My Sister's Keeper: Movie vs. Book

My Sister's Keeper. I read it about a year ago and my copy was instantly ruined. It looks like I dropped it in a pond or something, but nope. Those waterlogged pages are just from my tears. Okay, it wasn't that bad. But I did cry a lot. I hadn't cried that much from a book since Where the Red Fern Grows, actually.

So when I saw the movie version was being made, I knew I'd lose it even more. Watching the book happen visually would melt me to a puddle. But, you know, the book was actually more depressing. I can't believe how different the endings were (waaaay different) - I really preferred the book one. Very unexpected. That's not to say the movie wasn't tear-jerking. Because it was. But Jodi Picoult gets some serious props for being able to write that much emotion into a book. I think it far surpassed the movie in that way.

But I also have to give props to the film-makers for not glamorizing cancer. I kind of expected they would, because that's what Hollywood does. But this was gritty and raw. Just seeing Kate - with bruises all over her face, and eyes filled with blood - brought me to tears. The book described a lot of horrific detail, too, so in that they were similar.

Both the book and the movie were a complete drama, but they also brought some smiles and laughs. Definitely worth reading and watching. (Plus, you get two endings.)

What are your thoughts?

Books FTW

Since I'm in Tennessee, I'll announce the winner of Persistence of Memory when I get back (and, Bianca - I still need an email from you for the prize pack. I'll hunt you down when I get back, but I have to write this scheduled post SUPER QUICK.) Why do I always do things last-minute? I should work on that.

Up for grabs this week is The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman. Here's a link to my review, but for convenience, I'll copy and paste the summary I wrote:

Island 365 is Honor's new home. After The Flood, there are few habitable islands left that are "safe", and # 365 is one of them. Apparently, where they were living before wasn't, because they were "reassigned". Honor, our lovely main character, was born under the year H - everyone born in that year is required to have a name beginning with, obviously, H. But "Honor", although it was on the accepted list when she was born, isn't a suitable name. Because it sounds like year O. Tsk, tsk. Mother Earth won't be happy. And that's just one tiny detail that's part of a much bigger list of misdemeanors, all being controlled by The Corporation and Mother Earth. From the beginning, you can tell things are a little funky, but with each page you're given a tiny bit more info. Why are people losing their memory? Why do all the text books lie? What happens to the people who "disappear"? Is New Weather really working? This is just a small sample of the questions you'll be asking once you get past, oh, page 10?

It's very, very good. And while I'm wary to part with it, it's not doing me any good just sitting there. So one of you will be very lucky.

I'll give you an extra entry if you can suggest a title for my weekly contests. Melissa Walker has the clever Win-It Wednesdays, and while mine doesn't have to have alliteration, I want it to be something catchy, like hers. If you suggest one, please put it in a separate comment or your extra entry will be void. Thanks!

This contest will end on August 3rd, and it's open to US residents only.

Comment your little hearts out.

Road Trip

I'm off to Tennessee today. I won't have internet for a whole week. This is very horrifying.

I'll be scheduling posts (if Blogger decides to work correctly), so you won't get me to be silent unless you have duct tape. I won't, however, be able to check email, facebook, etc. Still send stuff, though - I'll respond to everyone when I get back! If you're going crazy/mentally insane over the fact that I'll be gone (it happens a lot. ask Britney Spears), you can always check out my Tweets! I'll be tweeting from my phone, so I won't be able to respond until I'm back. But when I do get back, that will probably be the first place I'll go.

I'll announce my contest winners when I get back, too, although I'll be posting another contest on Monday. *glares at Blogger*. Why is it so funky about scheduled posts sometimes?

Tata for now! I hope Tennessee has good coffee...

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver is, summed down, a werewolf love story. But it's twisted. Instead of changing from the full moon, or because of anger/emotion, these humans shift into wolves when the temperature is low. And, after years of shifting, one summer they just don't turn back. Sam is on his last year as a human when he finally talks to Grace. He'd been watching her as a wolf for years - ever since his pack attacked her and he ended up saving her life. Now that him and Grace are together, he has to focus on one thing: staying warm.

