Want it Wednesday

Once again, I don't know where this meme started xD If you know, please tell me!

This week, I really want A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

Release:February 4, 2010

Description: When the principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program, Fiona Sheehan believes that her life can’t get any worse. Then she marries her “husband”: Jerky jock Todd, whose cheerleader girlfriend, Amanda, has had it in for Fiona since day one of second grade. Even worse? Amanda is paired with Fiona’s long-term crush, Gabe. At least Fiona is doing better than her best friend, Marcie, who is paired up with the very quiet, very mysterious Johnny Mercer. Pranks, fights, misunderstandings, and reconciliations ensue in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors about mistaken first impressions, convoluted coupling, and hidden crushes.

Why? I think it'll be a very lighthearted read, something that I like very much. I'm very excited to read this because from the description, it is bound to be full of humor and awesomeness. I like novels that talk about first impressions that are misunderstood. I really want this!

Contest Winners!! :D

Okay, so both contests have ended greatly. All books are packed in their boxes so all I need are addresses.

But let's start of with the Canadian winners!!!

The two winners are:

Lauren

Ashlee

Congratulations! I have e-mailed you for your addresses.

Quadholdt contest winners are:

Ashley *(don't have your e-mail, please email me!)

Mandy* (what I said up there ^)

Kimberly (I e-mailed you! Thank you for answering trivia questions!)

Corianna (You're fine. You e-mailed me your trivia questions so I have e-mailed you back :])

*Next time, please include your e-mail -_- !!!

I know it wasn't in the instructions so it was completely my fault...

And for that you have 24 hours to e-mail me! For those who I have already e-mailed you got yourself two extra days! :D So 72 hours. For the Quadholdt contest, since the first two did not include their e-mail address, Kimberly gets to choose first. Then Corianna! Then Mandy! Then Kimberly! :D

That is all...

[edit: Oh yeah...I'm hoping to have one of those 100+ followers contest next month so keep checking back! For this contest, only followers are allowed to enter and if you're a book blogger, you get an extra entry! :D]

Thank You & Playlist

Thank you for making this week such a wonderful week, especially if you participated in an interview or commented! :) Comment below also for an extra entry ;)

To close it all up, I compiled a playlist that I listened to while reading Two Way Street for the second time and that I think you guys would enjoy while you read the book. Some tracks were not listened to but that's because I didn't know of them. Don't ask why I chose those songs because I honestly don't have a clue! xD Some fit the book while others are just there for background music.

Songs that are not included in the playlist are:
Electric Twist by A Fine Frenzy
Try by Asher Book
That's How It Is by Paul Freeman

Once again, thank you all! :D Contest ends in a few hours & the winner will be announced tomorrow night along with Canadian winner :)

Reminder

Cool Canadians contest ends TOMORROW! If you haven't entered yet, go here. Remember, Canadians only! :)

Quadholdt contest ends TODAY! You have until midnight to enter. I shall be posting my last I Heart Barnholdt post today to close it all up :)

That is all. Please go back to whatever you were doing!

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

Review: I was SUPER excited to see that it was my turn to check out this book at the library. (Seriously, I waited three months for this book...) I love, love the characters in this book--especially that Jason (The Truth About Forever) and Nate (Lock and Key) played a part or were mentioned in this book. However, I didn't like this book as much as her others. It was interesting but just to a point where you just can't help but turn pages (turn, not flip...there a big difference). The main reason I kept reading was because of the characters. Truthfully, Sarah Dessen is such a master in creating such believable characters that flow so naturally.

What I thought of...

The Beginning: It was a nice introduction to everyone. Like other Sarah Dessen novels, we get a bit of the background of the main character. Few surprises were included as well such as Auden being with Eli's brother on an impulse (it's really funny...). I didn't really like Auden's parents. At all.

The Middle: Again, more background but this time of Eli. I also liked every moment Auden spent with Eli during their nights during their "quest."

Sigh. Then, we hit the part where Auden messesd up big time and all I could do was this:

-_-

The End: However, what is a Sarah Dessen book without a happy ending? :) The ending was really cute for me and I couldn't imagine it otherwise. *applauds*

4/5

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren :)

Once again, new meme for me so please forgive all possible mistakes! ;)

A video was meant to accompany this post, but being me, believe it or not--I kept wacking myself in the head with the books (accident proneness...). Plus my voice was just too annoying to listen to over and over and over...

Moving on! These were the books I got :

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
Fancy White Trash by Merjetta Geerling

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

Other bookish stuff:

-bookmarks & postcard from Lisa Schroeder (won from Lauren from The Here. The Now. And The Books.)

So I hope I did this correctly...what did you guys get? :)

Interview with an author's sister :)

The wonderful, Kelsey Barnholdt, volunteered to be one of my interview victims! *Squee* In case you don't know, she is Lauren Barnholdt's sister. I want to thank her for giving up some of her precious time to answer my questions. :) Let's not waste anymore time; here is the interview!

1. Describe Lauren Barnholdt in one word.
One word is hard! But I'm going to go with "Amazing."

2. Which book of your sister's is your favorite and why?
I love all her books! But Two way Street is my favorite because it's dedicated to me! Also because I like how it goes from back and forth from male/female point of view.

