Notice for Review Requests

I receive review requests weekly. However, my personal schedule is hectic and I no longer review actively. (I also manage another blog called The Toronto Cafe and Food Blog). I do read every request sent but I apologize in advance that I do not reply to them all.

If I do take on a request, I will forewarn that it may take some time before I can review it. I am now looking to review adult fiction and self-help books instead of young adult fiction because I have grown out of it. If you are to request a review for either adult fiction or self-help, I will more likely to give it a shot.

In the meantime, Stop, Drop, and Read! serves as an archive book review blog. When I have the time, I may post a review. Thank you for understanding.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

Title: A Match Made in High School
Author: Kristin Walker
Age Group: Teens
# of Pages: 278
My Rating: 4/5

For the last year of high school, all seniors must participate in a program and complete it in order to graduate. What is it? Why, they must be married to each other!

Fiona couldn't get a more terrible deal. She is stuck with jerk-but-pretty-face Todd Harding who she can not stand AT ALL. While his mean girlfriend is with her one and only love! Not to mention, her BFF is with the quiet but big Johnny Mercer.

However, this marriage course isn't all just about budgeting and counselling. Fiona discovers that through this tedious year, there are things that she wouldn't have known about the people around her and herself without it.

I was a little too hyped up for this novel to find out in the end I couldn't give the 5/5 that I wanted to. Not that it wasn't a great novel, but it didn't have that full final nudge that made it all-stars. Nonetheless, it was a fun read!

I totally love the idea of students being "married" to each other so they can learn what life may be like in the future. If anything, I would love to see this concept done into manga format; it would be so much funnier to see the hilarious scenes that occurred!

There were times where I didn't like Fiona. She was obsessed with her crush, Gabe, to the point that you wanted to smack her. However, I knew it was a setup made in order for her to "grow up" towards the end of the story. Which all in all, she did. That aside, I loved how every character had a purpose to play, no matter how small their role was.

Everyone's review for this novel that I have read said there was a twist. So when things did jump at a different direction, I was already expecting it. So would the novel have been better if I did not know about this twist? Maybe. But then, maybe not. The story setup was great though, I think Walker is excellent at comedy and throwing in cute surprises.

If anything, I think this novel should be opted for a movie. Or maybe a ten episode show (maybe even less). It had all the content to make it a full-out fun film for teens! From the cliche people to random events, it could totally work on the Family Channel!

So if you are looking for a comedic but cute read, check out A Match Made in High School!

Won copy from Frenetic Reader.

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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Trailer Tuesday: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

Title: Dawn of the Dreadfuls
Author: Steve Hockensmith
Description: In this terrifying and hilarious prequel, we witness the genesis of the zombie plague in early-nineteenth-century England. We watch Elizabeth Bennet evolve from a naïve young teenager into a savage slayer of the undead. We laugh as she begins her first clumsy training with nunchucks and katana swords and cry when her first blush with romance goes tragically awry. Written by acclaimed novelist (and Edgar Award nominee) Steve Hockensmith, Dawn of the Dreadfuls invites Austen fans to step back into Regency England, Land of the Undead!



Haha, this is such a sweet trailer! I still have to read Pride and Predjudice and Zombies though. The only complaint I have about this trailer is the bad attempt to look kung-fu when, Elizabeth I believe?, tried to do some sort of high kick. Now if they hired real martial artists, that would've been so pro!

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Monday, March 29, 2010

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (Mar 29/10)

Mailbox


Bookmooch

Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Gaiden vol. 1-2 by Yuu Watase

Borrow

Rosario + Vampire vol. 1 by Akihisa Ikeda (Not shown)

Other

Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens: A Reading Journal for Young Adult Book Lovers by Rachelle Rogers Knight

Review

Titus and Atreus by Meridi Myers + Bookmark

Won

Real Vampires Have Curves + Real Vampires Live Large by Gerry Bartlett

So I got this email saying that Stop, Drop, and Read! is listed as a resource for this new teen journal for YA book lovers, and I was like "OwO Really?" (second last on the page). I mean, I never thought my blog would ever have that sort of recognition so I am most definitely proud. xD Though I am still wondering if there's any book out there that has a quote from one of my reviews but I never knew about it... >w>;; If you guys do see a quote in some novel from Stop, Drop, and Read!, let me know? :D

Oh, and definitely check out Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens: A Reading Journal for Young Adult Book Lovers! I believe it is releasing this week! I think it's pretty awesome and can be quite helpful!

