My First Blog Award!

I was just informed that I received my first blog award from our reader and fellow blogger Lizzy of CornucopiaofReviews! Thanks so much!



Here are the rules: Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Wow. 15 newer blogs! Here I go!

1. It may be cheating but, I have to give a shout out back to Lizzy! She has been reading my blog for a while and I have just discovered her blog! CornucopiaofReviews
2. Elie of EllzReads
3. The Book Resort
4. Extremereader at Extreme Reader Book Reviews
5. Lost in a Book
6. Becky from Becky's Book Reviews
7. Carol from Book Lover Carol
8. Senfaye from A Maze of Books
9. Laura from Laura's Review Bookshelf
10. All the bloggers at Teen Lit Review
11. Kristi from The Story Siren (not a new blog to me, but definitely one that you should be reading if you already aren't!)
12. Lisa of Why A?
13. Ravenous Reader from Tales of a Ravenous Reader
14. Sophie of So Many Books, So Little Time
AND
15. Maria of Fantasys Ink

In My Mailbox (2)

Once again thanks to thestorysiren for hosting this!

This week I got a bunch of great books! Me and Guinevere are really excited to read them all!

Borrowed:

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl December 1st 2009 (check your stores now! Many of them have it out already!)





Received from Publishers:

CAPTIVATE by Carrie Jones (SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE!) January 5th 2010








ANASTASIA'S SECRET by Suzanne Dunlap March 2nd 2010








MAGIC UNDER GLASS by Jaclyn Dolamore February 1st 2010








HEARTS AT STAKE by Alyxandra Harvey










UNDONE by Brooke Taylor (coming out in paperback in January 19th 2010, first published 2008)

Happy Thanksgiving!

We wanted to wish all of our readers a Happy Thanksgiving!

I am so grateful for you our readers! Without you caring what we have to say about books this blog wouldn't exist. I hope you all get to benefit from our reviews, interviews and giveaways! Here is to a year of growth and fun!

I hope you have a chance to be with friends and family and enjoy your long weekend! I for one hope to get some reading and writing done!


Gobble Gobble!

Winner!

The winner of our ARC giveaway of STUPID CUPID by Rhonda Stapleton



is...

TerryLynnJohnson!

Please e-mail me at aubreyavalon@gmail.com with your mailing address and I will get that in the mail as soon as possible!

Thank you to all who have been reading the blog and entered!

Review BREAKING DAWN by Stephenie Meyer

BREAKING DAWN
by Stephenie Meyer
Published August 2nd 2008 by Little, Brown and Company
Hardcover, 754 Pages

Placement in the Pile: Top Picks

Summary:
To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating, and unfathomable, consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life—first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse—seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?

Review:
By far the best of the series. I cried for joy, I cried for sadness, I cried just because! I laughed so hard I cried. I have never been happier with a book and they way it tied up all the loose ends. Unfortunately, it also was a bit anti-climactic in that the fight scene at the end. It could have shown Bella's power and been a bit more epic.

SM did a WONDERFUL job of ending Bella and Edward's story. From her interviews about this novel, I totally agreed that there just isn't much more to tell. However after watching the interview on Oprah (the questions online that weren't on the air, linked in my intro post last week) I now am itching to know what happens in the future with them, the Volturi and Nessie and Jacob (Okay I must add here that I HATE that kid's that name with a passion).

Alright, so you may have noticed my rating and praise for this book is very high. The thing I think is so interesting is this is a very polarizing book. Lots of people loved it, but criticize it's YA rating, lots of people didn't like how things just worked out perfectly. But I loved seeing Bella and Edward finally having the marriage and relationship they were destined for. As an adult that was my favorite part.

Now, I will say I am all for parents and schools limiting the age of children who have access to this book. It may be YA but it is certainly gor an older YA audience.

What do you think?

Oh and there is no definite info out there on if this one will be made into a movie, but Summit has bought the rights to it, and it seems likely that with the Twilight films being so popular it will be made.

I own this book and was not compensated for a review.

