ZOMG I Got An Award!

Thanks so much to Jessica from Shut Up, I'm Reading! for the Lemonade Stand Award! It's my first ever award :) Here it is:





Okay, here's the rules:

Link back to the person who gave you the award.
Nominate up to 10 bloggers for it.

Okay, I know most if not all of the people I nominate already have this award, but I'm giving it anyways just in case, mmkay? Basically I'm giving it to any and all people who have helped me. Thanks, guys :) And also blogs I think are cool.

• Book Reviews- The Club
• Dragonfly Book Reviews
• The Sweet Bonjour
• Katie's Book Blog
• One Page At A Time...
• Kira's Book Paradise
• Review A Book 123
• Bookalicious
• Oops... Wrong Cookie
• The Written World

Okay, that's it! Enjoy the awards :)

-Peace out, Meggin

Private by Kate Brian

ZOMG... I am so tired. :( gbaoa'kng <<< That's where my head fell when I fell asleep. Sitting up. Apparently the dog I'm puppysitting didn't get the memo that wakeup time is 9:30, not 5:40. We'll just have to fix that, won't we? Otherwise, the world shall prepare to face the world shall face the wrath of a sleepy Meggin. Not pretty, folks. NOT. Pretty. ANYways, I just finished the first book in the Private series. Private, obvs.


Title: Private
Author: Kate Brian
Publisher: Simon Pulse, 2006
MSRP: Paperback US $8.99
Pages: 236 pp
Rating: * * */5

Private is basically a series about a sophmore new to a private school who is desperate to associate with some spoiled, rich party kids whose main hobbies include messing with her, and screwing up other peoples' lives. The book is all about how hard she tries to get in with them. Which should have been a warning sign right there...?

Something that ruined it for me was that Reed Brennan, said desperate girl, is just not likeable. She's a little whiny, a lot ruthless, and just completely self centered... It's just not enjoyable to read. Makes you cringe a little. The only character I did like was Taylor, because you could tell she had a little reality in her.

And the plot? So incredibly repetitive! I find where I left off based on what's happening by skimming the book, and I couldn't find it. The same things kept happening, and it wasn't even that interesting to start with.

BUT, I did like that it dealt with a lot of important issues- basically everything the average angsty teen would deal with, like popularity, relationships, family, alcohol... and even though they didn't always make the best decisions with it all, it was really realistic, and that's always something I look for in a book. I also liked the atmosphere of the book- gloomy, low key, enigmatic.

So, if you're at the library and it's a slow time in books, I would suggest picking up the series. It's got a ton of books in it, and more keep coming out, so it's something to get addicted to :)

My ABC Authors Challenge List!

I've been trying to get ideas for authors, and I finally have a partial list. *YAY!* There's some blank spots I'll need to look in to, later, but for now my official-for-now list! BTW, you can make your own list, or use mine. It's just more fun to make your own personalized one, I think :) You can find the official ABCAC post here.

A- Laurie Halse Anderson- Wintergirls
B- Robin Benway- Audrey, Wait!
C- Kristin Cashore- Graceling
D- Sarah Dessen- Along For the Ride
E- Elizabeth Scott- Something, Maybe
F- Jordanna Fraiberg- In Your Room
G- Linda Gerber- Death by Latte
H- Mary Hogan- Pretty Face
I- Eva Ibbotson- The Reluctant Heiress
J- Jannette Rallison- Just One Wish
K-Kristina Springer- The Expressologist
L- Susanne LaFluer- Love, Aubrey
M- Susan McBride- The Debs
N- Alyson Noel- Faking 19
O- Sarah Ockler- Twenty Boy Summer
P- Marlene Perez- The Comeback
Q- Sarah Quigley- TMI
R- Rosie Rushton- Love, Lies and Lizzie
S- Susanne Selfors- Coffeehouse Angel
T- Tucker Shaw- The Girls
U- /
V- Siobhan Vivian- Same Difference
W- Laura Weiss- Such A Pretty Girl
X- /
Y- J.A. Yang- Exclusively Chloe
Z-Markus Zusak- I Am the Messenger

Okay... Every single letter's filled but U, and X. Um, any authors for that, anyone?
Can't wait to see what everyone else is doing :)

UPDATE: X and U are being cut out of the alphabet for this challenge.
Peace out, Meggin =D

Elwhere Review; Waiting On Wednesday

Heya, my people :) I'm finally home! *Happy dance* I have email, and full web access, and all that good stuff. A BIG plus is that there's no longer the possibility of finding a bear on my front porch. So, Phew, that's good :)



I just read the best book I've read in a while- Elswhere, by Gabrielle Zevin- it was FANTASTIC beyond words and I staed up waaaaay late until I finished it. I cried pretty much nonstop!









