My Book Boyfriend: Jacob Coote

MBB is a weekly meme hosted over at the Unread Reader where you can post about any literary guy you're currently crushing on. Check out the intro post here!


 This week, I thought I'd post about a MARCHETTA boy.
The only Melina Marchetta books I've not yet read are the Finnikin and the Rock books.... but from the contemporary one that I have read, just about EVERY boy she writes is freaking amazing and drool-worthy.
Jacob isn't actually my favorite Marchetta boy (that honor goes to the JONAH GRIGGS) and I wasn't a huge fan of how Marchetta ended the book between him and Jose, but I did really like him.... plus, the moment I got a description of Jacob, my mind automatically linked him to Ben Barnes, and well... *chuckle chuckle* WELL..... needless to say I was kind of a goner.

 He is....
-tall and well built
-is the school captain
-easily the most popular guy in his school
-has a motorcycle
-"My friends think he's gorgeous His hair is brown, shoulder length, not cut into any particular style, and his eyes are green and they always seem to be laughing at you."

-"He didn't look trendy or casual. he just looked like himself. All things aside, my mother would probably love this guy. He was the epitome of individuality"

"how did your mother die?" I asked him quietly.
"Cancer, about five years ago," he said.
"I'd die if my mother died."
He shook his head and looked at me almost gently.
"You don't die. You just... get really angry and then after you're angry you hurt a lot , and then the best thing is that one day you remember something she said or did and you laugh instead of crying." He smiled at the thought.
I shook my head. "I'd run, you know. It's like when you're really busy doing something and you don't have time to think about things. Well, I'd run and run and run so I couldn't think."
"And when you'd finished running you
d be thousands of miles away from people who love you, and your problem would still be there except you'd have nobody to help you," he said with a shrug.

To give you the rundown on Jacob is very hard. Sometimes he speaks really stupidly and doesn't know what I'm talking about, and other times he speaks really well and I don't understand what he's talking about.
Sometimes he's a tough guy and I can imagine him bashing someone's head in and other times he's this real nice sensitive guy who smiles at babies and helps old women across the street. He smokes dope, drinks, and I think he sleeps with a lot of girls, but on the other hand he really loves his family and has respect for people. 
He looks like a grot sometimes because of his hair and earring and wild look, but when he smiles it's warm and sincere. Never ever fake. 



"I'm good with my hands, Josie," he said looking at them. "I might not be a great university scholar, but I'm good with my hands. You're different. You're good with your head."
"well, with my head and your hands we could be famous," I said, taking hold of his hands and kissing them. "We could go into partnership."
"What would a fancy barrister want with a mechanic in business?" he asked solemnly.
"Tons of things," I said, excited. "We could form a company. I'd be the theory part of the business and you'd be the practical."
"Yeah, we could be the first husband and wife..."
He stopped suddenly, realizing what he had just said.
"Forget I said that," he muttered.
I folded my arms and sent him a quick look. "I think you'd be a lovely husband." 
He sneaked a look over to me and shrugged. "Bet you'd be good with kids and all."
We laughed and hugged each other before he let go and began to drive.
"Know what?" 
"What?" he asked. 
"I'm glad it hasn't got bucket seats.
"I would never have fixed it up for us if it did."

"But I don't know if I love you enough and I don't even know if you love me enough. We don't even love each other, Jacob."
We lay there in silence until he nudged me.
"I do a bit, you know," he said gruffly.
"you do what a bit?"
"You know. Like you...whatever...love you a bit."
He seemed a bit flustered and I hugged him.
"I think I love you too, Jacob." 

Waiting on Wednesday #17

A wonderful weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine to showcase any book(s) you're super psyched to get--it doesn't have to be a new/soon-to-be released, just one that you really want to read!

City of a Thousand Dolls
by Miriam Forster
publication date: 2013

The girl with no past, and no future, may be the only one who can save their lives.
Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life


I gotta say, it's the title that really grabbed my attention at first. It gave it a certain whimsical, if not a little creepy, vibe that really appealed to me. I feel like the story could be absolutely outstanding, or just kinda meh... but I really hope it's the former!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I hope people still read in 30 years!

Top Ten Tuesday is a super fun meme hosted every week over at the broke and bookish, designed for people like me who love to make lists....it's super fun and you should definitely check it out!

Books Written in the Past 10 years that I Hope People Still Read in 30 years

Harry Potter series

I would hope that this is a must-have on most lists...because this book MADE my childhood! If, in thirty years, my children and their friends do not know what Hogwarts is, I will cry.

Hunger Games

This has made SUCH a huge impact present day that I certainly hope people in 30 years will still know about it--still read it. I get that some people hate the book (or just Katniss) while other people are in lurve with it (or just Peeta). I personally really like it--and HOPE it's not just going to be some fad that's going to fade into oblivion.

