September summary

So, I am back from my vacation and of course I had books with me - and also bought some...

bought
168) Maureen Johnson: Suite Scarlett
169) Jill Shalvis: The Trouble With Paradise
170) Lisa McMann: Fade
171) US History for Dummies
172) Toni Morrison: Beloved
173) Heather Brewster: Eight Grade Bites

read
70) Ally Carter: Only The Good Spy Young
71) Becca Black: iDracula
72) Lisa McMann: Fade
73) Mordecai Dzikansky & Robert Slater: Terrorist Cop
74) Heather Brewster: Eight Grade Bites
75) Richard Peck: Three Quarters Dead

Book Review: Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

Author	Ann Aguirre
Title	Grimspace
Publisher	ACE
Date of Publication	February 26, 2008
Page Count	320
ISBN	978-0-441-01599-3
Series	Sirantha Jax #1

Sirantha Jax carries a rare gene - one that allows her to jump ships through grimspace, a place in which ships can travel to faraway places in a relatively short amount of time. Unfortunately, this work shortens the life of a so-called jumper significantly. When the ship Jax is navigating crashes, she's accused of killing everyone on board, and since she doesn't recall the crash, she can't really defend herself. Still incarcerated, a mysterious man visits Jax and offers to help her escape - for a price. She is supposed to help a small group of people break the monopoly the Corp has on interstallar travel ("jumping") and establish a new breed of jumpers.

Before I write anything about my thoughts, I have to admit it has been 8 months since I read Grimspace, so this will most likely be a bit spotty at times. Nonetheless, I still remember a lot about the book because it was just this impressive! In general, I'm not what you would call a sci-fi reader let along a sci-fi fan, but I came across this book and it just sounded interesting. It reminded me in the hours I spent with my Dad watching Star Trek back in the day (15 years ago or so). I was simply intrigued by the idea behind the book and Ann Aguirre did not let me down there. It was easy to gain access to the world of Sirantha Jax and you could see some real character development even in this first book in the trilogy, not just an introduction to the most important people.

The sad point for me is that I am very reluctant to read the other two parts in the trilogy, because I made the huge mistake of reading a review at Amazon (Yes, I know - what a huge mistake!!! Lesson learned ;) ) and it totally gave away the fact that two characters who grow close during the first book grow apart again later on. I am not sure I want to continue the series, so if you have read it: will it totally bog the story down or is it still as amazing as the first book? But if you haven't read the book yet, don't worry, because I think you can leave it after book one without being unsatisfied, because the big question definitely is answered at the end.

PFL: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

There are many different memes out there for bloggers to feature the books they're really, really looking forward to. Unfortunately, none of them really meet my needs as I tend to find books I consider my possible future loves in droves rather than one at a time. And I don't feel like featuring those books in droves either. When I fall for a book before its pub date, that usually means something! That means, from now on, you will occasionally (or for the next few weeks: quite some days) find this new feature here.



Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
pub date: March 2011

Summary from Goodreads:

In her dreams he’s irresistible—seductive, charming, and undoubtedly dangerous. But when he appears to her when she’s awake—and captivates her just the same—she’s not sure which way is up and which is down.

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life, not allowed the same freedoms as the rest of the teenagers in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, she feels every urge she’s ever denied burning through her at the slightest glance from Haden Black. Theia knows she’s seen Haden before—not around town, but in her dreams.

Theia doesn’t understand how she dreamed of Haden before they ever met, but every night has them joined in a haunting world of eerie fantasy. And as the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her forward one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear. And as she slowly discovers what Haden truly is, Theia’s not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

Who is Haden? And why are the rules for Theia harsher than those of other kids? Is there a reason for that? My first questions and ones I am incredibly curious to find the answers for!

Book Review: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

Author	Ally Carter
Title	Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls)
Publisher	Hyperion
Date of Publication	December 23, 2008
Page Count	236
ISBN	978-1-4231-0006-5
Series	#2 Gallagher Girls

After being forced to give up her first boyfriend ever, Cammie Morgan hopes and wants a peaceful semester at Gallagher Academy. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen. First, Gallagher Academy is the leading school for girl spies, and then Cammie is a CIA legacy. On top of that, something strange is going on at the school and in the headmistress's office, murmuring about Blackthorne is going on. But who is Blackthorne and what's the mystery all about? Not long after this, the girls are again crawling through secret passageways and surveilling the school.

