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Showing posts from June, 2009

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

Rating: 5/5 Stars Genre: Contemporary Release Date: 3/29/2009 About the Book: Hannah's parents are embarassing. Hannah's mom, Candy Madison, is a former "celebrity" who's known for a certain revealing pizza commercial, a short lived TV show, and being the girlfriend of famous playboy and Hannah's father, Jackson James. She doesn't talk to her dad and her mom spends most of her time in online fan chats. Hannah wishes she was a normal girl with a normal life who could attract the attention of her co-worker Josh, who is obviously her soul mate (he just doesn't realize it). But the annoying Finn keeps getting in the way, and for some reason Hannah can't stop thinking about him. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I had been in a reading slump before I started the 48 Hour Book Challenge so even though I was looking forward to reading, I wasn't sure if I'd find books I'd want to read straight through. Lucky for me Something, Maybe was near the top of m

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Enter to win one of five Suite Scarlett Paperbacks! Rating: 4/5 Stars Genre: Contemporary Release Date: (Paperback) May 1, 2009 About the Book: Scarlett Martin and her family live in and run the Hopewell Hotel, a New York hotel that has vintage charm but not much else. It's tradition in the Martin family that on your fifteenth birthday, you inherit a room to be in charge of. Scarlett inherits the Empire Suite and it's new permanent guest, the eccentric Mrs. Amberson. Scarlett is in for a summer of surprises, theater, and romance and Scarlett's life is about to get very interesting. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: The few things I've read by Maureen Johnson have been hit or miss for me. I read 13 Little Blue Envelopes , and while I liked it, I didn't love it. Maureen's short story in Let It Snow , on the other hand was my favorite out of the collection and I wanted to read a book based on that story. So when I first saw Suite Scarlett , I liked the idea, but I

No Internet & Billy Mays

So the internet has gone kaput in our apartment and it's driving me crazy. We're not sure when it will be back on either, so I'm feeling very disconnected from the world. The last time it went out, it turned out someone was trying to illegally download Paul Blart: Mall Cop so I'm really hoping those people learned their lesson and the nice apartment people turn the internet back on for those of who actually pay money to see movies in theaters. I've tried scheduling posts too, but somehow that got broken on my blog and it's not working either, so my reviews will be up later in the day until I'm connected to the world again. And what's the deal with Billy Mays dying? I don't know if I can ever watch a sales pitch for OxyClean or Mighty Putty again.

More Contests!!

The fabulous Julie Halpern, who is not only an author but a very cool librarian, is hosting a contest for the audiobook of Get Well Soon. And she's got THREE copies up for grabs! Plus, it's narrated by Mandy Siegfried who did the audiobooks for The Boyfriend List, Speak, and Wings ! Check out this sample of the audiobook . Here's what the book's about: Anna Bloom is depressed—so depressed that her parents have committed her to a mental hospital with a bunch of other messed-up teens. Here she meets a roommate with a secret (and a plastic baby), a doctor who focuses way too much on her weight, and a cute, shy boy who just might like her. But wait! Being trapped in a loony bin isn’t supposed to be about making friends, losing weight, and having a crush, is it? All you have to do is comment on Julie's blog post for the contest. Pretty easy and Julie totally deserves all the awesome comments because she rocks! And be sure to look for her book, Into the Wild Nerd Yonder ,

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Be sure to check out the 20 Things in 20 Days Scavenger Hunt Clue #15 is right here on this blog! Rating: 4/5 Stars Genre: Contemporary Release Date: 6/1/09 About the Book: Frankie, Anna and Matt have always been inseparable. Then one summer changed everything-Matt and Anna become something more. They spend a month sneaking out and sharing a summer romance-until the tragic accident that Matt dies in. Now, a year later, Anna is joining Frankie and family on their first summer vacation without Matt. Frankie is convinced if they find a boy every day, Anna will have a summer romance. Anna still keeps her and Matt a secret and she's not sure she's ready to let Matt go. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: A perfect book for readers wanting summer romance with something deeper. The story deals with loss, grief, and letting go without being bogged down in those issues. Sarah Ockler does something amazing-she manages to tie together something tragic with the sweetness and happiness of first

