The Best Reader:
guest review

I'd like to welcome Sandy, from Pirate Penguin's Reads, as this week's Guest Reviewer!

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From Amazon.com...

"For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen — and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life."
When I received Hush Hush in the mail, I was ecstatic! I've only heard good things about this book and once I read the excerpts on Simon & Schuster, I knew that I had to read this book.

I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed. Hush Hush delivers the enticing story of Nora Grey, a no-nonsense sophomore who gets paired up in biology class with Patch, the mysterious and arrogant bad boy that we all hate (and love... even if we don't want to admit it). With his dark eyes and mocking smile, Patch both thrills and terrifies Nora... unwilling to let him affect her, Nora tries to counteract her growing attraction by everything she can to stay away from him. But Nora can't push Patch out of her thoughts because after meeting him, scary things start happening and Nora can't shake off the feeling of someone's eyes watching her every move. Her paranoia increases when she realizes that whenever something bad happens, Patch has the habit of always being there, waiting for her with a mischievous smirk. Despite her better judgment, Nora finds herself falling for Patch... but soon discovers that Patch's secrets are darker and graver than she ever imagined-and that now she plays a part in his dangerous game.

I loved Hush Hush. I couldn't put it down, not for a second! I enjoyed watching Nora verbally spar with Patch; he was probably the most maddening, evil, infuriatingly conceited character I've ever come across. But that didn't stop me (or Nora) from finding him quite alluring... I understood why Nora wanted to simultaneously smack him in the face while wanting to fall into his arms; you can't help but like Patch, despite his roguish ways. His unpredictability was what kept me turning the pages... As for Nora, I found her to be a great character and it was funny to see how Patch affected her. She went from cool and collected to hot and bothered the moment Patch entered the room! Their attraction was sizzling, and Patch just made it scorching.
So if you're looking for a dark, edgy romance with shots of mystery in between, Hush Hush is the book for you! I'd definitely recommend this novel to anyone who wants to get their pulse racing, whether it be from fear or swooning. Patch will make sure of that for you.

****************** Sandy, thank you so much for such an awesome review! Please visit Sandy at Pirate Penguin's Reads and share some book love! Please view her original review as well!

This week I welcome Cassie from Happy Book Lovers as this weeks Guest Reviewer.

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Going to a party can often change your life. You may find someone to fall in love with, someone to fall out of love with, what you don't usually expect is to discover something which puts everything you thought you knew about yourself in doubt. When Clary finds herself at Pandemonium, it's just another night, another night of teenage fights with her mother, of wrestling with the mating habits of your peers, that is until Clary witnesses a murder. But this is no ordinary murder, the corpse vanishes and it appears that only Clary can see the killers...
Clare created an unimaginable world, yet at the same time made it so touchable. I had the same eerie feeling when reading Scott Westerfeld's books; that feeling that somewhere in the world, this could really happen. I read this in little over twenty-four hours, and am currently dying as the library doesn't have the second copy in.
One of the most memorable traits was how flawed the characters were. It was, of course, in a good way, allowing them to change allegiances freely. This, in turn, made the plot totally unpredictable, and I will be the first to admit I was shocked by the ending. I also loved Alec. I loved him. He was one of those not-mentioned-a-whole-lot people that I fell in love with, despite his petty love life. I also loved how recent issues were brought into the novel (I won't give it away), making the entire thing seem so much more realistic, contributing to that creepy-factor I mentioned earlier.

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Again, Cassie, thank you so much for this awesome review! I've never heard of this book and I'm definitely going to add it to my list! Thanks!

Please share some book love and visit Cassie at Happy Book Lovers.

I'd like to welcome this weeks Guest Reviewer, Gina from Book Dragon's Lair. Thank you!

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From Amazon.com...
"This tale based on a true story about a charming penguin family living in New York City's Central Park Zoo will capture the hearts of penguin lovers everywhere. Roy and Silo, two male penguins, are "a little bit different." They cuddle and share a nest like the other penguin couples, and when all the others start hatching eggs, they want to be parents, too. Determined and hopeful, they bring an egg-shaped rock back to their nest and proceed to start caring for it. They have little luck, until a watchful zookeeper decides they deserve a chance at having their own family and gives them an egg in need of nurturing."

Two male penguins in New York City Central Park Zoo hatch an egg. Yes, two males. The book is cute but simplistic. It is a "picture book" geared for kindergarten and I can see why some parent's are in an uproar. I also don't see what the big deal is. Male and female Chintrap penguins look the same so if you see a couple, there is no way to tell it is male/male. The two boys did all the mating rituals that the other couples did, there is no way the zookeeper could have been mistaken.

You can only assume that the pair stayed together through more than one breeding season, otherwise why would they try to hatch a rock. Only after seeing the boys try this, did the zookeeper help. He gave the pair an unhatched egg from another couple that did not do well when taking care of two eggs. He DID NOT take another couple's egg from them, but instead relieved them of having to care for two eggs and possibly losing both.

Full color, short & simplistic, looks to be a bit bigger then legal size paper. I don't know what kind of media happened during/after the hatching, but really, no matter what your view on this is, the penguins are together, the zookeeper did a good thing and baby Tango survived when maybe she would not have. We should not throw away our children (the egg) when there is another option for them.

Edited to add picture & publish info, "Wow, a comment already!", and... This book is for my banned/challenged category of the 999 challenge. I picked it because it was a children's book and I just love children's books. The librarian my children had in elementary school would not have taken this out of the school library but she may have placed it with "penguin" instead of the picture books. Usually the kindergarten kids stayed with the picture books. This is what she did with a Holocaust picture book.

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Gina, thank you again for such an awesome review! I love being able to add a bit of diversity of literature for my future students to read. Thank you!

