A Life-Touching Story That Can Be Read in Less Than Three Hours?

Some would call this impossible. All you have to do is read Notes From The Dog by Gary Paulsen; it's 130 pages long and great for all ages, kids and adults.
I love how this book, for being so short, packs such a punch in the life-lessons department. And they're not introduced all cheesy and blunt, like in some books. The author really takes the time to introduce all these ideas about living life like there's no tomorrow in a fun way that would get the attention of just about anyone: be you a workaholic adult, a kid struggling in middle-school, or just one of those people who reads for fun *ahem, crazies!*
We start off with two friends in middle school, Finn and Matthew. They live with Finn's dad because Matthew's parents divorced and while they get situated in their new apartments Matthew didn't want to spend his short summer break adjusting. While Matthew seems to have the easy life in school, sports, and just being a kid, Finn has more trouble having fun. He's really shy and doesn't know how to talk to people, so he lives in books instead. One of his only friends besides Matthew is his dog, Dylan, named for Bob Dylan.
Then the new neighbor comes along, also named for a Bob Dylan song: Johanna (the song is Visions of Johanna). Johanna is a breast cancer survivor who is enjoying living life, and also a graduate student going to school nearby. Matthew and Finn immediately fall in love with Johanna and how she seems to enjoy everything, even plans that backfire.
The three have all sorts of adventures, from first dates to gardening to a summer job as a construction worker to notes from a dog. And that's where the title comes from; Finn's dog starts showing up with little life lessons printed on paper in his mouth. Finn knows they're not really from his dog, but they help him get through the day and discover how to be a better person and be comfortable in his own skin.
Of course, Johanna still has cancer. And when her health takes a turn for the worse, Finn and Matthew may have to complete some of the crazy plans Johanna had wanted to get around to without her.
I feel like this is one of those books where the author starts writing this book and chooses a title then the book takes on a completely different theme and the title makes no sense. But then again, maybe not, because the title hints at how little notes and good things can make a difference in someone's life, and that is how the book starts out: affecting people in a good way and changing lives, one step at a time. ♠♠♠♠

CABOT ALERT

For the record, her name is pronounced Meg Cabot like 'habit'. Some people seem to have a bit of trouble with that fun fact.
So this book was called Size 12 Isn't Fat, and it was one of her adult novels. I swear, though, ALL of her novels are really good, chick-lit wise. And this one was no exception.
Meet Heather Wells, former teen pop star, now size 12 dorm (excuse me, residence hall) advisor:

"What gives? Normally I wear 12s... but I tried on the 12s, and I was swimming in them. Same with the 10s. Which is weird, because I haven't exactly been on any kind of diet lately-- unless you count the Splenda I had in my latte at breakfast this morning.
But I'm pretty sure the bagel with cream cheese and bacon I had with it pretty much canceled out the Splenda.
And it's not exactly like I've been to the gym recently. Not that I don't exercise, of course. I just don't do it, you know, in the gym. Because you can burn just as many calories walking as you can running. So why run? I figured out a long time ago that a walk to Murray's Cheese Shop on Bleecker to see what kind of sandwich they have on special for lunch takes ten minutes.
And a walk from Murray's over to Betsey Johnson on Wooster to see what's on sale (love her stretch velvet!): another ten minutes.
And a walk from Betsey's over to Dean & Deluca on Broadway for an after-lunch cappuccino and to see if they have those chocolate-covered orange peels I like so much: another ten minutes.
And so on, until before you know it, you've done a full sixty minutes of exercise. Who says it's hard to comply with the government's new fitness recommendations? If I can do it, anyone can."
(pg. 2)

That pretty much sums up Heather. She's not unhealthily overweight, she's just big. And she's comfortable with her size, it's not like she has a problem being that way.
Unlike other Meg Cabot books, though, this is a murder mystery. A comedic murder mystery, but still.
In Heather's dorm (sorry, residence hall) a girl is found dead at the bottom of an elevator shaft. Everyone (including the cops) says she must have been drunk and gone elevator surfing on an adrenaline kick. However, Heather thinks otherwise because with her feminine wits she knows: GIRLS DO NOT ELEVATOR SURF!!! IT'S ALWAYS THE STUPID FRESHMEN GUYS!!!
So now, with her awesomely cute detective friend and roommate that she's partially in love with but he doesn't know it yet, Cooper (is that even a proper sentence?) she decides to solve the case.
The problem is if the girl WAS murdered, it means it had to have been an inside job because nobody could have gotten the elevator key or gone up to the girl's room without being noticed.
And then when ANOTHER girl is found dead with pretty much the same circumstances, things get worse for Heather. In fact, the killer seems to be hunting her, and while he conveniently drops a potted plant on Heather's ex-boyfriend, it's just not fun and games anymore.
LOVED this book. I had my suspicions about the murderer, but I only figured it out right before it was revealed in the book, so good job on that factor, Meg Cabot. And of course it had the Cabot flair, like all her other books, which just makes me want to read more. ♠♠♠♠

