my summer reading list:

with summer here and my big vacation coming up (which, i probably didn't mention: i quit my job to spend the summer in UT. yay!) i've decided to put together a summer reading list. i'll have much more time than usual to read this summer and i'm really looking forward to some fun new adventures. here's what i'll be reading:

its kind of a funny story

by: ned vizzni

 

jane eyre

by: charlotte bronte

 

the life of pi

by: yann martel

the fault in our stars

by: john greene

 

the city of lost souls

by: cassandra clare

bitterblue

by: kristen cashore

destined

by: aprilynne pike

the great gatsby

by: f. scott fitzgerald

what will you be reading?
cheers!

xx

well, its May. f.i.n.a.l.l.y. {tomorrow}

i have been waiting for the month of May for quite some time now. you see, i think some time ago, some of my most favorite authors all sat down together and had a meeting. "when shall we release our next books?" they asked each other.
and after much debate and rebuttal, it was decided: "May. it shall be May."
and so, May it was.
well, its May now (tomorrow). and this month brings the releases of four, yes FOUR books i've long awaited:

Destined by Aprilynne Pike

out on May 1st.

this is the final installment in Aprilynne Pike's breakout series, Wings, and i've been counting down the days since last May when i finished Illusions (the 3rd book in the series) for this book to be released. i've been told Destined takes place in a very intense 24 hours. and its the finale, guys. you know its going to be exciting, right? if you haven't read any of these books yet, i'd definitely look into picking them up. they are fast paced, easy to read and the characters are addicting. seriously, pick them up. {book 1-Wings, book 2-Spells, book 3-Illusions.} p.s. can i just say, i love that all of the books in this series have been released in May? i find it very fitting of her stories. don't know what i'm talking about? GO READ THE BOOKS!

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

out May 8th.

i'm severely in love with these books. and they just keep coming! isn't that wonderful? the answer is yes. yes it is. so, this is the 5th book in this series which means, its almost over. almost. just when i thought we had seen the last of Cassie Clare's bomb dot com characters, she goes and lets the literary world know, "j/k guys, i'm writing more books for the TMI series."

and the literary world said, "bless you miss Clare. bless your beautiful book writing soul."

so, i can't even tell you how stoked i am about this book. because City of Fallen Angels? KILL ME. and now i'm like, "i have to know." so, on May 8th, i will. i will know. (maybe? Cassie Clare has an excellent habit of leaving her books on the WORST CLIFF HANGERS EEEVVVEEERRR.) but i mean really, its worth it because quite frankly, Jace Wayland is worth it. i would read 10,000 TMI books with torturous cliff hangers as long as Mr. Jace Wayland was in every single one.

this is one of my all time favorite series, so, if you like me and you like suggestions and books and awesome characters who will literally make you lol or lawl or whatever your acronym of choice may be for laughing, start reading these immediately. and don't just read the first one and judge the rest.

read them all. i beg you. (however, if you are one of those "i read city of bones and quit the series" types of peeps, its okay. we can still be friends. kind of.) 

{book 1-City of Bones, book 2-City of Ashes, book 3-City of Glass, book 4-City of Fallen Angels}

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

out May 1st.

remember when i had a book crush on Divergent, the first book in this series? and i read it before it came out (thank you Late Bloomer!) and had to wait that much longer for the 2nd book, Insurgent, to come out? so i did things like blog about the book cover to hold myself over. well, now the wait is over and honestly? i think it'll be the first one i read when i make a stop at Barnes and Noble tomorrow and pick up those 3 coveted books that will have been released. because, quite frankly, its been too long, Four. its been too long.

haven't read Divergent yet? puhlease go do so IMMEDIATELY. you can read my review of Divergent here. seriously, one of the best books ever. especially if you like dystopian-post-apocalyptic-hunger-gamesy sort of books. then you'll really thank me.

Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore

out May 1st.

yay for book series with each book about a different character. that's how my favorite author Shannon Hale writes and that's how Kristin Cashore, author of Graceling, Fire and now Bitterblue writes as well. its probably one of the many reasons i love her work so much.

i loved Graceling and i loved Fire and i plan to not be disappointed with Bitterblue! Bitterblue was one of my favorite characters in Graceling so i'm glad that i'm going to get to read more about her as she takes on her own adventure. and i can't get over Kristin Cashore's beautiful way of writing. it will be nice to be able to get lost in her words for a day or two again.

if you haven't read Graceling or Fire yet, i recommend doing so because they are awesome books. however, the nice thing about the way Cashore's books work is, you probably could start with any of the 3 in the series and it wouldn't matter.

yay for book love. yay for May.

why are you happy for May?

xx

Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wall Flower by Stephen Chbosky

this book.

this is not a book you sit down and read for fun. it is not fluffy or light or silly. its one you read when you want to think and ponder and dissect human life. one you read when you want to feel and wonder.

the story follows Charlie, a Freshman in high school, who is looking to find his place in the world. its written in "letter format" (all letters are written to 'friend' from Charlie) and it was so beautifully simple yet so humanly complex that i couldn't put it down. i really loved all of the characters and connected with Charlie, the main character, almost immediately. he sounds like the type of kid i would try to be friends with. it was like he and i had an understanding throughout the whole book and it made my reading experience really great. there is no really story line, just bits and pieces of what happens to him in his life and how he deals with it. i looked up to him so much for a lot of what he did and cried for him when he was hurting or upset. he was just such a precious character that really, he made the whole book for me. i also loved the realistic side characters like Sam and Patrick and Bill. i loved who they were to Charlie and how things played out between them.

the pace of the book was great. i didn't ever find myself getting bored but also could put it down for a couple of days if i didn't have time to read and pick up right where i left off.

if you're looking for something different and are in the mood to just take a weekend and read a book, i'd recommend this one.

also, can i just say, i think the cast for this upcoming film is perfect? i couldn't get Logan Lerman (who plays Charlie) out of my head the entire time i was reading the book (not a bad thing!!).

{source. via google images.}

*reader's digression is advised. there is cussing in this book. words such as the "f-word" are used a couple of times. it also discusses things that may be for a more mature audience such as child molestation, homosexuality and mental disorders. shortly put, the movie adaptation of this book is rated R.

xx

Book Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Synopsis: Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

My review: In short, I thought this book was beautiful. I immediately fell in love with the story and the seven kingdoms it takes place in. While in the beginning, it was a little difficult to keep track of which character was who, i quickly became acquainted with everyone and their place in Katsa's, the main character, life.
There was really only one part of the book that I felt I could have done without as I didn't feel it really had any relevance to the story, but other than that, I remained interested in the story the entire time I was reading. I appreciated the twists and turns the plot took and had a hard time putting the book down every time I had to stop reading. The thought of  a Graceling (someone who is "graced" since childhood with a special skill) in and of itself made for such an interesting topic but the way Kristin built a story around it just made for an all around excellent book.
Aside from the story, I think my favorite part of this book were the characters. I had no problem rooting for the heroes and hating the enemies and I felt each character was very strong and all were very relevant to the story line. Katsa quickly became one of my all time favorite heroines. (Which is saying something because I'm super picky about my heroines.) And Po. Oh, Po! I think the world would be a better place with a real-life Po in its midst. But even the sub-characters, Raffin, Bitterblue, Oll - all were likable and easily found a place in my book-loving heart.
As far as the writing goes, I really loved Kristin Cashore's "voice". She kept things fairly simple even though the story had some complexity to it. She also did a great job with making the characters relatable (I'm saying that's a word!) even though they live in a different time and place. Her writing is very easy to read but I felt still had a certain level of maturity to it that helped keep up its YA categorization. And there's a little bit of everything in this book: romance, struggle, heartbreak, suspense, action, and growth. It really is a great story.

If you're looking for a meaty book to snag your attention, I'd recommend this one. (Some parts of this book may not be suitable for younger readers).

Happy reading.

my weekend.

most of my weekend consisted of relaxing.

i'm still trying to get rid of whatever it is i have (assuming its get-rid-ofable.) so i decided to stay in bed all weekend with some of my favorite Camp-Half Blood peeps. (holla to all my Percy Jackson fan-friends!)

i did however, manage to make it to a 7:30 showing of Real Steel which, can i just tell you was both awesome in the over all film department and satisfying in the over all eye candy department? Hugh Jackman is hot. okay? that's all that needs to be said there.

and on Sunday i watched Fantastic Mr. Fox for the first time ever. yes, i loved it.

i hope you all had a marvelous weekend.

