Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Generation Dead is the debut novel by author Daniel Waters.  This is the first zombie book I've read and I wasn't really sure if I would enjoy it.  I love the supernatural/paranormal romance genre and I have read books featuring almost every supernatural topic out there... except zombies!  My skepticism stems from images of old zombie movies with the dead lumbering around with rotting flesh! Yuck!  So I was pleasantly surprised that the zombies featured in this book did not fit the above description!!
Summary from Amazon:
"Phoebe is just your typical goth girl with a crush.  He's strong and silent.and dead.

All over the country, a strange phenomenon is happening.  Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead.  They are coming back to life, but they are no longer the same-they stutter, and their reactions to everything are slower.   Termed "living impaired" or "differently biotic," they are doing their best to fit into a society that doesn't want them. 

Fitting in is hard enough when you don't have the look or attitude, but when almost everyone else is alive and you're not, it's close to impossible.   The kids at Oakvale High don't want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn't breathing.  And there are no laws that exist to protect the differently biotic from the people who want them to disappear-for good. 

With her pale skin and Goth wardrobe, Phoebe has never run with the popular crowd.  But no one can believe it when she falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids.  Not her best friend, Margi, whose fear of the differently biotic is deeply rooted in guilt over the past.  And especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team.  Adam has just realized his feelings for Phoebe run much deeper than just friendship.   He would do anything for her, but what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?"

My Thoughts:
I am happy to say that there were no horror movie zombies in this book!  The zombies, or differently biotic, were like typical teenagers in many ways. They all had differing levels of abilities, individual personalities, some were beautiful, some were not and they all struggled to fit into the world around them. Unfortunately... they struggle to fit in because they are DEAD!  

I felt that the major theme throughout the book was how society deals with differences.  In the story, the differently biotic are fighting for their rights as citizens (these were lost upon their actual death).  There are two sides in this fight - those that do not feel that the differently biotic should have any rights or even exist and those that are sympathetic to their cause.  Is this an accurate representation of how society would react to the sudden rising of dead teenagers?  I seriously doubt it, but I believe that it does shine a light on how our society deals with the differences among us and the prejudices that result from these differences. 

The characters in the story fit into the "social mold" prevalent in high school.  There are the jocks, the goths, the kids that feel invisible, the snobby cheerleaders, the bullies, and of course, the outcasts (zombies).  The main characters in the story are interesting.  Phoebe (goth chick) is in conflict throughout the book.  She is dealing with her conflicting emotions over her attraction to Tommy (zombie).  She is a very likable character, who is smart, open-minded, and fair.  She doesn't really care about what others think of her and she doesn't even see her own beauty.  Adam is the popular star football player at school.  However, he goes through a transformation in the book.  He is Phoebe's neighbor and secret best friend (imagine what the other popular kids at school would think!).  He begins to realize that he isn't like the rest of his "so-called" friends.  He harbors strong feelings for Phoebe that extend beyond friendship, but she is oblivious to this.  He is fiercely protective of her and her feelings for Tommy do not make things easy for him!  Since zombies are typically not able to display much emotion,  it is hard to really get a grasp on Tommy's (leader of the zombies) real feelings/motives.  Does he want to be with Phoebe because he likes her or does he want to be with her because she is alive?  The villains in the book (Pete, TC, and Stavis) are pure hatred!  To me, they are the representation of the close-minded prejudice and violence found in any rights movement.  They were completely blinded by their differences and lashed out with violence and hate.  All of these dynamics make the story interesting and give it depth.


The story unfolded at a good pace.  The middle of the story was a little slow, but the ending more than made up for it!  The turn of events at the end took me by surprise!  I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil it, but  I will say that it made me want to run out and get the second book in this series,  Kiss of Life, that released earlier this year.  Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to supernatural genre lovers (8th grade and up)!

My Favorite Reads of 2009!

