Waiting On Wednesday: Unbreak my Heart & Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous

WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

It spotlights our eagerly anticipated reads.

I chose two contemporary reads because I just joined the Completely Contemp Challenge and as if I needed another remainder of why I love this genre so much, I started to look for amazing book I'm sure buying next year. This two books made the cut.

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker

Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life.

Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now.

Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart?

Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem’s heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock to.

Add on goodreads




Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous by Kathryn Williams

Can a spot on a teen reality show really lead to a scholarship at an elite cooking school AND a summer romance?

Sixteen-year-old Sophie Nicolaides was practically raised in the kitchen of her family’s Italian-Greek restaurant, Taverna Ristorante. When her best friend, Alex, tries to convince her to audition for a new reality show, Teen Test Kitchen, Sophie is reluctant. But the prize includes a full scholarship to one of America's finest culinary schools and a summer in Napa, California, not to mention fame.

Once on-set, Sophie immediately finds herself in the thick of the drama—including a secret burn book, cutthroat celebrity judges, and a very cute French chef. Sophie must figure out a way to survive all the heat and still stay true to herself. A terrific YA offering--fresh, fun, and sprinkled with romance.

Add on goodreads




Book 1: I've only read one of Ms. Walker's book, but it is one I adore! so I'm sure she will put a smile on my face and her story will warm my heart. This is my type of book, I tell you. And the fact that it says it's perfect for fans of Susane Colasanti and Sarah Dessen? I MEAN, PLEASE. There's no biggest fan of them than myself. :D

Book 2: People, I'm obsessed with cooking shows. Obsessed I tell you. Now throw some teenage romance, televised drama and descriptions of delicious food and I am sure as hell eating it up. I need this.

Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Title: Nevermore

Author: Kelly Creagh

Published August 31st 2010 by Atheneum

Goodreads | Amazon

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People, If you didn't read this back in 2010 when it came out what were you thinking? you have to do it now. Before the second part, Enshadowed, comes out. And since most of us are on vacation, this would be the right time to do it. So I figured I'd post my old review to get you excited.

(Review written January 8, 2011)

OhmiGod!

I have no words. Let me finish my sobbing.
*sobs some more*

Okay now I'm calmer.
This book is amazing! I picked it up without knowing it was paranormal, since I'm not into paranormal I might have not picked it up if I've known. I'm glad I did. SOOOO GLAD.

At first it was like any other book nowadays= High School Drama, but then it couldn't be further from the truth. What I really loved about this book was the mistery, the whole time I was like WTF? WHAT'S HAPPENING?!?! but not in a 'I'm confused' way, it was more like, 'is this for real or is it a dream', 'is he the bad guy or is she?', 'who is making this up?', 'how are they gonna escape?', omg omg omg.

The whole time I kept making theories that were later proved wrong so I finally stopped and instead concentrated in following the story. 'Cause let me tell you, there's A LOT going on. Not in a bad way, it was interesting reading how more and more problems were added to the pile when the other ones weren't even solved yet, or explained for that matter.

The book plot was SO INTERESTING. The dreamworld that was created blow my mind away! it was so terrifying but so incredible to witness! Because that's another thing I loved about this book, that it was so well described you could imagine everything perfectly as though you were actually seeing it, as if you were there! which not often happens to me, I usually hate the 'describing the setting' part of the book, in this one it was so sublte, but very well done. I can imagine this becoming a movie.
(PLEASE PEOPLE OUT THERE WITH ENOUGH MONEY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, LISTEN TO MY PLEA)

And the characters! omigod! I loooved Gwen!
She was one the school's biggest outcasts, and I know for experience those end up being the most interesting people, this was the same. She was very straight-forward and crazy, and strong, and loyal, and she had been Isobel's friend for about a month yet she was THE best friend. Ever.

The main characters:

The story starts when Isobel (blond cheerleader) gets paired up with Varen (school's biggest freak/ultimate goth) for an english project on Poe. THEY ARE BOTH AWESOME. (Varen's a a lot more awesome, though) and I loooooved the romance, IT WAS EPIC.

 

It wasn't like their eyes met and they fell for eachother, like it happens in a lot of YA books, it happened almost too real, I felt jealous the whole time, It was simply epic, I can't think of any couple that's more mismatched than this one yet it made sense for them to be together.

