Teaser Tuesday VIII

I saw this over at Fizzy Thoughts and I thought it was interesting, so I decided to try it.

GRAB your current read OR the closest book to you
LET the book fall open to a random page.
SHARE with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
YOU also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
PLEASE avoid spoilers!


The Upper Class
Hobson Brown, Taylor Materne and Caroline Says

Page 122

"...Apples fallen from arthritic trees rot in tall grass, giving off a vinegar-vanilla smell. They enter deeper, truer, bluer woods..."

"...She drapes herself forward, holds his neck, puts her face to his hot, bristly hide. Their hearts beat in opposite rhythms..."

21 Questions-- I Need YOUR Help!!

Hey Guys. I'm going to start a feature on my blog called 21 Questions. This is pretty self-explanatory, but what it is is that I'm going to ask an author 21 Questions from me and my readers[That's YOU]. Which is where YOU come in. We need to work together to come up with a list of questions for these awaiting authors. So if YOU have any questions that you'd like to ask an author, then comment away. It'd be greatly appreciated. Also if you have any authors in mind that you'd like to feature in this, let me know and I'll send them an email. But I'm not promising anything.


I'd like to get this started at the beginning of February so I'll be taking questions till the end of January.

Thanks!

Red Scarf Girl by Ji LI Jiang

This is a summary, kinda, not a review.


Red Scarf Girl by Ji Li Jiang
-A memoir of the Cultural Revolution-

"Ji-li's deeply moving story should be on teh shelf of ever person's library. Her courage in the face of adversity and her steadfast loyalty and love for her family are truly inspirational for young and old alike."

-Nien Cheng
Author of A aLife and Death in Shanghai.

Well the back of the book didn't give a summary, but it did give that quote. Amazon didn't have a summary up either, but it did have reviews is that helps. LINK

There's a New Kid on the Blog

Have you heard/read the whispers? Well it's all true, there's a new kid on the blogging-sphere and they're totally Anonymous. No really, no one knows who they are. But be the first to guess right and YOU get a prize. Don't believe me, check it out yourself over at Ask A. LINK

On My Door Step VII

I totally "borrowed" this from The Story Siren. On My Door Step is just another name for In my mailbox, a topic where you share with everyone, on Sunday, what you books you got during the week. It can be a book you borrowed, bought, or one you found on your door step. I thought I'd join in on the fun, when I can.






How NOT To Be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler
Thanks to Mrs. Magoo Reads and Jennifer









Red Scarf Girl by Ji Li Hang
Thanks to .. me.

So... what happened to my new rating system?

Well, I decided to just do away with it all. Like Lenore put it, "Giving a rating can be so hard." And that is totally true. Hopefully my voice really stands out and you can tell if I liked the book or not through my regular reviews. But what I will do is like if something really stands out to me, such as characters (look at my review of Poison Ivy) or the plot or the beginning or ending [you get the idea], then I'll be sure to add that in my review. So really, everyone wins, kinda. But thanks for all the suggestions you guys gave me. And I'm sorry if you feel you wasted your time in leaving a comment/suggestion, since I'm just not rating really.

Poison Ivy by Amy Goldman Koss

Poison Ivy
Amy Goldman Koss

OVERVIEW
Ms. Gold is dying for her third period Government class to have a mock trial. Unfortunately, when she asks the students for trial-worthy suggestions, they come up blank. So, upon finding a “suicidal” note by “Poison” Ivy, a girl getting picked on in class, Ms. Gold jumps on and runs with the case. Given from eight different points of view, Poison Ivy takes the reader on the road to “Poison” Ivy’s freedom from the tormenting grip of the “Anns.”

PLOT
Everyone knows that Ivy is always getting picked on, and its due time she got a break, but apparently, that isn’t motive enough for the students of Ms. Gold’s third period to stand up to the Anns. These middle graders are still caught up in the popularity ring, therefore choosing not to cross those with power, hence Ann and her friends. Instead, they sit back, relax, and watch the trail as it unfolds, wrongfully, in favor of Ann.

CHARACTERS
The characters of Poison Ivy were all very realistic. I’m sure we all have one of each in school. Ann was just as superficial as she would have been in real life and Shannon was such a groupie. You’d think Daria would have gotten out of her box, but I think this case actually made her sink farther in. But with the help of Cameron things could be changing for her. [You go girl!] Ivy was just well, Ivy. I don’t think she really cared much about the trial. To her, it was just another form of torment. Owen, the Anns’ lawyer, was my favorite of all the characters. Although he was defending the bad guys, he did a very good job of it. If ever caught in a fix, I know who to turn to for help. Overall, I loved how Poison Ivy was written from a multiple-person POV. I don’t think it would have been enjoyable if it would have been just Ann’s or Ivy’s side of the story. The book then would have been totally bias.

OVERALL
Poison Ivy is purely an ironic tale of doing what is right and/or what is expected of you. I was definitely taken by surprise at how everything turned out, but I guess it just goes to show that life’s not fair. A total tale to reverse psychology, but a funny one at that.

Waiting on Wednesday I

Waiting on Wednesday is a topic brought to life by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. In it, you get to introduce to everyone the books you're looking forward in the upcoming year and such.




Geek Charming
Robin Palmer

288 pages
Puffin (February 5, 2009)




Dylan Shoenfield is the princess of L.A.’s posh Castle Heights High. She has the coolest boyfriend, the most popular friends, and a brand-new “it” bag that everyone covets. But when she accidentally tosses her bag into a fountain, this princess comes face-to-face with her own personal frog: selfprofessed film geek Josh Rosen. In return for rescuing Dylan’s bag, Josh convinces Dylan to let him film her for his documentary on high school popularity. Reluctantly, Dylan lets F-list Josh into her A-list world, and is shocked to realize that sometimes nerds can be pretty cool. But when Dylan’s so-called prince charming of a boyfriend dumps her flat, her life—and her social status— comes to a crashing halt. Can Dylan—with Josh’s help—pull the pieces together to create her own happily-ever-after? (Amazon)

Teaser Tuesday VII

I saw this over at Fizzy Thoughts and I thought it was interesting, so I decided to try it.

GRAB your current read OR the closest book to you]
LET the book fall open to a random page.
SHARE with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
YOU also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
PLEASE avoid spoilers!


My Fair Godmother
Janette Rallison

page 252

"Just like that? He was deciding to marry me after one dance?"

"The dance ended, and I waited for Prince Edmond to walk me off the dance floor."

The Best Birthday Present Ever

My brother just gave me my b-day present and I'll have to say it's the best I've gotten so far. It is a quarter and he gave it practically a day late, but this quarter is no ordinary quarter. It's the quarter I would have payed DOLLARS for. It's the State Quarter Hawaii, it's the one and only quarter I still needed, It's the final installment in my State Quarter Collection!! Let's just say I am filled with joy because my collection is finally complete, and just in the nick of time too. Thank you very much Gilmore. You are so awesome, for the moment! Anyone else collect these?

Here are pictures of my COMPLETE collection!