3. What character in her books do you like the best?
I love Devon Delaney! The voice my sister gives her is so funny and realistic. It's how I think sometimes.

4. Who are some of your favorite authors?
My sister! Sarah Dessen, Stephenie Meyer, Meg Cabot, and I've recently started to get into Jessica Burkhart!

5. If you could be any book, what would you be?
My sister! Sarah Dessen, Stephenie Meyer, Meg Cabot, and I've recently started to get into Jessica Burkhart!

6. Any final words?
Thanks for the questions! And for doing this for my sister! =)

Once again, thank you very much for doing this interview! :)

Comment below for an extra entry .

Trivia - Quadholdt Contest

Here are the ways you can score even more entries than you already have. If you have read a book by Lauren Barnholdt, you can get three entries. If you haven't, you can still get two entries. All you have to do is answer at least one question and e-mail them to me at andanythingbookish@gmail.com

These trivia questions do not contain big spoilers. Those who have read Two Way Street can also answer the other two questions that are not under their category. Today we have questions from Two Way Street.

(+3) For those who have read Two Way Street:

1. What are the names of Jordan's and Courtney's best friends?
2. What page is this quote found? "I am a traitor to my generation. Seriously."

(+2) For those who have not read the book or for those who just want more extra entries:

1. How many pages long is Two Way Street?
2. Who is the publisher of the book?

Remember to e-mail these answers to me! Check back later for Kelsey Barnholdt's interview! :)

Interview With a Book Blogger...

This was supposed to be up in the morning so my apologies! xD This interview is really full of heart, and I for one think it is really witty. Here's Kate from The Never Ending Shelf! Give her some love as she is probably one of the nicest bloggers I have ever met. :)

1. What would be your first reaction if you were told you had to go on a road trip with your ex-boyfriend?
To be honest, it depends on which ex-boyfriend I had to do the road trip with. There are some that I might be ok with, and there are others that I would secretly be plotting their demise. But knowing my luck, I would end up with the worst of the worse, and have no way to get out of it.

2. If you were to exaggerate about yourself to make friends, what truths would you stretch?
I have no clue. I am sure there is something that I would probably exaggerate, but let's pretend I didn't say that... Instead I answered, I would never do that. People will just love me for who I am... ;)

3. Would you prefer someone to lie to you in order to protect you or just be honest and tell you the truth?
Probably be honest. I like to think that I can handle the truth. Or at least I hope I can.

4. What is the biggest mistake you have ever made and what would you have done differently if you had a chance?
Wow, that is a hard question. Probably dating someone to make an ex-boyfriend angry. It worked kinda, but I wish I had never done it. We ended up having a really huge fight and never really talked after that. Sadly, I don't know if I could have done anything different. We were just a little too alike in our personalities, so we said a lot of things that we probably didn't mean. And the rest is history.

5. If you could be on a reality show, which one would it be and why?
I would love to be on Survivor. It just looks like a lot of fun. Plus it could help me lose some of the weight I gained in college :)

6. Tell us four truths and a lie about you:
I am left handed.
I didn't mean to make question 4 sound so depressing.
I have met over 10 authors.
I am a speed reader.

7. What book of Lauren's do you want to read and why?
I would like to read Two Way Street. I have heard really good things about it and this author.

Contest post will be up later than planned. I have much homework that I need to do and I failed to schedule a post...Because of that, you will get double entries ! :D which reminds me that I need to count entries more. Check back on Friday for an interview with Lauren Barnholdt's sister! :D

Thank you, Kate, for being the first one to want to participate! :) If you would like to be featured, please give me an e-mail at andanythingbookish@gmail.com

Want It Wednesday (1)

I have no idea where this meme started *blush* but I found it first on GreenBeanTeenQueen. If anyone knows, please leave a comment so I can link that person ! :) I'm being greedy and listing three books...

First up, we have this book I found on Goodreads:

Title: Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis
Release: April 14th, 2010
Cover: no cover
Description: I’d love a cup of coffee. I wish she knew how pretty she was. I wish I could drop this kid in the dryer sometimes. I just want her to be happy. I hope she didn’t find out what Ben said about her. I wish I knew how many calories were in a bite of muffin…

Joy is used to hearing Whispers. She’s used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people’s deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good, to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people’s lives—especially Joy’s—miserable. Still, when Joy Hears Jessica whisper: I want to kill my Hearing dead, and kill me too if that’s what it takes, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own.

Why? I don't know why, but I'm just intrigued by the description. I'm REALLY excited to read this. Plus, it's a debut novel so that increases my interest. I can't wait to see the cover for it. I want to know if Jessica will be saved, what will happen to Joy, and what secret this boy has. There are so many mysteries and secrets that I need to know. It releases around my birthday, so birthday present? Maybe. You never know...I might just preorder this one! :D April 14th is still a long way to go... :(


------
Now onto IHB stuff: I don't know which I'm looking forward to most. The first one sounds more interesting, though, but I could be wrong! xD No covers :( but we have descriptions!! :D The descriptions are from her website:

ACES UP.. AND OTHER PERKS OF A FAKE I.D. : is my YA about a girl who lies about her age to get a job at the local casino, and then gets caught up in an underground gambling ring. This one is done and revised, and just went to copyedits this week! Will be out next summer.