Want to do your own Mailbox Meme? Check out how to at The Story Siren!


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Music Machine

Title: Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)
Artist/Band: Lady Gaga
Language: English
My Thoughts: Thought you guys needed a break from all of my Kpop addiction, since I'm sure not everyone is willing to listen to foreign music. xD So here's some Gaga! :D

I would put up Telephone since I really love that song (like all of her other songs), but uh, did you guys see it? Pretty explicit for me to put up. So since summer is dawning closer and the weatherman is saying that it will be straight out hot in my area compared to the last two years where it rained constantly, thought I would celebrate it with this MV.

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Saturday, March 27, 2010

St.♥Dragon Girl by Natsumi Matsumoto

Title: St.♥Dragon Girl
Mangaka: Natsumi Matsumoto
Age Group: Teens
Series is: Completed with 8 volumes
Volume(s) Reviewing: 1-2
My Rating: 2/5

As a martial artist, Momoka uses her fighting abilities to exorcise demons along with Ryuga, who is a Chinese sorcerer and childhood friend.

In attempt of defeating a powerful demon, Ryuga summons a dragon to take over his body. But Momoka accidentally gets in the way and have her body possessed instead! Now she is stuck with the dragon and only Ryuga can seal or unleash him!

As the duo vanquish demons practically every week, it is no surprise that their relationship might just step beyond the boundaries of friends!

Bah, this is one of those shojo mangas that I couldn't really care less for. I simply couldn't get into the mangaka's art style nor story. The art is pretty similar to other shojo series you see around, such as those by Natsumi Ando (Kitchen Princess) and Michiyo Kikuta (Mamotte! Lollipop), which I am getting extremely tired of. I shouldn't judge but most of the time, manga with this style tends to be mediocre or worse in my eyes.

So what to pretty much expect from the first two volumes: demon fighting and lovey-dovey-ness between Momoka and Ryuga. Oh, and plenty of panda obsession through Momoka. Did the plot get better in the second volume? Not exactly. I pretty much skimmed it and the series is more divided up into short stories rather than having one main problem to evolve around.

If I was to recommend this series to anyone, tween girls will most enjoy it. For the rest of the manga readers out there, it is one to skip over.

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Friday, March 26, 2010

Author Interview: Dan Elconin

Recently reviewed, Never After is a great young adult novel retelling of Peter Pan, which is a much darker story than the original version. Today, we have the one and only creator of Never After, Dan Elconin, for an author interview!

If you would like to learn more about the author or Never After, check out at www.danelconin.com.

Out of all fairy tales to retell, why Peter Pan?

- The notion of a weird little boy breaking into kids’ rooms and luring them away has always struck me as really creepy. I wanted to explore that creepiness. Also, JM Barrie’s original novel is hilarious as well as dark, and I liked that contrast so much I wanted to recreate it.

How long did you work on Never After?

- About five years. Way too long. Stephen King could have written dozens of books in that amount of time.

If trapped on an island (considering you can survive off the food and creatures that exist there and find or create your own shelter), what one item is a must have for you?

- A computer, so I can write. Or perhaps an assault rifle, since “deserted” islands always seem to be inhabited by various things that want to kill you.

What is your favourite retelling, be it film or book?

- Probably CASINO ROYALE, the 2006 James Bond film.

What kind of stories or genres do you still want to try writing?

- Right now I can’t say I have any desire to go outside the teen genre. I’d love to try my hand at screenwriting though.

Do you have any novels you are working on at the moment or will be releasing soon? If so, can you please give us a brief summary about them?

- I am working on another novel (and trying my best to finish it in less than five years!). The working title is AFAX and it’s inspired in large part by ENDER’S GAME by Orson Scott Card, one of my favorite books. That’s about all I can say at the moment. =)

Lastly, give us an interesting fact about yourself that not many people know of!

- I like to juggle a soccer ball on my feet when I’m bored, and my current record is 2,429. (I was really bored.)

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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Watching on Wednesday: Alice in Wonderland

Title: Alice in Wonderland
Type: Movie
Age Group: Youth +
Release Year: 2010
My Rating: 3.5/5

Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is back and is being proposed to at nineteen years. Living in a proper society where it is important to do everything with manner, Alice is sick and tired of being told what to do everyday.

After seeing a rabbit in a waistcoat, she ditches her engagement party to follow it. Thus, it leads her down into a hole where she lands in Underland. She encounters the eccentric characters of Underland that proclaims how she must slay the Jabberwocky. She refuses this so called fate of hers but only to find out that she is chased after by the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and her army because of it.

