Tune in Tuesday! Stealing "Shade" for a moment!

Awesome book reviews, Ridiculous Tune-Ins, Ginger's got it all! Check her out here!

So there are a couple of "Shade" Cheerleaders and they have been pushing this book SO hard that when I saw it at my local Borders I had to get it. There's an undeniable amount of music in the story and it adds a lot to it, imo. One of my most favorite characters is Zachery and without really giving too much away I will tell you ***SPOILER MINOR SPOILER ALERT!*** that his favorite song is "I will possess your heart" by Death Cab For Cutie. (I don't really think that's a spoiler, but I know some people don't want to know anything at all about a book before they read it! Lookin out for you guys! lol!)

I know admittedly little about DCFC. I know they sang "Meet me on the Equinox" from New Moon and well, A LOT of us got started or jump started back into reading because of the Twilight series so I thought I'd look into this song that meant so much to Zachery.

Remember: I know very little about the bad. But they seem really artistic. As a videographer I was enthralled by the music videos. Each video this band creates is really top notch. I feel like it fits the feel of their music, very chill but emotional...if you can say that.

I think Jeri Smith-Ready picked a perfect song for Zachery to claim :) He's so awesome. I love him. I'm not even split in my teams for Shade, but that's a story for tomorrows post. lol! That being said, I'll link some videos from said band and then please check back tomorrow for my review of Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready!!

Memorial Day! A Thank You to our Troops!!

I for one am proud to be an American! I am proud of our soldiers who fight over seas and at home for the people who live here (evevn those can claim not to be proud of their nation!) Memorial Day is a day designated to honoring and remembering our fallen heroes. I honor our fallen and our currently serving/retired heroes today. You are at the forefront of the pride that swells in my heart everytime I hear the National Anthem or see an American flag flying high in the sky. The sacrifice that you make for us, for all of us, should not go unnoticed and to those who have fallen - they have paid the ultimate price, that does not deserve to go unnoticed.

I've always been proud but that pride was strengthened when my mom married one of my friends..ok that came out awkward. lol! It's true though. I invited Scott over with a bunch of other wrestlers and well, as the story goes- he never left. lol! It works though! Scott served in the Army. His sister currently serves in the Navy. His little brother serves as a Marine. I am so blessed that each of them have completed different tours and have made it back home to us. I can't imagine the pain that comes with knowing that your loved one didn't.

As Americans we're called a lot of things. By others and sometimes even by other Americans. Today I hope that you call yourself humbled. Even if you aren't an American we've all known what it's like to have someone fight for what they believe in. To feel so strongly for your country that you risk and sometimes give your own life is a remarkable thing. I salute you, troops!!

Thank you for everything, you are not and will never be forgotten!!!!

Review: Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Claire de Lune

Christine Johnson

Copyright 2010, Simon Pulse



Torn between two destinies…
Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and her crush keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she’s the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: She’s a werewolf.
As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she finds her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart. Burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, she will be forced to make a choice that will change her life forever. . .   - Goodreads.com


Let me start by saying that there are a lot of things about this book that I liked. I think Johnson did a wonderful job of describing the characters as well as their surroundings. She also blends a world that we all live in easily with the world of the werewolves.

As Claire is struggling with the new found issue of being a werewolf and facing the fact that her entire life as she has known it has been a lie, she's also dealing with a best friend whose little problems are almost an annoyance and a guy that she desperately wants to believe will still want to be with her. But she can't trust anyone and is living a secret, so how do you deal with that?

Johnson even managed to surprise me. About 50 pages in I was like: "Yep. Got it. This person is the bad guy, surprise surprise" but then like 100 pages later I was like "...hmmm...I bet this person is actually the bad guy."  It was nice to be kept guessing when danger literally lurkes behind every corner!

The swoon factor is there, Matthew is a really great guy. He's athletic, intelligent and very compassionate. He's just the right guy for Claire, whose world is in shambles. But she has to hide so much from him, how will they ever really be together? And if she told her secret, how would he react? Things could end very very badly and not just in a "eat a pint of chocolate ice cream to help your broken heart" kind of way!

The characters have good development and the story is very well written and easy to read. In fact, I think I finished it in a day or two. I've also had the pleasure of meeting Christine Johnson and she is a very sweet woman with adorable shoes :)

While it wasn't a book that kept me completely enraptured I would encourage everyone to pick it up and give a fresh story and fresh werewolf history a chance! I did enjoy that the werewolves were from a different breed, if you will :) Also, the mother-daughter content was interesting and I think it's very very life like. It's easy to remember being a teen and having awkward "I don't want to listen to this advice but I guess I don't really have a choice" moments! All of this really added to the characters believability (if that's even a word lol!) and helps to make the story feel very solid.

I look forward to reading more from Christine Johnson and I hope her intriguing new ideas keep coming in such an easy to read fashion!

