The Duff By Kody Keplinger

I Finished reading The Duff by Kody Keplinger in a day and a half. It was so good I had to force myself to put it down and head out to my night class. I don't want to give too much away because I think everyone should read it but I will tell you the basics.

Bianca is cynical, fabulously snarky and because of Wesley, the man-whore, completely aware that she is the Duff, the designated, ugly, fat friend. She hates Wesley, but after being teamed up to work together on a project she takes advantage of Wesley's man-whore ways in order to create a distraction from her not so stellar family life. Wesley of course being the man-whore he is goes along with it. However, he also has a not so stellar family life at the moment and it is something they both discover about each other through out the ups and downs of their arrangement. Bianca also starts to realize she is falling for the one person she despises most.

I loved this book. I thought Bianca was real and even though cynical, loveable and very relatable. Who hasn't ever felt like the Duff? I think while the Duff might not have been the exact acronym used it is still something most people can relate to. I not only loved Bianca but Wesley as well even though he is meant to be portrayed as a womanizer. His overall charm makes him very appealing and even has you rooting for him through out the story.

The story pieces each part together perfectly. Everything mentioned has a reason to be in the story. The Duff is well written and the voice is as real as it gets. This is the epitome of what a YA book should be. Kudos to Kody Keplinger for nailing it.

Finished reading The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

I finished reading The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen at two o'clock this morning. I started reading this book several days ago and while it was, at least for me, slow in the beginning once I got to the middle of the book it took off at full speed. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. What the gift was that Macy's dad had gotten for her. What her decision would be. What would happen between her and her mother. There were so many aspects of the story that captured my attention. At times I found myself talking and even yelling to the book as if Macy could hear me and see the error in her ways. (Yeah I'm a little crazy.) The people she befriends at the Wish Catering job were by far my favorite characters. Bert is so innocent and sweet, Monica well everyone knows a Monica, the girl who is just there only offering a mmm hmm or a donneven which only reinforces somebody else's advice, Kristy I love she is snarky and shows that beauty doesn't mean perfection. Delia I want her in my life, she is a mother who works better under chaos and if there isn't any chaos she gets nervous. Now Wes, Wes in my mind is perfection. I love the bad boy gone good persona. His relationship with his brother Bert only makes him that much more appealing. When you combine them all together it makes for a fun read with characters you fall in love with.

I love how Sarah Dessen pulls everything together. Every single thing that happens always comes back to play a bigger role to the overall story. This book is definitely in my top favorite Sarah Dessen books. Like I previously said I fell in love with the characters. I clapped to myself when Monica said more then her usual three words, I laughed when Kristy blew up Macy's spot at her mother's gala, I cried everytime Macy talked of her father and I yelled when Macy broke the rules of the Truth game and lied to Wes. I'm sure I'm not the first to do this which is one of the reasons I give this book 5 stars.

Have You Ever...

Have you ever thought, Is it ever going to happen for me? I"ve been thinking about that a lot lately. To the point where it's kind of dragging me down into the dirt. Last night that was all I could think about. I found myself with tears in my eyes after I recieved another form rejection from an agent. My boyfriend could tell from the minute I walked in the door that something was off. I couldn't even bring myself to smile. After asking me a hundred times if I was okay and if he did something wrong, which I couldn't help but smile at that, I finally told him about my newest rejection. He asked why I didn't just tell him the first time he asked what was wrong and the truth is I was kind of embarrassed. I have never been so adament about anything in my life and I am so scared that my dream is not going to become a reality and my determination is going to be looked at as a failure or even worse a joke. Sometimes I feel like people just nod there head at me when I say I want to write books for a living as if they don't believe me but don't want to be rude about it. But if that's the case why do I even care what they think? I've proven people wrong time and time again so why can't I do it this time around? So last night my boyfriend told me "Don't give up and definietly don't get upset about it." He's  right because once I allow the rejections to take control of me that is when I will fail. I need to see them as a stepping stone to bettering myself and my work. I'll make it because I have never wanted anything so bad in my life before. It is one of the few things from my childhood that hasn't changed. On that note I will be writing all day.

~The Reason 9/11 Should Not Be Forgotten~

Please grab the box of tissues, sit down and take a moment to read this blog post by author Meg Cabot. I still have tears in my eyes. This post, this honest, heartfelt recollection of September 11th 2001 is the reason that the day should never be forgotten. http://www.megcabot.com/2010/09/nine-years-ago/

Review of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

I finished reading the Short Second Life of Bree Tanner the other day and as you all know I am a huge Twilight fan and this Novella from Stephenie Meyer, while I think unnecessary, did not disappoint. It was interesting to see a different take on the series, to see things from the so called "bad" vampires perspective.