 
It is hard to believe that 2009 is coming to an end!  So many wonderful things happened this year!  I started my blog on August 31st of this year and I have enjoyed being a part of this community so much!  Thank you to all that take time out of their busy day to read what I have to say!  As far as books go, I have been contemplating this post for the past couple days.  I read so many incredible books this year, and picking favorites is just hard!  But after much deliberation.... Here are my favorites in no particular order:

1. Beautiful Creatures by Cami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
2. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
3. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
4. Wonderous Strange by Leslie Livingston
5. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
6. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
7. Need by Carrie Jones
8. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
9. Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr
10. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
11. Ballad by Maggie Steifvater
12. Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
13. The Seven Rays by Jessica Bendinger
14. Stargazer by Claudia Gray
15. Meridian by Amber Kizer

There are so many other books that I enjoyed reading this year, but I tried to narrow the list!  My TBR stack contains so many books from 2009 that I haven't gotten to.  Here are SOME of them- which one should I read next? (Darklight, Fallen, Perfect Chemistry, The Demon's Lexicon, Going Bovine, Leviathan, Prophecy of The Sisters, Intertwined, Rampant, My Soul To Take, Fire, Hearts At Stake, Magic Under The Glass, Ruined, If I Stay, Eternal, The Awakening, and Swoon).  It is so hard to decide!!

In My Mailbox (10)

*Don't forget to enter my Looking Glass Wars Contest for your chance to win hardcovers of "The Looking Glass Wars" and "Seeing Red" by Frank Beddor.  Click HERE to enter!


**Thanks to The Story Siren for hosting IMM!**

Wow!!  I can't believe that Christmas has already come and gone!  I am sorry about my lack of posts recently, but Christmas is always crazy at my house.  Santa was VERY good to me this year!  I received so many books that I have been swooning for!  I also won a couple good ones!  So here goes:

From Santa:

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Everwild by Neal Shusterman

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

Magic Under The Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Intertwined by Gena Showalter

The Ask and The Answer by Patrick Ness

Darklight by Leslie Livingston

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Hearts At Stake by Alyxandra Harvey

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent

The Devouring by Simon Holt

The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

Boys That Bite by Mari Mancusi

Stake That by Mari Mancusi

Girls That Growl by Mari Mancusi

Bought:

Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block

Won:

The Princess Present by Meg Cabot

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Now you know what I got! What did you get?

New Award!!!

I am honored to say that I received a new award from the Fabulous Milka @ Read.Read.Read!  She has been so kind to nominate me for:

     Heartfelt Award!!

 

Do you reach for a cup of cocoa or tea when your relaxing, seeking comfort, sharing a plate of cookies with family and friends? You know the feeling you get when you drink a yummy cup of cocoa, tea, or a hot toddy? That is what the Heartfelt Award is all about, feeling warm inside.

Rules:
Put the logo on your blog/post. Nominate up to to 9 blogs which make you feel comfy or warm inside. Be sure to link your nominees within your post. Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

Nominees:

Yan @ Books By Their Cover

Morgan @ Books And Literature For Teens 

Sophie @ So Many Books, So Little Time 

Faye @ Ramblings of A Teenage Bookworm  

 

Looking Glass Wars Contest!

First off, I must say that the dog in this picture looks identical to my dog Olive.. So I couldn't resist!

I am still brimming with holiday spirit and I love giving presents!  What better present to give than two brand spanking new hardcover books!!  That's right... up for grabs this time is the first two books in The Looking Glass Wars Trilogy!!! (The Looking Glass Wars and Seeing Red by Frank Beddor)

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor:

Summary from Goodreads:

"You know the myth... A little girl named Alice tumbled down a rabbit hole and proceeded to have a charming adventure in the delightful, made-up world of Wonderland...Now discover the truth... Wonderland Exists!  Alyss Heart, heir to the Wonderland throne, was forced to flee through the Pool of Tears after a bloody palace coup staged by the murderous Redd. Lost and alone in Victorian London, Alyss is befriended by an aspiring author to whom she tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life only to see it published as the nonsensical Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Alyss had trusted Lewis Carroll to tell the truth so that someone, somewhere would find her and bring her home. But Carroll had gotten it all wrong. He even misspelled her name! If not for royal bodyguard Hatter Madigan's nonstop search to locate the lost princess, Alyss may have become just another society woman sipping tea in a too-tight corset instead of returning to Wonderland to fight Redd for her rightful place as the Queen of Hearts.  Meet the heroic, passionate, monstrous, vengeful denizens of this parallel world as they battle each other with AD-52's and orb generators, navigate the Crystal Continuum, bet on jabberwock fights and travel across the Chessboard Desert.  The Looking Glass Wars unabashedly challenges our Wonderland assumptions of mad tea parties, sleepy dormice, and a curious little blonde girl to reveal an epic battle in the endless war for Imagination."

