Waiting On Wednesday: Almost Perfect

This week's WoW book is Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher! It will be released on October 13, 2009.

Description from Amazon:

Logan Witherspoon recently discovered that his girlfriend of three years cheated on him. But things start to look up when a new student breezes through the halls of his small-town high school. Sage Hendricks befriends Logan at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. Sage has been homeschooled for a number of years and her parents have forbidden her to date anyone, but she won’t tell Logan why. One day, Logan acts on his growing feelings for Sage. Moments later, he wishes he never had. Sage finally discloses her big secret: she’s actually a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at Sage and disowns her. But once Logan comes to terms with what happened, he reaches out to Sage in an attempt to understand her situation. But Logan has no idea how rocky the road back to friendship will be.

Whoa, whoa, whaaat!? Haha this sounds like such a unique book, I'm definitely going to read it. For some reason though this cover really bothers me how her lipstick is all smeared down her cheek...they made it look like a cold sore or something! :P RELEASED ON OCTOBER 13, 2009!

Haunted Blog Tour!

Can you believe it's already time for October!? This is going to be a great month for Books Obsession because I'm hosting my first Haunted Blog Tour! (You might have read my first post brainstorming about it.)



Halloween is about all things spooky, thrilling, and supernatural. So every day in October, I will be having a post or two for my Haunted Blog Tour. There will be a variety of things happening, and you don't want to miss this big extravaganza! It will run from October 1st to the 31st.

I will be trying my best to read and review some books in this genre - like horror, mystery, suspense, paranormal romance, etc - but there probably won't be that many. I'm super busy enough as it is and I barely ever have time to read. *tear* I might also watch some horror/thriller movies and talk about my thoughts of them. I will also be having many author interviews and guest posts from this genre with young adult authors! I'll share some freaky ghost stories - whether you believe them or not, some are really scary! There will also be some Halloween Mad Lib stories answered by a few authors and a fellow blogger or two. Since it's Halloween, I MUST talk about monsters, zombies, witches, etc. Sooo those supernatural beings will have posts dedicated all about them and their history! Lastly, what I bet most of you are waiting to hear, there will be TONS OF CONTESTS AND GIVEAWAYS!! You can win signed books, ARC's, swag, and more throughout the month, thanks to my participating awesome authors.

Here is my Haunted Blog Tour button! Please help spread the word and post on your blog, sidebar, myspace, facebook, twitter, etc. linking back to my site. (I'll tell you guys now - it will come in handy! You'll get extra entries in the contest if you re-post the button, plus it will be easier for you to check up on the HBT.)

Thanks, and Happy Halloween!

Birthday Bash - Today's the Day!

BIRTHDAY BASH COUNTDOWN: TODAY! :)

Thank you so so so much to everyone who participated and commented (authors and bloggers) during this past week's Birthday Bash! I'm so excited that today I'm finally 16 years old.

In case you didn't see one of my BB posts, here is the list:
"Birthday Girl" e-book Giveaway - 10 winners! - Ends 10/8
Interview with Janette Rallison
"Just One Wish" Giveaway - Ends 10/8
My Sweet 16 Party Plans
Interview with Mandy Hubbard

Again, thanks for the birthday wishes and comments! I love you guys - and get ready for a great month of October coming up. There will be LOTS happening... :)

*P.S. some of you might have read my post 2-3 weeks ago about how I extremely wanted Catching Fire for my b-day present.... I GOT IT! My grandparents are the best, and I'm currently reading it now. (:

Birthday Bash - Interview with Mandy Hubbard

BIRTHDAY BASH - COUNTDOWN: 1 DAY!

Today's BB post is an interview with young adult author Mandy Hubbard! Mandy has written the debut novel "Prada and Prejudice", and has two other books in the making.


Can you tell us about your own Sweet 16 party (if you had one) OR If you didn't have a Sweet 16 party, how would you have imagined it to be?

I didn’t have one. I was never one of those girls with a giant group of friends, but rather a handful of close ones. So I probably went out to eat with my family and a friend or two and kept it low key. J

What was the best thing about being 16?

The freedom of driving for the first time! I remember how amazing it was to cruise around with my friends… of course now they’ve changed the laws in my state and you have to drive solo for 6 months before you can have teenage passengers. But the day I got my license, I loaded up four people in my tiny Toyota Tercel and we cruised around. SO fun!

The worst thing?

You’re old enough for your first real job. Blech. I worked a day a week at a Chinese restaurant before this, but once I was sixteen I became a Subway slave. Yes, I became a ‘sandwich artist.’

What are some of your favorite memories of being a teenager?

That same summer that I worked at Subway was the summer I spent every spare moment at the river. I SO wish I could do that again—head down to the state park every afternoon and just lounge around or swim. Makes me nostalgic just thinking of it!

What was your first car like?

Oh, it was terrible. I bought it for $10 on a car lot. See, they were doing this special sale, where you had to choose the car you wanted and sit in it, and then at 10AM, they walked around and knocked all the prices down, and if you were the one sitting in the car, you got first stab at buying it. ONE car would be marked to $10. I arrived at 6Am with a sleeping bag, a book, and a couple donuts, and picked out the obvious $10 car—a 12 year old Toyota in a sea of shiny late model cars. It was fun and we got the car, and I drove it for about a year. It was red, two door, and had a leaky sunroof.

Remember your first high school crush or boyfriend? Care to go into details...? ;]

My first real boyfriend was the boy next door. It took him a month to kiss me and he did it by walking up to me while I was riding my horse and saying, “come here.” I leaned down and he kissed me and then said he had to go home, and I whirled my horse around and galloped off, a huge grin on my face. We broke up a few weeks later, but the memory lives on. Also, I am still friends with him!

Explain your version of the most perfect girls' night out?

