Review: Linger

Title: Linger
Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Source: Library
Date Finished: January 14th, 2011

Summary of Book:

The Longing.

Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know that they must fight to stay together.
For Sam, this means a reckoning with his werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain.

The Loss.

Into their world comes a new wolf named Cole, whose past is full of hurt and danger. He is
wrestling with his own demons embracing the life of a wolf, while denying the ties of being human.

The Linger.

For Grace, Sam, and Cole, life is a constant struggle between two forces --
wolf and human -- with love baring its two sides as well. It is harrowing and
euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart,
love is what lingers. But will it be enough?

Review:

The cover, much like Shiver's cover, is perfect, as always. It has a story of it's own. Shiver's cover has Sam in the woods. He was the one fighting it, he was the one who knew that every winter he would be gone to the wolf part of him. 

Linger's cover has Grace, this time fighting for her life. We knew it would happen, but we didn't know that it would happen like this. Not everyone fights to stay human, to convince yourself that it's nothing, just another cold. But we know the true, something is going to happen. And it isn't going to be good.

Stiefvater's series will always be one to remember. Twilight and the Hunger Games are big and famous, they were fabulous, but they are nothing compared to this. The Wolves of Mercy Falls is a whole new category. Not dangerous(Hunger Games) and definitely not full of vamps(Twilight). 

Linger kept me awake night after night. Even though I devoured it in one sitting, it definitely was the series of the year. I mean, what series can make you think, feel and cry like this story? 

It may not be the end of the series, especially with a cliffhanger like that, but I know. The end is near.

☺☺☺☺☺

♥♥♥

Review: Safe Haven

Title: Safe Haven
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Source: Library
Date Finished: January 2nd, 2011

Summary of Book:

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.
But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

Review:
I remember, months ago, when I first saw the cover of Safe Haven, just a day or two after they released it and I thought that it might be one of the best covers I've ever seen done. I mean, it reflects the story just wonderfully. Most of Nicholas Sparks book covers are great, but I say this is his best yet.
I've read two of Nicholas Sparks books. The Last Song and Safe Haven. It's a big step in between the two of them. The Last Song with just a couple of kids that meet over the summer and have to move off to college and Safe Haven where Katie is in her thirties when she meets the one she loves. *spoilers below* She loved(emphasis of the past tense on love) Kevin. But he abused her. If he loved her, he wouldn't have hit her, it's the same thing as Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad.
You don't hit a woman you love. You just don't. And Katie's a great girl, and what she did was what she had to do. She bought a cell phone to forward calls to, she cut and then dyed her hair, and she ran away. She got job after job to stay away from him. And he still looked for her. And didn't even find her until years later. Katie met Alex and slowly made her way out of her "turtle shell". She's great with kids and could replace Jo. And I think that her imagining Jo, was a great twist in the story's plot. Funny, even. But perfect.

My Rating:

☺☺☺☺☺

♥♥♥

Review: The Help

Title: The Help
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Source: Library
Date Finished: December 17th, 2010

Summary of Book:

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step. Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone. Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken. Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody’s business, but she can’t mind her tongue, so she’s lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own. Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed. In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women—mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends—view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don’t.                                                                                                                                                            

Review:
 I don't understand the cover. Birds. I don't remember anything in this book being about birds. Was this the cover of the book Skeeter and all the maids had written? It's something to ponder after a while. . .
I only had 7 days in which to read this book. It was a 7 day loan from the library and I accepted the challenge. The week that I was reading this book, I was doing some traveling (and not driving, obviously), so I had some time to read and think about the book after I had finished.
It makes you wanna ask what the white folks were really thinking about. Black, white, what's wrong with color? I'm glad that things weren't that bad now. I mean, I probably would write the book as well. I love writing myself, but can't finish a book to save a life. But if I could write it, I totally would. I'd want others to see what's really happening.
But I'm just confused. The ending. What kind of ending is that? Skeeter goes off to a publishing job, the world is still at war about the book, I mean, what happened to Minnie and her husband? What about Celia? Hilly? A lot of things aren't quite explained yet. . .More pondering. . .
I want to know what happens next. Does Skeeter live happily ever after. . .Alone? What happens with the book? Lots of things to ponder.

