August Magic (Summer #3) by Katherine Applegate

This is the last book in Summer's summer. I think this was a nice conclusion to the series and wrapped up things nicely.

The longer I kept reading, the more these characters' flaws showed through. Summer is a bit of a slut. I mean, she says she and Seth are official, and then she's kissing Sean. Yet... she "loves him"? Excuse me, they've known each other for 2 months. But whatever, I will pretend that that is forgivable. Diana annoys me because she feels like revenge is justified. And Marquez, she draws back every time she feels too emotionally involved. It just begins to feel a little bit unrealistic.

Despite that, I think that this is a fun summer series (no pun intended) and if you're looking for a really easy read, try this. 3.5 out of 5 stars. 

July's Promise (Sumer #2) by Katherine Applegate

July's Promise is the second book in the Summer series. It picks up the story right where the first leaves off. 

I felt like the this book had more excitement than the first one but I found it to be pretty unrealistic. The dialogue is great and the plot is good, just sometimes it made me roll my eyes. As I'm writing this I've already read the third book and I get the 2nd and 3rd confused. So I'm just going to review my overall thoughts there!

In conclusion, I still think this is a cute series. The characters are easy to relate to and all have very different personalities. If you liked the first book in this series, I definitely recommend you read the second. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The Stranger by Albert Camus

This book was recommended to me by my father. It is about a guy who is living his life as an outsider. He is not unhappy about this, he just lacks emotional connections to life. He is an observer of things and gets caught up in an unfortunate series of events. That's all I'm going to tell you because I don't want to give it away.

This reminded me a bit of The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway in its simplistic writing and how the characters are just going along with what life gives them. The Stranger was originally written in French (just so you know). I personally liked this story and would consider reading it again in the future.

It's not necessarily exciting or plot driven, but I like the simpleness of it and the messages. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

L.A. Candy (L.A. Candy #1) by Lauren Conrad

Jane and Scarlett are just your every day girls. They recently moved to L.A. in hopes of a change of scenery. Scarlett is a UCLA (I think) student and Jane works for a prestigious event planner. Then one night, they are approached by a TV producer. He says that he's going to be filming a new "reality show that is a PG version of Sex in the City" and that Jane and Scarlett are what he's looking for. They agree, and soon realize what "reality" really is and get caught up in all the show's dramas.

First off, let me say that I've never seen the Hills and I don't know too much about Lauren Conrad, so my review is based simply off of the novel. I chose to read this because the cover is really cute, and it sounded decently interesting. I had actually started reading this a few years ago when it came out, but I think I had to return it to the library and never got around to finishing it. Anyways, here are my thoughts about it.

There's really nothing too special about it, the plot is interesting enough and the characters are decently developed. This novel is what I would consider a "beach read" where it's just a quick, fun, and really light book. I liked how it gave me more of an insight into reality TV shows, since Lauren Conrad was on one. It really made me realize that you can't believe everything you see on TV!

One thing that does make me a little angry is the low reviews on Goodreads.com , mostly of which are saying "she should stick to TV and not write a book", but it's not a bad book. It's just an okay, decent one but it doesn't need to be ragged on just because of the author's prior career. If you've ever read the A-list series, this novel fits into that category haha.

I have already read the second book in the series. They're entertaining and good enough that I'm not rolling my eyes saying "who let this person write a book". If you're up for a fun, quick novel then check this one out. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

After reading The Best of Me, I was like “No more Nicholas Sparks books.” But I loved the Notebook (the movie) so I decided to give this one a try.

One thing that bothered me was how similar it was to The Best of Me. Guy and girl fall in love when they’re young, girl’s parents disapprove of guy, they go separate ways, meet again years later and realize out they’re not satisfied with their lives, and find they still have a connection. Exact same formula right?

The last chapter or so were so touching and sweet, and made me cry, even though I already knew what was going to happen. The rest of the story, however, I found to be adequate. There were some thoughtful and memorable quotes in there, but I didn’t really FEEL the romance.