With the Gallagher Girls books it is like returning to good old friends. Cammie, Bex, Liz & Macey are girls I would like in real life as well. They're witty, intelligent and they know how to kick ass!

With Cross My Heart And Hope To Spy we're once again back at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women and this time around, there are some unusual happenings going on at the school building itself. With a quick summary of the first book - world-of-mystery style! - , Ally Carter brings us back into the world of Cammie and we're thrust into a new adventure.

As much as I loved the first book, I think this one was even better. I felt I already knew how they think and feel, so I could guesstimate how the girls were going to act and react towards the happenings at Gallagher Academy, but there were still surprises. My lips are sealed as to what these surprises actually are or how they came to existence, but be assured - it's awesome! As soon as I finished the second installment (A couple months, ago, I admit!), I pre-ordered the third book, Don't Judge A Girl By Her Cover - that's how much I needed to get back together with "my girls"!

PFL: All Just Glass by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

There are many different memes out there for bloggers to feature the books they're really, really looking forward to. Unfortunately, none of them really meet my needs as I tend to find books I consider my possible future loves in droves rather than one at a time. And I don't feel like featuring those books in droves either. When I fall for a book before its pub date, that usually means something! That means, from now on, you will occasionally (or for the next few weeks: quite some days) find this new feature here.



All Just Glass by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
pub date: January 11, 2011

Summary from Goodreads:

Sarah Vida has given up everything for love. From a legendary family of vampire-hunting witches, Sarah was raised to never trust a vampire, to never let her guard down, and to avoid all tricky attachments of the heart. But now Sarah IS a vampire—changed by the boy she thought she loved. Her family has forsaken her, and Sarah herself is disgusted by her appetite for blood.
Aida Vida is Sarah's older sister, the good, reliable sibling who always does her family proud. But when Aida's mother insists that Sarah be found and killed, Aida is given the one assignment that she may not be able to carry out.
Taking place over just twenty-four hours, ALL JUST GLASS tells the story of a game-changing battle that will forever change the world of the Den of Shadows. And at its center is the story of two sisters who must choose between love and duty. Dark, fully-imagined, and hard to put down, ALL JUST GLASS will thrill Amelia's fans—old and new.

Oooohhhh! Turned into the very thing she was taught to hate and hunt, how will Sarah deal with her life now? And can her sister complete the assignment? I am so very curious to find it out... And then, there's the cover which I think fits great with the summary!

PFL: Orchards by Holly Thompson

There are many different memes out there for bloggers to feature the books they're really, really looking forward to. Unfortunately, none of them really meet my needs as I tend to find books I consider my possible future loves in droves rather than one at a time. And I don't feel like featuring those books in droves either. When I fall for a book before its pub date, that usually means something! That means, from now on, you will occasionally (or for the next few weeks: quite some days) find this new feature here.



Orchards by Holly Thompson
February 22, 2011

Summary from Goodreads:

After a classmate commits suicide, Kana Goldberg—a half-Japanese, half-Jewish American—wonders who is responsible. She and her cliquey friends said some thoughtless things to the girl. Hoping that Kana will reflect on her behavior, her parents pack her off to her mother's ancestral home in Japan for the summer. There Kana spends hours under the hot sun tending to her family's mikan orange groves.
Kana's mixed heritage makes it hard to fit in at first, especially under the critical eye of her traditional grandmother, who has never accepted Kana's father. But as the summer unfolds, Kana gets to know her relatives, Japan, and village culture, and she begins to process the pain and guilt she feels about the tragedy back home. Then news about a friend sends her world spinning out of orbit all over again.

A few years ago, I started developing "a thing" for anything Japanese. It started out with anime series, mangas and Japanese TV series and even though I don't watch any of the series anymore and haven't read many mangas this year, Japan still holds a special place in my heart. I'm curious to see how Kana deals with spending time in Japan where she has to learn how to fit in.

