Alisha's World Of Books

Soooo...

2011-09-25T19:59:00.000-04:00

Well I had promised to post more reviews over the summer but that didn't happen. I went home for a week and a half before coming back for fall semester and that completely screwed me up with keeping up with my reviews. I didn't have Internet access, for some reason my mom refuses to get that fixed since she's not home that much anyways. I also barely went to the library. So I decided I would just catch up when I got back to school, and we all know that didn't happen. So now it's September, almost October, and no new reviews have been posted. I apologize. I've been focusing on school and trying to get through my sophomore year more successfully then my freshman. So fat so good, except for personal problems like a guy, being sick on and off for three weeks, and kind of wishing I didn't take a certain class, but I'm still managing. I'm planning on writing up my reviews for books I finished those last couple of weeks before I went home, and then posting them after I get through this week of exams. I wish I had more time to read so much right now. I haven't read a new book since the second week I've been in school which was the last week of August. :(

Anyways, I guess this is some sort of update. I'm hoping I can make it through this week and get some reviews up. So keep an eye out for those.

Alisha

Such a Pretty Girl

2011-08-10T10:18:00.000-04:00

Just finished this one, it's Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess.

About and Thoughts on Book:

They promised Meredith nine years of safety, but only gave her three.

Her father was supposed to be locked up until Meredith turned eighteen. She thought she had to grow up, get out, and start a new life. But Meredith is only fifteen, and today her father is coming home from prison.

Today her time has run out.
From B&N

Meredith's father use to be a respected man in their town. He use to coach little league, then he got put in prison because of Meredith. Because Meredith was sent to the hospital and told them everything she could remember even though her mother told her not to. Her mother wouldn't listen to the truth. She wanted to live in her delusional world that her husband actually loves her, actually wanted to be with her, and not their daughter. The truth comes out about Meredith's father and now the whole town knows and hates him, except Meredith's mother. The one person she should definitely be able to count on. Meredith was suppose to get to be able to be far gone by the time her father got out of jail, but they let him out on parole early. She thinks that maybe she can handle it if her boyfriend, Andy, a boy also abused by her father is there with her, living in the condo close to hers. But his mother decides to go to Iowa to get help for Andy with his paralysis. Now Meredith decides that she wants real justice, she wants her father to go to jail for good. She knows he'll try again, it's just a matter of time.

This is a short novel that can be easily read in a matter of hours, which is exactly what I did. It's wonderfully written and fast paced. I couldn't believe the way the mother acted in this novel. She wanted to be with her husband more than she loved her own child. I also couldn't believe that they were allowing Meredith's father anywhere near her. He wasn't suppose to be alone with Meredith, but her mother never listened to that rule. She hardly cared about her own daughter. She acted more jealous of her than like a parent. I've read books and watched movies where this sort of thing happens. Where wives will believe anything their husbands tell them because they can't stand to be without them. This book helped me to further realize how much the justice system needs to be improved. Yet the ending is really purely stunning. Not at all what I expected. I did expect something to happen similar to what happened, but it still caught me off guard. It's an excellent read.

Alisha

Update(14)

2011-08-08T16:40:00.002-04:00

Sorry this wasn't on the day that I originally planned for it to be, yesterday.
Anyways...

Recently on Alisha's World:
Reviewed Catching Fire, Some Girls Are, and Jellicoe Road. Didn't manage to do my From My Bookshelf post on Wednesday. I was too busy to decide on the book to review. Also didn't participate in the Hop last week, but that's kind of because I forgot and by Friday I was so tired I forgot about even getting on and reviewing any books.

Coming Up:
I have many books that I have read that need to be reviewed. They include: Dramarama by E. Lockhart, The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott, and Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Weiss. So many books! I also am almost done reading Breathless by Jessica Warman. I have been reading a lot more lately which makes me happy and kind of overwhelmed because I want to get the reviews posted in a timely manner, but I'm not sure if I've been accomplishing that. Anyways be looking out for those.

Happenings for the Summer:
Well it's here! My last week at school before I get my small break and then have to go back again. :(
Wednesday I have finals, and then I can officially go home and chill. I plan on shopping and sleeping. Two of my favorite things. Hahahaha! No really my mother probably already has plans for me. I always tell her that my plans for my breaks are to catch up on sleep and catch up with friends. She doesn't always listen to the catch up on sleep part. She seems to think I get plenty of sleep at school which isn't the truth at all. So hopefully she'll actually listen to the sleep part and allow me to get my beauty sleep because I need it!

Well this ends this Update.
As always, are there any questions? Anything I forgot to mention?

Alisha

Some Girls Are

2011-08-06T16:50:00.001-04:00

This is a book I've been wanting to read since I read a preview of it on Barnes and Noble. It's Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers.

About and Thoughts on Book:
Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard - falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High ... that is, until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend started going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past whom she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easy for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend...if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.
Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up to Be.
From B&N

Regina has been at the top her whole high school career. She was always the one giving the torture, never the one on the receiving end. Now she is. Now she knows just how much everyone hates her. She knew she was mean. She also knew that she was doing it because Anna told her to. She didn't want to lose Anna, didn't ever want to be on the receiving end of her torture. Now she is all because she told the wrong person what happened at a party. She told the one person who would spin it the wrong way and make her look bad. Now no one believes her when she tries to tell them the truth. Except Michael, who should hate her because of what she did to him. He should hate her just like her former friend Liz does. Liz received the same treatment that Regina is receiving, but there's one difference. Regina knows what these girls are capable of - at least she thinks she does - and she's going to fight back. She may be sorry for what she did to Michael and Liz, but she'll never be sorry to Anna and Kara because of how they decided to handle things.

I'm just glad I never had to go through this in high school. Yes at my high school people gossiped and spread rumors, but it was nothing compared to what happens to in this book. Also I was never one who went out of my way to get noticed, so things like this never came my way. Honestly girls can be brutal, especially ones who think they've been wronged in some way. I kept wanting to shout at Anna and tell her to listen and ask herself why Regina would lie about such a serious thing as being raped. But you could tell she didn't want to listen, just wanted to get revenge. Anna was always the mastermind behind the bullying, but she always had other people do her dirty work for her. They didn't stop at a simple freeze out and spreading of rumors. No they wrote whore on her locker, made a nasty website about Regina, and even went to the point of attacking her physically. Yet that's not the worse of it. When Anna finds out how important Michael is to Regina, she uses that against her, and tries to break them apart forever. I wondered as I read this book, where's the adults. Where are the people who are suppose to help in these situations. The ones who always say they're here for you if you need them. Those types seem to absent from this book. Yes Regina's parents are there, but they easily believe what she tells them. There are teachers and the principal, but they seem to ignore the obvious signs of something wrong with their students. So Regina is basically left on her own to deal with this, until her and Michael start becoming friends. She may have found someone to finally turn to. Yes this is a book about the mean girl finally getting what she deserves, but does anyone really deserve something like this to happen to her. Maybe in the beginning some people will be happy that she's finally getting treated like she treated everyone else at school. But there does come a point when enough is enough, and no one deserves things like this to happen to them even if they may have wronged people in their past.

Alisha

Jellicoe Road

2011-08-04T11:46:00.000-04:00

This is the book I highlighted on my Hop post. It's Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.

About and Thoughts on Book:

At age eleven, Taylor Markman was abandoned by her mother. At fourteen, she ran away from boarding school, only to be tracked down and brought back by a mysterious stranger. Now seventeen, Taylor's the reluctant leader of her school's underground community, whose annual territory war with the Townies and visiting Cadets has just begun. This year, though, the Cadets are led by Jonah Griggs, and Taylor can't avoid his intense gaze for long. To make matters worse, Hannah, the one adult Taylor trusts, has disappeared. But if Taylor can piece together the clues Hannah left behind, the truth she uncovers might not just settle her past, but also change her future.
From B&N

For starters, this book confused me in the beginning. I hadn't read the synopsis when I decided to read it. I just picked it up at the library read the small summary on the copyright page, and decided to give it a try. That wasn't the reason it confused me. It starts off with an exert from something else, but I don't fully understand how it goes along with the story. It didn't involve Taylor, so it kept me wondering what it had to do with the book at all. There's more like this throughout and as Taylor starts to piece them together I do too. It may just be me who thinks these passages from Hannah's book are confusing, but I also didn't know they were from Hannah's book. A bunch of this book is about uncovering things. Like everything seems to be a mystery that we'll find out about later, so it keeps you reading. But it's not just that. I really liked reading this book. I liked reading about the territory wars, and I kept wanting to know how everything tied in together. I honestly got emotional close to end. When everything came out and I find out what had happened before, it just got to me. This book was excellent, even after the slow start it had in the beginning with me being confused, I ended up liking this book a whole lot. It was well written and gets you engrossed in the story. It's based in Australia so some of the terminology I didn't completely get but that in no way effects the story that is being told. I really wish I had a place like Jellicoe Road now.

Alisha

Catching Fire

2011-08-01T16:16:00.002-04:00

Finally got to read this book. It's Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mallark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.
Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.
In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before ... and surprising readers at every turn.
From inside cover.

Where to begin, where to begin? All I can say is that I am simply amazed. I had liked the first book. I thought it was good. I thought it had the right unexpected twists and turns that made it a book you didn't want to put down, yet I still thought that it had all these twists but I still wanted something more from it. That if I had gone my whole life without reading it I would be fine. The second book took it up a notch. Collins throws in more twists and more turns. She shows the cruelness of the Capitol even more. You wonder how is Katniss suppose to stop a rebellion when she thinks there needs to be one. The Victory tour was meant to help save the lives of the ones she loves, by trying to prove to the Capitol and all the districts that she was so love crazy, it was her final act to keep the guy she loved, not a act against the Capitol. But Katniss doesn't know what it was anymore. She does know that all she wanted was to live. Yet she goes along with what President Snow tells her to do anyways, but it may be too late. Things have already happened that she can't change, and there's always that other twist that will make you cringe. I wondered as I read this book how any person could think this was fair. That sending children to fight to the death was an okay way to keep people from rebellion. That killing anyone who said something against the Capitol was right choice of action. That the Capitol should be allowed to thrive, while the districts starve and are basically slaves to the Capitol. I also kept wondering how the people in the Capitol got to live where they are. What made them so special to get to pretend that the Hunger Games are just that a game, a form of entertainment. I know there are countries out there that treat their citizens just as poorly, and I hate that this is how the world is, and maybe that's what the Hunger Games trilogy is trying to show. I just know that this book had me on my toes, not wanting to put it down, or miss a second of being able to read it. I can tell you that if you haven't read this book already then you will be truly surprised by what happens and the ending.

Update(13)

2011-07-31T21:08:00.002-04:00

Recently on Alisha's World:
I reviewed Almost Perfect, The Body Finder and The Sky is Everywhere since my last update. I also participated in another Hop and started posting for my meme, From My Bookshelf, again. Just click here to check that out.

Coming Up:
I have recently finished nearly every book I checked out from the library. They include: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, and The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. I should have reviews up for those sometime this week. They'll be my first posts for August. I also plan to do another post for From My Bookshelf on Wednesday. I also should have Dramarama by E. Lockhart done soon. I just ordered Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers, and hope to get it this week so I can start reading it. Ever since I read a preview, I've been dying to read this book. It's another book that goes toward edgy and relatable as part of my need to get away from paranormal and vampires for a while. It's probably only going to be for a little while that I stay away from that genre. I feel that I want to be able to relate with what's going on with the characters in the books I read, and I can't do that reading about a girl who falls in love with a vampire or is a vampire. I know people love that genre, but I feel they have all started seeming like I'm reading the same book over and over again. So for now, I'm taking a break and reading those books that tend to make you cry, even though that's not the main reason I want to read them.

Happenings for the Summer:
I have two more exams this week, and then next week is finals and I get to go home for a much needed break. During this break, I am going to try to find clothes to match the person I discovered I am but haven't been able to show to people because I haven't been able to get away from school and go shopping and get my hair fixed. If you want to read the rant about this, you can check out my other blog Who Am I... I probably don't plan on doing summer classes again, at least not here at the college I am now. Anyways, I'm hoping these last two weeks go by fast and I'm home soon.

This ends Update 13.

As always, are there any questions? Please don't hesitate to raise your hand and ask.

Alisha

Almost Perfect

2011-07-30T15:44:00.002-04:00

Here's another book I've managed to read even with my somewhat busy schedule, it's Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Logan Witherspoon recently discovered that his girlfriend of three years cheated on him. But things start to look up when a new student breezes through the halls of his small-town high school. Sage Hendricks befriends Logan at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. Sage has been homeschooled for a number of years and her parents have forbidden her to date anyone, but she won't tell Logan why. One day, Logan acts on his growing feelings for Sage. Moments later, he wishes he never had. Sage finally discloses her big secret: she's actually a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at Sage and sdisowns her. But one once Logan comes to terms with what happened, he reaches out to Sage in an attempt to understand her situation. But Logan has no idea how rocky the road back to friendship will be.
From B&N

Once Logan knows Sage's secret, everything changes. He doesn't know how to act, what this makes him, and sure doesn't want people to know. He thinks the best thing to do is to not be friends with Sage any longer, just cut her out of his life completely. Yet, he realizes that he misses Sage too much for this, and he tries to be her friend again, tries to understand. He doesn't know what this really could mean for them.

I didn't know if I would like reading this book or not, I just felt intrigued to know how someone in Logan's situation would handle it. He acted the way any guy would, from other stories I've heard, he lashed out at her. Tried to think of her as a he, but it didn't work for him, he kept thinking of the Sage he knew, and could never imagine her as a guy. I hated it when Logan lashed out at Sage, acted like he hated her, wanted to hurt her, but it's understandable. A huge secret was just dropped on him, and he had never had to deal with that before. The worse thing that had happened to him to before Sage was Brenda breaking up with him by cheating on him. I felt that Logan was a little naive with his relationship with Brenda. They had dated since freshman year, and he just assumed that they would go to college together. That they would be together after high school. From what he kept saying about her, Brenda never acted like she really liked him that much, but he couldn't see this. He thought he was in love. With Sage it was different, he could tell she liked him, but she couldn't date. So she wanted to be friends, but kept flirting with him. I don't know if she understood what this was doing to him. Then after he finds out, he has to decide whether he can kick Sage out of his life forever or if he wants to understand what's going with her. Why she chose this life, to live as a girl instead of a boy which she was born to be? He finds out how her father sees her, as his boy playing dress up and being a disgrace to him. He starts to understand that Sage needs a friend. Yet things don't always go as you want them to, there's not always that happily-ever-after. I couldn't put this book down once I got into it. Logan's friends added humor to the book, as well as Sage, but you still got that emotional side of when Logan didn't know what to do, how to handle things. He didn't know what would happen to him later on, he just wanted life to go the way he planned, but it hardly ever does. I liked that Logan tried to be there for Sage, tried to get to know her, tried to understand. I wish others were more like this, and didn't have such hatred for people that are different, and want to live their lives a different way than what was planned for them. I can honestly tell you I did feel sad at the end of this book, but also happy. You'll just have to check it out for yourself to understand exactly why.

Alisha

Book Blogger Hop(20)

2011-07-29T10:13:00.001-04:00

It's that wonderful time of the week again. It's Friday, so that means that's it time for the Book Blogger Hop which is hosted at Crazy-for-books. Just click here to find out what to do and how to enter.

For this week's question it's:

"Highlight the book you have received this week(for review, from the library, purchased at the store, etc) that you can't wait to dig into!"

I got quite a few books from the library this week just because I just kept finding more that I wanted to read. I have already read some of them, so the next one I can't wait to read is Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.

Here's The synopsis:

"What do you want from me?" he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More.

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.

In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

It sounds like it's going to be good, and I hope it is. I can't wait to finally get to reading it.

Happy Hopping!

Alisha

The Sky is Everywhere

2011-07-28T10:22:00.004-04:00

This one is The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.

About and Thoughts on Book:
Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life — and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding.
Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie’s struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.
From B&N

Lennie's not sure what to do now that her sister is dead. She was so use to being with her all the time, so use to being her shadow, the companion pony to the race horse. Now Lennie has to live the rest of her life in a world that Bailey will no longer be in, and that fills her with so much grief. She wants to remember Bailey, but can't help feeling sad whenever she feels happy even though Bailey is gone. Toby is feeling the same grief, and they comfort each other, and it's like they're bringing her back. Joe never met Bailey, and Lennie isn't sure if Joe would like her if he knew her before Bailey was gone. He thinks that she is an amazing clarinet player, but Lennie doesn't want to play her clarinet anymore, didn't even before Bailey was gone. Yet maybe Joe can help her see how it can help her, how they have this wonderful thing in common. Lennie spends her time writing poems about her and Bailey, and leaving them under rocks, in books, just on the ground, anywhere just so people will read them. So people will know about her Bailey, the sister she adored and loved. Yet her sister had secrets that she couldn't share with Lennie before she died, secrets that Lennie will have to face later.

