Author Interview: Cristine Kole MacLean!

This week, as promised, I have an exclusive interview with Cristine Kole MacLean. Author of book How It's Done, she was so nice as to answer a few questions for me, about her book and her writing! Enjoy!

Question #1

In your book How It's Done religion plays a big role in Grace's life. How important is religion to you?
I was raised in the church and still attend regularly but I think more about spirituality and my relationship to God and to others than I do about religion, per se. Grace’s family was concerned about God’s law and the rules; my focus is on what kind of relationships God wants us to have with each other.

Question #2

How did you come up with the plot for How It's Done? Do your stories develop as they go or do you already have an outline for what you want to write?

Both. I always have a general idea of the story arc and often I write a short synopsis, as much for myself as for my editor. But the story also evolves and morphs as I gain a better understanding of the characters and I try to stay open to that. It’s like having a destination and a map but also knowing there’s more than one way to get to the destination, and sometimes the less direct way is more interesting.

Question #3

What are some of your musical influences?

Classical, especially the Goldberg Variations (Bach), Bob Seeger’s old stuff, Alison Krauss, Lyle Lovett, and recently Coldplay. But when I write, I listen to classical.

Question # 4
Where is your favorite place to write? Do you have a special time of day that helps you be more creative and think freely?
My friend’s horse farm, although I’ve only written there a few times. She has a room that overlooks the pastures and the horses. My best time of day to write is in the morning. Unfortunately, that’s my best time of day to do *anything*, so there’s lots of competition for that block of time. By about 2:00, I’m brain-dead and useless for anything but physical labor.



Question #5
What are some books that you would recommend to some of the readers?
The Liars Club, a memoir by Mary Karr; Olive Kitteredge by Elizabeth Strout; and Power of the Dog, by Thomas Savage. These books (all are adult) are all very different from How It’s Done and from each other, but each book has stayed with me. And given all the books I read, that’s saying something!



Question #6
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
The best advice comes from Janet Burrows who wrote a textbook on writing. She said that students always ask “am I good enough to be published?” when the real question they should ask and answer is “how will I work writing into my everyday life?” If you make time to write regularly and stick with it, then chances are you will eventually get good enough to be published because you will be practicing your craft.



Question #7
Can you tell the readers something about you that not to many people know?
I know how to milk a cow!

The Kiss

The Kiss

by Kathryn Harrison

Rating: Incredible

Difficulty: Normal

Pages: 207

Synopsis

We meet at airport. We meet in cities where we've never been before. We meet where no one will recognize us.A "man of God" is how someone described my father to me. I don 't remember who. Not my mother. I'm young enough that I take the words to mean he has magical properties and that he is good, better than other people.With his hand under my chin, my father draws my face toward his own. He touches his lips to mine. I stiffen.I am frightened by the kiss. I know it wrong, and its wrongness is what lets me know, too, that it is a secret.



Review

Every once in a while there is a book that you just can't get out of your head, whether its because it has a great lesson or just makes you skin crawl, theres always one book. The Kiss is a memoir of the authors personal betrayal by her father. It starts off by just a simple a-little-to-friendly kiss between her father and her and then escalates to an insane obsession between the two. This book is haunting and terrifying and disgusting and sad all at the same time. It really broke my heart. This story might be to hard for some people so i dont recommend it for everyone but if you're looking for a compelling thought provoking book, this is it. You roam around the mind of this author experiencing her pain and anguish over her sexually abusive father and distant mother. This is a must read as long as you can handle it!

Playlist for Crank!

Crank

Listen to This!

Hand In Glove- The Smiths

Bad Girlfriend- Theory of a Deadman

Ride- The Vines

Numb- Linkin Park

A Pain that im used to- Depeche Mode

Crank

Crank
by Ellen Hopkins
Rating: Great!
Difficulty: Normal
Pages: 544

 

Synopsis

Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina—she's fearless.

Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul—her life.

Based on a real-life event and written in verse, this novel relates the disturbing story of one girl's descent into addiction.

Review

So another Ellen Hopkins book! Crank is a fast paced, well thought out novel written in verse, about a girl name Kristina thrown into the world of Meth, Tina or Crank. Her alto ego, one half of her, Bree encourages her wild ways and soon they are on a destructive never ending path into darkness. So let me just say this now Crank is awesome and it seems to me that Ellen Hopkins is incapable of writing a bad novel. You're literaly right there with Kristina and Bree in all the actions and mistakes. I had to yell and scream while i was reading this because it was just so emotional provoking! Bree cynical and sadistic ways can only be described as compltely heart wrenching. The end of the story is a little bit un-conclusive but theres Glass, the second novel to Crank, to fill that in for you. Its a really good book and something all Ellen Hopkins lovers should read!

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon! Watch out for these great movies!

Beastly
Starring Vanessa Hudgens,Alex Pettyfer and Mary-Kate Olsen.
Book by Alex Flinn




The Lovely Bones
Starring Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz,
Book by Alice Sebold




New Moon
Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner
Book by Stephenie Meyer

This Just In!

Alright people! I said before that this weekend was pretty un-eventful book-buying-wise but not blog wise! Sometime next week I will be presenting to you my first author interview! Christina Kole MacLean, author of How It's done*, will grace us with a couple of short answer questions about her writing and her book. I'm pretty stoked about this because it is my first author interview and i was kind of nervous to ask at first but am now completley on for these series of upcoming interviews! Stay tuned people!

