Category: Books Read-2011

(Review) Will Work For Prom Dress

Posted on by Cindy


Title: Will Work For Prom Dress
Author: Aimee Ferris
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publication Date: February 2011
Pages:272

Source: I received this book as part of an ARC Tour group I am in.

Publisher Comments:
Quigley Johnson has, reluctantly, given up the rest of her last year of high school to take part in her best friend Ann’s Betterment Plan, which will turn them into the best-dressed, most sought-after, most admired girls at their senior formal. Because – hey – who doesn’t want the perfect prom, complete with a dream dress and a devastatingly handsome date?

But the prom costs money – lots of money – and even though the girls could easily have Ann’s mom design their dresses (she’s only Victoria Parisi, one of the most famous designers in the world), Ann insists that they pay their own way. And that’s how Quigley gets stuck making artistic topping masterpieces on frozen pizzas canvases, before becoming a live model for Ms. Parisi’s fashion design class, where she meets Zander.

He’s cute, and cool, and funny, with a killer design sensibility (even if he can’t sketch). But is he too good to be true? And what about David, the hot, talented artist at school, who’s also kind of a jerk, but won’t leave Quigley alone? And Ann – she started the Betterment Plan to improve Quigley and herself, but it seems like it’s ripping their friendship to shreds.

This road to the prom dream may just end in disaster.

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. When I received this book I for some reason thought that this was a debut author but that’s not the case. Aimee is actually the author of S.A.S.S Girl Overboard which came out in 2007 and its a middle grade book. I will have to keep my eye out for that one.

The main characters are Quigley and her best friend Anne. Anne has come up with a BP (which means a betterment plan) and the goal is to get jobs so that they can get prom dress to go to their prom. I think Anne was sort of a great role model for Quigley because its evident that Anne has money, her mother is a famous fashion designer, (Victoria Parisi) and she could easily afford a prom dress or better yet have her mother design it for her but instead she decided it was better to work for the dresses.

All that is on Anne’s mind is getting the perfect dress and having the perfect boy on her arm for the event. Quigley reluctantly agrees and goes along with her best friend. Figuring they were working towards a goal what could possibly go wrong and how much trouble could they possibly get into?

Little does Quigley realize she is in for the ride of a life time (boy problems, feelings and someone going to jail). Anne manages to get them several jobs such as working an assembly line with frozen pizzas where the girls decide to get creative with the process (which you know, no good will come of this), then Anne gets them hired to work in a dinner theatre, but fails to tell Quigley what roll she will be playing and finally when Anne’s mother, Victoria, offers them a job to model clothes for upcoming designers. Anne jumps at the chance and drags Quigley with her. Little does Quigley realize that this will be the chance of a lifetime and will change their lives dramatically. Will it be the change that the girls want? Good or bad?

I loved the love interest that they girls had especially Quigley who had David (a boy her age and went to school with her) and Zander (who is a little older). You could see that David like her and at times I thought he was a bit of a jerk but realized he was doing it because he liked her. I loved Zander and I have to say that I loved that he was a designer who couldn’t sketch a design if his life depended on it and at one point I must admit that I thought he was a jerk but once I realized what then it all made sense. I liked how you didn’t know who would end up with Quigley in the end. Just as soon as you thought it would be David it flipped and you would think Zander and back and forth. I am really happy with the guy she ended up with.

Thanks to Holly for allowing me to be a part of the ARC Tour for this book.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

(Review) Save As Draft

Posted on by Cindy


Title: Save As Draft
Author: Cavanaugh Lee
Publisher:Simon & Schuster
Pages:336
Publication Date:2011/02/01

Source: I received this as a ARC (egalley) from Simon & Schuster’s egalley list.

SAVE AS DRAFT @Readers A love triangle evolving over e-mails, texts, and Facebook messages that makes you wonder if the things we leave unsaid—or rather unsent—could change the story of our lives.
6:59 PM Feb. 14th via twitterfeed

Sent: Monday, February 14, 2011

From: Izabell

To: Reader

Subject: Save as Draft

Are we Facebook friends yet? I’m the wactress (waitress/actress) turned lawyer who lives her life online. (Don’t we all these days?)

Anyway, I’ve got this problem. . . . There’s this guy. His name’s Peter. He’s my best friend and co-worker, and we just started dating, which is potentially a huge mistake. But, that’s not all. There’s this other guy, Marty. I met him on eHarm, and he ran with the bulls in Spain. I can’t get him off my mind. What a mess. I’d love your advice if you can take a second out of your crazy, high-tech life. Shoot me an e-mail. Or text me. Or BB messenger me.

