Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows

Summary: Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr.) and his longtime trusted associate, Doctor Watson (Jude Law), take on their arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), with the help of Holmes's older brother Mycroft Holmes (Stephen Fry) and a gypsy named Sim (Noomi Rapace).


Review: I really love Sherlock Holmes, so it's no surprise I liked this one even better than the first one. There was even more action, gadget, and insane tricks in this one. Though the movie was so long, there was rarely a dull moment among the fights and heart-stopping suspense. 


Robert Downey Jr. is the PERFECT person to play Sherlock Holmes and he is cockier than ever, which makes him such a lovable character. His ideas sound so insane, but end up working out when they most need them to. He has ridiculous disguises, but they just gave the movie a humorous aspect to this action packed mystery/adventure film. 


Watson's fiancĂ© plays a bigger part in the movie, which I'm glad because I really liked her. We also get to meet Holmes' brother, who is surely a character in himself. So all of the characters were so interesting and the story was pretty awesome. There were so many twist, turns, and surprises that I couldn't help but really enjoy the movie. If you were a fan of the first one, definitely check the new Sherlock Holmes out. And if you thought the first one was just okay, then give this one a chance. You may find yourself actually liking it! 




Author Interview: Miranda Kenneally

I am SO excited to announce that today I have an interview with Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan! Her novel was published this past December, so she is here to share with us a little bit about herself!



Miranda Kenneally is the author of CATCHING JORDAN, a contemporary YA novel about football and femininity, coming in December 2011. Other books include STEALING PARKER (fall 2012) and BAD, BAD THING (spring 2013). Miranda is the co-creator of Dear Teen Me. The Dear Teen Me Anthology will be published by Zest Books (distributed by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) in late 2012. She enjoys reading and writing young adult literature, and loves Star Trek, music, sports, Mexican food, Twitter, coffee, and her husband. Follow her on Twitter or Facebook. Miranda is represented by Sara Megibow at Nelson Literary Agency.




In three words, how would you describe Catching Jordan?
Football, Friends, and Food. 

If you could be anyone from Catching Jordan, who would you be and why? 
I'd probably be Marie. She's so kind and down to Earth. Although, I wish I could be like Jordan and have a crazy metabolism allowing me to eat anything I want all the time. 

Catching Jordan is focused around football and I know your next book, Stealing Parker is about a girl falling for the baseball coach. Why did you choose to use sports as the main focus in your young adult novels?
Well, I've always liked teams and relationships amongst players on teams. Also, I love sports in general. I've written some stuff that don't really focus on sports. My third book, which doesn't really have a title yet so I'm calling it Bad, Bad Thing, takes place at a summer camp. There isn't really a sports focus to it.

What do you do when you’re not writing?
Work too much. Read YA romances. Go out for Mexican food!

What's your favorite color? 
Blue! (or I could say "clear" like Ty does in Catching Jordan. He says his favorite color is clear, especially when it comes to women's bathing suits)

What's your favorite book and why? 
My favorite book is Graceling by Kristin Cashore because Katsa is incredibly badass, yet damaged, and works hard to overcome what she considers to be her flaws. Also, Po is my favorite love interest ever. I think my husband is jealous of Po.

Tell us a bit about your next book Stealing Parker! When should we expect to see it in stores? 
Stealing Parker comes out in October 2012. It's set at the same school as Catching Jordan, so you'll see some familiar faces. The book is about a 17-year-old girl named Parker, who after an incident, decides to quit the softball team. She becomes the manager for the baseball team, where she starts to fall for the new coach, who's 23.

I want to thank Miranda so much for being a guest on Peace Love Books today! If you haven't yet, check out her book Catching Jordan! Trust me it's awesome! You can check out my review right here! Here's some info about Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker (October 2012). 

Catching Jordan
Release Date: December 1, 2011
Summary: What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.








Stealing Parker
Release Date: October 2012
Summary: About a 17-year-old girl named Parker who falls for the new 23-year-old coach of the baseball team. 

