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Sunday, June 21, 2009

Along for the Ride

Sarah Dessen

Published 2009

383 Pages

Rating: A


Riding a bike is only one of the many things Auden’s missed out on. Even before her parents’ divorce, she was cast in the role of little adult, never making waves, focusing on academics to please her demanding mother.

Now she’s spending the summer before college in the tiny beach town of Colby with her father and his new wife and baby. A job in a trendy boutique introduces her to the world of girls, their friendships, conversations, romances. And then there’s Eli, an intriguing loner. A former star on the bike circuit and a fellow insomniac, Eli introduces Auden to the nocturnal world of Colby. Together they embark on a quest: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to put a tragic episode behind him. Combine two lonely people with a charming beach town and an endless supply of long summer nights, and just about anything can happen.

(taken from book flap)


I adore this book.

Sarah Dessen has done it again. She has captured everything I always want in a book. Family. Friends. Love. Vacations. And a great message/meaning to be learned and remembered.

Auden is from a broken family. Her parents split up when she was 16, she is now 18, but it still was hard for her to handle, especially since her brother was never there to comfort her and her parents seemed oblivious to her hurting. Her parents were both part of the academics, both book writers and both very hard working people. Auden grew up loving school and loving learning, and she would let anything get in the way of that. She grew up without a normal childhood and without many friends, her life revolved around doing better in school and pleasing her parents, even if they rarely showed they noticed her achievements. After her parents split up she lived with her mother and her father moved near the beach were he soon met Heidi, her now stepmom. Heidi is always emailing Auden to come visit them at the beach, so she can meet her new baby sister, Thisbe. And for once, Auden decides to go, she wants to spend time with her dad before she goes to college in the fall.

But when Auden gets to where her father lives, a little beach town called Colby, she is in for a real surprise. Her father is working on a new book and is so caught up in it, he cant find time for his own daughter. And Heidi is constantly dealing with Thisbe who constantly cries. Auden doesn’t know what might happen that summer and she isn’t expecting what happens to her.

She may finally be able to get her childhood back before adulthood and reality set in. With a little help from Colby residents and her new found quest, she is starting to become the girl she always knew she wanted to be but was too afraid to tell anyone.

This book is one of a kind, but so are all of Sarah Dessen’s other books. I love this book. I love all the characters and I absolutely love the setting. It made me want to go to the beach and just relax and have some fun, while meeting cute boys and trying new things. So definitely pick this book up if you need a great summer read, its fantastic!

-A.

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren. Click here to learn more about it.

Arielle:

These three books I got at a half-priced book store. One book is one that I have wanted to read for a very long time. One is a book I got for my dad, but really I got it for me to read after he is done. And the other is one that just came out and I couldn’t wait to read.


The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II inGermany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside ofMunich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This book was on my wishlist last week and I found it for $7, so I bought it and I hope to read it soon!! I have so many library books to read but I hope to get to this one very soon! It looks amazing!


Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

'Salem's Lot is a small New England town with white clapboard houses, tree-lined streets, and solid church steeples. That summer in 'salem's Lot was a summer of homecoming and return; spring burned out and the land lying dry, crackling underfoot. Late that summer, Ben Mears returned to 'salem's Lot hoping to cast out his own devils and found instead a new, unspeakable horror. A stranger had also come to the Lot, a stranger with a secret as old as evil, a secret that would wreak irreparable harm on those he touched and in turn on those they loved. All would be changed forever: Susan, whose love for Ben could not protect her; Father Callahan, the bad priest who put his eroded faith to one last test; and Mark, a young boy who sees his fantasy world become reality and ironically proves the best equipped to handle the relentless nightmare of 'Salem's Lot. This is a rare novel, almost hypnotic in its unyielding suspense, which builds to a climax of classic terror. You will not forget the town of 'salem's Lot nor any of the people who used to live there.

I bought this book because it was cheap, $5, and because a few weeks back my good friend told me it was a really great book and one of Stephen Kings best. Oh and it has vampires, so I was kinda hooked from there.


Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect.

I love Sarah Dessen, and since this was her newest book, I just had to have it! And I am so glad I bought it! I read it this weekend and I am currently working on a review for it! So stay tuned!

[click HERE for the review on Along for the Ride]


Briana:

All of the books that I got this week are a part of a series, so if you haven't read the House of Night Series, then beware that the descriptions will contain spoilers. You have been warned :).



