In My Mailbox (22)

This weekend was crazy busy for me what with my sister's party, decorating, cleaning, and it was also the weekend my teachers realized they were letting their students slack off too much, so it was full of homework too. I didn't get a chance to post all about the amazing books I got from the library last week, but I wanted to share so here they are!

Library Books: 

*Yes, another week of bad photos. Grr! 

Fateful by Claudia Gray (The Book Depository/Amazon)

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger (The Book Depository/Amazon)

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade (Amazon)

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (The Book Depository/Amazon)

Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin (The Book Depository/Amazon)

There are lots of titles I'm excited for. Fateful I've heard a lot of great things about, plus it's by Claudia Gray and I really liked the first few Evernight books. Shut Out is by Kody Keplinger, author of The Duff which you should totally read because it's so awesome. I loved it so I expect great things from Shut Out. The Ghost and the Goth is one of those series I've been seeing around forever and so many bloggers love it, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and try it out. I'm really curious about it! Silence is part of the Hush Hush series which I have very mixed feelings about, but I'm really curious to see where the story goes. Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance has a cool title. Seriously, sometimes that's all it takes. I'm already curious and expecting fun.

Anyway, that's what I got in my mailbox. Let me know, what you have in your mailbox by leaving a comment! Thanks for visiting Tantalizing Illusions and I hope you have a great day.

Cover Wars: Exiled vs Endlessly

Cover Wars is a weekly feature at Tantalizing Illusions all about the beautiful YA covers and appreciating them. Every week two covers will be matched against each other. A Defendant (winner from last week) and a Challenger (new cover). Over the course of the week, you'll get the chance to vote for your favourite on the right. Whichever cover wins is entirely up to you.

It seems Exiled is on fire. Seriously. Once again, Exiled triumphed. Will it be able to hold it's spot against this week's Challenger, Endlessly by Kiersten White?

vs

Aren't they pretty? This time it's the battle of the blond haired girls on purple covers. Which one do you prefer? I think they're both awesome and this will be a hard vote. But still, you gotta do what you gotta do. So vote now, and have a happy Cover Wars! And remember to check out another awesome Cover Wars done by Book Faery!

Have a great day everyone!

Review: The Locket

Author: Stacey Jay
Pages: 288
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Library
Synopsis: On her seventeenth birthday, Katie discovers a locket and decides to wear it for good luck. But when her boyfriend Isaac finds out she cheated on him - with their mutual best friend Mitch, no less - he dumps her, leaving her devastated. 


 And then a miracle happens. The locket burns on Katie's chest and she feels herself going back two weeks in time, to the night she cheated with Mitch. At first, Kate is delighted to be a better girlfriend to Isaac this time around. But as other aspects of her life become inexplicably altered, she realizes that changing the past may have had a dangerous effect on her present. 


 Can she make things right before the locket destroys everything - and everyone - she loves?


Buy the Book (The Book Depository/Amazon)

The Locket was the story of Katie using a locket to go back two weeks in time so she wouldn't repeat a mistake. Of course going back in time isn't without its consequences and Katie will learn the significance of choices and their impact on the world.

Romantic tension all the way through between Katie and Isaac, her boyfriend who cares a bit more about basketball than her, and Mitch, her best friend that may want to be more. I had a good idea of what would happen in the end and so I wasn't surprised with the conclusion. I just wanted to yell at Katie that she would hurry up and make the right choice already. It was a pretty clear choice to everyone except Katie, it seemed.

Katie irritated me a lot. She was so scared of a bunch of things and that lead her to not stand up for herself. She let people treat her wrong and I guess it would be a hard habit to get rid of after a lifetime of it, but I didn't like it. Katie's character did grow in the end though. She wasn't all bad. She was funny, wanted other people to succeed and didn't care for the spotlight. She was supportive and nice but never struck me as special.

The locket part of the story was written in a way where it was important but not that important. I mean that there wasn't an overwhelming magic part to the story. I'd think of this book as contemporary with a bit of time travel. That locket created so many problems and it was very creepy. Things worked out for the best though.

I liked the story but the book didn't hook me in completely. It was a cute story and I enjoyed it. 3 stars,

***

Review: Through Her Eyes

Author: Jennifer Archer
Pages: 384
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Library
Synopsis: Every ghost has a story to tell. 


 The last place Tansy Piper wants to be is stuck in Cedar Canyon, Texas, in the middle of nowhere, with a bunch of small-town kids. But when her mother decides to move to the desolate West Texas town, Tansy has no choice but to go along. Once there, Tansy is immediately drawn to the turret of their rickety old house, a place she soon learns has a disturbing history. But it's the strange artifacts she finds in the cellar—a pocket watch, a journal of poetry, and a tiny crystal—that have the most chilling impact on her. 


