Book Review: F in Exams by Richard Benson

F in Exams: The Best Test Paper Blunders
by Richard Benson
Paperback
127 pgs.
2008

Summary:

We've all been there. You've been studying hard, the day of the BIG test arrives, you turn over the paper, and 'what the *&%@ does that mean?!'

Not a clue.

This book is packed full of hilarious examples of the more creative ways that students have tackled those particularly awkward exam questions.

Review:

With only five days of high school left, and a spate of finals right around the corner, I needed to read something to help calm my nerves. As soon as I spotted F in Exams, I knew it was exactly what I was looking for.

The book is a short collection including very real and very wrong (but laugh out loud hilarious) answers in a variety of subjects, including Chemistry, Biology, History, Math, English, and more. The student's answers will have you chuckling at their wittiness and cleverness that I would have marked as correct if I was their teacher. One of my favorite's was the following excerpt from the Psychology section:

Question: Describe what is meant by "forgetting."

Answer: I can't remember.

If you're looking for something quick, light, and hilarious to read, F in Exams is the perfect book to pick up. It is chalk full of witty answers that will have you laughing to yourself. Trust me, it's the perfect books for students, teachers, or anyone that could never find x in a math problem.

Favorite Classics

You know what really sucks? Senior year. AP classes, college apps, scholarships, FAFSA, regular classes, homweork, my school's Senior Project, sleep (if you're lucky), and spending time with friends (almost non-existent). As you can tell my blog has taken a back burner these last few months, simply because I haven't had the time to read any books. Scratch that, books that are not required to read.

However, I thought I'd talk about some of the books most of us are required to read in school.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Favorite Quote: "In two weeks it'll be the longest day in the year... Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it."

The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, and has come to be seen as a magnificnent representation of the Jazz Age. The novel relates the story of the life and lost love of Jay Gatsby--as told by Nick Carraway. It is far from my favorite classic, but I love the language of the novel. It isn't complex language, but it is beautiful. Fitzgerald had a way with stringing words together and creating emotion simply through his sentences. He was an a,azing writer and I think everyone should pick this novel up and read it at least once in their life.

Read it for: AP Language and Composition, Junior Year

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Favorite Quote: "It ain't that big. The whole United States ain't that big. It ain't that big. It ain't big enough. There ain't room enough for you an' me, for your kind an' my kind, for rich and poor together all in one country, for thieves and honest men. For hunger and fat."

The Grapes of Wrath is a novel writen by John Steinbeck. Published in 1939, the novel centers around the Joads, a family of sharecroppers, who journey to California to find a new life during the Dust Bowl. While the novel is one of the longer books I have ever read, it is one of my all-time favorites. The novel worked so well because as a reader you could relate to the Joads and the terrible hardhsips they faced on their way to California. Every loss was a loss I felt with them. It is an emotionally draining novel, but any story that can make you experience such emotions is one everyone should read.

Read it for: AP Language and Composition, Junior Year

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Favorite Quote: "I have sometimes sat alone here of an evening, listening, until I have made the echoes out to be the echoes of all the footsteps that are coming by and by into our lives."

One of Dicken's most widely read works, A Tale of Two Cities is a novel set in the backdrop of the French Revolution. I grew to love this one over time, but I also resented it in a way. I had to write 5 college-level essays analyzing the historical, biographical, gender, and close-reading influences on the novel. Once you disect a book to that degree, it loses its impact. This is one I wish I could have read on my own, and not as homework.

Read it for: AP Literature and Composition, Senior Year

What were some of your favorite required reading in high school or college? What about your least favorites?

Contest Craze - Top 5 of 2011

Princess Bookie--as most of you already know--is having a mini-challenge naming our top five wanted books of 2011. I was planning on doing a post like this anyways, so here it is! Also, you may notice a trend in these books. In that all of them are mostly dystopian/post-apocalyptic. I can't help what I like!


5. The Water Wars by Cameron Stratcher



Release Date: January 1st, 2010

Short Summary: In a future where water is more precious then oil or gold, a brother and sister must face water pirates, guards, and government to save their friend and save themselves.

Why I want it: The cover. The plot. Plus, what looks like a story with a great sister/brother relationship. I feel like YA doesn't have enough stong sibling relationships, at least not one's that take center stage.

4. Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari

[Cover not available]

Release Date: 2010

Short Summary: In which a teenage girl struggles to survive in a post-apocalyptic New York City.