 

I looooooved Varen, he was such an enigma, at the end of the book I was SO sad that I wouldn't get to see more of him, he was so creative and sensitive and troubled and lonely. SO LONELY. I felt like crying just thinking of him, I've never read a character with a sadness halo so real it was almost touchable. I just wanted to pull him out of the pages and hug him forever.

 

[Spoiler] And I totally get how Isobel felt after loosing him, I was sobbing like *I* was the one who wouldn't see him anymore, which is kind of true, I won't see him anymore, not until 2012. T____T

Another thing I loved about the book was that it wasn't like other books were the universe seems to conspire so the couple can be together, oh no! there were A LOT of things that keep them appart (sadly), one of them was, Isobel's parents, especially her dad, who didn't like Varen just because he was a goth guy, which I didn't appreciate but yet I understand, I mean that's what would happen in real life if I were to walk into my house with a goth boyfriend and my father were to be there, he would forbid me to see him ever again and will make a fuzz of it, just like Isobel's dad. So I was glad the author wrote reality instead of making Isobel's parents all happy about her relationship with Varen.

Now, now. I'm mad. I'm mad because like I said, the romance was EPIC.
and all epic romances end up in a major sad scene. This was the case. ARGH. I'm so mad!
I didn't know it was a series!, however I will continue reading the books as they came out (OF COURSE)

[Spoilery? rantings] I'm mad 'cause Isobel and Varen didn't even get a break! I'm mean, whyyyyyyyy? whyyyyyyyy? T________T they deserved it! for all they went through! they only had ONE kiss. ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNE KISSSSSSSSSSS! at chapter 40!, (that doesn't make it boring for romantics, I'm the biggest fan of romance and I loved the book!)

Well I think that's all I can think of right now, I keep glancing at the book, I feel like reading it again haha, it's that good, go read it now!

Waiting on Wednesday: Dreamsleeves

As you all know by now, WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

Join us and share your most anticipated reads!

Now this week, I decided to feature only 1 book. Because it sounds so amazing, it deserved our whole attention, I think.

See for yourselves...

Dreamsleeves by Coleen Murtagh Paratore

(add on goodreads)

A powerful, radiant story about a girl who wears her dreams on her sleeve . . .

Aislinn is a girl with a lot of dreams, but due to family issues (caused mostly by her hard-drinking father), there's a lot standing in her way. While she should be enjoying the summer with friends, Aislinn is kept under lock and key and put in charge of her younger siblings. The average girl might give up, but not Aislinn. A person, she says, should write their dreams on their sleeve, putting them out there for the world to see, because there's a good chance that someone might come along and help you make your dream come true. What begins as a plea for help for her father to stop drinking, turns into a spark that has the whole community making their own dreamsleeves. At times heartbreaking, DREAMSLEEVES is also surprising, powerful, and luminously hopeful. Everyone will see a little of themselves in Aislinn, a girl with talent, ambition, and big dreams.

Things that got me excited about this book:

• The hyper-amazing summary. I feel warm inside just by reading it, and with a summary like that, it has potential to be one of those ground-shaking, life-changing, and forever-favorite book.
• Gorgeous cover. Oh so gorgeous! Kudos to the people from Scholastic's art design, because this cover could have not been any more beautiful.
• Blurb. Stargirl's author, Jerry Spinelli blurbled this book(!). He thinks it's perfect for kids chasing their dreams *raises hand* I see one here.

Completely Contemp Challenge :)

Now people, if you've read some of my reviews or been to my blog a couple of times, you've probably noticed I am a BIG.FAN.OF.CONTEMPORARY.YA.

BIG fan.

So, you understand that when I saw this challenge I immediately jumped on the wagon.

And my goals are, to read:

3 contemporary books published in 2010
5 contemporary books published in 2011
10 contemporary books published in 2012

I think (and hope) I can do more of that, but you never know what will happen so I went realistic :)

Wish me the best ;D

Challenge accepted.

Review: Happy Birthday To Me by Brian Rowe

Title: Happy Birthday To Me

Author: Brian Rowe

Published April 7th 2011
Goodreads | Amazon
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Happy Birthday To Me is a paranormal/sci-fi cross, I think. It's about a seventeen-year old who is aging a whole year of his life with each passing day.

I found that concept very interesting, and sometimes amusing. You see, this book is written in male point of view, Cameron's, who is the typical high school popular boy, with a beautiful girldfriend, with a beautiful face himself and an incredible flawless body.