Companion to Catching Jordan.




Monday, January 30, 2012

Book Review: Iwishicana by Larissa Hinton

Iwishicana 
By Larissa Hinton
Release Date: August 12, 2011

Summary: Where rules are meant to be broken
Anissa is constantly on the run from the police and can't seem to stay out of trouble.
Secrets are meant to be kept
Until Anissa hides Florence in her bedroom and her mother finds out. There's only one thing left to do: Send her to Juvenile Cop Camp to 
erase all of her crimes on her record. 

And everything is not what it seems
There's only one problem: Anissa is innocent.
Welcome to Iwishacana.


Review: Looking at this cover, I thought this book was going to be really good. Isn't the cover gorgeous? But I guess you really can't judge a book by it's cover. The story was lacking in so many ways and I just couldn't get into it. 

In the beginning, the reader is dumped into the story with no explanation whatsoever. Even by the end, I still had no idea what Iwishacana really was and how they all had "wishes" and could go in between worlds. The idea for another dimension where people on earth could go is creative, but it was just way too confusing to follow. Anissa just randomly goes to a school for criminals when it seems like a normal school with normal kids. Some aspects of the story were introduced and then left unfinished, like they had never happened. The story seemed choppy, rushed, and not thought out. 

Anissa was an okay main character, but a lot of times her actions and the things she said were unbelievable. She would mouth off to everyone and get what she wanted, which got really annoying. And Florence (which I think is a weird name for the main guy in the story) was a pig in the beginning, yet they were in love? Their relationship was confusing because Anissa would call him her "lover" but then hate the sight of him. Then she would say they were friends with benefits when they hadn't even kissed. So their relationship was just weird and confusing. 

This book held so much potential, but the author did not make it work. By the end of the book, I was still confused by everything that had happened and what the heck happened in the world they live in. This story needs a lot of work to be an enjoyable book.




Sunday, January 29, 2012

In My Mailbox (23)


In My Mailbox is a meme that I picked up from The Story Siren's blog. It's where we share the new books that we've gotten for that week with our readers. These books could be from the library, the store, or from the writers/publishers for review. Whatever the reason, I will share my new books every Sunday!

From the Publisher

I got this book for the blog tour that's stopping by Peace Love books on the 5th! Stop by then for a chance to win one of three copies of this book! Doesn't it look great? I can't wait to read it! 

That's it! What did you all get in your mailbox? Please share!


Saturday, January 28, 2012

Shelf Candy (23)

Shelf Candy is a meme hosted by Five Alarm Book Reviews and every Saturday, bloggers choose a book whose cover really catches their eye. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but I always do, so I'm choosing books whose cover alone made me pick it up. So I hope you enjoy my shelf candy!


Even though I really did not like the series, I LOVE the covers! The colors are so pretty and I love the bubble idea. In the first one, she's trapped in the bubble but in the second one she's breaking out, which I think has a lot to do with the actual content of the book and the main character being able to finally think for herself. They also have that futuristic appeal, which really goes with the story. These books are so pretty to look at, I just wish the stories inside were just as good! 



Thursday, January 26, 2012

Follow My Book Blog Friday (25)


This is a meme hosted every Friday by Parajunkee, where book bloggers answer a question each week and check out how others answered it. It's a cool way for bloggers and viewers to connect and learn more about each other!

Question: Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why? 

Answer: Ughhh I can't stand any kind of non-fiction books. Other than that, as long as the book has romance, then I'm all set! Whenever I read a new romance book, I just want to curl up with it and never let it go! 


Long story short, no romance=no chance with me. 




Young Adult Giveaway Hop


That's right! Another giveaway from yours truly! If you want to check out the other stops on this giveaway hop, you can find them right here! Now to my giveaway! One lucky winner will receive one of my favorite YA books! The covers can be found below :)


 


Just fill out the rafflecopter below for your chance to win! The books will be shipped from The Book Depository, so if they ship to you then you can enter! Giveaway ends on January 30th!


