Showing posts with label First Kiss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label First Kiss. Show all posts

Friday, September 18, 2015

A Paige Turner

 Title: Page by Paige
                                        # of Pages: 192
                                       Author/Illustrator: Laura Lee Gulledge
                                       Previous Work: She was an artist, but this is her first
                                       graphic novel.

                                       Summary: When Paige Turner moves from Virginia to
                                       New York, she isn't sure of who she is, or how to fit in. With
                                       the help of her sketchbook, Paige is determined to make new
                                       friends and discover who she is.

                                       Plot Rating: 1.
                                       Art Rating: 5.
                                       Awards: 

                                       Eisner Award Nominee

                                       ALA Teen Top Ten Debut Graphic Novel Nominee

                                       Opinion: Okay, honestly, the plot was the most boring,
                                       overused thing I have ever read. There was nothing unique
                                       about it, and it had some rude humor. It boils down to a new
                                       move, first love, and teen angst. If you like those things,
                                       good for you. The only reason I'm even reviewing this is for
                                       the art. The art really shows all the things you've felt but
                                       didn't know how to express. The picture below is not my
                                       favorite picture in the book, but it was the best I could find
                                       online. What I like about the art is that most of the time it
                                       isn't literal, and it tells the story much more clearly than the
                                       words ever could. The graphic novel shows the author is
                                       more of an artist. I would read this book for the pictures, not
                                       the story.



Saturday, July 18, 2015

I Spy a Lie Part 2

The Agency: A Spy in the House Title: The Agency Novels/Mary Quinn Mysteries:

                                                 A Spy in the House

                                                The Body at the Tower

                                                The Traitor in the Tunnel

                                                Rivals in the City

                                      Author: Y.S. Lee
                                      Previous Work: None

                                      Summary: When orphan Mary Quinn is sentenced to the
                                      gallows for thievery, she is instead rescued and educated at
                                      Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for girls. She finds out the
                                      organization is more than they seem, and agrees to start
                                      spying for them. Between her new job, London's general
                                      mistrust of foreigners, and a growing attraction to a man who
                                      seemingly appears at every turn, can Mary satisfy her need
                                      for freedom? Or will the constraints of England in the 1800's
                                      cripple her spirit forever?

                                      Rating: I'd give the series a 4.
                                      Awards:
                                      (For A Spy in the House)

                                      2011 CCBC's John Spray Mystery Award

                                      2011 Agatha Award Finalist

                                      2011 Red Maple Award Finalist

                                      (For The Traitor in the Tunnel)
                                     
                                      2013 Arthur Ellis Award Nominee for Best Juvenile/YA
                                      Crime Book

                                      Opinion: I love this series. You can't help but root for Mary,
                                      and it's nice to read a historical fiction where women have
                                      opportunities. The story has a real yet unreal feeling. The
                                      only issue I have is that while the characters always stayed
                                      with me, sometimes the finer details of the plot didn't. That
                                      said, I'm still sad the series is over. This is definitely a series
                                      worth reading.

                                                                       

Saturday, April 18, 2015

From Books to Movies Part 1

 Title: The Princess Bride
                                  # of Pages: 464
                                 Author: William Goldman
                                 Previous Work ( Only the highlights, not including scripts):

                                 The Temple of Gold

                                  Soldier in the Rain

                                  No Way to Treat a Lady

                                  The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway


                                  Summary: William Golman has taken S. Morgenstern's
                                  classic tale of love and adventure and made it accessible to
                                  modern readers. The story is as follows.  When Buttercup's
                                  beloved Westley is killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts she vows
                                  never to love again. She becomes engaged to Prince
                                  Humperdink (whom she doesn't love) because it will be
                                  mutually beneficial. Unfortunately, before she can be married
                                  to him, she is kidnapped- not once but twice. Can Buttercup
                                  stay true to her heart or will she fall for the very man who killed
                                  her one true love?

                                  Rating: I'm honestly torn on my rating and I'll explain why in
                                  the opinion.
                                  Awards: There are no awards for the book, but the movie
                                  received The Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation

                                  Opinion: I'm going to save you a lot of trouble and tell you to
                                  take this book with a bucket of salt- not a  grain, a bucket.
                                  There is no S. Morgenstern, nor an extended version of the book
                                  you can find. Mr. Goldman does not have a son or a horribly
                                  selfish ex-wife. Lastly there is no reunion scene (although if
                                  you ask for it you get a hilarious email) and there isn't and
                                  never will be, a full version of Buttercup's Baby. You will
                                  understand all of what I just said if you read the book. The book
                                  had a really good, interesting plot, but in itself was just a satire
                                  of the author's views. It was funny but frustrating, and left me
                                  torn as to whether I should be awed by the genius of it or
                                  furious at its duplicity. (If you had issues with any of the vocab
                                  in this paragraph you may not want to read the book. It is filled
                                  with ten-dollar words.)

