Friday, October 31, 2014

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: RSVP

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine blog



Four tween best friends form a party planning business in their abandoned-sailboat clubhouse, anticipating lots of fun (and cake)! But when mishaps occur, they'll learn that having good friends to bump through life with is the best cause of all for celebration.
-summary and cover via Goodreads

I love Jen Malone's debut book, At Your Service! And Gail Nall's debut, Breaking the Ice is on my TBR list!  And isn't the cover of this book fun? Love it!

Monday, October 27, 2014

Top Ten Characters Who I Would Totally Want To Be For Halloween

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish blog

Do you all like the Halloween version I made for my image this week? :)

I had a little bit of a hard time trying to think of ten this week. There aren't that many characters that I think look different enough, or have outfits that stand out in YA and MG books that I have read. And if I dress up as one, I want it to at least be a costume and not just jeans and a t-shirt and say I'm "insert book characters name here". It just doesn't feel fun enough to me. Except for the Ever After High books! Which is why I listed five Ever After High characters today, and then listed four other book characters, too! :)


All Ever After High images below are from the covers of Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends, The Unfairest of Them All, A Wonderlandiful World, Once Upon a Time,and Next Top Villain.

From the Ever After High books:


Madeline Hatter 


Lizzie Hearts


Cerise Hood



Kitty Cheshire


And now,
From other books:








And, 
Nancy Drew!

Who would you want to be for Halloween? :)

Review: Star Wars: Jedi Academy


New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Jeffrey Brown takes readers to a middle school in a galaxy far, far away...

This incredible, original story captures all of the humor, awkwardness, fun, and frustrations of middle school--all told through one boy's comics, journal entries, letters, doodles, and newspaper clippings. The setting? A galaxy far, far away...

Roan's one dream is to leave home and attend Pilot Academy like his older brother, father, and grandfather. But just as Roan is mysteriously denied entrance to Pilot School, he is invited to attend Jedi Academy--a school that he didn't apply to and only recruits children when they are just a few years old. That is, until now...

This inventive novel follows Roan's first year at Jedi Academy where, under the tutelage of Master Yoda, he learns that he possesses more strength and potential than he could have ever dreamed. Oh, and he learns other important things too--like how to make a baking soda volcano, fence with a lightsaber, slow dance with a girl, and lift boulders with the Force.

-summary and cover via Goodreads

Plot: I'm writing this review as someone who has never sat down and watched all the Star Wars movies. But my Dad has had them on enough that I feel I have pretty much absorbed the plot and pretty much know the plot of all the movies. (I have watched almost all of the the Clone Wars TV show that premiered a few years ago, and I watched that movie awhile back, too.). Just thought I needed to get that out there!

Alright, on with the review! The plot is fun! It's more about Roan going to the Jedi Academy (And his first year there.) than anything else, but it's a fun plot! And I think even if you aren't very familar with the movies, you might enjoy this book! It's kind of told in a diary (Journal, whatever word you want to use.) format, with entries, doodles, comics, "pictures", and letters written to Roan thoughout it!

Characters: Roan is entertaining, and while I had a little bit of trouble keeping track of everyone's names in it (That's probably just me, I'm horrible with remembering names!), I enjoyed all the characters in it!

The cover: Fun! Fits the book!

Overall: I had read about this book when it first released 2013, but kept forgetting to get it at the library. I finally got myself to put it on hold and I'm happy I did! Enjoyable read that I think Star Wars fans would enjoy, and I think people who aren't fans of it might enjoy this book, too! I look forward to reading the 2nd book! :)

I checked this book out from my library.

Authors website: http://www.jeffreybrowncomics.com/
Age Range: Middle Grade
Series?:  Yep! The 2nd book, Return of the Padawan is out now! :)
Publisher: Scholastic

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Lost in Paris

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine blog


This Wednesday I'm Waiting on: Lost in Paris by Cindy Callaghan

Ooh la la! Gwen ends up on a Parisian scavenger hunt—with a cute French ami—in this M!X novel from the author of Lost in London.

Gwen Russell is thrilled to hear she will be heading to Paris with her family. Even though the main reason for the trip is to see her three older brothers play lacrosse, Gwen and her Mom have plans to tour the city when they can.

