Meet Me on Monday (017)

Meet Me on Monday is hosted by Never Growing Old and it's a meme for bloggers to get to know each other one Monday at a time.



1.Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I'm using both. I wish I could have found plain brown paper, but it was all in bulk size.

2.Real or artificial tree?
Artificial, but next year I would like a mini real tree!

3.When do you put your tree up?
That's my mom's job... she does it as early as the day after Thanksgiving.

4.When do you take your tree down?
Sometimes as early as the day after to as late as after New Year's Eve.

5.Do you like eggnog?
I haven't tried it before, but I would like to.

6.Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes, but it's not up this year. Again, my mom's doing.

7.Favorite Christmas Movie?
I don't know, I just love Christmas Movies. Of course A Christmas Story and ELF. But I love Little Match Girl too. *tears*
The one with Keshia Knight Pulliam & Rue McClanahan.

8.Favorite Christmas cookie?
PFT. All cookies!!

9.Where will you eat Christmas dinner?
We're going to do two Christmas dinners this year. On Christmas day I'll be making a turkey and all the fixings. The next day, with family, we're having lasagna and sides.

10.Angel, bow or star on top of your tree?
Star. Always.

11.Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
How people get so into buying presents, getting best deals. And obnoxious children. Parents spoil their kids WAYYY too much and need to get some iron cajones!

12.Do you like Fruitcake?
Never tried it. Don't want to.

13.What are you most excited about the holidays?
I finally get to buy presents for people!! And it's my nephew's first Christmas! (He's 8 months)

14.Do you open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?
Christmas morning. I want to start a tradition of opening a movie and pajamas Christmas Eve.

15.Will you still be wrapping presents on Christmas Eve?
If I'm helping my mom, yes. But I will be at my aunt's house as that's part of her Christmas present, helping her out.

BANISHED by Sophie Littlefield [review]

Banished by Sophie Littlefield

Published: October 10th, 2010 | Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Age: Young Adult
Pages: 304
Acquired: Borrowed from library

Overall:

Review: Another blogger asked if I would like to read Unforsaken by Sophie Littlefield for her blog and it sounded really good, but when I accepted it... I realized it was the second in a series, so I had to read the first one immediately.
And I'm so glad I did. This book was simply sooo good! From the beginning I knew that I'd love this book and didn't want to put it down. But of course I had to, every time something got in the way.
But when I could, I picked it up and read, read, read.
I usually wait a day or two to give reviews, so that the book and story can sink in, but I just finished this one not 30 minutes ago and I had to get on here and review!

Banished is about a girl, Hailey, who learns that she was healing powers after saving a girl's life in gym class. When things start to become less clear, she starts to ask questions, but being the oddest girl out, no one wants to help her. She never knew her dead mother, and has no idea who her father is so she wouldn't get answers there. Then there's her crazy and evil grandmother who sells drugs out of their house and treats Hailey as if she were nothing. All Hailey has is her "brother" Chub and dog Rascal.
That's until her aunt, Prairie comes looking for her.

After Hailey, Prairie, Chub and Rascal finally escape an attack on Hailey's grandmother and the other Banished in town they begin their journey to Chicago and Hailey slowly begins to learn how little she knew about her life.

The entire time I felt so bad for Hailey, but loved how strong she was. She learns she's a healer and the bad and good things that come along with it. Little Chub, adorable and I commended her for basically being his mother at 16 while Chub is 4 with developmental problems.

I was surprised at most things that happened. I'm usually a few steps ahead in a book but everything that happened to Hailey, happened to me, because I just didn't see it coming. Especially the twist towards the last third of the book.

The only reason I give this book 4 stars is because there is no romance in the book, but it does hint at some romance in the next one. I wish I'd only gotten one book from the library so I could read Unforsaken now!

Plot:
Characters:
Ending:
Writing: 1/2
Cover:

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Author Info:
Sophie Littlefield grew up in central Missouri, daughter of a history professor father and an artist mother. She earned a degree in computer science and made very little use of it. After living in Chicago for ten years, she and her husband packed up the kids and moved to Northern California in 1998.
She is an Adult and Young Adult author.

Check out Sophie on: website | twitter | facebook | blogger | goodreads

SHUT OUT by Kody Keplinger [review]

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Published: September 5th, 2011 | Poppy
Age: Young Adult
Pages: 273
Acquired: Borrowed from friend.

Overall:

Review: Lissa's had enough of the rivalry between the football team--which her boyfriend is the quarterback of--and the soccer team. So, she's come up with a plan to end it. A hook-up strike. And at first she thinks all is well, but things start unraveling quickly. Especially when she is reacquainted with Cash Sterling.

From the beginning I could just tell that her relationship with Randy wasn't as solid as she wanted to believe it to be. And I knew that this "Shut Out" would be far easier than she thought. Except for when it came to her realization that Randy was quite a douche and she may have feelings for Cash. I loved that the many.... many girls in this strike became friends from this and learned a lot about themselves. Old friends who had a falling out became friends again and enemies even began to become civilized.
That and Cash were my favorite parts of the book.

Cash was adorable and there just wasn't enough of him. His last name is Sterling which made me think of the actor Sterling Knight, which in turn made me think of knight in shining armor... which he kind of was.

After reading, and loving, The DUFF I kind of expected a little more oomph out of this one. And because of that, it's why I gave it a 3 star rating. This one has more of a basic contemporary feel to it. More young adult that The DUFF did. But I still enjoyed it and can't wait for more from Kody!

Plot: 1/2
Characters:
Ending:
Writing:
Cover:


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Author Info:
Kody Keplinger was born and raised in rural western Kentucky, where she attended high school and began writing her first long pieces of fiction. Kody wrote THE DUFF during her senior year at McLean County High School. Kody is now twenty and lives in New York City, where she continues to write YA novels. SHUT OUT, her second novel, will be out in September 2011 and another, A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHTMARE, due in 2012. She loves books, Converse tennis shoes, New York City, and popular TV teen dramas. When she isn't writing, she's spending time with her friends and exploring New York City. Kody is a contributor to the writing blog YA Highway and a member of the contemporary, realistic YA fiction group The Contemps.

Check Kody on: website | twitter | Blogger | YA Highway | The Contemps