Read-a-Thon wrap up post!

It's a little late, but I have been pretty busy lately! With that aside, here is my wrap up post!

I Read:

One Night that Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Finished late:

Tangled by Carolyn Mackler -- (Sadly I didn't have time to finish this one during the read-a-thon time but it was good anyway)

What did you read? Link your  wrap up posts in the comments!

Mini-Challenges (Day 3)

Ok, so I am chugging along reading Tangled by Carolyn Mackler and it is so far, so great! I love the characters and the humor that is totally realatable...(spelling? is that even a word?)

So...the challenges today are hosted by Wicked Awesome Books and Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing. 

Wicked Awesome Books: Matchmaking!

My Match is......Jena from Tangled by Carolyn Mackler (currently reading) and Miles Halter from Looking for Alaska by John Green! 

Now lemme tell you why I think they are *perfect* for each other!

Jena is the good girl who has a quirky personality and is so easy to relate to. But, she is kinda the type of girl who doesn't get much boy attention...if you know what I mean. And, Miles is also a little bit of an outsider in the way that he does his own thing and has that similar quirky personality. Even though he meets and falls in love with Alaska (which btw, is totally how I would want a guy to fall in love with me!) and has a girlfriend through some parts of the book, he is that same type of person who doesn't try to get much attention. SEE?! Perfect match!!!! 

Bleh to Basically Amazing Books: Recommendations

My first reccomendation is Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. *sigh* This book was absolutely AMAZING. I devoured it from the first page to the last. It filled me with heartache and happiness, sadness and laughter. It was thought-provoking and delightfully written with Oliver's raw emotion and power lines. It gave me the strength to stop and think about what it would be like to have to live that one last day. What would you do if you only had a few more "do-overs"? Read it. Love it. Because of the way it made me feel. I know it will for you, too.

My second recommendation is One Night that Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt. This is probably my favorite of all the books I have read so far for the read-a-thon and even one of the best stories I have read in a while, also. It was a quick, fun read that was cute and catchy. (Kinda like a Disney movie, but who's asking anyway ;)) The main character Eliza is a very easy character to relate to. We all have secrets and having your notebook taken by your ex-boyfriendd isn't exactly ideal. So this made it even funnier. If your looking for something easy and fun to read on the plane, train or even just on the weekend, pick this one up and you won't be disappointed. 


Are you participating in any mini-challenges? Post your link the comments!

 

  

Mini-Challenge (Day 2)

The second (and third) mini-challenges I'm doing for the read-a-thon are hosted at YA Bliss and The Bookish Type.

YA Bliss: The Love Triangle Challenge

1. Gale and Peeta in The Hunger Games
2. Sean Ackerd and Ezra Fitz in Pretty Little Liars

I could only come up with two since it was so hard to come up with even those!

The Bookish Type: New Synopsis

My new synopsis!

***When Katie gets a car, all she wants to do is drive it. But her parents won't let her drive at night quite yet. Katie is so mad that she sets out into the city of Boston, in her new car, in search of adventure. With the sparkling lights of the Boston Skyline over head and her music in her hand, she is having a great time. But then her parents find out that she's gone and they go looking for her. Will she end up back at home before they can catch her? Or will she have to face her parents and risk loosing her new car.***

Kind of cheesy, I know! But this challenge was fun!

Happy reading everybody!

Mini-Challenge (Day 1 of Once Upon a Read-a-Thon!)

Today has been a good kick-off day to the read-a-thon! I finished One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt! And i'm on to the next one! Yay :)

So the first mini-challenge is hosted by IB Book Blogging. There are two questions (my answers are in red):

Mini Challenge Question 1:
What is your favorite type of myth (Greek, Roman, Egyptian etc)? Greek and Egyptian Mythology are most deffinitely my favorites!

Mini Challenge Question 2:
What is your favorite book with some type of mythology in it? Probably Oh My Gods by Tera Lynn Childs. I laughed so much while reading this book! It had a great plot and some great characters. I have yet to read the sequel Goddess Boot Camp but I think it would be equaly enjoyable!