 Tansy soon finds that through the lens of her camera, she can become part of a surreal black-and-white world where her life is intertwined with that of mysterious, troubled Henry, who lived in the same house and died decades earlier. It seems their lives are linked by fate and the artifacts she found, but as Tansy begins spending more and more time in the past, her present world starts to fade away. Tansy must untangle herself from Henry's dangerous reality—before she loses touch with her own life forever.


Buy the Book (The Book Depository/Amazon)

I was pleasantly surprised that Through Her Eyes didn't turn out exactly the way I guessed it would. When you hear "paranormal romance", "ghost" and "new girl in town" you automatically expect the girl to fall in love with the ghost but both girl and boy need to let go. She'll make some friends but not too many and maybe there is another guy in the picture that is the reason why she's still living. Well, yes, Through Her Eyes did have some of those aspects but there were some cool differences.

For example, the ghost never appears to Tansy in her world directly. She sees Henry through photographs or objects he left behind which take her back to his time. Tansy only ever interacts with Henry during memories of when he was alive and still not directly. I liked the creepiness of this method. As Tansy spends more time in Henry's world, her own starts to fade away. I guessed what would happen in the end but it was still creepy thinking about everything fading. Tansy's reaction to that was also believable.

Tansy herself didn't strike me as a completely memorable character. She was nice enough, had an interest in hats and photography, judged people too easily but nothing really stood out about her. I liked her and supported her but she wasn't my kind of character. Her relationships were sweet though, especially the one with her grandfather. Tansy really cared about him. Her relationship with her mom was realistic. They loved each other but had a hard time communicating.

Now we have the love interest: Tate. Cute, sweet, slightly damaged and writes poetry. I liked Tate early on;I expect everyone will. What's not to like? Tansy's on again off again relationship with him wasn't exactly what I wished would happen but due to the nature of these two characters it fit them. I would have liked more of them though.

The problem with Through Her Eyes was that I thought the story was a bit slow. Not very much happened and the conclusion wasn't thrilling enough for me. I was never on the edge of my seat; the story didn't hook me in. It's a nice story with fantastic mood and setting but is 400 pages really needed to tell it? I would have enjoyed more happening. But remember, adrenaline junkie here.

Overall, Through Her Eyes was a good read with an interesting story. 3.5 stars.

*** & 1/2 *

Challenges

Challenges are one of my favourite parts of blogging. By the end of the year you can look back and just be happy because you accomplished so much. These are some challenges I'll be participating in, but I'm always on the lookout for more!

2012 Debut Author Challenge

So I'll be participating in this one. I'm doing the 2011 one (and that reminds me, I need to start posting them reviews!) and it's been fun. Plus, this is the best way to discover new series. No question about it, I'm joining this one. What I need to do is read & review 12 2012 debuts. 

Sophomore Reading Challenge

Have you guys noticed how many awesome books came out this year? Especially the debuts- wow. I'm super excited for their sequels which is what this challenge is about. Reading 10 books that are the second book of the 2011 debut authors. The sophomores must be published in 2012 though. 

My list of books to look forward to:

1. Insurgent by Veronica Roth

2. A Million Suns by Beth Revis

3. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

4. Fever by Lauren DeStefano

5. Dreamless by Josephine Angelini 

6. Until I Die by Amy Plum

7. Truth by Julia Karr

8. Perception by Kim Harrington

9. A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton 

10. Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Those are just a few- there are tons more. You can check out the Goodreads list here!

2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

For the books that have been on my TBR list for way too long. *winces* This one is for you! This challenge is for books released at least at most in 2011 (or way before) and that have been on your TBR for a while. I'm going to try to read 11-20 books- A Friendly Hug but if it seems to go well, I'll definitely be doing more. There are some prizes and it looks like it will be fun!
Our hosts are:
Evie from Bookish - http://www.evie-bookish.blogspot.com @SeoEvie
Nicole from All I Ever Read - http://www.nicoleabouttown.com/ @Nicoleabouttown
Bonnie from Hands and Home - http://www.handsandhome.ca/ @HandsHomeBlog
Donna from Book Passion For Life - http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.com/ @BookPforLife
Caitlin from WatchYA Reading - http://whatchyareading.net @caitlingss
Rie from Mission To Read - http://missiontoread.com/ @missiontoread
Vicky from Books, Biscuits & Tea -http://booksbiscuitsandtea.blogspot.com/ @alouetteuette 
Christa from Hooked On Books - http://christashookedonbooks.blogspot.com @ChristasBooks
Jenna from Fans Of Fiction - http://fansoffiction.blogspot.com/ @fansoffiction
Angel from Mermaids Vision - http://mermaidvision.wordpress.com @mermaidvisions
Goodreads Book Challenge: 

