Wild Things ~ Clay Carmicheal

Hello Lovelies!

I am bringing a review today that is for a type of book I don't normally read. As most of you all probably know I am a student teacher and I am in a 5th grade classroom. Some of my 5th graders are reading this book at the moment and I fell in love with it. Let's get started!

Summary

A headstrong girl. A stray cat. A wild boy. A man who plays with fire. Eleven-year-old Zoe trusts no one. Her father left before she was born. At the death of her irresponsible mother, Zoe goes to live with her uncle, former surgeon and famed metal sculptor Dr. Henry Royster. She's sure Henry will fail her as everyone else has. Reclusive since his wife's death, Henry takes Zoe to Sugar Hill, North Carolina, where he welds sculptures as stormy as his moods. Zoe and Henry have much in common: brains, fiery and creative natures, and badly broken hearts. Zoe confronts small-town prejudice with a quick temper. She warms to Henry's odd but devoted friends, meets a mysterious teenage boy living wild in the neighboring woods, and works to win the trust of a feral cat while struggling to trust in anyone herself. In this ALA Notable Children's Book and "Kirkus Reviews "Best Children's Book of the Year, Zoe's questing spirit leads her to uncover the wild boy's identity, lay bare a local lie, and begin to understand the true power of Henry's art. Then one decisive night, she and the boy risk everything in a reckless act of heroism.

Thoughts

9 out of 10!

I love this book! I read it in one day because I honestly couldn't put it down. It is written on a 5th grade reading level so it was not difficult to read in any stretch of the word.  

Zoe is an eleven year old girl who just lost her mother and always been one to look after and take care of herself. I have never faced as hard of a life as Zoe has but I connected with this character because the author is so detailed about what she goes through and how she thinks. 

The other feature of this book I love is that every so often throughout the story you get a stray cat's point of view about what is happening around the house. He does not seem to be too interested at first and it is quite a transformation within the cat itself.

I think people of all ages will love this book because it honestly deals with issues that everyone deals with at one point or another in their lives. This book is something that families can read together or you can simply speed through it like I did on Friday. 

The only reason why this did not get a 10 out of 10 is because it is not the kind of book I would reread. I would definitely recommend it to everyone I know though, wholeheartedly.

I would love comments on this review or any others I have done. I can't do more things you guys like without feedback and I love getting it!

Thanks for reading!

C.

Music Monday 11.25.13

Hello Lovelies!

So today is a very busy day for me so this is going to be a very short post. I have been listening to so much new music lately. I shared so much with you guys last week I'm going to keep this one on the shorter side and bring my obsession down to 5. 

In no particular order...

1. Not Your Cinderella by Payton Rae
2. La Da Dee by Cody Simpson
3. Radioactive cover by Justin Robinett
4. Rock Me by One Direction
5. Better Than Me by Hinder

That's what I've been listening to for the past week. I have tried not to duplicate songs I've given in my top 5 before but I'm only human. 

Let me know what you've been listening to!

Thanks for reading!

C.

Ready for the Weekend? 11.22.13

Hello Lovelies!

This is going to be a very short post because I have no time to read this weekend but I wanted to send out good vibes to all of you! I am approaching the end of the semester and as any college student knows - the pressure is on!

So this is going to be super quick to get us through the weekend.

Book Wish!

If I had the time to read this weekend...

I have started this book but have had no time to finish it. It may be my first book to read when break finally arrives.

Top 5!

5. I can see the end of the semester!

4. One day stands between me and Thanksgiving break!

3. Field trip with my students today!

2. Catching Fire is coming out today!!

1. Doctor Who 50th anniversary special is on tomorrow!!! 

(can you tell I'm excited?)

Alright guys, I will see you all on Monday when, hopefully, I will be less stressed than I am now!

Leave me a comment telling me what you'll be reading this weekend.

Thanks for reading!

C.

Sick days....

Hello Lovelies!

So I have been sick in the bed since Saturday and I have been watching Netflix like it's my job and that is about it. I want to be in a reading mood. But the truth is, I'm not. Well let's be honest, I'm not in a reading for the first time mood. I have been rereading books lately because I am honestly stuck in a rut as far as books go. I cannot for the life of me pick a new book to get sucked into. I have tons of book sitting patiently on my shelves waiting to be read and I cannot pick one. 

I hate when I get into these ruts. I am actually getting tired of my go to books which is scaring me just a little because I honestly will have NOTHING to read if they get stale. So I thought instead of a review I will tell you what I've been reading while sick in bed the past week (well almost week). 

These are my go to romance books and I love them to pieces. 

To my wonderful surprise I have reviewed every one of these books! The link is attached to the picture so just click on the cover and it will take you to the review. 

I have read all of these books books more than twice each and I love them all. They give me that giddy feeling when something goes right and that sinking pit in my stomach when something goes wrong. I love books that do this because it makes me as the reader feel more involved in the story. Four out of these six books I have on my Kindle and I don't think I paid more than five dollars for each of them. 

I would love for you all to leave me a comment telling me what your go to read is because like I said I am seriously lacking on new reads.

Thanks for reading!

C.

Music Monday 11.18.13

Hello Lovelies!

It's been a long time since I've done a Music Monday and I have been loving a LOT of new music. This may actually be an extended post because I don't think I could choose just 5. Let's get started!

This is going to go in no particular order, except the first one, because I honestly have no idea.

1. It Girl cover by Michael and Justin

2. If I'm Gonna Fall in Love by Rocket to the Moon

3. She is Love by Parachute (acoustic version)

4. Baby I by Ariana Grande

5. Nothing Left to Hide by Hot Chelle Rae

6. Dance with Me Tonight by Olly Murs

7. Better Dig Two by The Band Perry

8. Sundress by Landon Austin

9. Wasting All These Tears by Cassadee Pope

10. The One That Got Away by The Civil Wars

Well this doesn't even really scratch the surface of all the new music I have gotten into lately but a lot of it is by the same artists so I would recommend going and listening to more music by all of these artists because they are all amazing.

I have been getting back into Twitter lately so go follow me! :) www.twitter.com/bookjunkie409 

Leave me a comment letting me know what you've been listening to lately! I love reading you guy's comments!

Thanks for reading!

C.

Embrace the Night - Amanda Ashley

Hello Lovelies!

I'm not going to apologize for being so absent because I've done that enough so I'm just going to jump right back in and play catch-up. New Review!

This is not a young adult book but it is one of my absolute favorite love stories. I have read it multiple times, let's go!

Goodread's Summary...

A creature doomed to wander the earth in eternal darkness, he searches the ages for someone to share the endless night of his existence, for that one woman who will recognize the man within the monster. An angel of purity and sunlight, she fears the mysterious stranger whose eyes promise endless ecstasy even as he whispers dark secrets she dares not believe. They are two people longing for fulfillment, braving the danger of a love like no other. Alone, they face desolation and despair; together, they will share undying passion, defy eternity, and embrace the night.

Thoughts...

I love this book! Gabriel is the perfect mixture of brooding and excitement. I've always loved a good vampire romance but this one takes the cake. I've read this countless times and I fall more in love with it each time. 

Gabriel meets Sarah Jane when she is a little girl and saves her from starvation. He watches her grow up from her window. Sarah Jane does not remember Gabriel bringing her to the orphanage. She is bound to a wheelchair and worries no one will ever love her. When she is almost killed in a fire Gabriel takes her home with him and heals her with blood. From this point on their romance really begins to move along. 

Sarah Jane wants more than anything to be a ballerina and Gabriel is able to give that to her. She also wants to be with Gabriel but of course his brooding self resists. 

Their story is beautiful and slightly horrifying at times because of course there can't just be a happily ever after can there? But their end is not Gabriel's end. 

Sarah Jane does not want to be a vampire, grows old and dies. Fast forward to the 1990's and Gabriel meets Sarah. She is in mourning from losing her husband and baby. Gabriel feels an instant connection with her and begins to wonder if Sarah Jane is really gone from his world.

I love when Gabriel meets Sarah. It's a very emotional part of the book and it gets to me. The way Ashley writes it comes across as a heart-stopping event that may forever change Gabriel....again. 

