I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: 20 Mar 2007
ISBN: 1423100042
Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
Websites:
Ally Carter - Official Site
Ally Carter - Blog
Ally Carter - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: Roseville, Virginia

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You is the first book in Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series. This series introduces Cammie Morgan, your typical teen girl going to an exclusive private school in Virginia. Typical that is if all meals are conducted in a foreign language and your class schedule includes courses like Code Breaking, Advanced Martial Arts in PE and Covert Ops. Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is more then just a top private school. Its a school that recruits the smartest girls in the United States (with the exception of one British National) and trains them in all the skills they will need to be spies. Cammie is a good student and one who tends to be held to a slightly higher standard since her mother is the Headmistress she is also reported to be the best pavement artist at Gallagher, that is one that is skilled in making herself not be seen, and has even earned herself the nickname of Chameleon. Then one day while in town on a mission she is seen by an ordinary boy named Josh and she starts to break all the rules just so she can be an ordinary girl.

I found I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You to be a cute and often funny book about a group of friends trying to cope with the pressures of school and dealing with first crushes. Yes the girls aren't your typical girls and they spy on Josh to make sure that he isn't deep undercover to expose the truth about Gallagher Academy. There is also the added conflict of transfer student Macey McHenry who the girls don't know what to make of. This is a book that is a quick read and one that doesn't take much brain power in order to focus on. A book which I would call Brain Candy. And often these types of books make the best books because they simply allow you to escape the pressures of the real world and lose yourself into a fun story. As I've said this is a fun book. It will make you laugh and will probably also make your cringe a bit as Cammie and her friends get into an awkward situation. Because no amount of spy training can remove the innate insecurities of being a teen girl trying to find her way in the world.

I read this book in a day because once I started it I found that I couldn't put it down. It was fun, fast-paced and the characters were realistic....well as realistic as possible considering the premise. This is a perfect escapist book if you need a break from the real world. I found it very enjoyable and I look forward to the rest of the books in the series.

BEA Contest #2: Liar by Justine Larbalestier

There has been a lot of buzz over the internet the last few weeks about Justine Larbalestier's upcoming new book Liar. Or more specifically the cover that was chosen for the ARC which features a white girl when the main protagonist is an african-american. This isn't going to be another one of those posts debating the right or wrongness of Bloomsbury's decision in cover design (though I won't be shocked if the cover is completely revamped by its 29 Sept release date). If you haven't heard about the controversy then you can read about it on these blogs: Publisher's Weekly, Justine Larbalestier, My Friend Amy, and Babbling about Books and More (just to name a few).

One thing that all this talk over the cover reminded me of is that I picked up an extra copy of this ARC at the BEA. Also, since I've been a bad blogger and slack in my posting of late I thought that now is the perfect time for a contest. As the book's plot center's around a protagonist who is a self-proclaimed liar I thought what better idea for a contest then to discuss lies. Specifically lies that you might have told about a book (or books) that you might have read. Get one entry for every book you leave...and please be honest! You can get an additional entry if you tweet your answer on twitter using the tag #liarcontest and the phrase "I've lied about reading xxx" or something similar.

Contest is open world wide and will close on 16 Aug 2008 around 8 pm(ish) EST.

Good luck to all who enter!

Blue Moon by Alyson Noel

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: 07 Jul 09
ISBN: 0312532768
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Websites:
Alyson Noel
The Immortals

Place(s) Traveled to: Laguna Beach, California

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Blue Moon by Alyson Noel picks up shortly after Evermore ends. Ever is just starting to come into her powers and is enjoying the time spent with Damon. That is until Damon starts to act strangely and it is up to Ever to figure out what is wrong before its too late.

As with Evermore I was sucked into this story. The story that Alyson Noel tells isn’t an earth shaking one. Its slower paced then some of the books that I’ve read but its beautifully written and I find that I can’t put it down. I love following Ever on her journey of self discovery. In this book she finds herself at a crossroads. She can help Damon, the love of her life, or she can turn back the clock and save her family. Its an agonizing choice and one that will leave her heartbroken…no matter which path she chooses. If you liked Evermore then I strongly recommend that you pick up this book. I don’t think that you’ll be disappointed. I know that I wasn’t.

And the Lucky Books Are....

