tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29620987811153097062024-03-04T22:39:41.322-08:00Serendipity ReviewsMeggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-66858814810624540842010-07-18T10:36:00.000-07:002010-07-22T12:42:59.601-07:00In My Mailbox<div><br /><br /><br /></div><div>Hi everyone! Sorry this is a bit late (yeah I know- understatement), my cat just died (she had FIV, basically the cat version of AIDS, which she was apparently born with.) and I completely didn't feel up to posting. I promise there will be minimum moping in this post :P</div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div><strong>Recieved for Review:</strong></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia3ZuAkVKavl0ZwbE25r26e7awAKGQMlYJiBNizYj2j6cAoi0jNJamtJQbedeG1_u_6JPIaMZ81pk-FMcQZM1Qj6hPYlumsHMjPv9YSY_nY4DgapnDoOA4oYoYY7TeMw3F2o8-alEn-k8/s1600/DigitalCameraPics+084.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496805765830512642" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia3ZuAkVKavl0ZwbE25r26e7awAKGQMlYJiBNizYj2j6cAoi0jNJamtJQbedeG1_u_6JPIaMZ81pk-FMcQZM1Qj6hPYlumsHMjPv9YSY_nY4DgapnDoOA4oYoYY7TeMw3F2o8-alEn-k8/s400/DigitalCameraPics+084.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div>You Wish by Mandy Hubbard (TBR August 5th, 2010 from Razorbill Publishing) (finished already)</div><div>The Secrets of April, May and June by Robin Benway (TBR August 3rd, 2010 from Razorbill Publishing)</div><div></div><div>Thanks so much to Razorbill Publishing for giving me complementary copies of these two great books for review!<br /></div><div><strong>Library:</strong></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9oUL0SJ9kTc09oVIDxnK9237zUgSIruyaMJjVv_hUPu32wwU2LQhDUTq69TAhk8y1DX-FVHRYVDPN0ZnfFzpvZ4MXTcy4VvHr4k2xPLkFNyeGMyG4qdhryl1kCmlM1ViZIsEfNGgc14/s1600/DigitalCameraPics+085.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496805770729841394" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9oUL0SJ9kTc09oVIDxnK9237zUgSIruyaMJjVv_hUPu32wwU2LQhDUTq69TAhk8y1DX-FVHRYVDPN0ZnfFzpvZ4MXTcy4VvHr4k2xPLkFNyeGMyG4qdhryl1kCmlM1ViZIsEfNGgc14/s400/DigitalCameraPics+085.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div></div><div>From 2 different libraries... I know it seems like a lot, but I returned all the other books<em> </em>I had out, soooo.... it evens out, right? *cough*</div><div></div><div>Kitchen Princess Vol. 1 (Manga)</div><div></div><div>The Heart is Not A Size by Beth Kephart</div><div></div><div>Me, the Missing and the Dead by Jenny Valentine (one of my favorite authors)</div><div></div><div>Margherita Dolce Vita by Stefano Benni (I'm in love with this imprint, Europa Editions!)</div><div></div><div>Solanin by Asano Inio (Manga I've been trying to get FOREVER)</div><div></div><div>The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti (I really haven't liked Caletti's work at all, but I'm giving her another chance)</div><div></div><div>The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin</div><div></div><div>A Good Day for Love Letters- George Asakura (not sure how I feel about the art)</div><div></div><div>Gentleman Prefer Blondes- Anita Loos</div><div></div><div>Cooking With Fernet Branca- James Patterson-Hamilton</div><div></div><div>Gourmet Rhapsody- Muriel Barbery</div><div></div><div>The Queen of the Tambourine- Jane Gardam</div><div></div><div>Kimmie66- Aaron Alexovich (I wish this imprint hadn't closed, Minx was so great!)</div><div></div><div>Emily the Strange: The Lost Days-Rob Reger (I have no idea what this is, it just looked cool. Is it a series?)</div><div></div><div>The Ghosts of Ashbury High- Jaclyn Moriarty (YAY! I love this series!)</div><div></div><div>The Evolution Man, or How I Ate My Father- Roy Lewis (Weird, I know :P)</div><div></div><div>Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- Jonathan Foer </div><div></div><div>The Line- Teri Hall (I never got to finish it)</div><div></div><div>Sorry- Gail Jones</div><div></div><div>Gimme A Call- Sarah Mylnowski</div><div></div><div>Wonderland- Tommy Kovac and Sonny Leiw (Pretty.... *gape*)</div><div></div><div>JPod- Douglas Coupland (love it even more than I thought I would, considering I'm not a fan of the pessimistic, vaguely pretentious Generation X stuff)</div><div></div><div>*deep breath* Even more than I thought I'd checked out.</div><div></div><div><strong>Bought:</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6QT_CKYF-FVlXENOjDVhyDjlaTrOEz7S3ZtqWINftPipKKE07WXoQbSFXayquSqaGUxpotaFlEJwwk9oWcsq8WJlNHJm25PXfXifLqgZU7r_eCCnZa0aD8KJ9KN6VxjY82DDGd2xR5o/s1600/DigitalCameraPics+086.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496805784441445138" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6QT_CKYF-FVlXENOjDVhyDjlaTrOEz7S3ZtqWINftPipKKE07WXoQbSFXayquSqaGUxpotaFlEJwwk9oWcsq8WJlNHJm25PXfXifLqgZU7r_eCCnZa0aD8KJ9KN6VxjY82DDGd2xR5o/s400/DigitalCameraPics+086.jpg" border="0" /></a></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div>All but 2 of these (the one on top and the one on the bottom) are from a used book store. I got them for only 50 cents each down in Mississippi! *dance* Oh, and I got the Great Gatsby too, but I forgot to dig it out from under my bed (books are everywhere under there in my room, as I just got a new bookshelf and have yet to stock it). It's scary under there.</div><div></div><div>Dr. Slump Vol. 1 by Akira Toriyama (my favorite manga ever! The art is so simple but genius. Toriyama is great.)</div><div></div><div>The Taker- J. M. Steele </div><div></div><div>A Farewell to Arms- Ernest Hemingway</div><div></div><div>Great Short Works of Mark Twain</div><div></div><div>The Picture of Dorian Gray and Other Writings- Oscar Wilde</div><div></div><div>Pygmalion and 3 Other Plays- George Bernard Shaw </div><div></div><div>Pygmalion and My Fair Lady (in too horrible condition to show: my dog got a hold of it! Luckily I had finished it on the trip back from Texas :P)</div><div></div><div>The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald (I like it much more than I expected to.)</div><div></div><div>***********888</div><div></div><div><em>Finally done with the list! I got a lot of great books this week, and didn't even spend that much money. A lot of these I've been trying to track down, and finally did, which is awesome :) Mostly mangas that weren't at B&N or either of my libraries. So, what was in you mailbox this week?</em></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div>Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-33008813022348433652010-07-08T19:14:00.000-07:002010-07-08T19:47:05.812-07:00Interview With Yvonne Prinz, Author of the Vinyl Princess!(While we're on the subject of reviews, sorry for my lack thereof- that's going to change, I promise :))<br /><br />Thanks so much to Yvonne Prinz, author of the fantastic book The Vinyl Princess (my review <a href="http://http//serendipityreviews.blogspot.com/2010/06/vinyl-princess-by-yvonne-prinz.html">here</a>), for this interview!<br /><br /><br />A short bio of Yvonne: Yvonne and her husband own the largest indie record store in the world, Ameoba Records, in California. The Vinyl Princess is her first YA novel, and she also has a middle grade series about a girl named Claire, who is always getting into trouble. She also has a new book coming out in December, "All You Get is Me," which Prinz describes as a modern-day "To Kill A Mocking Bird".<br /><br />************<br /><br />So, here's the interview:<br /><br />1. Were you anything like Allie when you were growing up?<br />I was very much like Allie, I worked in a record store in Canada when I was sixteen and I absolutely lived for music.<br /><br />2. Did you listen to a lot of music while you were writing? If so, what?<br />I did, actually. Usually I find it too distracting but I wanted the energy of the music to inform my writing. I listened to Joe Strummer, Billy Bragg, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, David Bowie, really, all the music that appears in the book was sitting next to me as I wrote.<br /><br />3. What inspired you to write The Vinyl Princess?<br />Owning a record store did. I felt like it's an unexplored culture for a lot of people, sad, because it's been so scaled back and wonderful because it brings out the most interesting people. I set out to re-create what I'd seen every day working at Amoeba in Berkeley.<br /><br />4. Tell us about your amazing record store, Amoeba Records.<br />We started as a sort of mom and pop kind of place in Berkeley 1990 but it just sort of took off. Now we have a big store on Haight Street in SF and an even bigger store in LA on Sunset Blvd. We do free live shows all the time and we cater to the collectors as well as the people who didn't grow up with record stores. Each store has it's own personality.<br /><br />5. How and when did you start collecting records, and how many do you own?<br />I was hooked when my Dad brought home Abby Road when I was a kid. I started collecting then but I left that collection when I moved from Canada to California so I had to start over. I've never actually counted my records but my collection has morphed with my husband's and we must have thousands.<br /><br />6. What song best describes you?<br />That changes daily. Right now it's "The First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes.<br /><br />7. In the book, Allie puts an Elvis Costello quote on her blog, about how the mp3 has "dismantled" the record. Is that how you feel about digital downloading, and what's your opinion on the future of vinyl and indie record stores?<br />Well, I think we all have to accept that downloading is here to stay. I'm excited to see that turntables are now readily available at your local Target store. I sure didn't predict that, and young kids are embracing vinyl! Man, that does my heart good. I think we can all agree that nothing compares to breaking the seal on a new vinyl record and spinning it for your friends to hear. The stores are fast disappearing but long live Amoeba!<br /><br />8. Are you working on any other books right now?