Musing Monday (5)

Musing Monday is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.This week's musing asks:

Describe the last time you were stumped for something to read, and you took measures to remedy that — either by going to the bookstore, the library, or shopping elsewhere. What book did you choose? Did it get you out of your slump?

I can't remember the last time I was stumped for something to read because I'm always going to the library and B&N to fill up my bookshelf! But whenever I am stumped I go to the library or B&N and just browse the shelves. The problem is that my little sister and mom always rush me! I could spend hours just browsing through books. The last two books I bought were: Anna and the French Kiss which I haven't read yet but am going to soon, and The Betrayal of Maggie Blair which I read and reviewed here on Magic Is In Words. I did enjoy reading The Betrayal of Maggie Blair, but it took me a while to get through. I'm not really in a slump though, just busy!

Leave your web adress or just comment on what you answer for the Musing Monday was. Have a great Monday and Memorial Day!

The House You Pass on the Way

The House You Pass on the Way by Jacquline Woodson

Pages: 114

One Life-changing summer
As the granddaughter of celebrities and the daughter of a mixed couple in an all-black neighborhood, Staggerlee avoids curious neighbors by keeping to herself. But then her cousin, Trout, comes to visit, and Staggerlee gets a taste of what life could be. For the first time, Staggerlee has a friend--someone with whom she can share her deepest thoughts. But is Trout really the girl Staggerlee thinks she is?

This is a short book, only 114 pages, but it is filled with emotion. The plot is new and interesting and I loved just about every word in the book. It was hard to put down and it really kept me wanting to read more.

The main character of this book is a fourteen-year-old girl named Staggerlee who lives in a little town in the South. She mostly keeps to herself and she tries to hide it, but you can tell she is very lonely. The reason is that she is afraid to tell anyone about the way she feels towards other girls. But when her cousin Trout comes, she can finally let her secret out to her and you can tell how much better she feels. It is a very interesting situation her family has and it really affects the way she feels and acts. I really took a liking to Staggerlee, she was a very ... peculiar character.

Overall this is a very enjoyable book. It's a quick read, but there is a lot to it. The book doesn't really have very many events that happen; it's based more on Staggerlee's emotions and feeling towards things that happened. It was a wonderful way to write this book, and a lot of people will be dreaming about who they will become.

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Follow Friday (9)

Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View. This week's question is:

Q. How many books do you read in a week? And in what format do you read them, or listen to them?

My Answer: I usually read between 2 and 5 books a week. Now, this week I had a very, very off week. There are only a few days of school left so we have had finals and ECA's and waaay to much state testing! I only read one book this week, The Betrayal of Maggie Blair, and I think that 6 days is the longest it has ever taken me to read any book! I always read hard copies that I own or are from the library. I don't have  Nook even though everyone tells me I should get one. I just don't like it/: oh well.

How many books do you read?

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird

Pages: 423

In Seventeenth-century Scotland, everyone knows that the devil is real.

Everyone knows that witches exist.
Everyone knows that saying the wrong thing can get you hanged . . .
When Maggie's grandmother is accused of witchcraft, the sixteen-year-old has to run for her life. With English soldier on the march, nowhere is safe--certainly not Ladymuir, where her uncle is determined to defy the king. And wherever Maggie goes, disaster follows. When an old enemy turns up at Ladymuir and settles in as one of the family, Maggie knows that trouble will result, but even she can't imagine the deceit and betrayal that is to come . . .

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair is a book that I have been wanting to read so badly! It was written wonderfully and it was a captivating book once I found the time to sit down and enjoy it! I've been so busy this week, I can't believe it took me this long to finish this book! And though I was pleased, there weres some things about the book that I didn't enjoy.

This book sounded so incredible, and it was, but it wasn't about the witch hunts in Scotland. Yes, the begining is and that's what leads up to the rest of the book, but I have to say I was dissapointed in the fact that after the trial, there is no more witch craft interferring in her life at all. Now, it doesn't say that the witch craft continues, but I assumed it did. Now, who, by the summary of this book, thought it would be all witchcraft? I'm sure many of you are all raising your hands right now (:

This book is about another interesting topic: the Catholic church and the Presbyterians. It was very interesting to learn about what the Presbyterians went through and amazing to see how deep in their faith they were. I lacked knowledge on the whole event in Scotland, so it was pretty cool to learn about that while watching Maggie struggle.