Please visit Gina and share some book love over at Book Dragon's Lair. Check out her original review too!

Please welcome this week's Guest Reviewer Jasmyn, from Jasmyn's Stuff.

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From Amazon.com...

"Lifelong friends, they went their separate ways. Now they are together again, though each holds secrets from the others in his heart. They speak of a world shadowed with rumors of war. They speak of tales of strange monsters, creatures of myth, creatures of legend. They do not speak of their secrets. Not then. Not until a chance encounter with a beautiful, sorrowful woman, who bears a magical crystal staff, draws the companions deeper into the shadows, forever changing their lives and shaping the fate of the world. No one expected them to be heroes. Least of all, them."

The story of a group of friends reunited after 5 years. Hoping for a peaceful homecoming and reunion they are shocked to find trouble literally on their doorstep. Enter some entrancing new friends to add plenty of extra story and crazy magician to liven things up. Throw a few dragons, and plenty of icky baddies into the mix for an epic tale of good vs evil, where the difference isn't always so easy to see.

The characters all take turns being your favorite, they are not just fictional names, they are brought to life in full color. The good, the bad, and the parts we just aren't sure about yet. They interact with each other and people outside the group in ways that only enhance their personalities. Characters are dynamic, constantly changing, but doing it slowly enough that the reader is able to follow and understand every new trait that emerges. Even the dragons, while each is only shown for a short period of time, scream into the story larger than life (which they should be).

This is a series I come back to every couple years and each time I read it I find myself locked to the pages in suspense, devouring words to see what is going to happen next.

This is a must read for any fan of high fantasy and epic tales. I'll be starting book 2, Dragons of Winter Night, as soon as I can find my copy!!!!

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Thank you so much Jasmyn for the awesome review! I haven't read (or heard) about these books. Thank you!

Please share some book love with Jasmyn over at Jasmyn's Stuff. Check out her original revie w too!

This week I'd like to welcome Gina from Book Dragon's Lair as our Guest Reviewer.

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The Summer of Cotton Candy — Debbie Viguie
A Sweet Seasons Novel, book 1

From Amazon.com...

"Sixteen-year-old Candace thinks her vacation is ruined when her father forces her to apply for a job at the local amusement park, but when she meets a mysterious “Lone Ranger” there she finds love and learns the value of true faith and friendship."

Candace and her best-friend-since-kindergarten have plans for the summer before their senior year. Plans that DO NOT include working. However, Candace's dad says get a summer job because I won't be giving you any money this summer. Yikes! To make matters worse, the best friend is wealthy and is willing to pay for EVERYTHING if Candace doesn't work.

Candace applies at a local amusement park and gets the 2nd to last job available and it seems that everything goes downhill from there. So many things but finding out what happens & how she gets out of trouble is part of the fun of this book.

Candace, who hates to be called Candy, gets her name tag on her first day of work and it says Candy. Well, Sue's name tag says Mary so at least they kind of got it right. Candace is a church-going girl and her schedule doesn't always allow her to attend services with her family. Church going but not preachy or scripture quoting, just a nice girl who has some bad things happens and prays to God for help.

This book is fun as well as funny. There are many growth experiences and Candace is not the only one doing some growing. This is book one in a series of four and I would read the rest even if they didn't fit in so well with my challenge.

The main character maybe be going into her senior year of high school but I'd let my 5th grader read it if they had the skill. Candace dates, even kisses, but the book is so clean and sweet I'm going to loan it to some church friends & my MIL.

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Gina, thank you so much for such an awesome review! I really appreciate it!

Make sure to visit Gina and check out her original review!

I'd like to, yes ONCE AGAIN, welcome this week's Guest Reviewer, Leslie from That Chick That Reads! This is Leslie's third week in a row as a Guest Reviewer. Leslie, sincerely from the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping me in my mission of spreading the love of literacy. You are an inspiration.

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From Amazon.com...
"How far will Rose go to keep her promise?
The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir’s Academy was the deadliest ever in the school’s history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers, and guardians alike. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them... including Dimitri. He’d rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa—the one she has sworn to protect no matter what—and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most? "

Everyone that knows me knows that Richelle Mead is my favorite author of all time and Vampire Academy is my favorite series ever! So I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this novel! I mean it had me so on edge that I couldn’t sleep the night before! So when the release morning came, I was pretty much first in line at the book store.

The cover of the book is breath taking beautiful and best of all it’s a hardcover! Although it does annoy me a little that the other 3 aren’t hardcover but I think I could get over it.

Anyway so this book is set in Russia, which was amazing! The people she meets, and of coarse the glimpses of the old Dimitri we get throughout the entire novel were very hard to read, well at least for me anyway. He is and will always continue to be one of my favorite characters in the novels, as well as Rose, Lissa and Adrian.

This wasn’t my favorite book of the series but it does come in second. I didn’t want to read it fast as I wanted to be like Georgina Kincaid (reference to her other character in the Succubus series) who read only 5 pages a day because she wanted to savor the characters and events in the books, but after like chapter 10 or so I couldn’t put it down and I ended up just reading the book in like 2 days.

A lot and I mean a lot of the stuff that you end up finding out about you are like whoa! Didn’t see that coming! Now I’m waiting yet again another 8 months for the next installment which is set for May 18th, 2009! Anyway, I don’t want to get into all of the certain events without giving anything away just because I nearly died when I read a spoiler on goodreads before it was even set to release so I’ll just stick with that. Anyway, I’ll rate this book 4.5 out of 5 paws (or should I say fangs;) )

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Thank you so much Leslie for such an AWESOME review! I've been meaning to read this! But I should start at the beginning of the series I think.:)

Make sure to visit Leslie at That Chick That Reads. Check out her original review. Thank you so much!