Review: Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

Something, Maybe

Elizabeth Scott

Copyright 2009, Simon Pulse

**For the record, I was really witty and pretty well written and then Blogger ate my post...I hope this does not disappoint :) **

Hannah's life is not what a normal teen in a small town should have. Her dad is the Hugh Hefner and her mom is one of his ex "Bunnies". Hannah, is invisible. It's how she wants it to be. She's terrified of being some crazy nimpho like her dad and she's been under enough scrutiny of the public eye when she's highlighted on her dad's TV show. The last time was several years ago and it of course, didn't show how she was being treated -  only showed her upset and wanting to leave. Not to mention that a visit to Dad's shouldn't be spent with his 5 "special girls" and his camera crew.

So as she's dealing with her family drama and trying to stay invisible in school there's one thing she knows: She doesn't want to be invisible to Josh.

Gorgeous Josh who is sensitive and well read and cares about the world. He wants to make a difference, he's such a good person. He's not like her, she wants to be like him. She wants him to like her, she's be that good of a person one day. In the mean time she just needs to try and be around him at work - which would be easier if Finn wasn't always at work too, interrupting her slight conversations with Josh and giving her this weird look. What is that look anyway? And why has she never noticed it before?

What she's not noticing is that she's so afraid to be close, so afraid to be who she is, that she's blind to the world around her. She doesn't see that Josh is over confident and makes her feel bad about herself, or that Finn is always there for her and knows her. Better yet, I won't tell you all the other things she doesn't see, I want you to read them. Elizabeth Scott is one of my favorite authors and theres a reason for that. Her writing speaks to me, it's like she got in my head and made a story out of it.

Seriously, listen to this:

"I know," he says. "I wanted to." And then he touches my face. Right there in the parking lot, with the lights making his hair shine, and he's so close and he's touching my face, and his eyes are huge and gorgeous, and he's so gorgeous I just want to takcle him. Take him down, right there in the parking lot, kiss the crap out of him, and then get his shirt off and slide up against him and- Well, you get the idea."  

 Dude. That's from my brain, the way I think. lol How does she do that?! Promise me she won't stop?! lol!

Sometimes we don't get what we want, sometimes we get what we want just to find that it's not at all what we need or thought it was. The question then becomes: Keep yourself closed and concentrate on changing yourself to get what you want or open up and be you - taking the risk that you might get what you need, and maybe something you want even more?

TGIF!

TGIF is a weekly meme hosted by the ultra-fab Ginger over at G-Reads! Seriously check her out if you haven't already, she pretty much rocks!

This weeks question: Author love: In 2011 which new/old authors have you discovered & loved?

EASY! I've had the opportunity to meet and read from a whole ton of amazing authors so far this year but one stands out far above the crowd.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present: Elizabeth Scott.

Until a few months ago I didn't know she existed, let alone wrote a whole ton of amazing books! I had only been reading YA Supernatural/Paranormal books and didn't know what to expect when I picked up a copy of The Unwritten Rule. I liked the cover. It's a YA Contemporary and I was like...Hmm....this book is going to be seriously limited on werewolves... but still, I tried it. And loved it. She really seemed to write to my life so I thought, what the heck. I'll get another of her books. I picked up Bloom. I loved it like Whoa. Seriously. So then I thought, third times a charm right? I went out and got Grace. AHHHH. Whether is swoon or oppression Elizabeth Scott can captivate me in the strongest way. Now I'm reading Something, Maybe and hey - here's a shocker - I freaking love it.

She has a unique writing style that makes it so easy to read I have to wonder sometimes if I'm actually reading someone elses words or if there's just a really good conversation going on in my head. You will lose yourself to her story. I can relate to characters/situations/feelings in her books even if it's not something I've personally gone through...but a lot of times there's a lot of that real life stuff in her books that are WAY relatable.

Ya know what's really cool too? She is. Seriously. Shoot her an email, tweet at her, she gets back to you! And she's SO nice! Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to meet her yet but man, I can't wait to! 

It's not just me either, tooooons of people love her. Heck there was just a whole Elizabeth Scott week!! I hope that got the word out to people who like me were ignorant to her work. She is truly talented and has so many great stories to tell! I can always count on her for a good read!

Review: XVI by Julia Karr

XVI

Julia Karr

Copyright 2011, Penguin

Can I be really honest with you guys? Don't judge me, promise?!

Ok here goes. I didn't want to buy this book. I didn't want to read it. At all. Ok maybe not at all but well...it's Dystopian. And here's the thing. Me + Angst = IRL FAIL. Seriously. But you know, you see you're going to a signing and you see the line up and well...if there's a book that seems pretty centered around sex, there's gotta be some kissing...right?

And you guys saw my post from the Unlucky/Lucky 13 signing and how extremely blessed I was to get to go to a brief dinner with some of the fab authors and friendly bloggers. Well I actually talked the most to Julia. She was really chill and easy to be around. And she's from Indiana, just like me! And I've been to Chicago about a gazillion times and she lived there! So when I finished reading Leah Clifford's "A Touch Mortal" I decided I was going to try XVI. It was about 80 degrees and sunshine so I grabbed the lawn chair and marched into the backyard. That's right, I was guarding myself from the deep anxiety and depression that comes with the dreaded "D" word! :)

But honestly? I freaking love this book. I don't care if you put it in the completely fictitious, yet should probably be created, "Lynn. Please don't read this. You get too attached and your life will be in shambles until you move on." category...I would read it again.