It's hereditary, because his father is a plastic surgeon who thinks the most important thing in life is looking good. So it's no surprise that his son Cameron was a close-minded jerk that I wanted to kick constantly. That's exactly what got him in this mess in the first place, I won't spoil that, but let's just say that he won't be lying about his birthday anymore (I hope).

So anyway, Cameron starts aging super fast and with it came lots of personal changing and growing, not only for him, but for anyone else that knows about his condition.

I liked that, I liked that neither him nor his dad stayed the same, they both became more open to what beauty really is, and where their true love lies. And at the end I actually liked both of them.

There were also fun moments, it's not all sad, in fact it's lighter than what I could have guessed touching a subject this heavy, but it never gets too serious, in fact there was a lot more vomiting that I would have liked :/ haha

The ending is expected but satisfying and the romance was a bit underdeveloped, I would have liked to see more of what made Liesel fall in love with Cameron, and see what's ahead for their relationship, but I guess that's what book 2 and 3 are for :)

This book is part of a trilogy, you can find Book 2 and Book 3 clicking on the links.

Follow Friday FEATURE [!]

Weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

Follow Friday is a fun way to get followers and get to know other amazing bloggers.

I'm the feature this week!

Yay! Thanks, Rachel & Alison!
I really appreciate it! and I also appreciate everyone who's coming today.

Hi!

I'm Melannie *starts to shake hands but hugs people instead*
it's very nice to see you here in this humble, little book blog :)

Please take a seat

Now, for this week's question:

Q: When you've read a book, what do you do with it? (Keep it, give it away, donate it, sell it, swap it..?)

I would like to say I'm one of those people who donate their books after they read them but I'm far too selfish (and honest).

The truth is, I always keep the books I buy, it's a relationship where I'm way too involved. 



 

My Books

YOU CAN'T TOUCH THIS!

=

But that's with my books, when I have a double copy or buy an extra one I don't have a problem giving them away, I mean books are the best presents and they make people happy :)

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Review [!] The Fine Art Of Truth Or Dare by Melissa Jensen.

Title: The Fine Art Of Truth Or Dare
Author: Melissa Jensen

Paperback, 380 pages

Expected publication: February 16th 2012 by Speak

Goodreads || Amazon

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Remember this book from my very first extra special edition of Waiting On Wednesday?

You know what they say, it’s not very bright to get your hopes up because you know nothing is going to be as good as you make it in your head to be…
this book went past my expectations and up and up until it made them look like little ants in the ground.

No really, I loved this. I love this.  The story is incredibly adorable and witty and deeper than what I could have guessed from the synopsis. Let me write you a quick recap.

Waiting On Wednesday: Pushing the Limits & Smashed

WOW is a weekly meme that spotlights our most anticipated reads. It was created by Jill at Breaking The Spine. Thanks, Jill! :]


So this week I've got 2 don't-know-much-about-them-yet-they-managed-to-make-my-toes-curl kind of books. I thought about waiting to see if more info about them was released but I'm not a patient person, so I went ahead and chose them ;D

Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

In Pushing the Limits, two teens, brought together by their court ordered therapist, work together to learn the secrets of their case files, but neither foresaw the shattering consequences of the learning the truth regarding their families or of falling in love.

Add on goodreads

Smashed by Lisa Luedeke

Maine high school senior Katie Martin is set to win a field hockey scholarship until her life is derailed by drinking, a car accident, and an angry classmate.

Add on goodreads

These 2 babies come out in August,

which is also my birthday month, so I think I know what I want <3

Waiting On Wednesday: Red Heads Edition.

WOW is a weekly meme that spotlights our most anticipated reads. It was created by Jill at Breaking The Spine. Thank her there :]

This week I chose to highlight some books I can't absolutely wait any longer for that also feature red-heads in their cover. But why? well, I just saw some gingerbread cookies and got inspired. And I'm also very jealous of red-heads, they got the best hair color ever. Mine is colorless as you can see ): (black is the absence of color, did you know that? ;] )

Well, moving on. I have something for everyone: a dystopian, a paranormal and a contemporary. YES.

Hollow by Richard Denney

Welcome to the house of Hollow.
In a dystopian future, sixteen year old Leah Munro has been sold to a rich woman in a crippling mansion. Soon Leah discovers that there is something mysterious going on around the home, and with the help of three other girls, she attempts to uncover what is truly happening... what lies beyond all of the plexiglass windows and the hideous screams in the middle of the night? Leah will soon find out. The first in a two book series

Add on Goodreads

Night School by Christi Daugherty

Sometimes school is murder.

