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31 May 2012 
If you haven't noticed, I recently hit 111 followers, yay!
I promised a giveaway, so here it is~
One lucky follower will get the chance to win $50 worth of books from The Book Depository!
It can be old books, new releases, a pre-order, I don't care! As long as the final receipt doesn't exceed $50. Open to anywhere that The Book Depository ships to. And guess what? You get to choose the books you'll get! Aaaand, for every 3 new followers I get, I add 1 dollar to the giveaway! So if I get 9 new followers, the giveaway prize will rise to $60 and so on~
Here's a hint of what you can order if you win. All of these are from the June releases:
Giveaway will end on June 30, 3PM GMT+8:00. Winner will be picked through random.org. Winner's name will be announced on my blog, and will be contacted through e-mail. Failure to reply within 72 hours will result in a re-draw of a new winner.
Here's what you can do to win:
01. You MUST be following me through GFC, Linky, NetworkedBlogs, or e-mail. Doing all counts as two entries, though.
{OPTIONAL ENTRIES}
02. Tweet this: "@ellietheselkie is giving away $50 worth of books from the book depository! Enter to win! OPEN INTERNATIONAL. http://selkiereadsstories.blogspot.com/2012/05/111-followers-giveaway-win-50-worth-of.html "
03. Follow me on twitter: https://twitter.com/EllieTheSelkie
04. Follow my reviews on goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/elliekarenina
06. Join my giveaway for Dark Passage
07. Comment below with the titles of the books you'd buy if you won. (dw, you can change your mind if you win)
08: Comment on any other non-giveaway post
09: Write a blog post about this giveaway
GIVEAWAY IS OVER. NO LONGER ACCEPTING ENTRIES.
That sounds amazing! I've been itching to read this book ever since I read that awesome summary! Here's what other people say about The Dead And Buried: "Deliciously spooky and ridiculously fun, THE DEAD AND BURIED reminded me why Kim Harrington is one of my favorite authors." – Rachel Hawkins, NYT Bestselling Author of Hex Hall "A perfect blend of mystery, horror and romance. THE DEAD AND BURIED both terrifies and seduces. I gasped at the scary parts and cried buckets at the end - I loved it!" – Sophie Jordan, NYT Bestselling Author of Firelight "Look out Mary Downing Hahn. I've not been this spooked since Wait Till Helen Comes. Kim Harrington skillfully blends the uncertainty of moving to a new town and figuring out how to fit in with dead on humor, sweet romance, and spooky spectres. THE DEAD AND BURIED is a perfect, classical ghost story with a decidedly modern feel. I adored it." – Myra McEntire, Hourglass and Timepiece "THE DEAD AND BURIED is a clever, fast-paced thriller that grips from first page to last. Jade Kelley is a formidable heroine who attacks problems with intelligence and sheer force of will. The tangible paranormal menace, tangle of clues and suspects, and delicious undercurrent of romantic tension all work to make this novel impossible to put down." – Sonia Gensler, The Revenant “Kim Harrington has crafted a deliciously eerie mystery that kept me guessing from the first line to the last.” – Leigh Fallon, Carrier of the Mark The author is giving away a signed copy of Clarity, Perception, Sleuth or Dare #1, Sleuth or Dare #2, or the French Clarity. Whichever one you want! Three winners! Anywhere in the world. More info here.
So what do you think about the book? Are you itching to read it as well? :)
Labels: Kim Harrington, meme, The Dead And Buried, Want books 30 May 2012 
Author Bio:
Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five. She now resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and young daughter. Intisar writes grants and develops projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which is as close as she can get to saving the world. Her approach to writing fantasy reflects her lifelong passion for stories from different cultures. She is currently writing a trilogy set in the same world as Thorn. This is her first novel.
Author Website | Facebook | Purchase on Amazon
Win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!
Labels: giveaway, Intisar Khanani, promo, Thorn, tour 29 May 2012 
If you haven't noticed yet, my blog has a completely new look!
My blog's fabulous makeover is all thanks to Misa from Paper Wing Design Studio. She's also the brains behind the book blog The Magic Attic Reads. I got this one through a mini giveaway of some sort at twitter, but you can also get your own gorgeous template for a very reasonable price!
