Pictures of the loot

So here are some pictures of the wonderful goodies you can win if you enter the contest that I'm running right now. I had to switch the candle to a "future librarian" button because when I went to find the candles at my favorite little gift shop, they didn't have them anymore. That made me really sad, but I hope you guys like the button! I think it's super adorable. If you'd like to find out more about the contest, click here. Comments on this post will not count as entries towards the contest. Remember to get your entries in by Saturday, August 30th, at midnight, central time. Good luck! 

Undone by Brooke Taylor

1. Sing with Bleeder Valve.
2. Get a tattoo.
3. Work things out with Shay.
4. Confront D.
5. Tell Serena.
Kori Kitzler is the "dark angel" of her high school: beautiful, mysterious, the subject of rumors. Serena Moore is just an average girl: unassuming, not sure exactly who she is or who she wants to be. But then a seemingly chance encounter ignites a fateful friendship - allowing Kori to draw Serena into her world.
When the girls are given an assignment to list five things they would never dream could really happen - their five ways to tempt fate - Serena doesn't take it very seriously. But then a tragedy leaves Serena shocked, alone, and in possession of Kori's five secret impossible possibilities. Can Serena complete her best friend's list, or will she leave Kori's dreams undone?
(Summary from jacket flap)

After hearing a lot of great things about this book, I was expecting fantastic things. The only thing that really bothered me about the story was that at some points it got rather confusing. Everything was cleared up eventually, but I just didn't like the little parts where I was left hanging. Also, Serena's character got a little annoying after a while, in how she was always trying to be like Kori and didn't discover who she herself was until the very end of the book. That being said, there were tons of things that I liked about this book. The plot was very good. Even though it was a little bit predictable, I was still anticipating the next twist and flipping pages to get to the next part of the story. I also loved the character of Anthony Beck. He's the ideal boyfriend; a good kisser, supportive, and gives you your space when you need it. I'm completely in love with him. He treated Serena so well even as she was chasing after Kori's old boy toy. The best part of Undone was the huge twist at the end. I'm not going to give it away, but let's just say that it knocked me off my feet. I wasn't expecting it at all which was the greatest part. I also liked how the PostSecret postcard project was incorporated into the book. Brooke Taylor did an excellent job of having relative pop culture references in the story which added a nice edge to the narrative. All in all, I'd definitely recommend Undone. It's dark, captivating, and edgy. You won't be able to put it down.

Book Vault's Birthday Contest Riddle

This is the next leg of The Book Vault’s birthday book riddle contest! For more information on the contest, go here.
Each correct answer counts as an entry into the drawing on August 29th!
(Please enter by Aug 28th, midnight, EST)

Riddle: Falsely accused of a crime, this teenage boy is sent to a “camp” where he must dig a hole of specific dimensions each day. Is there more to this drill than the character-correcting & character-building that the warden claims it’s for?Which book is this?

Know the answer? Send Dominique an email at bookvault@yahoo.com with:

“BDAY CONTEST” in the subject line
and:
Name:
The Riddle: Falsely accused of a crime, this teenage boy is sent to a “camp” where he must dig a hole of specific dimensions each day. Is there more to this drill than the character-correcting & character-building that the warden claims it’s for?Which book is this?
Answer: (full book title + author)
The name of the site where you found the riddle: Liv’s Book Reviews
Your site’s URL: (if you have one)

Please send a separate email for each riddle you answer!

Good luck!!

Ta-da!

After playing around with the layout code and the header a little bit, a present to you a new and improved header for my blog! Yay! I like it a lot; it's much more interesting than the old one. Thank you wordle!
When I was going through the surveys I've gotten so far for my contest, the bland header was a main thing that most people commented on, and I had to agree with them. It was kind of boring and not fun.
If you guys could let me know what you think of the new one, that would be awesome! Love it, hate it, somewhere in between? I just want to know if it was worth my trouble. :) Thanks so much!