Dinner and a movie! I am a total foodie. I loooove good food and think about what I’ll have for lunch while eating breakfast. It’s terrible. But it makes nights out all the more fun. If I have my 2 year old daughter with me (she IS a girl, after all) we’d probably skip the movie and go hang out at home. Otherwise I’m a sucker for romantic comedies, so I’d go see whatever the latest Rom-Com is!

Thanks so much for the interview Mandy! Readers - go check out Mandy's website or read her debut novel "Prada and Prejudice."

Birthday Bash - My Sweet 16

BIRTHDAY BASH - COUNTDOWN: 3 DAYS!

For today's BB post, I'll share a little bit about what my Sweet 16 party will be. The theme is Alice in Wonderland! I love this classic story, and the Disney movie of it, not to mention - I can't wait for the Tim Burton version coming out in March! The movie trailer is awesome, and Johnny Depp makes the most perfect Mad Hatter, I think.

I've done hours of research and googling, trying to plan the party. So far, I've filled up almost 8 pages in a notebook with just decoration ideas. Alice in Wonderland is full of so much wacky, bizarre, colorful things, that I'm going to go overboard on decorations!

I've also planned a few party games including an elaborate Scavenger Hunt, with huge twirly lollipops for the winners. Now, all I need to focus on is FOOD. I have no idea what to serve! I've seen a lot of web sites (with Alice in Wonderland party ideas) with food and cake suggestions, but I just don't know. I plan on serving dinner, cake, and a tea party with little desserts. I'd love to hear your ideas or suggestions!!

One other thing - I'm in desperate need of tea pots! As we all know, the Mad Hatter tea party is crucial to include at my party, but I don't own any tea pots. I've looked on e-bay, the dollar store, etc. but can't find any cheap ones. Help??

I'll let everyone know how the party went once it's done! I might even post some pictures? Right now it's planned for October 10th, but that might change.

Saturday Spotlight - The Lateiner Gang Book Review Spot

Saturday Spotlight is where I feature another book blogger, for you to check out! You should take a look at their site and leave a comment. (: [I got this meme from Kristen's site.]

Name(s): The Lateiner Gang (David, Mara, Lauryn, and Sami)
Age(s): combined 86! (33,33,11,9)
Blog Name: The Lateiner Gang Book Review Spot
URL: www.thelateinergangbookreviewspot.blogspot.com

Share a little bit about yourselves:
We are a family of 4 (obviously) who LOVED reading books. We used the "blogging" community to find some good books and post our opinions on other sites. We had never seen one before, so we all decided to do a "family" style book review site as a family project. From an idea, came The Lateiner Gang Book Review Spot.

How long have you been blogging and what made you want to start?

We created the site about 3 months ago, but really put up our first "real" post about 2 months ago. The idea to start a book review site was really just that, an idea. We loved to read, and discuss the books with each other. One day, Dave was playing around with blogspot.com and called us in and said, "hey guys, look what I just did". Up on the screen, was a blank web page the title at the top that read "The Lateiner Gang Book Review Spot". From there on, the rest is history.

What does your site have to offer?

First off, we try to give the site a personal touch. We want our readers to feel our different personalities as individuals as well as a family. Although some bloggers will disagree, we decided to only post reviews of books we really loved. Some bloggers do the whole rating system, but not us. Our readers know by know that if a book isn't reviewed on our site, it doesn't mean we didnt like it, but if it IS reviewed, you know that we loved it! We try to each do reviews, author and other interviews, as well as contests. We LOVE to do contests and we try to do awesome ones. Our goal is to ALWAYS have at least 1 contest running at all times. Next up, we are going to give away either an ARC or a hard cover of Suzanne Collin's "Catching Fire" and also a separate contest giving away a $200 Apple store gift card! That one will be for a special occasion and we are not so sure exactly when, but it is coming!

What are your favorite things about book blogging?

There are 2 things that we LOVE about blogging. First of all, we absolutely love when people read our reviews and comment on how they liked them, or how it helped them decide that now they were going to consider reading the book. That is an awesome feeling for us all. Second, what we love is the fact that this has become such a "family" thing that brings us all together quite often. Before we post each review or for the most part, anything on the site, we all get together and read our reviews out loud or go over our ideas together. Mainly that it the site and all of it's content's decisions are made as a family.

What are your favorite books and/or authors? What about genre in general?

Obviously a difficult question. Since there are 4 of us, we will name a few favorites each, but that doesn't mean we do not LOVE others...we just don't want your "Saturday Spotlight" to turn into the "Weekend Warrior"!

Dave- James Dashner, James Rollins (totally out of his normal genre of YA/FIC/Fantasy), "Alvor" by Laura Bingham, Scott Saveage, anything engaging really.

Mara- favorites include "The Accidental Billionaire", "The Hedge Fund Wives", "Style Smart", "LA Candy"...mixed genres but biographies like "Candyland" by Tori Spelling.

Lauryn- Thats easy....ANYTHING TWILIGHT!!! Lauryn also likes YA/FIC/Fantasy like her Dad.

Sami- "39 Clues", "Artemis Fowl", and she is open to really reading any boo that just looks cool!

Now for the fun/random questions!
If you could be any Disney character which would it be?

Lauryn- Cinderella

Sami- Tinkerbell

Dave- Goofy

Mara- Belle

What's your favorite TV show?

Lauryn and Sami- American Idol, Big Brother, Wizards of Waverly Place, Jonas, and Hannah Montana

Mara- House Husbands of Hollywood, Real Housewives, Dancing with the Stars, Cake Boss

Dave- Warehouse 13 and whatever the 3 women in his house are watching (outnumbered!)

What kind of music do you like best?

Mara and Girls- Pop

Dave- Showtunes and Oldies(50's,60's/Acapella), and again, whatever the 3 women in his house are listening to (outnumbered again!)