Also, i added a post to my blog called So Memorable, that chronicals my journey through the interesting aray of characters i come in contact with in my books! It will have the book in which i found them, a very compelling or funny quote and a Song Cry-which is a song i picked out from my library especially for their character. Some of your favorites like Melinda Sordino from Speak, Edward from Twilight and others will be featured in this new...well feature! :)

Finally i will be updating on current "Coming Soon" movies! I will have a list of books to be made into movies and a little info about them!



Well that's all for now but look out for these new attractions!

Christina!

P.S. On July 17th i will be touring the Los Angeles area (aka visiting family)! The picture above is one of me on the Los Angeles Subway! lol My review might come a little infrequent during that time so I just wanted to give you a heads up!


* To see the review for How It's Done please go here- http://flipthepagebookreview.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-its-done.html

So Memorable...

So I've decided to add this new feature to my blog! So memorable will be an ode to any character that i had became completely fascinated by. Of course what better way to start off a new thing then to start it off with Ellen Hopkins!

Impulse
by Ellen Hopkins

Character: Conner

Quote: "My happiest memories are sun-streaked afternoons in the cinnamon arms of my Emily-the evening star glowing in a dusk-choked sky."

Song Cry: Emily by Autumn To Ashes

In My Mailbox (2)

This week has been somewhat of disappointment book-buying-wise. The only thing I can find even a little bit enlightening about it is that I found an amazing bargain priced book called The Kiss. I just finished reading Crank and the review will be up soon but other then that nothing buzz worthy has happened:(

The Kiss
by Kathryn Harrison




Plot
We meet at airport. We meet in cities where we've never been before. We meet where no one will recognize us.A "man of God" is how someone described my father to me. I don 't remember who. Not my mother. I'm young enough that I take the words to mean he has magical properties and that he is good, better than other people.With his hand under my chin, my father draws my face toward his own. He touches his lips to mine. I stiffen.I am frightened by the kiss. I know it wrong, and its wrongness is what lets me know, too, that it is a secret.

Playlist for Speak Softly, She Can Hear!

Speak Softly, She Can Hear
Listen To This!




Chop Suey- System of a Down
Crawling- Linkin Park
Falling Inside The Black- Skillet
Going To Hell- Ida Maria
It Ends Tonight- All American Rejects

Speak Softly, She Can Hear

Speak Softly, She Can Hear
by Pam Lewis
Rating: Great!
Difficulty: Normal
Pages: 341


Synopsis
Naomi and Carole make a pact to lose their virginity before graduation. Eddie, a slick Upper East Side dropout, is handsome, fatally charming, and more than willing to help the girls accomplish their goal. But on one bitterly cold holiday weekend in an isolated cabin deep in the Vermont woods, a horrifying twist develops in the plan. Before the night is over, a stomach-turning secret is sealed between friends, setting in motion a series of events that will have dire and far-reaching consequences.

Sweeping across decades, moving from New York to Vermont to California and back again, Lewis tells an utterly gripping, psychologically nuanced tale of friendship between two very different women, of the life-changing burden of a secret, the lies we tell others to save ourselves, and the lies we tell ourselves when the truth is too painful to accept.

Review

The thing that makes this book so incredible has to be the villain, Eddie! If you appreciate a good sadistic and conniving villain, Eddie is you guy. He was chosen at the beginning of the novel to be Naomi and Carole's "first" but it goes terribly wrong when Carole accidentally kills another party member Rita. Wow this book is more then amazing- it's plot is ridiculously insane and the characters are very well thought out. You go from New York to California to Vermont and back again, all chasing Carole in her frantic need to escape that one fateful night when she lost everything. You go through every emotion with Carole, from the happiness she feels with Will to the terror she feels with Eddie. Everything is highly interesting and completely amazing! I would recommend this book anyday!

Playlist for Go Ask Alice!

Go Ask Alice
Listen To This!



Pretty Girls Make Graves- Morissey
I Am The Walrus- The Beatles
Alien She- Bikini Kill
Nobody's Home- Avril Lavigne
Freak On A Leash- KORN

Go Ask Alice

Go Ask Alice
by Anonymous
Rating: Incredible
Difficulty: Normal
Pages: 214




Synopsis

"After you've had it, there isn't even life without drugs...."

It started when she was served a soft drink laced with LSD in a dangerous party game. Within months, she was hooked, trapped in a downward spiral that took her from her comfortable home and loving family to the mean streets of an unforgiving city. It was a journey that would rob her of her innocence, her youth -- and ultimately her life.

"Read her diary.

Enter her world.

You will never forget her."

Review

So this book was extremly haunting..i stayed up late to finish it and found that i couldn't go to sleep after! Go Ask Alice is scary and amazingly sad. It starts off with a young girl about as normal as anyone else and then one night at a party, she is introduced to LSD and her whole world is turned around. She runs away and gets in to different, harder drugs. As the book progresses her diary becomes darker and her writing is tainted by hallucenations and drug filled rendevous. This story is bad- but in a really good way. Does that make any sense? I dont know but you really need to read this book! It is a real diary about a real girl and it might even hinder you from EVER taking drugs period. Read it!

