TV News: Pretty Little Liars adds 12 episodes!

I know that a lot of people around the blogosphere are relly liking the new ABC Family show, Pretty Little Liars, and I have some good news for them!



ABC Family has ordered 12 additional episodes of the network’s hit one-hour series, “Pretty Little Liars,” announced Kate Juergens, Executive Vice President, Original Programming & Development. The order will bring the show’s first season to a total of 22 episodes.

“‘Pretty Little Liars’ is a break-out hit for the network,” said Juergens. “We’re thrilled that our Millennial viewers have responded so strongly to the show. It’s a perfect fit with the network’s strong slate of original scripted dramas, including ‘The Secret Life of the American Teenager’ and ‘Make It or Break It.’”

SOURCE

I think this is awesome. What do you guys think?

Book Review: Pretty Little Liars

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Summary (from Goodreads):

Everyone has something to hide—especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna.

Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful.

But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.

How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and all the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling.

My thoughts:

I've actually had a copy of Pretty Little Liars lying around on my bookshelf for a couple years now, and just never got around to it. And like many others, once I heard it was being made into a show--now airing on ABC Family--I knew it was time to pick it up.

I'm really glad I did.

First off, the mystery is great. Who is A? Who killed Allison? What about The Jenna Thing? Why does Hanna seem to get in so much trouble with the police? Ok, that last one was a joke, but it is questionable. It seemed like she spent most of the book either down at the station or commiting a crime. Anyway, that's beside the point.

I did like the characters, however, I did question their motives often. I wasn't really sure why Spencer liked Wren so much in the first place. Or even why Aria moved so quickly with Ezra, when they hadn't even known eachother for that long. All in all, though, I felt each character had a distinct voice, and towards the end of the novel I really began to look forward to reading about all of them.

My favorite dynamic so far is the one between Emily, Aria, Spencer, and Hanna, now that Allison is dead. They've grown apart, and I'm looking forward to see how their friendship progresses along with the novels. My favorite scenes were of all of them together. Sadly, those were few and far between.

Overall, If your looking for a fun novel riddled with mystery, Pretty Little Liars is for you. Shepard has no problems leaving the reader wanting more as the novel concludes, so make sure you have a copy of the second book lying around, otherwise you'll be kicking yourself like I am right now.

Winner of the $40 CSN Gift Card!

I used Random.org to calculate the winner of the $40 Gift Card to CSN Stores. I am happy to announce that the winner is....

DRUMROLL PLEASE!

Mami2jcn

Congratulations!

I've sent off your email to Caitlin from the CSN Promo Team. She will forward you the $40 gift certificate!

Thanks to everyone that entered. I promise this will not be my last contest on the blog.

In My Mailbox (9)

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 previous week.

Today, I went down to Powell's and picked up a couple of books while hanging out with some of my friends. I also recieved a couple of books in the mail this week.

Hunger by Michael Grant

It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ. Things have only gotten worse. Food is running out, and each day more kids are developing supernatural abilities. Soon tension rises between those with powers and those without, and when an unspeakable tragedy occurs, chaos erupts. It's the normals against the mutants, and the battle promises to turn bloody.

But something more dangerous lurks. A sinister creature known as the Darkness has begun to call to the survivors in the FAYZ. It needs their powers to sustain its own. When the Darkness calls, someone will answer -- with deadly results.

Leftovers by Laura Wiess

Blair and Ardith are best friends who have committed an unforgivable act in the name of love and justice. But in order to understand what could drive two young women to such extreme measures, first you'll have to understand why. You'll have to listen as they describe parents who are alternately absent and smothering, classmates who mock and shun anyone different, and young men who are allowed to hurt and dominate without consequence. You will have to learn what it's like to be a teenage girl who locks her bedroom door at night, who has been written off by the adults around her as damaged goods. A girl who has no one to trust except the one person she's forbidden to see. You'll have to understand what it's really like to be forgotten and abandoned in America today.

Are you ready?



Folly by Marthe Jocelyn

Three fates intertwine in this moving and passionate love story set in Victorian London.

Mary Finn: country girl, maid to a lord in London

Caden Tucker: liar, scoundrel, and heart's delight

James Nelligan: age six, tossed into a herd of boys

When Mary Finn falls into the arms of handsome Caden Tucker, their frolic changes the course of her life. What possesses her? She's been a girl of common sense until now. Mary's tale alternates with that of young James Nelligan, a new boy in an enormous foundling home.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Audrey Niffenegger's innovative debut, The Time Traveler's Wife, is the story of Clare, a beautiful art student, and Henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-three and Henry thirty-one. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing.