The Mortal Instruments series

I think I started reading this book late-middle/early-high school... and I'm pretty sure it's going to last me well into college (especially with the Dark Artifices coming out soon) Some may think this is a trashy stereotypical YA novel (which makes me super sad) but I freaking love this series! Forget vampires and werewolves, this made me want to be a SHADOWHUNTER! I WILL be making my future children read this......

Thirteen Reasons Why

This was a powerful book. Pretty emotional. Definitely sad. But I think people of any time can relate to the story and its characters in some way--and I know that they can finish the story changed and take something very important away from it.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

I LOVED this book. Not only does it teach Greek mythology to people who don't like learning it in a class room but Percy is just so darn funny and awesome!! I burst into laughter too many times to count while reading these books.

The Iron Fey series

Holy. Moley. 

I was always super adverse to fairy books because I never really enjoyed them as much as I'd hoped.... but then I met this book!!! I fell in love. It's that simple, really. If you've never heard of Julie Kagawa until now.... YOU NEED TO GO AND GET ONE OF HER BOOKS!

Delirium

This is definitely one of the better dystopians I've read. Lauren Oliver writes the most beautiful prose I've ever read. And the world she creates--one where love is considered a disease--is fascinating! Not only is this beautifully written, it also makes you think.

Vampire Academy

To: future people reading this book....
Re: books
Forget about any vampire novel you are contemplating reading and pick this one up IMMEDIATLEY. It will blow your mind and leave you in love with fictional russian guys. I kid you not.

Jellicoe Road
If Melina Marchetta does not go down in history as one of the best authors EVER, there is something very wrong with the world. Never EVER has an author taken my emotions on a roller coaster ride the way she can. Jellicoe Road is my favorite Marchetta books and when I finished it, I was like this:

Twilight
Ah, the book that started the eternal Team Edward vs Team Jacob debate. You might be surprised, but I'm actually not a huge fan of this book (though I will admit, there was a time when I had fangirl moments... but those moments were killed by the 4th book) HOWEVER, due to the phenomenol impact this book has made, I kind of doubt that it's just a passing fad... I mean, you never know, but I think it would definitely be interesting to see people read this in 30 years, and then I can be like "Back in MY day....."

TGIF

Today's question:
What are some of the worst book covers, but hold some of the best stories inside? 


I guess this is a prime example of Don't Judge a Book By its Cover....

Anna and the French Kiss
WONDERFUL story. Seriously. I am in hardcore literary love with this book....but the cover is just so darn cheesy! It's actually what kept me from picking it up for months! Now, when I try to recommend it to my friends, NONE of them can take me seriously when I showed them the cover!

The Mortal Instruments series
I've been so engrossed in these novels the past years that I think my brain has blocked out their rather unfortunate covers...
 In 7th grade, I clearly remember one of my friends starting this novel and gushing about it. I took one look at the cover and guffawed. I mean, there's a half-naked dude with yellow skin on the cover! 
....But then in high school, I started the series.... and the rest was history....
*sigh* Herondales <3

The Private series
 Stereotypical preteen girl cover right? But the story was addicting! Once I started this series, I just couldn't stop! Believe me, this cover is not something I want to be seen with in public, but I would still highly recommend this book to everyone!

 Howl's Moving Castle
 I enjoyed the book. Maybe not as much as I loved the Miyazaki film, but I definitely did like it. BUT if I hadn't known about the movie, or the fact that it was based on this book, I would NEVER in a million years have picked this up by choice! 
I mean, it's not hat the cover's particularly hideous or anything... but it's not exactly pleasing either. Just kinda off-putting.


Sweet Gum Tree
This is, hands down, one of the BEST love stories I've ever read. And believe me... just about every book I read contains romance. When I was reading this, everything else was on hold. But if I hadn't been for the stellar reviews I saw about it, I don't think I would've personally picked this out. The cover is a rather '80s/'90s -looking and gives no indication that there's a fabulous story inside! But believe me, this book is AMAZING. Definitely check it out!

My Book Boyfriend: Ed/Shadow

MBB is a weekly meme hosted over at the Unread Reader where you can post about any literary guy you're currently crushing on. Check out the intro post here!


Edward Phil Skye
-(named after his grandma, Philomena--who left him a collection of Pez dispensers)

-has hair that's "unplanned"

-dropped out of school after Year 10

-worked in a paint store so his single mom could take time and attend nursing school

-loves Vermeer

-his first date with Lucy ended in a broken nose for him


From Lucy's POV

“I can't believe you're still mad at me," Ed says.
"You grabbed my arse."
"You broke my nose."
"You broke his nose?" Jazz asks. "You grabbed her arse?"
"It was two years ago-"
"Two years, four months, and eight days," I tell him.
"-and I was fifteen, and I slipped and she broke my nose."
"Wait a minute. How do you slip onto someone's arse?"Jazz asks.
"I meant slipped up. I slipped up and she broke my nose."
"You're lucky that's all I broke," I say.                  
"You're lucky I didn't call the police."