In this dark and imaginary realm, Alice must find a way to survive before it is off with her head!

I debated if I should have given this movie a 3.5 or a 4 rating. I have read a couple of negative reviews before watching Alice in Wonderland (which I was so excited for when I first saw the trailer) that it made me went in with a less open mind. (Note: I am reviewing the 2D version).

What one can not deny is the amazing graphics that Tim Burton has for his whimsical and hauntingly beautiful world. A lot of hard work and dedication can be seen put into this production to create Alice in Wonderland as it is. The number one thing I adore is the clothes that Alice gets to wear. They are absolutely gorgeous! (Except for the armor she had on at the end. It was just weird to see her in that).

However, I didn't find myself very intrigued with the plot so much. I guess since I am not a fan of hero quest stories, Alice in Wonderland did not really go beyond the cool scenes and the beautiful costumes. I am actually not a big fan of Alice herself (don't you think she is too pale?). She was a little blah in my opinion, although she was supposed to be stubborn and opinionated. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter did not have a bigger impact on the movie as Tim Burton and I had hoped. Except his costume is quite brilliant, you wouldn't even recognize him under the makeup (like how he is in most movies)! I have to say, I laughed a bit when I saw Anne Hathaway's character as the White Queen. I found it a bit awkward for her to be in that role although somewhat refreshing. I wonder how it would have turned out if she did take the original offer of being Alice.

I do recommend everyone to watch Alice in Wonderland at least once. There are quite a few funny scenes that will make it enjoyable. I wouldn't mind watching it a second time but it's not a movie where I will hurry out to buy the DVD of.


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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Trailer Tuesday: The Blood Confession by Alisa M. Libby

Title: The Blood Confession
Author: Alisa M. Libby
Description: Erzebet Bizecka lives in a remote castle in the Carpathian mountains, the only child of the Count and Countess Bizecka. Born under the omen of a falling star, Erzebet is a child of prophecy: the predictions of a scryer tell of a child whose days will end quickly, or whose days will have no end. As a teenager, Erzebet strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young village girl, Marianna, but even her dearest friend can not understand her overwhelming fears of growing older and losing her beauty. The only one who does understand her is Sinestra, the beautiful, mysterious stranger who visits Erzebet and assures her that there are ways to determine her own destiny. With the Biblical passage “The life of the flesh is in the blood” he successfully lures her into a dark world of blood rituals in order to preserve her youth and beauty for eternity. But will the blood treatments—exacted from willing servant girls—be enough to keep her safe forever? How far will Erzebet be willing to go to sever her life from the predestined path God has chosen for her?



This novel came out a few years back but Alisa released her second novel, The King's Rose, last March. I think anyone who loves historical fiction should check out both stories!

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Monday, March 22, 2010

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (Mar 22/10)

Mailbox


Won?

The Fallen 1: The Fallen and Leviathan by Thomas E. Sniegoski

I have no idea if I won this novel from a contest or not. I totally forgot if I did enter a contest regarding The Fallen. So when I received it, I was a little surprised since it's clearly not for review. Either way, I think it's a pretty sexy cover though!

Want to do your own Mailbox Meme? Check out how to at The Story Siren!


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Music Machine

Title: Magic
Artist/Band: One Way
Language: Korean
My Thoughts: Just recently discovered this band through a good friend of mine. This song definitely gives a break from the usual Kpop style and goes a little more American. An amazing song that I had on for repeat for quite awhile! :D



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Since March is Women's History Month, I would like to kindly avert your attention to this link: Young Adult Books Featuring Women From Another Era. There you can find plenty of great young adult novels regarding women in past eras, such as The Season and The Stolen One, that you can read in celebration of this month.

If you would like to learn a bit more about Women's History Month, please visit by clicking here and here.
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Saturday, March 20, 2010

Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez

Title: Dead is the New Black
Author: Marlene Perez
Age Group: Teens
# of Pages: 190
My Rating: 4/5

Everyone in Daisy's family has some sort of psychic ability, except for her. She is used to being the "norm", but it doesn't stop her from being jealous when her mom requests her older sister to aid in solving a mysterious death of a girl. Determined, Daisy decides to do a little of her own detective work with the help of her friend Ryan.

Could the culprit be the beautiful and popular Samantha, who is sporting a new "dead" look? Or is there someone else Daisy may be overlooking?