At first I didn't know what to expect when I bought the book. I didn't know where Stephenie Meyer was going to take the story of Bree and I have to say I was pleased with the story line. I liked Bree as a character but other than knowing she was fifteen/sixteen by being told I don't think I would've figured that out. Basically if her age was never stated she could have been twenty one when she was turned for all the reader knew. At times she seemed her age to an extent but at other times not so much. Granted it's a small detail but nonetheless it's a detail and an important one I feel. Bree's age is what makes the story so compelling in the first place. 

Diego the guy who befriends Bree which quickly turns into a romance was a good asset to the story. I just wish that there would have been more for them. I know *Spoiler Alert*, as if you don't know, Bree dies at the end of Eclipse but I felt reading her own story that it ended too quickly.  I wanted her and Diego to have more time together. But because they didn't have more time together I was able to sympathize with Bree and at the end I found myself mourning her. Her human life ended too quickly and then her life as a vampire ended even quicker right at the moment where it seemed she was finally starting it.

 I also liked the other vampire Fred. Even though he used his gift to repel people from paying attention to him Bree is able to look past this and take refuge beside him. They become friends in a way that is different from your typical friendship and I found myself wanting them to survive and take off and start their own coven. Obviously that couldn't happen because again of the outcome of Eclipse, but I was happy that Fred was able to do so, but now I am left wondering what happened to Fred. Where did he go? Was he able to survive? Did he live a life like the Cullens or stay on a a diet of human blood. I know I'm going way off topic and thinking to far into it, but that's what I like about Stephenie Meyer. While she may not be the greatest writer she has a way of developing characters who you can easily take a liking to and who you want to know more about. Now The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner did not have me up at ridiculous hours needing to know what happened next like the rest of the Twilight series it still captured my interest. So I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Review of Parnormalcy and Picture Overload.

I finally finished Paranormalcy. It took longer than I expected it to. In the beginning I was completely taken in and couldn't put it down and then I don't know if it was because I got busy with other things but I felt like it took me forever to finish (4 days). Anyway, in the end I really did enjoy the book. Evie the main character works for International Paranormal Containment Agency, and has since she was eight. Her gift of being able to see through paranormals Glamours makes her an important asset to the agency. However, Evie longs to go to a real school and not be tutored by a werewolf and just be a normal teenager. But when paranormals start getting killed with no explaination Evie starts to unravel secrets of her own life and realizes she isn't a normal teenager. This book has a little bit of everything in it with Evie's best friend being a mermaid, her ex boyfriend a fairie and the boy she starts falling for a shapeshifter all of which are not your typical run of the mill paranormals that you are used to. Kiersten White gives these paranormals new characteristics making them unique.

The first thing that drew me in was Evie. Her voice is awesome. She is fun, loveable and more like a real teenager than many of the other characters in young adult books I have read. Secondly the realtionship that starts to form between her in Lend. The relationship is spot on with first loves everything from the excitement to the embarassment. I also loved how Evie had a favorite show, Easton Heights, and would sometimes compare her own life to the show. What teenager doesn't have a favorite show? One that they use as a guide line to their own life? For me it was Dawson's Creek and I, like Evie would sometimes think when I had a similiar situation occur "That's not how it went down on Dawson's Creek." So I really liked that aspect of the book it made Evie come to life for me. Now Reth her fairie not sure if you can call him a boyfriend ex, I'm not sure what I think of him. I still can't figure out if he was in love with Evie or he was more obsessed with what she could become and what they could be together after. The way things ended with him makes me think there is going to be a sequel and why wouldn't there be it seems that is the trend at the moment. One thing is for sure if there is I will definietly pick it up. So based on a star scale of 5 I give this book a 4.

Now away from the book end of things this weekend I went to the Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo New York with my boyfriend and my parents. It's kind of a tradition. My parents have been bringing me to the Renaissance Faire since I was geez probably ten. It used to be me and my brother and than as we got older my brother became too cool for school. I on the other hand always enjoy our time at the Faire. Where else can I see grown people walk around in period costumes and not think twice of how bizarre they may look? This year though there were quite a few people dressed in costumes that were not related to the Renaissance at all, but gave me a good laugh so I thank them for that. There was a large rabbit, a male cheerleader and a blue well I don't know exactly what he was aiming for maybe you can figure it out. I don't know if it's pajamas or yeah I have no idea what it is. Hey for all I know he can dress like this all the time.