“Let me meet Poet, too, but mainly Shadow. The guy who paints in the dark. Paints birds trapped on brick walls and people lost in ghost forests. Paints guys with grass growing from their hearts and girls with buzzing lawn mowers. A guy who paints things like that is a guy I could fall for. Really fall for” 

I look over at Ed. He's staring out the window giving Leo the thumbs-down. I wait till he's looking at me, then i give him two fingers up. He gives me two fingers back. I give him the middle finger. He gives it back to me. I don't know any more signs, so I make up one. Three fingers. Take that, mister. He sticks up four. I call your four and raise you five. He skips straight to ten and does something with his thumb that disturbs me. I bounce my hands on my lap. Ed bounces his lap right back.

Ed's quiet for a while longer, then his laugh breezes over me.

"What?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking. You hit me because you wanted Mr. Darcy and I wasn't him."
"You know who Mr. Darcy is?"

"I exist, therefore I know who Mr. Darcy is."  

From Ed's POV

I watched her at school, too. While she was drawing these pictures of people tangled together. I kept dreaming me and her were tangled like that. Kept dreaming of this spot she had on her neck, this tiny country. I wanted to visit, to paint a picture of what I found there, a wall with a road map of her skin.
Mrs J. paired us up for a research assignment on Jeffery Smart and I was watching that spot and she looked up from her book and caught me making travel plans. “What?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I said. “Only. I was thinking. We should see a film.”

I try to put into words what it feels like to look at that painting, but I can't and that's the point. "Art like that doesn't need words. That painting tells you something by pulling you into it and pushing you out, and you know what it's saying without words being spoken."


Her words are pictures, and I'm painting them on the wall in my head as she talks"

It's funny how two guys can look at the same thing and see it differently. I don't see peace when I look at that bird. I see my future. I hope it's only sleeping.

I pull her hair back and think how I'd like to get closer. You'd have to be a different guy for that to happen, the shadows say. maybe i could be Maybe there's a way I could be a different guy from the one who painted the inside of that caravan. What way? the shadows ask, but I don't have an answer yet.

I should have been straight with her from the start, but it's too late. No wall I can paint can take us back there. And if I only have five minutes left on the roof of the free-love van with her, then I wasn't to spend them talking. Because I'll miss talking to her tomorrow.

Review: Graffiti Moon

Graffiti Moon
by Cath Crowley
Published November 1st 2005 by Ellora's Cave

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

~goodreads


Rating: 5 shining stars
Review

I swear, Australia must be dubbed the Land of Lost Talented Authors.
HOW did I not discover Aussie authors before last year?!
Ever since reading Melina Marchetta's books, I have developed a new perspective about Aussie authors--that they are amazing!--and Cath Crowley has only further proved this!

I'll be honest, I did NOT have high expectations for this book when I first started. was actually quite  hesitant to start this novel because I thought I was going to be subjecting my brain to literary mediocrity. After reading the blurb, I  thought I knew what was going to happen. And because of that, I thought the book was going to be meh at best.

I am now eating those words.

This book was written in alternating the alternating POVs of Lucy and Ed--which I normally detest, but in this case, it made me like love adore fall in love with connect with each character so much more. It was made crystal clear from the very first chapter (I think) just who Shadow was. My initial thought was that this would make the book dreadfully dull because the big secret was already out in the open for readers, but DO NOT THINK THIS.

This book was had surprising depth and emotion--mainly on Ed's part--and the story captivated me. The characters too. The story follows Ed and Lucy (obviously) but also as their respective friends Leo (who is "Poet"--another graffiti artist) and Jazz, as well as Dylan and Daisy. These characters were so.... fantabulously amazing in every. Single. Way.
Ed and Lucy were absolutely perfect for each other, despite how different they are, and I loved the fact that their love story happened despite the misunderstanding at their very first date (before the events of That Night take place) that resulted in a broken nose. I also LOVE the fact that they're both super funny. And no, I'm not talking about that dry sarcasm that most YA characters use to be Oh So Cool. Their humor was so real, not trying to be all obvious--it was kind of understated, but I thought some of the dialogue was absolutely hilarious.

Even the minor characters were amazing. They all had amazing depth and complexity and realness. Words cannot describe how much I adored them. Even though the story mainly focuses on Ed and Lucy, it actually ended up giving me three different stories about each couple--without taking away from the main protagonists of course.

Oh lordy, I could just gush about this book endlessly because it was literally all that and a chicken salad... but I'm afraid that if I continued, my words would just turn into incoherent babble punctuated by girlish squeals.
Yeah. It's THAT good.

If you haven't discovered Aussie authors yet or just haven't read this book.... what they FRAK are you still doing here?! Go and get this book!

Top Ten Tuesday: Sites/blogs I visit that's NOT about books

Top Ten Tuesday is a super fun meme hosted every week over at the broke and bookish, designed for people like me who love to make lists.... actually, I'm not REALLY a list kind of gal... but I just love this meme!