Dead is the New Black is a short and fun novel with mystery and paranormal thrown into the mix. It is a read where you would kick-back and relax on because it doesn't have any heavy content of sorts.

I would have to say my favourite character would be Samantha. Instead of just being a typical stuck-up cheerleader like most, she shows quite a bit of character (even though Daisy hated her in the beginning). The two used to be best friends so when Samantha tried to mend that broken relationship, I respected her for that. Daisy is a cool character, but I did find her a bit "typical" if you get what I mean. She has to deal with siblings, which is not seen often in YA novels since the protagonist is generally an only child. So it was nice to see that family connection.

One thing that kept bothering me is the paranormal aspect of this story. I don't understand if the entire world knows about the supernatural existing or it's just Daisy. The reason is when she and Ryan saw some supernatural creatures at a meeting, they didn't act all too surprise. So I was unsure if paranormal is a usual thing or it's just Daisy and the people around her just don't find stuff like that too shocking.

Overall, Dead is the New Black is a quick read to kill time. It's nothing too deep so don't look into it if you are trying to find something with heavy substance.

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Friday, March 19, 2010

Never After by Dan Elconin

Title: Never After
Author: Dan Elconin
Age Group: Older Teens
# of Pages: 295
My Rating: 5/5

Ricky has been dreaming about "the Island" for sometime now. When an Australian-accented lad by the name of Peter appears in his bedroom to take him to the Island, he thought why not? Life can't be any worse than it already is anyway, he needs an escape.

Except the Island is not a paradise. In fact, it is Ricky's worse nightmare as he and those trapped with him fight for their lives. From zombies to an enormous crocodile with a grudge, the Island is a dark and mythical place that is impossible to leave.

In a twisted universe of Peter Pan, Dan Elconin brings you a fascinating tale that will keep you on the edge and in fear of a world that was once about youth and fun.

The first chapter is where the story rocket is ready to launch. The second chapter is when it has sprung up at super speed where it becomes a thrill of a ride!

I am so intrigued by the author's take on this popular fairy tale. I was never a Peter Pan fan but when asked to review Never After personally by the author, I thought why the heck not? And man, I love this novel from beginning to end!

You have Peter, this evil guy who for some reason kidnaps teens from reality and brings them to his world for an unknown reason. There is a herd of mindless guards who protect him, in which Ricky and the gang call them "the Lost Boys/Girls". Hooke is the leader, who is desperate to get off the Island since he has been trapped there for quite some time. And the other teens, Nigel, Alex, and Mariah, all have their own reason why they wanted to escape reality. Each and every character brings a little something to the story, including Ricky himself. It was great to see the interaction of all the characters that made Never After what it is and each of their voice is unique. Not to mention, Elconin skillfully added in all the aspects of the original story to make it into his own! He transformed what used to be innocent in the tale and made it into something horrific. And those that were already bad, he just exaggerated them even further!

What I love most about the characters (well mainly Hooke and Ricky) is that they think about all the possibilities out there before acting upon anything. Most of the time in novels, the characters generally jump right into it and I would think, "Why did they not consider this before doing that?". So it was nice to see some characters out there that actually use their heads first.

There is one thing that caught me off-guard about this novel: the amount of profanity and sexual language used. I really did not expect it and when it came out all at once, it was a bit distracting. However, I got used to it as in no doubt, I would be swearing my head off too if I was in the characters' situation.

I highly recommend Never After for anyone who would like to try a retelling that would keep them reading until the very end! This one is also for the male readers out there because I am sure it would fit up your alley!

Review copy provided by Dan Elconin.

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Thursday, March 18, 2010

Only One Wish by Mia Ikumi

Title: Only One Wish
Mangaka: Mia Ikumi
Age Group: Teens
Series is: Completed with 1 volume
Volume(s) Reviewing: 1
My Rating: 3/5

Do you have a wish?

It is said a cellphone would appear in front of you if you have a strong desire. On the other end, a dark angel will grant your wish, any wish you like. But be warned, once the wish it made, it can not be changed.

Only One Wish is by the mangaka who created the popular series Tokyo Mew Mew/Mew Mew Power. There are four short stories in this manga, including a bonus one with Tokyo Mew Mew's characters in the end. Here's my quick review of each story:

Wish 1 is about three best friends. One of them, Ai, likes a boy in their school. When the friends hear the legend of having their wish granted if they find a secret location in their school, they decided to try it out. When the cellphone appears, Rikako wishes for Ai to be set up with her crush. However, when the boy confesses his feelings to Rikako afterwards, even when he asked Ai out, their friendship gets a bit violent.

This story is the creepiest one out of the four because of the ending. I found the jealousy between the friends over this one guy to be pretty pathetic. They even attacked each other, making me lose respect for them as characters. I mean, really? The shallowness irked me quite a bit but I liked how the ending was so twisted.

Wish 2 is about a girl named Misa who recently died. Her wish is that if she is able to kiss the boy she likes before time runs out, her death would've never happened. So she temporarily comes back to life in which she runs into a friend who is surprised by her appearance since she is supposed to be dead.

This one is cute towards the end. I loved Misa's character design when she decided to disguise herself so no one would recognize her. I think this one is my favourite story out of the four because I liked how it ended.

Wish 3 is about a girl named Kumi who is a huge fantasizer and loves to write up stories about her fantasies. She dreams of having her crush shrunk so she could take care of him. When it does come true, things does not turn out like she expected.

I was annoyed with the story in the beginning. Shrink your crush and take care of him so he can fall in love with you? Really? However, Kumi luckily matured in the end and I was glad for that.

Wish 4 is about a girl and a guy who accidentally took each other's cellphones because they looked similar. This one is somewhat cute story too and that doesn't involve any wish to be granted. I would consider this to be my second favourite.

Overall, the main theme of this novel is about trying to get one's crush (except for the last story). I found this a little insulting to females by all means. This manga is suited for a one-time read only and those who are fans of Tokyo Mew Mew can look into it to see the mangaka's other stories.

Review copy provided by
Del Rey.

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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Trailer Tuesday: Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey

Title: Jekel Loves Hyde
Author: Beth Fantaskey
Description: Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents’ rules – especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father’s office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything – even Tristen’s love – just for the thrill of being… bad.



After reading Jessica's Guide to Dating the Dark Side, I highly doubt I will pick up Jekel Loves Hyde. I mean, it is an interesting concept since there aren't many teen novels based upon Jekyll and Hyde, but since I had a really difficult time reading the author's debut, I don't think I want to go through another.

However, I love the trailer for this novel. I think this is an entry to Beth's contest that just ended yesterday?

Anyway, has anyone read Jessica's Guide to Dating the Dark Side who ended up disliking it but when read Jekel Loves Hyde, liked this novel instead?

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Monday, March 15, 2010

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (Mar 15/10)

Mailbox

Bookmooch

Kurohime vol. 1 by Masanori Ookamigumi Katakura
Reborn! vol. 1 by Akira Amano
My Only King by Lily Hoshino

Borrow

Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Review

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Won

The Devouring by Simon Holt + Bookmark
Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep + Bookmarks

