Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

I’ve had to type this post without reading the summary, because I am still in the middle of Beautiful Creatures. Let me tell you, I love this book so far. The setting is absolutely amazing and the plot is intriguing. However, if I’m being honest, I ordered this book before I even started Beautiful Creatures. I knew that I would enjoy Beautiful Creatures, and was ordering some other books anyways, so I enthusiastically deposited this one in my shopping cart. Now it’s just a matter of finishing it’s predecessor, posting my review and vigilantly patrolling my mailbox.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill of .

***THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BY DIANA PETERFREUND. READ OF RAMPANT***

Now a fully trained unicorn hunter, Astrid Llewelyn is learning that she can’t solve all her problems with a bow and arrow. Her boyfriend has left Rome, the Cloisters is in dire financial straits, her best friend’s powers are mysteriously disintegrating, and her hope of becoming a scientist seems to be nothing but an impossible dream.

So when she’s given the opportunity to leave the Cloisters and use her skills as part of a scientific quest to discover the Remedy, Astrid leaps at the chance. Finally, she can have exactly what she wants—or can she? At Gordian headquarters deep in France, Astrid begins to question everything she had believed: her love for Giovanni, her loyalty to the Cloisters, and—most of all—her duty as a hunter. Should Astrid be saving the world from killer unicorns or saving unicorns from the world?

Upon hearing the words killer unicorn, I would imagine that most people would react one of two ways: “Ooo, blood and guts!” or “What the heck?!?!” In the first book of the Killer Unicorn series, Rampant, Peterfreund proved that she could provide both of these elements. While I loved the overarching themes and conflicts in , I had issues with a few of the smaller details. If you want to read Ascendant, then get ready, because here you will find plot twists galore.

If you read Ascendant, get ready for plot twists, because they are packed in like woah. However, if I’m being honest, I feel conflicted. For me, the majority of Ascendant was wonderful. Yet int the last hundred pages or so, the reader is hit with a lot of major plot points. I love how everything turned out and the messages that came across. However, it did feel a tiny bit rushed, and not all of the characters felt genuine to me by the end.

A lot of things that I loved about Rampant remained just as awesome in Ascendant, like Astrid. I loved that sexuality was still an important part of the story. Not only did I appreciate Peterfreund’s honesty about how difficult trans-Atlantic relationship can be (because I was in once, and they aren’t easy), but I loved seeing a bit more of Cory. I even thought one element of the story became better. In my review of Rampant, I mentioned that the writing felt a bit over the top at times. While it still had its clumsy moments, it felt a lot more polished to me.

I think the strongest aspect of Ascendant is the ending, by a long shot. Maybe I’m the only one who read it this way, but I felt that this is a work for people who love the natural world and all that it has to offer, told through a tale of mythical beasts. Despite my complaints, I really did think Ascendant was fantastic. I look forward to seeing whether or not there will be any more books in this series, and if so, where the story goes.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book through , but my own finished copy is on the way.

Happy Banned Books Week, everyone! You've already heard my thoughts on book banning if you read my Speak Loudly post. Instead of becoming a giant squid of anger again, I thought I'd share my thoughts with you on some banned books that I've read.

by Anne Frank
Why was it banned? Due to discussions of sexuality.
Upon reading this book, I learned a lot more about Anne Frank as a person. I think this is such a crucial aspect of this book because it reminds us that the Holocaust didn't just happen to millions of people who are now dead, but that individuals such as people you and I know were the ones who suffered because of it.

by Harper Lee
Why was it banned? Because it contains the "n" word.
This is a situation where it becomes so blatantly obvious that if you're banning a book because of one, short word, then you definitely haven't read it. I fully believe that the "n" word is racist and should never be used. However, this book is set in the American south in the 1930s, so yes, it may well have been used then. Furthermore, if you read this book you'll realize that Harper Lee isn't exactly condoning racism.

by Stephenie Meyer
Why was it banned? Because of sexual content and for religious reasons.
I don't know about you guys, but I think this reason is pretty far fetched. Yes, Edward and Bella are in love and they have their affectionate moments. Yes, in Breaking Dawn there are moments where they say things along the lines of, "WOW, that was really fantastic sex last night!" but Meyer only writes about the before and after of the sex scenes, as opposed to content such as, "Bella unzipped Edward's pants to find that his penis was large and engorged." I did feel conflicted about the fact that Bella was so bruised afterwards, because I'm concerned that it may send the wrong teenage message to teenage girls. But I still don't think that it or any other book should be banned. Even if I may not care for it, I think this book facilitates some interesting and disucssions.