Allie Sheridan's world is falling apart. She hates her school. Her brother has run away from home. And she's just been arrested.

Again.

This time her parents have finally had enough. They cut her off from her friends and send her away to a boarding school for problem teenagers.

But Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. Its rules are strangely archaic. It allows no computers or phones. Its students are an odd mixture of the gifted, the tough and the privileged. And then there's the secretive Night School, whose activities other students are forbidden even to watch.

When Allie is attacked one night the incident sets off a chain of events leading to the violent death of a girl at the summer ball. As the school begins to seem like a very dangerous place, Allie must learn who she can trust. And what's really going on at Cimmeria Academy

Add on Goodreads

Welcome Caller this is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home.

Add on Goodreads

Now we wait.

Top Ten Childhood Books

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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I was a huge nerd when I was a kid. I would only read classics or adult-themed books. But hey, don't blame me, those were the only books in my house and I didn't even know there were books especially designed for kids ): I thought children oly read fairytales, but boy was I wrong.

So anyway here's the list...

1. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. Dude, how I enjoy this book. When my dad first bought me this book (it was actually a split-in-two edition so I could carry it everywhere) I remember thinking 'well, it does not get better than this'. It's still to this day a book I love to re-read, brings back awesome memories.

2. Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. Now this one was a recommendation from my 4th grade teacher because back in the 4th grade I was OBSESSED with the holocaust, I mean obsessed as in terrified, I-can't-believe-this-happened-and-noone-stopped-it obsessed. I remember loving Anne Frank, but when I re-read it now, I don't think her writing has much appealing ):


3. Five Chimneys: The Story of Auschwitz by Olga Lengyel. As I said, I was obsessed with this unfortunate topic, so I borrowed this book from the library and I remember reading it in my bedroom at night (because it had awful photos and my mom told me I couldn't read it) and being terrified, it was an eye opeaning experience, as in, there's a world out there where not everything is fun. As of today, it is still a book that gives me serious creeps.

4. A Bolsa Amarella by Lygia Bojunga Nunes. When I went into 5th grade my teacher recommended this book. She was the first person ever to give me a 'childrens' book. I loved it but at the same time it wasn't as challenging. So I didn't took children books seriously.

5. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Now rise their hand who hadn't read this book.... only YOU?! ma, you're seriously missing out, this is a book for all ages and great for the soul. I still have my first copy, dated 'May, 2010' by my dad, who likes to date the books he buys.

6. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. I also remember loving this one as a kid, but I don't love it as much now. Guess I was a naive child. But it's good, and you should definitely read it while listening to the soundtrack, or watch the movie, it's also good.

7. Angelas's ashes by Frank McCourt. I loved this book the first time I read it, I connected with Frankie to another level. All he went through was awful, and I did not have a rough childhood by any means, YET he managed to write a story that made me realize as kids we all want and feel the same. Funny story is that until High School I had no idea there was a movie about it too, and when my english teacher played it for class, I spoiled everyone mwahaha.

 

That's it, I now it's a top ten but I don't have that many favorites as a kid. I loved Biographies of random dudes, like Attila the Hun or Rasputin but I don't remember the authors ):

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Anna and the french kiss

author: Stephanie Perkins

Published December 2nd 2010 by Dutton

Goodreads | Amazon

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(Old review from December 2010)

COVER YOUR EARS YOU ALL PEOPLE OUT THERE IN PLANET EARTH! I GOTTA SCREAM!:
"I'M IN LOOOOOOOOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
yes, I'm in love with this book!

and I'm so very pleased that an author that writes a book that has no vampires/werewolves/angels etc and instead has simple human characters can create such an interesting story that puts the biggest grin on my face and makes me dance around my room with taylor swift in the background :P

Follow Friday [9]

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don’t like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!

UCK, where to begin?!

• Love triangles. I absolutely hate them, because the 2 guys/girls are always great and I hate that one of them gets their heart break ):
• Weak hero/heroine. It gets on my nerves when the hero/heroine doesn't stand up for his/herself and does everything the romantic interest tells them too.
• Cursing or religious jokes. Ugh, seriously why critize someone's belief just because it's not yours, I hate when books do that, I came to you to have fun not to get laughed at.

