BOOK CLUB: The Last Song – Final Discussion Post

Here is the final discussion post for The Last Song Book Club. Be warned; if you have not read The Last Song, there are *SPOILERS* in this post. Proceed with caution.



1. Ronnie is a difficult teenager who is prone to acting out and is alienated from both her parents at the start of the novel. Were you rebellious as a teenager? How was this manifested? On the other side, have you ever had to deal with a rebellious teenager? Did Ronnie’s behavior touch a nerve?

I was not a rebellious teenager. I didn’t have to be. My mom entrusted me to do the right thing. Lucky for her (*wink wink*), I was a pretty good kid. Though, I did get arrested for shoplifting…

Ronnie was extremely rebellious. I wanted to smack her in the beginning of the book. I couldn’t believe how she treated her father. And even though there was a reason behind her ways - which you’ll find out at the end of the book - it was still unacceptable.

2. What do you think about the very different approaches to parenting taken by Ronnie’s mother and father? Do you think Ronnie’s mother is too intrusive or can you understand her relationship with Ronnie? Do you think Ronnie’s father is too absent, or can you understand why the relationship is the way it is?

Ronnie’s mom was too busy to find out what was going on with her own daughter. Knowing what all went on between Ronnie’s parents (which you won’t find out until towards the end of the book), I can’t believe her father let the mom go on as she did. I would have fought for my children. He seemed to give up too easily and he took all of the blame, even though he wasn’t the one to blame.

3. Early in the novel we learn that Ronnie was a piano prodigy who performed at Carnegie Hall when she was thirteen. However, when we meet Ronnie she hasn’t played in many years and she’s sworn to never play the piano again. Why does Ronnie feel this way? Who do you think Ronnie hurts more by not playing the piano, herself or her father?

Ronnie is disappointed in her father. She blames him for the unfolding of her family. She associates playing the piano with her dad so she stops. She doesn’t have anything to do with the piano from that point forward; she doesn’t even want to hear her father play. I think it hurts them both the same – her not playing the piano. Of course her father is proud of her and her talent. And he misses composing music together and she misses the bond they shared.

4. Reflecting back on his life, Steve wonders: “Was it still possible for someone like him to experience the presence of God?” Why does Steve ask himself this? What role do religion and belief play in this novel? How would you characterize Steve’s religious faith?

Being agnostic, I don’t feel that I’m qualified to answer the first two questions.

For me, I think religion plays too much of a role in this novel. A touch here and there I don’t mind. The only main character that is religious is Steve. And Ronnie didn’t even realize how religious of a man he was until she stayed with him that summer. She thought it was a new thing for him.

5. Why does Will fall for Ronnie? Can you understand the attraction from both Ronnie’s and Will’s point of view?

He falls for her because she’s different. She’s not like the other girls that he knows. She doesn’t kiss up to him because of his last name. She doesn’t know who he is or, more importantly, who his father is, and that’s a bonus. She’s raw and she’s real. She speaks her mind; she doesn’t just say what she thinks you want to hear. Also, for Will, it’s the thrill of the case – something he’s never had to do before.

Ronnie doesn’t like Will at first because she typecasts him as the cute, popular boy. Yeah, he’s cute and he is popular but there’s a lot more to him; he’s deeper than his outward appearances lead her to believe. And Ronnie doesn’t expect that.

6. What do you make of Blaze? How would you characterize her relationship with Marcus? Have you ever been in a relationship that was not particularly healthy? Did you stay in the relationship? If so, why?

I did not like Blaze. She chose the wrong crowd to hang out with and I don’t understand why she continued to be with Marcus with the way he treated her.

I wouldn’t say that it was an unhealthy relationship I was in; I was with someone for 4 years and we drifted apart. Days, even weeks would go by and I wouldn’t hear from him. We took a break for a couple of months and then gave it another go. But the same thing happened. I cut loose and didn’t look back.

7. Ronnie and Will fall in love very quickly over the course of the summer. Have you ever had a summer romance that became something more than a fling?

I’m not a fling kind of person. When I dated, I looked for someone who would last the long haul. With my husband, we were friends for a year before we even dated and that was by my choice.

8. This novel is, in large part, about loyalty and trust. Which characters exhibit the most trustworthiness and which exhibit the least? How does a betrayal of trust affect various relationships within the novel?

This is a hard question! I guess I would say that the most trustworthy character is Will. He doesn’t turn in his friend for the church fire incident, even though the right thing at the time would have been to do so. But in the end, it worked out for the best that Will did keep that secret to himself (with the exception of telling Ronnie) because new information comes to light and it turns out that Will’s friend wasn’t the cause of the fire.

Blaze is the most untrustworthy person in the book, in my opinion. She only looks out for herself. She set up Ronnie to get caught shoplifting, knowing that Ronnie already had a mark on her juvenile record and needed to stay straight to keep it off her permanent record. Even when Blaze finds out that Ronnie could indeed go to jail, she still doesn’t set the truth straight – and all because of Marcus. Yes, in the end Blaze does turn herself in but to me, she’s just a rotten person.

9. In the middle of the novel, Will asks Ronnie how far she would go to protect a friend. Why does Will ask Ronnie this? How far would you go to protect a friend?

Will wants to know what Ronnie would do in his situation, without telling her what his situation is. Will is in a tricky situation where he feels obligated to protect his friend’s secret, the same friend who saved Will’s own life and the life of his mom and his sister.

