Author Meeting - Sam Pickering :]

Okay so a few weeks ago my school had a "Author Day" and because I am in the Teaching Academy I was one of the lucky ones who was allowed to go.

The Author was Sam Pickering - I know you probably have never heard of him, but I had as he is the teacher that the character John Keating in Dead Poets Society is based on. We were lucky enough to have him lecture us for two and a half hours - and we were never bored. He is a AMAZING speaker and was completely entertaining.


So Anyway. Here is a picture of me and Sam :]

If you ever have the opportunity to hear him talk you should jump on it - he is completely insane and extremely funny :]

Book-ish Meme (survey type deal..)

I got this from Em's Bookshelf and it seemed like a entertaining thing to do.



Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?
I prefer to not have hardbacks simply because they're not bendy and expensive. I tend to like mass market paperback and trade paperback. Both work for me, but I like longer books opposed to pocket sized paperback - but either will do.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Really neither...I like cheap book sellers, and neither one of these fall under that category. We have a discount Book store where I live that I frequent, and if I can't find what I want there, then i go to Books-A-Million and look for a good deal there.

Bookmark or dog-ear?
Really both depending on what I have on hand. If I have a piece of spare paper to use as a book mark - then I do, but if I don't I dog ear. It doesn't bother me to dog ear my books at all, I guess because I bend the very teeny tiny bit of the corner, but I hardly ever have a book mark that is actually...a book mark haha.

Amazon or brick-and-mortar?
Nothing will replace shopping for hours in a book store. Man it's the best. Amazon is fun to look at though and I plan out books that i want so when I go to the bookstore I'm prepared...but I actually hardly ever actually

Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random?
psh.
Organization? Please. lol No really I don't have a real system. I have it pretty random, though I normally try to keep books with the same author together, series in their order, and with Sarah Dessen her books in the order of which they came out. But that's it.

Keep, throw away, or sell?
I always keep, and I'm trying to get into BookMooch...so I need to let go of some lol.

Keep dust jacket or toss it?
Keep for sure.

Read with dust jacket or remove it?
Depends. With the Twilight Series I kept it, but now with Miss Delacourt I normally have it off. I dont know why. I think I have just gotten to the point where I like the feel of the actual hard cover. haha.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Deffinately Harry Potter. Although I liked Lemony Snicket too.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
Deffinately "Once Upon a Time" I love fairy Tales :]

Buy or borrow?
I haven't bought in awhile because I've been getting ARC's but normally - before that atleast I always bought.

New or used?
Normally always new, and I have some used books, but more likely then not I don't read them, because frankly - they're not very pretty haha.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
I browse alot, and alot of that comes from viewing reviews. I see a book on a review and it doesn't matter what they say about it, if it intrigues me then i want it haha.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
I don't like it when series have huge cliffhanger endings. It makes me really mad haha. So I guess I like a tidy ending so i don't kill myself thinking about possibilities.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
Late at night, otherwise I get distracted.

Stand-alone or series?
hmm Both really. I love them both pretty equally but there are alot of stand alones I wish could be series.

Favorite series?
umm It's between Harry Potter and Twilight with me. Both are amazing.

Favorite children’s book?
I love Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by: Roald Dahl. It was amazing. That and Pippi Longstocking.

Favorite YA book?
Sarah Dessen's The Truth About Forever is probably my All time favorite, that and Just Listen by her.
And of course Twilight, and Perfect You, Going too Far...there are just so many. haha.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
ummm.
Once Upon a Marigold by: Jean Ferris
I loved it when i was younger
and the Left Behind Kids Series (there are 40 of them and they are amazing)

Favorite books read last year?
Bloom by: Elizabeth Scott

Favorite books of all time?
The Truth About Forever- Sarah Dessen, Harry Potter, Twilight, Bloom - Elizabeth Scott, Perfect You- Elizabeth Scott, Wuthering Heights- Emily Bronte, P&P- Jane Austen, Going too Far- Jennifer Echols etc...

What are you reading right now?
Miss Delacourt Speaks her Mind by: Heidi Ashworth

Favorite book to recommend to an 11-year-old?
oooh. Probably Treasure Island for a boy, and Island of the Blue Dolphins for a girl.

Favorite book to re-read?
The Truth About Forever and Twilight.

Do you ever smell books?
I love the smell of books :]

Do you ever read primary source documents like letters or diaries?
I'm Obsessed with the Diary of Anne Frank. Everything about her I LOVE :]

10 Q's: Jennifer Echols Edition.

Author Jennifer Echols of Going Too Far, The Ex Games, Major Crush and The Boy's Next Door, was kind enough to answer some questions I had for her. Her book Going Too Far is absolutely amazing, and has the highest rating of any book I have reviewed so far.