Shiver is told in alternating POVs, which I wasn't sure I liked at first. I feel like, with any book that switches POVs, you really have to get into the characters to show who they are to the core, because you don't have as much time to show it. You're giving each of your characters half of the face-time, and so you have to give them double the wit and memorability. I may have liked it better if it had focused on one character's thoughts instead of two, but it added a certain uniqueness to the story. Shiver sure doesn't lack in uniqueness, overall. The temperature thing (aside from what I explained in the summary, each chapter began with the current Fahrenheit level), really added to the story. I thought it was one of the most interesting aspects of the book because it was so different from the average werewolf tale.

I feel like this book would have been better split into a trilogy - really drawn out. There was just a lot going on. With romance books especially, it irks me when two characters fall in love too fast. This is more redeeming because there's a sort of backstory, but it still went by too fast for my particular taste. Their personalities did seem to go together, with their back-and-forth banter, so it ended up believable in the end. But it could have been a lot more than believable. Personally, I'm a sucker for romance, and I want to see the chase. Maybe that's why I love Pride and Prejudice so much. This reader's all for the love-hate.

Shiver has been getting a lot of praise and buzz - and I do feel like it's worth it. The beginning started off slow for me, the middle dangerously gripped me, and the end ended in a very abrupt way. So while I was iffy about the beginning and ending, the middle stuck out enough for me to recommend it. I mean, it really stuck. In one scene, Grace and Sam go to a candy store, and Holy Wow. Loved it. There were a lot of "love" moments for me in this book, actually. I so badly wish some elements of the story (like some of Grace's gifts) were explored more. Which is another reason why I want this to be a series*. I have to give props to Maggie Stiefvater for fitting so much into a single book and still making it lovable. And while I hate (loathe, actually) people who compare every single book to Twilight, I think fangy fans will like this one.

But, to wrap up my thoughts, here's the bow - Very enjoyable. Very intriguing. Very recommendable. Although I said some neutral things in this review, I'm only trying to be truthful and not continue to raise expectations to a height that Shiver isn't enjoyable for you. Because, for me, it really was. Get a copy, pass it around, and I'm sure you'll have your own little fangroup.

Looking forward to reading Lament...

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*Edit: Just learned it is! Yay.

Champions & Contests

The winner for the huge Simply Irresistible contest is Bianca - B, email me and we'll get your prizes sent out to you soon.

As for everyone else, more contests shall come. Like today, for instance.

I haven't read anything by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, but I recently got two copies of Persistence of Memory by her. If you'd like to read it, just leave a comment and you'll be entered. Here's the summary, stolen very stealthily from Amazon:

Erin Misrahe, 16, has spent almost half of her life in and out of psychiatric wards. With the help of serious drugs, she has managed to stay out of the hospital for more than two years and is attending classes at a local high school. But the dreams of blood and violence and being a completely different person have started again, and it seems that her alter ego, Shevaun, may be something more than just a figment of her imagination. With the help of her shape-shifter friends and Shevaun's longtime lover, Erin and Shevaun fight to separate their minds and memories and try to figure out what happened to connect them in the first place.

Sounds good, right? So enter!

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson

I love James Patterson's YA series Maximum Ride, so when I saw he came out with another Young Adult title, I had to read it. The comparison is kind of horrific.

Daniel X is an alien hunter. He has the rare power to create, such as morphing or controlling objects, or even making them solely from his mind. Daniel's going down The List of aliens wreaking havoc on Earth, finding and killing them all. And he's heading towards the top, where the most deadly and dangerous aliens await. Including the one that killed his parents.

Meh. I listened to this on audiobook (narrated by Milo Ventimiglia), and read along with it. The story idea was interesting, and I had fun reading it, but it lacked a lot of believability. The main character wasn't developed well, and I couldn't find a likability factor in him at all. He seemed way too immature, which I hatehatehate in YA books. Don't dumb a character down, and please (please!) don't make jokes a 5-year-old would laugh at. Teenagers don't find them funny.

I did like that Daniel loved elephants, and there was a scene towards the end (including the big grey fellas) that I adored. It reminded me of The Nature of Jade, one of my favorite books. Which, um, I can't believe I just added into this review. But honestly, a little detail like that can really add to a story.

I heard* that James Patterson wrote this book specifically for his son, which I think is slightly redeeming. He really does do a lot to help get kids to read, like his site Read, Kiddo, Read. But I think this helps explain some things. His son is a lot younger than the marketed audience, and I don't really think this should be promoted as Young Adult. Lower MG would probably suit it a lot better.