Want It Wednesday!

Dead Until Dark
by Charlaine Harris






So i've been wanting to check out TrueBlood and this whole phenomenon for a while now but just haven't got the chance. Before i watch the movie or get into a show i usually like to read the book so i will be soon getting my hands on Dead Until Dark, the novel True Blood is based on!


Plot
Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana, but she keeps to herself and doesn't date much because of her "disability" to read minds. When she meets Bill, Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's the type of guy she's waited for all of her life, but he has a disability, too--he's a vampire with a bad reputation. When one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next.

If I Stay
by Gayle Forman



So since i love books like The Lovely Bones and Elsewhere, i thought this would be a good addition to my collection. I read a couple of reviews about it and decided that i really, really wanted to get it!


Plot
In a single moment, "everything" changes. Seventeenyear- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she fi nds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all makeaand the ultimate choice Mia commands.

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
by Gabrielle Zevin





So most of you who follow my blog know that i looooove Gabrielle Zevin. I've been wanting to get my hands on this book for a while and i hope that it will be vary soon! I love the whole fantasy ideas of her books and i just know this book will be just as good as her others!



Plot
If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss.
She wouldn't have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn't have hit her head on the steps.
She wouldn't have woken up in an ambulance with amnesia.
She certainly would have remembered her boyfriend, Ace. She might even have remembered why she fell in love with him in the first place.
She would understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her "Chief." She'd get all his inside jokes, and maybe he wouldn't be so frustrated with her for forgetting things she can't possibly remember.
She'd know about her mom's new family.
She'd know about her dad's fiancee.
She wouldn't have to spend her junior year relearning all the French she supposedly knew already.
She never would have met James, the boy with the questionable past and the even fuzzier future, who tells her he once wanted to kiss her.
She wouldn't have wanted to kiss him back.
But Naomi picked heads.

Playlist for Someone Like You!!

Someone Like You
Listen To This!



Adore- Paramore
Vindicated- Dashboard Confessional
Ocean Avenue- Yellow Card
Fidelity- Regina Spektor
A Lonely September- Plain White T's

Someone Like You

Someone Like You
by Sarah Dessen
Rating: Great
Difficulty: Normal
Pages: 281



Synopsis

Halley has always followed in the wake of her best friend, Scarlett. But when Scarlett learns that her boyfriend has been killed in a motorcycle accident, and that she's carrying his baby, she's devastated. For the first time ever, Scarlett really needs Halley. Though their friendship may be tested by the strain, like a true friendship, it will endure.


Review

So this book is mainly a friendship novel. It's about being for someone when they really need you and knowing what right and wrong is. I love Halley, she is the epitome of a great friend. When Scarlett finds out that her boyfriend dies, she comes running and when she also finds out that she is carrying his baby, Halley is right there with her. This is a strong novel with many key facts and lessons in it. Halley meets Macon and her whole life seems to change, suddenly she is in this crazy relationship with this fun freesprited guy but after a while the shimmer wears off and the pressure to get physical becomes to much for her. The ending is really great and i thinks it's very impowering for young girls out there. It basically says that no matter what, you have your friends and your family and thats what is really important in life.

Playlist for This Lullaby:)

This Lullaby
Listen to This!



Here We Go Again- Paramore
You Wouldn't Like Me- Tegan and Sara
Stolen- Dashboard Confessional
Chemicals React- Aly and AJ
Decoy- Paramore

This Lullaby

This Lullaby
by Sarah Dessen
Rating: Incredible
Difficulty: Normal
Pages:345





Synopsis

When it comes to relationships, Remy doesnat mess around. After all, sheas learned all there is to know from her mother, whoas currently working on husband number five. But there is something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy's rules. He certainly doesnat "seem" like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can't seem to break up with him.Could it be that Remy's romantic rules to live by don't apply anymore?

Review

So i cannot believe how cgood this book actually was! The characters are amazing and Dexter is so incerdibly cute! Sarah Dessen popped out another excellent book about a girl named Remy who is extremely cold and cynical about relationships. Her mother, who is working on huband number five, seems to be the root of all her problems and is definitly the reason why she's become so heartless. But it's not because her mom is mean or sadistic about love because in all actuallity Barbara is one of the only one's in the story who actually believes in it, but it's because Remy figures that its better not to love at all instead of trying. When she meets Dexter, a clumsy, messy, disorganized musician like her long absent father, she just can't seem to let him go. But oh who could! Dexter is the best part of the story especially when he tell his friends "Yeah, she loves me." even though Remy is clearing trying to deny it. At first she wonders how she ever got into this situation and then she soon learns that maybe love isnt so bad after all! I really love this book and it is one of Sarah Dessen best! Go out and buy it as soon as possible!

In My Mail Box (1)

So I got this amazing idea from The Story Siren. If you also want to participate just go here-
http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html

Week of 6/15-6/21

Bliss by Lauren Myracle

When Bliss's hippie parents leave the commune and dump her at the home of her aloof grandmother in a tony Atlanta neighborhood, it's like being set down on an alien planet. The only guide naive Bliss has to her new environment is what she's seen on "The Andy Griffith Show." But Mayberry is poor preparation for Crestview Academy, an elite school where the tensions of the present and the dark secrets of the past threaten to simmer into violence. Openhearted Bliss desperately wants new friends, making her the perfect prey of a troubled girl whose obsession with a long-ago death puts Bliss, and anyone she's kind to, in mortal danger.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created "perfect" life is about to unravel before her eyes. She's forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for--her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.