Simply put, I loved this book. From the very beginning, I got pulled in. I wanted to understand Lennie's grief. I wanted her to be able to get through it and see that she could live without her sister, but she will always be remembered. Her family, Uncle Big and Gram, are all sorts of weird, but are so hilarious. This book had me laughing and wanting to cry. The parts about her mother had me wanting Lennie to see what everyone else saw, that her mother left her and she may not come back, but Lennie just wanted to believe in the story her Gram told her, wanted to believe that her mother was an explorer, traveling the world. I didn't know what to think about what was going on with Toby, but I thought it may help them both get through it. Later on I just thought that they were wallowing in their grief too much. I loved Joe, his quirkiness, his huge, bright smile, his musical ability, and the fact that he called her John Lennon. I loved Lennie's poems that were put in chapters throughout the book. Even though Lennie doesn't think anything good should come out of her sister's death, she still meets Joe, and she doesn't know if things would be the same with them if her sister was there. Would she still be as "awake" as Joe believes her to be? She does know that she'll never be the same person she was when Bailey was around, and she also knows what it's like to lose someone so easily without warning. She knows she should also love the life she has while she has it.

After finishing reading this book, I had the urge to pick it right back up, just like Lennie with Wuthering Heights, a book she admittedly read 23 times.

Alisha

The Body Finder

2011-07-27T09:37:00.003-04:00

This one's The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.
From B&N

Ever since she was a little kid, Violet has been able to sense or feel "echos," what she calls the sounds, lights, or smells, that she can pick up when an animal has been killed. She didn't first get an echo off a dead body till she was 8. But since then, she has always picked up these"echos," and made sure that the animals had a proper burial this way the echos were calmer and not as easy to pick up. She has been able to handle this strange power of hers, deal with it, until she finds another body in the lake. A body of girl who's been murder. No one but her family and her best friend, Jay, know that she has this power, and they all try to keep her safe. They make it appear like she just happened upon the bodies, not letting people know that she's drawn to them and she can't help but go to the echos. After finding the girl in the lake, more girls go missing, and Violet is determined to find out who it is. Jay doesn't want her to, thinks that this will cause her too much problems, but Violet won't listen. She's head over heels for Jay, but she's not sure he feels the same way. He seems like the perfect guy for her. They've been friends since they were in the first grade. They know everything about each other, but Violet just keeps thinking that he will always treat her like a friend. It doesn't help that he got hotter over the summer, and now every girl is gaga over him, even the most popular girl in school. Yet maybe there is hope for Violet and Jay.

I enjoyed reading this book mainly for the suspense of finding out who was behind the kidnappings and murders. Little chapters that were told from the serial killer's point of view are thrown adding to the suspense. At some points I didn't like Violet. She acted somewhat immature for her age, at least in my opinion, and sometimes naive, even though she has this power that makes it where she knows their are terrible cruelties in this world. I felt like the things with Jay seemed to overpower everything. I mean I love reading YA Romance, but I felt this was suppose to be more about finding the serial killer, about Violet using her powers. I liked Jay, but I didn't understand how he all of a sudden got hot because I felt I never got a true description of him. It was hard for me to imagine what he looked like, but I still loved his personalities. Overall, I liked this book, and want to read the next one, hoping that it focuses more on Violet's gift or power.

Alisha

From My Bookshelf(9)

2011-07-27T09:08:00.003-04:00

It has been probably a year since I've done one of these posts, but I felt like I needed to start it up again. If you just recently became a follower of mine or after I stopped doing these posts, then I should fill you in on what this is all about. This is my own little meme or whatever, where I review books that are literally on my bookshelf or I read way before I started my blog. A lot of those include books from the library or books I stole from my sister. It's suppose to be a weekly post that I either do Wednesday or Thursday, just depending on if I have the time. So to kick this thing off again, I decided to make this one about a book I recently just reread while I was at home for a week break and it's also a book I stole from my sister lol. It's The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen.

About and Thoughts on Book:
Macy's summer stretches before her, carefully planned and outlined. She will spend her days sitting at the library information desk. She will spend her evenings studying for the SATs. Spare time will be used to help her obsessive mother prepare for the big opening of the townhouse section of her luxury development.
But Macy's plans don't anticipate a surprising and chaotic job with Wish Catering, a motley crew of new friends, or . . . Wes. Tattooed, artistic, anything-but-expected Wes. He doesn't fit Macy's life at all, so why does she feel so comfortable with him? So . . . happy? What is it about him that makes her let down her guard and finally talk about how much she misses her father, who died before her eyes the year before?

First Paragraph:
Jason was going to Brain Camp.

It had another name, a real name, but that’s what everyone called it.
“Okay,” he said, wedging a final pair of socks along the edge of his suitcase. “The list. One more time.”
I picked up the piece of paper beside me. “Pens,” I said. “Notebooks. Phone card. Camera battery. Vitamins.”

Like all Sarah Dessen books, they have a way of pulling you in and not letting you go till you finish it. There's always family drama thrown in with the guy. In The Truth About Forever, it's been a year since her dad died and everyone is dealing with it in their own way. Macy doesn't talk about it with her mother, and pretends to be the perfect daughter. She pretends everything is fine, just fine when all actuality they are not. She already has a boyfriend, Jason, a guy she met when she needed someone to provide a direction for her life. He may not show that he loves her, but she knows he does. That's why she's willing to take over his place at the library information desk even though the girls she'll be working with hate her. When Macy meets the Wish Catering crew, she never imagines she'll see them again. She can't see her life being as chaotic as their job, but somehow after getting an upsetting email from Jason, she runs into them again and starts a whole new chapter of her life. She starts spending her summer differently than how she expected. She still works at the information desk because that is what is expected of her. What's not expected of her is to meet a guy, a guy that doesn't seem anything like a guy she would ever spend her time with. Wes is an artist, unique, and attractive.He doesn't give Macy that look of pity, the look Macy says, is the look everyone gives her once they find out her dad died, and she was there when it happened. The "poor little girl" look. A look that mostly is anything but sincere. He wants to know about her, wants to know why she doesn't run anymore, why she is who she is. So they randomly start playing the Truth game. A game that you can only lose if you lie. Many times it seems like Macy wants to lie, but she finds herself actually talking with Wes. With Wes maybe she can finally learn how to deal with what happened to her father, maybe she can find happiness in the chaotic world of Wish Catering, maybe she can find out the truth about forever.

This was probably the second or third book of Sarah Dessen's that I read. I loved how she would put parts from her earlier books into each one after the one before this, This Lullaby(which I read after the Truth About Forever). You may not notice them before because they could be little things, but in some of them it could be more. I like the fact that in her books you can find yourself relating to the characters in some way. Either in what they're going through or their personalities. I haven't lost a parent like Macy, but I have lost a relative I was really close to. I could understand her pain with that. I always wish I could meet a guy like the one's in Dessen's books, but I know that may not happen, but I can always hope. In this book, I really liked Wes, and he's probably one of my favorite guys from Dessen's books. I reread this book mainly because I had recently read What Happened to Goodbye, and I wanted to remember something about Jason. If you read What Happened to Goodbye, then you will understand what I'm talking about. One of my few problems with these books is that the plot can sometimes be predictable, that she over uses the family issues and finding the right guy scenario too much. Yet her books seem too much like what can really happen, so maybe that's why it seems to be a little overused, or maybe it's just me. I still love reading these books and they tend to be my go to books when I need a quick read that will make me happy. There also some of the few books I reread.

So this ends my first From My Bookshelf I've done in a while. I hope to keep them coming.

So do you want to learn the truth about forever?

Alisha

Update(12)

2011-07-24T19:47:00.002-04:00

Recently on Alisha's World:

Joined in on the Blog Hop that's hosted by Crazy-For-Books. I have no idea how long it's been since I've done one of the Hops. Found some interesting new blogs to follow. Didn't post any new reviews but that's mainly because I have been busy studying for an exam I have tomorrow.

Coming Up:

I have finished reading both The Body Finder by Kimberly Dertly and Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher, so look for those reviews. I plan on going to the library to get some new books to read. I'm hoping that whoever has Catching Fire out right now has returned it and that I will get an email about it this week. I want to continue The Hunger Games series just because I've already read the first one, but I'm still afraid I'm going to be highly disappointed by the ending. That's all that's planned for this coming up week.

Happenings for the Summer:

Well I have a Bio. exam tomorrow. I don't feel prepared, but I've never felt prepared for Bio no matter how hard I study. I have a Chem exam Wednesday, hoping to do well on it. I'm hoping I can go to this thing on Tuesday, but other than that I'm hoping my week isn't too stressful and I may actually get to relax for a change. I'm going to be really happy when August 11th comes because that's my last day here in Clemson for the summer. Then I get to go home for a little over two weeks and be lazy, but also be preparing to come back for the fall. I'm looking into to schools to transfer to for my junior year. I'm looking at schools that have my major and aren't as expensive as my school now. I've found one, but the distance from my hometown could be an issue(for my mother, not me). So that's what's going on so far this summer for me.

This ends Update 12.

Any questions?

Book Blogger Hop(19)

2011-07-22T22:37:00.005-04:00

So I haven't done this in quite some time, so I thought I'd give it a go again, and try to find some more awesome book blogs. There have been some changes to the Hop since I last participated, but if you want to participate as well just go to Crazy-For-Books(this is a direct link to the post), read her instructions on there and get to hopping!

My answer to this Hop's question:

What’s the ONE GENRE that you wish you could get into, but just can’t?

This is a tough one for me. I tend to read a lot of genres. I've recently gotten into the habit of going outside my normal book of choice, YA paranormal romance, and I've started reading more edgy, might bring you to tears, more relatable YA books. I guess my answer would have to be more adult fiction or the classics, more traditional literature. I've tried many times to read Jane Eyre, but have yet to accomplish reading all of it. I want to read Dracula, but have yet been able to. I somehow always loved the books that I was assigned to read in school, but outside of school they weren't usually on my "to be read" list. I'm hoping one day I can actually get back into reading those books when they aren't required of me to read for class.

So what's that one genre you just can't seem to get into?

Now go find some awesome book blogs!

Update(11)

2011-07-20T12:15:00.000-04:00

I haven't done one of these in a while, but I decided I need to start giving updates just so you know what's going on.

Recently on Alisha's World:
Just reviewed quite a few books, including Stolen by Lucy Christopher, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare, and a few others. You can check all those out by just going to my blog archive. I've just gotten back into blogging more regularly again and hope to keep it up.

Coming Up:
A review of Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead should be up soon. I should be done reading The Body Finder by Kimberly Dertly soon, so look for a review for it in the next week. I'm also reading Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher, so there may be a review up for that one up in the next couple of weeks. I'm also planning on doing some reviews for books I haven't been able to post yet, so look for those. That should include A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray and a couple others.

Happenings for the Summer:
Well I'm spending my weekdays in class or at work, and my weekends just happy to have something of a break. This is one reason I've been able to read more and post more on here, I've had more time. I'm only taking two classes and they aren't that bad. If you would like to read more about this than check out my other blog:
Who Am I...

So this ends Update 11.

Any questions?

Stolen

2011-07-19T11:33:00.002-04:00

This one's about Stolen by Lucy Christopher.

About and Thoughts on Book:
Gemma, 16, is on layover at Bangkok Airport, en route with her parents to a vacation in Vietnam. She steps away for just a second, to get a cup of coffee. Ty—rugged, tan, too old, oddly familiar—pays for Gemma's drink. And drugs it. They talk. Their hands touch. And before Gemma knows what's happening, Ty takes her. Steals her away. The unknowing object of a long obsession, Gemma has been kidnapped by her stalker and brought to the desolate Australian Outback. STOLEN is her gripping story of survival, of how she has to come to terms with her living nightmare—or die trying to fight it.
From B&N

To Gemma, Ty seems really familiar but she doesn't know why. When they meet in the airport, she thinks he's cute and interesting, but something keeps nagging at her about him. Before she can go back to her parents back to the life she's use to, he takes her and makes her live with him in the desert of Australia where no one can find her. Gemma's clever, and tries many times to escape, but like Ty told her she'll only die trying. She thinks it's better than getting killed by him. All she can think in the beginning is that he has some plan to kill her. Then he starts talking, starts telling her things about him, about the world he grew up in, and about how he first met her.

This book is told in the past tense, written as a letter from Gemma to Ty, making you believe that she's escaped, but even with it being like that you are never too sure what's going to happen. Gemma believes that Ty is going to kill her, so she knows there has to be some way out. There has to be somebody else who can save her. There has to be some town close by, people close by. As the days go on, Gemma starts finding the beauty in the place that Ty created, not truly knowing what to feel about him anymore. She doesn't know what to think, did he steal her or save her. This fast-paced novel keeps you on you toes, making you feel Gemma's fear and her wanting to escape. It's a book I was reluctant to put down till the end.

Hate List

2011-07-14T12:16:00.003-04:00

This is another book I managed to read over my short break. It's Hate List by Jennifer Brown.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.
From B&N

What if you created a list of people and things that you hated just to vent, never meaning for it to be used for anything? Never really wanting these people gone, just for them to stop torturing you, and they do stop but not not the way you wanted them to. Instead they die because of the list you made. This is what happens to Valerie. She created this list with the help of her boyfriend, Nick. It was just a way for her to vent because she couldn't stand being around those people. She wanted them to know how much they made her suffered, but she didn't want them to die. Nick thought she did, he wanted them to that's why he opened fire on the school on May 2nd. A few people died, a lot injured, including Valerie. She just wanted it to stop and be over. She just wanted Nick to stop shooting. Some thought she was a hero, others thought she was in on it. She made the list that was used for Nick to pick his target, why wouldn't she be in on it. Now Valerie has to deal with going back to school, with the people who are still there, the ones that blame her, and the friends that ignore her. WIth the help of therapist, Dr. Hieler, he's able to help Valerie come to terms with what happened and learn to cope with it and move on.

This book wasn't like I expected from when I first started reading it. In the beginning it kept jumping from present to past making me not know what all was going on or whether we were in the present or still talking about something that happened a few months before. Valerie is still hung up on Nick. In her mind, he's still the guy that she met freshman year, who showed her his love for Shakespeare and understood what she was going through with bullies at school and her family problems. He's still the boy who got what she was all about. Valerie thought she knew Nick that she understood him, but maybe she was wrong. I found the scenes with the parents kind of frustrating. They were going through their own problems before the shooting happened, and now after the shooting they seem to be making it be the thing that caused everything. Valerie's Dad in my opinion is a complete jerk, but maybe that's just how he had to deal with things by trying to stay away from Valerie for a while. I don't think he got that she needed someone there for her. She did have that in her therapist, who managed to get her to talk about things on her own on her own time. When she first goes back to school, she does get those stares and even one girls drops out of school because she can't stand to be around her. The girl she saved, Jessica, tries to be her friend. At first you don't know if it's genuine or not, but later on you find out that she's trying to get to know Valerie. There are newspaper articles at the beginning of the first few chapters and a few of the last ones. Letting you know what others thought of the shooting and that they thought the school was a better place now, which wasn't true at all. They wanted it to be, but you learn in this book that people don't always change even after they go through a tragedy. Some people will always be the same. Valerie definitely changes. One part of the book is a flashback to the shooting to what Valerie thought was happening, to what she thought was going on with Nick. You get to understand Valerie and feel her pain. She can't decide if she's a hero or a villain. Some days she thinks both, some days neither. She never thought she would go through something like this and now she doesn't know how to deal with the aftermath. This book will pull you in, you'll understand what Valerie's going through, you'll feel like you're there in her life, during the shootings, and during everything afterwards. A great book that teaches you not everyone changes when faced with a tragedy, but some people do grow and change for the better. Yhat this will always be there, but you can move on.

City of Fallen Angels

2011-07-10T20:10:00.001-04:00

This is a book I've been waiting to read for a while now. It's City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare and it's book 4 of the Mortal Instrument series.