<br />I have a new book coming out in December called "All You Get Is Me". It's a sort of a "To Kill A Mockingbird" for these times with Mexican Migrant Farmworkers at it's center.<br /><br />9. Will the be a sequel to The Vinyl Princess?<br />People seem to want one but who knows? Where would I take Allie next? If you can think of somewhere, let me know.<br /><br />**************<br /><br />Thanks again to Yvonne Prinz!<br /><br />Her new book: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8464957-all-you-get-is-me">All You Get is Me</a>Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-90282050768333199602010-06-25T07:25:00.000-07:002010-06-28T20:34:39.789-07:00The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69rqjJYGRLr7EzVKvNsOsCvE6TRQxSFG0lexwcdoGgKEc7AIjaH89czGtQTQZpoT6k_dzqUojNjNzfJEYdEsDcttvvNIxZG906iccDf3bizTG0aBQncvTOQBPN9S34szjayRhKhaD16U/s1600/veep.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486717990845387154" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69rqjJYGRLr7EzVKvNsOsCvE6TRQxSFG0lexwcdoGgKEc7AIjaH89czGtQTQZpoT6k_dzqUojNjNzfJEYdEsDcttvvNIxZG906iccDf3bizTG0aBQncvTOQBPN9S34szjayRhKhaD16U/s400/veep.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Title</em>: The Vinyl Princess<br /><br /><br /><em>Author</em>: Yvonne Prinz<br /><br /><br /><em>Publisher/ Release Date</em>: HarperTeen (December 22, 2009)<br /><br /><br /><em># of Pages (Hardcover)</em>: 320<br /><br /><br /><em>MSRP (Hardcover)</em>: $16.99<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Summary (courtesy of Amazon</em>): Summer is here, and 16-year-old Allie, a self-professed music geek, is exactly where she wants to be: working full-time at Berkeley’s ultra-cool Bob and Bob Records. There, Allie can spend her days bantering with the street people, talking the talk with the staff, shepherding the uncool bridge-and-tunnel shoppers, all the while blissfully surrounded by music, music, music. It’s the perfect setup for her to develop her secret identity as The Vinyl Princess, author of both a brand-new zine and blog. From the safety of her favourite place on earth, Allie is poised to have it all: love, music and blogging. Her mother, though, is actually the one getting the dates, and business at Allie’s beloved record store is becoming dangerously slow—not to mention that there have been a string of robberies in the neighbourhood. At least her blog seems to be gaining interest, one vinyl junkie at a time….<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />**********<br /><p><br />I know it's only about mid-year, but the Vinyl Princess is, hands-down, the best book I've read in 2010. I love everything about it: the characters, the setting, the countless musical references, and most importantly, the subject of vinyl and vinyl culture, and how it needs to be preserved. If we don't, we won't meet people like Allie, our protagonist, who knows everything you could ever want to know about music, looks like, according to her, "the child of Sid Vicious," and considers her thousands of LP's a modest collection- can we really afford to lose awesome people like this?</p><p>My favorite thing about this book was the characters. Heavy readers of YA chick-lit will recognize the character archetypes: the sharp, witty protagonist, the lovable (if, at times, ditzy) best friend, the guy who isn't what he seems, and the guy who has been there all along. But they aren't flat stereotypes- Prinz's characters are all painted wonderfully, with their own unique and engaging personalities. And side characters are cast aside and treated as plot devices, either, with each one carefully crafted- even the ones that don't do or say much speak volumes about Allie and her world.</p><p>I also loved the setting of Prinz's novel, Telegraph Avenue. Full of more hippies, "bridge-and-tunnel shoppers", and other unconventional populace than you've ever laid eyes on, Telegraph Avenue is a great reflection of the book overall: quirky, funny, and full of surprises.</p><p>But my very favorite thing about this book is the way music plays such a big part in it. Good music, too: Just flipping through this book, there's references to everyone from Bob Dylan to the Avett Brothers to the Beatles and Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen and... *takes a breath* Well, you get the point. Allie basically has the best taste in music ever. If you're an "audiophile", too, you might see references that remind you of an old favorite, and if you're don't know much about music, this book is practically a field guide to records.<br /></p><p>Overall, in The Vinyl Princess, we find a funny, true voice that needs to be heard, one speaking out for indie record store culture and for the preservation of vinyl in general. Not only that, but it teaches our generation, living in the age of digital downloading, to love vinyl again. There book shows the beauty of the physical involvement in putting on a record, examining it breathlessly for scratches, and enjoying it like the girl on the cover: the waves of nostalgia, the familiarity of the crackling on a well-worn record. And there's something for everyone in this book: romance, music, fashion, drama, and a little bit of crime mystery, too. Read this book in your attic on an old bean bag chair with a stack of carefully selected records, and enjoy. </p>Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-90673164129475852522010-05-23T18:53:00.001-07:002010-05-23T19:12:53.148-07:00In My Mailbox(Hey, sorry I've become one of those blogging people who don't publish comments forEVER, and only post once every 10 days or so!)<br /><br /><em>In My Mailbox is a weekly meme telling about books borrowed from friends, gotten from libraries, bought, review copies, anyway you obtain them, created by Kristi at </em><a href="http://thestorysiren.com/"><em>The Story Siren</em></a><em>.</em><br /><br />I haven't been getting a lot of books lately (I'm on a drawing craze right now: actually, I'm racing to finish this post so I can do my Inu-Yasha and Kagome sketch... *blush* I'm a regular otaku now), but the ones I do get are turning out to be great- well, for the most part :P<br /><br /><strong>For review</strong>:<br /><br />None<br /><br /><strong>Library:</strong><br /><br />Mercury by Hope Larson<br /><br />Runaway by Meg Cabot<br /><br />The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver<br /><br />Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris<br /><br />Even the Stars Look Lonesome by Maya Angelou<br /><br />Old School by Tobias Wolff<br /><br />The Waters and The Wild- Francesca Lia Block<br /><br />Ivy by Julie Hearn<br /><br /><strong>Bought:</strong><br /><br />None<br /><br /><em>I'm really excited about the library books I got, especially Runaway, the 3rd (and I think final? Can anyone confirm that?) book in the Airhead series, which I love. Being Nikki didn't live up to my expectations, but this one is showing promise. I got books from all different genres and subjects, and I can't wait to read them :) Mercury is wonderful: interesting story, but the art definitely isn't your conventional and beautiful. And David Sedaris' essays are hilarious :) </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Happy reading all, I hope you had a great week in books!</em>Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-38416927775427659592010-05-10T16:00:00.000-07:002010-05-10T16:01:32.532-07:00It doesn't usually look like this, all blank and widget-less, I'm just redecorating.Pretty self-explanatory title.Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-36064821039672686092010-05-09T19:28:00.000-07:002010-05-09T20:23:09.923-07:00Flower In A Storm 1 by Shigeyoshi Takagi<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInRmn5WWfOXiBLj1gR8NLG2d_9oQe0wB1i6V4KPeuDm4B2ziAew5W08uv9HRsFo72ad4LKnYSLGVR2lRnwSKQvq1CKERRoO3T-r25AcWEz5apJGvVclyr1tZeFmtb_fnq-wHMIUt0x70/s1600/flowerinastorm1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469463191612019986" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInRmn5WWfOXiBLj1gR8NLG2d_9oQe0wB1i6V4KPeuDm4B2ziAew5W08uv9HRsFo72ad4LKnYSLGVR2lRnwSKQvq1CKERRoO3T-r25AcWEz5apJGvVclyr1tZeFmtb_fnq-wHMIUt0x70/s400/flowerinastorm1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Title: Flower In A Storm Vol. 1<br /><br />Author: Shigeyoshi Takagi<br /><br />Publisher: VIZ Media LLC<br /><br />MSRP: $9.99 US<br /><br />Pages: 200 (paperback)<br /><br />Riko is a normal girl (as we are constantly and overly informed in each episode) with un-normal superstrength. Until the day when Ran Tachibana, rich heir of the famous Tachibana family, breaks into her classroom, claiming her as his bride. When Riko refuses, he gives her until 5 o'clock to to escape him and he'll let her go. While Ran has unlimited money and infinite favors, Riko has superhuman strength.<br /><br />First of all, the characters. Riko is constantly reiterating that she's "just your ordinary, every-day high school girl" (often said as she's running insanely fast, saving balloons for children, and generally putting her superhuman abilities to use), and it's obvious she just wants to belong. However, it's constantly being repeated gets tired quickly, loses all its irony, and starts to feel like the author felt we wouldn't get it. Riko isn't a character I'm particularly attached to, but she is a very interesting character, and very realistic, because she's just like any other insecure teen, trying to hide what makes her special because it's what she's been taught she should do.<br /><br />And then, there's Ran. Ran is also an interesting character, charming, creepy, odd, and lovable, all at the same time. It's obvious he really is in love with Riko, and his sincere adoration for her is something I definitely liked: but it doesn't change his stalking her, and being slightly insane. Overall, they're a cute, strong main pair.<br /><br />But they're the only strong characters: supporting characters, like Riko's friends (the shaved-headed student council member was good for a laugh or two, but not much else), he assassin, etc. have no personality and are really flat and one-dimensional, which is disappointing. The side characters are basically just there for the sake of the plot, which isn't how it should be.<br /><br />The dialogue was pretty weak, even at times between Riko and Ran, especially at the beginning. It seemed a little awkward and repetitive, weirdly worded: but once you got more familiar with the characters, the dialogue got better, and was redeemed by Ran's romantic gestures.<br /><br />And then there's the plot. Ran chasing after Riko only lasts through the first episode or so, and after that, you'd think the- admittedly shallow- plot would sort of fizzle away. But I felt like the author did a great job with it from there: every chapter has crazy, often funny misadventures of Riko and Ran as Riko slowly starts coming around to Ran.<br /><br />The art wasn't particularly special, just your traditional shojo style: big eyes, unnatural beauty, inordinate amounts of rose petals floating around. But, it's still very pretty, and nice to look at and try to draw.<br /><br />There's also a bonus manga, called <em>The Need For Artificial Respiration. </em>It's a nice contrast to <em>Flower</em>, more serious and realistic, and its shortness leaves it feeling even more poignant. On the other hand, <em>Flower in A Storm</em> feels kind of rushed and unreal.<br /><br />Overall, this manga definitely has its flaws: lacking side characters, a slightly shallow plot, and repetitive chapter beginnings, but if you're new to manga, it's definitely worth a try, and I still loved it anyways. I recommend picking it up at the library (or used on Amazon) if you see it.<br /><br />(By the way, the 2nd and final volume is out August 3rd!)Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-14349390005239800962010-05-09T18:45:00.001-07:002010-05-09T19:28:08.341-07:00In My Mailbox<div><div><div><div><div> </div><div>Hey, sorry I haven't posted in a bit, I've been reading things not pertaining to YA (I've been reading Hamlet- like I would dare review that :P), and some of the YA books I have been reading have turned out to be duds.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Anyways, I got 5 books this week- 2 library books I've been waiting for forEVER, and then one I randomly stumbled upon, then 2 plays my parents bought me (speaking of which, WHERE the heck does Barnes and Noble keep their drama books?!). Plus a new record. So, pretty good :)</div></div><br /><div><br /><div></div><br /><div><em>Mail/Review Copy:</em></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>None<br /><br /></div><br /><div><em>Library:</em></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>Flower In A Storm, Volume 1 by Shigeyoshi Takagi</div><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaZeKcmtWAN8OyzkByTOPBstM9HfaV1AgTwzzQku9tlRBk5BwtKHGNBr0-sNR6Rz7ohYrQz7fcMMRDZlDs1o0LqMGXHNW3dDiG3lZb-D3ibHvxe2_UBRRqVQSfHULWqx49z-wlJQi0fw/s1600/flowerinastorm1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469456910482102738" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaZeKcmtWAN8OyzkByTOPBstM9HfaV1AgTwzzQku9tlRBk5BwtKHGNBr0-sNR6Rz7ohYrQz7fcMMRDZlDs1o0LqMGXHNW3dDiG3lZb-D3ibHvxe2_UBRRqVQSfHULWqx49z-wlJQi0fw/s400/flowerinastorm1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div>My Invisible Boyfriend by Susie Day </div><br /><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUkMqA5M905AgjKwqn1QB38TiVv2-j_k-P_5_U918J9cB4U7QP0ITijNR0ZjxEpAqeMFBUIeJnP4Nwn1N5Us-EdZkqULZKTWakPxai6hVlCuNEE0d3vzFoXUmDCqhfEQzUewA3hfWdd0/s1600/myinvisiblebfriend.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469456916263600002" style="WIDTH: 264px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 248px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUkMqA5M905AgjKwqn1QB38TiVv2-j_k-P_5_U918J9cB4U7QP0ITijNR0ZjxEpAqeMFBUIeJnP4Nwn1N5Us-EdZkqULZKTWakPxai6hVlCuNEE0d3vzFoXUmDCqhfEQzUewA3hfWdd0/s400/myinvisiblebfriend.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUkMqA5M905AgjKwqn1QB38TiVv2-j_k-P_5_U918J9cB4U7QP0ITijNR0ZjxEpAqeMFBUIeJnP4Nwn1N5Us-EdZkqULZKTWakPxai6hVlCuNEE0d3vzFoXUmDCqhfEQzUewA3hfWdd0/s1600/myinvisiblebfriend.jpg"></a></div><br /><div>(Sorry for the fuzziness on this picture!)<br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div>Vintage Veronica by Erica Perl</div><br /><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlOvtfmEI5vjmuk7clEr0kq30KIw4JbjLYhYRENQOQi-WK4T3UwWb3UpudqfiS35T0T55_OPeCyhLNl1hschVKGt5jnLEL1ZN9-Cq9psBh8xe9e3_8WO8SDh5MMFdiBA4QdOe7ZEznXM/s1600/vintage+veronica.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469456925214946994" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlOvtfmEI5vjmuk7clEr0kq30KIw4JbjLYhYRENQOQi-WK4T3UwWb3UpudqfiS35T0T55_OPeCyhLNl1hschVKGt5jnLEL1ZN9-Cq9psBh8xe9e3_8WO8SDh5MMFdiBA4QdOe7ZEznXM/s400/vintage+veronica.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br />Bought: </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Hamlet by William Shakespeare</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yqHGaCQljHcHQyocwXyld2kydeuJhdAsBHYifJgWYxn-4qjXE9BWEhybrNDD2a1sGf4C93Jn-rW8RhvB0EOLPlrj97QJMa_mfeqqUhqV9YzbBbuhg-nXSz1g8Uwb-1wEQNj9Stmc6TM/s1600/hamletbandn.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469456933629229714" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yqHGaCQljHcHQyocwXyld2kydeuJhdAsBHYifJgWYxn-4qjXE9BWEhybrNDD2a1sGf4C93Jn-rW8RhvB0EOLPlrj97QJMa_mfeqqUhqV9YzbBbuhg-nXSz1g8Uwb-1wEQNj9Stmc6TM/s400/hamletbandn.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As You Like It by William Shakespeare<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBOpYjS_NpMQtwZsLafwotf4qAyyTO7UAuW0OQVGrYQ_bDXALY8DHfhuwsaft0WqPzK4-0Sl-Vi4-2GTW0_Go5xVgsi4gysZ8qltnVV_T_9r161ZpNELKSj4i5W1eGQklviALz1wfC8k/s1600/asyoulikeitpelican.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469456945547132962" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBOpYjS_NpMQtwZsLafwotf4qAyyTO7UAuW0OQVGrYQ_bDXALY8DHfhuwsaft0WqPzK4-0Sl-Vi4-2GTW0_Go5xVgsi4gysZ8qltnVV_T_9r161ZpNELKSj4i5W1eGQklviALz1wfC8k/s400/asyoulikeitpelican.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>And then, I got this record in the mail, I totally forgot I ordered it last week: </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfFBCSDx8LVCBjJAn1NwvCpdSdWW3iVwrtEaYevn48QnuJm0x-wgg-w937OsQwPK4_fjkzQPWZR-DtToefqMXNzrei-mjb9K_1taH4lUktVKjYHOoeMe_o3Kl9VG7Wqps0y9IqU5njtk/s1600/littlejoy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469461075503034738" style="WIDTH: 189px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 184px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfFBCSDx8LVCBjJAn1NwvCpdSdWW3iVwrtEaYevn48QnuJm0x-wgg-w937OsQwPK4_fjkzQPWZR-DtToefqMXNzrei-mjb9K_1taH4lUktVKjYHOoeMe_o3Kl9VG7Wqps0y9IqU5njtk/s400/littlejoy.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div><em>Little Joy</em> by Little Joy</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUkMqA5M905AgjKwqn1QB38TiVv2-j_k-P_5_U918J9cB4U7QP0ITijNR0ZjxEpAqeMFBUIeJnP4Nwn1N5Us-EdZkqULZKTWakPxai6hVlCuNEE0d3vzFoXUmDCqhfEQzUewA3hfWdd0/s1600/myinvisiblebfriend.jpg"></a><div><br />I listened to it all the way through just now, and I think I'm in love. Kind of folksy and sweet, reminiscent of The Strokes in some ways (by the way, Little Joy is the side project of the Strokes' drummer, it's not just some out-of-the-blue comparison), but definitely not an interpretation. My favorite track is Unattainable.) </div><div> </div><div>Good week :)<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUkMqA5M905AgjKwqn1QB38TiVv2-j_k-P_5_U918J9cB4U7QP0ITijNR0ZjxEpAqeMFBUIeJnP4Nwn1N5Us-EdZkqULZKTWakPxai6hVlCuNEE0d3vzFoXUmDCqhfEQzUewA3hfWdd0/s1600/myinvisiblebfriend.jpg"></a> </div></div></div></div></div>Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-28533096976673827442010-04-28T10:00:00.000-07:002010-04-28T10:00:02.253-07:00Waiting On Wednesday: Where She WentSorry, there's next to nothing available information-wise on this book!<br /><br />All I know:<br /><br />Published in 2011<br />The sequel to <em>If I Stay</em><br />From Mia's boyfriend, Adam's, point of view three years later.<br /><br />Sorry I can't really give much information, but I just thought you might like to know about the sequel! If I Stay was completely amazing and unforgettable, I absolutley can't wait.Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-32595185298083072712010-04-21T15:16:00.000-07:002010-04-21T15:49:23.124-07:00Waiting On Wednesday: Razorbill Books Double-Feature!<div><br /><br /></div><div>It was so hard for me to choose which book to feature this week- I had a good feeling 2010 would be a good book year, and I was right: My Amazon cart is filled with pre-orders!</div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div>I couldn't choose between these two TBP Razorbill Books works, and it seemed like they balance each other out: a cute chick-litesque book with an ADORABLE cover, and an awesomely creepy novel with an equally awesome terrifying cover. Enjoy :)</div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><strong>You Wish by Mandy Hubbard</strong></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXmUPoErwEV-uUXgGu5CHjtZipIAEWhEopjmJHsOUTBF1hAR_9WhnQ2MqBmUdXUCOg8VPj8x1KvXIZEs8u5idR6yn6NB0ik7-TMeqlo3qZ-ozWDz7TnM0Sabg_tAb2BPRu613OoqYb18/s1600/youwish.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462722894042245602" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXmUPoErwEV-uUXgGu5CHjtZipIAEWhEopjmJHsOUTBF1hAR_9WhnQ2MqBmUdXUCOg8VPj8x1KvXIZEs8u5idR6yn6NB0ik7-TMeqlo3qZ-ozWDz7TnM0Sabg_tAb2BPRu613OoqYb18/s400/youwish.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br />Being published by Razorbill Books on August 5, 2010</div><div> </div><div>Summary: </div><div> </div><div>Kayla McHenry’s sweet sixteen sucks! Her dad left, her grades dropped, and her BFF is dating the boy Kayla’s secretly loved for years. Blowing out her candles, Kayla thinks:<em> I wish my birthday wishes actually came true. Because they never freakin’ do</em>.