B & K's Reading Daze

I have two girls who love to read as much as I do.  Granted they are 5 and 3, so reading isn't exactly what they do.  I'm so excited that this love of mine seems to be passing on to them.  So B & K's Reading Daze highlights some of the books they have enjoyed over the past month. 

K's Books: 

Title: Pinkalicious: School Rules

 

When Pinkalicious brings her imaginary unicorn, Goldie, to class one day, she learns that with her companion by her side, school rules!

K has just starting to really like the Pinkalicious books.  I think we need to add more to our library!  I think they are a nice step up from what we've been reading.

B's Books: 

Title: It's Sharing Day

  

It's Sharing Day! Join Dora and Boots on their way to Abuela's house for a special Sharing Day lunch. First they have to pick up ingredients for their special dessert. Along the way, they learn how important and rewarding it is to share.

This is a book we've read a lot in the past couple month.  I picked it up at a yard sale and it's quickly become a favorite.  Both my girls have loved Dora though!

Review - Indelible (The Yara Silva Trilogy #2) by Lani Woodland

Title: Indelible

Author: Lani Woodland

Series: 2nd (Intrinsical)

Pages: 416

Published: September 27, 2011 by Pendrell

ISBN: 9780982729724

Source: Arranged Tour

Description: Yara is beginning to understand just how much her life will change now that her Waker abilities have emerged. She has come to terms with the fact that seeing ghosts is part of her life, but she isn't ready to let being a Waker dictate her choices. All she wants is a ghost-free senior year with her boyfriend, Brent, and her best friend, Cherie. But Yara soon discovers that there are more dark secrets in her school's history than just the curse she broke. While an angry ghost makes Yara question everything she thought she knew about spirits, she and Brent learn that there are long reaching consequences to last year's adventures. As new enemies emerge and old ghosts resurface, Yara finds herself in the center of another deadly mystery, and this time she has to contend with the living as well as the dead.

I Give This ...

 

I love it when I enjoy a sequel more than the first!  And that's saying a lot because I really liked Intrinsical.  The cast of characters remains true to themselves and the storyline is fantastic.

I didn't think it was possible to like Yara any more than I already did.  But, she's just a great all around character.  She's still struggling with what she is.  I think because her abilities appeared so suddenly, she really trying to escape what she was born to do.  She tries to take the easy way out sometimes, and doesn't truly believe that she can help the ghosts.  I still really enjoy her friends and her family.  They really do fill out the story well. 

I liked how the story involved the living just as much as the dead.  It seems there's a secret group hidden in the school and they crave more power.  The founder of the school was hiding the secret to this ability from his own sons, and this group is determined to find it.  His wife's ghost is guarding the key to all of it.  And she's seems to have it in for Yara.  I was intrigued by how violent she could get towards Yara.  I enjoyed learning a little about how the group worked and what they believed they could eventually do.  It was creepy how much they knew about Yara and Brent.  They used their weaknesses against them to get exactly what they wanted. 

I think my favorite parts involve Yara and Brent together.  I really enjoy their relationship.  I liked watching them interact with each others families (even though Brent's parents don't seem to like Yara).  I like how they try to protect each other, even if it's really not what they other person needs.  I love how devoted they are to each other, but not in an over the top way.

I really just enjoy this series.  There's way to much to try and cover in a short review.  I'm looking forward to the last in the series!

Revew - The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Title: The Future of Us

Author: Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Series: Stand Alone

Pages: 309

Published: November 21, 2011 by Razorbill

ISBN: 9781595144911

Source: Around The World Tours

 

Description: It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM. Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future. Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out. 

I Give This ...

 

Everything about this book called to me.  I loved Jay Asher's first book, and look forward to his next project.  And although I haven't read anything by Carolyn Mackler, I was intrigued by what the partnership might bring to the story.  I ended up liking it just as much as I thought I would.

I actually though Emma and Josh were perfect 90's teens.  There were so many references to the time period that I just loved.  I was a teen in this exact time period, so I really identified with everything that was going on.  I laughed at the memory of that first AOL CD, beepers, ancient cell phones, and all those things.  I really stopped to think of what my 15 year-old self would think of my posts on Facebook if it was accidentally stumbled upon.

I found it interesting that Josh was determined not to mess with the future.  At first I think it was because he liked the glimpse he got of it.  But then I think it was more to do with watching Emma drastically change her own just by the little things that she did.  I also thought it was interesting how knowing what happens in the future effected their day to day decisions on things.  I did have a little trouble with how Emma read everything to mean she was unhappy.  There really is so little information you can obtain for status updates on Facebook. 

I do think this story makes light of everything.  There are so many areas this story could have touched upon that would have made it darker.  But, it's just a fun story that really makes you think about what you are doing right now might have some sort of effect on the future.  I'm not sure how much today's teens will identify with the idea of no internet and few cellphones.  But, I think adults who like to read young adult will totally get a kick out of this book!

