Book Hop: Dream World

This week's question is:

If you were given the chance to spend one day in a fictional world, which book would it be from and what would that place be?

Hmm..This is difficult but I think I would have to say that I would pick the world of Harry Potter. It is difficult to find another series that so accurately depicts the setting the way the Harry Potter books do. It is magical and while there is some turmoil I think it would be worth it. That's my answer: short and sweet. I'm curious to read what the rest of you wrote.

Review: Texual Healing by Eric Smith

Publisher: Author House
Publishing Date: November 19th, 2010
Pages: 280 pgs
ISBN: 9781452062457

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary from GoodReads:
Few people have to deal with a haiku-speaking flower-shop-owning ninja every day on their way to work. Unfortunately for Andrew Connor, he is one of those people.

And poor Andrew, his week has been a rough one. His former bestseller, Chasing Fireflies, is on clearance at Barnes & Noble for $1.37, his girlfriend left him for a corporate America action figure, and he's been tricked into joining Textual Healing, a support group for writers who can't seem to write anymore.

Dealing with his employees at his failing used bookshop, a strange new love interest from the Midwest, and a pet sugar-glider that has somehow managed to destroy his entire apartment... when will he ever find the time to put pen to paper again?

A quirky comedy set in present day New York and New Jersey, Textual Healing follows the story of Andrew, a self-deprecating, once famous author, his small bookstore in Hoboken, and the colorful characters that surround him.

My Review:
I entered to win this book from the Good Reads First Reads program and didn't win but I was pleasantly surprised when the author contacted me and asked me if I'd like a copy of the book for review. I said yes right away. I have to admit that I read this book quite some time ago but I haven't had the time to write the review. That being said, it was not because I didn't love the book. Smith is an excellent writer and I really hope that he continues to write more books. This book is about a man who gets dumped and has writer's block. He wrote a bestselling book and while on a date with a girl he wants to impress he finds his book on sale for $1.37. First of all this book is hilarious! I found myself sitting in my living room laughing out loud. My boyfriend kept giving me looks like I was crazy but I couldn't help it. I think the best part in the book is when Andrew decides to buy a sugar glider in order to substantiate a lie that he told to Hannah in order to impress her. This sugar glider goes feral and reaps havoc on Andrew's apartment. I definitely can't do this book justice. I have to say that while the story line is great, the characters in this book are even better. The best one, the crazy ninja florist, who randomly shows up out of nowhere throughout the novel. I have to admit this may not be the kind of novel that I would normally pick up at the store but I can't recommend this book enough. I give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

Waiting on Wednesday: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

It gives people a change to share what books we're so excited about that we can't wait for them to come out.

This week my book is a book that has been all aroung the blogs lately. Here it is:

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Summary from GoodReads:

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.

Can you say wow? Thsi book is coming out June 14th, 2011. Can't wait!

Top Ten Tuesdays: Minority Report

Top Ten Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's edition is Top Ten Favourite Minor Characters in novels.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to come up with all ten but I will try my best. Here we go...

1. Christina in Divergent by Veronica Roth
Christina quickly becomes friends with Beatrice/Tris while they begin their initiation into the Dauntless faction. I just really liked how she was a good friend when it would have been quite easy to be bitchy.

2. The Ninja Florist in Textual Healing by Eric Smith
This book is hilarious and I love that Smith adds in these random characters into his book. This woman would show up sporatically throughout the book dressed as a ninja and tied people up. Everytime I encountered this character while reading I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

3. Bitterblue in Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Bitterblue is a survivor and I loved how strong this character was especially since she is only 10 years old.

4. Bailey in The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares
This is the little girl that Tibby makes friends with in the first installment of the Travelling Pants series. I am not going to lie this little girl made me cry like a baby while reading and while watching the movie.

5. Rosie in Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Well, you may be wondering who this character is. She is the elephant in this novel and I loved that part of the novel. She only takes commands in Polish and she is loyal to her handler.

6. Jess in Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella
Jess is Becky Bloomwood's down to earth sister who always knows how to put Becky in her place. I love this character because she is not afraid to tell Becky that she is being ridiculous.

7. Harriet Vanger in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
While we don't see much of this character in this book, she is the topic of a lot of conversation throughout the novel. I like this character because she is a survivor. She does what she needs to do to get out of a very dangerous situation.

8. Diana Barry in Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
She is Anne bosom friend and I loved her character. She is a true friend and she keeps Anne balanced.

9. Brian in My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Brian is the father in this story and I really felt for him. He always wanted to do what was best for his children and I always felt for him when I was reading this book. He struggled throughout the entire novel and this character stayed in my mind well after I was done reading this book.

10. Jonah Miller in The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
Jonah is the little brother in this novel and I found him quite endearing. He always had something insightful to say but he was so fragile at the end as well.