Why I want it: The story is very vague as of now, but what I've heard of it, I love! Plus New York City is so crazy already, who knows what it would be like in a post-apocalyptic setting.

3. All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

[Cover not available]

Release Date: 2011

Short Summary: Set in a dystopian future where chocolate and caffeine are contraband, teenage cellphone use is illegal, and water and paper are carefully rationed, the series relates the ascension and ultimate downfall of 16-year old Anya Balanchine, the heir apparent to an important and dangerous New York City crime family.

Why I want it: I've read both of Gabrielle Zevin's other books, and while I liked them both, I think this would could easily become my favorite. If you haven't already noticed a trend, I'm all about the plot, and if it's dystopian, I can dig it.

2. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

[Cover not available]

Release Date: [date not specified] 2011

Short Summary: A satire about a group of teen beauty queens whose plane crashes on a deserted island

Why I want it: Ok, confession time. I've never read anything by Libba Bray. I know, I know. She's apparently amazing, but none of her books have ever appealed to me. BUT THEN I found out about Beauty Queens, which the plot sounds unbelievably amazing. I love anything that has to do with deserted islands and surviving in a place out of one's element. Bring it on.

1. Delirium by Lauren Oliver



Release Date: February 1st, 2010

Short Summary: 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.

Why I want it: I LOVED LOVED LOVED Before I Fall. The writing was beautiful, and as soon as I put it down I could not wait for Laure Oliver's next book. I was ecstatic to find out about Delirium. The plot is fantastic and I need something to fill my dystopian addiction now that Mockingjay has come and gone. I envy everyone who has already gotten to read this.

Friday Favorites (4)

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Summary of The Hunger Games (from Goodreads):

In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place.

Where do I even begin to talk about this series? They're New York Time Bestseller's for a reason. I read the first one in two days, the second one in one day, and the third one in about 7 hours. The plot is intense and full of action. The characters are thought-provoking. The setting depressing and harsh. The prose is grim, and perfect for that reason. I loved Katniss. I loved Peeta. I came to care for characters I wouldn't have thought I'd like; like Haymitch and Finnick. And more than anything, I loved how happy I was to be in this world that Collins' created. I feel lucky just to have had the experience of reading these books. I recommend this series to basically to everyone who has yet to read it (do those people even exist?). This is one of my all-time favorite series. Actually, it is my all-time favorite series.

Also, I know there are a million reviews of Mockingjay floating around, so I think I'll hold off on writing a review for a while. Maybe I'll even wait until I re-read the series, just so I can truly sort out how I felt about the last book.

Review: My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman

My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman

Published September 29th, 2009

Hardcover, 240 Pages

Book Description (from Goodreads)

With Roz and Eva everything becomes a contest—who can snag the best role in the school play, have the cutest boyfriend, pull off the craziest prank. Still, they’re as close as sisters can be. Until Eva deletes Roz from her life like so much junk e-mail for no reason that Roz understands. Now Eva hangs out with the annoyingly petite cheerleaders, and Roz fantasizes about slipping bovine growth hormone into their Gatorade.

Roz has a suspicion about Eva. In turn, Eva taunts Roz with a dare, which leads to an act of total insanity. Drama geeks clamor for attention, Shakespearean insults fly, and Roz steals the show in Lauren Bjorkman’s hilarious debut novel.

My thoughts:

My high school theater experience begins and ends at props crew for The Crucible during my sophomore year. However, I've been best friends with many of those in the drama circle for years. I know the inside jokes, the backstage shenanigans, and I know that everyone involved in the plays is like family to one another. It's the perfect backdrop for such a hilarious and touching story.

The main character, Roz, is a likable narrator from the start. Smart, sarcastic, and witty. And like many high school girls, she makes unwise choices and puts herself in complicated situations. She invents a new "life" both in a way to stretch her acting ability and to try and grow close to her sister, Eva. In the process, she befriends new boy Jonathan, and finds herself growing closer to fellow drama geeks Nico and Andie. Not to mention Eva's boyfriend, Bryan.

In a novel filled with twists and turns, witty language, and Shakespearian insults, how could you go wrong? As soon as I turned the last page, I wanted to read it once again. Lauren Bjorkman is an author to watch out for. She draws you in, and you will not want to let go.