If you saw the movie and are interested in reading the book, I suggest you just skip the book and just leave it at that. And if you are thinking about reading the book and then watching the movie, just watch the movie. I think it told the story better and you see more into the personalities of the characters. I wished I could have loved this book as much as I loved the movie, but I just didn’t. The movie was more of Allie and Noah when they were young, and the romance then and what made it so great and such, but the book seemed to be more about when they get crabs (whoops that sounds better in my head) and go on the canoe and about old Noah talking about his love for his wife. And as sweet as that is, I wanted to know more about their past. There were some amazing moments in the story, but at other times, it was boring for me.

I recommend the movie, because it was amazing. The book? Yeah, on a smaller scale. I like the story, but not so much how it's told. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Where There's a Wolf, There's a Way (Monster High #3) by Lisi Harrison

The newest edition of the Monster High series focuses on Clawdeen, as well as our usual narrators (Frankie and Melody). The monster documentary was released, but yet no faces were blurred. The RADs identities have been discovered and many of them are forced to leave town. This is basically the aftermath and what happens next, while developing some interesting relationships and putting twists into the plot line.

I liked the overall plot, yet I found it to be a little bit boring compared to the last two books. I liked Clawdeen's character and Melody's discovery. I also liked how Billy has become a regular and is growing more interesting. I have to say that he's my favorite character by far! I hope he'll get his own book at some point... The usual pop culture references were enjoyable and the writing is simple and fun.

I didn't find this one as good as the first two, but I'm still looking forward to reading the fourth book, where Lala gets her time in the spotlight. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Julius Caesar (Oxford School Shakespeare) by William Shakespeare

Julius Caesar is a play written by Shakespeare that tells of his murder and the events that follow. Contrary to what the title suggests, this play is not actually Julius Caesar. Instead, it is a story of revenge and human character.

Julius Caesar was required reading over the winter break. I thought it was an interesting story that helped me further understand history. At times, I liked the wording and such of Shakespeare, but at other times it was a bit confusing. The version I read from was Oxford School Shakespeare. I found it to be very helpful with many footnotes and pictures on the sides. The book I had also had helpful summaries in the beginning, so if I was unclear about the whole scene, I could read the summary. It also had a synopsis for each scene, so that also helped me as a reader understand more than I would have originally. I liked now the characters are really deep and you can't decide who you like better, Cassius or Brutus. The only other Shakespeare play I've read is Romeo and Juliet, and I have to say I prefer Romeo and Juliet. Not bad for required reading, but a bit confusing at times. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe



Things Fall Apart was required reading for my English class, therefore it was not a book that I chose to read of my free will. As required reading, I found it to be enjoyable and easy to follow. The writing was easy to interpret and I was able to relate to the characters. Reading this book on my own, I probably would have written it off as a pointless book. But after doing like a million “Guided Reading Questions” and participating in class discussions, as well as studying the Scramble to Africa in my World History class, I enjoyed it and appreciated the way that Achebe wrote so that I, as a Western reader, could get a more African point of view about this historical time, rather than the shallow “white man” view that we are often taught in school. This book literally opened my eyes and helped me destroy the stereotypes I had in my head, helped me become more culturally aware, and influenced me to think about different points of views when it comes to history lessons like this. Things Fall Apart probably isn’t a book I would recommend for pleasure reading, but as for classroom reading, it’s not all that bad. 3.5 of of 5 stars.

A Kiss In Time by Alex Flinn

Hello readers! I've been a little behind in writing reviews, so I'm these next few ones are going to be brief so I can catch up :)

A Kiss in Time tells the story of Talia and Jack. Talia was warned by her parents never to touch a spindle, but she does (without knowing what it is) and falls into a deep sleep where she is only to be waken up by her true love. 300 years later, Jack is touring Europe and breaks off from his tour group. He comes across the hidden city of Euphrasia and finds a beautiful girl sleeping. He kisses her, and she wakes up, which is where the trouble starts. Talia's family is very upset with her for "ruining their kingdom" with her stupidity, so she begs Jack to take her with him to Florida.

I loved the modern day take on Sleeping Beauty, which was my favorite fairy tale when I was younger. Talia and Jack are both lovable characters, and the plot is interesting and fast paced. I loved reading Talia's take on Florida's culture and her awe of bathing suits and how people acted. I think the author did a great job of incorporating what someone would be thinking after waking up from a 300 year's sleep.

