Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Cute Bookish Gifts

banner credit: Carlisa from Confessions of Carlisa

It's Tuesday once again, and that means it's time for another Top Ten Tuesday post!  Yes, I know this TTT post may seem late, but it's actually still Tuesday in Hawaii!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, in which bloggers reply to a particular topic with a list of their top ten responses.

This week's topic was a FREEBIE!  Here's what I chose:

1) Frostbeard Studio Candles

What can be better than BOOKISH candles?!

Yup, nothing.

2) Magnetic Poetry Kits

I am an occasional poet.  Magnetic poetry kit?

NEED.

3) Childhood Pendants

This Etsy shop sells adorable book lockets.

I don't think I can live any longer without one.

4) DesignAtelierArticle Bookends

These bookends are way too cute for their own good.

5) MyBOOKmark Bookmarks

One word:

ADORABLE.

6) CozyMilArt Felted Bookmarks

A little reading buddy!

7) Bouncing Ball Creations Page-Wrapped Pencils

These will make even homework enjoyable.

8) Craft'ed Magnetic Bookmarks

The epitome of cute.

9) OldAndCold Wooden Book Rack

A creative way to display your books!

10) For Such A Time Designs Spoon Bookmark

Who can resist adorable hand stamped creations as this one?

Well that's it for this (very late) Top Ten Tuesday post!  Thanks for reading.

(And yeah . . . if you didn't notice, I'm kind of in love with Harry Potter merch.  Who isn't though?)

I Was Here - Gayle Forman

I Was Here 
by Gayle Forman

Series: Standalone

Publication: Viking Juvenile on January 27, 2015
Format: Hardcover, 288 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Death, Realistic Fiction, Mystery

Cody and Meg were inseparable . . . until they weren't.

When her best friend, Meg, drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated.  She and Meg shared everything - so how was there no warning?  But when Cody travels to Meg's college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there's a lot Meg never told her.  About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in the dead-end town in Washington.  About Ben McCallister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, and some secrets of his own.  And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can't open - until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend's death gets thrown into question. 

Though I've only read a couple of Gayle Forman books to date, I have never been completely taken with one of Forman's books.  Out of her works I have read, however, I cannot say I Was Here was a favorite.

Recently, a very popular topic in YA has been suicide.  In just the past couple of months, I have read more than my fair share of books dealing with this heavy subject.  And although suicide is an important topic that calls for discussion and action, I think it is a bit tired out in the genre.  Reading about suicide is never fun or enjoyable for me, and so I think it's best if I lay off the subject for a while.

My main issue with the book were the characters and their relationships.  I never felt deeply connected to Cody, Meg, or Ben, and I felt their relationships between each other were not developed well or enough.  I wanted to get a better sense for Cody and Meg's "inseparable friendship" before the incident, so I could better feel for Cody and relate to her.  However, the girls' friendship was painted to the reader as if they were more strangers than friends.  Cody knew absolutely nothing about Meg's life in college or about Meg for that matter.

There was also a bit of romance between Cody and Ben, romance that I felt was unnecessary.  The entire "thing" felt very awkward and strange to me, and ultimately distracted the reader from the main storyline.  I don't say this often, but I think the book would be better off without this slight touch of romance.

A lot went unexplained, unexplored, and unanswered, but I guess that's the whole point: there's not always a reason or an answer to uncover.  People sometimes act in ways you'll never be able to quite understand.

I do like the final note the book left off on, though.  Cody found the closure she was searching for and said goodbye to Meg in a beautiful way.

I Was Here is another sad but beautiful novel from New York Times Bestselling Author Gayle Forman.

99 Days - Katie Cotugno

99 Days
by Katie Cotugno
Series: Standalone
Publication: HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray on April 21, 2015
Format: Hardcover, 376 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction

Jacket copy:

Day 1: Julia Donnelly eggs my house my first night back in Star Lake, and that's how I know everyone still remembers everything - how I destroyed my relationship with Patrick the night everything happened with his brother, Gabe.  How I wrecked their whole family.  Now I'm serving out my summer like a jail sentence: Just ninety-nine days till I can leave for college and be done.