Nina lives in a futuristic Chicago. Verts (advertisements) line the streets and are in both video and audio format non stop. The GC decides what is discussed, what's illegal, the laws, how you should act, everything. Society still has it's hierarchy, Tiers, in this case. Nina went from Tier 5 (middle class) to Tier 2 (bit above poverty - think penny pinching) when her mom quit her job and moved them to a small town. Nina wasn't excited about it, but she kept it in. She made a best friend, Sandy, whom could go from self absorbed media whore to heartfelt ditzy bff in a matter of .2 seconds. Her life is ok. Her mom tells her not to believe everything she hears and her gran and gramps are always telling her to look for the truth. Her dad died when she was a baby and her moms new boyfriend, Ed...Well he's a pervert who beats the heck out of her mom frequently. But it's not Nina's job to voice concerns and step in - she knows she's got to be a strong back bone for her family.

Nina's mom is killed. Literally, her world is turned upside down. Ed is coming for her little sister, her mom's dying wish is to keep her away from him and oh yeah - at 16 you get a tattoo that tells the world its ok for them to have sex with you if they want to...did I mention her family doesn't really believe in all this? OH and there's this guy...Sal. *sigh*  (there is a serious SERIOUS amount of swoon in this book...just saying!)

I think what bothers me so deeply about dystopian's is that I see our society following so closely to the "stories" that these books tell. Tell me that 16 year olds aren't having sex? Tell me our media doesn't make it seem glamorous? Media doesn't track you? Maybe not but when you "check in" on your mobile apps it puts us pretty close, doesn't it? Despite how much that usually bothers me I couldn't help but be wrapped up in this world.

Karr found a way to make something as oppressive and demeaning as XVI tattoo's and gave hope to a world that doesn't realize it needs it. She finds love in the midst of sacrifice, friendship in the clutches of dispair and gives you small tokens of that world that will linger with you long after you turn the last page.

"That's what it said. What I read between the lines was "hope." - XVI   This book has given me hope. Hope for the future that I spend too much time fearing. Hope for true love and true friends. Hope that voices like Nina's and Sal's are heard when the world forgets they need them. 

Review: A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

A Touch Mortal

Leah Clifford

Copyright 2011, Greenwillow Books, a division of Harper

"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 touc, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaen 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." -- Blurb from inside cover jacket.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this. I had seen the cover and it looked cool, then on Twitter I saw a ton of crazy posts between Leah and Courtney Moulton and really, if you're friends with Courtney, I'll probably like you. Just sayin. Courtney seems to have that kind of "no bull, I like you until you really give me a reason not to" attitude and I respect it a lot! So when I went in search of A Touch Mortal and couldn't find it anywhere I was kinda ticked. I was going to be meeting her at the Unlucky/Lucky 13 signing and really wanted to have read it before then! Ahh well. Leah showed up super cute in a sundress with an cute yellow jacket, adorable. She was super nice too and even though I'd never met her before she gave a very "chill" vibe, then when I told her I couldn't get my hands on her book in my region she was excited lol! I told her I'd searched for it but all my stores either didn't have a tag or were sold out! During the Q&A session all of us heard a bit about the story and it seemed pretty good. Then she brought up a series of events that made me go: Wha? Here are the keywords: "F-Bombs", Grave Robbing and "window shopping" at a funeral home. And after the "Wha?" I went - Where is room for swoon in all of that?! Not sure where to have my head at I dove into A Touch Mortal.

Eden is pretty kick arse. She's sarcastic (major bonus), she's stubborn and she thinks for herself (HUGE bonus). When she first meets Az I didn't really think it could be him, that corny pick up line seemed to say "nope not me, I'm just a filler guy until the real one shows up!" but when their eyes connect and they both struggle to come back to reality from the gaze I started to get it. It kind of reminds me of the Kelly Clarkson song "Miss Independent" you know how she looks out for herself and has this "none shall harm me" kind of attitude and then suddenly you hear Kelly say "She didn't wanna end up jaded...didn't want to miss out on true love." That was all it took, that one chance she took to not miss out and it changed her whole world.

The story is filled with longing and heartbreak and yet as much of the book is about suicide and people who have commited suicide it's surprisingly hopeful and up beat. Call me stereotypical but when you say the bulk of the characters are people who have killed themselves I don't exactly expect loyalties, love and commoradity. These characters are in a constant struggle to make a difference, to find companionship. While the story as a whole is remarkably told, I think the individual characters are really what readers feel. Instead of reviewing as a whole I think I'd like to take some time to try and talk about some of the characters without giving much away!!

The relationship between Az and Eden is very lifelike. The struggle Eden faces between love and forgiveness are real life stories people face everyday and just when you think you know how one of them will react they tend to surprise you. One thing I learned about Eden is that she doesn't follow her gut very often and although it seems to be the long way around things I think it pays off because Eden is a thinker. She wants to figure things out for herself before she includes others in. Az's personality is harder to nail down. He seems to want whats best but he's also kinda selfish and when you think he'd do anything to fulfill his selfish desires Leah leaves you wondering if he'd really go the extra mile or not.