This Night's Foul Work

This book by Fred Vargas (who is a girl) is the first French murder mystery I've ever read. And I hope it's not the last, because this one was really good. I gotta check out her other books.
This Night's Foul Work was mainly about Commissioner Adamsberg. He's head of the Serious Crimes unit of the French police, and he's fighting to take the case of two supposed drug dealers being found with their throats cut. So normally it would go to the Drugs unit, but Adamsberg just doesn't want to let it go because of a couple of unusual things about the body. For one, they have earth under their fingernails. Why were these druggies digging, and where?
Adamsberg is surrounded by help: his right-hand man, Danglard, who is brilliant but has a drinking problem; the large and big-hearted Lieutenant Retancourt who saved his life on another case; and the smart pathologist, Ariane, who Adamsberg is partially atrracted to. Then there are a few foes, one of which includes the newest lieutenant to the Serious Crimes unit, Veyrenc. He has something against Adamsberg, and Adamsberg needs to find out what it is before it's too late. That in itself is a minimystery within the story, which took some surprising turns.
And lastly, there are a few suspects. The main suspect is this psychopath serial killer escaped-from-the-asylum nurse, who may be killing people to get back at Adamsberg for putting her in jail. Then there are also a few other suspects along the way, including Veyrenc. But in the end, the culprit is the last person I would have ever thought it to be, which is the mark of a very well-written mystery.
But now I'm thinking I'm going to order the other Commissioner Adamsberg mysteries off of amazon of something because they're sort of unique; not only is it a fast-paced wonderful murder mystery, but it has some supernatural elements which you don't normally find in police stories because the authors like to keep them grounded in real life so everything makes sense. I liked that it had the best of all thriller characteristics, though, it made for an interesting story.
And best of all it had some great dry humor. Adamsberg is sort of absent-minded and his colleagues really don't understand his methods for solving crimes sometimes, so it's a great surprise when as they're making fun of him behind his back he pulls this miracle out of his butt and solves the case. And it has great aspects of France, too. There's lots of cultural references and French stereotypes, making the book even more involved and teaches you a lot about territories in Europe.
It's one of those books you want to tear through so you can find out what happens but you can't because at the same time you have to relish every sentence. ♠♠♠♠

Tunnels

You know, my brother said this book sucked and it was mega-boring. BUT IT WAS REALLY GOOD! I couldn't leave it unfinished last night, I had to stay up, fighting off tiredness just to see what happens at the end. Major page-turner. So if you are a fan of cliffhanger mystery books, add Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams to your Barnes and Noble list.
The book is about this kid named Will. He's an outsider in his family, from interests to appearances. He looks like an albino while his family has dark hair, and he enjoys digging huge elaborate tunnel networks underground while his mom is a TV addict and his sister holds the family together. The only person who even partially gets him is his father, who digs not for fun but to discover things. So he's kind of using Will's passion for his own good. Will also finally lets another boy, Chester, into his life, and Chester is impressed with all the digging he's done. Together they start digging faster and making more progress.
One day Will's father disappears, however. Will does some investigating and discovers his father may have been on to some major important discovery, and he wants to figure out what his father had found.
Now Will finds that everything right down to his identity is not what he always thought it was... it seems like everyone he knew was keeping this huge secret from him regarding what he finds while he's digging one day. I don't want to give anything away because what they find is the major shock of the book, but you gotta read this. The whole idea behind the story gets pretty insane, but it makes you wonder... do we really know what goes on miles underground?
The authors did a great job of making this book kid-friendly. Yes, it is not your average size for a favorite kid's book, seeing how it's kinda long and only Harry Potter books can get away with length like that. But it flew by, like I said it was a one-day read for me. I really enjoyed the plot too because you never knew what was coming. And now I'm scared there's a whole town under my backyard, so it really makes you think.
Great story with realistic characters. I don't know what my brother was talking about. ♠♠♠♠

MUAHAHAHA, Evil Genius!