Why? Oh man! :D A teen working in casino? :O I really can't wait to see how this girl goes about and decides to work in a casino.

Next summer? :( That's about a year from now...hopefully, more details and the cover will be released and make up for the long wait! :)


ONE NIGHT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING: my YA about a girl who keeps a notebook filled with everything she’s afraid to do, and then must do everything on the list in one night in order to get it back when it gets STOLEN by her EX-BOYFRIEND and his DUMB STUPID FRIENDS is going to be out next year, and I just turned in the first draft.

Why? One night to do everything? What a jerky boyfriend...This sounds like one of those novels that involves the character changing in the end with realizations and such, which is really interesting. To go through everything the character goes through and see a change, I mean. If my prediction is wrong, then oh well...Next year is also going to be a long wait, but I'm sure this will be great! :D

Interview with a book blogger (2)

Let's give it up for Lauren from The Here. The Now. And The Books! This is really cool because she has the same first name as the author this week is devoted to...well, it's cool to me! :)

Again, her answers made me laugh out loud. I love the bloggers featured this week because they sure know how to spice up an interview! :D


1. What would be your first reaction if you were told you had to go on a road trip with your ex-boyfriend?
"He's paying for EVERYTHING!"

2. If you were to exaggerate about yourself to make friends, what truths would you stretch?
I'm actually really famous online...I have about 100,000 followers and people won't quit sending me all these love letters!

3. Would you prefer someone to lie to you in order to protect you or just be honest and tell you the truth?
This person would have to be protecting me from something big because I don't like being lied to. But if it was to protect my life rather than my heart heck yeah! Lie to me!

4. What is the biggest mistake you have ever made and what would you have done differently if you had a chance?
I lost contact to a dear friend after something tragic happened in her life. If I could go back I would try to keep in contact with her more...

I would have also like to have pressed NO DEAL on Deal or No Deal but I pressed Deal... *sigh*

5. If you could be on a reality show, which one would it be and why?
Big Brother!!! I could totally win that show. I am very persuasive...they hold no chance against me and my evil monkeys!!! Muahhaha!

6. Tell us four truths and a lie about you:
1. I don't like the Evermore Series as much as a lot of other people seem to...
2. I am under 15.
3. One of my biggest dreams is to move to Europe. I'm not sure why but it's like fate calling me.
4. I am a completle and total sucker for any romance. Let the Love Live On!
One Lie: I am NOT crazy!

7. What book of Lauren's do you want to read and why?

I want to read this book really really bad now...

If you do not want to be attacked by Lauren's evil monkeys, you will comment below right now...Oh and since Lauren revealed her lie, there will be no guessing! There will be a new contest post up tomorrow, but comments below still count as entries. Boy, am I going to have a lot of entries to count! :O

The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney

Remember comments are extra entries! Today is the official release of Devon Delaney Should Totally Know Better so here's the review of the book before it:

The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney by Lauren Barnholdt

Release:

Rating: 4.5/5

Synopsis: Mom says karma always comes around to get you, and I guess it’s true. Because last summer I was a total liar, and now, right in the middle of Mr. Pritchard’s third-period math class, my whole world is about to come crashing down.

That’s because while Devon was living with her grandmother for the summer, she told her “summer friend,” Lexi, that she was really popular back home and dating Jared Bentley, only the most popular guy at school. Harmless lies, right? Wrong. Not when Lexi is standing at the front of Devon’s class, having just moved to Devon’s town. Uh-oh.

Devon knows there’s only one way to handle this — she’ll just have to become popular! But how is Devon supposed to accomplish that when she’s never even talked to Jared, much less dated him?! And it seems the more Devon tries to keep up her “image,” the more things go wrong. Her family thinks she’s nuts, her best friend won’t speak to her, and, as if it’s not all complicated enough, Jared starts crushing on Lexi and Devon starts crushing on Jared’s best friend, Luke. It all has Devon wondering — who is the real Devon Delaney?

Review: I hadn't read a middle grade (tween) novel in 2 years, and my blog is mostly YA centered. But in the interest of I Heart Barnholdt, I read it and was glad I did. This book made me laugh out loud a lot, and it takes a book with great content to do so. Devon Delaney is a really endearing character who gets herself stuck in situations because of her lies, which I can't help but laugh as I go through the book with her as the narrator.

The novel is really witty and a great read for those who like tween literature. The characters are real, the novel is well paced, and above all, the plot is just perfect for tweens. (Which, I might still be since I'm only 14)

What I thought of...

(may contain minor spoilers, but don't worry--the ending is as vague as possible)

The Beginning : It started off really well with Lexi transfering to Devon's school, which leaves our main character panicked. She has thoughts of fabricating a break up, finding a way to keep Lexi's mouth shut about Jared being her boyfriend, and of course, thinking of how to get Jared to talk to her. After all, he is her "boyfriend."