20 Things in 20 Days: Clue #15

To celebrate the launch of Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler, I’m blogging clue #15 for the 20 Things in 20 Days Scavenger Hunt. Answer clues and challenges to earn points toward the 20 Things grand prize, including 6 signed books from 2009 debut authors! Get a clue... June 11th-30th at 20 Things in 20 Days! Today’s clue: LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL and JUMPING OFF SWINGS author Jo Knowles said that Twenty Boy Summer “...breaks your heart and puts it back together again.” For 20 Things clue #15, if you’ve read either of Jo’s books, share your thoughts by posting a review online, like on your blog, Goodreads, amazon.com, Shelfari, or any bookstore or library site that hosts reviews. Link to your review in the comments. 4 points per book (not site!) reviewed.

Want It Wednesday

A weekly posting of things I'm wishing for. Give up the Ghost by Megan Crewe Release Date: 9/15/09 About the Book: Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts to “breathers.” Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable. They know the dirt on everybody . . . and Cass loves dirt. She’s on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of all of the poseurs in her school. But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass’s whole scheme hangs in the balance. Timwants her help to contact his recently deceased mother, but Cass is less than enthusiastic. Kicking and screaming, Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim’s life. And she’s more surprised than anyone when she realizes that maybe some living people aren’t so bad if she’d only give them a chance. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I LOVE this cover! I love how the ghost appears behind the girl and how you don't really notice it at first. Not only that, but the book sounds amazing, so I can't wait to read it! Dust Bookshelves

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Rating: 4/5 Stars Genre: Adult Contemporary/Chick-Lit Release Date: March 2005 About the Book: Rachel and Darcy have been best friends since childhood. Darcy gets everything she wants and is always the center of attention. Rachel is the good girl who lets her friend get whatever she wants. Until the night of her 30th birthday when Rachel finds herself in bed with Darcy's fiance. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: No, it's not a YA book, but I read it for the 48 Hour Reading Challenge and sometimes I need an adult book. (And yes, my adult books are usually chick lit!) The thing Emily Giffin does so well is that she takes "the other woman" story and flips it around-you are more sympathetic towards Rachel than Darcy. Darcy comes off as a manipulative friend who only cares about herself. Maybe I could relate to Rachel because I've had a friend like Darcy! But I cared about Rachel, and even though her relationship with Dex was taboo, I wanted it to work out. I read some review

Beastly Movie Update!!!

I just found out that tonight's (Monday's) episode of Entertainment Tonight will feature a behind the scenes preview of the movie for Alex Flinn's Beastly . I've been blogging about this movie for awhile, and I'm really excited to see it!

Suite Scarlett Giveaway!!!

How would you like to win a paperback copy of Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson ? I have FIVE copies up for grabs!! When Scarlett Martin turns fifteen she is put in charge of the Empire Suite, one of the rooms in her family’s hotel. Enter Mrs. Amberson, an aging C-list starlet who decides to employ Scarlett. Soon, she is taking dictation, running around New York City, and getting caught up in Mrs. Amberson’s crazy adventures. In the midst of it all, Scarlett falls in love–or so she thinks–and it takes Mrs. Amberson to help her see the light. Now in paperback from top-selling author Maureen Johnson! Here's the deal: -Contest ends July 20, 2009 -For U.S. Addresses only, sorry! -Comment on this post to enter. -Come back and comment again on this post for another entry-you may enter as many times as you want!! -Blog/Twitter/Facebook/E-mail this contest to others for +1 extra entries -Link me to your review of Suite Scarlett (or any other Maureen Johnson book) in the comments for +2 ex

Bloggiesta!

So I wasn't originally planning on participating in the Bloggiesta hosted by Maw Books but since I've spent the day working on my blog, I figured I might as well join up! I'm not planning to do the full challenge, just work on blog stuff today, but I thought it'd be fun to see what other people were doing. So far I've made header tabs for my blog, which I've been wanting to do for awhile and I've organized the posts which link to those tabs. Now I'm working on putting on all my reviews on Goodreads and I changed my To Be Read widget to Goodreads since I've found most bloggers are on there and I actually like it better than the other book sites. (Bad me for not joining sooner!) I'm also planning on writing up the rest of my reviews from the 48 Hour Reading Challenge and hopefully schedule some meme posts for Want it Wednesday. It's a lot of work but it's fun!