Gabe is awesome. He's the best friend to Az and I love him. He's present through the entire story, even more than Az. He's done his share of dirty biddings but he's got a big heart and he's always there for Eden.

Kristin is the first "Sider" and she's charged with taking in new Sider, Eden. It's not something she wants to do...at all. Think Stefan cashing in a favor to Katherine to watch Elena on Vampire Diaries. I actually saw a lot of Katherine in Kristin but even as much as I wanted to loathe her I could help but be intrigued.

Adam is Eden's Second in Command. He's loyal, protective and trusting of Eden. He's there for her and seems understanding. Watch for "pissing contests" I find them amusing and think I would probably react to them a lot like Eden does :)

All in all, I really enjoyed the read. I got through it pretty quickly and can't wait to see what happens in book 2!! If you've read it and want to chat about it hit me up!

The Loss of a Legend, Tribute to the Macho Man Randy Savage

Today the wrestling world suffers a great loss with the death of "Macho Man" Randy Savage.

To those of us who have been fans of wrestling for ions and even for those of us who have had the honor of lacing up a pair of boots, this is a tragic blow. Many remember Macho Man for his famous WrestleMania love story in WrestleMania 7. Stay with me bookish peeps, this is a story straight from YA Swoon Pages! You see Macho Man was an item, inseperable from Miss Elizabeth. She was the first lady of wrestling, beautiful and fair. They were amazing and the crowds loved them. Then, like any good book, there's conflict. Miss Elizabeth and Macho Man are seperated and he forms an unlikely alliance with Sensational Sherry. She's the opposite of Elizabeth, dark and excentric and she's a bad guy. She cheats all the time. So, after what seemed like decades of Miss Elizabeth and Macho being seperated we get to WM VII. Macho is fighting tooth and nail in his match but it's not enough. After his loss Sensational Sherry decides she's done with him, low blows him and leaves him blindsided in the ring. Miss Elizabeth jumps the guard rails from her seat in the audience and comes to his aide. Macho starts to regain his vision and grabs her, thinking she did this to him but the audience is screaming to him "Nooooo!" After looking to the audience for advice (don't you wish real life had an audience you could trust?! lol!) he realizes that Miss Elizabeth would never do this to him and they embrace - reunited at last.

Just like many of us swoon and tear up over loves in the books we read, this couple had the audience in tears. Their love story effected the thousands there and the millions who have witnessed it since.

That's what wrestling's about. The story. The passion. Wrestlers take us on a journey through their lives and everything about them sets the scene. I think that's why I love it so much. It's like a live action book and I have the distinct honor of being a part of it. I could list for you the titles he won, the legends he was able to wrestle, even his biography but how much would all of that matter to you?

What you need to know is that there was a man who touched millions performing in this brutal ballet, that he gave all of himself to the fans everytime he stepped through that curtain and that today we've lost him.

Brother, you have always been loved and you will be sorely missed. Rest in piece.

This is a video that contains a lot of Elizabeth and Macho and also shows highlights from WM 7 & 8. Look at all the fans and how closely they follow the story and the characters involved :)

What a blessing I've had to be in such a great sport; to call these men my brothers and know we share the same passion - it's something I'll always be in awe of!

Unlucky/Lucky 13 Signing!



Saundra Mitchell, L&L Roecker, Moi

 Oh what fun! The Hallowed Friday the 13th! Personally, my adoration for one Miss Taylor Swift already had me thinking how great the day could be, but this signing proved it! Nine "crazy" and amazing authors, a handful of the coolest bloggers and moi! Twas a great night indeed :)

I got off work and tried a new route to Naperville, it shaved 30 minutes off my time!! So I walked and shopped a bit and then headed to Andersons early to grab my books and meet up with Stacey from PageTurners, Erika from Book Cellar, Courtney Allison Moulton (Angelfire), Scott Tracey (Witch Eyes), Julia Karr (XVI) and Leah Clifford (A Touch Mortal) for a quick bite to eat! Yep, Awesome. After a bit we headed back to Anderson's and much to our happy eyes found Kristi from The Story Siren, Heidi from YA Bibliophile and a few others that I'm too lame and bad with names to remember correctly! (I'm sorry!! I promise, it was great to chat but dang is my memory BAD!)




The Story Siren...I look like a monster :) lol!





My Anderson's Bestie, Stacey!



OMG It's Scott Tracey!! Witch Eyes coming out soon!!



Leah, Courtney, Moi, Sara Bennett Wealer

 This panel of authors was HI-larious!! They interacted with each other and with all of us, telling funny stories, even funnier descriptions of their books and we even got to see a skit or two - thank you, Sarah Rees Brennan (Demons Lexicon)! lol! 

Also gracing us but not mentioned above were Lisa and Laura Roecker (The Liar Society), Sara Bennett Wealer (Rivals), Christine Johnson (Claire de'Lune), Saundra Mitchell (The Vespertine) <-- of whom I could have actually divulged my love for had I only gotten my grubby paws on it sooner! Yargh!


All in all, it was a wonderful wonderful night and I got a TON of books signed and a bunch of bookmark swag!! If you're interested in the books themselves check out my IMM from Sunday, they're all there!!

