Lost Letters of 2010

I usually just write these tiny little letters for myself, but I figured hey why not post them! These were written down on a piece of paper just to help clear my head for the beautifully new 2011!

(Oh, just a heads up... this is totally not book related, so if you're not interested the book goodness will be posted tomorrow!) Happy New Year!

I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday.

Eleanore Roosevelt

Dear Old Friend,
I probably should miss you a lot more than I do. Sixteen years of being in my life apparently never had that big of an affect.

Dear Paisley,

I still remember the day Hannah and I saw you in Petco. You were eating out of a green food bowl with a white guinea pig. If only you would have kept eating. I miss you so much. I still can't go in my room without remembering that you should be right here by my desk. It gets lonely with out you here.

Dear Stupid Boy,
You've lost your effect on me. You will no longer hold any power in this nonexistent relationship, you gave that up when you didn’t call.

Dear Family Member,

It's getting harder and harder to bite my tongue when I'm around you, which isn't much. You may have seniority over us, but you're surely not as intelligent. You've been an almost absent part of my life. You will not be missed.

Dear High School,

You are my hell on earth. I hope to never step foot near you again. Everyone and everything that has anything to do with you makes me cringe. I'm so glad you are no longer a part of my life. As of 2011, you're officially forgotten.

Dear English Teacher,
I still haven’t forgiven you for what you’ve done. Some days I get lost in how much I hate you. I still fantasize about sticking your stripper boots where the sun doesn’t shine.

Dear High School Dean,
Even when you said you cared, I know you didn’t. You were more interested in making sure your coffee was hot than how I would make it through the day.

Dear 2010,

You are the absolute worst year by far. This time last year was so different. You will be the year I look back on and know that since I survived you, I can survive almost anything. I grew so much. The strength you gave me will never leave my side. You taught me that I don't have to sacrifice who I am because somebody else has a problem with it and that happiness is closer than our troubles let on. Thank you for being so absolutely terrible, it taught me to work for what I really want.

Don't tell the world what we know. They wouldn't understand.

Love,

Katie

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I'm graduating high school this year! *insert dance of glee*

So just so show some teenage normalcy and pride...

Happy 2011 Everyone!

Have an absolutely fabulous year!

*The photos used in this post are not mine.*

Follow Friday (15)

What are you're book blogging resolutions?
1. Post More Reviews I haven't been that great at posting consistent reviews, so I'd love to have reviews up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. In 2011 I'll (hopefully) be managing my time better so this goal is definitely possible.
2. Comment on BlogsI'm absolutely terrible at this! I'm always creeping around the blogosphere and reading everyone's posts, but I don't comment a lot. I was trying to make sense of this yesterday, but there's no good explanation. So now when I read a post I will comment!
3. Don't Be Afraid!I've only emailed one publisher asking about review copies and I was pretty much flipping out when I hit the send button. I always feel like I'm bugging them and that's I'm just this huge inconvenience. In 2011 I hope to learn that it's their job, as long as I'm polite and understand that they're busy, that I can email them. (This will totally take some work!)

Waiting on Wednesday (18)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine

Watched

Sharde Richardson

May 30, 2011

Jolt Publishing


"Mikayla doesn’t want much: just to rock out to her favorite band, become the next Kwiki Stop video gaming champion, and keep her Q-tip habit under control. What she does want is the sight of the sudden inexplicable dark auras around everyone to stop. Problem is, those auras are demons and Mikayla is the last trait holder with the power to ban them. Which is a total buzz kill.
To make matters worse, the town folk of Sulphur Springs don’t look the same, and her classmates are a little dark in the eyes. There are murders, suicides, reckless skinny-dipping, gratuitous use of Q-tips, and newfound powers that Mikayla must learn to control.
Her past becomes present when a shape-shifter tells her what her true identity is, and how to keep the demons of Hell from nipping at her Converse. Through him she’ll discover who to trust, who to kiss, and how valuable her abilities are to the right beings. Because the evils of Hell aren’t staying down without a fight.
Or without her soul."

