Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better!!! Winter Challenge 2011-2012

WINTER READING CHALLENGE 2011-2012, December 1st - February 29th

   So my lovely followers, I figured that I would share this with you all.  I am taking part in a Winter challenge that was posted on the YA Science Fiction/Fantasy Book Club that I'm part of on Goodreads.  It was a pretty interesting challenge, so I figure I would share it with you.  If you wish to participate I highly encourage it - things like this are lots of fun!  Here are the rules if you decide to join me:

The rules are simple:

- 3 months (Dec. 1 - Feb. 29)
- 9 books
- No points
- No genre restrictions (just use it as motivation to get through your TBR or try something new).
- A book may count for only ONE challenge item.
- Books must be read between the dates listed above.

The books:

1. Winter Book: Read a book with a wintry word in the title.

Examples:

Frost by: Marianna Baer, Ice by: Sarah Beth Durst, Cold Magic by: Kate Elliott

2. It Gets Better: Read a book about a tough issue: grief, suicide, cutting, drug addiction, mental illness, rape, bullying, eating disorders, abuse, etc.

Examples:
Speak by: Laurie Halse Anderson, Crank by: Ellen Hopkins, Saving June by: Hannah Harrington

3. By the Numbers: Read a book with a number or other quantitative word in the title.
Examples:
13 Little Blue Envelopes by: Maureen Johnson, Infinite Days by: Rebecca Maizel, Circle Nine by: Anne Heltzel

4. Something Old: Read a book that has been sitting on your shelf or on your to-read list for at least 3 months without being read OR a book that you didn't finish the first time that you tried to read it. (Book must have been released for at least 3 months - no waiting to be released books for this one!)


5. Something New: Read an author's debut novel OR a book from an author that you've never read before.
Examples of debuts:
Looking for Alaska by: John Green, Under the Never Sky by: Veronica Rossi, Between Shades of Gray by: Ruta Sepetys

6. Something Borrowed: Read a book that was recommended by someone in a group you belong to or by a friend. Alternatively, read a book from a friend's to-read shelf on Goodreads.

7. Something Blue: Read a book with a blue cover or the word "blue" in the title.
Examples:
Raw Blue by: Kirsty Eagar, Mockingjay by: Suzanne Collins, Crossed by: Allie Condie

8. Valentine: Read a book with a romance:
Examples:
Anna and the French Kiss by: Stephanie Perkins, Dearly Departed by: Lia Habel, Darker Still by: Leanna Renee Hieber

9. Wild Card Read: Read any book that catches your fancy with no restrictions whatsoever.  Have fun with it!

The link to the original challenge is: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/725791-winter-challenge-2011-2012

My Picks:

  

   

 







So are you guys gonna join me?  Do you know what your picks are for the challenge?  Drop me a comment.  I will be posting review for each book that I finish and when I'm done I'm gonna party! :)

Catch y'all on the flipside of the challenge.

Presently Imperfectly Perfect

Published: October 4th, 2011
Past Perfect
By: Leila Sales
Simon Pulse
ISBN-13: 9781442406827


All Chelsea wants to do this summer is hang out with her best friend, hone her talents as an ice cream connoisseur, and finally get over Ezra, the boy who broke her heart. But when Chelsea shows up for her summer job at Essex Historical Colonial Village (yes, really), it turns out Ezra’s working there too. Which makes moving on and forgetting Ezra a lot more complicated…even when Chelsea starts falling for someone new.
Maybe Chelsea should have known better than to think that a historical reenactment village could help her escape her past. But with Ezra all too present, and her new crush seeming all too off limits, all Chelsea knows is that she’s got a lot to figure out about love. Because those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it….

