Laura's Review Bookshelf: 3/1/10

31 March 2010

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

So yesterday, whilst doing laundry, or rather, moving laundry from washer to dryer, I walked into a puddle of water. And not just any puddle of water, but a flooded basement. A flooded FINISHED basement. Thankfully all my books are okay, but my stepson's room is not. It's pretty much ruined. Hubby was in New Jersey where he is during the week, and I was home panicking about the amount of water coming into the house. Thankfully my neighbor just happened to be home yesterday and was kind enough to come over and help me out with the disaster. In the pouring rain, he dug ditches to keep the water away from the foundation, but due to the soaking rains, the drainage system couldn't keep up with it, so the water seeped in through the foundation anyway.

Luckily hubby left NJ and came home yesterday to help with the mess, we need to pull up rugs, and hope that no mold grows anywhere. I can't disinfect until the water stops coming in and it's still coming in. Slower than it was yesterday, but we have to keep wet/vacuuming it up about every 10-15 minutes or the water goes right into my stepson's room. (He lost a couple a books that he had lying on the floor, but thankfully he said nothing that can't be replaced.)

For all of you also dealing with this horrible weather, I sympathize with the frustrations of what damage water can do.

25 March 2010

Perfect Chemistry, Simon Elkeles

Reading Level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 357 pages

Publisher: Walker Books for Young Adults, 1/1/08

Bookmarks: 5

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Brittany Ellis for all intents and purposes is perfect. Well to those who see her on the outside. She's pretty, she's got the blue eyes, the blonde hair, the perfect body, and a hot boyfriend everything a high school senior could want. But all this is going to change when the chemistry teacher decides to pair up students, rather than allow them to pick their own partners.

Alex Fuentes is a gangbanger, he's got tattoos, he carries weapons and he does certain jobs that most people would call criminal. And he is now partnered up with the hottest girl in chemistry. She's afraid of him, he doesn't care for her, so what it there to do but start falling for each other.

Yes, this book is Romeo and Juliet-esque, West Side Story-esque, Beauty and the Beast. But I found more depth to it.

Brittany has a controlling mother who wants Brit to be perfect because her older sister, Shelly isn't. Shelly was born with Cerebral Palsy and is the Ellis' family failure. But Brittany adores her older sister, is able to communicate with her and play checkers with her. Mom would rather send her away to a nursing home so that she is out of sight. A way to pretend that she never happened. Nice mom. Brittany also shields what people see inside of her house, so not many people know about Shelly. To them, Brit lives a normal life.

Alex is the main male figure in his family and will do anything to make sure that his two younger brothers and his single mom are safe. Even if it means his life to do it. His path is not to cross with Ms. Ellis, and it's certainly not to develop feelings.

My only issue with this book was that Ms. Elkeles included a dare that Alex would eventually make love to Brittany. I understand the plot device, but as their feelings for each other grew, I found that device would be used to pry them apart and it did. But not in a way you would think it would've.

I really liked Alex a lot. For all his faults, he was really a good guy and we get to see that early on. The introductions in chemistry class by Alex/Brittany is hysterical and I really laughed out loud. There was some typical typecasting of the best friends, frenemies, hot boyfriend, who went away for summer and got laid.

It also addressed, that the grass isn't always greener in the other yard. Brittany really struggles with her parents and their need for her to look pitch perfect. Brittany's life was just as messed up as Alex's was, but in a different way.

Each chapter is told in the POV of either Brittany or Alex, so you really get a sense of what they are struggling with and how their feelings evolve. It makes life easier than if it was in third person and you just base the feelings on what is being said or done.

This story does end on a happy note and the epilogue was kind of heavy-handed, but it was what it was. I still enjoyed the story, even if it was a tale as old as time. I still think it deserves the 5 bookmarks I gave it.

The second book in the series RULES OF ATTRACTION, comes out on April 13, 2010. Perhaps a birthday present for myself!