Violet by Design by Melissa Walker

I was gong to get out of the modeling business for good. But now I'm having trouble sticking iwth my decision. After all, if it wasn't for modeling, I might still be be the invisible wallflower. Hot guys like Paulo wouldn't be interested in me. And I'd never have seen Brazil or Spain - and now France! On the other hand...I also wouldn't have to choose between my best friend from home and my agent's shrill demands. Or anguish over my body the way only runway models do. Not to mention all this trouble I'm getting into for speaking out in the press about eating disorders. Maybe the life of an international model isn't for me. But if I quit for good, I might always wonder...what if?
(Summary from back of book)

I fell in love with the first book, Violet On The Runway, and I think, if possible, I liked the second book even more. In this novel, Violet matures and grows into the title of super model. She learns more about the business of modeling and what it takes to make it. She then has to decide for herself whether all the trials are worth being publicly recognized and admired. After reading a true story about modeling, the book Model, I think I've gained a little better insight into a world I previously knew nothing about and I was able to compare what the Violet books said to what Model said. What I found was, much to my surprise, that the Violet books, although they are fiction, are extremely accurate and not only do they capture the real world industry vibe, they also involve a plot that is easy and fun to follow. I don't think we could ask for much more in a book! The best part of the whole series is how we get to focus on a leading girl who is so realistic that we feel as if we know her personally. She doesn't hold back any thoughts or questions, and she gets to know herself better throughout the story. I also loved how the whole Roger/Violet dynamic worked out in this story, even if it is a little bit cliched. I can't wait to read Violet in Private to see how that drama turns out. I'm hoping for a happy ending for our heroine, and for a third book that lives up to the high standard that Violet By Design set. I have to get to the library!

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert

Punk rock is in Emily Black's blood. Her mother, Louisa, hit the road to follow the indendiary music scene when Emily was four months old and never came back. Now Emily's all grown up with a punk band of her own, determined to find the tune that will bring her mother home. Because if Louisa really is following the music, shouldn't it lead her right back to Emily?
(Summary from back of book)

I don't even know where to begin. Nothing I could say would do this book justice. It's one of the most raw, heartbreaking, and touching novels I've read. Ever. Yikes. The thing I admire the most is that I think the author really wrote from her heart. You can tell just by the way the story is told that she cared deeply about what she was writing about which is the key to any good book; an author who is connected to her story. What's amazing is that this is Stephanie Kuehnert's first novel. How someone can write something this fantastic on her first attempt in the published world is...can I use the word amazing again? The characters are deep, detailed, and flawed. The plot is twisting and you flip the pages to find out what comes next. This book really takes you away into the trying, yet exhilirating world of rock and roll. You feel as if you're going through all of Emily's triumphs and trials with her and rooting for her as she alternately makes it big and falls hard. I think I'm running out of superlatives here. Or maybe I've uses so many that they don't have any meaning any more. But they are all deserved. So let me use a few more here; this book is really amazingly fantastic and you all need to go pick up a copy quickly. Really. :P

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

Ruby Oliver is 15 and has a shrink. She knows it’s unusual, but give her a break—she’s had a rough 10 days. In the past 10 days she:
lost her boyfriend (#13 on the list),
lost her best friend (Kim),
lost all her other friends (Nora, Cricket),
did something suspicious with a boy (#10),
did something advanced with a boy (#15),
had an argument with a boy (#14),
drank her first beer (someone handed it to her),
got caught by her mom (ag!),
had a panic attack (scary),
lost a lacrosse game (she’s the goalie),
failed a math test (she’ll make it up),
hurt Meghan’s feelings (even though they aren’t really friends),
became a social outcast (no one to sit with at lunch)
and had graffiti written about her in the girls’ bathroom (who knows what was in the boys’!?!). But don’t worry—Ruby lives to tell the tale. And make more lists. (Summary from Amazon)

The one thing that sticks with you about this book was how out of the ordinary and creative it was. The idea that so many people can have an effect on your life, no matter how small is mind blowing. Maybe the kids from my preschool made me who I am today, who knows? Another thing I liked about this book was Ruby's character. She was a classic E. Lockhart creation; spunky, sarcastic, witty, and brave. Every trait a good female character should have. The author definitely didn't disappoint on that front. And the one other thing that made the book work were the hilarious footnotes that were on almost every page. I loved that the little details were added into the book that way. I enjoyed that aspect of the book a ton. There were a few little things that I wasn't fond of in the book though. One of the main issues I had was that the narrative went back and forth from past to present without warning and it would often backtrack to touch down on points already told about. I can't take a ton of moving around like that when I'm reading. Also, I didn't like how the chapters were each labeled with one of the boys on the list because towards the end, the guy's story had been told in a previous chapter and there was nothing new to add to it in the chapter that was actually entitled to him. The whole layout of the book was a little hectic and mismatched which I didn't like. I also didn't like how unloyal Ruby's friends were to her. They let a little misunderstanding come between them which didn't help the realistic-ness of the story. Those things put aside, though, The Boyfriend List is a highly enjoyable book filled with laughter, cute guys, and only a few pitfalls. I'd recommend reading it. I myself will be picking up a copy of The Boy Book soon. I can't wait to read more about Roo's hilarious mishaps.