I could go on, but I believe you get my point. So often books are banned without people really thinking about and analyzing what they're reading, and some books are banned without anyone even bothering to read the book in question. To celebrate Banned Books Week, I'd like to read at least one banned book this week, so here are some that are sitting happily on my shelves, waiting to be picked up. Two of these aren't technically on the ALA banned list, but they've been challenged plenty.
by Ellen Hopkins
By now, I'm sure many of you have heard about Ellen Hopkins , a story which piqued my interest in her work. I had seen this book in the library as a teenager and the blurb never appealed to me, but when I picked it up a few weeks ago it sounded amazing. I can't wait to read it.

by Sherman Alexie
The title is what really draws my attention this book. I don't know about you all, but I have never heard about a Young Adult novel that deals with reservations. This sounds like a really original and unique read.

by Wesley Ockler
That's right, world. I am a proud owner of a Wesley Scroggins filthy book, and not one of you can stop me from reading it. Honestly? This entire book sounds beautiful to me. Plus, the cover is jaw droppingly gorgeous.

What banned books do you love? What banned books are you planning on reading this week?

Haunted by recurring nightmares since her mother’s disappearance over the Indian ocean three years before, fifteen-year old California girl Sienna Jones reluctantly travels with her psychiatrist father’s volunteer team to six-months post-tsunami Indonesia where she meets the scarred and soulful orphaned boy, Deni, who is more like Sea than anyone she has ever met.

She knows they can’t be together, so why can’t she stay away from him? And what about her old best friend-turned-suddenly-hot Spider who may or may not be waiting for her back home? And why won’t her dad tell her the truth about her mother’s plane crash? The farther she gets from home, the closer she comes to finding answers.

And Sea’s real adventure begins.

Between the fanatical reviews posted by several bloggers and Sea’s gorgeous cover, I had to have this book for myself. Even though I knew a large part of the plot was about tsunami relief, part of my brain expected this book to have lots of idyllic romantic scenes where the characters work through their emotional baggage while sitting on a beach. I have no idea where my brain got this idea, but Sea turned out to be much different, yet absolutely beautiful nonetheless.

Sea is a story that had me “Awwing” on one page, angry the next and even feeling a little queasy a few pages later. I didn’t particularly like Sienna or her traveling companions at first, but I began to like Sienna more throughout her time in Indonesia, and my feelings about her completely changed by the end of the book. She felt a lot of anger towards Vera and occasionally her father, which I loved, because if I’d been in her shoes, I’d have felt the same way. As for the love interests of this story, while I found Deni sweet and romantic, by the end I found myself very appreciative of Spider’s role in the story.

Kling is not shy about depicting cultural differences or the devastation caused by the tsunami. I wasn’t honestly sure how I would feel about Sea until I reached the end, however. I kept wondering how everything would tie together, would the reader feeling as though he or she had been deprived of a proper ending. To be honest, it was one small paragraph that made me fall in love with this book. One beautifully expressed, heartbreaking yet apt paragraph. That was when I realized that this is not just a book for victims of tsunami, or someone who has lost his or her parents. This is a book for anyone who has ever had to overcome loss, or anyone who has felt trapped within the confines of a broken heart, stuck in a state of static, yet unable to move forward.

I will not forget Sea or Sienna’s emotional journey any time soon. The last few chapters of this book had me in tears, but also left me thinking about what’s important when it comes to living life. Don’t less this book pass you by.

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book.

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.

She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition. Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

Rich with emotion, Sarah Ockler delivers a powerful story of family, love, and self-discovery.

The premise of this book sounds absolutely amazing to me. I find the idea of a girl who used to be a good student but is now kind of straying from that path to be an intriguing idea. I've already heard people praise this novel very highly, and know lots of people who love Sarah's first novel, , which I own but have yet to read. I also have to say that I'm a huge fan of this cover (as well as that for Twenty Boy Summer). The colors will pop out on the bookshelf, and the taped up paper doll creates interest.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill of .

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth.

