(1) Did you know I have 8 followers? How did this happen? I'm totally elated. Hi 8 people! I may not post often, but I totally appreciate your attention. **smile**
(2) I've been filling my head with this YA fluff lately... I've just lifted the synopses from GoodReads.
Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
A modern girl's comedic odyssey in a school filled with the descendants of Greek gods.
When Phoebe's mom returns from Greece with a new husband and moves them to an island in the Aegean, Phoebe's plans for her senior year and track season are ancient history. Now she must attend the uber exclusive academy, where admission depends on pedigree, namely, ancestry from Zeus, Hera, and other Greek gods. That's right, they're real, not myth, and their teen descendants are like the classical heroes -supersmart and superbeautiful with a few superpowers. And now they're on her track team! Armed only with her Nikes and the will to win, Phoebe races to find her place among the gods.
My Thoughts: Very fun to read. The plot is weak in places, but the story is so fun I really didn't care.
The Luxe by Anna GodbersonA big, sumptuous tale of catty girls, dark secrets and windswept romance unfurls in this compulsively readable novel of late-19th-century New York City socialites. Godbersen weaves a tenuous web of deceit, backstabbing and pretense that follows four teens: Elizabeth Holland, a prim and proper lady of old-money society, is betrothed to one man, though furtively loves another; Henry Schoonmaker, a debauched playboy who must marry Elizabeth or be disinherited; Diana Holland, Elizabeth’s younger sister who is in love with her fiancé; and Penelope Hayes, a member of the nouveau riche who will stop at nothing to win Henry’s affections. As Elizabeth and Henry’s wedding approaches, the spectacle unfolds in a wondrously grandiose scene, making for a fun, though not entirely unexpected dénouement. A delicious new twist along the Gossip Girl vein, readers will clamor for this sharp, smart drama of friends, lovers, lies and betrayal.
My Thoughts: DRAMA! A very dramatic love story with loads of historical charm.
Hush, Hush by Becca FitzpatrickFor 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.
My Thoughts: The long awaited Hush Hush did live up to most of my expectations. I would have liked the pacing to be more even throughout, because all of the action happens at the end. However, I'm really looking forward to how this series plays out.
Sovay by Celia Rees
England, 1783. When the rich and beautiful Sovay isn't sitting for portraits, she's donning a man's cloak and robbing travelers in broad daylight. But in a time when political allegiances between France and England are strained, a rogue bandit is not the only thing travelers fear. Spies abound, and rumors of sedition can quickly lead to disappearances. So when Sovay lifts the wallet of one of England's most powerful and dangerous men, it's not just her own identity she must hide, but that of her father. A dazzling historical saga in which the roles of thieves and gentry, good and bad, and men and women are interchanged to riveting effect.
My Thoughts: I liked the historical elements of this book. Lots of interesting characters. The end was very dramatic, but the first half of the book felt slow. Getting through the slow part was totally worth it though. If you like The Red Necklace & A Tale of Two Cities you should try Sovay.
Going Bovine by Libba BrayCan Cameron find what he’s looking for? All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.
My Thoughts: I'm going to call it - This book will win the Printz award for 2009. It's an incredibly well written, honest, intriguing journey of a book. However, I figured out the "big surprise" pretty early and I think it spoiled the Don Quixote-like road trip that took up the remaining 300 pages. That said - if I'm attached to a character I can easily overlook something like that, but in this case Cameron and I didn't connect. He was nearly unlikable (like most 17 yr old boys) in the beginning, but I did start to warm up to him about half way through and by that time I'd already been spoiled. :(
(3) Do you every feel you are totally at the mercy of the universe? I do. Control is an illusion. How does you come to just accept it? I feel a serious rant coming on, but I'm doing my best to stifle it. My new motto is "I live to serve the emperor!" Argh! The agony!
Are you watching Community? If not, you should be! It's the best comedy on TV right now. It has surpassed The Office as my new favorite show.