This week I'd like to welcome Sheila from One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. Thank you Sheila!
*********************** From Amazon.com... "I'm marooned.
Abandoned. Left to rot in boarding school... Viola doesn't want to go to boarding school, but somehow she ends up at an all-girls school in South Bend, Indiana, far, far away from her home in Brooklyn, New York. Now Viola is stuck for a whole year in the sherbet-colored sweater capital of the world. Ick. There's no way Viola's going to survive the year—especially since she has to replace her best friend Andrew with three new roommates who, disturbingly, actually seem to like it there. She resorts to viewing the world (and hiding) behind the lens of her video camera. Boarding school, though, and her roommates and even the Midwest are nothing like she thought they would be, and soon Viola realizes she may be in for the most incredible year of her life. But first she has to put the camera down and let the world in."
OMG! LOL! Really and truly I adored this book! I enjoyed this book from the first sentence, “YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO BE ME.” I loved the dramatic voice of our fourteen year old Viola. I remember those days when the world was going to end because things did not go the way you wanted. Life was so…. intense. So here I am deeply engrossed in a book all about Viola and her wonderful BFFAA (Best Friend Forever And Always) Andrew, her three new roommates in boarding school who seen to have already pegged her from hour one, and the possibility of a new relationship with a boy who’s love is calculated by the number of IM’s, and texts, four kisses, one hand holding, one date, one cookie and one book.
Ahhhh… first love. ♥

Tie all that in a hip and happening Grandma (Grand) who has a back ground in acting, two adoring but at this time anyway distant parents… and you have the making of one great read.
I have to thank Jennifer at BookClubGirl who introduced me to this book and then sent me a copy to read and be part of the live chat with the author Adriana Trigiani on Wednesday of this past week. I didn’t get to say a lot during the live chat as I had to run Chance to Youth Group in the middle of it but it was fun to participate and see the conversation roll out.
A great YA…. I applaud Adriana Trigiani for this youthful book and I plan on looking into more of what she has written.
*********************** Thank you so much Sheila for such an awesome review! Check out Sheila's original review here! Please stop by and visit Sheila and share some book love! Thank you!

I'd like to again welcome this week's Guest Reviewer, Leslie from That Chick That Reads!

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From Amazon.com...

"Kevin Curran wants to unite his family, but he's ready to give up on his younger brother, Danny-three years lost to heroin addiction and hard, desperate living on the streets of New York. When Danny shows up on Kevin's Staten Island doorstep, looking clean, fit, and prosperous, Kevin can't help but be overjoyed that his brother has escaped his past life. But at what price? Not even Kevin's worst nightmares could have prepared him for the horrors he'll discover about his brother's dark history. After a brief reunion, Danny offers Kevin a role in an underworld plot revolving around the Bloodroot Children's Hospital, an abandoned juvenile asylum with a nefarious past. Hoping to rescue Danny from his criminal life after years ago failing to save him from his addiction, Kevin accepts. While Danny's plan unfolds, Kevin is drawn into a world of murder, Mafia hit men and dangerous espionage. The halls of Bloodroot reveal one horrifying secret after another: about the building's history, about Danny's life of addiction and crime, and about the true roots of the Curran family. At the end of the maze of monsters, the brothers make a discovery so horrific it may force them to destroy each other."

Lately I’d been reading thrillers and mysteries but this one is by far my favorite, it has all of the elements a good thriller needs to have. A good storyline, unforgettable characters, and, last but not least, some romance.

The storyline was very interesting, throughout the entire novel, I could see why certain things were written a specific way. I also enjoyed a quote Danny said while speaking to his brother Kevin on page 66, “He murders because he’s afraid of the future, of worlds and people he’ll never understand and never be a part of. We call them terrorist because they cause terror but it oughta be because that’s all they feel”. That quote literally gave me chills, because I feel the same way concerning terrorists.

Moving on to characters, we have Kevin, the “scardy cat”, a teacher who lost the fun of it all and lives a boring life, Danny, the ex drug user who comes back clean and sober without much explanation, and, last but not least, Kelsey, the strong female character who gets Kevin out of his shell. The characters were totally unforgettable. My favorite was definitely Danny. He was a tough kid who’s determined to turn his life back around regardless of the consequences.

Ah now it gets good, the love. I’m a sucker for some good loving in a book, I was rooting for those two since day one. The romance didn’t interfere with the main point of the book, which I found so refreshing. It didn’t consume every page but there was enough in there that made me very happy.

Bill is also the author of Fresh Kills, which I noticed was mentioned briefly in this novel. I can not wait to read the Fresh Kills! Overall I give this novel 4.5 out of 5 paws!

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Thank you so much Leslie for such an AWESOME review! This sounds like an interesting read!

Make sure to visit Leslie at That Chick That Reads and share some book love! Check out her original review. Thank you so much! (This is Leslie's second week in a row!)

I'd like to welcome this week's Guest Reviewer, Leslie from That Chick That Reads!

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From Amazon.com...

"Tough guy Alex is primarily known by his classmates as a dangerous member of the Latino Bloods gang. He’s not exactly thrilled when Brittany Ellis, the school’s seemingly perfect beauty queen, is assigned as his lab partner—and the feeling is more than mutual. But Alex’s bravado works against him when he impulsively accepts a bet that he can get Brittany in the sack. The romance that follows will not surprise any reader, yet Elkeles gives it heart by constantly switching point of view from Alex to Brittany to provide dual running commentaries on their minute-by-minute insecurities and urges. Brittany’s controlling parents and sister with cerebral palsy are well drawn, but it is Elkeles’ rendition of Alex and his life that is particularly vivid. Sprinkling his speech with Spanish, his gruff but tender interactions with his family and friends feel completely genuine."

