tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41593413467867685582024-02-08T12:59:29.333-05:00Unfinished Book ReviewsSuzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-53710428033239797132013-04-22T17:38:00.001-04:002013-04-23T06:03:40.816-04:00I’ve been moved<p><img src="http://bestclipartblog.com/clipart-pics/moving-clip-art-1.png" width="501" height="345" /></p>
<p>On 4 May 2010, I wrote my first post to Unfinished Book Reviews as part of my Children’s Literature course in my Library Science program at Texas Woman’s University. Now that it’s been almost three years, I’ve decided to create a full site dedicated to my love of literature called <b><a title="bookblogarama" href="http://www.bookblogarama.com">bookblogarama</a></b>. I’ve imported my old reviews and posts there and will do all future updates there.</p>
<p>So please join me over at <a title="http://www.bookblogarama.com" href="http://www.bookblogarama.com">http://www.bookblogarama.com</a></p>
<p>See you there! Thanks!</p>Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-72843596497254902962013-04-03T04:00:00.000-04:002013-04-03T04:00:06.635-04:00WWW Wednesday 3 Apr 2013 (Find out what I’m reading this week)<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="400"><tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"> <h5>To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…</h5> <p>• What are you currently reading? <br />• What did you recently finish reading? <br />• What do you think you’ll read next?</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/?s=WWW+Wednesdays"><img src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/www_wednesdays4.png" width="240" height="169" /></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316042676/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316042676&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0316042676&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316042676" width="1" height="1" /> </td> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>What are you currently reading? </strong>I bought a print copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316042676/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316042676&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Beautiful Creatures</a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316042676" width="1" height="1" /> to read instead of <i>The Host</i> because I just couldn't get into it.</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595145168/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1595145168&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1595145168&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1595145168" width="1" height="1" /> </td> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>What did you recently finish reading?</strong> I wrote a <a href="http://unfinishedbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/review-of-future-of-us.html">review</a>of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595145168/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1595145168&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">The Future of Us</a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1595145168" width="1" height="1" /> on Easter Sunday. It was pretty good, but I had some issues with it.</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061726834/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0061726834&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0061726834&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061726834" width="1" height="1" /> </td> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>What do you think you’ll read next?</strong>I read about a quarter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061726834/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0061726834&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Delirium</a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061726834" width="1" height="1" /> already, so I'm anxious to finish it.</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-28745986499115617502013-03-31T12:36:00.001-04:002013-03-31T12:36:19.781-04:00Review of The Future of Us<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0054TVWEU/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0054TVWEU&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0054TVWEU&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0054TVWEU" width="1" height="1" /> </p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0054TVWEU/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0054TVWEU&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">The Future of Us</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/569269.Jay_Asher">Jay Ascher</a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/27621.Carolyn_Mackler">Carolyn Mackler</a> <br /></p> <blockquote> <p><em>Josh and Emma are about to discover themselves—fifteen years in the future.</em></p> <p><em>It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long—at least, up until last November, when everything changed. Things have been awkward ever since then, but when Josh's family gets a free </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AOL"><em>AOL</em></a><em> CD-ROM in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>. but Facebook hasn't been invented yet. Josh and Emma are looking at themselves fifteen years in the future. Their spouses, careers, homes, and status updates—it's all there. And every time they refresh their pages, their futures change. As they grapple with the ups and downs of their future, they're forced to confront what they're doing right—and wrong—in the present. </em>- from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Future_of_Us">Wikipedia</a></p> </blockquote> <p>I have to give this a slightly less than perfect score of 4 & 1/2 stars for a specific reason - Dave Matthews. </p> <p><a href="http://www.contactmusic.com/photo/dave_matthews_2727074"><img src="http://www.contactmusic.com/pics/ld/john_varvatos_party_290110/dave_matthews_2727074.jpg" width="334" height="480" /></a></p> <p>Look, if Josh is a skater, he's not going to be into a girl who likes Dave Matthews. And no one in the 90s would make a mix tape of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alanis_Morrisette">Alanis Morissette</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Matthews_Band">Dave Matthews</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_jam">Pearl Jam</a>! That's not even in the same category. The 90s were about breaking into new genres that was all "alternative," but that wishy-washy, radio-friendly stuff was not good. 1996 had so much more to offer than that, for crying out loud! Smashing Pumpkins had released <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_(song)">1979</a> as a single, for instance, and Rage Against the Machine had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulls_on_Parade">Bulls on Parade</a>. That will always outshine Dave Matthews, I don’t care if some preppy misogynist character like Cody Grainger tries to convince us that a bootleg copy of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_Into_Me">Crash Into Me</a> has some amazing guitar work. No, just no. Not even close.</p> <p>Granted, not everyone's 90s experience or musical tastes are the same, but only middle of the road people at that time <em>wouldn't </em>have a strong connection to a ground breaking band. I can't like Emma because she likes Dave Matthews. A lot. It’s discussed way, way too much in the book. I’m guessing that one or both of the authors really, really like his music and may have never given <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Lollapalooza_lineups_by_year#1996">Lollapalooza</a> a try.</p> <p>Plus, were we supposed to think that Emma was ironic or just plain boring for not liking <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne%27s_World_(film)">Wayne’s World</a></em>? </p> <p><a href="http://pichaus.com/+wayne's+world/"><img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljzz12ZlQA1qznoe2o1_500.jpg" /></a></p> <p>Some other reviewers said they didn't like Emma being such a spoiled brat who didn't change at all through the whole book. I quite agree. I didn't hate her, but she didn't seem good enough for Josh. The plot was predictable, but I still found it engaging. It took me a day & 1/2 to finish because it was easy to get in to. I think it speaks to a very certain age group. I graduated in 1994, so the book was pointing just past the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(band)">Nirvana</a> era. I think that's why I was a bit critical of the stereotypical push to discuss the 90s with the over-use of Dave Matthew-isms. It seems less authentic than if they had been all over the shop with 90s references instead of sticking with the same, boring thing.</p> <p>My other main criticism that I also agree with from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12317877-the-future-of-us">Goodreads</a>, is just how the idea was executed. Would two kids really be able to accept the technology so easily? Would 16 year old care about their future that much? They'd have to be less angsty, focused on school, then aim for their future college, life, etc. I mean, the book references <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_future">Back to the Future</a></em>, but Marty was dealing with saving Doc, his family, and the whole town. Most 16 year olds wouldn't be that apt to plan out their future.</p> <p><a href="http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/back%20to%20the%20future%20trilogy?before=18"><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/2bd18e14c6cda6be7b520417ecc6e891/tumblr_mhgdyzLC7D1rmdrjpo1_500.jpg" /></a></p> <p>Unless they listen to Dave Matthews, I guess.</p> <p>I liked <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Mackler">Carolyn Mackler’s</a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/253106.The_Earth_My_Butt_and_Other_Big_Round_Things"><em>The Earth, My Butt…</em></a>, but I didn’t dig <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Asher">Jay Ascher’s</a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1217100.Thirteen_Reasons_Why"><em>Thirteen Reasons Why</em></a><em> </em>because of the back and forth switch in narrative. (I hear it’s easier to listen to on audiobook, so I’ll try that later.) But both authors are older than me, so I’m going to assume that they’re taking researched information on a 16 year old’s 1996 experience, and making it mild because it will connect to a wider audience. </p> <p>All in all, I liked the book, but I didn’t feel really emotionally moved by it. It was a quick read, which makes it good in its own right. Great book, it just had some glaring problems that I couldn’t get past. I’d still recommend it to teen readers (then I’d hand them a decent 90s mix tape.) I also appreciate the fact that I bought the print version of this, just to feel old school.</p> <p>And one last thing: </p> <p>Marvin the Martian on a skateboard is from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clueless_(film)"><em>Clueless</em></a>, if no one else noticed.