This week's topic:

Top Ten Sites/Blogs I Frequent that are NOT about Books

  

1. 9gag 

    Without a doubt, 9gag is one of the most frequently visited sights on my computer history. I spend waaaay too much time on there.... but I can't help it! People just post the funniest things.....

I highly recommend this site.... but warning: this site is extremely addictive and time-consuming

2. we heart it

    I only discovered this sight a couple of months ago, but now I'm seriously hooked! It's a great place to just troll through pictures and discover inspiration. 

3. Zsa Zsa Bellagio

    I don't actually know who runs this blog, but whoever they are, they are absolutely fabulous because they post the best fashion/whimsical pictures--and they do multiple posts every day! Literally, I could spend over an hour just browsing through all the beautiful fashion photos on that blog.

4. http://patheticlifestory.tumblr.com/ (AKA Story of My Life)

    Yes. I tumblr. All the freaking time. It's an addiction.... like so many other sites on the world wide web, but that's beside the point! This tumblr is super hilarious (kind of like 9gag) and posts only gifs.

Seriously. Check it out. You will laugh. LOL. Maybe even ROFL. 

5. An Old Fashioned Girl in a New Fangled World

   This is actually my friend's blog and she posts AMAZING recipes on there--trust me, I know they're amazing because I've eaten a lot of her baked goods. They. Are. Delish. 

Just looking at the pictures makes me like this:

6. Hulu
     I no longer have cable at my house.... pretty sad, yes. BUT! Luckily, the world wide web is absolutely amazing and I can now watch a whole smorgasbord of awesome shows!

8. Youtube.
Ah youtube. Honestly, where would we be if we did not have this amazing site? Seriously, what CAN'T you find on youtube??I go on this site everyday. Without fail.  

7. Facebook.

    Okay, so this is pretty much a given, but I thought I'd include it anyways because now that I actually have to name 10, it's pretty hard to list sites I visit that are not book-related.....

8. Gmail

   Also a given, but come on! It's vital!

9. Elle and Blair
    I don't necessarily go on this site every. Single. Day. But I love watching their youtube videos and they have some great beauty/fashion/diy posts on their blog.

10.Dulce Candy
     Another blog by one of my favorite youtubers! She's super awesome and she posts tons of amazing outfits on her blog!

Waiting on Wednesday #16

Hosted at Breaking the Spine

The Poppet and the Lune
by Madeline Claire Franklin 
 published May 2011
 (Yes, I know this has already been published, but I just recently discovered it and really REALLY want to read it!)

The witch who made the patchwork girl died before she could give her creation a name. Stitched together from the remains of the villagers’ dead children—whose memories still live in her flesh—and held together by a ring made of moonbeams, the patchwork girl is a spell as yet unfinished. She can never be what her parents wanted her to be: a replacement for the children they’ve lost. So when the poppet grows up, and grows tired of being a disappointment, she decides to embark upon a journey through the Everwood Forest in search of her real name.

In the forest she meets the recently-made wereman Faolin, trapped in the form of a wolf except during the full moon, and running from the beasts who killed his father. Together they face the dangers of the forest, forming an unlikely bond as their paths wind together: Faolin running from his destiny—the patchwork girl in search of her own—both of them bound by moonlight.

But Faolin, afraid of the beast he has become, has known all along what he must do in order to lift the curse and return to his former life. In fact, it is the very reason he sought out the patchwork girl to begin with—and now the only reason he is willing to leave her side: to save her from himself.


This is my usual YA romance chik-lit, but that blurb had me hook, line, and sinker!
Plus, the cover is gorgeous--in a slightly creepy, whimsical way.

random bookishness

WHY? Just why?

New Release I'm Psyched For.....

GUYYYYYS. Oh. My Goodness.
Have I gushed about Rachel Vincent on this blog yet? I think I've done a Waiting on Wednesday for one of her books, but oh well, here it is!!!!
HolycheeseandcrackersshewritesSUCHgoodbooks! 
Like, seriously, youshouldgoreadthemrightNOW!

Her new book, Shadow bound comes out May 22 (paperback) and June 2 (ebook) and I. CANNOT. WAIT.

If you live in the dark long enough, you begin to forget the light…
KORI DANIELS is a shadow-walker, able to travel instantly from one shadow to another. After weeks of confinement for betraying her boss, she’s ready to break free of the Tower syndicate for good. But Jake Tower has one final job for Kori, one chance to secure freedom for herself and her sister, Kenley, even if that means taking it from someone else…

The job? Recruit Ian Holt—or kill him.

Ian’s ability to manipulate the dark has drawn interest from every syndicate in the world, most notably an invitation from Jake Tower. Though he has no interest in organized crime, Ian accepts the invite, because he’s on a mission of his own.

Ian has come to kill Tower’s top Binder: Kori’s little sister.
Amid the tangle of lies, an unexpected thread of truth connecting Ian and Kori comes to light. But with opposing goals, they’ll have to choose between love and liberty….