Man, I have no idea why the picture is sideways! But it was a nice week!

~~~

Music Machine

Title: No One
Artist/Band: F.Cuz
Language: Korean
My Thoughts: When F.Cuz debuted with their song Jiggy, I was slightly horrified. It was a cute song that was just wrong to have a MV for. I mean, really? Any guy who is asked to look like a girl and wear such colourful clothes would've ran the opposite direction (but I guess to get into the entertainment industry, one has to give up man pride).

After downloading F.Cuz's album, I started tweeting how F.Cuz should've debuted with another song because all the other ones were so good. Shortly after, voila!, I discovered the MV for No One! (Yay for manlier look! x3)

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Friday, March 12, 2010

The Amanda Project: Invisible I by Stella Lennon

Title: The Amanda Project
Author: Stella Lennon
Age Group: Teens
# of Pages: 352
My Rating: 4.5/5

Amanda Valentino is a very strange yet colourful girl. Callie is secretly friends with her and enjoys her company as they talk about the stars at night and the different meanings of animal tattoos. Since Callie is one of the I-Girls, she pretends she barely know Amanda during school.

Callie is surprised when her principal assumes that she and two outcasts have something to do with his vandalized car. Apparently Amanda drew all over the principal's car, leaving behind some indication towards Callie and the others. Now in trouble, the three non-friends must figure out why Amanda would do such a thing. But the problem is, she disappeared!

I found this novel very enjoyable! Callie is a popular girl who can not ignore the fact that she is drawn to Amanda as a friend. Although she hangs out with the I-Girls which are on top of the school's social ladder, Amanda provides her fun and comfort with her philosophical views and interesting personality. It was a shocker to Callie when she found out that Amanda also spread herself around with others because she never thought the girl would have friends aside herself, seeing the way she was at school. As she search for the missing Amanda, she slowly bonds with Hal and Nia, the other two "offenders".

As I read, I saw more of Callie's history, showing that she was not just any other clone. It gave her more depth and more reason to search for Amanda who has helped her through hard times. What is best about this story is the mystery factor behind it. The big question is pretty much, "Where is Amanda Valentino?" Like fun and games, she leaves behind different clues for her friends to figure out. Readers could see drawings and other stuff in the book that makes the novel more appealing.

The Amanda Project is the first interactive teen series where readers are able to participate and determine the story of future novels through games and writing. I really do wonder how it would work out because it is an eight-novel series. I wouldn't mind three or possibly four novels in the series, but the idea of eight scares me from reading on. Either way, I found The Amanda Project: Invisible I to be a fun novel. Not many have liked it but you can try it out and see where your opinion lies.

Visit www.theamandaproject.com for games and interactive writing and click here if you want to read the entire novel online.

Review copy provided by
HarperCollins.

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Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Recreate a Book Cover Contest Entry

Princess Bookie is hosting a series of great contests over at her blog. One of them is to recreate any book cover for a 2010 young adult novel. I decided to do Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins.

Original



My Version



You can check out the contest by clicking here! What do you think of my cover? >3<~ I did what I could with no graphic design software nor knowledge. =w=

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Trailer Tuesday: Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble

Title: Dreaming Anastasia
Author: Joy Preble
Description: What really happened to Anastasia Romanov?

Anastasia Romanov thought she would never feel more alone than when the gunfire started and her family began to fall around her. Surely the bullets would come for her next. But they didn't. Instead, two gnarled old hands reached for her. When she wakes up she discovers that she is in the ancient hut of the witch Baba Yaga, and that some things are worse than being dead.

In modern-day Chicago, Anne doesn't know much about Russian history. She is more concerned about getting into a good college—until the dreams start. She is somewhere else. She is someone else. And she is sharing a small room with a very old woman. The vivid dreams startle her, but not until a handsome stranger offers to explain them does she realize her life is going to change forever. She is the only one who can save Anastasia. But, Anastasia is having her own dreams…



A very interesting concept. I have rarely seen YA novels based on Russia so this is something new. I did read a novel based on Anastasia in the past and it wasn't a bad read (a bit slow in my opinion).

Has anyone read this novel? If so, opinions?

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Monday, March 8, 2010

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (Feb 8/10)

Mailbox


Borrow

St.♥Dragon Girl vol. 1-2 by Natsumi Matsumoto

Review

Bad Apple by Laura Ruby
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Duplikate by Cherry Cheva
Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont
Not Suitable for Family Viewing by Vicki Grant
Perfect by Sara Shepard
Manga for the Beginner Chibis: Everything You Need to Start Drawing the Super-Cute Characters of Japanese Comics by Christopher Hart

Won

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker + Goodies
Hirobot stickers

Other

The Dark Divine Nailpolishes

Such an awesome week! xD I was planning to buy A Match Made in High School but I got lucky and won it instead! It's also signed! :D

Which book do you want to see the review for most out of the above?

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Music Machine

Title: Heartbeat
Artist/Band: 2PM
Language: Korean
My Thoughts: Heartbeat is a song you have to listen to a couple of times over before it starts getting addicting (in my experience).

2PM is one of my top favourite bands! When they debuted, I kept listening to them over and over (like most songs I get attached to easily). I am dying for another MV by them!



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Great international contest over at Bloody Bookaholic! With 7 winners too! Click here to enter ASAP! I am also giving away 2 Dark Divine Nailpolishes as well as a copy of Explorer X-Alpha! Click above on blog!

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Quick thank you to Miriam at Backchat Girl Reviews! for the Beautiful Blogger Award and Amanda from Daydreams and Wanderings who is also giving me the same award as well as One Lovely Blog Award!

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Sunday, March 7, 2010

Panic X Panic by Mika Kawamura

Title: Panic X Panic
Mangaka: Mika Kawamura
Age Group: Teens
Series is: Completed with 2 volumes
Volume(s) Reviewing: 1
My Rating: 3.5/5

Mitsuki Kamishiro is an energetic thirteen-year-old whose family runs a shrine. She rivals with Kakeru Kuon, where the church is ran by his family. The two never get along with each other. That is, until demons that were sealed two thousands years ago in their area got released! An ancient scroll states that the two must work together in order to reseal the demons. Will they be able to do it?

Panic X Panic is another typical shojo-esque manga that evolves around a cute, big-eyed female protagonist with guy who everyone loves. Except with some demon action.

