Top Ten Books I'd Love to See as a Movie

So, today I get to talk about all the books I loved enough to want to watch on the big screen! This topic really excites me, because I am a MAJOR movie lover. I love movies almost as much as books, so when an awesome movie makes it to the theaters (as long as it is done well), I get to not only see my characters come to life, but I can share my favorite stories with my non-reader friends. Like... The Hunger Games. My little sister finally got to see why I love the book so much! She went and saw the movie with me (after much begging), and now she might even read the book! Victory! Anyway, onto my list! Oh, and some of these might have movies coming... but I don't keep track of which authors/publishers have sold movie rights, etc. So let me know if you've heard something!

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

PLEASE? I want to see the scenery and experience the cool things Bria and Rowan get to do on their adventures. I've been to Belize, and loved it. But one can't just hop over to Belize everyday! This movie would take me back, and I'm TOTALLY fine with that. Just sayin'. :)

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Seriously. I must see these sexy dragons for myself. I have my own picture in my mind, but I want to see what Hollywood can do with this. And the mystical dragon land... and the forests. I just need to see this!

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

This is one of my favorite books, and it would make an awesome movie! Go read my review to get an idea of why I think so! 

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

I want to see the Aether in the sky! It sounded pretty miraculous and mysterious. Does it look like Northern Lights? MAYBE! I don't know! And I want to watch Aria and Perry's journey through the "Death Shop". Aria had never seen the outside world until she escaped to find her mom, so I think seeing everything for the first time... through her eyes would be awesome!

The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland

The B&B in North Carolina that the bulk of this book takes place in and around sounds like a piece of my dream of Heaven. This would make a beautifully picturesque movie. 

Gentlemen Prefer Nerds by Joan Kilby

This is a really fun, adventurous, romantic, suspenseful mystery and I was seriously thinking the other day that I'd love to watch it! I bet it would be kind of like Knight and Day with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. I love that movie!

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Ok, seriously, If the only thing I can see is a short film of the sexy masquerade ball, I'd be just fine. The tension can be cut with a knife, plus I'd LOVE to see all the costumes I read about!

On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves

Hello. This would be so much better than Castaway with Tom Hanks. No offense... it's just this island is way more exciting than his. 

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

What a cute movie this book would make! We have three short stories, but they are interwoven so it would totally work. PLUS, it takes place during a blizzard! At Christmastime. I mean, who here wants to see John Green's story of the blizzardy journey to the Waffle House? No, the better question is... who DOESN'T? I was dying of laughter.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I want to see New Beijing. And I want to see this cyborg Cinderella, and her mechanical friend Iko. I just know it would be amazing.

So, what are some of your book-to-movie wishes?

How do YOU Review a Memoir?

Recently, I reviewed a memoir that I really disliked. I do my very best to not attack the author when I review their book, but with memoirs... the main character is the author. Because I disagreed with this main character's behavior, I also disagreed with the author's behavior. The author's feelings were hurt, and they attacked my opinions publicly on a social media network.

It's very hard to review a memoir, because it is so much more personal to the author than a fictitious story. It takes a lot of courage to publish a story about an important part of your life, because people will rip it apart and judge you. I do admire authors who do that. However, in doing so people will critique their ways. I feel it is my job and responsibility to share my opinions with my readers, who have gotten to know me and my reviews. I do my best to always explain the things I liked in addition to things I did not. Even if I hate a book, I can come up with one or two redeeming qualities for it. Shouldn't that matter more than my opinion of the author? I mean, if I state that I took a lot away from the book and learned a lot about myself, isn't that more important than my opinion of what the author chose to do or not do?

So I guess what I'm asking is this: If you receive a memoir or biography, how do you go about reviewing it? Do you critique the writing only, or do you discuss the "characters" (who are real-life people) too? It's a tricky situation, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. If this has never happened to you, what would you do?

Beneath a Sapphire Sea by Jessica Bryan (Mini Book Review)

Title: Beneath a Sapphire Sea (Merfolk Trilogy #3)
Author: Jessica Bryan
Release Date: August 1, 1993
Publisher: Fanfare
Format: Used Paperback
Source: Amazon Marketplace
Buy It: Amazon Marketplace
Add It: Goodreads

(Even though this is book 3 in a trilogy, each novel is a stand-alone)

Beneath the shimmering, sunlit surface of the ocean there lives a race of rare and wondrous men and women. They have walked upon the land, but their true heritage is as beings of the sea. Now their people face a grave peril. And one woman holds the key to their survival...

