{Week One} Don't Fear The Reaper Read-A-Long

Chapters 1 - 5 Questions

1. We meet some of Charley's ghostly "buddies," do you believe you have ever had a ghostly encounter?


I don't think so. My family used to joke that we have a ghost in our house, because sometimes weird things would happen, but I don't think I've ever actually had any encounters with ghosts.


2. Charley named her jeep Misery. Have you ever named your vehicles? What did you name them?


I've never had a car. I'm actually looking to get my first one soon, but I know for sure I will be naming it. I mean, I had named my Kindle "Lex" when I first got it, because it was sleek and awesome and I had been watching a lot of Smallville at the time.


3. Charley says her name "...brooks no opposition. It takes shit from no one." What do you think your name says about you to strangers? Is there a different name that you think would suit you better?


My name is Kimberly, but it's hard to guess what it says about me. In first grade, it meant I was called 'the pink ranger' by my classmates, which I didn't mind because she was awesome, and got to be with Tommy. Now it seems that my name is associated with hot and popular girls, which I'm definitely not. Still, I like my name. It's not too common, and it's mine.



4. Charley says her best friend Cookie is "like Kramer from Seinfeld, only not so nervous, like Kramer might have been on Prozac." Give us your best description of your best friend. How would they describe you?


I would describe my best friend as being a lot like a female version of Neville Longbottom - she's low on the self confidence, but surprises herself at how awesome she really is, which is pretty BAMF. I have no idea how she would describe me, though. Probably like a funny, slightly crazier version of Hermione.



5. Garrett is reluctant to believe in Charley's abilities, how would you react if a friend divulged to you that they can see and speak with the dead?


I don't know if I'd believe them right away - they would have to find a way to prove it to me so I wouldn't think they were pulling my leg. But it depends on the friend, because I'm sure I have a couple whom I'd believe off the bat. I'm always hoping to be shown that the world is more exciting than it appears to be. I'd probably be pretty jealous at first, though, but then maybe I could be the Robin to their Batman.

{Week One} Pushing The Limits Read-A-Long

1) The story starts out with Echo's thoughts on how she wants to answer her therapist's questions (snarky and caustically truthful) which are quickly juxtaposed to how she does (milque-toasty and banal). Who do you think she hides the truth for more, her parents or herself?

I think that Echo hides the truth more for herself. She doesn't seem to want to face the truth, which is why she chooses to go along with what she believes her father and stepmother want from her. It doesn't help that her father seems to be ignoring the truth as well.

2) We see Mrs. Collins, the school therapist, interact with both Echo and Noah in the first few chapters. From those interactions, what do you think of her? Is she a prototypical caricature of state care? Or do you think she's there to make an honest difference in the lives of those she's there to help?

I like her! She's already come across as someone who really looks deep into her patients' lives, and comes to her own conclusions about people rather than just adopting the conclusions of previous therapists or social workers. This, combined with setting up Echo to tutor Noah, shows that she really does want to help, and comes up with ideas that'll allow for real progress.

3) Noah has two friends, Beth and Isaiah, who have his back no matter what -- through thick and thin -- and he has theirs. Consequently, his life is a little easier because he has two people who know about his situation. Echo's closest friend prior to the accident, Grace, will barely speak to her in school. Do you think Echo would have had an easier time coping and moving on if she had friends like Noah does?

I'm not sure. Her friend Lila tries to talk to her, and that doesn't seem to have worked. Her issue is really very internal, and she has to be willing to accept help from others before she can benefit from it. Of course, her friends seem rather superficial, and it may be that she feels like she can't talk to them because they don't really listen to her. It does seem a bit like Lila would rather she skip the coping and just start moving on.

4) Echo fixates on a colorful ribbon that sits on the school counselor's desk during their one-on-one sessions. Do you think this is a case of "Oh. Look at the pretty ribbon. Let me zone out while staring at it," or could it have a deeper significance?

I don't know the significance, but obviously it holds meaning to her. Since she doesn't seem to know why she got a nagging feeling when looking at the ribbon, my guess is it has to do with the accident. Her brother did die during deployment, so my guess is it may have to do with a ribbon or honor they received for that (purple heart?), which may have to do with her mom flipping out on her. Let's find out...