This book is definitely one of my Top 10 books that I'm looking forward to in 2011. I mean seriously, doesn't this sounds awesome!? I love that Mikayla is a trait holder with this rare power and that the dark auras are taking over her town. Also this shape-shifter guy sounds completely swoon worthy: "through him she'll discover who to trust, who to kiss and how valuable her abilities are to the right beings" that sounds amazing! Not to mention, I'm pretty interested in finding out why she's so obsessed with Q tips!

In My Mailbox Vlog (14)

Hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren

Review

-Where the Truth Lies by Jessica Warman

-Anastasia's Secret by Susanne Dunlap

-Entice (Need #3) by Carrie Jones

-Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

Thank You Bloomsbury!

Gifts:

-Wither (Chemical Garden #1) ARC by Lauren DeStefano

Thank you Briana!

Go Check out Bree's Books and Briana's December Giveaway!

-Dead is the New Black (Dead Is #1) by Marlene Perez

-Dead is a State of Mind (Dead Is #2) by Marlene Perez

-Dead is So Last Year (Dead Is #3) by Marlene Perez

-Dead is Just a Rumor (Dead Is #4) by Marlene Perez

-Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall by L.J. Smith

-Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

-The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

-The Mediator: Shadowland 1 by Meg Cabot

-The Mediator: Ninth Key 2 by Meg Cabot

-The Mediator: Reunion 3 by Meg Cabot

-The Mediator: Darkest Hour 4 by Meg Cabot

-The Mediator: Haunted 5 by Meg Cabot

-The Mediator: Twilight 6 by Meg Cabot

Mentions:

Brianna from Bree's Books

Hale & Salvatore's Supernatural Must Reads

Origins: The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Volume 1 by Kevin Williamson & Julie Plec (A.K.A the writers from The Vampire Diaries show)

Friday's Finest (16)

Friday's Finest is hosted by the sweet Justine and Steff from a bookful of thoughts

"Guilt reminds me of a stray cat.

You chase it away and yet,

it comes back when you least expect it.

If you let yourself feel pity for it and feed the thing,

it parks its ugly,

puny,

lonely-for-attention butt on your doormat

and won't go away.

Scat kitty cat, scat.

I don't need you sitting around here like that."

I Heart You, You Haunt Me

Lisa Schroeder

You guys probably already know, but I absolutely love any type of simile or metaphor. Especially ones that deal with feelings. I completely adore this quote, it's definitely my favorite out of I Heart You, You Haunt Me. I feel like guilt can be replaced with a number of emotions and still apply.

Follow Friday (14)

WHAT ARE YOU PLANS FOR THIS FABULOUS DAY?
Since most of my family lives in a different state my parents, dog and I are just celebrating with a relaxing day at home. Opening presents in the morning, pulling my hair out while my mom watches her cheesy lifetime movies then trying to help my dad figure out the instructions to the new games we got. Ahh 'tis the season!

Just a Note: I will be doing In My Mailbox this week. It will be posted Saturday evening or early Sunday morning. Get ready for a jam packed Christmas edition!

Best of 2010

What a great year 2010 was for reading! This year definitely bypassed my others for the most books I've read. Listed below are the books that have touched my heart, challenged my beliefs and helped me understand that I'm not alone.

My favorite read was definitely Delirium by Lauren Oliver, but after that the books are listed in no particular order.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium is so much more than just a book. If I have a daughter one day, she'll be named after Lena. The writing is flawless and the plot is perfection. My absolute favorite book of all time. Review

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

I read this series in August and still can't keep it out of my head! Katniss is fierce and Peeta is just amazing *drool* I adored the book one and two, but have a love/hate relationship with Mockingjay.

The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot

Seriously if you haven't read these books yet you really need to get on that! They're going to be re-released in volumes and I can't wait to add those to my collection. Suze is a total powerhouse and just full out hysterical while Jesse is such a cutie!