If you guys are interested in the book too, you can pre-order it HERE (Barnes and Noble) or HERE (amazon).

TGIF: Birth of the Book Blog

A weekly meme hosted over @ GReads

This week's question:

What made you decide to start a book blog???

Hmmm, I wish I could say that there was an interesting story, but really, it's just because last year, I fell into a reading frenzy that never really let up. Why? I have no clue. I pretty much started obsessing about books 24/7.

....And let's just say that my immediate family and friends were getting a little peeved that all I wanted to do was squeal about were fictional boys characters. So, to spare them from my endless gushing, I thought what they hey? and decided to make a book blog! Besides, I'd sometimes read other people's book blogs, and there were so many weekly memes that I wanted to participate in, so it made sense to finally make my own blog and participate.
  Now, I am by no means technologically savvy. I mean, I knew how to blog, so I went to blogger.com, made an account, hit the create button...and thus, this blog was born!
Once I started blogging, joining weekly memes, and chatting with other blogger out there, I realized just how big the book blogging community was! Suddenly, I discovered lots of other people who had similar passions, who adored YA, literary boys, and fictional worlds! It was awesome, to say the least.
Now, my blog has become such a big part of my life--not that I'm totally antisocial and spend all my days holed up at home with my computer and romance novels!--just that I look forward to posting on my blog every week, and now I have a place to keep track of books I've read uninhibitedly gush about books. 

My Book Boyfriend: Prince Dhiren

MBB is a weekly meme hosted over at the Unread Reader where you can post about any literary guy you're currently crushing on. Check out the intro post here!

So I was browsing through my Goodreads list of books I've read, and it suddenly struck me that I've never even so much as mentioned the The Tiger Saga by Colleen Houck on my blog!
Which, is a huge shame because not only is the storyline and romance great, it provides great insight on culture! Plus, there's traveling! Me likey.
...Anyways, since I hadn't even started a MBB post for today, I thought what they hey? And decided to dedicate this post to Prince Dhiren....

• Prince Alagan Dhiren Rajaramin  
• ...but most people just call him "Ren"
• born 1657 
• is of Indian and Asian descent (his mom was an Asian princess)
• Is the crown prince of the Mujulaain Empire
• became the white tiger because he was cursed
• the oldest of two princes
• likes poetry--and let me tell you, he can write some good love poetry too! 
• “He didn’t look very tiger-like, other than his eyes. He had full lips, a square jaw, and an aristocratic nose. He didn’t look like any other man I’d ever seen. I couldn’t place it, but there was something else, something cultured about him. He exuded confidence, strength, and nobility.”
• bronze skin, glossy black hair, and amazing blue eyes. I mean, just look at that cover!
• is attractive....but I think that goes without saying
• If you were in a fight with him, let's just say he could kick your butt..... but he's also quite gentlemanly, so he probably wouldn't. 

I know that Kishan becomes a love interest later in the series (I haven't read all of the books yet!) but for me, it's Ren for the win! I mean, just look at these quotes!




Ren:“That was a pygmy marmoset by the way. Just in case you were wondering."  

Kelsey: "Thank you oh Walking Monkey Dictionary.”       


"I'm warning you, Kelsey. I'm an extremely patient man. I've had extensive practice in waiting out the enemy. My life as a tiger has taught me that persistence and diligence always pay off. Consider yourself forewarned, priyatama. I'm on the hunt. I've caught your scent, and I won't be thwarted in my course.”

“YOU ate ALL of my peanut . . . butter . . . COOKIES?” 



“If a king owned a pearl without price, a gem he cherished above all. Would he hide it away, bury it from sight afraid others would take it? Or would he display it proudly, set it in a ring or crown, so that all the world could behold its beauty and see what richness it brings to his life? You are my pearl without price.”

He laughed quietly. “Breathe, Kelsey.” He had a very self-satisfied, smug grin on his face, which, for some reason, got my ire up. “You seem very happy with yourself.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I am.”
I smirked back at him and said, “Well, you didn’t ask for permission.”
“Hmm, perhaps we should rectify that.” He trailed his fingers up my arm, swirling little circles as he went. “Kelsey?”
I watched his progress and mumbled, distracted, “Yes?”
He stepped closer. “Do I—”
“Hmm?” I wiggled slightly.      
“Have your—”
He started nuzzling my neck then moved up to my ear. His lips tickled me as he whispered, and I felt him smile, “Permission—”
Goose bumps broke out on my arms and I trembled.
“To kiss you?”
I nodded weakly. Standing on my tiptoes, I slipped my arms around his neck showing him that I was definitely giving permission. He trailed kisses from my ear across to my cheek in achingly slow motion, grazing along a path of his choosing. He stopped, hovering just over my lips, and waited.
I knew what he was waiting for. I paused only a brief second before whispering faintly, “Yes.”