Oh and there's Luke, Mel, Kim, Katie, and more that are introduced. My first thoughts of Luke were, "Oh hey, there's another boy in this story. I wonder if he likes Mel." Big mistake since I obviously should have read the synopsis more clearly. Anyway, then we find out that Jared wants Devon to ask Lexi if she likes him. After being taken aback, gasping, I started laughing because that's just downright hilarious. Here Devon is trying to make Lexi think Jared is her boyfriend and she finds out he likes Lexi and thinks she's hot. Wow. So much for making him like her.

The Middle: Okay so Devon is still telling Jared that he should play hard to get. What's stranger is that he believes her. Somehow, it's interesting to me and I can not help but turn page after page. Then, I hit the part about Luke being Devon's social studies partner, and I can't help but grin because something's about to happen!! :D

Cute little Katie (Devon's sister) is just so well, cute. She's definitely one of the characters that stood out for me.

I am losing my respect for Jared, if I ever had any. He just told Devon that while playing hard to get with Lexi--in other words, just ignoring her--he thinks it's fairly easy because he treats her as Devon or some other random girl. Ouch. Goodbye Jared. Good luck in Lexi Town.

Don't fret, Devon, Luke looks as if he likes you. *wink, wink*

More surprises! Eek!

The End: The secret is out and a few certain people are now ignoring her. No! Through many twists and turns, Devon is unable to escape her lies. :( All I can say is, "Karma, karma, karma. " But, what's a good story without a happy ending? ;)

I think I'm in love with Lauren Barnholdt's books. Is it just me or does every one of her book has a moral to it? xD

Either way, 4.5/5

Trailer Tuesday! :D

This meme was started by Bri @What Bri Reads...today, I shall be posting trailers of Lauren Barnholdt's books.



First up, we have mine for Two Way Street:





And if you think my trailer is just plain ugly for your eyes to look at, take a look at this other trailer for the same book...please keep in mind that the main characters in the book look different, but the trailer's still great to watch! ;) Props to the person who made the video!






That is all for this post. For an extra entry, comment here or on my review of Two Way Street.

Interview with a book blogger...

During this week, I will be featuring interview of book bloggers asking questions relating to Lauren Barnholdt's books. To kick off the interviews, we have Wendy of The Book Lush. Her answers were one of the replies that cracked me up so hard that I had my mom staring at me xD


1. What would be your first reaction if you were told you had to go on a road trip with your ex-boyfriend?
Since the first word out of my mouth would be a bad, bad word that starts with the f letter then I don't think that would work really well. In fact, I'd probably run the little creep-o over!


2. If you were to exaggerate about yourself to make friends, what truths would you stretch?
I'm Fidel Castro's granddaughter and I had to run from Cuba when I was little because his enemies wanted to kill me; I have a super seckrit chip in my head that makes me awesome and they want it. FACT. And if you want to be awesome too, you will be my friend. (It worked with Kim! xD)


3. Would you prefer someone to lie to you in order to protect you or just be honest and tell you the truth?
Lie to me all the way! Seriously though, I want to know the truth (the truth is OUT THERE. See: Mulder le Fox. I mean.. oh, whatever) I can't deal with lies, and once I stop trusting a person, he or she is out of my circle.

4. What is the biggest mistake you have ever made and what would you have done differently if you had a chance?
Oh! Unless you wanna spend the next year reading about this then let's just say this: I've learned from them (no matter how cheesy that sounds) i.e. I'm never dating a friend's family member. (Girls, DON'T DO IT!)


5. If you could be on a reality show, which one would it be and why?
Big Brother. I would be the female version of Will. And if you know what that means I love you and will you marry me?


6. Tell us four truths and a lie about you:
1. I play the violin.

2. I have a very sexy accent.

3. My hair is reddish brown.

4. I am not wearing underwear.

5. I have a pitbull.


You can guess for an extra entry in the contest. It doesn't matter if you're right or wrong!

7. What book of Lauren's do you want to read and why?
Two-way Street. It sounds exceedingly awesome. (Kinda like me... what?)

Thank you, Wendy, for answering my questions! Because of that, I will have to agree that you ARE exceedingly awesome. Tomorrow, another interview will be up. If you would like to be featured during the week, please give me an e-mail at andanythingbookish@gmail.com

The Quadholdt Contest!

Quadholdt Contest!!

The prizes: Well, I have bought Four Truths and a Lie, The Secret Identiy of Devon Delaney, Devon Delaney Should Totally Know Better, or Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

Reality Chick is not available at my bookstore so it's not one of the choices--sorry! I've read that book last month and it is worth winning, but it's getting a makeover soon from the publisher so just hang tight for now. If you cannot wait, please contact your library or order it online.

How many winners? Four!! That's why it's called the Quadholdt Contest.

What do I have to do? On each day of I Heart Barnholdt, I will have a contest post up with the directions on how to get yourself an extra entry. For example, I might ask you what page this quote of line belongs to in one of her books or something along those lines.

How do I get entries now? Each time you link back to this contest, you will get an entry, but please leave a link in one of your comments. If you comment on my posts this week, you will also get 1 extra entry for every comment...but only one comment per post please. Also, if you commented yesterday, you just got yourself an entry! Here are some other ways:

+1 if you become a follower or are a current follower of my blog

+5 if you follow Lauren Barnholdt @laurenbarnholdt on Twitter

+2 if you have a current review of her book or are going to post it this week (please leave link)

I will draw four numbers from a random generator site and the first person who gets picked gets to choose a book, the second winner then gets a choice of the remaining 3, and so on...