I was really impressed with the way Misa worked. She was so helpful and efficient, and I didn't have any problems at all. I'm really happy with how the template turned out.
What do you think of my blog's new design? :)
Labels: blog makeover, milestone, template 28 May 2012 Vengeance of the Wolf by Solitaire Parke Genre: mystery, thriller Publication date: February 23rd 2012 Pages: 316 (paperback) Format: paperback and ebook Purchase this book | GoodReads
THOUGHTS:
The author gave me this book in exchange for an honest review two weeks ago and I finished it three days ago. I don't usually read books in such a slow pace so that's saying something, I guess.
The whole concept of the book and how the killer uses dream worlds to make his victims suffer even more was really interesting, though. Picking through the killer's head, figuring out how he thinks and what he'll do next was also quite a treat. The story was told in different POVs, but it still flowed naturally and you still have a clear idea of the plot. All the other characters had their own specific purpose and contributed to how the story went; there weren't any annoying prop characters or anything like that, but some characters had more personality than others.
The book was very morbid and haunting, with scenes described with full detail, it's as if you were there. Which, in this case, is slightly bad for the reader but good for the book. This psychological thriller is action packed, but so slow paced and I almost dozed off a few times. Some scenes did give me goosebumps, but it didn't made my skin crawl or anything. I did like that the author added lines from nursery rhymes here and there. It added an extra creep factor to the whole thing. The ending was very unexpected but it was one of the best parts of the book; it really gave me the jeevies.
The story is nicely written, it flows well, and the plot is realistic, but I wasn't really content with the book as a whole. It felt somewhat lacking. I guess I expected that the book would give me sleepless nights and buddy system-ed trips to the bathroom, but that didn't happen. I don't know, I honestly thought that it wasn't that scary. But that's just me.
THE NUB AND GIST:
Labels: review, Solitaire Parke, Vengeance of the Wolf 25 May 2012
And I make things.
like this for example:
A little thingy I made with photoshop. I guess it's a book cover or something. I don't really know.
Oh, and here's some book 'photography' or whatever that I did recently:
And that is all. Idk I think i'm just bored. So err, bye.
Labels: life Alice Parker's Metamorphosis (Book 1 of the New Adventure Series for Children) by Nicola Palmer Genre: fantasy, paranormal Publication date: March 2012 Format: ebook GoodReads | Purchase
THOUGHTS: Alice Parker was a perfectly normal girl who had average grades and an average life, but then a sudden change happens, and she's introduced to a world of magic and dreams that has apparently been hiding under her nose all this time. Alice finds out that she is a finwip, a creature very much like a fairy from the bed time stories. She then finds herself part of an underground finwip community, which becomes her second home. The author wrote such vivid descriptions, and I found myself wanting to be Alice, to be a part of her world. The storyline is very well-written and it lured me in from the first page. The story will make you guess and guess, but your guesses are hardly ever right. Alice was also very easy to love. She was a bit reluctant and uneasy at first, but then she accepts who she is and becomes strong and determined. Her metamorphosis was also well paced, and it never felt rushed. Alice was very smart, she always thinks before she acts and she shows compassion towards others. She hardly ever complained and she did what had to be done to save the people she cared about. I never expected much from this book since it is a middle-grade fantasy and I thought it would just be okay. But Nicola Parker proved me wrong! Even though it's a book for middle-age readers, the book is written in a beautiful sophisticated prose that would put adult fiction to shame. Even though the writing is smart, it's still perfectly understandable by all ages. The book reminded me of C.S. Lewis' and J.K. Rowling's works; smart and opinionated without losing a touch of magic. This book was such a breath of fresh air, and it certainly brought out the child in me. THE NUB AND GIST: 
INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY!
Three sets of Alice Parker's Metamorphosis & Alice Parker and The Mind Magician ebooks are up for grabs! Thanks, Nicola!
