Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi

     Maddy's parents have just divorced and she has had to move in with her Grandmother in a new town. This means starting a new school without her friends. She is labeled the freak.
     Maddy is a great artist and takes comfort in her manga drawings. Her father gets her an online game called Fields of Fantasy which she loves and plays often to escape her problems. Online she can be anyone she wants to be, so she becomes an Elfin maiden named Allora. She makes friends on the game as well.

     Maddy is your average protagonist. Her parents are divorced, she has to move to a new school and all of that. What makes her different from the many other books of this sort is her love of manga and her obsession with her online game. You don't generally see too many novels about an obsession with online games, but Mancusi does well to present it. Maddy loves that game and it almost seems to become an extension of who she is, in her mind. She plays it all of the time, thereby avoiding having to feel anything besides what Allora would feel. She logs on constantly to play: instead of her homework, when she gets into it with her mom, or even when she misses her dad.

     I really do feel sorry for Maddy. I know what it's like to change schools and leave all of your friends behind. Regardless, she still seems a little pathetic. It is almost like she doesn't want to make friends to show her parents how horrible a thing they did to her. I like how Mancusi developed Maddy, I'm not saying I don't because I did love Maddy, but I wanted her to try a bit more to make some new friends instead of being all woe is me.

     I do have to say that as good as Gamer Girl was, it was too predictable. There was not nearly enough suspense. I knew what was going to happen pages before it did. The writing, however, kept me reading because it really was good.  All said and done, Gamer Girl was pretty interesting and well-written.

     Rating: 6

     Find Gamer Girl at Amazon.

    

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

     Cleopatra's Daughter starts out as Octavian's army is approaching Alexandria, Egypt. Alexander, Selene, Ptolemy and their mother, Cleopatra, hide as best they can, but they are found. Cleopatra kills herself and their father. Marc Antony, dies as well, leaving them to the mercy of Octavian Ceasar. Rather than killing them, Ceasar takes them back to Rome with him to show his immense power. Selene and Alexander grow up in Rome, longing to be home with their people. They learn the secrets that surround their new home and the people they live with.

     I think this is probably the best historical novel I have ever read! I fell in love with this book quite quickly. Moran's writing style just flows so perfectly. The language is definitely not modern, but it is understandable. I think she did a great job in bringing this piece of history to life.
     Selene and Alexander are twins, but they are far from identical. The story is told from Selene's perspective. You get to see just how hard losing her parents and having to be Ceasar's trophy is for her. She hates it. Selene misses her home and parents dearly and has trouble adjusting to the abnormal ways of Rome. Nonetheless, she has immense courage! Somehow, Selene finds it in her to stand up to Ceasar and I envy her strength.

     Alexander is not as eager to go home. He finds Rome much more exciting than his sister, who is miserable. and seems to be adjusting better. Either way, both he and Selene live in constant fear of their lives being extinguished. Octavian Ceasar uses them to show his power and cares little about them. They are just prisoners of war to him.

     Octavia was so sweet! The book would not have been the same without her. She helps Selene to fit in better and takes care of Alexander as well. She even stands up to her brother, Ceasar, for them.

     The secrets in Rome were enough to drive me crazy! I wanted to know so badly what this or that meant. It makes me want to read even more books on the subject. The tension certainly added to the story line. It made Cleopatra's Daughter a page-turner for me! I simply loved this book. Everything came alive for me, and that is the most important part. I want to be able to feel what the character's feel, see what they see, ad even hear what they do. Cleopatra's Daughter did that for me. For instance, the first time Selene has to dress in Roman clothing she feels ashamed. I felt that embarrassment with her. I wanted to slap Ceasar just as much as she did.

     All in all, Cleopatra's Daughter is a book well-worth the time it takes to read it. If you are interested in history, or specifically Ceasar or Cleopatra, then this is the book for you. Plus, it comes highly recommended!

     Rating: 9.8

     To find Cleopatra's Daughter, check Amazon, Walmart, or even Michelle Moran's website!