☺☺☺☺☺

Review coming soon:

Review: Shiver

Summary(Shelfari):
For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house.
One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without.
Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl.
In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.
Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away.
It's her wolf.
It has to be.
But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Review:
As many of you know, I didn't start this blog until September, 2010. Before that, I was a read-a-holic and wouldn't give up a book until I was finished. I had checked out Shiver and took one look at the book and decided I would hate it. I didn't even read it! They tell people not to judge a book by it's cover, but I think I do that every week! See? We all have flaws..Mine is book cover :O But I re-checked it out and finished it in one night! I'm not saying this will happen to you, but DO NOT judge a book by it's cover!
Anyway...I'm sure you guys want to hear an actual review! So here goes..
When I first started reading the book, I thought that it would be short page for Grace, short page for Sam, short page for Grace, short page for Sam. Just because of how it laid out. Ha-ha could've fooled me! But I continued on reading and found the longer pages and I was happy! The book brought a whole 'nother world to life. Grace's.
I loved Grace! Not literally, you know, but I still loved her. She was soo much like me, it was scary. Although I don't  have blond hair, I have brunette..Anyway..She loves books, I loves books. She has those two best friends, I have my two best friends. We had the same attitude and everything. It was kind of freaky..
I loved Sam, too. The whole book came to life and I felt like I was Sam, and I was Grace. How much they loved each other, even though he was a werewolf and she was a human! Sam was willing to die to stay human with her. It kind of makes me wonder what will happen in Linger..What turn of unfortunate news will happen? Does he stay human? We all know he isn't going to die. And neither is Grace. Trust me, pick up a book that's all about romance, that's the first in the series, they might get close to dying, but they will survive. It's so predicting. But the events never are. . .

Did Shiver give you shivers? Continue the series with Linger.

Review Coming Soon:

Review: I Heart You, You Haunt Me

Title: I Heart You, You Haunt Me
Author: Lisa Schroeder

Summary(Thank You, Goodreads!):
Girl meets boy.

Girl loses boy.

Girl gets boy back...

...sort of.

Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear his voice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she's crazy, but she knows he's here.

Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.

Review(Without spoilers):
What really was surprising, was that this book was kind of written in poem form. You didn't have to read 100 words per page, more like 25. But, it's not an easy book to read. I mean, she lost her boyfriend because of something she did? And he comes back & 'haunts' her? What kind of love is that?? 
I think what would be interesting, is that someone would turn this into a movie. Just to see how it would turn out. What characters would you pick?? I would have..

Kiele Sachez play Ava

....AND....

Zac Efron play Jackson.

Yeah, yeah, yeah..You all hate Efron..blah,blah,blah! It's just choices :P Sue me! Just kidding :) So who would you choose?

Review(With spoilers): 
The story was sad, but yet...happy. If that's even the right word for it! I mean, Ava starts out completely heartached because her boyfriend died just because she dared HIM to do something. I like how he was reckless, but that stupid? 
I'm glad she told him at the end, that she would love him forever and all, because even I know that she would, but I'm glad she moved on. She might not find another guy that's Mr Right. But it takes time!

Liked/loved I Heart You, You Haunt Me? Then you'll love the Wake trilogy! Start out with Wake(my review), continue to Fade(review coming this week!), then read Gone(waiting to get from library)!

Review Coming Soon:

 Until The Next Post..

...Have a  great Thanksgiving!

Review: The Last Song

Title: The Last Song
Author: Nicholas Sparks

Summary Of The Last Song(Shelfari's Summary):
Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry at her parents, especially at her father.
Her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she and her brother spent the summer in Wilmington with her dad.
Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, spending most of his time working on a stained glass window for the local church that burned down.
The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels--first love, love between parents and children -- that shows, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them.

Review(No spoilers!):
I hated Nicholas Sparks before I read this book. I don't know why I hated him or can even remember why. This book was just soo touching. But I still think that Marcus is a stalker, literally. Will is soo cute(in my head anyway!). But I was thinking that Miley Cyrus didn't really belong in the movie. If you guys have seen Flicka 2, I think the father and the daughter should have played Ronnie and Steve. It would have made it perfect! I now have to get my hands on some more of Sparks' books though..I think I have The Wedding coming soon though :D I just can't wait! I kind of wanted to ask you guys a favor though, please tell me I'm not the only one who practically cried their eyes out at the end?