About and Thoughts on Book:

The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. Not to mention that he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other one.
When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.
From B&N

They're back. The characters that you loved from the first 3 books are back again in the newest book in the Mortal Instrument series. The war is over and Clary and Jace can finally be together, but not everything is perfect. This one isn't told from Clary's point of view as much as the others. Simon has an even bigger role in this one because everyone wants him. He may just be the key to stopping this whole thing.

Something about this series pulls me in and makes me feel like I'm a part of it. The writing is wonderful, making you think you're there. Every time I pick up one the books in The Mortal Instrument series, I think I'm a Shadowhunter, fighting demons, or that I'm going through what Clary's going through with Jace. So when Jace starts acting strange, I feel like he's let me down. That he's breaking my heart. It's hard to come back from this world, but maybe it's just me. It's one of the reasons I truly love this series, but also a reason I can't stand the endings. It makes me think my life has come to a halt waiting for the rest of my life to be written. So I felt that again at the end of City of Fallen Angels. I don't want to give anything away because this book is a must to read of you are at all into the paranormal YA scene. Jace is just as arrogant and as sarcastic as ever, having great moments with Simon. Simon is still geeky, even though he's suppose to be a hot vampire. Clary still her stubborn self, never listening and always wanting to take care of things herself. But they've grown a lot since the first book, City of Bones. Even Isabelle has changed, and you get to read about a different side of her in this book besides her badass Shadowhunter side. It's a great book, that I simply couldn't put down. It's a world I didn't want to leave.

Shiver

2011-07-08T17:38:00.003-04:00

This is another book I managed to finish in the week I had off. It's Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf -- her wolf -- watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why. Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace . . . until now. For Grace and Sam, love has always been at a distance. But once spoken, it cannot be denied.
From B&N

Grace has a connection with Sam since the moment they meet when she's dragged from her tire swing by his pack. She doesn't know anything about them then, but she knows there's something special about the yellowed-eyed wolf, Sam. The moment they meet when Sam is human, Grace knows they're meant to be together. There's just one catch, one that Same is reluctant to tell Grace. Sam can only be a human when it's warm outside and he won't stay human that long. There has to be some way to keep him human because now that Grace has him, she doesn't want to give him up.

I originally didn't want to read this book. I am not a fan of werewolves stories. So yes that would mean I'm not Team Jacob, but honestly I'm not Team Edward either. I think Taylor Lautner is hot, but it still didn't make me all that into werewolves. To me, a lot of the werewolves stories are the same. You either change during a full moon or when you're angry. You can either be born a werewolf or be bitten and become one. Stiefvater changes it up. Yes these werewolves are bitten to become a wolf, but they change because of the temperature. They're wolves when it's cold and human when it's warm during the spring and summer. But they stop changing back and forth after a few years, the rest of their lives being spent as a wolf. I had never read a book that had it happen like that. It was refreshing. I loved reading every page, not wanting to put it down. I regret not reading it sooner, but at least I don't have to wait forever to read the next ones. It's beautifully written, switching between Grace's and Sam's point of views. They each are great characters. I especially loved Sam. He always had to write a song for everything, and I loved that about him. You fall in love with him just as much as Grace does. You root for their love even though there's a chance it won't work out. Yes this sounds familiar to other books, but don't count it out just because of that factor. It's amazing I ever thought I wouldn't like this book.

I suggest that if you're like me and originally was reluctant to read this book then you should give it a chance. You never know, it could be worth it.

Alisha

What Happened to Goodbye?

2011-07-07T10:16:00.000-04:00

Managed to read a lot over my week break from summer classes and one of the books that I managed to read is What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move - four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, Mclean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, Mclean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself - whoever that is. Perhaps her neighbor Dave, an academic superstar trying to be just a regular guy, can help her find out.

From B&N

For 2 years Mclean has been anyone but the person she was before she started moving from place to place with her dad. She doesn't even know who her true self is. She just knows that the person she was before her parent's divorce no longer exists and maybe never was her real self. In Lakeview, Mclean tries to start a new persona deciding on Liz, but it doesn't work out like she wants and she stays Mclean. Yet she doesn't know what type of persona Mclean is suppose to have. Dave is described as the nerdy guy just trying to be normal, yet I didn't really get that he was nerdy. Nothing he did made me think that he was super smart. The only thing that conveyed this was his friends talking about the way he use to be, and the way his parents treated him. So if he's going for the normal guy thing than he's accomplished it.

Like all Sarah Dessen books, this one is a love story with family drama thrown in. In What Happened to Goodbye(which I believe should be called What Ever Happened to Goodbye, for some reason that just bugs me), the family drama is Mclean's parents' divorce. He mother cheated on her father with the head basketball coach of the fictional college, Defriese, and leaves him to marry the guy. Besides the cheating part, the fact that it's with the Defriese's basketball coach a widely known school, makes it a huge scandal. So anyone who knows of Defriese and keeps tabs on college basketball knows about what happened. Mclean and her dad love basketball, but it's not the same any more after what happened. In my opinion, Mclean's mom acts like she's trying to escape her past just as much as Mclean is trying to change herself. Mclean's wants her mom to own up for what she did. She broke up a family and doesn't seem to be acknowledging that. So instead of dealing with her mom, she takes care of her dad. She doesn't know what he would be like if she wasn't there to handle things. So Mclean is only close to her dad and never really makes those close connections with anyone she meets in any of the towns she moves to, until now. After meeting Dave, he helps her to realize that she does have friends in Lakeview and maybe she doesn't want to leave this town and have a new persona that isn't her real self. This book, like all of Sarah Dessen's books, is extremely well written with a great heroine that you can't help but like even with her flaws. With most of Sarah Dessesn's books, I want to just read the parts that include Dave, but with this one I enjoyed all of it. It's another awesome book that fans of Dessen's previous novels are sure to not be disappointed in.

Top Ten Tuesday(1)

2011-06-21T11:51:00.001-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.
Each week there's a new post of Top Ten list that one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. Just add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out your blog and you can check out others as well. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment on their site. Like the Book Blogger Hops it's a great way to find blogs out there.

For the first one that I'm participating in it's all about the Top Ten Reasons Why We Love Book Blogging!

Here's my Top Ten Reasons:

1. Number 1 reason has to be that I simply love reading! I can't live without my books. I have always been an avid reader and a book blog let's me find others who share my passion for it.

2. It's a way to get share my thoughts about a book with others. Before I became a book blogger, I had only one person I would talk about books with, my sister. We both love reading, but no one else we knew ever read the same books we did or knew what we were talking about half the time. Now I have found tons of blogs that people post how they loved or disliked a book almost as much I do. It's a great way to see others ideas on a particular book.

3. ARCs. Before I have never gotten to read a book before it's been out on the shelfs. Now I can read a book ahead of time and it's a great way to read books I've may have not picked up before.

4. Audience. When I first started this blog, I had barely anyone following me, and I didn't know what I was doing. Then I started finding other book blogs and people started leaving comments on my post and helped me get better at it because I knew I really wanted people to know how I felt about a book and so I wouldn't lead them astray with a bad review.

5. Changed my perspective. I admit I had a skewed view of the world. But when I started blogging I started reading others' blogs and it got me to see the world differently. I found people who enjoy reading just as much as I do and maybe more.

6. Outlet. I have found that I say a lot more on my blog than I do in person. I'm quiet and shy, but on here I feel like I can really say how I feel about a book. I know I can give a bad review about a book because it's not like it's going to cause a major catastrophe. I have a right to my opinion and I feel like I'm more free to express it on here.

7. I can post whenever I want. I know there are weekly memes and doing weekly reviews is important to keep my blog current, but I have the freedom of posting when I have time and I can always come back and edit it. Recently I have been trying to get back on track and post reviews I should of posted months ago, but even though I know I should post more I do have the option of doing it when I have the time.

8. Finding Awesome Books! I love reading others blogs and finding a new book that sounds awesome from their reviews. It gets me to read books of different genres that I might have not read before. I'm someone who mainly reads YA, but it was mostly paranormal or a bunch of series. I use to only get the books at my library never reading a review on it before. Now most of the time I read a review about it before I even think about buying it, maybe even before I read the preview. I know that I may feel differently than how the reviewer felt, but it's still helpful to know if a book is worth reading or not.

9. I can be nerd that I want to be. I use to always have my nose in a book, and still would if I wasn't extremely busy all the time now. Even now, I find a way to at least read a few chapters of a book even if I don't really have the time. I use to think that no one was as obsessed as me, but I found through blogging that there are a lot of people who are like me and that makes me happy. I use to go on and on about books I loved with none of my friends really appreciating how awesome a book is because they just didn't have the passion I did for the book. Now I read others reviews and they have that same passion as me.

10. Contests. I find these quite exciting especially when someone's giving away a book I really like and want. I also like being able to come up with contests of my own or participating in them through Blog Fest or another site.

So those are my reasons I love book blogging. It's a great community I'm proud to be a part of. So what are your reasons?

Alisha

Vanished

2011-06-21T10:53:00.003-04:00

So I read this book a while back, but like a lot of books I've read over the past months, I haven't had the time to post a review for them. There's no time like now to finally get a review in is there. So for this one it's Vanished by Kate brian the 12th book in the Private series.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Lost and found...

Against all odds, Reed Brennan re-established Billings as an underground literary society. She and the new initiates created a glamorous secret headquarters and were ready to show Easton Academy that even though Billings House is gone, the Billings Girls are stronger than ever. But before Reed had a chance to revel in her success, something horrible happened:

Noelle disappeared.

Now Reed has no idea who wants to hurt Noelle or why, but it's up to Reed to save her. As the clues build up, the clock ticks down, and Reed fears that unless she finds Noelle soon, she'll lose her friend forever....

From B&N

These books are all about the mystery. They keep you guessing till the very end and sometimes even after that because it's never really over. Every time Reed thinks something good has finally happened in her life and all the drama is over, something else happens and she is again keeping secrets from her friends and boyfriend. She thinks that she has to handle everything on her own. Yet in this one, Josh is there for her. She has help, but will she take it. She can't let anyone know that Noelle is gone. The kidnappers keep sending cryptic texts telling her that if she tells anyone that Noelle will be hurt. Sometimes they demand her to complete tasks, such as get a letter from Noelle's grandma who's in Europe that excuses Noelle from school. Something about this seem not right, something about this makes it seem like these kidnappers don't just want money. They could be anyone and it's up to Reed to find out who.

Like the other books in this series, it keeps you on your toes till the end, and definitely after that. You may think you know what's going to happen or who committed the most recent crime, but then there's a twist that throws your earlier assumptions out the window. You want to keep reading even after it's over because you know something else has to be thrown into the mix to make it even more of a mystery. One of my few problems is that whenever I read these books there's always a cliffhanger at the end and then I have to wait months to get the next book and I sometimes forget what all happened in the last one. That's true for any book in a series, but with these it always seems like there's a cliffhanger, and they're not that long so when you get to the end you immediately want to have that next book in your hand. I do think that some parts of the book tend to be a little slow, but it's not enough to keep you from continuing to read it and possibly get done with it in a day or less. I know I usually finish them pretty quickly even though I wish I didn't so I didn't have to wait even longer for the next one. Yet what happens in the end of this one throws me for even more of a loop, I can't believe and it kind of disappoints me. Maybe it's just me but I didn't like the course this series has now taken. I plan on getting the 13th book in the series, but I haven't had time to go to a book store and get it or the other multitude of books on my forever growing "to be read" list that never seems to get any shorter. I am still trying to keep from purchasing books offline even though I get them used and for cheaper. This is all due to the fact that I'm trying to prove I don't have an addiction. Anyways if you like mysteries and you like the Pretty Little Liars series then I suggest you read this series. I think it is one that you will enjoy, especially if you like the suspense. Yet it's not a book that's a must read, which is one of the reasons why I haven't gotten the next one.

Alisha

P.S. It's becoming increasingly difficult to stop myself from buying books online especially since I keep finding books I want to read and the library doesn't have them and the preview isn't long enough. But I will prevail!!!

Fallen

2011-06-20T17:55:00.000-04:00

So I've been wanting to read this book, Fallen by Lauren Kate, for a while now, and I have finally read it!

About and Thoughts on Book:
There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

So I actually read this a while back, but didn't have the chance to review it. I've been extremely busy but that's no excuse for me not trying to get a review done about this book.

Anyways on to the book:

Luce is in trouble. A boy dies and her boarding school blames her. This is the reason why she is sent to Sword and Cross. Everyone there has their own reasons for being sent there, but once Luce sees Daniel, he's the only one she really wants to know about. I felt that Daniel was a total jerk to Luce every time he saw her. Except sometimes he'd forget that he was suppose to be mean to her and be the guy he really wished he could be around her. He has his reasons for being this way, it may just save Luce's life. Of all the characters, I did like the Daniel the best even with the way he acted.
It's always intriguing to read a book about a forbidden love. You know it's not suppose to work out, yet you keep hoping that it does anyways. It's true for this book as well. You want Luce to fall for Daniel even though Cam seems like someone any girl would love to have. He's the bad boy and that's saying something when it's based at a school where everyone there could possibly be considered a criminal. He entices you and makes you want to be around him. The parts that included Cam or Daniel were the parts I couldn't wait to get to read. Yet this book couldn't of been as good as it is without the other friends that Luce makes at Swords & Cross. Those being Penn and Arriane. Arriane befriends Luce on the first day, but my suspicions had me thinking she was bad news. She seemed to just want to get in trouble but she also seemed to be there for Luce. Penn is her own sort of person. She's always wearing multiple layers of clothing, even with the heat of being in Savannah, GA. She also knows her way around the school since she's been there her whole life, not because she got in trouble but because her dad use to be the ground's keeper. Just her knowing everything there is to know about Swords & Cross comes in handy for Luce. It doesn't hurt that Penn is one awesome friend.

Even with all this, Daniel is still the main person Luce can't get enough of, neither could I. This story keeps you engrossed in it not allowing you put it down. What about fallen angels could ever be boring?

Sorry it took me a while to post this. It has nothing to do with me not liking it as you can tell from my review. So go read a book about a forbidden love. You'd wished you'd had one of your own.

Alisha

The Hunger Games

2011-06-20T15:39:00.000-04:00

So my friend and I decided to do our own book club and this is the first book we chose to read. It's The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

About and Thoughts on The Book:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival.

From B&N

Katniss lives in the poorest district of Panem, District 12. Out of the 74 years that the Hunger Games have been going on, District 12 has only had two winners. Maybe it's time for that to change. The Capitol has everything while all the districts are poor and have to give over the coal they mine, food they harvest, and clothes they make to the Capitol. It's punishment for the Rebellion that also wiped out District 13. The Hunger Games are another way they make sure there is not ever another rebellion. They take one girl and one boy each year and make them fight to the death all to the Capitol's enjoyment. They show the districts that this is what happens when you go against the Capitol. They take your children, and there's little chance they'll return. All Katniss thinks when she takes her sister's place is that she doesn't want to lose her sister. She'd rather die than Prim. Yet maybe she has a chance. Before the games even start she shows that she's a contender not to be taken for granted. But there's also Peeta to worry about. They're suppose to act like teammates, but they both know that only one can win.

What can I say about this book? Well I will tell you that I didn't want to read it when it first came out. I think it had something to do with what it was about. I have read futuristic books about North America being nothing like it is now, and I think when this book came out I decided I needed to get away from books like that. I should of read this book anyways. I didn't know what I was missing. I do know it's a trilogy and that I need to get the next two, yet there are 3+ holds on it at the library. I don't want to buy it because I'm trying to prove I don't have an addiction. So I will wait, if I can. When I first started to read this book, I knew it wasn't going to end well. It's about a fight to the death. How else would it end? Well there are many surprises in this book and you can always count on a twist. It is what the Gamemakers like to do. They can't stand a boring fight. I'm glad I was talked into reading this book finally. I found out there's going to be a movie, and I'm hoping it lives up to the book. So if you're like me and originally didn't want to read this book, than please go check it out. You never know maybe you'll end up really liking it. I did. I'm not saying it's for everyone. That's not the case at all. Maybe some people don't like reading about teenagers killing each other. And honestly I don't, but it's the rest of the story that helps to make it so good. So don't leave this one off your to be read list, you never know what you'll be missing out on.