Title: Elsewhere
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Publisher: Square Fish, 2007 (Paperback reprint)
Pages: 304 pp
MSRP: $8.99 (paperback reprint version)
Rating: * * * * */5


Blurb: "Is it possible to gro older, while growing younger?"



Liz wakes up on a cruise ship in what seems like a dream- but is really a boat taking her to Elsewhere, where everyone goes when they die. Liz is 15, and she realizes that she beens killed in a bicycle accident. On Elsewhere, she goes to live with a grandmother she's never met, who died of breast cancer while Liz's mom was pregnant with her.


On Elsewhere, it's usually warm with a slight breeze, te sun and stars shine brightly, and it's quiet and peaceful there, and no one gets sick or any older- in fact, you grow younger with the more time yuo spend there, and once you become a baby you float down the River back to Earth, to start a new life.


Want to see new paintings by Picasso? Read new works or Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and other famous writers of the past? Need someone to talk to about your problems? Swing by the Elswhere museum, library, or Marilyn Monroe's psychiatry office (not everyone does what they did on Earth, you know).


Liz misses her family, her friends, and generally her old life. She wants to get her driver's liscense, get married, have kids, get old with soemone she loves. But can she maybe grow up as she gets younger?





I absolutely loved this book. You HAVE to get a copy and read it! I know it's a little older, but it's something everyone needs to read. And it makes you think a lot too, about the people who have died that you would see again. Even animals go to Elsewhere too (Liz's job is helping the pets new to Elsewhere get settled), and you'd be able to see your pets, like Elizabeth did when she got younger. The book starts with her dog, Lucy, being narrated by someone after Liz has died. From that part on, it kept making me cry! I wanted to sob sooooo bad at the end, it was so sad. Don't read this if you're in a happy mood, I'm warning you!The best time to read it is in your room, during a gloomy rainstorm, I think.


I think it's the best book I've read in 2009, actually!





Okaym now for Waiting on Wednesday 3: This week's awaited book is.... THE EXPRESSOLOGIST, BY KRISTEN SPRINGER, which will be released sometime this fall. I think it sounds EXCELLENT, what with the best-friend crush (my fave kind of love!) and coffee being the major theme. Here's the pic:





It's being published in September and I can;t wait!

Summary: "What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?

Mmmm, sounds good, right? Coffee plus the crush on best friend (that's the best kind of love plot, I think!) equals total awesomeness :)

Woah, this post took me 3 DAYS to do... *tsk tsk tsk*

Peace out, Meggin

Visit My New Blog!

Okay, before I explain let me say this: I WILL STILL BE BLOGGING ON THIS. MEGGIN WRITES! IS JUST ANOTHER BLOG I MADE TO PUT MY WRITING ON.

I just made a new blog, called Meggin Writes! It's just a place where I put up my writing. I know I'm not that good, but I *think* I'm okay.... hope.

I got the idea from this cool little new blog, Novel Ideas, which you should check out. She doesn't have much up yet, but what she does is interesting and original.

Okay, that's all, move along people, nothing to see here. :)

Peace out, Meggin =D

Teaser Tuesday #3 Time!

Hey my peeps, here's my Teaser Tuesday #3! The book closest to me right now is L.A. Candy, and I know some people might want to see what's in it, since it's had so much publicity (:P), so here it is:

"With 'L.A. Candy, you will become famous. Every girl in America will want to be you. Every guy in America will want to date you. And someday"-he nodded his head in the direction of the man from "Dancing With the Stars" who had just taken a seat two tables away from them- "you'll be back there, trying to have lunch while customers ask you for you autograph and photographers try to take your picture."

Ooooh.... errrrrr.... I love the celeb appearances in this book! It's so cool. :)
L.A. Candy has made me wonder if Heidi Pratt will try to write a book now... I hope so. She's hilariously dumb :) No offense Speidi fans!

