Before the Blog (1)

Before the Blog is a newer MeMe created by Karis at YA Litwit where bloggers share a brief overview of a book that they read before they began blogging but enjoyed enough that they still want to post it on their respective blogs! I love this idea! This week I will be sharing my thoughts on My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger.

Dear Anthony:
I appreciate your recent interest, but I’m not accepting applications at this time. Your letter will be kept in our files and someone will get back to you if there is an opening. Thank you for thinking of me.
Respectfully, Alejandra Perez
P.S. It’s not “Allie.” It’s “Ale.”
Meet T.C., who is valiantly attempting to get Alejandra to fall in love with him; Alejandra, who is playing hard to get and is busy trying to sashay out from under the responsibilities of being a diplomat’s daughter; and T.C.’s brother Augie, who is gay and in love and everyone knows it but him.

Why did you choose this book?: I originally chose this book for an english class during my Sophmore year. Our school was doing a program where we received recently published YA books that we had to read and then briefly review it in order for our library to keep it. Honestly I wasn't sure if I would like it based on the baseball bat on the cover (I'm not really a sports person).


When did you read this book?: I first read this book two years ago but then I read it again about a year ago.


Who would you recommend this book to?: I would recognize this book to any High School student or anyone who enjoys YA literature.


I honestly love this book. It's told from the point of view of three different characters, Augie, T.C., and Ale. All three are amazing characters although I would have to say my favorite was probably Augie, a fabulous, confident gay teen who loves soccer, and musicals, ESPECIALLY musicals. His friendship with T.C. is one of the most endearing I've ever come across in YA lit and T.C.'s relationship with Ale was hilarious. Ale is so sassy, and definitely doesn't want anything to do with T.C., a typical boy, or does she......? T.C. himself is fabulous, he's one of those characters that I wasn't sure if I would like but I ended up falling in love with, plus he's got an adorable butt! With all three of these fantastic characters stuffed into one book there's something for everyone! That's not even a lie, I believe that this book would appeal to people of all different interests.


The storyline of this book is fantastic. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wish you had more! It's one of my favorite coming of age stories, complete with awesome friendships, an endearing romance, an adorable little boy, and the talent show to end all talent shows! How can you resist?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly MeMe hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine where bloggers share the books they are waiting on this week! This week I'm waiting on Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

Release Date: September 6th, 2011

I really enjoyed Childs other books, and this one sounds like it has a really fun premise! I've never read anything focusing on Medusa before and this book seems like a fun way to study her mythology! Also I love the cover, it's simple but I find it very intriguing!

What are you waiting on this week? 

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly MeMe hosted by Should Be Reading where bloggers share a few sentences from their current read. This week my teaser is from Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchey.

"He backed her against the heavy, velvet curtains and clapped a rope-scarred hand across her mouth just as she sucked in a loud breath. For a long moment, they looked at each other, and Bertie was acutely aware of the taste of his fingers: salt and sardines (as befitted a pirate) and chocolate icing (which didn't seem as appropriate)."

What's teasing you this week?

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly MeMe hosted by The Story Siren where bloggers share what they got to read this week.

Bought:

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchey

This book sounds really interesting, I like the fantasy plot line and the cover is enchanting!

If we kiss by Rachel Vail

I love fun romances, and this one sounds like it has a possibly juicy twist!

Revealers by Amanda Marrone

The plot of this sounds really interesting, plus I really enjoy witch story-lines in any form!

Timeless by Alexandra Monir

I've been wanting to read this one for awhile! It's a 2011 Debut with an intriguing plot, perfect!

What did you get in YOUR mailbox this week?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly MeMe hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine where bloggers share the books they are waiting to read!

This Wednesday I'm waiting on The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

In The Lost Hero, three demigods named Jason, Piper, and Leo made their first visit to Camp Half-Blood, where they inherited a quest:
Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.
Who are the other four mentioned in the prophecy? The answer may lie in another camp miles away, where a new camper has shown up and appears to be the son of Neptune, god of the sea...
 
