IF I STAY.

I read this book overnight and found it to be really beautifully written and touching. It was ironic because I had just finished "Charlie St. Cloud" not too long ago and some of the themes in the storyline were similar. It is also not unlike "Before I Fall" by Lauren Oliver. Both stories are very heartbreaking in that they are intertwined with loss, guilt and pain. They are also very reflective when recounting flashback stories. I really loved that although this book had a very sad main plot, it was lightened by a lot of witty remarks. I also loved how music was a very prominent theme throughout the book and you can tell that the author is very well-educated on the subject (bands like Nirvana, The Smiths and The Clash are mentioned).

Ultimately If I Stay is a story about how a 17 y/o girl named Mia gets into a car accident with her family and in the shock of it all ends up being trapped in an "in between," similar to a limbo. She sees all the things that go on around her as her body is transported (still alive, but barely clinging to life) from the accident site to the hospital, surgery and finally the ICU where she is left to recover whilst in a coma. She finds that her parents were killed on impact and that somewhere in another hospital her little brother is also fighting to stay alive. As the story progresses you learn more about Mia and her family (grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins), best friend Kim and boyfriend Adam. One of the nurses tending to her makes a comment about how it is her decision to come back or not. She could decide to go on and be with her family or learn to live without them. But amidst all the chaos and surgeries and breakdowns Mia has to make the ultimate choice; should she stay?

THE CARRIE DIARIES.

The latest book I've added to my personal library is The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell (author of Sex & the City). This book, which seems to be the first in a new series by said author, chronicles Carrie Bradshaw's senior year of high school before her big move to New York. She's got great friends, a new and exciting boyfriend, and a love of writing. We find out a little bit more about Carrie's family than we do on the show and much more about how she became a serious and talented writer, author and columnist. A lot of drama unfolds within her new relationship with her boyfriend Sebastian, a guy she's had a crush on since she was a kid, when she steals him away from Donna LaDonna who is a cheerleader, and also happens to be the most popular girl and Queen Bee of Castlebury High School, thus creating an arch-nemesis for herself. Fans might be a little disappointed that this isn't the strong-willed, fierce and fabulous Carrie from the show but it's nice to see how an insecure, young woman faced with a broken family, untrustworthy relationship and a backstabbing best friend became the Carrie Bradshaw we all know and love. Quick and easy read!!

*SPOILER: We find out how Carrie eventually meets Samantha in this novel.

Check out my review of The Carrie Diaries and other books at good reads.

CHARLIE ST. CLOUD.

Just finished reading Charlie St. Cloud. I could NOT put the book down. Even watching tv I would pick it back up and read during the commercials. It is easily one of my favorite books. I thought the twists in the plot made it interesting and it didn't at all feel like it lagged at any point. The one thing that did throw me off *SPOILER* was the "Sixth Sense" spin that was thrown in there. I was not at all expecting that!! But it turned out to be a really great ending and I hope the film lives up to the book.

*Also I like how the "afterward" (sort of like an epilogue) at the end of the book filled in the blanks of what happened after the story ended.

MI character cameo in RED GLOVE?

I tweeted to Cassandra Clare and Holly Black that I really enjoyed Jace's cameo in White Cat. Cassie Clare responded in saying that there is an even funnier reference in Red Glove which is the sequel to White Cat!! Not sure if the reference is still Jace versus another MI character but my guess is it is since Cassel mentioned that Jace was someone who was from his dorm. Can't wait to Read it!! Also I wanted to know if cover art was finished for the sequel and Holly Black confirmed that the cover art for Red Glove is almost complete!! =)

WHITE CAT.

I finally got back into the swing of reading books within days. It had been a while since I had time to read. So, a couple days I posted that I just finished "The Magicians" by Lev Grossman. I have a stack of books I've been dying to get around to and I've just finished "White Cat" by Holly Black. I know I must have been living under a rock because believe it or not this is my first Holly Black novel. I have to say... I absolutely loved it! It was suspenseful, thrilling and exciting. It shocked me in the beginning when you find out a little bit of the main character's background and then the plots spiral into a mess of problems after that.