This book is definitely heavy on dialogue, and I think it's safe to say that it's a lot of "talk but no action". There is action, but it all goes by so fast and is hardly drawn out. I felt like the reading wasn't quite as advanced as I would like it to be (or at least not advanced enough for me). I think that I would have enjoyed this book a LOT if I had read it when I was like in 6th grade. I'm older now, and I still liked it, but I felt there was so much talking and it was so fast paced I didn't get to enjoy just one part of it before I was whisked away to another.

I enjoyed Beastly a lot, an A Kiss In Time was sadly not as enjoyable as Beastly. I would give this 3.5 out of 5 stars . I liked it, but not enough to read again. I would recommend it to readers who enjoyed Beastly, readers who like modern day fairy tales, or middle schoolers who want a fun romance story.

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Alright so this is going to be a quick post because I have to get back to my homework :P Super fun right...

Erin Blackwell is working long hours in a New York coffee shop. She has a goal to become a romance novelist and is paying her own way through college in hope. It's tedious, but she holds onto the goal of an internship to keep herself going. It wasn't always like this for Erin, she lived in Kentucky and her family owned many horses. She used to have lots of money and get anything she wanted. Then, Erin told her grandmother that she wanted to be a romance novelist instead of being a business major so she could run the horse farm. Erin's grandmother disapproved of this, so she cut Erin off. She wouldn't support Erin's dream job, so if she wanted to get somewhere, she would have to do it herself. To make matters worse, her grandmother gives the stable boy, Hunter, Erin's inheritance. So Hunter is the one who is getting designer clothes and a free ride to college. Erin had a complicated relationship with Hunter in the past, and she writes a fantasy romance story  about him for her English class. Everything is fine, until he walks through the door and everything changes.

I loved the way the author wrote, I can't really explain it but its so lyrical and like the words were individually chosen perfectly. I liked Erin, but she did have a few flaws, and I loved Hunter. They were REAL characters to me because I saw bits of them in myself and other people I know.

The plot is interesting, and I loved how the author included the short stories throughout the book.

And the ending. Ohmygod, I LOVED it. I won't give anything away, but I think it's worth it to stick it out to the end in this one. It was really, really cute. It made me wanting more, but I'm glad it ended when it did.

I also liked how this story wasn't really a "Love Story". It had romance in it, but its really about Erin learning about herself. I love when you think books are supposed to be about romance, but its much more than that. There's also a downfall to that though. Because Erin is spending so much time figuring out herself, her and Hunter are never really on good-terms with each other, which kinda sucks because the reader wants them together. You just want to yell at them "Get over yourselves, move along with your life, and fall in love!!!"

Haha but anyway, it's a cute story. Not the most capturing story, but one that will keep you going. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Lost Voices (Lost Voices #1) by Sarah Porter

Luce has lived with her alcoholic uncle ever since her father went out to sea during a storm and never returned. Her mother died a long time ago, and she is very alone. She doesn't have any friends and chooses to spend her time alone. She dreads coming home to her uncle, unknowing of what he might do to her. One night, when he uncle is especially drunk and tries to rape her, she runs away and is contemplating jumping off a cliff into the ocean. Before she can think any more, she falls off the cliff. Instead of dying, she is turned into a mermaid who now has a home with a tribe of mermaids who eagerly accept her. These mermaids are all "lost girls", who have been cruelly mistreated. That's why they have become mermaids, so that that they can sing to ships and get revenge on the evil things humans have done to them. Luce has an extraordinary voice and quickly becomes second-in-command to the beautiful, mysterious queen Catarina. Luce is thrilled to have a home now, but she questions the morality of killing humans.

Lost Voices  was captivating! I loved the world they lived in, and I love mermaids, and I loved the whole idea of the story. Especially how they were like EVIL mermaids, and had such a dark side.