    

Hush, Hush Contest

     I'm sure many of you are looking forward to October 19th. Who wouldn't be? After all, Crescendo is going to be released then! Of course, it would be inappropriate, tragic even, to read the second book before the first. ;)

     Which is why Melissa at YA Book Shelf is giving away two glorious copies of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick! Tears of pure joy are running down your face now, aren't they? I assure you, you are not alone. I would adore a copy of this book!

     So, make sure you do not miss out on this chance! Enter the contest here. Good luck!

Book Blogger Hop (September 17th -20th)

     I had quite the week, what about you? The teachers piled on the homework this weekend, but that's alright. I'm still on a high from our awesome version of trench warfare in U.S. History on Thursday. :) We used paper balls (simulating bullets) and the desks (forming the 'trench'). It may sound dorky, but it was unimaginably fun to get the chance to throw things at the people you don't like in your class! No, I'm just kidding!
     Good times, good times...

Thank you Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books!

Prompt of the Week:

     In honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, let's take time this week to honor our favorite book bloggers and why we love them!

Response:

     Well, I'd have to say Christina from Books Are Life is definitely my inspiration for blogging! She is the one who introduced me to the whole world of sharing my love of books with other people. Obviously she has a wonderful blog complete with reviews, interviews and everything in between! What's not to love? I've also had the great experience of being friends with Christina in-person (oh, those lovely AP Euro days...).  Don't miss out on this fabulous blog!

     Then there is my eighth grade English teacher's review blog. She was one of my favorite teachers. Heather (it's weird calling her by her first name) at The One Thing I Regret could be a writer herself! Don't you just love her style? She truly makes me want to read every book she discusses!
     I know there are zillions of other blogs out there that I have surely missed out on, but I feel that the above mentioned two are some of the best. Be sure to stop by and check both of them out!
    
    Have fun reading and hopping!


    

Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon

     Belle Goose falls in love with Edwart Mullen in this parody of Twilight. She lives in Switchblade, Oregon, and is looking for a vampire boyfriend. She thinks Edwart is a vampire and attempts to convince him to make her a vampire too, by stalking him.

     I know this book was supposed to be funny, but I just didn't like it. Some things were funny, I'll give it that. For the most part though, I think this book went much too far. This could be because I actually happened to enjoy the Twilight saga, but I won't go into fan-girl mode at the moment.

     Belle stalks Edwart and Edwart is creeped out by girls. None of the words that come out of anyone's mouth seem even remotely real. Most importantly, it doesn't even really make that much sense! I couldn't follow what was going on very well.
     It was actually fairly hilarious the way the authors changed the names though. Belle Goose is Bella Swan. A goose is a type of bird, as is a swan... get it?  ;)
     Rating:  1
      -- I really hate to give the book this low of a rating, but I just couldn't connect with it. I'm sure some people might actually like Nightlight, so give it a try if you'd like. I am most certainly not an expert on books!
     If you would like to read Nightlight, try Amazon.
  

Super-duper Contest

    

     The Book Buzzer has an AMAZING giveaway going on until September 30th! There are some wonderful books being given away including some that are on my imaginary to be read pile. 

    

     You can win The Giver by Lois Lowry, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, The Hunger Games and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, and an ARC of Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson, among others. This is just what you've been waiting for, right?  ;)

     Sign up for the contest soon and good luck to you all!

Book Blogger Hop: September 10-13

     It was only a four day week this week! Thank goodness. Surprisingly, I didn't have quite as much homework as normal so I got in some extra reading time. I'm almost finished with The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
     Today we had a big pep rally at school because tonight is when we play our biggest rival. It was hilarious! Some of the football players dressed up as girls from our rival school (decked out in skirts and all) and someone even brought a possum. I suppose this might make more sense if you knew who this rival team was and all. :)

Question of the Week:

     Post a link to a favortie post or book review that you have written in the past three months.

Answer:
     This really isn't an answer, since it wasn't really a question, but here is my link anyway:
The Named
I think that I would consider this one of my favorite books ever. I wish I could read the next two, but that, my dear friends, is another story altogether!


