Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn
First, watch the trailer:
Then read 10 Things I loved about 10 Things I Love About You (That’s certainly a mouthful!)
1. The cover fits this book to a tee. From the model’s skin tone and body shape to the knowing look in her eyes, it’s darn near perfect. (If you haven’t seen the cover, watch the trailer.)
2. I stayed up till four in the morning to finish it. It’s been awhile since a book’s made me want to miss sleep. (I was pretty grumpy the next day, but it was worth it.)
3. It has lists. I love lists.
4. There were twists and turns I didn’t see coming.
5. It made me want to learn to skip rocks. (Let’s not talk about the first time I tried skipping rocks.)
6. Sebastian talks! I occassionally get tired of the sulking, brooding hero, so it was a nice change of pace to have someone both smart and funny play the love interest.
7. It entertains, 8. amuses, and 9. gets a couple of those wistful sighs outta me.
10. The happily ever after. I never tire of those.
Swag Winner
The winner is….
Jayne from http://jayneferst.blogspot.com/
For those who didn’t win, no worries! I’ve got another giveaway up my sleeve. *insert devious grin here*
Slowing Down
So…
Today was my first day of college. And I survived! I’m doing Duel Enrollment at a small local college, and today went much better than expected. Other than walking ALL THE WAY down a hallway, only to discover the room I needed was the first one I passed and having to walk ALL THE WAY back, it went pretty smoothly.
Obviously, school will seriously inhibit the amount of time I’m able to put into my blog. But I will not desert you! I’ve got some good post ideas running around in my head. :P
If you have a couple good thoughts to send my way, they’d be much appreciated. I’m taking a standardized test tomorrow. (Yuck!) Not helpful that it’s in math, which is by far my weakest subject. And I need to succeed!
Anywho, the best place to find me is at my twitter account (link in the nav bar) or just shoot me an email (found on my about page). Awesome emails give me that great fuzzy feeling.
Anastasia’s Secret by Susanne Dunlap
From the back of the book:
The life of a Russian princess rests in the hands of her secret love
For Anastasia Romanov, life as the daughter of Russia’s last tsar is about to be torn apart by the violence of revolution. Ousted from the Imperial Palace when the Bolsheviks seized control, Anastasia and her family are exiled to Siberia as the rebels determine their future. But even while their captivity stretches out and the threat to their lives grows more menacing, romance quietly blossoms between Anastasia and a sympathetic guard named Sasha. Will their secret love be enough to help her and her family avoid the firing squad? Inspired by the mysteries that have long surrounded the fate of Russia’s last princess, this is a compelling and romantic vision of what might have been.
The first time I ever heard of Anastasia Romanov was from Disney’s movie. I even have a wand my parents bought for me at the Disney store in the mall. To date, she’s my favorite Disney princess. However, since Disney wasn’t exactly out to put together a thorough history lesson, my knowledge of the actual princess is slim.
This book taught me a lot about her family and the places that Anastasia lived during the times directly before and during her imprisonment, as well as the people who surrounded her. Anastasia’s Secret is an exceptionally well-researched novel. You can tell that Susanne Dunlap must have put a lot of work into it, and it’s one of the novel’s strongest points.
However, I had a hard time getting into this book. Even though it comes with a handy cast of character’s page, it’s still difficult to place everyone, and throughout the entire book, I’m still not sure whether I had everyone straightened out in my mind, especially the secondary characters.
The romance in this book was by far my favorite part. I often wondered what would have happened if Anastasia’s life hadn’t been so viciously interrupted and she lived the life that she was expected to.
Maybe because of the fact that I knew, more or less, what Anastasia’s fate would be, this novel wasn’t very suspenseful for me. I enjoyed the story, but it wasn’t one of those books where I felt the need to rush to the end. The ending is satisfying, though sad, and it, along with the author’s note at the end, gave me a good amount of closure.
It’s easy to see what was so fascinating about Anastasia’s life, and the mystery that has surrounded her death. This novel offers an intriguing look into what may have happened. You never know, right?
The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
Bianca hates Wesley Rush. He’s a womanizing idiot whose mantra is, “Wesley Rush doesn’t chase girls. Girls chase Wesley Rush.” Arrogant, much? But when Bianca’s home life starts falling apart, he proves to be a good distraction. They enter into a friends with benefits relationship, with no feelings involved.
Right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The romance in this book is sort of predictable, without being predictable at all. I know that doesn’t really make any sense, so let me explain. Throughout the book, it’s easy to tell where things are going, but the characters are so original that it makes the journey completely worth it.
