Today's blog-post(s): in which I blog about a trilogy. Hopefully, I get everything down and correct.
The Mortal Instruments series is by Cassandra Clare (AKA A GODDESS) and I haven't blogged about these books. Guys, WHAT THE FUDGE?! WHY HASN'T ANYONE POINTED THIS OUT.
*stares at the archives* oohhh, this is my blog. my responsibility. =)
KK, I shall start with the beginning: City of Bones
Clary Fray has been normal most her life. Then one night while she's at the Pandemonium club with her BFF Simon (the geek), she sees three teens covered in markings. Yep, these guys are the Shadowhunters (which can also be referred to as the Slayers in this story) and Clary has the "Sight". Then her life isn't the same because of the Sight meanwhile, the Shadowhunters are trying to prevent a war with Valentine (AKA the BIG BAD). See Valentine here has been attempting to get the Mortal Instruments when during one try he manages to get one of the instruments (the Mortal Cup, Sword and something else) and then the man is HELL-BENT on ridding the world of those who aren't Shadowhunters and the rest of the cast (Alec,Simon,Clary,Jace,Isabelle,Magnus, Maryse,Max and a butt-load of other characters) have to stop Valentine. Now the Mortal Instruments series is super great. It has lots of action, plenty of romance, a love triangle, and one hell of a roller coaster ride through the entire series. That said I didn't love Clary so much. She was whiny and a bit of a Mary-Sue, however there were times where she redeemed herself but overall Clary was one character Cassandra Clare could've worked on for a little longer.
I. am. SO. sorry for the erratic posting. One week I am, another I'm not and ahh!!! But don't worry because I read books! which are part of a series so this next four days, they shall be filled with reviews and such! YAY!!!! Also, I've been finding books to giveaway as prizes for the YA Sisterhood's Summer Crush Tournament advocates and such. I also WATCHED HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2. I cried. And laughed. And rejoiced. And then I stared at my computer for several days with glassy eyes as I realized there will be no more Harry Potter movies and then I lost it. But then I got out of it. :)
Cammie Morgan is your ordinary girl. She goes to school and takes classes but the similarities end there. Cammie "The Chameleon" goes to the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. Instead of all those regular classes a boarding school has, they have Covert Operations (Cove-Ops), Ancient Languages, Countries of the World (CoW), Culture and Assimilation, and Protection and Enforcement (P&E). Of course, what makes things even better is that the new Cove Ops teacher is real eye candy which is great to the all female student body. And then things start to get hectic, as the daughter of a Senator and cosmetic heiress, Macey McHenry, is sent to the Gallagher Academy. Madness ensues as well as one cute clueless boy sets his sights on the Chameleon, Cammie. Yep, everything was so much easier before boys were involved.
I adored LYKY because of Ally Carter's fresh take on the teenage boarding school and put in spies, clandestine covert missions and shoes and clothes. They were so smashing when I first read them (which was like in 4th grade) and they've been a part of me too. Kinda like Harry Potter. The next books in the series don't disappoint either!
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And here is this week's question:
"What is your favourite book-to-movie adaptation?"
Well If we can do *comic-books* in place of the book (because hey it's a book with pictures!) I'd say it would be the Batman comics turned into Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. They're super duper good (IMO) and Christian Bale does an absolutely bang-up job as haunted-by-the-murder-of-his-parents playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne/vigilante Batman. And, I do love me some awesome comic books. Also, tied for that it'd be the Harry Potter series, which will end tonight/tomorrow and it makes me very happy/sad/ and just plain freaked out. Anyways, sorry for the late post!
Today I'll be reviewing Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. Dear god, how much I love this book cannot be fathomed. Anyways, let's get on with the review segment.
Goodreads!!: Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.
As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?