Chosen (House of Night Series #3) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Bloodlust and dark forces are at work at the House of Night, and fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn. Those who appear to be friends are turning out to be enemies. And, oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends. So begins the gripping third installment of this “highly addictive series” (Romantic Times), in which Zoey’s mettle will be tested like never before. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn’t have a clue how to help her, but she does know that anything she and Stevie Rae discover must be kept secret from everyone else at the House of Night, where trust has become a rare commodity. Speaking of rare, Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected and rare position of having three boyfriends. Mix a little bloodlust into the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster. Just when it seems things couldn’t get any tougher, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. But, as Zoey and her friends find out, things are not always what they seem…


After reading the second book in this series, I
had
to go out and buy Chosen (#3) and Untamed (#4). These books are highly addictive and they're taking me a day or two to finish one.


Untamed (House of Night Series #4) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Life sucks when your friends are pissed at you. Just ask Zoey Redbird – she’s become an expert on suckiness. In one week she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from having a close group of friends who trusted and supported her, to being an outcast. Speaking of friends, the only two Zoey has left are undead and unMarked. And Neferet has declared war on humans, which Zoey knows in her heart is wrong. But will anyone listen to her? Zoey's adventures at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested, shocking true intentions come to light, and an ancient evil is awakened in PC and Kristin Cast's spellbinding fourth House of Night novel.


Once again, after reading the second book in the series, I
had
to go out and buy the 3rd and 4th book. These books keep getting better and better.





Hunted (House of Night Series #5) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

The good news: Zoey’s friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren’t Neferet’s secrets any longer. The bad news: Ancient evil with the face of an angel has been let loose – that and various other nasties (whose faces aren’t so angelic). Grandma Redbird is in trouble. Heath is in trouble. The House of Night is in trouble. Okay, let’s face it – Zoey’s whole world is in trouble! But when the trouble comes from a being who appears to be beauty personified, will the world believe it? Especially when only a teenager and a group of misfits are the only ones who really understand the danger he brings. Will Zoey have the strength and wisdom to reveal the truth? Especially when, in the House of Night, the truth is often hard to come by…


I just started this book last night after I finished Untamed. These books go by so fast! I don't know how I'll be able to take it when I have to wait for the next book to come out.

DVDs
(for New Movie Monday):


Epic action and mind-blowing effects rock the planet in this thrilling reinvention of the sci-fi classic, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. Keanu Reeves portrays Klaatu, an otherwordly being whose arrival on Earth triggers an unstoppable series of events that threaten all of mankind. In a desperate attempt to save humanity, governments and scientists race to unravel the mystery behind the visitor's appearance. When a woman (Jennifer Connelly) and her young stepson (Jaden Smith) find themselves embroiled in the alien's plan, they become the world's only hope to stave off apocalyptic annihilation.

There was a bunch of hype around this movie so I decided to rent it. It looked interesting enough and reminded me of Independance Day.





Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Streep), the rigid and fear inspiring principal of the Saint Nicholas Church School, suffers an extreme dislike for the progressive and popular parish priest Father Flynn (Hoffman). Looking for wrongdoing in every corner, Sister Aloysius believes she's uncovered the ultimate sin when she hears Father Flynn has taken a special interest in a troubled boy. But without proof, the only thing certain is doubt.

This movie looks incredible and also reminds me of Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult. I'm really excited to watch this and come on, if Meryl Streep is in it ... there's hardly anything to lose.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Wishlist Wednesday (3)


Arielle:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside ofMunich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

I have heard so many amazing things about this book and I always want to buy it when I am at Barnes and Noble and I totally would if I didn’t already have 30 books sitting at home waiting to be read.

Markus Zusak is a great writer, he has written I Am The Messenger that both Briana and I have read and which we think is a great book [one of us should do a review on that soon]. He is an award winning author and definitely needs to write more books!

I am especially attracted to this book, The Book Thief, because it is set in Germany during World War II. I love learning about the Holocaust and World War II, it is always very interesting and also very sad, to hear the troubles too many people had to go through. And it is even more trying to hear about the struggles many teenage youths faced during those times.

I am hoping to pick up this book sooner or later and read it, because it truly does look amazing and a fantastic read.

Briana:

Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman

"There is little more likely to exasperate a person of sense than finding herself tied by affection and habit to an Enthusiast." Julie knows from bitter experience: her best friend, Ashleigh, is an Enthusiast. Ashleigh's current fancy is also Julie's own passion, Pride and Prejudice, and the heroine's quest for True Love. And so Julie finds herself swept along with Ashleigh, dressed in vintage frocks and sneaking into a dance at the local all-boys' prep school. There they discover several likely candidates for True Love, including the handsome and sensitive Parr. And Julie begins to wonder if maybe this obsession of Ashleigh's isn't so bad after all. . . .