Release Date: October 4th, 2011


 Oh man I can't wait for this book! I loved The Lost Hero and the sequel promises to be even more epic! Rick Riordan is a master of the modern day fantasy story and I never fail to get completely lost in his books!

Fact of Life #31 by Denise Vega

FACT OF LIFE #48: Kat’s mom is No-Last-Name Abra, the best home-birth midwife in Colorado. But with her own daughter, Abra can’t stop teaching and lecturing long enough to be a mom.Fact of Life #21: Kat’s had a crush on Manny Cruz since seventh grade. Now Manny is showing interest , but could he seriously be into Weird Yoga Girl Kat Flynn?
Fact of Life #14: Gorgeous Libby Giles has always intimidated Kat. But lately there’s something different about Libby, and it’s about to bring her crashing into Kat’s Life. . . .
Hilarious and poignant, this is the story of one girl’s sometimes funny, sometimes painful path to self-acceptance and to finding her place in the world.



My Impression of this book from the first couple of pages: Wow, this book is going to be REALLY annoying.


My Impression from then on: THIS BOOK ROCKS!!


Kat Flynn is a teenage girl who, while slightly socially awkward, stays true to herself. While she does have the occasional jealous rant against the most popular girl in the school, Libby Giles, the desire to be like Libby doesn't make her give up her true self. I really loved Kat, she wasn't afraid to be snarky, even to the most popular boy in school, and when people made her angry she let them know that she was ANGRY. I wanted to shout YOU GO GIRL a few times while reading this book!


One of the main plot points throughout this book was the relationship between Kat and Manny, which I thought was great. I thought their relationship was really sweet, and I liked how Kat didn't let Manny kick her around (I don't want to say too much about their relationship because I don't want to give away the story!). The development of their relationship was also very well written, it seemed very realistic and not forced at all. I also really enjoyed the relationship between Kat and the various members of her family. Her little sister was totally adorable, and the relationship between Kat and her mother was very emotional. I wanted to cry during some of Kat's monologues on Abra and being a midwife, which I thought was a really unique touch!

Although this book was released in 2008 and therefore may not be on your radar, it's still definitely a book to pick up. It's a really fun read with some more emotional issues brought up on occasion. One of my favorite reads of the summer!

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

I am convinced that Cassandra Clare herself is a Nephilim, because who could write this beautifully if they're NOT part angel?

I LOVED that this story was set in London, it was possibly one of my favorite aspects of the novel. I really love London during this particular time period and reading anything set there is really a treat for me. I really liked how it allowed different dynamics for the characters as well, like Tessa's worry about a woman's proper role and Jessamine's hopes for her future.

So now the characters. I really enjoyed Tessa, personally I found her to be a wonderful protagonist! I really enjoyed that she had an obvious literary side, and the way she really started to embrace her power. I also enjoyed the way she didn't take any of Will's crap! Oh Will, what do I say about the magnificent Will? First off, I definitely noticed similarities between him and Jace (for those of you who have read the Mortal Instruments series) they're both cocky in a lovable way. That said I'm not sure if I love Will as much as I love Jace, I still really enjoy him as a character, I'm just not sure if he's my favorite. Plus who could center all of their focus on Will when they have Jem vying for their attention? Jem, sweet Jem, how I enjoyed the wisdom of your character. At this point I just don't think I could choose between Jem and Will for the position of Tessa's love interest (although I'm leaning towards Will just a tad bit!)

So the characters, the setting, whats left? Oh right, that little thing called the plot! I loved it! It was really creepy at times, but totally enjoyable the entire time. I also loved that Tessa was a Downworlder rather than a Nephilim, I felt like it gave us an insight into a different side of that whole world. My only complaint would have to be that, at times, the parallels between The Mortal Instruments and Clockwork Angel were VERY prominent. However, I did definitely see this book as it's own separate entity.


This is definitely a book for any lover of The Mortal Instruments series or even for someone who has never even heard of them! I can't wait for the sequel!