I can’t say whether or not I would do as Will did, given the situation. I think I’d have to actually be in that type of situation in order to make a decision like that.

10. How are Jonah and Ronnie affected by their parents’ divorce? What effect does divorce have on children, in your experience?

Jonah handles it better than Ronnie. He’s open to his visit for the summer with his father. Ronnie, on the other hand, has a strong resentment towards her father. She later finds out her actions are unjustified because she was led to believe something that didn’t actually happen the way she thought.

I believe that the effect a divorce has on children is based on the way the parents handle it. Kids look to their parents for clues on how to act.

11. Both Will and Ronnie come from families that have certain expectations of them. How do these familial expectations shape them and in what ways do they reject these expectations?

Ronnie is a prodigy pianist. She has even composed music with her father. She got accepted to Juilliard but refuses to go because she thinks that’s what her father expects her to do and she’s not going to do anything that would make him happy. Especially when Ronnie thinks it is her father’s fault for her parent’s divorce.

Will’s family all went to Vanderbilt so he’s expected to go there too. It doesn’t matter that that’s not where he wants to go to college but he applies, and gets accepted, because that is what is expected of him and he doesn’t want to let his family down. He will even go as far as to stop pursuing his own dreams just to appease his family.

12. Why does Ronnie get angry at Will toward the end of the novel? Do you think her anger is justified?

She’s mad at Will because he kept a secret to protect his friend from going to jail, or worse. A secret that evolves a church that was completely damaged due to a fire; a church that doesn’t have the money to rebuild because the insurance company won’t cover all the damage. A church where she knows the Pastor, who happens to be really good friends with her father.

I can see how Ronnie feels but at the same time Will is in a tough predicament. Will’s friend, the one who could go to jail if this secret ever came out, saved not only Will’s life but the life of Will’s mom and sister. Will feels obligated to pay this huge debt.

13. What do you think of the choices Steve and Kim make as parents? Do you think they were right in keeping certain things secret from their children?

This question hits very close to home for me; I was in the exact same position that Ronnie and Jonah were in. Back then, when I was 15 years old, I couldn’t understand why my parents would keep that secret from me. They both knew about what was going on for 4 years and they didn’t tell me about the situation until about a month before my father passed away. I felt cheated. My parents separated when I was about 12 years old and I lived with my mom. I would see my dad about once a week. He would also take me on little road trips, just me and him (I’m an only child). But during that time, being a bratty teenage like most of us were, I didn’t want to be on those trips. I wanted to be with my friends. I was selfish. But at the same time, I didn’t know that these would be the last trips that I would take with my father, ever. I was pretty upset when I found out and when I did find out, it was too late to make up for my selfishness. I know that my father enjoyed his time with me on those trips, and that’s what really matters. But knowing then, what I know now, I would have cherished those trips a bit more.

Now that I’m all grown up and I’m a parent myself, I can understand the reason behind my parents' decision (and Steve’s and Kim’s decision). If you knew that your time was coming to an end, you’d want to spend as much time with your children as possible. But at the same time, you don’t want them to feel forced into having a good time; you don’t want it to feel tainted.

14. Ronnie makes an important choice at the end of the novel. Would you have made the same choice if you were in her position?

Ronnie makes more than one important choice at the end; (1) she stays back in North Carolina (instead of going back home to New York with her mom and her brother) to take care of her dying father and (2) she reapplies for Julliard. So I’ll answer for both choices.

(1) Yes, I would definitely stay back to help out my father. For Ronnie, it was a chance for her to make-up for being a brat in the first part of the summer, and for the past 3 years. She gets to spend the last part of her father’s life with him alone. She gets to find out everything she ever wanted to know about him. But let’s not fool ourselves here; this is a tough thing to do, helping someone who is terminally ill and watching them pass on. But to get a chance to be able to make up for some loss time is a chance I would jump on in a second.

(2) Yes, if I were the prodigy pianist that Ronnie is, I would reapply to Julliard. She feels connected to her father at Julliard and she want to embrace that. And I’m sure there’s a part of her that wants to do it for her father.

15. In what ways does Ronnie change over the course of the novel? In what ways does she stay the same?

Ronnie matures and does a bit of growing up. She loses that resentment towards her father that she was hanging onto for the last 3 years.

Ronnie’s always been a good person, one to do the right thing. I think that resentment she held on to just overshadowed her vision for a while, blinding her from appreciating life and what it has to offer.



The Last Song Book Club:
The Book Vixen (that’s me!)
The Book Junkie's Bookshelf (Book Club co-host)
I Have a Dream
My Own Little Corner of the World
Lilium's Realm
Lovin' & Livin' Life Reviews
Vision Quest Fail
Kiss My Book
I So Rather Be Reading (Kelli and Natalie)
Book Soulmates
Swords for Fighting
The Unread Reader



Top 5 Sundays (4)

   

Top 5 Sundays is a new weekly feature hosted by Larissa's Bookish Life. and runs every Sunday. If you want to know more click here.



Rules:

  1. Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme chosen for the week.
  2. Mention Larissa's Bookish Life on the post and link back to it.
  3. Feel free to use the Feature's image.
  4. After you've finished your post, add your link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to the Mr.Linky at the end of that week's post.