I just think this book looks so cute! First of all, the cover is super adorable. Stephenie Meyer recommended the book. The last book I read that Stephenie Meyer recommended was The Hunger Games and I was amazed.

I haven't really heard anything bad about this book either, so hopefully I'll get it soon!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Add-ons to In My Mailbox (2)

Arielle added the books that she received if you'd like to see them here. She got a really good selection of books this week so I suggest you check them out!

Undone

Brooke Taylor

Published 2008

308 Pages

Rating: B


1. Sing with Bleeder Valve

2. Get a tattoo

3. Work things out with Shay

4. Confront D.

5. Tell Serena.

Kori Kitzler is the "dark angel" of her high school: beautiful, mysterious, the subject of rumors. Serena Moore is just an average girl, until a run-in with Kori in the bathroom in eighth grade. When Kori tells her that they are more alike than she thinks, Serena is instantly intrigued, and their fateful friendship begins. When the girls are asked to complete a writing assignment listing the five things they would want to happen--their five ways to tempt fate--Serena doesn't take it seriously. But when something tragic happens to Kori, Serena is left with her loneliness and Kori's five things. Can Serena complete her best friend's tasks, or will she leave her list undone? Undone is a striking debut novel about friendship, family, and the secrets we keep from the people to whom we are closest.

(from jacket flap)


I bought this book at a used book store for about $5. And I must say, it was one of the best buys I have gotten there. It is such an interesting read and I never really knew what to expect next.

Serena is the best fried to Kori, the eccentric, totally out of the ordinary girl who everyone talks about, either good or bad. Whereas Serena is the tag along, her and Kori became friends at a young age and have been inseparable ever since. Not only are Kori and Serena always together, getting into trouble or getting out of trouble, but Serena has started acting like Kori. Trying to be as brave and as daring as her and even dying her hair. Everyone says they look alike and they even have the same birthdays, they were destined to be friends.

Serena’s life gets turned upside down when Kori’s life is taken away and Serena is left to fend for herself and determine her fate alone. Serene encounters strange situations that she would never put herself through, but she knows Kori would, so she trys new things, meets new people, and ultimately betters herself because of it.

I actually really like this book. I love that it is real and so similar to ups and downs of life as a teenager. Its about best friends and how far one will go to be there for the other, whether they are actually really there or not.

-A.

Best Foot Forward

Joan Bauer

Published 2005

183 Pages

Rating: B-


I’m a real ace at arguing with myself.

Take a subject like Tanner Cobb.

On the one hand, he stole.

On the other, he helped his little brother read and count.

Then again, he stole the shoes in front of his little brother.

But, he brought the shoes back and offered to make up for what he’d done.

My mind said, Don’t trust him.

My instincts said, He might not be all bad.

Inconsistencies are a royal pain; the older you get, the more they multiply.

(taken from back of book)


After a life altering summer on the road, Jenna Boller is dripping with newfound maturity. She has a job she loves at Gladstone Shoes, a best friend who makes her laugh, and a dysfunctional family she’s learning how to handle. Jenna feels ready for anything – until Tanner Cobb, a guy with a past, a police record, and dangerously good looks, walks into her life. And that’s just the beginning.

Jenna likes to be in control, but that’s not easy when she’s suddenly surrounded by crises, including a shoe empire on the verge of crumbling. Tanner’s street smarts seem to be what Jenna needs, but can she trust him when the going gets tough?

(taken from front flap)


I don’t plan on talking much about this book since the two synopsis’ above tell about the book pretty well. And of course I don’t want to give anything away!

This book is the sequel to Joan Bauer’s other book called Rules of the Road. [You can read my review on that book here.] Technically it is the sequel but I think you could read this book alone without having read the first book. This book kind of recaps what the first book is about and goes more into the struggle between Gladstone Shoe Stores and the company being bought out and ruined by Mrs. Gladstone’s son.

Jenna is again struggling to make her life less hectic, in the first book she was dealing with her fathers alcoholism and the road trip with Mrs. Gladstone to Texas, but in this one, she is back at her home in Chicago and back at work before summer ends and school begins.

Tanner Cobb steals shoes from Gladstones. He returns them. And ends up making up for what he did by working in the back of the store stocking shoes. Jenna doesn’t think this is a good idea but after awhile, she finds that Tanner could teach her a thing or two about life and how to deal with the real world.

It’s a quick read and you should definitely try it, especially if you have read Rules of the Road.

-A.

Monday, June 15, 2009

New Movie Monday (3)

This wasn't the best week I've had (DVD-wise). Not that it was bad or anything, but it just didn't blow me away. Sorry the post is so late, I was finishing Betrayed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. There will be reviews up, me and Arielle are planning on doing a double review for The Hunger Games, maybe a triple if Marisa wants to join in.


Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Starring: Mark Wahlberg; Zooey Deschanel; John Leguizamo

Genre: Drama/Horror

MPAA: R (for violent and disturbing images)

Rating: C+

I really love world disaster movies and looking at the cover, you would think that this movie is kind of world disaster, right? Wrong. I mean, I guess you can look at it that way, but when I started watching it ... I didn't want to continue. I have a weak stomach and there was some gore right in the beginning. So BEWARE.

The Happening is a 2008 American horror film written, co-produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan that follows a man and his family as they try to escape from an inexplicable natural disaster. The plot revolves around a mysterious plant neurotoxin that causes any person coming into contact with it to commit suicide. The protagonist, a science teacher named Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg), attempts to escape from the substance with his wife and friends as hysteria grips the East Coast of the United States.

This movie was interesting, but I can't say it moved me in any way or changed my life. That's what I love about watching a movie or reading a book, I love how they can change your whole way of thinking. This movie does get mildly creepy, just in case you try to stay away from that.


Director: Will Gluck

Starring: Nicholas D'Agosto; Eric Christian Olsen; Sarah Roemer

Genre: Comedy

MPAA: PG-13 (for crude and sexual content throughout, partial nudity, language and some teen partying.)

Rating: C

This movie looked hilarious from the trailers and I was really excited to see it. I wish I hadn't gotten excited though, because I was pretty bored to be honest.

Nicholas D'Agosto and Eric Christian Olsen headline this teen comedy concerning two high-school football players who attempt to avoid another summer at football camp by becoming cheerleaders. Out on the gridiron, Gerald R. Ford High School students Shawn Colfax (D'Agosto) and Nick Brady (Olsen) are star players. But summer is drawing near, and this year neither Shawn nor Nick can stomach the prospect of spending their sun-soaked months lunging at tackling dummies and getting berated by their coach. Fortunately, Nick has a brilliant solution to their current dilemma: sign up for cheerleading camp and spend the summer surrounded by gorgeous women. But head cheerleader Carly (Sarah Roemer) can see right through them, and when Shawn falls head over heels for her, their genius plan hits an unexpected hitch.

What else can I say? I didn't enjoy the movie as much as I thought I would ... but Nicholas D'Agosto is some serious eye candy, you have to admit.

-B

Sunday, June 14, 2009

In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren. Click here to learn more about it.

Briana:

I got 4 books this week for my birthday and I'm so excited to read all of them!



City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Alright, so the cover is definitely not my favorite but since I loved The Hunger Games (upcoming review) and hated that cover, I'm going to give it a shot. It sounds interesting and I'm pretty excited to read a new series.



Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Ruby is used to taking care of herself. But now she's living in a fancy new house with her sister Cora—a sister she hasn't seen in ten years—and her husband Jamie—creator of one of the most popular online networking sites. She's attending private school, wearing new clothes, and for the first time, feels the promise of a future that include college and her family. So why is she so wary? And what is Nate— the adorable and good-hearted boy next door— hiding behind his genial nature? As Ruby starts to see, there's a big difference between being given help, and being able to accept it. And sometimes, in order to save yourself, you've got to reach out to someone else.

I really enjoyed That Summer and This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen so I think I'll really like Lock and Key. Click here to read the review of Lock and Key by Arielle.




The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Sixteen-year-old Macy Queen is looking forward to a long, boring summer. Her boyfriend is going away. She’s stuck with a dull-asdishwater job at the library. And she’ll spend all of her free time studying for the SATs or grieving silently with her mother over her father’s recent unexpected death. But everything changes when Macy is corralled into helping out at one of her mother’s open house events, and she meets the chaotic Wish Catering crew. Before long, Macy joins the Wish team. She loves everything about the work and the people. But the best thing about Wish is Wes—artistic, insightful, and understanding Wes—who gets Macy to look at life in a whole new way, and really start living it….

There seems to be a rivalry between which Sarah Dessen book is the best, The Truth About Forever or This Lullaby. Since I've read This Lullaby, I'm really excited to read this one so I can judge for myself which is my favorite.



Evermore by Alyson Noel

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste…
Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.
I'm really excited to read this book, it sounds really interesting. You can read a review on Evermore by Arielle, here.

Question:

What's your favorite Sarah Dessen book and why?