5) Noah and the jacket....Already when Noah and Echo meet for the first time, Noah got angry when Echo forgot her jacket (p. 34). Then at Echo's birthday party Noah gave Echo his jacket when he saw that she forgot hers (p. 54). There is a significance behind his anger when Echo has no coat and it tells already so much about Noah!

• Why is Noah so fixated on Echo and her Jacket, and what does it say of his character?

Noah's reaction to Echo and her jacket seems like a reflex. That does show he's a good person, because if he truly were the troubled stoner everyone assumes he is, why would he care or even notice about such details?

• Show us your favorite jacket! Either with you having it on or alone!

My black, zipped hoodie I got from the university bookstore! It's already falling apart with a hole on the wrist, but it's so comfy!

Crappy close-up - you can at least see
the logo. It's otherwise a plain black hoodie,
but that's what I love!

6) Echo wears gloves all the time to hide her scars - not only for her sake, but obviously also for the others. When Noah sees Echo's scars for the first time he's shocked.

• Do you think this was the moment he began to see Echo in a different light?

Probably. He just assumed prior to seeing those scars that she was little miss perfect, and didn't understand what real problems were. Now that illusion had been shattered, and he began to notice Echo as an actual person with actual problems.

• Show us your favorite pair of gloves!

I don't really wear gloves. It would annoy the crap outta me to have something covering my fingers, so if I did wear them they would probably be in this style:

But I haven't really worn those either, so who knows. I have a bit of OCD when it comes to certain things, and the reason for me not wearing gloves is the same reason I can't stand wearing those socks that have separate compartments for your toes (like those rainbow socks). I just hate the feeling I get from them - drives me nuts.

Top 10 Characters I'd Like to Switch Places With for 24 Hours

A Meme By The Broke and the Bookish

Hermione Granger

1. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter by JK Rowling)
Does this really need an explanation? I would love to experience life at Hogwarts, and who better to switch places with than Hermione? Then I could go on adventures with Harry and Ron!
2. Alice (Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)
I would just love to experience Wonderland through Alice's eyes!
3. Wendy Darling (Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie)
I have always wanted to go to Neverland, ever since I first heard of Peter Pan as a kid watching the Disney film. It would be awesome to experience learning to fly for the first time, and to explore the island with Peter and the Lost Boys.
4. Eve Rosser (The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine)
Not the main female character character for this series. Why? Because Eve gets to go out with the hot ghost-turned-vampire, Michael Glass, and has all sorts of cool gothic outfits to wear!
5. Bella Swan (Twilight by Stephenie Meyer)
Ok, so I just had to pick Bella - mainly because I would like to experience what it would be like to be loved by Edward Cullen. C'mon, you know you're curious!
6. Kay Wyatt (Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn)
Kay becomes best friends with a dragon! How cool is that?!

7. Susannah Simon (The Mediator by Meg Cabot)
I just think it would be interesting to be able to see and talk to ghosts. Plus, Jesse. Mmm...
8. Katie Chandler (Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson)
Katie lands one of the best jobs ever - she gets to work for a company that sells magical spells! Even her average day sounds exciting!
9. Jean Louise "Scout" Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee)
I have always wanted to know what it would have been like to grow up as a carefree child around the 1930's, before television and technology started taking over.
10. Linh Cinder (Cinder by Marissa Meyer)
I know I would just enjoy exploring New Beijing. No need for anything else, really - I'm just dying to know what it actually looks like.





Linh Cinder

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

Amazon | Goodreads

This laugh-out-loud chronicle charts a year in the life of Bridget Jones, a single girl on a permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement--in which she resolves to: visit the gym three times a week not merely to buy a sandwich, form a functional relationship with a responsible adult, and not fall for any of the following: misogynists, megalomaniacs, adulterers, workaholics, chauvinists or perverts. And learn to program the VCR. Caught between her Singleton friends, who are all convinced they will end up dying alone and found three weeks later half-eaten by an Alsatian, and the Smug Marrieds, whose dinner parties offer ever-new opportunities for humiliation, Bridget struggles to keep her life on an even keel (or at least afloat). Through it all, she will have her readers helpless with laughter and shouting, "BRIDGET JONES IS ME!"