What are your thoughts? 

Getting ready to READ.READ.READ!!!!

Hey everyone! The read-a-thon is just around the corner so I thought I would share with you my reading pile. It's not huge, but it's reasonable. I have two more books in mind if I finish these early! (Not pictured: Cruel Summer by Alyson Noel and The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan)

One Night that Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt
 
Tangled by Carolyn Mackler
 
Forgotten by Cat Patrick

What's in your reading pile?

Follow Friday (6)

Yay!!! It's Follow Friday! I haven't been doing this lately but I really hope to keep meetin' new people and gettin' some new followers!



Q: Let's step away from besties...What is the worst book that you've ever read and actually finished?

A: Oh! This is a toughy! Probably Plain Kate by Erin Bow

 Yikes! That one was hard to get through! The characters and setting was just boring, nothing out of the ordinary. 

What about you?

Oh, and Happy Friday!

p.s. Go check out my post on the read-a-thon! 

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon!

Hey everyone! I am so thrilled to be participating in the read-a-thon! It is my first year and I absolutely can't wait!!! Basically you read as many books as possible in the time given. The challenge is to push yourself to read more books than you usually would. Also, try to pick up those books that you have been putting off for so long! You should go check it out by clicking on the button.

I have a few books in mind that I am considering reading for the read-a-thon*, tell me what you think: (Some titles I took from the recommended reading lists from the hosts!)Playing Hurt by Holly SchindlerThe Day Before by Lisa SchroederThe Lover's Dictionary by David LevithanMoonglass by Jessi KirbyForgotten by Cat PatrickCruel Summer by Alyson NoelFly me to the Moon by Alyson NoelTangled by Carolyn MacklerGuyaholic by Carolyn Mackler
*This list may change...any suggestions? 

Are you thinking of participating? What are some titles that you think would go well for the read-a-thon? Suggestions?

 

Twisted

Twisted by Sara Shepard

Publication Date: 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pages: 305
Source: Bought at Barnes and Noble

Summary:  It’s been a year since the torturous notes from A stopped and the mystery of Alison DiLaurentis’s disappearance was finally put to rest. Now seniors in high school, Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily are older, but they’re not any wiser. The pretty little liars have more secrets than ever—twisted secrets that could destroy the perfect lives they’ve worked so hard to rebuild.
Aria’s jealous of her boyfriend’s new exchange student. Spencer’s getting a little too cozy with her soon-to-be-stepbrother. Hanna’s one scandalous photo away from ruining her dad’s Senate campaign. And Emily will do anything to get a swim scholarship.
Worst of all: Last spring break in Jamaica, they did something unforgivable. The girls are desperate to forget that fateful night, but they should know better than anyone that all secrets wash ashore . . . eventually.

My Thoughts: Oh. My. Gosh. I am besides myself trying to find the perfect words of amazing-ness to describe how much I LOVEDDDDD this book. As many of you may or may not know, I am a HUGE Pretty Little Liars fan. Like HUGE. (not to much of a fan of the T.V. show: I stopped watching after they added new characters that weren't in the book....like who does that?!!?!?!) So this book pretty much just completed my heart. *sigh*

When the four-some, Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily all come together and then do something bad, you know that it's gunna be killer. Like whoa. Shepard, (who is a genius, might I add! Love her! ...read my review of The Lying Game here.) writes a story that is complex, new and original that brings flare to the series. The girls get in some trouble of their own and the mysterious A returns. A new twist/mystery is thrown in when the background for the story is that the girls did something terrible in Jamaica on spring break, which you don't really find out what happens until about halfway into the book but it is worth waiting for!

More lies, new twists and more chaos! I can't wait for the next couple books in the series that Shepard has announced.

Plot: 5
Characters: 3.5
Cover: 4
Style of Writing: 4.5
Overall: 4.7 (YAY!!!!)

Would I ever read from this author again?: Yes!!!!

A Sweeter Rhythm: Short Story Review

At the request of T.L. Peters, I am honored to review this story.