Labels: Alice Parker's Metamorphosis, giveaway, Nicola Palmer, review 24 May 2012 A Demon Made Me Do It by Penelope King Genre: urban fantasy, young adult, paranormal Publication date: August 1st 2011 Pages: 315 (paperback) GoodReads | Purchase
THOUGHTS: This book in a nutshell: Persona 4 + Dante's Inferno This book was way better than I expected. I thought it would be a really dark and eerie demon slaying kind of book, but it was actually a tale of acceptance, facing your fears, and coming into terms with who you really are, even the ugly bits that you hate about yourself. Whenever I read a book with characters with different personalities I always end up loathing at least one of them, but that didn't happen with this book. I loved all the characters, both demons and humans. They all had their own charms. The plot is also well written and unique, although the pacing and switching of POVs ticked me off at times. It had it's fair share of teen angst, but not enough to make it too annoying, so that's good. Oh, and I have to say, the guys in this book are sizzling hot. I mean, I guess most paranormal young adult books need hot guys to add an extra oomph of, err, paranormal-ness, but the guys in A Demon Made Me Do It had a hotness meter of a burning fury of a thousand suns. And i'm not even exaggerating here. Oh, and I loved Lucky so much, it scared me. She reminded me of Cara Mason from Legend of The Seeker, with her leather outfits, extreme bad-assery, and all that.
It's very easy to relate to the story since all of us have a side of ourselves that we don't really like and all that. It also had a lot of adrenaline filled butt-kicking scenes, which I loved. It wasn't too serious though, with the characters' deadpan humor making me chuckle here and there. All in all it was a pretty good book, and I honestly enjoyed it. THE NUB AND GIST:  Labels: A Demon Made Me Do It, Demonblood Series, Penelope King, review 23 May 2012 
For Review:
And all the rest:
I'm sorry, eyes. Truly, I am. I've been on a reading marathon this week; finishing three books a day and all that, and it's putting a lot of strain on my eyes. I'm almost through with my 'for review' pile though. I've posted my reviews of Farsighted and Open Heart already, I finished A demon made me do it last night so expect a review from me within this week. Oh, and I'm already done with both of the Alice Parker books, so i'll be posting up my reviews and a giveaway (!!!) for it tomorrow. I'm already halfway through Vengeance of the Wolf and Silent Song so yay! I haven't started the other books yet, but I read the first chapter of Glitch and I wasn't impressed. I mean, I know it's still the first chapter and all, but does it get any better?
I won't be reading anything today, sadly. My mum says that I've been abusing my eyes lately, so I'm doing a 'rest day' of sorts. I honestly won't be surprised if I'll need glasses by the time classes start. Speaking of classes, I picked up my books from school because classes are starting soon (school here in the Philippines usually start on the 2nd week of June) and everyone was saying how cheap the books were this year, but to be honest $140 is still mighty expensive for cheapskate me. Anyways, the books were really heavy and all that but my eyes lit up when I found this in my pile:
Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere. So errr I honestly (and shamefully) didn't really have any plans of reading Filipino literature, so I can't wait to read this, even if it is for school.
Well, that's my hoard. Did you get any cool books this week? Any recent acquisitions? Link your post below and I'll check it out :D
Oh, and I recently got a twitter account, and you can follow me if you want. And i'll tell you how much I love you through 140 words or less.
Labels: book haul, meme, Stacking The Shelves 22 May 2012 Open Heart (Farsighted #2) by Emlyn Chand Genre: urban fantasy, young adult, paranormal Expected Publication date: May 25th 2012 Pages: 352 (hardcover) GoodReads  SYNOPSIS: Simmi Shergill's life is a mess. Her powers of psychic feeling are on the fritz, and Grandon Township's sudden population boom has brought quite a few unsavory characters to town. She also looks like an over-blown balloon in her size 14 pants, but not even starving herself seems to be working as a diet plan. Well, at least her boyfriend, Alex, loves her so much he'd do anything for her. Last summer he even risked his life to protect her from the mysterious boy everyone was convinced wanted to kill her. The problem is, she's not so sure she feels the same way. Is Alex really the man of her dreams? And why can't she stop fixating on her would-be killer, Dax? Whenever he's around, part of her wants to run screaming in the other direction while the other part longs to run into his embrace, no matter who she’d hurt or what she’d risk. Simmi's loyalty is on the line. Who will she choose—the blind seer who loves her, or the charming telekinetic with "bad idea" written all over him? Emotions run high as the tension mounts in book two of the Farsighted series. THOUGHTS: I was never a Team Simmi girl. She was more of a prop character in Farsighted, and I felt she was fake-ish and shallow. I said fake-ish because I wasn't entirely sure, but Open Heart came along and confirmed everything. The deal is, Simmi has thins whole self-loathing problem where she has all these negative thoughts about herself like "omg i'm too fat" and "omg i'm too ugly". It's not a problem though, since that's perfectly normal. Heck, even I feel like i'm an ugly sea cow most of the time. My problem with Simmi is how she deals with her problem. She has all these eating disorders, she lies to the people who care about her, she manipulates them for all the wrong reasons, she takes comfort in the insecurities of other people, and she wants other people stop judging her but she keeps on judging other people herself and sizes them up and makes mental venn diagrams in order to figure out who's better or who's more handsome LIKE IT'S ALL JUST A HUGE MISS UNIVERSE CONTEST. And honestly, her "he's dangerous and I shouldn't but something's luring me in" monologues sound exactly like a typical Bella pining for her smexy but dangerous Edward. -end of rant- It was extremely hard for me to rate this book. Putting my 'hatred' for Simmi at bay in order to write a proper review is just too mentally frustrating. I mean, Simmi is definitely not a character you'd easily love. But because Emlyn is such a sweetheart, here is a bullet list (Emlyn likes bullet lists!) of what I liked about this book:
THE NUB AND GIST:
Mentally and emotionally exhausting, but definitely not in a bad way.