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. Click on the picture to be taken to Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books!

It's been a great 3 day weekend for the family.  We went to visit my parents for a couple days.  The girls got to go horseback riding.  And then we went up into the mountains for huckleberry picking.  We're back home now and just a day of relaxation before it's back to the routine!

Read Last Week: 

• The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
• Indelible by Lani Woodland
• The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton 

Currently Reading:

• Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

Up This Week: 

• Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
• Eyes in the Mirror by Julia Mayer

In My Mailbox!

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren and she was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! 

For Review: 

• The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Swapped:

• The Shadowy Horses by Suzanna Kearsley
• Betrayal by Lee Nichols

Review - Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Series: 1st

Pages: 352

Published: November 15, 2011 by HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780062085481

Source: Once Upon A Twilight Blog Tours

Description: Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.  The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.  Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. 

I Give This ...

 

Well this was a surprise.  I actually didn't set my standards too high for this one because I just didn't feel like I had enough to go on.  It sounded intriguing and the cover is awesome.  I actually ended up tearing through it and the storyline kept me guessing.

 
I was instantly drawn to Juliette.  She's completely isolated from society.  She doesn't speak or touch other humans.  Her only communication with the outside world is the alarms that signal different part of the day (but those aren't even an regular intervals).  She's been shunned her entire life, and feels like even her own parents wanted nothing to do with her.  She may not like being all alone, but she feels being away from society is the best thing for her.  And even she doesn't know what she's fully capable of. 

Entire in Adam.  He suddenly appears as her cellmate.  She's terrified of being around another human.  She doesn't trust why he's there, and for very good reason.  It's a test she passes with flying colors.  The Reestablishment wants to use her as a weapon to bring those who defy them under their control.  She's taken from her cell into a house rich in luxuries she never had in the outside world.  But, she's has no desire to use her touch to bring people pain, no matter how grandly she is treated.  

Warner is the leader of The Reestablishment's son.  He seems to get a particularly gruesome kick out of the pain the Juliette can cause people.  He's the one who wants to use her for his own gain.  His character really intrigued me.  He's extremely twisted and is convinced that Juliette enjoys it as much as he does.  He will stop at nothing to keep her under his control.  The tests he sets up for Juliette to perform were horrible!

The story takes an interesting twist when we learn that Adam is not all that he seems.  It turns out he has a special connection to Juliette which he plays to his advantage.  For awhile, I wasn't sure which side he was truly on, which is I'm sure how that author intended you to feel.  When the truth comes out, I ended up completely in love with his character.  

As Adam and Juliette learn who they can trust concerning what is really happening in the outside world, the story starts racing forward at breathtaking speed.  There for some many things that happened that I really wasn't expecting.  This wasn't your typical dystopian and I think that's why I was so surprised by it.  I ended up really enjoying it.  Can't wait for the next one!

Review - The Vision (The Mark #2) by Jen Nadol

Title: The Vision

Author: Jen Nadol

Series: #2 (The Mark)

Pages: 240

Published: September 27, 2011 by Bloomsbury

ISBN: 9781599905976

Source: Teen Book Scene

Description: Cassie Renfield knows the mark tells her when someone is going to die and that she can intervene and attempt to change fate. But she still doesn't understand the consequences, especially whether saving one life dooms another. With no family left to offer guidance, Cassie goes in search of others like her. But when she meets Demetria, a troubled girl who seems to have the power of the Fates, Cassie finds the truth isn't at all what she expected. And then there's her heady new romance with bad boy Zander. Dating him has much graver repercussions than she could ever have imagined, forcing Cassie to make choices that cut to the essence of who she is and what she believes. 

I Give This ...

 

I loved the first in the series.  And while I'm use to the sophomore book tending to me inferior to the first, I struggled with this one way more than I normally do.

My biggest problem was the amount of time this book spends in the funeral home.  And, I really feel this might be a personal issue with me.  I'm not overly fond of the idea of death.  So reading about all her work in the funeral homes was just NOT for me.  I do understand why she was doing it.  And I enjoyed what she learned about the different beliefs on what happens when we die.  And also the idea of changing your "destiny" is discussed in different contexts which I found fascinating.

I liked Cassie's interactions with the girl in the mental health hospital.  While the other girl never says anything, I think it shows a lot about what Cassie is trying to learn.  She's really trying to get a handle on what's the right thing to do.  Which brings us to Zander.  I enjoyed learning who he is and what he can do in relationship to what Cassie does.  But, as a character, I intensely disliked him.  I really wanted to Cassie to stay far away from him.

So, really mixed feelings about this book.  I hate saying it was a let down, but I just didn't have the same feel as the first book.