*The 2011 graphic is posted because I can't seem to find the 2012 one yet! 
This one isn't really hosted by the blogging community, but it's the one I care for the most. How many books have I read in a year. This year I'm trying to do 300 books (you can see from my widget on the sidebar I'm 91% done) and I'll try the same next year. Just a ton of fun, plus it makes me feel like I'm being productive. To participate you need a Goodreads account and whenever you read a book, you need to add it first to your "currently-reading" shelf, and then your "read" shelf when you're done. 
So those are my challenges for now. I may add more if I see something that will be challenging and sounds fun, I'll join. I may even have my own challenge... but you'll here more about that later. Like, in February. ♥ 
What are you guys joining? Excited?

Review: Seize the Story: A Handbook for Teens Who Like to Write

Author: Victoria Hanley
Publisher: Prufrock Press
Source: Review Copy (Thank you!!)
Synopsis: Do you wish you had a published writer's secrets at your fingertips, ready to help you achieve your goals of publication, success, and the chance to be the next great teen writer? In Seize the Story: A Handbook for Teens Who Like to Write, Victoria Hanley, award-winning author of young adult fiction, spills the secrets for bringing action, adventure, humor, and drama to stories. All of the elements of fiction, from creating believable dialogue to exciting plots, are laid out clearly and illustrated with examples taken straight from story excerpts by excellent writers. The book is packed with writing exercises designed to encourage teens to tell the stories that are theirs alone. 


In addition, other published authors of young adult literature share their insights about the writing life. Teens can gain firsthand advice from accomplished writers T. A. Barron, Joan Bauer, Hilari Bell, Chris Crutcher, David Lubar, Lauren Myracle, Todd Mitchell, Nancy Garden, and many more.


Buy the Book (The Book Depository/Amazon)

When I was asked to review Seize the Story, I was a bit hesitant. I thought the book sounded great but writing isn't something I do all the time, even though I like it.

I'm going to talk about my experiences a lot in this review as the book made me reflect on my writing. Two years ago I attempted to write a book. I had an idea that wouldn't leave my mind and it's still there! I made all sorts of promises and goals and outlines, but I never finished this story. I made the awful mistake of letting people read a first draft of the first part of the first book I've ever read. Over the next two years I've been thinking of my story, and it's something I always want to finish writing. I just never knew when. Victoria Hanley's Seize the Story reminded my why I love to write.

It's a book for teens so everything is written in a way I can actually understand and with lots of examples (like from Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games) that I was familiar with. I feel like I learned a lot about writing and it makes me want to write. For example, I've always heard that writing rule "Show, don't tell," but I never really knew what it was until I read the section about it. With all the examples given, it made sense. I know November is NaNoWriMo and though I can't participate, Seize the Story is a valuable tool to use.

Though there were many technical aspects of writing that were learned, the most important lessons were about writing as a craft. No one I know writes so learning that published authors feel like their first draft is crap, get bored with it and feel insecure just made me feel better. I felt strongly encouraged and like a writer. It made me see writing less as something I do randomly but like a process that people go through and that is different for everyone. It's a hard road, but rewarding. I respect authors even more now! I also think Seize the Story helps me review books better now that I know more about writing good stories.

There were many pictures and exercises and if I wasn't so constricted in time I know I would of stopped and just tried out everything to learn for myself. I know that at some point in the future I'll re-read Seize the Story and just write. For now, it has encouraged me to just get writing, which is enough for me.

This book is great for writers, especially teens. It's encouraging, informative, and interesting. I really liked it. 4 stars,

****

Cover Wars Exiled vs Girl of Nightmares

Welcome to Tantalizing Illusions' Cover Wars, a feature just about appreciating the awesome covers of YA.  Every week, (the day seems to change every time) I will be posting two covers. One cover is the winner from last week's Cover Wars and it will be known as the Defender. The other cover is the Challenger, who is here to try to win against the Defender. They way the winners are chosen is up to your votes on the poll to the right. If you love a cover, make sure to vote for it!

Last week there was the battle of Exiled, versus Everneath. Exiled won again for the second week in a row. Now, Exiled will battle to defend itself against our new beautiful challenger, Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake.

vs

Hard choice, eh? Exiled is a stunning, colourful close up while Girl of Nightmares is seductively dark and a full body shot. Both of these covers could easily win.

So now that you've seen the competition, get ready to VOTE! Let the Cover Wars... begin!

Remember to leave a comment letting me know what you think and your suggestions for future Cover Wars. Also, visit Book Faery for more exciting Cover Wars!