Blogoversery Give Away on Another Page is Used!!

Another Page is Used is giving away three amazing books for it Blogoversery!! These books look really good so if you want to enter the giveaway go here-

Anotherpageisused.blogspot.com


Happy Blogoversery!!

Playlist for A Walk To Remember!

A Walk To Remember

Listen To This!

Be Be Your Love- Rachael Yamagata
Stellar- Incubus
My Heart- Paramore
Never Tear Us Apart- inxs
Must Have Done Something Right- Relient K

A Walk To Remember

A Walk To Remember

by Nicholas Sparks

Rating:Incredible

Difficulty: Normal

Pages: 240

Synopsis

Every April when the wind blows in from the sea and mingles with the sent of lilacs, Landon Carter remembers his last year at Beaufort High.

It was 1958, and Landon had already dated a girl or two. He even swore he had been on love. Certainly the last person in town he thought he'd fall for was Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town's Baptist minister.

A quiet girl who always carried her bible with her schoolbooks, Jamie seemed content living in a world apart from the other teens. She takes care of her widowed father, rescued hurt animals, and helped out at the local orphanage. No boy had ever asked her out.

Landon would never have dreamed of it. Then a twist of fate made Jamie his partner for the homecoming dance, and Landon Carter's life would never be the same. Being with Jamie would show him the depths of the human heart and lead him to a decision so stunning it would send him irrevocably on the road to manhood...

Review

Nicholas Sparks is one of the greatest writers out there and no matter what age you are- young, old or in the middle- you can find some quiet happiness with any one of his books. With those of you familiar with the intensely heart warming story of The Notebook you will LOVE A Walk to Remember. It chronicles the story of Landon Carter, a young boy foolish and immature with adolescents. And then he meets Jamie, the iconic minister's daughter who is too-good-to-be-bad. The only difference between those goody-goody's and Jamie is that she is actually really, truly- good hearted. Through unforeseen circumstances they are suddenly thrown into each others lives and consequently change each other forever. This book is uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time, Nicholas Sparks has a expert way of tugging at all possible emotions in one novel. He knows exactly what buttons to push to make you cry and laugh and just think. The things that is most appealing about this book is the humble and sweet Jamie Sullivan- she doesn't even blame God for her more then unfortunate illness and continues to help others when her herself needs help also. This book is innocent and young and soooo great. It is definitley something you need to have on your shelf!

Playlist for Catalyst

Catalyst

Listen To This!

Across the Universe- The Beatles
All Apologies- Nirvana
Pretty Pretty Bethamphetamine- Butch Walker
Inside out- Eve 6
Hemorrhage- Fuel

Catalyst

Catalyst

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Rating: So so

Difficulty: Normal

Pages: 231

Synopsis

Meet Kate Malone- straight A science and math geek, minister's daughter, ace long distant runner, new girlfriend (to Mitchell "Early Decision Harvard" Pangborn), unwilling family caretaker, and emotional avoidance champion. Kate manages her life by organizing it, as logically as the periodic table. She can handle it all- or so she thinks. Then, things happen like a string of chemical reactions: first, The Malones' neighbors get burned out of their own home and move in. Kate has to share a room with her nemesis, Keri Litch, and Teri's little brother. The days are ticking by and she's still waiting to hear from the only college she's applied to-MIT. Kate feels that her life is spinning out of control- and then, something occurs that truly blows it all apart.

Review

So we all know about Laurie Halse Anderson and her amazing novel Speak. But what about Catalyst? Is this book as good as her debut novel. I'm a reviewer here and my job is to tell you what books are and are not worth your time, so I'll be honest- No. No this book is not anything like speak. I think the main problem of this story is that the main character is actually TOO perfect. I gave this book a "So So" rating because, quite frankly, I didn't have much interest in it. But as a reviewer, i try to find at least some good in each book i read so here it is- the relationship between Kate and Teri is the best part of the book. One girl, smart and driven and another girl, bitter and an outcast. Yet, somehow they found this wonderful middle where they can both hate each other and help each other. Tragedy strikes down hard on Teri in this novel and Kate finds way's to comfort her but Kate also has her own problems, which Teri unsuspectedly walks her through. It's basically a book urging people out there that perfection is non-exsistance and once we figure that out we'll be more content with life and be closer to happiness. Catalyst is definitly not Speak but i think because of the author and the little lesson you get, you should definitly give it some time out of your day. It is a quick read.

Yay!!! I finally got a Twitter!!!

So as the title says, I finaly have a Twitter :D if you want to join follow my journey through blogosphere-dom, just go here-

www.twitter.com/YoTina_38

If you also have a Twitter feel free to become a follower. If not I encourage you to join:)

Playlist For How It's Done!

How It's Done

Listen To This!

Trying My Best to Love You- Jenny Lewis

Landslide- The Dixie Chicks

I Want You- The Beatles

When You Were Young- The Killers

Cup Of Coffee- Katy Perry

Playlist for Margarettown!

Margarettown

Listen To This!