That's it. Was I too harsh? :$
Got carried away, sorry :)

Waiting On Wednesday: Storm & Unraveling

WoW is a weekly meme created by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they have more power than you dream.

Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn’t want. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water—just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming . .

Add on goodreads

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she’s opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, Janelle knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her reincarnation, and Ben’s possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI-agent father’s files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what’s right in front of her: Everything that’s happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben’s sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

Add on goodreads


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Ah. You know I'm not the type of girl to judge a book by its cover BUT if I were I could certainly tell that these two are going to be amazing!

I really, really like the covers  but the summaries sound extraordinary fabulous too! action-packed, some romance thrown aswell and FBI and super powers. What's not to like?!

PS. doesn't that girl from Unraveling look like JoJo? you know the singer? Too Little Too Late? ;) *old fan here*

Review: Ex-mas (a love-hate story) by Kate Brian

Title: Ex-Christmas
Author: Kate Brian
Published October 6th 2009 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Goodreads | Amazon
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Two Exes. One holiday adventure. Merry Ex-Mas?  

Seventeen-year-old Lila Beckwith's parents just left for vacation, and Lila's all set to throw the holiday party of the season. But when her Christmas-obsessed little brother, Cooper, discovers that global warming is melting the North Pole, he and his best friend, Tyler, take off on a runaway mission to save Santa.Lila has to get Cooper safely home before her parents get back on Christmas Eve. But the only person who can help her is Tyler's older brother, Beau — a.k.a. Lila's musician, anti-everything ex-boyfriend.

It'll take more than a Christmas miracle for Lila and Beau to overcome their differences and find their fugitive brothers. But could a journey destined for disaster help these polar opposites fall in love...all over again?

I don't understand why someone would not like this story. It is soooooooo adorable, I love to re-read it every year for christmas and it puts me in the best mood! And since christmas is just around the corner and I haven't read a new book cause I'm in finals, I thought I'd post a quick, short review of a book I've already read.

this book can be sum up in one word: SWEET. It was reeeeeaally cute, but not corny, definitely not corny, I happen to hate corny, and I happen to LOOOOOOVE this book. It was a quick read, with a lot of quick remarks from the main characters, who actually hated eachother at the start of the book, but then are brought together to find their little brothers, who run away together to go save Santa from global warming. To se...morethis book can be sum up in one word: SWEET. It was a quick read, with a lot of quick remarks from the main characters, who actually hated eachother at the start of the book, but then are brought together to find their little brothers, who have run away together to go save Santa from global warming. To see how their perception of eachother and their relationship develoved was fantastic! I couldn't stop laughing or 'awww'ing at all their misadventures, and though I hated Lila for most part of the book (I might still secretly do) I was happy to read that end. She makes up for her snottiness. Beau was by far the very best of the book. I reaaaaaaaaally loved what he did at the end, sending Lila's brother that e-mail. I practically passed-out at how sweet that was. But pretty much everything else he did was uh-mazing! I looooooove him, and his name is so sexy and of course perfect for him :) OHHHHHHHHH AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THE SONG! the song he composed for Lila, back in 7th grade, one day she was sick. I actually almost passed-out, I had to stop reading for a bit to happily dance around my room like a moron :D all Beau's moments were swoon worthy. I WANT HIM IN MY LIFE. T__T This is one of those books I that puts a smile on your face all while you read it and after you're finished.

From the Past

Greetings loved ones! I'm Melannie speaking from the past,

if you're reading this, that means you're in the future, like Marty McFly ;) so you're awesome.

So anyways, I'm going through FINALS right now, yeah FINALS ugh.

And I'm as you read this I'm most proably studying but I could also be day-dreaming about a world with no exams.

These next weeks my old reviews should be going up, and if they're not I'll be very mad, let's hope for the best :)

See ya when finals are over! wish me luck :)

Waiting on Wednesday: The Waiting Sky and Struck

"Waiting on wednesday is a weekly meme created by Jill at Breaking the Spine, in which we share our most anticipated reads of the future"

You know what? I finally discovered why I *always* chose Contemporaries for my WoW picks. It was because I haven't find a non-contemp that was really, really good. Good enough to make my toes curl at the thought of finally have these in my hands.