BBAW Interview with Melissa @ I Swim For Oceans

So, today I have another special for you. As you all probably know, this is the Book Blogger Appreciation Week. For this special occasion, I got to interview Melissa from I Swim For Oceans. I didn't know Melissa's blog before this, but I've come to like it a lot, so I suggest you take a look as well!


Tell me a bit about yourself. What do you do when you're not blogging?

When I’m not blogging, I’m usually working. I know…it’s riveting. I have a very demanding job working as a technical writing and proposal coordinator for a consulting company. Basically, that just means I write government and military proposals. It’s deathly dull. When I’m not working though, I’m swimming, running, going to concerts, or rabidly reading.

You started your blog out as a personal blog, talking about your life in general and also a bit about the book you were (are?) writing. What made you change it to a book blog?

Frankly, I’ve always been interested in blogging, but I never knew what I wanted to blog about. I liked the name that I’d picked for my hypothetical blog though, so I decided to go ahead and start something and see where it went. At first, it didn’t go anywhere. I mean, let’s be honest, nobody wants to know what I ate for breakfast, where I went at lunch, and who I met for dinner. I was looking for a book to read one day when I stumbled on a book blog, and I was hooked. It gave me an outlet to babble incessantly about the literary world and not have people judge me! Books are so much a part of all of our lives that it’s nice to “meet” others out there like me.

Speaking of your life as a writer - how is everything going along? What are you writing about?

Let’s just say that I’m a perpetually aspiring author. I doubt I’ll ever be published, but I will always write. I recently shelved my last full manuscript called Fire & Snow. I just couldn’t tie it all together, so I decided to let it go. Right now, I’m working on a dark, YA dystopian called RACE, about genetically engineered human weapons designed to destroy but desperately trying to survive in an omniscient society determined to exterminate them because they can’t control them. Crazy, eh?

You repeatedly mentioned that you escaped Alcatraz when you were 22. What's the story behind that?

Well, I’m addicted to the water, and I’m also addicted to adrenaline-fueled challenges. After I completed swimming in college, I wanted to try open water swimming, and that was the most challenging race I could find. The water was 52 degrees on race day, and there were 800 competitors from around the world. They ferried us out to the island, dropped us off along the side, and then there was a mass start. Now, if you’ve ever seen a race start, it’s violent. People claw over one another to break to the front. It took me 31 minutes to swim the mile and a half to shore, and I placed 22nd overall, 3rd of all the women, and 1st in my age group. It’s an incredible experience and, hey, who doesn’t want to say something cool like they escaped Alcatraz?

You've been a competitive swimmer for most of your life, starting when you were 3. How has it formed your life and why did you stop competing?

Swimming has always been a part of my life. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t doing it. While in middle school and high school, kids were having social lives and getting involved in school activities. I practices twice a day an hour away from my home. My friends and family were my teammates, and they understood the massive commitment it takes to be a competitive athlete. Swimming made me who I am today by teaching my discipline, perseverance, and the importance of hard work – something that is invaluable. I stopped competing in pool swimming because I graduated college and finished my NCAA eligibility. Now I compete Open Water races for fun because I want swimming to be a joy, rather than a chore in my life now.

You're a huge Harry Potter fan (so am I, by the way). What is your favorite aspect of the books? What is your least favorite aspect?

I think my favourite aspect of the books is that you can lose yourself in the world of Harry Potter, no matter your age. They appeal to so many age ranges. My least favourite aspect would have to be the epilogue in the seventh book. It’s cute, but I felt it was too abrupt, and it makes me sad…in a weird way!

What are your Top 5 books? (If 5 is too difficult, you can chose up to 10 book - I know how hard it can be to choose the best of the best!)

Oh gosh! This type of question is always evil because there are just so many options. Ok, I’m going to do my best:
Many Waters by Madeleine L’Engle
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (though I’ll probably list all 7 here)
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Last Silk Dress by Ann Rinaldi
Redwall by Brian Jacques
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
I’m just going to have to stop there, or I will keep going, but the list goes on. Those are just a few of my constants.

If you had to pick one genre or category of books to read for the rest of your life - no ways out, no changing your mind, ONE genre or category. Which would you choose?

