Robby's Raving Reads!

In My Mailbox (10)

2010-03-28T18:32:00.001-04:00

In my mailbox is a post where I tell you the books that I have received this week either by buying them myself or by getting them in the mail. Check out The Story Siren to learn more!

So This week I got some books that I absolutely can't wait to read!!!

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

Hunted by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Tempted by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen, Seth Grahame-Smith, Kenneth Grahame, David G. Grahame-Smith

Trailer Thursday (4)

2010-03-25T22:46:00.011-04:00

Trailer Thursday's were started by me. If someone has already started Trailer Thursdays I do apologize, but please let me know so that I can credit it you. I show a book trailer that I have been looking forward to reading.

This Week's trailer comes from the book Scars by Cheryl Rainfield. I hope you enjoy it!

Twilight 1: The Graphic Novel

2010-03-22T20:57:00.000-04:00

Title: Twilight 1: The Graphic Novel
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Art and Adaptation: Young Kim
Pages: 224 Pages

Summary: The love story between the innocent teenager Bella and the handsome vampire Edward, which prompted a worldwide phenomenon, breathes new life in a two-volume adaptation of Twilight! The first volume has been rigorously reviewed by Stephenie Meyer and reflects her personal vision of the world of The Twilight Saga. This unique art style -- a black-and-white graphic novel with color interspersed throughout -- is guaranteed to take a bite out of the graphic novel world and leave fans eagerly anticipating the exciting conclusion in Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 2 (publication date not available). (Summary provided by Borders)

Review: I am a Twilight fan, and I wanted to read the graphic novel to see the newest interpretation of it. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this. This was the first time I had ever read a graphic novel, and I thought the art was beautiful, and they kept everything that made it Twilight.
I noticed that some of the art was drawn a little like the movie, and then some was what Kim had interpreted. I liked that because it added a new feel to it.
The story remains the same, one we all know and love, the story of how Bella and Edward fall in love. It starts off the same, but the first volume ends right when Edward drops Bella off after they go to the field. I personally can not wait for the others to come out. There really isn't much to say about the story because it's all the same. I do wish they had just made a larger graphic novel and just made the whole book on big one, rather than make us wait for them to come out with Twilight part 2.

How did you come to read this? On the release day of New Moon my Fiancee bought it for me because he thought I would enjoy it. I was so happy that he did that for me :)
Would you Recommend it? To hardcore Twilight fans yes, but to anyone just getting into the series, maybe not.
Why? To some people it could just seem like they are dragging out the whole Twilight Phenomenon, but in my opinion I am incredibly happy that they made the book.
Rating:
Story - 8/10
Content - 17/20
Readability - 9/10
Cover - 5/5
Remembrance - 14/15
Quotability - 8/10
Characters - 9/10
Overall 70/80 = 88 = B+
Finished Reading or Last Read on: 3/22/10
If Read More than once, how many times? Just this once, but I'm sure I'll read it more.

To read my Twilight book Review click here!

Impulse

2010-03-19T21:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Impulse
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Pages: 666 Pages

Summary: Sometimes you don't wake up. But if you happen to, you know things will never be the same. Three lives, three different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act -- suicide. Vanessa is beautiful and smart, but her secrets keep her answering the call of the blade. Tony, after suffering a painful childhood, can only find peace through pills. And Conner, outwardly, has the perfect life. But dig a little deeper and find a boy who is in constant battle with his parents, his life, himself. In one instant each of these young people decided enough was enough. They grabbed the blade, the bottle, the gun -- and tried to end it all. Now they have a second chance, and just maybe, with each other's help, they can find their way to a better life -- but only if they're strong and can fight the demons that brought them here in the first place. (Summary by Borders.com)

Review: I'm a big fan of Ellen Hopkins, everything she writes seems to speak to me, so I was not disappointed in reading this book and falling in love with all three characters. Tony, Vanessa, and Conner all end up in a psychiatric hospital for attempting suicide. They all have different reasons for doing so, but seem to have a lot in common. We see each character at it's worst point, and we watch as they grow and develop and come to terms with their lives.
Out of all 3 my favorite character was probably Vanessa. I felt like I could relate to a lot of things she went through and that she was able to find love and meaning and a will to live. One thing I didn't like was the fact that it just sort of ended, I would have liked to have seen each character deal with going home, and not the way it ended (now I don't want to give away too much).
Overall it was a good read, and has secured my love for Ellen Hopkins novels. She always tells her story beautifully and her characters are always so real.

How did you come to read this? I got into Ellen Hopkins a few years ago, and I just happened to see Impulse in the store and thought "OOOoooOOOOooooOO"
Would you Recommend it? To anyone that is struggling with their lives or has dealt with suicide whether contemplating it themselves, known someone that did it, or for some reason just likes reading about it. I would also recommend it to other Ellen Hopkins fans.
Why? Sometimes it just takes a good book to understand life.
Rating:
Story - 8/10
Content - 17/20
Readability - 7/10
Cover - 5/5
Remembrance - 13/15
Quotability - 6/10
Characters - 9/10
Overall 65/80 = 81 = B
Finished Reading or Last Read on: 3/19/10
If Read More than once, how many times? Just this once, but I'm sure I'll read it more.

Trailer Thursday (3)

2010-01-21T14:51:00.001-05:00

I'm back

2010-01-21T14:49:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone I'm back on! Atleast for a little while, my fiancee and I may be in the process to move in a few weeks, but for now I'm here until we move and I need to take another Hiatus for a bit.

Hiatus/apology

2009-11-12T10:24:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you've all noticed the lack of blogging going on, so I've decided to take a bit of a hiatus. I have a lot coming up in the next few weeks, but I will continue reading so when I get back you'll have a whole bunch of new reviews to read. Nursing school is tough (yes I knew it would be) but it just means outside of classes, clinical, and homework I have no free time. So over christmas break and the start of next semester I will be back. Hope everyone is well. If you've got finals coming up good luck!!

In My Mailbox (9)

2009-10-26T01:55:00.000-04:00

I bought Living Dead in Dallas and the New Moon Collector's edition. I hope to post some new reviews soon, my school life has completely taken over me. That's what I get for being a nursing student! But it's worth it right? I have 3 tests coming up next week, but after that it's a little while before my next ones. So hopefully I'll be able to be a little more active.