This week’s theme is:
Favorite Childhood TV Series.

Do you know how hard it was to only pick 5?!! There were so many great shows on when I was growing up. Here are the ones that really stood out to me.

1. Out of This World – I thought it was so cool that Evie could “freeze” time with her fingers. I wanted so badly to be able to do this. No matter how many times I would try, it didn’t work for me O_o

2. Punky Brewster – I learned how to tell when spaghetti is ready thanks to this show! You throw it against the wall and if it sticks, then it’s ready ;)

3. CHiPs – It was all about Officer Poncherello.

4. Family Ties – Hello! Michael J. Fox was the star of this show!

5. Facts of Life – I wanted to go to school with these girls. They were always getting into trouble and having fun.

Honorable mentions: Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Small Wonder, Charles in Charge and Full House.



What were your favorite childhood TV shows?

On My Wishlist (40)

On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. If you want to know more click here.



summer Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz

Across four sun-kissed drama-drenched summers at his family's beach house, Chase tries to come to grips with his family's slow dissolution while also finding himself in a chaotic love triangle, pitted against his own brother in pursuit of the girl next door. Invincible Summer is a gritty, sexy, page-turning read from a talented teenaged author that readers won't want to miss.

 

13thchime The Thirteenth Chime (Sense of Truth, #1) by Emma Michaels

No one knew of its existence until it was removed from the attic upstairs.

In a beautiful house that overlooks the sea, an antique clock has the power to change the course of their lives.

The power the clock resonates will not only force Destiny and ex-boyfriend David on a journey into the depths of one man's mind long dead, but into the mind of a man filled with hatred and bent on revenge.

With the only clues to the nature of the clock having disappeared into the sea, Destiny and David must retrace the steps the man had taken into the darkness, before they fall prey to the trap he had set in motion over half a century ago.

Hatred never dies.

 

kindred Kindred by Tammar Stein

The first time I meet an angel, it is Raphael and I am eighteen.

Miriam is an unassuming college freshman stuck on campus after her spring break plans fall through. She's not a religious girl—when pressed she admits reluctantly to believing in a higher power. Truth be told, she's about as comfortable speaking about her faith as she is about her sex life, which is to say, not at all. And then the archangel Raphael pays her a visit, and Miriam's life will never be the same. Chosen to save two of her contemporaries, Miriam begins a desperate race to fulfill her mission. But why has she been chosen? And what is the real purpose behind her mission?



What's on your wishlist?

GUEST POST: Book Crazy Jenn

The Book Vixen is pleased to welcome Book Crazy Jenn to the blog today.



A mantra or a motto?

Some people live by little quotes, simple truths or mantra's if you will. Nothing too complex; a simple line or two to give there life a purpose, to try to become better person...

Do you?

Is it a line you heard someone say once that struck a cord with you? Maybe you, like me, read yours in a book? No matter where it came from, if it's powerful enough to you, you somehow allow it to live inside of you, breed and become part of who you are – without even thinking about it, you’re repeating it during a particularly rough day or maybe during a rough week.

Sometimes, depending on who you are I guess, the quote begins to take on a life of its own; it transforms into something different depending on your needs, it wields its way into your heart, your soul...transforming you, and though it's just a quote, it somehow becomes something tangible that your heart can feel, your brain can wrap itself around.

I found my mantra within the pages of a particularly beautiful book, with its simple truths. The Light of Asteria captured a part of me, and has never let go.

You see, all of my life I have struggled with forgiveness; most of the time not even realizing it. Forgiveness for myself, as well as those around me, not even because of wrongs I have suffered, but more because people are never exactly what you need them to be, even yourself.

Honestly, get up, go look in the mirror....

Can you say, while looking at yourself that you are ALWAYS the person you want to be, that you always turn the other cheek, that you always offer a nice smile and a thank you, or maybe that you never tell a lie?

Now, I did not write this to get you thinking all bad about yourselves, we all do this – we all are not perfect, it's in our imperfections that we become ourselves, it's in those little imperfections that we become perfect – our perfect selves.

But, because of my lack of knowing how to forgive, I often felt, unloved – you see NO ONE could live up to the standards I set, not even me...and when someone failed, I struggled with forgiving them.

But because of a work of fiction, a little seemingly innocent book, I have a mantra, a motto that I wake up and repeat to myself...

“Appreciate what they can give, forgive them for what they cannot.”

For me, though the book is so much bigger than this small little quote, and holds with in it many, many more truths – which are also very important to me, this one simple line, has become a life line for me...pulling me to remember, that no one can live up to what I might hope they can or even what I expect from them, even myself...and somehow I must learn to not only accept and appreciate what others can give me...but also somehow what I am also able to offer the world.

Learning to appreciate what you can give the world, and forgiving yourself for what you can't is a powerful lesson...that I am still just learning! And learning to offer forgiveness for those things others in your life that you love can't give you, has become a daily struggle for me...but it's in the struggles that life and love becomes most meaningful...so, I will never give up!

What's your mantra, or motto – do you have one? If so, did it come from a book or somewhere different?