Audiobook Review: On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God

Be sure to check out the Georgia Nicolson Reading Challenge ! Rating: 4/5 Stars Genre: Contemporary Release Date: 4/10/2001 About the Book: Georgia and the Sex God (aka Robbie) are finally dating, although Georgia fears that joining her Vati (father) in Kiwi-a-go-go land (New Zealand) will make her loose Robbie. But when Robbie decides Georgia is too young, Georgia determines to use Dave the Laugh to make Robbie jealous. Will Georgia end up winning the SG back or will she fall for Dave the Laugh? GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Georgia is back and she's as fabulous as ever. I can't read (0r listen) to one of these books without cracking up. Georgia and her friends are so goofy and self-centered (without realizing they're self-centered and without being annoying) that it makes me laugh. I adored Dave the Laugh-I think he's a great addition and as great as the SG is I think I like Dave the Laugh better. Even though this one centers around Georgia and trying to win Robbie back, t

Georgia Nicolson Reading Challenge

I first started reading the Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison two years ago when I took over the young adult department at my library. I immediately fell in love with Georgia and the Ace Gang and found myself laughing out loud at all their antics. With the tenth (and final) Georgia Nicolson book being released in October, I thought more people might want to join in on my own personal reading challenge of reading the entire series. So I'm starting a Georgia Nicolson Reading Challenge. Here's the rules: 1. Between now and June 18, 2010 read all ten of the Georgia Nicolson books. They can be any format (I prefer them in audio so I can listen to the British accents!) 2. There's a Mr. Linky at the bottom of the post-sign up there. I'll post another Mr. Linky to post reviews of the books in another post. 3. Post reviews on all the Georgia books you read and share the Ace Gang fun! 4. If you don't have a blog, no worries-join however you want! Post review

Sookie Stackhouse Giveaway

Melissa at Melissa's Bookshelf is giving away a set of all seven Sookie Stackhouse books in paperback. This is a great chance to catch up on the series and join the Sookie Stackhouse reading challenge . There's lots of ways to win, so be sure to enter!

The Hollow by Jessica Verday First Chapter

I am eagerly awaiting the release of Jessica Verday's The Hollow which comes out September 1, 2009. That's still a long way away, so if you're like me and can't wait to read it check out Jessica's blog. Jessica has put up the first chapter of the book ! And if you haven't already, check out Jessica's website and get some awesome swag!

Forget Me Not (From the Life of Willa Havisham) by Colleen Murtagh Paratore

Rating: 4/5 Stars Release Date: 5/1/09 Genre: Contemporary Also Reviewed for TeensReadToo.com ! About the Book: It’s another summer on Cape Cod and Willa’s summer is full of adventures. Her Aunt Ruthie is coming to the inn and Willa gets to plan the entire wedding. Ruthie can be a little headstrong though, and her all green wedding turns into quite an affair for Willa the wedding planner. Willa also feels like she might be drifting apart from her best friend Tina and JFK is heading off to spend the summer at a sports internship. There’s also a mysterious dog who shows up on the beach and Willa is trying to convince her mom she’s ready for a pet. One things for sure, Willa’s summer is going to be full of surprises! GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Oh Willa, you always make me smile. No matter what her adventures or schemes, Willa is always up to something and it’s a trip you want to take with her. This was another read for the 48 Hour Book Challenge, and although it was a short light re

Blog Awards

So I have been awarded some blog awards and I keep forgetting to put them up. First off, I was given the Sisterhood Award from Genevieve at Genevieve's Blog. She was interviewed by Elizabeth Scott and now Elizabeth Scott is holding a giveaway of Genevieve's favorite books, so be sure to check her out! Then I got the Lemonade Award from Breanna at B is for Books . I'm not really sure what the Lemonade Award is for, but it's cute! And Breanna is a fellow TeensReadToo.com Reviewer which is awesome! For my nominees I nominate: (and you can have both awards, because you deserve them!) Royal Reviews -I recently found this blog and it's awesome. Romance reviews and it's really fun-there's even posts about awesome hunky heroes-it's a romance lovers heaven. Flip the Page! Book Reviews -I just found this blog today and I'm loving it-especially since today's featured author is Gabrielle Zevin, who I love. This is a new blog to watch for! Get Lit -

