Monday, November 25, 2013

Book Review: Until It Hurts to Stop by Jennifer R. Hubbard



Title: Until It Hurts To Stop
Author: Jennifer R. Hubbard
Pages: 246
Publisher: Viking
Year Published: 2013
First Line: “My friend Nick reaches across the cafeteria table and drops a knife into my hand. ‘Happy birthday, Maggie.’”

“When you can’t trust anyone, how can you ever feel safe?
In seventh grade, Maggie Camden was the class outcast. Every day, the other girls tripped her, pinched her, trapped her in the bathroom, told her she would be better off dead. Four years have passed since then, and Maggie’s tormentors seem to have moved on. The ringleader of them all, Raleigh Barringer, even moved out of town. But Maggie has never stopped watching for attacks, and every laugh still sounds like it’s at her expense.
The only time Maggie feels at peace is when she’s hiking up in the mountains with her best friend, Nick. Lately, though there’s a new sort of tension between the two of them- a tension both dangerous and delicious. But how can Maggie expect anything more out of Nick when all she’s ever been told is tat she’s ugly, she’s pathetic, she’s unworthy of love? And how can she ever feel safe, now that Raleigh Barringer is suddenly0terrifyingly- back in town?”

My Rating: 5/5

I haven’t read a book that touched me this much in while and I loved it. This book was a giveaway from Goodreads, the user being Jennifer, as in Jennifer R. Hubbard. I was impressed and must say that a book that surrounds the aftermath of bullying isn’t common, or at least I haven’t found one yet. And I doubt there will be one that can hold a candle to this one. I loved the story line, setting and mainly the characters.
As someone who has been bullied in the past (haven’t we all) I felt in sync with Maggie. Until someone has picked on you, I’m not sure you understand what one mean/rude sentence can do to someone’s self esteem. I think this is a book that all teenagers need to read, because it is obvious that the bullying problem isn’t getting any better. In fact, it might be getting worse (damn the internet for introducing the cowardly bully). So that this book should be able to reach out to all different kinds of kids in itself is amazing.
THANK YOU JENNIFER R. HUBBARD FOR SHOWING THAT BULLYING DOESN’T STICK WITH A PERSON FOR THE MOMENT, IT’S THERE FOR LIFE! (Oh and the book itself!)

Thanks for reading,
Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Until It Hurts to Stop by Jennifer R. Hubbard

I really loved this book. Although it’s a shorter read it is filled with emotion and truth about bullying. Bullying may have changed forms, but its still obviously around and nothing seems to be getting through to kids, if you ask me it’s getting worse, not better. I think that this novel proves a really good point. That point being that when you bully someone, it may only last for a minute to you, but you’re changing that person’s life. They will never trust simply, or be comfortable in their own skin. I think that girls have only gotten crueller. We say things about each other without thinking about how what we’re saying might affect that person. To use it may be every day gossip, but it could be the last straw for somebody else.
On that note lets get to another important part of this book,

♥Characters♥
♥Maggie: I know a lot of people might see this main character as paranoid. But imagine just for one moment that you are locked in a bathroom, not allowed to get out until you say loudly for a recording that you wash your hair in the toilet, and then have that passed around a school where everyone already seems to have it out for you. Not to mention, being told you should go kill yourself. Tell me you wouldn’t be worried about what those around you are laughing and whispering about.
There is my rant. And while I wish that Maggie had just stayed with Nick the first time, I understand why she didn’t. She had been told so many times that she was ugly, she was believing it. I know that feeling and it’s awful. But in the end everything worked out.
I also felt awful when she was sort of ignoring Sylvie, and no it wasn’t fair, but she learnt a lesson didn’t she? Isn’t that enough? May I add that when she stood up to Raleigh I felt like I was cheering her on in the background.
Lastly, I like the idea of hiking/mountain climbing. It kinda makes everything feel different. I know even a walk out in the fresh air sometimes is enough to clear your mind, so why not this. And oh that Mushroom Guide. So unique!
♥Nick: Funny, sweet an able to bring Maggie out of her shell? Let’s ring the victory bell shall we? I loved Nick because he challenged Maggie to more than she thought she could possibly ever accomplish and bam they were climbing mountains, even though I imagine he was afraid to he was able to prove the point that a challenge can be overcome. I was upset that he thought that Maggie was playing head games, but the way he explains it closer to the end of the book makes sense how he could see it that way. Anyways, boo Vanessa!
♥Sylvie: I felt awful that Sylvie had such a tough relationship. It’s hard enough to be different in high school, but I think she pulls it off well. I hope that she’s able to recover and that she taught Maggie to listen.
♥Nick’s Father (Dr. Cleary): He’s as big of a bully as Raleigh was, more so because as a father he is supposed to love his son, but no he just goes right on verbally abusing to make himself feel like the genius. I hate people like this.
♥Raleigh: Although we do hear a lot about the past Raleigh we don’t know a lot about what she’s like 4 years later. I think that she was a snotty bully who thought obviously threatened by Maggie. That’s my explanation anyways. She had no reason to tell someone they’re better of dead, but she did and for that reason she will always be a bully in my mind. Even when she trips over Maggie in the hallway she doesn’t have the decency to say “sorry” or “whoops, my bad”. No one has an excuse to act this way.
♥Vanessa: Cause calling Maggie a b***h is gonna win back your boyfriend. You were the one who sided with someone who was putting him down. Own up to what you did too.

♥Moments to Remember♥
♥Pg. 29
“It’s hard for me to imagine it working smoothly, the two of us sliding into each other’s arms like some movie couple. The way we’re sitting, we’d probably bump elbows, get tangled up in the map. And then there are our legs: What would we do with them?”

♥Pg. 52
“Usually, the only who touches my hair is the girl down at The Mane Event, who always asks, ‘When’s the lat time you had this cut?’ in a tone implying I’ve dragged my head through a swamp before presenting it to her.”

♥Pg. 89
“Well, if he’s determined to go, I’m not going to sit home preparing fo my solitary future of having tea parties for my ten cats.”

♥Pg. 95
“The worst thing Raleigh and the other girls did was to plant that lump of coal inside me, the shame of believing I was the wrong one, wrong in every way. After all, there must be something wrong with me or why else would they be picking on me?”

♥Pg. 97
“He gets up to hunt for something to eat, and trips over some books he piled behind his chair, knocking them across the floor. He says, ‘For my next trick, I’ll use my athletic skill to scale Crystal Mountain.’”

♥Pg. 239
“’Maggie.’ But instead of saying more, he wraps his arms around me.
 I bury my face in his shirt.
 ‘Your heart’s beating,’ I say. Maybe the most senseless piece of conversation ever, but it’s all I can think of: The rhythm beneath my ear.”

♥Final Line: “As if I have a right to be here.”

Thanks for reading,
Love,

Sidny xoxo

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Twitter Account Launch

Okay, so I'm really slow with picking up on things, but it was suggested to me lately that twitter would be an interesting addition to this blog and so bam, there we have it. I had opened an account before and never had much use for it, but now it can be devoted to this blog :)
Follow me @sweetgirlsidny 

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny xoxo

A Thank You!

So this may not be what you expected, but to bad so sad. I'm writing this post to thank Goodreads for an awesome give away. A while ago I entered a few giveaways and ended up winning Until It Hurts To Stop by Jennifer R. Hubbard (ps. the next book on the reading list). 
So thanks once again :)




Hope to have a review out soon.
Love,
Sidny xoxo

Monday, November 18, 2013

Book Review: Rapture by Lauren Kate





Title: Rapture
Author: Lauren Kate
Series: FALLEN (Book #4)
Pages: 259
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Year Published: 2012
First Line: “First there was silence-“

The sky is dark with wings . . . .
Like sand in an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past they must find the place where the angels fell to earth. Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again.
Yet together they will face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies . . . and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed. And suddenly Luce knows what must happen.
For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now will be the only one that truly matters.
In the fight for Luce, who will win?
The astonishing conclusion to the FALLEN series. Heaven can’t wait any longer.”

My Rating: 3.5/5

I know there are a lot of FALLEN fans and I don’t want to offend anyone, but this book just didn’t do it for me. Interesting thing was that I guessed in the first book what the plot twist was etc. So why did I even bother reading the other books? Because what if I was wrong and Lauren Kate was playing on my emotions, guess what? She wasn’t. I was really disappointed and had trouble working my way through this book in the first place.
I can say some good things about this book, and so I will. I really loved that we got to experience different sides of Luce, her experiences in book #3 certainly reshaped her character and I liked that. I also liked seeing some of the other characters having a bigger role. And finally the ending was what made me change my ending from a 2.5 to a 3.5. I liked it. It was how this series needed to end.
THANK YOU LAUREN KATE FOR AN EPIC LOVE WITHOUT ANY BOUNDARIES!

Thanks for reading,
Love,


Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Rapture by Lauren Kate

Okay so surprise surprise, I didn’t like this book very much. I really try not to be hard on books, but honesty is the best policy? Right? So here we go.
I think that this was a badly written book series. There are so many things that Lauren Kate could have done and bam there was just nothing. I suspected from the beginning that Luce was an angel (spoiler, duh, unless you’ve already guessed in which case *gives a cyber high five). Seriously, where is there a plot twist? Oh right at the end? Just when I’m about to rate this book a 2.5 you put in something I liked, awesome.
As well I think that while Luce has developed, I found myself wanting to slap her, a lot! Almost to the point where I was thinking, hmmm wonder how she remembers to breath. Wow that was mean, sorry guys, but if you’re in the same boat you get my drift.
I won’t lie, I liked the end, but nothing Lauren Kate did turned my review around on a dime. It just wasn’t a good one. But seriously, the end, the best part.
Main reason why this book upset me, I read five books to confirm what I already guessed halfway through book #1.

♥Characters♥:
♥ Luce: I was happy that Luce developed so much, but I was getting so frustrated with her. It seemed so obvious to me that she was an angel, and even when it got to the point where she had her wings, her just asking if she was bleeding made me madder. Smarten up Luce! I was surprised that she had been in love with Lucifer before, but the ending for me was the best part, the idea that they got a chance to live as mortals on earth and try a normal life was touching. Thank god something was. Ps. Killing people for rituals, not cool Dee.
♥Daniel: I still love him, but… I don’t understand his thing for Luce, in the end yes, but the rest of the time he must be so frustrating.
♥Cam: I still love Cam, he’s a demon so now I’m  questioning his involvement in everything, and where was he at the end? I wanted to hear his sarcastically dark comments. Come back to me Cam. (And I’ve lost it)
♥Dee:  Kinda crazy, but in a good way. I wasn’t really surprised that she was the desired thing, and I was disappointed that she had to die, why couldn’t they just drain her blood and let her be happy. Although she was probably in a world where she could dream of her love. What do you guys think? Okay with or sad about her death?
♥Lucifer: It was interesting to see him betrayed as someone with more emotion than just rage. Seeing that he had truly loved and lost was interesting, but since he just shows up and spys on Luce all the sadness is lost and it turns creepy. But you know what they say, the heart wants what the heart can’t have. That is what they say right?
♥Gabbe: This part really hit me when she died. Especially when she was the holiest of the fallen. I did think Molly’s death was sad as well, but we didn’t know her as well.
♥Miles and Shelby:  I hate that they were rewarded for going through all those Announcers by the angels basically saying, “Okay kiddies back to school with you two.” But at the end, *sigh* real romance. Happy we got to say goodbye to them as readers.
The Outcasts:  Just YAY! That is all.


♥Moments to remember♥
♥Pg.  30
“’Time is faltering in preparation for the rewriting itself.’
 ‘Like the way your computer freezes up more and more frequently before the hard drive crashed and erases your twenty-page term paper?’ Miles said. Everyone looked at him in befuddlement. ‘What?’ he said. ‘Angels and demons don’t do homework?’”

♥Pg. 24
“’You try falling for nine days through multiple dimensions and trillions of miles, landing on your face, breaking your wings, rolling around concussed for who knows how long, wandering the desert for decades looking for any clue as to who or what or where you are- and then talk to me about the old memorizer.’”