 The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin

Seventeen-year-old Jane can’t quite face her mother’s alcoholism even though it sucks to spend all her time and energy keeping them afloat—making sure her mom gets to work, that the bills are paid when there’s money to pay them, and that no one knows her mom is so messed up. But when Jane’s mom drives drunk almost killing both them and Jane’s best friend, Jane can no longer deny her mom is spiraling out of control. Jane has only one place to turn: her older brother Ethan, who left years ago to go to college. A summer away with him and his tornado chasing buddies may just provide the time and space she needs to figure out whether her life still includes her mother.

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities, populated by millions of homeless. Downtown is a wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the attendees drawn to the destruction by a magnetic force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power in the wake of the disaster, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing prophecies. They know she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the worse storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but he’s hiding a more sinister truth. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must unleash the full horror of her strength to save them all.

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•  The Waiting Sky. Although it is technically a contemporary, it sounds like it is not, thanks to all the extreme elements, like tornado chasing. I ask you people, WHAT IS NOT TO LIKE ABOUT TORNADO CHASING?!. God, I know I am going to LOVE this. Because in addition to the awesomeness of tornado chasing, there's personal growing, emotional relationships and sibling reconciliation, all those things I love in a book. And did I mention tornado chasing? No? Well, this book contains tornado chasers inside. Beware. *dies of excitement*.
  Oh wait, forgot to mention that this book has one of the most intriguing covers I've ever seen, I love it! and Lara is my last name, so I already feel like I love Lara Zielin :) and she will give me tornado chasing, she's the best!

•  Struck. Now Struck is definitely not a contemporary. It's about a girl, with an addiction, to lightning. How amazing is that idea? I don't even know how is that possible, but I don't care, I also have a thing for lightning. And when I say "a thing" I mean a slight obsession, and a weird fantasy of getting struck by lightning and getting super powers. So yep, I'm buying this. Oh and btw, it has Los Angeles' hobos in it. People who live on the street amaze me so much, you have no idea how much I admire their braveness.

Review: Major Crush by Jennifer Echols

Title: Major Crush
Author: Jennifer Echols
Published August 1st 2006 by Simon Pulse
Goodreads | Amazon

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I really love Simon's Romantic Comedies (it's practically written on girls' genetics that we enjoy a good laugh and a good romance). And as you probably guess by now, I love Jennifer Echols too.

This book was not the exception. From the strong-willed, sassy and totally likable rebelious girl; to the hot, troubled, more-than-meets-the-eye boy, I found myself completely absorbed by this cute story.

For it being Miss Echols first book, it did not feel like a debut to me, it was written masterfuly and I enjoy reading every single paragraph. It is fast-paced and full of wit, what's not to like?

Virginia is the protagonist here, she's very cool, you guys. I love her, she's the first girl ever to get the Drum Major position at her school band. And like you'd expect, this causes a riot in the Small-Town Nightmare she lives in. Especially in school, where everyone thought hot and popular Drew will get the position (like last year), but he had to share it with Virginia this year, and he's not happy to say the least.

I thought this book was the perfect example of girl likes boy, boy might or might not like girl, so girl goes and does whatever she wants to do without thinking what the boy thinks. And suddenly all the boys like her attitude. Virginia was a former pageant girl, people used to call her JonBenet Ramsey to tease her about it

Because she was blonde, small and pretty.

But Virginia wanted more than just than parading herself in pretty dresses (not that there's anything wrong with pageants, I love pageants!) so she quit, she stopped wearing make-up and sequined leotards and got a nose stud (IN SMALL-TOWN NIGHTMARE! THE HORRORS!). And did I mention that she stopped wearing shoes too?! no? well, she.stopped.wearing.shoes. Outside. How cool is that?

If I didn't live in the city where everything is gross, I would totally do that!

So basically, Virginia rocks. And even though there was a part (almost at the end of the book) where she kind of dissapointed me for being sorry for something she should not have been (something that have to do with her winning over certain someone) and I was like, "It's not your fault, girl! Get a grip and start acting like the butt-kicking heroine you are!". But I still like her, she was just likable.

And I also forgot to mention about how Miss Echols manages to combine important issues in such a quick, fun book, like Small-Town Nightmare's racism. Especially some awful comments about Virginia's best friend Allison, who is black. I really love Jennifer Echols books, for lots of reasons, one of them is that she ALWAYS has a diversity of races and cultures. The world is not all white ;)

My veredict is that this book is quick and very funny and a fresh read. (: