Summer!

Summer is just around the corner, like literally just around the corner! For me, summer means books. I read like a maniac during this time of year. Mostly, I think, because my library does a summer reading program and depending on how many books you read you get a gift card to Target, or...wait for it...BARNES AND NOBLE!!! It's a win-win situation all around! I get to read a bazillion books and get free money to buy more books - Happy Dance!

 

So anyway, I am challenging myself this summer to post a book review of EVERY book I read this summer. Evey. Single. One. Hopefully, at the end of the summer, I'll be better at writing book reviews. Plus, it will give you all a laugh to see me mess up profoundly on each one I write. ;)

Any book suggestions? I'd love to hear them!

Book Review: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Addie and Eva are hybrids.

They are two souls in one body.

All people start out like this, but eventually one soul is dominant and the other flutters away permanently. Those who do not 'settle' are considered hybrids and are hunted down. That's why Eva and Addie must keep their secret...well, secret. Addie is pretty much the dominant soul - she controls all their body's actions. Eva is on the edge of dissapearing - all she can do is watch and think. She has no control over their body. Addie and Eva can talk in their mind and they fight just like all close sisters do.

They also love each other like all close sisters do.

But is that enough? When their worst fear comes true and threatens to force one of them into nonexistence, will Addie and Eva have the strength and courage to save themselves...and perhaps others like them; other hybrids?



I won this book off of a drawing I entered at the notebooksisters blog. I was super excited, but at the same time a little skeptical. A book about two people -two souls- in one body? Creepy, right? Wrong. Well, it was a little strange (and maybe a tad creepy in some parts) but overall I greatly enjoyed it. The plot is fresh and original and kept me hanging on the edge of my seat. There were times when the story was going a little too slow for my taste, but somehow each word kept me interested. The ending left me yearning for more and I can't wait for the sequel!

20 Book Questions

 I got these questions from nerdybookwormy's blog.

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

Like a book I haven't gotten around to reading yet? I'd have to say Starlighter by Brian Davis...I've just been so busy with school (lame excuse, I know)

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next? 

Current: Nothing (shocked silence...), Last: Mark of Athena by Rick Riordon (reading them with my brother, they're okay. Not great), Next: who knows? I'm random when it comes to books! (and everything else in life...)

3. What book did everyone like and you hated?

I don't really have an answer to that - most of the books I read no one's ever heard of lol

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t? 

 Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens...I don't know why I can't bring myself to do it!

5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?” 

Well, I have a summer list, if that's what you mean. On that (enormous) list I have Cinder and Scarlet by Marissa Meyers

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?

When I was younger I always read the last page, but now I say WAIT TILL THE END!!!

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?.

I never read them.

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

Dasha from The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?

The Goose Girl (first of the Books of Bayern)

10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (You can read how I got it here)

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?.

Not really special but I did give books away at a yard sale

12. Which book has been with you to the most places?

 I always have like a thousand books in my bag and they're never the same :D

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later? 

I'm still in high school, but I didn't really enjoy A Tale of Two Cities at first, now I kinda do.

14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?

A little girl's school calendar 

15. Used or brand new?

Both! I love finding awesome books at yard sales and thrift stores, but I also love the feeling of a brand new never-been-touched-before book.

6. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?

Never read any of his books.

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

Unfortunately, yes. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole was a tad better than the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series it was based on.

18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been made into a movie?

I've never read them, but I'm just gonna say Twilight because I've seen it and didn't like it one bit.

19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?.

All books make me want to snack on something, I don't know why.
 

20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

I have a very open mind to everyone's suggestions and love reading different genres to see what I like best :)


Feel free to copy and paste these questions onto your own blogs! All I ask is you let me know so I can read your answers :D 

Blog Party Game: Pass the Parcel

 The Notebook Sisters (one of my new fave blogs) are throwing a blog party! This game is called "pass the parcel"...but it's more like "answer these incredibly difficult questions"!

1. Name your top 5 favorite YA authors!
Seriously? Ya'll are just pure evil! ;) I don't know if I could ever just pick five, but I guess I'll have to try...
       