This contest will end this Sunday @ midnight California time. Open to only US residents because I am awfully broke :( Please enter!!

Interviews are coming your way today!

[Contest post: Trivia]

I Heart Barnholdt

[Major grammar errors, please forgive me...

and yes--the picture above is an example of my lame photography]

I've been working on I Heart Barnholdt for about a month now since early August (if you follow me on Twitter that's what the top secret project is!) At first, I wanted to make a fansite for the lovely author, but I swore off all fansites because there is just too much drama. So I decided just to make it a feature running for a week. In case you don't know, her book, Two Way Street, was the very first I reviewed on this blog as well as the first trailer I made, and I simply LOVED it to death. I've actually just finished re-reading it this weekend because it's just one of those books that you can read over and over again. Plus, I needed some refreshment for a contest. The author is incredibly nice, and I've been wanting to make this a surprise to her, but I know it's a lame one.

This next week, I will be having one post each day dedicated to Lauren Barnholdt. Since IHB is just a week dedicated to Barnholdt love, I was not sure when to have it up, but because of the official release of Devon Delaney Should Totally Know Better, I decided to have it now! Well, it is already in bookstores early and I managed to get it along with many of her other books, but that doesn't really matter!! Enough of my rambling, let's get to the details:

During the whole week, there will be contests, games, random thoughts, reviews, and book talk of the creations of Lauren Barnholdt. The prizes all concern her books so yay! :D I'm spreading my Barnholdt love and becoming broker than broke with all these contests. I really need a job; thank goodness for helping my mom babysit this little boy (who likes to freak me out with his hamster...)

If you have a review of any of her books on your blog or would like to help out, please e-mail me at andanythingbookish@gmail.com so I can link to it next week or talk to you about what you can do to help out on my blog. Or if you want to be featured in a goofy interview of what you thought of her books, please feel free and send me an e-mail. Or if you want to do a short, silly interview contact me also. All help is appreciated. Every feature will be on my blog so keep checking back...even if you think what I'm doing is lame.

*Most of the contests this week will be centered around her books, so those who have read her books will have a better chance in winning. But that doesn't mean other people can't win either. Also, if you haven't reviewed any of her books, but you do it during this week, you will get extra entries!! :D Oh and I'm open to suggestions since I'm a newbie at blogging. Meanwhile until tomorrow, all comments under this post will be entered in one of the four contests of your choice. Details of the contests will be shared tomorrow morning.

There will be many surprises this week so stay tuned! I am really hoping many people will participate in these contests xD I've racked my tiny brain trying to find ideas for this project. Hopefully, it won't be as dead as I think it will be. I am doing this for fun and don't expect anything but your comments & entries so please comment!!

-Kim

I was tagged...

I was tagged by the lovely Kate.

The rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you

2. Share your ABC’s

3. Tag three people at the end by linking to their blogs

4. Let the three tagged people know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website

5. Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag

[I shall have my answers in blue because it's my favorite color!]

Available or single? Ehh. Isn't that the same thing? =/ I'm single, but I'm not looking. I'm only 14 here.

Best Friend? I have so many, not including some fabulous bloggers on here.

Cake or Pie? Cake. Chocolate cake.

Drink of choice? Ice tea! :)

Essential item for every day use? I can't see anything without my glasses. My vision is an epic fail.

Favorite color? Blue!

Google? Heck yes. I live on it.

Hometown? Vietnam all the way! :)

Indulgences? Food! :D

January or February? January... ;)

Kids and their names? Ooohh, I'm only 14 so kids are still a long way to go...

Life is incomplete without…? family & friends

Marriage date? Ehh... can I come back to this?

Number of siblings? Two younger sisters.

Oranges or apples? Oranges. I am tired of eating apples.

Phobias and fears? I have lots of fears: heights, dogs, horror films, roller coasters, escalators, school, sports, and bugs.

Quote for the day? "Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway." - Eleanor Roosevelt.

Reason to smile? My mom :)

Season? Spring!! :D I'm always more comfortable then.

Tag 3 people? Lauren of The Here, the Now, and the Books, Alex & Lauren of A Flight of Minds, and....April of Good Books & Wine

Unknown fact about me? I just learned last year while watching some anime that my birthday is the same as Buddha's from Japan! :D I don't know...I just thought that was pretty cool.

Vegetable you hate? Onions...and pickles. Pickle lovers, don't hate me! :(

Worst habit? Stressing out too much and being a pessimist.

X-rays you’ve had? My humerous bone; it fractured when I fell of some monkey bars. All I can remember from that incident was that my arm really hurt and my friends were laughing -_- I still blame them for that cast. But hey, no PE for two months!

Your fave food? Chocolate. I eat as much as I can until my throat is clogged up and can take no more.

Zodiac sign? Aries.

Quick Update!

Just a quick update!

-More reviews are coming this weekend. [09/18- I think I'll save the reviews for next week since I've only read 1 book this week, hehe]
-There is a new tour up at the Other Shelf Tours created by Kate of The Neverending Shelf. So check that out if you're interested!
-92 Followers! AH!! You guys are amazing!
-Canadian Contest also ends in about two weeks. Go look at the update for that if you haven't!

