands down one of my favorites of 2011, if not the favorite.

Variant is one of the most unputdownable books I've read all year. From the non-stop action of paintball wars (yes, you read that right paintball wars!), to gang fights, to the more intriguing elements of escape planning this book is sure to keep you up late at night. To top it off there are some insane plot twists. Robison Wells really threw me for a loop about halfway through the book. I literally got goosebumps while reading. No joke.


Even though Variant relies heavily on a fast-paced plot, it doesn't mean that the characters are any less awesome. A few were a bit one-dimensional (the classic bad boys, and rule followers) but overall I was impressed at the depth of the characters. My personal favorite characters were Lily and Becky and of course Benson was awesome too.

Like The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Variant has an insane WTF ending. All I can say is I am LOVING these crazy endings to YA books lately!

If you're a fan of dystopians, thrillers, or just love an exciting read then Variant is for you! Variant earns 5 out of 5 ice cream cones.

I don't know when the sequel for Variant comes out or what it will be called but I do know this: I WILL BE READING IT!

Julia :)

Kawaii Monday: Lord of the Rings Pez Dispensers

This week's Kawaii Monday features Lord of the Rings Pez Dispensers! Okay so maybe these aren't exactly "kawaii" but they are definitely FREAKING AWESOME! I'm such a sucker for all things Lord of the Rings.

Just look at how awesome they are! I wish it was the whole fellowship (why do Merry and Pippin always get the short end of the stick? Not to mention Boromir....) and not just some of them with Bilbo and Gollum but oh well. The set is still way cool. Christmas present anyone?

I ran into these guys at my local Bed Bath and Beyond but you can also buy them online here.

Any other fellow LOTR geeks feeling the awesomeness?

Julia :)

Cover Comparison [18]

Not many people know about the awesome dystopian novel Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien. It came out sometime last spring and its sequel Prized was just released earlier this month. I really think that this dystopian series deserves more recognition than its been getting so I decided to do a cover comparison for Birthmarked!

                     Original Cover            Paperback Cover                UK Cover

Original Cover: I'll be the first to say that I'm not a fan of this cover. It was actually the main reason I was hesitant to read this book in the first place. I know, I know, don't judge a book by its cover. You'd think I would have learned by now. :P But anyway I don't really like the color scheme and I definitely don't like the way the hair of the girl is awkwardly "blowing in the wind." It looks really unnatural. I feel like if that girl wasn't there the cover would be 100% better. Less would be going on and it wouldn't look as messy. There is one element that I do like and that's the font.

Paperback Cover: Wow talk about an improvement! I LOVE this cover. Everything about it. The earthy color scheme, the ribbon element, the gorgeous font! If this had been the original cover I would have picked up this book no questions asked.

UK Cover: While I like this cover I think that there's just too much going on. Why does a cover need to have flowers, a character profile, AND words all overlapping? Talk about a VISUAL OVERLOAD!!! And to top it off why does the girl look bald? I will give props to the good color choices though.

So who wins? In my opinion the clear winner is the paperback cover. Its gorgeous and intriguing without being over the top. The other covers just have too much going on for me to really love them. Not to mention the hair problem in the original cover, and the lack of hair problem in the UK cover. Hehe.

Which cover of Birthmarked do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!










Just a heads up for those suggesting covers: I normally like to do cover comparisons of books that have already been released that way I can gauge whether or not a cover accurately depicts what the book is about. So if you've suggested a book that isn't released yet I probably won't be doing it till I get a chance to read the book/the book is released.

Julia :)

The Long Awaited BOOKSHELF TOUR! :D

HERE IT IS GUYS!!!! The bookshelf tour that I've been promising for months now. Sorry it took so long for me to get around to doing it. Clearly I am an expert at procrastination. :P





Enter to win the ARC of The Death Cure here!

Are there any other specific videos/posts that you guys are wanting me to do? Let me know! And this time I promise to do it right away and not procrastinate on it so much. >.<

Julia :)

Waiting on Wednesday [16]

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking The Spine. The purpose is to spotlight upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on Slide by Jill Hathaway!

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

Wow. With a summary like that who wouldn't be interested in reading Slide? A mystery plus some unique and creepy paranormal elements? This sounds right up my alley!

Slide comes out March 27th, 2012.

Click here to add it on Goodreads!

Julia :)

Book Review + Giveaway: The Death Cure

The Death Cure
by James Dashner 
384 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 11, 2011
Source: Book Store

Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.

What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

Its probably no surprise to everyone that I'm a big fan of The Maze Runner Trilogy. Ever since I finished The Scorch Trials last summer I have been dying (DYING!) to read The Death Cure! Yes, I do realize the book came out over a month ago and I'm just finishing it now but I'm a little behind on my reading. :P I am happy to say that this is a completely spoiler free review so those who have not yet read the book(s) can read on with no worries!

Like its two predecessors The Death Cure was almost non-stop action from start to finish. The chapters were short, concise, and nearly always end in a cliff hanger. It took me awhile to really get into the story (after all it had been over a year since I had read The Scorch Trials. My memory needed a little refreshing) but once I did I found it almost impossible to put The Death Cure down.