“He then put both hands on the door on either side of my head and leaned in close, pinning me against it. I trembled like a downy rabbit caught in the clutches of a wolf. The wolf came closer. He bent his head and began nuzzling my cheek. The problem was…I wanted the wolf to devour me.”

Waiting on Wednesday #15

Hosted over at Breaking the Spine

Splintered
By A.G. Howard
To be published January 2013

For sixteen years, Alyssa Gardner has lived with the stigma of being descended from Alice Liddell -- the real life inspiration for Lewis Carroll's famed novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But cruel jokes about dormice and tea parties can’t compare to the fact that Alyssa hears the whispers of bugs and flowers ... the same quirk which sent her mother to a mental institution years before.

When her mother takes a turn for the worse and the whispers grow too strong for Alyssa to bear, she seeks the origins of their family curse. A set of heirlooms and a moth tied to an unusual website lead Alyssa and her gorgeous best friend / secret crush, Jeb, down the rabbit hole into the real Wonderland, a place more twisted and eerie than Lewis Carroll ever let on.

There, creepy counterparts of the original fairytale crew reveal the purpose for Alyssa’s journey, and unless she fixes the things her great-great-great grandmother Alice put wrong, Wonderland will have her head.


Adventure, romance, drama, whimsical-ness? Heck yeah I'll be reading this book when it comes out!

Top Ten Tuesdays: Hottest Boys in YA

A super fun meme hosted over @ The Broke and Bookish :)

So I think originally this week's topic was "Top Ten Authors I'd Like To See On A Reality Show," but was then changed to be a freebie week... so naturally, I had to talk about the most attractive, swoon-worthy boys in literature! I mean, of course, boys in books are just better, right?

So this week, I teamed up with my friend, Jessie (here's her new blog )
to make a list of the hottest guys.....
 quick disclaimer: I claim no responsibility for her picks!

So, without further adieu, here's our list

1. Daemon Black of Obsidian
     I've just recently finished Obsidian and ohmyholyWOW, this book deserves all the hype it's been getting. I am a total Daemon-worshipper right now and I. NEED. MORE.
Give me Onyx!!!!

“I've always found that the most beautiful people, truly beautiful inside and out, are the ones who are quietly unaware of their effect." His eyes searched mine intently, and for a moment we stood there toe to toe. "The ones who throw their beauty around, waste what they have? Their beauty is only passing. It's just a shell hiding nothing but shadows and emptiness.”


2.  Peeta from Hunger Games
     (Jessie's Pick)
"Umm, because he's beautiful--at least, in the books. He's sweet and nice."

I totally have to agree with this. In a YA world where most boys are arrogant and cocky (but in a surprisingly attractive way), it was so nice to see someone as sweet as Peeta, I freaking love the boy with the bread!

Peeta sighs. "Well, there is this one girl. I’ve had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I’m pretty sure she didn’t know I was alive until the reaping."
Sounds of sympathy from the crowd. Unrequited love they can relate to.
She have another fellow?" asks Caesar.
I don’t know, but a lot of boys like her," says Peeta.
So, here’s what you do. You win, you go home. She can’t turn you down then, eh?" says Caesar encouragingly.
I don’t think it’s going to work out. Winning...won’t help in my case," says Peeta.
Why ever not?" says Caesar, mystified.
Peeta blushes beet red and stammers out. "Because...because...she came here with me.”


3. Will Herondale from Clockwork Prince
    ......Do I really need to explain this one? If you've been following my blog, you probably know that I like love  am utterly obsessed with Will. Seriously. Just mention his name to me and I will erupt into a fangirl squeal. Not. Even. Kidding.

“If no one cares for you at all, do you even really exist?”


4. James Stark from The House of Night
 (Jessie's pick)--for reasons she can't really explain, Jessie insisted that Stark be on the list. Personally, I'm a little meh about him, but I do admit he has some pretty swoon-worthy quotes....

"I'm her protection!I don't care if it's in this world or the next , just show me how to get where she is , and I'll be there for her."


5. Etienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss
     Etienne makes me want to leave America and go to school in Paris. I mean, I'd want to do that anyways, but even more so if there was an Etienne St. Clair. He's so sweet! And he's an artist! And he has a freaking British accent!

"That was it? The whole story?"
"Yes. God, you're right. That was pants."
I sidestep another aggressive couscous vendor. "Pants?' 
"Rubbish. Crap. Shite.'Pants. Oh heavens, that's cute.”


6.Adam Wilde from Where She Went
   Good Lord, what I wouldn't give to have a boyfriend like Adam!

“If you stay, I'll do whatever you want. I'll quit the band, go with you to New York. But if you need me to go away, I'll do that, too. I was talking to Liz and she said maybe coming back to your old life would be too painful, that maybe it'd be easier for you to erase us. And that would suck, but I'd do it. I can lose you like that if I don't lose you today. I'll let you go. If you stay.”