21 March 2010

Going Bovine, Libba Bray

Reading Level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 480 pages

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 9/22/09

Bookmarks: 5

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What is there to say that hasn't already been said about this book? Let's start with my hesitancy to read this book. I read and enjoyed the Gemma Doyle Trilogy, but did I think the author was inventive, creative, and unique? Nope, a lot of the elements in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy have been told before and will be told again in various ways. I thought Libba Bray was a one-series wonder and that was it.

I was wrong and I owe Ms. Bray a BIG apology for ever thinking that.

Cameron Smith is your typical 16 year old guy who also happens to be a twin. His sister is popular, pretty and dates the hottest guy in school. Who also happens to be a douche and has 'found' God since a career ending injury.

Cam's father is disappointed with his son's grades, because he should be striving to be more than mediocre, but that is just not the way that Cam rolls. Cam is happy to get high in the bathroom with the other loser friends. He'd rather listen to his horrible music and not really understand what life represents. He's happy coasting through. Cam works at a boring typical teenage job (Buddha Burger) and even doesn't do that quite right. But when something happens that gets him fired, and then he starts acting out in school. The 'rents take him to the doctor where he will be diagnosed with something that will change the way he sees the world.

Being diagnosed with Mad Cow Disease and seeing a punk rock Angel popping up whenever is really messing with Cam's brain. He wonders if his father is having an affair with his student assistant. A fellow stoner student whose mom has Munchausen by Proxy commits him to the hospital for the latest disease of the week (of which he does not have).

When Dulcie (punk rocker Angel) gives Cam a quest to find the elusive Dr. X to stop the world from ending and possibly cure his mad cow disease, he takes off with Gonzo and on they go on a trip of a lifetime.

What endeared me to Libba's writing was that it was raw and fresh and she wrote in just the right voice and showed us that going on a trippy trip can be the trip of a lifetime. The highs and lows of this book hit every right note. From her take on education, churches, cults (The Church of Everlasting Satisfaction and Snack 'n' Bowl is hysterical). Gonzo was a favorite character of mine as well. He might suffer from Dwarfism, but that never made him seem little to me. His character was too big.

I applaud Ms. Bray for captivating me in a way that I have never been captivated. I know that there are some comparisons to Adams The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and while I have read that. It never really permeated in my conscious.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Go, RUN and learn something.

15 March 2010

Trying to write a review

I've been trying to write my review of GOING BOVINE. Which I'm just stumped because the book was just so freaking good. Well after that I decided to read PERFECT CHEMISTRY. Another freaking good book, that really hit close to home.

So I'm two for two on excellent books, am thinking of reading CRACKED UP TO BE by Courtney Summers, before I read SOME GIRLS ARE. Taking a bit of a supernatural break. But I'm DYING to read RADIANT SHADOWS, PERCHANCE TO DREAM AND GUARDIAN OF THE GATE. I wish I didn't have a house to clean (yeah, right, like I clean :)) a kid to feed and a dog to tend to. I'd be reading all the time! But alas, I have to take care of these things because well, I'm not a slob and should anyone show up at my house at any time, I'd like for it to look like I maintain it!

Thank you to everyone who requested bookmarks, posters and whatever else I have to give away. I will get back to you soon. Probably after I fold the laundry, take Lily to the dentist and clean up the living room.

OH and in other news, my oldest daughter, she got her driver's license. She now thinks MY car is her car... *le sigh* :)

By the way I just LOVE the cover of PERFECT CHEMISTRY.

12 March 2010

Rachel Hawkins Guest Post and an awesome giveaway!

Please welcome Rachel Hawkins to Laura's Review Bookshelf! While she is out promoting her brand-new, debut novel HEX HALL, she has graciously stopped by to give you a bit of insight into what it's like to be a writer. There is also a lovely giveaway that comes with this post! You can see the prizes below Rachel's post!

