BkRv: Life on rewind and replay is no walk to remember

Book Review / 

before i fall
by Lauren Oliver - @oliverbooks



YA | Girls

First Line / They say that just before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that’s not how it happened for me.

 








Summary / from the Publishers Weekly

Beautiful, popular Samantha and her three best friends are the ruthless queen bees of their high school. But Samantha is living a nightmare: throughout the book, she relives the day of her death seven times, with some dramatic alterations and revelations depending on her choices—ditching school to spend time with her younger sister or, on a day when life’s rules have all but lost their meaning, seducing a teacher. She faces the often tragic consequences of even the smallest acts, awakens to the casual cruelties all around her, and tries to get things right and maybe even redeem herself. If this sounds too much like a Groundhog Day–style plot, make no mistake: evocative of Jenny Downham’s Before I Die, Oliver’s debut novel is raw, emotional, and, at times, beautiful (“It amazes me how easy it is for things to change,” Samantha thinks. “how easy it is to start off down the same road you always take and wind up somewhere new”). Samantha’s best friends are funny, likable, and maddening, but readers will love Samantha best as she hurtles toward an end as brave as it is heartbreaking.

Review / After reading DELIRIUM, I had been all the more eager to read before i fall – it had been sitting on my TBR pile since last summer. Let me say that, once you read Lauren Oliver, you will probably never, ever want to wait for another book of hers again!

Seven times Samantha relives her final days. Seven times she wonders why and how. Seven times she attempts to get it right – although she doesn’t even know what “it” is for certain. Seven times Samantha peeled away at all the superficial layers and wrestled with the goodness and badness inside her. I had to admire the many facets of Samantha and her best friends – they were both great and terrible people, living life to its badass fullest and hiding their insecurities behind devil-may-care attitudes. They were people I generally dislike, but Lauren Oliver revealed such flaws in them that you could not help but forgive them just a teensy bit.

There is something beautiful and tragic about knowing that a character dies – and Samantha does it more than once. before i fall is written with such a graceful flow that naturally comes when a character knows that death is inevitable. All the final reflections on hopes and life and things never to be done, Lauren Oliver lays it all out there for readers to the chance of still living and having a future – and making the most and best of it.

before i fall may sound like a teenaged Groundhog Day, but I guarantee that you will find it as moving and unforgettable as some girls are – althought perhaps with a more powerful ending that will leave readers at a breathless standstill.

---Disclaimer / Bought

---RELEASED MARCH 2010 BY HARPERTEEN

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 61 - 62

:: 61 ::

Book Review / 

LIAR
by Justine Larbalestier - @JustineLavaworm



YA

First Line / I was born with a light covering of fur.

Micah has a problem – and it has nothing to do with her being allergic to the truth. Her not-boyfriend-although-secretly-sneaking-around-with-him boy friend has been murdered, and she may or may not know the who and the why and the how. But that’s not the problem. No, the problem is that lying has become natural to Micah as breathing – and so no one will even believe her if she comes forward with anything close to the truth. As far as Micah is concerned, the truth gets hairier by the second…

Review / You may remember my less-than-stellar review of Justine Larbalestier’s debut How To Ditch Your Fairy, so pardon me when I admit that I waited a while before I dived into LIAR despite seeing positive reviews. Boy, did I miss out! LIAR reminded me of FIGHT CLUB or A BEAUTIFUL MIND where nothing is what they seem – and you have a less-than-reliable narrator who will keep you guessing until the end. Except Justine Larbalestier leaves readers with a BETTER Gordian knot to unravel. There were some slow moments, but they were deliciously intertwined with more complicated happenings that will give readers some time to digest the lies and truths Micah admits – particularly when they take an unexpected detour to the paranormal.

---Disclaimer / Bought
---RELEASED OCTOBER 2009 BY BLOOMSBURY BFYR

:: 62 ::

Book Review / 

something, maybe
by Elizabeth Scott - @escottwrites



YA | Girls

First Line / Everyone’s seen my mother naked.

Life as a teenager already sucks, but when you’re the product of a playboy and his bunny (now ex), it sucks even more! When Hannah has to wonder if a boy actually likes her or wants to use her as an “in” to meet the Internet vixen also known as her mother, there is a MAJOR problem! Not to mention the whole ICK factor. Hannah has to sift through normal teenager stuff, a pain-in-the-behind job, a longtime crush, a longtime annoyance, a mother who doesn’t do the usual motherly things, and a disappearing father who may have changed his feathers.