OH and Heidi - How is it we've done 2 of these together and I don't think we've taken ONE pic together?! *makes sticky note reminder for next time* :)

Review: The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

The Vespertine

Saundra Mitchell

Copyright 2011, Harcourt



Set in the exhasperating late 1800's, The Vespertine is a novel full of love and angst - propriety and mischief. Saundra Mitchell sets a delightful scene of a girl who comes from little making the most of life and the chance she's been given to stay with a distant cousin in the hopes of an advantageous marriage - a season of her own in a city. Amelia is said to be backwards, yet I found her endearing. She was true to herself, she didn't pretend like she should have, and it is a respectable characteristic. Amelia is staying with Zora, a fiesty and elegant girl who teases and tests her way into your heart. While the girls bond and flirt with boys you can help but be sucked into their world. Sucking in a breath to get your corset tight, gasping when Nathaniel fails to pull his hand quickly away from Amelia's in public. You love and hate, fear and cry with them.

In the midst of her season Amelia finds herself with a bit much on her plate. She's in love (and reasonably so) with Nathaniel, a poor boy with a heart of gold and the nobility of the wind. She's also found that when the fire of sunlight touches her eyes she can see pictures of the future, premonitions that begin coming true. Now, in a strange city with no advantageous marriage lined up Amelia finds herself burdened with choices. Love or looking for money? Tell the future or close her eyes to it? Trust the wind or relish in the fire?

When we first meet her she is locked in her brothers attic, we are told she is mad and she acts it. Look into her past and jump into her future as you delight in intrigues that will leave you teary eyed and breathless.

This is truly a contender for the best book I've read. My only regret is that I hadn't read it before meeting Saundra Mitchell so I could deliver my gratitude for such an amazing tale to her personally instead of telling her in earnest that I did intend and could not wait to read her words. The time period makes swooning somehow richer, somehow it means more. Small things, a kiss on the wrist, for example sent my heart fluttering. Mitchell did an amazing job and I cannot wait to see where she takes us next in The Springsweet!!

**Also, take the sleeve off and look at how gorgeous the book itself is! I mean, the cover is beautiful, but the binding, text and outline of the hardcover itself is striking!!**

In My Mailbox

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren! Check her out!!

I know I usually do a vlog for this, but alas, I've been writing all day and well...I'm kinda gross :) lol! SO here's what I got this week!!

The Iron Queen
The Iron Daughter    -   Julie Kagawa
The Iron King

The Vespertine - Saundra Mitchell
The Liar Society - Lisa & Laura Roecker
Demon's Lexicon- Sarah Rees Brennan
XVI - Julia Karr
Claire de Lune - Christine Johnson
A Touch Mortal - Leah Clifford
Rival - Sara Bennett Wealer

Yes, the bulk of these were purchased at Anderson's during the Lucky/Unlucky 13 Tour and I got them all signed :) I also pimped out with a bunch of bookmarks and an autograph on my Angelfire customized My Little Pony! Thanks Courtney!

I've been dying to get my hands on A Touch Mortal but the region has been sold out and I'm bad at ordering online :( That's ok, now my copy is signed! yay! Also, digging into The Vespertine immediately. I couldn't resist it's pretties :)

Hope everyone else had a great week in books too!!!

Review: Grace by Elizabeth Scott

Grace

Elizabeth Scott

Copyright 2010, Dutton

I feel like I need to take this moment to just fangirl a bit. Elizabeth Scott - you are amazing. No, really. I've now read 3 books by Scott and I have yet to find any of them left wanting. She has the unique capability to write on so many different levels. In The Unwritten Rule I found myself swooning like crazy begging for redemption as the girl no one wanted to date, in Bloom I'm swooning like crazy again but contemplating my acceptance of comfort and in Grace I'm left in awe of acts of humanity. I knew it wasn't going to be all boy crazy swoon fest. I knew it was more serious but the real question is, can someone who creates characters I fall in love with/relate with capable of also writing a tale of terrorism and the lives or death it leaves behind? The answer, briefly, is yes.

Grace is an Angel. Not an Angel sent from God but an "Angel" of The People. She lives her life knowing and learning how she will end it. It is an honor to be chosen, especially with her bloodline. She will learn to craft and detonate bombs with the hopes of being called to use those skills. Grace isn't selfish, in fact she never thinks of herself. She is pledged to a man who doesn't want her and tells her, her mother is dead and her father an alcoholic. But Grace carries herself with just that. It's finally her time, she's called to detonate her bomb and herself to kill a leader of Keran Berj's regime. All is going according to plan, the bomb is at her feet and she's ready to put the wires together and die for The People. But the sky is beckoning to her and the wires find themselves together, yet she's moved herself away from the bomb. What will be left for Grace when she lives instead of dies? She's shamed her people and the Saints, she's got nothing left but life and she's willing to risk it to finally have it.

Take a voyage with Grace and her traveling partner on a train ride to freedom, a place neither of them deserve to find but a place they dare hope they'll see. Learn with Grace about her actions, her enemies actions and how closely they may or may not be to the same.

I loved this book. I will highly recommend it to anyone and everyone I meet. It's clean, it's educational, it has a meaning. Elizabeth Scott is one of the most talented writers of our time and she has a lot of stories to tell, I for one can promise to keep listening!