That is all. Gotta get going to school now!

See you guys later!

Throwdown Thursday (6)

Hosted by Kate @ The Neverending Shelf

Last week's winner is...

PRADA & PREJUDICE!! :)

[don't worry, none of these books get harmed! ;)]

This week, we have the covers of Espressologist going up for best cover...

Cover #1 or #2?

You decide! Which cover will be crowned the winner?

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind . . .

Review: I've never read any of Maggie Stiefvater's books until Shiver and when I did, I was eager to read more of her work. I eventually found this book intriguing, and if not, mysterious. It's almost completely different from Shiver so that was great, but the writing was still as magnificent. I especially love the musical aspect of it. (In case you didn't know, Deirde plays harp, Luke plays flute, and James plays the bagpipe) The female protagonist was relatable which gives it a plus. Am I looking forward to the sequel? Heck, yes.

Now, let's try something new ;)

My thoughts of:

The Beginning: I wasn't into this book in the first few chapters. I mean, where did this Luke come from and why did Deirde feel completely at ease with him? How could she move clovers? As you can tell, many questions formed in my mind. It wasn't until around the sixth chapter that I could not stop flipping pages.

The Middle: I loved it. Lots and lots of details were revealed, and they answered all my questions at the beginning. Clarification! As I knew more about Luke's past, I sympathized for him and liked him more as a character. James proved to be even a better friend than I thought even though I already thought he was caring. Of course, the best friend is secretly in love with the other friend. But...I actually liked it. (And knowing that the second book is narrated by him makes me even more excited; switching narrators will make this series really fresh and spectacular.)

I gasped as it was revealed that the Queen is making Luke kill someone very important. More clarification equals awesomeness.

The End: Like many books, I found myself sad that the flipping of pages was soon coming to a halt. I, myself, hate sad endings--even if the ending is just a BIT sad--but the bittersweet ending of Lament made me long for the release of the second book.

October 1st, please come faster! (:

Rating: 4/5

It's Monday! What are you reading? (2)

It's Monday!! :D

This meme is hosted by J.Kaye

What I read this week:

-As You Wish by Jackson Pearce

-North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

-Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

What I'm reading now:

-The Giver by Lois Lowry

What's next in the week:

-The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

-The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor (part of AIW)

Current Contests:

Cool Canadians (Updated) - click here

Other Bookish Things:

As you can see, this week was slower than last week's. Only two books = failure xD

I also just found out Melissa De La Cruz is having a signing near me on November 1st so hooray! If you live in Southern Cali, it's in Pasadena. If you're going, let me know! :) It's only a 30 min drive so let's hope my dad agrees to drive me there. Right now, he has said yes, but things can change in two months...you never know...hehe.

Oh and I signed up for NaNoWriMo this week! :D This should be interesting...

Quote it Saturday (1)

Another new meme, and this time from Leslie! :D Here is what she intends this meme to be:

So I was thinking about doing something concerning some favorite book quotes or actually quotes in general. So today I bring you... dun dun dun Quote it Sat. where you give a quote from one of your favorite reads!

Here's mine from Two Way Street. It's the last paragraph of the book and I love that it gives a feeling of closure:

Once the door shuts behind her, I pick up my cell phone and take a deep breath. I have to call Lloyd. I have to call my mom, my dad, and Jocelyn. I told Jordan he had to stop protecting me, and now I have to stop protecting myself. I decide to go for it, to jump into things, to make the hardest call first. I dial my dad's number at work. The sun is shining through the window, casting stripes of light on the floor. "Hey," I say when he answers. "It's me."

Cool Canadians (updated!)

Okay a few weeks ago, I got inspired by Alex from A Flight of Minds (with Lauren) 's tweets on Twitter. You know what they say...when one door closes, another door opens. So if you didn't win my previous contest, don't fret, here's a chance to win my mini contest:

Here's what you get:

*Three bookmarks

*The choice of one book from below:

-Prada and Prejudice
-The Eternal Kiss
-Revealers
-Beastly

(see update below for more choices!)

Here's the best part, you can only enter if you're Canadian. And there will be two possible winners! :D So yay for Canadians! Here are ways you can enter:


+1 Leave a comment telling me what area of Canada you live in

+1 If you follow me on Twitter (@sunxxmoon)

+2 Tweet (@sunxxmoon), blog, or link about this contest

+5 If you are already a follower

+3 If you become a follower

Update : As of now, the two books that I have just reviewed- As You Wish by Jackson Pearce and Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble- are choices! :)

Just leave another comment saying what book you want for an extra entry.

Oh and follow my twitter (@sunxxmoon) if you haven't already because when you retweet when I say so, you'll get 3 extra entries! Stay tuned for more updates!

This contest will end on September 28, 2009 @ 7:00 pm (California time)

Enter please, Canadians! :)

Throwdown Thursday (5)

This awesome meme is hosted by Kate @ The Neverending Shelf...

Last week's winner

...

The Truth About Forever!