Review: ECLIPSE by Stephenie Meyer

ECLIPSE
by Stephenie Meyer
Published January 1st 2007 by Little, Brown and Company
Hardcover, 629 pages

Placement in the Pile: Top Picks

Summary:
Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob — knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

Review:
Just to finish up our reviews of the Twilight Saga in celebration of the movie NEW MOON (Which I have now seen twice -- the second time being just as if not better than the first -- and will see again tomorrow), today we're talking about book 3!

This book I think really takes on the more epic feel of the stories. The main conflict is much more external for most of the book in the form of Victoria, but it also has a lot of emotional turmoil.

Unfortunately, this book I loved and hated at the same time because of that. I actually loved all the fighting sequences the external conflict plot. But being book 3 the internal conflict of Bella trying not to hurt or lose Jacob but still being in love with Edward, as well as refusing to marry Edward for so long was just plain annoying to me. She was cruel to both of them, and in the end made the only decision for her that made sense...as from the beginning she had always said "I'll choose him. It was always him" (referring to Edward) therefore we know it always will be.

Another thing I loved here was finding out more about the mysterious Jasper. His past is fascinating. I would even dare say I'd like to read more about it later down the road.

All in all this is a great one, and will make an even better movie than NEW MOON in my opinion. A few things. The movie release date for ECLIPSE is June 30th 2010. And if you haven't heard, Rachelle LeFevre will not be playing the role of Victoria. She breached her contract and booked another movie that overlapped the filming for ECLIPSE so they hired Bryce Dallas Howard. I don't usually like it when they switch actors without extreme cause (like in the case of Dumbledore, they didn't have a choice...and I wouldn't have minded if they switched their choice for Rosalee) but I do like Bryce Dallas Howard, and think it will be fun to see her take on the part.

I own this book and was not compensated for a review.

Books on the Big Screen - NEW MOON

Firstly, I'd like to apologize for this not going up last night. My internet wasn't working when I got home from the midnight show! I was so so frustrated. Then I had some issues falling asleep...wonder why!....and my fabulous fabulous husband let me sleep in until 10:40 am while he did some work on the computer at home and watched our little girl. I am the luckiest woman in the world right now! Honey I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!

So...on to my review.

Disclaimer: some of this may be skewed by my extreme 12 year old giddiness at going to the midnight show and dressing up and being with great friends.

I LOVED it. Absolutely and completely adored it. So much better than the first one! Can they go back and re-make it? Honestly, that good! It lived up to my expectations of being better than the book (which previously mentioned is my least favorite in the series).

The directing was so much better than the first, as was the acting, the make-up (their eyes! Everyone's eyes were incredible! The Cullens' were frighteningly beautiful, and the other vampires -- Lauraunt, Victoria, Volturi -- were completely frightening. Aro in particular honestly scared the crap out of me in a great way. Dakota Fanning as Jane was perfect. Her part was small but she does it so well.


Edward finally looked the part completely for me. His sparkle wasn't just a sweaty glow, his clothes were great, and one of my friends disagreed but I think his pained looks and mannerisms were perfect for the part. I was sad that they cut out the CD that he gave Bella, I thought that was so romantic and heart breaking when it was gone...

Jacob did a much better acting job. His long wig was still horrible. He does look good for this movie, and a warning to Edward fans, a lot of them came out of the movie being more Jacob fans than ever before. Not me, not in the slightest.

1) I can't get over that he's sharkboy. 2) Taylor isn't even legal to oggle at 3) I can appriciate that he looks good, but his look doesn't attract me. I have always been attracted to skinny white guys with the long lean muscle look. Um...yeah that's Edward to a T. And can I just say there is a miraculous shot of Edward as he is walking out into the sulight. Possibly the most beautiful shot of Rob Pattinson I have ever ever seen. Sigh. I was definitely enjoying me some eye candy.

Okay back to Jacob. One other thing was I think they played it off too much that Bella was actually IN love with Jake, rather than loving Jake, but still being in love with Edward. There was a bit too much romance between them for me. And again, I hate that Bella puts him and Edward through that whole thing, because she even tells Jacob that it was and always will be Edward who wins...