It has definitely been a while since I read , but I I wanted to share my thoughts on it with you in the spirit of Speak Loudly. I have a hard time imagining anyone who’s been to high school reading this book and make it through the entire thing without thinking, even if only for a split second, that he or she could relate to Melinda’s story in some way. Anderson tackles many tough subjects, and does so with eloquence.

Melinda is not an easy character to read about. I definitely got frustrated with her at times, and wanted to tell her to stand up for herself. However, she definitely had her moments of wit and humor, which I enjoyed but also added a few lighter moments to an otherwise very tough book. I particularly enjoyed listening to her talk about all of her peers.

Yet like I said earlier, one of my favorite parts of this book is the themes, because so many people, kids and adults, feel the pressure to do what it takes to fit in. This isn’t a theme that’s relevant only when I read the book, or only to teens who are reading it now. I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t see concerns about fitting in and standing up for yourself disappearing from life for quite some time.

Speak is a fantastic novel about dealing with trauma in the context of a high school life. Laurie Halse Anderson does so beautifully and honestly, which is why I’m fighting to keep this book on the shelves. I’ll be ensuring that my local library has a copy, and ask my local independent book store to regularly stock it.

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book.

In my mailbox is hosted by Kristi at .

For review:
by Molly Roe
by Ally Condie (This came after I filmed my vlog.)
Bought:
by Lois Lowry
by Louise Rennison
by Louise Rennison
by Louise Rennison
by Louise Rennison
by Shannon Hale
by Sherman Alexie
by Markus Zuzak
by Ingrid Law
by Jane Austen
by Carol Lynch Williams
by Lisa Schroeder
by Elizabeth Eulberg

Read:
by Celia Rees ()
by Kody Keplinger ()
by Bree Despain ()
by Heidi R. Kling
Currently reading:
by Chelsea Campbell
by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (This one has been calling to me, and lots of other bloggers have been yelling at me to read it. Love it so far!)
by Ally Condie
by Trisha Telep
by Neil Pasricha
What I plan to read:
by Molly Roe
by Julie Kagawa
by Maggie Stiefvater
by John Green
by Emily Bronte
by C.A. Moulton
by Simone Elkeles
by Melina Marchetta

Much like every genre, YA has books which thousands of readers read and respond to, books whose praise are sung from the rooftops, while other books sit alone on bookshelves, read by a small number of readers. I believe that anyone who wants to read should have access to whatever book they choose, and that all books should be accessible to the public and have their opportunity to be read, discussed, loved, criticized, and debated. While I realize most books receive a variety of treatment in their lifetime, let me set the record straight now: I am anti-censorship and firmly against book banning.

A man named Wesley Scroggins wrote an opinion piece for the News Leader of Springfield, Missouri entitled In this article, he writes about books containing “softcore pornography.” Two of the books he write about, by Kurt Vonnegut and by Sarah Ockler, I have not read, though I have every intention of doing so. Yet when I discovered that he counted by Laurie Halse Anderson, a which deals with rape in the context of a high school setting, as book containing “softcore pornography,” I was livid.

I’m so angry right now that I’m not even entirely sure where I should start. Honestly, I am shaking in my seat and trying not to spew out thousands of swear words as I write. The fact that Scroggins compares rape to “softcore pornography” honestly disgusts me. Rape is not pleasurable. It is an act of sexual violence that should never be tolerated, accepted or dismissed as unimportant. In his article, Scroggins talks about how many of the school board members and parents claim to be Christians, and wonders, “How can Christian men and women expose their children to such immorality?” If I could say anything to Scroggins, it would probably be this: rape happens, along with many other unfortunate things. I think an author who writes a book which reaches out to rape victims, especially teenage girls who may not have a lot of power or sway, is anything but immoral. Speak has been on shelves since 2001, and it has clearly had an impact on readers and the world of young adult literature. In the video below, Anderson reads a poem, part of which is composed by her, part of which is composed by readers who wrote letters to her after the publication of Speak.


Discussing Speak as pornographic is about so much more than eliminating sexual content from a classroom setting. To me, Scroggins’ article might as well say, Rape victims are at fault for what happens to them, and their struggles with the aftermath are unimportant. Writing or any other media that educates about rape, or helps a victim cope with what has happened to them is pornographic, regardless of whether its ultimate impact is positive or negative. It implies that rape is something that shouldn’t be taken seriously, but to me it also says something very negative to and about rape victims, namely that they are at fault for what has happened to them, that they have done something wrong. The rapist is always the person who has acted in the wrong and done something horrible, never the victim.