Review / something, maybe does not have too much going on – nothing too grand at least – and focuses on the basics of a teenaged life. Even the romance is not too intense – simply sweet as Elizabeth Scott has been known to deliver. Hannah proves to be a funny girl who was tragically born into a life where her parents leave much to be desired, although she cannot help but love them. If you are looking for a quiet and sweet book to add to your summer TBR, add this one to the pile!

---Disclaimer / Bought

---RELEASED MARCH 2009 BY SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN'S

Sunday Show-How: To Create Your Own Favicon

...(Create Your Own Favicon)...

Where did I learn this? The Free Adventures & Daily Blog Tips

DISCLAIMER I use a Blogger platform.

You've seen different websites with their logos (a.k.a. favicon) on the address bar - Facebook , Twitter, GoodReads, Blogger - but you've noticed that the individual blogs have somehow replaced the Blogger logo with their own cute logos somehow (see: The Story Siren, MacLean Space, Wondrous Reads, I Heart Monster, Proud Book Nerd)!

You totally want one!

So...HOW DO YOU DO THAT?

NEWS as of 7.10.11

So... I don't know when Blogger decided to be cool and added a Favicon widget on the Page Elements page (under the Design tab), but there it is on the top left corner like a sneaky bean!

This is waaaaaaaay easier than whatever nonsense I have below here (no more uploading to free hosting sites and HTML nonsense), although Steps 1 & 2 will probably still apply as far as how crisp your image will be and how successful you will be at uploading your image to the Favicon widget.

----
1. Create a favicon using Photoshop or Microsoft Paint. The image size will end up as 16 x 16 pixels (really tiny!) and MUST be under 1 MB, but consider using a bigger canvas size like 120 x 120 pixels to ensure your favicon maintains a crisp text or picture if you choose to include one.

NOTE Take a look at the favicons above - and consider others that you have seen here and there. Most of them are simple in design - a large single letter or two, a signature color, a unique symbol or pattern.

2. Save your favicon as any of the following file extensions: GIF, PNG, JPG, BMP, ICO, TIFF (most common file extensions in BOLD).


3. Upload your favicon to Free Favicon Hosting to convert it into an ICO extension if it is not already AND load it into a server for your use. Copy and paste the HTML code that can be found under the heading "Host It at Icon J.com: (Direct Link)"

4. Go to your "Design" tab and click on "Edit HTML" to find the HTML for your entire blog layout.

5. Insert your HTML code for the favicon right before </head> in the blog layout HTML.

NOTE Instead of scrolling through all the HTML, go to "Edit" on the menu bar and select the "Find" option. Type in "</head>" and it should lead you to its direct location.

6. Save your template and double-check your work by loading your blog on a new page.

SAMPLE FAVICON (JPG FILE, 120 x 120 pixels)

HTML CODE FOR ICO EXTENSION FROM FREE FAVICON HOSTING

<link rel="shortcut icon" href="http://www.iconj.com/ico/r/u/rublih6jzw.ico" type="image/x-icon" />

SEE THE CODE IN ACTION @ the{EPIC/rat}

...(the end)...

Well, that is all I have for today. I hope you found it useful! If you have any questions or want to know something specific, let me know in the comments! I am more than happy to address it - and even if it's something I don't have on my blog, I am more than happy to find out for you!

Saturday Show-How: To Join Weekly Memes

...(Join in a Weekly Meme)...

Where did I learn this? Here, there, and everywhere

DISCLAIMER I use a Blogger platform.

When you are starting a brand new book blog, it may seem a little daunting to figure out where to begin or how to draw people to your blog. You see various bloggers sharing their latest book booty, *squee*ing for upcoming releases, and showing teasers week after week. These are regular memes that are hosted by some very dedicated bloggers - and they are a GREAT way to make new friends by visiting other blogs and showing off your own!

So...HOW AND WHERE DO I JOIN?

Here is a list of the popular weekly memes that I know about

1. In My Mailbox (host: The Story Siren) & Mailbox Monday (host: Various)

Both memes are great to show off your book booty and check out what everyone else got too. The difference between the two is IMM is more focused on YA titles, so you will mostly find YA book blogs as the participants. Kristi @ The Story Siren uses a Mr. Linky widget that you can link up your weekly IMM post.

MM is the more "adult books" meme. Its original host was Marcia @ A Girl And Her Books, but it has now become more of a blog tour where a different blog will host MM for the month to share the hosting love. You link up in the comments section.

2. Teaser Tuesday (host: Should Be Reading)

 This meme lets bloggers share a few lines of their current reads and get tempted to add more titles to their TBR piles :} Miz B @ Should Be Reading encourages everyone to link up their weekly teasers in the comments section and spread some comment love!