Bianca is just as kick-ass as her name makes her sound. She’s intelligent and cynical and absolutely loyal to her friends. Her friends, Casey and Jessica, balance her out perfectly. Her parents are actually integral parts of the plot in this novel. That was something really nice to see, since YA parents are often not very present.
Honestly, I had a crush on Toby, Bianca’s longtime crush, throughout the novel. He seemed so sweet. And he was a gentleman. How rare is that, nowadays? (Okay, now I sound like my mother.) Still, Wesley had a certain charm of his own. Gotta love those bad boys who turn out to be… Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.
The DUFF: (Designated Ugly Fat Friend)
CSN Teaser Post
A few months ago, I got a bookshelf from my friend because mine was literally bending in the middle from so many books. Now my new bookshelf is full, and I’m in need of another shelf.
CSN Stores has a lot of great products. They’ve got great kitchen supplies like le creuset. One of my favorite stores is their All Modern store. It’s furniture is refreshing! Another favorite is their bean bag chairs. How cool would it be to have a bean bag big enough to hold three people?
When I got an email from CSN Stores, I jumped at the chance to review an item from their site. The Winsome Bailey 5-Tier Leaning Shelf looks perfect for the small amount of space I have available. Plus it just looks really cool. =)
Be sure to look around CSN Stores and check back for my review in a few weeks!
Swag Giveaway
I don’t know about you, but I’m always in need of a bookmark. In this giveaway, you’ll find book plates, bookmarks, stickers, and more!
Required: To enter, simply tell me what your favorite type of swag is. (bookmarks, t-shirts, etc.)
For an extra entry, link to this giveaway and leave another comment telling me where you linked.
The contest will end on August 13th. Open internationally.
Have fun!
Teaser Tuesdays: Confessions of The Sullivan Sisters
I’ve never posted a Teaser Tuesday before, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, and now seemed as good a time as any!
Today’s teaser comes from an ARC of Confessions Of The Sullivan Sisters
“It isn’t cute at all,” I told him. “There’s nothing cute about calculus.”
Amen, sister! Calculus is ugly.
Ten Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me
GMR at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers has passed on the Honest Scrap Award to me! As per the rules of the award, here are ten truths about me. Enjoy!
1. Like Pete Wilson, I don’t believe in the concept of “the one.” I’m pretty sure it just depends on who you happen to meet. If you met one person instead of the other, you could still be happy.
2. I don’t always understand the fortunes in the fortune cookies I get. Like the one I got the other day: “Life’s not a struggle, it’s a wiggle.” What the heck is that supposed to mean?
3. I say “like” too much. You know how it goes, like, seriously. I’m working on that.
4. The number one book on my wishlist at the moment is Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. The Hiding Spot’s post about why we all should read it definitely didn’t help my patience any.
5. I’m a cynical romantic. Romantic at heart, though!
6. When I drink something that’s already cold, I don’t like putting ice in it. As I said, It’s ALREADY COLD. Drives my parents nuts.
7. I locked myself out of the house for about four hours on Tuesday. Because I’m a genius like that.
8. I’m left-handed.
9. I can kill pretty much any plants, including cacti. Honestly, who kills cacti? The sad thing is, I like plants. So disheartening.
10. My favorite colors alternate between royal purple, blood red, and hunter green. Depends on my mood.
There you are! =)
In My Mailbox: July 24th
This week I got some awesome books! Here goes…
High Before Homeroom
This one came as a surprise for review. From what I can gather, the guy is going to try to purposely get himself addicted to drugs, go to rehab, and hopes to come out a different person. I hope it works for him, because the people I know who’ve had drug addictions, it didn’t work quite so easily.
Forget You
For review. Going too Far is one of my absolute favorite books, and I can’t wait to get started on this one! From the reviews I’ve read thus far, Forget You is just as good.
Confessions Of The Sullivan Sisters
Part of an One ARC tour. I have a copy of this author’s first book, How to Say Goodbye in Robot, on my shelf, but I still haven’t gotten around to reading it. Looks like I’ll be reading this one first. The premise sounds promising.
Wicked Lovely
This is one of those books that when you say you haven’t read it, is always responded to by, “WHAT? You STILL haven’t read that book?” I feel so behind on books. Anyways, I’m always up for a good fairy story.
One Dance with a Duke
These three historical romance novels I won in a contest from Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. I’ve read the first and am halfway through the second. So far, so good! The series is centered arond a club called the Stud Club. *snort* And no, it’s not talking about the men. ;)
That, my dears, is all my mailbox has brought me this week. What of yours? As ever, IMM is hosted by Krist from The Story Siren. Happy reading!