Summary from Goodreads:

"Wonderland finally seems as if it’s getting back to normal. Queen Alyss is back on the throne, and reunited with her childhood sweetheart, Dodge. But the fight for Wonderland is far from over. King Arch, in nearby Boarderland, is conniving to overthrow everything for which Alyss and her friends have fought so hard. Even worse, King Arch has found an ally in the recently returned Redd, who has been biding her time and gathering new and evil assassins in the Catacombs of Paris. With enemies circling and danger looming, someone close to Alyss lets her down —and threatens the future of Wonderland forever."

The rules of this contest are easy!  You have to be a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post (that will be your entry).  Please leave me your email address so I can contact you if you win!  If you are not comfortable leaving it in the comment, then email it to me at jenniferclodfelter@yahoo.com .  Here are the ways to earn extra entries:

• (+1) tweet about this contest (leave link)
• (+2) new follower 
• (+3) old follower- you know I love you!
• (+2) post on your sidebar (leave me your blog link)
• (+5) actual blog post about the contest (link please)
• (+1) if a new follower says that you referred them to my site!
• (+2) Grab my button! (If you already have it on your site let me know and I will give you the 2 points!)

That's 16 extra entries!!!  This contest is open internationally and will run until midnight January 24th.  Thanks and Happy Holidays!!!

WINNERS!!!!

We have winners!!!  My Big Holiday Giveaway was a major success.  I had close to 500 entries!  I want to thank all of you that entered- but now to the WINNERS: (chosen by Random.Org)

Winner of Prize Pack #1(Pretty Little Liars) is  Alyssa @ The Shady Glade!
Winner of Prize Pack #2(Blood Coven) is The Bookologist!
Winner of Prize #3 (Beautiful Americans) is Cherry @ Cherry Mischievous!
Winner of Prize #4 (Book Tote) is Kristin @ Bookworming in the 21st Century!
Winner of Prize #5 (Gorgeous arc) is Beleth @ Book Eater


I have sent an email to each winner.  Winners have 48 hours to reply.  If I haven't heard from a winner within 48 hours then I will choose another winner!  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Happy Holidays!!!!

I wanted to take this opportunity to say HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all of my fabulous followers!  I love each and every one of you!!  Thank you for taking time out of your day to check out my blog.  I truly appreciate it!  I hope that all of you have a safe and happy holiday season!  My posting has slowed this week due to the enormous amount of shopping I have put off until now!  I will be really busy between now and the New Year, but I will try to post at least twice during the week.  My contest ends tonight and I have LOTS of entries to count!!! So I will post the winners on Sunday or Monday.  If you haven't entered, then don't waste anymore time- do it now! Go to my Big Holiday Giveaway and post your comment for a chance to win some AWESOME prizes!

On My Wishlist (2)

"On My Wishlist" is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chic City!  This post allows us to share the books that we want, but haven't gotten yet.  My list will include books that are available now and books that haven't been released yet.  I will post 3 to 5 books weekly from my HUGE wishlist!!!  If you want to participate in this weekly meme click on the link to Book Chic City above.  She has Mr. Linky available so we can check out everyone's wishlist!  Here are a few books that I REALLY WANT!

 

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus: I am really looking forward to reading this book!  The summary sounds fantastic!

Summary from Goodreads: (Release Date: July 13, 2010 by Egmont USA)

"Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry.

After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all.

But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life."

The Mark by Jen Nadol: This book sounds so good!  The reviews I have read about this book have made me want it even more!

Summary from Goodreads: (Release Date: January 19, 2010 by Bloomsbury)

"Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark—a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. But the one time she mentioned it, it was dismissed as a trick of the light. Until the day she watches a man awash in the mark die. After searching her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person’s imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today.