What is your favorite holiday?

That's easy....we love our Birthdays, all four of ours!

What are you going to be for Halloween?

The Lateiner Gang--- Is it that close already??? We don't know yet, but whatever it is has to be special because Halloween is on a Saturday this year and we are going Trick or Treating ALL DAY!


Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! Any of you who aren't followers of their site yet - what are you waiting for!?

If you would like to be featured on a Saturday Spotlight post, shoot me an email at booksobsession(at)gmail(dot)com

It doesn't matter how long you've been blogging - I'll interview anyone!

Birthday Bash - "Just One Wish" Giveaway!

CONTEST IS CLOSED, WINNER CHOSEN!

BIRTHDAY BASH - COUNTDOWN: 4 DAYS!

For today's BB post, I am excited to say it's a giveaway for the novel: Just One Wish by Janette Rallison.

Description of Book:

Seventeen-year-old Annika Truman knows about the power of positive thinking. With a little brother who has cancer, it’s all she ever hears about. And in order to help Jeremy, she will go to the ends of the earth (or at least as far as Hollywood) to help him believe he can survive his upcoming surgery. But Annika’s plan to convince Jeremy that a magic genie will grant him any wish throws her a curveball when he unexpectedly wishes that his television idol would visit him. Annika suddenly finds herself in the desperate predicament of getting access to a hunky star actor and convincing him to come home with her. Piece of cake, right? Janette Rallison’s proven talent for laugh-out-loud humor, teen romance, and deep-hearted storytelling shines in a novel that will have readers laughing and crying at the same time.

How To Enter:
-All you have to do is comment leaving your email address and tell me if you had a genie, what your 3 wishes would be!
-There are additional things you can do for extra entries. These are optional, but give you a better chance of winning.
-Please try to put all of your entries in ONE comment, it makes it easier to count them all up.

Contest Rules:
-Open to USA only!
-I'll use Random.org to pick the winner.
-Leave an email address in your comment, please! No email = No entry. Sorry, but I have to have a way to contact the winner!

Extra Entries:
+3 If you already follow my blog.
+2 Become a follower of my blog.
+3 Put on your sidebar.
+1 Each time you Twitter about this giveaway. You can do this up to 3 times. - Must leave links!
+5 Blog about this giveaway - must leave link!
+1 Enter my e-book giveaway.
+2 Comment on my interview with Janette.
+4 Go to Janette's site and tell me which book you'd like to read.

Total number of entries you can have: 22!


I'm not sure when this contest is going to end yet, it depends on how many people enter! But for now, it ends on October 21 at midnight. The winner will be chosen and posted/emailed on October 22.

Good luck! And don't forget to check back each day for the rest of the Birthday Bash posts this week! :]

Birthday Bash - Interview with Janette Rallison

Birthday Bash - Countdown: 5 days!
Today's BB post is an interview with author Janette Rallison! She has written many young adult books including: Just One Wish, My Fair Godmother, It's a Mall World After All, and How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend.

Can you tell us about your own Sweet 16 party (if you had one) OR If you didn't have a Sweet 16 party, how would you have imagined it to be?

I didn't get a Sweet 16 party. The only worse than not getting a Sweet 16 party, is not getting a Sweet 16 party because your parents are in another state looking for houses, where they will move you to right before your senior year. Yeah, that day was a lot of fun.

But if I did have one, I would have liked to hang out with my friends, my current crush (whoever that was at the time) and lots of chocolate.

What was the best thing about being 16?

I wasn't allowed to date until I was sixteen, so definitely the best thing was dating . . . followed closely by kissing. Which is perhaps why I write romances into my teen novels. I was really boy crazy at that age.

The worst thing?

I crashed into a parked car. I obviously wasn't going very fast, but it was still traumatic. I went home in tears and was stressed out about driving for awhile after that.

What are some of your favorite memories of being a teenager?

I loved the social life. I got to see my friends every day and flirt with boys. I even liked shopping because hey, school was just one big fashion show. Oh, and I could eat anything I want and not gain an ounce. If it weren't for the fact that during those teenage years I constantly felt like my ego was up on a chopping block--anyone can take a swipe at you when you're in that high school hierarchy--the teenage years would have been really great.

What was your first car like?

The family car was a brown station wagon. Really cool. Then I went to college and didn't have a car. When I married my husband, he drove a yellow Oldsmobile sedan. That's how you can tell it was true love, I married him despite the fact that he picked me up for every date in a yellow Oldsmobile sedan. Now I drive a mini van. Maybe some day I'll get that Jaguar.

Remember your first high school crush or boyfriend? Care to go into details...? ;]

I don't remember the first crush because I had so many and went through them so quickly. If the guy was cute and not obviously headed to jail, at some point I would be in love with him. This is not a good way to screen boyfriends, by the way. Luckily all the guys I dated were nice and didn't take advantage of my flakiness.

One of my old boyfriends just emailed me that he came across my old letters to him. (You remember I moved my senior year.) He said he'd send them to me. I'm afraid to read them. I'd like to pretend they were all well thought out, meaningful, and written with perfect spelling--but I'll have the proof soon that they were otherwise.

Explain your version of the most perfect girls' night out?

Hmm, how about this: Said girls go out to dinner and run into Robert Pattinson, Zach Efron, and Orlando Bloom at the restaurant. The guys are so taken with the wit and charms of the girls, that they whisk them off to Hollywood to see the premier for New Moon. (I'm sure Zach and Orlando are big Twilight fans.)

Hey, it could happen . . . at least it could happen in one of my books--in Just One Wish it sort of does happen, but in a more realistic and funny sort of way.

Thanks so much for answering my questions Janette!

*Check for tomorrow's Birthday Bash post, for a chance to win a book of hers! :)

Birthday Bash - Win a "Birthday Girl" e-book, 10 winners!