OMG, I miss home soooo bad. :( We're just in a hotel in Nashville. If you sent me an email I'll get tommorrow, everybody :)

Okay, bye-bye then =D
Peace out, Meggin

Books To Movies: 2009-2010!; Coffee Minichallenge

I needed to do somethign for movie Monday, and since some of my readers have told me they'd prefer if i mainly focused on books, others say they like having a variety, I'm doing books being/have been made INTO movies- everybody wins, right? So, yup, YAY! Anyways.

Okay, the first book-turned-movie, of which I just saw the preview for for the first time, is: "I Love You, Beth Cooper," by Larry Doyle. I see this on shelves all the time at B & N, and it always looks so funny and cool- but I've never read it. Now I don't have to: It's coming out the summer! Summary: A geeky guy named Denis falls in love with the head cheerleader, Beth- then says he loves her at graduation, in front of everyone! I think it sounds cute.

Post-Grad: A Pre-Life Crisis by Emily Cassell

I was interested in this because I saw Alexis Bledel on the cover, and I got all screechy and excited, because I thought it was the long-awaited Gilmore Girls movie, here at last, since AB was on the cover, and I thought, maybe the post grad part means after she graduated from Yale. Alas, it was not to be.... but I'm still pretty excited by this movie anyways, and I'm gonna get the book ASAP!

This was the only piccy I could find, both for the movie and book. Here's what it's about: Ryden Malby had a plan for a perfect life: follow four steps, and that was it. Do good in high school, get a great scholarship, move to LA, and get a job at one of the world's largest publishing houses. But what happens if and when her plans don't work out that way?

Georgia Nicholson Series!

I know a ton of people love this series, but I've yet to read it. Dunno why. It looks hilarious, is it any good?... Anyways, can you believe it's being made into movies!? YAY! I can't wait to see it!

Now it's time for my coffee minichallenge!

I don't think I'll make buttons for it, it's just a thing where I read books with a certain theme to them: the best thing ever- coffee! I've been drinking coffee since I turned twelve, and I get it every chanceI get- even if i have to beg. I'm totally willing to sacrifice my dignity for a java chip frappachino with an extra shot of expresso... yum. :)

SO here are the books I'm determined to read for the minichallenge!

They all look so great, right? I can't wait to get home, to the library, and check these out.

Okay, it's 3 a.m..... I definitely need to go to sleep, right? Meh. I feel all insomniatic. I'll just read, I guess.

Peace out! -Meggin

P.S. Do you have any more coffee-themed reads? Post a comment of them if you do, please!

In My Mailbox; Official ABCA Challenge Rules!

I know it's kind of late for this, but it's still techinically Sunday. So, yup.



I am sooooo excited about the books I got this week! I usually don't get hardcovers, seeing as they're so expensive, but I couldn't resist getting the Real Real and L.A. Candy (I know, I know. I'm holding my breath hoping that it won't be... cringe-inducing. That's the best description I can think of, but you know what I mean. Stereotypical, like the characters are all flat and perfect, nothing bad happens... you know how the people on the Hills are- you can't help but seriously doubt their writing abilities. I also got Prada & Prejudice! YAY!!!!!!!!!! *Happy dance* *Blushes in embarrassment at happy dance *Proceeds to dance anyways* I thought it was coming out in July, and then I saw it at Book-A-Million, I seriously wanted to scream all happy-like :) Then I got the first book in the Kate Brian Private series, Private. I know, everyone's read that forever ago... so just skip over the review when it comes.



Okay, here we go...

The Revieved: None, but I do have a few ARC's on the way. So maybe next week?




From the Library:








The Bought:




And that's my haul this week!





So what'd everybody else get?





P.S. Thanks to The Story Siren for IMM!





-Peace out, Meggin



Oops! I forgot to type the ABC Authors Challenge Official Rules... Here they are! Most challenges have a lot of rules, but this one is a little more flexible.

• You can only use an author's name once. For example, I could use Meg Cabot and read a book by her for either C or M, but you can't read a book by her for C AND M, even if they're different books.
• Set your own time limit. This is 26 different books, and since everyone reads at different rates, has to find books and authors for the challenge, etc., you set the due date to what's best for you. Mine will be by the December 11 (my birthday, woo!), or July 1 of 2010, but you set your own.
• Post about this challenge on your blog. That way, lots of people will know about it, and participate. I'd appreciate it TONS!
• Have fun! Make sure the book you're reading is something you enjoy!