If you cried your eyes out, like me, read A Walk To Remember, to get that same at-home feeling.

Review: A Quick Bite

Title: A Quick Bite
Author: Lynsay Sands

Summary Of Book Without Spoilers(Courtesy of Shelfari):
That hot guy tied to Lissianna Argeneau's bed? He's not dessert—he's the main course! Lissianna has been spending her centuries pining for Mr. Right, not just a quick snack, and this sexy guy she finds in her bed looks like he might be a candidate. But there's another, more pressing issue: her tendency to faint at the sight of blood . . . an especially annoying quirk for a vampire. Of course it doesn't hurt that this man has a delicious-looking neck. What kind of cold-blooded vampire woman could resist a bite of that?
Dr. Gregory Hewitt recovers from the shock of waking up in a stranger's bedroom pretty quickly—once he sees a gorgeous woman about to treat him to a wild night of passion. But is it possible for the good doctor to find true love with a vampire vixen, or will he be just a good meal? That's a question Dr. Greg might be willing to sink his teeth into . . . if he can just get Lissianna to bite.

REVIEW(No spoilers this time!!):
I have to be honest. . .I didn't really like this one. I've read about 4 or 5 series that involve vampires, but I didn't really think this one was that 'amazing'. This one was probably my top 3rd favorite vampire series. It definitely was more adult-y than most vampire books, so I probably wouldn't recommend this for readers until maybe 15 or 16.
The first book is a little bit slow and predicting. I probably think this because of how many vampire series I've gone through, I'm most likely comparing the characters to each other. Like Edward(Twilight) to Greg or Sinclair(Undead series) to Greg. Even Jacob(Twilight) to Thomas. There are a million possibilities I've compared to people in this book. I made it to the end though :) So I'm going to try and read the second in the series. Any thoughts on the second one? Any advice?

If you liked this one, you'll sink your teeth into Undead And Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson.

Review: Flawless

SUMMARY:
In the exclusive town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, where the sweetest smiles hide the darkest secrets, four pretty little liars—Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna—have been very bad girls. . . . Spencer stole her sister's boyfriend. Aria is brokenhearted over her English teacher. Emily likes her new friend Maya . . . as much more than a friend. And Hanna's obsession with looking flawless is literally making her sick. But the most horrible secret of all is something so scandalous it could destroy their perfect little lives. And someone named "A" is threatening to do just that. At first they thought A was Alison, their friend who vanished three years ago . . . but then Alison turned up dead. So could A be Melissa, Spencer's ultracompetitive sister? Or Maya, who wants Emily all to herself? What about Toby, the mysterious guy who left town right after Alison went missing? One thing's for certain: A's got the dirt to bury them all alive, and with every crumpled note, wicked IM, and vindictive text message A sends, the girls get a little closer to losing it all.

REVIEW:
I liked this book because it has a lot of drama , mystery , romance , and horror. This book might not be appropriate for kids under 15 years old because it has a lot of drugs and other mature relationships. Even though it has those things I still recommend it. Spencer with her problems, thinking Wren was "the one". Emily liking Maya in not a friend way. Aria with her family problems hanging over her head and Hanna with her popularity problems. Each girl with a different problem. Think your high school problems are bad? Listen to these girls!

If you liked this one, you'll love Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Viegesar.

What's next to read?

Review: The Invention Of Hugo Cabret

REVIEWING:

SUMMARY:

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo’s undercover life and his most precious secret are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father take part in this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery that doesn't take forever to read, despite it's appearance.

REVIEW:

I'm being totally honest with you -- but when I saw how thick this book was, I kinda freaked out. But I saw how short the pages are and it has a lot of pictures so I went ahead and read it ;)

I'm not sure if it was that the boy could fix things at his age, or because of what had happened to his father, that I couldn't put the book down.

In the beginning, I couldn't stop looking at the pictures. They were amazing. And then he tries fixing the automan and gets caught. Has to start working for the old man, whose nicer than he thought. He evens takes in Hugo, after he gets caught and the Inspector says he couldn't have fixed the clocks by himself! I'm happy that Hugo gets everything :)

Rating for book: ♥♥♥♥♥

Rating for cover: ♥♥♥♥

Rating for pictures: ♥♥♥♥♥

Rating for characters: ♥♥♥♥♥

Overall rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Challenges:

200+ Reading Challenge

I liked this one, which one should I read next?

