Belle Decouverte!!
Thanks to everyone who entered. And a big thank you to CSN Stores for this amazing opportunity allowing me to host the giveaway!
Monday, January 17, 2011
CSN Stores Giveaway Winner!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Lock and Key
Lock and Key
Sarah Dessen
432 pages
Rating: 3/5
"Ruby, where is your mother?" Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she's been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return. That's how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn't seen in ten years, and Cora's husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future—it's a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?
My Thoughts:
I was first recommended this book by Jennie from Life is Short. Read Fast. In fact, this novel was the first book of Sarah Dessen to be on my TBR list. So, I guess Jennie really was the first one to introduce me to Sarah Dessen, who now is one of my favorite YA authors. So excited that I stumbled upon Jennie's review! As far as Lock and Key goes, I loved the cover, and the description sounded amazing. I have to say though, that I did not enjoy it as much as I have all of the others. I am not sure if this was the first Sarah Dessen book that I read if I would have the same opinion. But it simply was not my favorite of her novels.
The general premise of this book, as you can tell from the book description from Goodreads, is that Ruby has grown up with an unreliable mother and has hence learned to not rely on anyone, thereby not letting anyone get close to her. As she moves in with her sister, she has people around her that attempt to break down those barriers, and the story is how she learns to be apart of a family and to have true friendships that include the give-and-take that all relationships do.
Just as Auden, from Along for the Ride, was the character I could relate to the most, Ruby was the Dessen character I could relate to the least. Perhaps it is because I never experienced the things that Ruby did, but reading about her life was very foreign to me. I had to learn to accept her mindset in order to not get frustrated and yell at the pages.
I was first recommended this book by Jennie from Life is Short. Read Fast. In fact, this novel was the first book of Sarah Dessen to be on my TBR list. So, I guess Jennie really was the first one to introduce me to Sarah Dessen, who now is one of my favorite YA authors. So excited that I stumbled upon Jennie's review! As far as Lock and Key goes, I loved the cover, and the description sounded amazing. I have to say though, that I did not enjoy it as much as I have all of the others. I am not sure if this was the first Sarah Dessen book that I read if I would have the same opinion. But it simply was not my favorite of her novels.
The general premise of this book, as you can tell from the book description from Goodreads, is that Ruby has grown up with an unreliable mother and has hence learned to not rely on anyone, thereby not letting anyone get close to her. As she moves in with her sister, she has people around her that attempt to break down those barriers, and the story is how she learns to be apart of a family and to have true friendships that include the give-and-take that all relationships do.
Just as Auden, from Along for the Ride, was the character I could relate to the most, Ruby was the Dessen character I could relate to the least. Perhaps it is because I never experienced the things that Ruby did, but reading about her life was very foreign to me. I had to learn to accept her mindset in order to not get frustrated and yell at the pages.
I also had a hard time grasping the other characters besides Jamie (Ruby's brother-in-law). Jamie was very readable to me, and I could picture him easily in my mind (perhaps because he reminds me so much of my uncle). But the other characters, Cora, Nate, Ruby's friend from her previous school, they were all hard to imagine in my mind. I guess I simply could not put all their pieces and actions together to make a whole character. I just never really grasped who they were supposed to be as characters, and that made the novel harder to enjoy.
On another note, I want to give a shout-out to Ms. Dessen for once again creating a picture of healthy relationships. She has a wonderful talent for creating a realistic picture of how relationships work. She shows the ups and the downs, and I love that in this novel, she shows how one person's baggage can affect everyone surrounded. She also portrays the difficulty that working through baggage can be. There are some novels that oh-wave-a-wand-and-things-are-better, and it just makes me want to laugh - because I believe we all know that real life does not work that way. Instead, Ms. Dessen actually writes about how relationships can be worked on, and she even makes it interesting. Kudos to her talent!
Ultimately, I gave this novel a 3/5 because I did not enjoy it as much as I did all of Ms. Dessen's other novels. The plot was good, and I thought the lessons learned were appropriate. I just found the novel not as enjoyable to read. I could not grasp the characters, and the story just did not seem to jump off the page at me (which might have been a personal issue). However, the novel was a fun read, and I am not disappointed in the time spent reading it. If you are a first time Dessen reader, I would recommend picking this one up as a second read. But I would recommend it to all Dessen and YA fiction fans. Read and enjoy.
Other reviews about Lock and Key:
Life is Short. Read Fast. review
Books Obsession review
Under the Boardwalk review
On another note, I want to give a shout-out to Ms. Dessen for once again creating a picture of healthy relationships. She has a wonderful talent for creating a realistic picture of how relationships work. She shows the ups and the downs, and I love that in this novel, she shows how one person's baggage can affect everyone surrounded. She also portrays the difficulty that working through baggage can be. There are some novels that oh-wave-a-wand-and-things-are-better, and it just makes me want to laugh - because I believe we all know that real life does not work that way. Instead, Ms. Dessen actually writes about how relationships can be worked on, and she even makes it interesting. Kudos to her talent!