Review

   Chelsea Glaser (known as Elizabeth Connelly when re-enacting) has been a part of the Essex Historical Colonial village re-enactment since she was a child.  Her father is the silversmith and her mother is just as involved in it.  Every summer the middle/high school employees have a war with the Civil War  ReenactmentLand kids across the street.  This year Chelsea is working with her best friend Fiona, her ex-boyfriend Ezra who she still isn't over, and she has been voted the lieutenant.  Also, she has growing feelings for one of the Civil Warriors, Dan.  Will Chelsea be able to work things out with Dan, or is she doomed to repeat her past mistakes with Ezra all over again?  Who will win the war and will it even matter by the time it's over.  I loved the snarkiness of the main characters in this book.  Their whole obsession with ice cream made me laugh out loud, especially when Fiona and Chelsea expound on their ratings system at length.  I adored Chelsea in general because she reminded me a lot of Mia in The Princess Diaries.  This whole book has a Meg Cabot feel, with the historical reenactment lending it's own brand of special awesomeness.  I loved the moments between Dan and Chelsea, especially the scene on the trampoline.  The last 'war council' in the book was laugh out loud funny.  I would recommend this to fans of light-hearted books with romance and historical elements. 

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars, plus hugs for Chelsea and Fiona

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*

Severed Fingers and Lukewarm Endings

Expected Publication: July 10th, 2012
Lies, Knives and Girls in Red Dresses
By: Ron Koertge, Illustrated by: Andrea Dezso
Candlewick Press
ISBN-13: 9780763644062


Writing in free verse honed to a wicked edge, the incomparable Ron Koertge brings dark and contemporary humor to twenty iconic fairy tales.

Once upon a time, there was a strung-out match girl who sold CDs to stoners. Twelve impetuous sisters escaped King Daddy's clutches to jiggle and cavort and wear out their shoes. A fickle Thumbelina searched for a tiny husband, leaving bodies in her wake. And Little Red Riding Hood confessed that she kind of wanted to know what it's like to be swallowed whole. From bloodied and blinded stepsisters (they were duped) to a chopped-off finger flying into a heroine's cleavage, this is fairy tale world turned upside down. Ron Koertge knows what really happened to all those wolves and maidens, ogres and orphans, kings and piglets, and he knows about the Ever After. So come closer
- he wants to whisper in your ear.

Review

   This book is a compilation of twisted versions and bonus point of views from well known fairy tales.  There are stories for Cinderella,  The Little Match Girl, Rapunzel, Thumbelina, Beauty and the Beast, Twelve Dancing Princesses, Hansel and Gretel, The Ugly Duckling, Diamonds and Toads, The Robber Bridegroom, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and other very recognizable tales.  I did enjoy the dimension that these poems added to the original tales.  But my major complaint would be the stark, crudeness of the language and imagery that is used.  It felt like there was absolutely zero finesse woven into the story telling process.   I loved the illustrations and though their starkness matched the language of the poems, it lifted the quality of the book.  They had a unique, black and white silhouette, shadow puppet feel to them and it was the highlight of the time I spent with this book.  Overall, I was not that impressed and felt like it has been done so often and so much better, that I could have lived without this addition to the realm of twisted fairy tales.  Nothing new or exciting, but that said it was an interesting collection.  I would only really recommend this if you're a hardcore Koertge fan or way into fairy tale re-imaginings.  Even if you don't read the text you should definitely check out the illustrations though.  The cover for this book is as of yet unreleased, but when it is available I will change the blank picture on this review.

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money was exchanged for this review. The expected publication of this book is July 10th, 2012.*

The Magic of Not Reading This Book

Published: October 11th, 2011
Tris and Izzie
By: Mette Ivie Harrison
EgmontUSA
ISBN-13: 9781606841730


A modern retelling of the German fairytale "Tristan and Isolde", Tris and Izzie is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until -- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school.