So I thought AtFK was pretty amazing. And hysterical. Granted, I hadn't slept in two days so my brain was all loopy but it's pretty funny on its own too! AtFK is a YA Contemporary Romance novel and I luuuurved it, so so much!!! I usually don't read Contemporary OR Romance so the fact that I read this was a mystery to me! Anyways, the book starts off with Anna, our sweet and sassy *shocker, I know* protagonist, unpacking in the SOAP (School of America in Paris) and her parents leaving. Let's just say that Anna's dad is a Nicholas Sparks-y type of person (a douchenozzle, if you will) and through Anna, you feel the dislike she holds against her dad. Hell, If I had a dad like hers, I would've have such a cry of rebellion a long time ago. But as Anna gets used to SOAP, she makes fast friends with Mer, Josh, Rashmi and Etienne St.Clair. These characters are all lively, rich and totally teenagers with relationship problems. You could consider them to be "outcasts' but not really because they're all awesome. So back to the review, I think that AtFK is such a good book because the characters are all flawed and human!!!! They FIGHT like FRIENDS!!! They GROW throughout the book with EACH OTHER'S HELP!!!!
I think I have far too many scenes that I love in AtFK because Stephanie Perkins is. just. damn. cool. A few of the scenes:
WHYAREYOUGIVINGAWAYTHECOOKIES? The November Holiday at School, the table dancing (don't ask, just read), the long distance calling, the escalator scene, the "you're alone in Paris with no adults and you haven't drunk yet?" moment (ahh peer pressure *grins*), the KISS moment (whoops...), Anna's first tour in Paris (with St.Clair, no less!) and more. Trust me, you'll LOVE this book!
also because I feel this is sort of what Anna's and St.Clair's relationship is: (I know it's Taylor Swift but you can't deny the music *shrug*)
Alrighty guys have a FABULOUS weekend and I'll come back Monday (or sooner!)
P.S doesn't Benjamin Stone look like St.Clair? NO, just a little bit? Meh, who do you think would be a good St.Clair
So I finally got around to reading Hourglass by Myra McEntire and I am SO glad I read it! Like this is one book that I was glad to have read and will be a carry-on to wherever I go!
Goodreads Review: One hour to rewrite the past . . .
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.
So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?
Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.
Hourglass in five words: entrancing, witty, stunning, heart-racing, and red-HOT hot.
Words cannot capture what Hourglass is. It's a paranormal, time-slip (time travel) novel. It has southern hospitality, hot boys and time travel. Emerson is a head strong character who has her own agenda and doesn't like being told what to do. That being said, she still loves her brother Thomas and his wife Dru dearly because they've helped her with her condition and don't judge (as much as the entire town of Ivy Springs has). I loved Em's best friend Lily because she was sweet and also didn't judge Em. Wish I had a friend like her when I was in 8th grade. Em has been seeing people to help with the condition but they don't help because a.) they're all shams and b.) only in it because her brother has paid top dollar to help lil sis. This time, Em gets a surprise visit (at the opening of Dru's restaurant) and wow, he's stunner. He's barely older than Em, but he gets her because he also has what Em has. The fun thing about Emerson is that while she thinks she's crazy, she can see rips and Michael, well, he has the exact same thing. I loved the chemistry between those two and they had a very saucy scene the second time he meets her again. Boy oh boy, did that scene make summer hotter!
So while readers were like "Oh dear god, just kiss already!" they can't because Michael promised Thomas that nothing personal would go on between him and Em *snorts* Ya right, let's see how that goes. I also loved how Michael kept trying to gain Em's trust but was all like "don't prod further and just TRUST me" *second snort* Yeah, okay. The other thing that absolutely sold me was Kaleb *le sigh*. Kaleb was like delicious meat dangling in front of us and totally liked Em too. That's what I liked, that Em had TWO choices and either one would be awesome and totally get her.
However, I did not like was when the time travel happened, one of them didn't survive. Totally pissed me off because while I saw it coming, it was so bothersome because it sent Em into hysterics for a day but then she fixed it (and I was okay with that). Second thing I did not like, that Lily had a gift too but couldn't use it. WTF Moment happened because why would Myra do such a thing and NOT push it forward. That had me going *WTF* over and over but I was okay with it because I am for certain that she'll push that ability more in the book two of the Hourglass. All in all, Hourglass deserves a 9 out 10 stars. Note: one last thing I did not like: The references that Hourglass was like Twilight *le gasp*. No, people, just NO. For one, on Myra McEntire's blog, she has a couple posts that she likes Twilight. BUT HOURGLASS IS NO TWILIGHT. For one, Em has a back-bone and sass, whilst Bella was very whiny and spent SEVERAL months grieving (you know what I'm saying NEW MOON) who possibly couldn't hold her own (brown belt Bells?).
