My Book Haul

he year is 1990, and in his hometown of Dublin, Ireland, Neil Byrne plays rugby, keeps up with the in-crowd at his school, and is just a regular guy. A guy who's gay. It's a secret he keeps from the wider world as he explores the city at night and struggles to figure out how to reveal his real self--and to whom.
First published in Ireland in 1993 and compared to The Catcher in the Ryeby critics, Tom Lennon's When Loves Comes to Town is told with honesty, humor, and originality. 

Seventeen-year-old Gypsy girl Gwen Frost has charmed readers with her snarky, self-deprecating voice and unusual powers since TOUCH OF FROST, the book that first opened the doors to Mythos Academy.  With each installment, Jennifer Estep’s RITA nominated series has quickly gained popularity as word continues to spread about this school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where the students are taught and trained to become protectors of humankind when they “grow up.”  In January 2013, Gwen returns with her gift of psychometry in CRIMSON FROST. 

Gwen should have known that her first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. She was prepared to get into a swordfight, or be ambushed by Reapers. But getting arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout? She didn’t see that one coming.  Gwen is accused of purposely helping the Reapers free the evil god Loki from his prison—and the person leading the charge against her is Linus Quinn, Logan’s dad. The worst part is that pretty much everyone at Mythos Academy thinks she’s guilty. If she’s going to get out of this mess alive, she’ll have to do it herself…

Get Hooked on a Girl Named Fred...

HE said: Fred Oday is a girl? Puh-leeze. Why is a girl taking my best friend’s spot on the boys’ varsity golf team?

SHE said: Can I seriously do this? Can I join the boys’ team? Everyone will hate me—especially Ryan Berenger.

HE said: Coach expects me to partner with Fred on the green? That is crazy bad. Fred’s got to go—especially now that I can’t get her out of my head. So not happening.

SHE said: Ryan can be nice, when he’s not being a jerk. Like the time he carried my golf bag. But the girl from the rez and the spoiled rich boy from the suburbs? So not happening.

But there’s no denying that things are happening as the girl with the killer swing takes on the boy with the killer smile....

Life’s sweet when you’re seventeen and in love, right? Clemmie Atkins certainly thinks so! She’s still madly in love with her girlfriend, the hot and super-confident EMO, Hannah Harrison, and her irritating sister, HRBH, will soon be leaving home to go to university.

But just when it seems that life is finally pretty darn cool, a new distraction at school threatens to upset everything, and the return of the enigmatic and sexy J with a startling confession confuses things further...

Clemmie has another 365 days to try to get her life back on track...but will it be enough?

A Shimmer of Angels

Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing?

A Shimmer of Angels is one of those books that I just couldn't set it down. I was glued to it, but I sadly am going to give it a 4 out of 5. I feel like it could have been a little better. Don't get me wrong, this book was so amazing in so many ways! I'm just saying that like I think the book could have so much more detail. 

  Rayna is so amazing and I wish I was her. She is one of those fictional characters i want to be. She has to gorgeous angels flocking after her and she goes on this amazing adventure with them. Like can this get anymore Paranormal? 

  Lastly, I wish I knew Cam in real life. He is one of those boys that cares about everything. He watched Rayna's little sister while she was in the crazy bin and made sure she was safe. Then he helped her not die. This book is just AHMAZING!! K Loves bye.

Commencement

Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn for frat guys…

Emma Jane Hellsbane knows something evil is worming its way through her college campus—she can feel it. Literally. Her freakish ability to feel other people’s emotions as though they were her own has always been monumentally awkward, and it’s easier for her to just pretend it doesn’t exist. But this time her paranormal ability just might help her save lives. 

Emma Jane’s fairly certain that whatever the hateful, egomaniacal, Godlike thing is, it’s set up shop inside her boyfriend, the frat boy/soccer star Justin. And if she doesn’t figure a way to get it out of him soon, Justin’s soul will be the appetizer to the main course—the whole student body. Problem is, the big baddy is granting sinister wishes, and with each one the risks grow higher and the phrase Be careful what you wish for becomes a real-life dire warning. Of course for Emma, what feels like it could be the end is in fact just the beginning…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~My Review~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emma has some guts! Let me just say that. I mean she finds out her boyfriend has some creature living inside of him and she is determined to get it out of him. Holy cow. I would never in a million years. I would run away screaming like a baby. I loved how this book was set up and the creativity of it. I want to ask Paige Cuccaro how she came up with this idea. It's quite amazing. Anyways I give this book a 5/5. It kept me wanting to read this book over and over again. Wait, I want to read the next one. Yes I do. Lastly, I want to know how Emma got the power to feel other people's feelings.. Was she just born with them or did something happen that she doesn't remember?