The werewolves I have to admit were awesome. They were HUGE! And I realize that's how SM describes them, but I guess I never pictured them THAT big. But it was awesome.

Bella did so much better as well. I think I only heard like 3 or 4 annoying scoffs the whole movie. The begining was a little off, she didn't react to Edward leaving quite as strongly at first as she should have in my opinion, but after that it was done so so well.

It was a fabulous night I had tons of fabulous fun. I hope you all get to go see it this weekend! If you weren't planning on it, plan on it now! (Later I will post a few pics of me and my craziness. I know you want to see that too!)

New Moon!

In exactly 6 hours I will be watching New Moon -- jealous of you East Coasters who get to see it hours before me. ;)



I know you are all anxiously awaiting my review right? ;)

Have a great night everyone!

Review for MIDNIGHT SUN by Stephenie Meyer

Midnight Sun (partial draft)

by Stephenie Meyer

(posted on her website in draft form)

Placement in Pile:

Reaching new heights

Summary (from her website):

Midnight Sun: Edward's Version of Twilight

August 28, 2008

As some of you may have heard, my partial draft of Midnight Sun was illegally posted on the Internet and has since been virally distributed without my knowledge or permission or the knowledge or permission of my publisher. I have a good idea of how the leak happened as there were very few copies of Midnight Sun that left my possession and each was unique. Due to little changes I made to the manuscript at different times, I can tell when each left my possession and to whom it was given. The manuscript that was illegally distributed on the Internet was given to trusted individuals for a good purpose. I have no comment beyond that as I believe that there was no malicious intent with the initial distribution. I did not want my readers to experience Midnight Sun before it was completed, edited and published. I think it is important for everybody to understand that what happened was a huge violation of my rights as an author, not to mention me as a human being. As the author of the Twilight Saga, I control the copyright and it is up to the owner of the copyright to decide when the books should be made public; this is the same for musicians and filmmakers. Just because someone buys a book or movie or song, or gets a download off the Internet, doesn't mean that they own the right to reproduce and distribute it. Unfortunately, with the Internet, it is easy for people to obtain and share items that do not legally belong to them. No matter how this is done, it is still dishonest. This has been a very upsetting experience for me, but I hope it will at least leave my fans with a better understanding of copyright and the importance of artistic control. So where does this leave Midnight Sun? My first feeling was that there was no way to continue. Writing isn't like math; in math, two plus two always equals four no matter what your mood is like. With writing, the way you feel changes everything. If I tried to write Midnight Sun now, in my current frame of mind, James would probably win and all the Cullens would die, which wouldn't dovetail too well with the original story. In any case, I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on Midnight Sun, and so it is on hold indefinitely. I'd rather my fans not read this version of Midnight Sun. It was only an incomplete draft; the writing is messy and flawed and full of mistakes. But how do I comment on this violation without driving more people to look for the illegal posting? It has taken me a while to decide how and if I could respond. But to end the confusion, I've decided to make the draft available here (at the end of this post). This way, my readers don't have to feel they have to make a sacrifice to stay honest. I hope this fragment gives you further insight into Edward's head and adds a new dimension to the Twilight story. That's what inspired me to write it in the first place. I do want to take a moment and thank the wonderful fans who have been so supportive of me over the past three years. I cannot begin to tell you how much each of you means to me. I only hope this note will stop all the confusion and online speculation so that the Twilight universe can once again become the happy escape it used to be. After this incredibly busy year, I am now focusing on spending more time with my family and working on some other writing projects. —Stephenie This material is copyrighted by Stephenie Meyer. Any retranscription or reproduction is illegal. [This information is available on Stephenie Meyer's original website ]

Review:

This was a very interesting read for me. Stephenie wasn't kidding when she said Edward overthinks EVERYTHING. He really, really does. It gets old sometimes actually. ;-) It was fun to read Twilight from his perspective for sure, and even more interesting to see Bella through his eyes. I finally see why he likes her! Because from her point of view, she has nothing to offer him. Less than nothing. But Edward sees her differently (beyond just the overwhelming desire for the scent of her blood). I was pleasantly surprised to read that maybe she has more redeeming qualities than she ever admitted to or thought she had. Because honestly, she is not my favorite protagonist.