So I happened to be at B&N pre-ordering Blood Promise when I decided to get this book. I didn’t have to pay for BP right there and then so I had some extra cash and decided to get it. I initially saw this on Eleni’s blog, La Femme Readers and saw how much she enjoyed it so I decided to get it. I didn’t get around to the book in like forever, but I can not believe how amazing it turned out!

The story line is captivating and it was told perfectly! This novel is told from both Brittney and Alex’s point of view, which I apparently didn’t know or if I did, I just forgot. I abs loved all of the Spanish culture in this novel! I’m Hispanic myself so everything they mentioned was something that I grew up with or my parent’s did. Alex’s chapter’s appealed to me most, just because they reminded me of my home life, especially his mother. Brittney’s appealed to me because I guess I was the same way she was in High School. I was the first in the family to graduate high school and go to college so in school I was forced to be “perfect” until I broke free after my senior year. There were moments in this novel that made me both laugh and cry.

It’s honestly an amazing book. Major props go out to Simone Elkeles for creating such an amazing story! Overall I give this novel 5 out of 5 paws!

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Thank you so much Leslie for such an AWESOME review! Sounds like a great read! I might have to purchase it for my classroom.

Make sure to visit Leslie at That Chick That Reads. Check out her original review. Thank you so much!

This week I'd like to welcome back Sharon from Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews as this weeks Guest Reviewer!

******************** The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico — Sarah McCoy Shaye Areheart Books (Random House); $19.99 From Amazon.com...
"Maria Flores Ortiz-Santiago, known to her family and friends as Verdita, has spent 11 happy years in her peaceful Puerto Rico neighborhood. One night, she witnesses her parents making love, and her world irrevocably changes. She cannot look her mother in the eye after seeing her in such an exposed position. It takes months, a botched bleached-blond hairdo, and her mother's near death in childbirth before Verdita begins to understand her parents' love for one another and for her. The book is ripe with the lush island's landscape, culture, and foods, as well as the political upheaval of the 1960s. Verdita's experience, though, is universal, as she must reconcile both the passion she witnesses and the changes in her own body with a child's perspective of the world."

Coming of age is difficult in any culture. But for 11-year old Verdita, life in the slow-paced Puerto Rican mountain village where she grew up is deadly dull. As Puerto Rico struggled internally with independence and statehood issues, Verdita struggles with her own disappointments and heartaches. She dreams of excitement, glamour and absolutely anything American, but in the turbulent year of 1961, dreams could not always come true easily.
In Sarah McCoy’s debut novel, “The Time It Snowed In Puerto Rico,” she takes her readers on a journey to the verdant tropical island where attitudes and conditions are as turbulent as the oceans that surround it. Through McCoy’s magical use of words you can almost feel the humidity, taste the sweet coconut milk and hear the call of the native birds.
Verdita’s story is fraught with the emotional ups and downs of a pre-teenaged girl. After accidentally witnessing her parents making love on the living room couch, Verdita is dismayed to learn her mother is pregnant. She fervently prays that the baby is not a boy who would take her father’s attention away, but she also doesn’t want a sister, who might be prettier than she is.
Verdita adores Elvis Presley, desperately wants her hair to be blond, experiences a romantic crush, and feels the thrill of disobeying her parents for the first time. Typical teenage rebellion, yet there lies a gentleness in Verdita that cherishes her family, wants to be a good girl, and loves her country. But there is something more out there that she wants, she just doesn’t know what it is yet. Sarah McCoy delivers a brilliant coming-of-age novel that will appeal to both adults and young adult readers. Being part Puerto-Rican herself, McCoy drenched herself in the atmosphere and culture of her mother’s homeland, and the result is a rich, satisfying novel that is fascinating to read.
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Thank you so much Sharon for such an awesome review! Sounds like an AWESOME book! Check out Sharon's original review. Make sure to stop by and share some Book Love with Sharon too! What an awesome lady she is!

This week I'd like to (once again) welcome a very good friend of mine, Sheila from One Person's Journey through a World of Books!

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From Amazon.com...

"What really happened to Anastasia Romanov?
Anastasia Romanov thought she would never feel more alone than when the gunfire started and her family began to fall around her. Surely the bullets would come for her next. But they didn't. Instead, two gnarled old hands reached for her. When she wakes up she discovers that she is in the ancient hut of the witch Baba Yaga, and that some things are worse than being dead.
In modern-day Chicago, Anne doesn't know much about Russian history. She is more concerned about getting into a good college—until the dreams start. She is somewhere else. She is someone else. And she is sharing a small room with a very old woman. The vivid dreams startle her, but not until a handsome stranger offers to explain them does she realize her life is going to change forever. She is the only one who can save Anastasia. But, Anastasia is having her own dreams…"
What would you do if your nightmare turned out to be more than just a dream—and the only way to stop it was to believe the impossible? Anastasia Romanov knows she should be dead; she watched her family fall in a hail of gunfire. Instead, something, or someone, saved her. Trapped and scared in a magical hut with a witch who may be friend or foe, she begins to come to grips with the truth about her situation: that some fates are WORSE than death.