Want It Wednesday

A list of the things (books and non-books) that I am wanting this week. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick Release Date 10/13/09 About the Book: (from Amazon) For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the

The Problem with Tiny Twilighters or What to do When Readers Read Ahead

There have been some interesting discussions lately in the bookseller/library world about young reader's wanting to read ahead of grade level. Bookseller Julie Leavitt posted on Publisher's Weekly about nine-year-olds wanting to read Twilight (which makes me cringe-yep I think they're a little too young to read it). Jen Robinson from Jen Robinson's Book Page chimed in with some author reactions and Carlie at Librarilly Blonde posted her thoughts today. Really, I don't have anything new to add to the discussion. Honestly I hate it when parents come into the library and brag about how their 3rd or 4th grader is reading at a higher reading level, and they want to read YA and adult books (because they can read them, that's what their Lexile is-I hate Lexile too, but that's another post for another day!), but not with any YA or adult themes. My biggest problem with this is that if you're reading in the YA section, you're going to be reading books writt

Giving It Away For Free (the only time Momma would approve)

I know this has been posted on other blogs, but I wanted to remind everyone again of Serena Robar's contest. Giving It Away For Free (the only time Momma would approve) Serena Robar is giving it away for free the entire month of June. That’s right. A book a day, every day in honor of her latest book release Giving Up the V . All you have to do to is sign up for her newsletter and you are entered to win. Enter once and you are in the running to win a book every day the entire month of June. Join Serena's newsletter and check out all the awesome books she has up for grabs this month!

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars Genre: Fantasy/Contemporary Release Date: 5/5/2009 About the Book: Laurel has always been homeschooled and sheltered, but now her family has moved and she's the new girl at school. She befriends David and Laurel starts adjusting to her new life until the day she finds a flower blooming on her back. Laurel is about to discover that she has more of a connection to the fairy world than she ever thought and those fantasy creatures she's never believed in may just be part of her world. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Another teen fantasy love triangle-haven't we had enough already? But yet Aprilynne Pike makes me care even though I hate love triangle's (someone is always going to get hurt...well, unless you have a creepy baby to grow up and become your best friends soul mate.) Yes, this is like Twilight in a lot of ways and I hate when books are compared to Twilight . But I couldn't help it with this one, especially with the Stephenie Meyer blurb on the f

Blue Moon by Alyson Noel

Rating: 5/5 Stars Genre: Paranormal Release Date: 7/7/09 Also Reviewed for TeensReadToo.com ! About the Book: Ever is now an immortal, and she’s eager to learn everything - from manifesting objects to visiting the paradise Summerland. Things are looking up for Ever and Damen, who can finally be together. But just as Ever finds her power’s growing, Damen’s starts to fade. He’s becoming weak and he’s even starting to forget Ever. Ever travels to Summerland to save Damen, but while there she discovers she might be able to save her family. Ever must choose which path she’ll take and who she’ll end up saving. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: There is so much going on in this book that I don't want to say in the summary because I don't want to ruin it for you. All I can say is read this book! I really enjoy sequels, but they also make me nervous, especially when I loved the first book as much as I did Evermore . But Alyson Noel surpassed all my expectations, and not only is Blue M

Time Traveler's Wife Trailer-FINALLY!

Thank you Dissecting Perfection for letting me know about The Time Traveler's Wife Trailer that finally came out. I've been waiting for this movie forever and I'm so excited it's finally coming. I didn't love the book, but I enjoyed it and I think it will make a great film.

What Do You Wish Librarians Knew?

Many of you know, I work as a teen librarian (I also am the unofficial tween librarian at my branch and run programs for tweens as well as teens). Awhile back the fabulous Abby (the) Librarian ran a series of posts about Help Me Help You, what librarians wish patrons knew. I loved these posts and enjoyed reading the suggestions (if you haven't checked them out, go read them!) But now I'm wondering what it is the patrons wish us librarians knew. How can librarians help you? What do you want us to know? Do you want a librarian to approach you while you're browsing books or do you prefer we sit at the desk and you come to us? Should library's let up on cell phone policies? Do you wish you could IM/text message a question? Better booklists? Teens or adults, what do you want the library to know about you? (And yes, I had to pick Giles because I think he's one of the coolest librarians!)