2: Kaleb and Michael are both hot and have a shot at Em's heart, while Twilight, both boys were two busy thinking "what Bella wants" to what she needs. Again, NO. One sparkled and one was wolf boy. Why would you pick either?!
AND 3: PEOPLE, there were LOVE TRIANGLES WAY BEFORE TWILIGHT. There was Vampires BEFORE Twilight, there were Helpless heroines BEFORE.. oh wait... no there wasn't. Let's stop comparing EVERY SINGLE THING that has at least one tiny Twilight thing alone. Just let it be. It's my opinion but I feel that Hourglass shouldn't be compared to Twilight because everyone knows that Twilight wouldn't stand a chance against any of the things we compare it to.
Lastly: one song that I found that I think is totes Hourglass:
It's addictive and adorable just like Hourglass. Come on, you know so.
So this is the first ever Weekly Book Blog Bonanza hosted by Teen Fiction Centre!
This weeks Weekly Book Blog question: Who is your favourite book character of all time and why?
I think that my favorite book character of all time would be a tie between Emerson Cole (Hourglass) and Cammie Morgan (Gallagher Girls). I think that they're my favorite characters because they have moxie, sass, and always put their family first. Cammie puts her family (which would be the Gallagher Girl as well as her mom) first when bad situations arise in Roseville. She had to give up her first boyfriend to protect the Gallagher Girl secret and then has to leave at the end of Gallagher Girls 4: Only the Good Spy Young to protect her family because of the threat the Circle of Cavan. Emerson, well, she always puts her brother Thomas and his wife Dru, first and always goes to them when she needs help. Especially near the last part of the middle, she talks to Thomas to tell him that she'll stand by to help Michael save his mentor. She put Michael's mentor above saving her own family and had me bawling. That's why they are both my favorite characters of all time.
Hey guys, so I'm gonna make this post quick. Over here, there will be a virtual tour from Asheville to Nashville and they'll be giving away 8 books SIGNED!!!! so check it out!
Hiya, Jazmin here and I have news for you. You all know Rachel Hawkin's best selling Hex Hall series, no? Well today RIGHT NOW at 7:30 she left a tweet saying "Spell Bound" was available for pre-order. That's right folks, Triple HeXXX as it's been known for a while has a title. YAY!!!
Hey guys! Jaz here and I wanna fill you in on the best competition and tournaments that have been going on at other blogs (that I have luckily stumbled upon by Twitter. godsend.) So over at AmberinBlunderland, Amber is hosting a YA Bachelor competition where you pick the sweetest, the baddest, best fighter, sexiest (and more) boys or men in YA. Over at the YA Sisterhood blog, they're holding the first ever (!!!) Summer Crushing Tournament (where I, the fabulous blogger Jaz, am advocating for Archer Cross of Hex Hall. He WILL win) which will have contestants the bloggers chose to face off. The Winner shall be the Most Crushworthy of them all. Go check it out!
So besides those blogs which you should TOTALLY check out, I think that Wondeful
Okay so while I got an ARC of Hourglass, I loaned it to a friend. And then when I ordered Hourglass a while ago, my bookstore was all like, "No, you didn't have it as an order' which threatened my mental stability so I shall say WHY I AM SO PSYCHED TO GET MY PAWS ON HOURGLASS.
10 REASONS WHY I AM PSYCHED FOR HOURGLASS:
1) The characters: Emerson, Michael, Kaleb. I MUST HAVE THEM.
2) Myra McEntire: Uh, hello? She did an interview with me. 'Nuff said.
3) it's PARANORMAL and I LOVE PARANORMAL. like it's legit stuff.
4) It's X-Men all over again with the Mysterious HOURGLASS INSTITUTION. I LOVE IT!
5) it's got the southern-y feel. I like southern reads. Tru fax, bro.
6) boys. specifically Michael and Kaleb.
7) the way that Emerson's brother and wife DO care for her. Hence, the Hourglass institution. You're some cool parents.
8) did i Mention, the paranormal and boys? moving along...
9) IT'S AWESOME
10) IT'S MADE OF AWESOME-SAUCE.
And that is WHY I will post the review of Hourglass AS SOON AS I FINISH IT.