Not only do I dislike Scroggins’s ideas about what constitutes “softcore pornography,” I entirely disagree with the notion that he, or anyone else, should have control over what other people are reading. I think it is always wrong to stop others from reading a book because something in it doesn’t coincide with your personal beliefs. Do you think sex in YA books is wrong? Fine. Do you want to abolish a particular book from your household? Fine. You’re entitled to your beliefs just as much as anyone else. But telling others what their children can and cannot read because of what your personal beliefs takes away their freedom, which is unacceptable. I know Speak isn’t the first book to impact lots of young readers, and it definitely won’t be the last. No one should have the right to stop any reader from feeling empowered or having any other reaction to a book. Furthermore, if you’re going to tell your children that they can’t read a book because it has content which you consider adult, please make an effort to understand this content in the context of the story.


Speak focuses on the aftermath of Melinda’s rape and her new status as a social outcast. Throughout the novel, Melinda finds herself coping all alone with what has happened to her, until she eventually finds the strength to discuss what has happened to her. While this book provides wonderful gateways for discussing rape and the pressure to fit in high school, empowerment is perhaps the most important issue of the book.

Banning Speak will only put rape on the back burner, and this happens to other important issues such as sex, self harm, drinking and drugs, to name a few, when books are banned. I disagree with some people’s tendencies to stuff such issues into the closet. I know I had questions on such matters when I was a teenager, and a little inkling tells me that today’s teens might as well. I think it’s important to let teenagers honestly and openly have the tools, such as literature, to contemplate and discuss such subjects, instead of leaving them to puzzle at the answers, or whether or not such thoughts are even normal. Anderson’s video shows that literature has an impact, that it can help individuals feel less isolated or alone. Neither you, I, nor the people who aren’t reading this or any other blog posts about Speak are entitled to take that right away from anyone. Period.

If you don’t agree with what I have to say here, that is fine with me. Just don’t tell me, or anyone else, what we can and cannot read. If you want to stop Speak from being banned, check out on what we can do to prevent this from happening. If you also disagree with book banning, be sure to check out some banned and challenged books during Banned Book Weeks, which will be from September 25th from Oct 2nd this year. I would like to note that the next few links were tweeted by Kristi of . Thanks, Kristi! For some general info on Banned Book Weeks and what it’s all about, click and . contains a list of banned and challenged books for 2009-2010.

I have felt a lot of emotions on this subject today, and am starting to feel drained. Banning books infuriates me, but seeing everyone’s blog posts on this subject matter has made me feel proud to be a part of such a strong community. I hope everyone continues to Speak Loudly, and stand up for what they believe in.

A fable of a terrifying near future by critically acclaimed author Elizabeth Scott.

Grace was raised to be an Angel, a herald of death by suicide bomb. But she refuses to die for the cause, and now Grace is on the run, daring to dream of freedom. In search of a border she may never reach, she travels among malevolent soldiers on a decrepit train crawling through the desert. Accompanied by the mysterious Kerr, Grace struggles to be invisible, but the fear of discovery looms large as she recalls the history and events that delivered her uncertain fate.

Told in spare, powerful prose, this tale of a dystopian near future will haunt readers long after they've reached the final page.

I have to admit that when I first started , I didn’t think I would be too fond of it. While I found the setting to be very original, I was frustrated because the novel begins with my primarily descriptive passages, and I felt like Scott was throwing a dystopian world at me without explaining its backstory as much as I would like. I also felt that the writing, though “spare” as the description said, erred dangerously close to the melodramatic and choppy side. Thankfully, as I continued to read, I found myself pleasantly surprised.

It was easy for me to feel sympathetic towards Grace, considering what she had to go though. Her narration created a world that was a horrifying mixture of barren and lifeless or excessively sterile to the point where I refused to pick this book up right before bed for fear of nightmares. Yet as sad as her story was, I felt that I finally connected with her when she thought more in depth about her surroundings and the people around her.

For me, the strongest part of this novel was, without a doubt, the last 50 pages. I loved the way the story ended both in terms of plot and the emotional tone. Scott’s final message is one which I believe any reader can relate to: it’s a message for anyone who has ever sought to live life more fully, or lived in a violent time.

