The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Summary (via the author's website): "Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away.

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love."

Review: So you may have noticed the Twilight-themed poll in my left sidebar... I'm kind of curious how y'all feel about those books. I fall into the second category. It's the "I recognize that they're poorly written, but something about them appeals to me." Not to say, mind, that I LIKE them, per se, but that when I read them I can't really put them down.

I feel a little better about the Host. I actually do like it. The characterization of Wanda is fairly well done, although I think if I met her in real life she might be kind of annoying in the crème brûlée way (has anyone seen My Best Friend's Wedding??). The story is fairly interesting, high in the "then he looked at me twice" drama that I love. The beginning and ending are slow, but I'm ok with that.

All in all, a pretty decent book. Kind of surprising from the author of Breaking Dawn, n'est pas?

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, fluffy, i-own-it, is-this-a-kissing-book, pretentious, thought-provoking

Rating:

Reading My Own Darn Books

Hi guys. Can we talk for a minute? And by "talk," I of course mean that I'll type and you'll read. And if you're not ok with that, well, that's cool.

So anyway, I decided to take on a project. It's kind of epic. Here's the deal: I want to read my books.

I know, right? It seems pretty intuitive... yet most of you know that it's much easier said than done. You buy books, you check them out from the library, you win them, or you borrow them, and you end up with a huge stack of books that you own - paid money for, even! - that you've never even cracked open. What the heck?!

So my goal is to read, if not ALL of them (I have shopped many a book sale in my day), at least a lot. I think it's good to go ahead and read books I actually already have. Who knows, maybe I'll end up trimming my collection down a little. To that end, I'm enforcing a Ban on all books that I don't own, starting... well, about a week ago, actually.

As with all good Policies, there are a couple exceptions. In this case, they're very specific, and are as follows:

• I already have The Maze Runner out from the library, so I'm gonna read that. Probably.
• My father-in-law lent me two books about World War II, and I'm gonna read those.
• Audio books are excepted, because I only have one (Harry Potter 5, if you're curious).
• Ebooks don't count. I'll buy or download as I see fit, although I won't borrow any from the library.

Other than that,  the Policy, for the forseeable future, is that I'm not going to read or buy any book that I don't already own.

I'm actually pretty excited about this. I have a lot of books I haven't read, and I'm betting I'll find a new favorite or two. :)

I know that we all need solidarity sometimes, so if you want to join in, feel free! It's a good way to curb a book-buying habit, if you have one, or a library addiction, like I'm recovering from. Just link to your blog in the comments. Create your own rules (don't think you have to follow mine!), and go ahead and grab the button! Good luck!

Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold

Summary (via the publisher's website): "Miles Vorkosigan is back!

Kibou-daini is a planet obsessed with cheating death. Barrayaran Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan can hardly disapprove-he's been cheating death his whole life, on the theory that turnabout is fair play. But when a Kibou-daini cryocorp-an immortal company whose job it is to shepherd its all-too-mortal frozen patrons into an unknown future-attempts to expand its franchise into the Barrayaran Empire, Emperor Gregor dispatches his top troubleshooter Miles to check it out.

On Kibou-daini, Miles discovers generational conflict over money and resources is heating up, even as refugees displaced in time skew the meaning of generation past repair. Here he finds a young boy with a passion for pets and a dangerous secret, a Snow White trapped in an icy coffin who burns to re-write her own tale, and a mysterious crone who is the very embodiment of the warning Don't mess with the secretary. Bribery, corruption, conspiracy, kidnapping-something is rotten on Kibou-daini, and it isn't due to power outages in the Cryocombs. And Miles is in the middle-of trouble!"

Review: So... wow. This book kind of makes me sad, because the Big Thing that happens at the end kind of overshadows the rest of the book. So that there's this whole book, but the only thing anyone's going to talk about is the Big Thing. Which comes at the very end.

Other than that, though, good book. The storyline was a little confusing for me, but I'm going to blame that on rushing through the book for the sake of devouring it. Doing that tends to get me confused.

Random thought: On most planets in this universe, you can tell that there's some kind of Earth-based cultural influence (the idea being that everyone originally came from Earth when they colonized all these planets), but the cultural influence in Kibou-dani is the strongest I've seen in this series, from the architecture to the clothing to the way people speak. (It's all Japanese, if you were wondering.)

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, fluffy, funny, i-have-the-ebook, i-own-it, thought-provoking

Rating:

A Matter of Magic by Patricia C. Wrede

Summary (via Goodreads): "When a stranger offers her a small fortune to break into a traveling magician’s wagon, Kim doesn’t hesitate. Having grown up a waif in the dirty streets of London, Kim isn’t above a bit of breaking-and-entering. A hard life and lean times have schooled her in one lesson: steal from them before they steal from you. But when the magician catches her in the act, Kim thinks she’s done for. Until he suggests she become his apprentice; then the real trouble begins.