 
RATING:
Labels: Emlyn Chand, Open Heart, review 20 May 2012 Farsighted by Emlyn Chand Genre: fantasy, young adult, paranormal Publication date: October 17th 2011 Pages: 260 (hardcover) Purchase | GoodReads  SYNOPSIS: Alex Kosmitoras's life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he's blind. Just when he thinks he'll never have a shot at a normal life, an enticing new girl comes to their small Midwest town all the way from India. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Sophomore year might not be so bad after all. Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to "see" the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they suggest Simmi is in mortal danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex embarks on his journey to change the future. THOUGHTS: This book in a nutshell: This book has too much complexities and cannot be fathomed into a nutshell. Okay okay, where to start? First off, here's what I liked about the book:
The only thing that I did not like was the pacing. It unnecessarily dragged on in some parts, and was too fast paced in all the wrong parts. It's all good though, because it didn't affect my reading experience much. But to be honest, sometimes I wanted to hit Alex on the hand with that walking stick of his for being so dense.
THE NUB AND GIST: Great book with a unique plot. I just wish it didn't end like that, with the cliffhanger and all. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book!  Labels: Emlyn Chand, Farsighted, review 19 May 2012 
Anumal Empire: Lazarball
by David Ayres and Darren Jacobs
Genre: fantasy, young adult, dystopian
Publication date: April 19th 2012
Pages: 313 (PDF ebook)
SYNOPSIS: The race of man is extinct… THOUGHTS: This book in a nutshell: The Hunger Games meets The Lion King Wow. This book was nothing like how I expected it would be. It has a very unique plot, definitely not your average dystopian story. It won me over since the first chapter. And as the story progressed, it had me gasping for more. Lazarball is actually a hunger games-ish, well, game that reminded me so much of Blitzball. They are completely different though, with Lazarball being more intense and dangerous. Anumal Empire: Lazarball is filled with adrenaline-fueled scenes that will take your breath away. It's full of adventure, and action scenes will jump at you from almost very angle. The hero, Clinton Narfell is now on my list of hottest fictional lions. I loved him from the start. He was a sweet kid who loved his family, but when the world took his parents away from him he toughened up to protect his little brother. He reminds me of Tidus from FFIV, strong-willed and full of determination. He will do anything to protect his family and their honor, even if it meant defying the most ruthless and dangerous beasts around. I like how the authors armed Clinton with a shield of cunning and bravery without sacrificing his good heart, his strong relationship with the people he loved, and his sense of humor. David and Darren created a world that was so vivid, so real. The characters in this story are called "anumals", animals forced to fend for themselves after the humans disappeared from the world. These anumals had very humane characteristics though, and I completely forgot that they were animals. I guess the best thing about the Anumal Empire world is how it is very much like ours. Discrimination, poverty, and corruption are some of the problems in the story, and I felt that the anumals' situation was similar to ours. I guess that shows how incredibly savage humans have become these days. Overall, Anumal Empire was one of the best fantasy novels that I have ever read. Haunting, terrifying, and dangerous; never a boring moment. That, and gorgeous writing, a brilliant unique plot, nicely paced, and the most diverse set of characters. What more can you ask for? The next book to come out ASAP, that's what! THE NUB AND GIST: A gem of a book with great potential. Highly recommended. 