While I know I’m 24, and I’m technically out of the genre, I think I would choose anything YA. Don’t get me wrong, I love plenty of other genres, but sometimes I feel adult books lose their soul in order to write “pretty” or “profound.” YA may not always be the deepest, but it’s always the best to connect with.

If you could take only 3 books on a month-long vacation, which books would you choose?

See, now you’re just evil! Ok…just three books for one month? Hmmmm…I would probably pick one really long and difficult one, one fun and simple read, and one long, but heartfelt read. So, I guess I would pick:
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (I really want to read it, but ahhh it’s hard!)
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (fun and simple)
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (long but heartfelt)

Imagine a new reader stumbles upon your blog. Which 3 posts would you want her or him to read? And why did you choose those three?

That’s a good question. I would probably want them to know a little about who I am, how I do a review, so I would say they should read the Friday Fix #7 featuring yours truly and one of my review of Mockingjay because I’m proud I did it sans spoilers! The third post would probably be any Teaser Tuesday because I feature some of my writing, and I love to hear what people think…good or bad.

What do you like best about blogging, especially blogging about books?

I went through phases. Blogging was fun, but without a purpose. Then it became a chore. Now, I’ve finally settled into a routine where I love blogging, and the best part is meeting others who love books, love to write, and love to discuss literature 24/7. Without blogging, I wouldn’t be able to connect with my blogging buddies from New Zealand to Japan, to Europe, Asia, and Africa. It’s an incredible network.

Guest Post: At the Museum by M.J. Rose

Today I have a wonderful guest post for you - from the amazing author M.J. Rose! I'm excited about this one not only because it's the first guest post by an author here at the Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic, but also because I have enjoyed M.J. Rose's Morgan Snow books a lot (albeit in German, for the sake of Mom). So thanks to Tracee from Pump Up Your Book and Review From Here for making this possible.

And now, without further ado, I pass the word to M.J. Rose!

---

At the Museum ~ by M.J. Rose

Growing up, I didn’t want to be a writer; I wanted to be an artist. We lived a block away from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and I started taking Saturday morning art classes there when I was just seven years old.

I’ve often felt art is my religion and that museums in general but the Met specifically is my temple of choice. It’s where I go to be renewed, refreshed and inspired. I don’t think I’ve ever gone longer than a month without visiting there.

So its not all that surprising that sooner or later I’d write a novel with a museum as one of my main characters and that I’d pick the museum that was in my backyard when I was a kid.

But how I got idea for the Hypnotist is surprising, at least to me.

One day about three and a half years ago, on one of my regular pilgrimages to the Met, I headed straight for one of my favorite spots. The Mastaba Tomb of Perneb is a tiny bit of 5th Dynasty Egypt transplanted to Manhattan. A gift from Edward S. Harkness to the museum in 1913.

You can enter the limestone tomb from the left or the right. One doorway leads to the main offering chapel. I took the other, which leads to a second ritual chamber. The space is very small and only three or four people can fit at the same time. I was lucky to be in the intimate ritual chamber alone and looking through the slot in the wall at a wooden statue of Perneb in the room beyond known as a serdab. In ancient times this passage way allowed for family and priests to offer up incense and chants to the deceased.

I heard footsteps. A little girl about seven or eight had entered and came up beside me to look through the slot. She had long blonde hair and was wearing a school uniform. I watched her examine the space, giving every section careful attention.

“It hasn’t changed much at all,” she said finally in a wistful voice.

I asked her what she meant.

“Since the last time I was here,” she said.

Something about the way she said it made me curious. “When was that?” I asked.

“When I lived in Egypt.”

“You know this tomb has been on display in this museum since 1916.” I said.

“I lived in Egypt way before that,” she said and smiled. She was about to say something else when from outside the chamber an older woman’s voice called out.

“Veronica, it’s time to go. Now. Please.”

The little girl ran off, quickly, without looking back, without giving me a chance to ask her anything else.

Even though I write about reincarnation, I haven’t had any meaningful reincarnation episodes of my own. I don’t get visitations. I’ve never seen a ghost. But I’m not sure what happened that afternoon.