When I have read this book in the past (when I was a little younger), I stopped when Sarah Jane died. The portion with Sarah Jane is with Gabriel is the longer part of the book and I got very attached. The last time I read this book however, I continued to read and remembered how much I loved Sarah's part as well. It ties Gabriel's journey together very nicely and the book wouldn't be complete without it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves romance. Yes there is a vampire element, but the fundamental story of boy falls for girl is beautifully written and well worth the read.

I apologize for the amount of plot in my review portion of this post but I don't think Goodreads did a good enough job with their summary on this one so I felt like I needed to fill you guys in. 

This book may be difficult to find. The writer Amanda Ashley is actually Madeline Baker. You may have to look under her name when looking or asking for it in a bookstore.

Below is my actual copy....you can probably tell how much I love it. :)

Thanks for reading! I will try my absolute hardest to be better about posting. Please leave me a comment or just a suggestion!

C.

My Crazy Book Buying Obsession Tag!

Hello Lovelies!

 

I cannot apologize anymore for my lack of posts. Being a senior in college is not as much of a breeze as it should be. So no excuses but that this time so let's get into it!

I got this tag from Thoughts of a Book Addict and it completely explains my love for books, obsession!

 

My crazy book buying obsession 

1) Do you have an obsession with buying books?

Yes! I plead so far past guilty it's not even funny!

2) When, where and how often do you buy your books? Do you go with anyone else or just by yourself?

I don't buy books that often because I am a poor college student. When I do have the money I usually like to go to used book stores, Books-A-Million, or browse Amazon. Most of the Amazon purchases I make are for my Kindle so most of major book purchases, the books I have been pining for for a while, I don't get from Amazon because I hate waiting for it to come in the mail and I want a hard copy of them.

3) What kind of things attract you to books when browsing them? Is there a specific genre of books you automatically go and look at?

I'm ashamed to say that for me to pick up a book the cover or the title has to catch my eye unless I have been recommended it by someone. The art work on the cover usually tells a little bit about the type of story the book contains but this is not a method I would recommend because it has led me wrong.

I usually go straight to the young adult section of any book store I go into. I veer off from that section from time to time but not very often.

4) Do you prefer to buy new, used or a mixture of both?

I buy a mixture of books because I love used book stores but I can't always wait to get to my favorite book store and they don't always have the books I'm looking for so I have to get them new. I have books that are literally falling a part (more on this to come) that I still reread to this day that I don't care how torn a part they are as long as I can still read the words on the page.

5) How much are you willing to spend on books each month?

I don't give my self a limit on money for books but that's mainly because I don't usually have the money to spend on them anyway. I would rather buy books than anything else though and I will give up other things I want in order to buy books when I do have the money.

6) Have you ever gone on any ‘book-buying bans’?

No but I probably should.  :)

7) How long does it take you to get around to reading to recently bought books?

It depends on how excited I am to read them. Some books I buy look interesting but I am more excited about another book I bought the same day. It really depends on the book and what mood I'm in.

8) Do you prefer to buy a lot of shorter, cheaper books or just a few longer, more expensive ones?

Both. I'm not a snob when it comes to books that are self published by the author (which are usually the cheaper or even free books on Amazon Kindle) so I have read some crummy books in my time because the overall premise looked good. There are books I will pay more for because I have been waiting for them or because I've been looking for them for a while.

9) Anything else to say about these awesome obsessions?

I love all books. Long, short, crummy, amazing. I'll take them anyway they come (granted I may not keep them once I finish).

10) Who are you tagging?

Anyone who wants to do this tag is welcome but I would appreciate mentioning me in the intro and posting your responses back to this post so I can see them!

Leave me a comment about how much you love books!

Thanks for reading!
C.

 

Let's Play Catch-Up!

Hello Lovelies!

This has been a crazy couple of weeks!

I have officially started my senior year of college on all fronts (classes and placement in the schools) and I am just now having a little time to catch my breath and fill you guys in. I am taking 4 classes, writing a case study, and doing hours 3 days a week in an elementary school to complete my requirements for my degree. I am so busy that I haven't had much time to read. 