Just Like Heaven- The Cure

I Like You- Morissey

Calling You- Blue October

Little Moments Like That- Brad Paisley

Foundation- Kate Nash

Playlist for The Truth About Forever!

The Truth About Forever

Listen to This!

Boys With Girlfriends- Meiko

A Place in This World- Taylor Swift

I Miss You- Miley Cyrus

Mannequin- Katy Perry

All That I've Got- The Used

How It's Done

How It's Done

by Christine Kole MacLean

Rating: Great

Difficulty: Normal

Pages: 324

Synopsis

Brought up in a strict fundamentalist home, eighteen-year-old Grace feels trapped in a "suburban Alcatraz" by her overbearing father and her timid mother. An affair with a college professor--a man of the world who's more likely to quote Shelley than scripture--seems like a great escape. But freedom brings with it unanticipated complications and Grace discovers that being involved with an older man is not all chardonnay and poetry . . .
Told from Grace's perspective, How It's Done is an unflinching story of love and freedom and the price you pay for both.

Review

Now How It's done is basically a book about how it NOT done- how you shouldn't go about life, relationships, friendships, family and religion. Grace was brought up in an higly religous and strict household, run by her father and timid and submissive mother. It doesn't take long before she starts to rebel by going out with a much older, much more sophisticated college professor named Michael. It's all fun and games at first until her father finds out about the seriously forbidden relationship and demands her not to see her anymore. Just 18 Grace is forced to make a decision about her life- either conform to her fathers strict and dull ways or lead a life of a grown up with her new grown up boyfriend. Michael asks her to marry him and when she says yes she also gives up the most important thing in her life- her virginity and strangely her independence. It weird how she does become dependent on Michael even though she's trying to break free from her dad. She depend on his love, sex, approval and assurance to get her through their engagement until, after a series of events makes her realize that not only does she not want his approval but she doesn't want to be a grown up just yet either. Michael is such a slimy character, even though he's mostly amazing to Grace during th whole book- you just know he's not right for her. It made me so frustrated reading this because i wanted to hit Grace with a rock on her head and say "Wake up from this impossible dream!" I mean yes we are capable of finding love and yes we have to grow up someday but really, how much are we willing to give up for that? This is an excellent book but some might be apprehensive at first because of how much religion i in it. Im not saying there is a ton but you have to be comfortable with where you stand about God to understand what all the fuss is about. I really enjoyed reading this and hopefully you will to!

Margarettown

Margarettown
by Gabrielle Zevin
Rating: Incredible!
Difficulty: Normal
Pages: 291




Synopsis

A man called N. travels to Margarettown with a woman he loves named Margaret Towne, inhabited solely by four women: Old Margaret, who is 77; 50-something Marge; 17-year-old Mia; and 7-year-old tomboy May. The novel is cast as a letter written by a dying N. to his and Margaret's daughter relaying their courtship and marriage.


Review

So being that i love Gabrielle Zevin so much i just had to read her first novel. Margarettown is half fantasy, half real life. Divided into six parts it tells the story of a women named Margaret who is cursed with (or possibly already possesed) the power to be multiple women at once. This man, solely named N., is writing a letter to his daughter Jane on his death bed and is telling the story of her mother and him meeting and how they found themselves in a strange kind of love. My favorite part of the book and an absolute must read in all literature itself is Susurrus- this section of the book basically tells the part of Jane and her brother Ian, starting in the womb and making their way through Margarette's pregancy. Both sad and astonishingly funny Susurrus is a heart warming addition to this love-hate kind of fairy tale. You wouldn't exactly call this a YA novel but it is definitely a fantastic book. The book kind of lets you decide for yourself on things and lets your imagination run wild. If you love Gabrielle Zevin or "Elsehwere" style books, this is definitly a must have!!!

The Truth About Forever

The Truth About Forever

by Sarah Dessen

Rating: Good

Difficulty: Normal

Pages:374

Synopsis

A long hot summer- that's what sixteen year old Macy Queen has to look forward to. Her boyfriend, Jason, is going away to Brain Camp. She's stuck with a dull-as-dishwasher job at the library. And all of her free time promises to be spent studying for the SATs or grieving silently with her mother over her father's death.

But everything changes when Macy is carrolled into helping out at another one of her mom's open house events, and she meets the chaotic Wish Catering crew. Before long Macy ditches her library job and joins up with the Wish gang: big hearted Delia; quiet, introspective Monica; and fun-loving, fashion-conscious Kristy. But best of all there's Wes- who gets Macy to look at life in a whole new way...

Review

So in honor of Sarah's new book Along for the Ride, i decided to read this wonderful book. Of course who doesn't love a good Dessen book but this book is especially great. It's the familiar story of a young girl bored with her life and looking for some excitement without knowing she's looking at all. Macy Queen, is just that girl, except around her town she's known by a different name- the girl who watched her father die. I don't even know how to begin to tell you how important this is to the story, the whole concept of just getting up and doing, revolves around that one moment she was one minute too late to save him. When her boring boring boring! boyfriend leaves to some smart kids camp, she stuck witha dead end job and nothing to do during a perfectly good summer. When she meets the Wish Catering crew she gets a little dose of healthy chaos and her steadily planned life is thrown into a beautiful spiral of fun, friends and flirting. Wes-ahhh Wes... how dreamy is he? Not only is he artistic and free-spirited but he's also deep and thoughtful. Through out the whole book Macy is having trouble choosing between her safe dull lifestyle and her new exciting adventure. Like i said its the ultimate story of young girl bored with life but in this book the girl finds a little light in the dull gray exsistence and along the way she finds love and herself!