7. Logan Thibault from The Lucky One
    (Jessie's pick)
 "Umm because it's Zac Efron. Two--because he's really sweet and takes care of her. Three--because he's really nice to her kid."


Not technically YA, but oh well! I personally haven't read the books, but I'm dying to see the movie!

“Logan stopped and gazed skyward as the kite began to soar above them, and when he clapped his hands at Ben's obvious joy, she was struck by the simple truth that sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people.”


8. Prince Ash from The Iron King
    Le swooon. Defying his court for true love, literally traveling to the end of the world to be with Meghan.... In my book, Prince Ash can do no wrong.

“My name is Ashallyn’darkmyr Tallyn, third son of the Unseelie Court.” Though his voice was soft, it never wavered, and I felt breathless at hearing his full name. His True Name. “Let it be known—from this day forth, I vow to protect Meghan Chase, daughter of the Summer King, with my sword, my honor, and my life. Her desires are mine. Her wishes are mine. Should even the world stand against her, my blade will be at her side. And should it fail to protect her, let my own existence be forfeit. This I swear, on my honor, my True Name, and my life. From this day on…” His voice went even softer, but I still heard it as though he whispered it into my ear. “I am yours."


9. Dimitri Belikov from Vampire Academy
    I'm pretty sure anyone who reads YA know who Dimitri Belikov. He is like a god among fictional males! He struggles with the "duty or love" decision throughout the series, and he's totally got that tall,dark, and handsome thing going on--not to mention being a kicka$$ guardian!

He regarded me with utter seriousness, like he always did. "I think you're beautiful.”
"Beautiful?”
"You are so beautiful, it hurts me sometimes.”

10. Emmett Cullen from Twilight 
(Jessie's pick) 
 "Because he is a beautiful man and everyone loves Kellan Lutz"
Ye-ah, not so sure about that........ I'm more of a Jasper man myself. BUT Jessie strongly advises anyone who doubts the hotness of Emmett Cullen to go and google picture of a half-naked Kellan Lutz.....

Bella: "I wanted to practice with Emmett a little..."
Emmett: "Excellent. The forest needs thinning. ”

YA for Adults: Yes or No?

Recently, I came across a pretty interesting article by Time columnist, Joel Stein titled "Adults Should Read Adult Books."     

You can find the original article HERE, but in case you don't feel like opening another window, here's what the article said....

"The only thing more embarrassing than catching a guy on the plane looking at pornography on his computer is seeing a guy on the plane reading “The Hunger Games.” Or a Twilight book. Or Harry Potter. The only time I’m O.K. with an adult holding a children’s book is if he’s moving his mouth as he reads.

I’m sure all those books are well written. So is “Horton Hatches the Egg.” But Horton doesn’t have the depth of language and character as literature written for people who have stopped physically growing.

I’ll read “The Hunger Games” when I finish the previous 3,000 years of fiction written for adults.

I appreciate that adults occasionally watch Pixar movies or play video games. That’s fine. Those media don’t require much of your brains. Books are one of our few chances to learn. There’s a reason my teachers didn’t assign me to go home and play three hours of Donkey Kong.

I have no idea what “The Hunger Games” is like. Maybe there are complicated shades of good and evil in each character. Maybe there are Pynchonesque turns of phrase. Maybe it delves into issues of identity, self-justification and anomie that would make David Foster Wallace proud. I don’t know because it’s a book for kids. I’ll read “The Hunger Games” when I finish the previous 3,000 years of fiction written for adults.

Let’s have the decency to let tween girls have their own little world of vampires and child wizards and games you play when hungry. Let’s not pump Justin Bieber in our Saabs and get engaged at Cinderella’s Castle at Disneyland. Because it’s embarrassing. You can’t take an adult seriously when he’s debating you over why Twilight vampires are O.K. with sunlight. If my parents had read “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” at the same time as I did, I would have looked into boarding school."


My own personal thoughts on the matter? While I do occasionally find it strange to see some adults I know reading the hottest YA novels, I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with it. I mean, just because a YA novel is marketed towards teens, doesn't mean adults shouldn't read it. Nor does it mean that some YA novels can't be exceptionally well-written and though-provoking. It's also unfair to simply assume that those who do read YA neglect all other genres.

And on another note, why is it OK to watch Pixar movies but not read YA novels? Who says that reading has to be solely for the purpose of learning? I read for fun. God knows there are school-assigned books that I dread reading, famous or not.

I am a great lover of YA. Will I still love it as much when I grow older? Or will I suddenly develop the urge to go out and discover the works of Tolstoy and Lao Tzu? Maybe. Probably not. Honestly, in all likelihood, I will probably be one of those middle-aged people reading the future incarnation of Twilight or Hunger Games.

So how about YOU? Do you think adults should read YA? Or should they stick to esoteric, "sophisticated" novels?

My Book Boyfriend: John Barton

Check out the intro post here

It's Wednesday! And you know what that means..... another My Book Boyfriend! I was originally going to post about another guy this week, from a book I recently finished and LOVED, but I've been absolutely swamped with exams! So, in a moment of laziness, I decided to use this old post I typed up a while ago about John.

