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Saturday, February 27, 2010

Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis


Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis
Rating: 3.3/5

Synopsis: 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 a frightening whisper from Jessica's own mind, 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

Review: I was really looking forward to this book, and what I read was definitely not what I expected. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it lacked the special pizzazz to keep my interest in the beginning (more on that later). It was certainly not your average YA book considering its plot and characters. The writing was superb, but its characters lacked the depth I hoped for.

I had a hard time getting into it. Even after I put it down, I didn't have the irresistable urge to pick it back up. The idea of Joy being able to read people's minds is amazing, but it annoyed me that she was so naiive, wanting to meet everyone's needs and all that. The one thing I liked about this book, though, was the interaction of the family throughout the book. I was expecting a little more romance, but even if it is just subtle, it was worth reading.

All in all, I think the book is good, just don't spend too much time dwelling. Am I looking forward to book 2? Of course! The book might have been slow, but I'm interested to see what'll happen next.

What I thought of...


The Beginning: It was interesting, but didn't really pull me in.

The Middle: If the plot didn't pick up as it did (dragged out for 100 pages with no action), I would have fjlskfjsjdf. But thankfully it did, and for the better! :)

The End: Loved the sisters interaction, and the ending. It was...enough :)


FTC: Got this ARC from Around the World Tours

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Want to read Mistwood?

Do you want to read Mistwood, but don't have a copy?! At first, I wanted to give my ARC away to one lucky person, but what would be the fun in that? I want to spread the Mistwood love, and this is part 1 of my top secret project #2 (not so secret, actually...)



To be able to participate:

1. Must have been blogging for at least four months

2. Must get delivery confirmation

3. Read it within a week (but 3 days extensions are allowed!)

4. Must review it! (We need to spread the word...)

5. And for bonus imaginary points, put this widget I made on your blog xD




Just give me an e-mail at andanythingbookish@gmail.com! :) If there are too many people, I'll just pick 13 at random...



Thursday, February 4, 2010

Let's have a chat with...Kristin Walker!

Today, we have a wonderful debut author whose book releases today called A Match Made in High School. I really recommend reading it! You can find a review for it on my blog below this post.

1. You have a plane ticket to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Ever since watching Under the Tuscan Sun, I've wanted to visit Positano (or anywhere on the Amalfi coast, for that matter). I even found a webcam streaming live from a hotel in Positano, looking over the town and out to sea. I like to watch it sometimes. What a dork I am.

2. What is your favorite citrus fruit?
For years, I have waited for someone to ask me this question, because my choice is not merely my favorite citrus fruit, but my favorite fruit of all. It is the humble lime -- the most underrated fruit on Earth. It works in sweet dishes. It works in savory dishes. Mexican to Thai, drinks to desserts, the lime does it all. It brightens a cosmopolitan and prevents scurvy. What's not to like? Lime lovers unite!

3. Tell us a random fact about a character in your book.
Fiona has a major fangirl crush on Jack White.

4. What was the last book you read? And review it in three words.
MY ÁNTONIA, by Willa Cather. Absorbing sensory adventure.

5. Are you a lefty or a righty?
Righty. But I can write backwards with my left hand. It's not pretty, though.

6. Why do you write? Do you write more at night or in the morning?
I write because I love it and I can do it while staying home with my kids. As for writing time, I take any I can get. Sometimes early morning, sometimes late night, sometimes marathon weekend sessions, sometimes on long car trips (not when I'm driving!). Whenever.


7. Where can we find you on the net?

http://www.kristin-walker.com/
http://twitter.com/kristin_walker
http://www.facebook.com/kristin.walker3
http://www.myspace.com/kristin_walker_writes
http://walkwrite.livejournal.com/
http://krisitn-walker.blogspot.com/
also at the Tenners:
http://community.livejournal.com/10_ers/


8. What next for you?
Apparently, I'm supposed to write more books, so I guess I'll do that. Wish me luck!

9. Any last words?
Just to say that this was fun! Thanks for having me here!

Thanks for the interview, Kristin!

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: 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.


Review: This was ridiculously HIGH-LARIOUS. There are just so many things going on in this book that make me want to laugh. Not bad, of course--but in the best possible way ever imagined. It was mostly unpredictable-- except for something that I am glad I figured out! (Hehe...) Fiona is such an entertaining character, along with all the others. Anyway--enough about the comical aspects of it, let's get to what really matters!

This book has a message.

Unlike many YA books out there, you can really see what it was meant for. There are little hints that weave the theme together. For me, the best thing about this book was it contained dynamic characters. They change for the better, and you just have to remember that first impressions aren't necessarily correct. Everything came together perfectly by the end of the book, and I can't stop saying this, but the debut authors this year are really UNBELIEVABLY INCREDIBLE IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE.

Get your butt out there, and read this for a whole segment of laughs, happiness, and deliciousness!
What I thought of...
The Beginning: From this point, I didn't really like some of the characters, Todd in particular but it changed later...
The Middle: I couldn't stop cracking up. All those jokes and pranks were hilarious.
The End: I liked how I could see change in a lot of the characters. I definitely liked the ending.
FTC: Received from publisher for OST