This book was rather enjoyable. I'll admit, I read this book because I am a huge fan of the movie, but I have to say that the book was a completely different experience. Yes, in my head I pictured Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones, Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver, and Colin Firth as Mark Darcy, but I just couldn't help it. It actually made it funnier, in part, because both Hugh Grant and Colin Firth are referenced in the novel.

The whole book, in fact, is written in a very witty fashion, and I found myself laughing out loud numerous times. It did, however, bother me that the beginning of almost every journal entry started with a weigh-in, calorie count, and amount of alcohol consumed/cigarettes smoked. It just got annoying having to read through those all the time, and my darn brain wouldn't just let me skip over them. I hated that. It was annoying to hear her fret every time she gained a pound and then lost it again, which happened over and over, until the end of the book when *spoilers* she only weighs two pounds more than she did at the beginning of the story.

But I did like how much of a dork Bridget was. Really, I don't know of another word to describe her. Some of the most bizarre thoughts ran through her head, such as when one of her best friends, Tom, went missing for a couple days, and she soon started imagining what she would wear to his funeral. There was also this scene in which she's talking calories with Tom and thinks: 

"I have realized that I have spent so many years being on a diet that the idea that you might actually need calories to survive has been completely wiped out of my consciousness."

I swear, being insider her head is like being inside one of those pink bouncy castles you see at little girls' birthday parties while as an adult - lots of explosive fun, but with a few moments of light-headed clarity where your're just like "...what is going on?" (in which case the thought is always immediately dismissed and you go back to bouncing). I found I very much enjoyed it. And of course, I kept a look-out for some of my favorite scenes from the movie, such as the blue soup and the fireman's pole - neither of which disappointed! 

One more thing to look out for is the ending. It was completely different than the one used for the movie, which I'm assuming is because it probably wasn't dramatic enough. I actually liked the ending in the book, and thought it was cute, but very realistic - especially when you consider it's told in the form of a diary. Ms. Fielding crafted a very engaging story, and I found myself rooting for Bridget and Mark all over again. This was a delightfully charming read, and I'd highly recommend you read it if you are a fan of the movie, or a fan of quirky British chick-lit humor.

Waiting On Wednesday | 09

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine, which features upcoming releases that I am anticipating the most. There are so many good books coming out, but here is what I am obsessing over at the moment:

Timekeeper (Timeless #2)

Amazon | Goodreads

January 8, 2013

When Philip Walker appears as a new student in Michele Windsor's high school class, she is floored. He is the love she thought she lost forever when they said goodbye during her time travels last century. Overjoyed that they can resume the relationship they had a lifetime ago, Michele eagerly approaches him and discovers the unthinkable: he doesn't remember her. In fact, he doesn't seem to remember anything about the Philip Walker of 1910.

Michele then finds her father's journals, which tell stories of his time-traveling past. As she digs deeper, she learns about his entanglement with a mysterious and powerful organization called the Time Society and his dealings with a vengeful Windsor ancestor. Michele soon finds herself at the center of a rift over 120 years in the making, one whose resolution will have life-or-death consequences.

Every Day
Amazon | Goodreads
August 28, 2012

Every morning, A wakes in a different person’s body, a different person’s life. There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

With his new novel, David Levithan has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day.

Why I Can't Wait To Read These

I've been looking forward to the release of Timekeeper since I finished reading Timeless (review here). That book had ended with such a big cliffhanger that I really, really want to know what happens!

I want to read Every Day simply because it sounds so good! I mean, this guy wakes up as a different person with a different live every single day - how crazy is that? Plus, I've been dying to read something else by David Levithan since I finished reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

Top 10 Most Vivid Worlds/Settings In Books

A Meme By The Broke and the Bookish

1) The Wizarding World of Harry Potter by JK Rowling - Not only is Hogwarts so vivid I've imagined myself there many times, but there's also the Ministry of Magic Headquarters, the Quidditch World Cup, the Burrow, and 12 Grimmauld Place, all of which I can picture instantly

2) Middle-earth from The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien - Do I even have to explain how amazing this world is? From the warmth of the Shire, to the mysterious beauty of Rivendell, all the way to the depths of Mordor itself, Tolkien has created a world which will never die