<br /></div><div>Kayla wakes the next day to a life-sized, bright pink My Little Pony outside her window. Then a year’s supply of gumballs arrives. A boy named Ken with a disturbing resemblance to the doll of the same name stalks her. As the ghosts of Kayla’s wishes-past appear, they take her on a wild ride . . . but they MUST STOP. Because when she was fifteen? She wished Ben Mackenzie would kiss her. And Ben is her best friend’s boyfriend.</div><div> </div><div>My thoughts: Personally, I don't celebrate birthdays, but this sounds like a great book. I have Hubbard's first book, Prada and Prejudice, in my To Be Read pile, and have read about 15 pages (I always do that before I stack them)- usually, I'm not a fan of Pride and Prejudice/Jane Austen spinoffs, but I like her writing style, fresh and funny. </div><div> </div><div><strong>The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff</strong></div><strong></strong><br /><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo63P69DGXb-FsB9VoZMfUg1Cqc9qLVu4lAVg3Ois7e9RERe2ZH7vAlFJiQL5RotmJRXBQHXJhCmnlTmnqVSK1gkk7aCyNK8Da9oNRJrTWcZY-iw0GkZIvfKQs9QUySoCFoAP2Xs143cA/s1600/thereplacement.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462722901647899186" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo63P69DGXb-FsB9VoZMfUg1Cqc9qLVu4lAVg3Ois7e9RERe2ZH7vAlFJiQL5RotmJRXBQHXJhCmnlTmnqVSK1gkk7aCyNK8Da9oNRJrTWcZY-iw0GkZIvfKQs9QUySoCFoAP2Xs143cA/s400/thereplacement.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>To be published by Razorbill Books on September 21, 2010</div><div> </div><div>Summary: Mackie Doyle seems like everyone else in the perfect little town of Gentry, but he is living with a fatal secret - he is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. </div><div> </div><div>Now the creatures under the hill want him back, and Mackie must decide where he really belongs and what he really wants. A month ago, Mackie might have told them to buzz off. But now, with a budding relationship with tough, wounded, beautiful Tate, Mackie has too much to lose. Will love finally make him worthy of the human world?</div><div> </div><div>My thoughts: I would buy this for the cover alone, really: how awesome is it!? (Sorry, I've been sleeping all day, causing me to be slightly over-peppy. Bear with me) I love the mobile of death. Wish I had something like that when I was a kid: yup, totally good for my psychological health. Why do I have to wait until September? *sigh* *heads off to mope/talley days on walls Shawshank style*</div>Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-24750397301121164732010-04-17T17:32:00.000-07:002010-04-17T18:06:24.936-07:00In My MailboxHey everyone! So sorry it's been quite a while since my last IMM post- I've been super busy. We're remodeling my church and my family helped, piles of homework... etc., etc.<br /><br />I got a decent haul this week- mostly library books, and I borrowed a book from a friend.<br /><br />In My Mailbox is a weekly meme telling about books borrowed from friends, gotten from libraries, bought, review copies, anyway you obtain them, created by Kristi at <a href="http://thestorysiren.com/">The Story Siren</a>.<br /><br />Review copies/mail:<br /><br />None<br /><br />Library:<br /><br />Blade: Playing Dead (Book 1) - Tim Bowler<br />Frozen Fire- Tim Bowler<br /> The Cupcake Queen- Heather Hepler<br />Heist Society- Ally Carter<br />The Line- Teri Hall<br />Girl In the Arena- Lise Haines<br />Out of Africa- Isak Denisen<br /><br />Borrowed:<br /><br />Animal Academy, Volume 1- Hakobune Hakusho (Borrowed it from my friend Jacob, and I'm officially in love with manga! While we're on the subject, know any good manga series, sans paranormal themes?)<br /><br />Bought:<br /><br />None<br /><br /><em>So, it's been a pretty decent book week. I'm proud of myself for not spending any money on books, for once :S ; I discovered manga; and got some really great library books; and made a huge list of books coming out this year I need to read. What about you? </em>Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-20387465039133933972010-04-08T17:34:00.000-07:002010-04-17T18:36:21.693-07:00Book review: The Heroines by Eileen Favorite<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEhpawieahaoI_sGJGnFIFVD0JDWYKl58jHU4A2h2Arj43s3DAlurGtFmMEPsw8MBv_QBHgoQ2GQXrWHTb-5P-ZuRiTsuOAR2VZMi9t4GXrUxZjiEMrnzQLbMz8YYJUvkyeETjoQYABI/s1600-h/heroineseileenfavorite.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451625242119280786" style="WIDTH: 105px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEhpawieahaoI_sGJGnFIFVD0JDWYKl58jHU4A2h2Arj43s3DAlurGtFmMEPsw8MBv_QBHgoQ2GQXrWHTb-5P-ZuRiTsuOAR2VZMi9t4GXrUxZjiEMrnzQLbMz8YYJUvkyeETjoQYABI/s400/heroineseileenfavorite.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Title: The Heroines<br />Author: Eileen Favorite<br />Publisher: Scribner, December 11 2007<br />Pages (Hardcover): 256 pp<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">MSRP</span>: $24.00<br />Rating: * * */ 5<br /><br />Summary: Although a true lover of books, Anne-Marie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Entwhistle</span> prefers not to read to her spirited daughter, Penny, especially from the likes <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">of Madame</span> Bovary,Gone With the Wind, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">or The</span> Scarlet Letter. These novels, devoted to the lives of the Heroines that make them so irresistible, have a way of hitting too close to home -- well, to the Homestead actually, where Anne-Marie runs the quaint family-owned bed and breakfast.In this enchanting debut novel, Penny and her mother encounter great women from classic works of literature who make the Homestead their destination of choice just as the plots of their tumultuous, unforgettable stories begin to unravel. They appear at all hours of the day and in all manners of distress. A lovesick Madame Bovary languishes in their hammock after Rodolphe has abandoned her, and Scarlett <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">O'Hara's</span> emotions are not easily tempered by tea and eiderdowns. These visitors long for comfort, consolation, and sometimes for more attention than the adolescent Penny wants her mother to give.Knowing that to interfere with their stories would cause mayhem in literature, Anne-Marie does her best to make each Heroine feel at home, with a roof over her head and a shoulder to cry on. But when Penny begins to feel overshadowed by her mother's indulgence of each and every Heroine, havoc ensues, and the thirteen-year-old embarks on her own memorable tale.<br />******************************************************************<br /><br /><br /> In theory, this book sounds like a fantastic premise, and it is: a magical inn, absolutely drowning in Southern charm, and a mother and daughter who own it, where heroines of famous novels come to life? What could be better?<br /><br /> I had many problems with this book, but one of the main one was that I felt Favorite was trying to accomplish too much with her book. It seemed as though she was trying to blend teen angst of the most annoying manner, a female Holden <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Caulfield</span>, satire on the huge amount of praise given to books just because they've endured the test of time (and not because the book itself is any good), a kind of "Girl, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Interrupted</span>" thing, AND magic into one book, and was spreading the characters, elements and plot too thin to try to accomplish it. As a result, inconsistencies abounded.<br /><br /> The most major inconsistency was of the heroines themselves: sometimes they were portrayed as modern individuals who had no problem with the modern lifestyle, working things fine and dressing/speaking normally; then, about halfway through the novel, they suddenly became old-fashioned, starting with Hester <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Prynne</span> and Pearl from The Scarlet Letter.<br /><br /> Another thing is on the plot. Like I said, it's a really fantastic idea- but it wasn't delivered on. It wasn't as charming and magical as the premise called for, and it was very vague about the heroines: they stayed for too short a time, and we never really got to "re-meet" them again as promised, and if we did there was never enough description. I felt like this really took away from the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">believability</span> of the book, and as a result the enjoyment.<br /><br /> Penny wasn't a character you'll like- she's self-centered, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">angsty</span>, bratty, and stereotypical. She may have been planned this way, but she wasn't so much of an antihero as just a slightly crazy, foolish young girl.<br /><br />Despite many discrepancies and follies, the book did have it's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">likable</span> moments that, for some readers could be a sort of redeeming quality. I really wouldn't recommend buying it or going out of your way to get it, but if you see it on the library shelves pick it up and skim through, if you're still interested.Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-27205217923992019452010-03-29T13:11:00.000-07:002010-03-29T14:56:51.647-07:00I've Been Tagged... and So Have You (Maybe)!Hi everyone! I just saw a comment from a few days ago from <a href="http://scribblereviews.blogspot.com/">Lady Scribbles</a>, saying she tagged me. So, I have to type 7 things you might not know about me (or maybe do- I blab about myself entirely too much on here :P) and then tag 7 people to do the same.<br /><br />Ok, so here it goes:<br /><br />1. I get my people/places/things/general proper nouns mixed up ALL the time. For example- Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks, all the Johns (except for John Lennon, him I can keep straight :P)... so basically I'm like a senile old grandma who is constantly talking about things she thought happened but that no one EVER said.<br /><br />2. I love to write, but I can never carry a story through. I just don't know where to go.