Anyway, it will also give you even more respect and understanding for what Edward went through (with regards to how she smells, to put it lightly). Also, it gives you some key insights into things the reader isn't aware of when reading Twilight. It was fun to find out some more details and fill in some of the gaps. (Like what all of his facial expressions mean, and his comments and everything that we have to guess at in Twilight) It was a fun read, I definitely recommend it for any Twilight fans - and Edward fans in particular.

I hope that she will finish the book someday, it's not like all of her crazy fans won't buy it anyway! But I understand also how betrayed she would feel to have something like that happen. It's a tough situation. But I'd really like to see that meadow scene from his perspective... (which, be warned, is where it ends. Right before the meadow scene. Ugh.)

Has anyone else read it? What did you think?

CNN Story on Vampires in Movies

To celebrate Twilight week I thought our readers would be interested in this article. Plus there's a really cute picture of Edward, er, Rob...

CNN's From Dracula to Edward: The Changing Faces of Vampires

Review for NEW MOON by Stephenie Meyer

NEW MOON

by Stephenie Meyer

Published:
August 21st 2006 by Little, Brown and Company
Hardcover, 563 pages

Placement in Pile:

Middle of the Stack

Summary:

"Shoot," I muttered when the paper sliced my finger; I pulled it out to examine the damage. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut. It all happened very quickly then. Edward threw himself at me, flinging me back across the table... I tumbled down to the floor by the piano, with my arms thrown out instinctively to catch my fall, into the jagged shards of glass. I felt the searing, stinging pain that ran from my wrist to the crease inside my elbow. Dazed and disoriented, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm-into the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires. Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

Review:

Okay, so I'm sorry, but this was not my favorite book. Although, upon reading it again, I find myself liking Jacob more and feeling quite sorry for him. My biggest complaint is that Bella is absolutely and completely irritating beyond belief. In my opinion anyway. Even before Edward left her, she has no self esteem, hardly any redeeming qualities to be found (in her viewpoint anyway, I had an interesting experience reading Midnight Sun, which I will talk more about tomorrow). Then once Edward does leave... whoa. Can anyone say LOSER? I'm sorry if that is harsh, but seriously. The girl stops living (in all but the stictest sense of the word). I can understand a few days, maybe even weeks, but months? Seriously? Breakups are awful and hard and devastating - especially if you are still in love with the person. But I think Bella's reaction is so overboard. I actually liked Jacob a lot more this time, as I mentioned earlier. I had much more empathy for him and how he must feel. And of course the whole Italy escapade is awesome. I love the Volturi and all the "talents" and everything. So the end helped redeem the first 3/4 of the book.

So what were your thoughts on this one? I know many said it was their least favorite, and then there are those who like Jacob more than Edward. How about you?

I'm excited to see how this movie turns out - hopefully better than the first one! Although I agree with Aubrey... it looks like Kristen is still acting Bella the same, which is annoying. But we'll see... the special effects look a LOT better, so that's encouraging. Only a couple more days!

I bought this book years ago and reread it to review today.

Review TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

TWILIGHT
by Stephenie Meyer
Published September 6th 2006 (first published 2005) by Little, Brown and Company
Hardcover, 498 pages

Placement in the Pile: Top Picks

Summary: (Does anyone even need this?)
Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife—between desire and danger.Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.

Review:
After having read this book several times (okay too many for my own sanity) I have to say it is still one of my favorite stories -- and one of my favorite in the series.

I am a hopeless romantic, and there is nothing more romantic in my book than someone who is willing to do anything it takes to be with you and keep you safe. I am a HUGE Edward fan. Jacob is annoying.

As usual, I can tell you the general complaints about this book...there is too much repetition, Stephenie's writing isn't as polished as it should be, Bella is annoying (this one I whole heartedly agree with), but in the end you have to agree, it is a good story. I bet if you take any author's first books and pick them apart there will be writing issues as well. And add that this is the first book Stephenie EVER wrote. I give props to her on that.