</p> <p><a href="http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/breckin%20meyer?before=42"><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/f73727c10be333ed1fa12fa661b84d59/tumblr_mgrg9k9TVX1rhhof0o1_500.gif" /></a></p> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-83161231699186532262013-03-20T20:01:00.001-04:002013-03-20T20:01:36.304-04:00WWW Wednesday: 20 Mar 2013 (find out what I’m reading)<p>It's Wednesday, and I need to update on what books I'm currently reading.<br>As I mentioned last post (even though it was a long time ago) I have a bunch of books I'm trying to read.<br>Of course, I keep adding more, so I'll start with the ones I have read the most of first: <p><iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=unfibookrevi-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0307594009&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>The Diary of Anne Frank - 59%<br>"P.S. Before I forget, last night everything was blanketed in snow. Now it's thawed and there's nothing left."</p> <p>2,000 to 10,000 - 57%<br>I stopped at, "I really hate the notion that you have to be some kind of born genius to write good book." Aside from the typo, I disagree. I agree with the rest of the passage though. It's about reaching for your ideas rather than waiting to be inspired.</p> <p>Nail Your Novel - 31%<br>I stopped at, "Reincorporation is giving a satisfying payoff, using elements you got the reader interested in early on."</p> <p>Living Beyond Your Feelings - 22%<br>Last highlighted quote, "Learn not to ask yourself how you feel about things, but instead ask yourself if doing or not doing something is right for you."<br></p> <p>Delirium - 26%<br>"Someone is singing: a beautiful voice as thick and heavy as warm honey, spilling down a scale so quickly I feel dizzy just listening." </p> <p>Vain - 25%<br>"I turned toward him and drank in his lean, muscular figure. Oh. My. Word."<br>I can't stomach romance novels, so I quit after reading a bunch of repetitive sentences like that.</p> <p>The Summer I Turned Pretty - 11%<br>Going to have to start from the beginning again. I left off (over a year ago) with, "Over his shoulder Conrad said, 'Good night, Belly.' And that was it. I was in love."<br>I loved that.</p> <p>Reading Like A Writer - 7%<br>Quote I liked so far, "You will do yourself a disservice if you confine your reading to the rising star whose six-figure, two-book contract might seem to indicate where your own work should be heading." Prose's whole passage is saying that writers deserve such contracts but it's just the icing on the creativity cake.</p> <p>Hopeless - 5%<br>"She laughs and grabs my hand, then stands up. 'Come. I've got Rocky Road.' She doesn't have to ask twice." Not badly written, but I'm still not sure about these New Adult romances. </p> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-62084672511422746092013-03-07T20:00:00.000-05:002013-03-07T20:00:05.593-05:00Book List Update for MarchLately I’ve been book hopping and I’ve built up an even bigger "Reading / To-Read” list:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062059947?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0062059947&linkCode=xm2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">The Selection by Kiera Cass</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BC2ZS6?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B001BC2ZS6&linkCode=xm2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LROOEQ?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B004LROOEQ&linkCode=xm2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Nail Your Novel – Why Writers Abandon Books… by Roz Morris</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009NKXAWS?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B009NKXAWS&linkCode=xm2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">2K to 10K: Writing Faster, Writing Better… by Rachel Aaron</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035OC7SG?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B0035OC7SG&linkCode=xm2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Heist Society by Ally Carter</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423100042?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1423100042&linkCode=xm2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have To Kill You by Ally Carter</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A9V2JSG?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B00A9V2JSG&linkCode=xm2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Delirium by Lauren Oliver</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SR2Q50?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B002SR2Q50&linkCode=xm2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Splendor: A Luxe Novel by Anna Godbersen</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AVYSUWA?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B00AVYSUWA&linkCode=xm2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen</a></li>
</ul>
Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-43626606002784752662013-01-30T18:52:00.001-05:002013-01-30T18:52:14.954-05:00WWW Wednesday: 30 Jan 2013 (Find out what I’m reading this week)<p>WWW Wednesdays is hosted by MizB at <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Should Be Reading</a> asks you to answer the following three (3) questions…</p> <p><strong>What are you currently reading?</strong></p> <p><iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=dc021-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001D9T814&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>I am only at page 75 of this book even though I've had it for a while. I'm determined to finally finish a Dessen book though.</p> <p><b>What did you recently finish reading?</b> </p> <p><iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=dc021-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0061726818&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>Holy crap! Wow! I just loved this. I couldn't put it down. It wasn't just the imagery that Oliver used but the pacing was just so right. I highly recommend it (and, as I always say, will do a proper review of it soon.)</p> <p><b>What do you think you’ll read next?</b></p> <p><iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=dc021-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0316042676&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=dc021-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=014241543X&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=dc021-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1416968296&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>I have plenty of books that are stored on my Nook and my Kindle that I own and <i>still</i> haven't gotten around to reading, so maybe I can get to one of those next time.</p> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-6408937489753710002013-01-16T12:09:00.000-05:002013-01-17T12:09:36.410-05:00WWW Wednesday: 16 Jan 2012 (Find out what I’m reading this week)<p>WWW Wednesdays is hosted by MizB at <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Should Be Reading</a> asks you to answer the following three (3) questions…</p> <p><strong>What are you currently reading?</strong></p> <p><iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=unfibookrevi-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003ZSHU5M&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>I know I'm posting this on Thursday, but I didn't want to skip my reading entry for the majority of the week.</p> <p>I still find this book very prescriptive and dull. There’s no real inspiration behind the ideas we’re given for the writing process and now that I’m 105 or so pages in and still needing to get the 198 to finish it, I may very well just quit. </p> <p>The ideas are fine and it is interesting to see how people can think of novels but using charts to divide up how many pages you give each character isn’t interesting in the slightest. Again, as I say, most writers are not going to turn off once you show them numbers and charts and percentages – at least I do.</p> <p><strong>What did you recently finish reading? </strong></p> <p>Nothing recently.</p> <p><strong>What do you think you’ll read next?</strong></p> <p><iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=dc021-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001D9T814&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>I think I’m going to just finish this one up next. I had to return <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142415561/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=dc021-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0142415561">Along for the Ride</a></em> to the library.</p> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-72175409935350243852013-01-11T08:10:00.001-05:002013-01-11T08:10:15.519-05:00Friday Reads for 11 Jan 2013<p><iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=dc021-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003ZSHU5M&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>My <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/challenges/940-2013-reading-challenge">Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2013</a> is to read (at least) 30 books. I looked around my couch and made a list of 26 “to read” books that were either on my Kindle, Nook, or coffee table. Some of these are <a title="Should Be Reading" href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Friday Finds</a> because I recently got them in ebook form from the library. </p> <p>There are plenty of books I have stashed away that I can still get to but after making this list, I get the idea that I do not need to purchase any more books. Well, until I bump my challenge number to 40 or 50. I don’t think I’ll ever stop finding new books I want to read.</p> <ol> <li><em>Novel Writing</em> - Marshall </li> <li><em>The Truth About Forever</em> - Dessen </li> <li><em>Along for the Ride</em> - Dessen </li> <li><em>Beautiful Creatures</em> - Garcia and Stohl </li> <li><em>Reading like a Writer</em> - Prose </li> <li><em>Liar and Spy</em> - Stead </li> <li><em>The Diary of Anne Frank</em> - Frank </li> <li><em>If I Stay</em> - Foreman </li> <li><em>Eve</em> - Carey </li> <li><em>Adoration of Jenna Fox</em> - Pearson </li> <li><em>Cold Kiss</em> - Garvey </li> <li><em>Hollowland</em> - Hocking </li> <li><em>Must Love Dogs</em> - Cook </li> <li><em>The Summer I Turned Pretty</em> - Han </li> <li><em>The Great Gatsby</em> - Fitzgerald </li> <li><em>Bright Young Things</em> - Godbersen </li> <li><em>Pretty Little Liars: Killer</em> - Shepard </li> <li><em>Pretty Little Liars: Heartless</em> - Shepard </li> <li><em>Burn for Burn</em> - Han and Vivian </li> <li><em>Matched</em> - Condie </li> <li><em>One Day</em> - Nicholls </li> <li><em>The Secret Life of Bees</em> – Kidd </li> <li><em>Glass</em> – Hopkins </li> <li><em>Mockingjay</em> – Collins </li> <li><em>All the Wrong Questions?</em> – Snicket </li> <li><em>Divergent</em> – Roth </li> </ol> <p>Of course I also have classics to finish reading like <em>Wuthering Heights</em> and <em>Jane Eyre</em>.</p> <p>Again, these are books that I can access right now. There are plenty of others on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3491395-suzanne?format=html&shelf=to-read">my “to read” list</a>.