First off thanks to everyone who took the time to vote in my poll. I always have such an issue in trying to decide which books to bring with me as I travel. As a result of this book ADD I tend to go overboard and bring more books then I could ever possibly read.

(note: links on books will take you to book trailer, all are awesome so go watch)

Now without further ado, the "winners" are:

A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman, Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen and there was a tie for 3rd with Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. No telling if I'll actually get to do any reading...but at least I'll have plenty of great options!!

I'll also be bringing Undiscovered Gyrl by Allison Burnett which I just recieved for a blog tour in August (so be sure to check back here for that!) and I still need to finish up Blue Moon by Alyson Noel and Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev (see what I mean about over packing with books? Even with a poll they just seem to multiply!) but I'll probably only bring one of those two with me...

And for those intersted the full results of the poll can be seen below.

	A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman	18.2%	26
	Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund	2.1%	3
	Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon	2.8%	4
	Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock	5.6%	8
	Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen	16.1%	23
	I’d Tell You I Love You but Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ali Carter	5.6%	8
	Fire by Kristen Cashore	7.0%	10
	The Dust of 100 Dogs by AS King	4.2%	6
	Demon Princess: Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen	5.6%	8
	Beautiful Creatures by M. Stohl and K. Garcia	8.4%	12
	The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart	5.6%	8
	Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Cross	8.4%	12
	Luxe by Anna Godbersen	4.2%	6
	We Were Here by Matthew De La Pena	1.4%	2
	The Courtier’s Secret by Donna Russo Morin	4.9%	7
	Total Votes:		143
	Total Voters:		53

Help Me Decide Which Books to Bring with Me to DC

As some of you already know I leave for DC this Thursday (*squee!!!*). I am only going to be gone for six days and so do NOT need to bring a million and one books. Therefore I have vowed to only carry 3-4 books with me...although I am really going to keep that number down to 3. But in order to do that I need your help! I have created on online poll of the top 15 books that caught my eye when doing a quick run around my apartment. So please take a moment and choose 3 books from the list below that you think I would enjoy on my vacation.

Thanks for your help!


THIS POLL IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS EVERYONE FOR TAKING THE TIME TO VOTE. FOR RESULTS PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Waiting on Wednesday #2: Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

This WoW I am waiting on Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick.

From Amazon.com:

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.

With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Book Trailer:

None available at this time


Released October 2009 by Simon & Schuster

What can't you wait for to be released?
"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Michelle I Accept Your Dare

Michelle/GalleySmith I accept you dare to watch at least 6 of the 12 cheesy and obscure 80’s movies on the listed below:

1. The Allnighter – 1987
2. Band of the Hand – 1986
3. Breakin’ – 1984
4. Dream a Little Dream – 1989
5. Grandview USA – 1984
6. Just One of the Guys – 1985
7. Modern Girls – 1986
8. Night of the Comet – 1986
9. Once Bitten – 1985
10. Red Dawn – 1984
11. Tango & Cash – 1989
12. Willow – 1988

I must admit that I have watched many of these before...but I watched them eons ago in the late 80's/early 90s when they were still new and not so cheesy. For the most part I just recognize the titles and don't remember much about the actual films...so I look forward to refreshing my memory and laughing at life in the 80s.

I will complete this challenge by December 31, 2009 at 11:59 pm EST. If I fail in this challenge you must you must read the 80’s chick-lit novel of your choice. But if I succeed then you will read the 80’s chick-lit novel of your choice.

Game on!

Check out what others are doing on I Dare You to Accept This Challenge.

Vasilly! I Dare You to Accept This YA Book Challenge

Vasilly!

I dare you to accept this challenge.

I dare you to complete at least 5 of the 10 things below (though I triple dare you to tackle them all).

1. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
   
2. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
   
3. Briar Rose by Jane Yolan
   
4. Willow by Julia Hoban
   
5. Cracked up to Be by Courtney Summers
   
6. Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman
   
7. Evermore by Alyson Noel
   
8. The Season by Sarah MacLean
   
9. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
   
10. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Ths challenge must be completed by the end of this year, January 31, 2010.

If you fail in this challenge you must send 5 books of your choosing to soldiers via Operation Paperback.

If you succeed in this challenge, I’ll send send 5 books of my choosing to Soldiers via Operation Paperback.

