The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Summary (via the author's website): "Love is all you need…or is it?

Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating, so she vows: No more. She’s had one too many bad dates, and has been hurt by one too many bad boys. It’s a personal choice…and soon everybody wants to know about it. It seems that Penny’s not the only girl who’s tired of the way girls change themselves (most of the time for the worse) in order to get their guys…or the way their guys don’t really care about them.

Girls are soon thronging to The Lonely Hearts Club (named after Sgt. Pepper’s band), and Penny finds herself near legendary for her non-dating ways – which is too bad, since the leader of The Lonely Hearts Club has found a certain boy she can’t help but like…"

Review: This was a cute book, I'm not gonna lie. I liked the story, and I liked the characters. I admit, I thought the "perfect boy" was a little too perfect, and I thought the "perfect girl" was a little too perfect, too. But overall, it was a really good feelgood book.

I'm also super pleased that even though Penny's family were total Beatles fanatics, and it had the potential to get really wacky and awkward and unrealistic, it actually wasn't. It was realistic enough that even though Elizabeth Eulberg was poking fun a little, it wasn't a caricature at all. It was just cute. :)

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, fluffy, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, is-this-a-kissing-book

Rating:

Awards

Thanks to Rosie at East for Green Eyes for this cute award! This is to be passed onto five other people; I'm giving it to:

Missy @ Missy's Reads and Reviews
Elyssa @ Broken Day Dreams & A Literary Odyssey
Kathy Martin @ Ms. Martin Teaches Media
Rex Robot Reviews
Jenny @ Supernatural Snark


Also, thanks to Ash at Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing, Rosie at East for Green Eyes, Joni at Lost in Y.A. Wonderland, and Ava at Book Infinity for the Versatile Blogger award again! My original post accepting that award can be found here.

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

Summary (via the author's website): "Percy Jackson isn’t expecting freshman orientation to be any fun, but when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears, pursued by demon cheerleaders, things quickly go from bad to worse.

Time is running out for Percy. War between the gods and the Titans is drawing near. Even Camp Half-Blood isn’t safe, as Kronos’s army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth — a sprawling underground world with surprises and danger at every turn.

Along the way Percy will confront powerful enemies, find out the truth about the lost god Pan, and face the Titan lord Kronos’s most terrible secret. The final war begins . . . with the Battle of the Labyrinth."

Review: So, it's never bothered me before, but it occurs to me now that Percy's not very bright, is he? Annabeth has to explain pretty much everything to him. I realize that this is kind of expositional, but it's also kind of annoying... Are most boys like that? Am I just more of an Annabeth than a Percy?

I can sympathize on the 'boy-girl stuff' front, though. Looking back, it seemed pretty clear what was going on for a while, as an outsider looking in, but near the end there things got... complicated.

I'm still liking this series a lot; I'm thinking I'm gonna go back and read it all in print, once I'm done, since so far I've listened to the whole thing on audio. It's got a good "read it again" quality.

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

Rating:

Point Blanc by Anthony Horowitz

Goodreads Summary: "When an investigation into a series of mysterious deaths leads agents to an elite prep school for rebellious kids, MI6 assigns Alex Rider to the case. Before he knows it, Alex is hanging out with the sons of the rich and powerful, and something feels wrong. These former juvenile delinquents have turned well-behaved, studious—and identical—overnight. It’s up to Alex to find out who is masterminding this nefarious plot, before they find him."

Review: What a great popcorn book! It's light, it's relatively low-stakes (yes, he's getting shot at and stuff, but we all know he's gonna be ok, ok?), and it's a quick read.

I like Alex. He's smart, he's clever, he's calm under pressure. Sometimes he's a little too much like an adult, but then other times he goes and does something that's a little more teenagerish, so that's ok. :)

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, fluffy, funny

Rating:

Read Your Own Books August

Mel over at Mel's Books and Info is hosting Read Your Own Books August; basically, for those with a book-buying addiction, it's acting as an excuse/support group to stop buying books and read the ones you already have. :) I don't have a book-buying addiction, but I DO have a library addiction (and a DVD buying addiction... but this isn't a DVD blog), so I'll still get something out of it. Also, I like supporting people. :)

Here are the books I can read this month:
- Books and eBooks I own right now.
- Books and eBooks checked out from the library right now.
- Books and eBooks that are on hold at the library, as long as they can't be renewed. If the due date is after August 31, I have to wait.
- Audiobooks I have checked out from the library right now.

