Head over to Beyond Words

Don't miss out on your opportunity to pitch to agent Victoria Marini. Head over to Beyond Words by following the link http://chanellegray.blogspot.com/2011/07/pitch-contest-with-victoria-marini.html and post your two sentence pitch in the comments. Good Luck to all.

Waiting For Forever

I watched a movie over the weekend called Waiting For Forever with Rachel Bilson and Tom Sturridge. I had remembered seeing previews for it and had an interest in seeing it then totally forgot about it. So when I was at the Redbox (for the first time) with a friend on Saturday I immediately put my vote in for it. Before watching it I looked it up on Blockbuster where it had a rating of one and a half stars. I of course didn't tell my friend about the rating just read what it was about and popped it into my DVD player.

I don't know if it was the poor rating that sent me into it with little to no expectations or if it was actually a good movie, but I really liked it. I laughed, I cried and I was genuinely interested in the characters and what would happen next.

Quick overview:

Will (Tom Sturridge), a street performer, has been in love with Emma (Bilson) since his parent's tragic death when they were children. She moves on with her life becoming an actress and having no idea that he has been following her around from state to state the entire time. When her father becomes ill she returns home where Will after years of staying in the background finally emerges and talks to her. Emma's past comes into play sweeping Will up into its complications. 

I love Rachel Bilson from the OC days and was happy to see her in something else. Tom Sturridge I knew only as Rob Pattinson's best friend, but after watching this movie I realize he is much more than that. I'm sure this is not the last we will be seeing of him.

I fell in love with Will and throughout the whole movie I just wanted to reach out and give him a hug. At times I couldn't tell if there was something mentally wrong with him or if he just never grow up after his parents passed away. It kept me guessing through the whole movie. The ending was great. It wasn't what I had originally predicted which I was happy about. I liked the actual ending much better than what I had thought was going to happen.

If you have not seen this movie I say give it a chance. You may just be pleasantly surprised like I was.

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

I still remember the first Sarah Dessen book I read. It was Just Listen and from the moment I picked it up I was in love. She was a writer who understood the world of a teenager and at the same time created a story that had me hanging on to every word. Since then I have read a majority of her books and come to the conclusion that she will never disappoint me.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on, What Happened to Goodbye, but in my typical fashion I bought it and didn't get around to reading it until a few weeks later. However, I had it and it was there waiting for me. Finally a couple of days ago I picked it up just wanting to read the first page to see how it started and in turn found myself on my couch a hundred pages deep. The story immediately pulled me in. The one thing I noticed or at least in my opinion is her books start off slow and it takes me a little bit to get through the first few pages and into the heart of the story. That was not the case this time around. The connection I felt with Mclean was instant.

Okay before I get into it a quick overview of the story:

After her parent's divorce, Mclean Sweet chose to live with her dad since she blamed her mother for destroying their family. Her dad's job as a consultant for an eatery chain has them moving around an awful lot, four different places in two years. In every new place Mclean Sweet transforms into someone else. Eliza Sweet, Beth Sweet, Lizbeth Sweet leaving Mclean Sweet behind her. However, when she moves to Lakeview she returns to Mclean Sweet, makes friends, meets a guy and discovers who she really is.

First off Sarah Dessen has a knack for creating an amazing supporting cast of characters. Everyone has their own quirk and makes you want to jump into the pages and become their friends. There are so many times when I am reading a book and as soon as it diverts the attention from the main characters I get bored. Usually resulting in me reading faster to get through it and back to the main characters conflict. Riley, Ellis, Deb, Heather, Opal, Leo, Tracy, Jason, every time they came into a scene I read slower. Each one was unique in their own way and I actually wanted to know more about them.

I loved that both Mclean's parents were in her life, but it wasn't all peachy. They had problems and because of that I loved them more. I understood where Mclean was coming from in blaming her mom for the divorce, but as I read I paid extra attention to her dad and the tidbits of past information she would give and started to slowly understand where her mom was coming from. Which is another thing I love about Sarah Dessen's books, everything has purpose. They are not just words strung together on a page. No. Every word is a piece to a puzzle and it is your job to piece it all together.

Another thing I loved was the relationship between Mclean and Dave and how the attraction wasn't necessarily front and center but more of a steady build up.  My favorite part of the book was when he talked about having a 2am, the one person you can call at any time of the day/night. It was a short conversation, but for Mclean it was an eye opener.

What Happened to Goodbye is right up there with my two favorite Sarah Dessen Books, Just Listen and The Truth about Forever. If you are a Sarah Dessen fan you will not be disappointed and may even find a new favorite. If you aren't, what is wrong with you? Kidding. If you aren't or have yet to read one of her books this is definitely one to consider.

Currently Reading:

~RIP Amy Winehouse~

From the moment I heard Amy Winehouse's voice I was a fan. She was a throwback to the classic jazz/soul era that I have always loved. My boyfriend bought me her CD and I listened to it every day.