Yes, that's the name of this book, Evil Genius. By Catherine Jinks, as a matter of fact. The line on the front of the book screams out, "WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T GET CAUGHT", and it turns out that seems to be the message throughout the entire book. Also on the cover, note how white pattern seeming to spiral backwards into oblivion is binary code! How cool!
Cadel Piggott is a boy genius. Not of the Jimmy Neutron variety, however. His specialty is systems, preferably computer systems. In fact when he was seven he got hold of a computer and caused enough trouble for the police to have to interfere, and his adoptive parents end up taking him to a psychiatrist to help him. The psychiatrist, Thaddeus, is very agreeable to Cadel's intentions; he let's Cadel use his computer as soon as his parents leave and also gently helps him see his full potential in manipulating people and controlling systems. In fact, Cadel sets up an entirely fake online dating service, matching people up with fake partners and making money off of the whole scam.
He even falls in love with one of his clients from the service, who's supposedly 29 and way out of his league but also as mathematically gifted as Cadel and quite a genius. Their letters are entirely in code and for the most part it's really sweet, how close they get although they never meet.
But things are definitely not as they seem, especially after Cadel starts attending a school for higher thinking, basically a school of evil. It turns out his whole life has been a lie, and although he knows he was adopted his parents, or who he thought were his parents, may not be looking out for him after all. And his so-called girlfriend from his dating network? She's not as she seems to be in her emails. All in all, Cadel's in for many big shocks as he unravels the puzzle that has become his life.
This book is pretty good. It looks like a kids book, maybe of the Artemis Fowl variety on first glance, but it's a bit of a strong read for little kids and it actually is a very grown-up book about a kid. I give major credit to the author for finding such a unique approach on evil, because it gives a whole new side to the cliched villain stereotype.
Thank god my boyfriend got me this book, because it was really good. Now I gotta loan it back to him and make him read it, that's how good it was. ♠♠♠♠

The Last Juror (Or Should I Say The Random Editor?)

The title of this book by John Grisham is misleading once you read it. Because it really doesn't come down to the last juror, it comes down to one of the jurors and her dear friend, also the newspaper owner/editor/writer, also the main character telling this story.
His name is Willie Traynor, and he grew up in a detached family... being someone with a shallow home life, he gets a big shock when he moves to very rural Mississippi to take over a small town weekly newspaper.
Here's the story the back of the book advertises: Danny Padgitt is put to trial for raping a killing a widowed woman with two small children. It's pretty clear he did it in a drunken rage, so in spite of his schmoozy lawyer he is convicted of the crime. Now the jury has to decide if he deserves the death penalty or not. But there's a hung jury and they can't decide, so no death penalty. Nine years later (somehow) Danny is out again, and now jurors are dying, one by one. Hence the title.
Now here's the story: Willie Traynor is reporting this case but at the same time slowly becoming accustomed to Mississippi ways and how things work in a town like this where the roots run deep. His new friend, Miss Callie, helps him discover all this. Miss Callie is a black Southern woman, only not the sterotype you hear about so much. She has impeccable manors, lives mainly off her garden, has a huge family, is registered to vote, knows Italian, and is generally a well-educated and unique individual.
Willie quickly realizes this. He also realizes although the Constitution says you can put whatever you want in your newspaper, that doesn't mean the residents of small-town Clanton will let you.
The story takes place over about a decade, and to tell you the truth, the whole murder case takes a backseat to Willie's story.
But don't think this is a bad book because it's not a complete legal thriller; there's still ton of that, plus it's way interesting anyway. Willie has many strange adventures and many quirky anecdotes to tell you of his time living in Mississippi, just listen and read and you'll enjoy this book. It makes you feel nostalgic for your home where your roots are in a way, too.
I think I enjoy John Grisham's writing more when he writes from one person's point of view only. Because A Painted House and The Last Juror? Loved those. But his others, such as The Firm or The Pelican Brief, weren't as good to me because they jumped between so many characters that I got a bit confused and never really connected with the story. But this one? Good. Good story, just don't go into it thinking it's going to be an extremely fast-paced murder thriller, because it is a thriller, just not roller-coaster scary fast. It's a rambling country thriller. ♠♠♠♠

*hypverntilates* HUNTED! WAS! REALLY GOOD!

So Hunted? You know, fifth book in the House of Night series by P. C. and Kristin Cast? REALLY FREAKIN' AWESOMELY GOOD. It took me forever to read this book for some reason, what with all my extracurricular crap going on PLUS finals, but I finished it while hacking up a lung because of the cold I have. Too much personal information? Right then, on with the book.
So we're back with Zoey the vampyre fledgling... not a full-grown vampyre, but the only fledgling with a filled in Mark on her forehead and a special connection with all five elements needed to complete a vampyre circle. She is hiding underground in tunnels with all her friends because the principal of their school, Neferet, has joined forces with this extremely evil fallen angel named Kalona. Who is now appearing in Zoey's dreams, seducing her in frightening ways. Zoey is trying to put a stop to Kalona's evil ways and stop a full-on humans-against-vampyre war from happening, which is harder than this simple sentence can ever make it seem.
So what with the whole saving-the-vampyre world thing on her plate, you'd think Zoey had enough on her plate, right? WRONG. She also had three-- count 'em, three-- potential boyfriends.
First there's Erik, a supremely hot adult vampyre that Zoey was dating before, but they broke it off because she cheated on him. Now he says he loves her enough to forgive her, but he's acting really possessive over her and bossy, which Zoey WILL NOT put up with.
Secondly there is Heath, Zoey's old boyfriend back from when she was human. They used to be Imprinted, or specially bonded by Zoey drinking his blood, but that bond broke when Zoey cheated on HIM, too. (This sounds like Zoey's kind of getting around, but if you've read the whole series it's not like that, I swear.) But now he's back, and after being forced to drink his blood, Zoey Imprints with him AGAIN, so that makes two guys who love her.
The third is Stark, a fledglings who died and has now come back to life as a Red Vampyre Fledgling, which is a different kind of fledgling. He has almost no humanity most of the time, but around Zoey he's almost human... is he willing to give up his violent uncaring ways for Zoey?
So with all this going on, it makes for a really good story. So pick up Hunted for a fast-paced action-ish vampyre romance awesome magical read. ♠♠♠♠

VEGETABLES ROCK! (Do They Really?)

Vegetables Rock! is the main title, but here's the complete one:
VEGETABLES ROCK! A Complete Guide for Teenage Vegetarians by Stephanie Pierson
And it was. A complete guide, that is. Witty, with tons of options, this book was everything the other vegetarianism books I've been reading were not. The author goes over EVERY detail the other two books went over, so I'll skip the boring nonfiction part.
What was good was the way it was written: easy to enjoy. Any teenager can pick up that book and go, "Well yes, the print is small, but look, it feels like they're talking to me without making me feel like a baby. I'm kinda liking this!" Isn't that what we should all feel every time we read? Unfortunately that rarely happens with nonfiction books, especially with ones targeted towards teens and young adults; the author tends to make the reader feel like a five-year-old, to put it bluntly.
But this book was great, not only offering every bit of information you could possibly want but making it all sound interesting and fun, and without bullying the reader into it, makes vegetarianism seem like a natural way of life.
So it was great!
And lastly, the recipes. About a third of this book was recipes to get the teenage vegetarian started. Because yes, it is hard knowing how to eat and what to cook to get the right vitamins and stuff you need daily; but these recipes are easy and fun. The other books only had like five or six recipes, but this book (approximately 200 pages long) was a third full with recipes! It made a wonderful change from the old "Hummus. Noodles. Grilled Tofu." Here we saw some depth, from somebody who obviously knows what they're talking about.
So bravo, veggie book. ♠♠♠♠

I'M STARK RAVING MAD!

Over Stark! James Stark! (spoofing James Bond, ha.)He's the newest character in this fourth installment in the House of Night series by P. C. and Rachel Cast: UNTAMED.
Zoey the vampyre is back, and things are worse than ever. This book would equivilate to The Half-Blood Prince in Harry Potter terms, that's how much the tension builds.
First off, Zoey is trying to keep her circle together, which is becoming difficult because her friend Aphrodite recently lost her earth powers which means she can't be earth in the circle rituals (there are five elements which Zoey and her friend represent in ceremonies: fire, water, air, earth, and spirit; Zoey has special ties to all five, which make her super-special). But now Stevie Ray, Zoey's best friend who was said to have died, is back as a new red fledgling and she's got her earth powers back.
Aside from all that, the principal of the school (who is FREAKIN' EVIL) seems to be getting stronger. Even with the High Priestess of all vampyres stepping in for a while at their school doesn't seem to be doing any better. So Zoey enlists help from her grandmother, who is Cherokee and therefore possesses Cherokee magic that could help them.
Then Aphrodite has a troubling vision: a poem that seems to be saying when somebody rises, the dark demon will rise again. But who is the dark demon? Zoey's grandmother answers this... it's Kaluna, the vampyre's equivalent of Lucifer the fallen angel. He's seriously evil and he pillages women for fun, basically. And since vampyrism in the House of Night series is matriarchal, this means serious bad trouble for Zoey, an especially special female vampyre fledgling.
And also James Stark is introduced. And yes, he exits the story rather quickly, but he may be back...
Again in this book, a big theme was magic and religion. I love how the authors show how religions like Catholicism and vampyre magic can coexist and work in harmony. In fact, the Virgin Mary is compared to the vampyre goddess, Nyx, many times throughout the story. Now some people may find this offensive, but I'd just call those readers "People of Faith" and hope they move on. I think it's cool how vampyrism can be so spiritual in this book instead of all about bloodsucking and immortality *hint hint*. ♠♠♠♠

Jumping Off Swings

Jumping Off Swings is a relatively short book written by Jo Knowles. Despite its shortness, however, it was an intriguing read, the story of how one teen pregnancy can bring these four people and their families together. And by four people, I mean the four narrators that the author switches between to tell the story. I'll list 'em and their basic info, and you'll see how they all tie in.

Ellie- the girl who gets pregnant at a party. Sure, she's slept around a bit in her life with a few different guys, but this time she has the lasting result of it. She doesn't know how she's going to deal with it, especially because she feels like nobody loves her. That's how she wound up in the situation in the first place.
Caleb- the boy who has loved Ellie like a sister since third grade. He doesn't think he loves her than any more than that, though, and when he finds out about Ellie's predicament her does the best he can to help. His mother, Liz, is also a key part in this story, helping Ellie through her pregnancy every step of the way.
Corinne- Ellie's best friend who has been there for her since they were little. She's never has quite as much experience as Ellie so she's a bit naive and has trouble undertsanding Ellie sometimes, but her sister had an abortion so she's good at planning out what needs to be done for Ellie. She also starts to see how nice Caleb is, and thinks there may be some sparks there, but she feels guilty for being in love when her best friend feels so alone and desolate.
Josh- lastly, the father of the baby. He slept with Ellie at the party and now she's pregnant. He's even more hurt because she didn't want to tell him, she didn't want him involved in any way. Somehow, though, he feels he has to see his baby before they give it up when it's born. Josh is also dealing with an alcoholic father and a mother who is never home. Then he finds out something that changes his life, that makes it seem like history is repeating.

Four teens, one hopeful story. And one love story.
It was interesting how the story played out with so many different perspectives in the book, but it was well-written and it was good it was the length it was; it made it a perfectly sized quick read with a really touching story. And there's a hopeful message to be read out of this book, but you'll have to find it for yourself.
The other cool thing in this book was how these kids are all dealing with adult problems like pregnancy and alcoholism, but every time things get tough they do something completely childish that people really need to do more often to rediscover the magic in life. Like they'll make snow angels or even *hint hint* jump off swings, just to feel like a kid that has hope for the future again. It made the book really sincere and it was a neat, nostalgic effect because we all remember those days, back when you could lose yourself on a playground and swing life away.
Now I gotta give this book back to Holly; it's hers and she hasn't read it yet, I'm so disappointed in her for missing this great book! ♠♠♠♠

CHOSEN

Things just keep getting more and more complicated in Chosen, the third book in the House of Night series by P. C. and Kristin Cast. (As you can see, I'm slowly becoming obsessed with this series, I'm zooming through them!)
Anyway, Zoey is having a lot of BOY TROUBLES in this book (that's right, smell the drama coming). First there's her vampyre boyfriend Erik (and don't think this is Twilight, because Zoey's a vampyre too) and she likes him A LOT and they have a lot in common, physically and emotionally. *hint hint!* Then there's Heath, Zoey's exboyfriend from when she was human. The thing is, she drank his blood so now they're Imprinted, meaning they have a special bond that makes sucking his blood almost a religious experience for Zoey, that's how good it is. So she can't exactly cut ties with him either, even though she wants to. Lastly there's Loren (gay first name, huh?) Blake, the poet/part-time professor living at the House of Night school. He seems to have a thing for Zoey too, only he's much older and much more experienced, and there's something almost dangerous about him.
Zoey is also trying to help her undead friend Stevie Rae, who died as a vampyre but is now alive again only she's lost her humanity. It seems to be an impossible task to hide Stevie Rae and keep her alive with what little sanity she has left.
Meanwhile she's keeping her whole three-timing guys thing and the Stevie Rae thing secret from her boyfriend Erik and her best friends: Erin, Shaunee, and Damien (plus Damien's new boyfriend, Jack). That's a lot of pressure for one fledgling vampyre, and sooner or later she will crack.
The suspense was definitely upkept in this book, and it was still told in a perfect teen voice from Zoey's point of view. She takes everything with sarcasm and even when there's dangerous situations she still retains her personality, so yes, the book was good. And aside from all the deep character development stuff that I love, the plot is just plain GREAT. There are also some good romantic vampyre scenes in here, for those who are interested. Just a warning. ♠♠♠♠

Toads, Beetles, and Bats.