Secrets and Lies

It’s the start of senior year, and 
Excelsior Prep is on Code 3 lockdown. Secret Service agents swarm the halls searching for the First Son’s girlfriend, Jackie Whitman. Outside a SWAT team hunts for the man who’s been threatening the First Family for weeks. Only this time he’s singled out Jackie, leaving a menacing message on the school’s voicemail. Jackie's safe for now, but for the Capital Girls—three privileged kids who live in a political fishbowl in the nation’s capital—every day is filled with tension and thrills. Though, even for them, a raid on the school by AK-47-toting marksmen is a standout.
And a stalker isn't Jackie's only problem.  Still shattered by the shocking news that Andrew cheated on her with Taylor the night Taylor died, Jackie's whole world has fallen apart.  Not only did the love of her life betray her, so did her best friend and idol.  What made Taylor do it? Who was she really?  On top of it all, Whiteny Remick is plotting to take Taylor's place, and Jackie will do anything to stop her.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~My Review~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If I was Jackie I would literally go crazy. I would no be able to stand having agents following me everywhere I go. I would start screaming at the agents and going crazy against them. I can't stand being around one person for that long. I also love love love Lettie. She is one of those girls that gets scooped up by good people and has fun. She is always smiling and cheerful no matter what is happening. I love her for that.
 I personally would get into a fist fight with Whitney, because all she talks about is California. Like come on. You are in Washington DC getting to go to one of the best schools there and you are complaining? Why? I guess some people just don't understand what they have..
 Now let's get on the Taylor subject. I feel so bad for the Capital girls. I mean there best friend died. i Would be devastated. And then Jackie finds out her boyfriend sleeps with Taylor the night she dies? I think that is totally messed up. Another thing that scares me a lot is that Andrew's agent person scares me.. He is super creepy and just WOAH!
Okay I give this book a 5/5! This book kept me on my toes the whole time. I Loved it. Can I read the next one yet? Please I want it!!

Crazy Love

Kamiyah Nicols wasn’t the kind of girl to blow off her closest friends for a guy. But that was before she met Sincere Lewis...and they kissed. It was a kiss that triggered sparks to fly and cause her to fall head-over-heels in love with college freshman Sincere—the first real boyfriend she’s ever had. In a matter of months, Kamiyah’s whole world begins to revolve around Sincere, obsessing about every little thing. But Kamiyah’s no psycho—she knows she’s got a good thing and wants to keep an eye on her man. Sometimes that means hacking his Facebook and Twitter accounts, or chillin’ outside his house to make sure he gets home safely. But at the end of the day, Kamiyah’s got crazy love for Sincere, and she won’t let anyone—not her girlfriends or her parents or even Sincere— interfere with true love…..

                                                     My Review

Kamiyah Nicols is a girl that you don't want to mess with. She is one of those girls that you don't mess with her or her posse. One of the hardest things I had with this book was the way it was wrote. I mean it was a good book, but like they took off letters and used an apostrophe. I understand it was to make it go with the theme of the book, but I personally didn't appreciate it. 

 I felt for Kamiyah when she was fighting with her mom. I'm the exact same way with my parents. I love my dad, but my mom and I just get into so many fights. It's a way i can relate to her. I love when I can relate to books in a personal aspect. 

I'm going to rate this book as a 3/5. The book was splendid, but I had my issues with the book. I guess i may be a little harsh, but we all have our opinions. 

