Summer Hiatus Review - Rumors by Anna Godbersen

It's been some time since Elizabeth Holland's mysterious death entranced the New York socialites. And now, It's her younger sister Diana that they have their eyes on. Since Henry Schoonmaker, the young bachelor Elizabeth was engaged to before her death, is now available, he's also one of the people in the spotlight. The other is the wily Penelope Hayes whose main goal is to bring down the Holland family and claim Henry for her own. Besides, they've known each other all their lives, so it's only right. But what people don't know about is Diana's secret affair with Henry and the fact that the Holland's large fortune is dwindling after Diana's father died a short time before Elizabeth. But is it really proper for a young man to be in the minds of so many women so soon after his fiance's death even if the engagement wasn't one based on love? And with rumors of Elizabeth still being alive floating around, things get complicated. Will we ever learn what really happened to Elizabeth? And who will claim Henry in the end?

Yum, yum, yum. This book was just as delightful as the first one in the series which I am really happy about. Sometimes, you get an amazing first book and then a really bad sequel, but in the Luxe series, that is not the case. Thankfully. I completely loved hearing more about all of the scandal surrounding the families that I had come to know and love in the previous book. I think one of the things that is the best about this series is that Anna Godbersen has the perfect writing style to go along with the storyline. She knows how to write so that even the language aspect of the book draws you into a world that's far from your own. Also, the plot was really amazing. There were a ton of twists and surprises that left my mouth open, and my mind scrambling. But in a good way of course. These were nice and luscious twists that were completely plausible but at the same time unexpected. The ending especially nearly wrenched me apart. I almost cried! Yikes! It's a little wierd to confess to crying over a book that's purely fluff made for enjoyment. But it's the kind of book that gets you to relate to the characters and actually care about what happens to them. That's definitely one of the parts that keeps me coming back for more. I feel like I'm actually in the turn of the century New York, which is saying something because not only do I have no idea what New York's like, I do not in any way know what anything around that time period would be like. But the book is such that you can't help but be drawn in. And although this series is completely fluffy, I still love it to pieces and I can't wait for the next book, Envy. If you haven't read the first book, The Luxe, you had better go and pick it up soon!


Oh, and happy Fourth of July!!! Go out and watch some American fireworks for me! :P

Summer Hiatus Review - The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Jenna Fox can’t remember anything about herself. She doesn’t know her name, recognize her parents, or have any memories of the past that would help her to fit into a new and strange life among people who she doesn’t know and who don’t understand her. She’s told that she was in a terrible accident but she knows that there are some things that her over protective parents are not telling her. When bits and pieces of her former life begin to come together Jenna discovers a shocking truth about herself, her memories, her friends, and ultimately, her new life. In a world where technology is taking over and anything can happen, that “anything” happens to Jenna. And while some people may be supportive of these new advances, others are deeply opposed. Will Jenna be able to sort out what she believes and discover who she was and who she is to become?

I adored (haha) this book so much. I think the main thing that made the whole story work was that it covered an extremely interesting topic and dealt with the difficult subject of mortality in a manner that didn’t force an opinion and yet still kept the book intriguing and semi-light. When you write about a heavy subject, it has a tendency to bring the book down and sometimes that’s a good thing, but in The Adoration of Jenna Fox, the story was written in such a way that it forced you to think and still kept the story moving. And it wasn’t just the topic of the book that made it so good, it was also the whole style of it; writing and otherwise. I liked how there were little poems and dictionary excerpts dispersed throughout the book. It helped to keep everything interesting and fresh which is always good. The writing style of the book was perfect too. It was flowing, smooth, and fit the whole book perfectly. It’s not often that you find a writing style that compliments and enhances a book rather than just tell the story. I also loved, loved, loved the cover. You’re never going to see a book cover much more beautiful than this one. Don’t you think? And that’s really a huge factor in a book because that’s the first thing you see. I think the whole “don’t judge a book by its cover” thing is actually rather misguided because the cover is a big part of how people are going to perceive a book. If it has a cheesy or bad cover, that’s what people are going to expect of the story and that’s probably actually a good assumption because if the publishing people haven’t spent a bunch of time on the visual aspect of the book, why would they pay attention to the writing? I’m rambling though. For me, the whole entire book was marvelous and couldn’t be improved any more. It was addicting, interesting, valuable, and pretty much just fabulous. I’m sad that I waited this long to read it! I highly recommend that you go out and pick up a copy soon; I’m sure it’ll be worth it.

Summer Hiatus Review - Read My Lips by Teri Brown

When she transfers to her new school, Serena just wants to fit in, have friends, and not attract tons of attention. That dream is shattered when the popular crowd discover that she has an amazing skill for reading lips. Think of what you could do with that ability! You would get the inside scoop on pretty much every one's lives and that fact is realized by the most snotty girls in school, who just happen to have a secret of their own. Then a cute boy gets added in to the mix. He's mysterious, adorable, down to earth, and most importantly is enamored with Serena. She wants to keep her spying a secret from everyone, but when things start to escalate quickly, she's pulled in over her head. Will Serena be able to escape the clutches of some seriously witchy girls, make friends of her own, and get herself the guy, or will she be stuck doing other people's dirty work for the rest of her high school career?