That is a quote from this book, The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. Actually, it's a quote from Shakespeare, but that works into this book. Let me explain.
Holling Hoodhood (WEIRDEST. NAME. EVER.) is in seventh grade and his teacher hates him. How is he going to survive Mrs. Baker? Plus his dad really wants him to live up to his high expectations and he just doesn't see how he can. And on top of all this Mrs. Baker is making him read Shakespeare outside of class and they discuss what he reads afterwards. So Holling works his way through The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, and other plays and overall, it sort of betters his understanding of humanity.
Bigger picture: This is Long Island, 1967. There's a lot of change going on outside of Holling's small world, like atomic bombs, the protests against racism, the war in Vietnam, and maybe even the mysteries of girls.
With Mrs. Baker's help, Holling discovers more about ideals and people and just plain living than he ever thought he would in seventh grade.
I especially love the way this book is written; first person from Holling's point of view. It makes it good because while he's describing his horrible teacher or how he acted in certain situations, you can tell when he's exaggerating or lying which gives Holling the childish quality we expect from him in the beginning. I also love Mrs. Baker, because she helps Holling without letting him know she's doing it and she's fine with being the hated teacher as long as Holling learns. She also has a few tricks up her sleeve that make her all the more intriguing of a character.
Good story, quick read. I'm glad I picked this up on a whim out of the school library. ♠♠♠♠

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening

As you can tell, I've been keeping up with my vampire reading. In fact, that's actually my plan: start a bunch of new vampire series just so I know what the heck my friends are talking about at lunch.
No, I'm not watching the TV series of this book series because I heard they're nothing alike and I really only want the book version. But everyone else I know watches it, and at least now I know who they're talking about when they go "OMG STEFAN'S SO HOT!!!"
*ahem* Anyway, The Awakening starts off with Elena's(the main character) diary entry, where she admits to feeling like something bad will happen soon. In fact, anything but happens: she meets Stefan at school that day, the handsome stranger who ignores Elena, even though she's pretty much queen of the school. Sounds like Edward and Bella reversed, huh? Slowly Elena and Stefan begin to bond, though... actually it happens more a quick transition from "I-hate-your-guts" to "I-can't-stop-kissing-you."
Then Stefan reveals that he knew someone like Elena a long time in his past, named Katherine, and that she turned him and his brother Damon into vampires in Renaissance Italy because she loved them both too much to live without them. Then she killed herself because she couldn't bear to cause strife between them.
So now Damon and Stefan hate each other's guts. And Elena, the human, seems to be in love with them both, which is a major deja vu.
But the real question is, who is attacking people in the cemetery late at night, leaving bloody ruins?
After reading Marked, this book was a bit of a downfall and a slightly cliche vampire story, like the many that are now out there thanks to Twilight. (GOD I NEED TO SEE NEW MOON SOON!) Still, this series is cool in the way how the whole story is taking place around a time paradox so far, and I can't figure out: How will Elena avoid making Katherine's mistakes? ♠♠♠♠
I also apologize for having the TV series picture substitute as a cover pic; this picture looks exactly like my book except mine says The Awakening below the title. I couldn't find that pic on google and I'm too lazy to take my own. =)

A Good Speed-Reread

I just reread New Moon by Stephenie Meyer in preparation for the trivia contest I'm entering at school tomorrow to get my ticket for the party in the library on Thursday. I forgot how much I honestly loved the series; sometimes when the hype gets too big I tell myself it's not as good as when there was only Twilight and it was a single book with a good love story, but then I reread New Moon and realize HOW COULD I LIVE WITHOUT JACOB BLACK??? I love him!!! I'm sad to say I'm leaning away from Team Switzerland at the moment towards team Jacob. Actually, I'm starting a new team: TEAM MIKE!
For those out there who truly, honestly, do not know the plot (people who live in boxes or under rocks or in dumpsters) here's a brief one... I've described this book in so many y!a answers that I'm a bit sick of it.
Bella and Edward's relationship is going strong when she gets a papercut and Jasper almost eats her on accident. This convinces Edward he needs to leave for Bella's own good, so he does, and he was WRONG; Bella goes into a downward spiral until she is lifeless, barely a person anymore. She slowly starts to wake up as she starts fixing up old motorcycles with her buddy down at the Quiluete reservation, Jacob. (Why's she fixing up the cycles? Because when she does reckless things she hears Edward's voice.) But suddenly Jacob starts acting weird after a mysterious fever. Bella finally confronts him and discovers he and a few of his buddies are now WEREWOLVES; and they're designed to kill vampires. Why the sudden transformation: VICTORIA (from Twilight, the redhead vampire) is back on the hunt, and she wants Bella because Edward killed her mate, James. Now the werewolves are keeping Bella safe.
And that's not all: after a HUGE misunderstanding, Edward ends up thinking Bella committed suicide and he tries to kill himself. Then it's a race against time as Bella travels halfway around the world to stop him so they can be together again.
And lastly, Bella has the best epiphany of ALL TIME. Unfortunately I cannot put it here because of copyright stuff. I wish I could though, because it's amazing.
All in all, great reread. Not the best reread ever, I mean it didn't make me cry like The Deathly Hallows, but I honestly think New Moon is my favorite out of the whole series which is weird because most people HATE New Moon seeing how Edward's gone for most of it. But I like it because it introduces Jacob and we get to see more of the Quileute side of Forks, and how Bella can't live with vampires AND werewolves, but she can't live without them both, either. ♠♠♠♠