CONTEST CLOSED - WINNERS CHOSEN

BIRTHDAY BASH - COUNTDOWN: 6 DAYS!

For today's BB post, I am thrilled to announce... it's an e-book giveaway for the novel: Birthday Girl by Diane J Wright! Diane has generously offered 10 free e-books to put on your Kindle, iPhone, Blackberry, iPod Touch, Sony Reader, etc.

*Note: There is a free application to read e-books (with step-by-step instructions) to put on any of these devices, in case you don't already know how to read the electronic book. I'll provide the winners with this.

Description of Book:

Sixteen-year-old Tracey Burns has been confined to a single room for two years. One night, amid chaotic spring winds, she slips to freedom and inadvertently sets herself on a journey that takes her further away from the one thing she wants most: to find the mother who left her behind.

Determined but starkly naïve, Tracey plunges into a harsh and confusing world where she is no more than a headline, a case file, another ragged face on the side of the California highway asking for change. It's only when she stumbles upon an enclave of irrepressible epicureans tucked in the flatlands of the Mojave that she begins to uncover the truth of her world, of herself, and of her missing mother.

How To Enter:
-All you have to do is comment leaving your email address and your favorite birthday gift you've ever gotten!
-There are additional things you can do for extra entries. These are optional, but give you a better chance of winning.
-Please try to put all of your entries in ONE comment, it makes it easier to count them all up.

Contest Rules:
-Open to anyone! Since I don't have to mail the book out, instead just send you an internet link via email to get your free book, it's international!
-I'll use Random.org to pick the 10 winners.
-Leave an email address in your comment, please! No email = No entry. Sorry, but I have to have a way to contact the winners!

Extra Entries:
+3 If you already follow my blog.
+2 Become a follower of my blog.
+3 Put on your sidebar.
+1 Each time you Twitter about this giveaway. You can do this up to 3 times. - Must leave links!
+5 Blog about this giveaway - must leave link!

Total number of entries you can have: 15!


I'm not sure when this contest is going to end yet, it depends on how many people enter! But for now, it ends on October 18 at midnight. 10 winners will be chosen and posted/emailed on October 19.

Good luck! And don't forget to check back each day for the rest of the Birthday Bash posts this week! More contests to come. :]

Waiting On Wednesday: My Invented Life

This week's WoW book is My Invented Life by Laruen Bjorkman! It will be released on September 29, 2009. (My birthday!)

Description from Amazon:

With Roz and Eva everything becomes a contest—who can snag the best role in the school play, have the cutest boyfriend, pull off the craziest prank. Still, they’re as close as sisters can be. Until Eva deletes Roz from her life like so much junk e-mail for no reason that Roz understands. Now Eva hangs out with the annoyingly petite cheerleaders, and Roz fantasizes about slipping bovine growth hormone into their Gatorade. Roz has a suspicion about Eva. In turn, Eva taunts Roz with a dare, which leads to an act of total insanity. Drama geeks clamor for attention, Shakespearean insults fly, and Roz steals the show in Lauren Bjorkman’s hilarious debut novel.

This looks like a good debut novel! Interesting cover, though.. RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2009!

Birthday Bash - Introduction

BIRTHDAY BASH - COUNTDOWN: 7 DAYS!

Since some of you probably don't know - I'm turning 16 next Tuesday, September 29!! I'm soo excited because your Sweet 16 is one of the most important birthdays of your teenage years. I decided to celebrate it on my site, too, with a Birthday Bash!

Every day this week, leading up to my birthday, I'll have a Birthday Bash post. There will be interviews with some girly authors sharing stories about their own Sweet 16, a couple of contests/giveaways of cute chick books, and on the last day I'll be having my first ever big swag giveaway, just for the ladies! Because I don't want to be the only one to get presents at the end of the month... I wanna spread some love! :]

So be sure to check back here every day for the Birthday Bash post! There will be lots of prizes and fun things going on, and you don't want to miss out. Please become a follower if you aren't already, (plus you'll get bonus entries in the contests if you are!)

Thanks, and have a greatttt day! :)

Guest Post with author Samira Armin Hodges

Today I am so excited to have Samira Armin Hodges, author of the new release Milestones novel, with us for a guest post. Instead of your everyday interview, we decided to go from a different perspective!

Samira wrote a little blurb from a secondary character's point of view. Hazel Lane is not the main character in Milestones but she talks about Faye (who is) and you get to hear her inner monologue for the first and only ever time.

"Opposites don’t attract, they just learn to co-exist" : By Hazel Lane, Milestones Camper, Year 2

I don’t do nice. I don’t see the point and I really don’t care what people think of me. Truly, they should worry about what I think of them. Because I’m that girl. I have it all: the looks, the style, the money, the popularity, the friends and the smarts. You should be so lucky to roll in my crowd. I’m not even bragging. It’s a fact. I’m the one all the girls envy and the one the boys want. My name? Hazel Lane.

Did I mention I have a low threshold for B.S.? Well I do. Here are my biggest pet peeves:

• Pushovers. AKA girls who have no spine. Like. Give. Me. A. Break. Get a life and get out of mine.
• Floozies. If you change boyfriends more than I change hairdos, you are gross, have no self-respect and I don’t want to be associated with you.
• Fakers. They probably have the biggest effect on my upchuck reflex. If someone comes up to me and says, “Like hi! Omigod Hazel I just looooooooove your shoes,” I will walk away. The End.

Sure, most think of a certain “B” word when I come to mind but I don’t care. I never have and I never will. I’d rather be rude and snobbish than be a loser. I’d rather be honest and tell it straight than be a liar that can’t be trusted. If you go shopping with me, expect the truth. If it looks ugly, I’ll tell you that it looks ugly. If you want to be lied to, I’m the wrong person to ask. Personally, I expect the same courtesy from my friends. I don’t want to be lied to – I want the truth. Play it straight. That’s all I ask.