3) Panem from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - The games themselves are very vivid, as is the Capitol, but it's the descriptions of the districts as a future America that really intrigues me

4) Morganville from The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine - How scary to imagine going to college in a city secretly run by vampires! I thought it was a clever system Caine set up, in which humans could earn protection from certain vampires in return for blood donations, while unsuspecting out-of-towners were up for grabs if they made the mistake of wandering the streets at night

5) Wonderland from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - Carroll really brought this world to life, where anything can happen, and nothing ever is as it seems

6) New Beijing from Cinder by Marissa Meyer - This was definitely a fun world to explore; I enjoyed imagining the marketplace, as well as the emperor's palace; very futuristic and adventurous

7) Feednet & Future America from feed by MT Anderson - The feednet is the future of the internet, and a very scary one, in which a chip is implanted in your brain and you're fed information 24/7; I love how in the background of the novel, you're given vague descriptions of Corporate-ruled America, which lead you to understand that the planet is dying, thanks to us destructive humans

8) The Middle Ages from My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison - Incompetent fairy godmother Chrysanthemum Everstar sends Tansy to the Middle Ages to live as both Cinderella and Snow White after a wish gone wrong, and it's easy to imagine the world as it was then; it makes me very glad for electricity and indoor plumbing

9) Incryptid New York City from Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire - I just love how seamlessly the incryptids (various supernatural beings) are woven in with the rest of the NYC population; plus the author was great at describing their histories

10) San Francisco from Little Brother by Corey Doctorow - Doctorow made it easy to imagine the high-tech city of SF once the Department of Homeland Security took it over after terrorist attacks; it was a very scary place, especially knowing it was possible

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Amazon | Goodreads

   When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

    This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Wow. Just....wow. I just barely finished this one, and I'm not sure what I am thinking. There is so much that I want to say, but I don't want to write spoilers in case someone else hasn't read this yet. I'm actually surprised I never read spoilers for this, though it's not like I was looking. Let me just say that this series didn't really seem like something I had to read, but I kept seeing it everywhere I went, so I gave in to my curiosity. I'm quite glad I did.

I like the way the author's writing flowed, and it kept me reading. I'll admit, sometimes Clary annoyed the hell out of me, just like *almost* every other YA female lead in a paranormal series (yet, I keep reading them), but she wasn't that bad. I mean, on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being "The Worst Mary Sue" and 10 being "Cooler Than Hermione or Katniss," I'd say she was like a 4.5 on the scale. Still, it was cool to read a book featuring a red-headed, freckled female lead. And the story was too engrossing to stay annoyed for long - lots of turning points and action.

I automatically enjoyed any scene involving the warlock, Magnus - he was odd, but so darn likable (at least, to me). It's so hard to not give away spoilers, but Alec! *squee* Ahem. Anyway. I also enjoyed the unraveling of Clary's mother's past, and the story of why she fled from the shadowhunters. But I will say this: during the last few chapters I just had this big WTF?! face. I could still feel it on me, and it makes me wanna hurry and start the second book already. Yes, I had a small inkling that this plot twist was going to happen as I read more, but still. My goodness. Now I need more.

I did hear through Goodreads about some little controversy going around about the author, but I say "Who gives a crap?" I read this story, it was good, and I liked it. Who cares if the author supposedly plagiarized HER OWN fanfiction? She freakin' wrote it, unpublished, so she could mold those ideas into something new if she wants to. And as for the similarities people dig up between this and certain books and movies, how often does something truly original in a story ever pop up? I could list a ton of books that have similarities to previously created works, but the point is that the author made it their own by telling it in a way that only they could, because no one else shares their brain. It's not like "Oh darn! He used a love-triangle between a cat and two dogs, and now it can never be used again. I guess I'll just have to make one of them a turtle."

I'm sorry for this review if it confused you, because there is so much in this book that I don't want to spoil. Am I the only one who hadn't read this until now? I know that I'm not, and I am glad that I hadn't read spoilers on this book before reading it, because it was fun to learn about things as Clary discovered them. That's why I refrained from giving anything away. All I can tell you is that I hadn't cared beforehand whether I read it or not, but I did read it, and I did like it, and I am going to read the rest of the series. Probably right now. (4/5 stars)