Kim soon finds herself entangled with murderers, thieves, and cloak-and-dagger politics, all while trying to learn how to become both a proper lady and a magician in her own right.
Magic and intrigue go hand in hand in Mairelon the Magician and The Magician’s Ward, two fast-paced novels filled with mystery and romance, set against the intricate backdrop of Regency England."

Review: So I'd already read both the books this one's made up of, several years ago. But it was nice to revisit them, since it's been a while. I was a fan. The stories were fun, and the characterizations were pretty well done. Also, because I was looking for it, I caught all of the instances where Mairelon was subtly unhappy about Kim having suitors and stuff. So that was fun.

I had a hard time keeping track of what people looked like, though. This interfered with how well I was able to visualize things, so I wish there had been more description sprinkled in.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, fluffy, funny, i-own-it, is-this-a-kissing-book

Rating:

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Summary (via the author's website):  "When 16-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld,where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm’s length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all."

Review: So here it is... it took me forever to finally read it, but once I got into it, it only took about two days. So hooray!

Can I talk about Will for a minute? Here is the actual "Bad Boy." Jace is not really a bad boy, he only pretends to be. He's sarcastic and impertinent and stuff, but when it comes down to it he's nice to the people around him, loyal, and a genuinely good person. Will, on the other hand, is rude and sarcastic too, but when it comes down to it he has a lot of psychological damage and he's not very nice to people. Ever. I'm proud of Ms. Clare, because so many people create these characters they say are "bad" who are actually just Jaces... teddy bears on the inside. But Will is an actual jerk. So, you know, props. Also, if you couldn't tell, I'm on Team Jem. But I reserve the right to change my mind when I read the next book(s) in the trilogy.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, fluffy, funny, i-own-it, is-this-a-kissing-book, pretentious

Rating:

New Awards

I've won a couple awards in the last few weeks!

Thanks to Missy at Missy's Reads & Reviews and Jennifer at Book Noise for the One Lovely Blog award!

Here are the rules:
1. Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers that you have newly discovered.

3. Contact those blog owners and let them know they've been chosen.

And thanks to Tina at Book Couture for the Life is Good award!

Here are the rules:
1. Thank and link back to the person that gave this award.
2. Answer the 10 survey questions.
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic.
4. Contact the bloggers you’ve picked to let them know about the award.

Here are the questions:
1. If you blog anonymously are you happy doing it that way; if you are not anonymous do you wish you had started out anonymously so you could be anonymous now?
I'm semi-anonymous; if you were intent on finding me, you could, but it's not super easy... question mark? I'm happy with the way it is, though. :)

2. Describe one incident that shows your inner stubborn side:

Um... I dunno! Maybe one time I insisted on where to eat dinner?

3. What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror?

Hm... blond hair, hazel eyes, and a nose I'll probably never like. lol

4. What is your favourite summer cold drink?

There's this Korean drink called Milkus... it's pretty much carbonated milk. It sounds gross, but it's actually very tasty.

5. When you take time for yourself, what do you do?

 I watch TV, especially "guilty pleasure" shows like Buffy.

6. Is there something you still want to accomplish in your life? What is it?

 Of course! What good would life be if there weren't anything I wanted to accomplish?? Right now I'm working on getting a job... some time in the future I want to start a family.

7. When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever , the shy person, or always ditching?
I was the smart one, I admit it. Also, my senior year I took a bunch of classes that didn't involve much academia, so my teachers didn't care if I left. That was nice. :)

8. If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment of your life what would you see?

Hm... probably my wedding day.

9. Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people or events?
I guess I'm more comfortable talking about other things (you know, like books and stuff...) because I don't know if people care about my personal life. I think there's an important balance to strike between talking about my life and talking about books, and I think I'm a little skewed towards the book side. I'll try to work on that, eh?

10. If you had the choice to sit down and read or talk on the phone, which would you do and why?

That depends on who was on the phone! I wouldn't hang up on someone just to read, but if I had the choice between reading and just calling some random friend for the heck of it, I'd probably read.

I'm afraid I'm going to cop out in the "passing these along" category and give them to everyone! Feel free to take these and pass them on! :)

The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart

Summary: "Ruby is back at Tate Prep, and it’s her thirty-seventh week in the state of Noboyfriend. Her panic attacks are bad, her love life is even worse, and what’s more: Noel is writing her notes, Jackson is giving her frogs, Gideon is helping her cook, and Finn is making her brownies. Rumors are flying, and Ruby’s already-sucky reputation is heading downhill.

Not only that, she’s also: running a bake sale, learning the secrets of heavymetal therapy, encountering some seriously smelly feet, defending the rights of pygmy goats, and body-guarding Noel from unwanted advances.

In this companion novel to The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book, Ruby struggles to secure some sort of mental health, to understand what constitutes a real friendship, and to find true love—if such a thing exists."

Review: I think I'm having a hard time reviewing this one because I read all three of them right in a row. I feel like pretty much everything I have to say here has already been said, but I'll give it a try.