She was a sultry siren with an undiscovered heritage
A scholar of sea lore, Meredith had come to the Greek island to follow her academic pursuits. But in one magical meeting she gazed into the mesmerizing blue eyes of a proud, determined warrior of the sea...and was eternally linked with a world far more elusive and mysteriously seductive than her own. For she alone possessed a scroll that held the secrets of his people. She alone was their only hope. And she alone would surrender to the powers of a love destined by the tides.

He was an azure-eyed warrior of a long-forgotten race
With eyes that told the stories of eternity, Galen lured this exquisite woman to join him in a battle for power beneath the sea. For now Galen's clan faces two enemies: Anastas, who wars against his own people, and a deadly unseen foe. He will cross into Meredith's world to choose her as a bold warrior for his people—and as his only love. He will share with her the secrets of a realm beyond time and imagining, and together they will emerge victorious as the keepers of its fate...or see its fragile beauty destroyed forever.

 

I read a raving review for this book on a romance column and was so interested by the unique storyline that I had to buy it! I went on Amazon to order it and found that it was out of print. I kind of panicked because most good books that are out of print are extremely expensive. I found one for a penny, though! So exciting!

Meredith, a landwoman and historian, goes to the Greek islands to study ancient legends about the sea. While there, she comes across Galen, a mysterious and very sexy man with rippling muscles and long dark hair. He claims to also be a scholar and offers to show her around. Meredith soon learns that Galen is different. He can read an ancient language even the most learned scholars can't identify, he has no problems at all with being wet, and he has heightened senses. She soon learns he is a mer-man.

Galen's people and friends are dying of a mysterious illness that apparently only Meredith can remedy. Galen knows this, but Meredith has no idea who she is or the knowledge she possesses. As Galen sets out to gain this knowledge, he falls in love with her and she with him. A lasting bond is formed between the two of them as they begin their journey together to save Galen's people and learn the truth about Meredith.
 

I must say that it was SO worth the effort I put in to getting a copy of this book in my possession. I loved it! The descriptions Jessica Bryan writes are beautifully written. I felt like I was the one swimming through the water, gazing at all the scenery, and feeling all the feelings the characters felt. I got so wrapped up in the story and the characters that I became unaware of my own surroundings. I was very skeptical of a merfolk romance, but it was amazingly done and I already ordered used copies of Jessica's prequels, also about merfolk. Yay!

Jolene Perry on her new book "The Night Sky" (Guest Post)

Title: Night Sky
Author: Jolene Perry
Release Date: March 1, 2012
Publisher: Tribute Books
Buy It: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads

Girl I’ve loved, girl I’m falling for. Now that they’re both in view, the problem is clear.

After losing Sarah, the friend he’s loved, to some other guy, Jameson meets Sky. Her Native American roots, fluid movements, and need for brutal honesty become addictive fast. This is good. Jameson needs distraction – his dad leaves for another woman, his mom’s walking around like a zombie, and Sarah’s new boyfriend can’t keep his hands off of her.

As he spends time with Sky and learns about her village, her totems, and her friends with drums - she's way more than distraction. Jameson's falling for her fast.

But Sky’s need for honesty somehow doesn’t extend to her life story – and Jameson just may need more than his new girl to keep him distracted from the disaster of his senior year.

My mom was born in Southeast Alaska, where Sky's character is from. I feel like I'm saying this a lot, but it almost felt like cheating to use the Tlingit people for Sky's background because I've spent so much time in the area.

I didn't set out to write this book with a Native American character. I didn't know Sky was Native until Jameson drove up behind her, and I wanted the girl he met to be opposite of his friend, Sarah. So I made her tall, and gave her nearly black hair, and I thought - hey, what if she was just a tad exotic. I went for a run while I thought about what to do with her - this is how I solve writing stumps - and came up with Sky, who I just adore.

I love reading books about people from diverse backgrounds, and there aren't nearly enough. Also, I feel like the problem (not that it's a bad thing) with a lot of books about people from different cultures is that it becomes what the book is about. This book is not about Sky's heritage. It's about Jameson. But because Jameson falls for this girl, and her heritage is a huge part of who she is, it became a natural part of the story.

I wish I lived in Southeast Alaska - I think it's one of the most beautiful places on earth (on the rare times when the sun comes out) and I hope to write more books where the native culture I grew up around is represented.

Thanks SO much for having me on your blog today!!

~ Jolene

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks for stopping by the blog today, Jolene, and for discussing the subject matter of your book a little with us! I also love reading books about people from different backgrounds and cultures, so this one sounds great! 