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Labels: Anumal Empire, Darren Jacobs, David Ayres, Lazarball, review 18 May 2012
Hey guys! I entered Rola's giveaway a few weeks ago.
Well, the giveaway ends in two weeks and I need help from you guys.
All you need to do is follow Rola's blog via gfc and post a comment here saying that you're voting for my entry.
The prize is a copy of Patrick Ness' book The Knife of Never Letting Go. I've heard a lot of great things about it, but I haven't read it yet.
Rola's giveaway is a little diferent from the norm. You don't just simply enter your gfc name via rafflecopter. Since the novel's main theme is noise, you have to enter a piece that represents who you are. It can be a poem, an essay, a video, a photo, anything! As long as it answers the question "what are you?"
Here is my entry for Rola's giveaway. It is a photograph I took with my Nikon D3100 when I was feeling like a loser and I wanted to die. It is not a professional photo, but it is very personal and it is one of my favorite shots. I also wrote an amateurish pseudo-essay explanation for my photograph, you can read it below.
"What are you?"
I am pretentious. I pretend to be tough-skinned , but I am actually afraid. I pretend to be "hipster" and unique, but I am actually a combination of every person that I have come to idolize. I am a frustrated writer and photographer who doesn't believe in her works anymore. I feel like I have something important to say, but I just don't know how to say it. I give up on everything I start. I am a coward.
The photo I submitted sums up all of these. Those were all original essays, poems, and stories from my journal. I just didn't think they were good enough, and in a fit of rage I started tearing out the pages. I held a lighter in my hand, ready to burn them all. But I got scared. I got scared of the possibility of getting burned. I got scared of getting hurt even more. I was a coward. Instead of burning them, I tried to "drown" them towards destruction. I watched eagerly as the papers' pulps split up in different directions and the ink from my words turned the water into a grayish hue. They eventually disappeared, but it took almost an hour. A slow death.
What am I?
I am a distressed individual full of hypocrisy and cowardice, always choosing the easy and "safe" way out, but still gets hurt in the end.
What am I?
I'm a hypocrite, a coward, all the things I mentioned above, and all the things I am yet to find out about myself. I'm not really entirely sure of what I am right now. Heck, I have no freakin idea.
I reread all the words and sentences that I have written above, and laugh. I guess I really shouldn't complain.
Why?
Because i'm sure about one thing. I want to be an artist. No, not the kind with brushes and pencils, but the kind with a pen and a camera.
Do you know how artists work?
They live life, they get hurt, they grab their pen and camera, and they bleed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thanks everyone. Cheers!
Labels: life 17 May 2012
So i'm finally entering the dark side. I am getting myself an e-reader.
* dun dun dunnnnn*
Did someone use a change of heart spell card on me? Because I promised myself that I would never buy an e-reader EVER, but look at me now.
I've been looking around online and i've been reading reviews and comparison charts and all that jazz, but what do you guys think? What kind of e-reader should I get?
Right now i'm leaning towards a Nook or a Kindle, i'm just not sure which model. I'm pretty sure that i'm not gettinga Kindle Fire though, because that shizz is just too expensive for me.
Anyways, thoughts? :)
Labels: life 16 May 2012      
Look at all these gorgeous covers!
A Million Suns, Hollow, and Incarnate are so dreamy and ethereal, they exude so much magic! I just wish that they used another font color for Incarnate. It just looks so out of place.
Someone Else's Life looks homemade and quirky, like it came out of someone's scrapbook.
Illuminate and The Selection on the other hand, differ so much from Someone Else's Life. They look so sophisticated and classy. They practically scream elegance!
In a semi-unrelated note, I will possibly be doing a giveaway for Hollow soon! That's definitely something to look forward to!
What are your favorite cover designs? :)
Labels: covergasms, Featured book covers   
(L-R: The Time Paradox, Spirit Fighter, Magnus Fin and the Ocean Question )
It's been a while since I last read a good fantasy book for this age group. The Son of Neptune was probably the last one that really impressed me, but The Serpent's Shadow just came out so i'm really looking forward to getting myself a copy! I already reached my spending limit for books this month though, so I guess I have to suffer and wait 'til June. Books like these are really refreshing. I admit that they are my guilty pleasures ;)
What are you reading right now? Send me your links! What are your guilty pleasures when it comes to reading?