Considering how grim certain parts of this book are, I certainly don’t think this book is a good choice for readers who are uncomfortable with violence. Given its length and the way its told, I’m not sure if I’d call it your typical dystopian novel. I do, however, believe that Scott’s final message will stick with readers long after they’ve read the book.

You all know that I love books. I love the way they look on a shelf, I love a gorgeous cover, but perhaps most of all, I love to rant, rave and fangirl about books I love, shortly followed by pushing them on other people. However, not having anyone to share this enthusiasm with can be kind of boring. Thankfully, this post is all about books that don't quite get the love they deserve. I must admit that "Forgotten Treasures" is a particularly appropriate title, because in some cases, I don't remember exactly what I loved about these books, except for that I loved them.

I am on a never-ending quest to be a less judgmental person. Sometimes when I see the summary for a book but I'm not initially interested, I'll see some positive reviews later and wind up giving it a chance. On the other hand, really negative reviews also tend to intrigue me. I know you all are thinking, "Why would you waste time on a book you doubt you'll like?" Usually, I'm curious as to what people disliked so vehemently about a book. One YA genre where I feel like I consistently opinions that land all over the spectrum is paranormal.
I have to be honest and say that my first forray into this area of literature was none other than . I was mildly intrigued by the premise, but more curious about what all of the hype is about. By the time I finished the series, I had started seeing several reviews of by Maggie Stiefvater around the blogosphere and .
I read the premise and honestly though to myself, "I don't want the werewolf in this book to be like Jacob Black." If you ever see me with my copy of Shiver in tow, you should probably use it to smack me upside the head, because I don't know what I was thinking. After enough rave reviews, I picked up my own copy, read it and fell in love with Stiefvater's writing and the story.

Another example of a paranormal I thought I'd dislike was , which actually turned out to be a great read. With this case I wasn't sure how the Christian aspect would really fit into a paranormal story, but it turned out to be great.
Of course, I haven't loved every book from this genre I've read. was kind of a flop for me because I found the characters stupid. At any rate, I've grown more open to the genre, and am looking forward to continuously exploring it (and yes, I have still failed to read , and would appreciate it if you utilized the comments to order me to read it).

Avery Hood is reeling from the loss of her parents--and the fact that she can't remember what happened to them even though she was there.

She's struggling to adjust to life without them, and to living with her grandmother, when she meets Ben, who isn't like any guy she's ever met before.

It turns out there's a reason why, and Ben's secret may hold the key to Avery finding out what happened to her parents...

But what if that secret changes everything she knows about--and feels for--Ben?

Have you ever read a book without really feeling that the story has pulled you until the last ten pages? For me, this was the case with . I have to say that Devlin surprised me with the ending of this novel, and that I’m eager to read more by her. However, Low Red Moon was just an okay read for me.

The writing in this book is lovely, and was probably my favorite aspect of it. It certainly wasn’t flawless throughout, but there were times when I’d read a sentence of Devlin’s and think, “Wow, that was really beautifully written.” I wish I had gotten that feeling a little bit more often as I was reading, but I think Devlin’s writing will only improve as she publishes more novels.

The problem with Low Red Moon, for me, was that nothing stood out as being particularly amazing. I didn’t even feel that attached to any of the characters. I don’t know why, but I guess they were a bit flat to me. I was interested in learning about who killed Avery’s parents, but that was more for the sake of having an answer than honestly caring about the characters. The romance between Avery and Ben didn’t feel like anything particularly original or special to me until literally the last few pages of the book. Maybe I’m alone in this one. I will say that I loved the final plot twist. While the reasoning behind it didn’t seem totally feasible to me, it certainly shocked me.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would, but the last few pages showed me that Devlin holds promise. I know a lot of people who favored this book more than I did, so if it sounds interesting try it for yourself. I will say that I’ve seen it compared to Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver, and that I don’t find them particularly comparable. At any rate, I’m eager to see what Devlin publishes in the future and will keep her on my radar.

Greetings, lovely readers, and welcome to the first day of Book Blogger Appreciation Week! The theme for this year's BBAW is A Treasure Chest of Infinite Books and Infinite Blogs. The powers that be have issued prompts for throughout the week, and invited bloggers to use Monday to discuss some of the first blogs they discovered.

A Prodigal Son

A Dangerous Love

A Deadly Secret

Grace Divine—daughter of the local pastor—always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared and her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood.