The story is about a young man named Cassel Sharpe who comes from a family of curse workers. Curse workers are people who have the power to control your emotions, your luck, your memories and even your death. All they have to do is touch you. All curse workers are considered criminals because curse work is illegal. Even though Cassel comes from a family of workers, he isn't one and therefore feels like an outsider in his own family. He's just a normal teenager in high school, with one exception... he killed his best friend when he was just 14.
After years of trying to forget and trying to fit in, Cassel's problems start when he finds himself sleepwalking and having dreams about a white cat that's trying to tell him something. Also his two brothers seem to be hiding something from him and he guesses that he's part of a huge con game. The only person he has to talk to is his grandad since his mom is in jail for getting caught working. Secrets start to unravel along with his past and he finds out who it is he can really trust and the truth about the murder he committed 3 years ago.

"Red Glove" and "Black Heart" the 1st and 2nd sequel to "White Cat" will be released May 2011 and May 2012 respectively.

*trivia: Jace (from the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare) makes a slight cameo in the book. :)

THE MAGICIANS.

So I just finished reading "The Magicians" by Lev Grossman. It took me a while to read because when I started I was still in school and midterms and finals crept up on me so I had to put it on pause for TWO months. But I finally got around to finishing it and I have to say I was was mildly surprised. The book has a very "Narnia-esque" feel to it and also references both Narnia and Harry Potter. Even though it does reference books more suitable for children, it has some very dark and adult themes. What most reviews have said is that it's the adult version of Harry Potter and I don't disagree with that. The middle lags a bit but the ending was very well written and keeps your attention.

The basic premise of the book is that a a young man named Quentin kind of feels out of place with his friends in his home town of Brooklyn. He has some-what of an unhealthy obsession with a series of children's books (not unlike Harry Potter) that take place in a magical land called Fillory. Quentin ends up being invited to join a very prestigious private college called Brakebills that he soon finds out is a school of magic (hello Hogwarts!). Things take a turn when he finds out that Fillory is actually a real place with real dangers and he has to decide which life is the real life for him; the real world or this magical and somewhat cynical world called Fillory.

Other books I've read this year that I highly recommend:

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanna Collins
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Water For Elephants by Sarah Gruen

DARK FANTASY YA BOOK GIVEAWAY!!

Another book giveaway by blogger Alexandra Shostak! I envy people with the ability to make up their own giveaways with AWESOME prizes!!!! :) Some of the prizes include an ARC of "Clockwork Angel" by Cassandra Clare and a signed cover of "White Cat" by Holly Black (among others). I ADORE Cassandra Clare and would DIE to get an ARC of Clockwork Angel.. *and IF I had a cat i'm sure he/she would love for me to win a copy! ;) Also I'm a college student, and it's the summer so I have no classes until next month. So I can't risk waiting for Clockwork Angel to come out because I'll be in school then, and I'll end up reading Clockwork Angel instead of studying and then I'll flunk out of College my LAST year. Just sayin...


*CHECK OUT DETAILS FOR THE GIVEAWAY
HERE!!

80's BABIES!!

Just thought some of you would like to reminisce! :)

Check out Fashion Fads of the past HERE.

NEW WAVE.

LOVE the bossa nova stuff and came across a french band called Nouvelle Vague. They. Are. LOVE! They have a cover of "Bizarre Love Triangle" that I adore!! check them out HERE. Or you can check the video below! =) Happy listening audiophiles!

SUGAR AND SPICE...

and everything NICE.




The Hills series finale aired today so I thought I'd share a little info about LC's books!

Lauren Conrad's 3rd book from the "LA Candy" series entitled "Sugar and Spice" is coming out this October! I thought that it wasn't going to be released until next March but Amazon has it coming out on Oct. 5th (pre-order from Amazon here) But I also see that she's coming out with a Style Guide as well. Being a fan of "The Hills" and her laid-back style, I might look into this. =) [NOTE: the other two books in the series are called "LA Candy" and "Sweet Little Lies" which are both really well written and SCANDALOUS!]

Other notable books on fashion that I personally LOVE!!! Christian Siriano's "Fierce Style" is HILARIOUS! And gives really easy and simple tips on how to dress for YOU. Also pretty much any style guide by Tim Gunn because let's face it, he knows his shit! oh and BTW... newest season of Project Runway premieres on August 5th on Lifetime! (you can check out the new designers HERE)

INFERNAL DEVICES!!

LOVE books, LOVE reading, HUGE GEEK! 8) started following this blog recently because it's HILARIOUS! Doing a giveaway of the Clockwork Angel ARC (1st book of the Infernal Devices series which is the prequel series to Mortal Instruments). Anyway, great blog to read when you want reviews of YA books! LOVES!

CLICK HERE for details on the giveaway!!