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

As you probably know Simone Elkeles is one of my favorite authors so of course this was going to be included! Carlos and Kiara were just crazy enough to make this book a huge success! Laugh out loud hilarious and just an adorable love story.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Okay, do I really need to explain why this one is on here? Flat out perfection. Such an emotional roller coaster that I was swiping my eyes with tissues quite a few times. Mia is extremely lovable and easy to relate to. I cannot wait for Where She Went. Review

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Not only is Andrea the sweetest person on the face of this earth, but her writing is killer! I one hundred percent adored Calla. She is my favorite leading female. Strong, independent and looking for her way, Calla's just amazing! Oh, Ren and Shay I guess are alright too *passes out on the floor from their total hotness.* Review

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

The DUFF is by far the funniest book I've ever read. I loved Bianca and Wesley together! Kody had me laughing until I was tearing up, yes it was that great! Bianca is a real teenage girl and very, very easy to relate to. Why can't I have a friend like Bianca?! Review

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Holy cow. I can't even think about this book without feeling a pain in my heart. The greatest star crossed lovers story ever told. Tabitha is pure genius, she made me feel for these two characters and had me rooting for them until the very end. Geez, I love this book. Review

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

This book is just hilarious and does a perfect job of capturing the true essence of being a teenager. Luc and Gabe are just hilarious (and amazing to look at) and Frannie is oh so likable while also staying true to herself. Flat out awesome! Review

Freefall by Mindi Scott

Freefall was everything I needed to hear at the point in my life when I read it. Freefall helped me through a lot and I consider it a dear friend. Mindi's writing is perfection and the characters are realistic. Such an amazing book. Review

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

I fell in love with the characters in this series, I feel like they're my best friends. I might not have liked the plot or where the story went sometimes, but I always was having fun spending time with the gang. Reviews

What were your favorite books that you read in 2010?

Review: I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

Simon Pulse

January 8, 2008

Amazon - Goodreads

Girl meets boy. Girl loses boy. Girl gets boy back...

...sort of.
Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear his voice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she's crazy, but she knows he's here.
Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.

The first thing I noticed about I Heart You, You Haunt Me was the amazing cover. I love the simplicity of a boy and girl holding hands, yet when you look closer you notice that the boy is slightly transparent. Also the tagline... Some bonds just can't be broken definitely peaked my interest.

Lisa's writing was amazing. It was raw and emotional which made it easy for me to place myself into Ava's shoes and feel her pain from loosing Jackson. Anyone who has grieved sometime in their life will be able to connect with Ava quickly. She has a unique voice that grows tremendously throughout the book.

Ava was a realistic teen girl who was going through a difficult time. Lisa created Ava's character exceptionally well. Every reaction Ava had was believable and not overdone. I also found her to be quite likable and admired her strength during such a rough time.

One of my favorite parts of I Heart You, You Haunt Me were the scenes where Jackson and Ava interacted. It was definitely interesting to read about a couple separated by death who are trying to understand their love for one another.

The ending was perfect and exactly what I needed to hear. It ties up all the ends and left me knowing where our main character stands. The story goes at a great pace, I never felt rushed through Ava's story at any time.

Amazing Quote:

It's like I was a garden salad with a light vinaigrette,

and Jackson was a platter of seafood Cajun pasta.

Alone, we were good.

Together, we were fantastic.

Characters: 3.5/5

Creativity: 5/5

Voice: 4/5

Plot: 3.5/5

Impact: 5/5

Overall: 4/5

It's written in stanza form so it does end up to be a very quick read. However the short length didn't affect the major impact it left me with. I Heart You, You Haunt Me is a raw, emotional read that puts sadness perfectly into words.

Waiting on Wednesday (17)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Haunting Violet

Alyxandra Harvey

June 21, 2011

Walker Books

"Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.
Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?"

As soon as I saw the cover and read Violet doesn't believe in ghosts, but they believe in her I knew I was going to have issues with waiting all the way until June to get my hands on this one. I mean really, how awesome does this sound! Violet, a girl who can see ghosts has to help uncover the murderer before he strikes again, all while being in love with her best friend Colin and living with a crazy mother. Amazing! Oh and the cover is flipping perfect, very haunting yet beautiful just the same.

