Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

I have finally seen the final instalment of the Harry Potter EPIC Saga. I have been a fan of the book since I read the first one back in 2000. I will admit, I was a little apprehensive to see this movie-- mostly because I did NOT want to see my Favorite character be BRUTALLY murdered by a maniac and his pet snake, but I was also afraid it would not live up to my expectations.

I was gladly surprised with the awesomeness of the movie. I enjoyed the fight scenes and even though I cried when my favorite character was brutally murdered, I was pleased with how they made that scene. My favorite Molly Weasley line of all time was left in the movie and caused me to throw my arms in the air with joy.

One thing I will say about the movie, it should certain background characters dying that I didn't realized died in the book. I don't want to give too much away, because I'm not sure who has seen the movie or read the book yet. . .

I can't believe this era is over. The movies have been coming for the past 10 years and the books were out before that. I feel as if I have grown up with these characters who are actually OLDER than I am if we go by JK Rowlings timeline. Thinking about it, I'm younger than Ginny Weasley!

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

Ginny is home after a summer long trip her dead Aunt Peg sent her on. School is out for Christmas break and Ginny gets an email from a stranger named Oliver claiming to have her backpack and letters. The mysterious stranger refuses to give Ginny her letters until they are face to face, so Ginny has to go back to England and Uncle Richard. Once in England, Ginny goes to visit her "Friend" Keith (the one she needed to have a DTR talk with) only to find out he has a girlfriend now.

When stranger Oliver demands Ginny follows the instructions of the 13th Letter WITH him, Keith insists he go as well and Keith's girlfriend tags along. Now not only does Ginny have to deal with Oliver-- who still hasn't given her Aunt Peg's letters-- but her feelings toward Keith and his new girlfriend.

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I loved loved loved The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson. When I heard that there was going to be a sequel to the first book, I squealed. I've been waiting for this for awhile now, and I'm thrilled I was not disappointed with it. Maureen Johnson found a way to suck me right into Ginny's experience and I found myself working through my feelings of the book much as Ginny did.

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Stork by Wendy Delsol

Hello everyone! I know it's been an eternity since I last talked to you all. I've been slacking. Anyway, I just finished a REALLY great book called Stork by Wendy Delsol.

From Barnes&Noble.com:

Moving from LA to nowhere Minnesota, sixteen-year-old Katla Leblanc expected the local fashion scene to be frozen in time. What she didn’t expect was induction into the Icelandic Stork Society, an ancient order of women charged with a unique mystical duty. Not only is Katla the youngest member, but Hulda, the society’s omen-guided leader, immediately bestows the coveted Second Chair on her — a decision that ruffles a few feathers. . . 

Things would be looking up if it weren’t for editor in chief Jack. Even though they argue every time they meet, Katla is inexplicably drawn to him. Juggling her home life, school, and Stork duties, will Katla be able to unravel the mystery surrounding Jack? More importantly, will she find a dress in time for Homecoming?

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I have to admit, when  I first picked this book up, I wasn't sure what I would think.  I liked the blurb and the cover was pretty cool too. Then I started reading and fell in love. The only bad thing about the book is sequel doesn't come out until October and  I really want to read it now!

Best Weekend EVER (so far)

On Saturday, I went to one of the local high schools for a really cool event. It was the first annual April is for Authors event.
So many wonderful authors made time to come and give amazing lectures and sit on panel discussions. The authors I was able to meet were Chris Crutcher, Doug Wilhelm, Donna Gephart, Edward Bloor, Katie Alender and Alex Flinn.
Since I focus on YA books, I loved being able to hear some of the thoughts and advice the different authors had for Teens. I never realized just how FUNNY Chris Crutcher really is. I went to a panel discussion called "Dear Author" and on this particular panel Edward Bloor, Chris Crutcher and Alex Flinn answered questions about various letters they have received from fans (or English students who were forced to write to them) and how they touched them. It was really cool to hear just how much authors actually listen and respond to their fans.