Read it!!!

Love, Tina

Bites is giving away an ARC of Tricks!

Bites is Giving away Tricks by Ellen Hopkins!

Like i said I LOVE ELLEN HOPKINS! She is one of my absolute favorite authors!!! So i really hope i can get a hold of this book:))

You should enter too!!!

Go Here-

http://litbites.blogspot.com/2009/06/tricks-by-ellen-hopkins-contest.html

I love contests:)

Evernight Give Away on Sarah's Random Musings!

Sarah's Random Musings is giving away an autographed book of Evernight by Claudia Gray!

If you want to enter the contest just follow the directions here-

http://sarahbear9789.blogspot.com/2009/06/evernight-by-claudia-gray-autographed.html

Im sure it's a great book and i really want to read it! Maybe you will too! :)

Want It Wednesday!!

Along for The Ride

by Sarah Dessen

So...Who isn't thinking about buying and/or reading Along for the Ride? I am for sure!! Sarah Dessen is a fabulous writer and im so excited to buy this new novel! Until the weekend i'll just have tocrack open another one of her books- This Lullaby. Look out for the review coming soon!

Plot

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.
A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

Living Dead Girl

by Elizabeth Scott

So im probably a little late on this one but i just saw it at Barnes and Nobles and i knew i had to get it! Unfortunetly i was already set ona couple of other books so i couldn't get it right then...but do believe that a review for this book will be coming up soon!

Plot

When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends -- her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over.
Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her.
This is Alice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.

Prophecy of the Sisters

by Michelle Zink

Being that i have my own crazy, sometimes seemingly evil, sister to tend to, i thought it would be great to read up on a sister/sister relationship novel. Prophecy of the Sisters looks like it will give me enough of that including some mystery and excitement! Watch out for the review because im buying this book soon!

Plot

Synopsis
An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-

One good...

One evil...

Who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets. Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.

They just know they can't trust each other.

Tantalize

by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Ever since Twilight, i've been kind of putting off on all other vampire/werewolf/human genre books because, well to be honest, i don't think there could be much better out there. But now im ready to accept a new vampire/werewolf/human book love into my life. I can't wait to sink my teeth into this fresh meat!

Plot

Quincie Morris has never felt more alone. Her parents are dead, and her hybrid-werewolf first love is threatening to embark on a rite of passage that will separate them forever. Then, as she and her uncle are about to unveil their hot vampire-themed restaurant, a brutal murder leaves them scrambling for a chef. Can Quincie transform their new hire into a culinary Dark Lord before opening night? Can he wow the crowd in his fake fangs, cheap cape, and red contact lenses — or is there more to this earnest face than meets the eye? As human and preternatural forces clash, a deadly love triangle forms, and the line between predator and prey begins to blur. Who’s playing whom? And how long can Quincie play along before she loses everything? TANTALIZE marks Cynthia Leitich Smith’s delicious debut as a preeminent author of dark fantasy.

Author Spotlight!

Gabrielle Zevin

Author of

Margarettown

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

Elsewhere

As Taken from Teen Reads...

Before I liked to write, I liked to type. I remember visiting my grandmother Adele in Ponce Inlet, Florida, when I was three years old, and she had an IBM electric typewriter. I thought that this electric typewriter was about the most fascinating toy in the world --- I liked the little bell and the sounds and the feel of the keys and especially the erase key. Grandma Adele would set me up with plenty of paper and I'd be entertained for hours. I would type pages and pages, mainly nonsense, but sometimes my name or lists of words I knew. I can't remember when the nonsense changed into something more organized and storylike, it just did. (Will the monkey eventually type Shakespeare? Not yet.) The first stories I wrote were autobiographies, because, at that age, I found myself a most intriguing subject. Still, the autobiographies were largely fictionalized. I'd sometimes leave space for illustrations and sew the pages together when I was done. And for many years, this was the extent of my fiction career. When I was around eight, I learned how to touch-type at school, and I received a computer as a present. I started writing plays, and for many years I thought I would be a playwright. Over the years, I had studiously managed to write everything but novels --- I had been a copious pen pal, a first-class transcriptionist, a professional screenwriter (still am, actually), a teen music reviewer, a mediocre research-paper writer, and, of course, a writer of plays. So, although I was not writing novels, I was always writing something. Actually, I hadn't ever felt any particular calling to be a novelist, and I clearly remember telling a friend of mine about six months before I started work on ELSEWHERE that I would NEVER write a novel. And then I thought of the idea for ELSEWHERE, which did not seem to want to be a play or a screenplay. It kept sounding awfully novelish in my head, and though I was a little scared, I just sat in front of my computer and started to type. So it was fortunate that I liked typing, because I would be typing Liz's story for many a moon. Although I still write screenplays, I've written two other novels since writing ELSEWHERE . And I'm happy to report that I still like the sound of the keys. Gabrielle lives in New York City. She has one dog, a peculiarly expressive, eight year old pug named Mrs. DeWinter.