And friend me if you haven’t already! You can find me on Facebook under Save as Draft.

Izabell

My Thoughts:
When I first heard about this book I was curious to read it because its done in the format of emails, texts and facebook messages. Which is a format I have enjoyed in the past with books such as Holly’s Inbox and Meg Cabot’s Boy Meets Girl. A reader is always skeptical because sometimes this format can work and sometimes it can’t but in this case it worked perfectly.

I have to admit at first it was a little rough getting into the book until you get into the swing of things because its goes between emails sent and emails saved to draft but once I got into the book I really enjoyed it and read it fairly quickly. It was a simple and fun read. It was a great way to pass a cold morning curled up on the couch.

Save As Draft is about a young lady named Izabelle (Izzy to her friends) who is lawyer in Atlanta (a city I want to visit one day). Izzy is lonely and dying to meet the guy of her dreams. Realizing that its hard she turns to eHarm (a online dating site) in hopes of perhaps finding the guy. She is curious about the whole online dating and figuring she has nothing to loose decides to register.

The first guy she meets is Marty. Marty sounds like a sweet guy and honestly would be the perfect match for Izzy because they both are huge movie/music buffs and you can see that through out their conversations when they recite lines from movies. Izzy likes Marty.

But IRL (in real life) Izzy has a best guy friend named Peter and he has been there for her and she has had a serious secret crush on him for a long time but little does Izzy know but Peter feels the same way. Could this possibly work?

Izzy is stuck between a rock and a hard place once Peter makes his move. Who does she chose Marty or Peter?

I have to say I was torn about both guys and loved them both and didn’t know who would be better for her. Both guys had pros and cons. Thankfully Izzy is the one who had to make the decision and not me.

I realized as I was reading this book just how much we communicate via emails, texts and facebook. Thankfully I can say I am not a huge texter but I know a lot of people who are and wonder how we would survive if we didn’t have these forms of communication? I personally can say that I am lost if I can’t check my emails or facebook on a daily bases. Am I the only like this?

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

(Review) Cloaked

Posted on by Cindy


Title: Cloaked
ISBN:9780060874223
Author:Flinn, Alex
Publisher:Harper Teen
Publication Date:February 2011
Pages:256

Source: This copy was an arc and was passed on to me by another blogger, Tina. If you click on her name it will take you to her review of this book.

About the Book:
I’m not your average hero. I actually wasn’t your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.

It all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.

There wasn’t a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I’ve ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades.

Don’t believe me? I didn’t believe it either. But you’ll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got cloaked.

My Thoughts:
I only recently heard about Alex Flinn. Alex has several books out. I currently have two of them sitting in my TBR pile. The first one is Beastly, its a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast which is being made into a movie and the second book is A Kiss in Time, an edgy twist on Sleeping Beauty.

I have to say at first I thought this would be just the retelling of The Elves and the Shoemaker but Alex has also incorporated The Frog Prince, The Six Swans, The Golden Bird, The Valiant Tailor and The Fisherman and His Wife into this book.

Growing up for me I loved The Elves and the Shoemaker and The Frog Prince. For some reason I don’t remember the other fairy tales. I think it will be a task for me the next time I am at the library to look for those other books.

You would think that is alot for this one book but Alex did a fantastic job of incorporating elements of each of the books into the story line. She weaved the perfect story in my opinion.

I loved fairy tales growing up and when I heard about the retelling of them I have to say I was very curious and wanted to check them out. How would they spin the fairy tales into the modern world?

One of the things I loved in the book was that each chapter began with a quote from the above fairy tales so it gave you an idea of what was to come in that chapter. I love when an author does that.

Johnny is the main character in Cloaked and he is a seventeen year old teenager working in his mother’s shoe repair shop at a local hotel. He is working to help his mother with the bills because his father walked out on the family when he was a very young boy. Johnny has no real life because he is always working. Johnny has dreams of one day becoming a shoe designer but wonders if it will ever happen. Whenever he gets the chance he is drawing designs of shoes in his note book that he keeps hidden away.

He doesn’t have the money to buy the material for the shoes so what he does is takes whatever scraps he can from old shoes that he can’t repair. He has managed to get enough to make a pair of shoes as his sample.

Sadly Johnny realizes that he has the talent to succeed but knows he will never be able to afford to go to school and just hopes for that one break that can help him achieve his dream.

The answer to his prayers is a visiting princess named Victoriana. He realizes that if he can get his sample shoes to her that perhaps she will wear them. He could possibly end up making enough money that he or his mother would never have to worry again. Its a long shot and you kind of root for that to happen but we all know its a work of fiction and Johnny will have to work hard to make that happen.