Ultimately, I gave this novel a 3/5 because I did not enjoy it as much as I did all of Ms. Dessen's other novels. The plot was good, and I thought the lessons learned were appropriate. I just found the novel not as enjoyable to read. I could not grasp the characters, and the story just did not seem to jump off the page at me (which might have been a personal issue). However, the novel was a fun read, and I am not disappointed in the time spent reading it. If you are a first time Dessen reader, I would recommend picking this one up as a second read. But I would recommend it to all Dessen and YA fiction fans. Read and enjoy.
Other reviews about Lock and Key:
Life is Short. Read Fast. review
Books Obsession review
Under the Boardwalk review
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Along for the Ride
Along for the Ride
Sarah Dessen
384 pages
Rating: 4.5/5
It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.
A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.
A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.
My Thoughts:
I picked up this book simply because my library had it. I am happy to say that the library has many Sarah Dessen books, and I have been reading through them of late. This book sounded nice and the cover was so lovely, so I just added it to my stack of books to check out. I'm happy to report that I was not disappointed.
Auden was a character I greatly related to. As opposed to other novels where reading is a learning experience for me or a view of a different type of life, Auden was almost a mirror reflection of myself. I enjoyed learning her story, and I could relate to her well. She is a studious, perfectionist that grew up in a house full of adults that expected her to act the same. (Me being the youngest, I can related just a tad). I love her decisions to be exposed to the world she's never experienced - creating her "summer of fun." It made for an exciting read.
So during her summer at her father's house, Auden meets a group of girls that expose her to the girlfriend arena. Can I just say that I love Auden's reaction to the majority of things they do? My sister is a girly girl, and I can related to Auden's expression of "Ew! MORE pink?!" There are several other instances where I giggled at the interactions between her and her new found girlfriends. Ms. Dessen simply had me rolling in laughter at many of the comments Auden makes. Ms. Dessen takes her humor from the everyday occurrences of life, and I truly enjoyed the humor she portrays.
Alright, so Eli. Can I just say that I love Ms. Dessen's way of portraying romance? I loved Eli. I have a good friend that reminded me of the character Eli, so I could picture him perfectly. But I believe the reason that I enjoy Ms. Dessen's books so mush is that she shows romance growing from a friendship. Not that I don't love the love-at-first-sight concept, but to me, that is so rare. It's more realistic and enjoyable for me to read about how characters are friends and have an actual relationship (more than just that kissy-kissy-lovy-dovy stuff - though I know we all enjoy that as well) and fall in love. I also love the way that Eli and Auden's relationship is one of individual growth. They both have obstacles to overcome, and their relationship is not one of dependence, but independence. They support each other as they learn to be their own individual unique person. That may make zero sense, but if you read the book, I believe you'll understand what my confusedly typed words are attempting to explain. I simply enjoyed how Ms. Dessen portrays a generally healthy relationship.
I picked up this book simply because my library had it. I am happy to say that the library has many Sarah Dessen books, and I have been reading through them of late. This book sounded nice and the cover was so lovely, so I just added it to my stack of books to check out. I'm happy to report that I was not disappointed.
Auden was a character I greatly related to. As opposed to other novels where reading is a learning experience for me or a view of a different type of life, Auden was almost a mirror reflection of myself. I enjoyed learning her story, and I could relate to her well. She is a studious, perfectionist that grew up in a house full of adults that expected her to act the same. (Me being the youngest, I can related just a tad). I love her decisions to be exposed to the world she's never experienced - creating her "summer of fun." It made for an exciting read.
So during her summer at her father's house, Auden meets a group of girls that expose her to the girlfriend arena. Can I just say that I love Auden's reaction to the majority of things they do? My sister is a girly girl, and I can related to Auden's expression of "Ew! MORE pink?!" There are several other instances where I giggled at the interactions between her and her new found girlfriends. Ms. Dessen simply had me rolling in laughter at many of the comments Auden makes. Ms. Dessen takes her humor from the everyday occurrences of life, and I truly enjoyed the humor she portrays.