Playlist for Feeling Sorry for Celia

Feeling Sorry for Celia

Listen to This!

Breakout- Katy Perry

Untouched- The Veronicas

Everything is alright- Motion City Soundtrack

Love, save the empty-Erin McCarley

New Soul- Yael Naim

Feeling Sorry For Celia

Feeling Sorry for Celia

by Jaclyn Moriarty

Rating: Great

Difficulty: Normal

Pages:276

Synopsis

A first novel of refreshingly original letters exchanged between teenage friends, refrigerator notes from a madcap mother, and darkly comic epistles from the heroine's internal voice of self-doubt.
The Association of Teenagers" is coming down pretty hard on Elizabeth Clarry. What is she to do when her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father suddenly reappears, and her communication with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the refrigerator? And now, because her English teacher wants to rekindle the "Joy of the Envelope" in the "Age of the Internet," a complete and utter stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else.
But Elizabeth is on the verge of some big changes. She is about to outgrow a friend, discover a great new friend, kiss the sexiest guy alive, and run in a marathon. Who needs "The Association of Teenagers" anyway?!

Review

OKay so this is definitly the most original book i have ever read...written completely in letters, Feeling Sorry for Celia is a very different coming of age novel. Elizabeth is a witty and hilariously troubled girl, with her wacky best friend Celia and her ever absent but caring mother, she tries to find her way through life and highschool with little guidance and a lot less experience. She gets numerous letters from imaginary organizations like "The Cold Hard Truth Association" and "The Young Romance Association" and has to cope with the re-entry of her long absent father, while dealing with her best friend Celia's many runaway attempts. It can be a little confusing with the whole letter thing but it also makes for a really funny narrative. Elizabeth's insecure worries and sarcastic remarks will have you busting a gut laughing but also looking inside yourself for that same unsure and incomplete girl- just looking for a way to get on with life. Read it!

Playlist for The Slow Moon

Slow Moon

Listen to This!

Broken Wings- Flyleaf

Keep Breathing- Ingrid Michaelson

Kristy, are you doing okay?- The Offspring

I'm not okay- My Chemical Romance

The Kill- 30 Seconds to Mars

The Slow Moon

The Slow Moon

by Elizabeth Cox

Rating: Great

Difficulty: Normal

Pages: 300

Synopsis

On an early spring night in 1991, Sophie and Crow, flushed with anticipation, slip away from a rowdy high school party and sneak off into the woods. Tonight, for the first time, they will make love. An hour later, Sophie lies unconscious, covered with blood, and Crow is crashing through the underbrush, hurling himself into the river to escape the police. . . .

What was meant to be an idyllic, intimate evening has turned into a nightmare. Despite Crow’s frantic claims of innocence, evidence at the scene suggests his guilt. And Sophie, by now awake in the hospital, refuses to speak, leaving the residents of the couple’s seemingly placid Tennessee town to draw their own wildly varying conclusions.If Crow isn’t to blame, then who assaulted Sophie, and what compelled Crow to flee? With each answer comes a new set of questions. Elizabeth Cox’s vibrant and lyrical narrative revisits the events leading up to the fateful night, then shows how the tragedy reverberates throughout the community, among parents, friends, teachers, and neighbors–all connected to the young lovers, all with a stake in what happens next. As growing suspicions divide the town, a closer look reveals that everyone has something to hide.

Review

Wow i was really impressed by the sheer intensity of this book! It has alot of different sub-plots that have to do with marriage, infildelity, homosexuality and family bonds. After reading this i wouldn't really call it a YA book but it definitly has that taste to it. It has great contrast between the adult lives and relationships as well as the teenage crushes and friendships. One of the main characters, Sophie is brutally gang raped and the whole town seems to be effected by this, nobody can believe that something so horrible could happen in their little small town in Tennesse so it's a really big dose of hard reality. You can clearly see how each charcter is truly affected by the rape and among the rape there is also a heap of lies and mysterious goings-on in the town. Crow another main character in the story is kind of the classic american boy caught up in a whirl wind of a catastrophy, he means nothing but good yet, he's found himself stuck in this horrible situation. I really feel for this guy, as well as the other equally as piercing characters in the story. This book really deals with a lot of issues and it kind of reminds me of a really good, not so cheesy episode of all my children or some other day time soap of that sort. Completely orginal yet oddly familiar this story will take you on a crazy ride through love, lust betrayal and heartbreak! You gotta read this!

Playlist for Dreamland!

Dreamland

Listen to this!

Monster- Meg and Dia

Lullaby- Dixie Chicks

Pressure- Pramore

RX Queen- Deftones

Jealous guy- John Lennon

Dreamland

Dreamland

by Sarah Dessen

Rating: Incredible

Difficulty: Normal

Pages: 250

Synopsis

Ever since she started going out with Rogerson Biscoe, Caitlin seems to have fallen into a semiconscious dreamland where nothing is quite real. Rogerson is different from anyone Caitlin has ever known. He's magnetic. He's compelling. He's dangerous. Being with him makes Caitlin forget about everything else- her missing sister, her withdrawn mother, her lackluster life. But what happens when being with Rogerson becomes a larger problem then being without him?