You can find her Website here- http://www.jennifer-echols.com/index.html


Enjoy :]

---

1. What inspired you to write Going too Far?

I had an idea for a romantic comedy about two teenagers who get in trouble or are doing a report on law enforcement for school...something to get them in the back of a cop car together for a ride-along. As I thought about this, I decided that it would be more interesting to make the romance between one of the teenagers and the cop himself. And then, of course, it wasn’t a comedy anymore.

2. I know some authors listen to music while they write. Are you one of them, or do you prefer peace and quiet during your writing? And just in general what kind of music do you enjoy?

My family is very loud, so I need my iPod to block them out when I write. :) I make a soundtrack for each novel. They usually contain a lot of Incubus. You can listen to the soundtrack for Going Too Far here: http://jennifer-echols.com/goingtoofarchapter.html.

3. How long did it take you to write Going too Far?

About 4 months.

4. Where is the strangest place you have gotten a burst of inspiration?

In December 2004, while I was living in Atlanta, my family and I went to the mall to do some Christmas shopping. My husband very generously took our then-toddler with him so I could get the serious gift-buying done. It was at that moment that I unfortunately had a burst of inspiration. I sat in the cold car in the parking lot and scribbled the very best chapter of Major Crush (chapter 18) on the backs of napkins I found stuffed under the seat. I had to go back and finish my shopping later.

5. Do you have a specific time of day you set aside for writing, or does it happen sporadically?

It can vary but it’s usually in the morning. I am a morning person.

6. How old were you when you began writing, and did you always know this was what you wanted to do?

Every day in first grade we had to copy sentences off the board to practice our handwriting: “Today is Wednesday, April 8. It will be sunny and cool today. Our class will go to the library...” etc. etc. I remember taking the pertinent information from these sentences and composing my own paragraph because the teacher’s was too long. By third grade I was writing a lot of poems, and by fifth grade I was writing short stories. I finished writing my first novel when I was 20. My grandmother was a high school English teacher, an avid reader, a writer, and a terrific role model. It never occurred to me that I couldn’t do this.

7. What is your favorite movie?

The Breakfast Club

8. What is your favorite book?

The Beginning Place by Ursula K. LeGuin

9. Are you working on anything currently?

I just turned in a proposal for a romantic comedy. Next I’ll write a proposal for a more serious book like Going Too Far, but right now I’m taking a few days off, reading a lot, and painting the living room.
10. What is some advice you'd give to young writers wishing to make it a career?

If you can possibly think of another career you’d enjoy, do that instead. It will be easier, I promise. (The real writers ignore this advice and write anyway.)

---
Thank you so much for the amazing interview Jennifer!

-Christina :]

Waiting on Wednesday [7] The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Book I can just not wait to get my hands on this week is...

The Summer I Turned Pretty

By: Jenny Han

Belly has spent her summers at the beach house with Conrad and Jeremiah, who had never noticed her noticing them. Every summer, Belly hoped it would be different. This time, it is. The summer that Belly turns pretty is the summer that changes everything- for better and for worse.

*LOOK AT THAT COVER!

How amazingly cute is that?! And it sounds just up my alley, I love books about love. :]

And I'm feeling like a nice Summer book. I need a good summer book just to make me smile.

Any Suggestions on other amazing summertime reads?

A Map of the Known World by: Lisa Ann Sandell

A Map of the Known World

by: Lisa Ann Sandell

From Amazon:
Cora Bradley dreams of escape. Ever since her reckless older brother, Nate, died in a car crash, Cora has felt suffocated by her small town and high school. She seeks solace in drawing beautiful maps, envisioning herself in exotic locales. When Cora begins to fall for Damian, the handsome, brooding boy who was in the car with Nate the night he died, she uncovers her brother's secret artistic life and realizes she had more in common with him than she ever imagined. With stunning lyricism, Sandell weaves a tale of one girl's journey through the redemptive powers of art, friendship, and love.
They say no land remains to be discovered, no continent is left unexplored. But the whole world is out there, waiting, just waiting for me. I want to do things-I want to walk the rain-soaked streets of London, and drink mint tea in Casablanca. I want to wander the wastelands of the Gobi desert and see a yak. I think my life's ambition is to see a yak. I want to bargain for trinkets in an Arab market in some distant, dusty land. There's so much. But, most of all, I want to do things that will mean something.

From Me:

Okay, So I read this book very fast - it took less then a day and I love it when that happens :]

Let me just say first that Lisa Ann Sandell is an AMAZING writer. Some of the words she used just flowed and it was beautiful and poetic just to read. I read Song of the Sparrow not too long ago and it was written beautifully as well, but it was written in free verse poetry which is part of the reason I adored it. I loved the idea of telling a story in that way and I was very pleasantly surprised to find that this book didn't lack that poetic feeling I savored from before.