To learn more about The Night Sky, visit this website, where you will find book quotes, interesting facts, and a playlist. Click here to read two book excerpts.

Bookish Finds: Websites for Book Lovers Edition

 Bookish Finds is a feature here at That Artsy Reader Girl, where I highlight awesome bookish things I come across during my exciting life.

Hi everyone! I'm back with more awesome bookish finds! In this edition, I'm focusing on websites for book lovers. I absolutely love finding sites that make book selections easier on me... or that make me love books more... or that make me happy I'm a reader! So here are some Internet gems I've found. :) Let me know if you've got more places for me to visit!

Books Set In...

This site is awesome, because you can search for books based on where they take place in! So if you want to read a book set in Europe, you just select that continent. Then you can narrow it by country, and even city! I love reading books that take place in the same place I'm vacationing, so this is a very helpful site for me. 

Kindlegraph

This site was pretty small when I joined, but it's growing bigger. The creator thought that e-book readers were getting cheated out of having their books signed, so he created this site! Authors join and list their books on the site. Then we, as readers, can go and click on that book and request an autographed book cover image. The author then writes a little note, and submits it, sending it right to our Kindle! I've already gotten one, and it's pretty fun. :)

What Should I Read Next?

This site's pretty cool because it helps you make a tricky decision! You just select a book you love, and press enter. The site generates other book titles that readers loved as much as the one you submitted. I've found some cool titles this way.

Edelweiss

This is a huge publisher's catalog where bloggers and other bookish people can go to see upcoming book titles, covers, summaries, etc. You can even request review copies here. 

Hot Guys Reading Books

Readers submit pictures of hot men (in every day life) reading books. Many people submit photos of their significant others, but some also snap pictures in secret of men in airports, cafes, etc. The photo commentaries are pretty funny.

The Book Cover Archive

As a graphic designer, I enjoy this huge archive of book covers!

Bookins

From their site: "Bookins is a website where you can easily trade books and more with other readers. Bookins arranges for trades—from you to one member and from a third member back to you, and so on. You never have to contact anyone, waste time, or deal with unpleasantness. You don’t even have to visit the post office. The correct postage for your shipment is provided from the website. You value your time. We know that, and we won’t waste it. If you ever have questions or concerns about a shipment, you can simply let us know. We will resolve the issue quickly and to your satisfaction." I haven't tried this, but it might be a fun way to save money on buying books! All you ave to pay is shipping, and you don't have to go to the post office? Sign me up!

Rated Reads

I also write for this blog. We review the content of the book, and give it a rating based on cleanliness. It's a great way to find appropriate books for kids and teens, as well as those adults who wish to avoid the smut and/or bad language in books.

Hope you enjoy this list of sites, and check them out! Let me know what you think, and definitely let me know if you've found nother good places for bookish peeps to visit!

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble (Mini Book Review)

Title: Dreaming Anastasia (Dreaming Anastasia #1)
Author: Joy Preble
Release Date: September 1, 2009
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Format: Paperback
Source: I bought it from Border's bookstore.
Buy It: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads

What really happened to Anastasia Romanov?

Anastasia Romanov thought she would never feel more alone than when the gunfire started and her family began to fall around her. Surely the bullets would come for her next. But they didn't. Instead, two gnarled old hands reached for her. When she wakes up she discovers that she is in the ancient hut of the witch Baba Yaga, and that some things are worse than being dead.

In modern-day Chicago, Anne doesn't know much about Russian history. She is more concerned about getting into a good college until the dreams start. She is somewhere else. She is someone else. And she is sharing a small room with a very old woman. The vivid dreams startle her, but not until a handsome stranger offers to explain them does she realize her life is going to change forever. She is the only one who can save Anastasia. But, Anastasia is having her own dreams. 

I love history and legends, and this book sounded very unique and exciting to me. The history of the Romanov family has always intrigued me ever since I watched the animated movie when I was a little girl. Dreaming Anastasia's storyline is quite strong. It did not live up to its potential, though. I feel like the entire book was building up to an anti-climactic ending. I mean, the book is quite a page-turner but then it just ends. I wasn't really satisfied. Some of the character relationships had no closure. Yes, there's a sequel, but you need to be given enough information to want to continue with the next book. I was left confused, but at the same time I had no motivation to stick with the series. It's for this reason that I just don't have much to say about it. Haha.  