♥Pg. 123
“’You mean she’s not Miss Sophia?’
 ‘Sophia Bliss?’ The woman looked as if she’d just bitten into something sour. ‘That bitch is still around? I was sure someone would have put her out of her misery by now.’”

♥Pg.  250
“’Have you met the crazy coin-toss guy in the laundry room?’
‘Luce.’ Nora squinted. ‘When I run out of underwear, I buy new underwear. I am hopping to make it to Thanksgiving without having to do laundry. Are you ready? Soccer boys are waiting, hoping to score. We are their goal, but we must remind them they can’t use their hands.’”

♥Final Line: “Then the angels, the demon, and the Nephilim flew off to distant corners of the sky, leaving a moment’s brilliant flash of light behind them, as below, Luce and Daniel fell in love for the first- and the last- time.”

Thanks for reading,
Love,

Sidny xoxo

Monday, November 11, 2013

Book Review: Eragon by Christopher Paolini



Title: Eragon
Author: Christopher Paolini
Series: Inheritance (Book #1)
Pages: 730
Publisher: Laurel-Leaf
Year Published: 2002
First Line: Wind howled through the night, carry a scent that would change the world.”

“What was once your life is now your legend.
 When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.
Overnight he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.
Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.”

My Rating: 4/5

It’s been so long since I’ve posted a Book Review and a Spoiler. So I’m happy to finally be able to give you one on this tremendous first novel in the Inheritance series. I had read this book a few years ago, way before I started the blog, and now it’s time to give it a review. I really loved the way that Christopher Paolini wrote a fantasy story for young adults and uses such an interesting main character. I feel like when I usually pick up a fantasy book, I can’t relate to the main character, but this book is the opposite. As well, the ideas that he mixes with mythology are really interesting and well executed. I loved that so many personalities were able to develop. It gave the story a lot of depth.
The only reason I couldn’t make this book a five is because sometimes it just got overwhelmingly wordy. To many long explanations that at times were hard to get through. But all in all, I would suggest this book to lovers of fantasy and those who are open to interpretations of mythical creatures.
THANK YOU CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI FOR MAKING ME WANT TO LEARN HOW TO SWORD FIGHT!

Thanks for reading,
Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Let’s start this off right. Hi, I’m sorry I haven’t been able to post a honest to God Spoiler in forever, but in my defense 730 pages is a lot to read while going to work at the same time, all the same thanks for your patience.
Now into what’s important, the book! I really loved this book. I feel like Christopher Paolini did a tremendous job of taking a fantasy book to the next level by incorporating dragons, elves, dwarves,  Shades and so many other mythical creatures. I was interested by the Urgals and Ra’zac the most though because those are two things that you don’t hear everywhere (ok, I’ve never heard anything about them in any other book, every). They make fighting evil so much more interesting, because you don’t really know what they are or what they’re capable.
I also really enjoyed the fact that we, as readers, are like Eragon. We learn things as he does.
Mainly I love the idea of how they fight in fantasy books, swords and magic are pretty cool and then throw in a bow and arrow, jaw dropping.

♥Characters:♥
♥Eragon: Might as well start with who this book is named after. Eragon starts off as a poor farm and turns into part of a legend. I loved that in the beginning he is so naïve about the world around him, the government included. And then through his adventures with Brom he begins to realize that there are so many things he didn’t know back home. I was devastated with Eragon lost Brom. I think Brom had become a father figure to him and had helped him to develop so much. At least he was given a proper burial. That was really important.
I was also shocked when he got captured by the Empire, but I guess this gives time for the author to introduce the good to the evil. I thought it was a good way for us to learn more about the Shade and how much power he has in the government itself. The fact that he knows hardly anything about his parents will probably have a big role in the rest of the series.
Lastly, I loved how the Varden accepted him (except the Twins) and that he didn’t share Murtagh’s secret. He was a hero to them and I can only imagine that this will continue now that he has killed Durza. I wonder how his feelings for Arya will develop as well. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
♥Saphira: She is an awesome character in this book. Not animal like at all. She really has a wise humanish personality about her and I loved that. That she could communicate and give advice made her and Eragon seem like a better team. They are an awesome duo and I hope that she has a chance to save her brethren from Galbatorix.
♥Brom: I loved this guy. He was hard on Eragon at times, but only when necessary. The picture I get in my head of them sparring is quite humorous and it makes so much more sense when we learn that Brom was a Rider. The fact that he knows so much about them also makes sense after this discovery. I cried when he died, I won’t lie to you. It was heartbreaking.
♥Murtagh: It is pretty interesting that he finds them the way he does. And then that he just goes with Eragon without a doubt. I was really suspicious of this first, but then I realized that he had his reasons for not going to Varden. But they seem to have accepted him a lot more by the end.  I do think he has something else hidden though. Hopefully he’s not a mole.
Durza: He’s just an interesting character. The idea that the only way to kill him is through the heart is also fascinating. Hopefully there aren’t to many more of them for the empire to team up with.
♥Angella: She’s an interesting character. I wonder how she is powerful enough to just be let into the Varden. Perhaps another rider that escaped Galbatorix? Guess we’ll learn and see.
The Twins: I think we all know that these guys aren’t with the Varden for a good reason. Maybe they’re not even with them at all, just spying. Because if they have as much power as it would appear, why are they with the losing side? They don’t even seem like good people, what would they earn with the fall of the Empire anyways? These are the questions I ponder at night (sometimes).
Arya:  I think that Eragon has a crush on this lurvely lady. But would that even be accepted within the elf community. Hope to see in the next book.
THERE ARE OTHER IMPORTANT CHARACTERS, BUT I WASN’T SURE WHAT TO SAY ABOUT THEM, AND IF I INCLUDED ONE THEY WOULD HAVE ALL NEEDED TO BE LISTED.

♥Moments to Remember♥
♥Pg. 79
“’All the Riders were stronger of body, keener of mind, and truer of sight than normal men. Along with this,  a human Rider would slowly acquire pointed ears, though they were never as prominent as an elf’s.’
 Eragon had to stop his hand from reaching up to feel the tips of his ears.”

♥Pg. 217
“’This is your training.’
 Eragon looked back at him, confused. ‘I don’t understand.’
 ‘Of course you don’t,’ Brom said impatiently. ‘That’s why I’m teaching you and not the other way around.’”

♥Pg. 228
“’Think about it: you can communicate with any sentient being, though the contact may not be very clear. You could spend the entire day listening to a birds thoughts or understanding how an earthworm feels during a rainstorm. But I’ve never found birds very interesting. I suggest cats; they have unusual personalities.”

♥Pg. 280
“’You’ll enjoy it. There is much you can learn from books and scrolls,’ said Jeod. He gestured at the walls. These books are my friends, my companions. They make me laugh and cry and find meaning in life.’”

♥Pg. 424
“’Since I don’t know your friend, I have to ask: Will he tell anyone?’
 Murtagh gave a strained laugh. ‘If you had met him, that wouldn’t need answering. His mouth is loosely hinged and hangs open all the time, vomiting whatever happens to be in his mind. The question isn’t whether he will tell people, but whom he will tell.’”

♥Pg. 674
“Engaged in a fiery dance, their bodies were linked and separated by the flashing blades. At times they nearly touched, taut skin only a hair’s breadth away, but then momentum would whirl them apart, and they would withdraw for a second, only to join again. Their sinuous forms wove together like twisting ropes of windblown smoke.”

♥Final line: “I will come.”

Thanks for reading,
Love,

Sidny xoxo

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

The Book Thief Movie Trailer


About Markus Zusak

Markus Zusak was born in 1975 and is the author of five books, including the international bestseller, The Book Thief , which is translated into more than forty languages. First released in 2005, The Book Thief has spent a total of 375 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and still remains there eight years after it first came out. 


So originally this post was supposed to be an author interview, but it was a live goodreads event and my blogger page didn't want to help me. Anywho so now it's about the up and coming film The Book Thief. 
Here's one of the official trailers that I found and loved.

I would also like to mention that this video doesn't belong to me, it's from youtube. I do not own the rights. 

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny xoxo