Have a Little Faith

2009-10-02T17:01:00.001-04:00

Title: Have a Little Faith
Author: Mitch Albom
Pages: 208 Pages

Summary: "New York Times"-bestselling author Albom goes back to his nonfiction roots with a timely, moving, and inspiring look at faith--not just who believes, but why--prompted by his search for the right words to eulogize a beloved rabbi.

Review: Mitch Albom's newest book, is sure to be a hit for anyone that has enjoyed his others. On a personal note I'm not a huge fan of this book, beacause it's a little too preachy for my taste, but I'm not really a religious person. The books was given to me through Librarything.com so of course I had to review it, so I will just review the content of it and not my take on it.
Mitch is asked to do a eulogy for his old Rabbi, and like Tuesday's with Morrie, he visits and on each visit he learns something new. We learn about what made him become a Rabbi, and why, and other things like that.
Mitch's writing style is unique, and I noticed it from the first book of his that I read. He doesn't put his replies in quotations. I really like that and think it adds more of a personal touch to the stories.
It's a short heartwarming story, that I'm sure his fans will love. He's a great author and really knows how to capture his ideas to tell the world his stories.

How did you come to read this? I got it as an ARC copy through Librarything.com
Would you Recommend it? To anyone that has read his other books, and really liked them.
Why? Only because this story isn't for everyone.
Rating:
Story - 8/10
Content - 15/20
Readability - 6/10
Cover - 3/5
Remembrance - 13/15
Quotability - 4/10
Characters - 9/10
Overall 58/80 = 72 = C
Finished Reading or Last Read on: 9/28/09
If Read More than once, how many times? Just this once.

New Rating System

2009-10-02T16:40:00.000-04:00

Story Rating: This is determined by how well written the story was. It will be out of 10.
Content Rating: Everything that created the story and that the book contained. It will be out of 20.
Readability: This is decided by whether or not it made me want to constantly read the book. It will be out of 10.
Cover: Did the cover draw me to the book? I know what people say don't judge a book by it's cover, but sometimes that's what makes me pick up the book usually. This is only out of 5.
Remembrance: The is about how memorable the book is. This is out of 15.
Quotability: This is how quotable the book is. This is out of 10.
Characters: This is based on how believable the characters were for the story? If I could relate to any of the characters? Were there any specifically that drew me in. This is out of 10.

90-100 = A
80-89 = B
70-79 = C
60-69 = D
0-59 = F

Trailer Thursday (2)

2009-10-01T23:14:00.001-04:00

Trailer Thursday's were started last week by me. If someone has already started Trailer Thursdays I do apologize, but please let me know so that I can credit it you. I show a book trailer that I have been looking forward to reading.

This week's trailer will be Evermore by Alyson Noel, so here it is. Let me know if you like Trailer Thursdays and if you would like me to continue doing it.

In My Mailbox (8)

2009-09-29T09:14:00.002-04:00

This week I have bought the following:

Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez

The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Eclipse

2009-09-27T13:52:00.001-04:00

Title: Eclipse

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Pages: 629 Pages

Summary: As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger.

In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob -- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

Review: Once again Stephenie Meyer, has a hit. Eclipse, though not my favorite of the saga, was still captivating. I loved every minute of reading it and it kept me captured in the story, turning page after page, wanting to know what would happen next. Bella and Edward's love is a story unlike any other in the sense that, there love seems to just keep going no matter the obstacles being thrown at them.

Eclipse is a great addition, however I felt a little let down by it's ending. I think I just expected so much more, I mean with how New Moon, and Twilight end, I think that Eclipse's ending is the weakest out of all of them. This one just doesn't stand out to me as much as the others, but if you like the series you'll more than likely like this one as well. Lots of Bella, Edward, and Jacob so no matter which fan-base you are, there's something for everyone!

How did you come to read this? Because it was the sequel to the other 2 I just had to read it!

Would you recommend it? Yes and like the other 2, I have to a few people who loved it as well.

Why? Again it’s a great story. It sucks me in and I could read it over and over again and not get sick of it.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars **********

Finished reading or Last read: 7/25/08

If read more than once, How many times have you read it? About 2 or 3 times

Donut Days Giveaway

2009-09-24T23:04:00.000-04:00

The Bookologist is giving away a SIGNED hardback copy of the book Donut Days by Lara Zielin. Check it out here!

Contest ends on October 10th!

Emma has a lot going on. Her best friend's not speaking to her, a boy she's known all her life is suddenly smokin' hot and in love with her, and oh yes, her evangelical minister parents may lose their church, especially if her mother keeps giving sermons saying Adam was a hermaphrodite.

But this weekend Emma's only focused on Crispy Dream, a hot new donut franchise opening in town, where Harley bikers and Frodo wannabes camp out waiting to be the first ones served. Writing the best feature story on the camp for the local paper might just win Emma a scholarship to attend a non- Christian college. But soon enough Emma finds the donut camp isn't quite the perfect escape from all her troubles at Living Word Redeemer.

Trailer Thursday (1)

2009-09-24T21:56:00.001-04:00

Something that I really like seeing is book trailers on peoples blogs, so I've decided to start up Trailer Thursday's. If someone has already started Trailer Thursdays I do apologize, but please let me know so that I can credit it you.

This week's trailer will be Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. I thought it would be good considering it is on my TBR shelf. So here it is. Let me know if you like Trailer Thursdays and if you would like me to continue doing it.

In My Mailbox (7)

2009-09-21T16:47:00.001-04:00

This week I bought the following.

Skinny by Ibi Kaslik

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

The Clique by Lisi Harrison

What did you get this week?

Comment Problems part 2...

2009-09-17T23:59:00.000-04:00

So I hear that I'm still having problems with my comments, I switched to a pop-up comment box so I'm hoping that that will work. Please let me know if you have further problems commenting...my email is robinw19@mac.com

In My Mailbox (6)

2009-09-15T22:42:00.000-04:00

Here's what I got this week...I know I know a day late...I had my first nursing test on monday, and my first nutrition test today, so please don't hate me. Teaser Tuesday's will also be posted tomorrow, and I am very behind on my reading to I apologize but there probably won't be any reviews this week, or a What am I reading? post because I'm still reading all the same books. Like I said I've had no time. Anyway so this is what I got.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares, Blue Moon by Alyson Noel, and Darkly Dreaming Dexter.