And maybe it's the graphic designer in me, but I could not stand the font that was used for the text of Anastasia's letters to her family. My eyes hurt by the end of every letter and I counted the pages to see how long my agony would last. If you're going to use a script font for 6 pages, at least pick one that's easy to read. Anyway, this wasn't for me. And I'm SO sad, because I was really looking forward to an awesome Anastasia retelling. Oh well! 

Have you read any Anastasia/Russian spin-offs that you like? I love the time period and the rich culture and history, but there's not many books out there that tackle this subject matter.

Top Ten Deceptive Books

As a blogger, I've come across a lot of books I never would have immediately gravitated toward otherwise, whether it be for lack of interest or just lack of publicity for the book. As a result, I've come across a lot of books that deceived me for good or bad. Some do not reflect the feel of the cover image, some sound nothing like their book's summary, and some just sounded like they would be awful/amazing and they ended up being the opposite. I'm here to discuss some of the books that have deceived me. 

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

From the title, I thought this would be a cheesy book. The cover image made it look like it would be even cheesier. The back cover summary? SCREAMS cheesy. But you know what? Favorite. Book. Ever. Stephanie's writing was a home run for me, and the writing is darling.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The cover is "meh" and the back cover of the book made me cringe. I was not at all cool with the idea of children killing each other as part of a government sanctioned reality TV show. I had to be pressured by the entire world before I gave it a chance, and again: I loved it.

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

This book is one of the biggest disappointments I've run across. The cover is amazing, and the story sounded great! I ended up really hating it, though. Read my review if you'd like to know why.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

It's even more deceptive now than it had been, because the new cover is terrible in my opinion. But... I was deceived by this book! Right up until its release date, and even months later I had heard nothing about it. Love a disease? That sounded terrible to me! I loved it! Lauren's writing is amazing, and the story had me going crazy. Definitely a favorite I was not expecting. 

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

I adore this book, but the cover totally had me skeptical. I mean, the scenery and experiences described in this book are out of this world! Why did they again just slap a girl on the cover and call it good? I can think of so many pretty things that could have been done with that cover.

A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans

The cover is DARLING. The book's summary sounds light and fluffy and adorable! But seriously. This book was full of boring and swear words. I didn't even finish it. But that cover? Come on!

Under the Same Sky by Genevieve Graham

From the cover, I expected a fluffy romance. This book is dark and covers a lot of sensitive subject matter! I had a hard time getting through it, it upset me so much. I did finish it, and really liked it... but it was hard for me since I was totally not prepared for that.

Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter

Based on the title, I was expecting a cutesy romance involving a Mr- Darcy-like character. I was not expecting the author to make Mr. Darcy come off as such a worthless jerk. I wanted to love Mr. Darcy, but the author was trying to make me hate him.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I'll admit that I loved this book SO much. But the cover never really caught my eye, and I had not heard much about it at all. It was my very first vampire book. My first paranormal book, actually. Well... my first young adult book too! So it opened my eyes to a new genre, and a whole bunch of other books as a result. 

Shiver by Maggie Steifvater

I hate Jacob in Twilight, because he kept trying to steal Bella away. Not cool. So I went into this book with a prejudice against werewolves. I loved Sam. I fell in love with werewolves, and I was not expecting to at all. And I think this was destiny or something, because after seeing Twilight the movie, I am SO a Jacob fan. Haha. Oh, and I had no idea Maggie's writing was so full of amazing. This book and this author totally blew me away. 

So, which books have deceived you, for good or bad? Leave links and I'll come visit!

Happy Easter from That Artsy Reader Girl!

Hi! What are you up to today? Happy Easter to you and your family! I had a little too much fun at JibJab and made a video of my family and I dancing the Jive! Sadly, I can't embed this, so a screenshot will have to do. From left to right we have my cat Misty, my mom, me, and my little sister. They all wish you a happy Easter as well! One of the many reasons I love Easter is because Spring is SO close! Are you excited for spring? I know I can't wait to read outside in the sun! Have a wonderful Sunday! (And if you celebrate, what are you doing? After church, we're having a big dinner and then watching movies as a family.)

Diane Griffin on Internet Safety for Teens (Guest Post & Giveaway)

I am delighted to have Diane Griffin here on the blog today, as part of the Protecting your Teens Tour (brought to you by the Virtual Book Tour Cafe), to discuss cyber bullying and Internet safety for children and teens. The Internet is this all-knowing entity, and can be a very unsafe hangout, especially for younger teens who might not understand the importance of keeping personal information to themselves. We hear stories every day of children being bullied online (sometimes to the point of extreme depression and even suicide) and targeted by predators. In this post, Diane explains how to be safe on the Internet, and how parents can help too.