One thing that is dissapointing is the movie rendition fell a little short. I still enjoy the movie. I can enjoy a bad movie, with some bad acting (Kristin Stewart is perhaps the most annoying person on the planet...what is with all that scoffing??? And why does she have to do it in the next movie too!!!! -- see the full birthday scene link on the previous post), and not enough money to make the special effects what they should be, but in the end, it like the book does what it should. It tells you a good story.

So yeah, the book isn't perfect, but it's still at the top of my pile because it is the perfect escape from real life, romantic book. Which is what I crave!

Theme Week: Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series

Okay, I am coming out of the closet per se. I am a Twilighter. I know, I know. But really, I love paranormal romance, and I have loved vampires since I was like 10 years old. So it really just works for me.

With the release of the movie adaptation of NEW MOON coming out this Friday (Oh yeah! I have my midnight tickets for 12:01 AM!) I thought it was a good time to revisit this series, what we think about each book and all that fun stuff! I will even review the movie on Friday for you! So let the games begin!

Oh an for fun in the meantime, here are a bunch of links thanks to my friends who know I'm a Twilight freak and send me stuff they find. (My friends encourage the inner 12 year old in me, cause they think it's fun. I do too!)

Volturri Fighting Scene - NEW MOON sneak peek.
TV spot for NEW MOON
ECLIPSE movie icon
My favorite TV spot -- GO EDWARD!!!!
Extended Birthday Party Scene
Some fun news about BREAKING DAWN
Oprah.com questions with SM -- the stuff we REALLY wanted to know!

Yeah, I'm not obsessed! I'm NOT I tell you! ;)

And don't forget about our contest! It's open until the 21st. The link is in the sidebar!

In My Mailbox (1)

When I get books I hope to participate in this cool meme. It is set up by The Story Siren and she links every Sunday to bloggers and what they received to review. It just is kind of fun to browse around and see who has what. This week I was really excited to receive...

GREEN
by Laura Peyton Roberts
Published January 12th 2010 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Hardcover, 272 pages

Summary:
Turning thirteen starts off with a bang for Lily. Literally. A birthday present explodes on her porch . . . and soon after a trio of leprechauns (yes, leprechauns) appears in her bedroom. They whisk her away to a land of clover, piskies,(MPB note, I didn't type that wrong...the book actually says piskies on the back too....huh...) a new friend, a cute boy, and lots of glimmering, glittering gold. A world of Green.

It turns out that Lily, like her grandmother before her, is next in line to be keeper for the Clan of Green, and in charge of all their gold. That is, if she passes three tests. And she has to pass them. Because if she doesn’t she may never get to go home again. She’ll be stuck with the Greens.

Forever.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I LOVE St. Patrick's day, and thus I love a good leprechaun story! I'm really excited to get to this one!

Review for FIRE by Kristin Cashore

FIRE

by Kristin Cashore

Published
September 24th 2009 by Gollancz
Hardcover, 452 pages

Placement in the Pile:

Reaching New Heights

Description:

Fire, Graceling's prequel-ish companion book, takes place across the mountains to the east of the seven kingdoms, in a rocky, war-torn land called the Dells. Beautiful creatures called monsters live in the Dells. Monsters have the shape of normal animals: mountain lions, dragonflies, horses, fish. But the hair or scales or feathers of monsters are gorgeously colored-- fuchsia, turquoise, sparkly bronze, iridescent green-- and their minds have the power to control the minds of humans. Seventeen-year-old Fire is the last remaining human-shaped monster in the Dells. Gorgeously monstrous in body and mind but with a human appreciation of right and wrong, she is hated and mistrusted by just about everyone, and this book is her story. Wondering what makes it a companion book/prequel? Fire takes place 30-some years before Graceling and has one cross-over character with Graceling, a small boy with strange two-colored eyes who comes from no-one-knows-where, and who has a peculiar ability that Graceling readers will find familiar and disturbing...