Alisha

Beautiful Creatures

2011-06-11T10:51:00.002-04:00

So I had promised I would post more and that didn't work out, and I'm sorry for that. I truly am. So I do have a book review to post now about Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

About and Thoughts on Book:
There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.
From B&N

Well when I first started reading this book it took me a while to get into it. I don't know why, it's a extremely good book. It just starts off slower than expected. Ethan is an interesting character. He believes that he's different than every other person in his small town. He knows that one day he will get out of Gatlin and leave all of the small town life behind, unlike everyone else who he thinks is stuck there. He believes all of this will happen until he meets Lena. The mysterious girl who everyone knows will never fit in with them. She's outcast as soon as she arrives. I think this shows the small mindedness of the people of Gatlin. They can't accept someone who's not like them. To begin with it seemed like they just didn't like her because she was Old Man Ravenwood's niece. Then they start blaming anything bad that happens at school on her. And maybe it is her fault. She does have these amazing powers that she can't always control. Even with everyone else hating Lena, Ethan can't stay away from her. He also may be the only one that can help her with a curse that has haunted Lena's family for over a century.

After getting past the slower parts, which was before Lena and Ethan started hanging out, I couldn't put this book down. I liked that this wasn't another typical supernatural book. Castors, not witches, are the main paranormal beings in this book. They all have their own power and not all of them are good, which is to be expected. I can't wait till I can get my hands on the next book, Beautiful Darkness. I know it's already out. I just haven't had the time to buy it or go to the library and find out if they have it.

Overall I give this book:
LI - Loved It! It's a definite read! You should grab this book before it goes running off the shelf!

Wanted

2011-02-04T01:04:00.001-05:00

So I'm sorry that it took me a while to actually post something after saying that I would. Well this isn't a book that was on the list of upcoming reviews. This is because I just recently finished reading it. I felt I needed to talk about it first. So it's Wanted by Sara Shephard, the 8th and final installment in the Pretty Little Liars series.

About and Thoughts on the Book:

In Rosewood, majestic estates sprawl for acres, and Tiffany toggle bracelets dangle from every girl's wrist. But not all that glitters is gold, and the town harbors secrets darker than anyone could imagine-like the truth about what reallyhappened the night Alison DiLaurentis went missing. . . .

Back in middle school, Ali plucked Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer from obscurity and turned them into the beautiful, popular girls everyone wanted to be. Ali was the best friend they ever had. But she also made them do terrible things and taunted them with their worst secrets. Now, three years later, all their questions about Ali have finally been answered and they can put this awful chapter of their lives behind them. Or so they think.
Not every story has a happy ending, especially when four pretty little liars have done so many wicked things. In the dramatic conclusion of Sara Shepard's bestselling Pretty Little Liars series, Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer could get everything they've ever wanted-unless A has one more horrifying twist in store.
From B&N

I was so looking forward to reading this book. I had planned on getting it as soon as it came out, but sadly that did not happen. Why? I don't know. It took me forever to finally finish reading it, even though I began reading the preview on B&N. I really enjoyed reading this book, but it did let me down some. How could it not? It's the last one in the series, a series I didn't want to end.

If you haven't read this series, or if you're not caught up to the final book, than don't worry I don't plan on spoiling this for you. Or at least I hope I don't. The synopsis might have already done that. There were so many ways this book could go. If you've read this series, than you know that guessing at who A is is pointless cause it's not who you expect at all. This book held true to that. It kept the suspense and made sure to keep you on your toes. With all these books, you're never sure how the book will end. You just know that it will probably not be good, except for in one of them you think it ends good. Oh but you're wrong. You never know what's going on with all the characters. You're not always sure about Emily, or if Hanna will stay popular, or what Aria's parents are going to do to make her try to avoid them, or what Spencer and her sister will be arguing about. This is what I loved about this series. You may have been able to predict some things, but definitely not all. The more I read, the more I wanted there to be another, but sadly this series is over. I wish I could beg Sara Shephard to keep going with it. There
can always be a new A to torment the PLL. If you've watched the TV show, than I hope you agree with me that it doesn't come close to being as awesome as the books. That could just be me. Anyways, if you have yet to read this series, then I suggest you do so immediately!

Hope you enjoyed my first review post in weeks. I plan on keeping them coming.

Alisha

How Could I Forget This???

2011-01-18T17:57:00.000-05:00

17 days ago, January 1st, was my Blogaversary(did I spell that right?). How could I forget that??? I started my blog exactly on New Years, I couldn't even remember that!! I must be completely out of it. I also did not have Internet access on New Years, since I was stuck at home and it was messed up. At this moment I don't know if I'm going to do anything for my blogaversary. I just remembered it yesterday. I can only really blame this on myself. I just thought that I would post this and tell you that I may do some giveaway or contest similar to the first one I did. If you weren't following me then, it was a Fantasy Character Cast contest, where I asked you to come up with your dream cast for the book I chose if it were turned into a movie. I may do something like that again, but I will probably chose a book that I think a lot of people have read. Just keep a look out for that and my upcoming reviews.

Sorry, Also Known as Update(10)

2011-01-17T23:10:00.000-05:00

I am truly sorry for not posting nearly as much as I should have the last few months. The only excuse I have is pure laziness and the fact that school work takes up much of my time. School work doesn't account for the month of December so that one is mainly due to laziness and not having Internet access a lot of the time.

Anyways I decided to post this not only to say sorry, but to let you know that I am back and will try to do consistent postings again. I am hoping that it works out this time. This semester I don't have as much of a hectic schedule, and I have more free time. Unlike last semester where my schedule consisted of back to back classes, with no break in between except to walk to the next class. My schedule isn't even like that this semester. I am so happy about that.

So just to let you know, I do have some current books that I finished reading over my winter break, and I will try to post those reviews soon. Hopefully within the next few days. The books that I will be reviewing are Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt, Fallen by Lauren Kate, The Devouring by Simon Holt, Vanished by Kate Brain and A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. Those are just the ones I've finished reading recently. I should have more than that later on. So be looking for those, and again I apologize for not posting enough.

Hope in Patience

2010-12-04T19:29:00.001-05:00

So sorry that I haven't posted in a while. Well for this one it's Hope in Patience by Beth Fehlbaum, which I got through Traveling ARC Tours.

About and Thoughts on Book:

15-year-old Ashley Asher continues to cope with the sexual and physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her stepfather. Still living in Patience, Texas, with her father and stepmother, Ashley is rebuilding her life through therapy, new friends, and the support of her family. But old scars run deep, and Ashley relives the abuse in her nightmares and cannot accept the fact that her mother has chosen her husband, the abuser, over Ashley.
From B&N

This is a powerful story that anyone should read. This book was incredible.The story starts slowly, with multiple flashbacks; despite the emotional tension, whether Ashley will continue to heal is never in doubt. The author doesn't shy away from the brutality Ashley has suffered and the painful road she must walk, because the author herself has gone through this. It makes the details of this book that much more real, but some parts tend to go too far. Such as when Ashley is forced to go to the principal's office for cussing. He gets upset with her and starts shaking her. Still, you will want Ashley to get through this, and be able to move on. I was upset with some parts of this book, just cause the injustice of it all was so frustrating! But this is a book you do not want to miss out on. This is a sequel to another book called Courage in Patience. You should read that one as well. I didn't know that this one was a sequel, but I still enjoyed the book, it made lots of references to the first one. So please go out and read this book.

So again sorry for not posting in a while. I have been super busy with school. I may not post as much as I use to anymore. I will still try to start getting a review in every week, but I can't promise anything, especially since I have exams next week.

Alisha

Update(9)

2010-10-25T16:31:00.000-04:00

So I haven't done one of these lately, and I'm sorry for that. I'm also sorry for the lack of reviews lately. I've been really busy and overwhelmed.

Recently on Alisha's World:
Well I participated in The Spooky Swap. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed picking things out to send to the person I got. I hope she liked them. I really liked what I got. I love the book so far, and am almost done reading it. I also recently reviewed The Candidates by Inara Scott. Check that out if you want. I also reviewed Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick. It was amazing, and I definitely can't wait for Tempest to come out. Please read it, and you can check out my review here.

Upcoming Reviews:
Well I don't have any books recently read to be reviewed, but I do have some that I should be done with soon. I should be done with The Devouring by Simon Holt soon. So look for that review within the next week or maybe the next couple of days. I really need to get back into reading more, but I have a lot I have to finish for school. So sorry that I don't update that often.

Happenings at College:
Well classes are going ok. My favorite class at the moment is my math class, which is odd, since I've never liked math before. All other classes are okay for now, except my 8 am biology class. I am barely awake during that class half the time. This weekend is fall break, so I get next Monday and Tuesday off to relax, maybe. If you would like to know more about my experiences at college check out my other blog This is Me. I don't update it that frequently, but I going to start to, and it's mostly about me and doesn't include any reviews.

This is the end for this Update!

Alisha

The Candidates

2010-10-24T13:38:00.001-04:00

Just finished another book that I received via Traveling ARC Tours. This one is The Candidates by Inara Scott.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Dancia Lewis is far from popular. And that's not just because of her average grades or her less-than-glamorous wardrobe. In fact, Dancia's mediocrity is a welcome cover for her secret: whenever she sees a person threatening someone she cares about, things just...happen. Cars skid. Structures collapse. Usually someone gets hurt. So Dancia does everything possible to avoid getting close to anyone, belieiving this way she can supress her powers and keep them hidden.

But when recruiters from the prestigious Delcroix Academy show up in her living room to offer her a full scholarship, Dancia's days of living under the radar may be over. Only, Delcroix is a school for diplomats' kids and child geniuses--not B students with uncontrollable telekinetic tendencies. So why are they treating Dancia like she's special? Even the hottest guy on campus seems to be going out of his way to make Dancia feel welcome.

And then there's her mysterious new friend Jack, who can't stay out of trouble. He suspects something dangerous is going on at the Academy and wants Dancia to help him figure out what. But Dancia isn't convinced. She hopes that maybe the recruiters know more about her "gift" than they're letting on. Maybe they can help her understand how to use it...But not even Dancia could have imagined what awaits her behind the gates of Delcroix Academy.

I liked this book, but that's about it. I feel that it's meant for at least someone who is 13, but not too older than that. Dancia and her friend James were by far my favorite characters. I liked the parts best when James was in them. I didn't particularly like Cam all to much, and I don't think that changed even after finishing reading it. I usually like reading books about boarding schools, but something about this one didn't pull me in. I'm just giving my honest opinion, feel free to check it our for yourself.

Overall I rate this one:
OK - it was okay. Not bad, not excellent.

Spooky Swap Package!

2010-10-15T18:47:00.001-04:00

Just got my Spooky Swap Package today! The Spooky Swap was hosted by Travis and Jessica over @ Inked Books. It was sent to me from Jacinda. Thank you, I love like everything!

So here's what I got:

The cool trick-or-treat bag,

The Devouring by Simon Holt(I've never actually heard of this book before, but it looks like it will be good),

Candy of course, I love the pumpkin Kisses,

A cool necklace, one of the favorite things I got in my Spooky Swap Package,

and some cool pictures, ribbon bookmarks and other awesome stuff.

It's all so great. Again, thank you so much Jacinda!

Crescendo!

2010-10-10T19:12:00.004-04:00

This is a book I anticipated since I found out there was going to be sequel to Hush, Hush. It's Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

About and Thoughts on Book:

Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

From B&N

Warning!: This review may contain some spoilers, so don't read it if you don't want to know something that happens. I don't mean to have them in there, and there are not a lot, but I am warning you for a reason.

I read this as part of the Sneak Peak with B&N. To be honest I didn't follow the schedule they put up on the boards. How could I with how anxious I was to read this book. I didn't read all of it exactly on the day I finally got it in the mail. I at least waited to find out what the schedule was, but after I did, I didn't follow that schedule. So it was really pointless of me to even wait really.

It starts the summer after all that had happened in the end of Hush, Hush. I loved that Nora and Patch were finally together, but I am quickly crushed as much as Nora when they break up. I am as devastated as Nora is. I wanted this book to be all about them being together, but my dream is dissolved all too quickly. But it's not Patch who breaks up with Nora, she breaks up with him. That I didn't expect, but Nora has her reasons. She believes she is protecting Patch from the archangels, she believes she's protecting herself as well. A lot of what happens in this book is unexpected. Marcie, Nora's nemesis in the first book, is in this book more than the last. Which makes me want Nora to smack her or something even more, because that girl does not know how to be tactful or even remotely nice. She's the worse to Nora, and it's worse in this book than it was in Hush, Hush. Even more horrible is that Marcie starts hanging out with Patch. Do you know how many times I wanted to scream because of that? A lot! Nora also starts thinking she's seeing her dad everywhere. Is it really him or someone out to get her? Like I stated before, so much of this book is unexpected, but something not unexpected is a cliffhanger. Nothing makes you want to read the next book in a series more than a cliff hanger. I cannot wait for Tempest. To be honest I was a little disappointed with some of this book. I wanted more Patch, but he was not in it as much as you would think. I liked that everything is explained in the end, but there is that cliffhanger that left me with even more questions than I had before.

Overall I rate this one:
LI - Loved It! It's a definite read! You should grab this book before it goes running off the shelf! It probably will go running off the shelf as soon as it comes out, so you better get it while you can.

Alisha

Update(8)

2010-10-05T21:09:00.000-04:00

Recently on Alisha's World:
Well I didn't post any reviews last week and for that I am sorry. I will be sure to post something this week.

Upcoming Reviews:
I will have my review for Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick up soon. I can tell you I really loved reading that book! I don't have any other reviews that need to be posted, but maybe I'll finish another book soon. I should be done reading Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith soon and some others. Of course I've been saying that for the past week, but hopefully this time it's true.

Happenings with College:
Well I like college just fine, but some days I don't like it at all. I don't know what to tell you. I may post something about it on my other blog, so you should check that out if you want. Just click on the "Other Blog," tab at the top blog, there should be a link there for my This is Me blog.

This is all for this Update.

Alisha

Update(7)

2010-09-27T20:20:00.000-04:00

Most Recently on Alisha's World:
Well I just reviewed Losing Faith by Denise Jaden yesterday. So if you would like to check that out, click here. I really enjoyed that book, and it's worth a read.

Upcoming Reviews:
So I don't have any reviews that need to be posted. Sorry :( I do plan on finishing reading Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith soon and also Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick soon too. I also have others that I need to finish reading too, so there may be a review to post this week. Just keep checking back for that.

Happenings at College:
Well in my last Update, I told you that I had 2 exams on the same day. Well that went well. Neither one was too bad. I found out today that I made an 86 on my math exam, which I didn't expect. I'm happy with it. I don't know what I made on my communications exam yet, he hasn't posted the grades yet. I had to give a speech Friday, and it didn't go as well as I wanted. Basically I hate giving speeches, and I think that showed when I gave mine. I think I was also a little sarcastic while giving it. I was doing good, but my professor likes to give hand signals to tell you how much time you have left, and they just got me flustered and of course I had to point this out, while giving my speech! I know what not to do when I give my next one. Well this week the only major thing for me is a preliminary lab report I have to turn in on Wednesday in my chemistry lab. So far I do not really like doing this lab report. I'm getting my friend to help me, since I always help him with chemistry homework. He also has already had to turn his in today.
If you would like to know more about what's going on with me at college, then you should check out my other blog This Is Me.

That's the end for this Update.

Losing Faith

2010-09-26T22:34:00.006-04:00

So I promised a review this week, and I am keeping my promise. I just didn't tell you the exact day it would be posted. So it's Losing Faith by Denise Jaden.

About and Thoughts on Book:

A terrible secret. A terrible fate.

When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don’t know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but.
As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith’s final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger.
From B&N

I had seen a lot of talk going on about this book, and I have to admit it intrigued me. So much so that I went on a search for a preview of it. I had to at least read some of it before buying it. I went to the author's site first, of course, and got the first chapter, which left me wanting more. As I do often when trying to know if a book is worth paying for, I went online to B&N and Borders to see which one had a click and look inside, or at least more of a preview. But of course, when I was trying this the book had yet to come out, and it didn't seem like any one site wanted me to be able to read more. Obviously, they wanted me to buy the book. Which I did. After reading just the first chapter, I knew I wanted my hands on this book.

Brie is not like her sister, Faith, in any way. She's not religious like her, or even likes to hang out with. It hadn't always been like this. They use to be best friends, but they each changed, and just didn't act the same way toward each other anymore. Then one night, Faith ends up dying. Brie can't accept this. It doesn't seem real to her. Her friends start acting weird around her, like they don't know how to act with her around. Then things about what happened to Faith just don't add up and Brie has to know what's going on. She also keeps seeing this boy she's never met around, at Faith's funeral and at her school. She has to know how he knows Faith and what's his deal.

