The Bursting Bookshelf

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event held by Jill over at Breaking The Spine! It's all about those books you just can't wait for and are counting down the days till they come out.
This week for WoW I have chosen...

Same as last week, I know that this book is already out, but I have not gotten the chance to get this book yet, though I am dying to go and buy it. I love the idea of gods and monsters in a teenage fiction novel! I think it's going to be such a great read, that I can't wait for.

What are you waiting for?

Title: A Walk To Remember
Author: Nicolas Sparks
Publisher: Warner Books
Release: October 1, 1999
Pages: 224
Series: None
Synopsis:
In 1958 Landon Carter is a shallow but well-meaning teenager who spends most of his time hanging out with his friends and trying hard to ignore the impending responsibilities of adulthood. Then Landon gets roped into acting the lead in the Christmas play opposite the most renowned goody two-shoes in town: Jamie Sullivan. Against his best intentions and the taunts of his buddies, Landon finds himself falling for Jamie and learning some central lessons in life.

Review:
I read this book simply for the Nicolas Sparks Challenge that I signed up for. It looked interesting and I thought that after I could rent the movie and see how close they stuck to the book. I had also heard a lot of good things about this book and the movie, but I have this thing against seeing the movie before I've read the book. I really enjoyed this book because of the characters. I feel like they really fit into the setting like none other. I loved how Jamie didn't even care that she was teased, she was still nice to everyone and never did anything bad. And I especially loved reading about Landon's growth throughout the book and how he discovered who he really is. The writing and story in this book also flowed really well and always kept moving, though the beginning was slow to start and it got faster. Even though the rest was really good, the best part was the end. I finished this book in a public place and had to fight back my tears. Altogether, this book made a beautiful stand alone novel and it just came together wonderfully. Out of five, I give it a 4.5, simply because the beginning was a little too slow.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event held by Jill over at Breaking The Spine! It's all about those books you just can't wait for and are counting down the days till they come out.
This week for WoW I have chosen...

Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.

Psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf are the perfect formula for what happens . . . once in a full moon.

Review:
I have been putting off reviewing Once in a Full Moon for a week, for the simple reason that I really did not care for it. I got this one out from the library not long ago and dove right in, believing it was going to be completely different than it was. I quickly got a found out it was nothing like I thought it would be like, and I found myself a little disappointed with this book. To start off, I found the storyline predictable: I guessed the gist of what was going to happen during the first chapter. The writing wasn't bad, though I did find it very simple, not bad but simple. The characters are where things went downhill for me. I didn't care for the protagonist, Celeste, at all. At times she came off as trying to be uber-perfect all the time. The two main guys in the story were Brandon and Nash. Brandon was the mysterious new guy and Nash was the seemingly perfect boyfriend. I found Nash to be interesting later on in the book when he pulls some twists in the plot line. Brandon on the other hand, I found to be bland. There was nothing wrong with him, he was a good guy, he just wasn't too exciting. I will probably give the series a second shot when the sequel comes out, but until then this book gets a 3/5 to me. I love the cover! It's dark but it also has hints of colour in the title, the shadows on the model, in the model's hair, and in her eyes. It is a very eye grabbing cover.

Hello everyone! Today I have a special treat for you all! I recently got in contact and interviewed Josephine Angelini, author of Starcrossed (May 31, 2011 from HarperTeen). She was super sweet and fun to email with! Without further ado, the interview with Josephine Angelini:


So far my favorite part has been reaching out to people who want to read my book.  The enthusiasm and the energy I've been encountering have been really touching.  And I love giving ARCs away.  It's so much fun for me to sign them and put them in the mail, whether it's for fans in the, US, UK, Germany, the Philippines it's just such a great feeling!

2) I know that Helen has some of your traits, but if you could inherit a trait of Starcrossed's main character Helen, what would it be?

Flying.  Hands down I want to be able to fly.  I dream about it all the time, and that's the main reason I put it in the book.  I love flying dreams!
3) Do you look up to other authors? If so, who?


4) As an author, name three things you can't live without.

5) Have you always had an interest in Gods and Demigods?

I've always been fascinated by Greek mythology.  But then again, I've always loved fantasy and sci-fi, and myths are just really, really old fantasy stories when you get down to brass tacks.  I studied ancient Greek theatre in college, too, and the epic scope of these stories always moved me.  Gods and monsters, family quarrels and honor killings it's just so romantic.

6) Random question: Who is your favorite music artist?

Radiohead or Billie Holiday, it just depends on my mood.

7) I absolutely adore the US cover for Starcrossed! What do you think of it?  Did you get much say in the creation of the cover?

I love the cover too!!  And yes, my editor (Laura Arnold) listened to me about everything I wanted.  She even fought for me when I insisted that Helen's face shouldn't be on the cover b/c I wanted 'The Face' to be a mystery.  But even though I got a lot of say, I can't lay claim to how gorgeous the US cover turned out.  That was all due to the brilliance of the art department at Harper Collins and the impeccable taste of my editor.