If you choose to accept this dare, you must follow these rules:

• Blog about your acceptance and log in with Mr Linky on the correct Acceptance Post here.

• Blog about your thoughts after completing each item. When you’ve completed the challenge check in with Mr Linky on the correct Completed Challenge Post on the I Dare You to Accept This Challenge Blog!

• Once you accept (or complete) this challenge then make a list of 10 related items (ie all Bollywood movies, your favorite tv show or book series, favorite genre of books etc) and challenge one of your friends…even the one who challenged you!

• Need help deciding on a dare? Check out what others are doing here.

A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter

Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 27 Jul 2004
ISBN: 0060534052
Format: Paperback
Pages: 448
Websites:
Karin Slaughter

Place(s) Traveled to: Heartsdale, Georgia (fictional)

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter is the third book in her Grant County series that features Sara Linton, the towns pediatrician and medical examiner. This story focuses around the supposed suicide of a boy from the local college. At first it seems like an open and closed case, that is until Sara's sister is attacked and other students at the school also start die in ways made to look like a suicide.

For me, this was a slow read. I just couldn’t really get into the story and so it dragged on. The main characters are all so extremely f*d up that they push the bounds of reality and make me roll my eyes rather than find any sympathy for them. I swear I have never seen, heard, or read about a town where everyone is so fantastically messed up. I often find it amazing that these people are able to function at all and yet I continue to pick up these books. In some ways they are all a bit like a train wreck and I find that I can’t tear myself away. I don’t know maybe there is just a part of me that hopes that one day one of the screwed up people who live in Grant County will find something to be happy about. Not sure when…or if…I’ll pick up the next one but this isn’t a series that I’d recommend anyone rush out and buy.

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 25 Aug 2009
ISBN: 0061490008 (for hardcover edition)
Format: ebook
Pages: 416
Websites:
Diana Peterfreund

Place(s) Traveled to: Rome, Italy

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Before you pick up Rampant by Diana Peterfreund you must forget everything that you know about unicorns. Because everything that you’ve learned is wrong…well, with one exception…that whole virginity thing is important but not in the what you might think. The real story about unicorns isn’t that they are nice creatures that travel on rainbows and frolic in the woods. No, the real story is that they are evil man eating creatures and they can only be killed by virgin girls who are descended from Alexander the Great. However, as unicorns have long been extinct the real story has been forgotten and replaced by false tales and those who speak otherwise are looked at like they are crazy. People like Astrid’s mother for example.

All her life Astrid has heard stories of the killer unicorns and when she was young she believed. But as she grew up she because less and less enthralled by the stories and like many teenagers become just a wee bit embarrassed by her mother. That is until the night when she is attacked by a unicorn and suddenly the stories of her mother don’t seem so funny and out there anymore. Soon Astrid finds herself on a plane to Rome to start training with other girls to fight this reemergence of unicorns before they rampant over the globe again.

This was a very fun story and such a different approach to unicorns. Never in my wildest dream would I have ever pictured them as these evil blood thirsty creatures. So I thoroughly enjoyed reading about this alternate viewpoint of them. The issue I had with this story is that the ending felt rushed and unfinished. There were many questions raised and very few answers given. And the ones that were weren’t very satisfactory. So I was glad to learn that Rampant is the first book in a series. Although I wasn’t happy to learn that the next book isn’t out until the Fall of 2010. The Fall?!?! That seems like eons away! *sighs* Well…at least I have plenty of books on Mt. TBR to distract me while I wait.

And the Winner of Maze Runner is...

(For the record no, this is not me...just a pic I found online)

Greetings and Salutations everyone!

First off thanks to everyone who entered this contest via comment, blog and tweet. I've long since finished The Maze Runner (I'm just behind on my reviews, but it is coming I promise)...and let me tell you you are in for a treat! I loved this book! For those that didn't win I strongly urge to you pre-order it because its worth the purchase. James Dashner has outdone himself with this one.

But ya'll didn't come here to hear me gush and babble about the book. You came here today in order to find out who won. So without further ado....my dear friends at Random.org have chosen...

Jenn from Jennsbookshelf!


Congrats Jenn! I'll send this out to you the next time I am at the PO. =)