♥ ♥

Insurgent cover has been released!!

remember when i was raving about Divergent? (i still say it was the best book i've read this year.) well the second book, Insurgent, which comes out in just 9 short months has just had its cover released:

isn't it just beautiful? i love.
wait, have you not read Divergent yet? what have you been doing?! it came out 6 months ago! its already been on the NYT best selling list and sold for movie rights and everything. you really need to get on it.
like, now.

happy weekend all!

♥ ♥

Book Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Book overview: Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.
Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
So much for normal.

My Review:
Well, I didn't read this very quickly but I did enjoy it (I judge how much I enjoy a book by how quickly I read it.) Towards the end is when I really was able to get into it and now I'm excited about the series and anxious to learn what happens next.
As far as the writing goes: Kiersten isn't the most eloquent writer I've ever read in my life but she's also not the worst. I enjoyed the humor she peppered the book with and how consistent it was throughout the whole story no matter what was going on. Her writing was simple and to the point which was very opposite from the story: complex and mysterious. I liked the combination.
The characters were fun. I didn't mind being inside Evie's head at all. I felt the way she told the story from her pov was entertaining and light. It gave the whole book a more solid feel as if I was just reading the pages of her journal. While she is definitely a typical teenager with crushes and a love for pink she made no excuses about it. I loved her take-me-as-I-am attitude and how she could kick butt while still looking "hot". Very Isabel Lightwood of her. While Lend was a great character it was Reth that intrigued me. All of his poetry and vague comments had me writhing to know what in the world was going on inside his head and furthermore what was going on inside the faerie realms.
I cannot wait to start the next one!
If you're looking for an easy and fun read, I'd recommend this book. Its simplistic in its writing but deep in plot which, if you ask me makes for a great relationship.

♥ ♥

book reveiw: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Well, the bad news is I don't have pictures from a few years of my life (1994 & 1995). I mean, I have them. But I can't find them... so my golden birthday is being interrupted for a few days. The good news is, I'm doing a book review instead! Lucky you.

Thirteen Reasons Why

by Jay Asher

Synopsis: Hannah Baker, a seemingly normal teen aged high-school student has just taken her own life. Left behind is a shoebox full of cassette tapes explaining who and what had a part to play in the her decision. When Clay, a boy at Hannah's school, receives the tapes and begins listening to them he realizes he was given the tapes for a reason: his name is on those tapes. Torn between having to know and not wanting to know, the story follows Clay as he listens to the tapes and comes to realize who and what it was that made Hannah Baker want to give up.

Review: This book talks about some serious issues. Ones that are scary, hard to discuss and sometimes even looked down upon but ones that are very much an issue in the world today. At first this made me skeptical about reading the book. I don't like dwelling on those sorts of issues. Deciding I didn't want to be an ostrich standing around with my head in the dirt while things like suicide, rape and peer pressure go on in the world, I finally opened the book.
In one word, this story was: riveting. Literally, I couldn't put it down. I read it in less than 24 hours because I absolutely HAD to know how things would turn out. But not in a "did the butler do it again?" sort of way in an "what was her breaking point" sort of way. And honestly? I still don't know that I know what it was for her. But I think that's how it is for most of us, isn't it? Sometimes our breaking point, the straw that breaks the camel's back, is lost to us in the most poignant moments of our lives. Sometimes we look back at what we've become and try to pinpoint a solitary moment that marked the turning point for where we are at at that time but in the blur of life, we cannot find it.
That's how this story came off to me. The 'snowball effect' is what Hannah called it. One thing leads to another and so on and so forth until one day you realize your life is "Like driving along a bumpy road and losing control of the steering wheel, tossing you-just a tad-off the road. The wheels kick up some dirt, but you're able to pull it back. Yet no matter how tightly you grip the wheel, no matter how hard you try to drive straight, something keeps jerking you to the side. You have so little control over anything anymore. And at some point, the struggle becomes too much-too tiring-and you consider letting go. Allowing tragedy...or whatever...to happen." (Hannah Baker, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher)
Each person or reason that Hannah named, to her, had a part to play in her death. Whether they knew it or not. Which is such a striking matter all in its own. We really have absolutely no idea what kind of effect we have on other's lives. Good or bad. We have no idea what a smile or a snicker can do to someone. Maybe in that exact moment in time it doesn't seem like a big deal but we cannot even begin to guess what's going on in others lives that might cause them to take the smile or snicker one way or another. That warm smile or that snide snicker could be some one's shining beacon of hope or their last straw. If we as humans could comprehend that fact I just know we'd all analyze more seriously the way we are to others.
This book. It compelled me. It compelled me to deal with what's going on in my life in a more serious manner. It compelled me to just take some extra time and notice people. Simply notice them. Regardless of what you think of the plot or characters or double-first-person-narrative, I'd recommend you take a day and read this book. Allow the theme of the book into your life and pay close attention to what you get out of it. This book isn't about a girl who took her own life because life got too hard. Its about a girl who made a decision based on the way she was treated by others and what's more the way others were treated by others. I love that although Hannah is the one who is dead in this story and she's the one telling what happened to her she is not always portrayed as an innocent victim. Clay recognizes at multiple points that Hannah should never have given up, should have pushed herself harder to allow someone, anyone to help her; and Hannah recognizes that taking her own life was initially her choice no matter what her life was like. That was something I felt was important in the story. Hannah wasn't exactly victimized even though she was the victim.
Basically this book was perfect. It was concrete and simple. Not light and fluffy, just simple.