I personally loved reading this book. I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to find out what happened to Faith just as bad as Brie with each page I read. Some parts I wasn't too happy with, but it wasn't the writing it was just what had happened. I didn't like how Brie's friends end up treating her. They didn't seem like true friends. I liked that Jaden showed that the whole family was having a hard time with the loss of Faith, but I didn't like that neither one of Brie's parents would talk to her about Faith. I highly recommend this book. I think anyone would find it worth reading.

Overall I rate this one:
LI - Loved It! It's a definite read! You should grab this book before it goes running off the shelf!

Alisha

Update(6)

2010-09-20T20:44:00.001-04:00

Most Recently on Alisha's World:
So I just recently reviewed Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. If you would like to check out my review of it click here. I really enjoyed reading it, and can't wait for the next one in The Infernal Devices series.

Upcoming Reviews:
So I just finished reading Losing Faith by Denise Jaden, and I should have that review up shortly. I also just received Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick in the mail today! I am so excited to get to read it before it officially due to be out! If you don't know what I'm talking about than you seriously need to get out more, and you should also read Hush, Hush first. I believe that Losing Faith and Clockwork Angel were the only books I read last week so I will probably only have one review for this week, which is nothing new as of late. I'm sorry school can get real hectic. I wish I had read more. Just look for my review of Losing Faith, I promise to have it up soon.

Happenings With College:
So in my post last week I said I had Chemistry and Biology exams. Well they went ok. I passed! Hooray, but not with the scores I wanted, so I'm going to study more for the next ones. I do have more exams this week. They are both on Wednesday, my Communications exam at 4:00 PM and my mathsc exam at 6:45 PM. Very happy that they're back to back, not! I hope all goes well. Communications isn't that bad, but wait there's more. I also have to give a speech in Communications lab on Friday! Life couldn't get any better. I am not a public speaker, nor do I want to be a public speaker. I am being forced to take this class, as a requirement for my major. I'm a Food Science major, why is Communications a required class? I am going to make sure that I do as best as I can on my speech, even though I have a fear of public speaking. :( Everyone in the class seems to have the same fear, so this makes me feel a little better. I really don't want to go to that class on Friday. Wish me luck!

Anyways, to recap, I should have my review of Losing Faith up soon, and that will most likely be the only review this week, unless I finish Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith. Don't hold me to that.
I also just loving having 2 exams on the same day, and a speech in the same week! Again, hopefully all goes well.

Alisha

This Update had now ended.
I almost forgot to ask, any questions?

Clockwork Angel

2010-09-19T20:36:00.004-04:00

This is the book I've been anticipating for months now. I got through Traveling ARC Tours. I couldn't wait till I finally got to read it. The book is Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

About and Thoughts on Book:

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

So like I said before I could not wait to get my hands on this book. If you read The Mortal Instruments series, then you know what I mean. It didn't disappoint either.

Tessa is a Downworlder, not that she knew it in the beginning. She finds out from the awful Dark Sisters(they're name really suits them). She ends up living with the Shadowhunters, not sure if she can trust them. She thinks they may just want to use her powers like the Dark Sisters did. But living with the Shadowhunters changes her life forever.I can tell you, I was really intrigued by Will, who seems exactly like Jace. I found that his parts were my favorite parts to read, again cause he reminded me so much of Jace. I had also liked reading parts that included Jace a lot in The Mortal Instruments series. I thought Jem, was simply an amazing person, but I didn't see their was a love triangle that is mentioned in the synopsis. Maybe it will develop later in the series. It kind of started in this one, but again I didn't feel that she really showed that. I can tell you that Jessamine's parts were not my favorite to read. I just thought she was arrogant, and extremely stuck up. I found that I couldn't put this book down, but I couldn't read it all in one day cause I had classes and exams to study for. It's hard to put exactly how I felt about this book into words. I did love reading this book, like I loved reading all of Cassandra Clare's books. I cannot wait to read the next one, or the next book in the Mortal Instruments series. It's really frustrating having to wait forever to get them. I hate that she leaves them on cliff hangers that really gets on my nerves, but it does make the story even better.

Overall I rate this one:
LI - Loved It! It's a definite read! You should grab this book before it goes running off the shelf! It might actually do that!

Alisha

Update(5)

2010-09-13T15:39:00.000-04:00

So I just participated in Blog Fest, as many of you know, for the first time. It was really cool and I can't wait till the next one. I had a lot of people enter my giveaway, which amazed me because I never expected the turn out that I got.

About upcoming reviews, the book I've been anticipating for months to read, I finally got last week, and will post my review sometime this week. I did also buy other books the other day, so I may post more than one review this week.

Happenings with college:
Well I have my first chemistry exam, really my first college exam ever, today at 7 PM. Joy! I studied, but to be honest, I don't know how it will go. I just hope my mind doesn't go completely blank. Tomorrow, I have a Bio exam at 8 in the morning. Now, I know I'm looking forward to that one. I just hope all goes well. Fingers crossed!

This is the end for this Update, any questions?

Alisha

Blog Fest Giveaway Winner!

2010-09-13T00:23:00.001-04:00

Since it is the end of Blog Fest as of 11:59, it is now time to announce the winner of Old Magic by Marianne Curley. I went to random.org to decide on the winner.
And the winner of my first ever Blog Fest Giveaway is...

Tiffany Harkleroad!!!!

Congrats to you, and I will emailing you to also tell you that you have won. Also thank you to all that entered. This was just the second contest that I've ever done, and I never expected the response that I got. I also thank those that are now following my blog. I really enjoyed this Blog Fest and can't wait to participate in more! Also if you didn't win, I do plan on doing more giveaways and contests in the future so look for those.

Old Magic

2010-09-10T16:40:00.003-04:00

This is the book for my Blog Fest Giveaway, and it's Old Magic by Marianne Curley.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Jarrod Thornton is mesmerizing,
but Kate Warren doesn't know why.
The moment the new guy walks into the room, Kate senses something strange and intense about him. Something supernatural. Her instincts are proven correct a few minutes later when, bullied by his classmates, Jarrod unknowingly conjures up a freak thunderstorm inside their classroom.
Jarrod doesn't believe in the paranormal. When Kate tries to convince him that he has extraordinary powers that need to be harnessed, he only puts up with her "hocus pocus" notions because he finds her captivating. However, the dangerous, uncontrolled strengthening of his gift finally convinces Jarrod that he must take Kate's theories seriously. Together, they embark on a remarkable journey — one which will unravel the mystery that has haunted Jarrod's family for generations and pit the teens against immense forces in a battle to undo the past and reshape the future.
From B&N

Sorry that this took me a while to finally post. It's here now, and just in time for my giveaway.

So this was a book I got a while back, and one that I had not heard of until I saw it on the shelf at the bookstore. The synopsis drew me in. I can honestly tell you that I did like it, but it wasn't like I expected, which is a good and bad thing.

Kate is a witch, and the her whole town knows or at least that's the rumor. They know that her grandmother is one because she owns a shop where she sells things to a bunch of tourists that kind of has to do with magic. They just assume that Kate is one as well, but they have no idea what she can actually do. She can know what people are feeling by just delving into their brain, she can pick up on anger, sadness, intrigue, and any other feeling that you may not actually be showing on the outside. She can also pick up on more, but just this gift is where it all starts for Kate and Jarrod. He actually knows when she's trying to find out his feelings. He's the only one who's ever been able to do that. Kate knows that Jarrod has to have magic in him. He practically causes a storm to nearly tear up their science class. He will not believe anything that doesn't go by his rules. He won't believe that his family is cursed, and that's why they have all their bad luck. His arrogance and also how he was kind of cowardly got on my nerves. From the synopsis, and also in the beginning, I didn't think he would be like that at all. Yet, he was. I did like that she switched between Kate and Jarrod, so you got both sides of what was going on. You got to understand why Jarrod was like he was, instead of if Kate was the only one who was telling the story. I really liked part 2. You'll find out why when you read the book, which I suggest you do, cause it is really good. It has magic, it's about the paranormal, who wouldn't love it? To be honest, it's not the best book out there, but it's extremely far from the worse, by lightyears. So go check it out!

Overall I rate this one:

LK - Liked it. It wouldn't hurt you to read it, but it wouldn't kill you if you didn't. I still think you'd be missing out if you didn't.

So to all of you who have entered my contest good luck to you, and the winner will be announced on the 12th! Once again, Good Luck!!!

Alisha

Blog Fest Sept. 10th - Sept. 12th!

2010-09-10T10:52:00.003-04:00

So Blog Fest is here! It's hosted by Cinnamon over at A Journey of Books. Sorry I posted this kind of late. I'm kind of busy studying for my first exams that are next week.

Anyways for my Blog Fest Giveaway, I will be giving away a copy of Old Magic by Marianne Curley. I know you're wondering what this book is all about, so I will tell you when I post my review later today. So to enter to win this wonderful book, you just have to comment on this post and tell me if your a follower of my blog or not. Also please leave your email. Simple, isn't it? So I will post the review later, and I'll announce the winner on the 12th. Good luck!

Update(4)

2010-09-05T19:25:00.001-04:00

So to start off, I did do most of the review posts I said I would do. I just still have yet to post my one on Old Magic. Sorry I haven't posted that one, I don't know why I have yet to post that one. It will be up soon, hopefully.

In other news, I have been sick for the past couple of weeks. I don't know what's wrong with me. It's baffling. I think I had planned to post something about this on my other blog, but haven't done that either. I blame it on being sick. At least I've still gone to all my classes. Now in high school, I would of been begging my mom to let me stay home, even if it wasn't really that bad. Well this weekend it was really bad, so I stayed in my dorm most of the day yesterday and watched movies, instead of going to the first football game of the season. I'm not huge fan of football, so I didn't feel too bad about missing that game, but I do want to go to others. I don't want to totally miss out on all of them. So hopefully I feel better for the next one. I do feel somewhat better today. My stomach doesn't hurt, but I know I'm not 100% myself still. Let's hope I am soon. I think I will go more in depth on what's been wrong with me on my other blog, so if you want to check that out just click here, but don't click today. I may have it up in the next couple of days. So u may want to keep checking back, if you want to know.

Also, I should be receiving another book from Traveling ARC Tours soon. It's one I've been anticipating for a while now. You'll find out which book it is when I post my review on it. Hopefully I get it this week, so I can read it, and have my review up as soon as possible. I don't know if there is anything else I have forgotten to mention.

Anyways, to recap, I should have my review of Old Magic up soon, and if not blame it on me being sick. I also should have another review up soon, but it may not be till next week. Depends on when I get the book.

This ends Update 4, and questions? Please don't hesitate to raise your hand and ask

Indigo Blues

2010-09-05T12:13:00.000-04:00

Once again I joined in on another tour through Traveling ARC Tours. I must say I really like doing ARC tours. So the one I joined in on this time is Indigo Blues by Danielle Joseph.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Even though you tossed me away, I'm here to stay.
Oh, Indigo, how could you let me go . . .-from "Indigo Blues" written by Adam Spade, performed by Blank Stare
Indigo:
I never asked to be famous—or infamous. Such is my fate for briefly dating (and dumping) Adam Spade. Yes, the Adam from the indie rock band who wrote "Indigo Blues"—the song that gave the band overnight success, propelled them to New York City, and stole my precious anonymity. Now I'm pawed by fans, stalked by reporters, and pegged as a vicious heartbreaker. And Adam is still calling me. Doesn't he have better things to do?
Adam:
With a hit single and a promising career, I should be on top of the world. People on the street are beginning to recognize me, which is cool. And scary. The band is counting on me to write another hit, but I can't stop thinking about Indigo. Why won't she answer the phone?
From B&N

I was kind of surprised by this book. I expected something different after reading the synopsis. I'm not saying that it's bad or that it's the most amazing book either. It's good, though. When I read the synopsis, I automatically thought of a book I've read before where the same thing happens. You probably know the one I'm talking about if you have read it. It made me think of Audrey Wait! by Robin Benway. There are similarities, but in Audrey Wait! you don't get the point of view of the guy like you do in Indigo Blues. I expected this to focus more on the fame that Indigo was getting. I thought she'd get hounded more by the press, but to me people only thought it was her by her name. It's really unique. Other people knew because they knew her and that she had dated Adam. I wanted there to be more about their relationship, to explain more about what happened, but it didn't tell everything I felt it should about it. I also didn't care too much for the ending, to me it just ended. I never have liked that, and I want more clarification on what's going to happen in the future with them two, this will bug me for a while now.

Overall I give this one:
OK - It was okay. Not bad, not excellent.

It seems like it should be given more than that because I did find it to be a good read, but I did want more from it.

Alisha

I Heart You, You Haunt Me

2010-09-01T18:19:00.001-04:00

I've been trying to get out of my reading slump, so I think I'm managing to accomplish this because I finished this book in just a few hours. It's I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder.

About and Thoughts on Book:
Girl meets boy.
Girl loses boy.
Girl gets boy back...
...sort of.
Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear his voice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she'scrazy, but she knows he's here.
Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.
From B&N

This book simply amazed me. Reading Ellen Hopkins got me into reading books in verse, and this book just furthered my interest. I liked that you could easily read this in a matter of a couple of hours, but it's still an amazing book that you didn't want to get done reading. I did feel that some parts got on my nerves, like when Ava kept hinting at what exactly happened to Jackson, but she never really told you till the end. Yea that helps with the suspense and makes you keep wanting to read, but it has always made me frustrated. I think it's just me. I was expecting a ghost story where the ghost appears to Ava all the time, but this book wasn't exactly like that. She could never actually see Jackson unless in her dreams, but she knew when he was there. Like when a door would all of a sudden slam close, or when things would be knocked off her desk. Jackson was nothing like the ghosts from other things I've seen on TV. I felt Jackson showing up was messing with Ava's grieving process, because to her she still had him there. I felt that was hindering her moving on, and living her own life. But I could be wrong, you'd have to read the book to find out. And with that I end this review and hope that you'd add this book to your to be read list because I recommend it.

So I rate this one:
LI - Loved it! It's a definite read! You should grab this book before it goes running off the shelves! I know that not everyone likes verse novels, but I'm turning out to be a big fan. So if you do like verse novels, I'd think you'd like this one.

Also sorry I took forever to post this, I don't where all my time has gone, probably school.

Alisha

Update(3)

2010-08-30T21:31:00.000-04:00

So I said I'd have a review of Old Magic and I Heart You, You Haunt Me up, yet I haven't posted those. I'm sorry about that. Been kind of busy procrastinating doing my homework. Right now I'm actually doing laundry, joy! I think I'l be able to get a those posts along with my review of Indigo Blues up this week. So besides not getting a review in last week, everything is going well. I did well on both my chemistry and math quizzes, so I don't think I'm going to flunk out of college. Well let's hope not. It is only the third week, or really second week and a half. So besides that I don't think I really have anything to tell.

So this ends this Update, any questions?

Alisha

Book Blogger Hop(I'm pretty sure it's 18, but who knows these days)

2010-08-27T01:28:00.001-04:00

I once again enter the great and mighty Book Blogger Hop. So if you have yet to venture to Crazy-for-Books to check out this wonderfulness, than you need to stop living under a rock and check it out! It's all about finding new, quite awesome book blogs. Who wouldn't enjoy it! So I have participated many times, and find that I keep finding more and more blogs that I didn't know were out there. So go ahead head on over there, add your link, than just start Hopping over to the other blogs with their links there. But don't just add your link, yes this is a great way to get more followers, but it's also a way to find other awesome book blogs. What are you waiting for? Oh and if you are new to my blog, I thank you for Hopping over and appreciate your comments. I hope you like my world!

And to answer this week's question:

I do have a rating system. I created it myself, where I just rate from Love It! to Terrible! It's just my own that I came up with after seeing someone else's that was kind of similar. I didn't always have a rating system, and it is still kind of new, so not all my reviews have what I rated them as on them, actually most of them don't.

Again, thanks for Hopping by!

Alisha

Update(2)

2010-08-22T20:00:00.000-04:00

So I have a few things I need to mention.

First, college is going well. My roommate and I are getting along really well. 3 days of classes down, the rest of the semester to go!

Second, I have some more review posts that I need to do. They include one for Old Magic by Marianne Curley, and one for I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder, which I've been meaning to finish for a week now. I'm glad that I did do at least one review post this week. I'm very proud that I managed to finish reading a book with my schedule. Anyways, I do have Communications homework that I need to finish!

So this ends Update 2, any questions?