5 Stars.

I love my city (a love post for Portland)

I live in Portland, Oregon.

To me, it is an amazing place to live, despite often being called the "most depressing city"--presumably because of the weather. I think a lot of people assume that it is always raining and cold in Portland, which would not be true. Today it was eighty degrees and clear. But, in all honesty, it does rain a lot. Portland has what many of my friends call "bipolar weather" where it is sprinkling at one moment, and sunny the next. I do not see Portland as depressing, but an exciting adventure.

Why do I love this city? Let me count the ways.

+ The most unique shops

One of the biggest tourist attractions in Portland is the hole-in-the-wall shop Voodoo Doughnuts. No, seriously, it is a hole in the wall. The location downtown is no larger than one's kitchen, and usually has a line of 30 people outside the building at any time. But, it's worth it. And there have been two new locations that have opened up that are far less crowded. The main attraction at this delicious store is the Bacon Maple Bar--a raised yeast doughnut with maple frosting and a slice of bacon on top.



Don't judge it before you take a bite. It's delicious.

There is also a sweet place downtown called Sock Dreams. Let me make this clear, it is a store dedicated to SOCKS! What is better than that? Not to mention all the awesome Vintage and Used clothing stores such as Crossroads Trading Company, Avant Garden, Magpie, Little Evie's Five and Dime, and way too many more to list.

+ The scenery



Portland has been referred to as the most environmentally friendly city in the United States and the second most in the world. We measure how nice of a day it is by how well you can see Mt. Hood. The beach and the mountains are both located within hours of the city. Multnomah Falls is breathtaking, and the perfect tourist destination.

+ The Food.

I can't really talk about how amazing some of the restraunts are over here. Even the food at Saturday Market is delicious. By the way, if anyone reading this has never eaten an Elephant Ear (no, not an actual elephant ear), let me know, because that is a tragedy.

My favorite restraunt? Montage. Not even for the food, although there macaroni and cheese is remarkably good, but because they package the leftovers so beautifully.



I try my hardest to not eat my food when I go there. I still remember the adorable duck I got the first time I ate there.

+ Transportation

To go along with being the "greenest city" in America, there are several options on how to get to where you need to go in this city. First off, biking is not only convenient but a beloved hobby by many that live on Portland. I doubt you will see less than 50 different bikers after being downtown for less than an hour.



We even have a naked bike ride, but I'll let you look at those pictures on your own.

Also, I can't forget the MAX (short for Metropolitan Area Express) light rail system, which connects the city and suburbs.



+ The used bookstores

Oh, how lucky I am to be a book lover in one of the bookish cities in America.

Powell's Books is a beloved favorite by many Portlanders and tourists alike. It's the largest independent used bookstore in America, and occupies a full city block. It contains over 68,000 square feet (1.6) acres of retail floor space.

Everytime I go in, I fall back in love. However, there are other places I like to go while shopping for books, especially when I don't want to spend as much as I do at Powell's.




I enjoy Title Wive Used Books, and buy from them often. Basically, Tital Wave is where they sell the books that have been taken out of circulation from the Multnomah County Libraries. Hardbacks are usually two dollars and paperbacks are even less. It's like heaven, if heaven was a bookshop (which it is, in my mind).

Of course this is only scraping the barrel about what is great about Portland. Many would mention the rose gardens, OMSI, the popular brewery's, and the like. But as a 17 year old, none are large interests points. Even though the rose gardens are beautiful.

Thanks for your time. I hope you liked seeing a bit of my city.

Book Review: Columbine by Dave Cullen

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Published April 6th 2009

Hardcover, 417 pages

Description (Book Jacket)

On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold left an indelible stamp on the American psyche. Their goal was simple: to blow up their school, Oklahoma City-style, and to leave "a lasting impression on the world." Their bombs failed, but the ensuing shooting defined a new era of school violence-irrevocably branding every subsequent shooting "another Columbine."

When we think of Columbine, we think of the Trench Coat Mafia; we think of Cassie Bernall, the girl we thought professed her faith before she was shot; and we think of the boy pulling himself out of a school window-the whole world was watching him. Now, in a riveting piece of journalism nearly ten years in the making, comes the story none of us knew. In this revelatory book, Dave Cullen has delivered a profile of teenage killers that goes to the heart of psychopathology. He lays bare the callous brutality of mastermind Eric Harris and the quavering, suicidal Dylan Klebold, who went to the Columbine prom three days earlier and obsessed about love in his journal.