                                  Better than the Movie?: Absolutely not. The movie was
                                  hilarious and quotable and amazingly cheesy. The acting was
                                  great and you got sucked into the story. While the book
                                  certainly has its merits, there is a reason why the movie-and
                                  not the book- was an insta-classic.

                                 Movie Preview:

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Food, Food, Glorious Food

 Title: Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous
                                      # of Pages: 234
                                      Author: Kathryn Williams

                                      Previous Work: (YA not done under her pen name)

                                     The Debutante

                                     The Lost Summer
                                       
                                     Summary: Sophie Nicolaides has worked in her family's
                                     Greek-Italian Restaurant all her life. She feels like she ready
                                     for a new challenge- becoming a "real" chef.  The reality
                                     show Teen Test Kitchen will give her the chance to prove her
                                     mettle as a chef. However once the show starts, distractions
                                     are everywhere. Can Sophie rise above it all to win the
                                     competition?

                                     Rating: This book is a 4. The recipes definitely made it.
                                     Awards: None

                                     Opinion: I chose to review this particular book because
                                     everyone knows Thanksgiving is all about food. So what
                                     better Thanksgiving book can you have, than one about a
                                     cooking competition? The book was kind of like a cross
                                     between Masterchef Junior and Food Network Star. I really
                                     liked the recipes in the book and it was a quick read. It was
                                     nice and thankfully not frustrating, like certain competition
                                     books. My one complaint is that it really wasn't about love
                                     like it was advertised.

                                                              ********Bonus********
                                                         Interview with Kathryn Williams:

                                    1. What would you say is your favorite book, short story, or 
                                    essay that you've written in your entire life?

                                    That's kind of like asking a mom which is her favorite kid,
                                    which is impossible:) Working on a book is hard because I
                                    love it, clearly, or I wouldn't be writing it, but then I also
                                    kind of hate it, especially by the time I'm on my tenth draft.
                                    But then when I'm done, I can't help but have some affection
                                    toward it.That said, I probably think most fondly of my
                                    second book, The Lost Summer. Maybe because it's set at a
                                    summer camp, which was a special place to me growing up
                                    (still is). But I had the most fun writing Pizza, Love, and 
                                    Other Stuff that Made Me Famous. My research essentially
                                    involved messing around in the kitchen, watching TV, and
                                    stuffing my face.

                                    2. What was your favorite childhood book?

                                   Another hard one. I loved Anne of Green Gables. I was just
                                   talking about that series with a friend because I'm going to
                                   Nova Scotia this fall and want to go to Prince Edward, where
                                   it's set.

                                   3. What is your favorite book as an adult?

                                   It changes often and as I read more books. There's a book by
                                   Donna Tartt called The Secret History that I think is amazing
                                   -- suspenseful, dark, and beautifully written.

                                  4. What was your inspiration for "Pizza, Love, and Other 
                                  Stuff That Made Me Famous"?

                                  I love to cook, and I also love watching cooking competition
                                  shows. In another life, I would have been a chef.

                                 5. Since this post is being published around Thanksgiving,
                                 what is your favorite part of the feast? If you don’t have 
                                 a feast for Thanksgiving, what traditions do you have?

                                 I'm from the South originally, so I have to say sweet potato
                                 casserole (no marshmallows) and green bean casserole (lots of
                                 fried onions).

                                6. What are you most thankful for this Thanksgiving?

                                I am getting married (or will be married, when this comes out!)
                                in October, so I am thankful for my new hubby. He's pretty
                                awesome.

                               7. Is there anything else you’d like to say to readers of your 
                               books?

                               I'd like to say "thank you" about a million times over. I also 
                               encourage readers, if they enjoy a book, to reach out to the
                               author, like you did. For many of us, meeting readers through
                               email or in person (or snail mail -- I love getting written letters 
                               and pin them above my desk) is the best part of the job. 