</p> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-39681754282355615622013-01-09T05:23:00.001-05:002013-01-09T05:24:46.617-05:00WWW Wednesday: 9 Jan 2013 (Find out what I’m reading this week)<p>WWW Wednesdays is hosted by MizB at <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Should Be Reading</a> asks you to answer the following three (3) questions…</p> <p><strong>What are you currently reading?</strong></p> <p><iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=unfibookrevi-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003ZSHU5M&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>I got this book for the Nook at the library. It's really prescriptive, which isn't my thing or a lot of other writer's way of setting up a novel, but it's interesting. Well, it <em>was </em>during Part 1 where it talked about how to set up (stereotypical) characters, who should be the lead, the anti-hero, the confidant, etc. Then in Part 2, things got really confusing. Writers are word people and trying to explain how to mathematically break up a plot and judge how many pages a book in your target genre should be was kind of ridiculous. (I mean, if you read books in your target genre, won’t you already know a rough number of pages that each include?) </p> <p>Marshall started discussing formulas and came up with,</p> <blockquote> <p><em>Book lines on a full 9 = number of words</em></p></blockquote> <p>On a full 9 what? Full 9 pages? Why would I have to do this? There are plenty of web sites out there that tell you how many words books in your genre should roughly be. Page number is going to be different depending on formatting. I think it’s a bit overboard to go into detail about how you can find this out. Marshall even included a full page chart on how to decide how many sections you need per you word count and how many goals you should have for each section.</p> <p>Again, the tips are way too clinical and <em>most</em> writers know how plot works (There was actually a little box diagram to show that plot was a 1/4 beginning, 2/4 middle, and 1/4 end, instead of the typical triangle diagram with intro, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.) If this has to be explained, I’m guess this book is targeted for new writers and those who are writing mystery/crime thrillers. </p> <p>There’s nothing wrong with that at all and it’s fine to see how other people think about creating their plot. I just sort of zoned out during this second part because it’s not about art but about formulas. Of course we all need some kind of organization so, again, if this is helpful to writers, that’s fine.</p> <p><b>What did you recently finish reading?</b> </p> <p><iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=unfibookrevi-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1907389067&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>I haven’t read anything in its entirety for a while except for my Life in the UK test booklet.</p> <p><b>What do you think you’ll read next?</b></p> <p><iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=unfibookrevi-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0142406252&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=unfibookrevi-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0142415561&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>I already have two Sara Dessen books checked out so I’ll get through those next.</p> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-38321126975374771502013-01-04T17:05:00.001-05:002013-01-05T20:59:26.257-05:00Friday Reads for 4 Jan 2013<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=unfibookrevi-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001D9T814&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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I've been reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D9T814/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=unfibookrevi-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001D9T814">The Truth About Forever</a> on my Nook. I've tried to read a Dessen novel many times but I never got very far. I'm planning to at least finish a couple of her novels early this year.<br />
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<b>Friday Finds</b> via <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Should Be Reading</a>, “where you share the book titles you discovered or heard about during the past week” --<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=unfibookrevi-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=030795031X&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
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I just discovered this book in my Marie Clare magazine (the one with Emma Watson on it for Feb 2013.) I'd like to read even though I'm not sure about the British references and the mild Goodreads reviews.<br />
Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-45140444802345151392012-10-31T15:31:00.001-04:002012-10-31T15:33:04.739-04:00WWW Wednesday: 31 Oct 2012 (Find out what I’m reading this week)<table class="image"><caption align="bottom">WWW Wednesdays is hosted by MizB at <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Should Be Reading</a> asks you to answer the following three (3) questions…</caption><tbody> <tr> <td><img style="margin: 0px" src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/www_wednesdays4.png" /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p><strong>What are you currently reading?</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BY77CW/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002BY77CW&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B002BY77CW&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002BY77CW" width="1" height="1" /> </p> <p>This week I'm reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BY77CW/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002BY77CW&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">L.A. Candy</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1980985.Lauren_Conrad">Lauren Conrad</a>. It's not the best book ever but I'm at 17% and already I empathize with the characters more than I did the ones in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316910333/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316910333&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Gossip Girl #1</a>.</p> <p><b>What did you recently finish reading?</b> </p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046ECFRM/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0046ECFRM&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0046ECFRM&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0046ECFRM" width="1" height="1" /> </p> <p>I just finished <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046ECFRM/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0046ECFRM&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Anna and the French Kiss</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3095893.Stephanie_Perkins">Stephanie Perkins</a> this morning. I had about five pages left before I fell asleep last night. It's so good! I'll definitely do a review for it soon.</p> <p><b>What do you think you’ll read next?</b></p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004RKXHZY/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004RKXHZY&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004RKXHZY&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004RKXHZY" width="1" height="1" /> </p> I may read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004RKXHZY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004RKXHZY&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Lola and the Boy Next Door</a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004RKXHZY" width="1" height="1" /> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3095893.Stephanie_Perkins">Stephanie Perkins</a> next. I have it on Kindle through the library already, as I do <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BY77CW/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002BY77CW&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">L.A. Candy</a>. <br /> <p><b>Shameless Self-Promotional Plug</b></p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009ZDTMRK/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B009ZDTMRK&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B009ZDTMRK&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B009ZDTMRK" width="1" height="1" /> </p> My book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009ZDTMRK/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B009ZDTMRK&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">The Cupcake Witches</a>, is finally on sale via <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/250342">Smashwords</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Cupcake-Witches-ebook/dp/B009ZDTMRK">Amazon</a>! It's the first in a series I'm working on, so I do hope you enjoy reading it! <p><b>Happy Halloween!</b></p> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-32834970897981485212012-10-26T18:54:00.001-04:002012-10-26T18:54:10.470-04:00Friday Reads for 26 Oct 2012<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046ECFRM/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0046ECFRM&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0046ECFRM&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0046ECFRM" width="1" height="1" /> <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046ECFRM/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0046ECFRM&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Anna and the French Kiss</a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0046ECFRM" width="1" height="1" /> </p> <p>This week I'm reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046ECFRM/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0046ECFRM&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Anna and the French Kiss</a>. While I don't go ga-ga over romance novels, this story is really cute. I like the 1st person point of view, the lack of paranormal themes, and the European setting. I like that Anna has never, ever discussed how "beautiful" she is but we know she is through St. Claire's dialogue. </p> <p>I like that Anna has interests in film. She enjoys the history of Paris, she's friends with the nerds at school, and she doesn't want to make her feelings for St. Claire hurt anyone. I like her character and that's important for a reader. She has a distinct voice and I applaud <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3095893.Stephanie_Perkins">Stephanie Perkins</a>'s talent as a writer.