Review

   So, I have read a lot of retellings lately.  Most of them have been worth my time and I love the original story of Tristan and Iseult.  Plus, the movie Tristan and Isolde is awesome in my opinion.  So I figured out that I would give this book a shot even though pretty much every review for it on Goodreads said how bad it is.  They were right.  Izzie (Isolde) is a high school student whose Mother is a witch who uses her powers for healing.  They moved from Curneval, a hidden magical community, when Izzie's Dad died ten years ago.  Now her life is almost perfect.  She has her best friend Branna (who has been acting weird lately) and her boyfriend Mark, hot basketball team captain.  They rule the school and Izzie just has to say the word for Mark to exile anyone she wants from everyone in school.  Izzie thinks that the cute new guy Tristan would be a perfect boyfriend for Branna, so she steals one of her Mom's love potions to give them.  But she ends up taking it herself to avoid Mark taking the rest of it when Tristan's done drinking.  As a result, she finds Mark disgusting and is in love with Tristan instantaneously, seemingly for good.  So with practically no fuss, Mark gets together with Branna and she gets with Tristan.  Isolde is being hunted by some evil serpent from Curneval who killed her Dad and wants her dead.  She has to battle off the monsters with the help of her friends and defeat the serpent to save Curneval.  Izzie is shallow, selfish and dumb as a box of rocks.  Anyone with ears, eyes and a brain figures out within the first twenty pages that Branna wants Mark to herself.  All Izzie thinks about is how things will affect her and she strings both boys along for as long as she possibly can before having to give one up.  The inclusion of magic is so asinine and unnecessary it only underlines the poor character development, lack of plot, and overall atrocious writing.  I wish that I had magic in my life to help me go back in time and prevent me from reading this waste of space.  NOT recommended unless you like stupid books with bubbleheaded characters.

VERDICT: 1/5 Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*



In My Mailbox # 5

   In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that I picked up from The Story Siren's blog. If you don't know what this is, it is a way for us bloggers to show our followers what books we've received this week in the mail, bought somewhere or gotten from the library or elsewhere! :)

   I have a few print books that are added to my ever-growing library stack, but most of them from this week were from NetGalley, LibraryThing and one was even from the author herself in e-book form!  Only one of the giveaways I won was a print copy.  There are some very interesting things on this list and you guys should definitely take a look at the links.  So without further adieu, here is what awaits you all! 


Rippler by Cidney Swanson (Goodreads / Amazon)
The Enchanted Book by Kevin O'Ralph (Goodreads)
Sasha (A Trial of Blood and Steel, Book 1) by Joel Shepherd (Goodreads / Amazon)
If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? by Melissa Kantor (Goodreads / Amazon)
Persuasion: A Latter-Day Tale by Rebecca H. Jamison (Goodreads / Amazon)
The Green Man by Michael Bedard (Goodreads / Amazon)
The Legacy of Eden by Nelle Davy (Goodreads / Amazon)
Two Moon Princess by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban (Goodreads / Amazon)
Afterlight by Elle Jasper (Goodreads / Amazon)
Daughters of the Sea # 1: Hannah by Kathryn Lasky (Goodreads / Amazon)
Daughters of the Sea # 2: May by Kathryn Lasky (Goodreads / Amazon)
Tris and Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison (Goodreads / Amazon)
Dark Eyes by William Harlan Richter (Goodreads / Amazon)

That is all this week!  I have upcoming reviews for Past Perfect and Lies, Knives and Girls in Red Dresses and Tris and Izzie.  I have also decided to quit recapping "Once Upon a Time" because the last two episodes have been pretty boring except for the parts in Fairy Tale World.  Which is almost enough to make me stop watching altogether.  But I'm going to give it two more episodes before I decide whether or not to quit.  Plus, I am not a masochist and therefore will not torture myself by reliving something that practically put me to sleep.  Happy reading and I'll catch you later! :)

Inheritance

Published: November 8th, 2011
Inheritance
By: Christopher Paolini
Random House
ISBN-13: 9780375856112


Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.

Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.

The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?

This is the much-anticipated, astonishing conclusion to the worldwide bestselling Inheritance cycle.