The writing is beautiful and haunting at the same time. It's cruel but lovely. I love the descriptions and the whole imagination part of this ocean world. And thumbs up to the author for the "larva". Even though I know they were just baby mermaids and I have no problems with babies, I still felt just as repulsed reading about them as the mermaids felt. The characters are fascinating and mysterious, and I wish the author would have focused on them as well as she had focused on the story. The plot is a bit slow, the exciting parts are mainly at the end. Argh, why do authors do this to us haha.

However, the ending ruined Lost Voices for me. How, you might ask? Well there basically was no ending. I almost felt like there was supposed to be some missing chapter that had fallen out of my book. The ending is a promise for another book, but I the problems of the novel are unsolved and a real let-down. I was very disappointed with how the story ended. Not because I'm impatient and I want to know what happens next (well, that too), but because I believe that books in series should also be a good stand alone novel. Like, if someone wanted to read the first book in a series, they would find a complete story and a promise for more. I felt like I had a missing ending and a promise for more.

The cover is beautiful <3 But if that mermaid is supposed to be Luce, the author didn't read the story because Luce has very short hair. And I adore the title. It goes perfectly with the story.

I really did like this story, but I think I would probably recommend the series in a whole rather that just this book. Because I liked the concept and the writing, but not so much the plot rate and the ending. I am looking forward to reading the other books in this trilogy :) This is a 4.5 star book for the overall concept, but  a 3.5 out of 5 stars for me because of the ending, the rate the plot progressed, and how I wanted more out of the characters. And I'm crossing my fingers for a male character in the next book! **cough** merman **cough**

Happy Reading! :)

Shopaholic Ties the Knot (Shopaholic #3) by Sophie Kinsella

Becky Bloomwood is back! She has a successful job, a wonderful boyfriend, and having a great time living in New York. Her best friend Suze gets engaged, and Becky can't help but feel a little jealous. Then, Luke proposes! She finds herself being thrown into a wedding planned by her parents, in England. And then, Luke's mother offers to give them an all-expenses paid wedding in New York at the Plaza. Becky finds herself unable to choose one, and unable to tell people about her problem.

Ahhh, Becky. How does she get herself into these situations? She has a serious case of denial lol. She has her issues, but she's a lovable heroine that you can't help but cheer for. Becky frustrates me a little bit, but she makes me laugh a lot.

This isn't my favorite of the Shopaholic books, but it's a cute one. It's hilarious, like the other ones!

I would recommend this series for a mindless read that will give you a laugh. The characters are funny and lovable, and just adorable. 3.5 out of 5 stars !! :)

Crush Control by Jennifer Jabaley

Hopefully this color isn't too bright!!!! lol

Willow's mom forced them to move from Georgia to Las Vegas when she was 9 so she could pursue her career as a hypnotist. Willow was sad that she would have to leave her childhood best friend, Max. So she does what she must, and hypnotizes him so that they will always be best friends. Now, she's a senior and her mom wants a more "normal" life and decides to move back to Georgia. Willow has fallen in love with Max over the years and is excited to come back so that what they have can finally be more than just friends. Except she's faced with an unexpected surprise, Max has a girlfriend. Willow then finds herself using her inexperienced hypnosis techniques again to get what she wants.

I enjoyed the concept of this book, because hypnosis fascinates me. I found it a little hard to relate to Willow, because I would never to hypnotize someone to feel differently about me. I would just want them to like me for me, and not be thinking about what was fake and what was real. Our world is already fake enough, I wouldn't need more of that! haha. Max was just there every once in a while, I never felt a real connection with him. I thought that Mia was well-portrayed. I found Georgia to be a little unrealistic, because she seems too eager and happy to help Willow with whatever she was doing. Like the sidekick, who was fine with just being that. I thought that the author did a perfect job of creating  Quinton. I could feel Willow's frustration with him, because I was definitely frustrated with him too!! haha Minnie however, I felt was just thrown in and out of the story. I would have liked to have gotten to know her more, because she was there for a little bit, and then just gone without any explanation. I like full circle endings :P

The story was your typical love triangle, with some typical teenage characters. It was a nice, happy ending story. I liked how the author also wrote about some family problems too, so that Willow had other problems besides Max. It's somewhat predictable, even though there were some parts I didn't see coming. The characters were fun, no backstabbing villain ones, which was nice for a change.