<br /><br />3. I LOVE vinyl records. I think I've said that before :P It's exciting to find a store that sells them, to discover a secret stash of records in your attic or basement, and besides that the feel, sound and stigma attached to them are infinitely better than any digital music.<br /><br />4. I love coffee- but it doesn't make me hyper. If anything, it calms me down, even when I drink americanos (espresso with 2 shots of water). So, that's a good thing :)<br /><br />5. I'm a total spaz in real-life. I fall and break things and generally make a fool of myself :P BUT that's what makes me loveable :)<br /><br />6. I overuse emoticons :S See?!<br /><br />7. I want to live in Portland and be a writer/freelance journalist when I grow up. Then, I want to travel around the world (because you can't go through it). Which may seem a bit cliched, but the good kind :)<br /><br />So, now that you've been dazzled by my fascinating facts (yeah, right) I tag...<br /><br /><ol><li>Jessica at <a href="http://shutupimreading.blogspot.com/">Shut Up I'm Reading </a></li><li>Margaret at <a href="http://bookwormbarista.blogspot.com/">Blue Duck Book Reviews</a> (formerly known as Bookworm Barista)</li><li>Allison at <a href="http://readintothis.blogspot.com/">Read Into This! </a></li><li>Cate at <a href="http://sparrowreview.blogspot.com/">Sparrow Review</a></li><li>Imogen at <a href="http://writeaboutwhat.blogspot.com/">Write About What</a>?</li><li>Everyone at<a href="http://bambookreviews.blogspot.com/"> B.A.M. Book Reviews</a></li><li>Sara L. from <a href="http://dragonflyreview.blogspot.com/">Dragonfly Reviews</a> (formerly found <a href="http://dragonflybookreviews.blogspot.com/">here</a>, in case you weren't aware of her move)</li></ol><p>So, there it is:) Directions:</p><p><br />Copy the award into a blog post.<br />Thank the person who gave you the award.<br />Tell seven things about yourself that your readers didn't know.<br />Declare seven bloggers as the new recipients.<br />Notify the winners with comments on their blogs.</p><p></p><p></p>Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-40608723145734558762010-02-20T08:15:00.000-08:002010-03-15T16:43:56.426-07:00Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge 2010<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nnLpsuWj5RN9Bl49u8s8Uru8dvCpCbtNxxigb-7Qy1MO02rPb1c1k6iKLh-2jlP5UrRgurHNMQq-IKqbFGda70iYj7v_KqcR3pXJk6HGk1qVjTZSPc51khagyab5U9AmnIZBAfGcrQM/s1600-h/Gilmore_girls_cast.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nnLpsuWj5RN9Bl49u8s8Uru8dvCpCbtNxxigb-7Qy1MO02rPb1c1k6iKLh-2jlP5UrRgurHNMQq-IKqbFGda70iYj7v_KqcR3pXJk6HGk1qVjTZSPc51khagyab5U9AmnIZBAfGcrQM/s400/Gilmore_girls_cast.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440362598071531282" /></a><br /><br />I'm so excited about this challenge! Gilmore Girls was my favorite show and I still watch reruns all the time (when my dad messed my cable up the DVDs were all I had to watch :P), and I've always wanted to read what Rory read- which is a lot. She took a book with her everywhere- like I do :) (I even took one with me to lunch last year... that didn't work out so well :P) <br /><br />General rules (copied from the official blog, found here... hope I'm not breaking any rules): <br /><br />The challenge will officially run from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010. You can begin reading now and anything that you're not more than half way through right now can be counted.<br />Crossover books from other challenges are allowed. A lot of the books on the list have also been made into movies and those will count as well.<br /><br />There are three levels of participation:<br /><br />Emily: Read 5 books from at least two different categories.<br />Lorelai: Read 10 books from at least three different categories.<br />Rory: Read 20 books from at least four different categories.<br /><br /><br />Here is the very long list of books you can choose from:<br /><br />Classics<br /><br />Austen Jane Northanger Abbey <br />Austen Jane Emma <br />Austen Jane Pride & Prejudice <br />Bronte Emily Wuthering Heights <br />Bronte Charlotte Jane Eyre <br />Browning Elizabeth Barrett Sonnets From The Portuguese <br />Cervantes <br /> Don Quixote <br />Chaucer Geoffrey Canterbury Tales, The <br />Dante <br /> Inferno <br />Dante <br /> Divine Comedy, The <br />Dickens Charles David Cooperfield <br />Dickens Charles Little Dorrit <br />Dickens Charles Great Expectations <br />Dickens Charles A Tale of Two Cities <br />Dickens Charles Our Mutual Friend <br />Dickens Charles A Christmas Carol <br />Dickens Charles Oliver Twist <br />Dickinson Emily New Poems of Emily Dickinson <br />Flaubert Gustave Madame Bovary <br />Heaney Seamus Beowulf: A New Verse Translation <br />Homer <br /> Iliad, The <br />Hugo Victor Hunchback of Notre Dame, The <br />Lawrence D. H. Lady Chatterley's Lover <br />Melville Herman Moby Dick <br />Poe Edgar Allen Raven, The <br />Shakespeare William Othello <br />Shakespeare William Henry IV, Part 2 <br />Shakespeare William Julius Caesar <br />Shakespeare William Romeo And Juliet <br />Shakespeare William Hamlet <br />Shakespeare William Henry V <br />Shakespeare William Merry Wives of Windsor, The <br />Shakespeare William A Comedy of Errors <br />Shakespeare William Richard III <br />Shakespeare William The Sonnets <br />Shakespeare William Macbeth <br />Shelley Mary Frankenstein <br />Stowe Harriet Beecher Uncle Tom's Cabin <br />Thoreau Henry David Walden <br />Tolstoy Leo War And Peace <br />Tolstoy Leo Anna Karenina <br />Twain Mark The Jumping Frog of Calavares County <br />Twain Mark Adventures of Huckleberry Finn <br />Voltaire <br /> Candide <br />Wharton Edith Roman Holiday <br />Whitman Walt Leaves of Grass <br /><br /><br />Childrens/Young Adult<br /><br />Anderson Hans Christian Little Match Girl, The <br />Baum L. Frank Wizard of Oz, The <br />Baum L. Frank Scarecrow of Oz, The <br />Blume Judy Deenie <br />Brothers Grimm <br /> Rapunzel <br />Carroll Lewis Alice's Adventures in Wonderland <br />Chbosky Stephen Perks of Being A Wallflower, The <br />Collodi Carol Pinocchio <br />Granowsky Alvin Goldilocks & The Three Bears <br />Grimm Brothers <br /> Snow White and Rose Red <br />Hinton S. E. Outsiders, The <br />Keene Carolyn The Nancy Drew Series <br />King-Smith Dick Babe <br />Lofting Hugh Doctor Doolittle <br />Rawlings Marjorie Kinnan Yearling, The <br />Rodgers Mary Freaky Friday <br />Rowling J. K. Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire <br />Rowling J. K. Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone: Book 1 <br />Salten Felix Walt Disney's Bambi (based on Original Story by Felix Salten) <br />Seuss Dr. How The Grinch Stole Christmas <br />Sobol Donald Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective <br />Thompson Kay Eloise <br />White E. B. Stuart Little <br />White E. B. Charlotte's Web <br />Wiggin Kate Douglas Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm <br /><br /><br />Modern Classics<br /><br />Albee Edward Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? <br />Beckett Samuel Waiting for Godot <br />Burgess Anthony A Clockwork Orange <br />Dostoevsky Fyodor Demons (translated by Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky) <br />Du Maurier Daphne Rebecca <br />Faulkner William Sanctuary <br />Faulkner William As I Lay Dying <br />Faulkner William Sound and The Fury, The <br />Fitzgerald F. Scott Tender is the Night <br />Fitzgerald F. Scott Great Gatsby, The <br />Forster E. M. A Room With A View <br />Ginsburg Allen Howl <br />Heller Joseph Catch-22 <br />Hellman Lillian Children's Hour, The <br />Hemingway Ernest Snows of Killimanjaro <br />Hemingway Ernest Sun Also Rises, The <br />Hemingway Ernest A Moveable Feast <br />Hemingway Ernest To Have And Have Not <br />James Henry Daisy Miller <br />James Henry Art of Fiction, The <br />Joyce James Finnegan's Wake <br />Joyce James Ulysses <br />Kafka Franz Trial, The <br />Kafka Franz Metamorphosis <br />Lawrence & Lee Jerome & Robert Edwin Inherit The Wind <br />Lee Harper To Kill A Mockingbird <br />Mailer Norman Naked & The Dead, The <br />Mencken H. R. Mencken's Chresthonomy <br />Mencken H. R. My Life As Author & Editor <br />Miller Henry Sexus <br />Miller Arthur Crucible, The <br />Mitchell Margaret Gone With The Wind <br />Nordhoff & Hall Charles & James Norman Mutiny On The Bounty <br />Orwell George Nineteen Eighty-four <br />Parker Dorothy Portable Dorothy Parker, The <br />Plath Sylvia Bell Jar, The <br />Proust Marcel Swann's Way <br />Rand Ayn Fountainhead, The <br />Salinger J. D. Franny And Zooey <br />Salinger J. D. Catcher In The Rye, The <br />Shaefer Jack Shane <br />Steinbeck John Grapes of Wrath, The <br />Tolkien J.R.R. The Fellowship of the Rings: Lord of the Ring Book 1 <br />Tolkien J. R. R. The Return of The King: Lord of the Ring Book 3 <br />Vonnegut Kurt Slaughterhouse Five <br />Welty Eudora Collected Stories of Eudora Welty, The <br />Williams Tennessee A Streetcar Named Desire <br />Woolf Virginia A Room of One's Own <br />Woolf Virginia Mrs. Dalloway <br /><br />Non-fiction<br /><br />Albaret Celeste Monsieur Proust <br />Albom Mitch Tuesdays With Morrie <br />Assorted Authors <br /> Norton Anthology of Theory & Criticism <br />Binyon T. J. Pushkin: A Biography <br />Bolles Richard Nelson What Color Is Your Parachute? 