Beauty Shop For Rent-- Fully Equipped, Inquire Within

This is actually the title of the book. Pretty interesting, huh? That's what made me check it out from the library.
This book is about Abbey, who lives with her great-grandma Po in their house/beauty parlor. The beauty parlor is old and has seen better days, but it's the cherished meeting place of Granny Po's friends, called the Gray Widows because all of them have gray hair and dead husbands. The thing is, Granny Po needs money, so they have to rent out the beauty parlor. This is when Gena enters the picture. She loves the beauty parlor and promises to keep it mostly the same with some minor renovations. She also gives most of the Widows jobs that help them discover their passions in life again, which wins over Granny Po. Slowly Gena helps these grumpy old ladies become enthusiastic individuals again.
But that's just the major overview; Abbey's got tons more in this book. You see, Abbey's plan is to be a millionaire by age 35, and she's got an investment plan and everything. Already she has over 7 grand, and she's barely fifteen. But why is she doing this? Because every other woman in her family (her grumpy granny, her suicidal grandmother, and her deadbeat, clinically depressed mother) were failures, and she wants to be the one to break the cycle. But her will is tested when her mother comes around, with promises of a beach house they could own if they had the money (which Abbey has...) and a new life together where everything would be perfect, just the two of them. So Abbey gives her mother her money, and poof! her mother disappears. This starts a whole chain of sad events in this book, the least of which is when Abbey's best friend/crush, Mitch, and she have a fallout.
This book was really good and entertaining, with a unique storyline. I've read stories where teens work hard for something they really want and have to learn to chill a little, but none where the main character works in a beauty shop and has such high hopes for 20 years down the lines.
I especially love stories like this where a main character like Abbey is a really serious teenager and acts totally adult through the whole book, because it seems so backwards but also reminds us all that we all have a little bit of that solemn, responsible person inside of us no matter what age we are. But when Abbey finds that she can chill and have fun, it reminds us we have a bit of that, too. ♠♠♠♠

M or F?

No, this does not stand for male or female but for Marcus or Frannie. Let me try to explain this: this is one of the most confusing romantic comedy novels I have EVER read, but it was GREAT. And normally I don't tell the whole story, only a basic summary that keeps you hanging so the book isn't forever ruined on here, but for this book I will make an exception and tell all because it was so good.
Frannie and Marcus are best friends. Marcus is gay, but they are both looking for love. Marcus tries to help Frannie find her crush online by chatting with him, and his name is Jeffrey. So they chat with him and Frannie goes on a few dates with him and has a great time, although Jeffrey sort of refuses to make a move. Meanwhile Marcus keeps chatting online with Jeffrey pretending to be Frannie WITHOUT FRANNIE KNOWING.
Suddenly Marcus realizes HE likes Jeffrey. A lot. And Frannie finds out about Marcus chatting with Jeffrey and they havre a fight. That's when Frannie starts to think maybe JEFFREY could be gay, and she decides to test this. So she makes hot chocolate, lights a few candles, and puts on a nightie (yes, a NIGHTIE) to impress Jeffrey, only when he comes over and she tries to make a move he barfs practically on her lap, and she realizes he must definitely be gay.
So now Frannie and Marcus are friends again and Frannie is trying to hook Jeffrey up with Marcus. Also, there seems to be a connection going on between Frannie and Jeffrey's best friend Glenn. So Marcus 'accidentally' ditches the movies to leave Glenn and Frannie on their own, and he goes to meet up with Jeffrey and maybe see if he can get up his nerve to tell him how he feels because he thinks Jeffrey's gay.
This is where the MAJOR PLOT TWIST comes in. When Frannie realizes she's being set up with Glenn she tells Glenn this. Glenn's reply? "I'm gay, didn't you know?" And Frannie also figures out that they were wrong about Jeffrey, and that he wasn't gay, just shy. So they rush up to where Jeffrey and Marcus are sitting, right when Marcus is about to put a move on Jeffrey, and Frannie breaks it up!
Now comes the huge surprise: Jeffrey hadn't really been on the chat room, either. Glenn had been chatting for Jeffrey, so basically Glenn and Marcus had been chatting under the names of Jeffrey and Frannie, and they're PERFECT for each other!
Jeffrey and Frannie, however, realize they weren't meant to be, although Jeffrey really liked Frannie. But Frannie does end up with someone... and that's where I leave off.
This book is really confusing at parts, especially because right where you think you know where it's going, you get COMPLETELY turned around and facing the other direction. But it was a good read, and I swear on George's ear that it was laugh-out-loud funny. I was cracking up in the corner of my living room while my family was watching the World Series, and I looked like an idiot. But anyway: ♠♠♠♠

CAROLINE B COONEY!!!!!

She's one of my favorite suspense/teen/thriller authors, and she is AMAZING. She wrote The Face on the Milk Carton and other bestsellers... welcoming Caroline B. Cooney!
And thank George's holy ear (HP humor) that I finally got to read her newest book, Diamonds in the Shadow. It looked kind of boring from the summary, but I loved it.
The summary? This naive, ignorant white American family takes in a family of four war refugees from Africa that have seen horrific things... and in some cases, committed horrific crimes. The white family consists of the mother, Mrs. Finch, who is on practically every church committee known to man and does her best to help but sometimes smothers, the father, Mr. Finch, who is almost a minor character because he's almost never home and when he is he doesn't say much, Mopsy, the middle-school daughter who goes by Mopsy instead of Martha and is unusually naive for her age, seeing good everywhere she goes, and Jared, the selfish high-school brat of a son. The African refugee family is made up of Mattu, the "son" who has a clean British accent and is very smart and ambitious, Celestine, the "mother" who is amazed by all the new American appliances but seems to be hiding a deep sorrow somewhere under her curious and joyful disposition, the "father" Andre, who has no hands due to the fact that they were cut off by soldiers and now he has the huge problem of having very specific job requirements, and the daughter, Alake. Alake does not talk, but unlike Mr. Finch, she is not a minor character. In fact, she is almost the centrivigal force to this whole story, tying everything together and keeping the storyline running steady. And then there's the mysterious fifth refugee.
Yes, this story was really freakin' good. I'm so glad I read it, even though it took me a week with everything else going on, but I read, I loved, I want her to write more, darn it!
I loved how the story is told from everybody's point of view, showing how new simple concepts like a microwave and opening a juice carton can be mysteries to somebody from a wartorn world. There were also many good observations pointed out about how we as Americans act, which can change the way you think. I know I think of America as a much different place after reading this book. It was really interesting how the author worked that in through such a short, complex, really-completely-awesome book. Because on the thriller front, it was pretty compelling, you just had to keep reading.♠♠♠♠

Does My Head Look Big In This?

The question is, does my head look big in what? Actually we're talking about Amal's head, and if it looks big in a hijab, or a traditional Muslim headscarf.
You see, Amal has decided it's time to start wearing the hijab fulltime to her public school and everywhere else to take the next step in her religious life. The thing is, in Australia people don't always appreciate you for who you are, especially if you've got your head wrapped up and you have to pray five times a day. Amal has to deal with all the prejudice and racism coming from her classmates and community (who are sadly misunderstood) and she also has to deal with the everyday pressures of a teen life: getting away from overprotective parents, dealing with a crush when she can't date before marriage, helping insecure friends, keeping up in school, and all the other teenage drama in a girl's life. Because as most of us know very well, there's a lot of it.
Amal's story does have a happy ending and a bright side: be yourself, that's all that you can be. I'm pretty sure that's an Audioslave song lyric, too, but whatever, it's a good message and it's found in this book.
My favorite part of the book, however, were not about Amal exactly but about her friends. First there was Leila, who was also Muslim, except her mother was REALLY overprotective. Like she wouldn't let Leila go out after dark for fear that she would "bring shame upon the family." Amal has to help Leila live her life in spite of her mother, and eventually they have to figure out a permanent solution or their family could fall apart. The other friend with the big problem was Simone, Amal's slightly chubby friend from school. Simone was really insecure about her weight, and she tried every diet in the book even though she had this great body that she couldn't see in herself because she thought she was too fat. Simone keeps trying to diet and then binges until finally she's decided she's had enough and starts smoking. She also is the other one in this book with a love interest, besides Amal.
The last thing I liked about this book was the authentic Australianism. I have an Australian friend and he explained how they get American pop culture stuff a bit later than we see it, so they're watching Friends and Big Brother for fun and thinking it's just great! instead of crap TV like some people do. So Amal is always making allusions (vocab word!) to Friends, Big Brother, Celine Dion, etc. It's really funny and brightens up the book, making it very teenager-understandable.
People have been telling me to read this book for a while and I neglected because I thought it looked too chick-flicky, but it was really good and I'm sad I put this off for so long because I liked it a lot. ♠♠♠♠