Now that Daniel's returned, Grace must choose between her growing attraction to him and her loyalty to her brother.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, she learns the truth about that mysterious night and how to save the ones she loves, but it might cost her the one thing she cherishes most: her soul.

I approached very dubiously. I had heard that this book had a strong religious aspect and was worried that the characters would be a little bit too straight-laced and conservative for my taste. While I spent a good deal of the book wanting to smack Grace’s mother and Jude, this novel proved me wrong.

I thought the religious aspect of this novel worked because Grace isn’t idealistic, even if she might come across that way at first. She periodically says hell and wears spaghetti straps. Also, the way religion discussed isn’t like, “And then I said a prayer and was so thankful and everything was magically perfect,” which is how I was afraid it would be. Instead, it incorporated themes which you don’t necessarily have to be religious to believe, such as the importance of forgiveness and having a life with people who will love and support you instead of constantly bringing you down.

While religion is heavily incorporated with the themes of this book, it also plays a major role in the plot of this book, and for me this is what made The Dark Divine so original. Even though I could see who Grace would end up with, Despain managed to throw in one plot twist that was totally unexpected for me. Maybe other people figured it out, and I’m just slow.

Before I draw my review to a close, I wanted to pay brief mention to two other characters. I wasn’t a fan of April, because I didn’t find her sensible, and at times I thought Daniel went a bit over the top in terms of talking about how dangerous he was. That aside, I actually liked Daniel. The connection between him and Grace felt more realistic to me because they’d known each other for so long, and it made it easier for me to believe that Daniel had her best interests at heart.

The Dark Divine definitely exceeded all of my expectations. I wasn’t sure about all of the plots of the story, and was worried the characters would be unrealistic and unlikeable. I was wrong. The summary for , The Dark Divine’s impending sequel, sounds quite intriguing, so I’m eager to see where the story goes next.

Disclosure: I checked out a copy of this book from my awesome local library.

Magical is the first word that comes to mind when I think of Stardust, shortly followed by fantastical and wonderful. This is the ultimate fairy tale. I think adaptation of fairy tales, fantasy and science fiction movies tend to go one of two ways: really great, or not so enjoyable. The really great have a good plot and engaging characters, and an appropriate amount of well done effects, whereas the bad might have poor special effects, rely too much on them and not enough on dialogue and substance, or just not have good storylines. Stardust is definitely former.

This film doesn’t hesitate to get straight down to the action and plot of the story, offering a lovely blend of action, adventure and romance. The two things I enjoyed most when I read Stardust were Gaiman’s beautiful writing and the intricacy and detail of the story. What’s nice is that there’s a voiceover narration throughout parts of the film, so viewers don’t lose the magic of Gaiman’s storytelling. The plot is also loyal, for the most part, as far as I can remember, which is normally not a huge consideration for me, but I loved how intricate Gaiman wove the plots of his novel. I can see where some people might not like Tristan. At first he makes himself a bit of a doormat, but I promise he grows more likeable if you keep watching.

I have to say that this is one film where I really enjoy the special effects. What’s there is done well is appealing, but there’s not so much of it that one is overwhelmed. I particularly like them in the scenes with the three sisters/witches. I also love how they’ve brought the sky vessel to life here. I had a hard time envisioning it as I read, but I liked how it was ultimately portrayed.

I first rented a copy of this DVD for Netflix, and as soon as it ended I knew right away that I wanted it for my own collection. Stardust is a great way to get a dose of fantasy and fairy tales in two hours. I would say this movie does one of my favorite novels the justice I believe it deserves.

I got the photo I've used in this post .

I rarely read books in one sitting, but there are books that I put down only for one of three reasons: to sleep, to eat or to make sure my dog has her walks. Until I read , was the last book I read under such conditions. I wasn’t content until I knew what happened to all of the characters.

I’m afraid that The DUFF will be a book which a lot of people read one chapter of, and then put down. It quickly becomes clear that this is a book that has a fair amount of teen profanity and sex, and at first, the characters don’t really seem all that likable. Bianca is excessively cynical, kind of untrusting, occasionally makes poor choices and is selfish, while Wesley is womanizing and also selfish. Yet by the end of the novel, the characters were what I liked most about this book.