It's nothing special, it was worth reading, but not something I would read again. If the summary interests you, give it a try! It's thought provoking and fun, and will most likely be enjoyed. I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars . I liked it, but it wasn't an outstanding story for me.

Gender Blender by Blake Nelson

Gender Blender is a treasure from my childhood. I remember reading it when I was in 4th or 5th grade and LOVED it. It was one of my favorite books. Now that I'm almost in 10th grade, I decided to go back and re-read this book that I had loved so much.

This story is about a 6th grade girl and boy named Emma and Tom.

Emma hates boys. Except for the adorable Jeff Matthews, of course. She loves school, gets straight A's (except for that one B last year), and is involved in countless after-school activities like gymnastics and piano lessons.

Tom hates girls. Except Kelly, who is extremely developed and curvy. No one expects too much of him, so he spends his time goofing off with his friends or practicing for the baseball tryouts.

Emma and Tom used to be good friends, but now they're older and of COURSE everyone knows that once boys and girls get to a certain age, they just don't stay friends anymore! Duhhh obviously :P

After an unfortunate accident, they find themselves in each other's bodies. They only have four days to understand the opposite sex and break the curse, or they will be stuck in each other's bodies forever.

In 5th grade, I loved this book. I liked the plot of it and how the girl and the boy have to work together so that the curse will be broken. It's fun, creative, and an interesting view into a boy's mind. I found it hilarious about the different situations they were put into.

Now, 5 years later, I still like the creative plot and yes the situations are quite entertaining. But the characters are SO stereotyped. I don't like books or characters I can't relate to, and there were a lot of things I can't relate to about this book.

First of all, Emma and Tom are supposed to be in 6th grade. They're pretty much at the boys-are-disgusting and girls-have-cooties stage. The girls have formed a group called the Grrlzillas, where they discuss their sisterhood and how much they don't like boys. Now maybe I was just a mature 6th grader, but I do NOT remember chasing around any boys or being in any girl clubs. Maybe when I was like in 3rd grade, but not 6th! At some times, the characters seem a lot younger than they actually are, but at others, they seem much older. Brad draws pictures of naked girls. Tom spends all day trying to look at Kelly's breasts because she just "spills out of her shirt". Okay, you're in 6th grade, like seriously?

 And when Emma (in Tom's body) gets a boner, how far does that thing really stick up? She claims it was like a "small rodent" sitting on her lap. Let's say that Emma wasn't wearing any pants or boxers, and then there was only a thin sheet covering her. Yes, I can understand that. But I'm pretty sure she wasn't. She was most likely wearing boxers, pajama pants, and a thin sheet (if not more) over that. Now, that must have been pretty massive erection for a 6th grader to have stood up THAT much, if you know what I mean.

The entire book was pretty much like this for me, hard to relate-to and understand, since I had been in most of the situations Tom and Emma had. After living through them, it's hard for me to find them realistic. By page 10 I was rolling my eyes and considering not finishing the book. However, it was too entertaining to leave unfinished.

I found the chapter titles extremely silly, and show exactly who the age group this book is targeted for. Examples: Morning Wood, Tom's First Naked Girl, Emma Likes Jeff!, Tom Gets A Little Trampoline Action, How 2 P, Tom Gets An Eyeful. So you can basically get a feel for the book by reading those chapter titles I've given you.

I would recommend this book to a mature 4th grader, or a 5th grader. Anyone over the age of 7th grade will probably be able to see how unrealistic and stereo-typical this book is from real life. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book. It's actually an enjoyable, hilarious one. Just not for the age that I am now. So yes, I would recommend this book to a pre-teen, but not a teenager. Thank you Blake Nelson, for writing such a great book for my pre-teen self.

When I read it in 5th grade, it was definitely a 5 star book, but now, it's more of a 2. So, for my final grade, I will average the two and come up with a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Normally on my Goodreads reviews, I will round up (ex. I would round to give this book 4 stars), but I think that's a little too deserving for a book I found myself scoffing at the entire time, so 3 stars for my Goodreads review. :)

Happy reading everyone! <3

Monster High (Monster High #1) by Lisi Harrison

I read this book a few weeks ago, but I wanted to review it before I had to return it to the library so here it goes! This will be a quick review because I've got caught up in a whole bunch of different stories since I read it, so you know how that goes.... :)

I honestly have no idea why I wanted to read this book lol. I knew that it was based off of dolls, TV show, etc, the whole thing! :P But the cover was pretty cute, and I had read books by Harrison, so I decided to give it a try.