Review:

FIRE was an interesting, thought provoking read. Fire is a very strong, complex character who you will root for. It is equal parts triumph and tragedy. Cashore's writing is beautiful, although GRACELING may have been a little bit more lyrical, to me at least. FIRE seemed to have more war, more fighting, more sexual innuendo - and plain old sex. And if you thought Lek as an adult in GRACELING was freaky - just wait until you read about him as a toddler, child and youth. Uuunggghhh... (imagine me shivering in ickiness) He is a creep and a half! Thankfully, there are some truly wonderful characters to balance out the creepy/mean/awful ones. (Brigan! Hanna! Roen!) I guessed Fire's "secret" pretty early on, but won't say anything else to avoid spoiling it for others. It is definitely worth reading. There were a few minor parts of the book that I personally don't agree with, that I wish weren't there. But they were minor like I said, and didn't influence my enjoyment of the book overall.

I find it interesting that Cashore's female characters seem to often struggle with the idea of marriage and/or having children. Although, Fire's reasons were much more understandable and heartbreaking than I thought Katsa's were.

After reading this book, I thought it would be interesting to hear who readers like more: Katsa or Fire. They are both so unique in some ways, but also a little similar in other ways. I love them both!

This would definitely be rated at least PG13 for the reasons mentioned above, as well as some language.

Happy reading!

I borrowed this book from a friend, who bought it at a book store, to review it. I did not receive any compensation.

Giveaway!

I am giving away my ARC of STUPID CUPID by Rhonda Stapleton!



To enter:

1) leave a comment about what mythological power you would like to have in this modern day and why,

2) new followers and old followers get an extra entry (please indicate in your comment if you follow)

3) Share about this contest on your blog or other social networking site and receive another entry!

This contest is open until Saturday November 21 11:59 PM EST. Good Luck everyone!

Guest Blog! Mythology in Modern Books - Why is it So Popular? By Rhonda Stapleton

After reading Rhonda's book and chatting with her some, I knew I wanted to ask her to guest post. She is an absolute hoot! Thank you so so much Rhonda!

Mythology in Modern Books -- Why is it so Popular?

I love books that take mythology and give it a modern twist. For me, YA is a fantastic place to find those unique reads. Stories that modernize ancient Greek and Roman legends are pretty much a must-read on my list. In fact, my Stupid Cupid trilogy is a modernization of the cupid concept—but instead of bows and arrows, my teen uses handheld technology to make love matches via email.

What makes mythology so popular, even after all this time? Well, people are creatures of habit. It’s scientifically proven. At least, I’m pretty sure it is—anyway, just run with me on this one. As humans, we love the familiar and seek it out because we are comforted by what we already know. But we’re also fickle creatures and want just enough splash of new and exciting. Which is why ancient mythology, when given a modern twist, is absolutely perfect.

Plus, it’s not like all that old stuff is boring. I mean, have you read any of Homer’s work? There’s illicit sex, monsters, fights, drama, intrigue, mystery, murder—all the good stuff people loved back in the day and still love now.

So for me, reading modernized mythology is like biting into your tried-and-true favorite chocolate ice cream and finding a delicious ribbon of peanut butter inside. Mmmmmm, peanut butter...

Anyway, what are your favorite books that update classic mythology?

Review STUPID CUPID by Rhonda Stapleton

by Rhonda Stapleton
To Be Published December 22nd 2009 by Simon Pulse
Paperback, 208 pages

Placement in the Pile: Reaching New Heights

Summary:
Felicity's no ordinary teen matchmaker...she's a cupid!

Felicity Walker believes in true love. That's why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid's Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn't just a matchmaker...she's a cupid! (There's more than one of them, you know.)

Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But when she bends the rules of cupidity by matching her best friend Maya with three different boys at once, disaster strikes. Felicity needs to come up with a plan to set it all right, pronto, before she gets fired?and before Maya ends up with her heart split in three.

Review:
This is an adorable read. True to teenage life, but not so teenage that an adult can't relate. One thing I loved so much about this book was that Felicity totally reminds me of, well, me! Comments she says and things she thinks were so realistic for me. Even her experience of losing a friend and dealing with seeing that person every day. So crazy how so universal our teenage years can be!