***

(Copied & pasted from Kate) Throwdown Thursday is going to be (hopefully) a weekly thing where we tackle books with similar characters, covers, themes, etc. to determine which one rocks more. And it is up to YOU to determine the winner! To vote for your favorite, simply leave a comment with your choice. The winner will be announced next week with the new Throwdown contestants. [For Kate's TT go to her blog (: ]

This week's contestants! Who will win the smackdown? ;)

Time traveling & Classic novels names

Saving Juliet or Prada & Prejudice??

You decide who will win this throwdown!

The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart

The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Ruby is back at Tate Prep, and it’s her thirty-seventh week in the state of Noboyfriend. Her panic attacks are bad, her love life is even worse, and what’s more: Noel is writing her notes, Jackson is giving her frogs, Gideon is helping her cook, and Finn is making her brownies. Rumors are flying, and Ruby’s already-sucky reputation is heading downhill. Not only that, she’s also: running a bake sale, learning the secrets of heavymetal therapy, encountering some seriously smelly feet, defending the rights of pygmy goats, and bodyguarding Noel from unwanted advances.



Review: I honestly thought this book was better than the previous two in the series. One thing I love about this series are the covers! :) Froggies, penguins, and snowmans. How cute is that?

I love how in every novel Ruby matures more, even though she makes mistakes. Let's face it; most of her friends are jerks, and her whole school keeps spreading rumors about her. Where does that leave Ruby? In therapy sessions with Dr. Z. After reading this book, I hate Jackson and Kim more than ever. Noel acts pretty stupid also, but he's still a great friend to Ruby. The author certainly captures the essence of drama oh so perfectly...

If you love The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book, you will love this just as much!

5/5

As You Wish by Jackson Pearce

As You Wish by Jackson Pearce
Rating: 4.5/5

Synopsis: Ever since Viola's boyfriend broke up with her, she has spent her days silently wishing—to have someone love her again and, more importantly, to belong again—until one day she inadvertently summons a young genie out of his world and into her own. He will remain until she makes three wishes.
Jinn is anxious to return home, but Viola is terrified of wishing, afraid she will not wish for the right thing, the thing that will make her truly happy. As the two spend time together, the lines between master and servant begin to blur, and soon Jinn can't deny that he's falling for Viola. But it's only after Viola makes her first wish that she realizes she's in love with Jinn as well . . . and that if she wishes twice more, he will disappear from her life—and her world—forever.


Review: After reading this description on the book jacket, I was intrigued. It's not everyday that I stumble on a book about genies falling in love with their "masters," so I bought it and read it in a few hours the day after. I loved it! :) It was a very cute and entertaining read! You learn that wishing to belong will not solve anything, and that you will have to put yourself out there in order to be where you want. That's what happened to Viola after she made an accidental wish. I liked everything about this book, except for the ending--merely for trivial reasons. But I also liked how it was a happy one.

I loved the originality of the book, and how Jinn's name came to be. When you hit the climax, you will not be able to put it down. Period.

4.5/5

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Sixteen year old Anne thinks her life is pretty ordinary – until she smacks into handsome, mysterious, and okay, annoying Ethan on her way to chemistry class. Now Anne has powers she doesn’t understand, a history altering mission she may not want, and a growing attraction to this blue-eyed stranger. And Ethan- who at eighteen made some choices he’s starting to regret – realizes that Anne is the girl for whom he’s been searching – for a very, very long time. Stir in doomed Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia – who is definitely not quite as dead as the history books say – and Baba Yaga, the legendary witch from Russian folklore, and you’ve got DREAMING ANASTASIA, a contemporary YA fantasy that alternates between the voices of Anne, Ethan, and Anastasia as Anne and Ethan join forces to battle the bad guys and save Anastasia. Only problem is – no one’s quite sure who’s really bad and who’s good. And everyone has some secrets.

Review: Being the ignorant person I am, I didn't know of this book until Kate's review and giveaway. But when I did, I knew I just had to get my hands on it, and it wasn't until yesterday that I did. From the first few pages, I was immediately drawn in. With the three point of views present, I could easily distinct one character from another, and that just gives the well written novel an extra thumb up.

As I was reading this book, it actually created an eerie mood for me--but in a good way. I don't think I've ever felt that way with any other book. The only thing I didn't like--which might just be because of my poor eyesight--are Anastasia's letters/journal entries. The font used was too hard to read and I found myself being a bit cross-eyed. But I understood that it was used to represent Anastasia's handwriting so I didn't get irked too much.

When I finished this book--which was really late at night---I couldn't stop thinking about it as I lay in my bed. It was that intriguing. It was simply amazing for a debut novel! I especially loved how it interwines with historical fiction. I am everything, but disappointed with it. Extra kudos to Mrs. Preble!

Read it if you haven't already! :)

My Reviews

To make things a bit more organized, I've decided to compile a list of reviews on my blog like other bloggers.