8) When you began to write Starcrossed, did you know what the ending would be or did it change and evolve as you wrote the book?

I always know where I'm going before I start writing.  My process starts with extensive character bios, long and involved outlines, and then before I write 'Chapter One' I do what are called beats.  This means I have a list of all the action of the book. A step-by-step Helen wakes up.  Goes downstairs.  Jerry is already cooking breakfast. My timelines and my plotting are very precise.  I never get behind the wheel unless I know exactly where I'm going and how to get there.  And then I still discover stuff, and have to re-do my beats!  Frustrating, but worth the work.

9) Anything else you wish to say about yourself or your book?

I'm just enjoying the whole process right now.  I couldn't be happier with the way my book is being received.  It's thrilling and humbling at the same time. I feel very grateful.

Thank you so much to Josephine Angelini for joining me for this interview! I had a blast and loved her answers!

Links:

The Mortal Instruments Site
The Infernal Devices Site
Cassandra Clare's Twitter
Cassandra Clare's Site
Cassandra Clare's Blog

So Follow my Blog Friday is a meme held by Parajunkee and it's where you answer the weekly question and then link yourself and you go and check out other blogs of your interests.

Q. Just like Ashley said (love it) "Ashley the girl..." who are You the Boy/Girl, instead of You the Blogger?

Well, me the person is much less exciting than me the blogger. I pretty much just read and go to the library as me the person!

 

Hello everyone! Sorry I've been gone for the last little while, I've been uber busy lately. But I'm back for a new In My Mailbox! In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren. This week I got:




There you have it! So what did you guys get?

So Follow my Blog Friday is a meme held by Parajunkee and it's where you answer the weekly question and then link yourself and you go and check out other blogs of your interest.

Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release: April 5, 2011
Pages: 320
Series: Curse Workers #2
Courtesy of Simon & Schuster Canada
*Please note that the above information could change as this title has not been released yet*
Synopsis:
After rescuing his brothers from Zacharov's retribution and finding out that Lila, the girl he has loved his whole life, will never, ever be his now that his mother has worked her, Cassel is trying to reestablish some kind of normalcy in his life. That was never going to be easy for someone from a worker family tied to one of the big crime families and a mother whose cons get more reckless by the day. But Cassel is also coming to terms with what it means to be a transformation worker and figuring out how to have friends.

But normal doesn't last very long--soon Cassel is being courted by both sides of the law and is forced to confront his past. A past he remembers only in scattered fragments and one that could destroy his family and his future. Cassel will have to decide whose side he wants to be on because neutrality is not an option. And then he will have to pull off his biggest con ever to survive.

Review:
How could I sum up Red Glove in one word? A-crazy-awesome-thrill-ride-sequel-to-White-Cat. Needless to say, I had a major freak out when this arrived in my mailbox not too long ago. How fast did I read it? In two days. Why did it take me that long? It took longer to process the awesomeness. As you can probably tell, Red Glove was a great read that is now one of my favorite YA books.

The cover of Red Glove is very intriguing. It makes you wonder what sort of situation it is. Is the cover model in trouble? Who's wearing the red glove? I really love how they tie the cover into the story and how the cover actually has connections to the story. I like how it matches the paperback version of White Cat and how it has the mysterious curl of smoke rising from the glove that was also featured on White Cat. My favorite part of this cover would have to be that red glove though. Where can I get a pair?

The characters in Red Glove grew quite a bit from their White Cat younger selves. Cassel grew in the fact that he was smitten for a girl that he couldn't be with due to the circumstances. Sam and Daneca grew as well, as a couple and as singular people. Sam's growth came because Cassel's friendship with him grew and Sam became more daring than before and actually aided more often with Cassel's cons. Daneca had some pretty huge secrets revealed that flipped others on their ears in shock. The other smaller characters in Red Glove included the feds, who were constantly trying to recruit Cassel and the mob, who were too trying to recruit Cassel. I loved the cast of characters for Red Glove for many reasons including how well they fit into their setting and how likable they were as a whole. I would also like to point out that I fell for Cassel in White Cat and he lost none of my adoration in Red Glove, so back off, he's mine. :)

The writing was my favorite part of the book. Holly Black is an amazing storyteller, as she tells the tale with sharp twists and turns, zigs and zags. The writing is so powerful and unique that it keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and can make the reader feel emotions ranging from devastation to joy or anywhere in between. Plus, Red Glove doesn't try and tip toe around death as many stories do, rather it's in the story and is used to enhance the storyline rather than bring it down. The storyline was so enthralling that I never wanted to put the book down. I got so wrapped up in the fast paced story that I felt as if I was a part of the story rather than just a reader looking in. I personally just adored the writing style and the storyline to death because both were so unique and well done. The story itself was just as good as White Cat, if not better and it was very much just as awesome altogether.

Red Glove was just as phenomenal as the last book, White Cat. It proved itself to be a very well thought out thrill ride of a book. It was one of my favorite YA books I've read in a while and for that reason it gets a 5/5.