If you want to participate, just head over and sign up!

Eat Pray Love Book Club - Final Post

Finish Indonesia and discuss general feelings on the book. How did it affect you? I read this book at a time in my life when I was really struggling and it had a profound effect on me so I am curious to see what others thought of something so deeply personal.
Will you go see the movie? Will you read Committed which is Gilbert’s follow up to Eat Pray Love?
What are some of your favorite quotes from the book?


Ok. So. The book.

The love section was... I'm not sure. I'm gonna call it my least favorite section. I don't know what it was about it, but it just... didn't do it for me. And I'm pretty ok with that.
I was sad about the part where her friend was trying to con her for more money; I mean, Liz somehow managed to get this huge donation from all of her friends, so that this sweet lady could finally have a place to live, and then she tries to swindle her and get more! That was pretty awful to me. I like the way she handled it, though. That it meant enough to her to maintain that friendship and try to still be on good terms with her. So... way to be, Liz.

As a whole, I think I got the most out of the Pray section. It's kind of inspired me to try to delve a little further into my own spirituality. I was raised religious, and I've been religious all my life, but I feel like I'm getting complacent in what I do, and that I need to work more to be closer to my Heavenly Father. Liz's spiritual growth makes me want to find that in my own life, and I think I'm going to start figuring out what I can do that will help fulfill those needs in my own life.

I'm actually pretty excited about the movie now. For one thing, now that I've read the book, the trailer makes a lot more sense. At first, I wasn't too stoked about it, seeing as how most Hollywood movies are really crappy these days. But after I'd finished the book, I watched the trailer again and remembered how Julia Roberts is actually a fantastic actress. So I think now I'm ready to watch it. :)

I may or may not read the follow-up book, Committed; I definitely want to pick it up and see what it's all about, though.
As far as my favorite quotes, most of them were from the Pray section and can be found in this post.

Thanks, guys, for participating in this book club! It's been a lot of fun to be a part of. :) In closing, here's the video that began my experience with this book.

Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White

Goodreads Summary: "When someone leaves three mystery flowers outside her dorm door, Laurel thinks that maybe the Avondale School isn't so awful after all — until her own body starts to freak out. In the middle of her English presentation on the Victorian Language of Flowers, strange words pop into her head, and her body seems to tingle and hum. Impulsively, Laurel gives the love bouquet she made to demonstrate the language to her spinster English teacher. When that teacher unexpectedly and immediately finds romance, Laurel suspects that something — something magical — is up. With her new friend, Kate, she sets out to discover the origins and breadth of her powers by experimenting on herself and others. But she can’t seem to find any living experts in the field of flower powers to guide her. And her bouquets don't always do her bidding, especially when it comes to her own crush, Justin. Rumors about Laurel and her flowers fly across campus, and she's soon besieged by requests from girls — both friends and enemies — who want their lives magically transformed — just in time for prom."

Review: So the thing that stood out to me here about this book was the plot. The characters were all just kind of around to add to the plot. Which was pretty good; I like that the premise is unique, and the whole "flowerspeaking" thing is something that's always intrigued me.


I kept waiting for Laurel to end up with one of the other boys, although that's probably just because he's the stereotypical Boy The Girl Ends Up With. I don't think Justin had much of a personality, though. Because he was just there for plot purposes, as they all were.


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

Rating:

Book Blogger Hop (6)

Participating in the Book Blogger Hop hosted at Crazy for Books!! This is a great chance to go find new blogs to love. :)

This week's question:

Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year?

Well. Hopefully I've already raved sufficiently about Catherine Gilbert Murdock and E. Lockhart (both of whom I discovered this year). An author I've read recently whose work I really really liked was Phoebe Kitanidis, author of Whisper. This is the first book in a while that, I felt, was really good at being both an introduction to the series AND a book in its own right, instead of just a setup or a really long-winded introduction. I felt like the plot was complete, and I LOVED the character development, as Joy becomes comfortable and honest with the people around her, as well as with herself.