Alright, so Eli. Can I just say that I love Ms. Dessen's way of portraying romance? I loved Eli. I have a good friend that reminded me of the character Eli, so I could picture him perfectly. But I believe the reason that I enjoy Ms. Dessen's books so mush is that she shows romance growing from a friendship. Not that I don't love the love-at-first-sight concept, but to me, that is so rare. It's more realistic and enjoyable for me to read about how characters are friends and have an actual relationship (more than just that kissy-kissy-lovy-dovy stuff - though I know we all enjoy that as well) and fall in love. I also love the way that Eli and Auden's relationship is one of individual growth. They both have obstacles to overcome, and their relationship is not one of dependence, but independence. They support each other as they learn to be their own individual unique person. That may make zero sense, but if you read the book, I believe you'll understand what my confusedly typed words are attempting to explain. I simply enjoyed how Ms. Dessen portrays a generally healthy relationship.
Ultimately, this novel was my favorite of Ms. Dessen's books that I have read so far. I related the most to Auden, but I loved so many different aspects of this book. I did not predict the ending, and I read the entire book in two days. It was a great view of different relationships, and I would recommend it to all teenage girls for an enjoyable read that shows how healthy relationships can work. I also recommend it to anyone who loves YA fiction, as it is the best example of realistic YA fiction I have read. It's one of the few books on my shelf that I will pick up and reread to enjoy again. I not only enjoyed getting to the ending, but I enjoyed the journey through the pages that brought me to the conclusion.
Other reviews of Along for the Ride:
Nice Girls Read Books review
Featured in The Story Siren's Top 10 Summer Reads
Alaine - Queen of Happy Endings review
Mundie Moms review
Patricia's Particularity
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Enquiring Minds Want to Know (11)
1. Where were you/how did you hear about the tragedy in Tucson?
I believe I was at my parents' house and caught a glimpse at a newspaper. You may dislike me for this thought process, but in the event of honesty, I am going to share my view. I tend to not follow national news; in fact, I don't generally follow news much at all. I grew up in Memphis, and so much of news from there (or almost anywhere these days) is so depressing and violent. Because I work with death every day, I find that the last thing I want to do at the end of a work day is turn on the tv to watch more horrors. Perhaps that is naive and shallow, but it's apart of a coping mechanism for me to be able to give myself completely to my job. But back to the topic at hand, I drove back to Memphis a couple of days ago and glimpsed a newspaper (I don't receive one myself) that mentioned the tragedy. I have only recently received most of the facts of the event.
2. Do you think it is the politicians and the news media that stir the pot to make these events more likely to happen?
I don't know that they make them more likely to happen, but I do believe that they make it worse when it does. The most relevant thing I can speak of is 9-11, when I saw the event happen so many times on TV that I stopped crying at it. That image is forever burned into my head (firstly, because of the horror) but mostly because it was reviewed and discussed relentlessly throughout the next few days. It was a severe tragedy, but it's hard for me to believe that those who died are honored by the continued reliving and rehashing of the event. I guess I wish things were handled a little more tastefully.
3. Do you think we will see any changes in the way our representatives in our home states or in Washington interact with their constituents/us?
I'm sure we will. It may not be tomorrow, but just as airport security is still being affected, I think security in all places will be affected throughout the country.
I apologize for the seriousness of this post, simply because this is a hobby and generally a getaway for many people. But I pray for those who are affected both directly and indirectly by such a tragedy. Until next time.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Girl v. Boy
Girl v. Boy
Yvonne Collins
288 pages
Rating: 3/5
All’s not fair in love, war, and high school journalism
Sixteen-year-old Luisa Perez is not looking to win any awards for school spirit. In fact, she and her friends make it a point to avoid all activities considered “extra-curricular.” So when her English teacher volunteers her to be an anonymous columnist for the school paper, Luisa’s first impulse is to run. But, unlike her high-school dropout sister, Luisa does want to go to college—it may be her only ticket out of a life spent working at the cowboy-themed diner where she waitresses part time—and it would be nice to something on her applications.
Her first assignment is to cover her high school's latest fundraiser, which pits the girls against the boys. Luisa will cover the events from the female POV, while another anonymous writer provides the male perspective—or, at least, that’s how it begins. The two columnists soon find themselves engaged in an epic battle of the sexes—a battle that Luisa is determined to win. Just who does this guy think he is, encouraging his peers to act like Neanderthals with their girlfriends? And why can’t Luisa shake the very sinking feeling that her new unidentified nemesis might also be her new boyfriend?
My Thoughts:
This novel reminded me a bit of what it's like to go back to high school. Like Sarah Dessen, Yvonne Collins creates a picture of the high school life - with one or two major differences from my own experience, so that she gives a new perspective to ponder. Having to work your way through high school and strive for the opportunity to go to college was new to me. I went to high school with the unquestionable choice of going to college; what college was the only question. But private school generally had that purpose. Once again, I was reminded how different my high school experience was from others.
Besides a different view of high school, Girl v. Boy was a fun, light-hearted novel. The columns between the journalist cracked me up. I often laughed at the stereotypical behavior of different characters that created the humor contrast. The popular girl, too-cool-for-Luisa's-advice. The popular boy, openly interested in only fulfilling his wants and needs. The popular-but-invisible crowd of followers. I loved laughing at the honesty shown through anonymity. The plot was generally predictable, but the ending was fun getting to.
There were some small points that greatly annoyed me, thus deterred from my general enjoyment of the novel. First of all, Luisa goes through three different guys in the book. And every one seemed to be the "love of her life." How can somebody go being completely invested in one guy to being completely invested in another within the week? It made her seem shallow to me. Perhaps Collins meant it as irony, but I wasn't like that in high school (but I did only date two guys the entire four years). It just caused me to have less appreciation for her as a character. I was also a bit annoyed at her honesty in the columns. Though funny at times, I could not believe some of the things she wrote. Perhaps I am a bit paranoid, but I cannot imagine being so completely honest, especially at a high school, when there is always a possibility of being found out. But then again, hindsight is always 20/20. (or being an outsider with an overall view of 20/20) It just seemed a bit like she had it coming.
I gave this book a 3/5 because I enjoyed the read and had many laughs from Luisa and her counterparts, but there was one too many annoying traits for me to keep me from enjoying it thoroughly. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fun young adult fiction and doesn't mind a bit of immaturity. Take the book at face value, and it is an overall fun read that would provide a wonderful afternoon of entertainment on a snowy day.
Sixteen-year-old Luisa Perez is not looking to win any awards for school spirit. In fact, she and her friends make it a point to avoid all activities considered “extra-curricular.” So when her English teacher volunteers her to be an anonymous columnist for the school paper, Luisa’s first impulse is to run. But, unlike her high-school dropout sister, Luisa does want to go to college—it may be her only ticket out of a life spent working at the cowboy-themed diner where she waitresses part time—and it would be nice to something on her applications.
Her first assignment is to cover her high school's latest fundraiser, which pits the girls against the boys. Luisa will cover the events from the female POV, while another anonymous writer provides the male perspective—or, at least, that’s how it begins. The two columnists soon find themselves engaged in an epic battle of the sexes—a battle that Luisa is determined to win. Just who does this guy think he is, encouraging his peers to act like Neanderthals with their girlfriends? And why can’t Luisa shake the very sinking feeling that her new unidentified nemesis might also be her new boyfriend?
My Thoughts:
This novel reminded me a bit of what it's like to go back to high school. Like Sarah Dessen, Yvonne Collins creates a picture of the high school life - with one or two major differences from my own experience, so that she gives a new perspective to ponder. Having to work your way through high school and strive for the opportunity to go to college was new to me. I went to high school with the unquestionable choice of going to college; what college was the only question. But private school generally had that purpose. Once again, I was reminded how different my high school experience was from others.
Besides a different view of high school, Girl v. Boy was a fun, light-hearted novel. The columns between the journalist cracked me up. I often laughed at the stereotypical behavior of different characters that created the humor contrast. The popular girl, too-cool-for-Luisa's-advice. The popular boy, openly interested in only fulfilling his wants and needs. The popular-but-invisible crowd of followers. I loved laughing at the honesty shown through anonymity. The plot was generally predictable, but the ending was fun getting to.
There were some small points that greatly annoyed me, thus deterred from my general enjoyment of the novel. First of all, Luisa goes through three different guys in the book. And every one seemed to be the "love of her life." How can somebody go being completely invested in one guy to being completely invested in another within the week? It made her seem shallow to me. Perhaps Collins meant it as irony, but I wasn't like that in high school (but I did only date two guys the entire four years). It just caused me to have less appreciation for her as a character. I was also a bit annoyed at her honesty in the columns. Though funny at times, I could not believe some of the things she wrote. Perhaps I am a bit paranoid, but I cannot imagine being so completely honest, especially at a high school, when there is always a possibility of being found out. But then again, hindsight is always 20/20. (or being an outsider with an overall view of 20/20) It just seemed a bit like she had it coming.
I gave this book a 3/5 because I enjoyed the read and had many laughs from Luisa and her counterparts, but there was one too many annoying traits for me to keep me from enjoying it thoroughly. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fun young adult fiction and doesn't mind a bit of immaturity. Take the book at face value, and it is an overall fun read that would provide a wonderful afternoon of entertainment on a snowy day.
New Years Reading Resolutions Giveaway Winner!
I'm so excited to announce my winner for the New Year's Reading Resolutions Giveaway. And the winner is......
Sena
She has replied to my email, and I'm sending out the books today. She's getting Perfect Chemistry and Poison Study. I had over 230 entries. Thanks so much to everyone who entered. And congratulations again to Sena!
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