Unfortunately, I am also going through a period that I really don't have the desire to read. I KNOW! I can't believe it myself but it happens some times. Eventually I will find a book that will hook my in, I won't be able to put it down, and BAM! I'm addicted again. Until then, I'm focusing on school. I'm going to try keep posts up regularly but reviews may be scarce.

If you guys have any suggestions for other posts, leave me a comment and tell me all about it.

I have some ideas rolling around in my head so stay tuned for more updates.

Thanks for reading!

C.

Music Monday 8.12.13

Hello Lovelies!

I am so sorry I have been missing a lot lately. School has kicked up again and I've been having to put a lot of my time and energy into the start of my SENIOR YEAR!

Can you tell I'm excited?

Thank you all for being understanding. Now on with the countdown!

5. More Like Her - Miranda Lambert

4. Crash My Party - Luke Bryan

3. Half of My Heart (cover) - Michael Henry and Justin Robinett

2.Blue Jeans - Jesse James (This is my guilty pleasure song! I listen to it on repeat (: )

1.Kiss You Inside Out - Hedley  (I absolutely adore this song! I listen to it constantly and the video is adorable!)

There you go guys! I am going to try to have more posts this week but the kids start school tomorrow so I have a feeling it's going to be swamped. 

Leave me a comment telling me what you did over the summer. :) (I had school :/)

Thanks for reading!

C.

To Meet You Again - Hayley Nelson

Hello Lovelies!

I know I have been slacking on book reviews lately but now I'm back with a brand new one. I just got this book recently and finished it last night.

Goodreads Summary...

A couple of years ago, Ruby Balbacois and Don Vernal shared a moment together. Sadly for Ruby there was no follow-through. But this Valentine’s Day she has the unique opportunity to fight for the relationship she never had the chance to explore, under very strange circumstances, and with the resistance of her best friend, Angelo de Laurentiis.

 4 out of 10.

Thoughts

This book was a let down for me. It sounds like a good concept in the summary and I was excited to read it but as I got further into it I realized that it was very poorly developed. Ruby is cynical about Valentine's Day in a way that is a little disheartening to say the least.

Her moment with Don was not electric enough for me to think the author should have based an entire book on it, especially not basing it two years later. Ruby does not have the qualities that a reader can fall in love with and the author does nothing to redeem her as the story goes on.

Don is a jerk. Not that it's surprising that he is but it needs to be said. He pretends to be with Ruby to make his ex-girlfriend jealous. It is also not a believable situation because one day he pretends to be with Ruby for the first time and the next day he and his ex are making out in the hallway. 

The only thing I found redeeming about this book was Angelo. He is sweet and caring and he's in love with Ruby. He has the wit and sense of humor that got me through this book. He and Ruby are great together and their relationship made me laugh.

The last nail in coffin however was at the end of the book Ruby can't and won't tell Angelo she has feelings for him even though she does. The book simply ends not resolving this situation and leaves the reader wondering with no hope for a sequel.

The book was very short. Too short to explain anything and really get a reader to fall in love with the characters. 

Overall I did not like this book and I don't think I will be reading any more books by Nelson.

Leave me a comment letting me know if you've read this book.

Thanks for reading!

C.

Music Monday 7.22.13

Hello Lovelies!

This week has been FULL of good music! I heard a bunch of new songs and I'm going to do something a little different and tell you all about something that didn't hit my top 5. I'm telling you about it because I love it but I can't listen to it 40 times in a row.

The Piano Guys on Youtube! 

I'm posting the video below because it is my favorite but they're all fabulous!

I was introduced to them by a friend of mine and am in love! Enjoy and head over to their page to hear more!

Now onto the countdown!

5. If I Had You - Adam Lambert

4. Beautiful Mess - Diamond Rio

3. I Drive Your Truck - Lee Brice

2. This Kiss - Carly Rae Jepson

1. Haven't Had Enough - Marianas Trench

Leave me a comment! I love reading them!