Waiting on Wednesday: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched by Ally Condie
Pub. Date: November 30th, 2010

Summary (from Goodreads):

In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

I know that everyone has seen this one around. I've heard so many amazing things about this one, with many people comparing it to The Giver and The Hunger Games. It has a lot of hype surrounding it, and I can only hope it lives up to it. Plus, dystopian novels have just been so intriguing to me as of late, and this one sounds right up my alley.

What are you waiting on this week?

Book Review: Television Without Pity

Television Without Pity: 752 Things We Love to Hate(and Hate to Love) About TV
by Tara Ariano

Summary (from Goodreads):

Television Without Pity features irreverent entries about the shows, characters, actors, clichés, plot devices, memorable moments, and catch phrases that make watching TV such a guilty pleasure. From weekend-long Real World marathons to the People's Choice Awards, from favorite characters (Brenda Walsh, Seth Cohen) to the most unfunny recurring skits on Saturday Night Live, this is a celebration of television unlike any other. Written by the creators of televisionwithoutpity.com (hailed by Entertainment Weekly as "the industry standard" for obsessive TV fanatics), this snarktastic volume features 100 illustrations and an encyclopedic two-column design. It's great fun for nostalgic browsing and guaranteed to prompt more laughter than a whole season of Seinfeld.

Even though I love books, there is a part of my heart that will always belong to television. From Rugrats to Friends to LOST to Glee, I have always and will always be a fan of the tube. That is why I love books about television, for I get to combine two of the things I love--reading and television. Television Without Pity: 752 Things We Love to Hate (and Hate to Love) About TV is the perfect read for the snarky television lover (and hater) in all of us.

If you've ever visited the Television Without Pity website, you know what you'll be in for while reading this little treasure. These ladies have no qualms with making fun of shows that jumped the shark and over-used clichés still prevalent in today's programming. For example, bringing in an adorable child that say's the funniest things when everyone else on the show has grown up (The Cosby Show, One Tree Hill).

If you have no problem recognizing the fault in your favorite shows, characters, and plot lines, then you'll love this book. And although, the entries can be a little scathing, they will only bother you if you let them.

Overall, if you love television--and even more, like to poke fun at it--this book is the perfect fit for you.

Rating: 4 Stars

Contest: CSN $40 Giftcard

Today is a great day, which means it's time for a contest!

I have been a fan of the CSN Stores for a while now (I love drooling over their seemingly endless suply of bookshelves and lights ), so when they contacted me about doing a contest, I couldn't pass it up! There are many great things about CSN Stores, such as their variety in inventory, ordering made easy, and great customer service. With 200+ individual stores, CSN has everything you could possibly imagine or need. From gifts, to desks, to bookshelves, to lights, and even wine refrigerators, they have it all.

The fine people pver at CSN offered me a $40 gift card that one of you awesome people are going to win. But, first off, let's take a look at some of the great stuff available at CSN Stores:



Vesuvius 2 Light Wall Sconce in Fresco
$22.12


Round Blue Little Ones Pillow Precision Dog Bed
$21.95


4D Concepts Hanging Corner Storage In Espresso
$34.99

Now, on to the rules:

- The contest will close at midnight on Sunday, June 20th.
- A winner will be chosen at random via a random number generator.
- The winner will be announced Monday, June 21st.
- You do not need to be a follower, but will gain an extra entry for it.
- International entries are accepted, but keep in mind you must live somewhere that CSN stores ship to. Also, keep in mind that there may be shipping charges or international fees for certain products.

Extra Entries (KEEP ALL ENTRIES IN ONE COMMENT)

+1 Leave your email address (this counts as the main entry)
+1 For becoming a new follower, +2 if already a follower
+2 Tweet about the giveaway and leave me a link
+3 Visit the Lights Store, and tell me an item you would purchase with your $40 gift card.

Good luck!

Long time no blog

Yes, I am alive. The last time I posted was way back before my Junior year even began, and wow, was it a hectic school year. I had two AP classes, AP US History and AP Language and Composition. In addition, I also had the hardest Chemistry class known to man. I struggled and barely had enough time to sleep most nights. Furthermore, I barely was able to read anything that wasn't school-related. However, school ends next Thursday, and I thought it was time to get back into one of my favorite things, blogging!

I have a bunch of cool things lined up. A couple giveaways and contests, reviews, a bookshelf tour, and of course the fun weekly stuff like Waiting on Wednesday and In My Mailbox. Maybe even some non-book things like Television and Movie reviews.

I'm excited to get back into things because I've really been missing the blogosphere!

I hope everyone has a great week, and happy reading!