*I would not recommend this book for a younger audience. It involves some intense topics and adult situations that may be a lot to understand.

♥ ♥

its friday, friday, fun, fun, fun.

i will forever think of Rebecca Black now when friday rolls around...
anyway, since it is friday, i thought i'd let you know today is the last day to enter the give away that Erica Marie from Sea of Blooming Dreams is hosting on my blog. if you haven't done it yet and you want to, you can get all the deets by clicking the icon below:

***

so, its the beginning of summer and you're all gearing up to spend your days lounging by the pool, beach, lake what have you, right? (um, hello! i would be!) or perhaps you're getting ready to jet set around the world/country and see all that you can in the few months that you have off. (ohhhh. that sounds nice too!)

well, if you're anything like me, you'll be in desperate need of something to read while lounging, flying, tanning, driving, or whatever it is you plan on doing this summer.

enter: Divergent.

i know i've mentioned the book before (and as you can see, it makes a perfect poolside companion!), but i just finished it wednesday night and i'm feeling 10x more passionate about making sure everyone has the opportunity to read it than i was before! it quickly found its way onto my favorites list.

the book was absolutely mind blowing. i had high expectations for Divergent and Veronica Roth greatly exceeded those expectations.

Divergent is a beautiful story wrapped in war and hatred, deception and the fight for survival.

as Roth's debut novel, she definitely found her writing niche with a captivating story, concrete characters who demand your full attention and a plot line worthy of any Hunger Games fan's love. simply put, i. love. this. book.

please, if you're looking for something to read this summer, start with Divergent. you will not be disappointed.

{read my full review here.}

happy friday to you all!

have a marvelous weekend, mmmkay?

 ♥ ♥

divergent at the pool.

my current book fling and i went down to the pool earlier this week. we had a lovely time together. even though our relationship wont last long (they never do...) i'm glad to call it, Divergent, my first summer book fling of the year.

Divergent was written by Veronica Roth, a 22 year old Northwestern grad who wrote the book late at night when she was supposed to be doing her homework.

here's a little diddy of what dystopian thriller is about:

"welcome to dystopian Chicago, where Beatrice Prior loves her family and yearns to be seen for who she really is, and where the ways of her carefully ordered society demand that sixteen-year-olds make a dramatic decision that will determine the rest of their lives. torn between betraying those she loves and listening to her own inner voice, Tris's unexpected choice surprises everyone-including herself. but her bold decision soon leads to powerful questions and terrifying truths about what exactly her "perfect society" has become..."

Susan Katz

president & publisher

HarperCollins Children's Books

i'd recommend picking it up. especially if you enjoy dystopian literature which is all the rage right now. (i.e. The Hunger Games, Matched, Delirium, Uglies) and if you like getting ahead of the game on brand new series, now is a good time to get Divergent. it was just released on the 11th.

what's your current book fling?

(defenition of a book fling: book you are currently reading.)

book recommendations for all you fabulous bookworms.

