Born at Midnight Winner!

And the winner is: Shannon the Bookstalker!

Thanks to everyone that signed up :)

Can’t Hardly Wait (9)

This weekly meme is inspired by Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesdays. Each week I showcase a book that I'm impatiently waiting for.  This week it’s:

 Abandon by Meg Cabot

Release date: April 28, 2011

Summary from Goodreads.com:

New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

I ordered this on the basis of “it’s Meg Cabot”, and I think this is the first time I’ve actually seen the description.  I’m really intrigued now.

Ten Books I’d Love to See Made into Movies

Top Ten Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  As lovers of books and of lists, they post a list each week.  Check it out for other lists, and to link up your own list there.

This week’s topic is:

Ten Books I’d Love to See as Movies

I’m a little worried about these since I’ve had favorite books turned into really poor adaptations (cough…Ella Enchanted…).   Here are some stories I’d really like to see done well.

First, some movies I’d like to see Disney tackle (I love the fairytales):

1. The Twelve Dancing Princesses, there have been some very good versions of this story: Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier, Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, Entwined by Heather Dixon.  I would love to see this story come to life (besides the Barbie movie).

2. The Princess and the Pea, because this isn’t a very meaty story.  I’d love to see it hashed out.

3. Snow White and Rose Red, not many people know this story.   I especially like the version by Patricia Wrede.

Now, onto non-fairytale books…starting with mysteries:

4. The Heist Society by Ally Carter, I just kept thinking Oceans 11 when I was reading this.  I would love to see it on screen!

5. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting as long as it is not directed by Catherine Hardwicke.  I would not be able to stomach it if all of the friendship and relationship development was trumped for chemistry.

Historical fiction I’d like to see:

6. The Agency by Y.S. Lee, we don’t see many historical movies these days, besides those on Masterpiece Theater.

7. The Season by Sarah MacLean-a mystery, dancing, pretty dresses.  I’m so there!  BBC are you in?

Another book I’d love to see, but not by the Disney Channel.  They could over-cheesify and ruin this! (Yes, cheesify is not really a word.)

8. Forgive my Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

And my final two:

9. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, I can just picture this book so vividly, I think it would come to life on screen very well.

10. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  While reading this I kept thinking about the Hunger Games and how similar they are to our reality tv shows today, without the fight to the death part (we just vote people off).  I can’t wait for the actual movie to come out and pray that it will be done well.

Alright, what made your list?

Tune in next week for: Top Ten Tuesday Rewind (in which I get to pick a topic I never got around to).  Let’s say: Favorite books of 2010.

Born at Midnight Giveaway

Released March 29, 2011

Summary from Goodreads.com:

Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams,  Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever.  Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.”  Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either.  Or does she?  They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason.  As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas.  Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past.  Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. 

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

 

So, I’m giving away one copy to one lucky winner.  Just fill out the form and start sending happy thoughts to the random number generator.  The winner will be announced April 25th.

Top Ten Covers I’d Love to Change

Top Ten Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by the Broke and the Bookish.  They love lists, almost as much as they love books.  Each week they post a new topic and you can link your list from the site as well. 

This week’s topic is Ten Covers I’d love to change (not necessarily because they’re bad)…

1. Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia Wrede.  This one was changed for me.  I have the old cover, and am lusting after the new version.

 

 

2. Haven by Kristi Cook.  I loved this debut novel, but the cover’s not doing it for me.  It’s too simple and doesn’t seem to relate to the plot.

 

3. Warped by Maurissa Guibord, another debut novel I loved.  I really just wish I could see the girls hair.  It freaks me out a little that I can’t.

 

4. Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt, just a little too pink.  It makes the book seem excessively girly, but I’m missing the magic element of the story.

5. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.  I didn’t love this book, but the new cover makes me want to read it again in spite of my previous feelings.

6. The Seer and the Sword by Victoria Hanley.  The cover on this one reminded me of Bruce Coville and I kept thinking it was a unicorn story, until I picked it up.  Inside was a gem that I had almost missed because I didn’t like the cover.

7. A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn.  The first cover is the paperback book cover I just saw at the store.  It matches the covers for Beastly and Cloaked, but I love my cover (to the right) so much more.

8. The Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle.  Something about the cover just seemed fake or too cheesy to me, but I love the book.  Maybe my problem is the fan.

9. Beauty Sleep by Cameron Dokey, really the whole Once Upon a Time Series, I’m glad that they’ve started switching to the new models because I didn’t enjoy the headless figures.

10. Teen Idol by Meg Cabot.  I just want more than the words displayed on the cover.

Okay, now it’s your turn.  What do you think?  Any covers you’ve been dying to change?

Tune in next week for Ten Books I’d Like to see Made into Movies.

Can’t Hardly Wait (8)

This weekly meme is inspired by Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesdays. Each week I showcase a book that I'm impatiently waiting for. This week's choice is: My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison Release date: April 12th, 2011 And for your added pleasure, here's the book trailer...

Review of Clarity by Kim Harrington

Released: March 1, 2011

242 pages, hardcover

Interest: Debut author challenge, psychics

Summary

When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?

This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

Summary from Goodreads.com

Review

One part mystery, one part paranormal, with the tiniest dash of romance.

If I had to chose one word to describe this book it would be refreshing.

• There was a romance.  There was kissing.  The characters were still getting to know each other though.  There was no rush to use the L word.  They simply liked each other.  A novel concept.
• There is a love triangle, which normally bother me, but I did like both guys in this case, and Clare is not “in love” yet, so there’s still time to decide.
• Clarity can “see”, yet she’s not alone in her gift.  Her mother and brother have different psychic abilities too.  They don’t hid their abilities either, they run a business catered to tourists in Cape Cod. 
• Since Clare’s abilities aren’t a secret, she gets a bit of crap about them from her peers.  For someone so generally ostracized, she does seem to have all the guys in town crushing on her.
• Clare uses her abilities to solve a mystery, but they don’t solve it all, there’s still plenty of normal detective work and common sense employed.
• Clarity was a short book, at 242 pages, yet it didn’t feel like anything was left out, or incomplete.  There will be more though, and I look forward to seeing Clarity again.

Rating

Cover: 10/10 Love it, well matched, my only complaint is that she looks more blonde than red-headed there.

Plot: 9/10

Characters: 10/10

Ending: 9/10

Overall enjoyment: 9/10

Grade: 94% A

Parental guide: Clare’s brother is a bit of a man-slut, we’re told not shown about it (Thank you!).  There’s also some swearing.