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair is a book about witches and religious battles, but more about a girl trying to fit into a world she has never known, struggling to figure out who to trust, and learning what is right and whether it is good in the Lord's eyes or not.

The plot is amazing because of the topic and the fact that these events happened to some of Elizabeth Laird's own ancestors. I really enjoyed this book even though it's not about what I thought it would be about. If you haven't read it, you should. It'll shed some light on Scotland's past in a gribbing adventure with a sixteen-year-old girl you will find easy to love.

And before I go, speaking of love, there wasn't much of it. I am a sucker for romance and amazing love endings, but I truly think that this book didn't need it. It had the perfect amount. Maggie is such a strong character, I think having a boyfriend, or courting, would have really softened her. She was marvelous.

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

Teaser Tuesday (5)

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Today's teaser is from The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird.

"Are you an unearthly being? Have you come with more mockeries to torment us? I say to you, get thee behind me, Satan!"

Page 342 (Man speaking to Maggie)

What is your Teaser Tuesday?

Top Ten Tuesday Liar Liar

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is the top ten books you lie about reading/not reading.

1. All Quiet On The Western Front. I actually read the book and I did enjoy it... sort of. I just didn't like all of the worksheets and quizzes that went along with it in English class.
2. Twilight. I lie about enjoying that series.. I was so into it that I read them all within a week.
3. Hiroshima. Another book I read and lied about not reading.
4. Little Women. I have never read this book, but until I get the chance I tell people who ask that I have
5. Same goes for Where the Red Fern Grows
6. Trixie Belden. I've only read the first one.. about five times! Nobody knows
7.  Ida B. This has to be one of my all-time favorite books. I've read it a dozen times even though it's for like elementary schoolers... It's my favorite!
8. The Autobiography of Mark Twain. For this one, it's not that I lie about the fact that I'm reading it, it's just that I haven't told anybody. My dad got it for me for Christmas.
9. The Oddessy. Maybe it's the fact that I don't understand what is going on the whole time, but whenever people talk about it at school I lie that I really enjoy the book. And I love Greek Mythology.. just not this book.
10. Ice. Nobody I've ever talked to has read this book and everyone I try to get to read it turns it down and looks at me like I'm a freak so I have stopped trying. It's a really really good book though! So now I ignore the fact that I loved it so much I cried during it.

What is your top ten list?

Banana Blog Hop

MobyLives is a blog that is doing a blog hop and give away based on the book The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto. So, I'm going to be answering some questions!

“What’s the most unusual love story you’ve ever read?”
The most unusual love story I've ever read would have to be Twilight. I know I know, Twilight, but there's a good point to my answer. Bella is a human and she falls in love with a vampire who is a vegetarian. At the same time, normal vampires who drink human blood are chasing after her. And her best friend Jacob and his pack of werewolf buddies are helping to protect her. And her human dad is clueless about all of this. I think that's unusual.

“What’s your favorite novel from another country?”
I have two novels from other countries that I absolutely love. 1. Incarceron from Wales because it is a fast-paced thrill that kept me on the edge of my seat and just dying to find out what happened on the next page. And 2. Waiting For No One from Cananda. I love this book because of the main character. She has aspergers syndrome and I really loved how she thought and acted. I couldn't get enough of that book.

“Why would you be interested in winning a copy of Banana Yoshimoto’s The Lake?”
Before I answer this question I'm going to give a little summary of the book:

The Lake is a hypnotic, delicate, and suspenseful tale about a young painter named Chihiro and her relationship with a brilliant but troubled young man named Nakajima who has a mysterious trauma in his past.
Personally I think this book just sounds enticing. I feel like the second I open this book I will just devour it! Another reason is because I think it's awesome that this book is helping the victims in Japan. Even though according to news on TV Japan is "old news", people are still affected there today, right now, at this very minute and they need help. Spreading word about this book through the blogger world is a great way to help spread the word that Japan is still in need and that this is just one of many ways that we can help them.


*If you are a blogger who is interested in winning this book, click on the MobyLives link I have at the top of the page see the rules and instructions.

Shine

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Pages: 350

A boy beaten, bound, and left for dead, words of hate scrawled across his chest. . .

A girl shrinking from life, enslaved by a shamed secret . . .
A tight-knit Southern community riddled by poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance . . .

When Partrick is found near death, strung to the pump of the local gas station, sixteen-year-old Cat emerges from her self-imposed exile to avenge the horrors inflicted on her former best friend. The local sheriff is ready to pin the crime on gay-bashing out-of-towners, but Cat's suspicions lie elsewhere. Despite ominous warnings to leave it be, Cat finds the will--fueled by fury born of an old injustice--to expose the homegrown hatred that gave rise to Patrick's attack.

This is the first book I've read by Lauren Myracle and also the first YA mystery I've read. I have to say, I'm impressed. The summary just sounded so fascinating and intruiging!

The main character of this book is a girl named Cat and she was such a beautiful character. She was so closed and alone, but when Patrick was beat up, she started to open up again and she slowly became a real teenager again.

What happened to her was absolutely horrible to read about, but what her Aunt Tildy did really added fuel to the fire inside of me. I can't and won't say what happened, and I know what Aunt Tildy did about it, but I also know what she didn't. And it just flat out bothered me. What happened to love? She's a girl too and I don't use fowl language very often, but she pissed me off.

Lauren Myracle crafted an amazing mystery that had me guessing and re-guessing about who hurt Patrick. I think I suspected almost every single character in the book. So, in the end when Cat finally figures out who it was, I was dumbfounded. And scared!

Overall this is a great read that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time you read it. If you are a fan of mysteries, you have to read this one. And if you've never read a YA mystery like me, give it a shot!

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Follow Friday (8) & Blog Hop (6)

Follow My Book Blog Friday is a weekley feature hosted by Parajunkee's View.

This weeks question is:

Q. It's circle time. Time for us to open up and share. Can you tell us FIVE quirky habits or things about you? We all have them...

1. I love being barefeet. If I could walk barefooted.. (Is that a word?) in the winter time without getting frost bitten I would!
2. I can't dance. I can do the John Wall and that's about it (:
3. Whenever I get happy I raise my hands to my face and hop up and down. It's very embarrassing in school where cute boys are around.
4. I could eat spaghetti seven days a week. I don't think there is anything better in the whole entire world that is better. . . except for chocolate!

What are your five quirky habits?


The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy For Books. The question this week is:
"If you were given the chance to spend one day in a fictional world (from a book), which book would it be from and what would that place be?"
My Answer: I would spend a day in The Christy Miller Collection books. I would love to be with Todd who is soooo dreamy and Doug who is hilarious and lovable. I really want one of his huge hugs! And of course being with Christy and Tracy because they are so nice and close to God. I think spending a day in California on the beach learning to surf would be fantastic!

What book would you spend a day in?

Waiting On Wednesday (7)

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine to showcase upcoming releases we are desperately waiting for. This week I'm picking Sharks & Boys by Kristen Tracy.

When 15-year-old Enid Calhoun follows her boyfriend Wick to Maryland for a party, fearful that he might be intending to cheat on her, she finds herself sneaking on board a houseboat where Wick and his friends plan to have a wild night. But before the boys discover their stowaway, a hurricane strikes, and the teenagers are carried miles from the shore and shipwrecked. What follows is a harrowing, yet heartwarming, story of survival, as the teens battle hypothermia, dehydration, man-eating sharks--and along the way, confront their own deepest secrets, including their catalytic roles in the disaster.

Sharks & Boys releases on July 11, 2011. Don't miss it!
What books are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Safe Haven

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Pages: 340

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a feaful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport.
With Jo's empathetic and stubborn support, Kaatie eventually realizes that she muct choose between a life of transiet safety and one of riskier rewards. . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

Nicholas Sparks is such a good author that I always expect to be enthralled. I wasn't let down. I feel that every book he writes just gets better and better. All of his books have some kind of tragedy in them. This one happens to be Katie's past, and it's pretty scary. There were times during the book that my mouth was literally hanging open. I laughed, cried, and cheered in the end of this book.

The main character of this book is Katie Feldman. She keeps a very low profile and tries to blend in to the small town she moves to. You can just tell how fragile she is. Overtime she develops more of a personality and you can get to know how strong, brave, and courageous. She is easily one of my favorite characters from any book I've ever read, and not just because we share the same name.

Overall this book it one of my favorites by Nicholas Sparks. It leaves you thinking and pondering the plot, baffled by what happened, and victorious about the overall ending. This book taught me a lesson about what it really means to survive and it makes me wonder if I could survive in Katie's position. If you haven't read Safe Haven, pick it up today.

Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars

Top Ten Tuesday: Minor Characters

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is the Top Ten minor characters you've ever read about.
My List:

1. Will and Christina from Divergent by Veronica Roth
2. Tracy from The Christy Miller Collection by Robin Jones Gunn
3. Rue from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
4. Manchee from The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
5. Bo from The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti
6. Kristin from Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
7. Sam from I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
8. Jonas from Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
9. Tris's Parents from Divergent by Veronica Roth
10. Nellie from The Laura Ingalls Wilder Collection by Laura Ingalls Wilder

What is your Top Ten list this week?

Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Pages: 487

ONE CHOICE: DECIDES YOUR FRIENDS. ONE CHOICE: DEFINES YOUR BELIEFS. ONE CHOICE: DETERMINES YOUR LOYALTIES -- FOREVER. ONE CHOICE CAN TRANSFORM YOU.

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into fave factions, each dedicated to the cultivation foa particular virtue - Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of ever year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lies. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is - she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are - and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the ife she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing confilict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Divergent is Veronica Roth's first novel and I have to say she introduced herself with a bang! This is an amazing dystopian novel that kept me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages faster than I ever have before. It is captivating and fascinating, and you will never want to put it down.

The main character of this book, Tris, is one of the best characters I have ever read about. And it's because she feels real pain. When she is cut with knives, it hurts and she lets you know it. When she sees dead boddies, she vomits. When she is enclosed by water and drowning, she lets you know how much it hurts her lungs. She is real.

When I read the summary to this book, somthing inside me just knew that this was going to be one of the best books I'll ever read. And I was right. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Divergent is better than The Hunger Games.

All 487 pages of this book are filled with new twists and secrets that you would never imagine. I was drawn in to the new world and all the characters, and I never wanted to let go. This book will please anyone who reads it, I promise! If you haven't read Divergent, hit up your library or Barnes and Noble and get this book!

Overall Rating: 5 Stars

Follow Friday (7)

Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View. Unnfortunately there was no blog to follow. I'm just happy Blogger is letting me post this! This Friday's question is:

Q. The Blogger Apocalypse made me a little emotional. What is the most emotional scene in a book that you have read lately?

My Answer: The book I just finished, Mother, Help Me Live, had the most emotional scene I've read in a while. It touched close to home and just really made me think about what was important in life.

What was the book.scene you were emotional about?

Mother, Help Me Live

One Last Wish: Mother, Help Me Live by Lurlene McDaniels

Pages: 136
In Mother, Help Me Live, Sarah discovers that her birth mother, whom she's never known, is the one person who may have the bone marrow she needs to survive. When Sarah journeys to find her mother, she learns the real meaning of family.

This book consists of three short novels. When I read this summary, I knew I had to read this book. It is a short book, but not really a quick read. I didn't want to rush through this book for a few reasons, and I'm glad I took my time on this one.

The main character of this book is a fifteen-year-old girl named Sarah who has been battling lukemia for the last five years. She is a very strong girl who will try anything that has a chance of saving her life. She is a very brave character becuase of all she endures with chemo and treatments. At times I found her a little rude a selfish towards her family, especially her mother.

Since this book was so short, things happened very fast and there wasn't much detail. She had a neighbor, Scott, who seemed like such a great guy. I really wish that he had been more incorperated into this book. I think a little love interest would have suited them.

Overall this is a very life-changing read that will make you realize how important family really is. Don't pass up the opportunity to read this book. It will bring you to tears and make you jump out of your seat to become a bone marrow donor.

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

Musing Monday (4)

Musing Monday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

This week's musing asks...
Do you ever find scenes from previous books you've read popping into your head at random times? If so, does it bother you? If it doesn't happen to you, why do you think that is?

For me, yes. I am always thinking of scenes from books. One I've been thinking about a lot lately is a scene from Seventeenth Summer (find my review in my blog archive) Angie and Jack are at a dance in the town and they are just having a ball! (go puns.) Anyways, I can just hear the music and their laughter and see the lights and them dancing. It really makes me want to go to a dance in the 1940s! 
Remembering those types of scenes don't bother me. They usually brighten my day. What I hate is reading a disturbing scene like from The Lovely Bones, chapter 1, and not being able to get it out of my head. I would much rather stick to happier subjects thank you very much! 

Intertwined

Intertwined by Gena Showalter

Pages 440
Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:
One can time-travel.
One can raise the dead.
One can tell the future.
And one can possess another human.
Everyone things he’s crazy, which is why he’s spent his entire life shuffled between mental institutions and juvie. All of that is about to change, however. For months Aden has been having visions of a beautiful girl—a girl who carries centuries-old secrets. A girl who will either save him or destroy him.
Together they’ll enter a dark world of intrigue and danger…but not everyone will come out alive.