Day 4: A nasty note on my windshield makes it clear Julia isn't finished.  I'm expecting a fight when someone taps me on the shoulder, but it's just Gabe, home from college and actually happy to see me.  "For what it's worth, Molly Barlow," he says, "I'm really glad you're back."

Day 12: Gabe got me to come to this party and I'm actually having fun.  I think he's about to kiss me - and that's when I see Patrick.  My Patrick, who's supposed to be clear across the country.  My Patrick, who's never going to forgive me.

Eighty-seven days of summer to go, and history is repeating itself.  The last thing I want is to come between the Donnelly brothers again . . . but the truth is, the Donnellys stole my heart a long time ago.

After hearing so much mixed feedback from readers of 99 Days by Katie Cotugno, I knew I had to get a copy to quell my curiosity and pick sides.

And?

I honestly cannot fathom the opposite side of the spectrum: the extreme praise.  I don't understand why certain readers love the book so much, as, quite frankly, I didn't . . . not so much.

The writing itself, Katie Cotugno's craft, is okay.  It's quite good actually.  Under different circumstances, I do think I would enjoy another work of Cotugno's more.  The book was interesting enough to get into, and although at times I was tempted to stop reading, I couldn't.  Cotugno knows how to keep the reader stringed along until the end.

What I didn't like was the story itself.  And at times, the characters.  If a reader finds both the storyline and the characters unbearable, well, that can never be a good combination.

The reader is introduced to Molly on day one of her being back in town for the summer.  You soon find out that things got messy between Molly and the Donnellys the last time she was in Star Lake.  So, as you can imagine, Molly isn't too thrilled about her homecoming - not in the least.  Throughout the summer, Molly constantly has to live out her "jail time."  Though there are two people at fault for went went down, only Molly's being slapped on the label of the "town slut."  As a reader, I found this extremely frustrating, as it took the entire book for people to realize, "Hey! Maybe it's not ONLY Molly's fault!"  

And as for the main character, Molly Barlow, she's really something.  Like the situation at hand, Molly is also downright frustrating.  I felt as if she learned nothing from page one to the final page.  Take heed of the jacket copy: "...and history is repeating itself."  Yeah, seriously, though.  It is.  Even though Molly's being viciously attacked, she decides to go ahead and continue doing what she was slammed with in the first place.

I felt as if NOTHING REALLY HAPPENED in 99 days.  Molly, the Donnellys, the whole town of Star Lake is just chasing each other around in circles.

Yet at the end of the book, I couldn't bring myself to absolutely hate it, as there were a few redeeming qualities.  Like I said, Katie Cotugno really knows how to string readers along and (take my review for example), stir up emotion in you.

Top Ten Tuesday: [Seven] Authors I'd Love To Meet

banner credit: Carlisa from Confessions of Carlisa

Happy, happy Tuesday to all my bookish blog friends!  This week, I've decided to join in on the Top Ten Tuesday fun.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, in which bloggers reply to a particular topic with a list of their top ten responses.

This week's topic:



However, I will be tweaking the topic just a bit to SEVEN authors I'd love to meet, simply because I don't have ten at the moment.  If I'd really wanted to, I could probably manage to add three more authors I'm somewhat fond of, however then, the list wouldn't be as genuine.  So seven authors it is!

(Yes, I can count, thank you very much.)

And now, without further ado, my chosen seven authors!

1) For number one on my list, Mrs. Joanne Rowling herself.  I know she made the top slot of many other book bloggers' lists this week as well, and rightfully so.  Honestly, this woman is amazing, and her writing is amazing.  Her Harry Potter books are so well thought out, well written, whimsical, and creative.  You can tell by reading just how much thought and care went into each and every Harry Potter book.  It's hard to believe one woman was able to create such a vivid world in words!