Lauren Oliver Signing And Signed Delirium Give Away!!

Wanna know what's cooler than cool? Here's a hint: She's not ice cold! Lauren Oliver reeks. She exudes this aura of awesomeness and literally- you won't be able to help but love her. I'm not joking! When I read Delirium I made myself a solomn vow: I will never. EVER. Put myself through that kind of angst, ever again. Anything that even remotely looks dystopian shall stay on it's shelves. Even Hubby couldn't believe I made it through the book, I was so distraught. And everyone kept like, yelling at me: Isn't that such a great book?! And I was like: Say what?! I'm so depressed!! So you can understand that when I heard she was coming to Naperville part of me was like: I'm staying home. lol! I was bracing to see this super emo chick that just kind of moped in and told tragic stories. I mean, she hurt me! Physically! I was in pain reading Delirium! If she can hurt me with her words what could she do in person?! :) But DJ was going, and well, I love him :) And I really wanted to pick her brain, to know what kind of person could write a story so passionately that I would want to cry and hated to turn every page - never finding myself able to stop.



DJ brought his swag bag from his debut novel Hunted!



So here's the scene: It's Anderson's so, like always, it's awesome. Chairs are being set up, DJ and his amazing fam are already there and I'm in an uber good mood (even with a head cold!). I'm so glad DJ was there, because like me: He's a dork. :) No offense! lol! As the chairs went up I looked at him and asked: Should we be huge dorks and sit in the front? And he said yes! lol! So there we are, front and center just waiting for what I'm sure is going to be a downward spiral of despair and heartache. Also entering the amazingness - Stacey from PageTurnersBlog! I swear, we will be best friends yet! I've gotten to see her twice this month lol! *sigh* I just love all my blog peeps! You guys are the best! I see the back door open and this completely non-depressed looking chick who actually looks a lot like her Twitter profile pic smiles and waves at me. NO. WAY.

Lauren then comes out and says she wants to start early cuz, well, she's there and why not? I loves her. After several stories of how she started writing and previous jobs and such I am so enamored by her that all she had to do was reiterate that she HAS another book out that I'm dedicated to purchase it. Immediately. Apparently Lauren previously had issues with writing stories that had no plot - let's just all agree now that she's corrected that! She's also enormously passionate about writing, she writes every day. I think that's so cool. Even with a busy schedule she finds time to create worlds :) We even got a sneak preview of Pandamonium, the sequel to Delirium and I ate it alive. I'm telling you guys, this girl is cool. Beyond cool. When it finally came time to do the actual signing of the books I was sold. Not only will I read Before I Fall but I'll read Pandamonium and most likely whatever else Miss Oliver decides to torture me with! Jerk. lol!

Here's where you guys come in! I loved her so much I bought an extra copy of Delirium for her to sign....FOR YOU! Woot! :) Not only am I going to give it away but the winner also receives this amazing accomplishment: MY FIRST GIVE AWAY WINNER! lol! I know, I know, I've spared no expense :) ALSO. I love this blog. Alot. And it means an absolute ton to me that anyone even looks at it, I go to the little tab that lets me see the countries that are viewing and ya know what? A lot of you are not from the US and well, it just wouldn't be fair to not include you! This contest is a completely random INTERNATIONAL giveaway!! Eeeeks!!

SO, go ahead and enter because 1.) This book is thought-provoking and well written and 2.) It's free people! Take it! Take it!

Also, if you'd like to see my heartbroken review of Delirium just click here!   

Review: Plain Kate by Erin Bow

Plain Kate

By Erin Bow

Copywrite 2010, Arthur A. Levine Books

This is going to be really hard. But when you think about Plain Kate, I suppose that's what most things are and it's fitting in such. Kate is just a carvers daughter. Her mother is dead and she lives in a small town where her father is the main carver. He makes charms for people to wear to ward of evil or bring good luck, he makes grave markers and all sorts of things. Kate learns his skills and is a gifted carver in her own right. Her father falls ill and even when a beautiful woman sings to help heal him, it fails and he dies. Now, alone with nowhere to live and no one to belong to Kate finds herself asleep in a drawer in the town stall her father owned. When her town is struck with poor times she is looked at as a witch - the cause of evil and something to be disposed of. With only a battered marriage quilt to use as a coat, her faithful cat - Taggle - and her carving knife Kate strikes a deal with Linay, a witchy man himself who wants her shadow. For the means to get out of town before they take her life an uneasy Kate makes the deal and prepares to hit the road.

This is kind of the basis for the story. Plain Kate who belongs to no one and is wanted by no one, constantly on the run with her cat. Her cat that can talk...part of the spell the witch does in payment for her shadow. Awkward yet endearing. I kept thinking about how cool it would be if Stella (my kitteh) could talk to me! Anyway,  Kate does get introduced to a group of Roamers and is taken in momentarily by their group. I loved the dynamic of the Roamers. I thought the gypsy-like travelers were a good place for Kate, she needed other outsiders who used their gifts to obtain their goods. There's even a horse trainer who seems like the strong but gentle type, and as the ever romantic I am - I found myself hoping for a hook up. But I digress. The story is deeper than a love story. The desire to be loved, wanted, needed maybe- but not just lust love. Bow even uses words from the Roamers language throughout the book and it helps bring a certain feeling of desire. At least thats what I felt. Every time Kate called Mother Daj, Daj, I felt like she was fitting in more and more and that was a fate that I thought she deserved. But of course, not every thing can be hunky-dory, right?

Kate is turned from the Roamers in a horrible way - they try to kill her. They even try to kill her cat...NOT COOL. Kate and Taggle however, escape. She's scarred physically and mentally. She runs to a river for safety. When she opens her eyes she's most certain she's dead but what - who's that? Linay! The witch who bought her shadow!  Here's the part where the "book reader" me says: Ohhh Fall in Looooove! Kiss! Guess what doesn't happen? Whatev, there's still time left, I'm sure there will be many twists and turns and eventually a kiss. So it turns out that Linay is only half evil. He wants to do the right thing, but he wants to do it in such a wrong way that it makes him dark. But his cause is valiant, avenging the death of his sister. How could you fight that? Well, Kate spends a good deal of the book wondering the same thing, while Taggle worries about food and convincing Kate to kill Linay in his sleep.

I really didn't know how I was feeling about the story and to be honest, I'm not sure I know even now. Don't get me wrong, it's got good writing and a plot and the characters all make sense - even the little details of them seem to come full circle in the end, which is awesome! I would not say this was a bad book. I will say this: there is a lot of death, a couple resurrections, and absolutely NO KISSING. hmmpfh. As a cat lover there are graphic descriptions that bothered me pretty badly, again because I was picturing my baby in the same predicaments and it hurt my heart, but at least I was connected to the story! I called for the book to redeem itself with about 20 pages to go and I didn't think it would be able to, but it did...mostly... :) 

A Brief Discussion!

Twitterverse has been alive and well lately with Pro-Wrestling talk and well, it makes my heart happy :) As some of you know, I am trained as a wrestler. I love it. I love my boys and I love the ring. I love all the pain and tears I've put into my training. I do NOT appreciate all the scantly clad women running around naked and taking the spots of actual wrestlers. You, my naked friend, are not a wrestler. In fact, you are a disgrace to the gentlemens sport. A true art of brutality, respect and trust. That being said, and because Miss Laci K is almost here so I have to keep this short lol!, here's  brief edited video of a terrible match. lol! This is the first time I got to be in the ring on a show. I'm warning you - it's bad. And at the time I was editing YouTube wouldn't let me go over 10 minutes...it's a 20 minute tag...lol so it's kind of choppy and my strikes SUCK. Please be kind :)

Madre = Epic

My mom only wanted to be one thing: A Mom. I was her first. Born about 10 months after her wedding day. About 4 years later she got her wish again, my little sister was born. There's no guessing that my mom threw every ounce of passion in her body into being a mom. She was/is the best. She literally does everything. Taking us to practices, summer vacations, Christmas extraordinaires, birthday surprises, arts and crafts - everything. She's so good at it that my friends even call her "Ma" - ask Jen. lol!

She's been there through everything. Always someone I can talk to about anything, someone whose got my back no matter what and most importantly - brutally honest :) We've always had pride in that. I can ask her what she thinks and I know she's not just going to sugar coat how she feels.

So here we are, a few days before mothers day and we've got our plans made. But just simply doing something one day isn't enough, not for what she's put up with!

When I was getting married I asked my mom to walk me down the aisle, only she had the right to "give me away."

Anyway, I really appreciate my mom. Everything about her and I'm so lucky to have her. We'll be busy this weekend so I thought I should post this now.

If you have a mom - hug her. If you lost her or Never got to know her - Remember her fondly, she brought you into this world. It sounds corny but it's true. In my work I hear people talking about "terminating" all the time, I see the pains and struggles that pregnant women go through. The fact that you are here at all is a miracle. YOU are the embodiment of love. The love a woman had for you. Regardless of if you have one mom, two moms, no moms - Your every breath is a miracle and there is someone to thank for it. Love your mom, dad, guardians - whomever - just be thankful that you are indeed here!

Summer Lovin :) Jenny Han's Summer Series inspired Post!

The Summer Series did something awesome for me. It inspired me, brought me to a place of nostalgia and calmed me enough to where I could read 3 books in one weekend. Amazeballs doesn't even cut it. I'll start by telling you this: I'm going to try not to let any spoilers loose but I might, SO if you do not want to read a spoiler...tune off NOW! I don't wanna ruin it for you on accident!!!!

Now that that's out of the way :) Summer is my favorite season. The sunshine beating on your skin, warming you to the bone - comforting and rejuvenating. A breeze can bring you magic and everywhere you go, at least to me, love is in the air. I remember walking the streets with my best friend in the world and talking about boys, laying out by the pool - talking about boys, staying up until the boys could meet us at 3 am. Everyday was the same. No work, no school, our worries- who likes me? Do I like him? I want to kiss that guy! The Summer Series brought me back to that place vicariously.

