Grammar Bit #8.

Numbers.



Write out single-digit numbers.

EX. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.

For 10+, use numerals.

EX. 10, 11, 12, 13…

Don’t mix and match!

Incorrect: I have five socks and 20 shoes.

Correct: I have five socks and twenty shoes.

REVIEW! Shrimp.

(Hardback and paperback, respectively.)

Shrimp

Rachel Cohn

FROM THE COVER:

If Cyd Charisse knows one thing, it’s that Shrimp is her true love. Shrimp, the hottest pint-size surfer-artist in San Francisco – or ‘that boy’ as her mother calls him. He’s the primary cause of Cyd being grounded, and the boy who dumped her before she left home for the summer.

Now it’s the start of senior year. Cyd has changed, buy maybe Shrimp has too. Cyd and Shrimp need to get to know each other all over again to figure out if this time it’s for real. But can Cyd get back together with Shrimp and keep the peace with her mom? And can she get a life outside of her all-encompassing boy radar?

My rating: 4 hearts.

MY THOUGHTS:

I never read Gingerbread, even though it’s the first in the series/trilogy. I started with Shrimp. And I have to say, I wasn’t lost one bit. Cohn makes it so you don’t feel as though you’re missing out on anything important and MUST start with Gingerbread, and that’s a plus for me.

As far as characters go, Cyd is very likeable. I love her voice: it’s relatable, edgy, spunky. And Shrimp – he’s adorable. At first the two of them seem shallow and underdeveloped, but then their personalities expand and go deeper, and it’s wonderful. Cohn is able to make their relationship unlike other YA romances. Instead of their relationship being rushed and awkward, Cyd and Shrimp take time to move along, and it’s more believable that way. It’s also sweeter.

The writing itself is engaging. Cyd’s voice isn’t quite one-of-a-kind, but it’s different enough that it’s entertaining. The writing isn’t so much about the descriptions as it is the story. As Cyd and Shrimp go back and forth, you won’t want their story to end.

EXTRA: The series is as follows: Gingerbread, Shrimp, and Cupcake.

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (12).

I came across the Hop and Follow Friday while I was blog hopping - how appropriate! - and decided to join in on the fun.

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly thing going on over at Crazy-for-Books. Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee. If you're a new blogger, like I am, or have been blogging for a while, stop by the sites and get involved!

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Weekly question: What is the one bookish thing you would love to have, no matter the cost?


A room filled with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, like the library in Beauty and the Beast. Or, a personal Barnes and Noble store to run around in would work just as well.

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REVIEW! White Is for Magic.

White Is for Magic
Laurie Faria Stolarz



FROM THE COVER:

“I’m watching you…”



One year later. It’s happening again. Seventeen-year-old Stacey Brown is having nightmares – creepy dreams haunted by the ghosts of people who have been brutally murdered.


It’s her senior year at boarding school, and what Stacey really should be focusing on are her classes and getting into college – not to mention the rocky path her love life has been taking lately.


But even if she could ignore the dreams, Stacey can’t ignore the strange letters that she’s been receiving. No return address, no signature – and the same cryptic messages she’s been hearing in her nightmares.


What’s worse is that she’s not the only one having weird dreams. Jacob, a transfer student, claims that he’s been having nightly premonitions of Stacey’s death for months, dreams so realistic that he transferred schools to find her and stop the killer. It doesn’t help that she’s starting to have feelings for him even though she already has a boyfriend. But can she trust Jacob? Or will both their darkest dreams come true?

My rating: 4 stars.

MY THOUGHTS:

A wholesome horror/thriller/romance novel. Stolarz incorporates the right amount of spook with the right amount of buildup.


At times her descriptions are eerily lovely, other times they’re lacking. The language itself isn’t what makes this story, it’s the plot. The characters are nice, but nothing about them necessarily “sticks out.” Stacey is pretty average – aside from having realistic nightmares. Jacob is sweet, cute and everything you’d want your boyfriend to be, but his characterization/personality pretty much stops there. Still, they’re not impersonal. I was able to connect to them both in different ways, but especially to Jacob.

The buildup and suspense are the best. Some things happen right away and your head’s left spinning and trying to catch up. Some things take a while to get to, but you’re not left hanging. It wasn’t an overload of horror; the novel simply has a nice, creepy feeling as a whole.

EXTRA: The series is as follows: Blue is for Nightmares, White is for Magic, Silver is for Secrets, and Red is for Remembrance.

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (11).

I came across the Hop and Follow Friday while I was blog hopping - how appropriate! - and decided to join in on the fun.

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly thing going on over at Crazy-for-Books. Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee. If you're a new blogger, like I am, or have been blogging for a while, stop by the sites and get involved!

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Weekly question: Where is your favorite place to read? Curled up on the sofa, in bed, in the garden?


I prefer to read curled up on my couch or bed.  They're so much cozier.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Fictional Crushes.