2005 <br />Bourdain Anthony Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly <br />Bugliosi & Gentry Vincent & Curt Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders <br />Butler Judith Gender Trouble <br />Capote Truman In Cold Blood <br />Clinton Hilary Rodham Living History <br />Clinton Hilary Rodham It Takes A Village <br />Collett Anne Swimming with Giants: My Encounters with Whales, Dolphins and Seals <br />Cook Blanche Wiesen Eleanor Roosevelt <br />De Beauvoir Simone Second Sex, The <br />De Beauvoir Simone Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter <br />Denison Isak Out of Africa <br />Des Barres Pamela I'm With The Band <br />Didion Joan Year of Magical Thinking, The <br />Eggers Dave A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius <br />Ehrenreich Barbara Nickel And Dimed <br />Faludi Susan Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women <br />Fodor Eugene Selected Hotels of Europe <br />Ford Ford Madox Good Soldier, The <br />Franken Al Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them <br />Friedman Milton A Monetary History of the United States <br />Gibbon Edward History of the Decline & Fall of The Roman Empire, The <br />Gibson William Miracle Worker, The <br />Harvard Joe Velvet Underground's The Velvet Underground & Nico (33 1/3 Series) <br />Hersh Seymour M. My Lai 4: A Report On The Massacre And Its Aftermath <br />Huffington Arianna Pigs At The Trough <br />Irvin Jim Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion, The <br />Johnson Spencer Who Moved My Cheese? <br />Kagan Donald Outbreak of the Peoponnesian War, The <br />Kagan Donald Peace of Nicias & The Sicilian Expedition, The <br />Kagan Donald Archidamian War <br />Kerouac Jack On The Road <br />Lee/Neil/Mars/Sixx <br /> The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band <br />Lipton Lawrence Holy Barbarians, The <br />Macaulay David New Way Things Work, The <br />McCarthy Mary A Bolt From The Blue & Other Essays <br />McCarthy Mary Group, The <br />McNeill & McCain Legs and Gillian Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk <br />Meyers Phillip Vanishing Newspaper, The <br />Milford Nancy Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay <br />Moore Barrington Social Origins of Dictatorship & Democracy: Lord & Peasant in the Making of the Modern World <br />Moore Michael Fahrenheit 9/11 <br />Nietzche Fredrich Portable Nietzche, The <br />Pagels Elaine Gnostic Gospels <br />Plath Sylvia Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath, The <br />Rubin M.D. Theodore Issac David and Lisa <br />Sherman Wiliam Tecumseh Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman <br />Sinker Daniel We Owe You Nothing - Punk Planet: The Collected Interviews (Edited) <br />Spinoza Baruch Ethics <br />Steves Rick Europe Through The Back Door, 2003 <br />Suskind Ron The Price of Loyalty: George W Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neill <br />Taylor Hobart Chatfield Moliere: A Biography <br />Thompson Hunter S. Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas <br />Thompson Hunter S. Fear & Loathing: On The Campaign Trail '72 <br />Thurman Judith Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette <br />Tzu Sun Art of War, The <br />Vidal Gore The Last Empire: Essays 1992-2000 <br />Waldo Myra Myra Waldo's Travel & Motoring Guide To Europe <br />Weisberg Jacob George W Bushisms: The Slate Book of the Accidental Wit & Wisdom of Our 43rd President <br />Woolf Thomas Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, The <br />Wurtzel Elizabeth Bitch In Praise of Difficult Women <br /><br /> <br /> Rough Guide To Europe, The 2003 Edition <br /><br /> <br /> Compact Oxford English Dictionary, The <br /><br /> <br /> several biographies of Winston Churchill <br /><br />Other<br /><br />Allende Isabel House of the Spirits, The <br />Allende Isabel Eva Luna <br />Bloom Judy Gospel According To Judy Bloom, The <br />Brown Dan DaVinci Code, The <br />Bukowski Charles Notes of a Dirty Old Man <br />Davies Robertson Manticore, The <br />Dubus III Andre House of Sand And Fog, The <br />Ellis Bret Easton Less Than Zero <br />Erdrich Louise Love Medicine <br />Eugenides Jeffrey Virgin Suicides, The <br />Faber Michel Crimson Petal and the White, The <br />Farrell Henry What Happened To Baby Jane? <br />Foer Jonathon Safran Everything Is Illuminated <br />Gogol Nikolai Vasilevich Dead Souls <br />Goldman William Marathon Man <br />Grafton Sue R is For Richocet <br />Grafton Sue S is For Silence <br />Hathaway Katharine Butler Little Locksmith, The <br />Hornsby Nick High Fidelity <br />Kaysen Susanna Girl, Interrupted <br />Kennedy William J. Ironweed <br />King Stephen Cujo <br />King Stephen Shining, The <br />King Stephen Carrie <br />King Stephen Christine <br />King Stephen Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption <br />Kohner Frederick Gidget <br />Lerner Alan Jay Brigadoon <br />Levin Ira Rosemary's Baby <br />Marquez Gabriel Garcia One Hundred Years of Solitude <br />McCourt Frank Angela's Ashes <br />McDonald Gregory Fletch <br />McEwan Ian Atonement <br />McMurtry Larry Terms of Endearment <br />Metalious Grace Peyton Place <br />Parker Dorothy Complete Stories <br />Powell Dawn Complete Novels/Novels 1930-1942 <br />Powell Dawn Selected Letters of Dawn Powell <br />Pressfield Steven Legend of Bagger Vance, The <br />Puzo Mario Godfather: Book 1, The <br />Reger Roger Emily The Strange <br />Rilke Rainer Maria Letters to a Young Poet <br />Robert Henry Robert's Rules of Order <br />Segal Erich Love Story <br />Sexton Anne Complete Poems, The <br />Stein Joseph Fiddler On The Roof <br />Styron William Sophie's Choice <br />Susann Jacqueline Valley of the Dolls <br />Tan Amy Joy Luck Club, The <br />Toole John Kennedy A Confederacy of Dunces <br />Uhry Alfred Driving Miss Daisy <br />Webb Charles Graduate, The <br />Wells Rebecca Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, The <br />Welty Eudora Collected Short Stories, The <br /><br /> <br /> Bhagava Gita, The <br /> <br />**************<br /><br />I'm doing the Lorelei challenge (10 books, 3 levels). My books: <br /><br />High Fidelity by Nick Hornby <br />Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen<br />Franny and Zooey by JD Salinger<br />Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee<br />A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf<br />Atonement by Ian McEwan<br />A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway<br />1984 by George Orwell<br />As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner<br />Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman<br /><br />I was going to read that book about The Velvet Underground, but I don't know what it is/can't find it :P But I LOVE VU! And I was also going to The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood- has anyone read it and liked it? I'm not sure, I might read it just for fun. Another that didn't make the cut was Swann's Way- I'm reading it, but no way would I EVER review it. There's a sure way to make me look like the biggest dork ever :P<br /><br />Anyone else doing the challenge? It sounds really fun :)Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-88552716326568745982010-02-16T14:24:00.001-08:002010-02-28T15:47:16.516-08:00Book review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tJDegeSVHvjY9oXrtTKf2rqCEP0HAVP8kgrn5g7tjyV8NPr1s2pHOjLnBZlvTZbXxANaofTY7FBL7FF3c0WeZAOsOG910Wv96ry1A82LzMJW28R_4IfSeL0crOyh6wSgK2LtnXitAkQ/s1600-h/51laAgiWBDL__SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tJDegeSVHvjY9oXrtTKf2rqCEP0HAVP8kgrn5g7tjyV8NPr1s2pHOjLnBZlvTZbXxANaofTY7FBL7FF3c0WeZAOsOG910Wv96ry1A82LzMJW28R_4IfSeL0crOyh6wSgK2LtnXitAkQ/s400/51laAgiWBDL__SL500_AA240_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438971166766017314" /></a><br /><br />Title: Before I Fall <br />Author: Lauren Oliver<br />Publisher/Release Date: Harper Collins (March 2, 2010)<br />Pages: 480<br />Rating: * * * * */5<br />Summary: What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life? <br /><br />Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. <br /><br />Instead, it turns out to be her last. <br /><br />Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing. <br /><br />*************<br /><br />I've put off my review of Before I Fall for a few days because I didn't have words to describe how much I loved it. Is it too early to declare this as my favorite book as 2010?<br /><br />First off, the characters. They were horrible at first, and kind of hard toconnect with for me- I guess it's because I'm a geek and am nothing like people like the mean, pretty girl Sam and her friends were. But that quickly changed- I quickly felt more and more connected to them, despite how horrible they were, and kept hoping Sam could realize what terrible creatures he and her friends were, and could save herself, her friends- and Juliet. I liked Sam, not because she was a good person by any means, but because she told the truth, in a tone full of almost unsettling candidness. They were all very well-crafted, with plenty of detail- something you don't often see in a debut novel.<br /><br />As to the plot, it was exciting, heart-racing and heart-breaking. It had something for everyone in it- romance, mystery, friendship and family, mystery, and teenage angst, all wrapped up in beautiful prose and tinged with fantasy and an almost supernatural element, with a satisfying, if heart-breaking, ending. <br /><br />Speaking of the writing, it impressed me as well- unsettlingly and candidly, in a perfectly believable voice and tone, Sam reflected back in an almost wistful tone, with a slight sigh of regret to it, on her short life, her mistakes and regrets, on that final day- until, suddenly, we reach her death... and start all over the next morning. I loved seeing the choices Sam made each day she started over, seeing how the tiniest things, such as not being late- totally changed what was supposed to happen. Again, the writing was much more skilled that many debut novels.<br /><br />"Before I Fall" is a haunting, heart-breaking, exciting and utterly worth reading new novel- buy it, I promise you won't regret it!<br /><br /><strong>Many thanks to Lauren Oliver herself for giving me a complimentary review copy. </strong>Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-8513105011653844472010-02-16T13:40:00.000-08:002010-02-16T14:23:10.616-08:00Hunger Games Book 3!Hey everyone! So, you've probably already heard about this, but I haven't, and it's my blog, so I'm posting it and you're just gonna read it! *ahem* Sorry, another moment of power gone to the head. <br /><br />Anyways, I just saw the new Hunger Games cover: <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKo-s0mKwERD2wXlheLSUp8TwIDc_NC9H2DZAwjd00ogoqsz1Z-g7Idj4OI44lBPXXM9My4xIh3bt1fgYWOj9tCc_9Ai9PPEX7iSx96y12bVIODjNrk8qVweW1eNuwBHU2X_h61NAXU4/s1600-h/mockingjay.