     Have a great weekend and make sure to read plenty!

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

     I was beyond amazed by Mockingjay! It was simultaneously horrible and wonderful.

     Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.

--Summary from Amazon (I would have put too many spoilers in the description alone)

     As I mentioned above, I loved this book. Suzanne Collins has once again managed to awe us with her talent! Her writing is beautiful. Somehow she manages to put you right there in the book. She makes Katniss's struggles so real, so powerful. I wanted to cry so many times, but mostly I think I was in too much shock to do so. Still, there were countless times in which I thought my heart was being ripped out of my chest.

     Katniss was wonderful and strong as usual. It seemed as though she was a bit too lost though. I wanted her to be more of her old self, but I suppose the harshness of life just got to her. I felt bad for her because she had to grow up much too fast. Katniss is still amazing. Despite everything she manages to keep moving, to keep trying, and to keep looking for a way.

     So, I decided who I wanted Katniss to end up with before I read Mockingjay. I chose Peeta. Then I read the book... I don't really like Peeta so much anymore but Gale isn't so fantastic either. Peeta is just, well, not Peeta. I miss the real Peeta so badly and I miss the peaceful time that Gale and Katiss spent together. It just wasn't the same, but I guess nothing ever really stays the same, right?

     To this day I still can't figure Haymitch out. Sometimes I love him and other times I want to strangle him! I know he cares about Katniss. I know this. I just wish he would show it. Of course, if he did he wouldn't be Haymitch anymore.

     Prim is as sweet as ever. She too has grown up throughout the novels and I must say she is quite the lady now! I'm glad that she got to spend more time with Katniss. They both seemed to be slowly pulled apart by the Games, but now they have a little time together. It's just so... wait I can't tell you that! :)

     The end held me captivated. I think I sat there, mouth agape, for a full five minutes trying to digest everything. I can't say that I really liked the ending though. It just didn't seem like Katniss was truly happy, and that is what I wanted for her, more than anything.

     All in all, this was wonderful! If you haven't read this yet, I strongly suggest that you do so immediately. You may even want to run out to the nearest bookstore now...

     Rating: 10!

     I'm pretty sure you can find Mockingjay almost anywhere including Walmart and Amazon.

Happy reading!

Book Blogger Hop September 3- 6

     Thank goodness Friday has finally come! I was dying! Now I have a lovely three day weekend for Labor Day. That means plenty of time to finish Mockingjay.  I tried reading it this week but it got in the way of homework (oops!) and I ended up staying up late to finish the lame homework I dismissed to read.  :)  Ah, the life of a book lover...

Thanks to Jen at Crazy-for-Books!

Question of the Week:

     Do you judge a books by its cover?

Answer:

     I know it's horrible, but yes I do. They say not to judge books by their covers. Honestly, how do you decide to pick up a book and examine it otherwise though? I'm usually not going to pick up something that looks horrible or boring, personally. My friends and I have discussed this plenty and it's just the honest truth that most people won't pick up a book that isn't visually appealing.

     Besides this, I like to run my fingers over covers that I like (weird, I know). I like tracing the words and pictures or feeling the different elevated/impressioned parts. It's just nice.
     So do you judge a book by it's cover?

Another Wonderful Contest

    

     Dominique over at The Book Vault has brought us another wonderful contest for her birthday. She has a ton of books that she is giving away!

     Be sure to enter to win here by September 1st! Good luck to everyone!

     I'm really looking forward to The Haunted by Jessica Verday. I'd love to win that for my best friend! So, what are you hoping for?

Book Blogger Hop (7) ~August 27th-30th

     Another week, another Friday (can you hear the sigh?). I actually had a pretty good week though. I just didn't have enough time to read as much as I would have liked.
     Mockingjay came out Tuesday, can you believe it? I cannot wait to read it! Lucky for me, I won my second contest ever and the prize was... Mockingjay! Thanks so much to Mrs. DeRaps over at DeRaps Reads.
     How was your week? Fantastic I hope.