Labels: What i'm reading 15 May 2012 Dark Passage by M.L. Woolley Genre: fantasy, paranormal, mystery Publication date: March 20th 2012 Publisher: Amazon Pages: 309 (paperback)  SYNOPSIS: Jen takes refuge in a rundown mansion when her life falls apart. To escape reality she finds herself choosing between the world of the living and the dead. She begins having vivid experiences with a beautiful male entity who longs to be her soulmate. Her childhood friend, 19 year old Ivy, has come from a rough past and has always been different. She learns she has the ability to communicate with the dead and as time passes other supernatural gifts emerge. Ivy will stand against the evil that would separate a love that transcends time and her true destiny emerges. Jen & Ivy are drawn into the compelling world of the dark side and propelled on the most important journeys of their lives. “With one final glance behind her, Jen urged her horse forward, and toward the safety of the mountains. Her heart was heavy and she immediately thought of the other realm. Her hope was that they were aware of what had happened and would help. Chaos was already breaking out; and the world was in danger of slipping back to a time of great darkness, reminiscent of the Middle Ages." THOUGHTS: This book in a nutshell: Not your average paranormal story I'd like to start off with a big thank you to M.L. Woolley for letting me read this book. It has been a pleasure reading it. I would have given this book 5 stars, but I chose to give it 4 stars instead because I was a bit confused at the beginning. I was too much of a goldfish to realize that the POV constantly changes between the characters. It was strange at first, but when i settled into it, I was immediately drawn into the story. Dark Passage is well written and unique, with haunting characters with so much depth, you feel like you've known them all your life. It tells of the struggles of trying to find out who you really are and where you belong in this world. I began to like how the author uses different POVs. It was easier to get into each character's head, and it made me fall in love with them even more. A tale of tragedy, loss, and dark creatures, Dark Passage is an edge of your seat kind of tale filled with romance and mystery. Filled with a lot of twists and turns, this is definitely not your average "good vs. evil" story. You'll want to read this book over and over again. With all honesty, this book was better than most of the published books out there. M.L. Woolley is an indie author that will go places! THE NUB AND GIST: A spectacular read! I'm definitely looking forward to the other books in the series. Read this if: you're looking for a page-turning, stay-up-til-midnight-to-finish-this, one-more-chapter-please book. you're looking for stories with strong messages about believing in yourself
GIVEAWAY
[A big thank you to M.L. Woolley!]
HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO GET YOUR VERY OWN COPY OF DARK PASSAGE!
This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY, so everyone can join in on the fun!
I have 3 ebooks of Dark Passage to give away, plus 3 paperbacks (two for USA, one for international)
GIVEAWAY ENDS: June 9
Labels: Dark Passage, giveaway, M.L. Woolley, review 14 May 2012
 A total meltdown. The whole school watching. Now Poppy’s an ex-straight-A with no Plan B. When Poppy Johnson throws away a full scholarship to Columbia, she can only blame the jelly beans. The yucky green ones? Midnight cram sessions and Saturday’s spent studying. The delicious red? The family legacy: Columbia, and a future in finance. Except now it’s starting to look like Poppy’s jelly bean theory is wrong. School has been her life until, but maybe it’s time to start living now. Poppy has thirty days to try a new life. No school, no studying. Just jumping into every possible world. Thirty days to find her passion, her path, and maybe even love. The Jelly Bean Crisis is officially on. Labels: Jolene Stockman, meme, The Jelly Bean Crisis, Want books 13 May 2012 What A Boy Wants by Nyrae Dawn Genre: contemporary, romance, young adult Publication date: April 6th 2012 Publisher: [ebook] Pages: 209 (ebook)  SYNOPSIS: Courtesy of watching his mom’s relationships, Sebastian Hawkins knows what girls need to do to get a guy. He has what he considers a PHD in hooking up. When he needs extra cash for a car, Sebastian starts up an online venture as The Hook-up Doctor, to anonymously help girls land the guy of their dreams. Of course, his services don’t offer a happily-ever-after guarantee. He’s seen firsthand getting together never means staying together. And then he falls in love… With the last girl he would expect… Totally not in his game plan. Suddenly, Sebastian finds himself muddled in the game he’s always prided himself on. He can’t even pick up girls at parties anymore! Why would anyone want to be in love when it turns you into a stuttering, screwed-up, mess with really lame stalker tendencies? Stalking? Totally not his gig. But the Hook-up Doctor won’t let himself go down easily. He’s always known how to give a girl what she wants and now it’s time to figure out what a boy wants… and he definitely plans on getting it. THOUGHTS: This book in a nutshell: "OMG CAN I PLEASE GET AN ARC OF THE SECOND BOOK" This is a sweet and fun read that had me laughing, giggling, and crying all at the same time. The story line nicely paced, it easily flows and the male POV sounded really authentic and believable. Come to think of it, Sebastian talks like me. I guess that's the reason why this was so easy for me to read and finish. Our boy Sebastian Hawkins is a cocky, funny, sweet, protective. You can't help but love this book because of him. Nyrae doesn't neglect the other characters though, there's a lot of depth to them. You can easily relate to all of them. I think she set the pace for the second book really nicely.