Where to find Book Crazy Jenn online
blog | twitter | facebook | goodreads

GUEST REVIEW: Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon


At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

 

Title: Infinity (Chronicles of Nick, #1)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Format: hardcover, 448 pages
Genre: young adult, paranormal fantasy
Source: personal copy
Published: May 2010 by St. Martin’s Griffin
Buy the book:
The Book Depository | Kindle



Reviewed by Minx
First of all I would like to thank Book Vixen for asking me to guest on her blog, I was so excited to do it! *big hug*

Now to the book. As much as I love children’s literature I have often had a ‘thing’ about YA fiction. There are not many books in this genre I have been able to stick with, often finding the teenage angst too much after being surrounded by them all day, BUT even though I have loved the Dark Hunter books for some time, I went into this book with some trepidation and was delighted to find I loved it!

It is true, I did. The question is why? And I think the main answer is my background knowledge of the main character and the Dark Hunter World. The thing with children and children’s fiction is that kids will often accept things on face value; a computer game which transports you to a different dimension, houses killing evil witches and the mysterious room 13 which only shows up at midnight in the creepy hotel in Whitby. They will accept it, run with it and not require huge amounts of back story and character development, I think this is the reason I have found fault with too many YA novels; they haven’t been charming enough for children’s lit and not enough development for me to totally enjoy. I don’t know the real reason, and this is only my opinion, but I found that knowing what was going on in the Dark Hunter world meant I read a story which my own mind embellished. I knew who the mysterious stranger with the double bow was. I knew why he was doing what he was doing; the vignette of him and Artemis give me food for thought. And my list could go on. On top of that you had a likeable smart Alec character and human zombies! What is not to like?

I do wonder though how someone who has no knowledge of the DH world would rate the book. Would not knowing some of the back story have an impact? Possibly, but I think it would make a nice tease to interest you into the other world - the older world of Dark Hunters.

I read this in just over a day, once I started I couldn’t put it down and if I hadn’t have needed to go out in the afternoon, I would have finished it in a day. The story was engaging, the plot multi-layered. It is the story of Nicholas Ambrose Gautier (Go-shay... even if my English brain keeps seeing Go-tee-ay), a 14-year old boy who is bullied at school and gets in with the wrong crowd outside of school. Through one event he meets Kyrian Hunter who gives him a job. Kyrian is a Dark Hunter and Nick is slowly introduced into that world, however, school children are becoming zombies and a mysterious stranger appears and tells Nick that he is more than just a simple human teenager and he needs to unlock his powers. To do this he needs to battle the zombies. Will Nick and his friends survive? Nick is so fun and loveable, for all his smart comments, you want everything for him and his Mom to be fine.

For me this was a thoroughly good read and I will be reading the next one when it comes out. Perhaps it will even turn me into a lover of YA fiction as well as children’s literature! I give Infinity 4 of 5, a great summer read for both you and your teenager, so read it and pass it on!



Minx’s Rating 



Where to find Sherrilyn Kenyon online
website | twitter | facebook | myspace

Brief Hiatus

You may have noticed that I have been MIA lately here on my blog as well as at my playground on Twitter. I’m somewhat on a brief blogging hiatus. I’ve got some stuff going on in my personal life at the moment (a “transition” you might call it) and I’m not able to read and blog as much as I’d like. I’m hoping that the dust will settle soon so that I am able to jump back into the blogging saddle sometime around mid-September.

I didn’t want The Book Vixen collecting dust and cobwebs (I despise cleaning of any sort), so I put out a cry for help in the blogging community. Fellow book bloggers and authors were happy to help a vixen out. And for this, I am truly grateful. So over the next few weeks, I will be welcoming them. There will be book reviews, battles, top 10 lists and more!

Happy Reading :)

 

xoxo 
The Book Vixen

TEASER TUESDAYS: Matched


When the Officials arrive at our house and come in the door they find Bram and me sitting on the divan side by side. Bram holds silver; I hold gold.

p. 204 (ARC), Matched by Ally Condie






Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others.
  • Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

One-Year Blogoversary [CLOSED]

I can’t believe it’s been a year since I’ve started The Book Vixen! When I first started TBV, I didn’t know how long this would last. Usually when I start a project it’ll last for a little while then I’ll get bored and move on to something else. But fast forward one year and I’m still here :)

I’d like to think I’ve come a long way in the world of book blogging. When I look at some of my earlier reviews, I want to cringe. But over the year I have found my niche and have also discovered my style (more or less). I have stepped out of my comfort zone a few times and thus have discovered some new authors. I am utterly grateful for all of the opportunities that have presented themselves over the past year!

You can find out how I become a bookworm by reading my About Me post. And if there’s something you want to know about me that you don’t see there, or anywhere else on this blog, ask away.

Last month, Maggie Stiefvater come to a local bookstore for a book signing to celebrate the release of Linger. I bought a copy of Linger for myself and had her sign it along with my Linger ARC and my copy of Shiver. I totally forgot to bring my copy of Ballad! So, why I am telling you all of this? Well, I’m telling you this because…..

I picked up an extra copy of Linger

IMG_0219

and Maggie signed it.

IMG_0220

She also signed a bookmark.

IMG_0222

And I’m giving these away to one lucky winner. This is my way of saying Thank you. Thank you for welcoming me to the world of book blogging. Thank you for sticking with me. Thank you to all the new friends I have made in the past year. Thank you for listening to me ramble on and on about book talk (because my husband and most of my friends don’t want to talk about books).



GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.



Thanks to myself (and to Maggie and her sharpie), I have a *signed* copy of Linger and a *signed* bookmark to giveaway to one lucky winner!! Giveaway is open to US and Canada residents. Comments are appreciated (and please do feel free to leave me comments telling me how much you love me), however, you must fill out the form below in order to enter the giveaway. Please read the Contest/Giveaway Policy for complete list of rules. Giveaway ends Friday, September 10th, 2010. Good luck to all who enter!

On My Wishlist (39)

On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. If you want to know more click here.



fallenangel Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell

The first book in a dark, edgy new angel series about a girl who finds herself forced to choose sides in the battle between fallen angels, even if that means going against the boy she loves.

When Ellie Faneuil first sees Michael Chase she feels an instantaneous connection. But she does not realize how much they have in common, including the ability fly and to see what others are thinking - not to mention a taste for blood. Reveling in their new powers and their growing feelings for each other, Ellie and Michael are determined to uncover what they are, and how they got this way ... together.

But the truth has repercussions neither could have imagined. Soon they find themselves center stage in an ancient conflict between fallen angels that threatens to destroy everything they love. And it is no longer clear whether Ellie and Michael will choose the same side.

In this electrifying novel Heather Terrell spins a gripping tale of soul-mates, supernatural powers and a truth that will change Ellie and Michael‘s world forever.

 

whereibelong Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

Corrinne Corcoran’s upscale Manhattan life is perfectly on track—until her father announces he’s been laid off and she’s shipped off to Broken Spoke, Texas, to live with her grandparents. All alone in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the glamorous life she’s supposed to be living. But as she grudgingly adjusts—making new friends and finding romance along the way—this city girl begins to realize that life without credit cards and shopping sprees may not be as bad as it seems....

In this sparkling debut that flawlessly balances romance and humor, readers will grow to love sharp and sassy Corrinne as she goes on her totally reluctant but completely irresistible journey of self-discovery.

 

subwaygirl Subway Girl by P.J. Converse

From the moment he sees Amy on a Hong Kong subway, Simon wants to talk to her. But when he finally works up the courage, he finds out he can’t. Because Amy doesn’t speak Chinese, and Simon is failing English. But despite their language barrier, Amy and Simon connect, and they discover they understand each other.

In this stunning first novel about class differences, cultural arrogance, unwanted pregnancy and abortion, sexual double standards, and love and friendship, two vulnerable teens carve out a relationship even though each seems way beyond the reach of the other.

 

heavenly Heavenly (Heavenly, #1) by Jennifer Laurens

I met someone who changed everything. Matthias. My autistic sister's guardian angel. Honest. Inspiring. Funny. Hot. And immortal. That was the problem. What could I do? I did what any other girl would do-I fell in love with him. Zoë's sister darts in front of cars. Her brother's a pothead. Her parents are so overwhelmed; they don't see Zoë lost in her broken life. Zoë escapes the only way she knows how: partying. Matthias, a guardian sent from Heaven, watches over Zoë's autistic sister. After Zoë is convinced he's legit, angel and lost girl come together in a love that changes destiny. But Heaven on Earth can't last forever.


What's on your wishlist?

REVIEW: The Julian Game by Adele Griffin


New girl Raye Archer is desperate for a way into the In crowd, so when ice-queen Ella Parker chooses her to get back at her ex, the gorgeous Julian Kilgarry, Raye is more than game. Even if it means creating a fake Facebook identity as “Elizabeth” so that she can learn enough about Julian to sabotage him. While a fun and dangerous thrill at first, what Raye hadn’t counted on was falling for Julian herself—and igniting Ella’s rage.

As Raye works to reconcile the temptress Elizabeth with her real-life self, Ella serves up her own revenge. Now it’s Raye who falls victim, as Ella creates an online smear campaign of nasty rumors and trashy photographs. Suddenly notorious, Raye has to find a way out of the web of deceit that she’s helped to build, and back to the relationships that matter.

Adele Griffin’s riveting novel explores the issues of generation Facebook: the desire to be someone else, real versus online friends, and the pitfalls and fallouts of posting your personal life online for all the world to judge.



Title: The Julian Game
Author: Adele Griffin
Format: ARC, 201 pages
Genre: young adult
Source: review copy
Published: August 26th, 2010
Buy the book: The Book Depository



My Thoughts
This book caught my attention at first glance. Just look at that cover! As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to get this book. Seriously, the cover just screams at you. But we all know that books are not entirely about appearance. So I read the blurb and it, too, caught my attention. It reminded me of the movie John Tucker Must Die, which I had enjoyed. I had high expectations for this book and sadly, it didn’t quite meet them.

The reason this book didn’t appeal to me is because it didn’t grab my attention from the get-go. For the first 100 pages, I kept waiting for the book to reel me it but it never did. A hundred pages is a long time to wait for something to happen. I will say that the second half of the book was better than the first. I didn’t feel a connection with any of the characters. And it bugged me how obsessed Raye was with Julian. Even when she saw his “true character” she was still lusting after him. One character I did like that I would have liked to see more of was Henry Henry, the British exchange student. He was a sweet character that should have received more page time.

Although the book didn’t grab my attention, I do like the message this book sends across about social networking wrecking havoc if not used wisely. We (and when I say “we” I mean people of all ages - pre-teens, teens, young adults and even adults) really need to be careful with not only how we present ourselves online, but what we do online. Facebook, blogs and email are the main social networking platforms used in The Julian Game. We are constantly hearing about cyber-bullying and that issue is part of the plot.

The Julian Game is not only about retaliation, manipulation and sabotage; it’s also about friendships - online and in real life. Raye learns a valuable lesson when it comes to true versus fake friendships. If you enjoyed watching John Tucker Must Die and/or Mean Girls then you might like The Julian Game.



The Book Vixen Rating


Where to find Adele Griffin online
website | twitter | facebook

Guest Post & Giveaway [CLOSED]: Author Alice Clayton

Today, I have author Alice Clayton here with us talking about how she laughed her way to being a hopeless romantic.

Welcome to The Book Vixen Alice!

On My Wishlist (38)

On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. If you want to know more click here.

 

XVI XVI by Julia Karr

In the year 2150, being a girl isn’t necessarily a good thing, especially when your sixteenth (read sex-teenth) birthday is fast approaching. That in itself would be enough to make anyone more than a little nuts, what with the tattoo and all – but Nina Oberon’s life has taken a definite turn for the worse. Her mother is brutally stabbed and left for dead. Before dying, she entrusts a secret book to Nina, telling her to deliver it to Nina's father. But, first Nina has to find him; since for fifteen years he's been officially dead. Complications arise when she rescues Sal, a mysterious, and ultra hot guy. He seems to like Nina, but also seems to know more about her father than he’s letting on. Then there’s that murderous ex-government agent who’s stalking her, and just happens to be her little sister’s dad.

I love the cover! And I love the title.



overprotected Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens

About a girl who falls in love with her bodyguard- and childhood enemy.

 

 

 

Not much of a blurb but I’ll go with it. Sounds like an interesting love story that may have a dash of tension in it.

 


deliriumDelirium by Lauren Oliver

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that one love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

I prefer the ARC cover (which you can check out at The Cozy Reader) over this one. Just sayin’.

 


vampirecrush Vampire Crush by A.M. Robinson

First, six mysteriously pale new students show up at Sophie McGee’s high school. Then, Sophie’s childhood nemesis James reappears, still displaying a knack for making Sophie’s blood boil. When Sophie finds out that James has a connection to the new students, she decides to investigate...never expecting her life will quickly begin to resemble a campy horror movie, complete with budding crushes and bloodthirsty villains.

Perfect for fans of the Vampire Kisses and Vladmir Tod series, A. M. Robinson’s debut novel sparkles with action, intrigue, irresistible wit, and sizzling romance.


I like the cover for this one too. I love the red and how the title stands out. And if you haven’t already noticed, why yes, I’m a cover whore.

 

What’s on your wishlist?

TEASER TUESDAY: The Last Song


“Did you make it home okay? Or did the cop end up making a pass at you?”

p. 65, The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks




Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others.
  • Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Top 5 Sundays (3)

   

Top 5 Sundays is a new weekly feature hosted by Larissa's Bookish Life. and runs every Sunday. If you want to know more click here.



Rules:

  1. Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme chosen for the week.
  2. Mention Larissa's Bookish Life on the post and link back to it.
  3. Feel free to use the Feature's image.
  4. After you've finished your post, add your link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to the Mr.Linky at the end of that week's post.

This week’s theme is:
Best Childhood Movies.

Movies from the 80s are great! I’m an 80s child and proud of it. Here are the top 5 movies from my childhood (the 80s) that stand out for me:


5. Back to the Future I, II and III – I was in love with Michael J. Fox. He was a fox!! (Pun intended.)

4. Dirty Dancing – I watched this one over and over and over….well, you get the picture. I loved the dancing. I loved Baby. I LOVED Johnny Castle.

3. Princess Bride – I don’t remember any of this movie now, it’s been so long since I’ve seen it, but I do remember how much I loved watching it.

2. Gremlins – I had the toys. I loved Gizmo.

1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – My mom says I made her take me to see E.T. in the theaters EIGHT times.

Poll Results (and a new poll)

Thank you to everyone who vote in the 2 polls I had up for the past week. I really appreciate the feedback. And in case you’re curious, here are the results:



Poll #1 – How would you prefer winners of giveaways to be notified?

Email only – 3 votes (4%)
Winner announcement on blog only – 1 vote (1%)
Both email and announcement on blog – 61 votes (93%)



I asked this because someone had recently contacted me asking if I had selected winners for a particular giveaway. I don’t like being left in the dark and neither do you. I will now email all winners and do a winner announcement post. I had stopped doing the winner announcement posts because I’m lazy.  (See, you spoke and I listened!)



Poll #2 – Would you prefer a giveaway for a bound book or an eBook? Keep in mind that giveaways for bound copies are usually restricted to US or US/Canada residents due to shipping costs. Whereas eBook giveaways are always international because email is free.

Prefer bound copies – 25 votes (49%)
Prefer eBook – 6 votes (11%)
No preference, either works for me – 20 votes (39%)



I asked this because an author recently asked me what my readers preferred. I honestly didn’t have the answer, hence the reason I put up the poll. And just so you know, any giveaway that I do where I personally purchase the books, I purchase them from The Book Depository because they ship for free pretty much anywhere in the world. However, when I host a giveaway for authors or publishers, there are usually shipping limitations (mainly US and US/Canada) because of the shipping expense. It can get pretty costly; not only are they providing the book (anywhere from 1-5 copies) but they also have the expense of shipping the copies to the 1-5 winners.