Review: The Little Prince

Reviewing:

The Little Prince

Summary:

The narrator begins with a reminiscence of his childhood, which then segues into an explanation of why he is a pilot, and consequently, why he has now crashed in a North African desert. While fixing his plane, he is approached by a young boy who has apparently appeared guardian-less from nowhere. He introduces himself as the prince of a very small planet on which are three small volcanoes and a flower. This child, through a series of tales recounting his adventures and new acquaintances as he traveled from planet to planet, and then on earth, helps the narrator recover the sensitivity and playful literalism of his own childhood. But once the Prince's aims have been achieved, he must return to one of his new earthly acquaintances, a snake, to aid him in returning to his world. He must shed his earthly body by dying, an action about which the Prince seems entirely sanguine, but which affects the narrator deeply. The narrator then deals with the death of his little friend by using the philosophies about friendship and transcendence that the boy had taught him.

REVIEW:

At first, when the story was just getting started and I was just reading about the pilot, I was kind of confused. I didn't really know what was going on. 

I literally laughed out loud when I read what the little prince said to the pilot, "Please...Draw me a sheep.". 

I found the little prince to be quite interesting. And the fact that he could own his own little planet, then all the more to him. The planet is really cool though. With 3 volcanoes and 1 rose. The rose, he thought, no one else had. 

I can relate to the rose. Saying, I'm the only one out there like this, when there's thousands, almost just like me. 

As the story progressed, I could see why people love this book so much. It's a great story for anyone reading. From 1-99. It doesn't really matter, as long as you have a listening ear.

When he set off to visit other planets, I kind of got confused again. Why would he leave? I got back to realizing what he was doing though.

I was really annoyed at the king's planet, but also amused. The king, of everything. The stars, the planets, the subjects, the everything. And the business man, and the drunkard and the geographer. I didn't really have any patience for them.

The drunkard was funny though :)

When the 8 days were up, and they had 1 to go, I was getting kind of sad. The little prince's questions no longer came. 

But can anyone explain to me, what happened in the end?? I don't get what happened to the little prince..

Rating For Book: ♥♥♥♥♥

Rating For Cover ♥♥♥♥

Rating For Plot: ♥♥♥♥

Rating For Characters: ♥♥♥♥♥

Overall Rating: ♥♥♥♥.5

Challenges:

200+ Reading Challenge

What did you think of the book?

Surprise: Books!

Yes, yes, I know I just had book day on Sunday and will have another one on Sunday, but I think that I will just have another one so I can get ready for Crafts, tomorrow!

This week's books:

Chasing Redbird
Dovey Coe
Romeo And Juliet
Forever In Blue

Many of you know, that I finished Dovey Coe a couple days ago. I finished Romeo and Juliet and Chasing Redbird since then. The reviews will be with this post :)

REVIEWS:

Up for reviews today are..
Romeo And Juliet
&
Chasing Redbird


Title: Romeo and Juliet

Author: William Shakespeare


SUMMARY:
We meet our hero, Romeo, after a duel between the servants of two enemy families of Verona: the Montagues and the Capulets. Romeo Montague is pining away for Rosaline, a girl we never see. Juliet Capulet, age thirteen, has just heard that Paris, Verona's attractive young bachelor, would like to marry her. The two will meet that night at a masquerade ball at the Capulets' house. Romeo and his friends have decided to crash the Capulet ball – in costume – because Rosaline is on the guest list. Romeo meets Juliet there instead, and they fall madly in love. Afterwards, they discover they are members of rival families, but they are still in love. Romeo stays after the party under Juliet's balcony, and the two use this romantic meeting to plan their marriage. Hasty, but genuine.

This is where things get sticky. Romeo meets with Friar Laurence to arrange the marriage, and Juliet confides in her nurse, who has basically raised her, to act on her behalf and meet Romeo. The Nurse meets Romeo and his friend Mercutio (who thinks the whole situation is hilarious). Romeo tells her to get Juliet to Friar Laurence's, where the two will be married.