This book was decent. I hadn't read very many reviews prior to reading it so I wasn't sure what to expect. And I was pleasantly surprised. The faults in the book, I think were that the character development wasn't great, the plot was predictable, and the whole concept of the sorority seemed rather random and thrown together for me. But don't worry, there were other parts of the book that were good too. I like that the author tackled the new subject of being deaf. I've never ever read a book about anything along that line and it was very cool to read something from the point of view of someone who had to deal with the challenges of being deaf every day. It really put that in perspective for me. I also liked the character of Miller a lot. While he was moody and hormonal, which got a little annoying, he was mysterious and captivating. I can totally imagine falling for a guy like him. *sighs* Don't you just hate it when you read about some perfect guy in a book and then realize that they aren't real and you're going to have to find some less than perfect guy to fill the gaping whole that this character left in your chest (slight exaggeration there)? I mean, Edward, Cabel, Owen, Jace, Dimitri, Jacob (can't believe I just wrote that), and now Miller. Ugh! Why can't authors write about detestable icky guys for once so that us fan girls can leave our hearts open for realistic and might I say, slightly disappointing guys. :D /rant. Ha. Anywho, when all is said and done, Read My Lips was a pretty decent book. Nothing spectacular or mind blowing but it was a nice and fluffy summer read nonetheless, and one that I'd recommend if you want to read something quick and light.

And I'm Out

Yes, you heard me. I'm leaving. But only temporarily and unwillingly. Don't worry. Well it's not exactly unwillingly that I'm going on a month long trip to a foreign country, because that's going to be totally awesome (And I'm not telling you where I'm going because I want to see if you guys are going to be able to guess from the pictures I'm posting when I get back. Ha. Better study up on your world landmarks.). It's unwillingly that I'm giving up my internet and therefore my blog while I'm away for that month. I'm going to be traveling tons while I'm gone and it just wouldn't really be worth it to have random and sporadic posts that would maybe or maybe not contain reviews because I might not actually have time to type up something of any quality. So with that thought, I have provided you readers with the delight of reading a new review around every four days while I'm not actually posting. Is that cool or what? I just figured out how to use that scheduled posting thing and I'm loving it. So while I might not actually be visiting my blog much or any during the next month, you guys still get to "hear from me". Technically speaking.

And don't worry, I'm taking a bunch of books with me to read. I'm hoping to get a ton of reading in, although I have a feeling that I'm bringing a book or two too much because I'm thinking that there is no way I'm going to get sixteen books finished in a month. I'm just not that efficient. But you can still look forward to a huge wave of reviews from the list of the following books when I get back:

Why I Let My Hair Grow Out by Maryrose Wood

How I Found The Perfect Dress by Maryrose Wood

The Second Virginity of Susy Green by Sara Hantz

The Queen Geek Social Club by Laura Preble

Queen Geeks in Love by Laura Preble

Smart Boys and Fast Girls by Stephie Davis
The Secret Life Of A Teenage Siren by Wendy Toliver

Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Killer Spirit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Book of Luke by Jenny O'Connell

Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess

Leftovers by Laura Wiess

So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld

I Was A Teenage Popsicle by Bev Katz Rosenbaum

Model by Cheryl Diamond

La Petite Four by Regina Scott

Wow that's a long list. And I had to bring all paperbacks also because of the weight limits that they have on bags nowadays. I'm trying to pack light. It's an unsuccessful attempt sadly. But be sure to look out for a whole slew of reviews around late July. I hope that I'm able to read a majority of those books to make it up to you guys for leaving. I'm so sad! And I'm also hoping to have a big contest when I get back also, so you should definitely look out for that.

Enjoy my scheduled reviews (commenting on them might score you a few extra entries in the mysterious contest later on), and wish me luck as I brave jet lag, foreign food, and a bunch of people who won't understand English! :P See you guys soon!

Me, As A Guest Blogger

So over at her wonderful blog Harmony Book Reviews, Harmony has set up an awesome new feature where she lets us reviewers have a chance in the limelight by being featured in a guest blog or interview. And guess whose blog post got published today? Mine! You guys should all definitely head over and check it out. Maybe leave a comment. I would love you forever! You can find my rather nerdy post about summer reading here. And thanks so much to the fantabulous Harmony for her amazing idea and for letting humble little me be featured. :P

Lucky by Rachel Vail

Phoebe Avery has always been a lucky girl. Both of her parents are successful business people and she has lived in the lap of luxury for as long as she can remember. Everything she could ever want is at her fingertips and that's exactly the way she likes it. She's also having a ton of fun planning a big bash for her eighth grade graduation with her four best friends. Everything is perfectly coordinated and put in place and Phoebe knows that it's going to be the night of her life. Especially if she gets to wear that delicious green dress she saw in Teen Vogue in front of her on again, off again, sometimes, maybe boyfriend. Then something goes wrong. Phoebe's mom gets fired from her job and Phoebe is forced into the real world where money matters and people have to work for what they want. When Phoebe's check for the party arrangements bounces, she fears that everyone will find out about her misfortune and she won't be such a lucky girl anymore. Will she be able to pull through trials of friendship, money, and romance to show that she really is a strong Avery woman?