I'll leave you all with a video that is hilarious by The Piano Guys (I know, I'm obsessed!).

Thanks for reading!

C.

Amazon Book Haul! 4.20.13

Hello Lovelies!

So I went a little crazy on Amazon today looking for new books and found 5 new ones I can't wait to read.

I have a Kindle Touch and I love it! I have played around with a Kindle Fire but I like my Kindle Touch better to read with because you can still read it in the sun and the battery lasts for days of continual use.

On with the haul!

All these books are free (the Kindle edition) as of today (because I am broke!).

 

 

The only book I did not immediately want to get upon reading the tag was My Boyfriend Merlin. I had to read the first chapter before I was hooked. It didn't take long which is usually the sign of a good read.  

All of these books sound completely amazing and I have no idea which one I'm going to read first. I'm just glad I found some that I am really excited about reading even with my non budget.

I just want to put it out there that I was not gifted any of the items I talked about in this blog and I am not affiliated with Amazon.com in any way.

I hope you will take a look at these books and maybe read a few. Leave me a comment! I try to respond to every one.

Thanks for reading!

C.

Ready for the Weekend? 7.19.13

Hello Lovelies!

I skipped last week's Ready for the Weekend post because of my busy weekend but I am finally back and ready to show you all what my weekend has in store.

Book to Start

I am actually between books as I write this post so I am either going to start one of the books from my recent Amazon haul (which will be up tomorrow) or this!

Book Wish!

I want this book so badly!!

I can't wait to start my next John Green book!

Blog of the Week

I have already mentioned this blog in an earlier post this week but I had to tell you all about it again! I love this blog. 

Top 5!

5. Met some amazing new people last weekend and saw some old friends!

4. I passed my state test and am officially a certified teacher!

3. Hearing some new music! (I'll tell you all about it on Music Monday)

2. Only one more week of summer classes!

1. Spending the weekend with my grandparents!

That is my week and weekend in a nutshell! Leave me a comment letting me know what you're going to read this weekend.

Thanks for reading!

C.

Read Across America Challenge: Nevada

Hello Lovelies!

This is my second review for my Read Across America Challenge!

Nevada is the state in which the book Crank by Ellen Hopkins is set.

9 out of 10!

Goodreads summary:

In Crank, Ellen Hopkins chronicles the turbulent and often disturbing relationship between Kristina, a character based on her own daughter, and the "monster," the highly addictive drug crystal meth, or "crank." Kristina is introduced to the drug while visiting her largely absent and ne'er-do-well father. While under the influence of the monster, Kristina discovers her sexy alter-ego, Bree: "there is no perfect daughter, / no gifted high school junior, / no Kristina Georgia Snow. / There is only Bree." Bree will do all the things good girl Kristina won't, including attracting the attention of dangerous boys who can provide her with a steady flow of crank.

Thoughts:

I loved this book. Kristina is a timid character that reminded me of myself when I read this book. It is a scary concept but Hopkins writes it in a way that the reader sees the change in Kristina happen steadily. 

Kristina comes back home from visiting her dad with an addiction to crank and begins to become a different person because of it. She does whatever she has to do to get this drug and begins to see herself on this drug as a completely different person. Bree, her alter-ego, takes over her narrative when she is on the drug. It is told as if she is no longer Kristina.  

The storyline is good by itself but the real reason I love this book is the style in which Hopkins writes it. It is an ever-changing poem that makes the story come to life in a way that a regularly written book cannot. The stanzas are not set up in a way that is consistent from page to page. I love her style of writing.

 

This book is based on Hopkin's daughter who went through a similar situation with drugs and you can tell while reading that Hopkins can relate very closely to the character she is writing about. 

It has been a while since I have read this book but it is thrilling and a book to get emotionally wrapped up in. 

I know this is a rather short review since it has been a while since I have read this book but I do highly recommend it to anyone who likes the main character to struggle through something of this magnitude. It is an excellent read and I couldn't put it down.

I will try to do a review for this challenge every week but once I run out of the books I have it may take me a while to find the others on the list so please be patient with me. 

Leave me a comment! I love them!

Thanks for reading!

C.