DVDs (for New Movie Monday):



From director M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs) comes a lightning-paced, heart-pounding paranoid thriller about a family on the run from an inexplicable and unstoppable event that threatens not only humankind . . . but the most basic human instinct of them all: survival.It begins with no clear warning. It seems to come out of nowhere. In a matter of minutes, episodes of strange, chilling deaths that defy reason and boggle the mind in their shocking destructiveness, erupt in major American cities. What is causing this sudden, total breakdown of human behavior? Is it some kind of new terrorist attack, an experiment gone wrong, a diabolical toxic weapon, an out-of-control virus? Is it being transmitted by air, by water . . . how?

I really enjoy watching world disaster movies especially if they convince me that it can really happen. I watched this movie already and liked it a lot.




Nicholas D'Agosto and Eric Christian Olsen headline this teen comedy concerning two high-school football players who attempt to avoid another summer at football camp by becoming cheerleaders. Out on the gridiron, Gerald R. Ford High School students Shawn Colfax (D'Agosto) and Nick Brady (Olsen) are star players. But summer is drawing near, and this year neither Shawn nor Nick can stomach the prospect of spending their sun-soaked months lunging at tackling dummies and getting berated by their coach. Fortunately, Nick has a brilliant solution to their current dilemma: sign up for cheerleading camp and spend the summer surrounded by gorgeous women. But head cheerleader Carly (Sarah Roemer) can see right through them, and when Shawn falls head over heels for her, their genius plan hits an unexpected hitch.

First of all, Nicholas D'Agosto is so adorable. He has just about the cutest smile ever! I saw a trailer for this and literally laughed out loud. It was so funny. I can't wait to watch it.

Arielle:

I got 5 books in the mail today! Three of them I have already read, and two of them are totally new to me and the reason I bought them was because they were in the teen bargain section online at BN. I love cheap books! :)


Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.

I know I have already wrote a review for this book, and you can check it out HERE. But I bought the “platinum edition”… yes I am a dork, but I love this book, and my other copy was written in and it looked like it went through the wash six times. If you haven’t read this book, read it.



13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.

In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat. The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist. Because of envelope 4, Ginny and her artist, a playwright/thief/bloke-about-town called Keith, go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous -- though utterly romantic -- results. Ginny isn't sure she'll see Keith again, and definitely doesn't know what to think about him.

Could the answer be in the envelopes? Ginny doesn't know it, but adventures in Rome and Paris are in envelopes 6 and 8. The rules are that she has to open one at a time, in order, so perhaps it isn't surprising that she discovers things about her life and love one by one. Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 Little Blue Envelopes.

Yes, I have already read this book and I loved it. Ever since I read this book, I have wanted to travel everywhere possible and try to have as much fun doing so. There is so much of the world to see, and even if you see just a little bit, you will be better off than you were before you started. It’s a wonderful, adventurous book!


Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background—average student, average looks, average dysfunctional family. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn’t believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father’s boss’s daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy—and Tyler’s secret crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in the school, in his family, and in the world. In Twisted, the acclaimed Laurie Halse Anderson tackles a very controversial subject: what it means to be a man today. Fans and new readers alike will be captured by Tyler’s pitchperfect, funny voice, the surprising narrative arc, and the thoughtful moral dilemmas that are at the heart of all of the author’s award-winning, widely read work.
I have also already read this book, and I decided to buy it ever since I did read it. It is a great book and although I don’t remember a lot of it, [hence the reason for me buying it…so I can read it again!], the title is pretty sweet and it’s a great book (from what I remember!)


Sexy by Joyce Carol Oates

Darren Flynn is popular, good–looking, and has a spot on the varsity swim team. But after what happened that day in November (did it happen?), life is different for Darren.
Now his friends, his family, even the people who are supposed to be in charge are no longer who Darren thought they were. Who can he trust now?
In her third novel for young adults, the author of the acclaimed Big Mouth & Ugly Girl leads readers on an internal journey of self–discovery, moral complexity, and sexuality.

So the title is a little strange, and the author isn’t my favorite since I read another one of her books and hated it [read the review HERE], but…. It is about a swimmer (I am an ex-swimmer), and it sounds pretty interesting.



Boy Girl Boy by Ron Koertge

Larry, Teresa, and Elliot are so tight, there's no room in their circle for any more than three: boy, girl, boy. That's just how it is. And when they graduate in a few months, they're moving to California to begin their real lives--together.

Or that's the plan, anyway. But who are they fooling? Larry is gay and still trying to coming to terms with his sexuality. Teresa is tired of hanging out with two boys she loves who aren't interested in being her boyfriend. And Elliot--sweet, handsome, but not the brightest--is finally considering the idea that he may in fact like himself more when he's not in the shadow of his two best friends.

Since I am a recent high school graduate (2008), I decided to check out this book since it is about three high school graduates ready to take on the world. Sounds kinda cool.