Then I met Faye Martin. I went to Camp Milestone and I came face to face with the biggest drama queen this side of the ocean. Ugh. It was too much. “Oh my God! My suitcase is heavy!”, “Oh my god, my life is so hard! I asked for salt and I got pepper!”, “Oh my god! Woe is me!”. Seriously people. My worst nightmare. A redhead who has like zero self-confidence and who pitifully pines away after this boy. How utterly pathetic. I mean, if you like a guy, just grow a pair and tell him! The worst part? Camp Milestone isn’t exactly a bustling metropolis; I was forced to actually socialize with this person. As much as I wanted to ignore her AND her raggedy converse shoes, I couldn’t. I was forced to sit there and watch her like, be. Everyday, I woke up, did my hair, put on my make-up, wore my Burberry top and my Prada shorts and had to look at the sight that was Faye Martin: hair tossed in a pony (does she even brush?), old khaki shorts and shoes that belonged on a homeless person. And then, to top it all off, I had to hear her whine all day. I’m telling you: My worst, worst, worst, nightmare.

Well, that’s how I felt at first anyway. Because things kinda changed. I can’t say how or why, but Camp Milestone isn’t exactly a “normal” camp and despite my resistance (and trust me, I resisted), I changed. Well, we all changed. I’d like to think Faye changed the most (and therefore became more palatable and tolerable). At Camp Milestone, our lives were turned upside down and as a result, we did things we never thought we would do. But I’ve said too much already. It’s all very hush-hush. Sorry. If you’re not part of the clan, you can’t know the rest… But my point? Well, I guess even a cold-hearted you-know-what like me can make friends with a goody-goody like Faye Martin. For now anyway….

Wasn't that awesome!? I haven't read the book yet (I know, I know - bad me!) but I really got into this character! All the more reason why you should go check out this book. If you would like to read the other posts Samira has written for her blog tour of Milestones, click here to go to her blog!

Or just use one of these url's to go right to it:

September 13: theundercoverbooklover.blogspot.com

September 14: wantmyya.blogspot.com

September 18:flipthepagebookreview.blogspot.com

September 19: readingtomyself.blogspot.com

September 20: addicted-to-literature.blogspot.com

September 22: mariah-readingadventure.blogspot.com

September 25: readingrocks4me.blogspot.com

September 27: darlingreviews.blogspot.com

Saturday Spotlight - The Bookologist

Saturday Spotlight is where I feature another book blogger, for you to check out! You should take a look at their site and leave a comment. (: [I got this meme from Kristen's site.]

Name: Anonymous
Age: Teenager
Blog Name: The Bookologist
URL: http://the-bookologist.blogspot.com/

Share a little bit about yourself:
Well obviously I like to read, and listen to music :) I also love blogging. Some sports I like are swimming and badminton. I have two siblings and one pet dog. I guess that's a bit about me :)

How long have you been blogging and what made you want to start?

I have been blogging for almost 2 months now. It was almost the end of summer when I started this blog. First of all, I was really bored this summer and my sister also had a book blog (The Undercover Book Lover) so she told me to start one, as well as inspired me to start one. Some other blogs that inspired me was, Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf, The Story Siren, Sharon Luvs Cats and Books, /- LA FEMME READERS-/, Bookworming in the 21st Century. B.A.M. Book Reviews, Bloody Bookaholic, The Book Pixie, The Neverending Shelf, Mrs Magoo Reads, YOU, and so many other blogs. This answer is really long because I wanted to put so many other so if I forgot any of you, I'm sorry!

What does your site have to offer?

My site is a book blog, I have book reviews, author interviews, IMM, Moody Monday (a new meme my sister and I thought of) and contests. Right now I have a contest to win a hardback copy of Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran and an ancient roman coin to one lucky winner! So all those historical fans out there should join this contest. It ends on Sept. 22, so I hope all of you guys will join :)

What is your favorite thing about book blogging?

My favorite thing about book blogging is having a blog. Sorry for that to be such a broad answer but you know that you have one, and so you can do anything with it. It will also help those readers out there for which books to read, and also if you do run contests, some readers out there has a chance to win books, swag, etc.. It helps other people, you have fun, be creative, I guess that's my favorite part :)

What are your favorite books and/or authors? What about genre in general?

Ahh, I hate this question. Let me just list a FEW. So this means that I have way more tons of favorite authors. Michelle Zink, Danielle Joseph, Melissa Francis, Lisa Schroeder, Sarah Dessen, and so many others. I still have to read some other books that I think will be great, also known as new releases. Yes, yes I know I haven't been really reading the new releases, which I will soon, hopefully!

Now for the random questions!
What's your favorite chick-flick movie?

Hmmm... I can't think of it right now...sorry!

Do/have you played any instruments?

Well, yes I did, when I was seven. The Violin! But then I quit after two years of playing it since I didn't like it anymore. But hey, I regret it! Don't quit playing an instrument :(

Favorite ice cream topping?
I love this question! Mine would be sprinkles. I LOVE sprinkles!!!

Thanks for interviewing me :)

*Also, check out her contest to win Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran, and an ancient Roman coin. It ends September 22, so better hurry!

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! Any of you who aren't followers of her site yet - what are you waiting for!?

If you would like to be featured on a Saturday Spotlight post, shoot me an email at booksobsession(at)gmail(dot)com

It doesn't matter how long you've been blogging - I'll interview anyone!

Books Obsession Policy

Content:

All reviews, commentaries, and posts are written by me, thought up with using my brain. I don't use other's ideas without asking first and/or giving them the credit they deserve. I try to keep my blog family-friendly, without the use of profanity. So I ask that you respect that and keep the vulgar out of your comments, too.