The result is an astonishing account of two good students with lots of friends, who were secretly stockpiling a basement cache of weapons, recording their raging hatred, and manipulating every adult who got in their way. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold left signs everywhere, described by Cullen with a keen investigative eye and psychological acumen. Drawing on hundreds of interviews, thousands of pages of police files, FBI psychologists, and the boys' tapes and diaries, he gives the first complete account of the Columbine High School massacre.

In the tradition of Helter Skelter and In Cold Blood, Columbine is destined to be a classic. A close-up portrait of violence, a community rendered helpless, and police blunders and cover-ups, it is a compelling and utterly human portrait of two killers--an unforgettable cautionary tale for our time.

My thoughts:

Wow.

Going into Columbine, I knew it wasn't going to be an easy read; And honestly, it wasn't. There were many times when I just needed to set the book down and take a breath. That's how I knew that this book was special, for it touched me in a way other books had not in a very long time.

The author, Dave Cullen, spent ten years covering Columbine, and he thoroughly knew his stuff, which made for a compelling read. The reaccounting of this massacre could have been disasterous if in another reporters or writers hand. I can picture a book filled with numerous pages berating the killers and their families for all the pain they caused. This is not that book. Instead, this book takes on a fresh perspective, one not riddled with judgement, but instead filled with analytical and comprehensive thoughts on the massacre, the killers, and the cover-up.

This isn't just the story of what happened at Columbine Hogh School on April 20, 1999. It delves in much deeper, focusing on what led to that fateful day, and the aftermath that millions witnessed firsthand. Whether you followed what happened at Columbine for years, or this is your first exploration into the massace, you will find what you are looking for in this exceptional book that will touch you in ways you can not imagine.

I can not reccomend this book highly enough.

Book Buyers Anonymous Book Ban

Hello. My name is Jenna, and I am a book buying addict.

Lately, I've been realizing how much I spend on books that I never even get around to reading. I NEED to buy books more than WANT to, and it has become a problem. I need to take a break from acquiring more books and enjoying the MANY books I own and haven't read. That is why I decided to join Book Buyers Anonymous Book Ban, started by Tara at 25 Hour Books, for the month of July.

I have a problem, and am obviously trying to get help with it.

However, there are a couple rules I have for myself, so it's not an all-or-nothing situation (I'm not strong enough to quit cold-turkey).

1. I can acquire books from contests and/or giftcards, since I am not actually paying for them with my own money.

2. If a book is under $3.00, I can get it. (This rule is just in case I go to a garage sale and find a book I like. I don't plan on ordering any books at all this month).

3. If the book is a present for someone else, like a birthday gift, it is okay to buy it.

It would be great if you decided to join the rest of us in this fun AND CHEAP book ban.

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!

Book Meme: Titles

This is a book meme I 'stole' from Chelsea at The Page Flipper(http://thepageflipper.blogspot.com)

For this meme you are supposed to use book titles of novels you've read in the past year. Sadly, I haven't had the chance to read much on my own due to AP classes and such, so we'll see how it works out!

Describe Yourself: You Don't Know Me
How do you feel: Much Ado About Nothing (A play, but it still counts!)
Describe where you currently live: In The Time of The Butterflies
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Elsewhere
Your favorite form of transportation: Gravity
Your best friend is: Sweethearts
You and your friends are: Leaving Paradise
What's the weather like: Let it Snow
Favorite time of day: Days Like This
What is life to you: The Realm of Possibility
Your fear: Things Fall Apart
What is the best advice you have to give: Speak
Thought for the Day: Just Listen
How I would like to die: The Chosen
My soul's present condition: Hard Love

Wow, this was challenging and fun! Thanks Chelsea for the meme!

Mandatory Music: Fireflies by Owl City

Owl City is a synthpop project that formed in early 2007 consisting of one member, Adam Young. Young started out making music in his parents' basement, which he claims is a result of his insomnia.

Owl City found early popularity through its own MySpace profile, which has received more than 6 million plays on tracks, such as "Hello Seattle". However, the song I picked for today's Mandatory Music is Fireflies.

I've been obsessed with this song for the last month. It has such a whimsical and fun quality to it that you just can't help but smile when you hear it.