As soon as they land, Gwen is swept up in the city she has always wanted to see, and even meets a très cute boy named Henri. If that wasn't enough excitement, Gwen finds out that her all-time favorite band is playing a one-night only concert in Paris—and there are tickets available to the sold-old show for three lucky people. The catch? Fans who want a golden ticket have to work for it via a scavenger hunt around the City of Light.

Through cryptic clues blasted out every day through a special website, Gwen and her new friends find themselves in a race against time—and against other die-hard fans—as they scramble to landmarks throughout Paris. And it turns out the concert tickets might not even be the biggest prize...

-summary and cover via Goodreads

Two previous books by the author (Lost in London and Lucky Me) I enjoyed a lot, and this one looks even more fun! And I love the cover of it! :)

Monday, October 20, 2014

Top Ten New and Future Series I Want To Start

Top Ten Tuesday is The Broke and the Bookish blog


I wasn't able to think of many newer series that I wanted to begin, that I hadn't already. And I thought I would list five that are already released that I want to read, and then list three that release next year that I want to begin, too!

Now, according to Goodreads, all of the books I'm listing below are the first in new series, if they aren't series books, then I apologize!

(I'm just going to list the first book in the series below, and if I know the name of it, the series name, too.)

Top Ten Nine New and Future Series I Want To Start


Five Already Released:

(Next Book: Sword in the Stacks in April 2015.)

(Next Book: The Pirate Code in 2015.)

(Next Book: No title, but Goodreads lists it in 2015.)

(Next Book: Hidden Huntress in 2015.)

(Next Book: No information on Goodreads about it.)


Four Not Released Yet:

(Next Book: Goodreads has no information about it.)

(Next Book: Listed as being published in 2016.)

(Next Book: March, 2016.)
(Next Book: Goodreads has no information about it.)

Do you want to begin any of these series I listed? :)

Review: The Mark of the Dragonfly


Piper has never seen the Mark of the Dragonfly until she finds the girl amid the wreckage of a caravan in the Meteor Fields. The girl doesn't remember a thing about her life, but the intricate tattoo on her arm is proof that she's from the Dragonfly Territories and that she's protected by the king. Which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home. The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect--everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible. Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.
-summary and cover via Goodreads


Plot: When I began this book I didn't really have any idea of what it was about. I don't remember ever reading a review for it, no one I know IRL had read it, and I hadn't done much research about it beforehand. I just went into the library, remembered having seen it at the bookstore awhile back, thought the cover was pretty, and thought it would be neat to try. I'm very glad I did! I'm not going to tell you much about the plot, because I think not knowing much about it when you go into it is a good thing. I think I would list this as a Fantasy book, but I'm not entirely sure about that. I found it in the YA area at the library, but online I see it's listed as MG, don't totally know what it is then. In my opinion, probably upper-MG, lower-YA. The plot of this book in one word? AMAZING! And there is a twist in this book that was just... Wow! Totally did not predict it!

Characters: LOVE! Piper is one of the best main characters I have read ever! Unlike some characters in books, she just feels like a very real person that you relate to, even when you don't totally agree with what she's doing. And Gee. Gee was just wonderful and I love him. And Anna? She's the kind of character you just want to hug! And the other characters were all just wonderful, too! The only thing is that I felt sometimes the characters acted older than their age (Piper and Gee are both thirteen from what I remember from it.), but I excuse that with the fact that the lives they have liven have made them that way.

The cover: Very pretty! The cover is what drew me to this book in the first place! :)

Overall: I got this book on a Saturday afternoon, began it that night, and finished it the following day. I don't often read a book that fast, but when I do it's because I'm loving it! I'm very glad that I gave this book a try, and would gladly read more books with these characters in it! I highly encourage all of you who have not read it, to fix that immediately! If you're a Fantasy fan or just want something different, this is a book you need to try! (And by the way, a lot of this book takes place on a train! Which is awesome.)

I checked this book out from my library.

Authors website: http://www.jaleighjohnson.com/
Age Range: Middle Grade
Series?: I don't think it's a series, but  I think a companion book is releasing eventually!
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Reading Habits Survey

This was a fun looking survey that Shae from Shae Has Left the Room did on her blog, that I thought would be fun to do on mine! :)

1. Do you snack while reading? If so, favorite snack?

I do not snack while reading! Way too afraid I would mess up the book.