You can read my review policy here.

Comments:

If there's one thing I'm known for, it's my honesty. And this blog is definitely no exception. If you don't agree with something I have to say, feel free to let me know in a comment. However, make sure it's appropriate and not just plain rude. If you don't like what I have to say, then you by no means have to read it. No one's forcing you to; and I will never understand the people who waste their time writing elaborate hate mail because there's just no point. I have the right to delete any comments from my blog. So I'll tell you now, if you have something awful to say, might as well not take the time typing it out because it'll just get deleted by yours truly. Sorry if you're having a bad day, but you don't need to take it out on me.

I love, love, love comments. They remind me that there are people out there in the world actually reading what I have to say. If you leave me a question through a comment, I'll either comment back on that post or will e-mail you the answer.

Contests:

All of my contests are for people at least 13 years old, since it's illegal, and not to mention creepy, to get addresses from anyone under 13. I only use the winners' addresses to mail them out their prizes, and then discard it. I will not sell or share addresses because again, I'm not a stalker and not that desperate to try to make money. If someone other than me, such as an author or publisher, is mailing out the prize, I will tell the winner in an email so that they know.

My contests are usually open to U.S. residents only, since I'm the one paying for shipping. However, if they are international, I'll say so in the contest post. Also, if an author or publisher contributed to the contest, I'll say so in the post. They deserve the credit for supplying the prizes.

The rules change for each of my contests, but I specifically explain them in each post. If you won't take the time to read them, then please don't bother entering. It will save us both a lot of time. I have the right to extend or stop a contest at any time, too.

For the most part, winners are chosen at random. I usually use Random.org, or some other type of random number generator. Yes, I've had the same person win more than one contest on my blog before. I try to give others a chance, and so far it hasn't been a problem. But if the same people win multiple times, then I will simply pick another winner - so I won't look suspicious, and to be fair and give others a turn.

I think that's about it!

Slept Away by Julie Kraut

Title: Slept Away
Author: Julie Kraut
Published: May 2009 by Delacorte Books

My Rating: 2.5 stars
Tags: YA | Realistic | Girls | Camp
Includes: Sensuality, Profanity

First Lines: "Ok, look at that girl over there," Kennedy directed. She pulled her Diors down her nose a bit so I could see her eyes gesturing over to a girl in a tankini lying out across the pool.

Laney Parker is a complete city girl, hoping for a summer of tanning, kissing, partying, and hanging out with her best friend Kennedy. But her vegetarian/yoga obsessed mom has different plans: Camp Timber Trails. Laney automatically thinks it's the end of her life as she knows it, and is furious at her mom. At camp, Laney struggles with everything thrown at her: from dealing with male separation and caffeine withdrawal, to fluorescent colored skorts and mystery meat dinners. After being teased by all the other girls, and not having a friend to cry on, Laney knows it will be the worst summer of her life. But then she meets geeky Slyvie, and dorky yet charming Ryan. Could this summer camp maybe not be the nightmare she thought it was?

This novel was the classic story of spoiled, popular girl living a life outside of her comfort zone - only to learn there's more to life than just materialistic things. There wasn't much creativity in this predictable story, and the plot started to thin halfway through the book. One thing's for sure though: Kraut went the extreme to include references and allusions to pop culture today, on almost every page. For example she incorporated Facebook, iPhones, the Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, and Sarah Jessica Parker into the book. It was kind of weird to read about these things, which I hear about and use everyday. I didn't like it.

I used to go to summer camp every year while in middle school, so it was fun reading about the activities they did at Camp Timber Trails. I got to relive a couple of memories similar to Laney's, and could definitely relate to the sights, sounds, and smells she witnessed there.

Laney's character annoyed me. She was overly sarcastic on each page, and whined way too much. I mean, I understand she was out of her element at camp but after awhile it just got irritating. Sure, there were a few times when I felt sorry for Laney but overall her dramatic self-pity was uncalled for. There are much worse things than going to a sleepaway summer camp! Even after Laney realized that people are more than what they seem, I doubt she's going to go back home as a different person. I'm sure after a few weeks go by, she'll just turn back into the one-sided, gossipy, materialistic girl she was at the beginning. Laney seems like the type easily molded by circumstance and situation - I know the change won't be permanent.

The author put a lot of humor in each page, so I stayed entertained and even chuckled at a few parts. Some of the witty remarks she made sounded like something I would say myself! However, other times it sounded like Kraut was trying too hard to keep a teenage conversation flowing - and ended up making it sound super corny or something an adult says trying to sound "young and hip."

The book as a whole had a feeling of immaturity running through it, that made me question the value and purpose of the novel. But on the surface, Slept Away is a cute and mostly-enjoyable read for summer. I think tweens would like it more than older teenagers because of its lack of substance. It's a light and breezy book, but will quickly fade from my memory.

Book Supplied by: Won it in a blogger's contest!

