It's Monday, What Are You Reading? [001]

Yay, it's Monday! What are you reading is hosted by One Persons Journey through a world of Books. Each week we spotlight the books we are reading, planning on reading or just finished reading.


Currently Reading:
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

- Loving this book so far. Hoping to be done by Tuesday. I'll be reading as much as possible tomorrow! Love the male lead, Noah. CUTIE! Hehe. [If you've read this book, did you like it?]

Up next:
Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer [ARC]

- I've been wanting to read this for awhile. I'll admit, mainly for it's gorgeous cover. Luckily a friend couldn't get into it, so I'm taking it over. Hoping I like it!

(I'll add more to this next week. Just wanted to see how I like this meme.)

HELLO 2012

Love the new look? I sure do. Bright and fun. (If the font or anything give you trouble LET ME KNOW. If it's too slow, something isn't loading, wrong link....whatever... tell me please!)

Ahh!! I can't believe it's already 2012! I swear, last year was the fastest year of my life. So much happened.
I contribute the speed of it to my nephew being born. He definitely helped time fly.

And sadly, I didn't read books like I should have. Let's hope this changes this year.
I've set a goal to read 82 books this year. (If anyone knows where a status bar widget is, please let me know!) And I'm reading numero uno right now, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. So good so far. I'm just waiting for the "sexy" part everyone keeps talking about. Unless they're talking about the cheeky Noah in general, then yes... very sexy. ;-)

There will be a review for that this week.

I haven't been posting many reviews here because 1. I haven't been reading very much and 2. I've been guest reviewing for Good Choice Reading. So follow them (I'm sure you are) and you can read all of our reviews!

Probably within the next few months, I'll bring on my mom to do reviews of the books that she reads. She loves YA contemporary, but she also has other tastes that I'm not interested in and I'm sure some readers are. :)

I've been a little book buying happy (plus ones I'm sent) so, expect a "What's in My Mailbox" for the entire month of January! I may do it monthly or bi-weekly. Depends on when I recieve books. :)

Memes and features are some of my favorite things about blogging. So I can't wait to start posting those again.

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