What A Boy Wants had the perfect mix of a protagonist with a strong voice, interesting characters, real life situations, humor, sweetness, and a tang of sexy. Needless to say, I want more.
I promise that I will spare you from my fangirling because you might ask for a restraining order. But umm. Just a little fangirl time? Please? Thanks! SEBASTIAN LET ME LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!11111! <33333333333333 HEY I JUST MET YOU, AND THIS IS CRAZY, BUT HERE'S MY NUMBER, LET'S MAKE BABIES. Okay, i'm done. THE NUB AND GIST: If it isn't obvious yet, I love this book and everything about it. Nyrae Dawn is the newest addition to my list of favorite authors. Read this if: you're looking for a light, refreshing read you want to fall in love you are in love Labels: Nyrae Dawn, review, What A Boy Wants Diary
by Chuck Palahniuk
Genre: horror, contemporary, suspense, thriller
Publication date: September 14th 2004
Publisher: Anchor
Pages: 262 (paperback)
 Once a promising young artist, she’s now stuck on an island ruined by tourism, drinking too much and working as a waitress in a hotel. Her husband, a contractor, is in a coma after a suicide attempt, but that doesn’t stop his clients from threatening Misty with lawsuits over a series of vile messages they’ve found on the walls of houses he remodeled. Suddenly, though, Misty finds her artistic talent returning as she begins a period of compulsive painting. Inspired but confused by this burst of creativity, she soon finds herself a pawn in a larger conspiracy that threatens to cost hundreds of lives. What unfolds is a dark, hilarious story from America’s most inventive nihilist, and Palahniuk’s most impressive work to date. THOUGHTS: This book in a nutshell: level 98 writing + Dan Brown goes to art school Words cannot express how insanely good this book is. I don't even know how to effectively describe it. It vivid, disturbing, grotesque, and a bit supernatural. The imagery was spot on. It was organized chaos. If any other writer wrote a novel with half the amount of twists in this book, it's a one hit KO. Crash and burn. But this is Chuck Palahniuk we're talking about here, he never burns. This story will keep you guessing. I found myself getting surprised at each turn of the page. Just when I think that I've figured the whole story out, Palahniuk, being the ass that he is, brings up another trump card proclaiming that my assumptions were wrong. And he brings up another one. And another one. And another one. It was like walking towards an edge of the room thinking that it's the end point, but then finding yourself back where you started. Palahniuk, you dick. THE NUB AND GIST: This is the kind of book that creeps under your flesh and tortures you with dreams. (In a perfectly good way!) Do not read this if: you don't like grotesque scenes. because there are a lot. believe me. you are sqwirmish and you puke at the sight of needles, blood, etc. (but i say to hell with that, because the book is completely worth it) you dislike books with vulgar language Labels: Chuck Palahniuk, Diary, review 12 May 2012
It's only been two days since my last STS post!
I've acquired quite a few books for my TBR shelf since then however, so here they are:
   
What about you? Any recent acquisitions? Link your post below and I'll check it out ;)
Labels: book haul, meme, Stacking The Shelves |
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