Alphabetical by Book Title

A

As You Wish by Jackson Pearce

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

B
Being Nikki by Meg Cabot

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

C

Candor by Pam Bachorz

D

Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble

E

The Espresologist by Kristina Springer

G
The Girlfriend Project by Robin Friedman

H

How Not to Make a Wish by Mindy Klasky

J

Jessica's Guide to Dating the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

L

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

M
Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz

N

Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis

P

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Playing With Matches by Brian Katcher
Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

R

Random Magic by Sasha Soren
Revealers by Amanda Marrone
Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz

S
The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney by Lauren Barnholdt

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph
Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita

T
Teen Idol by Meg Cabot

The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart
Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

W

Waiting for You by Susane Colasanti

It's Monday! What are you reading?

This meme is hosted by J. Kaye.

This is my first time doing this meme, so please forgive me if I did it wrong. Hehe.

What I read this week:
Revealers by Amanda Marrone
Playing With Matches by Brian Katcher
The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart
Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock
Dreaming of Anastasia by Joy Preble

What I'm reading now:
As You Wish by Jackson Pearce


Okay, I have a horrible feeling I left something out. But that's what the edit button is for! xD

Edit: How could I forget the Canadians-only contest? Anyway, if you're Canadian, enter this contest! If you are currently following me on twitter, and retweet when I say so, you will get an extra entry! :)

Happy Labor Day, everyone!

Playing With Matches by Brian Katcher

Playing With Matches by Brian Katcher
Rating: 3.9/5

Synopsis: Leon Sanders has a mug that looks like it should be hanging in a post office with the caption WANTED FOR SHOPLIFTING AND CREDIT CARD FRAUD. His new locker neighbor is Melody Hennon—class outcast and certified freak. Everyone at school keeps their distance from Melody because she was burned in a childhood accident. Leon has avoided her too, until the day he takes a chance, tells her a bad joke, and makes her laugh. No one, least of all Leon, could have predicted that Melody would turn out to be a funny, smart, and interesting person, or that he and Melody would become good friends . . . and later, more than friends.But when junior class hottie Amy Green asks Leon out after he saves her from getting detention, his devotion to Melody hangs in the balance. Leon tries to find a way out of this nasty dilemma without hurting anyone, but soon he realizes—a little too late—that playing with someone’s heart is as dangerous as playing with matches.

Review: I liked this book; it was funny and entertaning. I laughed as Leon told his not-so-funny jokes and liked Melody more everytime as she opened up to Leon and understood his humor. Like in every other book about a guy wanting to date the most popular--and not to mention prettiest girl in school--they change. That's what Leon did. Even though he felt himself falling for Melody, his mind always wandered back to Amy. Did that bother me? Yes. I hated how Leon would always be nice to Melody one minute, and then drool over Amy the next. He was indecisive throughout the middle of the book, and when he thought he was finally done with Melody for good, he realized it was a big mistake.

I think the ending was well done. If Melody would've forgiven and gotten back with Leon, I would've thought it was too rushed and cliched. But the author left it opened for us to interpret what would happen next--although, the last line of the book pretty much sealed the deal.

3.9/5 stars
(Yes, I am evil. Why not give one tenth of a point more so it would be 4 stars? Because that's how I rate it :] )

Revealers by Amanda Marrone Mini Review

Revealers by Amanda Marrone
[one of the choices in my Canadians-only contest!]
Rating: 3/5

Synopsis: Jules has a rebellious streak, a massive crush on Connor, and the abilities of a Revealer witch. By day, she and her coven friends seem like typical high school seniors. By night, they have the power to make werewolves, vampires, and ghosts reveal themselves, so they can destroy them. It's not exactly cheerleading, but at least the girls know they're doing the world some good.

One by one, Jules's friends turn eighteen and are initiated into the coven's inner circle. And one by one, they are getting completely freaked out. Jules is the youngest, and though her friends are too scared tell her what's going on, something's clearly not right. As her birthday approaches, Jules realizes she's got to find out what's behind the shadows of her coven before it's too late to save her friends...and herself. But what she discovers may be too powerful for even the toughest witches to defeat.

Review: When I first read the back of the book, I thought it would be interesting...and it was. The beginning of the book is really hard to get into, but once you're near the middle of it, it definitely gets more interesting. In Revealers, the world Amanda Marrone creates is believable, but the way she started with the beginning of the book kind of ruined the experience. I can definitely say it was better than her other book, Uninvited. I read this book in between car rides and in my few minutes of spare time at night after homework. If you're in the mood for some light, careless reading, this is the book for you.

Overall, this book was pretty good; 3/5 stars.

Throwdown Thursday (4)

[This was supposed to go up at 10 a.m., but because of my usual stupidity, I put p.m. Anywho, let's get started!]


Last Week's winner of Throwdown Thursday
...
North of Beautiful!
------------

(Copied & pasted from Kate) Throwdown Thursday is going to be (hopefully) a weekly thing where we tackle books with similar characters, covers, themes, etc. to determine which one rocks more. And it is up to YOU to determine the winner! To vote for your favorite, simply leave a comment with your choice. The winner will be announced next week with the new Throwdown contestants. [For Kate's TT go to her blog (: ]

This week's TT:

Which Sarah Dessen book is better?

In my opinion, I really like The Truth About Forever more than This Lullaby; what do you guys think? (:

[In other book related things, reviews are coming this weekend. Trust me, if I had it my way, I'd rather skip school and read 24/7 but sadly, that's not possible :( Check out the Canadians-only contest if you haven't already]