The results for the 2nd poll left me wondering how many readers of The Book Vixen have an eReader…? I think I smell another poll coming up!

If you’re reading this post, would you mind voting in the poll? I’m curious to see how many TBV peeps have one and which one they have :)

On My Wishlist (37)

On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. If you want to know more click here.



This week is dedicated to Shiloh Walker’s backlist. The first book I read of her was Broken and man, was that a hot read! Then I read The Missing and now I want more. I went through her backlist and here are some books that I have added to my wishlist. Notice the warning notice at the end of No Longer Mine’s blurb; I will be sure to have the tissues nearby when I read that one.

 

BFlover Her Best Friend's Lover

Dale loves women, and they love him. His love life is a revolving door. No one special, no one stays, except Lauren, his best friend. She's a sweet, beautiful, talented woman. His rock, the steadying influence in his life. So why is he starting to see her differently? Where are these lustful thoughts coming from? Guys don't sleep with their best friends. Lauren has loved Dale for five years, from the moment she saw him. She loves his smile, his walk, his deep, sexy voice. But he isn't in love with her. She's his pal, his confidant. Until one hot, steamy night.


nolongermine No Longer Mine

One woman, one man, and a love that won’t let either of them go.

Born on the wrong side of the tracks and dealt a fair share of hardship, Nikki Kline never gives up a fight. Even when her reason to keep going is ripped from her, Nikki tries desperately to hang on. But when the man who broke Nikki’s heart comes back into her life she doesn’t know how much she can take. Especially since that man seems determined to win back her damaged heart.

Wade Lightfoot is a man who knows he’s made more mistakes than most. As much as he would like to repair the damage he’s done to those he loves, Wade also knows there is no going back. But when he sets out to put things right the last thing he’s prepared to find out is that he had a son. A son he’ll never get the chance to meet.

When the truth is out and all the old wounds are bared, it seems impossible that Nikki and Wade will find their way back to each other. But true love is an undeniable force that even past hurts can’t destroy.

Warning: This title contains heartbreaking tragedy, lies and deception, and a scorching passion that nothing can deny.

 

cominginlast Coming In Last

Jamie McAdams expected it to be an open and shut case of embezzlement. The finger seemed to be pointed right at Andi Morrow, the quiet young lady who ran the daycare center at his godfather's plant. Of course, she didn't exactly have access to the cash, but she did live seriously outside her means.

Andi smelled like vanilla, tasted like sex, and moved like sin. It only took a few days for Jamie to realize he was hooked, and she was being framed. But maybe he should have told her that, before they used her as bait to catch the real embezzler.

Jamie always gets his man, even if it means coming in last with the woman he's fallen in love with.



What's on your wishlist?

BLOG TOUR: White Heat by Brenda Novak

Today I have Brenda Novak here as part of the White Heat Blog Tour. I am very excited to have Brenda stop by today for a guest post. Please welcome Brenda Novak!

BLOG TOUR: Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Today I have Tricia Rayburn here as part of the Siren Blog Tour. Siren was released on July 13th, 2010. I am very excited to have Tricia stop by today. Please welcome Tricia Rayburn!

GIVEAWAY: $40 CSN Gift Certificate [CLOSED]

Recently, I was selected as a CSN Preferred Blogger. I was given the opportunity to either do another review or host a giveaway. Since I did a review on a CSN product last time, I thought I’d shake things up a bit and do a giveaway this time.

CSN Stores is an online retailer that offers a wide range of products. You can get a bookcase, hand bag, a bedroom vanity, office supplies, and much, much more. Feel free to check out my review on a CSN bookcase that I got not too long ago. They have great service, fast shipping and the bookcase is sturdy enough to handle my kids.



GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.



Thanks to Jessica at CSN, I have a $40 CSN Gift Certificate to giveaway. Giveaway open to US and Canada residents. Winner may need to pay shipping fees. Comments are appreciated, however, you must fill out the form below in order to enter the giveaway. Please read the Contest/Giveaway Policy for complete list of rules. Giveaway ends Tuesday, August 17, 2010. Good luck to all who enter!

REVIEW: You Better Not Cry by Augusten Burroughs

You_better_not_cry_cover_augusten

You’ve eaten too much candy at Christmas…but have you ever eaten the face off a six-foot-stuffed Santa? You’ve seen gingerbread houses…but have you ever made your own gingerbread tenement? You’ve woken up with a hangover…but have you ever woken up next to Kris Kringle himself? Augusten Burroughs has, and in this caustically funny, nostalgic, poignant, and moving collection he recounts Christmases past and present—as only he could. With gimleteyed wit and illuminated prose, Augusten shows how the holidays bring out the worst in us and sometimes, just sometimes, the very, very best.


Title: You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas
Author: Augusten Burroughs
Format: hardcover, 206 pages
Genre: non-fiction, memoir
Source: review copy
Published: October 2009
Buy the book: The Book Depository |
Kindle


Reviewed by Knitz with Catz 
I’ve enjoyed reading most of this Augusten Burroughs’ books. I like the overall tone of his writing. I’m comfortable with this author; he writes a certain way and you know what you’re getting into when you start. I have read all of his books, with the exception of Sellevision, and I really like them. Burrough’s warped, off-beat sense of humor appeals to me. I figured that since You Better Not Cry was about Christmas, it would be more funny than the last book he wrote, A Wolf at the Table which I found to be more mean than anything else. (That book I couldn’t get into - I didn’t even get past the first page.)