I can picture Veronica in her navy jumper and white blouse that had a dark smudge on the collar. She had a one-inch scratch on her left hand. Her hair was pulled off her face with a silver barrette. A lot of curls had escaped. She had a child’s voice but it was so charged with adult emotion.

It was that emotion which sparked the idea for my novel, The Hypnotist. And the paintings and sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum that fueled it.

If you go the Met, please go visit Perneb’s tomb. And if you see a little girl there with long blonde hair and a blue school uniform… ask her if her name is Veronica… and if it is, thank her for me.

PFL: The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

There are many different memes out there for bloggers to feature the books they're really, really looking forward to. Unfortunately, none of them really meet my needs as I tend to find books I consider my possible future loves in droves rather than one at a time. And I don't feel like featuring those books in droves either. When I fall for a book before its pub date, that usually means something! That means, from now on, you will occasionally (or for the next few weeks: quite some days) find this new feature here.



The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge
pub date: February 22, 2011

Summary from Goodreads:

A series set in a Lovecraftian industrial city in an alternate 1950s that centers on a mechanically gifted young girl approaching her 16th birthday, the age at which everyone in her family goes insane, leaving it up to her to unravel the mystery of their madness--and save the world.

It is 1955...but not the 1955 you know. The Witchcraft Scare polarizes America. Magic is outlawed and practitioners are burned. And one girls has discovered that magic is neither fiction nor fairy tale, but very much alive...

Aoife Grayson is a month shy of sixteen, the age when everyone in her family goes mad. An orphan in the steam-powered city of Lovecraft, Massachusetts, Aoife escapes the confines of her repressive boarding school and along with her best friend Sam and outlaw guide Dean, sets out to discover the secret of her family's madness. What she discovers is a world of forbidden magic and faerie curses, and a dark secret that has shadowed the Grayson family for generations. Aoife must choose between keeping the secret or keeping her sanity, and unravel the dark machinations of the Winter Court of the Fae before it's too late to save her city...or herself.

Oh wow! I love fairy tales - or fae tales, if you like - and a world where magic exists but is outlawed *sigh*

PFL: Other Words For Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

There are many different memes out there for bloggers to feature the books they're really, really looking forward to. Unfortunately, none of them really meet my needs as I tend to find books I consider my possible future loves in droves rather than one at a time. And I don't feel like featuring those books in droves either. When I fall for a book before its pub date, that usually means something! That means, from now on, you will occasionally (or for the next few weeks: quite some days) find this new feature here.



Other Words For Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal
pub date: January 11, 2011

Summary from Goodreads:

Ari Mitchell feels invisible at her Brooklyn high school. Her hair is too flat, her style too preppy, and her personality too quiet. And outside school, Ari feels outshined by her beautiful, confident best friend, Summer. Their friendship is as complex and confusing as Ari’s relationship with her troubled older sister, Evelyn, a former teenage mom whose handsome firefighter husband fills Ari’s head with guilty fantasies.

When an unexpected inheritance enables Ari to transfer to an elite Manhattan prep school, she makes a wealthy new friend, Leigh. Leigh introduces Ari to the glamorous side of New York—and to her gorgeous cousin, Blake. Ari doesn't think she stands a chance, but amazingly, Blake asks her out. As their romance heats up, they find themselves involved in an intense, consuming relationship. Ari’s family worries that she is losing touch with the important things in life, like family, hard work, and planning for the future. Meanwhile, Summer warns her that what she feels for Blake is just an infatuation. Not real love. But Ari’s world is awash with new colors, filled with a freshness and an excitement she hasn’t felt in years.

When misfortune befalls Blake’s family, he pulls away, and Ari's world drains of color. As she struggles to get over the breakup, Ari must finally ask herself: were their feelings true love . . . or something else?

What is going on in the world of Ari? That's what I want to know - and I can't stop wondering. This question has been following me since I first heard about Other Words For Love...

Book Review: The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

And once again my friend Karmeloeule wrote a wonderful review.

Author	John Boyne
Title	The Boy In The Striped Pajamas
Publisher	David Fickling Books
Date of Publication	October 28, 2008
Page Count	240 pages
ISBN	978-0-3857-5189-6

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a book about many things: about not wanting but having to, about missing someone dear, about friendship and most definitely about things one does not know about.

