Wednesday Wishlist

All We Know of Heaven

by Jacquelyn Mitchard

What?
Bridget Flannery and Maureen O'Malley have been BFFs since forever. Then a brief moment of inattention on an icy road leaves one girl dead and the other in a coma, battered beyond recognition. Family and friends mourn one friend's loss and pray for the other's recovery. Then the doctors discover they have made a terrible mistake. The girl who lived is the one who everyone thought had died.

Why?
I've never read anything like this. It sounds really dramatic and like it would pull you in.

Must Monday

Anna and the French Kiss

by Stephanie Perkins

What?

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

Why?
It sounds adorable and the cover is super cute :)

When?
December 5th, 2010

West Hollywood Book Fair

Today is the day of the West Hollywood Book Fair. I will be there and if your in the area you should come too!

9th Annual West Hollywood Book Fair
Sunday, September 26, 2010

10AM to 6PM

West Hollywood Park
647 N. San Vicente Blvd.

FREE Parking at the Pacific Design Center at 8687 Melrose Ave.

Here is the site: http://www.westhollywoodbookfair.org/?page_id=1824

WeHO and Disneyland

Today I start my journey (about 16 driving hours) to West Hollywood to interview Alexa Young, Allison Burnett and Jay Asher. I will also be visiting Disneyland again while down there! So in honor of my Disney trip I want to know what your favorite ride is at Disneyland or California Adventures????

Mommywood
Tori Spelling
Simon and Schuster
$18.00
2009
FTC: This is a library book. I am not being compensated in any way for my review.


Total grade: A (based on the writing, not her life)

Sexual content: mild
Violence: n/a
Drugs: n/a
Underage drinking: n/a
Swearing: heavy
Total rating: 14+

Summary:

Tori Spelling might have grown up with everything a girl could wish for, but these days, she's just another suburban working mom...whose toddler regularly recognizes her in the pages of Us Weekly. Welcome to Mommywood, where the stars are two feet tall and your neighbors know who you are before you move in.

Like most parents, Tori wants her children to have the one thing she didn't have as a kid — a normal family. On their hit Oxygen reality show, Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, the starlet and her husband Dean McDermott regularly wrestle dirty diapers, host the neighborhood block party, and tackle temper tantrums on the red carpet. But when the cameras aren't rolling, Tori's still having awkward run-ins with a former 90210 costar at a Laser Tag birthday party, scooping rogue poo out of the kiddie pool on a resort vacation, and racing to win back her pre-baby body before the media starts calling her fat. For all her suburban fantasies, Tori Spelling is no June Cleaver.

From learning to be the kind of parent her own mother never was to revealing what it's like to raise a family while everyone is watching, Mommywood is an irresistible snapshot of celebrity parenthood that you won't get from the paparazzi.

My Thoughts:
I adore Tori Spelling and loved her first book. When I got the opportunity to read this one I was ecstatic! It was just as great finding out about her life as a mom. I feel that the majority of mom's can connect with this. Her struggle between normal and having to protect really was large.

I actually listened to this on audio book and that was even better. It was cool having her read it in her own voice. You know the tone she was trying to set.

Wednesday Wishlist

Breakfast At Bloomingdale's

by Kristen Kemp

What?
Kat's come to New York City with a dream: to be a big fashion designer and to see her name on a label in Bloomingdale's. Back in upstate New York, she imagined a city paved in Prada . . . but the reality isn't quite so fashionable. Still, there are friends to be made, boys to be flirted with, and amazements to be found . . . sometimes when she least expects it. Even when her lame boyfriend from back home comes to the city to try to reclaim her, Kat knows she's found her place . . . now all she has to do is have NYC find her back!

Why?
Books in NYC are always entertaining! This sounds fun and cute!

Unwritten Rule

Unwritten Rule
Elizabeth Scott
Simon and Schuster
$12.23 (Barnes and Noble)
April 2010
FTC: I received this book from the publisher with the understanding that I would provide an honest review for no compensation.

Characters 15/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 20/20
Cover 15/20
Ending 15/20
Total grade: 85% B

Sexual content: mild
Violence: n/a
Drugs: n/a
Underage drinking: n/a
Swearing: moderate
Total rating: 13+

Summary:
The unwritten rule is plain: "You don't like your best friend's boyfriend." But Sarah does. She likes Ryan a lot, and she has for a very long time. They share a moment at a party, but the next thing she knows, he belongs to Brianna. Then one night, something happens that Sarah can't take back and doesn't want to. She feels guilty, she doesn't want to hurt her friend, but she can't stop thinking about Ryan, either.

My Thoughts:
This was a pretty good book over all but it had its issues. I loved all of the characters except Brianna. She was a total brat and I cant stand her. I guess she had to be that way for the story to work but I still hated her. The plot was super and very connectible. I think that at some point everyone wants something they really cant have. The setting wasn't overly common, nor was it blah. That is why I enjoyed it.

The cover was cute but the feet grossed me out. Can't the people wear some damn socks? ;) That's my weird ticks kicking in there! The ending wasn't expected but it pissed me off big time. I would recommend this to Elizabeth Scott fans.

Must Monday

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

by David Levithan, Rachel Cohn

What?
“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Why?
Sounds like a fun and exciting book.

When?
October 2010

WeHo Bookfair

I think I mentioned a few months ago that I was asked to be an interviewer at the West Hollywood Book Fair. When asked who I wanted to interview I chose Alexa Young, Jay Asher, and Allison Burnett. I am super excited and currently working on some interview questions. So if any of you have any questions you want answered comment away. The other exciting thing about the Book Fair is that Molly Ringwald is gonna be there. I WANNA MEET HER :) Anyways, just wanted to let you know that Next Friday I leave for the fair AND DISNEYLAND until the following Wednesday. I will try to have posts set through then.

Wednesday Wishlist

Here is what is on my wish list this week!

Labor of Love

by Rachel Hawthorne

What?

To Do:

Investigate the French Quarter
Buy new hammer
Stop worrying that hard hat is going to ruin my hair
Stop thinking about ex-boyfriend. No guys this summer!
Find some cool jazz clubs to visit later
Get psychic readings with Jenna and Amber
Get Jenna and Amber to stop talking about psychic readings, the cute guy the psychic said I would meet, and the cute guy I just met. No guys this summer!!!
Throw self into work. Stop thinking about the cute guy!

Why?
Doesn't it sound super cute??? :)

Sliding Into Home

Sliding Into Home

Kendra Wilkinson

Simon and Schuster

$18.00

July 2010

FTC: This is a library book. I am not being compensated in any manner for my review.

Total grade: A (I don't like to judge people's lives)

Sexual content: heavy

Violence: mild

Drugs: heavy

Underage drinking: heavy

Swearing: heavy

Total rating: 16+

Summary:

KENDRA BARES ALL

Fans of the E! smash hit series The Girls Next Door fell in love with sporty Playboy beauty Kendra Wilkinson’s care- free spirit, infectious laugh, and down-to-earth nature. Now that she’s moved out of the world’s most famous bachelor pad and into her own delightfully chaotic world on Kendra as wife to NFL star Hank Baskett and mother to their newborn son, we’ve watched her hilarious antics as she adjusts to domestic life. But how much do we really know about the fun-loving star? In this humorous and optimistic, sometimes heartbreaking, but always unfailingly honest memoir, Kendra reveals the highs and lows of her extraordinary journey.

She wasn’t always the quintessential girl next door. Before she was a reality television superstar, Hugh Hefner’s girlfriend, or one of the most popular Playboy cover models ever, Kendra was an athletic tomboy whose father walked out on her family when she was a little girl. She grew into a rebellious teenager with a serious drug habit before she quit cold turkey and beat the odds to graduate from a high school that almost didn’t give her a second (or third, or fourth) chance.

Following her rocky teenage years, an out-of-the- blue phone call from Hugh Hefner changed everything. Kendra dishes candidly about life in the Playboy Mansion: the sex, the parties, the show, and even her relationships with her Girls Next Door costars—Hef, Holly, and Bridget. She tells the true story about how she and Hank met and built a relationship in secret while she was still Hef’s girl- friend and a public face of Playboy. Finally, she reflects on the slew of unexpected changes in the short space of a year that have brought her sliding into home from Playboy party girl to wife and mother with a blooming Hollywood career. If you think you’ve seen all of Kendra, think again. She’s only warming up. . . .

My Thoughts:

This was a very entertaining book. I hadn't known much about Kendra except that she was the baby bunny until I read this. I also didn't know much about Playboy. I began to respect her a hell of a lot more for turning her life around and keeping values while being a girlfriend to Hef. It was well written and her personality really shone through. I recommend this to fans of The Girls Next Door. Because it is non-fiction and I dont like to judge people's lives (characters, setting etc.) there isn't a whole lot to mention, other than it was good.

Must Monday

Secrets of a First Daughter

by Cassidy Calloway

What?

Morgan is a National Disaster.

Morgan Abbott couldn’t be happier. Super-cute Max has quit her Secret Service detail to be her (secret) boyfriend, and the annoying Brittany Whittaker has been ousted from class president, leaving the post open for Morgan! Life is pretty sweet.

Now Morgan just has to tackle college applications—but she has so much else to juggle that looking that far ahead seems impossible! Good thing she’s graceful under pressure . . . well, sometimes.

A trip to London should be just the thing to take her mind off all the craziness, but true to form, chaos follows Morgan wherever she goes—and the trip turns into an international disaster. Can she make it right? Or will she cause a royal mess?

Why?
This sounds like such a cute series. I have book one and plan to read it soon!

When?
Tomorrow!!!!!

Non-Fiction?