Tips for Kids on Internet Safety:  BE SMART

S 

(Safe)

Keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information when you are chatting or posting online. Personal information includes your email address, phone number, home address, city, state, birthday, password, last name.  You get the idea!

M

(Meeting)

Meeting someone that you only know online can be dangerous.  Only do so with your Parents or Caretakers permission and then only when they can be present. Remember that online friends are still strangers even if you have been talking to them a long time.

A

(Accepting)

Accepting email, IM messages, or opening files, pictures or texts from someone you don't know or trust can lead to problems.  They can contain viruses or nasty messages.

R

(Reliable)

Someone online may lie about who they are and information on the Internet may not be true.  Always check information with other websites, books, or someone who knows.  If you like chatting online, it is best to only chat with your real world friends or family.

T

(Tell)

Tell your parent, caregiver, or trusted adult if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried or if you or someone you know is being bullied online.

(Source : Kid Smart)

Diane Griffin's  Five Tips for Parents to Preventing Cyberbullying

1. Draw up a contract. - You know that the use of a cell phone is a privilege, not a right. Make your teen aware of this and open up the possibility for open and honest dialogue by drafting up a contract. I’ve include a sample parent/teen contract in the Reference section at the end of my book.

2. Educate your teens about online behavior. - If you don’t regularly engage in activity on the Internet, this may take some studying of your own. However, you do have experience in dealing with people and know that not everyone has their best interests at heart. Teach your teens how choose friends online wisely and if they want something to remain private, it’s best not to post it somewhere as a text or Internet message.

3. Be a role model. - If teens see you texting jokes or other material that you would be upset if they shared, you are only showing them by example that this kind of behavior is acceptable. When you are with your teens, only text if it is necessary. And if so, only text appropriate material. Teach and express positive moral values.

4. Use technology to fight technology. - There are a wide variety of free and pay-for filtering and blocking software applications. Although these tools alone won’t keep your teens safe, they will help minimize the possibility of incidents.

5. Monitor your teens’ texting activities. - Appropriate boundaries for this will be set in your contract. It is important that you find the balance of giving your teens’ freedom and responsibility with the understanding that you have their best interests in mind when you will periodically review their texting activities

Diane Griffin is the founder and president of Security First and Associates. She works with a variety of clients throughout the industry, and has also worked in a wide array of fields to include training, facilitation, communications, human resources and industrial security management. She is the current chapter chair for the National Classification Management Society (NCMS), Chapter 26.

 Website   |   Facebook

Check out Diane's Books:
Safe Text - Protecting Your Teen from the Dangers of Texting Social Media Secrets
Protecting Your Teens on Facebook

Diane is giving you the opportunity to win a Kindle Fire or one of two Amazon $50 gift certificates! There are several ways to enter. If you choose to do a review of one of these books to get the extra entires, the reviews must be up by May 11th. Good luck! I hope you win. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(To visit other tour stops, click here.) 

The Crystal Princess by Kimberly Norton (Book Review)

Title: The Crystal Princess
Author: Kimberly Norton
Release Date: February 9, 2010
Publisher: Tate Publishing & Enterprises
Format: Paperback
Source: I won it in a giveaway at Readinista!
Buy It: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads

Kelly lives the life of a typical teen in the suburbs of Southern California with her football star boyfriend and loyal best friend. It’s her senior year, and she’s looking forward to her eighteenth birthday. But her life totally changes when she’s abducted by her birth family, a family she didn’t even know existed. Meeting her mother and two sisters for the first time is almost too much for her to handle. Kelly learns she is a witch born from a coven of witches with special powers. She’s called back to help her family fight the evil, power-hungry witch, Victoria, and the Wizard Council, who want to destroy all that Kelly’s family holds dear before the Immortality Ceremony, a ceremony that will seal the girls’ fate and powers for all eternity.

To make things even more complicated, Kelly falls in love with an Indian named Max White Bear. But because of a longstanding tradition, their relationship is a hard sell to the chief of the Indian tribe.

With the war between good and evil looming, Kelly must find the strength to harness her magical powers and summon The Crystal Princess inside her.

I was very excited to win this book! The cover is gorgeous, and the story sounded very exciting and unique. I just never really got into the story, though, and I'm so disappointed about it. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

*sigh*

1. The sentences did not flow together, but were rather blunt, choppy, and sometimes very short, basic bits of text haphazardly strung together. This occurred throughout the entire book, but the most frustrating times were when the author was describing something to us. I found myself running out of breath while I read. I think this main complaint is actually related to every other complaint of mine, so let me give you a few examples of the writing style.