The Black Stiletto

Could Martin Talbot's elderly, Alzheimer-stricken mother, Judy, really have been the Black Stiletto? When Martin discovers several volumes of her diaries hidden by his mother, he is stunned beyond all imagination. His mother, the underground heroine of yesteryear? The famed, still unidentified woman who battled Communist spies, took on the Mafia, and preyed on common crooks? The woman who exacted punishment on evildoers without mercy?But it is all described, in great detail, in the diaries. What caused her to begin her quest for justice. Her decision to act outside the law. Her feats as the famed and feared vigilante. How her reputation exploded. In short, how it all played out.

Could it be true? Talbot is filled with doubt and disbelief. But the reappearance of one of the Stiletto's old enemies with a thirst for merciless revenge makes the story more than real and could imperil the life of not only the Stiletto, but her son and granddaughter as well

                                                                                           My Review
The Black Stiletto.. Ahh. Well this book was AH MAZING!! Let me tell you. I wish I was her. She is amazing. In my personal opinion I loved that the book kept you in suspense. I don't normally read books like this, but I loved it. My favorite part is when she went back to Odessa, Texas. I started crying when she found out about her mom.. I swear that moment in the diary was just a plain heartbreak in my opinion.
 Another one of my favorites, is when she started dating Fiorello Bonacini. I swear he was such a gentleman for being apart of the Mafia. Yes, I know that the mafia is terrible, but it protected him and her for awhile. It was his fault that he died, but I dont think he should have died that way at all. I was very glad win Judy Cooper got her revenge on the twins. I think they both should have died but still.
I give this book a 5 out of 5.

No Ordinary Excuse

‘I put on my imaginary thinking cap. Mine is a hot pink, domed helmet with purple lightning bolts on the sides. It pulls down from a long spring coil above my bed… So with my cap in place, I started thinking of possible homework excuses. Maybe I could tell Miss Haven that I’d spent the last two weeks under alien hypnosis and they’d erased any memory of a school project…’

Meet twelve year old Gemma Martin. She wants to be an actress, but school is getting in the way. Gemma has used all of the usual excuses to avoid her homework, but this time she’s facing serious consequences and must rely on her vivid imagination to create the most extraordinary homework excuse ever. Initially, Gemma’s stolen project story skyrockets her popularity, but it isn’t long before things start to spiral out of control and Gemma is headed for disaster. No Ordinary Excuse is the story of how our biggest mistakes are often our greatest teachers.

                                                                                                   My Review
Gemma Martin is a marvelous girl. She is quit intelligent, but doesn't use it. Her aunt sets this system up with her teacher that makes her use her brain. She is a girl that doesn't ever do her homework, but she promised her parents she would try harder. Well, that all went down hill when she didn't turn in her final project. I loved how Michelle Adams set the book up. (Spoiler) It was a flashback, but you don't realize that until the end. 
 My favorite part is how the end. How she drops theatre, and starts writing. Well, I'm a drama kid and you CAN'T do english without theatre. Vice versa
 Any ways I give this book a 5 out of 5. I loved this book.

Book Haul

My Book Haul This week consists of Crazy Love, The Black Stilleto, Commencement, Secrets and Lies, and No Ordinary Excuse. On top of that I checked out Vladimir Tod Ninth Grade Slays at the library

The Go-To Guy

byKarl Fields (Goodreads Author)  

GoodReads/Amazon Summary
“Hey,” she called. “Are you ready for me?”
Again, my nerves got the better of me. The truth was, I had no idea whether I was ready for a girl like her. I’d never met one.

Carthage, Texas, known for quilting festivals and country music. It isn’t the middle of nowhere, but sixteen-year-old Eric Myers swears he can see it from there. As he readies for his senior year, Eric’s only thought is landing the basketball scholarship that will take somewhere far from the oil fields, where many before him have traded their dreams for a paycheck.

A series of earthquakes has livened up a dull, hot summer, but when Eric stops to help a stranded motorist the real excitement begins. His small hometown is about to host some far-off visitors with bad intentions, just as Eric learns it’s his destiny to stop them.


    Unlike most short books that you read these days, The Go-To Guy by Karl Fields, is really intriguing. I read the book in about an hour. It keeps you asking questions like, “Why is he doing that” or “What the heck is wrong with Brooks?” Those type of questions.