Soon after her private life overshadowed her talent. From blood covered ballet flats to her signature black makeup smeared across her face it was hard not to watch her downfall. Her face covered the gossip blogs and her antics made news headlines. It was like watching a car accident, you want to help, you say a silent prayer in hopes that it will be enough, but in the end all you can do is sit back and watch.

In 2008 I waited with held breath for her performance at the Grammy's. I silently hoped that she would be sober and it would be her moment. When her name was announced and she took the stage I couldn't help but clap. She was amazing. Then her face when she won, well, I teared up. I loved how her voice changed when she thanked her mom and dad it was indeed a great moment. A moment I thought that would change her life. Change her course. I guess I was wrong. Her addiction was stronger than her and in the end it won.

I hope she'll be remembered by her talent more so than her struggles. I think it's possible too. Look at the 27 Club that Amy has unfortunately joined, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, when people talk about them now they don't talk about their downfalls they talk about their music. In the end it doesn't matter what mistakes they made. What does matter, is the contributions they made to the industry. That we were blessed with their talent for the short time they walked this earth. RIP Amy you will be missed. 

A quick note: I have known many people who have struggled with addiction and it's easy to say where was their family and friends when they needed them, but guess what, they were there. Unfortunately when you have a loved one who is suffering from addiction there is really nothing you can do. If they don't want help your continuous efforts will be ineffective. It's a harsh reality, but it's the truth. You can't blame anyone but the addict themself.

~I need a bigger bookshelf~

Borders is closing (insert sad face here) so of course I had to stop in to browse which led to purchasing seven new books (insert happy face here). I really didn't have the money and I really shouldn't have and the funny thing is I was kind of upset about bills and my boyfriend said come on let's go to Border's it will make you happy. He always knows how to cheer me up. It worked and I'm not even concerned with the money I spent because to me it was well worth it. Who cares about paying bills anyway? I'm kidding. Sometimes though you just need to buy something in order to give you a little pick me up. Besides it'll give me a reason to stay home and not go out and spend more money. See it all works out in the end. I bet you want to know what books I bought.



One of these books is not like the other. I know, but I'm a sucker for Nora Roberts and couldn't resist.

Have you read any of these? Thoughts?

Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

Corrinne was born and raised in New York City spending her days shopping at Barneys, attending galas and riding her horse at a country club in Connecticut. Her life is perfect until the recession, which was just a topic in the news, becomes her reality when her dad loses his job. Instead of heading to Kent, the boarding school she had been dreaming about, she is on a plane with her younger brother, Tripp, to Broken Spoke Texas. From the minute she lands in Texas all she wants is to return to New York. As time passes Texas starts to grow on her and she realizes that maybe her life in New York wasn't everything she ever wanted.

I originally bought this book based on the cover. I mean how could I not? The cover is amazing. Her yellow dress and turquoise jewelry and his plaid shirt and cowboy hat. I fell in love. I was ready for a serious love story, but that's not what I got. Instead I got a touch of a love story with a huge dose of a girl coming into her own. While I am a sucker for a love story Corrinne's struggle with leaving her life in New York City and trying to deal with her new life in Texas took center stage and I think that is what made the book.

In the beginning Corrinne reminded me of a character out of Gossip Girl which she happens to watch, but it was nice to see her get past the glitz and glam and just be a normal teenage girl who eats fast food and wears jeans. What annoyed me most was her attraction to Rider. *Spoiler Alert* He was a jerk who wanted to use her and it was obvious at least for me from the very beginning. It annoyed me that it took her so long to realize, but it did add to her overall growth.

I loved Kitsy she was the balance that Corrinne needed in her life. She was fun, perky, sincere and an all-around nice girl. One of my favorite parts of the book was when she dissed Waverly, Corrinne's BFF from NYC. It was great.

I wanted more of Bubby. We got little bits of him here and there, but I wanted more. Especially at the end. I did like the ending I just again wanted more. It was left too opened. I like things to wrap up nicely and not have to make me think about what is going to happen next. I just want to be told. However, with that said it is left wide open for a sequel and I really hope that is a possibility because I really fell in love with Corrinne and her new life in Texas and really want to know what happens next.

Have you read Where I Belong? Thoughts?

Currently Reading:

The Little Things

It's the little things in life that make me happy. For example yesterday I was going through an old wallet and found an old Barnes and Nobles gift card. I was going to throw it out because god knows how old it actually is, but I decided to go online and see if there was a balance. I was expecting if there was for it to be like twenty five cents. What I wasn't expecting was it to be $11.25. Yes $11.25! Can you believe it? Now I know it's old because if I would have recieved that card in the last two years there wouldn't even be a single cent left on it. So after I celebrated by jumping up and down and throwing a fist or two in the air I spent the remaining balance. And what is it that I purchased you ask? On sale might I add and only had to pay a difference of eleven cents until I found a discount code and now still have a few cents left on the card.

*Drum roll*