When I first started reading this book, I really didn't expect to like it all that much. My friend Kaehli gave it to me to read and I thought, well I don't really think this is the kind of book for me. I like paranormal books, but sometimes they can just be too overwhelming. I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised with this book.

The four main characters of  this book are Aden, Mary Ann, Riley, and Victoria. Now, Aden is a human with four souls inside of him that can do all kinds of things like time travel and raise the dead. Mary Ann is just a human too who is just all mixed up in this crazy world. Riley is a wereworlf, and Victoria is a vampire. They are a very interesting bunch. I really did enjoy their personalites and they brought a lot of color to the story.

Now, Mary Ann and Aden did have their love lives, but the whole book wasn't centered around it. I really enjoyed that it was mostly about figuring out how to cure Aden. The romance did spice up the book a little bit, but it wasn't too overwhelming.

The plot was very unique and I'm excited to  read the rest of the series. In this book, I think it started out slow. It took me a while to really get into their world, but once I did, I never wanted to leave! I have to say I really enjoyed the ending. One part even made me cry. Highlight if you've read the book before, otherwise, this is a HUGE spoiler: Finding out that Eve was Mary Ann's mom was so amazing! I loved it! Their time was so special together and when she had to leave it made me cry. I did think that it was weird how after Eve/Anna died, her sister Carolyn married Marry Ann's dad. That was kind of weird, but otherwise it was a great twist.

Another reason I liked the ending was because of Vlad the Impaler. Finding out he was in this book was pretty cool and I knew the first time meeting him would be very interesting. Well it was, and now I can't wait to find out what happens!
Overall I think this book would suit a lot of readers, but at the same time I think many people would not enjoy this book. It gives a  very different twist on paranormal books based off of the ones I've read, and I think you'd really have to like that to enjoy this book. See for yourselves if you enjoy this, read it! Give this book a shot.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars 

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. This week all the books I talked about last week on IMM did come in so I am very excited to read those. Today I also bought a new book.
I bought:

Divergent by Veronica Roth

I've read many reviews on this book and they all are fascinated with it. It sounds very interesting and I'm always excited to start a new series. I can't wait to dig into this one!

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Follow Friday (6)

Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View. This week's question is:
What character in a book would you most like to be? And what character in a book would you most like to date?


I think I would most like to be Macy in The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. I love her story (and her boyfriend!) That is my favorite book by her and I would love to take her place!

I have to say though, I would most like to date Todd Spencer from The Christy Miller Collection. He is the sweetest, kindest, most handsome, amazing guy I've ever read about! He is sooo dreamy!

Who would you be/date?

Waiting On Wednesday (6)

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine.
This week I'm picking:

The Death Cure by James Dashner

Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.
What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.
The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

I cannot wait to finish this series! It's the third book of The Maze Runner Trilogy, and I really hope it goes out with a bang!

Before I Fall

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Pages: 470

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?

Samatha 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. Fiday, Febrary 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last. 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.

*Breathe Katie, breathe!* This book is amazing, stunning, extrordinary, fabulous! I just tore right through it, and honestly, I don't see how you could not! Again I find myself asking the same question, why did I wait so long to read this book? I should add it to my top ten list: thank you Victoria (;

I just love everything about this book. The main character, Sam, was brilliant. At times I thought she was so snobby and rude, I just wanted to strangle her! And other times I was laughing with her and crying. (Yes, I admit to crying). I felt really connected with Sam in so many ways and I loved being with her on this journey
 where she found herself and tried to make everything right.

I have to say though, her friends could be brats (and other words starting with B...), Rob was a jerk, and Kent was absolutely wonderful! I fell for Kent right away. I was soo mad at Sam a couple nights at the party. Rude much?

Anyways, one thing I did think was strange of this book was how on the seventh day she relived, she knew it would be her last. But how? A fairy godmother didn't sparkle down and wave her wand and say, "you get seven days" or anything. She just woke up and magically knew.

I also liked/disliked the ending. The first time I read it I didn't understand what happened so I re-read it and I'm still not sure if I understand 100%, but it's clearer. I have to say, that was one of the best last lines I've ever read.

Overall, this is such an amazing book and truly I think anyone would like it. It really makes you stop and think about how you treat other people and the lasting effects bullying can have. At the same time it teaches and reminds you to live life to its fullest.

Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars

Teaser Tuesday (4)

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.
This week, my teaser is from Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. This teaser is probably in the book somewhere, but I'm reading it off of the back of hte jacket flap.

"MAYBE you can afford to wait. Maybe for you there's a tomorrow. Maybe for you there's one thousand tomorrows, or three thousand, or ten, so much time you can bathe in it, roll around in it, et it slide like coins through your fingers. So much time you can waste it. But for some of us there's only today. And the truth is, you never really know."

-Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Top Ten Tuesday Recomended

It's Tuesday, so I decided to write in purple today(:

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten is the Top Ten Books we are glad people bugged us to read.

1.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I read this about a month after it was first published because my friend Anna told me every time I saw her how good it was.
2. The Underland Chronicles by Suzanned Collins. Again, Anna.
3. Wither by Lauren DeStefano. Thanks to my fellow bloggers!
4. The Christy Miller Collection by Robin Jones Gunn. Thank you Sydney (:
5. The Wolves of Mercy Falls, thanks to Sarah
6. Old Magic because of my friend Kate
7. Twilight Saga, when I was in like 6th grade I would not read it, but my friends Jessica and Lily bothered me so much I finally did and, even though the movies suck, I still really really enjoyed the books.
8. Life As We Knew It Trilogy, my cousin Jennifer
9. My Sister's Keeper, again because of my cousin Jennifer. The movie was awful.
10. The Book Thief, thank you sooo much for all the persisting on this one Gabby and many others!

Musing Monday (3)

Musing Monday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.
This weeks musing asks...

Do you care if a book's story line is unrealistic? Will you keep reading, or will you set the book aside?

Well, I think that in fantasy and sci-fi books, an unrealistic story line is totally fine. They make the book interesting and really fun and unique! Just throw in the unrealistic story line there. But, if you take a romance novel or just a novel based in our time period and world, the story line needs to be realistic. I don't think I've ever read a book that was so unrealistic I had to put it down, but I know the dissapointment you must feel. So, I guess it depends on the type of book you are reading. I would probably keep reading as long as the story line didn't butcher the book too much.

What do you think?

Wither

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Pages: 358
WHAT IF YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHEN YOU WOULD DIE?
Thanks to modern science, ever new-born has become a ticking genetic time bomb - males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.
When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape - to find her twin brother and go home.
But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is lbent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servent she is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

I have been waiting for a new trilogy that can compete with The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, and the Chaos Walking trilogies. And I have finally found one! From the moment I picked up this book I knew I would love it. I can't believe it took me this long to read it!

I loved the characters in this book. Rhine herself is so beautiful and smart, I just love how her kindness spreads through the book. I really enjoyed her sister wives too. Cecily was young and hyper (and very, ver bossy!), and Jenna was the quiet observer who knew a lot more than you think. Linden, Rhine's husband was not one of my favorite characters. He was very out of it. But, his father, was very in. He had such a tight control over Linden and the staff and the wives, it was amazing. He was the all-seeing eye. He was creepy and eccentric and actually one of my favorite characters!

Gabriel was a pretty good character too, I just wish that he was more involved in the book towards the end. It really would have helped to convince the readers that they were in love.  Honestly, I thought Rhine got too close to Linden. I hope that Rowan (her twin brother) is more involved in the next book also. He seems like a great character and I'd really love to get to know more about him!

This plot was so beautifully written. It is one of those books where, not a lot happens, yet a lot does... if you understand what I'm saying. I didn't feel like there was that much action or anything, it probably could have been a slow read for some people. But I was so intrigued by the plot and I wanted to see what would happen to Rhine and how she would escape without Housemaster Vaughn realizing it.

I have to admit, I cried in this book. Parts of it were sad, but they really helped shape the book. I love the ending, and it's unexpected twists! I really want to find out if Housemaster Vaughn really was working on an antidote in the basement. I can't wait for the second book in this trilogy to release! If you haven't read  Wither, you need to!

 Overall Rating: 5 Stars

In My Mailbox (5)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren to showcase books we recently bought, got from the library, are up for review, or  recieved as gifts. I'm very  excited this week, I ordered some great books from B&N that will be here tomorrow! I'm so excited to read (and re-read) them.

I bought:

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Old Magic by Marianne Curley

Gift From Julie: Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

From the library:

Rot & Ruin by Johnathan Maberry

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

What great books did you get this week?