Reading is slow this week for me, as I sluggishly attempt to finish all of my schoolwork. So, another meme! Top Ten Tuesday is brought to us by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. Draco Malfoy, from the Harry Potter series. Despite everyone thinking this is beyond illogical, I cannot help but swoon over him. Sure, he’s a tightwad, but he knows it. He’s my bad and good boy, and with a duality like that, I can’t pass him up.

2. Hank, from the Half-Life of Planets. He’s nerdy in the most adorable, humorous ways. And smart. That’s always a plus.

3. Heathcliff, from Wuthering Heights. He’s the epitome of the pining, romantic lover. What girl doesn’t love that?

4. Marcus, from Sloppy Firsts (and the rest of Jessica Darling series). He’s dark, mysterious, and incredibly poetic. I couldn’t help but fall for him.

5. Seth & Irial, from Wicked Lovely (and the rest of the series). They’re both awesome and loyal, with a touch of kickass.

6. David, from All-American Girl. He is the biggest sweetheart.

7. Landon, from A Walk to Remember. Another bad/good boy, but also quite possibly the perfect guy.

8. Jacob, from White is for Magic (and the rest of the series). Sweet, caring, cute – 3 things that are all good components for a guy.

9. Ben, from Deadly Little Secret (and the rest of the Touch series). Mysterious, strong, but also a total softy. I like that he’s not a pretending tough guy.

10. Tom Riddle, from the Harry Potter series. I started with Harry Potter, now I’m ending with Harry Potter. Again, everyone thinks this is just as illogical as Draco, but really? Before going insane and rearranging his name, Tom was awesome, intelligent, and very complex.


... Can you tell I like the bad boys?

In My Mailbox (1).

This meme originates over at The Story Siren.

Fortunately for me, I had the opportunity to visit the lovely Barnes and Noble this past week.  While there, I picked up a copy of The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa, and Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel.



Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (10).

I came across the Hop and Follow Friday while I was blog hopping - how appropriate! - and decided to join in on the fun.

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly thing going on over at Crazy-for-Books. Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee. If you're a new blogger, like I am, or have been blogging for a while, stop by the sites and get involved!

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Weekly question: When you read a book that you just can't get into, do you stick it out and keep reading or move to your next title?

I've learned that sticking it out, and continuing to a read a book I'm not enjoying, doesn't make me like the book any more.  If anything, it just makes the reading experience that much worse.  So if I'm not enjoying it, I'll just move on to the next in the pile.

I do not review books that I do not finish.



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News: Have you heard?

Amber, over at Down the Rabbit Hole, is going to be hosting a nifty event, called YA Love Triangle Week. For details, click here.

"So here's the breakdown. As soon as I've got 12 volunteers to write a blog post for each boy from SIX novels, I will dedicate a week on my blog to YA Love Triangles. Each day of the week I will post the bloggers' articles pleading why you should like their guy. So for instance, on the Twilight series day there will be a post from a Team Edward fan and Team Jacob fan. At the end of the week, you'll vote on which team you'd go for BASED ON THE POST."

Fun, right? Who doesn't enjoy rooting for their fave fictional guy?

Sound interesting? Get involved!

Currently, I'm signed up for Team Puck, from The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. Anyone interested in promoting Team Ash? If so, make sure to head on over to Amber's blog and send her an e-mail.

Not interested in Ash or the Iron Fey series? No worries - there's plenty of other lovely guys to choose from.

REVIEW! Stupid and Contagious.

Stupid and Contagious
Caprice Crane



FROM THE COVER:

HEAVEN’S IN HELL…

There’s very little I know for sure. I know that men who wear khakis are immediately suspect, that waitressing is what karma makes you do when you’ve been unforgivably bad. That pretty much covers it.

AND BRADY JUST MOVED IN.

All you need is one good idea and you’re set for life, never mind the shameless envy of your friends. That’s what separates the big guys from the small fries. One. Good. Idea. And even though I haven’t signed a single band for my record label, I’ve got a million good ideas.

SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN OUTCAST

It’s bad enough to get fired from your dream job. But when you can’t make it as a waitress, there’s a whole world of self-worth you’re just never gonna see again.

AND AN ODDBALL

Cinnamon-flavored milk. Cinnamilk. I’m telling you.

Next…Big…Thing…

GET TOGETHER TO TAKE ON THE WORLD?

My rating: 4 stars.

MY THOUGHTS:

To be frank, Heaven and Brady are brilliant. Their duality is electric and infused with humor. Really, they’re like bread and butter. Or peanut butter and jelly. Separate, they’re equally fantastic, but together they’re amazing.

Crane’s writing is so detailed about the little things, the everyday events that we tend to overlook; she captures these minute details and moments in the most humorous and quirky ways possible, that the normally dull subjects turn alive and become not so boring. Along with the details is fast, sharp dialogue – and when lines are being delivered by either Heaven or Brady, it makes it all the better. Both characters are so thought-out, so rich in personality, that they may as well be real. They’re the perfect duo for the situations that occur.

The match is utterly predictable, but thoroughly enjoyable.

News: Being Jamie Baker contest.