Belly spends every summer since before she was out of the womb with her mom and brother, the Fisher boys and their awe-inspiring mom Susannah. From the get go Belly is in love with Conrad. He's older, protective and of course- good looking! But he's not always there for her. Sometimes it's like he doesn't understand her at all, but his brother Jeremiah does. He's always there for her, even voluntarily staying behind to be with her. Best friends with no secrets and a special bond. As they get older Belly's world is flipped upside down. First, Belly is growing up. She's pretty now, and for the first time she can ever remember the boys are noticing her. Not just as the little sister they grew up with, but really noticing her...both of them. Embracing it but remaining skeptical Belly spends her summer still aching to be close to Conrad, just like she had all the summers before. But Conrad's busy drinking, smoking, being a jerk. Then things get worse, Susannah is diagnosed again with cancer and by book two we find she's been murdered by it. (I do mean murdered, cancer is a vicious disease and it takes lives that it doesn't deserve. It comes as a surprise to most people and it has the power to really hurt you. Bad. So yes, to me, cancer is a murderor)

Not only do we lose Susannah but we lose some innocense. Belly has been loved and left. She's been through the storm and she's trying to find her way home. Home is the Summer House on Cousin's Beach but just like all the years before, the house fills and breaks her heart over and over again. This is a trend that we see continue through all three books.

It reminds me a lot of my "summer house," we don't actually have a summer house but just like Belly's family's past in Cousins I have my family's past in Indiana Beach. My mom started staying at the same resort every year when she was a kid, took us there when we were born and now I stay there with my husband and one day when I have a child he/she too will stay there. There's something about the old swing that hangs over the lake that makes life ok, even on it's bleakest days. I can look at it and practically see my Poppy swinging away, Philly Sweet Cigar and trucker hat just swinging away lazily. When I walk into the Summer Shop on the boardwalk I can hear my Nana telling me which dress to try on and getting on the Umbrella Ride as it sweeps over the lake I can feel my dad sitting next to me. I didn't know until years later that he hated that ride and used to disappear to puke after riding it with me, somehow that makes the memory even sweeter. I can understand perfectly why Belly runs to the beach house when life throws her difficulties. It does feel like home, it feels like the one place in the world that you shed every layer the world has put on you and you exist within it.

Book two brings us into a relationship that Belly is in that doesn't necessarily surprise me but breaks my heart. Settling. I know that's what it is and I kept waiting for Belly to say it. But she never did. She vowed to keep the past in the past and I admire her for it.

It took me 3 hours to find "We'll always have summer" - literally every store I went into was either sold out or didn't even have a tag for it. Even Borders failed me :( But I was going to find it, dang it! Finally I got it and headed home. I was so eager to get into the book that I didn't even grab a book mark. I figured I'd just dog-ear the page until I got into my room and grabbed my bookmark,makeshiftstyle :) I never needed it. All my pages stayed stiff.

I sat down and lost myself.

I saw Belly struggling to mantain her cool, to tell the world she was old enough to know what she wanted, I saw her fighting the pain in her heart that told her she was settling and I was sad for her. She was just a teen, getting married, having no experience in the world and fighting everyone she loved over it. She runs to the one place she can - the beach house. When she finds out Conrad's staying there. She'll be alone with him during the week while she stays there, which is close to 2 months. The whole time she's fighting not loving him, not giving in to her memories, she focuses on her new life and her upcoming marriage but I know it's there. I know the doubt that she's afraid to admit to herself. What she doesn't know is that Conrad's fighting too. Fighting the urge to sweep her away like every girl dreams their one great love will do. He's fighting the past, the present and the future. But what will he do, is there anything he can say to stop the wedding...and at what cost? Summer loving has never been so infite.

Tune in Tuesday! Who Says?!

Tune in Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Ginger at G-Reads!

Who Says?!

No really, who does say? I'll tell you! Selena Gomez says! No folks, she's not just for your little siblings or nieces and nephews. This girls got some serious sound and some hardcore lyrics. There's nothing better than being able to sing a song loud and proud knowing that it's not just words - it's an anthem. And not having to be embarrassed or cautious of who's around when you're belting them out! Selena Gomez was named after the Hispanic songbird Selena and it was appropo! She's the tongue-in-cheek snarky mischevious girl from her character on Wizards of Waverly Place (Alex Russo) mixed with a budding confident superstar who is as sweet in interviews as any of us old enough to have kids would hopes ours are. I am proud to be a fan of hers. I don't care who has something to say about the fact that I love the show she stars in. I encourage you to look past the "I'm too old and too cool to listen to a Disney kid's CD" and really listen. Rocking beats and fun songs mixed with meanings :)

This is the video for "Who Says" It's inspiring and beautiful! "Who says you're not perfect, who say's your not worth it, who says?" It's awesome. LOVE IT.

 This is one of her most fun songs to me :) It's called Rock God and well...it rocks :)

"Tell Me Something I Don't Know" --- "everyone tells me it's one in a million, oh one in a billion, oh one in a zillion" "Tell me how to make you smile, get you not to treat me like a child" Just a sample. Give it a listen :)

I love every song she's got but these are my favorites!! ALSO lil' miss SelGo (as I call her to my friends lol!) is on tour!! Check out her website to get tour info!!