~ Shannon Hale,
~ Rachel Coker, 
~Trenton Lee Stewart, 
~ Brian Jacques, 
~ and J.R.R Tolkien 
        
(quite a mix, huh?)



2. What's the last YA book you read and what did you think of it? 

Umm...let's see if I can remember...Hmmm...
I think it was Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker.
No, it was The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (they're the only real books my almost 12-year-old brother will read, so I agreed to read them with him)


3. What's your favorite YA genre? (Dystopian, romance, sci-fi, contemporary, etc.)

Fantasy Fiction. I like a fantasy book with suspense, a tad bit of romance, battle scenes, comedy, and clear words...if that makes any sense.


4. Let's talk characters! Pick a character you love and tell us why?

Oh, goodness. Just one? Hmm...I think I'll have to go with Dasha from the Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale. She's a lot like me, I suppose that's why I like her. Then again, I can relate to almost ALL of Shannon's characters! Anyway, back to Dasha. She has a diplomatic approach to things, so do I, (but if talking it out doesn't work I usually show my Enna [another character in the series] side and end up pinning the person on the ground). Also, Dasha laughs and smiles like me. I know that's a weird thing to compare, but it's true! When she's especially happy, her nose wrinkles when she smiles - same with me. :)


5. Top YA villain?

Gollum. Totally.


6. Top YA couple?

I'd either say Dasha and Razo, or Gollum and The Ring. (no sarcasm there)


7. With dystopian on the decline, what do you think will be the next hot-trend in YA?

I have no clue, I really am never "up-to-date" on the newest trends. So, instead of saying some completely unintelligent answer, I'm gonna say: I. Have. No. Clue. But I hope it's something action-packed,epic, and funny, never forget funny.


8. What's the next YA book on your to-be-read pile?

I've been making a list of all the books I want to read over summer because I'm so super busy with school and haven't had time to read much (sniffle). Here's a fragment of that list:

Cinder and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Nine Lives of Chloe King trilogy by Liz Braswell (maybe)
The Dragons in Our Midst series by Brian Davis


9. What's the fastest time you've ever finished reading a book in? (And what was the book?!)

Haha, I remember it so clearly the first time I read a book in a day. I was 12 and read the Little House on the Prairie book: The Long Winter. Since then, I've finished (especially good) books in a couple of intense hours...I think the last book I truly devoured was Avalon High by Meg Cabot.


10. (And now for the burning question) Do you think books should be sorted according to colour or title? (This matters.)

Color. Definitely. It looks way more organized that way. Not that I've ever done that, my books are just strewn about wherever they please.

(Book Review) Books of Bayern Series: Goose Girl

"In layer upon layer of detail a beautiful coming-of-age story emerges, a tale about learning to rescue yourself rather than falling accidentally into happily-ever-after. Hale uncovers her theme patiently and without preaching, focusing not on the moral but on the adventures her heroine must face in order to learn the lessons herself. The truly frightening moments are never gratuitous. Young readers may recognize parallels with their own lives in even her most magical adventures: the loneliness of feeling peculiar, the devastation of betrayal, the pride of sharing your talents and the joy of finding people to love and trust."
New York Times Book Review


(Here's a little backstory of how I came to completely fall in love with Shannon Hale's books) 

When I was around 12-years-old I found a book at the library called 'Princess Academy'. I devoured that book. Unfortunately, at that age, I didn't have the knowledge to look for more books by the same author. Then I moved across the country and the 'Princess Academy' faded into the background as a book I'd never forget. Then one day my family traveled to South Carolina to visit my Gramma, and she surprised me with a ginormous pile of books she'd got for five dollars at a garage sale. To my complete enthrallment, one of those books was 'Princess Academy' by Shannon Hale! Once again, I devoured that book. Then twice. Then, once at the library, I found Full Cast Audio's production of it. I can truthfully say I listened to that book daily for weeks upon weeks. I also can truthfully say I still did not have the knowledge to look for more books by my new favorite author. I guess luck was on my side, because one day I stumbled upon Full Cast Audio's production of the 'Goose Girl'...also by Shannon Hale! I felt so stupid! Why had I not thought of looking for other books by her?!? I grabbed the audiobook without a moments hesitation. I devoured that book as well (if listening to it all night until 4:00 am counts [I did not fully appreciate a night of good sleep back then]. In a month I'd read all of the Books of Bayern and then went on to search for the audiobooks...but that's another story for another time. ;)

Okay, I lied. That was not a 'little' backstory. I'm so sincerely sorry. Please accept my condolences.

