Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Review: "The Treasure Map of Boys" by E. Lockhart



The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart
Release Date: July 28th, 2009


Summary:
(Spoilers for the two previous Ruby Oliver novels) Ruby is back at Tate Prep, and it's her thirty-seventh week in the state of Noboyfriend. Her panic attacks are bad, her love life is even worse, and what's more: Noel is writing her notes, Jackson is giving her frogs, Gideon is helping her cook, and Finn is making her brownies. Rumors are flying, and Ruby's already-sucky reputation is heading downhill. Not only that, she's also: running a bake sale, learning the secrets of heavymetal therapy, encountering some seriously smelly feet, defending the rights of pygmy goats, and bodyguarding Noel from unwanted advances. In this companion novel to The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book, Ruby struggles to secure some sort of mental health, to understand what constitutes a real friendship, and to find true love--if such a thing exists.

My Thoughts:

The Treasure Map of Boys is a quirky and hilarious look at High School student Ruby Oliver's daily trials and tribulations, which includes boys, old and new friends, a bake sale, therapy, and a great dane named Polka-dot.

I've always been a fan of this series, so I was super excited to get a copy of this before it was released. Ruby is one of the funniest characters I've ever encountered, and I love reading everything she has to say. However, this wasn't my favorite book in the series. Ruby, overall, seemed indecisive and even at some points annoying.

Gladly, though, there was a lot more in this book that I liked than disliked. As always, the cliffnotes add a unique twist to the story. Plus, I loved reading more about Ruby's friendships with both Hutch and Meghan. And I hope to see more of that in the future if the books continue.

E. Lockhart again weaves undeniable comedy with heartfelt emotion in the third book in the popular Ruby Oliver series. I would recommend this to anyone who has read the previous two books in the series, and to everyone else I recommend the first book (The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart)

4 Stars

Sunday, July 19, 2009

In My Mailbox (4)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi at The Story Siren and inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie to share the awesome things we’ve received in the mail in the last week.






Giving up the V by Serena Robar (Autographed!)

Spencer Davis just turned sixteen. But unlike most hormonal teenagers who seem obsessed with sex -- like her entire crew of friends -- Spencer just doesn't get it. She'd rather wait for the right guy and the right moment. But that moment may be arriving sooner than she'd thought. Enter Benjamin Hopkins, a new transfer student who seems to have his eyes on our V-card-carrying heroine. He's gorgeous, funny, suave, athletic, and capable of making Spencer's knees wobble with a single glance. Spencer has never felt this way about anyone before, but is Ben truly V-worthy?



Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler (Hardback)

While on vacation in California, sixteen-year-old best girlfriends Anna and Frankie conspire to find a boy for Anna's first summer romance, but Anna harbors a painful secret that threatens their lighthearted plan and their friendship.


Also, from the Library I got:

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Tomorrow Wendy by Shelley Stoehr
Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford
Rose of No Man's Land by Michelle Tea
Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
Cringe: Teenage Diaries, Journals, Notes, Letters, Poems, and Abandoned Rock Operas by Sarah Brown
Claws by Will Weaver
A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian
PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives by Frank Warren

Also, I ordered a couple dvd's off of amazon that arrived not long ago.



Radio Free Roscoe Season One Greatest Hits

Aghh!! I wish they would have released all the episodes of both seasons, but I guess I should be grateful they even released this set. I used to be in love with this show when I was 10. I miss it.


Everwood Season One

One of the best shows ever on televison. I put off buying season one until they started releasing the other seasons. Season two was just released so I had no excuses to not pick this one up.



Felicity Season Two

This was on sale at Best Buy and I couldn't help myself. I loved the first season, and needed to see the rest, since I missed this show the first time around.

Ok, that's all! I hope everyone had a great week overall and in their mailboxes!


Thursday, July 9, 2009

Going Out Of Town

Hello everyone! Today I am leaving to go camping with my family up in Sisters, Oregon. It's kind of a tradition we do every summer, and it's beautiful up there. You should see the stars at night time. I will not be back until Tuesday, so if you try to get ahold of me, I wont be able to get back to you until that date. I'm sorry if this provides any inconvenience for anyone.

I hope you all have a good weekend!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi at The Story Siren and inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie to share the books we’ve received in the last week.

A very good week in my opinion. I really love all the books that wound up in my mailbox, and can't wait to read them.

Recieved:



The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart (ARC)

Ruby is back at Tate Prep, and it's her thirty-seventh week in the state of Noboyfriend. Her panic attacks are bad, her love life is even worse, and what's more: Noel is writing her notes, Jackson is giving her frogs, Gideon is helping her cook, and Finn is making her brownies. Rumors are flying, and Ruby's already-sucky reputation is heading downhill. Not only that, she's also: running a bake sale, learning the secrets of heavymetal therapy, encountering some seriously smelly feet, defending the rights of pygmy goats, and bodyguarding Noel from unwanted advances.





Jumping off Swings by Jo Knowles (HB)

Tells from four points of view, the ramifications of a pregnancy resulting from a "one-time thing" between Ellie, who feels loved when boys touch her, and Josh, an eager virgin with a troubled home life.




Swim the Fly by Don Calame (HB)

Fifteen-year-old Matt Gratton and his two best friends, Coop and Sean, always set themselves a summertime goal. This year's? To see a real-live naked girl for the first time — quite a challenge, given that none of the guys has the nerve to even ask a girl out on a date. But catching a girl in the buff starts to look easy compared to Matt's other summertime aspiration: to swim the 100-yard butterfly (the hardest stroke known to God or man) as a way to impress Kelly West, the sizzling new star of the swim team.


Bought:


I took another trip down to Powells yesterday, and picked up a few books with a giftcard I got for my birthday. These books include:




An Abundance of Katherines by John Green




68 Knots by Michael Robert Evans



That Summer by Sarah Dessen



Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita



Geektastic by Various Authors

So that was my week! What did everyone else get?













































Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Waiting on Wednesday (2)




Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Release Date: September 1st 2009


Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets. Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.


Can you say amazing? I am so completely jealous of everyone who has a copy of this. Let's just say this, I really love summer because I don't have to deal with the suckiness that is school. So, when a book makes me WANT it to be September (when school starts), I know that I want it.


What are you waiting on?