3. WWW Wednesday (host: Should Be Reading)

Miz B @ Should Be Reading also hosts a fun meme where you can talk about your reading progress - What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish? What do you think you'll read next? Again, you link up in the comments section.

4. Waiting On Wednesday (host: Breaking The Spine)

Excited for an upcoming release? Jill @ Breaking The Spine has been hosting the WoW meme where bloggers can share their latest lust-worthy discovery that has not been released yet. She uses a Mr. Linky widget for link-ups.

5. Booking Through Thursday (host: Booking Through Thursday)

Discussion memes are pretty fabulous and interesting, although I haven't participated myself. I don't know what inspires the questions asked, but I do know that they are timely and definitely give you some food for thought! Every Thursday a new BTT question gets posted, and participants can either leave their answer in the comments section or link up their answer post on their own blogs.

6. Friday Finds (host: Should Be Reading)

Another meme that Miz B @ Should Be Reading runs to share any exciting books that readers have discovered - old titles, new titles, upcoming titles - anything that sounds exciting and worthy of adding to the TBR piles.

7. Book Blogger Hop (host: Crazy For Books)

Jennifer @ Crazy For Book has created an amazing meme that encourages bloggers to visit each other and discover new friends as you discuss the question of the week. She uses a inlinkz (similar to Mr. Linky) widget for participants to leave their links.

Joining the meme is pretty simple - and everyone is pretty friendly and eager to spread some comment love! There is no major pressure to participate every week - or join every weekly meme out there - or even post on the same day that the host's post goes up! The memes are meant to be fun, and so you should be having fun while doing them!

...(the end)...

Well, that is all I have for today. I hope you found it useful! If you have any questions or want to know something specific, let me know in the comments! I am more than happy to address it - and even if it's something I don't have on my blog, I am more than happy to find out for you!

BkRv: Totally blew me out of the waters!

Book Review / 

sharks & boys
by Kristen Tracy - @kristen_tracy

YA

First Line / Seeing yourself on TV changes you. Even if you only make the local news.

 








Summary / from the B&N website

When 15-year-old Enid Calhoun follows her boyfriend Wick to Maryland for a party, fearful that he might be intending to cheat on her, she finds herself sneaking on board a houseboat where Wick and his friends plan to have a wild night. But before the boys discover their stowaway, a hurricane strikes, and the teenagers are carried miles from the shore and shipwrecked. What follows is a harrowing, yet heartwarming, story of survival, as the teens battle hypothermia, dehydration, man-eating sharks--and along the way, confront their own deepest secrets, including their catalytic roles in the disaster.

Review / Wow. I am totally glad that I do not have a waterbed because honestly, after finishing sharks & boys, I am a little anxious about seeing dorsal fins in my dreams tonight! This is a book that will make you hesitate to step foot into a body of water – at least, without proper equipment and supplies.

At first, I had been skeptical about how this story would play out. A group of teens stranded on a boat? Not the usual setting for teenage drama, but Kristen Tracy makes it work – and how! As these teens float in the middle of nowhere with no signs of rescue, I could not help but imagine a Life Of Pi or Lord Of The Flies scenario for them! The pages flew by as I wondered how far these teens would go to survive, how much dignity would they sacrifice, who would die, and who would live. Conversation and cooperation become vital during this situation – I mean, there isn’t anywhere to go and be alone in such a cramped space! These teens hash out everything from drinking urine, lifetime goals, racial slurs, and eating fish eyeballs. There are some things that I found useful or interesting; and then there are things that I wish I had rather not know (i.e. I don’t think I can look a fish in the eye anymore *shudder*).

What is also unique about this book is that Kristen Tracy chose to tell the story of 6 kids who all happened to be twins. Not related to each other, but became friends because they participated in the same research group for twin studies. This specific detail definitely makes their situation even more interesting – nothing says life-or-death more than when 2 people who are in sync with each other can feel each other’s hurts! They learn just how much their other self is a part of them, and sometimes it is more than they had ever imagined!

sharks & boys may sound like a crazy Snakes On A Plane scheme, but I found it as fascinating and hard to forget as Castaway had been. With only a hint of the common teenage woes and more “bigger picture” reflections, the story seemed very real and very critical as Enid and company struggled to hold onto their hopes for rescue. AAA

---Disclaimer / NetGalley
---RELEASED JUNE 2011 BY HYPERION (DISNEY)

BkRv: Why live like you're dying when death is no picnic?

Book Review / 

living dead girl
by Elizabeth Scott - @escottwrites



YA | Girls

First Line / This is how things look: Shady Pines Apartments, four shabby buildings tucked off the road near the highway.