Little does Johnny realize but Victoriana has a much better offer, she offers to marry him. Problem about money will be solved right? Nope in order for that to happen she tells Johnny that he must look for her brother and rescue him because he has been turned into a frog by a witch. She gives him a magic cloak and a warning that he must be the only one to use it.

Johnny quickly realizes that this won’t be as easy as he thought it was because along the way he encounters others who will help him only if he helps them. What will he do? Thankfully his best friend Meg comes along for the ride when she is summoned to him by a ring. She helps him over take some Giants, helping him escape and so much more.

Will Johnny be able to rescue the prince and get to marry the princess or will he realize that what was under his nose is what he really needs?

I really enjoyed this book and I am so anxious to start reading Beastly and A kiss In time very soon. If they are anything like Cloaked I am sure I won’t be disappointed.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

(Review) Love, Love, Love part 1 & Giveaway

Posted on by Cindy


Title: Love, Love, Love
ISBN:9781442403130
Author:Reber, Deborah (Language of Love)
Publisher:Simon Pulse
Author:Goode, Caroline (Cupidity)
Publication Date:December 2010
Grade Level:Young adult
Pages:480

Source: Received from publisher.

Publisher Comments:
Two sweet stories about finding your one true love.

In Language of Love, Janna is quickly adapting to life in Seattle as a high school exchange student from Hungary. Or at least Julian, the cute boy she met in a coffee shop, thinks she is. The truth is, he overheard Janna using a phony accent, and now she’s stuck playing the part….Will Julian want to be with the real Janna? Or will she discover that lies don’t always translate to love?

In Cupidity, high school is the single worst place to find a boyfriend. And Laura Sweeney is no exception. She hasn’t had a date since…well, ever. So Laura needs guidance. A proven “get the guy” strategy. Luckily she knows exactly the expert to call. He’s a matchmaking mastermind who actually has the bow and arrow to prove it. Let’s just call him…Cupid.

My Thoughts:
Today is part one of my review of this book since there is two stories in the book. The first story is Language of Love by Deborah Reber.

I was contacted by Deborah in December about reviewing her book and once I read the synopsis of her book I just couldn’t wait to read it.

My in laws are Hungarian and come from the old country. My father in law came to Canada around the Hungarian revolution. Its nice to be around them because my mother in law only speaks Hungarian but understands English and my father in law speaks Hungarian, English and French so when we are there there is alot of Hungarian spoken which I think is fantastic because we are picking it up with words here and there. My husband doesn’t speak Hungarian at all but understands some of it. (my mother in law isn’t David’s mother)

So the Hungarian premise had me hooked right at the moment.

The main character Janna is your typical girl. One of her best friends, Molly is the cute girl. When ever they are out its typical for Molly to get all the attention but one day after school the tables are turned. The girls are waiting in line at Starbucks fooling around and Janna pretends to have a Hungarian accent. When they go to sit down a cute boy (Jilian) comes over. Janna quickly realizes that he might be only interested because he thinks she has an accent.

Before Janna can set the story straight, Molly (a BIF = bad influence friend)tells Julian that Janna is a foreign exchange student from Hungary. I think the girls thought this was a one off and nothing would come of it but they are mistaken because Julian is interested and Janna realizes that she actually prefers being this other person then herself. We all know that nothing good can come of this and as the reader we wonder when all this will blow up in Janna’s face because you can only keep a lie going for so long.

Will Julian find out what Janna is hiding? What will his reaction be?

I really enjoyed the story and I was curious how it would turn out and I was a little surprised at how it played out in the end. I guess try love will always find a way to work.

GIVEAWAY:
Hey readers, I am lucky enough to be able to give away a copy of this book thanks to Deborah and Simon Pulse for allowing me to do this.

Please note that I am only allowed to give this out to a Canadian or US reader. Also you must have a valid mailing address. No PO boxes (sorry)You must be a follower of this blog to enter.

To enter this give away please use this form

Contest closes February 14th, 2011 at 11:59pm. I will announce the winner on February 15th.

Check back later this week for my second part of the review for Cupidity by Caroline Goode.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

(Review) Trapped

Posted on by Cindy




TITLE: Trapped
AUTHOR: Michael Northrop
PAGES: 240
PUBLISHER: Scholastic

SOURCE: Received from another blogger Tina at Book Shipper. This is an ARC.

Synopsis from Scholastic
The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive?

Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn’t seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision…

MY THOUGHTS:
This is Michael Northrop’s second book young adult book. His first book is called Gentlemen and it was one of the (ALA) American Library Association’s “Best Books for Young Adults” for 2010.

Michael Northrop says the book is like the movie Breakfast Club meets a blizzard.

Michael Northrop’s TRAPPED, in which seven mismatched students must adapt in order to survive when they are stranded at their high school without heat or power during a massive, week long blizzard.

I was really excited to read this book. I love the idea behind the book. Although if I had to be stuck anywhere during a blizzard I would have to say give me a bookstore any day. Wouldn’t you agree? Although I have to say when we got the ice storm in I believe 1998 I was working at a bookstore at the time and still had to show up for work just in case the power came back on and it really wasn’t fun. Granted I was able to take books to read but sitting and reading in the cold just wasn’t alot of fun.

I grew up in a rural community in northern New Brunswick. (Right across from the Gaspe) and our winters were brutal to say the least. There was only one way into town at the time, but since moving to Quebec they ended up building a highway. If the weather was really bad from the turn (before the turn it was woods and once you hit the turn it was open water on the left hand side)down the government would pull the ploughs off the road. You were literally stranded and cut off from the rest of the world.

Thankfully we never had a week long blizzard like the book had.

I enjoyed reading the book and I have to say I ended up reading it fairly quickly. There was always something happening that made you want to continue reading.

The characters in the book (seven of them) made me think of the Breakfast Club when I was reading it. They are all different and even though they knew each other they aren’t friends. It wasn’t really the movie but the different mix of kids being forced together who might normally not be.

The story is told by fifteen year old Scotty. The snow is falling pretty steadily that morning of school and when its finally announced school is going to be cancelled he is enticed by his two friends Pete and Jason convince Scotty to stay and help them out in the shop. Going against his better judgement he decides to stay because Jason said his dad would pick him up.

They are forced to wait by the gym with four other kids and a teacher who are all waiting to get picked up. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen because as they are sitting there its snowing harder and harder and slowly accumulating. With a promise of headlights appearing the teacher heads out to get help from the driver but he never returns. Hmm what happened to the teacher?

Thinking it will only be for the night the kids bunk down and try to make the most of it. They have heat and electricity. They wake up the next morning to see its still snowing and accumulating. The kids quickly realize that they are stranded and no one is coming for them. The are hungry and decide to break into the cafeteria for some food.

Before long they have no electricity. no heat and no connection to the outside world apart from a radio they find in the school. The blizzard has shut the city down. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the kids were managing to survive on their own and they didn’t turn the school into a wild party. They were all well behaved kids. The coped to the best of the abilities. Heads butted but I am sure if we were stuck in that situation that eventually we would fight too.

I am wondering if there will be a sequel because I am curious about what happened once Scotty was rescued and what happened to everyone else. Aren’t you?

I like the cover its very suiting of the book and I am not sure if you noticed (if you read the book) but as you progress in each chapter you can see the snow slowly starting to accumulate.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

(Review) Dead Bird Through The Cat Door

Posted on by Cindy

Title: Dead Bird Through The Cat Door
ISBN:9781926691152
Author:Markley, Jan
Publisher:Gumboot Books
Pages: 173

Source: Received this book from the author.

Synopsis:
Kids can change the world – even if it is one bird at a time.Dead birds? Stolen cats? Things get personal when Cyd and Jane’s cat, Yin, gets kidnapped. They turn to technology and Shakespeare to help solve the mystery. Written with charm and wit that will appeal to both young and old, Dead Bird Through the Cat Door is a well-crafted mystery story that shares an important environmental message.

MY THOUGHTS:
This is the second book in the Megabyte Mystery series by Jan Markley. I should point out that you really don’t need to read Dead Frog on The Porch to follow the series.

I really enjoyed this book too. Cyd and Jane are back to solve another mystery that involves dead birds and stolen cats. Along with a new mystery is a few new characters such as Aviary Finch, Souris Vole, Kitty Katze, and Cygnet Finch (Aviary’s wife). Todd from the previous book returns in this one.

I love how Cyd and Jane are able to put the mystery in order. From decoding the characters names that fit into the story line such as birds, cats and a mouse to gradually putting all the clues together to solve the case. Kuddos to Jan for doing that.

The book opens up with Yin, Jane’s cat coming through the cat door with a dead baby robin clutched in her teeth. Of course Jane being the animal lover gets upset. After the bird is buried they girls decide to head to the Wildwood Bird Sanctuary for a bike ride.