Selected Lyrics:

To ten million fireflies
I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes
I got misty eyes as they said farewell

What do you think?

In My Mailbox (8)

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(s).

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

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.




Gone by Michael Grant

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...




The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14: Debate Club. Her father's "bunny rabbit." A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school.

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15: A knockout figure. A sharp tongue. A chip on her shoulder. And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston.

Frankie Landau-Banks. No longer the kind of girl to take "no" for an answer. Especially when "no" means she's excluded from her boyfriend's all-male secret society. Not when her ex-boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places. Not when she knows she's smarter than any of them. When she knows Matthew's lying to her. And when there are so many, many pranks to be done.

Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16: Possibly a criminal mastermind. This is the story of how she got that way.




The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

Seventeen-year-old Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father ...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church.

The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms - first love, the love between parents and children - that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts ...and heal them.

Top 10 Books I'm Most Looking Forward To In 2010

I never thought I'd see so many amazing books coming out as there was in 2009, but just look at what will be coming out next year! This is my personal top ten of what young adult books I'm looking forward to the most coming out in 2010.

10.



Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti

Release Date: May 18th, 2010

Lani and Erin are bonded for life. One thing that connects them is their fascination of fate. Lani wonders how much of our lives has already been decided and how much we can actually influence. Since the Unknown can unexpectedly change our lives forever, how much can we really control?

From the minute Lani meets Jason, she can't deny the intense connection they share. It feels like she's known him forever. She's not sure if he feels it, too. But it doesn't matter. Because Jason is Erin's boyfriend. Lani is determined to ignore her feelings for Jason, no matter how powerful they are, rather than risk hurting her best friend.

How long can Lani keep running from the boy who might be her destiny?

9.



The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Release Date: March 16th, 2010

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her “power” to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he’s claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay’s intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she’s falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

8.



By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

Release Date: January 5th, 2010

Daelyn Rice is broken beyond repair, and after a string of botched suicide attempts, she's determined to get her death right. She starts visiting a website for "completers"- www.through-the-light.com.

While she's on the site, Daelyn blogs about her life, uncovering a history of bullying that goes back to kindergarten. When she's not on the Web, Daelyn's at her private school, where she's known as the freak who doesn't talk.

Then, a boy named Santana begins to sit with her after school while she's waiting to for her parents to pick her up. Even though she's made it clear that she wants to be left alone, Santana won't give up. And it's too late for Daelyn to be letting people into her life. Isn't it?


7.



In A Heartbeat by Lorreta Ellsworth

Release Date: February 2nd, 2010

Story of a heart transplant told in alternating chapters between two girls: the heart transplant recipient and the heart transplant donor. When Eagan dies during a figure skating competition, Amelia receives her heart, but when she experiences new personality traits, she questions whether she's received more than just a heart.


6.



Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Release Date: January 5th, 2010

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around.

Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.


5.



The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard

Release Date: January 7th, 2010

Seventeen-year-old Colt has been sneaking out at night to meet Julia, a girl from an upper-class neighborhood unlike his own. They’ve never told anyone else about their relationship: not their family or friends, and especially not Julia’s boyfriend.When Julia dies suddenly, Colt tries to cope with her death while pretending that he never even knew her. He discovers a journal she left behind. But he is not prepared for the truths he discovers about their intense relationship, nor to pay the price for the secrets he’s kept.

4.



The Unwrtitten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

Release Date: April 6th, 2010

Everyone knows the unwritten rule. You don't like your best friend's boyfriend.

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful.

Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself from wanting more.

3.



Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Release Date: April 6th, 2010

Two superstar authors join forces on a collaborative novel of awesome proportions One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical. Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them legions of faithful fans.

2.



A Match Made In Highschool by Kristin Walker

Release Date: February 4th, 2010

When the principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program, Fiona Sheehan believes that her life can’t get any worse. Then she marries her “husband”: Jerky jock Todd, whose cheerleader girlfriend, Amanda, has had it in for Fiona since day one of second grade. Even worse? Amanda is paired with Fiona’s long-term crush, Gabe. At least Fiona is doing better than her best friend, Marcie, who is paired up with the very quiet, very mysterious Johnny Mercer. Pranks, fights, misunderstandings, and reconciliations ensue in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors about mistaken first impressions, convoluted coupling, and hidden crushes.

1.



Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Release Date: February 17th, 2010

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.