Some good ones this week! Can't wait to read them! What did you get this week? Anything good?

Comment Problems

2009-09-12T13:22:00.000-04:00

It has come to my attention that some people were having trouble leaving comments on my blog. I have a new layout now, so maybe that will help...comment away! :)

Cool Giveaway to check out!

2009-09-10T20:50:00.000-04:00

Hooked on YA Books is doing a giveaway for acheiving 50 followers! These are the books beeing given away! So Check her website out HERE!

Twenty Boy Summer

Dead is So Last Year

And
The Night Gardener

Cool Giveaway to check out!

2009-09-10T20:48:00.001-04:00

What am I Reading (4)

2009-09-09T23:02:00.001-04:00

My First ARC!!!!!

Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

The #1 "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Tuesdays with Morrie" goes back to his nonfiction roots with a timely, moving, and inspiring look at faith: not just who believes, but why.
And

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

For years, "New York Times" bestselling author Harris has delighted fans with her mystery series featuring small-town waitress-turned-paranormal sleuth Sookie Stackhouse. Now, she offers her first novel in the series, which is also the basis for the HBO series "True Blood."

Today I received my first ARC in the mail. So I of course started reading that. I am also still reading The Reformed Vampire Support Group.

Teaser Tuesday's! (2)

2009-09-08T22:28:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

"I pushed myself wearily to my feet and touched the painful spot of my cheek, using that to distract me from the pain in my heart, the dreadful grief that rolled over me.

I thought this night would never end."

Page 143 Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

My First Award!!!

2009-09-05T19:06:00.001-04:00

I received the Friendship bear from Froggy at Froggaritaville's Bookcase, it must be done

The person who receives this blog must do a shout out and nominate 7 other bloggers.

I nominate these great blogs:

1. Amanda at That Teen Can Blog!

2. Alea at Pop Culture Junkie

3. Shayla at The Book Explorer

4. Michelle at The Book Junkie

5. Liviania at In Bed With Books

6. Alexia at Alexia's Books and Such

7. Cindy at ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥Princess Bookie♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Congrats Everyone!!

In My Mailbox (5)

2009-09-05T15:46:00.000-04:00

In my mailbox is a post where I tell you the books that I have received this week either by buying them myself or by getting them in the mail. Check out The Story Siren to learn more!

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Some pretty good ones this week. Knew I wasn't going to have much time to do this tomorrow, so I decided I should just do it today. Can't wait to read Dead Until Dark. I may just start it now! :)

Tricks

2009-09-04T11:06:00.000-04:00

Title: Tricks

Author: Ellen Hopkins

Pages: 640

Summary: A "New York Times"-bestselling author delivers a gripping new work of verse that tells five moving stories that remain separate at first, then interweave to tell a larger, powerful story--a story about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up.

Review: Tricks is a story of 5 teenagers, Eden, Cody, Seth, Ginger, and Whitney, whose lives have caused them to start working some sort of prostitution setting. Each individual has their own story to tell, and sometimes their paths cross which I thought was really interesting. Something I noticed was a common spelling mistake throughout the book. When they would spell shirt, it would come out shift. I don’t know if it was supposed to be meant to say shift and it’s just another word for shirt, but it was odd and in places made no sense. I noticed a few small errors here and there but for the most part it wasn’t too bad.

We see their lives go from not so perfect, to complete and utter disaster. Hopkins Knows how to tell a story and keep people entertained. The book had me constantly wanting to read it. I would read for short bursts and have to put it down because of class, and I wouldn’t want to put it down, just keep reading to find out what’s going to happen next.

This book is a fast read, and it does leave me wanting more to find out how their lives all turned out after and what happened, but with any book I’m always left to wonder. I love when that happens that way I can just make it up in my head, sometimes it’s better to not know and leave things alone. That way the story will remain the same no matter what and it won’t loose its luster.

Tricks is a great story, however a bit graphic in it’s sexual description to be a young adult novel. That was something I noticed in especially Cody’s story. Not that I’m saying sex in a young adult novel is bad, I just think it could have been a little more subtle than what it was. Regardless of that, Tricks was still fantastic, and I can’t wait for the next Ellen Hopkins novel!

How did you come to read this? I love Ellen Hopkins, and when I heard she had a new book coming out, I had to have it!

Would you recommend it? Yes!

Rating: 7/10 Stars **********

Finished Reading or Last read on: 9/4/09

If read more than once, How many times? Just this once.

Cut

2009-09-02T19:16:00.001-04:00

Title: Cut
Author: Patricia McCormick
Pages: 160

Summary: This debut novel deals boldly with mental illness and is by turns riveting, thrilling, and heartbreaking. Teens will relate to the adolescent drama and all-important friends as the main character tries to "cut" it. The bittersweet tale will resonate in the turbulent world of young adults and its readers will find hope in the uplifting end.

Review: Cut is a story about a young girl that was recently sent to an institution to deal with just that, her self-harm issues. For much of the story, Callie doesn’t speak very much. It’s not that she’s mute, more that she doesn’t want to make friends, because she knows that she won’t be there long; however the doctor’s won’t let her go until she makes progress and speaks up in group and admitting she has a problem.

In a society where self-harm is such a common thing, reading a story about it makes you realize just how harmful it is. It does make me wonder, because she self-harms why the put her in an instituition and not just in therapy. It if were me in that situation I would have much rather done one-on-one therapy than stay with a bunch of strangers, and have to confess my deepest darkest secrets to them. But of course it wouldn’t be my decision to make, now would it?

I would have liked a little more back story as to why she started cutting, not just the first time, and a few scattered times after that. It’s a short book, but it doesn’t need to be long to get the message across. Kids are cutting, somre for attention, some just to do it, and some because they don’t know any other way to cope, and they like to have some sort of control over the pain they feel. Some stop after a while, somce can’t stop at all, then there are those that can easily be triggered to do it after not doing it for so long.

Self harm is an issue amoung our generation. Many people around us are cutters, reading a book that shows us that you can cope brings hope to many people.

How did you come to read this? I found it in Borders one day, and Picked it up and started to read it and ended up buying it.
Would you recommend it? For anyone that has dealt with a disorder in any way I think it would be a good read.
Why? It's an interesting book.
Rating: 7/10 Stars **********
Finished Reading or Last read on: 2/1/09
If read more than once, how many times have you read it? Just this once

***** Special Note*****
**I don’t encourage cutting in any way, but if you or someone you know is cutting get them help. Go to this website for more information http://self-injury.net/.

Teaser Tuesday's! (1)

2009-09-01T09:05:00.006-04:00

A new thing to my blog, but I've seen it done on others, and I really liked it, so here we go!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

"If we see garlic and crucifixes all over the place,

then we'll know where we stand," I remarked, and he gave a sour little smile.

"Yeah. That would make things a lot simpler. Scarier, but simpler."

Page 91 The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

In My Mailbox (4)

2009-08-30T23:57:00.005-04:00

In my mailbox is a post where I tell you the books that I have received this week either by buying them myself or by getting them in the mail. Check out The Story Siren to learn more!

Vampire Academy by Rachel Mead

The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

Untamed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Debut Cover

2009-08-30T23:42:00.003-04:00

Saw this on a bunch of blog's and I hear it was taken from The Story Siren. Thought it was really cool and had to try it!

CREATE YOUR DEBUT YA COVER
1 – Go to “Fake Name Generator” or clickhttp://www.fakenamegenerator.com/
The name that appears is your author name.
2 – Go to “Random Word Generator” or clickhttp://www.websitestyle.com/parser/randomword.shtml
The word listed under “Random Verb” is your title.
3 – Go to “FlickrCC” or clickhttp://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/index.php
Type your title into the search box. The first photo that contains a person is your cover.
4 – Use Photoshop, Picnik, or similar to put it all together. Be sure to crop and/or zoom in.
5 – Post it to your site along with this text.

What am I Reading (3)

2009-08-27T19:43:00.003-04:00

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

That's what I'm reading now...Along with The Reformed Vampire Support group...still...It's good don't get me wrong, i just want to read too many things then i get sucked into those ones and forget about Reformed..

Glass

2009-08-23T16:11:00.004-04:00

Title: Glass

Author: Ellen Hopkins

Pages: 688 Pages

Summary: Crank. Glass. Ice. Crystal. Whatever you call it, it’s all the same: a monster. And once it’s got hold of you, this monster will never let you go.

Kristina thinks she can control it. Now with a baby to care for, she’s determined to be the one deciding when and how much, the one calling the shots. But the monster is too strong, and before she knows it, Kristina is back in its grips. She needs the monster to keep going, to face the pressures of day-to-day life. She needs it to feel alive.

Once again the monster takes over Kristina’s life and she will do anything for it, including giving up the one person who gives her the unconditional love she craves — her baby.

The sequel to Crank, this is the continuing story of Kristina and her descent back to hell. Told in verse, it’s a harrowing and disturbing look at addiction and the damage that it inflicts.

Review: After absolutely loving Crank I just had to get my hands on Glass to read more about Kristina’s story. I devoured the 688 pages in only a matter of a few hours. Glass is a powerful story about a young girl coping with being a teen mom, and also a drug addiction. We watch as she spirals out of control, and takes all these wrong turns and looses herself.

Glass left me wanting more, and I’m excited for the next book about Kristina George Snow to appear in 2010, titled Fallout. Ellen Hopkins is a powerful writer, and she speaks such volume with her words.

I love how all of Hopkins’ stories are told through verse and I believe that it gives them a much more powerful meaning.

How did you come to read this? I had read Crank and loved it so when I heard she was coming out with a sequel I just had to have it.

Would you recommend it? I have to my friend Jess.

Why? It’s such a powerful story, and I think it gives a good insight on how drugs affect families.

Rating: 8/10 Stars **********

Finished Reading on or Last read on: 1/15/09

If Read more than once, How many times did you read it? 2

Tuesday's with Morrie

2009-08-19T17:38:00.001-04:00

Title: Tuesday’s with Morrie

Author: Mitch Albom

Pages: 208

Summary: Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.

For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.

Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder. Wouldn’t you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger?

Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man’s life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final “class”: lessons in how to live.

Tuesdays With Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie’s lasting gift with the world.

Review: Tuesday’s with Morrie by Mitch Albom is the story of one man’s journey into death and another man being taught how to live by him. Morrie Schwartz, who was once a professor at Brandeis University, has been diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), and the book follows his last few months on this earth through the eyes of Mitch. Mitch is an old student of his, and has not spoken to his professor since they last said goodbye after graduation, sixteen years earlier. Mitch happened to be flipping through the channels one night when he saw his old professor on Nightline with Ted Koppel, and that moment changed his life forever.

After seeing Morrie on television, Mitch then gets in touch with him, and visits him. The visits become a regular thing, and are always on Tuesday’s, because as Morrie states “We’re Tuesday people.” During Mitch’s visits he is able to watch the disease progress over Morrie’s body, at first it seems as if he is uneasy about watching his professor die, but in the end he starts doing more things for him, like adjusting his pillows, massaging his feet, even helping him out of his chair, it just shows how much he grows with each visit.

Tuesday’s with Morrie is a wonderful story. Even though a man is dying he seems to only see the good in life and what life has to offer. He is kind-hearted, and takes on a task of teaching an old student one last time. The message of the book seems to be not to dread the little things in life, don’t spend so much time looking back on what you could have done differently. Look to the future for what you will do next, and live everyday to the fullest, because you never know when death will creep up on you.

One thing I noticed throughout the book was each Tuesday, Mitch would be reading the newspaper, and at least one of the stories had to deal with a sudden death. I thought that was interesting, especially after Morrie had said that you have to live each moment as if you will die in the next. I think the author put the stories in the book to show that. One was a mother shot her two kids and her husband, another was two boys were playing with their father’s gun, and shot each other. It shows that death has no remorse, and can strike anyone even the innocent, and not think twice about it.

This book relates to nursing because it shows the compassion that nurses really need to give their patients. When you are truly passionate about something whether it be your profession or a person, no matter what is going on in their lives you try not to take notice in the bad and only think about the good.

I also believe that this relates to nursing because Morrie talks about how to detach yourselves from your feelings. I know that there will be something’s in my nursing career that I will need to do this with. For instance I would love to work in the ER, and I know that if a trauma came in that was a young boy, I would need to detach myself from the feeling of sorrow, and just have to help my team to save this boy’s life. There will be no time for fear or remorse; I will just have to focus on the task at hand.