The plot is more of youthful fun rather than action, even if it has demons. In the first volume, you have Mitsuki being controlled by some sort of spell in which she consumed through a cookie. It is supposed to make her fall in love with the first boy she sees. Things get a little weird when it is Kakeru! Shortly after, a demon disguised as a human becomes a transfer student at school! The story goes on with a very light and funny voice, one that the younger audience will most enjoy. It was nothing new to me but there were some parts that were cute to read. Others, they were already seen before.

I actually prefer the side characters over the main ones in this series. There is an adorable cat demon who crushes on Kakeru that causes a bit of trouble for him and Mitsuki. I love the design for her because the mangaka's art style worked on her a lot better than it did with the rest of the characters. Also, classmate Manta Aoi is such a cool dork. The kid is obsessed with the paranormal and seeing him excited about it is so refreshing.

There is a bonus story called The Secret of Boys at the end. This one is about a girl name Chika whose friends asked her to find out about, like the title says, secret of boys. She disguises herself as her twin brother to hang out with his friends in order to research. It was an alright short manga, a pretty predictable one too.

I recommend Panic X Panic to fans of outright, cliche shojo mangas. Or if you have a younger sister or cousin who likes mangas, this one is for them.

Review copy provided by
Del Rey.

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Saturday, March 6, 2010

Win The Dark Divine Nailpolishes!


I personally have never read The Dark Divine by Bree Despain yet but when I was given the opportunity to give away some adorable nailpolishes, I couldn't resist! There will be 2 winners!

To enter: (Please have everything in one comment in the post)
+1 Answer: Do you forgive easily? MANDATORY FOR ENTERING
+2 new follower through Google Friend Connect

+3 old follower through Google Friend Connect
+2 add Stop, Drop, and Read! to your blog list (link)
+2 for every time you link the contest (link)
+3 If you tell me a story about yourself which deals with forgiveness

This contest is open to US and Canadian addresses only (sorry international friends, I can't afford it!). Contest will end on March 31/10.

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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Title: Hush, Hush
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Age Group: Teens
# of Pages: 391
My Rating: 4.5/5

Nora Grey is a normal girl who is living a pretty normal life. That is, until she has to pair up with the new transfer student in biology class. Patch is a sexy and mysterious guy who loves to tease her. Except she hates his vulgar personality and it seems like he may be stalking her!

Although she tries to ignore Patch, she can not help but feel drawn towards him, even though he is bad for her. Life doesn't get any weirder than having a creepy but hot guy there, does it?

Oh yes, it does. With many close death calls and events that appear to only occur in her head, Nora must prepare for the truth and watch her back as danger and forbidden love ensues.

Seeing this title everywhere in the YA fiction world, one would have to expect that it would eventually appear on Stop, Drop, and Read! So what were my expectations before reading the novel? Since I read quite a bit of reviews, both good and bad, I decided to set my standards low. I wasn't sure I was going to like the novel. It has a pretty cliche plot and sometimes I do end up hating popular books. Surprisingly, it was way better than I expected!

First, the characters. If you asked what my opinion of Patch was for the first half of the novel, I would have responded with "douchebag and creeper" without hesitation. Many people said he was a jerk but I personally thought he was an idiot. Whenever he saw Nora, he was all (cue deep and sultry voice) "You don't want to know about my past, I'm dangerous." Like, he was pretty much egging her on to find out more about him. The whole time I wanted to take a bat and whack him on the head with it. If it wasn't for the fact he was such a good-looking dude, then Nora would've ran the opposite direction for sure. In fact, you would've too! In the end, I no longer cared for him as he was the reason for the novel's existence.

Nora on the other hand, I admired her guts. She did do some rash things but I understood (somewhat). I was glad that she had the ability to run away and defend herself instead of waiting for Patch to come along. She was also a good friend and I applaud her for coming in to rescue her best friend who was in danger. At times I wasn't very fond with the pairing of Nora and Patch; I thought they were better without each other in all honesty.

The beginning of the plot wasn't slow but not a lot of things happened either. Then as more pages were read, the more I kept coming back to it. It was like this mysterious force that urged me to pick it up every time (or what you call it, curiosity). What I love most is the author's ability to make exciting scenes. Sometimes for two random pages, I would find myself immersed into the story. While I was reading in the beginning, I kept thinking that the novel should have more action in it so it would be much more interesting. And then for the last quarter of the novel, I was hooked because the action did come along! With that, the rating shot up to 4.5/5!

Hush, Hush is a little bit on the cliche side. However, it is one addicting read! I personally think there isn't a need for the sequel but I guess I will look into it to see what will happen next.

P.S. Is it just me or does it seem like most typical young adult novels have the main girl and guy being stuck together in science class?

Review copy provided by Simon & Schuster.

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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Trailer Tuesday: The Karma Club by Jessica Brody

Title: The Karma Club
Author: Jessica Brody
Description: "Personally, I’m tired of waiting for the universe to get off its butt and start fixing stuff. I don’t want to wait around for Mason to get what’s coming to him. Or Heather Campbell, for that matter . . . I want to be there to see it happen."

Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. It’s that mysterious, powerful force that brings harmony to the universe. You know—do good things and you will be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what’s coming to you. A sort of cosmic balancing act.

But when Mason Brooks, Maddy’s boyfriend of two years, gets caught tongue-wrestling with Miss Perfect Body Heather Campbell, and absolutely nothing happens to either of them—except that they wind up the hot new couple of Colonial High School, it seems like Karma has officially left Maddy in the lurch. That’s why Maddy and her best friends, Angie and Jade, decide to start the Karma Club—a secret, members-only organization whose sole purpose is to clean up the messes that the universe has been leaving behind. Whether they’re modifying Heather Campbell’s acne cream as part of “Operation Butterface,” or righting a few wrongs when it comes to Angie and Jade’s own slimy exes, they know they’re just doing what Karma should have done in the first place. They’re taking care of one another.

Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. Because it turns out, when you mess with Karma, Karma messes back. Now Maddy must find a way to balance her life for good, even as everything around her seems to be toppling to the ground.



WATCH THE TRAILER!

Literally, I think this book trailer have beat out every other one that I have aired on Trailer Tuesday. It looks like it could totally be a real movie and it should! I prop them for having such cuties to act for the trailer! I don't know about you but I'm sold!

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Monday, March 1, 2010

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (Mar 1/10) + Winner + Others

Mailbox


Review

Greek: Double Date by Marsha Warner

I haven't read TV series based novels since... ever really. I have never seen Greek either because I don't exactly have cable nor does it seem like it would be something I'm interested in.

Those who have watched the show: What is it about? You like it? Why or why not?