Book Blogger Hop(17, I think)

2010-08-20T11:43:00.000-04:00

So I haven't joined in on one these in quite a while, but I decided to again. So if your new to my blog and don't know about the Book Blogger Hop, then head on over to Crazy-for-Books where this awesome meme is hosted. It's just a way for you to find cool book blogs that you might of not known if not for this Hop. But one catch is that you can't just leave your link, you have to check out other blogs too. So if not for this Hop I wouldn't have nearly 90 followers! So what are you waiting for, go find some awesome book blogs!

And to answer this week's question:
I follow close to a hundred blogs!

Flowers For Algernon

2010-08-18T20:20:00.002-04:00

So this is my first review post in a while that has been about a book that I didn't read for Traveling ARC Tours. I do love the books I get from them, but I have lots of others I want to read too. Anyways this is Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Charlie Gordon is about to embark upon an unprecedented journey. Born with an unusually low IQ, he has been chosen as the perfect subject for an experimental surgery that researchers hope will increase his intelligence-a procedure that has already been highly successful when tested on a lab mouse named Algernon.
As the treatment takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment appears to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance, until Algernon suddenly deteriorates. Will the same happen to Charlie?
From B&N

So this is not the typical book I would pick up off the shelf. But I've heard of it before, and thought it would be interesting to read. I was not disappointed. It's not a YA book in my opinion, but it is considered to be one, but I didn't think that it was. So I wouldn't recommend it if that's all you read, but it is something I think anyone who wants to read would enjoy. I loved the fact that as Charlie progressed you saw that through the writing. It's told from first person point of view by way of Charlie's progress reports, which were like his diary. He told you everything even when he didn't know how to spell it or what exactly was going on. I found what this story was about intriguing. I thought it was interesting that the author chose the topic that he did for this book. What happened in the ending disappointed me, but I thought it was a good ending to an excellently written book.

So I give this one:
LI - Loved It! It's a definite read! You should grab this book before it goes running off the shelf!

So ends this one,

Alisha

Update(1)

2010-08-15T20:57:00.000-04:00

So I've decided to start doing weekly updates since lately I haven't really been posting a lot. This is will let you know why.

For my first Update I have to tell you about my first two days at college! Yesterday I finally moved into Clemson! Whoop, Whoop! I actually like my dorm even though I have to share, and I haven't shared a room since I was 10. It's all good. My roommate is awesome! My dorm room may be smaller than my room at home, but it's not too bad. It is blue, which was a shock! I thought it would just be white. I do have my own closet. I do have to write a paper for this class that every freshmen have to take. It's not too bad. I'm almost done and it's due tomorrow at midnight. Joy! So the first two days have gone well, hopefully the rest of the year will too. Fingers crossed, I start class on Wednesday!

So this leads me into my next update. So you know that weekly post, From My Bookshelf, that I did diligently for about 2 months. After that I just did it maybe one or two more times, well that is no longer going to be a weekly post. Sorry really tried to keep that up, I just got so busy with the my job I had over the summer. Well, I have decided not to do it over the school year. Mainly I've decided this because I'm going to be super busy with classes, and because I am no longer at my house and did not bring the many books I own to college with me. I only brought a few and they were just ones that are to be read, or I was in the jist of reading then had to pack them up to take with me. So those are from my college shelf, but I have yet to read any of them except the ones that ended up here with me that I have already read. Fear not ones that actually read my From My Bookshelf post, it will come back in the summer. I will really, really try my hardest to keep that up this summer. Please don't hurt me if I don't. I have many more books to talk about, and hopefully I will get to do just that.

Anyways, I have one more update. I'm sorry the reviews have been short and not my best, and that I have not posted that many reviews. I am very ashamed that I only posted 6 posts in July. I'm also disappointed that only half of those were reviews(hangs head in shame). I am determined to do better, but if I don't, again it's because I'm probably going to be super busy. I do have a review that I've been meaning to post and that should be up shortly, maybe in the next couple of days. Oh and before I forget, Kyleigh if you're reading this, don't fret, your book should be there soon. I'm mailing it within the next couple of days. Sorry for the delay.

So this ends my first Update post. Any questions?

Alisha

Change of Heart

2010-08-12T09:32:00.001-04:00

This book is another one I got through Traveling ARC Tours. It's Change of Heart by Shari Maurer.

About and Thoughts on Book:
In a world where the most stressful thing seems to be winning a soccer game or what to wear in the morning, you take some really basic things for granted.
Like the love of your parents.
Or hanging with your friends.
Or the beating of your heart.
When you’re 16 years old, it never occurs to you that you might die. Emmi Miller’s got a fabulous life. She has tons of friends, does great in school and is an all-star soccer player who played in Europe last summer. It even looks like Sam Hunter, a totally cute baseball player, might be interested in her. And then she gets a virus. No biggy, right? Until the virus goes to her heart and weakens it so much that, without a transplant, Emmi will die.
Will Emmi get a heart in time? Is Sam too good to be true? What about her new friend Abe, who has also had a transplant and guides her through these scary times — is he just being supportive or is there more going on between them? And will Emmi realize it before it’s too late?
From Traveling ARC Tours

So I found that I really enjoyed this book. I thought it would be a lot different than it ended up being from the synopsis. I liked Emmi's personality, but some things about her annoyed me, which is probably typical with a lot of main characters. Or so it is with me. I found that once I got to a certain point in the book, I couldn't put it down, and had to keep reading. In the beginning, it seems like Emmi has everything. She's an awesome soccer player, her team went to the championships, she has a great family even if her and her mom don't always get along, she has great friends, and the hottest guy in school seems to be interested in her. But she doesn't realize how great she has it until she learns that she may not have all these things any more. I felt that Emmi took some things for granted even after finding out that she would have to get a new heart, but I also liked that the author made it seem more real by having her be herself and not act like the happy, optimistic kid all the time. She did understand that she might not make it. I found that Abe was my favorite character, and I loved his honesty and that he was there to help Emmi get through it. I think that anyone would enjoy reading this book, and you should definitely put it on your "to be read" list.

Overall I rate this one:
LK - Liked it. It wouldn't hurt you to read it, but it wouldn't kill you if you didn't. I still think you'd be missing out if you didn't.

Alisha

The Winner is...

2010-07-31T23:24:00.002-04:00

So I recently had my first contest. I had decided to do something different and have you come up with a fantasy cast for the book you could win, which was Tithe by Holly Black. I didn't make it where you had to do it, but it did give you extra entries.The contest ended yesterday, but I'm happy to tell you that I have now chosen a winner by going to random.org and just doing it by giving everyone who entered numbers. So to not draw this out any longer, the winner is...

Ky!

Congrats Ky! Everyone should definitely check out her blog, Can't Find a Bookmark.
Thanks to everyone who participated in my first contest. I will be having another one soon to go along with Blog Fest.

Thanks again,

Alisha

The Duff

2010-07-28T23:06:00.000-04:00

So I got another book from Traveling ARC Tours. This one is The Duff by Kody Keplinger.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.
But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.
Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.
From
http://kodykeplinger.com/

So I found this book to not be at all like I expected, which is a good thing. I liked the main character, Briana, a lot. I didn't like Wesley at all in the beginning, but that's to be expected since he is the one who started calling her the Duff. I found that some of the things that Briana did annoyed me, and I didn't see why she did some of the things just to avoid other things in her life. As you might think it just made things worse. I thought it was an amazing first novel for author Kody Keplinger. I thought she picked a topic that I have yet to read about in a book which is rare. I was also glad that she wanted to write this book and tell people that people that you don't expect to do have the same self image issues as you. I look forward to more books by Keplinger, and I think you should definitely check this book out when in comes out in September.

So I rate this one:

LK - Liked it. It wouldn't hurt you to read it, but it wouldn't kill you if you didn't. I still think you'd be missing out if you didn't.

Alisha

From My Bookshelf(8)

2010-07-22T22:22:00.000-04:00

Wow! How long has it been since I've done one of these posts? Well this is the first one in July, so a while. Sorry. So to kick start this thing again, I'll be talking about Just Like That by Marsha Qualey. In case you have never seen one of my From My Bookshelf post then I think I should explain to you what it's all about. It's a weekly post I do on either Tuesday or Wednesday but have now changed to Thursday. I talk about books that I haven't read that recently or might of not written a review on at all except for this post. Most of the books are literally from my bookshelf, but I do plan on talking about books I got from my local library. So on to Just Like That.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Things change so suddenly. one day Hanna has a long-term boyfriend; the next, she realizes she doesn't have strong feelings for him and breaks up with him. one day Hanna trusts her two best friends completely; the next, all of that trust is toppled. And then Hanna finds herself the bearer of a major secret: she was the last person to see two teenagers before they died in an accident on the icy lake. she can't tell anyone, so when Hanna finds herself drawn to will, the elusive boy she's noticed around town, the kind of boy who'd increase any girl's pulse, she doesn't hold back. what she learns about him will astonish her. but what she learns about herself—her friendships, her family, her life—will affect her far more.
From B&N

First Paragraph:

I suspect that sometimes strangers think I'm a bitch. I can't say for sure though because I never ask strangers what they think.

This is book that I read over 2 years ago. It was actually 2 years on July 10th. Why do I know this? Well this was another book that I wrote in after I read it. The exact date. This doesn't include the time I reread it. Yep I liked this book so much I actually reread it last year. It was not like I expected it to be. It was amazing book that tells of how things can change just like that. No warning and everything can change. That's what happened with Hanna. She didn't know she'd be the last person to see two teenagers alive, but she was, and she can't help thinking that she could of done something. I guess we all think that at some point in our lives. But this book isn't just about that one part, more happens that Hanna doesn't see coming, and it changes her life completely. I really enjoyed reading this book, even though I was disappointed with some things that happen. In the end it seems like things will go my way, but then it ends with not really telling you what's going to happen. It makes me want another book, but this is one of those books that doesn't need to be turned into a series.

So I rate this one:
LK - Liked it. It wouldn't hurt you to read it, but it wouldn't kill you if you didn't. I still think you'd be missing out if you didn't.
.

Will you go find out how your life can change just like that?

Alisha

And a little reminder that my Fantasy Character Cast contest ends on the 30th, so please enter and get your pics in soon.

Undercover

2010-07-14T19:33:00.001-04:00

So I haven't posted a review in a while, well just to let you know I'm back. This is my first review post in a few weeks, but I'm going to make sure the next one I don't take forever to post. The book I've recently read is Undercover by Beth Kephart.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Like a modern-day Cyrano de Bergerac, Elisa ghostwrites love notes for the boys in her school. But when Elisa falls for Theo Moses, things change fast. Theo asks for verses to court the lovely Lila—a girl known for her beauty, her popularity, and a cutting ability to remind Elisa that she has none of these. At home, Elisa's father, the one person she feels understands her, has left on an extended business trip. As the days grow shorter, Elisa worries that the increasingly urgent letters she sends her father won't bring him home. Like the undercover agent she feels she has become, Elisa retreats to a pond in the woods, where her talent for ice-skating gives her the confidence to come out from under cover and take center stage. But when Lila becomes jealous of Theo's friendship with Elisa, her revenge nearly destroys Elisa's ice-skating dreams and her plan to reunite her family.
From B&N

So I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the way the author wrote it. Some of her descriptions made me feel like I was there. It only took me a few hours to read it. I should of known I would like it, because after I had finished reading it I realized I had read a book by Beth Kephart before. I had really liked that book as well. I like her style and how she uses a lot of descriptions. Even with that there were parts of this book that I didn't like. For instance the ending. I didn't like it at all. I should know by now that endings will not always go the way I want them to. The guy will not always get the girl, and the girl will not always end up with the guy I think she should.

I personally loved reading the poems that Elisa would write. I didn't like that she would write these poems for guys, and seemed to just do it for nothing. She just gave the poem to them to help them out, but never asked for something in return. I liked that she didn't expect a favor in return that she was not someone who expected something from everyone all the time. I didn't like that guys used her to help them get a girl to go out with them. I was happy that Theo didn't act like he didn't know her, but it seemed like he did when his girlfriend was around. I didn't understand why he liked Lila. Again, this is something I should of realized, that what guys do doesn't always make sense. A lot of things don't always make sense lol.

So for this one I rate it: LK - Liked it. It wouldn't hurt you to read it, but it wouldn't kill you if you didn't. I still think you'd be missing out if you didn't.

Oh and in other news:
In case you haven't read my other post, I am extending my contest to July 30th. So if you're going to come up with your fantasy character cast or if you're going to enter at all you still have time. I also will be doing my next From My Bookshelf, but I'm changing the day that I will be doing that post to Thursday. Tomorrow or next Thursday will be the first post since more than 2 weeks ago. I think that is everything. I may be doing something new. Who knows what? I do know that I'm moving in at Clemson in a month and a day. Yippee!!!

Alisha

Contest Reminder

2010-07-11T11:53:00.000-04:00

So I haven't posted in a while, and for that I'm truely sorry. I have been really busy lately with work and school. So I thought I would do a post to remind anyone who hasn't joined my contest or didn't know I had a contest, about it. There's a link on the sidebar to get to the entry form. I hope that if you've decided to come up with the fantasy character cast that you will get your choices in soon, but don't fret, I have also decided to extend the end of the contest till July 30th. That gives you plenty of time to get your choices in or to just enter. I will have more to post later. I do have a few reviews to post, and I have to catch up on posting for From My Bookshelf. Hope all of you are enjoying your weekend! I will most likely have my posts up after Tuesday since I have to go to Clemson tomorrow.

Book Blog Hops Fridays

2010-07-02T16:42:00.000-04:00

So I once again enter Book Blogger Hop and Follow My Book Blog Friday.

The first one is the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Jennifer over at Crazy-for-Books. In this hop you just add your link, and start visiting other book blogs. Don't just leave your link, though, make sure to look at other blogs too. You'll miss out on some pretty awesome book blogs if you do just leave your link. So Jennifer also decided to add a twist. So I have to tell my name and tell why I started my blog.

So my name is Alisha if you hadn't already noticed that. The reason I started my blog was because of this goal I have to read a ton of books before I go to college. I thought a blog would be a great way to keep track of the books, and it would allow me to also give my thoughts on the books I read. I came up with this goal of mine after going on this site that had a list of the ultimate summer reads. I thought why not try to read most of these books. I had already accomplished some of it because I had already read some of the books on the list. But a lot I haven't but I have heard of them, and some I have been wanting to read. Some of the books I've read weren't originally part of the list, but I kept adding more. It's my own Ultimate Reading List. So that's why I created my blog. Why did you start yours?

Now it's also Follow My Book Blog Friday, which is hosted over at Parajunkee's View.
Here are the rules for this blog hop:

Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
Follow our Featured Bloggers -
supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com
Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!

Okay, so get to Hopping people! Oh, and if your new to my blog then Welcome! Thanks for visiting my blog, and your comments are much appreciated!

Swoon

2010-06-29T23:31:00.000-04:00

So I've been in a reading slump lately and haven't been reading a whole lot. I just finished a book for Traveling ARC Tours, so that got me back into the swing of things. So the book I just finished today is Swoon by Nina Malkin.

About and Thoughts on Book:
SIN IS COMING...PREPARE TO SWOON

Torn from her native New York City and dumped in the land of cookie-cutter preps, Candice is resigned to accept her posh, dull fate. Nothing even happens in Swoon, Connecticut...until Dice's perfect, privileged cousin Penelope nearly dies in a fall from an old tree and her spirit intertwines with that of a ghost. His name? Sinclair Youngblood Powers. His mission? Revenge and while Pen is oblivious to the possession, Dice is all too aware of Sin. She's intensely drawn to him—but not at all crazy about the havoc he's wreaking.
Determined to exorcise the demon, Dice accidentally sets Sin loose, gives him flesh, makes him formidable. Now she must destroy an even more potent—and irresistible—adversary before the whole town succumbs to Sin's will. Only trouble is, she's in love with him.
What do you do when the boy of your dreams is too bad to be true?
From B&N

Well, what you do is try to stop him. That's exactly what Dice tries to do. It all starts with a tree. There doesn't seem to be anything special about this tree except that it's hundred of years old. But it is the place where Sin was hung, in 1769, for a crime he did not commit. To begin with I found Sin not that bad, and kept waiting for the part where he does something awful when he's possessing Pen. But it does come, and that's when Dice decides that it's time for Sin to go. Except she doesn't get rid of him, she just gives him his own body. I didn't know what to expect after Sin is no longer possessing Pen. I really wanted to believe that he wouldn't do anything that awful. I don't know why I wanted to believe that, probably because Dice wanted to believe it too. I really liked how Dice was and her personality. She's sarcastic, and some things even made me laugh. I didn't really like how everyone had to have a monosyllable nickname. It made it seem like everyone in Swoon just followed what everyone else did and didn't think for themselves. I also thought it weird that Dice was basically left in Swoon to live in her house by herself, and she hardly took advantage of it. I wanted her to explain more about New York, and seem more upset with the move than she acted. I also didn't personally like Pen all too much. That's just my opinion, maybe you'll like her personality, but to me I didn't particularly like all the parts that she was in. So I did actually really like this book, and can even deal with the ending. It feels to me that there should be more to it, but I don't think that there will be. I hate it when books that seem like there should be another book and there's not. It's kind of disappointing. I also think this book is not really appropriate for anyone that is not sixteen or older. It's has a lot of sexual innuendo, but nothing too bad as what's on TV. If you can get past that, then I believe you'll actually like this book.