Armed with a vague understanding of the light, Cassie begins to explore her “gift,” seeking those marked for death and probing the line between decision and destiny. Though she’s careful to hide her secret—even from her new philosophy-obsessed boyfriend—with each impending death comes the temptation to test fate. But so many questions remain. How does the mark work? Why is she the only one who sees it? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?"

These are just a couple of titles off my HUGE wishlist!  Waiting is SUCH torture!!!

 

 

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

     I really love the young adult fantasy genre.  I credit the Harry Potter series with renewing my interest in reading!  I have passed by the books in the Heir Chronicles numerous times in the bookstore and I finally picked up the first book, The Warrior Heir.  I love books that delve into magic and sorcery, and this book is magical from beginning to end!

Summary from Goodreads:
     "Before he knew about the Roses, sixteen-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high-schoolers. Then one day Jack skips his medicine. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before. And it feels great - until he loses control of his own strength and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts. Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about himself: he is Weirlind - part of an underground society of magical people who live among us. At the head of this magical society sit the feuding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The Game - a magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death. The winning house rules the Weir. As if his bizarre magical heritage isn't enough, Jack finds out that he's not just another member of Weirlind - he's one of the last of the warriors - at a time when both houses are scouting for a player. Jack's performance on the soccer field has alerted the entire magical community to the fact that he's in Trinity. And until one of the houses is declared Jack's official sponsor, there are no limits to what they'll do to get Jack to fight for them. . . . "

My Thoughts:
 If you enjoy ya fantasy, then I can almost guarantee you will love this book!  I found myself sucked into the story from the very beginning and I remained that way until the last page!  The story moved at a really quick pace and the storyline was very easy to follow.  There were many colorful characters in the story, however, only a few of them where properly introduced to the reader.  Hopefully, in the remaining two novels in this trilogy we will get the meet the others!  The characters that we did get to know (Jack, Linda, Ellen, Will, Fitch, Hastings, Ned and Becca) were extremely likeable.  The main character, Jack, seems like a normal teenage kid, facing normal teenage problems, until his life is turned upside down and he learns his true heritage and destiny.  This revelation takes Jack and the others on fantastic journey of magic, mystery, danger and suspense that will leave the reader flipping pages through the night to find out what happens.  I love how this story mixes legend with reality and history with modern times.  It was a really fun read!  The ending was a little too easy for me, but it was satisfying nonetheless!  I am receiving the remaining books in this series for Christmas, so look for reviews on the remaining stories soon!

Unbelievable Contest @ Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm!

Faye @ Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm is hosting a contest that has me DROOLING!!  I am serious!  She has filled a box full of books for one extremely lucky follower.  The box contains the following titles:

1. The Morganville Vampires (bk 1&2) (PB)
2. The Naughty List (ARC)
3. Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials (ARC)
4. The Seven Rays (HB)
5. The Mark (ARC)
   
6. Give Up Ghost (HB)
7. Incarceron (PB- UK Version)
8. Fallen (ARC)
9. Immortal (PB)
   
10. Demon Princess bk1 (PB)
11. Bleeding Violet (ARC)

One winner for all of these incredible books!!  This contest is open to US residents only and the deadline is December 30th, 2009.  Go check her site out and enter to win HERE!

An AWESOME new PRIZE added to my contest courtesy of Padfoot and Prongs!

I am excited to announce that the extremely generous ladies of Padfoot and Prongs have donated a prize to my contest!


This super cool book tote is the perfect accessory for all book lovers!  Padfoot and Prongs recently opened their Literary Craft Store on Etsy!  There you can find literary goodies for all the book addicts on your Christmas list!  Stop by their blog for more details (link above).  If you would like a chance to win this or any of the other fabulous prizes in my contest, click HERE to enter!!

In My Mailbox (9)

**Thanks to The Story Siren for hosting IMM!**

*Don't forget to enter my Big Holiday Giveaway!  New Prize added- compliments of Padfoot and Prongs- up for grabs is a totally cool book tote! Lots of prizes, Lots of winners!!!!*

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that lets everyone explore what books you received for review, bought or swapped!  This week I got a few good ones!