In her dreams, sixteen year old Anne Michaelson is somewhere else. She is someone else. The dreams feel as real as her waking life and they terrify her. This is not good for her social life! Aside from that, Anne thinks her life is pretty ordinary – until she runs into handsome, mysterious, and (okay) annoying Ethan on her way to chemistry class. Now Anne has powers she doesn’t understand, a history-altering mission she doesn’t want, and a growing attraction to a blue-eyed stranger that seems to be stalking her! And when Ethan realizes that Anne is the girl he’s been searching for, things start to get a little surreal! Despite her skepticism and reluctance, Anne quickly realizes that you don’t need to be imprisoned to be trapped! Stir in the doomed Duchess Anastasia, who is not quite as dead as the history books say, and the Baba Yaga, a legendary witch from Russian folklore, and you’ve got Dreaming Anastasia by debut novelist Joy Preble.
Joy Preble’s experience with Russian legends developed through her crazy maternal grandmother, who had been one of TWENTY children! The story goes that her grandmother’s family didn’t even notice when she ran off to America at sixteen, married badly, raised four children on her own and was the least grandmotherly of grandmothers a girl could ever hope for (despite her amusing and insane tales of the Bolsheviks and tsars). No warm and fuzzies there, only admonitions for Joy to eat her vegetables so she would be strong enough to survive the impending pogroms!
My Thoughts: This book was a wonderful mix for me – not only as a YA read – but to me it dabbled in so much more. There is history to this book with Baba Yaga and Anastasia Romanov. There is the taste of fantasy and the essence of mystery…. basically it had a lot of my favorite genre’s all roled up into one neat little binding.
I have to say I loved the story line based around Baba Yaga (I love folklore!)

I would rate this a PG13 rating for some language

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Thank you so much Sheila! I hadn't heard of this book! It sounds like a great intriguing read that I will most definitely be adding to my TBR list! Thank you so much!

Make sure to stop by One Person's Journey through a World of Books and share some book love with Sheila! If you have a great read that you would like to share or donate, please see my invitation to Guest Reviewers!

Find out what others think:
Hope's Bookshelf

This week I'd like to welcome Kristen, from Bookworming in the 21st Century, as this week's Guest Reviewer.
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From Amazon.com... "In the model community of Candor, Florida, every teen wants to be like Oscar Banks. The son of the town’s founder, Oscar earns straight As, is student-body president, and is in demand for every club and cause.
But Oscar has a secret. He knows that parents bring their teens to Candor to make them respectful, compliant–perfect–through subliminal Messages that carefully correct and control their behavior. And Oscar’s built a business sabotaging his father’s scheme with Messages of his own, getting his clients out before they’re turned. After all, who would ever suspect the perfect Oscar Banks?
Then he meets Nia, the girl he can’t stand to see changed. Saving Nia means losing her forever. Keeping her in Candor, Oscar risks exposure... and more."
While reading Candor, I could not put the book down for long. I read it in a day (yesterday) and found it to be very exciting. Oscar finally finds himself in love with a girl moving to Candor. He doesn't want her to leave, but he doesn't want her brainwashed. I just really loved the perspective of this book from Oscar, how he finally finds something to preoccupy his mind — or rather, someone.
The struggle tore Oscar apart, made him a little less careful than usual and put him in some sticky situations. All the signs of love.
The ending was killer and I hope that Pam starts working on another book to continue on the story. I think I'm going to have to send her a little note telling her I need MORE! ******************** Thank you so much Kristen for an awesome review. Please stop by Bookworming in the 21st Century to share so book love. I am very excited to read this soon (eventually — you know how that goes).

This week's Guest Review was donated by Bianca from Wicked Good Books. She was the first one to email me a review in order to win the copy of "Sugar Time." I pass around a lot of books via these simple giveaways — so make sure to keep a look out! Check out here original review here.

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"Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical down to the dimple. As daughters of a district-court judge father and a politician mother, they are an all-American family — on the surface. Behind the facade each sister has her own dark secret, and that's where their differences begin. For Kaeleigh, she's the misplaced focus of Daddy's love, intended for a mother whose presence on the campaign trail means absence at home. All that Raeanne sees is Daddy playing a game of favorites — and she is losing. If she has to lose, she will do it on her own terms, so she choose drugs, alcohol, and sex. Secrets like the ones the twins are harboring are not meant to be kept — from each other or anyone else. Pretty soon it's obvious that neither sister can handle it alone, and one sister must step up to save the other, but the question is — who?" (from inside cover)
I was so excited to finally get my hands onIdentical. Having read Ellen Hopkins previous books, I expected nothing but a phenomenal story, and it did not disappoint. The two main characters, Raeanne and Kaeleigh are identical twins, they look exactly alike, but their is no similarity in their personalities. With their mom gone due to the election process and herself as a candidate, they only have their dad. Kaleigh is favored by their father and begins to experience things no one should have to go through; sexual abuse. She works at a retirement home and meets an elderly lady, Greta, who shares her secrets and tries to get her to open up about her dark demon. Ian, her faithful boyfriend also tries to help her. Raeanne is all about sex, alcohol and drugs. Although she knows Kaeleigh secret, she still wants to be love by their father. Throughout the book, we learn of family issues like what happened to their father to make him the man he is. Why they've never met their grandmother, and what happened the day of the car crash, years ago. Towards the end of the book, there is a major twist. I had to reread it a couple times, just to make sure I was comprehending it right! I don't won't to give it away, but I will say this: people are not always who they seem to be.
Favorite character: Ian. That guy remained faithful and stood by Kaeleigh's side through thick and thin. Such a sweet character!
Overall: I think this book deserves 5 stars. For the plot, characters and originality! Ellen Hopkins is a fantastic writer! I can't wait until her next book!

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Thank you so much Bianca for such a great review! I've already added this book to my TBR list and can't wait to read it! Please stop by Wicked Good Books and share some book love! Thank you Bianca!

This week I'd like to welcome Sharry from Always Dream. Thank you so much!