  I also enjoyed that Fields included the title of the book in one of his sentences. He was talking about how the coach calls him his Go-To guy. I personally spotted that right off the bat. It makes me enjoy that the author actually put some thought to his title. I know we aren’t supposed to like judge a book by its cover or title, but I normally do. When I first saw this book, I was like eww it’s about basketball, but in actuality it’s about aliens and a love story.

The Luxe

By: Anna Godbersen

Format: HardBack

Pages: 433

Published:2007 

GoodReads/Amazon                                                                    Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn.
Irresistible boys with mischievous smiles and dangerous intentions.
White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hookups.
This is Manhattan, 1899. Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone--from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud--threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future.

With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose between family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city's gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New York grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved too much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan's most celebrated daughter disappear...

In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent.

                                

 

                                       *Borrowed A Copy From The Library*

   Anna Godbersen uses a variety of vivid details about what life was like for Elizabeth Holland in New York. The time period was 1899. I know that you are not supposed to judeg a book by its cover, but I shamefully chose this book because of its cover.

   Elizabeth Holland is such a proper and amazing girl, that all of the girls want to be her. Her family, The Hollands, are one of the oldest families in New York. She is considered one of the rich people. Her maid Carolina aka Lina, lothes her mistress. She does her job, all the way until she finds a dirty secret about her Mistress.

    Diana Holland, the younger sister to Elizabeth Holland. She hates how her family is. She hates that they are all proper and have to live by societys eye. She doesn't want to wear the tight dresses and fancy stuff. Her one true love is a man she is supposed to love. He belongs to her one and only rival.

  Will Keller, is the person who takes care of the horses. He has been planning since he was little to leave The Hollands and head West. He plans to go to California. He has asked Elizabeth to go, but will she actually leave? He loves her so much, but she can't bear to leave her family. I wonder what will happen between Will and Elizabeth.

 



The Gossip Web

By:Chelsea Lynn Charters

Format:Kindle Edition

Pages:233

Published:July 31, 2012

 

GoodReads/Amazon Summary

Jade Cannon's life is a mess. She's the laughing stock of West Havenbrook High, and is hopelessly in love with Trace Gibson, the boy every girl dreams about---but that's not the worst part. Her father is dating a beautiful young woman named Erika, whom Jade is convinced is after his money.

Nothing seems to be going Jade's way....Not after Trace asks her to the dance, or even when he claims his undying love for her. As Jade struggles with her fears and her innermost desires, she eventually realizes that the only true obstacle standing in the way of her happiness is herself.

 

                           *A Copy was provided by Chelsea Charters For Review Purposes*

 

  This book is similar to some of the books I have read before, but not identical. Charters uses an array of information and details about the characters to make you feelike you are connected with the characters. I would consider this book a quick and easy read. To classify the genre, it would have to be realistic fiction.

   The way Charters writes, makes you not want to put the book down. I was up till 1:30am last night reading it. I wanted to find out about what was happening between Trace and Jade. Also, there's the sneaking suspension of Jade being kinda paranoid about everything. it shows that she has been hurt way to much, and is scared to let people into her heart.

   One of the downsides to this book, is that there are a few misspelled words. I understand that we all miss words sometimes, but when you're reading a book it kind of throws your brain off the tracks.

  Another suspecting thing that will most likely nag at the back of your brain the whole book, is what did Jade ever do to Gloria. There has to be some resentment or jealousy somewhere. It's one of those questions that flows through your mind while reading this book.

I would give this book a 4out of 5, because of the suspense of always wanting to know more abou the book, but the misspelled or non placement of words really threw me off sometimes. Anyways, it was overall a really good book and I would recommened it to people.

                                  

 Bruiser

                        By:Neal Shusterman

Pages:328

Format:HardCover

Publication Date:October 1, 2011 by Harper Teen

The book I just finished reading is Bruiser by Neal Shusterman.
I would say that the book was written amazing. Shusterman kept
you at a suspense during most of the book. It showed that appearances and rumors can be deceiving. I commiserated for Bruiser when he was going through all the pain from his new "friends". I actually understand why his uncle told him to stay away from people. My favorite part of the book though, was when Brewster was talking about how his mom told him, "Always guard your heart." Lastly, I would probably give this book a 5 from 1-5. Shusterman never left you bored, and his word choice was magnificent.