Bruno is a nine year old boy living in Berlin. When his father is promoted to a new place, his family has to move with him. Bruno is not thrilled: not only does he have to leave this beautiful house full of memories and adventures, but also his friends and relatives stay behind. Yet, as a very well-educated German child, Bruno is not in the position to display his resentment: all he knows is that he has to move together with his mother, his teasing and annoying sister and some of their household to a place called “Aus-Wisch”. Nothing in “Aus-Wisch” and the new house do not even rudimentary reach the level of Bruno’s home Berlin. The house is not as noble, the people are not as friendly and, most crucial, there is no other child to play with.
Driven by his curiosity, Bruno one day begins to explore the surroundings and what he finds is what he thought to never have again: a friend.

I really did like this story, if one may say so. I entered Boyne’s world completely unaware of its content- which I recommend everyone in order to stay excited and share the eagerness to explore what’s everyone is not talking about- and was surprised how fast I could see with Bruno’s eyes. This book is truly extraordinary. I’d loved the way Boyne approached such an on the one hand highly explosive, yet for us Germans slowly annoying (we are confronted with it all the time and one could say “Not again a book about the Nazis and so on”) topic. I would say that this catching book adds perfectly to the category of “When Hitler stole the pink rabbit” and should be obligatory for kids in school as well as at home.
This book is an exemplar I am so happy I bought, read, thought, wrote, talked about and I look forward to- one day- give it to my children.

PFL: The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

There are many different memes out there for bloggers to feature the books they're really, really looking forward to. Unfortunately, none of them really meet my needs as I tend to find books I consider my possible future loves in droves rather than one at a time. And I don't feel like featuring those books in droves either. When I fall for a book before its pub date, that usually means something! That means, from now on, you will occasionally (or for the next few weeks: quite some days) find this new feature here.



The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher
pub date: January 1, 2011

Summary from Goodreads:

Welcome to a future where water is more precious than gold or oil-and worth killing for

Vera and her brother Will live in the shadow of the Great Panic, in a country that has collapsed from environmental catastrophe. Water is hoarded by governments, rivers are dammed, and clouds are sucked from the sky. But then Vera befriends Kai, who seems to have limitless access to fresh water. When Kai suddenly disappears, Vera and Will set off on a dangerous journey in search of him-pursued by pirates, a paramilitary group, and greedy corporations. Timely and eerily familiar, acclaimed author Cameron Stracher makes a stunning YA debut that's impossible to forget.
"Let us pray that the world which Cameron Stracher has invented in The Water Wars is testament solely to his pure, wild, and brilliant imagination, and not his ability to see the future. I was parched just reading it."-Laurie David, academy award winning producer of An Inconvenient Truth, and author of The Down to Earth Guide to Global Warming

PFL: Timeless by Alexandra Monir

There are many different memes out there for bloggers to feature the books they're really, really looking forward to. Unfortunately, none of them really meet my needs as I tend to find books I consider my possible future loves in droves rather than one at a time. And I don't feel like featuring those books in droves either. When I fall for a book before its pub date, that usually means something! That means, from now on, you will occasionally (or for the next few weeks: quite some days) find this new feature here.



Timeless by Alexandra Monir
pub date: January 11, 2011

Summary from Goodreads:

When her mother is killed in a car accident, Michele Windsor has no choice but to move in with the wealthy grandparents she's never met in New York. Disillusioned by their coldness, Michele retreats into her room, where she discovers her great-great-aunt's journal--and, once she touches its pages, finds herself hurtled back in time.

In the glamorous Gilded Age, Michele learns that a wedding is coming up between the Windsors and another prominent family, the Walkers. But when Michele attends a party, something miraculous happens: while almost no one can see her in this era, one gorgeous young man with sparkling blue eyes can. Drawn together by mutual attraction, the two bond over music and the parents they've recently lost. But when the party is over, Michele learns the truth--the man she just fell for is Phillip Walker. And she, unknowingly, has just inspired him to call off his wedding to her great-great-aunt, prompting a family feud that will last for generations.

