What Girls Need to Know About Guys/What Guys Need to Know About Girls

What do girls think when boys tease them? What do boys think when girls hang out in big groups and giggle? This ingenious book tells the facts from both perspectives. Read it one way and you get it from the girl's perspective. Then flip the book over and read it from the boy's perspective. Written by John Hilton III and his wife, Lani, this unique, two-in-one book will help teen boys and girls begin to understand some of the strange, as well as expected, behavior from the opposite sex. A must-have for teens!

Something that I think that EVERY young man and young woman should read. Whether they are LDS or not!!! This had some deep profound moments and real stories from guys/girls and some humor thrown in there too!!! I will be happy to lend this to you if your interested!!!

Your Happily Ever After...

Sometimes we need a reminder that life was never all sunshine and roses for fairy-tale princesses. Before the true love's kisses and happily ever afters, there were poisoned apples, spindle pricks, and impossible tasks. Speaking to the princesses of our Heavenly King, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf compares our challenges to those faced by famous fairy-tale heroines. Recounting Belle's captivity, Cinderella's servitude, and the miller's daughter's sacrifices, President Uchtdorf emphasizes that each princess had to overcome adversity before she reached her happily ever after. Beautifully designed and illustrated, Your Happily Ever After is an inspiring and uplifting message that will encourage latter-day daughters of God to focus on His plan, to find happiness in service, and to fully embrace the blessings of the gospel.

This is one of my favorite talks of all time... So when I saw this book I immediately started asking for it. The pages are beautiful the message is beautiful this is an awesome book! President Uchtdorf has always been a favorite speaker (next to President Monson) and this talk is wonderful!

Waiting on Wednesday (2)...

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're fidgety for.

Black Heart (Curse Workers #3) Release Date: April 2, 2012

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy. But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

Daughter of Smoke and Bones...

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

This is a book that's harder to get into, but once your in your in. For some reason I skipped about 60 pages. Yes I know 60 is quite a lot. In my defense nothing was making sense and I couldn't take the suspense of not knowing what Karou was. So I did what any person would do (okay maybe just me), I put my bookmark in a random spot to hold it then when I was finished with the part I was at I read the page where my bookmark was. Then from that part I was hooked. So this rating is based on what I did read!
P.R. This is just a pic. I found on deviantart...

In My Bookbag (3)...

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. Every week you are to share the books you received that week. It could either be ones you bought, or gotten at the library, and ones that you'd receive to review on the blog. I am calling it 'In My Bookbag' because I am always taking books out of the library!

Beautiful Days (12/22/11)

In My Bookbag (Christmas)...

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. Every week you are to share the books you received that week. It could either be ones you bought, or gotten at the library, and ones that you'd receive to review on the blog. I am calling it 'In My Bookbag' because I am always taking books out of the library!

It's Christmas and I got just a few things!

• Your Happily Ever After - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

• Crossed - Ally Condie

• Entwined - Heather Dixon

• What Girls Need to Know About Guys/What Guys Need to Know About Girls - John Hilton/Lani Hilton

• Soul Screamers Vol. 1 - Rachel Vincent

• Eyes Like Mine - Julie Wright

• Against an Amber Sky - H.R. Holm

Waiting on Wednesday (1)...

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're fidgety for.

Enshadowed (Nevermore #2). Release Date: August 28, 2012

While Varen remains a prisoner in the dream-world, Isobel is haunted by his memory. He appears to her in her dreams and soon, even in her waking life. But is she just imagining it? Isobel knows she must find a way back to Varen. She makes plans to go to Baltimore. There, she confronts the figure known throughout the world as the Poe Toaster—the same dark man who once appeared to Isobel in her dreams, calling himself “Reynolds.”

Isobel succeeds in interrupting the Toaster’s ritual and, in doing so, discovers a way to return to the dream-world. Soon, she finds herself swept up in a realm which not only holds remnants of Poe’s presence, but has also now taken on the characteristics of Varen’s innermost self. It is a dark world comprised of fear, terror, and anger.

When Isobel once more encounters Varen, she finds him changed. With his mind poisoned by the dream world, he becomes a malevolent force, bent on destroying all—even himself. Now Isobel must face a new adversary, one who also happens to be her greatest love.

My friend recently got the first one out of our school's library and there was a preview of the second one, so I read that and ever since have been waiting for this!

Adrian's Lost Chapters...