Take the Dare

Author Cynthea Liu is celebrating her new release, Paris Pan Takes the Dare, with a cyber release party and lots of fun. Check out Cynthea's site for giveaways and an auction to support a Title One school in Oklahoma (Cynthea's home state). Cynthea's cyber release parties are a blast and super creative (I also attended the release for her debut novel, The Great Call of China.) So check out her site and enjoy the party!

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little LIfe by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Rating: 5/5 Stars Genre: Contemporary/Graphic Novels Release Date: 8/18/2004 About the Book: Scott Pilgrim is 23, unemployed, living with a roommate, and playing in a band (which isn't all that good). He's dating Knives Chau (who's 17 and Scott's friends can't help but tease him over the fact that she's still in high school). When Scott meets Ramona Flowers, a hipster rollerblading delivery girl for Amazon.com, Scott is smitten. Only catch is, if he wants to date Ramona, he's going to have to fight off her seven evil ex-boyfriends... GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Sounds weird, I know, but it's tons of fun! I first heard about this through Unshelved and one of their special book club Sunday strips. I was intriged, so I did some research and found out there's a movie based on the books being filmed starring Michael Cera as Scott and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona (who I know as Gwen Grayson in Sky High) So of course after all that info, I had to chec

20 Things in 20 Days Scavenger Hunt

Every day for 20 days, we’ll post a clue or bonus activity somewhere in the TBS Word Ninja blogosphere giving you a chance to answer questions or do activities for points. The more clues you complete, the more points you earn! At the end of the hunt, the participant with the most points wins the grand prize, featuring… you guessed it… 20 THINGS including 14 summer surprises and signed editions of these 2009 debuts: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler, Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog, Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman, Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard, Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne, and The Great Call of China by Cynthea Liu! Look for the 20 Things in 20 Days icon on various ninja blogs (I'll give you a hint-mine is one of them!) Sarah Ockler is awesome, super sweet and wrote her first book about E.T. Everyone should participate to make Sarah smile! The 20 days starts tomorrow (June 11) so be on the lookout for clues!

Want It Wednesday

When I first started my Want It Wednesday posts I was still very new to blogging and didn't know about the "Waiting on" meme. My original idea was to post of a list of things I wanted, but I've gotten away from that. I'm going to try and start that up again and post not only books but other fun things I'm wanting. Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern Check out Julie's contest and you could win a copy! About the Book: It's Jessie's sophomore year of high school. A self-professed "mathlete," she isn't sure where she belongs. Her two best friends have transformed themselves into punks and one of them is going after her longtime crush. Her beloved older brother will soon leave for college (and in the meantime has shaved off his mohawk and started dating...the prom Princess!)... Things are changing fast. Jessie needs new friends. And her quest is a hilarious tour through high school clique-dom, with a surprising stop along the way-

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder Contest

The fabulous Julie Halpern is having a contest to win a galley of her new book Into the Wild Nerd Yonder! Here's what it's about: It's Jessie's sophomore year of high school. A self-professed "mathlete," she isn't sure where she belongs. Her two best friends have transformed themselves into punks and one of them is going after her longtime crush. Her beloved older brother will soon leave for college (and in the meantime has shaved off his mohawk and started dating...the prom Princess!)... Things are changing fast. Jessie needs new friends. And her quest is a hilarious tour through high school clique-dom, with a surprising stop along the way--the Dungeons and Dragons crowd, who out-nerd everyone. Will hanging out with them make her a nerd, too? And could she really be crushing on a guy with too-short pants and too-white gym shoes? If you go into the wild nerd yonder, can you ever come back? Julie is super sweet and I'm excited to meet her at ALA in July

Scaredy Kat (Suddenly Supernatural) by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