Summary / from the publisher

Once upon a time, I was a little girl who disappeared.

Once upon a time, my name was not Alice.

Once upon a time, I didn’t know how lucky I was.

When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends-her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over.

Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her.

This is Alice’s story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.

Review / living dead girl will grip you right from the start and pull you into a world where no one should ever have to experience. To say that this book is good seems troubling since NOTHING about this book is good. This book is haunting in how stark the voice is, not to mention jarring since it is so very different from her light-hearted, sweetly-romanced books like bloom and something, maybe.

I honestly cannot stop looking at the cover without a sense of dread. The neatly-tied ribbon, the simple lower-cased title in white against the black background, very innocent-looking - you could say that Elizabeth Scott has given us quite an unforgettable gift, although you might want to forget the horrors that happened to Alice.

What I don’t quite understand is why Alice did not save herself before this moment when we learn of her story. Yes, Ray threatened to destroy her family if she disobeys him, but he gave her some freedom to run “errands” while he went to work. She even found some loopholes in his trust and smuggled candies into her diet without him realizing. I would have thought Alice had the resources to escape! Then again, I suppose Alice had a stunted childhood after Ray kidnapped her – virtually no education whatsoever, at that point too young to fend for herself or find a way home, and definitely broken in spirit. Why would she run? Who would want her back anymore? Still… as I watched Alice break some rules, I had to wonder how Alice couldn’t figure out how to return home.

Alice’s story also brings to light the question of how precocious little kids are nowadays and how wary parents have become. There are still kids who trust a random stranger and parents who get distracted, but I think it is harder now for someone like Ray to get away with their crime. Perhaps I am wrong…

Elizabeth Scott has delivered a book unlike her others that demonstrates the range of her talents – and readers will not leave living dead girl without feeling a whole slew of emotions. Disturbing, haunting, and simply poetic, living dead girl will strike a chord with everyone and remind us that we need to take nothing for granted – for we are fortunate to have family who both love us and drive us nuts.

---Disclaimer / Bought
---RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2008 BY SIMON PULSE (SIMON & SCHUSTER)

BkRv: Demons Are A Girl's Best Friend

Book Review / 

My Dangerous Pleasure
by Carolyn Jewel - @cjewel



Romance | Demons | Series Book 4

First Line (eARC) / A tingle shot through Paisley Nichols when she glanced up from the cash register and saw a tall man get into line.

 








Summary / from the B&N website

TEMPT THE DARKNESS… Strong-willed and independent, Paisley Nichols is used to taking care of herself. But when an insane mage begins tracking her every move and threatening her at every turn, she has no choice but to put her life in the hands of a demon.

RISK THE PASSION… Burned by betrayal, demon assassin Iskander won't get too close to anyone. He spends his days serving his warlord and his nights indulging in carnal pleasures . . . and that's exactly how he likes it. But when a mage wages a wrenching psychic assault on his beautiful tenant Paisley, Iskander must defend her. Under his protection, she will be drawn irresistibly into his life and learn about her own mysterious powers. And not a moment too soon. The mage haunting her isn't acting alone-and he won't rest until he destroys both Paisley and Iskander.

Review / My Dangerous Pleasure surprised me in so many ways – and I fell in love with Paisley and Iskander before I even knew where we were going story-wise! Forget all those vampire lovers, I have discovered that demons can be a girl’s best friend! Once you had demons, no other paranormal will ever be quite as sparkly.

I loved the chemistry between Iskander and Paisley – and it is always adorable to watch a die-hard rake find himself unsure how to proceed with a woman he has fallen wildly in love with. How does he convince her that his heart is hers? How does he woo her when she is too busy with worrying about a crazy stalker who obliterated her apartment? Is there even time to shower her with love when her life starts to become a series of death traps? Poor, poor Iskander…

It had been a little difficult to unravel the world that My Dangerous Pleasure lived in, but I had such a good time with our main couple that it was well worth the trouble! Carolyn Jewel has dreamed up such a sexy world full of magic, demons, and mob-like politics that I wouldn’t mind diving back into. Furthermore, I did not realize My Dangerous Pleasure was Book 4 until I started to prep this review. Which is really good news because that means I have 3 more books to read without waiting for their releases – and find out more about the characters who made an appearance here!

---Disclaimer / NetGalley
---RELEASED JUNE 2011 BY FOREVER (HACHETTE)
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: MY WICKED ENEMY, MY FORBIDDEN DESIRE, MY IMMORTAL ASSASSIN