**if you're looking for my book reveiws (and don't want to leave my blog) go here. if you don't mind leaving the blog, go here.
**i will frequently update this page as i read new books that i feel are worth sharing. check back often!!

lately a few of you have been asking for book recommendations and i've been thinking about doing a post like this for awhile now, but just haven't gotten around it to it. BUT since you asked, i'll be happy to oblige. now, i read a lot of books, but these are the ones that i'd recommend over anything else i've read because of their amazingness. these are absolutely must read books. (these recommendations are also assuming you've already read the Twilight, Harry Potter and Hunger Games series which is why none of those are on the list. if you haven't read any of those series, then please, do yourself a favor and do so.)

now for the RATING SYSTEM.

as an avid user of goodreads.com (you can friend me here i review everything i read on my goodreads account) i'll be using their rating system which is as follows:

5 *'s = it was amazing

4*'s = i really liked it

3*'s = i liked it

2*'s = it was okay

1 * = i didn't like it (which, quite frankly, why would i recommend a book i didn't like?...)

okay. lets get started:

Divergent

book 1: Divergent (you can read my full review here.)

book 2: Insurgent (due out spring/summer 2012)

book 3: untitled (spring/summer 2013)

author: Veronica Roth

genre: YA, science fiction, dystopian literature, fantasy, futuristic

synopsis: Beatrice Prior loves her family and yearns to be seen for who she really is. When the ways of her carefully ordained society demand that 16-year-olds make a dramatic decision that will determine the rest of their lives, Beatrice becomes torn between betraying those she loves and listening to her own inner voice; her unexpected choice surprises everyone-including herself. But Tris's bold decision soon leads to terrifying questions, bold truths and a life threatening secret about what exactly her "perfect society" has become.

rating: *****

if you liked: Matched, The Hunger Games, Anthem, or Uglies you'll like this book.

series title: the Books of Bayern

book 1: Goose Girl

book 2: Enna Burning (*this one if my favorite one in the series and my favorite book of all time. enna is a character that i so closely connected with and felt i understood more than any character i've ever read.*)

book 3: River Secrets

book 4: Forest Born

author: Shannon Hale

genre: young adult, fantasy

synopsis: (only the synopsis of book one will be given to avoid spoilers) Crown Princess Ani is shipped off to a neighboring kingdom as a bride but her journey is cut short when a bloody mutiny occurs and she is betrayed by some of the people she held closest to her heart. barely escaping with her life, Ani is forced to go into hiding and disguises herself as a goose girl on the royal estate. fighting to remain hidden, but knowing she has to take a stand, Ani befriends others that work with the animals, learns more about herself than she ever expected and plots her revenge on those that betrayed her.

rating: *****

(other recommended books by Shannon Hale: Austenland and The Princess Academy which is another one of my all time favorite books.)

Paranormalcy

book 1: Paranormalcy (read my review here)

book 2: Supernaturally

book 3: Endlessly (due out 2012)

author: Kiersten White

genre: urban fantasy, young adult fiction, paranormal romance

synopsis: Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

rating: ***

series title: Fablehaven

book 1: Fablehaven

book 2: Rise of the Evening Star

book 3: Grip of the Shadow Plague

book 4: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

book 5: Keys to the Demon Prison

author: Brandon Mull

genre: middle grade, fantasy

synopsis: one summer Kendra and her brother, Seth, get sent to stay with their grandparents, whom they barely know, where they find themselves seeing things they never thought existed and getting involved in an ancient battle that seems almost impossible to win. these books come complete with secret societies, traitors, spells, curses, dangerous journeys and so much more.

rating: ****

if you liked: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Pillage or The 39 Clues

series title: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

book 1: The Lightning Thief

book 2: The Sea of Monsters

book 3: The Titans Curse

book 4: The Battle of the Labyrinth

book 5: The Last Olympian

author: Rick Riordan

genre: middle grade, fantasy, action/adventure (wikipedia says its young adult, but i really wouldn't classify this series as young adult...)

synopsis: while attending a troubled youth school, Percy Jackson is confronted with the fact that he might not actually be "normal". when he finds out he's actually a demi-god, fathered by one of the most popular Greek gods of all time, his world is turned upside down and his days get weirder and weirder.