Also Reviewed for TeensReadToo.com Rating: 5/5 Stars Genre: Paranormal Release Date: 2/1/09 About the Book: Middle School medium Kat is back, and this time there are even more ghosts following her around. Kat and her friend, Jac, decide to explore the house next door as part of their spring break school project. But an abandoned house means ghosts, and when Kat meets the spirit of a young boy, she and Jac have another mystery to solve - and another spirit to help. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Suddenly Supernatural is the perfect paranormal series for tweens. When I was finished reading, I passed these along to my favorite tween reader and future librarian Emily. (I used to babysit Emily and we've bonded over our love of books. I'm constantly supplying her with a new stack every time I see her, much to her parents chagrin!) Kat and Jac are great characters, and I think readers can relate to their middle school struggles. Jac is clashing over the future of her cello career with her

How Many Books is Too Many-or Lessons in a Married Bookshelf

I am a big bookworm and have grown up surrounded by books. My house growing up had bookshelves everywhere and even though their collection has gotten smaller (I took a ton of books with me when I moved out after college) my parent's house still has bookshelves filled to the top. My family loves to read. My husband also loves to read, but he's not as much of a book collector and tends to be picky in the books he owns. (He prefers only Hardback, where I will take Hardback or Paperbook-a book is a book!) I buy lots of books and also have books sent to me for review. Plus, I have a large collection of books from my childhood that I loved and want to keep. We have three bookshelves in our apartment (which isn't all that huge) plus I have a bookshelf at work that I keep books for my Teen Library Council to borrow. I just counted and I currently have 300 books to his 100! When we first got married my husband made me go through my book collection and try and weed out the ones I cou

Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker

Win a copy in my Birthday Contest! Rating: 5/5 Stars Genre: Contemporary/Romance Release Date: 5/5/09 About the Book: Quinn is an indie music girl who is spending her summer in Austin, TX interning at her favorite indie music label and searching for her perfect summer fling. In her mind her perfect fling is a music guy, he's hip, cute, and fits Quinn's cool indie lifestyle. So why can't she stop thinking about the cowboy frat boy next door? GreenBeanTeenQueen Says : I read this one as part of the 48 Hour Book Challenge. I thought it would be a quick read, which it was, but I found myself taking it slower because I didn't want it to end. I LOVED it! I've been in a reading slump the last week or so and Melissa Walker helped me get out of it and find a book where I was totally drawn in. Quinn is great-she's this cool indie music girl, and I could totally relate to her. I wanted to be the indie music girl in college (my undergrad degree is actually in Commun

48HBC: Finish Line!

So I've finished my 48 Hour Book Challenge. It was a fun weekend and I can't believe I worked 8 hours during it and still managed to read as much as I did. (I was an excellent multi-tasker, I had an audiobook at work!:) Here's my totals: Hours Read: 30 hrs. 6 min. Social Time: 3 hrs. 35 min. Pages Read: 1573 Books Finished: 6- Lovestruck Summer, Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life, Forget Me Not, Something, Maybe, Something Borrowed (part on audio, rest read), Wings Books Halfway through: 1-Lament I also started three books, but they weren't what I was in the mood for, so I will come back and finish these: 3-Being Nikki, Twenty Boy Summer, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw I really enjoyed the challenge and I needed a weekend to just sit and do nothing but read. It really got me motivated! Plus, I've been in such a reading slump for the past few weeks that reading non-stop really helped me find some great reads! I think my favorite book out of the ones

48HBC: Something Borrowed

I've finished by sixth book and have hit the 25 hour mark! I started Something, Borrowed on audiobook, but got so pulled in to the story that when I got back from work, I grabbed my book copy and kept reading. This is adult chick lit, but I love how Emily Giffin turns the story upside down. Rachel is a good girl who always follows rules, but on the eve of her 30th birthday, she wakes up in bed with her best friend's fiance. Usually Rachel's character is someone you would cheer against, but you cheer for her in this one. And Darcy, the best friend, is pretty awful! I really enjoyed it, both on CD and reading it, and am looking forward to picking up Something Blue, which tells the story of Darcy. I'm going to make the blog rounds and then try and figure out what to read next.