One thing that was super cool was meeting Chris Crutcher. The first thing  I read of his was Chinese Handcuffs and I haven't stopped reading. It surprised me that he was so funny when the material he writes is usually dark and deep.

I also went to a panel about the middle school experience with Donna Gephart, Mary Monroe and Doug Wilhelm. This panel had the authors focus on why they choose to write for Middle schoolers. I love that Doug Wilhelm described himself as being awkward! Donna Gephart and Doug Wilhelm both talked about how they remember their awkward middle school years and wanted to make sure kids knew they are not alone.

I also went to a lecture by Katie Alender (Bad Girls Don't Die) which was highly entertaining. Katie is such a happy and delightful person-- high energy and really neat to talk to. Even though I'm no longer in High School,   she had some really fun things she learned in school like being your own boss and realizing that your true friends like you for who you are, not what you have. Her ideas were SPOT on and something I wish I would have realized back in high school.

Probably the best thing about the author even on Saturday was how every author there was super encouraging for those who are thinking about becoming a writer. Each author gave budding authors helpful tips and hints on how to get their creativity going.

I have to admit, I was completely STARSTRUCK on Saturday. So many authors were there and I got to meet them. It's cool that  I can now say I have books signed by Alex Flinn, Chris Crutcher, Doug Wilhelm, Edward Bloor and Katie Alender on my bookshelf. I'm still in awe and totally grateful for the opportunity to meet them. :O)

Love and Happy Reading,

Teaser Tuesday 1 Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen

 Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen

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!

My Teaser:

"At least my hands not wet. Or smelly. I reach back into my bag and pull out Fisher's surprise." page 163

YA Bloggers Book Battle 2011: Best OVERLOOKED YA Book!

I am so excited. I've been sitting on this little nugget of information for a couple of days now and I am so excited to announce to you, my participation in this years YA Bloggers Book Battle. Alyssa from The Shady Glade has graciously decided to host this Battle. I am going to be a Round 2 judge for Alyssa! I won't be active in the first part of the Battle, but when the Round 1 judges narrow the Long list down, I'll step in and start reading. This will be my first time participating as a Judge in any kind of Battle so, I'm a little nervous, but extremely ready for this.
This  Year's Theme is really cool. It's Best Overlooked YA Book. According to Alyssa at The Shady Glade,

Best Overlooked Book

For the purposes of this battle, the definition of an "overlooked book" is a book that never got the recognition it deserves. These are books we love, but no one has ever seem to hear of. So now they'll get their chance to shine!

Well, today, Alyssa has posted the long list of nominees for the Book Battle and I am Happy to announce the list to you. You can also view the list on Alyssa's blog and watch the Battle unfold. Here is the amazing LONG list:

2011 YA Bloggers Book Battle official long list (in alphabetical order):

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley

Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund

Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft

Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences by Brian Yansky

Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia

Aya by Marguerite Abouet

Birthmarked by Caragh M O'Brien

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer

By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell

Compromised by Heidi Ayarbe

Crowned by Julie Linker

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding

Dreamhunter (The Dreamhunter Duet, Book 1) by Elizabeth Knox

Elixir by Hillary Duff

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

Fat Cat by Robin Brande

Hannah (Daughters Of The Sea) by Kathryn Lasky

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Heist Society by Ally Carter

High Heat by Karl Deuker

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Intrinsical by Lani Woodland

John Belushi Is Dead by Kathy Charles

Kathleen's Story (Angels in Pink) by Lurlene McDaniel

Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth

Keturah And Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kristen Miller

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt

Meridian by Amber Kizer

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Nomansland by Lesley Hauge

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

On Viney's Mountain by Joan Donaldson

Ophelia by Lisa M. Klein

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Polly and the Pirates, Volume 1 by Ted Naifeh

Powerless Book 1: The Synthesis by Jason Letts

Revenge of the Witch (The Last Apprentice) by Joseph Delaney

Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson

Shades of Atlantis by Carol Oates

She Smells the Dead by E.J. Stevens

She's So Money by Cherry Cheva

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Song Of The Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell

StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Storm Thief by Chris Wooding