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Book Review: Winter's Kiss: The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols

The Ex Games 
By Jennifer Echols 
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Summary: Brace yourself for the battle of the exes... 

Hayden and Nick used to be a hot item, but their brief affair ended with a highly publicized breakup. Now the two are "just friends," excluding the occasional flirtation. 

When Hayden wins the girls' division of a local snowboarding competition, Nick is unimpressed, claiming that Hayden wouldn't have a chance against a guy. Hayden calls Nick's bluff and challenges him to a head-to-head boarding contest. Their mutual friends quickly take sides, the girls on Hayden's and the boys on Nick's, making for an all-out battle of the sexes. This friendly competition is bound to get heated—and they might end up igniting some old flames.


Review: There is no doubt that I love Jennifer Echols, so of course I had a blast reading her winter romantic comedy! The Ex Games was published in 2009, but was republished in a volume with The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Catherine Hopka this month. Even though it's been around for three years, it was still the perfect book to cozy up with while the snow fell outside. 

Hayden and Nick have a rocky past; they dated four years ago but broke up soon after when Nick broke Hayden's heart. Since then, they have bickered like an old married couple, yet never got back together. Winter break changed everything when Nick and Hayden challenge each other to a snowboarding contest. Snow wasn't the only thing that's falling (in love that is) that winter! 

Hayden is such a strong character who has had to deal with her feelings for Nick for four years. She puts her heart and soul into snowboarding, and I couldn't help but root for her during everything she went through. Even though she's strong on the outside, she always has a part of her that can't help falling for Nick over and over again. Who wouldn't? He is gorgeous, talented, and underneath his teasing is a heart of gold. 

I loved the whole premise of Hayden and Nick competing against each other in a snowboarding contest; they literally have a game of the exes. It was cool how everyone's relationship was invested in the competition, everything riding on the chance to win Poser concert tickets from their significant other. Everything about this book was super cute and I was so sad when it was over. If you're looking for a heart-warming read on a cold winter's day, pick up The Ex Games! 



Waiting on Wednesday (26)


This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of! 

New Girl
By Paige Harbison
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Summary: They call me 'New Girl'... 

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her. 

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault. 

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be. 

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.



I saw this book a loooooong time ago and just recently remembered how it was coming out soon! I love the cover and how the girl is floating in the water (water seems to be a really popular cover concept recently). Once I read the summary, I was so intrigued! Taking the place of a girl who everyone had loved but had gone missing? How would you deal with that? Oh yeah, by meeting a guy :) I'm wondering if Becca is going to come back and take away the life the "New Girl" has started to build. It sounds so good and it comes out really soon! So hopefully I can get my hands on a copy!  



Monday, January 23, 2012

Movie Review: New Year's Eve

Summary: The lives of several couples and singles in New York intertwine over the course of New Year's Eve.


Review: I had no idea how I was going to like this movie because there are people in this cast I love (Zac Efron!!!) and people in this cast I hate (Sarah Jessica Parker). So having such a mix of characters, I don't think I'm that surprised that I though it was just okay.


Yes, I love Zac Efron, but his part of the story was with Michelle Pfeiffer, who is at least 30 years older than him, and she looks so gross and old with scraggly brown hair, so I didn't really like it when his story came up in the movie. He, of course, looked totally amazing. As for the other stories, there were none I found myself really intrigued to watch excpet for maybe Josh Duhamel until I figured out who he actually ends up with. Some of the couples were cheesy while others I just didn't really care about. Jessica Biel's whole story about having her baby be the first born in 2012 to get a prize from the hospital was really just stupid and I got annoyed when the movie cut to her part (which seemed to be a pattern with a lot of the couples). 


So as you can tell, I just didn't really care about a majority of the storylines, which kind of makes it hard to enjoy the movie. It was pretty predictable and when they tried not to be predictable, I really didn't like how they actually made it. With such a packed cast of celebrities, I expected a much better story than what I was given. 