Today I received a nice e-mail from Kelly Oram, author of Being Jamie Baker, notifying me of a contest.

"To keep her secret safe Jamie socially exiles herself, earning the title of Rocklin High’s resident ice queen. But during a super-charged encounter with star quarterback Ryan Miller she literally kisses anonymity goodbye. Now the annoyingly irresistible Ryan will stop at nothing to melt the heart of the ice queen and find out what makes her so special.

Unfortunately, Ryan is not the only person on to her secret. Will Jamie learn to contain her unstable powers before being discovered by the media, or turned into a government lab rat?

More importantly, can she throw Ryan Miller off her trail before falling in love with him?"

Sound interesting? Check out the whole first chapter. It's funny, it's catchy, I don't know why I've yet to read it.

Over at her site (linked at the beginning of this post) you can view the details about how she will be giving away one signed copy each week of November. Awesome, right?

Many thanks to her for the giveaway!

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (9).

I came across the Hop and Follow Friday while I was blog hopping - how appropriate! - and decided to join in on the fun.

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly thing going on over at Crazy-for-Books. Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee. If you're a new blogger, like I am, or have been blogging for a while, stop by the sites and get involved!

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Weekly question: What's your favorite beverage while reading or blogging, if any? Is it tea, coffee, water, a glass of wine, or something else?


Coffee, without a doubt. I'm hopelessly addicted to coffee. But, more often than not, I'm stuck with water.


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Grammar Bit #7.

Quotation Marks.

Always put a comma or period inside quotation marks, even for single quotes.

EX. The paper said "Do this," but the teacher said, "Do that."

If a question is inside quotation marks, then a question mark goes inside the quotation marks.

EX. He questioned, "Does she know my name?"

If the question is not within the quote, then the question mark goes outside the quotation marks.

EX. Do you believe in "love at first sight"?

If a quote has a quote within it, use single quotation marks.

EX. She exclaimed, "But Betty said, 'I hate you!'"

More Harry Potter?

An 8th, 9th, or 10th Harry Potter?

I'm a serious Potter nerd.  So when I found out Oprah was going to be interviewing J.K. Rowling, I knew I didn't want to miss it, especially because there were numerous rumors claiming she was going to announce the publication of a Harry Potter encyclopedia.  Instead, she announced that she could definitely write more Potter novels - which I'm sure sent other Potter fans into a state of extreme excitement.  The catch is that Rowling also said just because she could, it doesn't mean that she will. Way to leave us hanging, right?

Here's a snippet of the interview.

So what do you think?  Would you love to read an 8th, 9th and even 10th Potter novel?  I know I would. 

REVIEW! Fool.

Fool
Christopher Moore



FROM THE COVER:

A man of infinite jest, Pocket has been Lear's cherished fool for years, from the time the king's grown daughters—selfish, scheming Goneril, sadistic (but erotic-fantasy-grade-hot) Regan, and sweet, loyal Cordelia—were mere girls. So naturally Pocket is at his brainless, elderly liege's side when Lear—at the insidious urging of Edmund, the bastard (in every way imaginable) son of the Earl of Gloucester—demands that his kids swear their undying love and devotion before a collection of assembled guests. Of course Goneril and Regan are only too happy to brownnose Dad. But Cordelia believes that her father's request is kind of . . . well . . . stupid, and her blunt honesty ends up costing her her rightful share of the kingdom and earns her a banishment to boot.

Well, now the bangers and mash have really hit the fan. The whole damn country's about to go to hell in a handbasket because of a stubborn old fart's wounded pride. And the only person who can possibly make things right . . . is Pocket, a small and slight clown with a biting sense of humor. He's already managed to sidestep catastrophe (and the vengeful blades of many an offended nobleman) on numerous occasions, using his razor-sharp mind, rapier wit . . . and the equally well-honed daggers he keeps conveniently hidden behind his back. Now he's going to have to do some very fancy maneuvering—cast some spells, incite a few assassinations, start a war or two (the usual stuff)—to get Cordelia back into Daddy Lear's good graces, to derail the fiendish power plays of Cordelia's twisted sisters, to rescue his gigantic, gigantically dim, and always randy friend and apprentice fool, Drool, from repeated beatings . . . and to shag every lusciously shaggable wench who's amenable to shagging along the way.

My rating: 4 stars.

MY THOUGHTS:

I am, and always will be, a fan of Shakespeare. So imagine my delight when I heard Chris Moore was coming out with a retelling of King Lear.

Fool is brilliant in its charisma and characterization. Moore’s writing style is like no other: catchy, humorous, snarky, vulgar and ridiculous all in one. It’s almost guaranteed to make you laugh, even at the story’s worst moments. The characters speak for themselves – in the way they act, talk and interact; they clearly have distinct personalities that come alive and are anything but dull.

While the plot does drag a bit, such moments do not last long. Moore’s pace is typically fast and witty at all times. The vulgarity and wit can also seem overdone at parts, stealing the spotlight, so to speak, and taking away from the actual plot. Still, Fool is extremely unique and entertaining in nearly all aspects.