The character of Cora in this book is a interesting one to me. She is dealing with this tragic thing, but it's almost as if there has been more then one death in her family. Her parents (particularky her dad) don't really pay attention to her anymore and there's a very heavy and dense feeling of grief throughout the book.

She gets her feelings out in a very unusual way though - atleast I thought so. I have never heard of someone drawing maps before...but I now want to go get my sketch pad and draw some up after reading this book.

I love the spin on art and I love the character of Damien, I always have had this dream guy in my head who is dark and brooding - but is just a passionate individual who delves in the arts. I love that main character and whenever I can read about one I freak out a little.

I enjoyed alot of the flashbacks which surprises me because normally I don't want to read flashbacks and rather wish to stay in the here and now, but I liked hearing about how Nate was before everything changed, and I think it was a necessary thing to know how he was with Cora before he became a "jerk".

All in all i really did enjoy this story and I want to get back to it soon. I enjoyed all of the characters and was easily able to relate to some of the things Cora experienced. My only wish is that there had been more interaction with Cora and Damien, just because I liked their conversations. :]

I give it a 9.

-Christina <3

Violet on the Runway by: Melissa Walker

Ahh so I did this last night, but my mom's internet Sucks and I got kicked off right as I tried to post it - which made me lose EVERYTHING! So, I must do it again...ahhh.

Violet on the Runway

by: Melissa Walker

A wallflower in the spotlight can do one of two things: wilt, or blossom...
Violet Greenfield's life changes forever when a lady in giant Chanel shades tells her she could be IT, the next Kate Moss-but taller, and without the PR problems. That's how Violet winds up with a business card in the front pocket of her jeans on her first day as a senior in high school. Angela Blythe from Tryst Models in New York City wants to put Violet on a plane and whisk her into the world of high-heeled boots and oversized sunglasses. Tall, skinny Violet, who's been P-L-A-I-N practically forever.
And guess what? She's going.

From Me:

Okay so reading this book, I didn't know what to expect. I don't read books about models - ever. I just don't do it my books are more like life, something I can normally relate to. So I usually steer clear of books like Gossip Girl and the Private series. Drama doesn't suit me, so I just don't don't get into it, but I am happy to say (as I've been saying alot recently) I was proved wrong.

This book was not at all what I expected. I expected a fairy tale like story about a Plain girl who suddenly got all she ever wanted, but I got nothing of the sort and got so much more.

This book went far deeper into the modeling life then I expected and I loved that aspect. It did not glamorize the "fabulous life" but rather ripped the rose colored glasses off and showed it's dirty laundry.

I love the characters in the book as well (particularly Roger as he reminds me of a friend of mine) and her crazy agent Angela as she was precisely what I expect from a person in that industry.

Alas though, I didn't approve of her boy choices, and think she could do so much better (*cough* Roger maybe? Am I on to something? lol) but that kind of thing I think comes with the territory. She gets thrown into the limelight so of course she gets "that guy" it's expected.

I loved the story, and can't wait to read the next two, I am really excited to know where exactly Violet is heading next :]

I give it a 9.

-Christina! :]

Waiting on Wednesday [6]

Okay so the book I can't wait for this week is...

The Secret Life of Prince Charming

by: Deb Caletti

Maybe it was wrong, or maybe impossible, but I wanted the truth to be one thing. One solid thing.
Quinn is surrounded by women who have had their hearts broken. Between her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother, Quinn hears nothing but cautionary tales. She tries to be an optimist–after all, she's the dependable one, the girl who never makes foolish choices. But when she is abruptly and unceremoniously dumped, Quinn starts to think maybe there are no good men after all.
It doesn't help that she's gingerly handling a renewed relationship with her formerly absent father. He's a little bit of a lot of things: charming, selfish, eccentric, lazy...but he's her dad, and Quinn's just happy to have him around again. Until she realizes how horribly he's treated the many women in his life, how he's stolen more than just their hearts. Determined to, for once, take action in her life, Quinn joins forces with the stepsister she's never met and the little sister she'll do anything to protect. Together, they set out to right her father's wrongs...and in doing so, begin to uncover what they're really looking for: the truth.
Once again, Deb Caletti has created a motley crew of lovably flawed characters who bond over the shared experiences of fear, love, pain, and joy–in other words, real life.

*I love Deb Caletti, particularly her book Wild Roses so I absolutely can't wait to read this newest one - as it seems just up my ally!

So. What are you guys looking forward too?