As Michele travels back and forth in time, she and Phillip meet over and over, always frustrated by their inability to have more than a few hours together. Michele knows she should try to make a life in the present, but none of the boys at school can hold a candle to Phillip. Finally, Michele tries to end their romance altogether--spurring a tragedy that transcends generations. Has Michele destroyed her chances for happiness? Or is her love for Phillip . . . timeless?

This fairy tale, mysterious time travel novel sounds awesome, if it was on the shelves already, I would rip it right off to read it. I am pretty sure I'll love Michele and I want to know more about Phillip! Who is this mysterious guy and what will happen between them?

Book Review: The Ivy by Lauren Kunze with Rina Onur

Starting today, I will have a guest reviewer, my wonderful friend Karmeloeule (so obviously not her real name!). This is her first review for my blog and I think she's done a great job!

Author	Lauren Kunze with Rina Onur
Title	The Ivy
Publisher	Greenwillow Books
Date of Publication	August 31, 2010
Page Count	320
ISBN	978-0-0619-6045-1

In anyone’s life comes the time when the whole stress of intensive learning finds its climax in the final exams and –hopefully- a successful graduation from High School. Callie Andrews is no exception; yet, her finals are topped by the admission to the oldest and most accredited university of the Old and New World: Harvard. Being a prior soccer captain, Californian Callie is confronted not only with the immense academic expectations, but also challenged by many unwritten laws. Styling guidelines, social hierarchy, extracurricular activities build rather the basis since Callie is her own misery: many gorgeous guys equal a lot of trouble. The true dimension of her dilemma is yet to be explored.

“The Ivy” is pure entertainment: nasty Harvard socialite meets innocent girl. The thought of ‘once you made it into Harvard, nothing is an obstacle anymore’ is truly contradicted. Despite certain differences, “The Ivy” can easily be mentioned in one breath with the “Gilmore Girls”, moreover, a sequel of Rory’s time at Yale. Luckily, it shall be a series and has definitely potential to become a movie or a TV production. Lauren Kunze’s work is definitely a book that should not be missed in a girl’s book shelf. As you can see, I am completely satisfies and excited + I can’t wait for the next part!

Vacation time!

Starting on Monday, I will be away on a vacation for about three weeks. I am already very excited because I will visit my cousin again. She lives in Maryland and so it is an exciting trip across an entire ocean! I am sure we'll have a great time together. I've been with them for a few days in May already (right before BEA), but it was just too short! I am not yet sure what we'll do (except for one thing: My cousin already warned me that we'd go shopping - yay!). Once I'm back I will let you know what we did.

Unfortunately, this also means I will not be around much. I have quite a few posts that will show up to give you something to read, but it might take longer for me to approve comments, but please do not let this keep you from commenting! The posts will be a nice mix of reviews both by a friend of mine and myself (I do have a backlog, after all!) and some PFL posts.

I'm afraid I'm incapable...

Yes, I truly believe this! I am really incapable of writing down my own blog's url. I don't know how long this has been going on, but apparently my brain is hardwired for the e-mail address I use for my blog - which leaves out the "secret"-part of the blog's name and url. Sorry about that!

PFL: Bloody Valentine by Melissa de la Cruz

There are many different memes out there for bloggers to feature the books they're really, really looking forward to. Unfortunately, none of them really meet my needs as I tend to find books I consider my possible future loves in droves rather than one at a time. And I don't feel like featuring those books in droves either. When I fall for a book before its pub date, that usually means something! That means, from now on, you will occasionally (or for the next few weeks: quite some days) find this new feature here.

Bloody Valentine by Melissa de la Cruz
December 28, 2010

Summary from Goodreads:

Vampires have powers beyond human comprehension: strength that defies logic, speed that cannot be captured on film, the ability to shapeshift and more. But in matters of the heart, no one, not even the strikingly beautiful and outrageously wealthy Blue Bloods, has total control. In Bloody Valentine, bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz offers readers a new story about the love lives of their favorite vamps - the passion and heartache, the hope and devastation, the lust and longing. Combined with all the glitz, glamour, and mystery fans have come to expect, this is sure to be another huge hit in the Blue Bloods series.

It's a Blue Bloods book - what more do I have to say! I absolutely loved the previous ones, so it is a must read for me...