Okay so I thought this would be more difficult but I even have an 11th. Here is an extra one:

11. Minny in The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Minny is hilarious. I mean a sh*t pie? Really!? How could you not love this character?

I'm looking forward to reading everyone else's top tens.

Review: The Cellar by A.J. Whitten

Publisher: Graphia/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publishing Date: May 2nd, 2011
Pages: 276 pgs
ISBN: 9780547232539

Rating: 3 stars

Summary from GoodReads:

Meredith Willis is suspicious of Adrien, the new guy next door. When she dares to sneak a look into the windows of his house, she sees something in the cellar that makes her believe that Adrien might be more than just a creep—he may be an actual monster.

But her sister, Heather, doesn’t share Meredith’s repulsion. Heather believes Adrien is the only guy who really understands her. In fact, she may be falling in love with him. When Adrien and Heather are cast as the leads in the school production of Romeo and Juliet, to Heather, it feels like fate. To Meredith, it feels like a bad omen. But if she tries to tear the couple apart, she could end up in the last place she’d ever want to be: the cellar. Can Meredith convince her sister that she’s dating the living dead before it’s too late for both of them?

My Review:

This is one of the first books I requested from NetGalley and it looked like it was going to be a good read. I like reading about dark and twisted things; the grosser the better. This book was definitely gross in some of it's descriptions of the walking dead. Adrien and his "mother" feast on humans and Whitten's descriptions during these parts are quite gruesome, which I like. I have heard many people refer to this story as a twisted modern telling of Romeo and Juliet; however I don't really see it that way. Yes, Romeo and Juliet is referenced in this novel and Adrian wants Heather to be his Juliet but I wouldn't classify this as a love story. Adrian desperately wants a mate in his journey as the walking dead and his "mother" keeps denying him this opportunity. At times I felt sympathy for Adrian and then he would do something horrible and I remembered that Adrian is not the good guy in this story. I have to admit that I quickly got bored with this story. I don't know if it was just me though. I have been reading a lot of ARCs lately and I have desperately wanted to read some of the books on my shelf. My impatience with this book could have been attributed to this. After reading this book I decided to take some time off and read some of the books on my shelf. My rating for this book is 3 stars out of 5 but that's not to say that someone else may love it. If you like a bit of horror this is the book for you.

Review: Die for Me by Amy Plum

Publisher: Harper Teen
Publishing Date: May 10th, 2011
Pages: 344 pgs
ISBN: 9780062004017
Genre: YA/Paranormal

Rating: 4 stars

Summary from GoodReads:

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart—as well as my life and my family's—in jeopardy for a chance at love?

My Review:
There has been a lot of hype about this book so when I was approved on NetGalley to read this book I was excited. The book has a unique take on the zombie/paranormal genre. Plum introduces us to Paris and the world of revenants. Revenants are a type of paranormal entity whose primary goal is to save people. When a person dies in place of another, they may become revenant which means they wake up 3 days after they have died. They spend their days saving others from death and as a result they are always dying and regenerating. They come back at the same age they were when they originally died otherwise while they are alive they age like humans do. I really liked this idea and I think Plum did a good job describing revenants. It was refreshing and exciting to read. I also liked the relationship between Kate and Vincent. Plum described instant attraction but Kate doesn't just fall head over heels for Vincent regradless of the consequences of his lifestyle. Kate actually takes a break from all things Vincent and revenants after a particularly tramatizing event. Many paranormal books have girls who follow the guy they like regardless of the danger they are put in. They don't seem to think about the consequences of that particular lifestyle and that can frustrate me. Kate doesn't do this and I have more respect for her character for that very reason. I also like the Vincent is willing to sacrifice a bit to be with Kate as well. He is willing to go against his instincts to save others and stop dying so that he can age with Kate. Plum's writing style is fluid and easy to read; she draws in her reading with an air of mystery and keeps them entertained with character development and exciting plot twists. Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Blogger Hop

Well first off, let me apologize for being absent as of late. I have been extremely busy teaching, wedding planning and on top of that I have started a course on how to teach French as a second language. The course is entirely in French and it is a test of my French grammar skills. I am finding it difficult and as a result my poor blog has been neglected. I'm hoping to schedule some posts for this week over the weekend. Please bare with me. Anyhow, onto the book blogger hop. This week's question is as follows:

Which book blogger would you most want to meet in real life?

There are two book bloggers who I admire for their work and dedication to their blog. Not only this but they both seem like really fun down to earth people. The first is Kristi from The Story Siren and the second is Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner and The Broke and the Bookish. They are both not afraid to speak their mind even when it might be met with some negativity.
I almost forgot two: Swapna from S.Krishna's Books and also Nely from All About N. Swapna is super amazing. She reads a ridiculous amout of books every year. I'm not sure where she finds the time. Nely also reads a lot and she is a mother. Her vlogs are great as well. The last one I saw, her little one made an appearance.

Those are my picks, what are yours?