HEX HALL was my first book, and as such, I'm justifiably proud of it! But even though it was the first book I actually completed, I still have lots of other projects I'm pretty proud of! So I thought I'd give you my Top Five Things Rachel Ever Wrote list today! ;-)

5) A Ridiculously Creepy Short Story For 8th Grade Earth Science

I just stumbled across this recently. It doesn't have a title, and I have only a vague memory of writing it, but I remember that we had to do something "creative" to go along with the unit we were studying. So I wrote a short story about a peat bog. YES. A PEAT BOG. There's also ritual sacrifice, and quite frankly, I'm shocked my teacher didn't send me to the counselor.

4) The World's Worst Romance Novel

How bad is this "romance novel" that I wrote in 6th grade? Well, it's housed in a pink denim binder for starters. It also features a made-up country called "Enraina" and it's title is WE BELONG. That's right- I titled a book after a Pat Benatar Song. Awesome.

3) "Only Child"

This is a "book" I wrote in 2nd grade. It's about a little girl who's an Only (like yours truly), who somehow manages to convince her parents to basically half-ass adopt a child so that she can have a sibling just on the weekends. Yeah.

2) A Romance Novel That Is Actually Not That Bad

Before HEX HALL, this was the longest thing I'd ever written. It's maybe about 30,000 words, but since I decided not to write in a linear fashion (sigh), it's something of a mess. I worked on it sometime in my early 20s, right after college. And despite its messiness, I still dig this story. There's treasure hunting, and a hot guy, and a sassy girl, and

Belize

... may revisit this someday.

1) SKYTWISTER

Truly, an epic and important piece of American literature, SKYTWISTER is about a princess. And a unicorn. And a witch. It was my first book, and I wrote it in Kindergarten. Honestly, I don't know why Harold Bloom hasn't written an essay on it yet, but there you go! ;-)

I am giving away a copy of HEX HALL book and the beautiful t-shirt! They come in size S, M, L. Please

comment here!

09 March 2010

My Business Cards for BEA

You guys get to see the very first sneak peak! I'm so excited! I've made them a bit x-large so you can see it.

FRONT:

BACK:

Bookmarks, Poster, and Postcards

I have so many bookmarks here and I'd like to know if anyone wants some. This is what I have:

Sing Me To Sleep, Angela Morrisson (signed) (quant. 10)
Twenty Boy Summer, Sarah Ockler (I have a ton of these)
The Body Finder posters, Kimberly Derting, (signed) (quant. 2)
The Body Finder stickers (quant. 11) and Bookmarks (quant. 2) (signed)
Laura's Review Bookshelf Bookmarks (with my header on it) (more than enough)
Boy Toy postcards, Barry Lyga (quant. 6)
Goth Girl Rising Barry Lyga (quant. 2)

Comment here if interested.

06 March 2010

Finished!

I finally finished Going Bovine! My review will be coming soonish. I need to process it and just back over some passages. March 11 will be a Hex Hall Blog tour on this blog so watch out for it, and there will be a really cool giveaway! Plus a guest post by Rachel Hawkins!

I've just started reading Hex Hall, and that review will be up on March 11 as well!

05 March 2010

Scholastic Book Fair

Remember being a young kid in Elementary school and receiving the Scholastic Books form to order books and you'd either circle or you'd just list all the books you wanted and hoped beyond hope that mom and dad would agree to spend a fortune on books? I always loved those flyers that we got monthly. And we ordered some really decent books from there when I was a youngster--back in the dark ages.

Well, now it's my little one's turn to bring home the flyers and beg and plead to get us to buy her books. And it's not like she doesn't have any books, we have a ton of books, and buying newer books for her is equally as fun! Last night at her school was the Scholastic Book Fair. I really wasn't sure what to expect. What kind of books would they have, how many people would be there and what would Lily want??? Well she's been talking about this Taylor Swift book (can I just mention that these 'biographies' are just really poorly written and all the information is gathered from other sources??).

I browsed through the racks, elbowing when necessary, pulling to show Lily what was available and trying to persuade her to get some 'books' as opposed to the Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana bio. So we came away with:

It's Raining Cupcakes, Lisa Schroeder (Scholastic doesn't publish it, but they sold it!)