If I ever had the chance to meet one celebrity, time and time again, without a doubt, I would pick J.K. Rowling.  She's just such a fascinating person, and I think more than anything, I would love to get some writing advice from her.

2) I've loved every single one of Jessi's books.  Her writing gets you in the heart every time.  Jessi honestly just seems like such a vivacious, sweet, loving person - someone you would love to meet and chat with!

3) Like Jessi Kirby, I've also loved all of Morgan Matson's books.  I love her craft: the way she styles together her stories and creates such real characters you can't help but fall in love with.

4) Jenny just seems so quirky and fun!  Who wouldn't want to meet her?

                

5) I absolutely loved Melissa Kantor's Maybe One Day.  It would be awesome to meet the author behind the story!6) If you read my recent review on Kasie's newest release, The Fill-In Boyfriend, you know just how much I love her books.  I would love to meet her.

7) It's no secret that Sarah Ockler can write.  Two of my favorite Sarah Ockler books are Twenty Boy Summer and Bittersweet.  I'm hoping to add another favorite to the list when her June 2015 release, The Summer of Chasing Mermaids, arrives in stores!

And that's the list!  What authors would you like to meet?  Do our lists overlap?

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Vanishing Girls - Lauren Oliver

Vanishing Girls

by Lauren Oliver

Series: Standalone

Publication: HarperCollins on March 10, 2015

Format: Hardcover, 368 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Jacket copy:

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before - before Dara kissed Parker, before Nick lost him as her best friend, before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred.  Now the two sisters, who used to be so close, aren't speaking.  In an instant, Nick lost everything and is determined to use the summer to get it all back.

But Dara has other plans.  When she vanishes on her birthday, Nick things Dara is just playing around.  But another girl has vanished, too - nine-year-old Madeline Snow - and as Nick pursues her sister, she becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances may be linked.

I've read my fair share of Lauren Oliver books over the years, and though written well, none were quite able to convert me into a Lauren Oliver fan.  When I heard news of her newest 2015 release, Vanishing Girls, I checked it out in hopes it would be one to turn the tables.

As I feel is the case in many Lauren Oliver books, Vanishing Girls is also one with frequent POV shifts.  From chapter to chapter, the reader jumps back and forth between the perspectives of the two Warren sisters, Dara and Nick.  I personally am not the biggest fan of such frequent POV shifts, but in this case, the changes in perspective were definitely necessary to build up the main storyline.  Besides the POV shifts, occasional photos, diary entries, and blog posts are also interlaced throughout the story to aid the narrative.

I did feel as if certain portions of the story were lacking and simply not followed through or developed enough.  Certain events seemed to happen so abruptly with no build-up whatsoever, as if Lauren Oliver was randomly pulling slips of paper with events written on them out of a hat.  (However, I won't go into specifics so as to allow prospective readers their own fair opportunity to draw individual judgement.)

If you're an impatient reader, be forewarned: the supposed main storyline, the "disappearance" of Dara only takes place a little ways after the halfway point of the story.  Personally, I didn't have much of a problem with this, as Lauren Oliver still managed to keep the events prior interesting and engaging to the reader.  And if you continue reading on, you'll soon understand why the book is written in such a way.

Although many readers said they were not taken by surprise with the big jaw-dropper of the story, I was.  Perhaps I was not able to foresee the jaw-dropper due to the fact I rarely read psychological thrillers, but there was a specific point in the story when I became extremely, utterly confused.  And this is the point when certain things begin to click into place, and others, begin to fall apart.  

Vanishing Girls is a book you'll need to flip through a second time simply to understand, to see.  And though it took me some time after, I was able to make sense of everything.  Clues that were not-so-obvious to me prior, stood out in bold, flashing letters when skimmed over a second time.