48HBC: Wings

I read this morning, audiobooked it while at work (I'm so great at multitasking, I know!) and read once I got back home. I'm now at 21 hours 7 minutes for my total. I've finished five books and gotten through four out of nine discs on my audiobook. I've also spent 2 hours and 25 min. social networking/blogging. I just finished Wings and while I enjoyed it, I found it more simplistic than I had hoped. Plus it started off feeling very similar to Twilight . I hate when books are compared to Twilight but with the Stephenie Meyer blurb and thank you in the book, I couldn't overlook the similarities. I really liked the faerie stuff and I thought the author did a great job and it was very creative. The love triangle was ok, but I really dislike love triangles! And the big mystery or adventure or whatever felt a little childish. Really, the whole book felt like a great middle school read instead of the high school read I was expecting-if that makes sense. I'll

48HBC: 16 hour mark

I've hit 16 hrs. 8min. I've got work this afternoon since today is our first day of summer reading. When I get home I'll finish Wings, but while at work I'm listening to Something Borrowed. I'm learning I really need to learn to read faster!:)

48HBC Day Two Starts Now!

First off, thanks to everyone who has left comments-it's great to read that people are cheering me on!:) Good luck to everyone else doing the challenge. It's Saturday, my second day, and even though I'm getting started later than I wanted (it's that pesky sleep thing, I just like it too much!) I'm here now. Here's my totals so far: Total Time on Challenge: 12 hrs. 58 min. Total Books Read: Four (plus audiobook) Total Time Spent Networking/Blogging: 1hr. 15 min. Total pages read: 792 (plus 1 3/4 discs on audiobook-I'll figure out exact pages later) Food Consumed: 2 Frappacino's, 3 Bowls of Oh's Cereal, Stuffed Chicken Breast, Carrots, Cheese & Crackers, 2 glasses of red Kool-Aid, 1 glass of milk, 2 chocolate covered pretzels Now I'm off to finish Wings!

48HBC: Book Four Something, Maybe

I just finished Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott and it's another one that I LOVED! So amazing, as Elizabeth Scott's novels always are, and a perfect romance-I was melting. And even though it's a short book I loved the way it all fit together and it all worked and I wasn't left hanging. I'm almost at the twelve hour mark and I'm going to try and keep going. We'll see how much longer I can stay up and read. I just need to pick a great book next...

48HBC Update Number Two

So I audiobooked it with Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin for two hours tonight and then headed outside for Teen Night on the Patio at my library. It was a crazy night full of marshmallow dodge ball , catapults, sidewalk chalk, and relay races. But now I'm back and hoping to read before I go to bed-we'll see how long I can make it. I've got a snack of cheese and crackers and Kool-Aid to help get me through (and yes I have to go back to work tomorrow afternoon for the start of summer reading!) I'm trying to finish Something Maybe by Elizabeth Scott before I head to bed.

48HBC Update

So as of right now I have been reading 7 hours 53 min., completed three books, am halfway through Something, Maybe and started on the Something Borrowed audiobook . This is where my reading challenge gets interesting-I have a Teen Night program tonight at work (the library), which means I won't be able to read during that. But I have a plan to listen to my Something Borrowed audiobook while in the car driving to work, and while prepping for Teen Night in my office, so I can still get some reading done. This is my plan for work tomorrow too, so hopefully I can get through Something Borrowed (it's a long audiobook !) I'll try and update throughout the evening, but I'm not sure how much time I'll get, since I'll be getting our Game Night On the Patio ready. Wish me luck-both for reading and for Teen Night!:)

48HBC: Book 3: Forget Me Not

I decided to take a short lunch break with my husband so I just made the five hour mark. I finished Forget Me Not by Colleen Murtagh Paratore. It's book four in The Wedding Planner's Daughter series. This one was charming like the previous books, but not my favorite. Willa is getting older and even though the books are still sweaky clean, you can tell the target audience is trying to widen into the teen market. This one felt like a middle book-not much happened, it was sort of a placeholder, and it ended with a cliffhanger that is so not fair! But Willa still takes me away to Cape Cod every time, so I can't complain too much! I'm going to cheer on some fellow challenge readers and then back to reading some more!