So I'll rate this one - LK - Liked it. It wouldn't hurt you to read it, but it wouldn't kill you if you didn't. I still think you'd be missing out if you didn't.

Alisha

Nocturne

2010-06-26T22:14:00.010-04:00

So I once again was able to participate in a tour with Traveling Arc Tours. So for this one the book I was able to read was Nocturne by L. D. Harkrader.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Flanders Lane is tired of being protected by her Uncle Anatole. After years of studying magic in the back of his bookshop, she's ready for an adventure of her own. Then one day, strange things start happening. A burglar breaks into the butcher's shop, stealing nothing, but leaving the floors sparkling clean. Soon the seamstress's apprentice vanishes on her way home, leaving behind only a shoe still laced at the top. And then worst of all, Uncle Anatole disappears. That night, a young vampire hunter named Pascoe knocks urgently on the bookshop door. Pascoe insists there is a vampire lurking in nearby Blakely Hall. Flanders looks deep into Pascoe's gorgeous eyes and finds herself agreeing to help him. As Flanders tracks the vampire, her feelings for Pascoe grow until she stumbles upon a secret that turns everything she thought she knew about Pascoe—and herself—upside down.
From B&N

I was thoroughly surprised by this book. It was a great read, and I didn't want it to end. Flan is the heroine, and has never known her parents. She has no idea where she comes from, but she does know that she has magic. Except her uncle won't let her use it. She was left on Anatole's doorstep when she was baby with a piece of paper with her name on it, and a note that said that she should not use her magic. Flan doesn't listen, and practices magic behind her uncle's back. It's what starts everything. I didn't like that her uncle wouldn't let her use her magic. It's a part of her, a huge part, and she can't help but want to use it. I felt it was wrong that he would keep a huge part of herself from her. I liked how they would use runes to do spells, it was different then what I usually read about witches and wizards. It kind of reminded me of Shadowhunters from The Mortal Instrument series. I was pleasantly surprised by some of this book, but then kind of disappointed with the ending. I can't remember if it's a series, but I think it is. I really enjoyed reading this book, and if there is another book coming out, I can't wait for it.

I rate it LK - Liked it. It wouldn't hurt you to read it, but it wouldn't kill you if you didn't. I still think you'd be missing out if you didn't.

Alisha

Book Blogger Hop(15) and Follow My Book Blog Friday(1)

2010-06-25T16:39:00.013-04:00

So it's Friday again and so I say hi to all the people who are new to my blog! It's that wonderful day when The Hop begins over at Crazy-for-Books. It's this awesome meme, where you add your link, and then start Hopping around other awesome book blogs. So don't just add your link because then you'll be missing out. Also as a reminder to everyone who hasn't already entered my contest you should, times a wasting! The link is over on the side bar, just click the pic.

So I joined something new, Follow My Book Blog Friday. It's over at Parajunkee's View. It's something a lot like Book Blogger Hop. I think it's a great new thing to do that would help get the word out about my blog and a way to find other blogs. I just love these kind of memes. For this one the rules are simple. Follow the blog that host the meme, Parajunkee's View, Follow the feature blog, Stephanie @ Fangs, Wands, and Fairy Dust, add your link in the linky, and follow as many blogs as you want. Also, don't forget to comment when you start following someone, and also post about this awesome meme so people know about it.
Anyways, thanks for visiting my blog!

From My Bookshelf(7)

2010-06-24T18:50:00.001-04:00

So it's that day of the week again where I tell you about one of my favorite books. From My Bookshelf is a weekly thing that I do either on Tuesday or Wednesday. Except this was late, sorry. It's tough getting it in on a certain day when I have so many things I have to do. So anyways, it's a post I do to tell you about a book that is from my bookshelf or one that I read a few years ago. So for this one it's Revealers by Amanda Marrone.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Witchin' ain't easy.
Jules has a rebellious streak, a massive crush on Connor, and the abilities of a Revealer witch. By day, she and her coven friends seem like typical high school seniors. By night, they have the power to make werewolves, vampires, and ghosts reveal themselves, so they can destroy them. It's not exactly cheerleading, but at least the girls know they're doing the world some good.
One by one, Jules's friends turn eighteen and are initiated into the coven's inner circle. And one by one, they are getting completely freaked out. Jules is the youngest, and though her friends are too scared tell her what's going on, something's clearly not right. As her birthday approaches, Jules realizes she's got to find out what's behind the shadows of her coven before it's too late to save her friends...and herself. But what she discovers may be too powerful for even the toughest witches to defeat.
From B&N

First Paragraph:
I wake and turn to my window. The witch ball is rattling against the inside of the pane, glowing from a tangled spell within. I wonder which one of my so-called friends threw a hex my way? I watch the spell dance around in the spun glass, and hear the swoosh of brooms flying past, capes flapping. One, two, three soft landings rustle the leaves by the back door. The fourth hits the dirt hard, and I smile, thinking Dani better stop scarfing doughnuts or she won't be able to get off the ground much longer.

I read this book just a few months ago, but still before my blog. It's another book I saw on the shelf that looked interesting and decided to read anyways. Truth is I really wanted to read Uninvited which is also by Amanda Marrone, but the bookstore didn't have it. I expected the same old same old. You know what books about witches are usually like. I guess I expected it to be something easily predictable and not too exciting. I don't know why I thought that. It makes it sound like I didn't really want to read it but I actually did. Anyways it did prove me wrong with most of what I thought, but it made me want to read more books about witches.

I was drawn in from the beginning, and I didn't want to put the book down. Jules and her friends seem like normal teenagers to everyone at school, but that is not even close to the truth. At night they're powerful witches. Jules is the the youngest of her friends, so she is the last that will be initiated into the coven. She is just an onlooker as her friends start acting all freaked out after they're initiated. Jules is not the type of girl who will just wait to find out, she wanted to know before she turned 18. I liked that about her. Jules and her friend, Dani, were my favorite characters. I have to admit, I was not a fan of Conner's. He just seemed all wrong for Jules. In the beginning I didn't see it like that, but later on I realize why.This book has witches, vampires, and werewolves. What's not to like? It upped my obsession of the paranormal, and especially about witches. So I recommend you go check this book out for yourselves. To be honest, I did find some parts boring, and wanted to just skip some, but other than that it's a great book. It's not like I've never found a book that's boring in places. It's hard not to be.

So I rate Revealers, LK - Liked it. It wouldn't hurt you to read it, but it wouldn't kill you if you didn't. I still think you'd be missing out if you didn't.

So I enjoyed learning how to take down some vampires and werewolves, will you?

Alisha

Book Blogger Hop(14)

2010-06-18T15:13:00.000-04:00

So it's Friday again, and that means that it's time for another Book Blogger Hop! So head on over to Crazy-for-Books where this great meme is held and add your link. But don't just leave your link, you need to also start hopping around other cool book blogs that have their links there. You never know what you'll find. So if you happen to be new to my blog, then welcome! I hope your liking it and make sure to check out my contest here. Thanks for checking out my blog! Happy Hopping to you all!!!

Fantasy Character Cast.

2010-06-16T22:11:00.000-04:00

So if you haven't entered my contest already, than you need to. Times a ticking! So I said I would tell you how to enter your cast list and pics, and I am doing just that now. So what I decided that you should do is do a post of who you have chosen and leave the link in the form I have embedded below. I think this will be best because now you can show more people how awesome your cast pics are. If you don't want to do that than just send me an email. Just go to the Contact button and you'll find my email there. Don't fret you still have plenty of time to enter my contest. I may even extend the date of when it ends, but it all depends. Anyways thanks to all who have entered my first contest so far, and I can't wait to see what you come up with!

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Award!

2010-06-16T21:39:00.001-04:00

So I just received my third award today from Mallory at The Teen Bibliophile. Just click on the name of her blog to check her out! Thanks Mallory so much for this! and Thanks to Addy and Harry from Paper Between Our Fingers, who also awarded me with this award! You should definitely check both of those blogs out.

Here are the Rules:

1.Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
2.Share 7 things about yourself.
3.Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order...)
4.Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

So what will I tell about myself? I don't know, but I'm pretty sure I can come up with 7 things.
Here they are:

1. I love watching reruns of Gilmore Girls and Will and Grace.
2. Hard to imagine, but I hated reading a few years ago which was in middle school.
3. Something I don't tell people when they ask, but I totally dislike when people ask me why I'm a vegetarian. I don't know why, maybe it's because I get asked so often.
4.I'm half black, half white. So I'm really tan! lol
5. Over the past couple of years, I've become obsessed with dying my hair some different color besides what it naturally is, but I do actually like my natural hair color.
6. I spend way to much time on the computer, and if I'm not reading, I'm on Blogger or B&N.
7. My job is really boring and sucks. At least I only have to work over the summer, than I probably won't do this job again.

So there's my 7 things, and now on to the bloggers I pass this award to.

1. Elle @Media Molly
2. Aly @ Fantasy4Eva
3. Ky @ Can't Find a Bookmark
4. Jessica @ Confessions of a Bookaholic
5. Beez and Lexie @ Book Chicks
6. Ashley @ Coffeelicious Bookaholic
7. Bella @ Obsessed
8. Danielle @ With a Book

Sorry I didn't give this to 15 blogs. I saw that a lot have already received this award and I tried to give it to people that haven't. So congrats to all of you who have gotten this award and thanks again to Mallory and Addy and Harry!

From My Bookshelf(6)

2010-06-15T23:11:00.003-04:00

So it's that time again. The time of the week where I tell you about one of my favorite books that's either literally from my bookshelf, or one that I've read a while back that I love. It's something that I've recently decided to start posting about over a month ago, and I post either on Tuesday or Wednesday. Knowing me, I will most likely end up posting late sometimes. So for my sixth installment of From My Bookshelf, it's City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. And once again I tell you that I am not meaning to go in order of how they are on my bookshelf. It just happens. Anyways on to City of Bones

About and Thoughts on Book:
Their hidden world is about to be revealed....

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder — much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it's hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary.
Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary's mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....From B&N

First 2 Paragraphs:
"You've got to be kidding me," the bouncer said, folding his arms across his massive chest. He stared down at the boy in the red zip-up jacket and shook his shaved head. "You can't bring that thing in here."
The fifty or so teenagers in line outside the Pandemonium Club leaned forward to eavesdrop. It was a long wait to get into the all-ages club, especially on a Sunday, and not much generally happened in line. The bouncers were fierce and would come down instantly on anyone who looked like they were going to start trouble. Fifteen-year-old Clary Fray, standing in line with her best friend, Simon, leaned forward along with everyone else, hoping for some excitement.
From B&N

So by now I'm pretty sure most everyone out there has read this book or has at least heard of it. If not, than you must of been living under a rock for the past couple of years. I been wanting to talk about this book because I've noticed that many others are. To be honest, I don't own this book, but it is on my bookshelf. Technically it belongs to my twin sis, but she didn't buy it either. She got it for joining Pulse It, which is something that Simon and Schuster publishing does, which she no longer gets books from because she is now 18. They actually stopped sending her books a while back last year, but I don't know why. Anyways, besides the fact that I don't technically own this book, I also didn't ask her to read it. I've done that a bunch of times. Can you blame me? I had nothing else to read, it was just sitting there, she having read it a week before, and the synopsis pulled me in. I had to read it.

It was not what I expected. I had asked my sis after she had read it about it, and she made me think that it was more sci-fi than paranormal. I didn't think vampires or faeries were in it. I can't believe I'm admitting it, but I didn't want to read it when she told me about it. Hence the reason why I read it when there was nothing else. I was so wrong about it. I also didn't expect how Jace or Clary were. I really liked this book. I liked that it involved more than just vampires or faeries. I liked that Cassandra Clare decided to come up with something different and came up with Shadowhunters. Jace and Clary are my favorite characters, and a bunch of what Jace said made me laugh. Simon was another character that I liked. Once again I was that person people around me wanted to throw something at because I would laugh randomly. Close to the end had me wanting to scream, and if you have read this book than you know why. I read this book a year ago this month. When I read it, my sis and I were the only ones in my group of friends or really at my old school who had read it. I have told many people about it, because of how much I liked it. I also read it pretty quickly because who could put this book down. I can't wait for the prequel and the fourth one to come out, because I'm sure they're going to be good.

So I rate this one LI - I loved it! It's a definite read, and you should grab this book before it goes running off the shelves.

So please go learn how to fight demons from some Shadowhunters.

Alisha

First Contest Ever - Fantasy Character Cast!

2010-06-13T12:08:00.000-04:00

So to celebrate my 50+ followers, I decided to do a contest. So what does this contest involve, you ask? Well it involves you coming up with your fantasy or dream cast for the book you will be able to win. What is the book you could win? Well to answer your question, it's the book I've already talked about Tithe by Holly Black and there is possibly another. When is this contest, and how do I enter? So many questions, but I do have the answers. The contest will go on from June13th - July 16th, over a month. It's easy to enter. Just fill out the form below, and then start thinking about who you would think would be the best to play the characters or who you would like to see play them if this book was ever turned into a TV show or movie. You don't have to come up with a cast list, but it does earn you a lot of extra entries. So why not do it. I'm even going to come up with my own, even though I already have the book. You also will receive extra entries if you comment on this post, post about this contest, and just for being a follower. You could possibly earn up to 15 extra entries. Maybe more. So if you want to win an awesome faerie book, or you just want to tell me who you'd think be perfect to play this person, than just enter below.
I will tell you how you can enter your list in another post soon. Thanks for being such awesome followers!

Alisha

Book Blogger Hop(13)

2010-06-11T18:43:00.000-04:00

Hola! So we all know what day it is, Friday! So once again I join the Hop. It's my thirteenth, and I have gained 50+ followers through the Hop. I have also found some more really great book blogs. So if you haven't already, go to Crazy-for-Books, add your link, and start Hopping around other blogs. It's a lot of fun. If you're new to my blog, than I thank you for visiting and hope you like it!

From My Bookshelf(5)

2010-06-08T18:41:00.005-04:00

So it's that time again. It's time for my weekly post. This is something I decided to do to talk about books that I've either read way before my blog and/or own and are literally from my bookshelf. I do this post either on Tuesday or Wednesday of each week, but I may be late with it sometimes. So for my fifth installment of From My Bookshelf, it's Tithe by Holly Black. If you've been noticing the picture of my bookshelf, it looks like I'm going in order, from Go Ask Alice to Tithe. Honestly this wasn't my intention when I decided on which books to do which week. It just happened. I'm also pretty sure I plan on talking about City of Bones by Cassandra Clare next week. Another coincidence. lol. Anyways on to talking about Tithe.

About and Thoughts on Book:
Welcome to the realm of very scary faeries!

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms — a struggle that could very well mean her death.
From B&N

First Paragraph:
Kaye took another drag of her cigarette and dropped it into her mother's beer bottle. She figured that would be a good test for how drunk Ellen was - if she would swallow a butt whole.

I read this book a year ago in May. It was one of the first books I read that was about faeries. Before then I barely read anything that was about vampires, witches, or faeries. It helped to start the obsession. Well with books about witches and faeries, not really vampires. I actually had never heard of or read any of Holly Black's books until I saw this one on the shelf. I just read the synopsis and felt like it'd be a good read. It definitely was. If I'm remembering right, I read it pretty quickly maybe even in one night. In this book there are plenty plot twists and all the things that go along with reading a good faerie book. I didn't want to put it down.