Bianca reminded me a little bit of myself during high school. Yes, she thought of herself as a DUFF, or a Designated Ugly Fat Friend, and at times, I saw myself that way as well. I think what I could relate more to was her tendency to be kind of untrusting of guys, and judgmental of her female peers. I will say that I got a bit frustrated with her on the final page, but was overall impressed by how she grew as the story went on. One character I actually didn’t care for as much was Bianca’s best friend, Casey, who I felt was a bit clingy at times. As for Wesley, you’ll just have to read the book to learn more about him.

With my attachments to these characters formed, reading The DUFF was a captivating experience. Just when I thought I would finally go to bed, I would realize that I needed one more chapter. I had to know how things worked out! I also have to say that I liked how this story is not just about love, but about how girls treat one another.

I wasn’t totally sure what to expect going into this book, but I really enjoyed what I got out of it. In some ways, I wish I had discovered it in high school, but this book still had me nearing a state of misty eyes. If you love contemporary YA, don’t miss this book.

Disclosure: I received copy of this book through . However, I have every intention of purchasing a copy for my personal collection.

My lovely blog readers, I would like to thank you everyone for their suggestions for names for my new feature. It was a challenging decision, but I ultimately chose Consume and Contemplate, suggested by Melina of . I'll be sending Melina her own copy of in return for her suggestion. I'm going to try to have a Consume and Contemplate post up next Monday, but that may not happen as I will be busy with a family reunion this weekend (no, I don't plan posts out month in advance, usually more like a week or so). If you're distressed because you didn't want this giveaway (or because there haven't been many giveaways lately), let me assure that I am planning a large giveaway for the end of September/early October, and I'm also thinking of doing a Twitter giveaway soon. I am if you aren't already following me.

In other news, I've received the One Lovely Blog Award from a few bloggers. Thank you so much to everyone who passed this award on to me! The rules are to post the button and pass the award on to fifteen other bloggers, so here's who I'd like to share this award with (yes, I have failed to pass it on to fifteen blogs, but I find the blogs I have shared it with fantastic and deserving).

Young and beautiful Violetta may be of royal blood, but her kingdom is in shambles when she arrives in London on a mysterious mission. Her journey has been long and her adventures many, but it is not until she meets the playwright William Shakespeare that she gets to tell the entire story from beginning to end. Violetta and her comic companion, Feste, have come in search of an ancient holy relic that the evil Malvolio has stolen from their kingdom. But where will their remarkable quest—and their most unusual story—lead? In classic Celia Rees style, it is an engrossing journey, full of political intrigue, danger, and romance.

This wholly original story is spun from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and includes both folly and suspense that would make the Bard proud.

I’ve read a good number of the Bard’s plays and upon hearing that was based on was very intrigued, as Twelfth Night is my favorite Shakespeare play. As cool as this book sounded, I didn’t end up loving it. I think Rees had some great ideas and have another one of her books, namely Witch Child, so I’ll definitely try more by her.

In the afterward of this book, Rees made a note about how she wanted to depict Shakespeare before he became a famous playwright. I loved this idea because it meant that he was interacting with all of his characters from Twelfth Night. I have to say that I think that while the I had a hard time following the plot of this book, it was very nicely paced.

Unfortunately, the part of this book that really flopped for me was the writing. It was too dry to really engage me. There were two paragraphs that I thought were well done, however, so maybe it was just this particular pick.

The Fool’s Girl gets big points in my book for an original premise. It was an enjoyable read, but it’s not about to become one of my new favorites. However, Rees seems to have published a diverse array of historical novels, so remain eager to read Witch Child.

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book.

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at .

For review:
by Celia Rees
by Kody Keplinger
Contest Wins:
by Nancy Werlin
Bought:
by Jon Spence
by Willa Cather
by Paolo Bacigalupi
by Maggie Stiefvater
by Lindsay Eland
by Kiersten White
by Cassandra Clare
by Pittacus Lore
by Tricia Rayburn
Tour Sites Mentioned:


Blogs Bloggers mentioned:
Misty of
Awesome independent bookstores mentioned:



Read:
by Diana Peterfreund
by Ivy Devlin
Both of these books will be released later in September, so be sure to keep an eye for my reviews then.
Currently reading:
by Celia Rees
by Bree Despain
by Trisha Telep
by Neil Pasricha
What I plan to read:
by Kody Keplinger
by Julie Kagawa
by Chelsea Campbell
by Laurie Halse Anderson
by Heidi R. Kling
by Emily Bronte
by Maggie Stiefvater
by John Green
by C.A. Moulton
by Simone Elkeles