Book Review-Fade

I just finished reading Fade by Lisa McMann.

From the back cover:

For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck. Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open--but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.

Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability--and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a Dream Catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd even feared.

I had a really hard time getting into this book at first. This book is a sequel to Wake. Some sequels go into too much detail from the previous book, but I felt like this one didn't refresh my memory as much as I liked. I felt kinda confused at the beginning. And the way the book is written didn't capture my attention as much as I would have liked either. It seemed choppy.

As for the character, Janie is just okay for me. I don't really get any warmth from her and I don't feel bad for her. I do however really like Cabel. He's troubled and dark but you can see just how much he loves Janie. He seems to really take care of her, even though no one is really taking care of him.

The topic matter in the story is dark. It makes me wonder how often teachers are getting their students to sleep with them and it sickens me to think about it. Even though the story was just okay for me, I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Gone, which comes out in February 2010.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fullfills items in the following challenge:
Paranormal 999 Challenge: Psychics/Sensitives

The Sunday Salon- August 23, 2009

This past week has been very stressful. It was our pre-planning week at school so I've been trying to get my classroom set up and ready for the first day of school. I met my new kiddos on Friday..they're so cute. I forget that they're such babies at the beginning of the year. By then end of the year they're so independent (as much as 5 and 6 year olds can be). And I enjoyed seeing all of my kids from the past 4 years that came back to visit. I find it amusing that I still get so nervous about the first day of school...hopefully all goes well tomorrow!

I finished and reviewed the following books this week:
The Love of Her Life by Harriet Evans
How It Ends by Laura Wiess
The Divorce Party by Laura Dave
Time Of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch

I didn't fullfill any items for challenges this week.

I am currently reading Fade by Lisa McMann and up next is Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell for a book review.

Book Review- Time Of My Life

I just finished reading Time Of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch.

From the inside cover:

Jillian Westfield has the perfect suburban life straight out of the upscale women's magazines that she obsessively reads. She's got the modern-print rugs of Metropolitan Home, the elegant meals from Gourmet, the clutter-free closets out of Real Simple, and the elaborate Easter egg hunts seen in Parents. With her successful investment-banker husband behind the wheel and her cherubic eighteen-month-old in the backseat, hers could be the family in the magazines' Range Rover ads.

Yet somehow all of the how-to magazine stories in the world can't seem to fix her faltering marriage, banish the tedium of days spent changing diapers, or stop her from asking "What if?"

Then one morning Jillian wakes up seven years in the past. Before her daughter was born. Before she married Henry. Suddenly, she's back in her post-grad school IKEA-furnished Manhattan apartment. She's back in her fast-paced job with the advertising agency. And she's still with Jackson, the ex-boyfriend and star of her what-if fantasies.

Armed with twenty-twenty hindsight, she's free to choose all over again. She can use the zippy ad campaigns from her future to wow the clients and bosses in her present. She can reconnect with the mother who abandoned her so many years before. She can fix the fights at every juncture that doomed her relationship with Jackson. Or can she?

With each new choice setting off a trajectory of unforseen consequences, Jillian soon realizes that getting to happily ever after is more complicated than changing the lines in her part of the script. Happiness, it turns out, isn't an either-or propisition. As she closes in on all the things she thought she wanted, Jillian must confront the greatest what-if of all: What if the problem was never Henry or Jackson, but her?

Sharp, funny, and heartwarming, Time of My Life will appeal to anyone who has ever wanted to redo the past and will leave readers pondering "Do we get the reality we deserve?"

I really enjoyed reading this story. Most of us have wondered "what if?" at some point in our life. And in my case, this story was one I could identify with. I really liked the premise of going back in time and seeing how different choices that you make shape and change your future. It helped to point out that we all have choices we can make in our life to make ourselves happy.

I really liked the character of Jillian. I found her to be real. I liked that she admitted that she didn't have the rush of love for her baby, that everyone claimed to have, right away, but that it snuck up on her and now her little girl was the love of her life. And I liked how she came to choose her future at the end.

This was a cute, fun read. I've heard that Time Of My Life is being made into a movie and I can't wait to see it!

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

The Friday 56- August 21, 2009

1. Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
2. Turn to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like).
5. Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.

"She wasn't unplanned. She just was."

From Time Of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch

Friday Fill-In- August 21, 2009

1. I remember, I remember when I used to never be tired.

2. Dear Diary I want you to know I don't remember where I hid you.

3. Is that my class list that changed DURING meet the teacher, oh yes, it was!!???

4. I'm trying to resist the temptation of drinking another coke this late at night.

5. I'm saving a big slice of cake just for you!

6. If I made a birthday list a new coach purse would be on it ( and my bday is in 11 days!) would definitely be on it!!!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to bed, tomorrow my plans include going to dinner at Olive Garden with my boyfriend and another couple and Sunday, I want to read and relax!

Friday Finds- August 21, 2009

Here are my finds for the week:

As You Wish- Jackson Pearce

Poison Eaters- Holly Black

Book Review- The Divorce Party

I recently reviewed The Divorce Party by Laura Dave for Luxury Reading. Read my review here.