48HBC: Second Book-Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life

I first heard about this graphic novel series thanks to the library comic strip Unshelved . They featured it in their Sunday Book Club . I was interested in checking it out, but then I found out it's going to be a movie starring Michael Cera , so I knew I had to start reading it! The basic premise is that Scott Pilgrim meets Romana Flowers (he first sees her in the library, so I immediately fell in love!) and in order to date her he has to fight off her seven evil ex-boyfriends. It's fun, fast paced, witty, weird and quirky and I can't wait to read more. I wish I had gotten the other books in the series-I'm putting them on hold now! The only thing is there's only five volumes out now, so the movie will have a different ending than the books, but maybe that's a good thing because then I could really take them as two different things and not be disappointed by comparisons. Ok, I've made it to three hours! I'm off to read a new one!

48 Hour Book Challenge-Lovestruck Summer

Alright, like I said before, I'm planning on doing short reviews for all the books I finish in this challenge and I'll write longer ones later. I've been reading for two hours and just finished Lovestruck Summer. It's a short read and I thought it'd be fast, but I found myself reading it slowly because I didn't want it to end! Loved it! Quinn is a great main character and kind of reminds me of my college self-I even went to a school on Martha's Vineyard for music biz my junior year-I totally wanted to be that indie girl but never quite was. I think this is one of my new favorite reads. It's romance, but it's more than that and it was perfect!:) Now, on to book number two!

48 Hour Book Challenge=Starting Now!

Ok, so I didn't get up as early as I had wanted-I do have to work tonight and needed to get some sleep! (Plus, who can resist a family cuddle with the husband and the dog?) But I'm here now and I'm getting started! First book up: Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker I actually started reading this one last night, so I'm planning on finishing it today. Start time: 9:00AM

Ready...Set...Read!!! 48 Hour Book Challenge

Tomorrow morning I will be getting up early (which let me tell you, is not easy for me!) and starting the 48 Hour Book Challenge sponsored by MotherReader. If you haven't signed up, you should think about it. And if I can work all weekend and do the challenge then you can too! Right now my pile has twenty books and one audiobook in it. I don't know if I'll get to all of them, but I'm going to try and read as many as I can. I'll be posting updates throughout the challenge when I finish a book and about my progress, but I think I'm going to post short reviews during the challenge and write longer reviews after-that way I have a fun list of reviews to look forward to!! If you're participating in the challenge, comment on this post and I'll be sure to cheer you on!:) So what's in my pile? -Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker -Forget Me Not by Colleen Murtagh Paratore (The Wedding Planner's Daughter Series) -Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life

Sarah Ockler's AWESOME Twenty Boy Summer Tweet Party!

Join us for this one-of-a-kind YA book launch party featuring booktrivia, spontaneous (and sometimes inappropriately personal) authorQ&A, prizes and giveaways, laughs, and tons of tweety tomfoolerycelebrating Sarah Ockler's debut novel, TWENTY BOY SUMMER! Date: Friday, June 5, 2009 Time: 7:00-11:00 PM, EST Location: Twitter.com 10 Reasons to Come to TwentyTWEET Summer At this swanky book launch party, you can totallyshow up in your PJs. Prizes and giveaways throughout the night! Goodies include signedbooks, bookstore giftcards, cool sea glass stuff, and Sarah’shometown-inspired gifts like Buffalo’s famous chocolate spongecandy! Unlike attending a regular party, you won’t have to see Sarahdance and then pretend that she doesn’t totally suck when she asks youabout her moves later. And trust us. She will ask. It’s free! No cover charge for Twenty Tweet Summer! Rap, country, pop, grunge, classic rock, indie… at this party, youcan be your own DJ! No forced conversation with that

Slept Away by Julie Kraut

Rating: 4/5 Stars Genre: Contemporary Release Date: 5/26/09 About the Book: Laney Parker is a city girl who is looking forward to parties in Manhattan with her friends and a loungey summer by the pool. Maybe she could even find a cool fashionista internship and get lots of fashion swag! But Laney's mom has other plans and sends her to Camp Timber Trails for the summer. Laney is surrounded by arts and crafts, daily sports activities and no cell phone or e-mail. Can a city girl survive at summer camp? GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I really enjoyed this book! It was light, funny, and a great summer read. Even if you're not heading off to summer camp, Slept Away is a great vacation read. I'm more of a city girl myself and the only camping I've ever really done was staying in my grandparent's RV which was in their backyard, so we had easy access to indoor plumbing, air-conditioning and snacks. So I totally felt Laney's pain with being stuck at camp for six weeks! The