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Synopsis: Sloe barely remembers the city where she grew up. Her earliest memory is of arriving at the dirty, unfriendly prison camp called the Settlement, a rundown collection of factories built in a cold, dark wilderness of perpetual blizzards in winter and muddy marshes in spring. Sometimes, on cold evenings after the work quota for the day is finished, her mother would light the oil lamp, and under it's warm, cozy glow, show her the secret magic. She would lovingly open a tiny nutshell containing six vials, and on these vials Mama's magic would work. Soon, tiny little creatures with quivering noses and nailpin eyes would roll and tangle playfully about inside the little nutshell case, full of life and love, their tiny paws pressed against the glass dome of their little home. "One day," says Mama, "maybe quite soon, or maybe years and years from now, when you are grown-up, it will be time to take them to the city... Not our city, another city. Where the sun always shines. It's a long journey, hundreds of miles to the north and west, through the wilderness and the forest, through the forests to the sea, and across the ice to the other side". Sloe always imagined going on the trip with her mother and escaping the hopeless tired life of the Settlement, but she soon finds herself the sole guardian of the little creatures, and this faraway dream becomes a direction for her hope and the survival of both herself and possibly, the regeneration of life on earth itself.

Review: I was really moved, disturbed, and hypnotized by this story. Sloe's struggle to survive and find the truth of her mother's words propel the story forward all the way to the last page of this story, in which I clamped the book shut with awe and content.

When I first picked this novel up, I assumed it was going to be a sort of Historical Fiction, possibly about WWII and the Holocaust. I didn't read the jacket flap synopsis very closely so I didn't pick up on the hints put there. I sort of took the book up on a whim. Now I want a copy! And I want more of Ann Halam's work!

There is a unique mixture of fairytale and science at play. Because Sloe lived in an environment where people cared more about day to day survival than proper education, she grew up sort of in awe of this scientific secret her mother made her keep and take care of, this secret that was like magic to her. Even when she grows up into a headstrong, intelligent young woman, the beautiful mystery of the nutshell case remained something to ponder over. Through the course of the book — as she grows up and leaves to another prison-like school, stumbles through early teenage years that slowly harden her pains and losses into bittersweet memories, falls into wrong hands, escapes, trudges through the vast landscape of a perpetual Siberia, narrowly flees from a strange pursuer — she slowly pieces together the truth and the importance of the mission her mama gave her long ago.

I read this novel all in one sitting, it was that compelling! It really had fairytale echoes in it, and I don't want to say too much because I might give away some important parts of the plot. But, this novel was truly a gem! I'm so excited to have come across Ann Halam and I have a feeling that she has written more little treasure worlds that I can let my mind and imagination wander in. With adventure, fantasy, and a tale of a headstrong girl with her wits about her, Siberia is one of those novels that will fully transport you into a different world, keep your heart pumping, your eyes glued to the page and provide much food for thought!

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Thank you so much Sharry for such an awesome review! I will definitely be sure to add this to my list!

Please share some book love and visit Sharry at Always Dream!

I'd like to, once again, welcome Sharon from Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews, as this week's Guest Reviewer!

****************** Chin Up, Honey — Curtiss Ann Matlock

From Amazon.com...

"Just after Emma and John Cole Berry separate, their only son, Johnny, announces his engagement to Gracie. So the good parents welcome the happy couple together, and begin counseling to patch up their own marriage, but Gracie’s controlling mother has bigger plans for her. Meanwhile, other denizens in Matlock’s beloved Valentine, Oklahoma, are working their way through their own heart troubles. Belinda’s handsome, sexy husband suddenly wants to talk rather than make love, and her mother, Vella, is carrying on scandalously with Jaydee Mayhall. A common bond is Winston and Willie Lee’s old-fashioned radio show, which keeps the folks of Valentine entertained."

Have you ever sat down with a book, and it felt like you were sitting on a porch swing, chatting with good friends and catching up on their lives?
That’s exactly the feeling you get when you pick up a book by Curtiss Ann Matlock. Her stories about the folks in Valentine, Oklahoma make the reader feel like they’ve come home for a family reunion. And everybody’s there – the sweet old uncle who has the delightful radio show everyone loves, the aunts who cluck about making sure everyone is fed, and the kids running in and out between everyone’s feet.

In the latest in the Valentine series, “Chin Up, Honey,” the story focuses on Emma and John Cole Berry. Emma and John Cole have been having some marital problems, to the point that John Cole has not been home in a while. But when their son, Johnny, announces that he and his sweet girlfriend Gracie are getting married, Emma knows that she has to put aside her disagreements with her husband in order to plan the wedding of the year. After all, there are parties to plan, invitations to design, a pool to be installed – you know, important things.
But when Emma finds out that Gracie’s mother, the elegant businesswoman Sylvia from up North, doesn’t approve of Johnny – well, let’s just say the mother lioness instinct kicks in and Emma goes into overdrive trying to prove to Sylvia that their family is just fine and dandy. But her anxiety may prove to be unnecessary. All it takes is getting the stuck-up lady down to experience the loving ways of the folks in Valentine to get her to loosen up a bit. A day at the Glorious Women’s retreat, a few glasses of sweet tea and Sylvia’s good to go! (If only it were that easy.)
Meanwhile Brother Winston’s radio show is getting noticed by the folks at the “Today Show,” there is a pack of kids running around town stealing things, and down at the drugstore there is a raging debate on whether you are supposed to wear panties underneath your pantyhose or not. Yep, it’s always exciting in Valentine, Oklahoma. Never a dull day passes.
Curtiss Ann Matlock has a unique gift of bringing her readers right into her stories, making them comfortable and wanting to stay a while. With just the right touch of Southern hospitality, a heaping helping of love and a generous dash of humor, her novels are instant classics. “Chin Up, Honey” is one of the best of the series, which is saying a lot since the others are delightful as well. I can’t wait until it’s time to visit Valentine again.
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Thank you so much Sharon for such a great review! I've never heard of this author or series and it's definitely peeked my interests! As a small town girl I love how you described the series! I will definitely have to add this entire series to my ever growing list of books to read. Again, Sharon thank you so much! Don't forget to visit her at her blog: Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews.