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

Contests- August 17-August 24

Luxury Reading is giving away 5 copies of Italian for Beginners by Kristin Harmel. The contest ends on August 31.

Lost in a Book is having a huge giveaway! She is giving away 1. ARC of Shiver 2. ARC of How to Say Good-bye in Robot 3. ARC of As You Wish 4. ARC of Give Up the Ghost 5. ARC of Lipstick Apology 6. ARC of Devoured 7. ARC of The Sweetheart of Prosper County 8. Hardcover copy of Eyes Like Stars 9. Hardcover copy of Hannah (Daughters of the Sea)! Let her know that I refered you and you can get extra entries!!

Mrs. Magoo Reads is giving away 2 copies of Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors.

Booking Mama is giving away a copy of Labor Day by Joyce Maynard. The contest ends on September 4.

Blog Tour- How It Ends

I just finished reading How It Ends by Laura Wiess.

From the back cover:

All Hanna's wanted since sophomore year is Seth. She's gone out with other guys, even gained a rep for being a flirt, all the while hoping cool, guitar-playing Seth will choose her. Then she gets him--but their relationship is hurtful, stormy and critical, not at all what Hanna thinks a perfect love should be. Bewildered by Seth's treatment of her and in need of understanding, Hanna decides to fulfill her school's community service requirement by spending time with Helen, her terminally ill neighbor, who she's turned to for comfort and wisdom throughout her life. But illness has changed Helen into someone Hanna hardly knows, and her home is not the refuge it once was. Feeling more alone than ever, Hanna gets drawn into an audiobook the older woman is listening to, a fierce, unsettling love story of passion, sacrifice, and devotion. Hanna's fascinated by the idea that such an all-encompassing love can truly exist, and without her even realizing it, the story begins to change her.

Until the day when the story becomes all too real...and Hanna's world is spun off its axis by its shattering irrevocable conclusion.

Wow--what a book! There were so many great things about this book, and a few things that I didn't like.

First of all, the characters: For some reason, I just didn't really connect with Hanna. Some of the things she did or said, I remember feeling and doing, but other things seemed a little out there. And I didn't get a lot of warmth from her. But I really felt for Helen. I felt for her when she was lonely and wanted Hanna to visit. And I felt for her when she became trapped in her own body due to her illness. And I loved the connection between Helen and Lon (her husband).

The story: I liked the love story part of it--the one between Helen and Lon that is, and Peter and Louise. And I guess the relationship between Hanna and Seth was semi-realistic although I could do without Seth getting high all of the time. I mean, to me, that just not the kind of character that I like and was disappointed that Hanna was in love with him. I was much more of a Jesse fan. Some of the story got a little boring for me--the parts that talked about taxidermy and women's reproductive rights just didn't do it for me.

But the ending is really what got me! It was so sad and I didn't see it coming. But it was sad in a good way--it felt right to me. And makes me want to have that type of love that will last forever.

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

I reviewed this book for Pocket Books.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

From Simon & Schuster

Laura Wiess is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Such a Pretty Girl, chosen as one of the ALA’s 2008 Best Books for Young Adults and 2008 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, and Leftovers. Originally from Milltown, New Jersey, she traded bumper-to-bumper traffic, excellent pizza, and summer days down the shore for scenic roads, bears, no pizza delivery, and the irresistible allure of an old stone house surrounded by forests in Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains Region.

Visit Laura Wiess's website

Other blogs on this tour are:
My Book Views
Book Soulmates

A Journey of Books
Just Jennifer Reading
Debbie’s World of Books
All About {n}
Chick with Books
Bookin’ with Bingo
Starting Fresh

Booksie’s Blog

Readaholic
Blog Business World
Books and Needlepoint

Bella’s Novella
Frugal Plus
Eclectic Book Lover
My Own Little Corner of the World
Chick Loves Lit

Poisoned Rationality
Beth’s Book Review Blog

Park Avenue Princess
Half Deserted Streets

Power in the Blog

Metroreader
Crazy for Books
Angieville

Contest Winner- Prophecy of the Sisters prize packs

The winner of the Prophecy Prize Pack which includes the Prophecy playlist CD, book store gift card (to the store of your choice), bookmark, magnet, signed poster, nail polish, candy, and The Other Boleyn Girl DVD is

Shooting Stars Mag " I would be the "evil twin pretending to be the good twin." THIS WAY, the other twin...no matter how great they are...will always look like the bad one and I'll be the sweet angel. If something happens, it'll all be "who me? couldn't be!" because I'm AMAZINGLY good at being deceptive...I mean, I would be, I'm not now...nooooo"

and according to Random.org, the winner of the smaller prize pack that includes a Prophecy of the Sisters folder, a small Prophecy poster, a Prophecy bookmark, a Prophecy magnet, and Prohecy tattoos is

Kat Duncombe

Congrats to both of you! Email your address to me at belle2211 (at) yahoo (dot) com by Saturday at 6pm and I'll have your prize packs mailed out to you!