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Birthday Part 3

 Title: Willow Falls Series:
                                               
                                               11 Birthdays

                                                Finally

                                               13 Gifts

                                               The Last Present

                                      Author: Wendy Mass
                                      Previous Work:

                                                       Twice Upon a Time Series

                                                       A Mango Shaped Space

                                                       Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

                                                       Every Soul a Star
  
                                                       The Candymakers 

                                                       And too many more books to list

                                       Summary: 
                                     
                                      11 Birthdays- Amanda and Leo have been best friends
                                      their entire life, but they have a horrible fight for a year
                                      before their eleventh birthday. Amanda just wants to get
                                      her first birthday without Leo done and over with. When
                                      she wakes up the next day, it's her birthday again. What's
                                      going on?

                                      Finally- Rory has been waiting her whole life to turn twelve.
                                      When she turns twelve she can do all the cool things she
                                      wants to. Like sitting in the front seat, or getting her ears
                                      pierced. But seemingly, everything on the list goes wrong
                                      and Rory is beginning to think growing up isn't what she
                                      thought it would be like.

                                      13 Gifts- When Tara tries to steal her school's goat, she's sent
                                      to Willow Falls to do her penance. She finds herself indebted
                                      to Angelina D'Angelo, who gives her a list of wacky items to
                                      gather. With the help of new friends David, Rory, Amanda,
                                      and Leo, she might find the items she needed- and possibly
                                      more.

                                     The Last Present: Amanda and Leo need to travel to the past
                                     to save Grace, who is in a coma. They must place a
                                     benediction on her three times to save her- or so Angelina
                                     D'Angelo says. All is not as it seems, and the two must
                                     decide what is the right thing to do.
                                     Rating: This series is (overall) a 4.
                                     Awards: 
                                     (For 11 Birthdays- wins, not nominations)

                                     2010 Northborough  Southborough Children's Book Award

                                     2011 Massachusetts Children's Book Award

                                     2011 The Black Eyed Susan Award

                                     2011 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award

                                     2012 South Carolina Children's Book Award

                                     2012 Oregon Readers’ Choice Award

                                     2012 Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award

                                     2012 Pacific Northwest Young Readers Choice Award

                                     2012 Tennesee Volunteer State Book Award

                                     2012 Young Hoosier Award

                                     2012 William Allen White Children’s Book Award

                                     2012 Alabama Camellia Children’s Choice Book Award

                                     2013 Maud Hart Lovelace Award

                                     (For 13 Gifts)

                                     2014 Garden State Children’s Book Award

                                     Opinion: These books were really popular when I was
                                     younger, but I was never interested in reading them. Their
                                     popularity dimmed and I stopped hearing about them.
                                     One day I was in the library, and saw Finally. I thought,
                                     "Why not?". I read it  and never went back. Wendy Mass
                                      has a way of weaving memorable stories and characters
                                      that grab you and don't let go. I've now read seven of her
                                      books total and can't recommend them more.



                                   

Monday, March 17, 2014

Love and Loss Part 2

 Title: Legend Trilogy-
                                            Legend
                                            Prodigy
                                            Champion
                                   Author: Marie Lu
                                   Previous Work: She has not written any other books.

                                   Summary: The United States has been split into two countries,
                                   the Republic and the Colonies. June is born into privilege and
                                   Day is a legendary criminal. When they fall in love, can they
                                   work together to save each other- and the Republic?
                                 
                                   Rating: This is a 5.
                                   Awards: (For Legend)

                                   New York Times Best Seller

                                   (For Prodigy)
                               
                                   Goodreads Choice Award Top 20

                                   (For Entire Series)

                                    Best Books of 2013 Kirkus Reveiw

                                    Opinion: This series was amazing. It holds your interest
                                    the entire time and has a wonderful bittersweet ending.
                                    You need to read this series!

Friday, January 17, 2014

I Spy a Lie Part 1 (Part 2 Will be Released at a Much Later Date)

 Title: Gallagher Girls Series:                                            
                                           
                                             I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

                                             Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy

                                             Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover

                                             Only the Good Spy Young

                                             Out of Sight, Out of Time

                                             United We Spy

                                        Author: Ally Carter
                                        Previous Work: This was her first series, But she also writes
                                        the Heist Society books.

                                        Summary: 
                                       "When you're a spy your life isn't defined by the lies you tell,
                                        but by the truths. A lie wouldn't change anything."
                                        This story is all about Cammie Morgan's life at the Gallagher
                                        Academy.What really happened to her father? Will she ever
                                        fall   in love? What will she do with her life when she
                                        graduates high school? And most importantly- Why is it so
                                        hard for a girl called "The Chameleon" to be normal?      