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKo-s0mKwERD2wXlheLSUp8TwIDc_NC9H2DZAwjd00ogoqsz1Z-g7Idj4OI44lBPXXM9My4xIh3bt1fgYWOj9tCc_9Ai9PPEX7iSx96y12bVIODjNrk8qVweW1eNuwBHU2X_h61NAXU4/s400/mockingjay.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438963495654303474" /></a><br /><br />Huh. I was sure it was emerald green, for some reason. But I like the blue- very icy, and I like the title. I absolutely can't WAIT to see what happens in the end! <br /><br />(Just for the record, I'm Team Katniss. Meant to put it on my sidebar :P)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRv1UiwTrC4Ajzb9utupdTHu5gGz3fr9WJFXca1BE-VtF2kz7cui5wjWLnmuywBkhyvUFoqwhC-Q6m5mdegrCJ8_n4oOv0zJ4RoV2ARGAJXFB5rwR_lvaYGLd9p8TqXPrVXLJ4znRjBI/s1600-h/teamkatniss.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 59px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRv1UiwTrC4Ajzb9utupdTHu5gGz3fr9WJFXca1BE-VtF2kz7cui5wjWLnmuywBkhyvUFoqwhC-Q6m5mdegrCJ8_n4oOv0zJ4RoV2ARGAJXFB5rwR_lvaYGLd9p8TqXPrVXLJ4znRjBI/s400/teamkatniss.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438969971400549410" /></a><br /><br />(PS- does anyone know if I did a Catching Fire review? It's been a while... *cough*)Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-42830753185868393172010-02-02T19:25:00.001-08:002010-02-02T19:40:35.932-08:00Teaser Tuesday: In A Heartbeat<em>Note: This excerpt is from an uncorrected advance proof, and may not be the same as the corrected, complete version.</em><br /><br />I started reading In A Heartbeat last night- I am in love, I couldn't put it down! The writing flows like poetry, and this teaser is what I think is a good example of it. <br /><br />For those of you that don't know, Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme in which people share excerpts from books they're currently reading- NO SPOILERS! <br /><br />This is from page 6 of In A Heartbeart, by Loretta Ellsworth:<br /><br /><strong>I think I'm dead. Really dead, as in no longer on Earth. I feel removed from my body, like a balloon that someone let loose and is floating up into the ozone. I try to push through it, but it's like pushing through water- more fog fills the gap. If I'm dead, I hope I don't have to stay here forever- I hate gray. I'm more of a purple person, like Grandma. <br />"Help!" I shout. no one answers. I feel alone and it scares me. I don't want to be here. I want to be back at home finishing my performance. Or at home in my bed, having a bad dream. Or even in the hospital, drugged up and hurt, with a bad headache, but still alive. The only thing keeping me from screaming is that my life is playing out in bits and pieces in front of me. You know how when people on TV die, their lives flash before their eyes? That's kind of how it is for me. Fragments of my life are laid out in front of me like a photo album. All I have to do is remember a moment and there it all is. Every detail! <br />Of course, right now all I can do is focus on the negative. Some things don't change with death. I'm starting with the last meal I ate, my own personal Last Supper.</strong><br /><br />Sorry that was kidn of long- I wanted all that included :PMeggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-47876952923204910462010-02-02T16:59:00.000-08:002010-02-02T17:10:53.481-08:00Anyone Else Upset About This???I know this is kind of odl news to some of you- I heard it months ago- but I just saw that HarperTeen confirmed that: a) Disney is directing it, and b) MILEY CIRUS is going to be the star. <br /><br />Is there a person in the world approving of this? I love Wings, what I've read of it (the librarian saw it in my bag when it was way overdue and got all furious on me and said i had to give it back... eep!)- and as of late, I don't think Disney has been doing such a good job of their movies like this. And Miley Cirus? She can't act!<br />I'm sorry, but... NO. <br /><br />What do you guys think? Pro, con, neutral? I jsut don't want to see this really excellent book not done justice to.Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-50902178201741648862010-01-30T18:03:00.000-08:002010-01-31T09:30:11.086-08:00Book review:A Match Made In High School<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlJkS3nFAUEP3NUCi4tvud8o-brTnFWnCvm60peOjRSg2malEmxaXRgyvPadCLjJRu1USCAR3Kocog0p0Wmhl7DhXMlLJ3770_oz7o7VzlO2uWxFCPW2bFqgJmAZ2Kbfb8rbjgedGNOE/s1600-h/51A8dbRAKYL__SS500_.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlJkS3nFAUEP3NUCi4tvud8o-brTnFWnCvm60peOjRSg2malEmxaXRgyvPadCLjJRu1USCAR3Kocog0p0Wmhl7DhXMlLJ3770_oz7o7VzlO2uWxFCPW2bFqgJmAZ2Kbfb8rbjgedGNOE/s400/51A8dbRAKYL__SS500_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432720146428213330" /></a><br /><br />Title: A Match Made In High School<br />Author: Kristin Walker<br />Publisher/Release Date: Razorbill, February 4 2010<br />Pages (Paperback): 288<br />Rating: * * * */ 5<br />Summary from Goodreads: <br /><br /> 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 male cheereader/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.<br /><br />My thoughts: I am absolutely in love with this book! It has a refreshing, surprising plot filled with aborable characters, hilarious situations, excellent music and pure fun. <br /><br />Characters: Fiona was an great main character- very well-developed. I loved that she was a geek, but fierce and strong at the same time, like a real person should be. She had a smarty, witty tone that I could completely relate to. And as for Johnny Mercer (cleverly named after Johnny Mercer, the musician)? My absolute favorite male character, possibly ever. He had fantastic taste in music (The Killers, Radiohead, Chairlift, even a little Velvet Underground & Niko), was big, tall and husky, AND completely sweet. If only every boy was like that! Todd was unfortunately <br />reminiscient of guys at my school, but got more likeable and funny as the book went on, and you could tell him and Fee were only pretending to hate each other to show they cared about each other. I wasn't sure what to think of Marcie, but from what I saw I didn't like her- which brings me to my only complaint character-wise: I felt like some characters didn't show up enough, like Johnny and Marcie, and also Fiona's neighbor, Sam- and adorable little 6-year-old Fee babysitted- for them to really develop, and that made me feel kind of cheated. I wanted more. <br /> <br />Plot: While slightly- ok more than slightly, but nothing wrong with that!- unbelievable, it was fresh and original, with plenty of unexpected twists. It was so fun and hilarious, with everything from pranks by Fee and Todd to mid-announcement assistant principal breakdowns to parents constantly chanting outside the school in protest of marriage ed- Fiona's mom being the leader of it!<br /><br />Writing: A fun, strong tone on Fiona's part, believable and smart dialogue, and generally absorbing writing. <br /><br />Overall/anything else?: A great new debut for the new year that deserves a spot in your TBR pile.<br /><br /><strong> Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary review copy for fair reviewing!</strong>Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-30946969429846253492010-01-30T13:48:00.000-08:002010-01-30T18:38:33.425-08:00Book review: The Catcher In the RyeUsually, my policy is that I ONLY review- bookwise, at least- "classic" novels- you know, the all time greats, the legends- but I'm making an exception for The Catcher in the Rye, bu J.D. Salinger because of his death a couple days ago, which you probably heard about :C (Superfrown!) Besides, The Catcher in the Rye is one of the best kinds of classics- easily read and easily related to.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhNF6RPg7yow36uJRXJbZOuUcAAPGicO7Au8VlyKnuJyNWYQ-hB7ZQTBS3oWvisTeJLidIdlnT8fzoNYYn4E3ZRC_KkGO5WaQ3ws-78C-xxrkY3dw7TXVnSypVd9Mj_6HDtIszvAxi5k/s1600-h/thumbnailCAOEYLAR.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432661372548199010" style="WIDTH: 162px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 194px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhNF6RPg7yow36uJRXJbZOuUcAAPGicO7Au8VlyKnuJyNWYQ-hB7ZQTBS3oWvisTeJLidIdlnT8fzoNYYn4E3ZRC_KkGO5WaQ3ws-78C-xxrkY3dw7TXVnSypVd9Mj_6HDtIszvAxi5k/s400/thumbnailCAOEYLAR.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Title: The Catcher in the Rye<br />Author: J. D. Salinger<br />Publisher: (Paperback reprint) Back Bay Books, January 30th, 2001<br />Pages: 288 (Paperback Reprint)<br /><br /><br />What can I say about the Catcher In the Rye? I loved it and hated it when I read it about a year ago, and to this day I don't know what I think of it.<br /><br /><em>Characters: </em>There are very few characters- really, only Holden and his little sister Phoebe immediately come to mind- but Holden was very well-developed. However, that doesn't mean he's a character you'll like at all- he's a true hypocrite, always calling people and things"phony" and "depressing", when that's exactly what he is, which his sister calls him on towards the end (I knew I liked that girl at the beginning of the book...). But I think that you weren't meant to like him- he shows the flaws of humanity, how judgemental and hypocritical we can be yet turn around and think we ourselves are flawless. I loved his little sister, though- she was such a good counterbalance to him, how she was so innocent, but so smart and had such interesting views to things.<br /><br /><em>Writing and plot:</em> The plot is almost nonexistent, mainly consisting of Holden's rants, ramblings, whines, "observations', and various tangents. Being as that's the way I think and tend to write (of course I edit... 0_0) I didn't care too badly. However, most people will have a definite problem with that, as well as . If you like your books neat and organized, with a definite point, this probably isn't a book you'll like when your forced to read it in middle/high school, or college- if you haven't been already :P<br /><br /><em>Overall: </em>While notfor everyone, it's definitely a YA novel deserving of praise, if only for how real Holden is, how closely linked his problems are to our own, and how his thoughs are so much like ours.