Let it be know: Jeff Sampson is the coolest person on my list right next to Joss Whedon (produced Dollhouse, Firefly, Angel and Buffy. If you haven't seen any of them GET OFF MY BLOG AND GO WATCH THEM). Mr.Sampson wrote Vesper and it was like watching a tv show play out before my eyes. The main protagonist, Emily Webb, is a geek and she's proud of it (is there a shirt called 'I'm a Geek and I'm Proud of it"? No?! Let's go make one). So one day Emily is murdered. NO, not our awesome-sauce protagonist, but Emily Cooke, miss Popular. She gets murdered and the whole school is like *sob* she will be missed *sob* and end and Miss Emily W. has no clue who she is until the school makes it known. Anyways, Emily W. goes unnoticed and unpopular and she likes it that way until she starts to have these changes. At night, she becomes fearless, wild and a thrill seeker but by day she's boring. Soon after a couple of those nighttime changes, Emily becomes *pretty* wild that she realizes that it's not her so either a: she's possessed by the spirit of Emily Cook or b: so seriously supernatural shizz is going down. I thought Vesper actually sucks you in and you become so captivated when the book ends, you wanna scream like a five year old because: YOU WANT THE SEQUEL NOW!!!! It's also chock-full of pop culture references, and wild nights in the city. I give Vesper a 10 OUT OF 10, it was just.that.cool.
Today's Heavenly Read:
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
First there are nightmares.
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.
Then come the memories.
When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.
Now she must hunt.
Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.
Okay people: sit down and strap in because this is one book of 2011 that you do NOT want to miss.
Ellie is the Preliator, or a warrior of heaven chosen to fight off evil (LIKE BUFFY, but she doesn't have the cool scooby gang) and her "watcher/guardian" person is Will, who is also a hunk (think Patch from Hush Hush) but not so keen. Angelfire is a really addicting read that goes by fast and doesn't stop, like the roller-coaster Apocalypse. I enjoyed it VERY much because A) the ending is like the season 1 finale of Buffy (you know with the Master? yeah, it was sweet) and leaves you wanting for its sequel: Wings of the Wicked. The one thing I didn't like about this was (I believe) the interactions with her parents, I felt those very unnecessary and a bit too dramatic (even though they are getting a divorce) so overall, it was an eight out of ten!
Look at this. Look at it's badassery and tell me, this is why red heads are 7x cooler than any normal person (AMY POND/DONNA NOBLE 'nuff said).
Hey bloggers, I'm back! And with a rocking new blog that was better than the drab old one! So what I've read this time: A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford.
BLURB from Amazon: Eden didn't expect Az. Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.
Yeah.
So long happily-ever-after.
Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.
She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.
And that's only the beginning of the end.
Can you say WHOA? Because I certainly did. Leah has this *writing* that I cannot explain because it is simply explainable (but it's TOTALLY good)as well as creating characters that are both good and bad but SO flawed that it really adds to the experience of reading this Magnificent book. I shall tell you WHY:
Clifford's characters are WELL ROUNDED: You see many sides to them; hopeful, desperate, scared, sometime only out for themselves, selfishly and it's so AWESOME.
Also the names? Gabe, Az, Eden for a few. Are totally Epic. Better than give them that whole, "Peter,Michael and Mary Sue" sort of vibe.
Second: Clifford doesn't shy away from sensitive topics NOR does she portray them in good light: Suicide is sort of big in the Touch Mortal world especially when a couple of the Siders commit it. She shows: this is what happened, this is how bad it gets for the Siders that they turn to the option of taking their own *existence* (not life).
And third: The Villian, Luke. He's a big hunk clad in leather and totally drool worthy (or I thought so). He's the bad boy that you love to hate (CHUCK BASS!!!) and he's a manipulative little bas**** who's really TRULY shown as TOTALLY OUT FOR HIMSELF. And I love him. Even though some hated him. I guess I like bad boys... :) ANYWAYS...
The ending in A Touch Mortal is jaw dropping. Like, it's some pretty big bombs dropped that everyone who read ATM is *AWAITING* A Touch Morbid, the sequel. It was some epic shiz, you guys.
P.S A Touch Mortal cover (who is Eden) was a rocking cover and totally must have. I will find a poster of it!!!!
