Cars 2

Enjoy this upcoming release!

Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in “Cars 2” when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine) and the stunning spy-in-training Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer). Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors.

John Lasseter returns to the driver’s seat to direct this follow-up to his 2006 Golden Globe®-winning “Cars.” “Cars 2” is co-directed by Brad Lewis, producer of the Oscar®-winning film “Ratatouille,” and produced by visual effects industry veteran Denise Ream (associate producer, “Up”; visual effects executive producer, “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith”). The film hits the track on June 24, 2011, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters.

On Stranger Tides

I hope you enjoy this upcoming release!

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise—this time in Disney Digital 3D™. Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed adventure. Crossing paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Penelope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love—or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the “Queen Anne’s Revenge,” the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past. The international cast includes franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack’s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Berges-Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid.

Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) finds himself on an unexpected journey to the fabled Fountain of Youth when a woman from his past (Penelope Cruz) forces him aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane).

Wednesday Wishlist

The Exile of Gigi Lane

by Adrienne Maria Vrettos

What?
Heathers meets Bring It On in The Exile of Gigi Lane, where a high school queen bee's rise to glory is nothing compared to her fall from it.

Why?
Mean girls, and Heathers, and Bring It On all in one :)

Mockingjay

Mockingjay
Suzanne Collins
Scholastic
$17.99
August 2010
FTC: This is my personal book. I am not being compensated for my review.

Characters 20/20
Plot 15/20
Setting 20/20
Cover 15/20
Ending 20/20
Total grade: 90% A

Sexual content: mild
Violence: heavy
Drugs: n/a
Underage drinking: n/a
Swearing: moderate
Total rating: 15+

Summary:

The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Who do they think should pay for the unrest?

Katniss Everdeen.

My Thoughts:
I had to read this after reading the first two Hunger Games books. This was my least favorite of the three as it bounced around way too much. The first quarter of the book was very slow, taking too long to make the plot interesting. When it got good (about half way through) it got pretty good.

The characters were mostly the same characters I fell in love with. The setting remained superb. All in all it was a pretty good book. It was rather predictable though.

I want to take a moment to talk about the age appropriateness of this book. Due to how detailed and graphic it is I would not suggest it to my little sister. It is a good book but I think that when a person is still impressionable by this type of literature it is not to be recommended. For some people that could be 12 and others that could be 17. Just consider who you are recommending this too before you buy them a copy. Adults and older teens... GO FOR IT!

Must Monday

The Babysitter Murders

by Janet Ruth Young

What?
Everyone has weird thoughts sometimes. But for seventeen-year-old Dani Solomon, strange thoughts have taken over her life. She loves Alex, the little boy she babysits, more than anything. But one day, she has a vision of murdering him that's so gruesome, she can't get it out of her mind. In fact, Dani's convinced that she really will kill Alex. She confesses the thoughts to keep him safe, setting off a media frenzy that makes "Dani Death" the target of an extremist vigilante group.

Through the help of an unconventional psychiatrist, Dani begins to heal her broken mind. But will it be too late? The people of her community want justice . . . and Dani's learning that some thoughts are better left unsaid.

Why?
Read the synopsis and then see if you still need to ask me!!!!

When?
July 2011

Prom

I was asked to share this upcoming movie release with you! Enjoy!

At “Prom,” every couple has a story and no two are exactly alike. Several intersecting stories unfold at one high school as the big dance approaches; “Prom” portrays the precarious passage from high school to independence as some relationships unravel and others ignite. For Nova Prescott (Aimee Teegarden), it’s a battle of wills as she finds herself drawn to the guy (Thomas McDonell) who gets in the way of her perfect prom. Fellow seniors Mei (Yin Chang) and Tyler (De’Vaughn Nixon) harbor secrets, while others face all the insecurity and anticipation that surrounds one of high school’s most seminal events. There are hundreds of nights in high school, but there’s only one “Prom.” Featuring an emerging ensemble cast and a powerful soundtrack, “Prom” hits theaters April 29, 2011.

Several intersecting stories unfold at one high school as the big dance approaches; “Prom” portrays the precarious passage from high school to independence as some relationships unravel and others ignite.

I am Number Four

I was asked to share this upcoming movie with you! Enjoy!

Three are dead. He is Number Four. D.J. Caruso (“Eagle Eye,” “Disturbia”) helms a suspense-thriller about an extraordinary young man, John Smith (Alex Pettyfer), who is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events—his first love (Dianna Agron), powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny.

John (Alex Pettyfer) is an extraordinary young man, masking his true identity and passing as a typical student to elude a deadly enemy seeking to destroy him. Three like him have already been killed…he is Number Four.

Wednesday Wishlist

What?

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.

Why?
I have the second book to review so I need the first!

Gnomeo and Juliet

I was asked to share this upcoming release with you! Enjoy!

tor" content="Microsoft Word 11">

The greatest love story ever told, starring...garden gnomes? In the upcoming “Gnomeo & Juliet,” Shakespeare's revered tale gets a comical, off-the-wall makeover. Directed by Kelly Asbury (“Shrek 2”) and showcasing both classic and original songs by Elton John, the film features the voices of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt as Gnomeo and Juliet, who have as many obstacles to overcome as their quasi namesakes when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors. But with plastic pink flamingos and thrilling lawnmower races in the mix, can this young couple find lasting happiness?

Two garden gnomes, Gnomeo (voice of James McAvoy) and Juliet (voice of Emily Blunt), try to avoid tragedy and find a happy ending to their star-crossed love affair when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors.

Must Monday

What?
They’ve spent years at the same high school without speaking a word to one another, but that’s all about to change. Popular Bliss was having the perfect prom until she found her BFF and boyfriend making out in the back of a limo. Bad girl Jolene wouldn’t be caught dead at the prom, yet here she is, trussed up in pink ruffles, risking her reputation for some guy - some guy who is forty minutes late. And shy, studious, über-planner Meg never counted on her date’s standing her up and leaving her idling in the parking lot outside the prom. Get ready for The Anti-Prom, Abby McDonald’s hilarious, heart-tugging tale about three girls and one unforgettable prom night.

Why?
Prom! Need I say more?

When?
April 12, 2011

Oh blogger

I had a lovely post set for today and some how it is gone. So are another two posts I had set. Therefore I shall take this day to be angry :) Have a lovely Saturday

We're Just Like You, Only Prettier

We're Just Like You Only Prettier
Celia Rivenbark
St. Martin's Press
$13.99
2005
FTC: This is a library book. I am not being compensated in any manner for my review


Total grade: A


Total rating: 16+

Summary:

Why couldn't the Sopranos survive living down South? Simple. You can't shoot a guy full of holes after eating chicken and pastry, spoon bread, okra, and tomatoes.

What does a Southern woman consider grounds for divorce? When daddy takes the kids out in public dressed in their pajama tops and Tweety Bird swim socks. Again.

What is the Southern woman's opinion of a new "fat virus" theory? Bring it on! We've got a lot of skinny friends we need to sneeze on.

In this wickedly funny follow-up to her bestselling novel Bless Your Heart, Tramp, Celia Rivenbark welcomes you, once again, to the South she loves, the land of "Mama and them," "precious and dahlin'," and mommies who mow. Y'all come back now, you hear?

My Thoughts:
This book was amazingly hilarious. I laughed the whole way through. It's a book that any woman can enjoy and see something they 100% agree within. I was never planning to review this book but it was so funny I just had to give it a shout out.

Catching Fire

Catching Fire
Suzanne Collins
Scholastic
$17.99
2009
FTC: This was a library book. I was not compensated in any manner for my review.

Characters 20/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 20/20
Cover 20/20
Ending 20/20
Total grade: 100% A

Sexual content: mild
Violence: extreme
Drugs: mild
Underage drinking: none
Swearing: mild
Total rating: 16+

Summary:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

My Thoughts:
This was such a great book! I loved The Hunger Games but in my honest opinion this was even better. It was much more adventuresome and wild. The story was fully developed and the characters so real. The story was one to just sit down and read.

I recommend this book to fans of the first. Everyone should try the first book though.

Wednesday Wishlist

What?
When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre . . . to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria . . . to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own — scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat’s friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster’s priceless art collection has been stolen and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled off this job, and Kat’s father isn’t just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it’s a spectacularly impossible job? She’s got two weeks, a teenage crew, and, hopefully, just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family’s (very crooked) history — and with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

Why?
I fully blame the cover for this one :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Today is my birthday so I am taking a day off from blogging. Now go eat some Champagne cake for me.

Must Monday

Babe in Boyland

by Jody Gehrman

What?
When high school junior Natalie--or Dr. Aphrodite, as she calls herself when writing the relationship column for her school paper--is accused of knowing nothing about guys and giving girls bad relationship advice, she decides to investigate what guys really think and want. But the guys in her class won't give her straight or serious answers. The only solution? Disguising herself as a guy and spending a week at Underwood Academy, the private all-boy boarding school in town. There she learns a lot about guys and girls in ways she never expected--especially when she falls for her dreamy roommate, Emilio. How can she show him she likes him without blowing her cover?

Why?
It sounds so adorable.

When?
February 17th 2011

Snowed In

Snowed In
Rachel Hawthorne
HarperCollins
$5.99
2007
FTC: This is my book. I am not being compensated in any manner for my review.

Characters 20/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 20/20
Cover 20/20
Ending 18/20
Total grade: 98% A

Sexual content: mild
Violence: none
Drugs: none
Underage drinking: none
Swearing: mild
Total rating: 13+

Summary:

Well, apparently I live here now—my mom just bought the place. And named it after me, Ashleigh, which was nice. But did she know how cold it is here??

Um, it's a tiny island with not much to do, unless you really like sleigh rides. But I gotta say there are quite a few hot guys on this cold island . . .

My Thoughts:
This was such an adorable book! I enjoyed every moment, curled up with this wintry read. I usually dont keep the holiday books I read, but this has earned a place on my bookshelf. It was cute, funny and full of delicious romance.

The characters were all so developed. Ashleigh was the kind of girl you want as your friend. I recommend everyone buys this book. You cant go wrong for 6 bucks. :)

Mistletoe

Mistletoe
Scholastic
$8.99
2006
FTC: This is my book. I am not being compensated in any manner for my review.


Total grade: B as a whole


Total rating: 15+ Average

Summary:
Glittering white snowflakes. The handsome blond ski instructor. The sparkle on a cashmere skirt. Hot cocoa and kisses in front of a crackling fire. The holiday season is the ESSENCE of magic...and romance. Four of today's bestselling teen authors -- Melissa de la Cruz (THE AU PAIRS), Aimee Friedman (SOUTH BEACH), Hailey Abbott (SUMMER BOYS), and Nina Malkin (6X) -- bring us delectable tales of love and lust and holiday cheers (and tears) in this one-of-a-kind collection that teens will devour faster than a plate of Christmas cookies.

My Thoughts:
It was Christmas time so of course I needed a book full of Holiday cheer. This was enjoyable for the most part, although I didn't connect with one of the four stories. I was able to curl up and just read one short story at a time. I recommend this as a winter read.

Hunger Games

The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
Scholastic
$8.99
2008
FTC: This is my book. I am not being compensated for my review.

Characters 20/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 20/20
Cover 20/20
Ending 20/20
Total grade: 100% A

Sexual content: mild
Violence: extreme
Drugs: none
Underage drinking: none
Swearing: moderate
Total rating: 14+

Summary:
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival.

My Thoughts:
I do not think I can swoon enough for this book. This was always a series that when people described it I poo-pooed the idea of reading it. Fantasy? The Future? "How about garbage," I would say. It was far from that. I read this as a class for my English Lit class (and yes this is my senior year). The majority of my class hates reading. I loved seeing all of their faces light up as they read. 2 kids said they had never read a whole book before. Both went and bought the whole series.

We were given 3 weeks in class to read it. I went out and bought my own copy because I was dying to read more. There is so much of this book that I feel is unfairly hidden. The romance is so huge yet people seem to focus on the future. In my honest opinion it seems more historical than futuristic.

I recommend everyone read this book. You all know my typical book is girly, pink and flirty. This is not that but I am in love.

Charmed

Charmed
Carrie Mac
Orca
$9.95
2004
FTC: This is a library book. I was not compensated in any manner for my review.

Characters 15/20
Plot 15/20
Setting 15/20
Cover 20/20
Ending 15/20
Total grade: 80% B


Total rating: 16+

Summary:
Dillon wakes me up. I fell asleep in the boots and leather mini-skirt and nothing else. He's brought a friend home. The friend is grinning down at me. I yank the sleeping bag over me. His name is Barrel, and he's big and round like one. "She'll do," he says. Then he leaves. "Do what?" My head is pounding. "Nothing. Don't worry about it." Dillon heads for the shower. "Go back to sleep." So I do. Izzy's mother works far away and leaves Izzy at home, alone with Rob the Slob. Angry at her mother and trying to deal with school, friends and the attentions of charismatic Cody Dillon, Izzy finds her life swirling out of control. Coerced into putting out to help Cody, Izzy finds she is one in a long line of girls ensnared in prostitution, with no way to escape. Believing that her mother will come for her, Izzy manages to fight back and, when the chance appears, make a run for it.

My Thoughts:
This was another Orca book. I really should stop reading them because as an avid reader I am never fully satisfied. They are great for the reluctant readers (or usually younger teens although not in this case). If you love reading this is not where you want to focus your time. The plot could be so much more developed, the concept so much deeper. It's also very hard to develop a relationship with the characters because the book is so short. I recommend this as an alternative in high school. I believe all educators should be familiar with this publisher.

Wednesday Wishlist

What?

Spending the week in Florida with her two best friends is the perfect opportunity for 17-year-old Danielle to shed her shy-girl image. And it turns out she'll be getting lots of help from a houseful of cute guys staying right next door ...

Romantic twists, turns, and comic mishaps abound! Will Danielle find love — and discover who she really is — before spring break ends?

Why?
It sounds sooo cute. What a way to warm up my winter.

Where I have been

I was so excited. It was Christmas break and I was going to blog like crazy. Then my life fell apart. I spent it with my grandpa in the hospital 3 times in 3 weeks in Heart failure. My mom had surgery. I had minor surgery. My sister got incredibly sick. Needless to say blogging was the farthest from my mind. I'm back though. Everything is calming down. Sorry I was MIA guys.