Now, I've seriously got to make myself go to bed.

-Peace out, Meggin

ABC Authors Challenge!

Remember in my last post I said I migt create a challenge? Well, I am! The ABC Authors Challenge. From A-Z (some can be skipped, like Q's, unless someone can help me with that?), you read 1 book by an author whose last or sometimes first name (again, with tricky letters) begin with each letter of the alphabet. You can reread if you like. Here's an example: For C or M, I could read All American Girl, or Pants On Fire ( PoF is called Tommy Sullivan Is A Freak, for you UK readers :)), for the challenge. You can only use an author for one letter- so you have to choose C OR M, depending on which you already have an author for.



I REALLY want to make a button for this, but I don't know how... :( Does anyone have a link for reeeeaaaallllly simple instructions for it? I'd appreciate it tons, and it'd give you something to advertise the challenge with if you do it, on your blog (which, you know, please do! =D)



Um, okay... I edited this button that says Nerd Pride and has glasses on it, so it says ABC Authors hosted by serendipityreviews.blogspot.com. I think. This is just a prototype, until I can figure out how. But, seeing as I'm really tired and in a cabin in the hills of the Smokey Mts. (more on that later, maybe), where I keep hearing twigs snap and I'm all, "OMG... SASQUATCH... or bear coming for my tasty Choxie chocolates :). ANYways, here's my prototype (I know, I know, it's bad. Bear wsith me, people.):



So, um, you can see why I need help making coool buttons like Em did for her Sarah Dessen Challenge. I'd have a competition, but I don't know if I could give people my ARC of Coffeehouse Angel or not (once it comes and I read it, that is). Anyone able to clear that up for me...?

Ahhh, I've had this blog since MArch and I'm STILL such a newbie. :(

Peace out, Meggin

Books I Want Sooooo *breathes* ...ooooo Much! :)

Finally, a book-related post once more.... =P. This is a list of books I really want so much, mostly found on Amazon, and several are from this list, and just my time surfing the internet.

• L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad (Hope it won't be cringe-inducing!?)
• Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
• The Boy In the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
• The Possibility of Sainthood by ???
• Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Coffeeshop Angel by Susanne Selfors (I have an ARC on the way here, yay!)
• Elsewhere- Gabrielle Zevin
• Feed by M.T. Anderson
• The Girls by Tucker Shaw
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer
• I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
• If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• The Real Real by Emma McLaughlin (is that the author?)
• Animal Farm by George Orwell
• Me, My Elf and I by ???
• Pretty Face by

There's a ton more, but I don't want to bore you with the details. It's just some nondesript chick-lit- not to say that isn't my faviest thing to read :). Hey, if you have any more I should know about for my list, I'd appreciate it sooo much!

Oooh, and I just got a great idea for a book challenge... Author Alphabet challenge, I think I'll call it. I'll post about it later. Do you have to give anything to whoever finishes the challenge first? I don't think so... but if I do, you get, um... everything in my pocket. Okay? So you'll get... a rare specimen of blue lint and a penny. :)

Peace out, Meggin

Like the Renovations? Plus Teaser Tuesday 2!

Hey, I just got a new layout. Do you like it? I'm not sure... I think I'll try some different things. I don't like the middle part, but it's not part of it... But at least I FINALLY know how to do it! :)


Teaser Tuesday #2 Time! (Try saying THAT five times fast. =D) Right now, the book I've been reading today from my extensive TBR pile (I'm working on replacing the list with Shelfari- everyone with a book blog or a blog where you want people to know what you're reading, by the way, should check Shelfari out. I love it!) is Audrey, Wait! and I;m lovin' it. SO here goes (for those of you who don't know, my first TT post from last week is here. (Hey, I finally can do a hyperlink!)

I could feel the eyes of everyone else in the VIP area boring into our backs and all I had was this one thought:
Thank you, Evan.

OoOoOohhhh.... AaAAaaaaAAAAahhhHHH... sounds interesting right? You can't tell from thosev two sentences but it's a great book.

Movie Monday (And A Belated IMM)

*GASP* I was too lazy even to SIT and type on my computer yesterday! Now I have to do two in one. Oh well, I'm gonna make it shorter than usual.