I'll most likely read the sequel, but I was just disappointed in this one. If you read it, don't let it discourage you from Maximum Ride. Because that series totally kicks ass.

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*but I didn't do my research, so who knows?

Nonfiction

I'm not big on nonfiction. I think it's because I'm just so into YA that I rarely venture off into other age-groups. And there isn't a ton of great YA nonfiction (that I've found, at least). The Year We Disappeared by Cindy and John Busby was one I checked out a while ago and ended up really liking, though, so I think it's just a matter of finding the right book.

Because I'm such a fiction junkie, I like nonfiction that reads like a story. I don't want something told to me in facts - I want it to be presented as the main characters saw it. So, basically, nonfiction that sounds like fiction. Maybe I'm just not too big on the genre.

Anyway, I'm writing this post to find out about any YA nonfiction titles you've heard or read about. I'm trying to get into more branches of Young Adult that you don't usually see or read about. I might even try some varied religious fiction, (wicca, Christian, whatever), just to expand my horizons. And I definitely need to read more classics. *sigh*

But right now I'm trying to focus on nonfiction. So. Do any of you have any good recommendations?

Also, as a side note - the big Simply Irresistible contest ends on July 20th, when I'll kick-start my new weekly contests again! (and hopefully for a longer period this time.)

ALA - all in one.

ALA was fun. I'll probably make a vlog later to show you all the goodies I got/bought, but for now, we'll focus on the authors.

The first one we spotted was Cindy Pon, and we ended up stalking her through both days of ALA. We met her, introduced ourselves, got a picture, and reluctantly went on our way. Kristi and I noticed John Green standing right next to us, but we fangirled in semi-silence. Except K got a picture of his back.

John ended up being at a signing later that day. We were in line for another author who we were either too late or too early for, when a publisher asked if we were in line for John Green. "Now we are!" I bought An Abundance of Katherines because I hadn't read it yet. He was incredibly nice, and talked a bit to everyone in line.

I got a copy of Geektastic, which also has a story by John Green in it (among many other authors), and had it signed by Holly Black (!) We went back to see Cindy Pon again, and they had 4 authors set up to sign! Cindy was signing hardbacks of Silver Phoenix (I only had an ARC, so !),
Kathryn Fitzmaurice was signing The Year the Swallows Came Early, Amy Huntley had copies of The Everafter, and David Macinnis Gill with Soul Enchilada. I've been wanting to read them all, so it was almost creepy how lucky we were. We spotted Lisa Schroeder (Far From You) in line, and David helped us try and get her attention. But even our combined group yell didn't phase her. We got to meet her at the end, though, and she was incredibly sweet. I was totally freaking out inside. But she's an avid pen stealer, so watch out. :)

We met Simone Elkeles, and the ever-generous (except when she's stealing books) Kristi gave me her extra copy of Perfect Chemistry. Every time I pick up that book, I think of the hilarious trailer. Cracks me up. Anyway, I can't wait to read that! Simone signed my autograph book and gave us some tshirts.

Maggie Stiefvater was signing and I got a free copy of Lament. I've really been wanting to read it, so I totally scored there. I was in the middle of Shiver before I left, too. Flux is such a great publishing company - I've been really impressed with all their YA. And we talked to some of the marketers in line, and they were really nice and funny. They brought out a tshirt that said "What the Flux?" How genius is that?

On Saturday night we went to a Laurie Halse Anderson and Sarah Dessen signing at Anderson's bookstore. I was totally in awe of them! LHA is my all-time favorite writer, and she was so cool and intelligent - and super down-to-earth. She wore these awesome bright orange shoes with leopard print down the center. I mean, seriously? How awesome can you freaking get? I bought Chains, which is the only book by her I haven't read. She signed it with "Books free minds!", and Wintergirls with a lovely "Taste life!" *sigh* I totally love her. And my friend Emili totally stole Along for the Ride, (what is it with people stealing books from me?) so I didn't have anything but my autograph book to get signed by Dessen. I felt ruuuude.

On Sunday, I got to meet Stephanie Kuehnert! She was totally awesome. And I got to see her new tattoo in person (I think she just made a vlog about it.) LOVE it! And her! She's so awesome. And I bought a final copy of Ballads of Suburbia for her to sign. The ARC I had didn't have a cover, so I missed out on the ducky. Anyway, it was great meeting her. One of the biggest highlights of the trip.