Tuesday’s with Morrie showed me that even after someone is gone their spirit will live on, whether it is through their teachings, old photographs, or just simply thinking about that person. When we have had such a strong teacher in our lives, and we take those teachings that they taught us and allow others to experience them, then their spirit will always live on. By retelling of stories we were once told, we show how much we loved and adored that person, because we were paying attention to them enough to recall information about things.

This was actually my second time reading this book, I had to read it for summer reading in high school, the summer I was going into 10^th grade, however I read this book with a new version of myself. Originally when I read this I never really took anything away from it, I only did it because it was summer reading, I didn’t know that there was more meaning behind it.

Having matured quite a bit from the last time that I read this, I found that it was much more meaningful. I found myself really being able to relate to Mitch as he was telling the story. I remember watching my grandfather suffer a few years ago, and I didn’t really understand what I was supposed to do. Just sitting there with him watching him die didn’t appeal to me, it was too hard to watch someone so close to me wither away. Had I read this book a second time, I would have understood that I was keeping him company, and that all he wanted was someone to talk to and to hold his hand, so he wasn’t alone, but instead of doing that I would spend a few hours with him, and that was that. It was all I could bear.

At one point in the book, Morrie says to Mitch “ We put our values in the wrong things. And it leads to very disillusioned lives.” This made me immediately think of my parents. Before my parents divorced, we lived in this gorgeous house that all my friends called a mansion, we had 17+ acres of land, and we always had the top of the line things. It made people think that we were happy, but honestly my parents were masking the hurt and pain. They weren’t happy with eachother at all, but this sort of exterior made people believe that we were all happy inside.

After living in a broken home that was gorgeous for so long, I moved to Vermont into a small apartment with my boyfriend, and I have to say I was happier there than I ever was in that big house. We lived in an apartment that was smaller than my mother’s basement in the house she lives in now, we could barely afford food and only bought things with coupons or that was on sale, but because we were together, we were happy. We didn’t have any money, just enough to get by, but somehow we made it work.

I know several people who if they are unhappy will go out and do “retail therapy,” to make themselves feel better, but in the end they are still unhappy, and now have a bank account that is slowly depleting. People don’t seem to understand that the materialistic things in life aren’t what make like worth living. It’s the love and laughter and the people you grow old with that make it worth it. I know that if all I had were things cluttered everywhere, and no friends, I would not be happy. Sure I would have nice things, but I would have no one to share them with. Without friends and family, why would someone want to live? They would just be bitter, and not know the joys of what having people in your life can bring.

Morrie also says the following “They don’t know what they want in a partner. They don’t know who they are themselves-so how can they know who they’re marrying.” I agree with this saying, to an extent. There is actually a line from a Broadway musical that I think sums this up very well. It’s from Rent; “You’ll never share real love, until you love yourself.” When Morrie said those words, it automatically makes me think of that line from Rent. I believe that this is only partly true, because sometimes it takes loving someone to love yourself. Looking into another person’s heart will show you the compassion that has always been lingering under the surface of your own.

Tuesday’s with Morrie is a wonderful, moving story. I found myself curled up on the couch, with tears streaming from my eyes as I finished this book. The first time I read this I felt nothing, so I don’t feel as though I fully understood it, or even really absorbed it at all. Reading this again, allowed me to see the book from a whole new side. I don’t feel sorry for everything that Morrie went through, I feel blessed to have heard his story. To know that even in the wake of death, he was still fighting and trying to live every moment to the fullest.

I would recommend this book, to anyone that has lost a loved one that they were very close with. It will bring tears to your eyes, but you will remember the times that you had with them whether they were good or bad. Morrie’s story has touched so many people and I hope that it will continue to touch people. It may take a few reads to get the true meaning behind the story, but once you grasp it, it will always stick with you until the day you die.

How did you come to read this? It was an assignment for my Nursing school. We had to read it and write a review on it.

Would you recommend it? Yes I would!

Why? It’s such a powerful story and moved me to tears.

Rating: 8 out of 10 Stars **********

Finished Reading on or Last read on: 8/19/09

If read more than once, How many times did you read it? twice

Contests (1)

2009-08-18T19:48:00.002-04:00

Bloody Bookaholics is having a great contest that everyone should check out. Lots of stuff to win so check it out peeps! Click here to check it out!

What am I Reading (2)

2009-08-17T22:26:00.004-04:00

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Summary: Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.

That’s what I’m reading now…Along with The Reformed Vampire Support Group still. I’m reading Morrie for my Nursing school.

In My Mailbox (3)

2009-08-17T22:19:00.004-04:00

In my mailbox is a post where I tell you the books that I have received this week either by buying them myself or by getting them in the mail. Check out The Story Siren to learn more!

This Week we have....

The Eternal Kiss by several authors, Purge by Sarah Darer Littman, and Tuesday's with Morrie by Mitch Albom. What did you get since the last In my mailbox?

Leave me a comment to let me know! :)

House of Night: Marked

2009-08-16T21:10:00.004-04:00

Title: House of Night: Marked

Pages: 320 Pages

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast

Marked is the first of many in the House of Night series. I first picked up the book, just because it was vampire related and I have a severe obsession with vampires; however now a days who doesn’t. From the first page I feel in love with it. It wasn’t like Twilight, in any way, but more so like Harry Potter.

The book starts out with a normal teenage girl, named Zoey, but with all vampire stories you know that something’s going to happen. A man goes to her school towards the end of the day and “marks” her. When this happens you’re considered to be a social outcast among your friends, and her boyfriend Heath and Best Friend, keep telling her they will still be together, but of course things change.

When you’re marked, you only have a certain amount of time to get to the House of Night school. Now the House of Night is a school for vampires in training, or fledglings is what they are called. Zoey becomes frantic because her mom doesn’t seem to care too much about her possibly dying to even bring her. She ends up going to see her grandmother and on her search ends up passing out not far from her house. When she wakes up she is at the House of Night.

The book continues in a Harry Potter way, there is girl who is much like Draco Malfoy and her name is Aphrodite. Zoey becomes close friends that are like family with a few others. Her family disowns her except for her grandmother who acts just like Mrs. Weasley. Zoey is also special in a way. She learns she has an affinity to all of the 5 elements, which many vampires don’t have, never mind fledglings.