Read with this in mind: things can be read in different ways.  Though Vanishing Girls was not quite my cup of tea, I still enjoyed this newest release from Lauren Oliver.

The Fill-In Boyfriend - Kasie West

The Fill-In Boyfriend

by Kasie West

Series: Standalone

Publication: HarperCollins, HarperTeen on May 5, 2015

Format: Paperback, 352 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Friendship

Jacket copy:

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast.  After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now.  This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed.  So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help.  The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend - two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.  After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about but the stand-in.  The one whose name she doesn't even know.  But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship.  Gia owes him a favor, and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party - three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her newfound relationship.

Okay.

It's official.

Kasie West is crazy.

A crazy amazing author.

Everyone, she's done it once again.  Kasie West has written yet another practically flawless, unputdownable YA contemporary romance that you need ASAP on your own bookshelf.

For weeks I've been eagerly awaiting this day, May 5, simply for the fact that Kasie's newest contemporary, The Fill-In Boyfriend, would be released in stores.  Oh my, let me tell you: this book was worth the wait.  After school, I hurried off to Barnes & Noble just to receive my own copy.

And after reading The Fill-In Boyfriend from cover to cover, it's been confirmed: fans of Kasie West will not be disappointed.  (Does she ever disappoint, though?)

From page one, the reader is whisked off into Gia's realm at the start of everything - the start of a whole lot of problems and the start of new beginnings, too.  We find our beloved main character in her prom dress, in the prom parking lot, breaking up with her then-boyfriend, Bradley.  Yup, not too pretty.  The problem is, Gia needs to show up with Bradley to prove, once and for all, she wasn't lying all these many months leading up to the event.  Not to worry, quick-on-her-feet-Gia sees the solution to her woes and enlists the help of Fill-In Bradley all while in the parking lot, still in her prom dress and heels.

Thus, my friends, is how it all begins.  Thus, my friends, is the moment we are introduced to Fill-In Bradley, and as Gia only later learns, his real name, Hayden.

I absolutely love how Kasie West can so expertly build up a budding romance between two characters over the course of just one 300-or-so page story.  And the best part?  Nothing feels rushed.  Kasie West always, always takes her time, ever-so-careful with dialogue, situations, actions, and feelings between her characters.  Everything feels so genuine and so real.  I love it.  I loved it so much, in fact, I just had to write this review immediately after closing the cover.

And perhaps from reading the jacket copy, prospective readers will be turned-off by the "fluffy," somewhat cheesy sounding summary.  If you're, shall I say, on the fence (only some people will get this), make the choice to give The Fill-In Boyfriend a try.  Heck, not only this read, but Kasie's other written works as well.  The cover and the summary may suggest a simple, shallow story, but Kasie West always delves further, always delivering what we, as the reader, so very much crave.  

If you want a cute contemporary, read this book.  If you want a funny contemporary, read this book.  If you want a heartwarming contemporary, read this book.  Point being?  This book has bits of everything and caters to all.  Basically, read this book.

Everyone says this, but seriously?  I laughed.  I smiled like an idiot.  I felt that unmistakable aching in my chest as I felt for Gia.  I couldn't seem to stop turning the pages.  I wanted more.

I have no regrets whatsoever rushing off to the bookstore after school today.  The much awaited newest contemporary from Kasie West, The Fill-In Boyfriend, delivers.  

But then again, I'm sure that much is obvious from my rave review.

The Ghosts of Heaven - Marcus Sedgwick

The Ghosts of Heaven

by Marcus Sedgwick

Series: Standalone

Publication: Roaring Book Press on January 6, 2015

Format: Hardcover, 336 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Time Travel

Jacket copy:

The spiral dance.

The spinning top in her brother's hands.

The waterwheel.

The carving under the water.

The rope at her neck.