Review

So i can't help but stress to you how absolutely amazing this book is! Not only is Rogerson Biscoe one of the most terrifically written characters in writing history (to me) but this story is also very real. Now what i mean by real is that it addresses a large problem occurring today among many teenage girls- abuse. Caitlin is the less "outstanding daughter," her grades aren't perfect, she doesn't have a specific talent and she's always hidden in the shadow of her older more phenomenal sister, Cassie. That is until she meets Rogerson. He is the epitome of everything Cassie would never have- mysterious, brilliant, charming and soon controlling, terrifying and abusive. At first she is grateful for his unfamiliar ways but as the latter traits begin to appear, Caitlin is caught up in a fight for her identity and her life. The characters in this book are the best i know- Sarah Dessen perfectly captures the personalities of everyday people with a splash of a little eccentricism. It doesn't take you long to fall in love with these characters- especially Rogerson. I was shocked and appalled that someone so amazing could be so evil and it really showed me how you can never really know someone completely. Caitlin learns this and plenty other lessons in Dreamland and the ultimate one is finding herself. Finding the niche where she belongs in her own personal life. It's a story of courageous survival, getting to know one's self, and appreciating what you have. This is the absolute must read!

Playlist for The Lovely Bones!

The Lovely Bones

Listen to This!

Breakable- Ingrid Michaelson

Come as you are- Nirvana

Daddy's little girl- Faith Hill

Smile like you mean it- The Killers

Pretty girls make graves- Morissey

Yours truly!

The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones

by Alice Sebold

Rating: Great

Difficulty: Normal

Pages: 328

Synopsis

When we first meet Susie Salmon she is already in heaven. As she looks down from this strange new place, she tells us, in the fresh and spirited voice of a fourteen year old girl, a tale that is both haunting and full of hope.

In the weeks that follow her death, Susie watches life continue with out her- her school friends trade rumors about her disappearence, her family holding out hope that she'll be found, her killer trying to cover her tracks. A months pass without leads, Susie sees her parents' marriage being contorted by the loss, her sister hardening herself in an effort to stay strong, and her little brother trying to graasp the meaning of the word gone.

And she explores this place called heaven. It looks alot like her school playground, with the good kind of swing sets. There are counselors to help new comers adjust and friends to room with. Everything she ever wanted appears as soon as she thinks of it- except the thing she wants the most: to be back with the people she loved on earth.

With compassion, longing and a growing understanding, Susie sees her loved ones pass through grief and begin to mend. Her father embarks on a risky quest to ensare her killer. Her sister undertakes a feat of remarkable daring. And the boy Susie cared for moves on, only to find himself at the center of a miraculous event.

Review

This book is alot like Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin BUT alot different at the same time too. Instead of primarily going into how the dead feels after death, The Lovely Bones takes a deeper look into the healing part of a loved one dying. This is a shokingly endearing novel- told from the persepective of a young girl who was brutally murdered, it is almost as if YOU are the one watching her family from above. Now i know i say this alot- the whole "i felt like i was the character in the story" thing, but for this book it is especially true. Susie Salmon (great name by the way!) is a very ordinary yet insightful character, she pulls you in with her familiarity but keeps you there with her ghostly thoughts and haunting voice. Her mother Abigail Salmon, kind of reminds me of every typical mother out there yet, the steamy affair she holds with the investigating Detective is exciting and very, umm what do 'ya call it, sneaky. Her father Jack Salmon was really heart breaking to me because of course, I am a daddy's girl. He seems to be the person most affected by Susie's disappearence and through out the whole book he embarks on a hearty quest to find her killer and avenge his daughter. This book is fascinating and i recommend it for anyone who like Elsewhere. When you read this book expect to cry and really think about lifes lessons and treasures. Read it!

Love,

Christina!

Playlist for Don't Think Twice!

Don't Think Twice

Listen to This!

Burn your life down- Tegan and Sara

Until Tomorrow- Paramore

Second Chance- Shinedown

If you're gone- Matchbox Twenty

An honest mistake- The bravery

Don't Think Twice

Don't Think Twice

by Ruth Pennebaker

Rating: Great

Difficulty:Normal

Pages: 262

Synopsis

Anne Harper, seventeen, pregnant, and living in a home for unwed mothers, is determined to not care. She will give up her baby for adoption, go back to school, and forget this mistake ever happened. As the weeks pass, this teenager with hard hitting yet hilarious sense of sarcasm comes to realize that what is growing inside her is not just a child but also a new awareness of herself.

Review

If you love the movie Juno, you'll love this funny and interesting novel by Ruth Pennebaker. I read this book a long time ago but when i saw it a lying in this old book store ll negected and stuff i just had to rescue it and read it again! Now Anne is a very sarcastic, grumpy girl the whole story. She refuses to even think of her baby as an actual life growing inside of her, as the story progresses she starts to realize that with this new child she also must fashion a new personality. Looking back at her life, she realizes she was not happy at all and what she wants to do now is become a better more sincere person. She starts out hating every inch of the unwed mothers home but then slowly starts to see that this is more of a home then she ever had. Through new friendships and experiences, she finds that life might not be that bad at all and maybe just maybe she can learn from this terrible but eye-opening experience. This is definitly a darkly intense but funny coming of age novels for even regular girls who are not pregnant- Anne's journey might even open your eyes a little bit!