My Complete List of Book Reviews! (By Author)

I've organized all my book reviews by author's last name alphabetically. For example: Looking for a book by Sarah Dessen? Look under the D's. :)

Last updated: 1/27/12

A

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Starcrossed (Book 1) by Josephine Angelini
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

B

Summer In Paris by Michele Ashman Bell
A & L Do Summer by Jan Blazanin
A Lion Called Christian by Bourke and Rendall
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
The Fortune of Carmen Navarro by Jen Bryant
Goblins!:An UnderEarth Adventure by Royce Buckingham

C

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti
City of Bones (Book 1) by Cassandra Clare
Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti
When It Happens by Susane Colasanti
The Hunger Games (Book 1) by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire (Book 2) by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay (Book 3) by Suzanne Collins
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson

D

Pure Enough by Sandy DeLisle
Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
Let's Talk! by Danae Dobson
OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy

E

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

F

Hush, Hush (Book 1) by Becca Fitzpatrick
Beastly by Alex Flinn
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Revealing Eden (Book 1) by Victoria Foyt

G

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Gone (Book 1) by Michael Grant
The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green
Tighter by Adele Griffin
If I Tell by Janet Gurtler
I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

H

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman
Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder
Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard
Becoming Chloe by Catherine Ryan Hyde

I
J

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

K

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Other by Karen Kincy
Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
Slept Away by Julie Kraut

L
M

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Favorite by Karen McQuestion
Sing Me to Sleep by Angela Morrison

N

Deception (Book 1) by Lee Nichols
Evermore (Book 1) by Alyson Noel

O

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

P

Wings (Book 1) by Aprilynne Pike

Q
R

Six Moon Summer by SM Reine
Happy Birthday to Me by Brian Rowe
The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Book 1) by Carrie Ryan
The Dead-Tossed Waves (Book 2) by Carrie Ryan

S

Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Lucky Kind by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Pretty Little Liars (Book 1) by Sara Shepard
Flawless (Book 2) by Sara Shepard
Perfect (Book 3) by Sara Shepard
Unbelievable (Book 4) by Sara Shepard
Wicked (Book 5) by Sara Shepard
Laney (Book 1) by Joann I. Martin Sowles
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
The Espressologist by Kristina Springer
Shiver (Book 1) by Maggie Stiefvater
Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Stolarz
Project 17 by Laurie Stolarz
The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

T
U
V
W

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Night by Elie Wiesel
Solid by Shelley Workinger

X
Y

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Z

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Starting October 1st...

...I'm going to start a Haunted Blog Tour on my site! Every day I'll (try my best) to post. The blog tour will have a variety of different things such as: author interviews, contests and giveaways, author guest posts, ghost stories, Halloween Mad Libs, and more fun, spooky stuff! Don't miss out!

If you would like to participate in my Haunted Blog Tour, email me letting me know! Or if you just have an idea of something I could add to the tour, that would be great. booksobsession(at)gmail(dot)com

*If you are a book blogger and want to participate it will probably be to: share a ghost story, do a Halloween Mad Lib, or blog about past memorable Halloweens. (I love hearing about things/traditions people do on Halloween.)

*If you are an author and want to participate it will probably be to: interview you, write a guest post along this theme, or have a contest/giveaway. Important: Since the theme is Halloween/horror, I only want authors who have written suspense, horror, mystery, dark fantasy, thriller, etc. I prefer authors who write young adult, but will gladly take in adult book authors too.

**I'm still thinking of ideas for what I can do in my blog tour so don't assume that these are the only things you can do! I'm open to suggestions!

I plan on making a button to put in the sidebar and pass along. I'd love it if you put it on yours, too, to help spread the word.

Waiting On Wednesday: The Cupcake Queen

This week's WoW book is The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler! It will be released on September 17, 2009.

Description from Amazon:

A confection of a novel, combining big city sophistication with small town charm. When her mother moves them from the city to a small town to open up a cupcake bakery, Penny’s life isn’t what she expected. Her father has stayed behind, and Mom isn’t talking about what the future holds for their family. And then there’s Charity, the girl who plays mean pranks almost daily. There are also bright spots in Hog’s Hollow—like Tally, an expert in Rock Paper Scissors, and Marcus, the boy who is always running on the beach. But just when it looks as though Penny is settling in, her parents ask her to make a choice that will turn everything upside down again. A sweet novel about love, creativity, and accepting life’s unexpected turns.

This looks adorable! Might just have to pick up a box of frosted cupcakes while reading this... :) RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2009!

Hardcover vs. Paperback - Paper Towns

"Hardcover vs. Paperback" is where you choose which cover you prefer. Leave a comment sharing your opinion! Plus, if the summary sounds interesting, you may just want to read it.

Paper Towns by John Green

Description from Barnes and Noble:

Holling Hoodhood is really in for it.Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge— he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues— and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew.

I don't like the hardcover because it's just not interesting enough for me. Not even the text is eye-catching. However, the paperback doesn't really strike my attention either. For me, it would look better from a different angle and not so zoomed-in on the enormous tack. But if I had to choose - I'd go with the paperback.

What do YOU think?

***While looking for pictures of these covers, I came across this one...


It think it was a discarded cover, because I can't seem to find it anywhere on Amazon, Borders, etc. But this one is my favorite!! I like the simplicity of it, yet it's elegant. The shadows are neat and I like the random red tree. (: I wish they stuck with this one, but oh well.

On My Bookshelf (7)

(Originally by The Story Siren, as "In My Mailbox.") On My Bookshelf is used to share what books I bought from the store, won, or got from the library this week. It's by no means to brag, just to let you know what to expect for me to read/review next. (:



My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent: "She doesn't see dead people, but… She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally. Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next…" Click here to read more about it!

Poisons of Caux: The Hollow Bettle by Susannah Applebaum: "There's little joy left in the kingdom of Caux: the evil King Nightshade rules with terrible tyranny and the law of the land is poison or be poisoned. Worse, eleven-year-old Ivy’s uncle, a famous healer, has disappeared, and Ivy sets out to find him, joined by a young taster named Rowan. But these are corrupt times, and the children—enemies of the realm—are not alone. What exactly do Ivy and Rowan’s pursuers want? Is it Ivy’s prized red bettle, which, unlike any other gemstone in Caux, appears—impossibly—to be hollow? Is it the elixir she concocted—the one with the mysterious healing powers? Or could it be Ivy herself?" Read more about it here!