Guest Post: Kare from Epic Book Nerd

Hey There,
So my BBF (Best Blogger Friend) Katie asked me to guest post here on her blog [THANKS KATIE]!!!! I was trying to figure out what I should write about and books came to mind (imagine that!). I am a HUGE fan of lists so I will provide you with a few.


1. A list of why I like books :P

To me books are:

A time machine

(The Book Thief, To Kill a Mocking Bird, and Night)

A magic show

(Harry Potter, My Fair Godmother , and City of Bones)

A portal to another world

(The Chronicles of Narnia, The Iron King, and Now You See it)

A key to the past

(Revolution, Nobody’s Princess, and A Great and Terrible Beauty)

A window to the soul

(The Mocking Birds, I am the Messenger , and By the time you read this I’ll be Dead )

A vision of what could be

(The Hunger Games, Inside Out, and The Forest of Hands and Teeth)

A non-stop Laugh

(Hex Hall, Demonglass, and Just one Wish,)

A story between a boy and a girl

(The Oracle of Dating, Love Undercover, and At first Sight)

A view through a boy’s eyes

(Infinity, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and The Giver)

2. What books I am waiting for in 2011

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Rebel Bell by Rachel Hawkins

The Emerald Atlas by John Stevens

The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Watched by Sharde Richardson

Timeless by Alexandra Monir

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

A Long Sleep by Ann Sheehan

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer

3. Boys in books are better (top ten)

Riley from Inside Out by Maria V Snyder

Peeta from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Po from Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Martin from The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Virgil from Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Patch from Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Archer from Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Cal from Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Ash from The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (for now I have only read the first one)

Matthias from Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens

Thanks Katie this was so much fun!

Just Sayin,

Thank you so much for this epically awesome guest post Kare!

Don't forget to check out Kare's blog: Epic Book Nerd

In My Mailbox Vlog (13)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren

Bought:-The Dark Divine by Bree Despain -Wicked (Pretty Little Liars 5) by Sara Shepard
Won: -Tera Lynn Childs' Bookmarks

Don't forget to check out one of my favorite sites, Deliriously Falling's Delirium ARC Giveaway!

Follow Friday (13)

Question from Rabid Reads

What did you study in college, or are currently studying and did it lead to your current 9 to 5 or are you doing something totally different?

Well since I'm only seventeen and am still a senior in high school I haven't been to college yet. However, I plan to major in English and Web Design. Then after the first four years I'm going back to get a masters in library science.

"What do you consider the most important in a story: the plot or the characters?"

I'm going to have to go with characters. For me one of the best parts of reading is meeting new people. The characters that are created by authors are seriously amazing. I love getting to know their quirky personalities and just in general becoming friends throughout the course of a story. When I look back on my favorite books I think about how courageous and hilarious the characters were a lot more than how much I liked the plot. I admire so many characters that they definitely come first in any book.

Author Interview + Giveaway: Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

As many of you already know, I'm completely in love with Personal Demons (my review) so when I had the opportunity to do interview and giveaway wish Lisa Desrochers I flipped out!

1. What inspired you to write Personal Demons?
I wrote Personal Demons for my daughter, who loved to read. The idea came one day when I was listening to Saving Abel (one of my favorite bands) and reading a bio where they said they got their name from a biblical quote: "there was no saving Abel." That got me thinking about the story of Cain and Abel, and I was mulling over ideas for a book when a name popped into my head. I thought to myself, Lucifer Cain, what a fun name for a demon. That was the beginning of Luc and Personal Demons.