Marked is a great novel for those just wanting to get into the vampire world, but if you’ve been in it for a while, it’s just another take on the vampire legend, and maybe not your style. Unless you’re a teenage girl, or still one at heart this book may not be for you. Thankfully I am still one at heart, and I did enjoy this book despite the amount of similarities it has with such the incredible Harry Potter Series.

I would’ve liked to have seen maybe something a little more unique rather than a kind of rip off from another story. It does feel like they took Harry Potter and what made Harry Potter so unique and basically stole some ideas from J.K. Rowling. I wish it was a little more unique of a story, however this has yet to be done in the vampire world.

How did you come to read this? After reading all of the Twilight Books, I needed to find another Vampire Series. I ended up finding this one, and fell in love with it.

Would you recommend it? Yes, but only to the young or young at heart.

Why? It’s a good story, and hasn’t been done in the vampire world.

Rating: 6/10 Stars **********

Finished Reading or Last read on: 1/15/09

Odd Girl Out

2009-08-13T21:19:00.002-04:00

Title: Odd Girl Out

Author: Rachel Simmons

Pages: 320

Summary: Although more than 16 years have passed, Rhodes Scholar Simmons hasn’t forgotten how she felt when Abby told the other girls in third grade not to play with her, nor has she stopped thinking about her own role in giving Noa the silent treatment. Simmons examines how such “alternative aggression” where girls use their relationship with the victim as a weapon flourishes and its harmful effects. Through interviews with more than 300 girls in 10 schools (in two urban areas and a small town), as well as 50 women who experienced alternative aggression when they were young, Simmons offers a detailed portrait of girls’ bullying. Citing the work of Carol Gilligan and Lyn Mikel Brown, she shows the toll that alternative aggression can take on girls’ self-esteem. For Simmons, the restraints that society imposes to prevent girls from venting feelings of competition, jealousy and anger is largely to blame for this type of bullying. It forces girls to turn their lives into “a perverse game of Twister,” where their only outlets for expressing negative feelings are covert looks, turned backs and whispers. Since the events at Columbine, some schools have taken steps to curb relational aggression. For those that haven’t, Simmons makes an impassioned plea that no form of bullying be permitted. (From Amazon.com

Review: Odd Girl Out is a book about aggression in girls of all ages and how the adults are dealing with it. We all know how cruel kids can be to one another, but there are just times when girls can be horrible! It seems that the teachers in schools are blind to what is going on because the girls being mean are always so nice to them, and when the girl getting bullied talks to them they just roll it off their shoulder because “She’s such a nice girl, she wouldn’t do that.” While the teacher calls the poor girl a liar, the other girls are still talking about her, so no one is on that girl’s side.

The bullied girl goes home and cries, and her poor mother has no idea what to do with her. When she asks what’s wrong, the little girl responds, “Nothing, just go away and leave me alone.” Finally the little girl will open up to her mother, and tell her everything that’s going on, and the mother furious that no one has done anything will step in and talk to the mother of the other child, the principle, the teacher, everyone she can until she finally gets the other child in trouble and gets her voice her that there is a problem.

When children are bullied starting at such a young age, their self-esteem falls and it’s hard for them to make friends and sometimes even have a normal life. It can cause drastic changes in their moods, and the child can be left a broken mess, that no one can clean up. The bullies really have no idea how much they damage someone just using their words.

As the children get older the fights become meaner and nastier. They can go from Taylor’s mom still buys her footie pajamas to Taylor’s the world’s biggest slut. Things like that can ruin a person for life. Another thing that bullies seem to like to prey on is body image. They can call the skinniest girl in the school fat, just because they don’t like her, and then everyone will be doing it. That girl could then develop an eating disorder, and it all started, just because someone didn’t like her.

In the chapter titled, Intimate Enemies, Rachel Simmons talks about how girls hurt their friends. They whisper behind their friend’s back, while glaring at them out of the corner of their eyes. Right then the person being stared at feels uncomfortable and knows that something is starting to go wrong. They don’t want to believe it, so when they ask, “What’s so funny?” and their friend replies, “Oh it’s nothing,” on the outside they believe them, but on the inside they know that’s not true.

The book does raise questions, I feel that if girls know how mean they can be, and they do, then why do they still do it. It’s not like it will look good on a resume or college application. Do they just do it to hold power over someone? Do they like to belittle people?

When you think of a bully, most people think of a big burly boy, not some little girl that is really sweet to everyone. The female bullies are out there and they need to be noticed. Girls are brutal, if you’re too big they make fun of you, if you’re too small they make fun of you, if you wear the wrong style shirt to school they make fun of you. Every little thing you do they pick on and make you feel like you’re so small.

This book makes you think. Everyone at one point or another has either been the bully or been bullied, so then why do teachers not do anything about it. If they see the girl shoot another girl a dirty look, why don’t they question why or anything like that. They just seem to let it go, and let it roll right off their shoulders. Just because a person can be really sweet around adults, does not mean that they are always like that.

Female bullying is around in all cultures, with girls of all ages, even adults! As the years go by the fights go from “you stole my pen” to “you stole my husband” or “you stole my promotion.” The adult bullies are few and far between, but they are still out there.

Female aggression is often seen in the teenage years. That’s when more girls tend to turn on each other the most. There tends to be more pressure from parents to get good grades, and get involved in activities, so when something happens between two friends someone usually tends to snap because they are under a lot of stress. Their bodies are changing and so are their interest, so why is it that when we need each other the most, we are often turning on each other?

When you are the person who is the outcast, it hurts. No one ever seems to think, “Well what if the show was on the other foot.” That’s not how girls think. By getting everyone on “your side” you now have the power and you can almost control the other person. It’s hard for us to admit, but honestly who wouldn’t want the power, it will make everyone like you, and you would become one of the most popular people in school. But like most things, popularity comes with a cost. You belittle a person who has stuck by you through all the tears, the break-ups, and who has been there all along, and that’s just to become popular.

One of the most common things when dealing with female bullying and aggression is depression, which can lead to other things such as self-harm and suicide. It’s in our nature as humans to want and crave relationships in general no matter if they are healthy or not. When your friends are all turning on you, you just don’t want to believe them, or you try and fix all the things that they make fun of you for. You get different clothing, change your hair, your shoes, start doing worse in school, and this is all just to get a few people to like you. However nothing seems to work.