Rhonda creates a story that is unique and fun. Along the vein of something like TATOO by Jennifer Lynn Barnes or DEMON PRINCESS by Michelle Rowan, STUPID CUPID takes it's own path of a teenager discovering paranormal abilities. The cupid thing was really fun. What could be more dynamic than being the one in charge of setting people up in your own high school? It certainly makes you think.

With laugh-out-loud narrative, clean content, and an overall great story - I can't wait for the rest of the series. I want to see how this all plays out!

Be sure to come back for the next few days for more fun from Rhonda and a contest giveaway!

For fun, here are the covers for the next two books in the series!



Materials Disclosure: I was sent this ARC from Simon and Schuster Publishing. I will be giving the book away as a giveaway. I was not compensated for this review.

A Great Laugh

I just had to share this link with my readers. I will admit I am a sucker for a good vampire story, whether in book, television or movie form. But this post will make you laugh right through EVERY comment. It is worth reading.

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/11/blank-are-new-vampires.html

***NaNoWriMo update: I hit over 10,000 words this morning! Squee!

Books I Bought: My TBR Pile

These are just a sample of some of the books in my TBR pile right now. Books that I have heard such good things about I had to buy. First Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George. I have her two teen novels (Princess of the Midnight Ball, and Sun, Moon, Ice, and Snow) and have heard only wonderful wonderful things bout her MG books. And FIRE by Kristin Cashore. After reading Graceling, I want to read all of her stuff!


DRAGON SLIPPERS
by Jessica Day George

Summary: Creel, the heroine of Dragon Slippers is hardly a damsel-in-distress. After her aunt totes her out to the local dragon in desperation (with the hope that the local prince will rescue her from certain death and marry her), Creel refuses the haughty prince and finds friendship with the dragons, who set her on a journey to the center of the kingdom with a pretty pair of what only seem to be ordinary slippers. Along the way we discover Creel's enormous talent at embroidery, and you can't help but linger over the rich descriptions of her lovely tapestry-like gowns, which quickly make her the most sought-after dressmaker in the kingdom. But soon enough those mysterious slippers begin to wreak havoc, and it's up to Creel to save the kingdom from disaster and defend the dragons from certain doom. Creel's feisty spirit breathes fiery new life into this epic world at every turn, making this one of the most memorable and fun fantasy debuts to hit shelves since Cornelia Funke's Inkheart.



FIRE
by Kristin Cashore

Praise for FIRE:
"...this marvelous prequel will appeal to older teens, who will not only devour it, but will also love talking about it." --School Library Journal, starred review

"Cashore's prose has matured, growing piercing and elegant..." --Horn Book, starred review

"Fresh, hopeful, tragic and glorious." --Kirkus, starred review

"Surpasses Cashore's debut and paves the way for further exploration of a world in which readers will happily immerse themselves." -- Horn Book

**NaNoWriMo update -- I have written 6,267 words!

Review for THE HOURGLASS DOOR by Lisa Mangum

THE HOURGLASS DOOR

by Lisa Mangum

Published
May 13th 2009 by Shadow Mountain

Hardcover, 416 pages

Placement in the Pile:

Reaching New Heights

Summary:

His past. Her future. Can love bring them together in time? Abby s senior year of high school is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. He's mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she's ever met before. Abby can't deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves.

Review:

This was a really fun read. Lisa's descriptions were really lovely. I did feel like there maybe a little bit too many though, I wanted to be able to savor them more, instead of having so many one on top of the other. Also, I got really sick of the white's of his eyes being described in varying ways with "frost" (e.g. "the frost-white rims of his eyes"). But those are really my only two complaints. It was a fast, easy read. I recommend it for anyone looking for a romantic book, with some intensity and mystery behind it. The prologue is totally baffling until you read the whole book, then it makes total sense. The story takes a little bit of time to build up, and then gains momentum all the way until the intense (and be warned - cliffhanger) ending.

NaNoWriMo!

Okay folks, I know I said I would be reading a lot again...but...I just signed up for NaNoWriMo!



Yay! If you're not sure what that is....here is a link. But I can tell you it is a challenge to write 50,000 words on a novel in the month of November. No quality concerns attatched...just WRITE! Come join me! It will be a blast!