<br /><br />(I think it may be obvious why I don't review classics now- above my head :P)Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-84181152623915968562010-01-09T18:49:00.000-08:002010-01-09T18:54:18.292-08:00Bad Blogger.Hey all! Sorry I've been neglectful and a bad blogger *turns hand at extremely painful and awkward angle to tsk at myself*! Also, sorry if you're comments have been rejected- I don't mean to, I've been getting a LOT of spam *COUGH COUGH COUGH*.<br /><br />BUT. I'm back for good, and can't wait to start book blogging again! I hate to admit it, but lately I've had zero interest in reading- it's all music and vinyl (I think I might start a music blog or w/e. Like I know anything about it :P) up there :P<br /><br />I've finished a lot of my ARC's, so expect reviews tomorrow :) I'm also bringing back all the bookish meme- WoW, IMM, TT... yeppers.<br /><br />Off to do stuff!Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-42535938553447017012009-12-14T19:34:00.000-08:002009-12-14T19:49:13.388-08:00Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson reivew<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7Lhalkz2iLcJhct5YHNtqWaRPFiMwbsQWYzDOfEjKBg7bws6sVM1xymy72E_-kZym39LKKgxU7tnqO62u9vQMa5i_aRctXdduZslsqiazmt3rFgoIyw4aW1IL13rKjk2BOMgVJAfaAU/s1600-h/41NqS8Dyk%252BL__BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415301697516869922" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7Lhalkz2iLcJhct5YHNtqWaRPFiMwbsQWYzDOfEjKBg7bws6sVM1xymy72E_-kZym39LKKgxU7tnqO62u9vQMa5i_aRctXdduZslsqiazmt3rFgoIyw4aW1IL13rKjk2BOMgVJAfaAU/s400/41NqS8Dyk%252BL__BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Title: Speak<br />Author: Laurie Halse Anderson<br />Edition: Paperback, 10th Anniversary Edition, 2009<br />Publisher: Speak<br />MSRP (Paperback): $11.99<br />Rating: * * * * */5<br /><br /><br />I have no words for "Speak". It was unlike anything I've ever read before, and I only wish I could read more like it.<br /><br />The brilliance of "Speak" is how absolutely NOTHING happens until the end- but it manages to be so fascinating. Melinda has a voice unlike any other- so strong, so real, so startlingly familiar, like your own, a voice every one, of any gender, race- anyone will understand. It's a voice that sticks with you, a voice you'll always be haunted by- a voice you need to listen to in the book, and soon.<br /><br />No words describe emotions I felt from this book- which, despite its shortness, is why I'm ending this review here!<br /><br />(That and I'm so tired sheep are counting me.)Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-4961499391530816502009-12-14T18:54:00.000-08:002009-12-14T19:33:50.643-08:00Liar by Justine Laralestier review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5GciSMMyYtiikRaG_tTjbboSy0x8ny2g2ofal_G8cEj1utsuXKcF5E7TbbWaQQo_Oak2vs2q9ZRC66FoQAqpIE-2Or0KChReoYev47YOE32TZDXhBztiaLuciwAtjAJxZJ9Bh28tA48/s1600-h/41PvvTrYEVL__SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415293080934487362" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5GciSMMyYtiikRaG_tTjbboSy0x8ny2g2ofal_G8cEj1utsuXKcF5E7TbbWaQQo_Oak2vs2q9ZRC66FoQAqpIE-2Or0KChReoYev47YOE32TZDXhBztiaLuciwAtjAJxZJ9Bh28tA48/s400/41PvvTrYEVL__SL500_AA240_.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Title: Liar<br />Author: Justine Larbalestier<br />Publisher: Bloomsbury USA, September 29, 2009<br />MSRP (Hardback only): $16.99<br />Pages: 384<br />Rating: * * * */ 5<br /><br />I was so excited when I found Liar in my mailbox 2 months ago- I had been waiting for it forever, and didn't even know I would recieve an ARC! But then I realized something, like many others may have- I don't know how to read Liar. I mean, I get the words being put into coherent (most of the time) sentences part down, obviously- but I was scared that I would get to the end of the novel, having been totally wrapped up in a story, only to have it all ripped away- Micah just saying, "Oops, it was all a lie! You people buy everything, don't you?" Could I trust this book at all? Even for fiction that was trying. But, because I had a job to do, I read it (it took a while, as you who check up regularly might know!).<br /><br />I can't say much, but yes, to a certain extent, my expectations were met. Lies were sometimes admitted, another world was spun together as Micah went from "compulsive to pathological", in such detail- then taken away sharply. Even these "tiny white lies" of hers, these things she said were for fun or to protect people were taken away. But was I disappointed by it? Definitely NOT!<br /><br />"Liar" was, above all, an unbeatable character study. Micah was so real- yet everything about her was not. Even though it was what I feared most, it was so exciting to go looking for clues that might prove she's lying- didn't she go somewhere else before? I thought she didn't know him or her? Liar is a book that will have you reading constantly and nervously.<br /><br />But that's not to say it didn't have it's definite faults. There was a point in the book where some people might just give up, put down the book and sigh, "Really? You expect me to believe this?Please!". And Micah- as interesting a character to read about as she was- was an awful person sometimes. Frankly, she got on my nerves a little more than a few times.<br /><br />If you're up to a challenge, give this new book a try. I definitely don't regret it!<br /><br /> <strong>Many thanks to the publishers at Bloomsbury USA for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book!</strong>Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-54601595782205917542009-12-06T19:43:00.000-08:002009-12-06T20:02:56.392-08:00In My MaikboxHey all! I haven't posted anything of substance in MONTHS, I know, and I'm afraid no reviews til tommorrow (BUT I have 7 to review as make up... *goes green in face*). I could shovel out some excuses- All-district and festival in band, algebra, my recent audiophileness (right word for person obsessed with music??? I truly am- I've spent hundreds of dollars on iTunes and CD's the past few months, and about as many hours eduating myself on the movements, decades, history, discographies... yup I'm making myself stop sorry!), vacation, sickness... but I shan't. (Word??? Oh well). So here is all the books aquired since my last post (no pics, too difficult)!<br /><br />RECIEVED FOR REVIEW:<br /><br />Split by Stefan Petrucha<br />In A Heartbeat by loretta ellsworth<br /><br />BOUGHT:<br /><br />Yeah, about that... I'm proud and shocked, but I bought nothing- no books at least. I spent it all on vinyl and a record player xD<br /><br />Well, with my own money. My parents got me Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger, as well as I Don't Want to Be Crazy by Samantha Schultz.<br /><br />LIBRARY:<br /><br />The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler<br />Burn by Suzanne Phillips<br />An Off Year by Clair Zulkey<br />Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr<br />September Sisters by JIllian Cantor<br />Anna Karenina- Leo Tolstoy<br />Up All Night: An collection of short stories<br />The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald<br />(Some others I already returned and don't remember :P)<br /><br /><em>K, so good few weeks! I got some good classics and other great books. What'd everyone else get? I'm off to see... I have a smothering amount of new posts in my dashboard!</em>Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-64371761966864484542009-11-22T05:18:00.000-08:002009-11-22T05:19:04.025-08:00Vacation, Back SoonHi, just wanted to say I'm on vacation be back soon!Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962098781115309706.post-40447460837529140982009-11-14T13:36:00.001-08:002009-11-14T14:04:50.565-08:00As You Wish<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRZQn9bpPZYIbZGNQsVN3h07_WEAmxPsHpfC3GE_-tRMsK0g64ezHVBRTyM3RtNsKKp6JDybhq3phDIKhNxgX-YUeEcLeHnEto8zmNiBuqOTtr0Dh1qnPCpUTc4zIGKHQMyps4pfNxBI/s1600-h/51nQdY7QdaL__BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404076593722117954" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRZQn9bpPZYIbZGNQsVN3h07_WEAmxPsHpfC3GE_-tRMsK0g64ezHVBRTyM3RtNsKKp6JDybhq3phDIKhNxgX-YUeEcLeHnEto8zmNiBuqOTtr0Dh1qnPCpUTc4zIGKHQMyps4pfNxBI/s400/51nQdY7QdaL__BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Title: As You Wish<br />Author: Jackson Pearce<br />Publisher: Harper Teen, September 2009<br />MSRP (Hardback only): $16.99<br />Pages: 304 pages<br />Rating: * * * * */5 (Yes, another fiver :P Wait, isn't it a good thing?)<br /><br />The first thing I thought when I saw this book was, "Will it be like all these other sub-par fantasies on the shelves?" But I bought it anyways- because, finally! Something interesting I can read, and that's original. Something not about zombies, vampires, ghosts, faeries, fairies... all the other things populating the YA shelves today.<br /><br />My first thought when I read the book was, "OMG I LUUURVE THIS BOOK!" Well, maybe a bit less peppy. But you get the point.<br /><br />As You Wish was a gorgeous mix of most everthing good in YA- funny, believable dialogue, honest to life characters, an original plot, a sprinkling of magic, an amazing male lead who you can't help but fall in love with, fast paced writing, and romance that makes you swoon involuntarily.<br /><br />I loved how the chapters alternated between Jinn and Viola's point of view- showing what they each thought of the events. I think it made both of them more developed and loveable than had only one of them been the narrator. And the writing was great- funny, quick moving, and the way I only wish I could write!<br /><br />As You Wish is a fun, original, and wholesomely sweet creation that'll leave you wishing for more- pick up a copy as soon as possible!Meggin (Serendipity Reviews)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14487685679920770956noreply@blogger.com