</p> <p><strong>Friday Finds</strong> via <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Should Be Reading</a>, “where you share the book titles you discovered or heard about during the past week” -- </p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BY77CW/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002BY77CW&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B002BY77CW&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002BY77CW" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007HC3RK4/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007HC3RK4&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B007HC3RK4&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B007HC3RK4" width="1" height="1" /> </p> <p>I found <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BY77CW/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002BY77CW&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">L.A. Candy</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1980985.Lauren_Conrad">Lauren Conrad</a> many times but I never put two and two together. I had seen her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006198969X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=006198969X&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Style</a> book at the library and recognized her but didn't realize she was from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KLQULW/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000KLQULW&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">The Hills</a> (even though I have actually seen the show before.) </p> <p><a href="http://harperteen.com/feature/epicreads-newsletter/lauren-conrad-beauty.html">Epic Reads' newsletter</a> announced her new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062128450/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062128450&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Beauty</a> book but I was more interested in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007HC3RK4/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007HC3RK4&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Starstruck: A Fame Game Novel</a>.</p> <p>I put <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BY77CW/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002BY77CW&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">L.A. Candy</a> on my Kindle from the library. I'm just super curious now that I know someone from The Hills is using their fame and brain.</p> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-68650217723985325732012-10-24T13:44:00.001-04:002012-10-24T13:44:38.381-04:00WWW Wednesday: 24 Oct 2012 (Find out what I’m reading this week)<table class="image"><caption align="bottom">WWW Wednesdays is hosted by MizB at <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Should Be Reading</a> asks you to answer the following three (3) questions…</caption><tbody> <tr> <td><img style="margin: 0px" src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/www_wednesdays4.png" /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p><strong>What are you currently reading?</strong> </p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046ECFRM/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0046ECFRM&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0046ECFRM&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0046ECFRM" width="1" height="1" /> <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046ECFRM/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0046ECFRM&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Anna and the French Kiss</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3095893.Stephanie_Perkins">Stephanie Perkins</a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0046ECFRM" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p>I’m at about 47% of this so far, which is kind of confusing since a lot has happened. I really like how it’s written because Anna has a distinct voice and personality in her narration. Also, having the students be studying abroad makes it fun rather than a cliché story of the new girl comes to town and falls in love with someone else’s boyfriend. I like Anna as a character and I like St. Claire (Who wouldn’t love a kid who has American and British roots? Okay, I’m biased on that subject.)</p> <p><b>What did you recently finish reading?</b></p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143119680/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143119680&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0143119680&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="margin: 0px" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0143119680" width="1" height="1" />   <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316228532/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316228532&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0316228532&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="margin: 0px" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316228532" width="1" height="1" /> </p> <p>I just gave up on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143119680/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143119680&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Discovery of Witches: A Novel (All Souls Trilogy)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3849415.Deborah_Harkness">Deborah Harkness</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316228532/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316228532&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">The Casual Vacancy</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1077326.J_K_Rowling">JK Rowling</a>. For now, at least.</p> <p><b>What do you think you’ll read next?</b></p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0085CEEIE/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0085CEEIE&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0085CEEIE&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0085CEEIE" width="1" height="1" />    </p> <p>I picked up <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0085CEEIE/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0085CEEIE&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">A Diary of the Lady: My First Year as Editor</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2987663.Johnson">Rachel Johnson</a> this morning at the library and read up to page 11 or so. I didn't think I'd find it very interesting but since it's about a freelance writer who gets a job as an editor of "an old lady magazine", it's kind of interesting so far. Very British but at least now I understand the importance of M&S chocolate biscuits. Yes, I can relate!</p> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-43436217551357590842012-10-19T14:28:00.001-04:002012-10-19T14:28:36.578-04:00Friday Reads for 19 Oct 2012<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1442440759/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1442440759&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1442440759&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1442440759" width="1" height="1" /> <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1442440759/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1442440759&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Burn for Burn</a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1442440759" width="1" height="1" /> </p> <p>This week I started the first couple of chapters (intros to the characters) in <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13406425-burn-for-burn">Burn for Burn</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/151371.Jenny_Han">Jenny Han</a>. </p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143119680/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143119680&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0143119680&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="margin: 0px" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0143119680" width="1" height="1" /> <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143119680/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143119680&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">A Discovery of Witches: A Novel (All Souls Trilogy)</a><img style="margin: 0px" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0143119680" width="1" height="1" /> </p> <p>I also read another chapter of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8667848-a-discovery-of-witches">Discovery of Witches</a> last night, getting up to page 75, then took it back to the library. It was just too slow and after hearing details about how Diana liked her tea and how the vampire professor liked yoga, I just knew I didn't have the patience for it right now. Maybe later.</p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046ECFRM/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0046ECFRM&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0046ECFRM&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0046ECFRM" width="1" height="1" /> <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046ECFRM/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0046ECFRM&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Anna and the French Kiss</a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0046ECFRM" width="1" height="1" /> </p> <p>And today I started <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6936382-anna-and-the-french-kiss">Anna and the French Kiss</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3095893.Stephanie_Perkins">Stephanie Perkins</a> because it was finally available from the library for my Kindle. I had heard good things about it so I wanted to find out for myself. So far the reviews are right - very cute, fun story. I'm at 11% so far.</p> <p><strong>Friday Finds</strong> via <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/weekly-events/">Should Be Reading</a>, “where you share the book titles you discovered or heard about during the past week” are:</p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004RKXHZY/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004RKXHZY&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004RKXHZY&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004RKXHZY" width="1" height="1" /> </p> I had forgotten that <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6936382-anna-and-the-french-kiss">Anna and the French Kiss</a> is in a series that includes <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9961796-lola-and-the-boy-next-door">Lola and the Boy Next Door</a>. I guess <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9627755-isla-and-the-happily-ever-after">Isla and the Happily Ever After</a> will be released soon-ish. Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-48863076060133061462012-10-17T05:49:00.001-04:002012-10-17T05:49:30.646-04:00WWW Wednesday: 17 Oct 2012 (Find out what I’m reading this week)<table class="image"><caption align="bottom">WWW Wednesdays is hosted by MizB at <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Should Be Reading</a> asks you to answer the following three (3) questions…</caption><tbody> <tr> <td><img style="margin: 0px" src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/www_wednesdays4.png" /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p><b>What are you currently reading?