I really liked the idea of this book,  having monsters living in Salem and attending secret meetings, trying to fit in, etc. It's quite cute, and some parts are easy to relate to, being a teenager myself.

Something about the plot I must disagree on is the romance between the Melody, Frankie, DJ, and Jackson. DJ and Jackson are the same person, but different personas because he's related to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. LOL! Bipolar much? So when it gets too hot, Jackson changes to DJ. Melody and Jackson have a thing, and then Frankie and DJ have a thing. So basically, the guy is with both the girls. But he's not the same person! This just bugs me so much. And also, Frankie was in love with Brett like 10 seconds ago, so what's with the sudden interest in DJ? Goshh such fickle characters!!

It's a really fun, quick, light read, nothing too serious about it. Doesn't involve too much concentration, which is something I lack occasionally lol.

Another complaint is how the story ended. You know there's going to be a second book, but that doesn't mean that the author can just stop right in the middle of the action! >:( But she does, so we'll all just forced to wait for the sequel, The Ghoul Next Door , to figure out what happens.

Overall, it's a cute, creative story that's worth reading if you're in the mood. I would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Love Is The Higher Law by David Levithan

 Hello readers!

This is a book by my favorite author that I never got around to reading! Love Is The Higher Law by David Levithan isn't my favorite book by him, but I did enjoy it.

It's about three teenagers (one of them is out of high school) who are living in New York when the tragedies of 9/11 occur. The story goes through the year and how it affects the characters and how they change the way that they think and live their lives.

Claire, Jasper, and Peter are all very different. Claire was probably the character who you could say was most affected by 9/11. Throughout the story, she realizes a lot of things about her life and how she thought before, and how she thinks now. She is in the same class as Peter. Peter is personally my favorite character of the three, mostly because he has a passion for music. After 9/11 he realizes how true some of the lyrics of the songs he listens to are, which I can really relate to. He and Jasper met at a party and were had planned to go out on 9/11. Then after the incident, they decide to change the date to another time. On their date, it’s terribly awkward and just a bit sad to read. Claire becomes closer friends with Peter after that, and she meets Jasper one night when she is too tired to sleep. After this, she becomes friends with both Peter and Jasper, separately. At one point, Peter and Jasper meet up again and in Jasper’s part of the story, he says something about how they both love Claire, and it only seems right for them to be together because they can’t be with her. I like how the three characters are all so different in the way that they act and think, yet the ways that they become friends and the complications between their friendships. Jasper and Peter are also gay, and I love gay characters (as bad as that sounds for stereotyping them). So they definitely had a soft spot for me while reading this book.

In the author's note, Levithan says that he was working in New York at the time of 9/11 and for many months afterwards. He also says that some of the phrases in the book are taken directly from emails sent to his friends after 9/11.

I found this very interesting how he was able to incorporate his own words from the time into his story of the past. I also liked how this book was written by someone who had experienced it in the same place it had happened, as opposed to an author who lived in California and heard only heard the news on TV or in the newspaper. This author was actually there at the time, and it gives the book more credibility and authenticity.



This really isn’t my type of book, because it goes more into history, and I am not really a history-type of girl. Despite that, I did like how reading this book made me more aware of 9/11 and more information about it and how it has affected my country. I was only 5 or 6 at the time, and nowhere near New York. Being so young, my parents didn’t tell me anything about it. I am glad that after reading this, I was able to learn some facts about the event and become more educated about the past.

I would recommend this book to everyone. Whether you know a lot about 9/11, know a little bit, or don’t know anything at all, it’s definitely a good book to read. And even if you don’t live in the United States and this particular day doesn’t mean anything to you, it’s still a good book to read! There’s still a little bit of romance and friendship and optimism. I did like this book, even though its not one of my favorites. I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Happy reading! <3