2. What is your favorite drink while reading?

I have to try to force myself to drink a lot of water, which is why that's what I'm normally drinking. But if we're talking about what my favorite drink is? Apple juice, Mountain Dew, and slushies from Sonic are my favorite!

3. Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the mere thought horrify you?

No! I am usually reading library books which means I would not mark them, and even if it's my book, I wouldn't.

4. How do you keep your place while reading a book?

Even though I collect bookmarks I rarely use them, I just try to remember the page number.

5. Fiction, non-fiction, or both?

Fiction, though a non-fiction book gets in my TBR pile once in awhile! (Baking, crafts, biography's, and weird but true books.)

6. Are you the type of person who reads to the end of the chapter, or can you stop anywhere?

Anywhere. :) I keep reading until I have to put the book down or I get bored, but I don't usually wait for the end of a chapter to.

7. Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or onto the floor if the author irritates you?

No.

8. If you come across a unfamiliar word, do you look it up right away?

If I'm near my Mom, I might ask her while I'm reading it. If not, I usually just look it up later.

9. What are you currently reading?

At the time of writing this post, I'm in between books. But probably won't be very long. :)

10. What is the last book you bought?

Umm, I think two used Foxtrot books! :)

11. Do you have a favorite time/place to read?

No, I generally read more at night at my desk, but I don't really have a favorite time/place to read.

12. Do you prefer series books or standalones?

Kind of both. I think I love more standalone books, but I love series books, too!

13. Is there a specific book you recommend over and over?

Probably the GG books by Ally Carter, the Amelia Rules! GN's by Jimmy Gownley, and The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall! At least those are the ones I think I recommend the most. I would love it if blog readers commented on which ones they hear me talk about the most! :)

14. How do you organize your books?

Haha, I'm supposed to organize them?! But honestly, I don't organize them, except for keeping the Graphic Novels and Manga separate from my other books. I used to organize them a lot, but then it got too hard to keep up with it. Now they just go on the shelf wherever there's room for them! :)

That was fun! 

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Ever After High: Once Upon a Time

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine blog


I'm Waiting on Ever After High: Once Upon a Time by Shannon Hale this Wednesday!


Read these exclusive introductions to all your favorite characters to find out what their lives are like at home! A new chapter is about to begin at Ever After High, and all the students are preparing to start their Legacy Year. In just a few weeks it will be Legacy Day when they will sign the Storybook of Legends and commit to live out their fairy-tale destiny, repeating the famous stories of their parents.

This volume collects together for the first time 12 short tales, including five BRAND-NEW stories. For the first time, find out what Dexter and Darling Charming, Cedar Wood, Lizzie Hearts and Kitty Cheshire were doing just before school started. This collection also includes the stories of Apple White, Raven Queen, Madeline Hatter, Briar Beauty, Ashlynn Ella and Hunter Huntsman, and the fairy tale The Tale of Two Sisters, which were previously only available online.

Don't miss this Once Upon a Time special edition of enchanting stories by bestselling and Newbery honor-winning author Shannon Hale.

-summary and cover via Goodreads

Love these books! And isn't the cover pretty?! :)

Monday, October 13, 2014

Ten (Fictional) Places Books Have Made Me Want To Visit

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish blog


To be honest, I have to admit up front that books rarely make me want to travel to real places, because I already want to go there. Italy, England, France, Japan, and many, many more places I want to go to! Every once in awhile a book makes me want to go to a place a little bit more than I already did, but I rarely read one that actually begins my wanting to go there. Which is why I decided to focus on fictional places today, instead of real places! :)

And a few of the places I'm listing below are individual places instead of the whole place the book is set in.

Ten (Fictional) Places Books Have Made Me Want To Visit

Ever After from the Ever After High books by Shannon Hale

The Gallagher Academy from the Gallagher Girl books by All Carter

Castle Glower from Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

The Train from The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

Midnight Gulch from A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Llyod

Gliverstoll from The Only Thing Worse Than Witches by Lauren Magaziner

The Island of Opal from The Palette of Twelve Secret Colors by Nari Kusakawa

The Summerlands from the Winterspell books by Sarah Prineas

A lot of the places in The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove

The land in Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

All of the places I listed above would be amazing to go to, if they actually existed! Would you want to go to any of the places I listed? :)

Mini Reviews: The Horse From the Sea & Heart of Fire

Because both of these books are by the same author, and because I don't have a lot to write about either of them, I thought it would be good to do a mini review post with both of them.


Review: The Horse From the Sea by Victoria Holmes

Mini Review: This was the first book I had read by this author, and after reading it I immediately looked for more books by her! This was a pleasantly surprising historical that enjoyed a lot! It's hard to believe that I had never heard of it before now, and that more people haven't read it! And it was very interesting to read a book in that time period, and set where it was! The only thing I had a little trouble with was the ending, which I felt ended a bit too... Maybe open-ended, is the word? Not that it was bad, I just would have liked a little bit more detail than was given, but I enjoyed it, despite that! And I think if you like historical books, I think this would be a good book for you to try! :)


Review: Heart of Fire by Victoria Holmes

Mini Review: It's been awhile since I finished this book, but I still wanted to write a review for it. I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first I read by her, but it was still enjoyable!  The main-character was interesting, the mystery had me intrigued, and I kept wanting to go back to the book to find out what would happen next! Though, the main character made some slightly stupid decisions, and even though you understood why she made them, you still thought they were stupid and you knew that they were going to backfire on her majorly. I'm also realizing that this author likes open-endings, which isn't a bad thing, I just thought I might mention that. But one more thing! Don't read the summary of this book, because the summary gives away a major plot point that doesn't happen until about half-way through the book. Because of that, I kept expecting that thing to happen, and was surprised when it took half the book to get to it. But overall this was an enjoyable enough read that kept me turning the pages just to find out what would happen in the end!

I checked both of these books out from my library.

Have you read these books? Did you like them? :)

Friday, October 10, 2014

Marvelous Musical Friday 27!


Fireproof by One Direction


Love this new song by them, and I'm really enjoying their new sound, too! (Though, I love their old songs, too!)

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: My True Love Gave to Me, Everblaze, and Next Top Villain

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine blog


This Wednesday I'm Waiting on three books! 



If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins.
-summary and cover via Goodreads

Doesn't this look wonderful?! :)



Sophie Foster is ready to fight back.

Her talents are getting stronger, and with the elusive Black Swan group ignoring her calls for help, she’s determined to find her kidnappers—before they come after her again. 

But a daring mistake leaves her world teetering on the edge of war, and causes many to fear that she has finally gone too far. And the deeper Sophie searches, the farther the conspiracy stretches, proving that her most dangerous enemy might be closer than she realizes. 

In this nail-biting third book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie must fight the flames of rebellion, before they destroy everyone and everything she loves.
-summary and cover via Goodreads

Love these books! Looking forward to this new book a lot! :)



A brand-new series of school stories from the world of Ever After High!
Duchess Swan and Lizzie Hearts are roommates at Ever After High. While their personalities are very different, they bond over not quite fitting in with the other Royals. Lizzie, however, has one thing that Duchess doesn't: a happily-ever-after at the end of her story. 
While Lizzie and the other princesses train for the day when they will rule their kingdoms, Duchess is torn between her role as the perfect, dutiful princess and her rebellious ambition to be a queen. When both girls are selected to attend General Villainy class, Duchess sees an opportunity to be a rebel while following the rules. But can she play a prank on her roomie to ace the class? Find out if Duchess' desire to change her destiny will make her Ever After High's Next Top Villain!
-summary and cover via Goodreads

Love the first Ever After High books, and this new series looks fun! :)

Do you want to read any of these books? :)

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Halloween Picture Books!

Last years TTT for Halloween I ended up listing ten Halloween Picture Books. And while the books on that list are ones I highly recommend, I thought it might be fun to list a few more picture books that my Mom and I plan on reading this Halloween, too!

But first, I must list the three from that list that we are going to read this year as well!







I would honestly write that the three picture books I listed above are mine and my Mom's favorite Halloween picture books! They are all fun!

And I thought now I would list a few that we want to try this Halloween! :)










Don't they all look fun? And I just love rhyming books! :)

Now that's what we plan on reading this month! Plus a few more, like a Berenstain Bears book, and a Peanuts book, too!

Have you read any of these books? Do you want to? Do you love reading Picture Books, too? :)