In My Mailbox- June 15th

I actually got Audrey, Wait! today, so it's good I waited to write this :) I don't know WHY I've held off getting it so many times- it's EXCELLENT, for true :). And like 5 blogger blogs I read have been featured (congrats, Trashionista and Chicklish! Several others I'm not remembering right now.)- woah, how cool would it be to see your site and your own words on a book!?! The correct answer is pretty darn awesome, that's what. :) (Hm, lotsa smiley faces today...) I'm not feeling Jellicoe Road so far, but it's just the beginning, so who knows? L.Y.H.Y.M.Y., I haven't started yet, but I ah-dore Elizabeth Scott's writing.
Pictures:

So what'd everyone else get?

Movie Monday: Movies I Done Watched Last Week


Hitch: So cute :) Will Smith was great in this role, and the dialogue was great. Best flirting in a movie ever. 4.0 out of 5.0.

Clueless: One of my cinematic guilty pleasures- I love the outrageously off-key song at the beginning! 3.5 out of 5.0.

Mean Girls: WHY do I like this so much? I can't tell you, I don't know meself. But I DO, and every single time it's on I HAVE to watch it. Even if it IS a Lyndsay Lohan flick :( I try not to think about that fact. 4.5/5.0

Titanic: AHHHH!!!! I can't see this enough. Winslet and DeCarprio have suuuch great chemistry. 5.0/5.0

Spiderman: Peter Parker's so hot- even in a polyester oddly colored suit. :)

Grease: RAMA LAMA LAMA... :) Another one of those cinematic GP's. I know the songs by heart, and I watch it on VH1 or ABC Fam whenever it comes on.

Hairsray: The new one, from '07. I despise the old one- bad actors, bad dancing, bad singing, and it was not nearly as funny. Even if Zac Efron is in it, which , like Mean Girls and Lohan, I try to overlook. The actors were so great- who played Tracy's mom again? Whoever it was, he was great :) 3.9/ 5.0.

Woah. I watched a lot of movies this week. ** That's my eyes ASPLODEDED by too much TV and not enough reading. :( But :D too, coz movies rock. :)

Peace out, from The One With The Odd Sense of Humor (which reminds me- time to further ** my eyes by watching Friends!)

Sundays At Tiffany's Review

Title:Sundays at Tiffany's

Author:James Patterson

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

MSRP: $24.99 (HB) (PB is also available)

Pages: 309

Rating: * * * */5

This is kind of a complicated book- I still don't fully comprehend... so instead of putting it in my own words (and this is also because I'm lazy :P) I'm going to put down an Amazon description:

As a little girl, Jane has no one. Her mother Vivienne Margaux, the powerful head of a major New York theater company has no time for her. But she does have one friend--Michael--and no one can see him but her. But Michael can't stay with Jane forever, and on her eighth birthday, her imaginary friend must leave her. When Jane is in her thirties, working for her mother's company, she is just as alone as she was as a child. Her boyfriend hardly knows she's there and is more interested in what Vivienne can do for his career. Her mother practically treats her as a slave in the office, despite the great success of Jane's first play, "Thank Heaven." Then she finds Michael--handsome, and just the same as she remembers him, only now he's not imaginary. For once in her life, Jane is happy--and has someone who loves her back. But not even Michael knows the reason behind why they've really been reunited.

I loved most of the characters- but I did want to kick one character, Hugh, where the sun don't shine (haha :D) because he was such a jerk, but I think you were supposed to. Jane Margaux was multi-layered, and I thought it was cool she wrote plays. And I kind of had a crush on Michael- after a long stretch sorely lacking of likable characters! I kept going, "Oh, I wish that was me..."

The plot had a lot of unexpected twists- it kept you interested, but I kept crying. It was so sad sometimes! It seemed real too, even though you kind of have to suspend all reality to read it and like it, which is easy enough once you start reading it.

If you're a romantic like me, you'll love this. I was really impressed by how easily James Patterson left his usual gory suspenseful murder mysteries for a kind of romance (not the Hallmark type, the kind worth reading.), and still made it something great. Incredibly jealous of his writing talent!

One thing I did have an issue with? The end was a bit of a cop out. Like he just got tired of writing it. It left some loose ends untied.