BIG thanks to Scarlett, From the Heart, for this awesome review! Thank you Scarlett!

******************* From Amazon.com...

"This is the first in a trilogy in which a new universe has been created. A world where daemons swoop and scuttle along the streets of Oxford and London, where the mysterious Dust swirls invisibly through the air, and where one child knows secrets the adults would kill for."

Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend other kidnapped children from becoming the subjects of gruesome experiments the far North.

My favorite book of all time is Northern Lights or The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. Northern lights is my favorite book because I am a huge fantasy junkie. I just cannot get enough fantasy. The idea of the daemons is a terrific one. While reading this book I was wishing that I could have my own personal daemon and I wondered what my daemon would look like when it took on its final form.

Basically, Philip Pullman has woven a magical tale that is actually believable. It’s so well-written that I find myself pulled into the magic of the world and it seems as if I am there as part of the magic.

The characters are all definitely memorable. I loved Lyra, she is just the coolest character ever. I also remember Pan, he is just great. Pan would be such a great daemon friend.

If you’re looking for a great fantasy book with elements of action and mystery then definitely look into Northern Lights because I know that you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did!
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Again, HUGE thanks to Scarlett, From the Heart! Make sure to stop by and share some book love!

I'm very happy to again welcome Cassandra, from the Happy Book Lovers Blog, as this week's Guest Reviewer.

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The Miles Between — Mary Pearson

From Amazon.com...

"Destiny Faraday makes a point of keeping her distance from her classmates at Hedgebrook Academy. Her number-one rule: Don’t get attached. But one day, unexpectedly finding a car at their disposal, Destiny and three of her classmates embark on an unauthorized road trip. They’re searching for one fair day—a day where the good guy wins and everything adds up to something just and right. Their destination: Langdon, a town that Destiny’s unsuspecting companions hope will hold simply a day of fun. But, as Destiny says, “Things are not always what they seem.” Only she knows that Langdon holds far more than that—a deep secret she has never shared with anyone.
The Miles Between explores the wonder andmagic of a very real world where chance, mystery, and secrets abound."

Destiny Faraday makes a point of keeping a distance from her classmates at Hedgebrook Academy. Routine and predictability help her stick to her number-one rule: Don't get attached. But one day, with the crumpling of a calendar page and an odd encounter with a mysterious stranger, routine and predictability are turned on end.

Unexpectedly finding a car at their disposal, Destiny and three of her classmates embark on an unauthorized road trip, searching for one fair day — a day where the good guy wins and everything adds up to something just and right.

Honestly, I was surprised. From the first word on the back of the book, "Destiny," I thought this was going to be a hokey novel meant for twelve-year-olds. The character's name was Destiny! But by the time I hit Chapter 11, I knew this was going to be an astonishing novel.

The main character was so different than anything I had ever come across, striking my attention the most. She avoided people mainly because she didn't want to lose them, yet she noticed amazingly tiny details about everyone she went to school with. it was remarkable how detailed the descriptions were, noting how many times a girl twirled her fork before she ate spaghetti and a boy who dialed a phone number twice before actually calling. I love details. I love tiny descriptions that don't really matter, but in the same sense, they totally do.

My favorite part was how unexpectedly the heaviness loomed over me. I wasn't aware of its presence at first, then it all hit at once, and I found myself sobbing. Hands down to Pearson, that doesn't often happen (others are HP Deathly Hallows and The Sweet Far Thing). A few corny lines here and there, but overall was surprisingly wonderful, and it was nice to read one of those hidden marvels for a change.

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Thank you so much Cassandra! Please make sure to stop by Happy Book Lovers Blog and share some book love! "The Miles Between" is released today!

Find out how to become a Guest Reviewer.

Find out what other people are saying!

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Frenetic Reader

I'm very happy to again welcome Cassandra, from the Happy Book Lovers Blog, as this week's Guest Reviewer.

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Eyes Like Stars — Lisa Mantchev

From Amazon.com...

"All her world’s a stage.

Bertie Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater. She’s not an orphan, but she has no parents. She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own. That is, until now.
Enter Stage Right."
All her world's a stage.

Seventeen-year-old Beatrice (Bertie) Shakespeare Smith has spent her whole life within the walls of the Theatre Illuminata, a majestic and magical playhouse with thousands of players at the ready. Bertie was a foundling, discovered at the theater door, but management has now wearied of harboring the irreverent, unrestrained, occasionally downright destructive young woman she has become. She must prove-in four days-that she can make an invaluable contribution to the theater or be forever banished.

Mantchev seamlessly blends the chaotic with the traditional plays of the theatre, like molding Hamlet into an Egyptian setting, and morphing Bertie from a child into a cannon-firing tango-dancing girl ready to ward off the Stage Manager. She also expertly created a world in which I would die to live in, with sets constantly changing on stage to fit moods and topics of characters and their conversations.

It also held my interest, changing topics quickly but fluidly, so as not to confuse one too badly. I was lost at first, as there was minimal explaining that the players couldn't actually leave the theater, but once I found that out, I couldn't put the book down.

I also fell in love with the vividly striking Ariel, who played the villain for a while, always trying to manipulate Bertie into falling madly in love with him. I sure was. I adored his personality, and I felt as though when he stared at Bertie, his eyes penetrated me. It was eerie.

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Thank you so much Cassandra. You have been such an amazing resource to my mission for literacy.

Please make sure to visit Cassandra at Happy Book Lovers Blog.

If you're interested in becoming a Guest Reviewer — find out how..