2. Can you give us three words that describe your book?
Anything. Can. Happen. :P

3. Did you have to do any research about Heaven and Hell to write Personal Demons?
My research for Personal Demons focused on angel and demon lore and hierarchies. The beauty of fiction is anything can happen, but I still wanted to ground my fictional heaven and hell in something that at least remotely resembled common belief systems. I decided from the beginning that I wanted to keep Personal Demons contemporary, so I took what I learned and put a modern spin on it. Because Luc’s last name is Cain, I also researched the story of Cain and Abel. I found a piece that talked about the origin of sin. It repeatedly used the phrase “creatures of sin.” That’s the piece that most influenced Luc’s character. It occurred to me that, in my fictional Hell, there could be true Creatures of Sin. Luc was never human. He was borne in Hell of sin—in his case, Pride. He’s a true Creature of Pride.

4. Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
Not really. I suppose there are pieces of me in all of them because, let’s face it, they came out of my head, but none of them were fashioned after me.

5. Taylor and Riley were two of my favorite characters. Did you have friends like them while growing up?
With Taylor, I really tried to capture the frenemies phenomenon that seems to happen in high school. Riley is the epitome of a best friend—loyal to a fault. Again, neither of them was fashioned after anyone in particular, but they’re more of a montage of people I met along the way.

6. What was your favorite scene to write?
Some of my favorites are definitely the scenes between Luc and Gabe. They really know how to push each other’s buttons. (I guess that happens when you’ve known someone for seven millennia.) My favorite is probably their first real exchange after Frannie meets Gabe at a party. When he shows up at school the following Monday, Luc’s less that thrilled. And the fun of it was writing from Luc’s perspective, so we get his inside take on the exchange. Course, I also like the kissing scenes, and the scene where Frannie flips a demon over her head. Those were fun to write too. :p

7. Music was mentioned a lot throughout the book. In the acknowledgements section you say Savin' Me by Nickelback inspired Luc and You Found Me inspired Frannie. Is there any particular lyric that reflects these two characters? Also, was there any other music that inspired you to write Personal Demons?
Really, the entire song, Savin’ Me is Luc, but if I needed to pick out a specific lyric, it would be the chorus: “Teach me wrong from right, and I’ll show you what I can be. Say if for me, say it to me, and I’ll leave this life behind me. Say it if it’s worth savin’ me.”
As for Frannie and You Found Me, she questions the existence of God and feels like He wasn’t there when she needed Him. This is reflected when the lyrics ask God: “Where were you when everything was fallin’ apart. All my days spent by the telephone, that never rang. I’ll I needed was a call that never came…"
As far as other songs, the entire Personal Demons playlist is posted here: http://lisadesrochers.blogspot.com/2010/09/personal-demons-playlist.html

8. I'm absolutely dying to get my hands on Original Sin. Can you give us any hints as to what's up next?
All I can say is that there are more angels, more demons and neither side is willing to give in. Frannie also begins to solve some of the mystery of her family. Oh…and someone dies. (insert evil laugh here)

9. Are there any other writing projects you're currently working on?
The big one is book three of the Personal Demons trilogy. I have a few other things in the pipeline as well that I’m not talking about yet. :P

Thank you so much Lisa!

Lisa Desrochers' Website

Lisa Desrochers' Blog

Lisa Desrochers' Twitter

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Thanks to the amazing Tor and Forge Books Call Me Crazy is having a Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers Giveaway! Two lucky followers will be able to get their own copy of Personal Demons.

There will be 2 winners.

This giveaway is U.S. only.

Open to followers only.

Click here to view my Contest Policy.

To enter the giveaway fill out the form below or just click here!

Contest ends Wednesday December 29, 2010

Water for Elephants Trailer

I still haven't read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, but it's definitely in my To Be Read Pile. The trailer was recently released and I must say I'm really loving it. Okay, okay maybe it has a little to do with the fact I think Rob Pattinson and elephants are flipping adorable, but still it looks interesting. Is anyone else planning on seeing this film?

I'm really big on movies having the same vibes as their books, but since I still need to read this one I don't know if they're similar. Anyone who has read the book looking forward to the movie? I'm definitely going to be reading the book before I see the movie so I'll have a post about that after Water for Elephants is released.

So what do you guys think?