Stravaganza: City Of Masks by Mary Hoffman

The 10 PM Question by Kate De Goldi

Cry Of The Icemark by Stuart Hill

The Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda

The Flappers: Vixen by Jillian Larkin

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle

The Last Knight (Knight and Rogue) by Hilari Bell

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose by Mary Hooper

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell

The Shifter: The Healing Wars #1 by Janice Hardy

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

The Thin Executioner by Darren Shan

The Third Pig Detective Agency by Bob Burke

The Trouble with Kings by Sherwood Smith

Threads and Flames by Esther Friesner

Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress by Tina Ferraro

Tyger Tyger: A Goblin Wars Book by Kersten Hamilton

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

Winter's End by Jean-Claude Mourlevat

This list has some pretty cool titles, and it has some books I haven't come across. I'm super excited to be a part of this Battle and can't wait to see how it goes.

Stay tuned to my blog to see how things go these next couple of months and also keep checking Alyssa's blog. She'll have more about the battle as things progress. I can't wait to find out what the YA Bloggers have decided is the BEST OVERLOOKED YA BOOK. Be sure to head over to Alyssa's blog and pick up a Book Battle Button.
Happy Reading!

Beastly by Alex Flinn

With the movie already out in theaters, this may seem a bit late. . . however, I told myself I had to read and blog the book before I would allow myself to go see it in theaters. I wanted to use my own imagination before I had Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer's faces dominating my brain. I'm not sure how well that worked though. . .

Since I just finished the book, I figured I would go ahead and review it BEFORE I see the movie and then once I see the movie (sometime this weekend) I will discuss how I felt about both of them. I've already noticed a few discrepancies with the movie from the previews alone. . .

Kyle Kingsbury is a spoiled NYC prep boy. He lives in a fancy Manhattan apartment with his father-- a newsanchor who is rarely home and he's nominated for 9th grade prince for his school dance. He doesn't care about anyone but himself. He has a girlfriend named Sloane who is just as self-absorbed and focused on popularity as he is and Kyle fails to respect those who are "below" him.

As a joke, Kyle asks Kendra-- an overweight goth girl-- to go with him to the dance, knowing he had no intentions of going with her. His girlfriend, Sloane demands an orchid for her corsage, but instead of getting the corsage, he sends his housekeeper, Magda. Magda finds the beauty in a white rose and gives it to Kyle to give to Sloane. Sloane has a hissey fit about the rose and Kyle ends up giving it to a girl who is taking tickets at the dance.

When Kendra shows up without a ticket, Kyle blows her off after insulting her, but its Kendra who has the final word. She leaves Kyle with a simple warning, "You'll see." and leaves the dance.

Kyle's world is turned upside down when he gets home from Sloane's after the dance. Kendra is there, but she's not just a high school girl. She transforms Kyle into what he was inside-- a horrible beast. She tells him that he has 2 years to find a girl to love and to be loved by her in return or he will be DOOMED to remain a beast forever. Kendra also bestows on him, a magic mirror to see the world with and warns him NOT to break the mirror.

Kyle only has 2 years to find a girl and once his father locks him away in a Brooklyn Brownstone with his housekeeper, Magda and a blind tutor named Will, he looses all hope. It isn't until a drug adict breaks into the greenhouse he built that hope begins to blossom again. . .
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This is probably one of my FAVORITE retellings of a classic tale. I never thought to think about things from the Beast's perspective, mainly because I'm a girl. However,  I LOVED how Alex Flinn was able to break into the Beast's mind, show us what lead to his becoming the creature we've grown to love through Disney and through him into 21st Century America. In the decade where we are obsessed with shows like Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl, it's great to see something from a guys p.o.v. I found myself repulsed by Kyle in the beginning, but loving and rooting for him in the end. Even though I was pretty sure how the book would end, I was still facsinated and engrossed in the way Alex Flinn was able to make Kyle's journey from Beast to Man occur.

This book deserves 4 dragonflies: I love it, recommend it, and someone is getting Beastly as a gift sometime this year.