One thing that I found to be a bit confusing about The Death Cure was that unlike the last two books the setting wasn't set in stone. The characters were running around so much that I had a hard time picture where they were and what was going on. I would have liked a bit more description but honestly it wasn't a huge problem.

If you were hoping for more character development (like I was) then you might end up being a bit disappointed. Regardless I still absolutely love some of the characters in this book especially Minho. He is definitely one of my favorite book guys of all time. He's Asian, sticks it to the man, and he's a total badass. If he were real I would totally marry him. Just saying. :P Another character that really deserves a mention (mostly because he scared the crap out of me) was Jensen the Rat Man. Oh my gosh he reached total creeper status in this book. If you thought he was creepy in The Scorch Trials you haven't read anything yet!

Dark, thrilling, emotional, and satisfying are just a few words I would use to describe The Death Cure. I thought it wrapped up The Maze Runner trilogy perfectly. Yes, there were some questions left unanswered, and yes, some important characters do die (don't they always?), but overall I was happy with the ending. It didn't leave me in a depressed book coma (ala Mockingjay) nor did it leave me wanting more. It just felt finished and its been a long time since I've read a book series that wrapped up so well.

The Death Cure earns 4 and a half out of 5 ice cream cones.

Do you want to win an ARC of The Death Cure? Then you're in luck because I just so happen to have  that I'm giving away! Just fill out the handy dandy raffle copter form below and you'll be entered to win! The giveaway ends December 10th.

Julia :)

Never Eighteen Blog Tour: Top Ten Character Crushes List

Today I have the honor of hosting one of the tour stops for Megan Bostics AMAZING book Never Eighteen. Read on for Megan Bostics list of her top ten fictional guy crushes! This has got to be one of the best tens lists I've ever read if I do say so myself. Enjoy guys!

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These are in no particular order. I love them all.

1. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Intelligent, unprejudiced, and a great dad to boot.

2. Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien: Brave, gallant, romantic, what more could a girl ask for?

3. Nick Andros from The Stand by Stephen King: Beautifully quiet and wise beyond his years.

4. Remus Lupin from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: The respectful, humble, irresistible werewolf.

5. Louis de Pointe du Lac from interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice: Lonely, lost, and brooding, I want to hug him.

6. Tyler Durden from Fight Club: Because there has to be a bad boy in the bunch.

7. Edward Cullen from Twilight: I loved him in the book, not the movie. He was beautiful and good and profound. The movie ruined him for me.

8. Win Lockwood from the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben: Okay, so there has to be two bad boys, but come on, he’s gorgeous and can kill you with his pinky. That’s sexy.

9. Patrick McKenzie from the McKenzie series by Dennis Lehane: He’s handsome, he’s Irish, he’s a private eye, he’s hawt.

10. Hamlet by William Shakespeare: I obviously like men who brood and Hamlet is the original.

Honorable Mentions: Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre, Felton Reinstein from Stupid fast, Myron Bolitar (see Win Lockwood, above), Sirius Black from Harry Potter, Gambit from X-Men (yes, cartoon guys count too), D'Artagnon from the Three Muskateers.

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I'm definitely digging some of these choices! Aragorn? HELLS YEAH!!!!

Thanks to Teen Book Scene for the awesome post!

Julia :)

Book Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
by Michelle Hodkin
452 Pages
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 27th, 2011
Source: Library

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed. There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through she can fall in love. She's wrong.

Mara Dyer was probably the most hyped book of Spring/Summer 2011 so when I finally got my hands on a copy I was a little scared and hesitant to read it. After all the hype monster does have a tendency of making a book seem far greater than it could ever really be. But with The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer I shouldn't have been worried. This book is fan-freaking-tastic!!!!!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is completely unique. I've never read anything quite like it before. Its a wonderful blend of creepy paranormal, eerie psychological mystery, and of course a bit of romance. Michelle Hodkin is able to weave each of these elements together seamlessly and I absolutely loved it!

Mara Dyer was a such a great protagonist. Even though she had been through a ton of crazy shiz (a building falling on top of you? Yeah that doesn't happen everyday!) she still managed to be down to earth and relatable. What I really loved about her was that she wasn't willing to let her circumstances define her. While Mara Dyer was amazing there was another character who I liked even more and that was Noah Shaw. Ohhh Noah Shaw. If only there could be an equally amazing bedheaded and blue eyed British boy in my life. Noah Shaw is the epitome of fictional hotness. I wasn't totally sold on him in the beginning (after all I'm normally not into guys with a "bad boy" image) but as the story progressed I couldn't help but love him. I mean what's not to love about a cute (and totally sweet) British guy?