Thanks to Crazy-for-Books!

Question of the Week:

     Do you use a rating system for your reviews and if so, what is it and why?

Answer:

     I do use a rating system. I think it helps give readers a better understanding of just how much I liked or disliked a book. It goes from 1 (being the worst) to 10 (being the best). You can see it in my left sidebar. Notice how witty I was trying to be? Yeah, we all know I failed miserably at that one...  ;)


     Have a great weekend! Happy hopping and reading!

So Very Close...

     2 days. I can wait that long can't I? I'm not so sure though... It's already been torture waiting since Catching Fire came out, but knowing that Mockingjay is just 2 days away makes it even more excruciating!

     What makes it even worse, I think, is that I am too broke to pre-order it.  :(  So, my only salvation is my best friend. She better get it, enough said. I'm just kidding. Well, I'm sort of just kidding. I'm hoping, praying even that my best friend will get Mockingjay, but I'm not sure. If she does, whcih she must, she better read it immediately so that I can then have it. ;D

    I guess that's more than enough ranting about how much I need Mockingjay. Is anyone else as excited about the upcoming release as I am? Are you Team Peeta or Team Gale? Personally, I just want Katniss to be happy (I guess that makes me Team Katniss?) and I like both of her choices.
     Let me know how you feel and what you might be doing to celebrate the release of Mockingjay!

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

     I'm sure many of you have heard of this book. I read it in eighth grade, just to see what it was all about and then again in tenth grade for English class. I think I was just as impressed by Lee's writing the second time as I was the first time.

     To Kill a Mockingbird is set in Maycomb, Alabama, in the 1930's. Scout Finch lives with her brother Jem and her father Atticus. In the beginning of the novel Scout is just like any other child at that age. She plays make-believe games with her friend Dill and Jem. She gets in trouble and generally has a good time.

     When Tom Robinson is accused of rape, Atticus is appointed as his lawyer. This changes Scout's life forever thereafter. The book follows her, Jem and the rest of Maycomb as the trial progresses.

     There are very few books that have ever made me cry; this was one of them. Lee is just an amazing writer. She makes you see everything in detail. There were a few slow spots, especially the first few chapters as Lee sets up the book, but that's alright.
     I love that the story is told in the eyes of Scout. She's hilarious, I'm telling you! The tomboy of Maycomb, Scout is quick to anger and get into a fight. She defends her father when the trial starts. Her antics concerning Boo Radley (poor Boo!) are funny but at the same time a bit mean. Of course you can't blame her, she's just a curious child. It makes me proud how wonderfully she grows up throughout the book. At first she is a naive child, but by the end she is wizened little girl.
     Atticus is absolutely wonderful. Somehow he always knows exactly what to do and what to say. Scout is beyond lucky to have a father like him. He is an honorable character. There are a few moments in the book where Atticus is vulnerable and it makes me weep. The way some of Maycomb's residents treated  him during the trial is just despicable! Despite everything, Atticus works tirelessly for Tom.
     I feel so sorry for Tom Robinson. He didn't deserve the treatment he got, simply because he wasn't a white man. I wanted more for him, but of course life just isn't fair.
     Mayella Ewell makes me sick. I realize that her father is horrible and she's known nothing else, but accusing Tom of raping her is just plain wrong. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't feel anything for her. I don't hate her, but I most certainly do not like her either.
     Lee handles the racial issues in this book beautifully. Even this many years after the fact, racial tensions still do arise. None the less, it is at times difficult to understand just how horrible people were to each other, until I walk outside, at least, and then it all comes rushing back. I think Harper Lee did a great job about explaining things though. I can understand why because of the way she words things and how she shows us what is going on. It just makes me so sad, so very disappointed in how we treat each other.

     To Kill a Mockingbird is fantastic. If you haven't read this yet, you need to! I'm sure you will be just as awed by the writing style as I was.

     Rating: 10

     To Kill a Mockingbird can be found in most bookstores and Amazon.

    

ARC Giveaway

     I found an absolutely amazing giveaway from Carolina at Carol's Prints! In total I think there are 12 different possibilities. 12! Not just 12 lame books, 12 ARC's!
     The books you can win are:

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle (This cover scares me to death!)

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

Dark Water by Laura McNeal

Radiance by Alyson Noel

Jane by April Lindner

Dark Song by Gale Giles

Keeper's School: Fear Itself by Andrew Clements

The Diary of Piper Davis (Dear America): The Fences Between Us by Kirby Larson

     I'm most excited for Immortal Beloved. I read the Sweep series by Cate Tiernan and it was wonderful, so I have high hopes for this book!

     Be sure to enter this contest here! Good luck to all who enter and if you wouldn't mind entering me as the person who referred you I would appreciate it!

Book Blogger Hop (6)

     Thank goodness it's Friday! I think I was dying from sleep deprivation (I despise you homework) and if any of you knew me you would know how much I love my sleep. Reading is great and all, but I think some good ol' sleep gives reading a run for its money! How was your week? Did you get plenty of rest?

     As usual, the wonderful Jennifer at Crazy for Books has given us a new question to answer this week!

Question of the Week:

     How many blogs do you follow?

Answer:

     I follow 52 fantastic blogs. I just went and counted. :)  It's sad, I know, but I don't usually get to keep up to date with all of them. Didn't I just explain about my love of sleep? That may not sound like very many, but I tell you, 52 is more than enough to occupy my time plus that which I don't have. Besides, I try to make my visits count. If I visit your blog, I really do try to look around, read a few reviews, and just get a sense of what we have in common.

     How many blogs do you follow?


     Have a fantastic weekend filled with lovely books and restful sleep! I'm off to visit those who hopped on my blog last week and hopefully get to bed soon (yes, I do realize that this post was more about sleep than books or blogs, but that should tell you something...).

Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell

     I won this book from Elie at Ellz Readz for her Book Extravaganza giveaway awhile ago. You have no idea how ecstatic I was! I've never won anything before and to get three books in one shot was amazing! Now on to the actual book.

     The summer Iris turns fourteen proves to be quite different than previous summers for her and her best friend Collette. The two are dragged into an unsolved mystery when Iris hears a voice call out to her in the cemetery. She thinks the voice belongs to Elijah Landry, a boy who had disappeared years before she was born. Together with Collette, Iris tries to figure out what really happened to Elijah and in the process she learns more about her small town of Ondine, Louisiana.

     I really enjoyed Shadowed Summer. It was predictable in some parts, but in others I was completely taken aback by the events. I loved how Mitchell described everything as well. I could see her Daddy making dinner for her and smell the food he was cooking. It all took on a real quality in my mind.

     Iris was a great character. She was much more interesting than her best friend, Collette, seemed. I liked how deep her thoughts were. Iris was definitely not your everyday bratty fourteen year old. She cared about her father and wished she had been able to remember her mother. I could actually see how we were similar in some ways.

     I wasn't very impressed with Collette. She acts too regal for my tastes. If she had been such a good friend to Iris, she wouldn't have been so cruel or demeaning to Iris. I wanted her to be more understanding than she had been. Ben was a nice guy, but Collette didn't have to ignore Iris because he was around.

     I found the plot to be intriguing. I had to do dishes one night while I was reading, which made me mad. I had just finished a chapter and it was a cliff hanger. I had to know what happened! So, I hurried through the dishes just to see if my predictions were right (they weren't). Through the whole book you can't help but go back to the stuff about Elijah. What happened to him? Was he really dead? If so, was he murdered?

     Shadowed Summer was interesting. I'm most certainly glad that I won it!

     Rating: 7.5

     Look for Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell at Amazon and other book stores.

Book Blogger Hop (5)

     It's been a crazy week of starting school, homework, chores and not nearly enough reading time! I'll survive though. At least I have a good chunk of time for reading during my hour long bus ride home...

     As I'm sure you know, Jennifer at Crazy for Books hosts this event every weekend. Thank you for this great opportunity!

Question of the Week:

     How many books do you have on your 'to be read shelf'?

Answer:

     I honestly have no idea! :) This 'shelf' is currently just a figment of my imagination since most of my books are packed, but I'd say I have quite a few on my list. If I were to estimate I would guess over 100 books.

     How many books are on your to be read shelf? I bet you have tons of awesome books that you should let me read!

Book Blogger Hop (4)

     I'm hopping a bit late this week,  but only slightly so it's all good. I'm hoping you all had a lovely week filled with fantastic reads! I finished my summer reading assignments which I was happy about.

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books!

Question of the week:

     Do you listen to music when you read? If so, what are your favorite reading tunes?

Answer:

     Nope, I usually prefer peace and quiet when I read. Sometimes when it's too loud and I have to get some reading done for school or something similar, I do pop in my earphones to block out the other noises. I know this sounds strange, right? If I can't concentrate with people talking or watching television how can I concentrate while listening to music? The only way I can explain it is that the music I listen to are favorite songs that I know the words to, therefore I'm not curious as to what is being said (nosy, I know, but I can't help it) and can block it out.

     I now realize that the last paragraph was just a bunch of rambling, but if you can understand it props to you!  ;D  To answer the question in a more straightforward way, no I don't normally listen to music while reading. It makes it too difficult for me to really understand what is going on. I like to be able to just read and relax, since that is my escape.

     Do you listen to music while reading? What genres do you enjoy?

Cassandra Clare Mega Giveaway

     Have I ever mentioned how much I l-o-v-e the Mortal Instruments series? Well, I do! They have to be some of my favorite books ever, to be quite honest. My best friend handed me the first book in the series (City of Bones) randomly one day last year. Thank goodness she did, otherwise I would have seriously been missing out.

     Now, on to something more fantastic than my boring life... Paperback Dolls is giving away some major prizes. I mean, huge, fabulous, wonderful, to-die-for prizes.  ;)

     As I understand it, there will be three winners: two runners up and a grand prize winner. Among the goodies to be claimed are signed copies of the entire Mortal Instruments series (Yes!), a signed copy of the soon to be released Clockwork Angel (be still my beating heart), and some other things including engraved bookmarks (absolutely amazing). If you'd like to enter this contest (who wouldn't??), simply visit the Paperback Dolls giveaway.

     I should have reviews of these up soon! Good luck entering the contest!

I am so honored...

     I've been awarded my first ever book blogger award! I can now call myself a Versatile Blogger. Does it sound conceited to say that I feel kind of special now?  ;)  Anywho, thank you so very much to Sarah at The Book Bee (make sure to visit this amazing blog)! I truly appreciate the gesture.

     So, there are just a few things to do:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason.

4. Contact the bloggers you've chosen and let them know about their award.

     Seven things about me, right?

1.  I am painfully shy (seriously, if I don't know someone I just can't speak to them). It's so bad that at restaurants I sometimes have to get my mom to order for me because the waiter/waitress can't hear what I'm saying.

2.  As crazy as it sounds, I love school.

3.  I'm a relatively slow reader. It usually takes me a few days longer to finish a book than it does most of my friends.

4.  I have two dogs (Duchess and Stir Fry; don't ask)  and a bunny (Rex).

5.  Eventually, I hope to become a veterinarian.

6.  I can't decide which dessert is my favorite: cheesecake or pumpkin pie.

7.  I despise tomatoes (yuck times a million!) and yet spaghetti, lasagna, pizza and all kinds of other dishes including the fruit (vegetable?) are some of my favorite things to eat.

     Now on to the best and most difficult part about this, awarding other people! By the way, these aren't in any specific order.

DeRaps Reads

Ellz Reads

A Book Obsession..

Blkosiner's Book Blog

In the Closet with a Bibliophile

I Just Wanna Sit Here And Read!

The Competitive Bibliomaniac

Books Are Life

     I know I am supposed to pick 15 bloggers, but I really haven't had enough time to explore more blogs than the above mentioned 8. These blogs are really great though and they definitely deserve the Versatile Blogger award!