Timeless, beautiful, and haunting, spirals connect the four episodes of this mesmerizing novel from Printz Award winner Marcus Sedgwick.  They are there in prehistory, when a girl picks up a charred stick and makes the first written signs; there tens of centuries later, hiding in the treacherous waters of Golden Beck that take Anna, who people call a witch; there in the halls of a Long Island hospital at the beginning of the twentieth century, where a mad poet watches the ocean and knows the horrors it hides; and there in the far future, as an astronaut faces his destiny on the first spaceship sent from earth to colonize another world.  Each of the characters in these mysterious linked stories embarks on a journey of discovery and survival; carried forward through the spiral of time, none will return to the same place.

What to say about this book?

I don't even know.

I'm not quite certain what compelled me in the first place to give this book a try, as Ghosts of Heaven is definitely not my usual reading selection.  However, after reading, I do suppose I'm happy I stuck through the 360 pages, reading on to the end.

Ghosts of Heaven is split up into four extremely different short stories, all written in extremely different styles of writing, all taking place at four extremely different times in history.  What connects the four stories together however, is a shape, a coil, a never ending curvature, the simplest of all forms that connects us to the past, present, and future: the spiral.

As the reader journeys on through different lives, different stories, and different times, the mystery of the spiral is slowly unraveled as Marcus Sedgwick forces us to think, to ponder about this one form and how it somehow in some way connects everything.

I usually am not a fan of books split up in such a way, however, I do think in this special case, the four short stories could work together as a whole.

QUARTER ONE: Whispers in the Dark

Set in prehistoric times.  Written in free verse.  A story of a girl and her tribe journeying, venturing, hunting, "making magic," writing.  Spirals are most apparent in this opening quarter: the spiraling fronds of ferns, the spiraling shells of snails, the coil of the snake, the flying formation of the falcon.

In my opinion, Whispers in the Dark was the most difficult to love.  Perhaps it may be attributed to the free verse, or for the strange ways of these ancient people, or maybe, for another, unknown reason.  As I found to be true with the other three quarters, the story improves and intrigues more as it progresses.

QUARTER TWO: The Witch in the Water

Set in historic England.  Written as per usual.  The story of a girl, Anna Tunstall, wrongly accused of witchcraft, perhaps dealt the wrong cards of heaven.  Person after person, supposed friends, lovers, neighbors, all, one-by-one, turn against Anna as "evidence" piles up against her.

The Witch in the Water was by far my favorite of the four.  It was a bit easier to immerse myself into this second quarter as I was used to the familiar writing style.

QUARTER THREE: The Easiest Room in Hell

1920s America.  An asylum overlooking the sea.  Written similarly to "diary-type" entries.  Intriguing.  A doctor, Doctor James, meets a crazed poet with the most unusual fear for the spiral form.

This quarter piqued my interest as, like Doctor James, I wanted, needed to find out the answer to the mystery of the spiral, and why it haunted the poet so.

QUARTER FOUR: The Song of Destiny

The future.  A spaceship spiraling towards New Earth with 500 "Longsleep" occupants on board dying mysteriously as the decades pass by overnight . . . first six . . . then one . . . then eight . . .

My second favorite of the four.  It reminded me very similarly to that of Interstellar.

All in all, Ghosts of Heaven was intriguing, though written unalike many other YA reads.  However interesting, it was difficult to understand, process, connect, and rather unfortunately, was not quite my taste.  Marcus Sedgwick does not give answers, but instead, leaves the reader foraging on their own journey to discover the mysterious secrets of space, time, and the universe: the secret of the spiral.

What's Peachy? A Quick Update! +A Saturday Pick

Well, it's Sunday.  Just one more beautiful day of the weekend before it's back to school and work.

I thought I'd give a quick update about what I'm up to and such.  I've been meaning to write and post a couple of book reviews this weekend, but with my schedule at the moment, it doesn't look feasible.  I'm glad to say, however, after tomorrow, a lot more free time will be opened in my schedule as my AP exams will be over.  So look forward to new book posts!

Here's me very casually taking my own photo in the mirror outside.