                                     
                                        Rating: I'd give this series a 4.5
                                        Awards: 
                                       (For I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You)

                                        Texas Lone Star Reading List

                                        Georgia Peach Book Award Runner-up

                                        Kansas Notable Book

                                        Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award

                                        Amelia Bloomer Book Award

                                        Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award

                                      (For Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover)

                                        Romance Writers of America Rita Award Finalist, 2010

                                        Opinion: This series is very good. It is full of spying and
                                        romance, but most of all, friendship. Throughout the series,
                                        no matter what is going on Cammie's friends have her back.
                                        This series is amazing, but I can't tell you too much, or I'll
                                        give too much away.
                                     
                                                               

                                           

Saturday, December 7, 2013

A Spark in the Dark

Yet another set of books I won from ThisisTeen.

Title: 
                                         The Dark Unwinding

                                         A Spark Unseen

                                     Author: Sharon Cameron
                                     Previous Work: These were her first books.

                                     Summary: When sent to commit her uncle to a lunatic
                                     asylum, Katharine discovers a misunderstood inventor, living
                                     in a fantastical world his mother (Katharine's late
                                     Grandmother) had made for him. She must decide whether
                                     she will betray his trust- or risk the rest of her life protecting
                                     him.
                                     Rating: 4.5
                                     Awards: 
                                     (For The Dark Unwinding)
                                      ABC Best Books for Children   
                            
                                      ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection
                                 
                                      Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books
                                 
                                      SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for the Mid-South Division
                                   
                                      Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award
                                      

                                Opinion: These books were great! I loved the historical aspect,
                                combined with just enough steam-punk to make it interesting.
                                My one quibble is that you sometimes can't tell what is going on.
                                However, since that is purposeful, I think this is a great series.
                                   

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Shakespeare Shake-Up Part 2

 Title: Still Star-Crossed
                                     # of Pages: 352
                                     Author: Melinda Taub
                                     Previous Work: None.

                                     Summary: Still Star-Crossed picks up where Romeo and
                                     Juliet leaves off. The Montagues and Capulets have sworn to
                                     uphold peace, but riots still ring out in the streets. Prince
                                     Escalus decides to marry Benvolio (Romeo's best friend) to
                                     Rosaline (Juliet's cousin) to try to keep the peace. The two set
                                     off on a quest to avoid marrying each other and along the way
                                     realize the murders seem almost... planned. Can they finally
                                     bring about peace in fair Verona?
                                     Rating: 5
                                     Awards: Kirkus Starred Review

                                     Opinion: This book is not told in poetry, although the
                                     characters' dialogue was told in a Shakespearean style (thee,
                                     thou, anon, etc.). This is a great book for those who enjoy
                                     Shakespearean plots, but not the flowery poetry. As for my
                                     personal opinion? This book was amazing. The characters were
                                     multi-layered, and you felt like you were solving the murders
                                     with the protagonists. Once I picked up this book up, I couldn't
                                     put it down.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Maggie Bean

 Title: Maggie Bean Series:
                                          
                                             The Melting of Maggie Bean

                                             Maggie Bean Stays Afloat

                                             Maggie Bean in Love

                                    Author: Tricia Rayburn
                                    Previous Work: 
                                             
                                                     Merits of Mischief series

                                                     Ruby's Slippers

                                                     Siren novels

                                    Summary: Whenever Maggie gets upset or overwhelmed she
                                    eats candy. LOTS of candy. So her aunt drags her off to Pound
                                    Patrollers- an experience she's mortified by. What she doesn't
                                    know is that it will change her life for forever.

                                    Rating: I give this book a 4.
                                    Awards:  (For the Melting of Maggie Bean)

                                    Teens Read Too Gold Award

                                    Opinion: Maggie annoyed me sometimes at how easily she got
                                    depressed. But she does grow on you. Her friend Aimee is the
                                    best, most supportive friend you could hope for. Her other
                                    friend (and more, but no spoiler alert!) Arnie understands her
                                    struggle with her weight. Overall a very good series.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Secrets? The Truth? Or a Dream?

 Title: Safe-Keeper Series:
                                         
                                            The Safe-Keeper's Secret

                                            The Truth-Teller's Tale

                                            Wintermoon Wish- found in Firebirds Rising

                                            The Dream-Maker's Magic

                                      Author: Sharon Shinn
                                      Previous Work: 
                                               
                                                      General Winston's Daughter

                                                      Gateway

                                                      Adult books

                                      Summary:  There is a world where you can completely trust
                                      a safe-keeper to never ever tell your secret. A truth teller can
                                      never speak a lie. And the dream-maker can make your
                                      fondest wishes come true. But life isn't all sunshine and roses
                                      there. No life ever is.