Now on to my review!

 This story is beautifully written in a way that flows fluently and gracefully. There aren't too many long adjectives, but every scene is amazingly descriptive. I think one reason I love Shannon Hale's books is that I envy want to copy her writing style. Her books are written in a way that leaves me yearning for more. Something else I admire is the way she writes the dialogue between characters, I can vividly see the characters' expressions and attitudes just by reading the words they say. This is one of my goals for writing. I also can relate to her characters. Her characters are full. They're completely thought out in a way that makes them seem real.

The main character is a princess named Anidori, she the first child, and will someday rule her home kingdom of Kildenri. At a young age she learns she has the gift to speak to birds. Unfortunately, Kildenrians are superstitious of strange and unknown things. Therefore, her aunt (who also has the gift) helps her develop her gift, while keeping it secret. Her aunt also tells her stories. Tales of three 'gifts': People-speaking, Animal-speaking, and Nature-speaking. The last was either lost or rare, for the aunt had never met one, or heard rumors of one with this gift of speaking with fire, wind, water, or tree. The queen, Ani's mother, has the gift of People-speaking. Her ability to speak with convincing grace helps her in ruling her country, but others with this gift could wreak havoc if used for selfish reasons. Ani is quiet and shy, and doesn't like attention. She is constantly worried about failing her mother, and not making a good enough queen someday. Then, a horrible accident sends her life spinning, and she learns a secret her mother has been keeping for years. Ani soon finds herself in a foreign country, hiding, afraid for her life. Without a friend, without protection, and in disguise. Months later, news from Kildenri brings a new threat, and Ani must make a decision, that may or may not work, to save two countries.

There, did I do a good job? I hope I didn't give too much info, I really don't want to spoil it for anyone!

Teen Writers' Group

 

I am thrilled to say I have joined an amazing online group of writers! I'm very excited about this, which is why I couldn't help blogging about it, and hope you'll be excited for me as well ;)

I found this group by randomly reading different blogs...yes, that is how I spend a lot of my time now-a-days...but that's besides the point - I am now a member of a community of like-minded writers! Hopefully, being part of this group will help me stay on track with my writing and encourage me to never give up when things get tough (writing wise).

Another reason I joined is because I need to expand my writing platform. A writing platform is something I've learned every writer needs before trying to publish a book; it's basically your online popularity. You see, if a publisher/editor looks you up on the internet you want your name and info to come up first. So, I'm trying to do something I would never had tried if I wasn't crazy about writing; I'm trying to become popular on the internet.

I now have a Pinterest you can follow *wink wink* (I know, that really has nothing to do with writing. But hey, whatever)

I recently (like, today, recently) made a book club community on Google+. It's public and awaiting members! Teen Book Club

And of course, please follow my blog! *puppy eyes* (pretty please? with a cherry on top?)

Comments are always welcome! *nudge nudge*

...No, I'm not trying to nonchalantly tell you something...why do you ask?

What to write, what to write?

My mind likes to wander places...and sometimes I can't stay on track with what I'm doing.

Unfortunately, I have discovered that this fact also applies to when I write.

Right now I am working on a book. My first book. Without a writing coach or anyone really helping me. Basically, I'm getting all my writing tips off the internet, which isn't bad, just confusing. One website says "do this", one website says "do that" and sometimes it's hard to prioritize what is most important when I'm writing. Also, while I'm writing, different ideas pop into my head for different stories and I have to put them aside and focus on my first goal. (I think I've mentioned that already...)

So, here's what I've been doing: I gather all the info and tips I can, then tinker around to find out what works best for me. It's a slow process - but it is process :)