If you're here from the Hop, welcome!

Forbidden Sea by Sheila Nielson

Goodreads Summary: "When Adrianne comes face-to-face with the mermaid of Windwaithe Island, she is convinced that the mermaid means her harm. After all, the island is steeped in stories of mermaids' curses and the ill-luck that they bring. But Adrianne is fierce-willed and courageous and is determined to protect her family and the islanders from danger. Yet when the islanders find out about Adrianne's encounters with the mermaid, her family is scorned. They believe that once active, the mermaid cannot be quieted until an islander sacrifices herself to the sea. But is the legend true? And will their fear make them force Adrienne to test it? This is a haunting story of love, surrender and strength."

Review: This was a fun read. I was drawn into the story, especially the mystery of the mermaid and what her deal was. Random thought: Adrianne reminded me of Katniss from The Hunger Games, and I was also reminded of Sammy Keyes (mostly because of all the times Sheila's preached those books to me).

SPOILERS: I do have a beef with the book though, and it has to do with the ending. I felt like the two chapters she spend in the sea kingdom were really truncated. Like, really? She only spent a couple hours there? I see how that's convenient for the sake of her mother and aunt not knowing what happened, but it's a little too convenient, in my opinion.

Also, I have a problem with Denn. I did catch hints of him caring about Adrianne more than he realized, but then all of a sudden... it was the card I hate. The "I love you, and I've always loved you, but I never realized it until now!" card. (Bonus points if paired with the term "hapless fool.") Up until the very end, he as much as admitted that he had a crush on the pretty-and-rich Cora Lynn girl. But suddenly... Oh no! Adrianne is wearing a form-fitting dress! Gotta fall in love with her now. SPOILERS OVER

So other than that, I liked the book. I liked the character of Adrianne, and her devotion to her family (even though her aunt is a bitter and hateful hag and her mother is a spineless pansy). Also, I really liked the settings and how the island felt like a real place to me; the descriptions were vivid enough to draw me in, while not being too distracting.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, fluffy, i-own-it, is-or-would-be-a-good-movie, is-this-a-kissing-book

Rating:

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Goodreads Summary: "Coraline lives with her preoccupied parents in part of a huge old house--a house so huge that other people live in it, too... round, old former actresses Miss Spink and Miss Forcible and their aging Highland terriers ("We trod the boards, luvvy") and the mustachioed old man under the roof ("'The reason you cannot see the mouse circus,' said the man upstairs, 'is that the mice are not yet ready and rehearsed.'") Coraline contents herself for weeks with exploring the vast garden and grounds. But with a little rain she becomes bored--so bored that she begins to count everything blue (153), the windows (21), and the doors (14). And it is the 14th door that--sometimes blocked with a wall of bricks--opens up for Coraline into an entirely alternate universe. Now, if you're thinking fondly of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe or Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, you're on the wrong track. Neil Gaiman's Coraline is far darker, far stranger, playing on our deepest fears. And, like Roald Dahl's work, it is delicious.

What's on the other side of the door? A distorted-mirror world, containing presumably everything Coraline has ever dreamed of... people who pronounce her name correctly (not "Caroline"), delicious meals (not like her father's overblown "recipes"), an unusually pink and green bedroom (not like her dull one), and plenty of horrible (very un-boring) marvels, like a man made out of live rats. The creepiest part, however, is her mirrored parents, her "other mother" and her "other father"--people who look just like her own parents, but with big, shiny, black button eyes, paper-white skin... and a keen desire to keep her on their side of the door."

Review: This book is super cute. Also, very creepy. And I feel like it's the kind of story where, if I watch the movie, I'll wish I didn't already know the plot. Because I read the graphic novel a couple years ago, and I liked the book a little less because I knew what was going to happen. That said, I still read the book pretty quickly, so there's something compelling there.

Goodreads Shelves: addictive, fluffy, is-a-movie

Rating: