Hey y'all. I'm going out of town today for a mini-holiday. I don't have any posts prescheduled, so you won't hear from me until Monday when I announce the winners of the blogoversary contest.

Have a great weekend!

For those of you who don't know, Emily over at Emily's Reading Room runs a series called "Blogger Confidential" in which a group of bloggers talk about their opinions on different bloggy-things. For the next little while I get to be one of those bloggers! The first two posts of the series are up, and you should totally check them out:



Go check it out and comment! This series is gonna be great.

Author: Megan Whalen Turner
Narrator: Jeff Woodman
Genre:  Fantasy
Producer: Recorded Books
Books in Series: 4 (I only listened to the first three)
Overall Rating:

Review: I listened to this series so I would be ready to read the fourth book (which I still haven't done). This is the second time I've listened to the series, and I really enjoy them. At first, I didn't think the narrator was anything special. His voices all sounded really similar to me. But that's because in the FIRST book, there are only male characters, and they all kind of have similar personalities.

It wasn't until the second and third books that the narrator really shone. I LOVE the voices he does for the queens, and he puts such emotion into his characters. This series is all about the different emotions the characters have, so this is important.

Overall I think he does great justice to the series, and the recording quality is great. I really enjoy listening to these.

Release Date: October 4th, 2011
Genre:  Romance, Dystopia
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 336
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click Here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

Blurb: Although initially a charming (if unremarkable) story, Eve ends in a way that will leave most readers unsatisfied and unhappy.

Review: While I was reading Eve I was worried. The story was charming and interesting, but mostly unremarkable. I wanted to know what would happen next, and I wanted to know more about the world Eve lived in; but other than that nothing in the story WOWed me or made it stand out from the many other romance/dystopians that have been flooding the shelves.

Therefore, I was worried because this book was heading for a 4-flower and VERY boring review. One of those "it's good, but nothing special" reviews that I detest writing because they seem so... bland.

I'm not sure if what actually happened is any better, though.

Eve was chugging along, a perfectly enjoyable book (I read it all in one day) and then it got to the end. It was one of those endings that had me flipping pages in confusion. What? That was it? Really? You went through all that to get THERE? It wasn't a cliffhanger (though some people might see it as such) it was just... strange. It was hurried and awkward. It made me feel like the author was thinking something along the lines of "I want to end this story now. What can I do to end it quickly, but still on a dramatic note?" But it just fell flat.

I'm not saying this is what the author was ACTUALLY thinking (duh. Not a mind reader *wink*). If you are completely IN LOVE with the story by the time you reach the end, you might find the ending an utterly gripping cliffhanger. However, since I wasn't WOWed by the story, the ending was just annoying.

Dunno if I'll pick up the rest in this series. I liked the story as a whole (hence the 3.5 stars), and I'm very interested to see what happens to some of the secondary characters (Arden FTW!), but as for Eve and her love interest... I can do without.



*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Yesterday I finally saw the last Harry Potter movie. I think the following images properly convey my feelings:



The only time I audibly sobbed was when Snape died and during his memories. I was pretty much crying constantly through the whole movie, but I only sobbed then, and once when I saw Remus and Tonks holding hands even after they were dead.

All in all, I thought the movie did BRILLIANT justice to the book. I adored it. And I'm glad to know that Hogwarts will always be there to welcome me home.

I read a ton of books that I don't ever finish for various reasons, and I never review them on this blog. But that's not fair! Maybe you guys want to read them, or want a warning not to read them. If you want to see what other books I started, but didn't finish, here's Unfinished Friday (1), Unfinished Friday (2), Unfinished Friday (3), and Unfinished Friday (4). As always, here's my preface to Unfinished Friday:

I rate a book kind of like a movie. I don't see R rated movies. Never. So I won't read "R" rated books. My only real problem is with the "F" word, or very heavy usage of unnecessary profanity(And I know we all have different definitions of "unnecessary"). If the story is good, and the profanity is something that really adds to the story, then I'm fine. But some authors use profanity flippantly, and I just can't stand that.

I don't believe that books should be suffered through. It's one thing to finish a book in emotional turmoil (some of the best books do that) But I don't believe they should leaving you feeling "dirty." I'd much rather write a "why I didn't finish" post and have someone else read it and love it, than write I "I really wish I hadn't read this" post and write a negative review that makes someone never touch the book.

And some of these books weren't inappropriate, they just didn't hold my interest for some reason or another.

I am under no authority to condemn a book. This is all just my opinion, please understand that I respect all books and authors. There are so many good books out there! I'm not going to suffer by skipping a few. I'm constantly branching out my horizons. But, in doing so, I've found genre's I don't like, just like everyone else. Some people don't like Sci-fi (crazy fools!), I don't like angsty books.

These are books that I haven't finished from March 2011 to present. I won't go into a ton of detail, but here they are:


The Scorpio Races, Maggie Stiefvater (Goodreads)

Meet the cause of my current reading slump. In a word, this book was SLOW. I said in my review of Shiver that Maggie's writing was so fantastic, her stories "could be about characters watching paint dry and I would be absolutely hooked." This book proved to me that this isn't quite true. You'd think man-eating horses would be pretty interesting, but this book DRAGGED along. I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over and I got tired of it. I was grateful it was a tour book, and had no choice but to send it on after a week. However, it has put me into a brain-fog throughout all this week as well. I don't think I'll be picking it up again.


Double Helix, Nancy Werlin (Goodreads)

Some of you may remember my vehement dislike of Werlin's Extraordinary. I wanted to give Werlin another go, so I picked this one up. I am sad to say that I was unable to get over my previous biases. The story felt predictable, and it just brought Extraordinary back into my mind (despite the fact that the books are very different). I put it down for no other reason than this, and I don't know when/if I'll read a Werlin book again. I feel petty.


Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake (Goodreads)
Fury, Elizabeth Miles (Goodreads)
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Michelle Hodkin (Goodreads)

I'm clumping these three together because I didn't finish all of them for the same reason. Anna had the F-word used very casually twice in just the second chapter. The main character used it as an adjective rather frequently, so I stopped after 50 pages.

Fury begins with teens going to a very stereotypical teen party, which automatically gave me a bad feeling. After one of the PBR authors told me that it had numerous uses of the F-word, I decided that I wasn't going to keep going.

I'll admit that I didn't even start Mara Dyer. After seeing on PBR that there were 14 F-words and an [un]healthy smattering of other such obscenities, I decided not even to go there. I know this book is very highly anticipated, and I know the story is supposed to be brilliant, but I think it's better if I don't even try.

Nothing personal to any of these books. I just don't like casual or too-frequent use of the F-word.



So there you go. Please remember that I am not trying to attack these books. I hope that if one of them sounds interesting to you that you will pick it up. But I'm a reviewer, and I feel it's my job to not just let you know about the books I liked, but also about the books that I liked too little to finish.

Have a great Friday!

Author: J.K. Rowling
Narrator: Jim Dale
Genre:  Fantasy
Producer: Listening Library
Books in Series: 7
Overall Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click Here

Review: I figured I'd start my audio-book reviews with a bang. This is by far the BEST audio-book series I have EVER listened to. Jim Dale (narrator) is a genius. He does DOZENS of unique voices, and each one is so convincing you think it's a separate person.

I honestly cannot praise these audio-books enough. My grandmother owns Prisoner of Azkaban on tape, and when I was younger I used to listen to it over and over and over. I listened to it so much, that I know where Jim Dale makes a mistake (he says: "Ice mice: make your cheeth chatter and squeak"). The audio-book version of this series are as important to me as the books themselves.

I really enjoyed listening to all seven books in a row. For one, I got a month of non-stop Potter. Which was FABULOUS. I could listen to Jim Dale for the rest of my life. For another, I was able to make a ton of connections, and everything was so fresh in my mind! It was also fun to notice the odd quirks between the books (in books 1-4, Dale says VoldemorE, but in 5-7 he says VoldemorT).

As I finished each one I got more and more eager for the next. It reached the point where I wasn't just listening to them while I was working. I listened to them while I drove, while I cleaned my room, and just sitting on the couch. I'll admit, however, that I did have to pull over when it got to the epilogue. You really shouldn't drive while you're sobbing.

It's odd for me to watch the movies, because they don't sound like Jim Dale. Then again... Jim Dale has so many voices, I'm not entirely sure what he sounds like.

You don't have to listen to the whole series, but I BEG of you to check out at least one of these audio-books and listen to it. I promise you won't be disappointed, even if you don't like audio-books.

Here's a sample of what Jim Dale sounds like. He doesn't start reading until 2 minutes in. My FAVORITE voice he does is Professor McGonagall, and that's the very first voice he does in this video. Enjoy!

It's my four year blogoversary! How crazy is that?! FOUR YEARS! True, my blog didn't really kick it into gear until about 18 months ago, but still. FOUR YEARS! I'm pretty excited about that. I was also excited to realize (maybe I realized this before) but my blogoversary also marks the day I first met/saw Shannon Hale! It's been FIVE years since that. Crazy!

I can't imagine ever stopping blogging. Yes, I love all of my readers, but the blog has just become such an important part of my life that I can't believe it could ever stop. How would I remember what I read? How would I remember how I felt about what I read?

And since I'm so excited about this, I've decided to have a contest! It's been over six months since I did my last guess-the-cover contest, so that's what we're going to do!

Last time you guys were WAY smarter than I gave you credit for, so this time I've made it REALLY HARD. You only have 100x100 pixel squares, and I tried to pick obscure peices of the covers. Here they are! Look below for some hints and contest details.


HINTS:

• All of these books have not yet been released (as of 7-15-2011)
• They will all release in 2011 or early 2012
• All of these books are US covers (so far as I am aware)
• Shannon Hale may be involved
• Not all have been featured on Squeaky Books, but some
• They are all books I REALLY want

Those are your only hints! And there are two prizes!

Prize #1 Fastest 100%
The first prize will go to the first person who gets ALL of the covers correct.

Prize #2 Random
I will then randomly select a winner from all participants. The more covers you get right, the more entries you get!

Both winners will get to choose any book they want from Amazon.com under $13.

Here are the details:

• Giveaway open 7/15-7/29
• Open to ages 13 and up
• Open to US residents only (Puerto Rico is fine)
• You MUST have at least one cover correct to be entered
• You must fill out THE FORM to enter
• DO NOT LEAVE ANSWERS IN COMMENTS
• Multiple submissions WILL NOT COUNT. If you enter more than once, only your first submission will be counted. If you're going for the 100% prize, you have to have them all at the same time. Much more challenging that way, I think.

I feel like I would be a bad person if I didn't post something Harry Potter related today. And so, if you will excuse me, I will now ramble on about my feelings on the series. I shall try to be spoiler-free, but no promises. This is more something for me to look back on in 10 years and sniffle a little, rather than a blog post meant for other people. But as I don't keep a journal, here we go:

I was one of those stubborn children who refused to read Harry Potter just because everyone else was. Thank HEAVENS my grandmother is a teacher, and was able to finally convince me to read the series. I've never regretted it.

There are very few books that you can say changed your life. I think we can honestly say that Harry Potter changed the world. Even if you don't like it, or you adore it, you must admit that you've heard of it, and seen its effects.

I have never been a loud fan, I enjoy talking quietly with people about the books, and expressing my love in simple ways (I've been wearing an owl necklace all week). My favorite part of the books is when I would finish one, then immediately call up my friends and begin to discuss what it all might mean.

Over the last month I have been re-listening to all the audiobooks so that I can be as prepared as possible for the movie. I am glad to say that the audiobooks don't make me cry like the regular books. It would be very odd for me to begin sobbing while dusting the bookshelves at work.

This re-reading has given me a lot of questions. What's the American school for witchcraft? When is Hermione's birthday? How old is Voldemort? He must be over 60. If wizards have such a hard time dressing like muggles, why do so many seem to wear suits? These questions aren't really important, but they show how much I love this world. I want to know EVERYTHING.

HOWEVER, the books themselves make me sob every time. Last week (just for the heck of it) I decided to re-read the epilogue at the end of the last book. This was a mistake. I kept randomly bursting into tears throughout the day. Isn't it an amazing thing that a BOOK-- a fictional story-- can do that to a person?

And now, I would like to express my thanks to certain people who made the books so wonderful for me:

Dear Ron,

• Thank you for being the comic relief. This series would be incredibly sad without you.

Dear Hermione,

• Thank you for showing the world how cool it is to be smart.

Dear Ginny,

• I was totally apathetic towards you when I first read the books, but now I like you quite a lot. Thanks for being spunky.

Dear Neville,

• Thanks for never letting people get you down. You always know how to bounce right back, and are a great example of bravery. (And you totally deserved to grow up to be super-hot. Seriously. Have you seen the actor who plays him?)

Dear Dumbledore,

• Thank you for being the wisest person I've ever known. Some of the things you said will be in my heart forever.

Dear McGonagall,

• Thank you for being my favorite character. I want to be you when I grow up.

Dear Hagrid,

• Thanks for being loyal to a fault, and loving things that no one else does.

Dear Sirius,

• I'm pretty pissed at you, actually. I was scarred for life after book 5. That's just not right.

Dear Ravenclaw house,

• Thank you for being totally unnoticed and yet awesome. Seriously. Griffindor and Slytherin get all the attention. Even Hufflepuff gets a lot of attention (both because of Cedric Diggory in book 4, and just by the fact that it's a ridiculous house). You were always in the background (despite Cho Chang) and yet I know I would have been in your house. Much love.

Dear T & L,

• Thank you for being my favorite couple. I have a hard time thinking about you without getting teary.

Dear Harry,

• Thank you for inspiring a fabulous series. Thank you for always being brave, even though you were stupid a lot. In fact, I DON'T thank you for your attitude throughout all of book 5. I know you were going through the throes of puberty, but still, you were a jerk.

Dear Snape,

• Thanks for just being awesome.

I think that covers all the big ones... Perhaps I'll add more as they come to me.

And that's all I have to say.

Hey y'all, I'm in a hardcore reading slump, and I just can't muster up the energy to write some backlogged audiobook reviews, so I'm posting this instead.

I always try to mention if there's any "innapropriate" content in a book. This is just integrated into my review (should I have a separate section for it in each review?), and it is almost always based on my opinion of what "appropriate" is. I'd like to share a link with you of a GREAT content website


I adore this site. The reason why I love it so much is it is 100% factual. It doesn't say "there was WAY too much profanity in this book" it says, "there was profanity, here's what it was:". It allows the reader to judge for themselves. If you ever are wondering about the content of a YA book, check this site. It's what I always do.

Do you know of any other content review sites (preferably factual ones like PBR)? Leave them in the comments and I'll add them to my list. I think I'll make a page of good content-review sites.

The Dark and Hollow Places, Carrie Ryan
(Goodreads | Amazon)


Ashes, Ashes, Jo Treggiari
(Goodreads | Amazon)



The Roar, Emma Clayton
(Goodreads | Amazon)


Bottom Line: Wierd! Maybe good for pre-teens who like action and don't mind jumpy plot-lines.


Don't Breathe a Word, Holly Cupala
(Goodreads | Amazon)

Oh boy. Contemporary fiction. Always SO hard for me to review. Let me start this mini-review by saying I SKIMMED PARTS OF THIS BOOK. If that destroys my credibility, then fine. I will then say that this book is much grittier than Holly’s debut Tell me a Secret.

I was LOVING the story until the main plot really kicked in and there was A LOT of profanity. Usually I drop a book when it has as much profanity as this one, but the story was SO INTERESTING that I just had to find out what was going to happen, hence the skimming. This story was heartbreaking, heartwarming, and definitely had a strong message at the end. I felt it was extremely eye-opening to someone as [happily] sheltered as I am, and enjoyed the story immensely, even if I had to skim some parts (I'm just not a gritty person, at all).

If you like contemporary fiction, and swearing/sexual content doesn’t bother you, then READ THIS BOOK. Holly is a master storyteller.

Bottom Line: Not my kind of book (too gritty), but a masterfully crafted story. If you like contemporary fiction, you'll LOVE this book. It's beautiful.
 
So? What do we think of mini-reviews? I feel rather efficient myself. *wink*

 

Release Date: April 5th, 2011
Genre:  Sci-fi, Horror, Dystopia
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Pages: 497
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click Here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Gone #4 (Review of #1, #2, #3)
Summary: (Spoilers, highlight to view) 

It's been eight months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.


They've survived hunger. They've survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building. Yet despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm in Perdido Beach.


But enemies in the FAYZ don't just fade away, and in the quiet, deadly things are stirring, mutating, and finding their way free. The Darkness has found its way into the mind of its Nemesis at last and is controlling it through a haze of delirium and confusion. A highly contagious, fatal illness spreads at an alarming rate. Sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdido Beach. And Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they'll escape - or even survive - life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love?

Blurb: Horrific and gripping, fans of the series won't be disappointed.

Review: I'll keep this review short since only those of you familiar with the series will care.

This is definitely the most gruesome of the books. I would certainly call it horror. Nevertheless, it was still just as gripping as the other three. More action than Lies, but not quite as good as Gone or Hunger. I've devoted over 2,000 pages to this series, and I could easily devote another 2,000. These books fly by. I read them in about the same amount of time it would take me to read a book half as long.

Great series, but don't start it unless you plan to finish it. Because once you start, you won't have a choice.



*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: April 29th, 2008
Genre: PURE AWESOMENESS (and I guess... futuristic realism? Is that a genre?)
Publisher: Henry Holt
Pages: 336
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click Here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary: 

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox has just awoken from a year-long coma — so she’s been told — and she is still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. But what happened before that? She’s been given home movies chronicling her entire life, which spark memories to surface. But are the memories really hers? And why won’t anyone in her family talk about the accident? Jenna is becoming more curious. But she is also afraid of what she might find out if she ever gets up the courage to ask her questions. What happened to Jenna Fox? And who is she really?

Blurb: A modern day classic. You haven't lived until you've heard Jenna Fox's story.

Review: This is a first for me, this is actually a re-review. The Adoration of Jenna Fox was one of the first ARCs I received. I got it in February of 2008, and I was dubious because at the time I wasn't a big fan of sci-fi, and this seemed very sci-fi. But I loved it. "sci-fi" is far too constraining a term for the majesty that is this book. I was afraid that it couldn't live up to the first time I had read it, and was very hesitant to re-read it. And boy, was I proved wrong.

This book tears at my soul, rips out my heart, and steals my breath. Still. I could read this book again and again and again. I could memorize every single word, and it would still have that effect on me. There were honestly times where I'd be reading, and realize that I'd been holding my breath. It's that good.

People always ask me what my favorite books are (usually they require that I pick non-Shannon Hale books), and I often forget to mention this one. Why? Because it's such an important part of my life. I forget that people haven't read it. My mom is always asking me if she can borrow a book while she goes on a business trip or some other excursion. When she saw me re-reading this book, she asked if it was one she should read. I gasped. DOZENS of times my mother has asked to borrow a book, and I had always just assumed that she'd read Jenna Fox. I felt like I had failed her! Failed in my mission that the whole world MUST READ JENNA FOX!

That's not an idle threat, either. I have given this book to so many people that I've lost count. Friends, aunts, grandparents, cousins. If I could afford to buy the entire world a copy of this book, I would do it.

Alas, I cannot afford that. But I hope by my expressing how vehemently I love this book, that you will go out and at least find it at your library, if not purchase it. Mary Pearson is one of the most gifted authors I have ever read, and Jenna Fox is a character that will forever be in my heart.

The book is narrated by Jenna, and I think my favorite line in the whole book (and I'm quoting this from memory so you'll have to forgive me if it's a bit off) is this one:

Father says that time heals all wounds.
I don't tell him that I don't know what time is.

Doesn't that make you shiver?! Oh this book is so good. I sobbed and sobbed the first time I read it. I only cried a little this time, but that was because I had gotten my wisdom teeth out about 3 hours before I read it, and crying hurt. Otherwise I would have totally let loose.

All right. This is one of my longest reviews ever-- nearly 500 words. If I haven't convinced you to read this book yet, leave a comment, send an e-mail, do SOMETHING. I won't rest until I convince you.


*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

P.S. This didn't fit anywhere in the body of the review, but I will mention that there is one "bad" word in this book that is repeated a few times because it becomes a joke. This isn't a "swear" word, but it still isn't a nice word. Other than that the book is COMPLETELY clean. And this word really isn't that frequent, and it's not meant in a negative way.

No, I haven't forgotten about the new release giveaway. The winners of June's giveaway are...


There will not be any new release giveaway or featured books this month because I will be having a blogoversary giveaway/contest, plus the birthday bash starts in August, and then the holiday giveaways. So the new release giveaway probably won't return until January, I just can't afford to do it on top of all my other upcoming contests. Hope that's all right. Still plenty of chances to win from other giveaways!

Release Date: February 9th, 2010; June 21st, 2011
Genre:  Action, Teens, Romance
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 287, 298
Average Rating:
Amazon Link*: Book One (bargain priced!), Book Two
Goodreads Page: Book One, Book Two
Summary: 

The Heist Society novels star brave Katarina Bishop. We follow her adventures to Paris, Moscow, London, Monaco, Paraguay, and more! She isn't alone, though. With the help of her stunningly beautiful cousin Gabrielle, the brilliant Simon, the goofball Bagshaw brothers, the mysterious Nick, and the dashing W. W. Hale, we watch one of the world's youngest theives pull of the most amazing feats.

Blurb: Non-stop action makes readers forget they are reading a book, and feel like they're watching an action movie.


Review: This series reads like an action/heist movie. Seriously. While I was reading it I could literally see all of the different split-screens and hear th dramatic music.

In fact, this book reminds me a lot of a summer movie. Funny, action-packed, cute/hot characters, and relatively... fluffy. Yup. Don't go reading this series if you're wanting a mind-bender. Everything is pretty straight forward. Which is fine for a summer read! Take this one down to the beach, set out a towel, and get ready for a good laugh. You'll probably finish the book by the time you start to get a sunburn.

My only complaint with the series is that I felt like I was missing things. I read Heist Society in one sitting, so I told myself that I missed things because I was going so fast. But I read Uncommon Criminals over three days, and still felt like I was missing stuff. The characters seemed to jump to conclusions that I didn't understand. And all of a sudden they'd be flying across the country and I didn't know why. Maybe I just wasn't paying close enough attention, or maybe it was written in a jerky-style that made it hard for me to process everything. Not sure.

I will end by saying that overall I really liked this series, and will look forward to the next books. They're great if your brain needs a little break, but your funny bone still wants a tickle. Also, Ally is one of the cutest people ever! First of all, she has a super-cute accent, and she's SO NICE! She answered all of my crazy questions with 100% of her attention. Loved it! If you get the chance to go hear her speak DO IT.



*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.