• Fallen by Lauren Kate

• Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev- compliments of my secret santa Anatasia!

Now you know what I got! What did you get?

My Secret Santa Gifts Arrived!!

 

I was so excited to open my mailbox yesterday and find my Secret Santa package waiting for me!!  I want to say a HUGE thank you to Anastasia at Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog for my awesome gifts!  I received Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev, a Mary Shelley bookmark and a cute Christmas card.  Thank you so much for such thoughtful gifts!  Make sure you go check out her site too!!

**I only need 15 more followers and then my Big Holiday Giveaway will get even bigger!  Along with the other 3 awesome  prize packs, I will add an arc copy of Gorgeous by Rachel Vail!  If you haven't entered click HERE!

A Thousand Words Thursday (1) *New Meme!*

This is such an awesome idea from Cheaper Than Therapy! As they say,  "pictures are worth a thousand words" and this weekly meme gives you a chance to share a picture that is meaningful to you and expresses emotion.  You can click on the button at the top and it will take you to "The story behind A Thousand Words Thursday.  So here is my first picture:

 This is one of my favorite pictures of my son!  This was taken last year.  He is an aspiring "rock star" and likes to play in his daddy's studio.  He was strumming the strings and singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" into the mic.  ADORABLE!!!

My Big Holiday Giveaway will get bigger...if I get 150 Followers!!!

I can't believe how close I am to reaching 150 Followers! You guys ROCK!!!  I have decided that if I reach 150 I will add ANOTHER prize and winner!!  That would make 4 Prize Packs and 4 Winners !  This is what is up for grabs so far:

Prize Pack 1: The first four books in the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard! (Hardback Copies!!)

Prize Pack 2: The first 3 books in the Blood Coven series by Mari Mancusi! (Original covers)

Prize 3: Beautiful Americans by Lucy Silag (Hardback)

Prize 4 (If I Reach 150 Followers!) will be................

 Gorgeous by Rachel Vail (ARC)


So help spread the word so I can reach 150 followers and add this awesome arc copy of Gorgeous by Rachel Vail!  If you haven't entered you can go here to enter or go to "CONTEST ALERTS" on my sidebar!  Thanks for following me!!
*This contest ends December 19th and is International!!!

On My Wishlist (1)

"On My Wishlist" is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chic City!  This post allows us to share the books that we want, but haven't gotten yet.  My list will include books that are available now and books that haven't been released yet.  I will post 3 to 5 books weekly from my HUGE wishlist!!!  If you want to participate in this weekly meme click on the link to Book Chic City above.  She has Mr. Linky available so we can check out everyone's wishlist!  Here are a few books that I REALLY WANT!



Captivate by Carrie Jones **Spoiler Alert!** If you haven't read Need then you may want to skip reading the summary!


Summary from Goodreads:

"Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his."

 Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr
(Wicked Lovely #4) 

Summary from Goodreads:

"Hunger for nourishment.

Hunger for touch.

Hunger to belong.

Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.
Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries’ coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani’s death.
      Ani isn’t one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin’s plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?
      Alluring romance, heart-stopping danger, and sinister intrigue combine in Melissa Marr’s next volume of MelissaMarr’s New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series."

 
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
(Wolves of Mercy Falls #2)

Summary from Goodreads:

"In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other.  Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack.  And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget."



** These are just a few of the books I REALLY want!  Unfortunately, all of these titles will not be released until 2010! **

The Honest Scrap Award!!!!

I got "The Honest Scrap" award!  Thank you so much to Milka @ Read.Read.Read for giving this to me!  This award is for those bloggers who write from their heart.  I have to nominate 7 bloggers and say 10 honest things about myself.
Nominees:

1. Alyssa at The Shady Glade 
2. Alyssa, Jake and Gregory @ Teens Read and Write
   
3. Natalie @Mindful Musings
   
4. Megan and Alex @Book Mac
   
5. Pixie, Stacey, Sophie and Mamafox @ Page Turners
   
6. TBM @ The Book Muncher
   
7. Parajunkee @ Parajunkee's View
   

My 10 Honest Facts:

1. I stay up way too late most nights!
2. I was a flight Attendant for USAirways (I was stuck in NY during 911 for a week in the flight crew hotel and my husband-fiancee @ the time- and I decided it was time for a career change!)
   
3. I have a degree in Anthropology/Archaeology that I will unfortunately NEVER use!
4. I have a teaching degree as well!
   
5. I am a true Twi-hard! (Team Edward!)
6. I love to knit.
7. I have been married to the love of my life for almost 8 years.
8. My mother is my "rock"!
9. I have an awesome 5 year old son.
10. I have taught pre-k in the public school system for almost 9 years.

Thanks again Milka! Make sure you go check out all of these awesome sites!

The Seven Rays by Jessica Bendinger

  
 

The Seven Rays is the unbelievable debut novel from author, Jessica Bendinger.  This may be her first novel, but she is no stranger to producing hits among the young adult audience!  Aside from writing this mesmerizing book,  she is a successful Hollywood screenwriter.   She wrote the cheerleading hit movie "Bring It On"  and she wrote and directed the gymnastics movie "Stick It".  I believe Jessica Bendinger knows what teenagers like and I am confidant that they will devour this book and demand seconds!!!!!


Summary from www.thesevenrays.com:
When seventeen year-old honors student Beth Michaels starts receiving gold envelopes with messages like, YOU ARE MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE, she thinks that a crazy person might be stalking her. When she begins seeing people’s thoughts, feelings, and personal histories on their electromagnetic fields, she thinks that she might be a crazy person. And then when the hottest boy in town, Richie Mac, kisses and becomes obsessed with her, she knows that something’s up.
But she can deal with all of that until her mom gets freaked out by her erratic behavior and sends her to a psychiatric institute for observation. It is here where Beth finds out that she was adopted under mysterious circumstances and perhaps has supernatural powers. Now all she has to do is break out of the ward – with Richie’s help – and road trip to New York to discover who she really is and why all this is happening to her…
Is it possible that Beth might be more than she thinks she is?

My Thoughts:
When I reflect back on this book, one word comes to mind... WOW!  I enjoyed every page of this incredible read!  The story was highly original.  This is the first paranormal romance that I have read that dealt with this subject matter.  It was truly unlike anything I have ever read.  This novel is a beautiful coming-of-age tale.  There is the perfect mix of 'tingley' romance (you'll get that reference after you read the book!), page-turning suspense (Will they make it in time?) and knee- slapping humor (thanks to the main character Beth)!  The characters truly came to life on the pages.  I really enjoyed the voice given to Beth.  She was super smart, brave, compassionate and really funny!  I feel like I got a lesson in teenage slang reading this!!  I guess that kinda leaks my age- high school was over a LONG time ago for me ( 18 years ago!) and although I teach in public school, I'll be the first to admit that I am not up to date on a lot of that lingo!  My 18 year old neice says my texts to her are hilarious because I usually spell everything out and then have to text her back and ask her what the heck she just said to me in her text! I digress....
     A heads up for parents or younger readers.... there is quite a bit of sexual content in this book.  There is no sex, but there is talk about sex, condoms, sexual tension and a REALLY steamy make-out scene involving Beth and Richie ( her boyfriend/major hottie!) that may send you into a cold shower after reading!  So younger readers or those easily offended by sexual content might want to consider what I said before reading this book.
     Overall, I would (and already have) recommend this book to others that enjoy a good paranormal romance!  There are so many areas touched on in this book that directly affect many teenagers and young adults.   We see Beth struggle with love, forgiveness, family, friendship and self-discovery.  She sets off to find the true purpose of her life and her destiny.  This story wraps up all of those themes in such an awesome package!  I am so anxious for the sequel (which is said to be in the works! :] )  If you like paranormal, mystical stories or just plain good books- then go check this book out!  I doubt you will regret it!  Happy Reading!!

In My Mailbox (8)

**Thanks to The Story Siren for hosting IMM!**

What a great week!  I got a few really good books and I won an awesome bookshelf from Mindful Musings.  Here is what I got:

• The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima... this book sounds fantastic! I want the rest of the books in this series.

• Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott... I have to give a big thanks to Tirzah @ The Compusive Reader for this book.  She gave it to me, along with a few bookmarks! She even gave me one for The Iron King by Julie Kagawa and it was signed!!! 

• Ruined by Paula Morris... I was lucky enough to mooch this from BookMooch! It sounds fantastic!

 So now you know what I got!  What did you get?

I Won! I Won!

I am so excited!  I just found out that I won this beautiful bookcase from Natalie @ Mindful Musings!
Thank you so much!  I love it and I have a huge stack of books already waiting for it!!

Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler

I came across Frozen Fire in the bookstore.  I hadn't heard of it before, but the cover was really cool and the summary on the jacket flap sounded pretty interesting.  Tim Bowler is also a winner of the Carnegie Medal, so this book has to be good..right?!

From the book jacket:
"It starts with a phone call.  "I'm dying," a voice tells Dusty.
     Who is he and how did he get her phone number?  Dusty wants no part of this strange boy... until he begins saying things that only someone who knows her intimately could say.  And saying things that lead her to think he knows the whereabouts of her brother, who disappeared over two years ago.  Suddenly drawn in,  Dusty very much wants to save this boy.  Trouble is, she cannot find him- he won't let himself be found.  He is too dangerous, he says.  There are mobs of people who agree and who want to see this boy disappear... and who will hunt anyone who stands in their way.
     From Carnegie Medal-winning author Tim Bowler comes a gripping, hair-raising mystery about a boy not of this world, and a girl determined to protect him."

My thoughts:
It has been a really long time since I have read a book that I had to force myself to finish.  It isn't that the story was bad... it was just really, really slow!  The plot was interesting, but it took forever to get to the good parts.  I felt like much of the book was a repetitive cycle of Dusty searching for the elusive boy and people searching for Dusty.  I was ready to see how the story would finally end... only to be really confused with the ending.  Throughout the book Dusty was tortured by the unexplained disappearance of her brother.  She was searching for answers and felt that the mysterious boy held the key to finding him.  There was a lot of build-up surrounding this and I was disappointed when the  real reason behind her brother's disappearance was revealed.  The fact that we never even got to find out who the strange boy was or where he came from seriously bugged me too!  I just found it very difficult to get into this book.  The pace was too slow and although the characters seemed well developed, I found it hard to feel a connection with any of them.  Well, at least the cover was cool!

My First Blog Award!!!

I am SO EXCITED ....... I received my first blog award!  The wonderful Stacey at My Pile of Books nominated me for the "One Lovely Blog Award"!  Too Cool!!!!  Thank you so much Stacey!

So here are the rules: Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.  Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered.  Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I have discovered so many wonderful new blogs!  I nominate these "Lovely Blogs":

1. Tynga @ Tynga's Blog Design 
2. Jenn @ Books At Midnight 
3. Brizmus @ Brizmus Blogs Books 
4. Rebecca @ Everything To Do With Books
   
5. Angela @ Dark Faerie Tales 
6. Alyssa, Gregory and Jake @ Teens Read and Write 
7. Allison @ Read Into This
8. Ursina @ The Farmer's Daughter's Bookshelf 
9. Enna Isilee @ Squeaky Books 
10. Linsday @ Crazy Books and Reviews 
11. Holly @ Good Golly Miss Holly 
12. Steph @ Steph The Bookworm 
13. The Book Vixen 
14. Kari @ A Good Addiction 
15. Kim @ And Anything Bookish

Thanks again to Stacey for nominating me for this award!!!

Check out this AWESOME contest from Dark Faerie Tales!!!

Dark Faerie Tales is holding a HUGE contest!  Multiple winners and a great selections of books to choose from!  The site is really cool too!  Go check it out here!

Big Holiday Giveaway! There's More!!!!

I can't believe how close I am to 100 Followers! Woot! Woot!!  I have decided that if I get to 100 I will add a third prize and a third winner!  How does a hardback copy of Beautiful Americans by Lucy Silag sound to you?  And if I can somehow make it to 150 followers I will add ANOTHER prize!  So help me get the word out there!