some recent reads

I don't get on this blog enough, but I'll share some of the books I have recently read. I LOVE my kindle, although it took me a bit to get used to not holding a book in my hands...anyway, here they are:

I'll start with, Second Kiss. This book was actually written by a good friend of mine, Natalie Palmer. From amazon.com "Even my most humiliating moments seemed funny somehow when I told them to Jess.' Gemma Mitchell is a normal girl who somehow gets herself into abnormally embarrassing circumstances. And while she thinks she's the biggest loser in school because of them, there are a few people in her life who would disagree. One of those people is her best friend, Jess Tyler, who is opposite to her in every way. He's popular, good looking, athletic, and intelligent, and he can't get enough of Gemma. But while Gemma is dealing with problems like wrong locker combinations and Valentine's Day dances, Jess is living in a world of serious issues that are foreign to Gemma, until she realizes that he's holding on to her for dear life. Humorous and true to life, Second Kiss is an entertaining saga about a boy and girl who find that their lives have a lot more meaning once they have shared them with each other."


This wasn't my favorite Lisa Wingate book...at all, but it was a cute ending, so I'm adding it on here.
From amazon.com:
The show American Megastar is the hottest thing on television but its associate producer, Mandalay Florentino, is worried. She's just arrived in the tiny town of Daily, Texas, to arrange a surprise "reunion concert" for hometown finalist Amber Amberson. Only it turns out everyone in town seems to know the secret. And paparazzi are arriving. Word from Hollywood is that Amber has disappeared with a "bad boy" actor. Can anything go right in this tumbleweed town? Imagene Doll loves her town of Daily, Texas, but things are lonely without her beloved husband. Life seems dull. At least until that fancy-dressed woman pulls into town, looking terrified and glamorous all at once. Soon life's not the least bit boring as Imagene and the rest of Daily find themselves at the center of a media maelstrom--with a young girl's future on the line.


This was a free kindle book, but it was pretty cute. It is a Christian based book, so it is extremely clean.
From amazon:
Joan Sanderson's life is stuck. Her older sister, Allie, is starting a family and her younger sister, Tori, has a budding career. Meanwhile, Joan is living at home with Mom and looking after her aging grandmother. Not exactly a recipe for excitement. That is, until a hunky young doctor moves in next door. Suddenly Joan has a goal--to get a date. But it won't be easy. Pretty Tori flirts relentlessly with him and Joan is sure that she can't compete. But with a little help from God, Allie, and an enormous mutt with bad manners, maybe Joan can find her way out of this rut. Book 1 of the Sister-to-Sister series, Stuck in the Middle combines budding romance, spiritual searching, and a healthy dose of sibling rivalry.



I just finished this yesterday and I really enjoyed it. It is set in the 1890's New York. Clara is debuting as a debutante.
From amazon.com
Grade 8 Up—The Gilded Age, in all its opulence, comes to life through Clara's eyes as she makes her debut into New York society in the 1890s. Molded primarily by her aunt, the 17-year-old begins her debutante preparation with much trepidation. The more rigorous the process becomes, the more disillusioned she becomes. She sees through the ambition of her fellow debs and their parents and witnesses the hypocrisy of her own wealthy family. They attend church every Sunday, but only to see and be seen. Mitchell ably transports readers to late-19th-century society, a place of extravagance and poverty. Clara's frustrations with her position are well realized. Clara does find an equal in a young man who actually listens to the sermon on Sunday, and he tells her that God loves her just as she is. The story itself plods along, getting mired down in the myriad parties and dress discussions. Despite these criticisms, teens will probably enjoy Clara's glittery world of romance. References to Christianity, such as hymns and traditions, are sprinkled throughout. For readers seeking an alternative to "The Clique" and "Gossip Girl" titles or those who enjoyed "The Luxe," this novel satisfies.—Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY


This was a fun spin-off of Pride and Prejudice. Instead of the original meeting, Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet meet on a boat traveling to America. I really enjoyed this one as well. It easier to read, minus the English-speak.
From amazon.com:
A Tale of Uncharted Love on the Open SeasIn this enchanting and highly original retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet sets out for the new world aboard the grand ship Pemberley’s Promise. She’s prepared for an uneventful voyage until a chance encounter with the handsome, taciturn Mr. Darcy turns her world upside down.When Elizabeth falls ill, Darcy throws convention overboard in a plan that will bind them to each other more deeply than he ever could have imagined. But the perils of their ocean voyage pale in comparison to the harsh reality of society’s rules that threaten their chance at happiness. When they return to the lavish halls of England, will their love survive?What readers say:“Kara Louise is an incredible storyteller.”“Such a sweet and romantic ‘what if’ scenario for Pride and Prejudice fans! A must have for your P&P library!”“Romantic, creative, and witty.”

I am unvieling my new book blog.

This poor site seems to have died.  It make me sad.  Is anyone even reading this?  If you are, head over to my new book blog (HERE) and let me know.  I can re-post my book reviews here...if anyone will read them.

Book Report

If you would like to borrow any of the following, I now own them all.

2 weeks ago:

Impossible

by Nancy Werlin (B+)

This was a fairy tale in the old sense, where not everything that is magic is nice and sweet. I bought it at the bookstore since I couldn’t wait till my online ordered books (see below) were delivered. When the urge to binge read comes, I must have my drug.

Last Week :

A Conspiracy of Kings

by Megan Turner (A-)

This is the 4th book in a series of potentially 6. I read the first 3 a few months ago after my sisters and mother suggested them. This one just came out this month, too. They are really good books, although they do start off slow. Give them a chance!

This Week:

The Girl Who Chased the Moon

by Sarah Addison Allen (just started)

This is Sarah’s third book and it just came out this month. I loved her fairy tail, magical first two books ‘Garden Spells’ & ‘The Sugar Queen’ and have been waiting for this one. They are really quick reads that are fun.

Next week:

Uglies, Pretties, & Specials

by Scott Westerfeld

I’ve been looking at this series for a long time and finally ordered it. It should come any day now. I know there is a 4th book (Specials) that I guess I’ll have to get next, too. Have you read them?

I have found my new favorite book series! The Mortal Instrument series by Cassandra Clare is an exciting series! I could never remember the order they went in, so here is how I remember them. The book names are the City of Bones, City of Ashes, & City of Glass. If you take the first letter of the last word of the title, it spells BAG. There you go. I remember the order of things if I have an acronym or something like that to remember it by. Yes, I dare to say, I love these books more than Twilight (don't get me wrong, I still love Edward & am loyal to him!)& here are a few reasons why:

They are about a girl named Clary (Clarissa). She starts out going to a club with her best friend, Simon. Clary can see a boy with blue hair and a few other people with faded markings, like tatoos, that Simon can't see. Clary goes to investigate. The next day, Clary's mom says that they are going to visit the country for a few months, Clary gets upset & goes to another club with Simon, where her mom calls her & tells her not to come home. So, what does Clary do. You guessed it. But she meets this gorgeous blonde guy named Jace, who I absolutely love, but sometimes he is a knucklehead. Jace is a shadowhunter, he fights demons of all kinds, as well as vampires, fairies, & werewolves that break the rules. With Jace, Alec, Simon, Isabelle, & Mangus, a warlock, she finds things out about her mother & a different life she lived that she never told Clary about. Clary finds things out about herself in the process.

The writing is so wonderful! It is a higher level than Twilight, but not too high that you have to read it a few times to understand what is going on. The places that Cassandra Clare describes are amazing! The books get much better as they go on.

I read all 3 books in 2 weeks, they are so good I had a hard time putting them down! These are books that I would definately recommend buying, maybe even in hardback. (Amazon has them for fairly inexpensive, about half price.)Plus it helped that I read part of City of Bones on the plane ride home from visiting my sister,Devony, in Denver a few weeks ago!

The next book, City of Fallen Angels, comes out March 2011, but there is a prequel, The Clockwork Angel, that comes out September of this year. Here is the website for the series: http://www.mortalinstruments.com/mortalseries.html

The Immortals, book #1: Evermore (by Alyson Noel)

I was desperate for a book to read while I'm waiting for several in the mail (see my personal blog while I wait), so I bought Evermore at Hastings while my husband was deciding what DVD to rent Saturday. (Oh, they gave me 10% off since the back upper corner was crumpled-yeah)

It was a quick read and kept me involved, but it's similarities with Twilight were eerie and a bit distracting. I did like it enough to have ordered the sequel, Blue Moon (drat those publishers putting the first chapter of book #2 at the end of book #1). There is a third book out (Shadowland) and a fourth book (Dark Flame) is due out June 22th this summer. From reading the previews, I'm not sure I'll like the rest of the series, but I'm willing to give them a try. I'm pregnant and need an escape.