Once they’ve turned on you, you now have no one to sit with at lunch, chat with between classes, or hang out with after school. You’re “friends” all make plans to go to the movies this weekend right in front of you, but no one’s even asked you if you would like to come, so you chime in and say “Oh I can’t go this weekend my mom needs my help cleaning the house.” And one of the girls says, “Well what makes you think you were invited.” This stings. It rings in your ears and all you can say to yourself to not cry is those funny lyrics you heard in the car on the way to school. Once you get in the comfort of your own room at home, the tears just come. All you want to do is curl up and die, because you’ve had it confirmed. They don’t like you anymore, and now you have no idea what to do.

When you go through this type of thing at such a young age, it can ruin you for years to come. You end up with trust issues, and believe that every friend you’ve ever made will leave you. When that one friend comes along that hasn’t left, you still fear that they will, because no one has shown them differently. No matter how many times you tell them you won’t run, it’s always in the back of their mind.

In the section labeled, Annie’s Story, Rachel Simmons talks about a young girl who is torn between two friends. One is more of a loner, Samantha, and the other is one of the popular, Alison. Towards the end of the friendship with the Samantha, she started to act like a stalker would. The mother was so worried; that she would intercept phone calls meant for her daughter and would tell Samantha that Annie couldn’t speak on the phone today. Annie felt like she couldn’t do anything. Whatever she did would make one of them more upset. Eventually she had to rid herself of both friendships, because they just weren’t healthy for a child that young to have.

Just Kidding, talks about girls that use humor to get back at someone. They will start making rumors up about a girl or talking about a girl behind their backs to one of their friends, but the moment they are caught by an authority figure, they were “just kidding.” By saying this they think that everything is ok, and that they can keep talking about this as long as they are “just kidding.”

When you start to get others involved in the fight, they are known as theMiddlegirls. They are the people that don’t want to take sides, but go from friend to friend telling one what the other said. Many times this makes the situation worse, because the girl in the middle likes the attention she’s getting, so she makes matters worse, by saying something different than the other girl side. The analogy that Rachel Simmons used was a ping pong ball, because the middle girl is being tossed between two girls that are like ping pong paddles.

One of the reasons Rachel Simmons gives for writing this book is because when she was young, she too had to deal with bullies when she was young. In the beginning of the book she talks about how every young girl is either bullied or the bully. Female bullying goes so unnoticed because adults just chalk it up to be girls being girls. However if it’s boys fighting then they do yell at them to stop.

Odd Girl Out is also a movie, and it takes a few of the different stories and meshes them all into one big story. We see how cruel girls can be and just how much damage they can do, with only one rumor. But we all know how it is once one rumor spreads; it escalates from there. If some young teenagers wouldn’t want to read the book, the movie addresses the same issue, and honestly I think it gave the story of female aggression a little more meaning because it was a visual thing, you didn’t have to imagine anything happening because it was happening right in front of you.

Though Rachel Simmons writes very well, it felt as if she kept making her point over and over again. Maybe that was the point of the book, but she would use different stories from people, and then would say pretty much the same thing about each one. The girl was bullied by another girl, bullying is bad, adults need to step in sooner, we’ve all been there. It never felt that each story had it’s individual problem that she addressed and I think it would have benefited a lot more from that.

The intended audience would have to be women from the ages of 15-100. If teenagers were to read this book, then maybe they would understand how cruel they can be and how hurtful they can be to their fellow classmates, even when they don’t mean to. No matter the age a woman will always be able to relate to this topic, no matter if they were the bully or the one being bullied. Maybe if the bully were to watch it they would remember how they treated that girl in high school, and think back and now feel sorry for them, and the pain that they caused.

Female bullying is everywhere and needs to become more noticed. We punish the boys for being bullies and fighting but just because you don’t always see the girls directly do something, doesn’t mean that they aren’t doing it. Girls can be very sneaky and will usually shoot glances behind their backs.

Rumors spread like wild fires and can damage any girl’s reputation, self-esteem, and even their lives. Because someone may have called them a name once, it can have daunting repercussions on anyone. Bullies beware adults are watching now, so stop making that poor girls life miserable and start lending a helping hand.

How did you come to read this? It was actually an assignment given to me for my psychology class, we were able to choose any book out of a list she had given, and this one popped out at me, because I had seen the movie and loved it.

Would you recommend it? Only to females that are old enough to understand female aggression.

Why? Because young kids may not fully appreciate the book yet.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars **********

Finished Reading on or Last read on: 8/13/09

If Read more than once, how many times have you read it: Only this once.

In My Mailbox (2)

2009-08-10T21:17:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is a post where I tell you the books that I received this week either by buying them from the bookstore, going to the library or from my mailbox. Check out The Story Siren to learn more!

A list of books I have received/bought this past week.

We have Hit and Run by Lurlene McDaniel, Chosen by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast, and Sweep Book 1: Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan. Definitely gotta catch up with both the books I’m currently reading so I can read the other books I bought…. What did you get since the last Inbox update? Leave me a comment!

Crank

2009-07-29T21:16:00.001-04:00

Title: Crank

Author: Ellen Hopkins

Pages: 544 Pages

Summary:

Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina — she’s fearless.

Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul — her life.

Review: Crank is a story that is based on real events, that happened to author Ellen Hopkins. Kristina Snow is every one’s idea of the stereotypical daughter, however on a trip to see her deadbeat father she begins to get involved with “the monster,” and her life begins to spiral out of control.

Crank is an incredible story not just about addiction, but also what it does to you and your family. The story is told in verse which makes it even more amazing. Ellen Hopkins captures such real emotions on paper, you would think that this is happening in your very own household. In my opinion every young teen should read that story of Kristina, so they really get a feel at what addiction does to you.

I do have to say one thing that really struck me, was when her, her father, and her “boyfriend” were all doing it together. I can’t imagine a father letting his daughter do that in front of him never mind doing it together. It will really show how lucky some people are to have parents that are incredibly strict. Parents that are loose and try to “party” with you are just causing harm to kids and they don’t even realize it.

Crank is a great read, and you’ll be glad once have listened to her story. I love the way it’s written in verse, and it makes it even more unique. Also the cover art is really cool looking, but so are most of Ellen Hopkins’s books.