rating: ****

if you liked: Harry Potter, Fablehaven, The 39 Clues, Artemis Fowl, or The Kane Chronicles you'll like this series.

series title: The Mortal Instruments

book 1: The City of Bones (you can read my review here.)

book 2: The City of Ashes (you can read my review here but beware of spoilers.)

book 3: The City of Glass (you can read my review here but beware of spoilers.)

book 4: The City of Fallen Angels (you can read my review here but beware of spoilers. -- it is advised that you read The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel before reading this book.)

book 5: The City of Lost Souls (due out May 2012)

book 6: The City of Heavenly Fire (due out September 2013

author: Cassandra Clare

genre: young adult, urban fantasy, supernatural

synopsis: Clary Fray's world is turned upside down after witnessing a murder and then finding out she's more like those murderers than she ever imagined. she soon learns that everything she thought she knew isn't quite as it seems and that even the people who are closest to her can't always be trusted. when she's thrust into the world of Shadowhunters, Downworlders and Jace Wayland, Clary learns that her past; the past her mother tried so desperately to keep hidden from her is her inevitable and seemingly bleak future.

rating: *****

if you liked: Twilight, Wings, or Harry Potter you'll like these.

series title: The Infernal Devices

book 1: Clockwork Angel (it is advised that you read the first three books of The Mortal Instruments series before reading this book)

book 2: Clockwork Prince

book 3: Clockwork Princess

author: Cassandra Clare

genre: young adult, urban fantasy, supernatural

synopsis: before there were the Mortal Instruments, there were the Infernal Devices. when Tessa Fray is summoned to London by her brother Nathaniel, it isn't until she arrives that realizes something is very wrong. after being kidnapped and thrown into a world she never even knew existed, Tessa is forced to become something she never knew she had inside her in order to push along a war that she doesn't even know she's a part of. after she is rescued by the easy going Jem and mysterious Will, Tessa learns more about her past than she ever thought she would; a past that could so greatly affect the rapidly approaching future.

rating: ****

Matched

book 1: Matched (you can read my review here.)

book 2: Crossed (due out nov 2011)

book 3: untitled (due out nov 2012)

author: Ally Condie

genre: YA, dystopian literature, futuristic, science fiction

rating: ***

synopsis: In the Society, Officials decide. who you love. where you work. when you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. it’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. so when her best friend, Xander, appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one… until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow — between perfection and passion. (synopsis taken from the Matched website.)

if you liked The Hunger Games, Uglies or Delirium, Twilight, Wings, or The Mortal Instruments you'll like this book.

p.s. read the book already? go here for extras and fun. get Matched yourself!

The Girl Who Could Fly

author: Victoria Forester (tell me her site isn't whimsical btw!)

genre: MG, fantasy

rating: ****

synopsis: Piper Mcloud can fly. that's why her parents send her off to what they all believe to be a safe institute for children with extraordinary powers like Piper. things don't exactly go according to plan though when Piper realizes that the institute might actually be the exact opposite of what she originally thought it was: safe. when the sugary sweet Dr. Letitia Hellion finally shows her true colors, Piper and her friends embark on a rebellion to escape the institute and save a few other helpless creatures along the way.

i'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something fresh and new to read. something outside of the mold. don't let the target age scare you from reading this. it truly is a wonderful story.

The Graveyard Book

(you can read my review here)

author: Neil Gaiman

genre: MG, fantasy, horror

rating: ****

synopsis: the graveyard book is about a young boy (Bod) who is nearly killed as a baby and then taken in by a ghost couple and raised in a graveyard. it follows his life and all that he learns growing up in the land of the dead all the while trying to solve the mystery of who his would-be-killer is and why he wanted to kill Bod in the first place.

Wings

book 1: Wings

book 2: Spells

book 3: Illusion (due out: may 3rd)

book 4: untitled (due out: release date unknown)

author: Aprilynne Pike

genre: YA, fantasy, supernatural, romance

rating: *** 1/2

synopsis: Laurel's life changes a lot when she's pulled out of home schooling, which she's done her whole life, and thrust into a public school in a new town. what she doesn't know is that her life is about to change even more than that. when she begins sprouting wing like flower petals, Laurel begins to learn things about her secret past that even her parents don't know about her. soon she is involved in an ancient battle between good and evil and is caught up in a complicated love triangle between her best friend, David, and the mysterious Tamani who comes from her past.