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher: "When Clay Jenson plays the casette tapes he received in a mysterious package, he's surprised to hear the voice of dead classmate Hannah Baker. He's one of 13 people who receive Hannah's story, which details the circumstances that led to her suicide. Clay spends the rest of the day and long into the night listening to Hannah's voice and going to the locations she wants him to visit. The text alternates, sometimes quickly, between Hannah's voice (italicized) and Clay's thoughts as he listens to her words, which illuminate betrayals and secrets that demonstrate the consequences of even small actions. Hannah, herself, is not free from guilt, her own inaction having played a part in an accidental auto death and a rape. The message about how we treat one another, although sometimes heavy, makes for compelling reading." Read about it here!

Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott: "Kate Brown's life has gone downhill fast. Her father has quit his job to sell vitamins at the mall, and Kate is forced to work with him. Her best friend has become popular, and now she acts like Kate's invisible. And then there's Will. Gorgeous, unattainable Will, whom Kate acts like she can't stand even though she can't stop thinking about him. When Will starts acting interested, Kate hates herself for wanting him when she's sure she's just his latest conquest.Kate figures that the only way things will ever stop hurting so much is if she keeps to herself and stops caring about anyone or anything. What she doesn't realize is that while life may not always be perfect, good things can happen -- but only if she lets them...." Read about this book by clicking here!

Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph: "High school senior Teresa Adams is so painfully shy that she dreads speaking to anyone in the hallways or getting called on in class. But in the privacy of her bedroom with her iPod in hand, she rocks out -- doing mock broadcasts for Miami's hottest FM radio station, which happens to be owned by her stepfather. When a slot opens up at The SLAM, Tere surprises herself by blossoming behind the mike into confident, sexy Sweet T -- and to everyone's shock, she's a hit! Even Gavin, the only guy in school who she dares to talk to, raves about the mysterious DJ's awesome taste in music. But when The SLAM announces a songwriting contest -- and a prom date with Sweet T is the grand prize -- Sweet T's dream could turn into Tere's worst nightmare...." Read more here!

Split By A Kiss by Luisa Plaja: "Jo has just moved to America with her mum. She's always been a fairly average girl - not a nerd but certainly never one of the popular kids. But on her first day in her new school, she seems to be adopted by the It girls - and is invited to one of their parties. There, she meets Jake Matthews, officially the hottest boy in school, and when they begin to play the kissing-in-the-closet game, Seven Minutes in Heaven, amazingly Jake picks Jo join him in the closet! She can't believe her luck. But the reality of being kissed and groped by Jake is not quite as great as the fantasy...Jo has a choice to make: should she carry on, kiss Jake and secure her position in the It crowd - or should she tell him where to get off and risk relegation back to the land of the ordinary ...? At this moment - Jo splits. She's Josie the Cool - girlfriend of Jake, member of the It crowd. She's also Jo the Nerd - rejected by the It crowd, single ...Will her two halves ever come back together again? Is Jake the guy she's meant to be with or could some of the other people she meets along her journey - Rachel the scary goth, David the misfit or Albie the rocker - be the answer? A fabulously inventive, heartwarming and funny take on the Sliding Doors idea, for teen readers."

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber: "What fortune awaited sweet, timid Percy Parker at Athens Academy? Considering how few of Queen Victoria’s Londoners knew of it, the great Romanesque fortress was dreadfully imposing, and little could Percy guess what lay inside. She had never met the powerful and mysterious Professor Alexi Rychman, knew nothing of the growing shadow, the Ripper and other supernatural terrors against which his coterie stood guard. She knew simply that she was different, haunted, with her snow-white hair, pearlescent skin and uncanny gifts. But this arched stone doorway offered a portal to a new life, an education far from the convent—and an invitation to an intimate yet dangerous dance at the threshold of life and death…."

So these are the awesome books that I got this week! Have you read any of them?

What are you reading?

Saturday Spotlight - J'adore Happy Endings

I have to post this a day early because I'll be gone over the weekend, on a fall retreat with my youth group! Hope everyone has a good weekend, too.

Saturday/Sunday Spotlight is where I feature another book blogger, for you to check out! You should take a look at their site and leave a comment. (: [I got this meme from Kristen's site.]

Name: Nina
Age: 20
Blog Name: J’adore happy endings
URL: http://jadorehappyendings.blogspot.com/

Share a little bit about yourself:

My name is Nina and I live in the Netherlands. I am a history student and my school is located in the fabulous city called Amsterdam. I’m a little addicted to cheese curlz, okay, I AM…I just have to eat them while I’m studying. I don’t have any pets and I don’t have any weird obsessions.. J

How long have you been blogging and what made you want to start?

My blog has been open since the second of September. So just almost a week now.
I wanted to start blogging, because after some research I noticed that there are not allot of Dutch book reviewing sites. I wanted to open a blog for Dutch readers with some Dutch reviews and some in English.

What does your site have to offer?

Because I love history, I want to do a lot of reviews of history novels/books.
Also a lot of yabooks and some Dutch ones. Also some fun things, like things that happened to me on the train home.

What is your favorite thing about book blogging?

That I can tell people my honest opinion about books and that people will recognize things in it....

What are your favorite books and/or authors? What about genre in general?

I really love all the books that Jane Austin has written. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books. She is my favourite writer ever! And I love Terry Pratchett! His books are so funny. They make me laugh out loud every time.
I also love Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange of Melissa Marr.
Romance, faeries, fantasy, horror (zombies J ) I truly like everything.

And now for the random questions:
What's your favorite horror movie?

Amityville.. scary…

Do you prefer baths or showers?

I prefer long warm baths, with lots of bubbles.

Favorite mid-night snack?
Really???? Cheese curlz.

Thank you so much Nina for taking the time to answer my questions! Any of you who aren't followers of her site yet - what are you waiting for!?

If you would like to be featured on a Saturday Spotlight post, shoot me an email at booksobsession(at)gmail(dot)com