A Sweeter Rhythm by T.L. Peters

Now on sale at the following online book sellers:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/A-Sweeter-Rhythm-ebook/dp/B0053NY2P8

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-sweeter-rhythm-tl-peters/1031340107

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/63425

Summary: This story follows the life of a violin as it recounts its many ups and downs over the centuries, changing hands between those who love it and those who don't. (It was previously published by RED OCHRE LiT as A Sweeter Kind of Rhythm.)

My Thoughts: The first impression I got was that I loved the personality that this violin had.  It had a quirky personality that was all it's own and was quite a character. 

As the violin started to tell his story in detail about what happened to him over the years, I got sucked deeper and deeper into wanting to learn more about this violin. It had a strong voice, but unlike any other hero/heroine readers are used to because of the unusual nature of this particular character. 

Peters did a fantastic job using emotion in everything he wrote. He wove a layered story complete with detail and descriptions that were very intriguing. Having not read anything before by T.L. Peters, I am delighted to say that I will surely be looking into his other works. 

An all around feel-good story that stole my heart!

Cover: 3
Plot: 3.5
Characters: 4
Style of Writing: 5
Overall: 4.5

Would I ever read from this author again?: Yes!

Learn more about T.L. Peters at his blog:

http://tlpeters.blogspot.com/ 

Update/Plans for the Summer

UPDATE:

Whew! It's already June 19th! OK, so let's see...SCHOOL IS OVER IN 3 1/2 DAYS!!! Boo-yahh ;) But even with everything winding down, nothing is really getting more relaxing. I just had a crazy week with finals and handing in all these final projects and presentations almost every day last week.

AND...Monday (tomorrow) I still have to hand in one more project in one class and present in another class! I have get two tests that need correcting, hand those in, then on Tuesday we have ONE.MORE.TEST. *sigh* Then Wednesday we have an all day field trip to some state park and then Thursday is a half day! Then...............drum roll, please...............SUMMER!!!!

SUMMER PLANS:

Summer. What a wonderful word. Sleeping late, pool time, popcicles, watermelon, BBQ's and time with the family. 

I have some summer plans for the blog as well: Starting in July, I'm challenging myself to read 30 books over the months of my summer vacation. (I will be posting a list of books soon)  I will be involved in some mini-challenges over at Holes in My Brain and others.

Reviews, fun posts, giveaways and more! Stay tuned for a long, happy summer here at A Corner of My Bookshelf!

I have been so bad at posting lately, but stick with me, because I have some great things in mind for these next couple months...it will be good :)

What do you have planed?

Happy Sunday/Father's Day!

~Zoe 

Lock and Key

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Publication Date: 2008
Publisher: Speak
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pages: 422 
Source: Borrowed from a friend


Summary: Ruby is used to taking care of herself. But now she's living in a fancy new house with her sister Cora—a sister she hasn't seen in ten years—and her husband Jamie—creator of one of the most popular online networking sites. She's attending private school, wearing new clothes, and for the first time, feels the promise of a future that include college and her family. So why is she so wary? And what is Nate— the adorable and good-hearted boy next door— hiding behind his genial nature? As Ruby starts to see, there's a big difference between being given help, and being able to accept it. And sometimes, in order to save yourself, you've got to reach out to someone else.

My Thoughts: Wow! This was my second Sarah Dessen book I have ever read and I must just say, "Wow!". She deffintely impressed me with this one. It started out really slow but soon enough, I really got into it. I fell in love with the character Ruby and the way that her story weaved into everything about her.

Her love interest, Nate, wasn't my favorite boy character to fall in love with the heroine. But I thought he was portrayed well.


The only thing that I would have changed would have been the way that Dessen seemed to stretch out everything. I think shorter and too-the-point scenes would have been just as satisfying.

Cover: 3.5
Plot: 4
Characters: 4
Style of writing: 5
Overall: 4

Would I ever read from this author again?: Yes! I am just now starting Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen.