How did you come to read this? I was rummaging around in Borders one day, and I took a look at this book. I started to read a few pages, and I got hooked on it. However I didn’t have the money to spend on it yet, so I had to go back to get it another time.

Would you recommend it? Yes and actually one of my friends just bought it because of my recommendation.

Why? Because it’s an incredible story that I think every young person should read.

Rating: 8/10 Stars **********

Finished reading or Last read on: 1/1/09

If Read more than once, How many times have you read it? 3

In my Mailbox (1)

2009-07-27T21:13:00.002-04:00

So here we have Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley, Willow by Julia Hoban, and Specials by Scott Westerfield. Can’t wait to get readin!!

What am I Reading (1)

2009-07-27T21:12:00.000-04:00

So This week I am reading The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks. I’m reading this book for pleasure.

Summary: (Taken From Amazon.com)

It’s hard to get too involved in a cast of barely likable whiners and pathetic hand-wringers, but somehow that isn’t much of a problem in Jinks’ droll vampire send-up. These bloodsuckers are anything but sexy and mysterious, as here vampirism is a cross between a defining addiction and communicable disease; those infected spend most of their time being seriously ill and attending AA-style meetings with fellow sufferers. Nina, permanently arrested at 15 years old, can’t stand her fellow group members, but when one of them is found staked they all must work together to uncover the slayer before he can kill again. While readers might feel pushed rather than led through the plot, Jinks offers some wry vampire-centric twists on mystery conventions (having to repeatedly piece together what happened while literally dead to the world from sunup to sundown); and when the humor hits its mark, this can be laugh-out-loud funny. Most of the comedy, though, lies in the wide-angle skewering of support groups and fringe characters more suited to hemming and hawing than biting and sucking.

Another book I’m reading is Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons. I am reading this for my psychology class.

Summary: This is about female bullying and aggression. Mostly it is through the school years. It’s all true tales of things that have happened to real girls. I think that all girls should read this book, just to know that they are not alone.

This is what I’m reading now. I hope to have the Vampire book done soon and a review up within the next week.

New Moon

2009-06-09T21:08:00.002-04:00

Title: New Moon

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Pages: 563 Pages

Summary:

So as promised, here is a review to the sequel of Twilight. As Many know, the story follows Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, two people from very distant worlds that are destined to be together. A modern day Romeo and Juliet if you will. Our story starts around Bella’s Birthday, in September and, well I’ll just say it, all hell breaks loose. Edward and his sister Alice have planned a special birthday night at their house for Bella. And the newest vegetarian, Jasper, plays a very pivotal character in this scene, but I won’t spoil that for people that haven’t read it.

After her birthday, for several days Edward is very distant and depressed. He loves Bella, but he knows that if he sticks around for much longer she may winde up dead or just like him. Eventually he opens up and confronts Bella on what is wrong. Which causes her to go into a complete depression, which no one can really seem to pull her out of. That is until Jacob Black comes along.

Jacob Black not really the boy next door, but very close to it. A young boy who is a family friend, goes to Bella’s rescue. They end up becoming best friends and when Jacob starts to become distant and moody with Bella, she starts to sink again, until he tells her what has been going on. Jacob his gang have a dark secret, that if it gets out could cause a lot of commotion. So when he tells her, the others don’t think it’s a good idea and don’t take too well to her being in on it. However considering the other secrets Bella has kept and is still keeping, many end up being ok with it.

Bella becomes a thrill seeker, because when she does something dangerous she hears Edwards voice in her head, and it makes her happy. With Alice’s ability to see the future, it makes it look like she is attempting suicide. When Alice sees this she of course lets her brother know, who says he cannot live in a world where Bella doesn’t exist.

New Moon captures audiences back into the world of Forks, Washington. It’s Another hit for Stephenie Meyer.

How did you come to read this? I had read Twilight, and finished it in a day and fell in love with it. At the end of the book there was an excerpt from New Moon and I ran out the next day and bought it!

Would you recommend it? Yes and like with Twilight, I have to a few people who loved it as well.

Why? Again it’s a great story. It sucks me in and I could read it over and over again and not get sick of it.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars **********

Finished reading or Last read: 7/16/08

If read more than once, How many times have you read it? About 3 or 4 times.

Twilight

2009-03-02T20:43:00.001-05:00

Title: Twilight

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Pages: 544 Pages

Summary:

Stephenie Meyer’s first book has become a hit! The book has been on the bestseller list for months, the movie made the top 10 grossing movies at the box office of 2008. The book isn’t just for young girls but it’s also for men and women and people of all ages. Some men are ashamed to admit that they like the story of Bella and Edward, but the ones that aren’t really seem to prove something to the rest of the world; they’re comfortable in their masculinity to admit they like a teen romance.

Isabella Swan moves in with her father Charlie to the little town of Forks, Washington where the sun barely shines. Her first day of school everyone looks at her like she is the shiny new toy, except for one man.

Edward isn’t your average man, he sparkles in the sunlight, feeds on animals, and hungers for Bella’s blood. Yes you’ve guessed it Edward is a Vampire. You ask me, How does he sparkle in the sunlight? Aren’t vampires “allergic” to the sun? In the eyes of Stephenie Meyer, vampires are allowed in the sun, but no in public. Once the sun hits them their skin starts to glitter like diamonds. Edward and his family are “vegetarians” that don’t feed on humans, but instead on animals which is how they are able to stay in one place for a few years before they have to move on to somewhere else.

The story of Edward and Bella will make you want to fall in love with the story over and over again. Edward will become most women’s prince charming. The tale of their love is much like Buffy and Angel’s from Buffy the Vampire Slayer the television series, but with slight differences.

Get ready for a wild romance that will leave you coming back for more. Twilight is an excellent story for the young and old of all sexes.

How did you come to read this? I was in Borders one day about 3 or 4 years ago, and I came across this book. I read the back and was like “No! They basically re-did Buffy!” However I kept looking at it, and eventually said to myself “Alright fine! I’ll give it a try.”

Would you recommend it? Yes and I have to a few people who have also enjoyed it.

Why? It’s a great book! It’s fun to read, and it really captivates you into the story. Honestly how many people wish they were Bella!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars! **********

Finished Reading on or Last read: Last read on 7/1/08.

If read more than once, How many times have you read it? By now, hmmm…At least 4!