Other than the bizarre costumes there is a lot more that goes on at a Renaissance Faire. My boyfriend and dad got to partake in a archery tournament. Actually it wasn't a tournament at all they just got to shoot arrows at a bullseye. My boyfriend not the most coordinated kept hitting the wood piece of the overhang and had arrows flying back at him. He blamed it on his height I know better than that. I decided to show him how it was done and got a direct bullseye on my first and only try and no it was not beginners luck since I have done it before. We also took in a couple shows one was great the other not so much. Overall though it was a great day. My mom also bought me (when I wasn't looking) a Talisman necklace for writers and poets. It is supposed to help give you inspiration when you can't find the words. Her exact words when she found me and gave it to me "I figured it couldn't hurt" Ha! I love my mom.

The Talisman my mom got me. Love it!

~Reviews~

I finished reading Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen. I was hesitant at first since after reading That Summer I was left disappointed but since she had never failed me prior to that I gave it a go. I'm happy I did. Lock and Key was just as good as my favorite Sarah Dessen books, Along for the Ride and This Lullaby. As I read more of her books I'm beginning to realize there is always the same basic pattern. A girl who hasn't really come into her own yet with a dysfunctional family, and a boy she will undoubtedly fall in love with who helps her realize the big picture. However, it's a pattern that works. I'm a sucker for a good love story  and sometimes you want the outcome to be obvious because let's face it if the girl didn't end up with guy I would not be very happy as I'm sure most people wouldn't be either.

Lock and Key is about a girl, Ruby, who has been living in a yellow house all alone since her mother bailed on her. She does her best to keep up with the bills and basically to survive but in the end it is discovered that she is seventeen and living alone. She is taken in by child services where she is reunited with her sister who she has not seen in ten years. Her sister is wealthy and takes Ruby into her and her husbands home giving her a life she never could have dreamed of. However, Ruby isn't exactly thrilled to bits at first and looks for an opportunity to escape. On her attempt to run away she meets Nate who she assumes is a rich good looking boy with a great life. As the story goes on Ruby realizes that Nate doesn't have a perfect life and he can understand more about the life she has left behind more than she ever thought possible.

I read the book in a day and half. Sarah Dessen's writing pulls you in making it almost impossible to get anything accomplished until you have read the very last word and can finally put the book down. I would definitely recommend Lock and Key especially if you are a fan of Sarah Dessen.

I also finished reading Radiance by Alyson Noel. I read it in half a day. If you are familiar with the Immortals series you would know that Radiance is a spin off and follows Riley, the younger dead sister of Ever from the Immortals series. Riley died in a car accident with her parents and her dog Buttercup while her sister Ever survived. In the Immortals series Riley is hesitant to cross the bridge that would bring her to the Here and Now but eventually crosses leaving her sister behind. Radiance picks up with Riley where the Immortals series left off. Riley is now in the Here and Now and quickly learns that it will not be all fun and games just as if she was on the Earth plane she needs to go to school. At school she is given a job as Soul Catcher and is assigned to a castle in England where a ten year old boy has been haunting for hundreds of years. She needs to convince him to cross over the bridge. Along with Buttercup and her guide Bodhi, a seemingly dorky possibly cute fourteen year old boy, they wind up in over their heads. It's a fun read and perfect for someone who might not be old enough for the Immortal series. My only disappoint is that in the Immortals series Riley was a snarky, witty, likeable character and in radiance it seemed as if she lost a little bit of her snarkyness which is what made me grow to love her so much. Of course there is a sequel Shimmer that comes out in Spring 2011 and I only hope that her snarkyness comes back in full force.

Now I am reading Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. I'm on page 121 and am already loving it. Can't wait to see what happens next.

~Books I Bought Yesterday~

I know I should read the books I already have, but when I'm in a bookstore all self control is lost.

Once I finish Lock and Key which I only have a 100 pages to go I will read Radiance. It's only a 180 pages and I can finish that in no time. I'm really excited about this book and can't wait to read. Paranormalcy seems like it has a little bit of everything thrown into one book and I love that. Faeries, werewolves, shapeshifters, vampires and mermaids are all mentioned on the book sleeve. Then The Truth About Forever well it's Sarah Dessen enough said. Look for my review for Lock and Key it should be coming very soon.