Kaye had always been different. She use to have friends when she was younger that no one else could see. If I was her I would think something was up. Her friends had wings, and took her places. Maybe she just had a vivid imagination, or maybe not. Everyone else thought she did, but Kaye didn't. She didn't know all about them but she knew some, enough to know that she wasn't imagining. I did enter the world of very scary faeries. How she described some things had me thinking I was there. Some things even freaked me out. I kept wanting to just know what was going to happen right then. Some things were predictable, but that happens in a lot of books, but a lot of it wasn't. After reading this book, I would read other books that also involved faeries and would end up comparing them to this one. I wanted to see if they included the same things, or if they changed it up more. I would find myself deciding on whether I liked this other author's take on faeries or Holly Black's better. I tended and still do, side with Black. While reading this book, I didn't know there was more to it. I didn't know there was a series. I did know I wanted to read more. I was glad to find out by the end of the book that this was indeed a series. One problem is I have yet to be able to get the third one. I could never find it when I wanted to buy it from a bookstore, which completely sucks. My library only has the first one, which is to be expected that they wouldn't get the rest. Anyways I do know that this is one of my favorite books, and I do plan on getting Ironside soon.

Overall this book would be rated in my rating system, LK - I liked it! It wouldn't hurt you to read it, but it wouldn't kill you if you didn't. I think you'd be missing out on one awesome book if you didn't. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

So will you enter the realm of very scary faeries?

Alisha

Book Blogger Hop(12)

2010-06-04T15:06:00.000-04:00

Hello people of the book blogging world! If you are new to my blog than welcome, and I am glad you chose to visit my blog. I hope you like it.

Now we all know what day it is, Friday! So that means that it's time for another Book Blogger Hop. So head on over to Crazy-for-Books and add your link. This is my 12th Hop, and I now have 50+ followers and am thinking about doing a contest just for this. So if your a new follower I thank you!

From My Bookshelf(4)

2010-06-01T16:41:00.004-04:00

I have been doing this weekly post for a month now. I can tell you I'm amazed i've kept it up. I'm also amazed I've been posting consistently for over five months now. I guess that's something to be proud about. Anyways, this is my weekly post that I do in either on Tuesday or Wednesday to tell you about a book I read before my blog, it is literally on my bookshelf, and is one that I love. I wanted to give you my thoughts on books that I might of not talked about because I haven't read it recently. I have found there are a lot of books out there that I read before my blog, and I may even make this about more than just books that I own. So for this week it's Hacking Harvard by Robin Wasserman.

About and Thoughts on Book:
It's the ultimate challenge: breaking into the Ivy League.
The hack:
To get one deadbeat, fully unqualified slacker into the most prestigious school in the country.

The crew:
Eric Roth -- the good guy, the voice of reason.
Max Kim -- the player who made the bet in the first place.
Schwartz -- the kid genius already on the inside...of Harvard, that is.
Lexi -- the beauty-queen valedictorian who insists on getting in the game.

The plan:
Use only the most undetectable schemes and techno-brilliant skills. Don't break the Hacker's Code. Don't get distracted. Don't get caught. Take down someone who deserves it.

The stakes:
A lot higher than they think.

They've got the players, the plot, and soon -- the prize.
It's go time
From B&N

First Paragraph:
This story is not mine to tell.
It is however, true - and I'm the only one willing to tell it.
It begins, like all good stories, once upon a time.

So what's the perfect hack there could ever be, and I do mean hack not prank, no the guys in this book are not pranksters they're hackers, and the perfect hack is Harvard. Tricking Harvard into letting someone in, who by no means would of gotten in other wise is the ultimate hack ever! How easy could it be, all the hackers are geniuses and have done things like put their teacher's whole classroom in the order that it was in the room on the roof of the school. They already have someone on the inside. They also have never gotten caught. Even with all that, it is not an easy feat to fool Harvard. It's the school of choice all over the world. Every one wants to get in, and there are no guarantees. So why would they want to do it, because they can.

I swear this book had me laughing a lot. I couldn't put it down. It was one of those books I saw on the shelf and thought would be something interesting to read, and it sure was. I was one of those people who just kept randomly laughing. The one that annoys every one around them. Yea, I was that person when I read this book. It was all for good reason. I didn't care that my family may have wanted to hit me upside the head with a pillow or throw one of our cats at me. I just couldn't help myself. I'm not saying that you laugh every second you read this book, and maybe some of the things I thought was funny won't be funny to you, but I still enjoyed it. It won't make you cry, so if you need a laugh, or need to learn how to get into Harvard, pick up this book. I liked how the author put in a disclaimer that this by no means reflects how the admission department is at Harvard or any college. She didn't use those exact words, but you get the point. It made me think that since she had to add that that maybe it did show how they maybe were. I may have to make it where I work in the admissions department at college so I can see.

The characters have their own motives for doing this hack. One does it for money, and the others have no idea how much. Max, the guy who makes the bet, bets with some other guys who in no way were ever going to let them win. They try everything in their power to stop them, including adding a twist I didn't expect, but probably should of. It's told from a girl's point a view, Lexi, to begin with, and every so often through out the book, but it also is told from the main hackers too, Max, Eric, and Schwarts. I didn't know whether to think that she was actually telling the story or if they were. It was good anyways. It also talked about if it was really worth the trouble applying to colleges. If getting into Harvard was worth as much as people thought it was. I only read it a year ago, last summer, and I have the urge to pick it back up just because I'm talking about it. I might, but it is so not like me. I want to find something else like it, but are there any other books about hacking into a college? I don't know. Robin Wasserman was very original if you ask me in writing this book. I am a definite fan of hers. So go check out this book along with others by her.

This ends From My Bookshelf 4. Please go learn how to hack into Harvard.

Alisha

Hex Hall

2010-05-30T22:12:00.003-04:00

I am once again back to normal and am reading as much as before. Hopefully if I can keep this up, I will read all the books I want to before the end of the year. So this one is Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

About and Thoughts on Book:

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father-an elusive European warlock-only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.
By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.
As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.
From B&N

So originally I didn't really want to read this book. I had read the synopsis and a review someone else wrote, and it made me feel I had read something else like it. I don't know what brought me to actually read it. It could of been that it was the book to read for this month in the online book club I'm a part of over on B&N, but I had actually decided not to join in on the discussion for this one. I think what really got me to read it was that it was at my library, and I just felt I should give it a shot. I was actually impressed my library had a book that came out more recently. They are vastly improving.

Anyways, my thoughts about the book were proven right. It was a lot like other paranormal books I have read. Even something I read about what happens in the book between the main girl, Sophie, and her crush, Archer, felt like I had actually read it before. I thought the fact that he had a B(you know what I mean) for a girlfriend, who hated Sophie, did not seem overly original. Even with that, I did like some parts of the book. It seems like every other book out there, but some parts were actually pretty original. The fact that witches in this book were not like I expected them to be, was something I didn't expect. Also there were plot twists that I also didn't expect, which I think is to be expected. It seems to happen in every book. I liked Sophie's sense of humor, probably because I'm a lot like that. The ending of chapters were always open ended, making it where I kept reading it, which made me finish in one night. I also liked the relationship between Sophie and her new friend, Jenna. I thought the fact that Sophie managed to make enemies with the supposedly most powerful girls in school, wasn't new, but it added to the story, and they also didn't seem as bad as you might think. I still say that if you like paranormal then you will probably like this book, but don't get overly thrilled about it. I am actually going to continue to read the series because I actually do want to know what happens.

Alisha

The Krybosian Stairpath

2010-05-29T10:13:00.002-04:00

So I signed up to be part of the Traveling ARC Tours, and if you would like to sign up as well there's a link on the left sidebar. It's says what it is, just click on the picture. So the first book I signed up to be a part of is The Krybosian Stairpath by S.R.R. Colvin.

About and Thoughts on Book:

Enter a world of wonder deep inside the earth as 11-year-old geologist Madison Terrence follows her pet gopher down a stairpath portal she discovers in her family’s cavern.

When she descends the Krybosian Stairpath, a mystery from her family’s past begins to unravel. She soon realizes her arrival in the interior world of Krybos is no accident. Madison discovers that she’s been pulled into a sinister plot to destroy the most beautiful place she has ever seen.

Join Madison, her younger brother, Mica, and her best friend, Onyx, as they follow the Krybosian Stairpath into the depths of the earth to explore the wonders and dangers that await them in the hidden world of Krybos.
From srrcolvin.com

I was able to email the author after reading this book, and she told me about her journey with writing this book. She has been writing and revising it for ten years. She told me how she didn't want it to have too many things like Harry Potter in it. She also told me she wanted it to be something her grandkid could read and not get bored with. I think she achieved both. It wasn't boring and didn't have too many complicated plot twists that would make a kid put it down. It reminded me a lot of the Magic Treehouse series from what I remember of reading those books. I actually didn't expect what happened. From the synopsis I read, I thought it would just be Madison who went on this adventure, but her little brother and best friend also joined her. It's a wonderful book for preteens and kids. It would be a great book to suggest to a kid who is reluctant to read. It's about an adventure, what kid doesn't love going on adventures. I know I did. My sis and I would always hang out in the woods behind our house pretending we were somewhere else. This book took me back to that, and I think any kid would want to journey to the world of Krybos with Madison, Mica, and Onyx.

Alisha

Party

2010-05-29T00:35:00.002-04:00

So the most recent book checked off of my ever growing list is Party by Tom Leveen

About and Thoughts on Book:

It's saturday night in Santa Barbara and school is done for the year. Everyone is headed to the same party. Or at least it seems that way. The place is packed. The beer is flowing. Simple, right? But for 11 different people the motives are way more complicated. As each character takes a turn and tells his or her story, the eleven individuals intersect, and reconnect, collide, and combine in ways that none of them ever saw coming.
From B&N

So this is one of those books I read a preview of on B&N and just had to finish reading. Partly because they ended the preview in the middle of a chapter, and partly because it sounded like one good book. It held true to what it says. I didn't expect what happens between each character. It's told from eleven different view points, with most ending with a cliffhanger. I must say that got on my nerves, especially Beckett's chapter. Her's is the one that leaves you with the most questions. Hers only talks about herself mostly and you don't really get what happens at the party with her. It makes it where you have to read more to get all of it.

From the title you get what's it about, but it's not just about a high school party. Yes there is underage drinking, someone does end up drunk, sex, and of course a fight. Yet that is not the entire story. It's more about what's going on with the eleven teenagers that tell this story. Some of the chapters I felt were just there to explain about a more important character that may have yet to come up or like with Beckett, just didn't tell you a whole lot. I liked this story, but I felt like I had read something like it before. Even with that said, I still thought it was a really good read and anyone who wants to should definitely check it out.

Alisha

Book Blogger Hop(11)

2010-05-28T00:22:00.000-04:00

Hola! Welcome to my blog! I'm glad you took the time to check it out. I hope you like it.

So it's Friday, and I've joined another Book Blogger Hop! It's this awesome meme hosted by Jennifer over at Crazy-for-Books. I've been participating in it for the past 11 hops. I have found some pretty amazing blogs like Elle over at Media Molly and Kirthi over at Pages. Those are just a couple of the blogs that I have found through the Hop. You should definitely check them out, if you haven't already. So I'm going to go Hop on over to some more blogs that I have yet to discover. Thanks for Hopping by mine!

From My Bookshelf(3)

2010-05-26T16:53:00.005-04:00

So this is a weekly post I do either on Tuesday or Wednesday. It's something I started to talk about books I own, love, and might not have reviewed if not for this little feature on my blog. I normally just review books I've recently finished, but I have a lot of books I've read before my blog that I think people should know what I think about them. So for my third installment of From My Bookshelf, it's Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

About and Thoughts on Book:

January 24th, after you've had it, there isn't even life without drugs....It started when she was served a soft drink laced with LSD in a dangerous party game. Within months, she was hooked, trapped in a downward spiral that took her from her comfortable home and loving family to the mean streets of an unforgiving city. It was a journey that would rob her of her innocence, her youth -- and ultimately her life.Read her diary.Enter her world.You will never forget her.
From borders.com

First Paragraph:
September 16
Yesterday I remember thinking I was the happiest person in the whole earth, in the whole galaxy, in all of God's creation. Could that only have been yesterday or was it endless light-years ago? I was thinking that the grass had never smelled grassier, the sky had never seemed so high. Now it's all smashed down upon my head and I wish I could just melt into the blaaaa-ness of the universe and cease to exist. Oh, why, why, why can't I? How can I face Sharon and Debbie and the rest of the kids? How can I? By now the word has gotten around the whole school, I know it has! Yesterday I bought this diary because I thought at last I'd have something wonderful and great and worthwhile to say, something so personal that I wouldn't be able to share it with another living person, only myself. Now like everything else in my life, it has become so much nothing.

When I first read this book, I couldn't get into it. I had checked it out from my library, but was busy reading something else for school, so I returned it. I went back to check it out, and it wasn't there. When I searched it, it said that it was lost, and I had just seen it there a few days before. But this is my library I'm talking about, they seem to always manage to lose a book every so often. So I bought it, and I'm glad I did (My library surprisingly found it after I had bought it).I have no idea why I put this book down. It is simply amazing and so real. Not what I expected. I read it in April 2009, over a year ago, but I still remember it pretty well.

In the beginning, she's a just a normal girl. She just has problems at school, and with friends and her family. She's not addicted to drugs in the beginning. No that doesn't happen til later. After she gets addicted to drugs, the diary entries become different than they were in the beginning. I got the the reason for the title after she mentions how she realized how Lewis Carrol must of felt in one of her entries. My sister usually says Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, when she talks about LSD because of The Beatles song. I didn't realize how much this book would affect me. It's so powerful, and it's someone's honest words about her addiction. Even not knowing the person's name, does not change the affect it has on people. I think it being by someone anonymous drew me in more to read it. I have heard that this book is being banned in some places, and that is such a shame. If they would just let kids read it, it might change some things for them. I think it's just awful to ban a book because they don't agree with what it's about. Hello! There are shows and movies out there about he same thing. You can't stop someone from reading a book. I say go out and buy it, and see for yourself whether or not you think it should be banned because I don't think it should. People will be missing out on one amazing book, if everyone decided to ban it.

Alisha

The Unwritten Rule

2010-05-25T13:56:00.003-04:00

So I haven't been reading a lot lately. I am really ashamed of myself. Yet, I did manage to finish this book in just one night, so I've proud of myself for that. So this one is the new one by Elizabeth Scott called The Unwritten Rule.

About and Thoughts on the Book:

Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like your best friend's boyfriend.

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, super smart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.
Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful.
Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself from wanting more...
From: elizabethwrites.com

So like the book says, every girl knows the unwritten rule: don't want your best friend's boyfriend. Except, Sarah can't control how she feels. Avoiding Ryan doesn't work for her, Brianna keeps making her hang out with them. Brianna has been Sarah's best friend since kindergarten. From what I got from the book, Brianna tends to say things that are meant to be helpful, but they end up just hurting the person she tells them to. It is mostly Sarah she says these things to. I felt Sarah should of said something to Brianna, but it never seemed like she would. She felt bad for Brianna because her mother did the same thing to her, but Brianna never realized that she was acting like her mother. Brianna's parents wouldn't show Brianna love and were hardly around, and Brianna thought it was her fault and that she had to force people to love her. I couldn't believe her parents. How could they treat someone the way they did?

Now, Ryan just seemed like the perfect person for Sarah and not Brianna. Brianna got him because she seemed so sure of herself around guys. Brianna is the girl every guy wants. They are even willing to pretend to like Sarah to be around her. I can't believe Brianna would let this happen. She keeps telling Sarah that she should find a freshman that is willing to date her. Seriously! A freshman who is willing to date her? She doesn't realize how that sounds to everyone else. It doesn't really give her an excuse, though. I didn't see why she would say that at all. Ryan and Sarah have a lot more in common than Brianna and he does. They both like the same things, like art. Sarah is always making designs on her shoes, and Ryan is an amazing artist. I didn't like that he decided to go out with Brianna, even though he seemed to like Sarah from what I got from the book. I thought one of them should of told the other one how they felt before anything with Brianna and Ryan happened. I didn't expect what happens in the end, but I liked it. This is a really good book, just like Elizabeth Scott's other books like Bloom and Perfect You. If you liked those, you'd like this one as well.

Alisha

Book Blogger Hop(10)

2010-05-21T08:49:00.000-04:00

Hello to all the people new to my blog!!! I hope your liking it.
As you know it's Friday, and that means it's time for another fun week of Book Blogger Hop. This cool meme is hosted by Jennifer over at Crazy-for -Books. It's time to find new, cool book blogs. This gives you a chance to find blogs that you might of not have if not for the Hop. This is my tenth Hop, and I have found some great blogs, and I have also gotten 40 followers most of them from the Hop. So join in on the fun!