Yesterday after my piano lesson, my mother and I went to Ala Moana (the mall) for lunch and shopping.  I suppose this has become something of our "usual Saturday ritual."  Of course, the first store I had to hit up was . . . can you guess?

Yup, Barnes and Noble.

That wasn't a very hard trivia question, was it?  I'm sure that's answer speaks for the majority of book lovers out there. 

Anyways, like on many a Saturday, I picked out a new read to add to my bookshelf: 99 Days by Katie Cotugno.  I've been hearing so much response from other book blogs that I just had to get my own copy to read.  Though I was supposed to be studying yesterday, well . . . I'm sure you can see where this is going.  Let's just say I'll be reviewing 99 Days in the days to follow.

And since I so often pick out a new read from the bookstore on Saturdays, I thought this could be something of a series on the blog: My Saturday Pick!  Here's this week's:

99 Days by Katie Cotugno

Ahh, this book is so pretty.  I think I'm currently in love.

Well, have a great week, everyone!  It's back to studying for me.  

(Stop procrastinating, Julia!)

Better Than Perfect - Melissa Kantor

Better Than Perfect

by Melissa Kantor

Series: Standalone

Publication: HarperTeen on February 17, 2015

Format: Hardcover, 336 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Family

Jacket copy:

Juliet Newman has it all.  A picture-perfect family; a handsome, loving boyfriend; and a foolproof life plan: ace her SATs, get accepted into Harvard early action, and live happily ever after.

But when her dad moves out and her mom loses it, Juliet begins questioning the rules she's always lived by.  Suddenly it's difficult for her to remember why she cared so much about rocking Latin exams or snagging elite internships . . . or if her family was ever as happy as she thought they were.  And then there's Declan, the gorgeous boy who makes her feel alive and spontaneous - and who's totally off-limits.

Torn between the life she always thought she wanted and one she never knew was possible, Juliet begins to wonder: What if perfect isn't all it's cracked up to be?

After reading Melissa Kantor's Maybe One Day last year, I was eagerly awaiting her next title, Better Than Perfect.  Once again, the public library came to my rescue, and I found Kantor's newest release waiting patiently for me on the library's "new book" shelf!

Let me start off by saying I know a lot of people didn't particularly like or enjoy this book.  I however, much to the contrary, did.  Other reviewers said they couldn't relate to the main character and her sometimes very impulsive, rash decisions.  Others said they hated the slow pace of the story.  And others just simply couldn't stand the main characters, as they were sometimes annoying to the reader.

I'm not going to completely disagree with all of those claims.  Juliet was quite honestly, your typical high school overachiever.  She was extremely rash in certain circumstances, and as a reader, her impulsiveness caught me off guard at first, making me blink twice and having to reread the page.  I also felt at first, it was a bit difficult to get perfectly comfortable with the book and fall into the story.  However, as I continued reading on, I definitely fell into the storyline and craved each page.

And unlike a number of others, I could relate to Juliet.  Besides the two of us having quite similar names, I also feel as if I am, like Juliet, on the "overachiever" side, always striving, always wanting perfection.  For this reason, I loved reading about Juliet's story.  Though I am only a high school sophomore, I can completely relate to her SAT woes, her having to maintain her grades in school, and then, having to juggle everything else life unkindly throws at you.  Since I could relate to the main character on such a better level, it undoubtedly contributed to how I felt about the story.

Oh, and I love Melissa Kantor's writing.  I do.  Like Maybe One Day, her true gift with words was showcased in Better Than Perfect.  She can make you laugh, she can make you cry, she can make you want even more of her writing.  

The ending was perfect in my opinion.  Better than perfect.  Melissa Kantor is always able to nail the very last page, the very last sentence.  And she did.  She has once again.

I don't know why this book is receiving such low ratings.  I quite obviously disagree.  

Read this book.  It's another Melissa Kantor novel you can't live without.