I just had to post about dear ol' John from Looking for Alibrandi (by Melina Marchetta.... who is undoubtedly one of my favorite authors OF ALL TIME!)

Now John's not the main love interest in the story--in fact, he didn't really have many "romantic" scenes in the book--but I really liked the fact that he was a genuinely good guy.... and (no spoilers!) the ending just absolutely devastated me! It's hard to give any hints without giving away the whole ending, so you should definitely go read Looking for Alibrandi! 

"It had been three months since I last saw him, and he was looking even better. Not that he's a "pretty boy" or even bursting with sex appeal, come to think about it. It's the honesty and realness about him that I love. Its written on his face like a script." 

"If  he was a woman he would never need to wear rouge. He has that natural redness on his cheekbones. Although he's a bit on the thin side, it's his height that I like and the way his hazel eyes smile and change so instantly with his moods."

And honestly, it was this quote here that really made me love John :)

"I was a fairy-bread hogger at parties," he told me seriously, his eyes immediately changing. "I used to put them in my pockets or hide them wherever I could, until one day I was exposed when my host handed me my parka and four slices of fairy bread fell out. I was seven years old, and up till this day if I ever see fairy bread I palpitate and realize that psychologically I will never be cured."
 

Waiting on Wednesday #14

Hosted at Breaking the Spine

 Unbreak My Heart
by Melissa Walker
(to be published May 22, 2012)

Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life. Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now. Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart? Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem’s heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock to.

Top Ten Tuesdays: Favorite Quotes!

Hosted over at The Broke and Bookish :)

Goodness gracious, this week's topic was hard! I mean, it's so easy to like quotes and then add them on Goodreads or something, but when you have to pick out your 10 most favorite ones, it is extremely difficult. BUT, I have scrounged up some that I really really like, so without further adieu, here are my Top Ten Book Quotes...
(in no particular order)

1.  "You don't forget the face of the person who was your last hope."
-Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins


2.“Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be.” 
-The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
3.“Killing time isn't as difficult as it sounds. I can shoot a hundred numbers through the chest and watch them bleed decimal points in the palm of my hand. I can rip the numbers off a clock and watch the hour hand tick tick tick its final tock just before I fall asleep. I can suffocate seconds just by holding my breath. I've been murdering minutes for hours and no one seems to mind.” ."
-Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi

4.  “Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.”
Hamlet by Shakespeare 


5. "I love you. Remember. They cannot take it."
-Delirium by Lauren Oliver

6.  “If you stay, I'll do whatever you want. I'll quit the band, go with you to New York. But if you need me to go away, I'll do that, too. I was talking to Liz and she said maybe coming back to your old life would be too painful, that maybe it'd be easier for you to erase us. And that would suck, but I'd do it. I can lose you like that if I don't lose you today. I'll let you go. If you stay.” 
-If I Stay by Gayle Forman

7. “She will fight for light, and he for dark,
Battling through the ages for loves sweet spark.
Wherever two souls adore truly, you will find them, lo,
The brave Juliet and the wicked Romeo.” 
-Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

8. “Demon pox, oh demon pox
Just how is it acquired?
One must go down to the bad part of town
Until one is very tired.
Demon pox, oh demon pox, I had it all along—
Not the pox, you foolish blocks,
I mean this very song—
For I was right, and you were wrong!"
- Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
(Honestly, ANY quote from Cassandra Clare's books would make my favorites list.... and honestly, dear Will could say a string of nonsensical words and I'd have to add it to my list of quotes!)

9. “Literature is a textually transmitted disease, normally contracted in childhood.”
-Touch Magic by Jane Yolen


10. “Enduring and forgiving are two different things. You must not forgive the cruelty of this world. It's our duty as human beings to be angry at injustice. But we must also endure it. Because someone must sever this chain of hatred.”
-Fullmetal Alchemist  


And now for some extras because there's no way I can just pick 10! 

"If no one cares for you at all, do you even really exist?"
-Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare


"A good friend keeps your secrets for you. A best friend helps you keep your own secrets"
-Before I fall by Lauren Oliver

“She said, If I'm leaving with a broken heart, you're leaving with a bleeding nose.”
That Boy by Jillian Dodd

“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."
-To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

"I'm an agent of Her Majesty's Secret Service," Townsend said, indignant. "I do not do booby traps.”
-Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter

"You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men."
-Persuasion by Jane Austen




  

My Love....

Not that I'm frisky or anything, but I'd say my heart's been stolen by multiple fictional characters....

Must... be... strong....!

I swear, the world better not end in 2012 because I MUST find out who Tessa ends up with!

Team Will. All the way.

Waiting on Wednesday #13

Hosted over at Breaking the Spine

A Midsummer's Nightmare
by Kody Keplinger
(comes out June 5th, 2012)
 
Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorced dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great. Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.