Saturday, January 21, 2012

Shelf Candy Saturday (22)

Shelf Candy is a meme hosted by Five Alarm Book Reviews and every Saturday, bloggers choose a book whose cover really catches their eye. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but I always do, so I'm choosing books whose cover alone made me pick it up. So I hope you enjoy my shelf candy!


I dont' remember exactly where I saw this cover, but I remember thinking it was so pretty! The colors are so simple, but they capture the title perfectly. I love how the white rose has red, blood-like paint splattered on the bottom half. A rose is so soft and pure while the red is harsh and deadly, making it seem like the cover really is about softly killing someone. I love the font used for the title too, especially with the thorns sticking out. It emphasizes the point that a rose is pretty but has it's sharp spots too. Everything about this cover invites me in and want to know exactly how you can kill someone softly. It's perfect and gorgeous!


Thursday, January 19, 2012

Follow My Book Blog Friday (24)


This is a meme hosted every Friday by Parajunkee, where book bloggers answer a question each week and check out how others answered it. It's a cool way for bloggers and viewers to connect and learn more about each other!

Question:  What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get your hands on a certain book? 

Answer: Well, it's not exactly crazy, but the only time I've ever done anything our of the ordinary to get a particular book was when City of Glass by Cassandra Clare came out. My sister and I slept over at my friends house the night before it came out. The next morning, her mom drove us to Barnes and Noble (this was about 3 or 4 years ago). We stayed in the car and waited and waited until they opened...


And when they opened we ran to the counter where our books were being held. Kinda like this...


We got our books, hopped back in the car, drove back to my friend's house, and dug into our new Mortal Instruments book. It was AWESOME. Not that crazy, but we still had a blast. I haven't done anything like that since then because I've started to pre-order my favorite author's new books online in order to get it a lot cheaper, so I have to wait for it to come to my door instead of running out and getting it. But the feeling of excitement is always the same! Ahhhh I love new books :) 


Book Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Catching Jordan 
By Miranda Kenneally 
Release Date: December 1, 2011
Summary: What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.


Review: This. Book. Was. Awesome. Can I just leave it at that? Seriously. It was awesome. I literally could not stop reading this book after page one! Sports romances are one of my favorite genres, so reading a book with such amazing guys (yes, there are actually more than one!) was such a treat. Reading this made me want to go out and find a football player for myself ;) 

Everyone can relate to Jordan when it comes to her love life; nothing ever goes the way she wants it to. The only difference between Jordan and every other girl? She's the captain and starting quarterback for her high school's football team. She reminds me a lot of DJ from Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock (which was an AWESOME book too) because she's more of a tomboy and doesn't really know what she's doing when it comes to guys. I wouldn't either if I had to face the guys in this book! I completely felt for her when she was dealing with her feelings for different guys while trying to juggle her future with college football (well at least with the guys because I could not get enough of them!) 

For me, I fell in love with Henry from the very first time we met him, but I guess Ty was a great guy too. The rest of the team (at least Jordan's friends) were really cool and great friends to Jordan. I loved every character in this book, even the small ones, that I really did not want to put this book down! I'm so sad it's over and I'm regretting breezing through it so fast. if you read it, take your time! Savor this book! Or else you're going to have to read it again soon because you're going to want the feeling of reading such a great book again. Trust me. You have to get this book now!


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Waiting On Wednesday (25)


This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of! 

In Honor
By Jessi Kirby
Release Date: May 8th 2012
Summary: Honor receives her brother’s last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn's celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.
Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn's last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn's best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn't seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn. . . and ruggedly good looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn’t. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

I was a HUGE fan of Moonglass by Jessi Kirby, so I'm really excited for her new book! It's sounds so sad, yet so good. Rusty sounds like the perfect leading man and Honor seems like someone you could really root for in the story. It sounds like the young adult version of a Nicholas Sparks novel, and that's exactly how I like them. I'm so excited to read it and it's going to be so hard to wait that long for this book. Hopefully the time will pass quickly! 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...