*scratches chin thoughtfully* It wasn't until after I finished this book that I realized that it was more of a middle grade book. And for that, I'm going to cut it some slack. While the characters were stereotypical and the plot events were cheesy and predictable, I guess this could still count as a decent book. I think the whole thing was rather boring though. I just wasn't jumping out of my seat with passion, excitement, surprise, or anything. Which kind of stinks. And with a cover as cool as this one, you'd expect a fabulous book to go along with it wouldn't you? And while it didn't meet my expectations, there's still a certain sort of earnest feeling about it. You could tell that the author wasn't so much about realism but about getting the message across which is laudable. It really is a good message. Phoebe came from this background of pampering and had to learn that not everything revolved around her. In the end she discovered that life isn't about the material things, it's about friendships and family; which is a message that should be driven home for middle grade girls everywhere. I really hate seeing those materialistic rich girls who get everything they want. It's a serious pet peeve of mine. And I'm not saying that people who are well-off are bad are horrible, far from it, just be smart about it. You know what I mean? Oh and the last thing that bugged me about this book was that all the girls were dating in, like sixth grade. I certainly didn't date or get any action when I was in middle school so I don't really know how realistic that aspect of the book was. Or maybe I was just a girl that no guy would want to go out with in middle school. Heh. Anyways, although Lucky wasn't astounding in any way, the message was cute and well meant which redeems the book somewhat. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this trilogy from Phoebe's older sisters' perspectives. Hopefully I'll be able to relate to them more as they're closer to my age. :D

Birthdays...

It's that time of year again...at least for me. It is the time when I get to officially turn one year older, and really, it's about time. Don't you ever get the feeling that after a year of usage, your age is starting to sound a little young and it's time to move it up a notch? Well, that's about how I feel. I've always been told that I look old for my age, which I suppose could be taken as compliment...I guess. So whenever my birthday rolls around, I always breathe a sigh of relief because it means that I'm one year closer to actually looking the age that I tell people I am. If that makes any sense...

And so in honor of my special day, I've decided to let myself post about anything I wanted to. I hope this isn't boring for any of you. After much speculation, I've decided to devote this post to my favorite literary heroine. No, it's not Bella, Hermione, Princess Mia, or any of those other girls. My favorite bookish female is Olivia. Olivia the Pig. Anyone familiar with her? Now you might be thinking; Olivia the pig? But she's from a children's book! Children's books are lame! And to that I would say; while some chilren's books are rather, shall we say, lame, others are complete works of genius, the Olivia The Pig series standing among the more genius of the bunch. Not only is the writing witty, precise, and hilarious, the drawings really are fabulous.
Don't you just love her? I think one of my favorite parts in the the books is when Olivia tells her class this huge story about how she ran the circus and tamed lions and got tattoos. She concludes the story with; Then one time my dad took me sailing. The End. Ha! I don't know if you guys think that that's funny, but I really do. It's the simplest form of comedy but it cracks me up every time. Wow am I easily entertained. Oh, and then the following dialog goes on with her teacher: " Was that true?" Olivia's teacher asks. "Pretty true," says Olivia. "All true?" "Pretty all true." "Are you sure Olivia?" "To the best of my recollection." Oh my goodness, that whole paragraph has me on the floor laughing. But maybe it's just me being biased because the main character has my name. I don't know. Anyways, over the years I myself have accumulated quite the collection of Olivia the Pig paraphernalia. I have a tea set, a charm bracelet, a jewelry box, a lap desk, a puzzle, and a purse. I even have the original book signed by the author. It says; To Olivia from Ian Falconer and Olivia. Hehe. And if you haven't discovered Olivia the Pig by now, I urge you to go out to a bookstore and pick up one of her books. I guarantee that you will laugh out loud at the author's subtle style of humor. You're going to appreciate the series even if your name's not Olivia. :D And it will show you that there are really some quality children's books out there! Of course I never doubted that, but still...

And that concludes my little birthday post. I hope it wasn't too excruciating, boring, or weird. :P I'm really glad to be starting a new year! And no, I am sadly not having any contests or fun things like that. I wish I could, but as I'm going away soon, I really don't want the hassle. But be sure to look forward to a super duper big contest when I get back (the 20th of July)! I promise you that it will be completely awesome.

Happy Birthday to me...