I have recently read three non-fiction books that I am not going to review. I did however want to mention them so my readers could be aware that they are very good books.

#1: Why Do Men Have Nipples by Mark Leyner
This was a very funny book. I was cracking up at many of the random questions people want answered.

#2: Why Do Men Fall Asleep After Sex by Mark Leyner
Same with the nipple book.

#3: The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
It was cool seeing what I need in a relationship as well as what my fiance needs. Our number ones were both physical touch. That was pretty cool.

Bastard Out of Carolina Review

Bastard Out of Carolina
Dorothy Allison
Penguin
$10.80 (Barnes and Noble)
Years Ago, but new editions recently
FTC: This is a library book. I am not being compensated in any manner for my review.

Characters 20/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 15/20
Cover 10/20
Ending 20/20
Total grade: 85% B

Sexual content: heavy (rape)
Violence: heavy (abuse)
Drugs: n/a
Underage drinking: mild
Swearing: heavy
Total rating: 16+

Summary:
Greenville County, South Carolina, is home to the Boatwright family - rough-hewn men who drink hard and shoot up each other's trucks, and indomitable women who marry young and age all too quickly. At the heart of this astonishing novel is Ruth Anne Boatwright, known simply as Bone, a South Carolina bastard with an annotated birth certificate to tell the tale.

Observing everything with the mercilessly keen eye of a child, Bone finds herself caught in a family triangle that will test the loyalty of her mother, Anney. Her stepfather, Daddy Glen, calls Bone "cold as death, mean as a snake, and twice as twisty", yet Anney needs Glen "like a strong woman needs meat between her teeth". At first gentle with Bone, Daddy Glen becomes steadily colder and more furious - until their final, harrowing encounter, from which there can be no turning back.

My Thoughts:
I have seen this movie a few times and finally decided to read the book. It is very upsetting and rather haunting. You just want to pick Bone up and love her so she can’t be hurt anymore. The mom is a total whack job for most of the story but I realize it was necessary. As for Daddy Glen, what an asshole. If he were real I would want someone to beat the cred out of him. Think I have strong opinions on child abuse?

The plot was devastatingly honest. It broke my heart over and over again to think that real children are put in that place on a daily basis. The setting had one problem for me. It was way to descriptive. I don’t need someone going, “the green grass was shaded by the lush green tree’s.” Duh, grass is usually green and if tree’s are lush they are green too.

The cover was kind of dull. I think someone could do a much better job. The ending was pretty predictable but a great way to end the story. I recommend this to all my older readers, and the movie as well.

Bliss

Bliss
Lauren Myracle
Amulet
$16.95 (much cheaper on Amazon)
2008
FTC: This is a library book. I am not being compensated in any manner for my review.

Characters 20/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 15/20
Cover 20/20
Ending 20/20
Total grade: 95% A

Sexual content: mild
Violence: heavy
Drugs: mild
Underage drinking: n/a
Swearing: moderate
Total rating: 16+

Summary:
In the summer of 1969, hippie teenager Bliss in the Morning Dew sees her whole world turn upside down. One day, she is unceremoniously dropped at her grandmother's house in Atlanta after her parents decide to leave their commune and move to Canada. Now, not only does she need to get to know her grandmother, but she also has to learn the ways of the society she now inhabits. That includes attending the exclusive Crestview Academy. This might sound like a typical story of a girl getting to know a long-lost family member, but it's not. This story is straight-up horror—with Bliss right in the center of the storm. The nice, polite, nonjudgmental teen has been singled out by one girl at school—a girl whose obsession with blood rituals borders on insanity. Lilliana was once a student at Crestview, but her mysterious death has long haunted the school. Yet, one girl believes that Lilliana can and must be brought back from the dead, and there's only one student who can help—Bliss. However, the protagonist has some secrets of her own, and she's not going to let Lilliana return without a fight. Myracle also works in period references, including the "The Andy Griffith Show" and the Manson Family murders. Although the story drags a bit in the middle and Bliss seems a bit too forgiving of a new friend, this novel is sure to cause goose bumps all the way to the dramatic and surprising end.

My Thoughts:
This book was not what I was expecting but it was delicious. I devoured it. The characters were all crazy and unique. It was fun getting to know each of them. The plot was very different. I know I had never read anything like it. It was creepy and chilled you to the bone. I was home alone one night while reading this and had to put it down because I was so freaked out.

The setting was just kinda blah. It wasn’t super but it wasn’t bad. The cover is amazing. To be honest that’s why I wanted to read the book! The ending was shocking. I never once expected what happened to happen.

I recommend pretty much anyone who likes a little creep to try this out.

I'm Back!!!! Plus big news!!!

During my little sabbatical I read quite a bit so many reviews are headed your way! But the biggest news from my break... MY BOYFRIEND PROPOSED! Yes, I am engaged. It'll be next summer when we get married. Anyways I just really wanted to share my excitement with you all.