Goodreads: I'm glad that Richelle decided to stay with the first person view point. But it was still interesting to finally see, even a little bit, into Adrian's head. (P.S. the link is good but it'll take you to a different link which will take you to an article where you can read it.) Here's the link to the final link so you don't have to do all that clicking (I know so thoughtful).

A glimpse at the original scrapped first chapter, which is told from Adrian's POV.

Originally, Bloodlines was going to be told from a few different characters' points of view. It was going to be in third person and alternate characters each chapter. A few chapters in, problems were emerging from this (you've got to trust me on that!).

I ended up starting completely over and simply doing the entire book from just Sydney's point of view in first person (the "I" voice). The all-Sydney version is what you're going to get when the book hits the shelves August 23.

Hope that clears things up!

Well, I know that when my friend and fellow book lover, Hayden (aka The Teen Bookworm) was pretty upset when he heard that Bloodlines was going to be in third person. I am a fan of the Vampire Academy series and loved the first person p.o.v. so I didn't see how Richelle was going to do (let's just say I was being VERY optimistic of it being good). Then a few months down the road Bloodlines was released and I was the very first person in my school to check it out. (Read my review for Bloodlines). Let's just say that it would have been good, but the anticipation of finding out details with the character wouldn't have been very climactic. So AWESOME choice Richelle!

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar...

COVER RELEASE!!! I really like this book...

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous.

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves.

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens.

In My Bookbag (Update)...

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. Every week you are to share the books you received that week. It could either be ones you bought, or gotten at the library, and ones that you'd receive to review on the blog. I am calling it 'In My Bookbag' because I am always taking books out of the library!

So I'm just letting you guys know that most bloggers do IMM every week, but because I read like a sponge- and am always absorbing all the details- it takes me forever to read so I'll do this every other week. Nothing new this week just finished Clockwork Prince (see review) and Blood Magic (see review) and am currently working on Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

Blood Magic...

It starts off simply.

Draw a circle ... place a dead leaf in the center ... sprinkle some salt ... recite a little Latin ... add a drop of blood ...

Maybe that last part isn't exactly simple. Yet somehow it feels right to Silla Kennicott. And nothing in her life has felt remotely right since her parents' horrific deaths. She's willing to do anything to uncover the truth about her family—even try a few spells from the mysterious book that arrived on her doorstep ... and spill some blood.

The book isn't the only recent arrival in Silla's life. There's Nick Pardee, the new guy next door who may have seen Silla casting a spell. She's not sure what he saw and is afraid to find out. But as they spend more time together, Silla realizes this may not be Nick's first encounter with Blood Magic. Brought together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick can't deny their attraction. And they can't ignore the dark presence lurking nearby—waiting to reclaim the book and all its power.

Tessa Gratton's intoxicating first novel will keep pulses racing, minds reeling, and pages turning right up to the very last drop of blood.

So most of us don't start a book and then halfway through, right when it's getting really good start a book that we've been waiting for for quite some time, right? Well that's what I did (I know genius on board). I had started Blood Magic was really starting to get into it... and then strated to read Clockwork Prince. If I hadn't done that I probably would've finished this. I'm not gonna rate this because if I did the rating wouldn't be fair.

Clockwork Prince...

Goodreads: This series is way better than the Mortal Instruments series, in my opinion at least.

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

I LOVE this series. I know that I say that I love something/series/author but I'm not that hard to please. I'm looking for an awesome story and interesting romance (but is still age appropriate) and a little action/adventure doesn't hurt either. This book has got it all and I LOVE it.

In My Bookbag (2)...

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. Every week you are to share the books you received that week. It could either be ones you bought, or gotten at the library, and ones that you'd receive to review on the blog. I am calling it 'In My Bookbag' because I am always taking books out of the library!

12-6-11: Clockwork Prince
I am still working on Blood Magic and Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but I got this for a belated birthday present and, let's face the facts, any book by Cassandra Clare comes first-especially if that book is something you've been waiting for since the first page of Clockwork Angel.

The Lucky Ones...

The cover is here, the synopsis is here (when I say here I mean on goodreads)!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Bright Young Things saga returns with THE LUCKY ONES.

Letty's rising star is threatened by a new rival.

Astrid's relationship with Charlie takes a dark turn.

Cordelia vows revenge against the Hales once and for all.

The romance, adventure, and intrigue continues.

In My Bookbag (1)...

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. Every week you are to share the books you received that week. It could either be ones you bought, or gotten at the library, and ones that you'd receive to review on the blog. I am calling it 'In My Bookbag' because I am always taking books out of the library!

Daughter of Smoke and Bones
by Laini Taylor
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

Jekel Loves Hyde...

Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents rules; especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father's office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be the key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To improve her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen's sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill's accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything, even Tristen's love just for the thrill of being . . . bad.

I have read this... four times now? Yep four times and it still surprises me. I LOVE this book. I love the fact that I can relate to Jill, but can still fantasize that my Tristan is out there just waiting for me to come help him-only for him to later return the favor. I haven't read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde but I could pretty much get the gist of the story throughout Tristan's point of view and dreams. I also love the fact that we have the switching view points, though most of the story is mostly in Jill's point of view, Tristan's just adds to the story when Jill's can't. I LOVE this book and would recommend it to everyone and anyone!
P.S. If you are looking for a swoon worthy hero Tristan has an accent, has a darker side to him and is lean but has muscle.

A Certain Slant of Light...

Helen is a disembodied spirit who "attaches" herself to humans in order to possess their bodies. Unable to remember the circumstances of her death, and with no idea why she's in this precarious state of limbo, she knows this much: she's been haunting the living world for 130 years. But when Helen inhabits the body of a high school teacher, everything changes. For though he remains quite unaware of her presence, a certain boy in his class is clearly able to see Helen. This realization, and Helen's subsequent introduction to him, rocks her world. Uncomfortable with the boundaries of her existence, Helen continues to test them and takes hair-raising risks -- often for love. Moved by her passions, she is stymied by limits placed on her that she doesn't yet understand and is unable to control. Despite the supernatural realm it explores, A Certain Slant of Light is nothing sort of chilling in its evocation of a world that's starkly real, and a newfound love that's positively sublime.

I haven't read a book in a while that had kept me up from 9 p.m- 1:30 a.m. This book was wonderful and I loved it. WARNING: there are a lot of mature elements in this book such as sex, language drugs. But nothing readers of Ellen Hopkins aren't used to. Wow that's the second Ellen Hopkins reference that I've made in the last two reviews. I'll try to not do that in my next one. But anyhoo... I loved this book and can't wait for the next one because Helen/Jenny and James/Billy were so lovable and ignorant of the customs that we have today that it was adorable. The second on is about Billy and Jenny's relationship from James and Helen's point of view (read the book to understand why they aren't connected anymore).

Song of the Sparrow...

The year is 490 AD. Fiery 16-year-old Elaine of Ascolat, the daughter of one of King Arthur's supporters, lives with her father on Arthur's base camp, the sole girl in a militaristic world of men. Elaine's only girl companion is the mysterious Morgan, Arthur's older sister, but Elaine cannot tell Morgan her deepest secret: She is in love with Lancelot, Arthur's second-in-command. However, when yet another girl -- the lovely Gwynivere-- joins their world, Elaine is confronted with startling emotions of jealousy and rivalry. But can her love for Lancelot survive the birth of an empire?

I thought that this was beautifully written and different. I wasn't a huge fan of the whole thing like writing in verse because the last book that I read was 'Crank' and I couldn't finish that, it was too much. So I was a little skeptical about the whole verse thing but instead of taking away from the beauty of the story I thought that it added to it. I am a huge fan of King Arthur (next Arthur book 'Avalon High') and have been since I was little. So when I saw this and found it in my library I got it. Then when I sat down to read it I was a little disappointed. Elaine was kinda a bland character to me. She only has one or two goals- getting Lancelot to love her and to save her father/brothers- and she had no personality. Towards the end I knew what happened because I'd jumped ahead to know who she ends up with and found this one part and of course I read it all the way to the end so when I had to start forcing myself through it I discovered that where I couldn't take it anymore was right where I had started that reading part. So this is a good book, just don't jump ahead like I did.

Julius Caesar...

In this striking tragedy of political conflict, Shakespeare turns to the ancient Roman world and to the famous assassination of Julius Caesar by his republican opponents. The play is one of tumultuous rivalry, of prophetic warnings "Beware the ides of March" and of moving public oratory "Friends, Romans, countrymen!" Ironies abound and most of all for Brutus, whose fate it is to learn that his idealistic motives for joining the conspiracy against a would-be dictator are not enough to sustain the movement once Caesar is dead.

We had to read this play for English and all though it was a very long process -not as long as Romeo and Juliet freshman year was but still long enough. We all got a kick out of first the killing of Cinna the poet where the plebians 'tear him for his bad verses, tear him for his bad verses.' Then in the tent when Lucius gets to use his instrument (for the people that don't know what this means you could probably google it or ask your English teachers). It wasn't that bad to tell you the truth though.