*ALSO...I have been such a bad blogger lately! I have been so busy and not reading as much as I would have hoped/liked to so I haven't been finishing many books. UGH! Be sure to stay tuned, (not too corny, right?!) because I will surely have more to come!*

Follow Friday (5)

It's that time again! Happy Follow Friday! Go check it out and join the fun at Parajunkee's View.

This weeks question is:

How many books do you read in a week? And in what format do you read them? 

My answer:

Well, lately I haven't been doing as much reading as I like/want to because of my crazy schedule. But normally, I will read about 2-3 books a week. I like reading on the nook and just plain old-fashioned flipping the pages!

What about you?

Follow Friday (4)

Good morning and Happy Friday! I'm participating once again in Parajunkee's Follow Friday.

The question:

What are some of your quirky habits or things about you?

My answer:

1. I love pickles. Always have. Always will. 

2. I like the smell of nail polish. 

3. I like to search baby naming sites to find ones that I think are cute and put them together :) 

4. I hate rain. 

5. I hate beets. 

How about you? What are some quirky things you want to share?

New Design!

Yay, yay, yay!!! My new design is finally done! What do you think? It was all done by the work of Kyla at Kyla Kreates! So click around, see what you think and jot a comment below! I'd love to hear from my viewers/readers.

...

Also, I will be posting a review soon, don't fret, if you were!

I don't really have anything else to say in this post so, Happy Tuesday!

Follow Friday (3)

It's Follow Friday!! I have been awful at posting these last couple days/week....but I'm having my blog re-designed and everything has been so busy! But non the less, here is the question:

What is on your current playlist right now? 

Mine is:
- Kina Grannis
-Adele
-Jessie J
-Runner Runner

What's on your playlist?

Under Construciton!

My blog is going to have some construction done, starting soon! So, my backgrounds and some other things may be changing in the process. I am leaving all the dirty work to Kyla over at Kyla Kreates! She's awesome...go check it out :)

p.s. I will be posting a review of a couple books in the next few days, (one being Desires of the Dead! Yay!)

p.p.s Since I don't really know what else to write I will put a picture in. ^^

Happy Monday, everyone!

Custom Design Blog Giveaway

Hey, everyone! I found this giveaway while I was just browsing around today...follow the link to find out more! The Owl Bookmark Blog

Follow Friday (2)

Good morning everyone! This is my second Follow Friday post! Yay! It is a weekly hop hosted by Parajunkie's View. Check it out!

Q: Do you judge a book by it's cover? 

A: Yes! Sadly, but yes. I am always very intrigued by the book's cover, even if I don't know what its about. (See my most recent book review)

What about you?  

Happy Friday!!
 

The Body Finder

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Publication Date: 2010
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 327
Source: Barnes and Noble

Summary:
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

My Thoughts: This was SO much better than I had thought reading the first few pages. I bought this book mostly because of the cover. (Shame...) So I wasn't all that interested in reading what it was about, but I knew that it was the book for me. Something about it just called me. Hmm...kinda like the echos that Violet feels in the book...? I was taken into Violet's world from an outside perspective. The narrative was in the 3rd person, so I got to watch what was happening with each individual character. The mystery that I was sucked into was breath-taking and sent shivers down my spine.

Oh, my heart smiles whenever I think of Violet and Jay. Their love was a bit cheesy, but in a such not-cheesy way that I couldn't conceal my happiness about their relationship. (You know what I mean?)

Anyway, I would suggest this book to anyone who is just looking for a good read. I can't wait to get Desires of the Dead in the mail soon! I will keep you posted.

Cover: 5+
Plot: 5
Characters: 5
Style of writing: 4
Overall: 5 -Amazing. It stole my heart!

Would I ever read from this author again?: YES!!

 

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Here's my pick:

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Summary: When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused food.
Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.
Harmony has spent her whole life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.
When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

My Thoughts: I know that many other bloggers have read and reviewed this book already, but I am really looking forward to this one. It seems like it will have an interesting plot, and I can't help but think that this sounds very similar to Delirium by Lauren Oliver that I LOVED. So I am keeping my expectations wide open!

~Release date: 4/26/11

What are you waiting for?