Review

   So when we left him in Brisingr, Eragon was on the move with the Varden toward defeating Galbatorix, Roran had become a total bad-ass, Elva was a slight enemy and Arya was not reciprocating Eragon's feelings.  Oh yeah, and the whole Eldunari (heart of hearts) thing had just been revealed.  I have to say that the first half of this book is all build-up toward the final battle.  Fairly BORING buildup.  I was reading this because I wanted to see how the series ended and it felt like most of this book was filled with dry descriptions of unimportant things.  I have never been a hardcore fan of Paolini's work, plus I admittedley slogged my way through the end of Eldest and again through the middle half of Brisingr.  But from the promising amount of detail and the relatability of the characters, I thought Paolini could carry it off in a fairly decent way at least.  I will say that I liked the revelations about the Rock of Kuthian, the Vault of Souls, Nasuada's scenes with Murtagh and the interactions of Roran with just about everybody.  The part where Eragon and Saphira figure out their true names was emotional as well.  However, the battle between Eragon and Galbatorix is sorely lacking in any climactic finale - it just whispers into the night unsatisfyingly.  I also abhorred the endings that were given to the main characters by Paolini.  To me duty is extremely important in fiction and real life, but seriously!  NONE of them are truly happy at the end excluding Roran and Katrina.  Considering that it was to be expected, whoop-de-freaking-doo.  I HATE the fact that I spent so much of my time getting through this monstrosity only to be so disappointed.  That said, the fact that he managed to keep me reading and make me laugh a couple of times gets him a couple of stars.  Plus, although bad, it was not the worst I've read by far.  That would be the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for which I still shake my fist at J.K. Rowling on a regular basis.  Read with caution and only if you're a serious fanatic who's dying to see how it ends. 

VERDICT:  2.5/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*

Last Night I Dreamt I Was At Manderley Again......

Expected Publication: January 31st, 2012
New Girl
By: Paige Harbison
HarlequinTeen
ISBN-13: 9780373210428


They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl
I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy.
And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend…but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

Review

   When the New Girl gets accepted into Manderley Academy for her Senior year of high school she's less than thrilled.  When she was younger it was all she ever wanted - to go to boarding school.  Now, she has long since lost that dream and become blissfully happy, content in her own skin at last.  But her parents are so excited and they've already paid the tuition, so she goes anyways.  It turns out that a spot opened up at Manderley because Rebecca 'Becca' Normandy disappeared at the end of the previous year - when she was the new girl.  Of course New Girl is the new roommate filling Becca's empty of her room with Dana, who is extremely resentful that Becca's place is being filled.  Also, New Girl attracts the attention of Max Holloway, Becca's former boyfriend.  Their love was supposedley forever.  Johnny, the ex-best friend of Max, also takes an interest.  New Girl has to fight to be accepted as herself and not Becca's second-best replacement.  She doesn't want Becca's life, just her own.  But no one will let her have it that easily.  I really enjoyed Paige Harbison's modernization/retelling of Rebecca  by Daphne Du Maurier in a high school setting.  There was a shift between present events with the New Girl's perspective and the events of the previous year with Becca's.  It turns out that Becca was really unhappy, craved attention and nothing was ever enough.  She had distant parents and was always faking everyone out about the way her life really was.  Becca played a lot of games with Max and his best friend Johnny, when she never even felt anything for Max.  She only used him to gain notoriety and popularity in school.  Becca did really care for Johnny, but neither of the boys truly liked her.  They were really just using her too.  The whole book is spent in a shift between Becca's downward spiral of destruction and New Girl's odyssey for answers  about a girl who disappeared but is managing to make her miserable nonetheless.  It flowed really well and kept to the original premise that you never find out the main characters name, until the end when she was leaving.  In Rebecca you never find out at all, which is kind of the point.  It was really easy to become immersed in the over emotional rollercoaster that was New Girl.  The characters gripped me and the plot was scarily believable in a high school setting.  It sent chills up and down my spine.  That said, quite a bit of the time, New Girl's insecurity and self justification got hard to swallow.  It definitely took away from the overall enjoyment.  I highly recommend reading the original Rebecca first if you never have, otherwise you may be unable to appreciate this book for the truly difficult reshaping task it must have been. 

VERDICT: 3/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money was exchanged for this review. The expected publication of this book is January 31st, 2012.*