Other than the romance of Mara Dyer (which is admittedly pretty great) the mystery is definitely what kept me hooked. Michelle Hodkin did an absolutely genius job of creating a narrative that was both trusthworthy and untrustworthy which made the story intriguing like no other. What was real? What was an illusion? This is the kind of the book that could drive a reader crazy but in the best sort of way! There are all sorts of insane twists and turns and plot aspects that were completely surprising. And the ending, OH MY GOSH THE ENDING!!!! I literally gasped in shock at the ending. I don't think I've ever been so shocked at an ending to a book since reading Catching Fire. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer definitely wins best WTF ending of the year!

Finally I just have to say that I am IN LOVE with Michelle Hodkin's writing style. I don't know how she did it but she was able to create prose that was both creepy, yet not creepy, rational and yet irrational, smooth and flowing and yet at the same time disjointed. It fit the story of Mara Dyer perfectly.

If you haven't yet read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?!?! Read it NOW! You won't be disappointed!


I give The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer 5 out of 5 ice cream cones.

I can hardly wait for Mara Dyer's sequel!!! Can it be Fall 2012 already?

Julia :)

Kawaii Monday: Fox Beanie

This week's Kawaii Monday features a super adorable fox beanie!

My family and I saw this beanie at a Target in Los Angeles but then we couldn't find it at any of the Targets in Arizona. Turns out us Arizonans don't have the pleasure of getting the same products as the people in colder climates. Just one of the many downsides to living in this lovely state! *please note sarcasm*

But even though our local Target didn't have the beanie my sister was kind enough to purchase it online for me for my birthday present!

YAY!!!!! Isn't it totally cute?

You can pick this up at Target (unless you live in Arizona... :P) or buy it online here.

Julia :)

Cover Comparison [17]

I'm a big fan of the Gone series by Michael Grant. However I have to say that I'm not a huge fan of the book covers so awhile ago I decided to see if there were any other cover versions. Not surprisingly I came across the UK covers! How about we compare the two cover sets?

US Covers

 UK Covers

US Covers: When I first started reading this series I absolutely detested these covers. I thought they were the epitome of YA cheesiness and that they looked especially vampiresque. Which is actually kind of strange since they really don't look anything like Twilight.... After reading the books these covers have definitely grown on me. I like that they used the same models for each cover and I do think the models are fair representations of how I pictured the characters. However I still feel that these covers are lacking. They're just your basic stereotypical YA photo cover and Gone is far from your typical YA series. They deserve better!

UK Covers: If there is one thing I've noticed about UK covers its that they tend to be more minimalistic especially when it comes to covers for scifi/fantasy series. Just compare these Gone covers to the UK Maze Runner cover and the new UK Hunger Games cover. Similar minimalistic style ehhh? But that's besides the point. I really like these covers despite their somewhat overly minimalistic style. I just love how the neon colors pop against the gray background. I don't know why the cover for Lies is black while the others are more of a charcoal gray but that doesn't really matter too much. My favorite cover of the bunch is definitely Plague with the creepy parasites/germs floating around the letters! Such a nice (and creepy!) touch.

So who wins? I've gotta give it to the UK covers. Even though they are a bit too simplistic I think they stand out far more then the US covers. I'm still a fan of the character representations on the US covers though. The best photo renderings of book characters ever? Possibly!

Which set of  covers for the Gone series do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

If you have any suggestions for future cover comparisons please leave them in the form below and maybe I'll use them in the future!




Julia :)

What about those shirtless book covers?

You know the book covers I'm talking about. The ones with the super ripped guy on the front who has, I hate to break it to you, photoshopped abs. Normally these covers are popular in the adult romance genre, but lately I've been seeing them show up in the YA section. The most popular shirtless guy cover of YA is definitely City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.

Why hello shirtless Jace! You're looking mighty fine today. :P

Does anyone else feel a little uncomfortable walking around holding this book because I know I do. I feel like people are just staring at me thinking "What is that girl reading and why does it have a shirtless guy on it?" Okay so maybe people aren't really thinking that but I still feel self conscious about reading City of Bones in public. >.<

The newest edition to the YA shirtless cover family is The Fallen series by Thomas E. Sniegoski. I saw these while walking through Barnes and Noble one day and I was like "Hello! Ummm why don't you go put some clothes on?"

 

I mean is the shirtlessness really necessary? I don't think its possible for someone to read these books in public without feeling awkward. Just saying.

However I will say that the book covers apparently used to look like this:

Yep. That's just not as enticing as a shirtless guy. XD

Fortunately these are really the only YA books I could think of that have shirtless guys on them. Of course I could be missing some.... If you can think of others let me know! Personally I hope this isn't gonna be a new trend in YA covers. There's already an onslaught of "We're getting our schmexy on" covers in YA (yes I'm talking about you Simone Elkeles!) and I feel like more shirtless guys is the last thing we need. Of course publishers could be thinking "It was good enough for Jacob Black so its good enough for us!" Please Lord let that not be the case. >.<

So I wanna hear from you. Do you like shirtless guys on your book covers? Or do you not really like it? Or do you not even care? Do you think you would be more or less likely to pick up a book if it had a shirtless guy on it? Why or why not? Let me know!

Julia :)