Once at the bird sanctuary the mystery begins. They spot Aviary running through the woods following what looks like a lynx, a butterfly net and the comments of one down and only about another three thousand to go. Wondering what he is up to the girls realize that this is there next mystery. What is Aviary up to?

In order to get closer to the case they girls decide that they should volunteer at the bird sanctuary. This is where they run into Todd again. I have to say I was curious as to how this would play out. Will Todd actually be a good guy or was there more to Todd then the girls knew?

On top of volunteering at the bird sanctuary, the girls mother would love if it the girls would visit a neighbor (Kitty Katze) who recently went into a old folks home and was forced to give up her beloved cat, Contessa Cuddles. The girls mother thinks it would be good if Jane brought Yin to visit her. Kitty is upset that her cat was brought to an animal shelter and Jane promises to get the cat back for her.

With quick thinking Jane manages to discover that Fitch has adopted the cat but wonders why? The convince Cygnet to take part in the cat show but once there alot more happens such as cats going missing since as Yin. The girls are still baffled and are quickly trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together before its too late.

Will the girls be able to solve the mystery before all the birds end up dead?

Another aspect I loved was how Jan Incorporated Macbeth into the book and how it was fitted into the storyline. I have to say I am not a fan of Macbeth and read it when I was in high school. So I have to say I was lost in trying to figure out how it fitted into the storyline but thankfully I had Cyn and Jane to figure it out.

This is my favorite quote in the book:

Sure, I love animals, but I loved books more; they don’t drool on you, and you don’t have to throw them a tennis ball a hundred times a minute.

I thought I would share the trailer for the book.

The next book in the series is called Dead Bee in the Sarcophagus. Due to be released in the fall of 2011.

This is another book that I would highly recommend for middle grade girls who like Nancy Drew or if you think they will like Nancy Drew.

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for my interview with Jan.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

(Review) Dead Frog on the Porch

Posted on by Cindy


Title: Dead Frog on the Porch
ISBN:9781926691060
Author: Jan Markley
Publisher:Gumboot Books
Publication Date:October 2009
Pages:252
Source: Received from author.

Synopsis:
Kids can change the world – even if it is one frog at a time. Sisters Cyd and Jane are propelled into an international plot involving evil scientists and giant, genetically stretched frogs. Will the twins win this hilarious race to save the frog kingdom?

MY THOUGHTS:
In December I was contacted by Jan to see if I would be interested in reading her two middle grade books Dead Frog on the Porch and Dead Bird Through the Cat Door. Seeing as they were middle grade books I jumped at the chance as I am always looking for middle grade books to review.

I was pleasantly surprised when I checked out Jan’s site and discovered that she is a Canadian author. An added bonus. I love discovering new authors and especially if they are Canadian.

This is the first book in the Megabyte Mystery series. This is a perfect book for the middle grade girl who loves a little mystery. I would say its the modern day version of Nancy Drew. (Sadly I never read Nancy Drew growing up. Although I probably should try them.)

The two main characters are twin sisters Cyd and Jane. You can tell they are modern day girls because they love blogging and are very technically savvy. Another thing the girls love is Nancy Drew books and Jane loves animals. You will see this throughout the book.

Dead Frog on the Porch opens up on the hottest summer day and Cyd makes a run for it to jump into a giant inflated inner tube and accidentally steps on Jane’s pet frog, Frogzilla. You know this isn’t going to be good.

The girls mom is a scientist and is very involved with her work at the lab. There are two new colleagues working with her and they are Rita Smalley, and Bert Tallbot. (the girls have given Bert the nicknamed The Cheese Pie Man) They have come over from England to work.

The girls know that something is up with them after they spot an Empire Meats truck sitting behind the lab. Suddenly frogs, cats and dogs go missing. The girls know that Smalley and Tallbot are behind it and know that they have to solve this mystery Nancy Drew style.

Through the girls investigation they realize that the scientist are coming up with formulas to make the frogs grow into giant frogs. They are doing this for Chef Oulette (Chef Omelette as the girls call him) who has also come over with Tallbot and Smalley. He is the man behind the whole operation.

At first it appears as though they are doing this to the frogs to get bug juice for a bug repellent but as more of the story is revealed the girls quickly realize that’s not the case. What could they possibly be doing with the frogs? Will Cyd and Jane crack the case before its too late for them and their mom?

I really enjoyed this book and I have to admit that I had a hard time to put it down. There was enough action happening to make it a page turner and I managed to finish this in one afternoon.

I am sure middle grade girls will really enjoy this story and this series of books.

Check back on Monday when I review Dead Bird Through the Cat Door and on Tueday I will be sharing an interview I got to do with Jan Markley.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.