The Da Vinci Code

author: Dan Brown

genre: adult fiction, action, thriller, suspense

rating: *** 1/2

synopsis: Harvard professor Robert Langdon and the beautiful police cryptographer, Sophie Neveu, set out on a thrilling treasure-hunt-like mission to help solve the mystery that is the murder of Sophie's grandfather, Jacques Sauniere. before his death, Jacques left behind a series of clues for Sophie and Langdon to decipher in hopes they would learn the secret he's kept hidden for so many years.

(sequels: Angels and Demons, The Lost Symbol)

series title: the Inheritance Cycle

book 1: Eragon

book 2: Eldest

book 3: Brisingr

book 4: Inheritance (due out: nov 2011)

author: Christopher Paolini

genre: YA fiction, fantasy

rating: ****

synopsis: in Eragon's world, Dragon Rider is just a legendary term heard in bedtime stories and fairy tales. that is until Eragon finds and hatches his own dragon, Saphira, and claims her as his own. realizing there is more to the life of a Dragon Rider than Eragon thought, he embarks on a dangerous journey to find others like him, properly train as a Dragon Rider and to save his home land, Alegasia from destruction.

The Thief Lord

(you can read my review here)

author: cornelia funke

genre: MG, fantasy, adventure, suspense

rating: *** 1/2

synopsis: this story takes place in Venice where two boys, Bo and Prosper, run away from their aunt find refuge in an abandoned theatre and form friendships with some of the most unlikely of people. when they get caught up in a risky job thieving for a sinister character, Bo and Prosper realize they may have gotten in over their heads.

why: because its a fun story that allows one to escape the real world for a day or two and get caught up in the lives of run-away and orphaned children who take their lives into their own hands.

Anne of Green Gables

author: Lucy Maud Montgomery

genre: YA, humor, romance, fiction

rating: ****

synopsis: Anne Shriley, an orphaned is accidentally adopted by brother and sister Marilla and Matthew Cuthburt. learning to be a proper lady and hold her temper, Anne embraces her new life in her new home. she finds kindred spirits in the unlikeliest of places and has a few adventures along the way.

The Chronicles of Narnia

book 1: The Magician's Nephew

book 2: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

book 3: The Horse and his Boy

book 4: Prince Caspian

book 5: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

book 6: The Silver Chair

book 7: The Last Battle

author: C.S. Lewis

genre: MG, action, adventure, fantasy

rating: ****

synopsis: children from "our world" travel to the fanatical land of Narnia and are enlisted to rule as kings and queens, fight in battles and save other royalty previously in rule.

Anthem

author: Ayn Rand

genre: dystopian fiction, action, science fiction

rating: ****

synopsis: Equality 7-2521 lives in a society where everything is controlled. one is told what to eat, how to dress, what career path to choose and even who to love. but Equality 7-2521 wants to think for himself. and so he does. in doing so he catches the eye of the evil government and the beautiful and mysterious Liberty 5-3000.

happy reading!

another vacay post - BABIES & movies & books oh my! {pt. 2}

90% of my friends in utah are married and have children. this equals lots of oodeling time for me when i'm there! i got to see some of my favorite kiddos (and some of my favorite mommies!) while in utah, and i thoroughly appreciated that.

le sigh.

babies.

i love 'em.

since before heading to utah (long before!), i had been really wanting to see i am number four. i'm sort of crushing on alex pettyfer and i had read the book over the summer, so i wanted to see if they did it justice.

um, yes.

they did.

i LOVED it. absolutely.

and it was probably better because i saw it in utah...

(okay, maybe not but we can pretend!)

annnnd i bought a couple of books while i was there as well.

beyonders: a world without heroes by brandon mull (which i haven't finished yet because... i've been super caught up in the mortal instruments series!)

and matched by ally condie (which my sis and i read on our drive back to texas. i'll review it soon, but *spoiler alert* i'd recommend it.)

one of the most fun parts though, was going to barnes and noble with my brother and cousins and drinking chai teas and reading.

that has got to be one of my most favorite things to do.

i feel so... chill when i do that.

anyway

that's it for now.

i'm sure you're just dying to know more about what i did a few weeks ago.

but for now, i should sleep.

cause i'm tired.