Then, while we were waiting in line at Scholastic for a multiple-author signing, Sarah Ockler calls. And comes in line with us! (!!!!!) I was totally giddy. I loved Twenty Boy Summer, and she told us a little bit about the new book she's working on, which sounds equally amazing. She signed my autograph book with "Never stop searching for the red piece!" Another genius one, for those who've read the book. We also waited in line with Kristen , another blogger. We met a couple other bloggers (Andrea and Sarah Bean) - they were all freaking awesome! Sarah was totally cute, Kristen was fun, and Andrea was super nice. It was so great to meet some fellow bloggers! Other than Kristi. Bleck. (seriously, though, Kristi is way awesome, too! I loved hanging out with her.)

I met Kimberly Pauley (Sucks to be Me), and her adorable kid. Kimberly is such a sweet, cute person. Her and Kay Cassidy - who I talked to on both days, and had a lot of fun chatting with - were probably two of the nicest people there. But everyone was really fun! (And funny. The comedic award is tied between Garret Freyman-Weyr and David Macinnis Gill.)

I also got books signed by Melina Marchetta, E Lockhart, Kristina Springer (The Espressologist, which sounds totally cute!), Janet Lee Carey (for Stealing Death), Kate Messner (The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z), Garret Freyman-Weyr (Stay With Me), Julia Keller (Back Home, which I'm really excited to read), Lise Haines (Girl in the Arena), and many others I didn't get pictures with. But I'll detail more on those (and others) in my IMM vlog later this week.

And we may have stalked Cindy into her cab. Possibly. And at lunch the next day. And in line. Just maybe. Or maybe she was stalking us. Either way, we ran into her a lot. We started a fan club, if you want to join...

:) And that was my trip! I still have aches and pains, but it was so beyond worth it.

And I'm gone...

I'm leaving now for ALA, with a little under 2 hours of sleep. I'm very zombielike at the moment. But I'll get about 7 gallons of coffee in me, and hopefully be able to be my usual charming, chipper, witty self. If not, I'll just blame it on the lack of sleep. Because that would obviously be why.

I'll be back to report everything - I'm really, really excited!

My shoulder is gonna be aching from all the books I'm about to lug around in that big ol' tote bag I made. Oh boy. I'll probably come back with battle injuries (it's Chicago!), but it'll be worth it.

I started about a billion books to finish before I left, but I got about zero of them read. I'm in the middle of all of them, though! Go me! I don't think I've ever read this many books at once - (this is including Shiver, Silver Phoenix, Get Well Soon, Ballads of Suburbia, Simply Irresistible, and others).

Can you guys read 25725 books at once and not confuse the storylines, or are you usually a one-book-at-a-time reader?

50 points if you answer the question. The points won't get you anything, but yay. Points rock.

See you all when I get back! Don't worry, you'll hear every last detail. :P

Interview w/ Me!

I love being interviewed. I'm a narcissist that way. And Kay Cassidy, author of The Cinderella Society, asked some really great questions of me. You should go check it out and comment - there are three truths and a lie at the bottom of the page, and if you guess the lie you get an extra entry into Kay's big contest. Go check it out!

And while you're there, check out her Teen Author Challenge. I'll definitely be taking part.

In My Mailbox - video!

Remember how I used to do IMM videos, like, forever ago? Well, I decided to start them up again, once a week. I can't guarantee a certain day of the week - I have a full house most of the time, and I don't like talking to my computer when other people are around. But one will be up every week, so you can see all the goodies I get and we can squee over them together.

So here's this weeks: (edit: um, is the sound off for anyone else? of course technology has to turn against me yet again.)



Books mentioned in this video (not in order):

-The Sweet Life of Stella Madison by Lara M Zeises
-Girl to the Core by Stacey Goldblatt
-Second Skin by Jessica Wollman
-The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy
-Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
-Crash Into Me by Albert Borris
-Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
-Alyzon Whitestarr by Isobelle Carmody
-Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Simply Irresistible - HUGE contest!

If you somehow don't already know about The Elite, here's your chance. I've been a fan since book 1, and now, (today!) Simply Irresistible hits shelves. It's book three in a to-die-for series; a fun, upper-class NYC read, but with a big ol' dose of depth. Light and meaningful. Definitely a scrumptious read for the palate.

So, to celebrate, I'm hosting a big (big!) contest to kick-start my weekly contests again. I think I'm finally getting a job, so I'm ready to pass on some good reads.

