Feature & Follow Friday (6)

As always, its time for another Follow Friday. This wonderful meme is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. Each friday two blogs are featured in an effort to expand one's blog. Go and check out both of these sites to learn more!

Q: The New Year is here -- and everyone wants to know your New Years Blogging Resolution! What are you going to try to revise, revamp and redo for 2012 on your blog?

There are actually a good amount of things that I would love to improve on for my blog. I think the first would be to actually read through the entire year. This year I only started once school picked up again, and a lot of the time during the summer I don't read enough, so I hope to change that! Another great change that I would love to see happen is to get more involved with blogs; to take more time to read through other people's reviews and posts. And last but not least, I really want to participate and make myself more aware of things. I rarely know when things are going on, so to actually be up to date with things would be a good thing for me, and then of course doing more. Doing giveaways, and interviews and all of that; it would be a marvelous thing for me to pick up on (: 

What about all of you? 

Review: The Scorpio Races

Title: The Scorpio Races
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 409 (Hardcover)
Date of Publishment: October 18th, 2012
Days to Read: ...too many :c
Rating: 4

Description: Goodreads

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It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die. 

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. 

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. 

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going 

My Review:

I am literally so infuriated with myself for not giving this book five stars, and for not liking it to the full extent that is should have been. The book was literally magical, so amazing. This was the first book I've read by Stiefvater and I fell in love; with her writing, her style, how she portrayed her characters...I honestly loved her! Which is why I'm so baffled as to why I can't give this five stars! 

The writing in this book was so magical...so magical. When I started the book, it was a lot different then a lot of the books that I'd read. Stiefvater's writing was definitely different, and at first I had a hard time getting used to how different it was, but as the story grew and progressed I really found myself loving her style of writing and how she was playing out her characters. One thing I noticed is that her writing changes in ways when she deals with the two main characters. The chapters alternate between both main characters, Sean and Puck (Kate), and what I seemed to notice was how Tiefvater's writing would sculpt around her character's personality. Kate was a very free-will, strong, and fierce character; and Stiefvater's writing really reflected off of that. Sean was just like that as well but there something more to him, his love for the island, his hoarse, and riding and I feel like the more lyrical style that Stiefvater showed off on his parts really showed that off. Overall I thought the writing was superb and just...breath taking.

As you could probably tell above, I really loved the characters. In the beginning I really really hated Puck's brother Gale. Right away I just thought he was this ass, and I hated reading about him and seeing the struggles that were happening because of him and then some how Stiefvater managed to make me love him. It might have taken a while, but I really fell in love with each one of her characters. Puck and Sean were easy to love; right off the bat their fierceness and loyalty to what they love touches your heart. Puck's other brother, Finn was such a quirky person, definitely liked him right off the bat! The characters were just great...end of story.

And yet after all those great things I still give it only four stars. It seems though...after looking at it and thinking it over, it was just because this really wasn't' my type of book. I was never like other little girls who loved everything horse so I didn't warm up to that aspect of the story until close to the end; plus because I also don't know anything about horses, I barely knew what I reading about. I guess I should have realized early on in the book that the Scorpio Races weren't going to be very long in the book. When I'd first scene this I thought maybe the races took a few days...nope...a good twenty minutes, give or take. So the races didn't take place until almost the end of the book; we're talking the last thirty pages or so, and that's why it it took me so long to get into the book. I was waiting over and over for Stiefvater to run out of thing to fill those 409 pages with, and that sort of ruined it for me. But through all that expecting, it never happened. She kept her story at a steady and very well chosen pace; and I have to say that I did enjoy that. 

The Scorpio Races were riveting, powerful, and at times...romantic. I loved the story, loved the characters, and loved the style, but I missed the epicness that really could have taken place in this book. Stiefvater knew her facts and knew how to make a novel; enough said.

Feature & Follow Friday (5)

As always, its time for another Follow Friday. This wonderful meme is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. Each friday two blogs are featured in an effort to expand one's blog. Go and check out both of these sites to learn more!

Q: If you had to spend eternity inside the pages of a book, which book would it be? 

There really area  a handful of books that I would definitely love to live in. If I was looking for a life of romanticism, I wouldn't even think twice about jumping into Anna and the French Kiss's pages. However, if I was looking for that ultimate sense of adventure, that  touch of danger and thrill of forbiddenness, then it would be Daughter of Smoke and Bone that I would so easily jump into. 

What about all of you? 

Waiting on Wednesday (6): Forbidden

Title: Forbidden

Author: Syrie James

Pages: 411 (Hardcover)

Release Date: January 24th, 2012

Description (Goodreads):

She should not exist. 

He should not love her. 

Claire Brennan has been attending Emerson Academy for two years now (the longest she and her mom have remained anywhere) and she’s desperate to stay put for the rest of high school. So there’s no way she’s going to tell her mom about the psychic visions she’s been having or the creepy warnings that she’s in danger. 

Alec MacKenzie is fed up with his duties to watch and, when necessary, eliminate the descendants of his angelic forefathers. He chose Emerson as the ideal hiding place where he could be normal for once. He hadn’t factored Claire into his plans. . . . 

Their love is forbidden, going against everything Alec has been taught to believe. But when the reason behind Claire’s unusual powers is revealed and the threat to her life becomes clear, how far will Alec go to protect her?