Oh, and in case your wondering our library is as big as my bathroom, as old as dirt, and has no connections to the internet or other librarys. Thanks honey for canceling our my vote by voting against the library bond last November. The jokes on him; since he didn't want higher taxes, I will be spending $ to buy my own books.

Link: The Immortals Series

Amazon summary:

This opening book in a new series, The Immortals, will thrill many teen fantasy-suspense readers, especially fans of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series. Seventeen-year-old Ever survived the car crash that killed her parents, younger sister, and their dog. Now she lives with an aunt in Southern California, plagued not only by survivor guilt but also by a new ability to hear the thoughts of all around her. She tries to tune out all these distractions by keeping her hoodie up and her iPod cranked loud, until Damen, the cute new boy at school, convinces her to come out of her shell. Damen, however, is frighteningly clever—and has the strange ability to produce tulips from nowhere and disappear himself at critical moments. Noël (Saving Zoë, 2007) creates a cast of recognizably diverse teens in a realistic high-school setting, along with just the right tension to make Ever’s discovery of her own immortality—should she choose it—exciting and credible. Grades 8-10. --Francisca Goldsmith

Hunger Games will resolve!

I'm sure everyone has seen and heard about the Mockingjay cover (Hunger Games book 3) by now, but I just had to post it. It's amazing! I'm so excited about this book, and I can't wait to read it. Here's some information from a Scholastic UK press release:

THE EAGERLY-AWAITED THIRD BOOK WILL BE PUBLISHED ON 24TH AUGUST 2010

Since the September 2009 release of Catching Fire, the second book in Suzanne Collins' best-selling Hunger Games trilogy, there has been a great deal of internet speculation about the title for the forthcoming third book. The wait is over. Today we can reveal that the third book will be called THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY.

In the series, jabberjays are government-bred mutant birds created in order to spy on rebels. The offspring of common mockingbirds and jabberjays are the Mockingjays, which became the symbol of resistance in book two of the series.

Link: Hunger Games

Austenland

Mmm, how do you feel about this guy? And Jane Austen? And the whole Pride & Prejudice story in general? You love it? Oh, goody, me too. And guess what? I've found a new love that goes right along with it.
Jane is a thorougly modern graphic designer who has a slightly large obsession with Mr. Darcy as played by Colin Firth in the A&E version of the movie. She measures all men and boyfriends against him and therefore finds herself completely unattached and single at age 33 when her great-aunt dies and leaves her a gift. For 3 weeks she will leave behind the modern world and live Austenland, that historical, yet mythical place where men are gentleman, have sideburns and breeches, and flirting is a completely new ballgame. Jane is determined to kick her Darcy obsession by the end of her vacation, and throws herself into the experience. With balls, needlepoint, and travelling by carriage, Jane is as Austen -ish as she can be and, on her voyage of self-discovery find someting she never truly expected too!

I loved that this was a new Darcy story without trying to pick through P&P with a fine toothed comb. It was able to capture a good deal of the playful banter between our favite hero and heroine. And when Jane's three weeks are up, what she discovers in more than she ever imagained!
This book was light, fun, and fast, with Austen, Darcy, and all your other favorites thown in too!
The forward says it "For Colin Firth. I think you're really great, but I'm married, so I think we should just be friends."

Hello, Cupcake!

I know this is not our typical book type that we post about, but, it is so good, I just had to share!!! This is an awesome cupcake book that shows how to decorate many different types of cupcakes. There are dogs, princesses (which my friend just made for her daughter's 3rd birthday), sharks, bugs, flowers, popcorn, fried chicken, peas & carrots, the cutest penguins, horses, etc. I could go on & on! Nice thing, you don't have to have any of the cake decorating supplies, it tells you how to do it all with candies & homemade frosting bags & tips. (Ziploc bags with 6 layers of scotch tape wrapped around an end & cut to specific shapes to make the tips.) Plus, they recommend using the store bought frosting. They are all about easy! I highly recommend this book to anyone! They also have a website with more cupcakes & such! http://www.hellocupcakebook.com/Hello_Cupcake_Design_Home.html

They are also on facebook, so you can follow them there if you wish! Happy cupcaking!