This particular contest will run for two weeks, though, so check back on July 20th to see the winners!

But I should probably talk about the prizes, put together by the generous Jennifer Banash and I. Right? Here we go.

-$35 gift card to Free People
-Gossip Girl season 2 (pre-ordered - it will be shipped to your house when it comes out)
-Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott
-Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott
-A (totally stylish) bamboo address book
-Bookmarks

So, you want to enter? Comment. But you can earn extra entries, too!

+1 for telling us what makes a guy/girl Simply Irresistible to you
+2 for following Jennifer Banash's blog
+3 for embedding the Simply Irresistible trailer onto your blog or website.

(And, personally, I'm reading SI now and I think it's the best of the bunch! Totally worth a buy.) Get commenting!

Bookish Chat

I'm having a casual bookish chat for my online YA book club today (July 6th) - EVERYONE is welcome. It's open to the public, so anyone bookish, please come! We'll chat books (of course), writing, movies - and whatever else pops to mind. I hope to see you there!

The chat is at 8 pm eastern (7 central, 6 mountain, 5 pacific) here.

Come, come, come! And invite all your friends! I'm going to make a "live chat" schedule in the sidebar, so you can check out all my upcoming author/book chats. (And if you're an author interested in being featured, let me know!) Hope to see you there! I'll be having one of these "casual bookish chats" every first Monday of the month, but keep checking the sidebar to see if any others crop up.

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

And yet another win from the ever-amazing Elizabeth Scott. She spews out book after book, and I've been waiting for the one that makes me say "Oh. That was just eeeh." Usually multi-book authors that I love, or that have high popularity, give out at least one bad book for the masses. Am I right? But she's just not doing it. Everything I read from her is gold. From Perfect You to Living Dead Girl - both completely different stories - I've been impressed. And Something, Maybe is my new favorite.

The story's about Hannah, a girl whose dad is Hugh Hefner with a different moniker, and whose mom is known for being the nude chick starring in a pizza commercial. You'd think her mom would be a hard character to like, because she struts around in skimpy clothes and sells herself online. But, really, she was likable. She was still a mom to Hannah. A different kind of mom, sure, but she still cared about her daughter and had personality. Hannah's dad, however, was a sourpuss.

Seriously? Where does Scott come up with this stuff? It's perfect. And Finn! I got the biggest fictional crush I've gotten in a while when I was reading this, and I was totally blindsided. Is there a fangirl base I just missed for this one? My cold, cold heart totally puddled for him! And Hannah was such a strong female character, too (go, girl power!). It was really easy to like her.

And you know what I love in a book? Good background characters. It seems like the ones in the distance never show personality. They aren't very important to the story, so capooey. Who needs spunk or likability, if they're just going to flutter away? I do! Brandi was one who stuck out to me, even though she was only in the story for a few pages.

Totally gushing for this book. It's a really quick, fast read - I definitely would recommend it for a day by the pool.

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

I finished Twisted yesterday. *clears throat*

&I GET TO MEET LHA IN PERSON! Well, probably a hibye thing, but still. I get to hear her talk. And get an autograph! Agsjahgdffkaha.

Now that's out, I'll tell you my opinion on the book.

It's not my favorite of hers (that would be taken over by Fever 1793 or Wintergirls), but I, of course, loved it. LHA is just so artistic with her writing. There's one scene in particular that just blew me away. I can't really detail it here, because it's kind of a spoiler. But whew. The way it just creeps up on you? And there were such subtle hints. And it wasn't even a big thing. But it was a thing. Yeah, I'm aware I'm babbling nonsensically. But what else is there to do after closing an LHA book? She's my all-time favorite writer.

Each book of hers is so raw and open and filled with art. There are times when I forget I'm even reading, I get into the book so deeply.

I think Twisted might be the most obscure book by her (I haven't seen it as highly acclaimed or reviewed as her others), and I get that. It wasn't as great as her others, in my opinion. It's not about one deep, sole thing - like rape or eating disorders. It doesn't center around much. Just a person. Tyler. Who has a semi-shitty life and a pretty shitty dad. But his story is so important. I read this one in one or two sittings - it's one of the books I purchased on my last Learned Owl run.

I'm just in awe. Reverence. I'm probably going to spontaneously combust next week, when I see her. How does she do it?