~~~

Music Machine

Title: My Ear's Candy
Artist/Band: Baek Ji Young feat. Taecyeon
Language: Korean
My Thoughts: Eleni, you got my addicted to this song!! (Surfed through your playlist on your blog out of boredom) :P

I never really had a favourite member from 2PM (a really really awesome K-band! I think I will have them up next week), but after this MV, TAECYEON FTW! ♥

For the high-definition version without subs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrOHCn3h5UE



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And of course we have to draw out the winner for Silver Phoenix! //drumrolls// The winner is...

Jenny N.

Congrats! Send me an email with your address at faked_sugartone at hotmail.com ASAP! I have another contest running at the moment which is open worldwide! You can win Explorer X-Alpha by clicking here!

~~~

I got a couple of awards recently. One is the One Lovely Blog Award from Little Miss Becky at Stories & Sweeties. The other, to be honest, I forgot which post it was commented on. ^^; But I'm sure you know who you are! Thank you both!

Yan from Books By Their Cover tagged me with Honest Scrap. I got tagged once in the past but never did it. So I will now. The rules are to: 1) List 10 honest things about yourself and 2) Pass it on to 10 other honest bloggers.


1. I exercise religiously everyday. I feel horrible if I don't, even when I'm sick.
2. The original reason why I started exercising was because I wanted to be a model...
3. I secretly still do. (Which I guess isn't a secret anymore Px )
4. I hate it when people fool me. It makes me sad and angry at the same time.
5. Although I hate Twilight, I urge to read the rest of the series so I can like it. oO;
6. I have never, ever been to an author event. :( I mean, I passed by author signings in the bookstore before, but they were people I never heard and didn't write YA fiction.
7. I get a little sad if I don't have at least one comment for every post I have on the blog. =w=;
8. I am easily inspired to do something new. But that goes for as easily losing interest in it as well. x.x
9. I have never kissed a guy nor been in a relationship yet.
10. I'm starting to love fashion. In the past I didn't care what I wear for the most part. I dumped all of my money into books. But now, the money is starting to stray into clothes instead...

Gah, I'm lazy to tag anyone. So if you're reading this, you're tagged! :P

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