</b> </p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143119680/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143119680&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0143119680&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="margin: 0px" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0143119680" width="1" height="1" /> <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143119680/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143119680&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">A Discovery of Witches: A Novel (All Souls Trilogy)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3849415.Deborah_Harkness">Deborah Harkness</a> </p> <p>I've still not made my progress in this book. I'm really not interested in it and I don't look forward to picking it up to see what happens. I'll probably give up and find something else. I accept that my attention span is too limited to read detail after detail without the characters <em>doing</em> anything. </p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316228532/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316228532&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0316228532&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="margin: 0px" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316228532" width="1" height="1" /> <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316228532/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316228532&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">The Casual Vacancy</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1077326.J_K_Rowling">JK Rowling</a> </p> <p>The same goes for this one too. So far all I’ve read is that some guy has died of a brain aneurysm and different people in the town are reacting to it, chapter by chapter. Already there’s a verbally abusive father and I’m really too sensitive to read that stuff.</p> <p><b>What did you recently finish reading?</b></p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316910333/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316910333&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0316910333&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="margin: 0px" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316910333" width="1" height="1" /> <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316910333/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316910333&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Gossip Girl #1: A Novel (Gossip Girl Series)</a><img style="margin: 0px" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316910333" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p>I wrote <a href="http://unfinishedbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/10/review-of-gossip-girl-1.html">my review here</a>.</p> <p><b>What do you think you’ll read next?</b></p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004X8W74M/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004X8W74M&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004X8W74M&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004X8W74M" width="1" height="1" />    <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006VFZSZ0/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006VFZSZ0&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B006VFZSZ0&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B006VFZSZ0" width="1" height="1" /> <br /></p> <p>I think I may just set aside the ones I'm reading now and start either <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004X8W74M/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004X8W74M&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Bright Young Things</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/548551.Anna_Godbersen">Anna Godbersen</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006VFZSZ0/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006VFZSZ0&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Burn for Burn</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/151371.Jenny_Han">Jenny Han</a> this week. I can be entertained by YA so much easier than the problems of adults.</p> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-65404087961847819942012-10-12T14:19:00.001-04:002012-10-12T14:19:44.885-04:00Friday Reads for 12 Oct 2012<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143119680/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143119680&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0143119680&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0143119680" width="1" height="1" /> <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143119680/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143119680&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">A Discovery of Witches: A Novel (All Souls Trilogy)</a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0143119680" width="1" height="1" /> </p> <p>This week I'm reading <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8339344-a-discovery-of-witches">A Discovery of Witches</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3849415.Deborah_Harkness">Deborah Harkness</a>.</p> <p>I'm plodding through this because the book is giant and I know there's going to be a ton of stuff to build up to any actual stuff happening. There's a lot of detail that makes me zone out a bit but it's not uninteresting. Since I haven't read a book like this, I wanted to give it an honest try. I renewed my loan at the library today so I have the rest of October to take a chunk out of it. </p> <p>Seriously, I'm <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/407969069">only at page 50</a> or so now. I understand what people mean by it being hard to connect to the narration. While it's told in first person, it's not very personal. I mean, it was Chapter 5 before anyone said anything about Diana's eye colour being blue-gold. Her job seem cool to me though, in my humble opinion. Study old manuscripts all day? Yes, please!</p> <p>Also, I must include my Friday Finds via <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/weekly-events/">Should Be Reading</a>, “where you share the book titles you discovered or heard about during the past week.”</p> <p>This week, I found:</p> <br /> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062118692/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062118692&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0062118692&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0062118692" width="1" height="1" />   <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062003321/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062003321&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0062003321&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0062003321" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="http://www.epicreads.com/books/breathe/9780062118691/">Breathe</a> by <a href="http://www.epicreads.com/authors/sarah-crossan/430/">Sara Crossan</a> and <a href="http://www.epicreads.com/books/social-suicide/9780062003324/">Social Suicide</a> by <a href="http://www.epicreads.com/authors/gemma-halliday/313/">Gemma Halliday</a> both via <a href="http://www.epicreads.com">Epic Reads</a>.</p> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-22017232631924349892012-10-11T13:49:00.001-04:002012-10-11T13:49:11.114-04:00Review of “Gossip Girl #1”<table class="image"><caption align="bottom">“Oh, don't be a spoilsport. Gossip is sexy. Gossip is good. Not everybody does it, but everybody should!"</caption><tbody> <tr> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316910333/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316910333&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img src="http://images.indiebound.com/330/910/9780316910330.jpg" /></a> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/search/apachesolr_search?author_filter=Cecily+von+Ziegesar">von Ziegesar, Cecily</a>. <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316910333/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316910333&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Gossip Girl #1: A Novel</a>. </em>Poppy, New York, 2002. ISBN: 978-0316910330 </p> <p>Teenager Blair Waldorf sneaks away from a party to have sex with her boyfriend Nate Archibald, however they are interrupted by the return of Blair's old friend Serena van der Woodsen, who was away at boarding school. When Serena was around, Blair felt as if she were lost in the blue, so she is not thrilled that Serena has returned. She is also unhappy to find out that Nate and Serena had sex the summer before Serena left. She tries to keep Serena out of the loop and encourages others to ignore her. Not understanding why she is getting the cold shoulder, Serena decides to try new activities and tries out for the school play, and is rejected. Later she tries out for Vanessa Abrams' short film being in Central Park, however Vanessa grows jealous over her best friend, and secret crush, Dan Humphrey's reaction to Serena and chooses someone else. Undeterred, Serena decides to make her own film and enlists the help of Jenny Humphrey, Dan's younger sister. Throughout the story, the various characters regularly visit "Gossip Girl," a popular, anonymous blog that spreads rumours and gossip about them. [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossip_Girl_(novel_series)#List_of_novels">Wikipedia</a>]</p> <p>What this book reminded me of, was a less edgy version of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Less_Than_Zero_(novel)"><em>Less Than Zero</em></a><em>. </em>However, in Gossip Girl, all the kids are basically interested in doing the same things without any kind of reflection or remorse. The girls do discuss having to prepare to get into college, but being in a school play is not going to be a big deal if you’ve been kicked out of boarding school, would it? I don’t know.</p> <p>This is just the poor little rich girl story retold. None of the kids are supervised so they run around New York City drinking and smoking pot and having parties. Because, you know, that’s <em>fun</em>! There’s a lot of mention of dancing in their underwear and partying that involved all the characters. It’s their way of life, which, as many people pointed out on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22188.Gossip_Girl">Goodreads</a> is just not something that young girls should aspire to.</p> <p>But there are worse books out there and at least Serena isn’t planning her life around a boy. She’s an interesting character that I’m sure becomes a little more rounded as the series goes on. Anyway, the book is quick and easy to read but there’s not a lot of meat to it. I can see girls loving to read about a perfect girl (Serena) being admired and hated by the rest of her former friends. But that’s about it. I mean, the clash between Blair and Serena is good and I’m sure that’s going to be the main tension throughout the series and the rest of the characters will all develop more. I would go as far as to read the two <em>GG</em> novels that I own already but I’m into them like I was/am the <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Little_Liars_(book_series)">Pretty Little Liars</a></em> series.</p> <p><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/427836643">My rating: (3/5)</a></p> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-88513675818891832102012-10-10T16:59:00.001-04:002012-10-10T16:59:51.721-04:00WWW Wednesday: 10 Oct 2012 (Find out what I’m reading this week)<table class="image"><caption align="bottom">WWW Wednesdays is hosted by MizB at <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Should Be Reading</a> asks you to answer the following three (3) questions…</caption><tbody> <tr> <td><img style="margin: 0px" src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/www_wednesdays4.png" /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p><b>What are you currently reading?</b> </p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143119680/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143119680&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0143119680&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0143119680" width="1" height="1" /> <br /> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143119680/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143119680&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">A Discovery of Witches: A Novel (All Souls Trilogy)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3849415.Deborah_Harkness">Deborah Harkness</a></p> <p>I picked this book up again last night and <a title="Suzanne @ Goodreads" href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/407969069">got to page 30</a>. I find it interesting but the length of the book, and the fact that there’s a series, may put me off in the end. However, it’s different from what I’ve been reading lately so I’d like to finish it.</p> <p><b>What did you recently finish reading?</b></p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316910333/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316910333&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0316910333&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="margin: 0px" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316910333" width="1" height="1" /> <br /> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316910333/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316910333&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Gossip Girl #1: A Novel (Gossip Girl Series)</a><img style="margin: 0px" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316910333" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p>I’ll put up the review ASAP (as I said with the <em>PLL</em> books that I still have to review.) I didn’t hate the book, it just wasn’t that interesting to me. Still, I have a could of <em>GG</em> books that I could read later on for fun. They are quick and easy to get through.</p> <p><strong>What do you think you’ll read next?</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316228532/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316228532&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0316228532&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316228532" width="1" height="1" /> <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316228532/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316228532&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">The Casual Vacancy</a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316228532" width="1" height="1" /> </p> <p>I really hope to read <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1077326.J_K_Rowling">JK Rowling's</a> book just because it's new and there's a lot of buzz about it. I've not read a whole Harry Potter book so I'm quite intrigued how her adult fiction is.</p> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-65340042748085717752012-10-05T13:51:00.001-04:002012-10-05T13:51:23.721-04:00Friday Reads for 5 Oct 2012<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0747597243/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0747597243&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0747597243&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0747597243" width="1" height="1" /> <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0747597243/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0747597243&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Gossip Girl (Gossip Girl Novel)</a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0747597243" width="1" height="1" /> <p>This Friday, I’m reading <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6367280-gossip-girl">Gossip Girl Book 1</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12665.Cecily_von_Ziegesar">Cecily von Ziegesar</a>.</p> <p>I've tried to read this many times before but now that I've bought it, lost it, then paid to have the book put on hold (and waited a month), I need to get through it this time.</p> <p>It's a very quick, easy read. It's typical high school drama except these kids are rich. They smoke, drink, sleep around, etc. Nothing very redeemable about any of them except the relationship between Selena and Blair. I like that Selena is this perfect girl everyone admires and Blair’s been absolutely fine without her around despite the fact that they were BFFs before.</p> <p>I just finished <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/190741083X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=190741083X&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Wicked (Pretty Little Liars, Book 5) by Sara Shepard</a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=190741083X" width="1" height="1" /> so I will <em>finally</em> have to do a review of the <em>PLL </em>series that I’ve read so far (the story continues throughout anyway.)</p> <p>Along with my Friday Reads entry, I’d like to include another event suggest by <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/weekly-events/">Should Be Reading</a> called Friday Finds, “where you share the book titles you discovered or heard about during the past week.”</p> <p>This week, I found a book to add to my <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3491395-suzanne?format=html&shelf=to-read">To Read</a> list:</p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595145826/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1595145826&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1595145826&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1595145826" width="1" height="1" /> <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595145826/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1595145826&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">The Innocents by Lili Peloquin</a><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1595145826" width="1" height="1" /> <p>I also discovered that there’s a new, controversial genre of books called NA, or New Adult. You can read a <a title="Monday, August 20, 2012New Adult: A Real Category or an Absurd Balkanization of Bookstores?" href="http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/new-adult-real-category-or-absurd.html">blog post</a> on the subject and find discussions about it on Twitter (as I stumbled upon it last night) via <a href="https://twitter.com/search/?q=%23NALitChat&src=hash">#NALitChat</a>.</p> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-77364035797388763302012-10-03T17:32:00.001-04:002012-10-03T17:36:50.270-04:00WWW Wednesday: 03 Oct 2012 (Find out what I'm reading this week)<table class="image"><caption align="bottom">WWW Wednesdays is hosted by MizB at <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Should Be Reading</a> asks you to answer the following three (3) questions…</caption><tbody>
<tr> <td><img src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/www_wednesdays4.png" style="margin: 0px;" /></td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>What are you currently reading?</b><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/190741083X/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=190741083X&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=190741083X&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=190741083X" style="margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/190741083X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=190741083X&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Sara Shepard - Wicked (Pretty Little Liars, Book 5)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=190741083X" style="margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/403893312" title="reading status @ Goodreads">I’m on page 163</a>. Should finish it by the weekend.<br />
<br />
<b>What did you recently finish reading?</b><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041D86L2/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0041D86L2&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0041D86L2&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0041D86L2" style="margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041D86L2/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0041D86L2&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Sara Shepard - The Lying Game</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0041D86L2" style="margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <br />
<br />
See my review <a href="http://unfinishedbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/08/review-of-lying-game.html" title="Review of The Lying Game via Unfinished Book Reviews">HERE</a>.<br />
<br />
<strong>What do you think you’ll read next?</strong><br />
<br />
I have a huge list of books that I need to get to. First, there are my library books:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316910333/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316910333&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0316910333&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316910333" style="margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316910333/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316910333&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">Gossip Girl #1: A Novel (Gossip Girl Series)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316910333" style="margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143119680/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143119680&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0143119680&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0143119680" style="margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143119680/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143119680&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">A Discovery of Witches: A Novel (All Souls Trilogy)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0143119680" style="margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <br />
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And my anxiously awaited book that I pre-ordered and picked up promptly after my vacation:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316228532/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316228532&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0316228532&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=unfibookrevi-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316228532" style="margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316228532/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316228532&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">The Casual Vacancy</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unfibookrevi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316228532" style="margin: 0px;" width="1" /> Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-73105525767186382422012-08-30T07:29:00.001-04:002013-04-21T08:46:51.157-04:00Review of “The Lying Game”<table class="image"><caption align="bottom">“At least she had a clear picture of what the Lying Game was now: Girl Scouts for psychopaths.” </caption><tbody>
<tr> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061869716/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0061869716&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20" title="The Lying Game"><img src="http://www.waterstones.com/wat/images/nbd/l/978000/723/9780007237425.jpg" /></a></td> </tr>
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Emma has lived in foster homes her whole life, but when she finds a video online that depicts a girl who looks <em>exactly</em> like her being killed, she searches for her long-lost twin. After seemingly being lured to Tucson by her twin, Sutton Mercer, Emma finds out that she got the raw end of the deal. Sutton grew up with everything a girl could ask for: parents, a sister, popular friends, a boyfriend, and anything monetary her heart desired. Except Sutton is dead, so Emma assumes Sutton’s identity. When Emma tries to explain what is going on no one believes her. No one, that is, but Sutton’s killer. In order to keep herself from being the next, dead sister, Emma has to play along with The Lying Game until she can solve the mystery of what happened to Sutton.<br />
First off, before anyone starts <a href="http://coreyann.me/?p=141">harassing me over a review</a> (seriously, that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of – book bloggers shouldn’t have to deal with that stuff!) I seriously love <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sara-Shepard/e/B001IGNMHS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0">Sara Shepard</a>. I read the first four books of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061801313/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0061801313&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20" title="Pretty Little Liars Books 1-4"><em>Pretty Little Liars</em></a><em> </em>(which I still need to review here) and I was hooked immediately. When I picked this book up, I was really intrigued by the first page, so I was excited to begin reading it. However, like some of the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8428069-the-lying-game" title="The Lying Game - Goodreads">other reviews</a> I’ve read, I just didn’t get into it as much as I did with <em>PLL</em>.<br />
Some people said they didn’t like the point of view that went between Emma in third person to Sutton in first person. I understood that Shepard was trying something new and that was fine but, I agree, I don’t think it did much for the story. If there had been small chapters here and there told in Sutton’s point of view (as does A. in <em>PLL</em>) we would have gotten the gist that Sutton <em>is</em> dead and she’s watching all of this as a ghost.<br />
While the story line sounds innovative and interesting in theory, it just wasn’t. I got really bored of it quickly. It picked up in the middle when Emma was starting to figure things out and the killer had come back to threaten her. But there was just too much that I couldn’t believe about the whole situation to make me like any of the characters. <br />
I agree with whomever said “Why couldn’t Emma just call someone from her hometown who would vouch for her?” I mean, technically, she is still not 18 so she’s under child protective custody until her birthday at the end of the book. Also, if Emma has been dirt poor and without a world of privilege, wouldn’t she be way more impressed with the gadgets and designer clothes she has? Plus, and I mentioned this on Twitter, how does she know to go to Trader Joe’s to buy Brie? And why would she be irritated with an old woman who holds up the line by paying with a check? If she’s getting into her diva role now that she’s assumed Sutton’s identity, I get that, but she wouldn’t just know these kind of things off-hand if she’s been in poverty the last 15+ years. <br />
And Becky. So that’s their mother but Sutton never knew her but Emma lived with her? I guess that’s part of the mystery too.<br />
One other small thing: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Borough_of_Sutton">Sutton</a>? Is this a hip thing, to name kids after random London boroughs? I kept wanting to call her Mutton Surfer. I get that she’s a spoiled little rich girl who loves to pull deadly pranks on people. She gets her car impounded and she has a police record but she’s still living a charmed life. I can almost understand that but I’m not rich and I don’t shop for Brie at Trader Joe’s so I’m not sure.<br />
Anyway, I doubt I’ll read anymore of the books, but I didn’t realize they’d made a <a href="http://www.channel5.com/shows/the-lying-game">TV show</a> for it, so I can look for that next month.<br />
All in all, it’s not a terrible book at all, I just wasn’t overall thrilled with it. If it weren’t for Shepard’s writing style, it wouldn’t have been interesting at all. Most teen readers would probably be into it since the mystery story is pretty intriguing. I’m just not sure they’ll love it as much a <em>PLL</em>. I do, however, give Shepard massive props for starting a totally different project though. As she said in the acknowledgements, it is really hard to start a new series.<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/398006981" title="my Goodreads review">My rating: (3/5)</a>Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-85159524811484308802012-08-24T07:00:00.000-04:002012-08-24T07:00:15.115-04:00Friday Reads - The Lying GameI decided to create a <a href="http://unfinishedbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Friday%20Reads">Friday Reads </a>section to the blog so that it's used during the times I'm still getting around to the actual book reviews.<br />
<br />
This Friday I'm reading <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061869716/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0061869716&linkCode=as2&tag=unfibookrevi-20">The Lying Game</a></i> by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sara-Shepard/e/B001IGNMHS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1">Sara Shepard</a>. I've only gotten to page 44 so far so I'm not exactly sure how I feel about the book. I am really use to the <i>Pretty Little Liars</i> books, so maybe I'm less responsive to a new idea of Sheperd's. I'm not hooked like I was with <i>PLL</i>. <br />
<br />
So far I've learned that Sutton Mercer is dead and someone killed her and put the video on Youtube. Creepy, yes. Emma is an orphan who is desperate to get away from her slimey "brother" and her foster mother, so she runs off to find the girl who looks exactly like her - Sutton, her long lost twin.<br />
<br />
I know it's realistic and all, but devoting a whole scene about looking over someone's Facebook page is a bit tedious. It did give Emma plenty of facts to search for (because she doesn't know that Sutton is dead.) So, presumably the person who murdered Sutton wrote Emma a message on FB, asking her to meet in Tuscon, Arizona. Emma blindly believes this person and is running around alone in Chapter 4, where I am now.<br />
<br />
If this goes where I think it's going to go then it will be fine but extremely predictable (is she going to pose as Sutton but the killer knows the truth?) Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-36266701195715827542012-06-22T07:18:00.001-04:002013-04-21T08:47:12.248-04:00Review of “The Help”<table class="image"><caption align="bottom">“All I'm saying is, kindness don't have no boundaries.” </caption><tbody>
<tr> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YKOXB6/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=unfibookrevi-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002YKOXB6"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51X2TUAPqPL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-71,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></td> </tr>
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Aibileen and Minny are two of the many African-American maids working in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s. Skeeter is a young white girl who wants to be a writer. When Skeeter hears that her friend wants to put in a separate toilet for her maid, she starts wondering how these maids feel about being treated this way. While it is extremely risky, the maids agree to tell Skeeter their story for a book that may be published. The problem is for Aibileen, Minny and the other maids – the consequences of their actions could be deadly.<br />
I absolutely loved this book even though it took me so long to read it. Going through three main characters’ stories was time consuming but enjoyable just the same. I guess I didn’t want the book to end. There weren’t any dull parts or anything that wasn’t sincere about this book. The story was written in the best, most candid way a white female writer could have done. I appreciate <a href="http://kathrynstockett.com/">Kathryn Stockett</a> adding to the end of the book, her personal account, just as Skeeter did about Constantine. She addresses the criticism that comes from her writing from her perspective too:<br />
<blockquote>
What I <em>am</em> sure about it this: I don’t presume to think that I know what it really felt like to be a black woman in Mississippi, especially in the 1960s. I don’t think it is something any white woman on the other end of a black woman’s paycheck could ever truly understand. But trying to understand is <em>vital </em>to our humanity.</blockquote>
I think that is enough of an explanation to give the writer credit for trying to teach us something about our own human experience – and that is what makes for good literature. Reading for entertainment is fine but when you understand yourself and the world around you makes the experience that more impactful. <br />
I’ve also heard someone say they hate narration written in dialogue, which makes me assume they don’t like many quality writers either. The big names such as Dickens, Twain, Hurston, and Faulkner write in dialect because it would be ineffective and unauthentic if they didn’t capture the voice of the characters. I’ve also heard that the book is funny which is true, in parts, but the overall tone of the book is so sad. But sad in a good way because you take something from that emotion – you feel for the characters, and, again, <em>that’s</em> what makes for a good book.<br />
Anyway, I’ll have to watch the movie now and I did what I could to not think of the characters as the actresses I saw on the red carpet not long ago, but I assume the movie will be very good as well. <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/">Rotten Tomatoes</a> gave it a <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_help/">76%</a> which doesn’t mean much to me anymore since they gave <em><a href="http://thetalesofmissusp.blogspot.com/2012/06/review-of-prometheus.html">Prometheus</a></em> a <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/prometheus_2012/">73%</a> when it’s the biggest sci-fi film of the decade. But for students in class being able to compare and contrast with a novel like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061743526/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=unfibookrevi-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0061743526"><em>To Kill A Mockingbird</em></a><em> </em>would be a good idea for high school literature classes. It would especially be nice to tie in their history lessons on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_Civil_Rights_Movement_(1955%E2%80%931968)">Civil Rights Movement</a> as well.Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-31969097298379611042012-06-21T05:21:00.001-04:002013-04-21T08:47:25.235-04:00Review of “Goddess Test,” “Iron King,” and “Switched”I decided to review these three books together as they were the last YA books I read recently. They also all have very similar plots.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373210264/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=dc021-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373210264"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Nve345cKL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a><br />