Feature & Follow Friday (4)

As always, its time for another Follow Friday. This wonderful meme is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. Each friday two blogs are featured in an effort to expand one's blog. Go and check out both of these sites to learn more!

Q: When you've read a book, what do you do with it? (Keep it, give it away, donate it, sell it, swap it...?)

For me, there aren't a lot of opportunities to buy books. I live in a very small town that doesn't have a book store, and all the thrift stores that have small selections of books all have genres that I'm not interested in. The three hour drive to the  closest good shopping sight though does offer a better book selection; Barns and Noble, along with some smaller book stores that are scattered all across the city. When I have the money on one of the trips I usually can stock up on two to three books, which is pretty good for me. Now, when I'm down with those I usually keep them, lend them to friends if they need them. They'll sit on my shelf for a good year or so, and by that point if they aren't memorable enough or I've read them enough to give them up, I'll give them to my grandma for her annual summer garage sale for other people. 

My number one way of getting books though is through the library. No obviously I can't keep or donate or sell any of those books, but what me and a friend do do, is check out a good number of books, usually something between three to five and then we swap them. If we think the other should read the book we'll just give it to hem, and then get it back to return when they've finished (: It's always a fun thing to do. 

What do you guys do with your books? 

Review: The Vast Fields of Ordinary

Title: The Vast Fields of Ordinary
Author: Nick Burd
Publisher: Dial
Pages: 309 (Hardcover)
Date of Publishment: May 14th 2009
Days to Read: 3
Rating: 3.5

Description: Goodreads

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It's Dade's last summer at home. He has a crappy job at Food World, a "boyfriend" who won't publicly acknowledge his existence (maybe because Pablo also has a girlfriend), and parents on the verge of a divorce. College is Dade's shining beacon of possibility, a horizon to keep him from floating away.

Then he meets the mysterious Alex Kincaid. Falling in real love finally lets Dade come out of the closet - and, ironically, ignites a ruthless passion in Pablo. But just when true happiness has set in, tragedy shatters the dreamy curtain of summer, and Dade will use every ounce of strength he's gained to break from his past and start fresh with the future.

My Review:

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SPOILER ALERT!!

Even though this book is a couple years old, I really wanted to pick it up and give it a s hot. Even though I do a lot of independent writing that has homosexual character, I've never picked up a full novel before that has a main character this is homosexual. Now obviously the book had a different feel because of all of this, but eventually after getting over certain scenes (ones that had my blushing nonstop) I found myself really enjoying the book; glad I'd decided after all to pick it up. 

Honestly...I don't think there was one character in this entire book that I did not like. Dade had such a warm and lovable personality in my book. Sure at times I could get annoyed with him, but I feel like that's just something that happens in books, because the characters and story line can't go exactly how you want them to go every single time. Watching Dade slowly but surely come to terms with his homosexuality, gaining the love that's he's been looking, and finally opening up to those around him. 
Dade and Alex were definitely a couple that I loved, and the friendship that Lucy and Dade had as well was a fun one to watch. The one thing that I would definitely change about this book was the constant appearance of weed in this book. I felt like it was all they really did, or all that really brought them together. 

I have to say that I was actually a little surprised and even a little stunned near the end of the book when I read about Pablo's death. Obviously you could tell throughout the entire book that Pablo was having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that I did stuff with boys, basically Dade only, but I had never though once that Pabolo was going to kill himself. I thought maybe he'd finally tell Judy, or break up with her, maybe even run into Dade in the epilogue and explain that he was finally happy being who he was meant to be, but I was very wrong, and actually found my jaw hanging for a good amount of time after finding out. Even if it was a rather big shocker to read I felt...okay with it. Sure it was cliche and all but...for some reason I didn't find myself minding...or caring. 

As much as I wanted to really really like this book, I still felt as though it didn't deserve any higher than a three star rating. The plot was fun, and this book did have really good parts in it, but it was...the ending that got to me. I won't say anymore because of spoilers, but I will let you know that I was NOT satisfied at all with the ending of the book, which managed me to drop my initial rating of four stars down to three and a half. 

The Vast Fields of Ordinary was honestly one of those books that really stood up to it's genre. It was a true coming of age book, showing the growth of it's main character as he learned from life and finally learned to be himself. Through heartwarming scenes, and even steamy ones, The Vast Fields of Ordinary graced it's readers with a wonderful story. 

Waiting on Wednesday (5): Gone, Gone, Gone

Title: Gone, Gone, Gone

Author: Hannah Moskowitz

Pages: 272 (Hardover)

Release Date: April 17th, 2012

Description (Goodreads):

It's a year after 9/11. Sniper shootings throughout the D.C. area have everyone on edge, trying to make sense of the random acts of violence. Meanwhile, Craig and Lio are just trying to make sense of their lives. 

Craig's crushing on quiet, distant Lio, and preoccupied with what it meant when Lio kissed him...and if he'll do it again...and if kissing Lio will help him finally get over his ex-boyfriend, Cody. 

Lio feels most alive when he's with Craig. He forgets about his broken family, his dead brother, and the messed up world. But being with Craig means being vulnerable, and Lio will have to decide whether love is worth the risk.