Again, I'd like to welcome Sharon from Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews as this week's Guest Reviewer.
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Now and Then — Jacquelin Sheehan

From Amazon.com...

"Former lawyer Anna O'Shea becomes a time-traveling ex-wife when she returns from a vacation in Ireland and is enlisted to pick up her brother Patrick's son from jail in Newark after Patrick is severely injured in a car accident. Anna retrieves troublesome 16-year-old Joe and sets him up at her home, then wakes in the middle of the night to find him rummaging through her luggage. Joe's intrigued by a mysterious swath of cloth Anna picked up at a tourist trap, and when she tries to take it from him, the two are zapped back 164 years to pre–potato famine Ireland. Sheehan vividly depicts Irish-British conflicts as Anna becomes involved with an Irish smuggler's group and falls for a rebel cartographer."

With the overwhelming popularity of books with other-worldly themes, such as vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, etc., it's not too farfetched to find a novel about a contemporary heroine getting caught up in time travel. In Jacqueline Sheehan's latest novel, "Now and Then," she hones this quirky subject to a finer edge with a brilliant tale that will captures reader's imaginations.

Anna O'Shea was at a point in her life where things had to get better, because they couldn't get much worse. A recent divorcee, Anna had just returned from a harrowing flight from Ireland when she learned her only brother had been in a horrendous accident resulting in massive head injuries, and her 16-year old nephew, Joseph, needs to be picked up from jail.

After checking on her brother and retrieving her errant nephew, Anna hopes to be able to squeeze in a few hours of sleep before hitting other family crises head on. But her plans go awry when she wakes up to find Joseph going through her suitcases. As Anna and Joseph tussle over a partially opened package, the two suddenly find themselves hurtling through time and space to wake up separated in 19th century pre-potato famine Ireland.

Anna is found injured along the coastline, and is taken in by the local blacksmith, Tom, and his wife Glennis. As she struggles to recover from her injuries and confusion, Anna is desperate to find out what happened to Joseph, who seems to have disappeared during their "journey."

Joseph ended up miles away from Anna, and was discovered by an wealthy Englishman's servant and brought to the manor house for recovery. The wily teenager leads the household into believing he is a highly educated young man, and they treat him with the highest honor and respect. Quite the change from his reality back home where he was at the bottom of the high school pecking order

As Anna and Joseph adjust and adapt to their new situations, they both soon discover new strengths and qualities about themselves that had long been buried. But as fate and circumstances work to pull the two visitors from another era together, both find that it will be hard to return to their lives in the 21st century, if they can get back at all.

Jacqueline Sheehan has taken the subject of time travel, and combining it with an indepth look at Irish/British history to deliver a novel that is thoughtful, passionate and fascinating. There is an element of romance, as Anna and Joseph both find love in the most unlikely place, but bear in mind — this is no flighty romance. "Now and Then" is an amazing work of literary fiction to be savored and enjoyed.

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Thanks again to Sharon from Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews. I have never heard of this book so I am extremely glad that this is the review you decided to send in. The cover is absolutely amazing! I'll definitely have to add this to my TBR List. If you're interested in becoming a Guest Reviewer — please find out how.

This week I'd like to again welcome Meg, from Write Meg, as this week's guest reviewer! Check out the original review here!

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"Since turning 15, Scarlett Martin’s life has changed in an astounding rush: she’s now in charge of a suite at her family’s business, the charming but decaying Hopewell Hotel in New York City; her brother Spencer has finally landed an acting gig, introducing her Spence’s gorgeous fellow actor and Southern gentleman Eric; she’s making in-roads toward spending more time with little sister Marlene; and she’s been introduced to Amy Amberson, her suite’s dynamic, demanding and semi-famous resident. Under Mrs. Amberson’s guidance, the summer opens before Scarlett like a fan: full of unexpected turns, small adventures, money and new friendships. As the financial situation at the Hopewell seems to become more and more desperate, the Martin siblings — Scarlett, Lola, Spencer and Marlene — try to find new ways of chipping in and helping their worn-out parents drum up some new business. Ironically, Mrs. Amberson’s arrival starts to do wonders almost immediately." Above all, Maureen Johnson’s Suite Scarlett was a really fun, almost whimsical look at the bonds of one family. I have to say honestly how refreshing it was to read a story about a family that wasn’t fractured, difficult, divorced or not speaking to one another. While the Martins have their difficulties, they definitely love one another. Each character in the novel was fleshed-out and almost larger than life. While I could argue they were a bit “typecast” — Spencer is the funny one, the ambitious actor trying to make his way acting in the city; Lola is the type-A oldest sister, trying to keep everything afloat, etc. — I can’t honestly say this bugged me at all. Though Scarlett is our titular character, Johnson’s novel is in third person; we pop in and out of everyone’s heads, getting their take on the scene before them. Surprisingly, I loved that about it. The sense of place in this novel was awesome — I really felt like I’d stepped into the Hopewell’s lobby and was looking up at the sparkling (but dusty) chandelier as the Martin siblings scurried around. The mild romance that developed in the story was cute, and I loved all of the theatre references as Spencer’s play gets underway. Overall, a fast and fantastic read — and a really different, fun way to spend time in New York City. I could pack up my little suitcase and get to the Hopewell to share in family dinner and catch a performance myself! The book’s sequel, Scarlett Fever, is due out in February 2010. I’ll be waiting! ******************* Thank you so much Megan for an awesome review — I know I say this a lot, but I really can't wait to read this! If anyone else has a great book to recommend to high school students, please email me (my profile has the address). Check out this post for more information on how to become a guest reviewer. Please remember to check out Megan's blog, Write Meg, and share some book love. Thanks again, Megan!