                                      Rating: 5. This is on the required reading list!
                                      Awards: (For The Safe-Keeper's Secret)
                                             ALA list of Best books for Young Adults
                                         
                                             (For the Truth-Teller's Tale)
                                              NYPL Book for the Teen Age

                                              2006 Bank Street Children's Book List

                                      Opinion: These books were awesome. The characters were
                                      real, not like they had special powers. They didn't all have
                                      perfect lives. Kellen's life was almost sad. But they pulled
                                      through and did their best, with or with out special roles.
                                      These books are romantic and sweet. They definitely aren't
                                      a waste of your time!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

For International Readers Part 1

Recently, I figured out how to find out exactly where the people who read my blog come from. To my surprise, I saw five views from Russia, four from the UK, and one each from Germany, South Korea, Turkey, and South Africa. Now I don't know if they read my blog by mistake, or if they're even kids around my age. But in honor of whomever they might be, I'll be reviewing two International books, with the country they were written in listed beside them. I will still put out the reader's choice book sometime next week.


 Title: Flyaway
                                      # of Pages: 260
                                      Author: Lucy Christopher
                                      Country: United Kingdom
                                      Previous Work:
                                                                Stolen
                                      Summary: (For this summary I think an excerpt from the
                                                         book will best explain it. Isla the main character
                                                         is speaking.)
                                                        One cold winter morning, Dad gets sick – and 
                                                        goes into hospital. It’s there I meet Harry, with 
                                                        his scruffy hair and firefly eyes. From his window
                                                        we watch a wild swan on the frozen lake outside. 
                                                        There’s something different about her, truly 
                                                        different. Almost magical. Perhaps, if we can help
                                                        her, everything else will begin to make sense.
                                      Rating: I give this book a 2, which is excellent. It was very in
                                      depth at the beginning, and towards the end it was very sweet,
                                      but slightly unbelievable. The rest of the book makes up for
                                      that, though.
                                      Awards:
                                                    Short list for the Costa Awards
                                      Opinion: Flyaway was a great book about believing in the
                                      impossible. Isla thinks if she can just save a swan, her father
                                      and Harry will be all right. As things change in her life, the
                                      swan helps her fly.

Monday, July 30, 2012

My First Review

  Title: Princess Academy
                                        # Of Pages: 336
                                       Author: Shannon Hale
                                       Previous Work: 
                                       The Books of Bayern Series (excellent)
                                                              
                                        I'd also like to mention (even though, obviously
                                        this book was written after Princess Academy 
                                        came out) a sequel to Princess Academy is 
                                        coming! I haven't read it because Palace of 
                                        Stone will be out October 2, 2012, but is 
                                        available for preorder.
                                    
                                   Summary: Miri is from the mountain village of Mount Eskel, 
                                   a community that mines precious stone called Linder. She 
                                   wishes she could mine like everyone else but isn't 
                                   allowed to. She feels like she's useless. Then one day the 
                                   Lowlanders (those who don't live on the mountain) show up, 
                                   expecting all girls age  12-17 to go to an academy. The Prince 
                                   will choose one of  them to marry. Miri excels in her studies 
                                   and the harsh treatment the girls recieve.
                                   But does she really want to be a Princess and leave Mount
                                   Eskel? 
                                   Rating: I give this book a 5 because it's my favorite book.
                                   (And has been since fourth grade.)
                                   Awards:
                                                 2005 Honorable Mention for
                                                 "Favorite Novel of the Year"

                                                  2006 Newberry Honor book
                          
                                                  2006 Utah Children's book award
       
                                                  ALA notable children's book
           
                                                  Along with many other nominations
                                                  and less notable awards
                        
                              Opinion: I didn't do this book justice when I wrote the summary.
                              There are many details I didn't talk about. For instance, how
                              the people of Mount Eskel can talk to each other through the
                              stone. That played a huge part in the story. Or how at the
                              beginning of each chapter there is a quarry song. My favorite
                              is: No wolf falters before the bite. So strike. No hawk wavers
                              before the dive. Just strike. This book is full of adventure,
                              and about finding yourself. You need to read this book. It
                              isn't only for girly-girls like the title suggests. Any teen or tween can
                              enjoy this book. I know I did!