I was glad I read You Better Not Cry and although it didn’t hold up as much as his other works I still enjoyed reading it. I found that throwing Christmas into the mix toned down his humor.

You Better Not Cry is a collection of short essays based on the author’s past Christmases during his lifetime. The chapters are not in chorological order. You can read one or two, put it down and come back to it later and not get lost in the storyline. The author never has a perfect Christmas; something bad always happens but that’s what makes them so memorable and funny.

My favorite Christmas story was the last one in the book. It was about a recent Christmas; the author had just came through the front door of his house and noticed the beautiful, radiant reflection on the floor from the Christmas tree. Then he realizes that the floor isn’t that shinny. Come to find out, there was a massive water leak in his house. He had to get everything cleaned up. In the end, everything turned out to be okay and ended up being as perfect as possible. 

Another story I found funny was the author getting confused about Santa and Jesus. The reasoning behind it makes senses even though his grandparents thought he was crazy.

The book was long enough to make it worth the read yet not too long where it would have started to lose its audience’s attention It was more touching; not so much LOL funny. I would recommend You Better Not Cry to people who have read books by this author before. I would also recommend this book for those who enjoy humorous essays, books by David Sedaris or even if you enjoy watching the Christmas Story. And though You Better Not Cry was not one of my favorite books by this author, I enjoyed reading it and look forward to his next book.

 

Knitz with Catz’s Rating

 

Where to find Augusten Burroughs online
website | twitter | facebook | myspace

BOOK CLUB: The Last Song – 1st Discussion Post

The Book Vixen

Have you read any of Nicholas Sparks’ novels before? What was your first read by him? What is it about his books that you like? If this your first book by Nicholas Sparks, what about this book appealed to you? Has anyone seen any of his book-to-movie adaptations?

I have read most of Nicholas Sparks’ books. It all started in 2004 when I saw the movie The Notebook. I fell in love with that movie and became completely obsessed! When I found out that it was based on a novel, I ran to the closest bookstore and picked up a copy. And that is how I fell in love with Nicholas Sparks and his writing. He writes the most incredible, emotionally draining love stories. Yes, I cry every time I read one of his books.Yes, my heart aches (well, most of the time). But he keeps me coming back and begging for more. I look forward to his yearly releases.

Since The Notebook, I have read all of his books except for The Last Song (which we’re reading now), The Wedding (on my shelf waiting for me) and Three Weeks with My Brother (which I probably won’t be reading). I cannot wait for his upcoming release, Safe Haven, which will be available (and in my possession) on September 14th, 2010.

I have seen all of the book-to-movie adaptations with the exception of The Last Song. Here’s the list of his book-to-movie adaptations:

  • Message in a Bottle
  • A Walk to Remember
  • The Notebook
  • Nights in Rodanthe
  • Dear John (I enjoyed this movie and I love the cast that was picked but I have to be honest, this movie bugged me. I do not like how the movie ending strayed so far from the book ending. The movie ending was left wide open whereas the ending in the book was complete, the reader got closure.)
  • The Last Song (Interesting fact: Nicholas Sparks finished the screenplay for this movie before he began writing the book.)

I will watch The Last Song after I have finished reading the book. I’ll be getting the DVD when it comes out on August 17th. Just like with his books, I collect his movies. Also, I am excited that The Lucky One will be made into a movie (projected to be released in 2011).

I started a Book Club for The Last Song because (1) I wanted to read the book already (I’ve had it for almost a year and haven’t been able to get to it) and (2) to share the experience with other Nicholas Sparks fans. I can’t wait to get started!

The Last Song Book Club:
13 people participating
4 people have read the book
2 people have seen the movie
1 is a Nicholas Sparks virgin

The Book Vixen (that’s me!)
The Book Junkie's Bookshelf (Book Club co-host)
I Have a Dream
My Own Little Corner of the World
Lilium's Realm
Lovin' & Livin' Life Reviews
Vision Quest Fail
Kiss My Book
I So Rather Be Reading (Kelli and Natalie)
Book Soulmates
Swords for Fighting
The Unread Reader



 

Top 5 Sundays (2)

   

Top 5 Sundays is a new weekly feature hosted by Larissa's Bookish Life. and runs every Sunday. If you want to know more click here.



Rules:

  1. Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme chosen for the week.
  2. Mention Larissa's Bookish Life on the post and link back to it.
  3. Feel free to use the Feature's image.
  4. After you've finished your post, add your link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to the Mr.Linky at the end of that week's post.

This week’s theme is:
Favorite Movie Soundtracks.

You’ll see a trend here with my selections – I love the 80s.


5. Valley Girl – Great 80s music. I have both Soundtracks.

4. Footloose – Great 80s music. Love this movie!

3. Clueless - I’m kind of embarrassed that (1) I have this soundtrack and (2) that I love this movie. But it’s one of my favorite movies from the 90s.

2. Dazed And Confused – Great songs. I remember watching this movie over and over wishing I grew up in the 70s. Times seemed a whole lot easier back then.

1. Girls Just Want to Have Fun – Seeing a trend here. I love the 80s. I love this movie. The songs rock!