Meanwhile, Benvolio, another member of the Montague posse, runs into Tybalt Capulet, who is angry about the Montagues crashing his family party the other night. Romeo, freshly married, strolls into the middle of a tense situation, and as things escalate, Tybalt kills Mercutio. Stricken by grief, Romeo promptly challenges Tybalt to a duel and kills him. Romeo runs away before all of Verona shows up. The Prince of Verona rules that Romeo won't be killed, but banished from Verona. This all puts a damper on the new marriage.

Juliet hears from the Nurse that her new husband has murdered her cousin. She is doubly sad about the death and murder. Mostly Juliet just wants to see her banished husband. The Nurse finds Romeo hiding at Friar Laurence's, and the Friar hatches a plan. Romeo can spend his wedding night with Juliet, but then he must run away, while the Friar finds some way to get the Prince of Verona to pardon Romeo. The marriage will be made public upon his return.

Meanwhile, back at the Capulet house, Paris is working even harder to wed Juliet, who is stricken by grief. Lord Capulet decides a wedding (to Paris) is just the thing to distract her, as he does not know she's already a bride. Juliet spends her wedding night with Romeo, and as he leaves in the morning, she finds out she is to be married to Paris in two days. She refuses and has a violent fight with her parents. Even her nurse thinks she should marry Paris, since Romeo is "as good as dead" to her.

Juliet, trying to figure out what to do, runs over to Friar Laurence's, where she has a weird kiss with Paris. After Paris leaves, she threatens to kill herself. The Friar adds another bit to his plan, and gives her an herbal concoction that will make her appear to be dead for 42 hours. Yes, exactly 42. She goes home, agrees to marry Paris, and takes the poison with the intention of looking dead on the morning of her wedding and being taken to the Capulet tomb where Romeo can find her and everyone can live happily ever after.

Sadly, Romeo is hiding in Mantua, out of the loop, and the news of Juliet's "death" makes it to Romeo before word of the Friar's plan. He buys some poison so he can go to Juliet's grave and kill himself. At her grave, he finds Paris, whom he murders, and then breaks into Juliet's tomb, where he spends some time with Juliet's "dead" body.

He drinks the poison and dies just in time for Juliet to wake up and find him dead. The Friar, who apparently shows up at some point, also finds Romeo dead, and tries to convince Juliet to run away. She refuses (she's been doing a lot of that lately) and kisses Romeo (a lot of that, too) to find that his lips are still warm – she just missed him. He doesn't have enough poison on his lips to kill her, too, so she takes her own life with a dagger. Capulets, Montagues, and the Prince of Verona show up to the tomb and find the dead lovers. Friar Laurence is dragged in to confess everything. The two lords of the rival houses are moved by their dead children's love story and agree to end the feud.


What do you think of the book?
"I think it was great. It was the first Shakespeare book I've read. It was really amazing though. I own a copy, myself. Well 2 actually :) I give the book 5 stars and the cover 5 stars as well!"
-Hannah


TITLE: Chasing Redbird
AUTHOR: Sharon Creech
Pages: 261
Chapters: 46
SUMMARY:
Thirteen-year-old Zinnia (Zinny) Taylor lives in Bybanks, Kentucky, with too many brothers and sisters, and nothing to call her own. Quiet and shy, Zinny is dwarfed by her large family and the achievements and beauty of her older sisters in particular. Her family shares their house with her Uncle Nate and Aunt “Redbird”, whose deceased daughter Ruth was Zinny's best friend in young childhood, and whom quiet Zinny is closer to than her own parents.

When Zinny discovers an overgrown trail of slate that begins on her family farm, and stretches into the forest, she begins to uncover it, hoping to claim it as her own – one thing that will make her special and unique, and that she won't have to share. After the death of her Aunt, uncovering the trail becomes an all-consuming project, leading Zinny to camp out in the forest, miles from home, as she attempts to reach it's end, and also to uncover the mystery of her Uncle Nate's seeming slide into delusions about his dead wife. 


What do you think about the book?
"Amazing. Before, I wouldn't have ever looked at the book twice. Now, I'm glad I did. It's amazing how she finally gets something of her own. I'd feel really sad if I didn't have anything to call my own. Now, she gets everything she ever wanted. A trail, publicly, Jake, and something to call her own.
I'd give this book 5 stars for the actually book it's self and 4 stars for the cover.
-Hannah

Keep checking back for the review on Forever In Blue and make sure to check back tomorrow for Crafts' Day!

Until then, keep thinking about every little thing!

Hannah