So. I like Ruby's movie lists in her footnotes. I especially like when she's illustrating something that never happens in the movies: "Movies where [something that has happened to her/might happen]: none." In fact, now that I think of it, I like all of her footnotes. Even though a lot of the ones give definitions that I already know, which I'm going to pretentiously attribute to the fact that I'm a college graduate reading books aimed at high school students.

I like seeing Ruby's growth. She goes from the girl who kisses her best friend's boyfriend at a dance to someone who can say no to boys, stand up to her friends, and objectively admit that the people she was once close to aren't actually very good friends at all. So hooray for character development!

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, fluffy, funny, is-this-a-kissing-book, thought-provoking, to-own

Rating:

The Boy Book by E. Lockhart

Summary: "Here is how things stand at the beginning of newly-licensed driver Ruby Oliver's junior year at Tate Prep:

 • Kim: Not speaking. But far away in Tokyo.
 • Cricket: Not speaking.
 • Nora: Speaking--sort of. Chatted a couple times this summer when they bumped into each other outside of school--once shopping in the U District, and once in the Elliot Bay Bookstore. But she hadn't called Ruby, or anything.
 • Noel: Didn't care what anyone thinks.
 • Meghan: Didn't have any other friends.
 • Dr. Z: Speaking.
 • And Jackson. The big one. Not speaking.

But, by Winter Break, a new job, an unlikely but satisfying friend combo, additional entries to The Boy Book and many difficult decisions help Ruby to see that there is, indeed, life outside the Tate Universe."

Review: I liked this one as well. Ruby is still awesome, and still doing her thing. I like that things with boys happen the way they do in real life: Sometimes it's not meant to be, and they start dating other girls, and that's ok.

I like Ruby's therapy sessions. Doctor Z is pretty cool, and I like reading about them and about mental health and stuff. (Can you tell that I like my reading to be slightly educational? Because I do.)

I'm frustrated by Ruby's friends sometimes. Like how Kim and Cricket won't let Ruby have a side to the story, and won't give her a chance to slip up and make mistakes sometimes. That's frustrating.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, fluffy, funny, is-this-a-kissing-book, thought-provoking, to-own

Rating:

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

Summary: "Ruby Oliver is 15 and has a shrink. She knows it’s unusual, but give her a break—she’s had a rough 10 days. In the past 10 days she:

lost her boyfriend (#13 on the list),

lost her best friend (Kim),

lost all her other friends (Nora, Cricket),

did something suspicious with a boy (#10),

did something advanced with a boy (#15),

had an argument with a boy (#14),

drank her first beer (someone handed it to her),

got caught by her mom (ag!),

had a panic attack (scary),

lost a lacrosse game (she’s the goalie),

failed a math test (she’ll make it up),

hurt Meghan’s feelings (even though they aren’t really friends),

became a social outcast (no one to sit with at lunch)

and had graffiti written about her in the girls’ bathroom (who knows what was in the boys’!?!).

But don’t worry—Ruby lives to tell the tale. And make more lists."

Review: So. It's been a while coming, but it was inevitable, ever since I read The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. I finally read the Ruby Oliver books. And, as expected, they were pretty much awesome.

I like Ruby... rather a lot. Mind, I don't agree with all the choices she makes, but she herself is cute, smart, funny, and basically a pretty cool chick. I think Ruby's a tad more relate-able than Frankie, since Frankie, even though she wants a boyfriend and acts on that desire, also admits that she doesn't need a boyfriend and pretty much just likes having one. Ruby, on the other hand, has that passion and teenage angst, wherein she loves Jackson and needs him and pretty much can't live without him.

Fun fact: I was talking about E. Lockhart and her feminist ways earlier, and someone commented that she subscribes to the "A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle" school of thought... and that quote was totally mentioned in The Boyfriend List. So good call.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, fluffy, funny, is-this-a-kissing-book, thought-provoking, to-own

Rating:

Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Summary: "WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . .  AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?  There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.  But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug."

Review: I'm not gonna lie. I hated a lot of this book. Zoey is just wandering around, having no idea what's going on at all, not telling anyone she has no idea, and therefore looking like an idiot. And I have a problem with people looking like idiots. I wanted to slap her.

Also, the Brandon thing. Zoey's in the classic "you knew what he was when you picked him up" situation, and I was appalled that she kept trying to pretend she was with him when she definitely should have known that she wasn't.

And one more thing. The summary says that Zoey tries to appear perfect and put up a show of being flawless. But I didn't see that at all. There was no character development in that department, besides the fact that she talked about her manicure all the time. (But I'm afraid that noticing the state of a manicure doth not a fully developed character make.)

So, to sum up: Zoey was an idiot, I didn't like her, I didn't like her dad (which I didn't mention because there's not much to do besides call him a big old d.b.), and I pretty much just didn't like this book. Although it still gets two stars, because at least I read the second half in one sitting.

Goodreads Shelves: fluffy, is-this-a-kissing-book, pretentious

Rating:plus a frowny face, for good measure :(