• "She opened the door, and out drifted the smell of lilies. The walls were light purple, and the bed was white wrought iron. A handmade quilt lay on the bed as a spread. Two large windows let light in from both sides of the room. Lacy curtains framed the windows. A dresser sat next to the window."

See? The room sounds like it could be lovely, and I bet if the words and sentence structures were arranged and/or chosen differently, I would have enjoyed reading it and savored the image. Instead, I felt like I was being shoved through the description like a tour guide might rush you from one painting to the next at the Louvre. 

• "Hands and faces appeared in the mirrors. The room began to shake. Moans coming from the spirits filled the air. A crystal ball sat in the center of the table. The black velvet cloth covering the crystal ball flew off. A grey mist filled the crystal ball."

I can think of so many ways I could have rewritten that passage to make it more flowy, eerie, and exciting. Instead, it is just one detail after another again. I mean, three sentences in a row mention the "crystal ball." Why not add some commas, some more descriptive words, and less use of the word "the"? The black cloth over the crystal ball is not even mentioned until it "flew off". How did anyone even know there was a crystal ball there, if it was covered by a black cloth? There's just no continuity or creativity. 

2. There was no real storytelling. The events were like a grocery list, with no real continuity between each event. We flew from one thing to the next, with no explanation or elaboration. I guess this relates to my last complaint: that the sentences did not flow together. First this happened. Then this. Then this. Then we had a seance. By the way, you're a witch. Then she went to sleep. Then she had a dream. Then she woke up. Then her dog talked to her.

3. We were given no room to imagine. Everything was described to the point where no detail was left for me to fill in on my own.

4. The characters were flat and emotionless. I mean, Kelly did not even mourn the loss of her family! She was just like, "Oh, ok! I have a new family now. Let's forget my beloved family of 18 years. Who cares that I will never see them again?" Really? There was no depth, no development, no feeling, and no real reason given for me to like any of them. I finished the book not even remembering their names, even though every sentence of dialogue either began or ended with the person's name the comment was directed at. Once or twice would be fine, but it happens very frequently.

• Example: "Mrs. May, where's your TA today?"
  "He had a tribal thing. He'll be back next week. Did you need to ask him about something?"
  "No, Mrs. May, thanks."

5. This is the biggest instance of insta-love I've ever seen. Nothing develops! One conversation is had, and it's love.

6. The editing was very poorly done. Paragraph breaks are supposed to happen when one person is done talking, and before another one starts. I kept finding lines of text from two different people in the same paragraph, which was very confusing. It happened all. the. time. And then I'd come across too many paragraph breaks, making it look like two different people were talking, when it was really only one person. Also very confusing. There were also many missing words and punctuation marks (where did all the commas go? Seriously.). I'm wondering if any editing was done at all.

• Example: "What's your poison? French toast or pancakes asked Isabella?" <— That's a basic editing mistake—one that should easily be found by a good editor. Maybe spellcheck was all the editing this book received, but Tate Publishing lists 31 employees on their editing staff on their website. So... I'm not sure what happened.

7. Everything was very cliché: séances, spells, protective spells, crystal balls, witches on brooms. I felt like the subject matter lacked creativity, and would have better suited a picture book for young children.

Overall, the idea of the story was ok, but it was poorly executed and poorly presented. The writing seemed very basic, choppy, and juvenile—like a child could have written it. It was also way too big a storyline to be the size of a novella. I'm not sure if there was a page limit, or what, but the entire story was rushed and unbelievable. I also needed my inhaler by the end. It just wasn't enjoyable to read, and I feel so bad to admit this. I wanted to love it, and I wanted to help this incredibly nice author promote her book. Sadly, I would not recommend it to anyone.

Rewind and Review: April 2012

I love the idea that Ginger and Lisa came up with to rewind and review an older book that's been on the to-read pile for a while! I'm definitely planning to participate in this feature, because I never give myself time to read anything other than my ARCs. I get caught up in the new stuff and never have time for the books that have been patiently waiting to be read for a LONG time. So, I'm planning to read and review two amazing books published in 2010 or earlier this month.

I am so excited about the books I have chosen for April's Rewind and Read! SOOO excited! My first pick is Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson. I love cruise books, and it's during this time of the year that I start craving tropical locations. I know This book will be a great escape! I've also chosen Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey. I've heard amazing things about this book, and I really need to read it, especially since the second one is out already.

Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

What are you planning to rewind and review this month? :)