If you don't deal with sad books so easily, however, you probably ahouldn't read this. You've been warned.

Peace out, Meggin

Book Time!

What time is it? BOOK TIME!... Okay, daily geek-out over. Wait, one more wave... IT'S ALWAYS BOOK TIME IN MEGGINLAND *dances* No, really, I'm done. Anyways. =D

It's also time for a book questionnaire! *Holds up sign with APPLAUSE on it* *Pointed silence ensues* Um, it's a fun one... coz it's about books! What'd ya expect, you were getting audited? *Buh dum BOM* Seriously folks, is this thing on? ;)

I just found this online, in my many definitely NOT wasted x-D hours spent on this teeny tiny laptop. So, here's my Q & A, complete w/ answers, for some good recommendations:

• What book are you dying to read this summer? Coffeehouse Angel, Wake or Fade (which is first?)
• Any books you have to read for school? No, not yet, at least!
• Fave place to read a book? Basically anywhere, and any book. But I love reading during a thunderstorm!
• Recommend a book to read on the beach. Serafina67 *urgently requires life*- sad at parts, but mostly hilarious and original, a light chick-lit read (my favorite kind!) And maybe the Shopaholic series, by Sophie Kinsella
• Recommend a book to read (inside, of course!) during a thunderstorm. Flowers for Algernon- really sad, good for the gloomy mood rain puts you in.
• What was you favorite book as a kid? Ella Enchanted, Lemony Snickett books.
• Best book you've read of '09? The Book Thief
• What's the latest book to made you cry? Sundays At Tiffany's
• What's the scariest book you've read? I really don't read a lot of horror books.
• Funniest? The Heather Wells series, by Meg Cabot- a reading must! And the Shopaholic series- I almost died laughing!
• Twilight or Harry Potter? Um, neither, thanks. Supernatural books just don't appeal to me.
• If you lend a book to a friend, how soon do you expect to get it back? My friends aren't exactly... "literarily inclined." (Word? No clue.)
• Snacking while reading- do you do it? No, not usually. We don't have good snacks in my house :( *cries*
• Name a book that needs more zombies. I don't think any book does- especially not Pride and Prejudice... (have you seen that? *Shakes head* It's just... I don't even know. No offense if you liked it, though!)
• Weirdest thing you've used for a bookmark? Anything by me, I use. Weirdest being a piece of gum- which is a good idea. You have a book AND a snack!

Feel free to use this on your blog, hope you got good rec's from my answers!

Peace out, Meggin

What I Saw And How I Lied, by Judy Blundell Review

Title: What I Saw and How I Lied
Author: Judy Blundell
Publisher: Scholastic Press
MSRP:S16.99
Pages: 281
Rating:* * * */5

When Evie Spooner's stepfather returns home from WW II, Evie was just an innocent 15-year-old girl, buying chocolate cigarettes with her best friend Margie. That innocence is lost when her family takes a trip to Palm Beach, and stay at a hotel called Le Mirage. They meet the Graysons there, and Joe and Mr.Grayson make a shady business deal. Also at the hotel, Evie meets and falls for the movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, an ex-GI who Joe would rather forget about. Then, Evie's mother Bev, Joe, and Peter go sailing- and only two of them return.

Evie realizes that she's been caught in a huge plot of lies, secrets, blackmail, and possible murder. Now someone has to be betrayed- but who?

I loved this book- there was something about it that made you not want to put it down, and the writing was so glamorous and noir-ish. Evie was a likable heroine, and most of the characters I liked. I liked Peter, too- like, a little reader's crush. That's how you know a book's good- you have to fall in love with characters and feel like everything happened to you.

I really didn't like Joe, though, or the Graysons- they said random things and were... kind of annoying, I guess.

But overall, this was a really great book, and I love antebellum (I know this usually means after the Civil War, but it also means after any war) books, and if you do too you'll love this book! It has everything: Mystery, possible murder, secrets, lies, blackmail, romance- I should probably stop ranting about it!

Peace out, Meggin

Movie Monday, Teaser Tuesday, AND Waiting on Wednesday!

I'm a Bad Blogger. :( I've barely read anything, or blogged! So, here's 3 days worth of posts- don't worry, it's the condensed version!

MOVIE MONDAY: SABRINA



This is the original, good version, with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. Oooh, I LOVE it! Audrey Hepburn has always been my absolute favorite actress, and the style of '50's-era movies like Sabrina are the nest, quirkiest, most original. I'm going to have an Audrey Hepburn marathon one of these days... It's definitely a movie necessity.

TEASER TUESDAY

I am ashamed to say that about a million and one blogs have done this. But I thought it was a cool idea, thought up by someone who has yet to be revealed, so I decided to do it. For those odf you who don't know what TT is, here's the instructions:

• Grab you're current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page (or, some people do 100. I don't know.)
• Share with the world two teaser sentences from said current book two "teaser" sentences, somewhere between lines 2 and 7 of the random page.
• You also should share the title, so if readers like the teaser thwey have a good book recommendation.
• No spoilers!

I'm reading If i Stay, by Gayle Forman, so here goes:

I edge closer and know it's not Teddy lying there. It's me.

OoOoOHhH.... AaAaAAhHHhhHhhH... Wanna know more? Sorry, you'll have to read the book or my review (Which is coming soon, as soon as I get my lazy butt off this couch and put this laptop away!) Oh, sorry this Teaser didn't give much information. I could find much that draws you in in 2 sentences- the whole book would have to be copied, since it's only great when whole. Just one of those books.

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY, TAKE 1

July 21, I'm counting down to you... Coz that's when Coffeehouse Angel is released!
I couldn't find any excerpts, so here's the Amazon description:

From the author of Saving Juliet comes a romantic comedy that is good to the last drop. When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother’s coffee shop, she decides to leave him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over. Little does she know that this random act of kindness is about to turn her life upside down. Because this adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is really a guardian angel on a break between missions. And he won’t leave until he can reward Katrina’s selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire. Now if only she could decide what that might be . . .

Sounds soooo good. Coffee plus books plus romantic comedy? Equals nothin' but awesome.

Peace out, Meggin

Stop Pretending Review

Title: Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy
Author: Sonya Sones
Publisher: HarperTempest
MSRP (Paperback edition): $7.99
Pages: 152 pp
Rating: * * * */5 starz

The title pretty much says it all- what happened when Cookie's sister went crazy.
It's written in poems, like all of Sonya Sones' books, which is the kind of books I like to read the most (besides ones in blog, chat, or text form- those are the best!)
It took about an hour for me to read, maybe less, and it's a quick vacation read, despite being sad and serious.

The girl writing the poems, Cookie (if her sister was named either Trixi, Bambi, or Muffin, Iwould be dying laughing right now!), whose big sister, the great sister she loved so much, has a nervous breakdown on Christmas Eve. I didn't really get into it the first few poems in, but once you get used to the different stlye you like it. Her friends, when they find out, are sympathetic for like FIVE seconds, then they turn on Cookie (MUAHAHAHA, I'm sorry Cookies of the world, but it's kinda funny :)). She also falls in love, and makes new friends- but no matter what happens, Cookie will definitely never "be in a room down the hall from her sister", in the psych ward.

The poems and characters were easy to relate to, almost as well-developed as a novel-in-verse can be, and sometimes hopeful. It was a bittersweet kind of read. For some reason, I really find mental illness interesting, which I know sounds weird but I mean reading about it.

It's based on somethign that happened to the author herself, Sonya Sones. Her older sister had a mental breakdown, and the only thing that helped her survive was writing in her journal.

I absolutely loved this book, and I definitely recommend it!

I Don't Know What Happened.

I just counted my current book pile (which has books TBA on the list here) after it fell down AGAIN- and guess how many books I currently have that I'm working on reading? 15? 20? 25?
No, it's... I feel a drumrole is required her or something- 33. All at the same time. I don't know if that's actually impressive, though, but I think so.
And what have I been doing instead of reading said 33 books? Making lists of more books to get (of course, like i don't already have enough for this WHOLE calendar year), sleeping, surfing Amazon, drinking coffee at Barnes and Noble (I get odd looks when I buy it because I'm short and look way young. Makes since since I'm just recently old enough to legally own this blog!), and of course getting more books!
I really have to get reading... :( But yay, since I'm reading :)
I think this true form of procrastination deserves a chant: " PROCRASTINATOR'S UNITE!... TOMORROW." Ah, my wit is something great. Just kidding ;)