Carter, Aimee. <em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="goddess">The Goddess Test</a></em>. Ontario, Harlequin Teen, 2011. ISBN: 9780373210268<br />
Kate’s mother is dying and her last wish is to return to her hometown. While Kate struggles to adjust, she finds new challenges. After having a run-in with a classmate over a boyfriend, Kate is approached by a dark character named Henry. He convinces her that he will save her classmate, and prolong her mother’s life, if she lives with him six months out of the year – just as his last wife, Persephone did. In order for Kate to become Henry’s new wife, she must pass the tests of the gods and goddesses in the Underworld where she calls home in the winter. <br />
I read this entire book because it was pretty quick and easy to read. It was interesting to have a book try and use mythology for its paranormal themes too. I can’t say I’d read the rest in the series, however. I couldn’t connect to the situation at all – aside from it being ridiculous, I didn’t <em>feel</em> anything from Kate other than the heartbreak of losing her mother. Henry was only described as dark and young-looking until half way through the book she says he has black hair. I wasn’t interested in their relationship at all and I really felt bad for Kate to be tricked by her mother and being Diana in the end. The poor girl went through the loss of her mother as a test? Plus, having everyone she encountered all members of the Underworld was a bit convenient as well. <br />
In every review I’ve read, no one seems to recall any other characters’ names for some reason. I guess it was all the same thing – girl is the chosen one of some powerful guy and she is “forced” to wear pretty clothes and live in a beautiful palace. That was the theme in <em>Breaking Dawn, The Princess Diaries</em> and that’s the theme for all these books in this review. It’s getting old.<br />
<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/7412962576_56e52c3451_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" /><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/7412962576_56e52c3451_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" /><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/7412962576_56e52c3451_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" /><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5038/7412962532_ef916ed04c_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" /><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5038/7412962532_ef916ed04c_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" /> <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373210086/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=unfibookrevi-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373210086"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YsUdc9-rL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a><br />
Kagawa, Julie. <em><em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="iron">The Iron King</a></em>. Ontario, Harlequin Teen, 2010. ISBN: 9780373210084</em><br />
Meghan’s father disappeared when she was a child, and she’s always had a hard time at school because she’s a “hick” who lives on a farm. She has one friend, a boy who is very mischievous, and a little brother who one day turns feral. Meghan had no idea that she was a part of a magical world of fairies and she is the daughter of the king. She must travel with her best friend who turns out to be the literary historical Puck from <em>A Midsummer Night’s Dream</em> and rescue her brother, and possibly her father.<br />
I really liked this book at first because of the style and the normal day to day stuff then being transferred into a <em>Narnia-</em>type land was pretty cool. I loved her cat friend and I loved the action but half way through the action drove me crazy. There was <em>always</em> something going on to the point that I was exhausted. I didn’t finish the book because while I knew it would be interesting, I just couldn’t keep my attention up for that long to go through another fight or chase with some new creature that pops out of nowhere. By this time I was getting tired of Fairyland.<br />
This book also had the same themes as the other two. Like <em>The Goddess Test</em>, there is the issue of having to wear pretty dresses and look fancy because the main female character is special. Like <em>Switched</em>, the family member is mysteriously gone and the evil mother doesn’t like the main character and they have to fight in the new, pretty palace that seems wonderful but it’s really terrible. Surely paranormal fiction can come up with something new soon.<br />
<strong>D</strong>id <strong>N</strong>ot <strong>F</strong>inish <br /><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/7412962576_56e52c3451_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" /><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/7412962576_56e52c3451_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" /><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/7412962576_56e52c3451_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" /><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/7412962576_56e52c3451_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" /><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5038/7412962532_ef916ed04c_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" /> <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250006317/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=unfibookrevi-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1250006317"><em><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51R-4D4nBrL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></em></a><br />
<em>Hocking, Amanda. </em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="switched"><em>Switched</em></a><em>. New York, St. Martin’s, 2010. ISBN: 9781250006318 </em><br />
Wendy was always hated by her mother and when she was a child, her mother was institutionalized for trying to kill her. Now Wendy lives with her aunt and her brother but she still has a hard time fitting in at school. She has a power to make people do things if she thinks hard enough. Her friend, Finn, helps her escape when to goths try to attack her. She is forced to convince her brother that she is okay but that she needs to be away for a while. Finn takes her to find her real mother, a queen of the trolls who isn’t at all pleasant. Wendy has to keep her feelings for Finn at bay and try to adjust to not only being different but being the princess of this new world.<br />
I was really excited to read Hocking’s work and I do think she’s great writer. However, at this point of my three book stint, I was sick of the same plot lines. Not only does this also have the something happened when the heroine was a kid that hints to her being special, but it has the <em>Princess Diaries</em> plot line of having to live in this beautiful place with everything they get ever hope for, except it’s miserable. I didn’t mind the writing style or Wendy’s voice, it was just the troll thing that bothered me, especially since Wendy is short with crazy hair. I kept imagining a lawn gnome trying to put the moves on his fellow garden statue. I may go back to this book later but after reading three books in a row like this, I got tired of it.<br />
<em></em><br />
<strong>D</strong>id <strong>N</strong>ot <strong>F</strong>inish <br /><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/7412962576_56e52c3451_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" /><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/7412962576_56e52c3451_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" /><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/7412962576_56e52c3451_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" /><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7109/7413002936_0c7cf885b9_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" /><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5038/7412962532_ef916ed04c_o.png" style="margin: 0px;" />Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159341346786768558.post-22886848680577529422012-05-23T10:59:00.001-04:002013-04-21T08:47:54.293-04:00Review of “Fahrenheit 451”<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451673310/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=dc021-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1451673310"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518x7EWvdLL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a><br />
Guy Montag lives in a world without books. In fact, he burns them. But after meeting a strange young girl named Clarisse, she asks him if he is happy, and Montag begins wondering if being a fireman is worth it. His wife, Mildred overdoses on sleeping pills and nearly dies – something which she denies because she is so caught up in this world of watching interactive television. After Clarisse dies and Montag witnesses an old woman who would rather be burned alive with her books then part with them, he begins to revolt against the world without literature. He steals a book himself. Eventually after Mildred betrays her husband, Beatty, Montag’s boss, decides to burn Montag’s house due to his new-found love of books. As the mechanical house from the firehouse tries to capture Montag, he escapes and finds a group of men who have made themselves into books by memorizing whole texts. <br />
This dystopian novel is astounding even for today with the idea of television over books. What makes the novel so lovely is the language of Bradbury: “The books leapt and danced like roasted birds, their wings ablaze with red and yellow feathers.” I liked the concept of the book very much and I appreciated that the whole thing was pretty quick. It was confusing at first, being in 2012 to get the idea of the family on television but then I understood it as a continuous reality show that Mildred watches around the clock. That isn’t very far from reality now, is it?<br />
I would recommend this one as a good look at a classic dystopian novel. Since <em>The Hunger Games</em> are so popular now, students would be able to get the gist of this, I think. The idea of television rotting your brain so much that books are silly, ridiculous things is something I’m sure young adults can understand that idea.Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337839645455551325noreply@blogger.com0