In My Mailbox (75)

Happy Sunday! Oh wait it's not Sunday anymore. Grr you blogger and how you refuse to posts my posts on time. This is the only time that I ever think about switching servers. Anyway, on to the post that should have been posted yesterday...

Yesterday,  Saturday, I got to go to my library book sale. It's the best thing every. People donate books to the library and they sell the donated and old library books for .10 to a dollar. Such a bargain. These are the books I picked up...

This is one of my favorite movies and when I saw this novel I literally snatched it up. There was a good 50 people in this tiny room. I wasn't going to wait for someone else to grab it first. I'm currently reading it now, it's much different then the movie but I am enjoying it. 

I have a slight obsession with fantasy and historical things, so something like the King Author legend is one of my favorite things to read about. I have actually already read this book (AMAZING). I picked it up for my little sister to read, and well for me to reread again since i lost my copy. 

Sadly I have not read a John Green book yet, I am always picking them up when I see them but I just haven't been able to pick one up and start. I've heard such great things, so maybe I'll start this one soon. But I also have heard to start with Looking for Alaska so I'll have to keep a look out for that one. 

This is one I have to read over the summer for AP Lit, so I thought it would be better to get it for .50 cents instead of 10 dollars. 

This one just looked cute. 

What did you get this weekend? 

Oh and I just wanted to let you know that I got my first legit job! I'm very excited and start next week. It shouldn't cut into my blogging since I have a ton of books that I've read and need to review. I just have to make time to sit down and review them. 

Plus there is only a little over a month until BEA! Who else is super excited?????

--Danielle

BEA and College Questions

Hey guys! As most of you know, I'm a junior in high school which means that in the fall I'll be filling out college applications. This makes me so nervous, deciding my future starts in a few short months. I have a small idea what I want to do, I want to work with books. Anyway, publishing, book agents, anything. I just know that the only thing I'm going to enjoy doing is working with books.

I also know that many other bloggers are in the same position I am in. So I came up with an idea, this is where BEA comes in. Everyone working in that conference works with books everyday. I want to go around asking them what they majored in, where they went to college and what they would recommend someone like me to do.

Would anyone else be interested in hearing what they have to say? I was thinking about making a post or a video out of it. Leave what you think! I'll am positively asking these questions while I am there, I just want to know if I should make something fun out of it.

--Leave some comments!

---Danielle :)

Waiting On Wednesday

What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.
Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.
A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

I have to say the cover caught me for this one. I love the dress and the font. Oh it's just perfect. It also sounds fantastic, plus it is from Harperteen and that just sets it up to be even better. I haven't read a bad Harperteen book in awhile. 

What books are you looking forward to?

---Danielle

Avatar The Last Airbender: The Promise Part 1

Avatar the Last Airbender
The Promise Part 1
By: Gene Luen Yan (Script)
Source: NetGalley

Summary: The wait is over! Ever since the conclusion of Avatar: The Last Airbender, its millions of fans have been hungry for more--and it's finally here!

This series of digests rejoins Aang and friends for exciting new adventures, beginning with a faceoff against the Fire Nation that threatens to throw the world into another war, testing all of Aang's powers and ingenuity!

Review:  As a huge fan of the cartoon show Avatar the Last Airbender, I couldn't help myself when I saw the comic on Netgalley last week. I had doubts that it wouldn't be as good however, I just had to read it. And surprisingly I really enjoyed it reading about my favorite characters in comic book form. 

What I especially loved is that it starts off right where the show had ended. There is not wondering what happened in between because it is all there. Actually the last scene in the T.V. show is the first one in the book. Also the writer was able to capture the essence of the show. That funny, sarcastic edge that the show has was still there. Really it just felt like I was watching the show. 

Yet, while I did love the book, there were a few things that I had issues with. It was very short. By short I mean I could read it in an hour. This is probably because it is meant for younger kinds too, since the T.V. show was a cartoon. But, I would have liked just a little bit more. Also the romance in the novel was a little iffy. It felt like it was being pushed. Katara and Aang had just kissed, there should have been a little progress to a relationship there. 

Other then that, I really enjoyed reading The Promise Part 1. I would recommend it for everyone that has seen the show. If you haven't watched the show, this isn't something you'll want to read. They don't explain much, you might be able to figure it out but these are more for the T.V.show fans. I really recommend watching it too, if you haven't already. For all the fans like me, this is a series you don't want to miss!

--Danielle

--Oh did anyone else watch the Legend of Kora? I thought it was pretty good. It's weird that only Katara is there but I enjoyed it. 

2 Year Blogoversary! (Giveaway!!!)

Can you believe it??? With A Book has been up and running for two years as of April 11th. I still can't believe it's been more then a week. I remember putting my first review up, getting my first comment, my first followers, and all the other excited things that have come from having this blog.

While it is fun, it's also been so much work. I love writing for you guys but I'm sure you know that I'm not nearly as good as some bloggers with keeping up daily and reviewing everything in advance to even scheduling the next couple of months. I've always tried to do that but it's just not me. I've had so much fun over the past few years just doing everything as I go along. I can't think of doing it any other way. I'm so glad that some of you seem to enjoy my blogging too.

For a thanks to everyone that has stuck by me the last two years, or maybe just finding my blog now, I'm going to giveaway my copy of Just Flirt by Laura Bowers.

I just finished this one last week and I have to say it is not what I was expecting. It had a few twists, and was much more then a summer romance novel. Actually it didn't even have as much romance as I was expecting, yet I enjoyed it. It's a perfect book to bring on vacation, or read as the weather become warm and sunny. :)

Since this is a 2 Year Blogoversary giveaway I would also expect a BUNCH of swag and surprises in this giveaway. 

(Trying rafflecopter for the first time... lets see if it works...)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Vacation

Hey guys! I just wanted to let you know l'll be on vacation this week. I thought would still be able to post while was here but the wifi is horrible! I even had  to trype this on my phone. So sorry for any formatting issues. I've already read 4 books since ve been down here (Florida) so expect tons of stuff when get back!

See you guys next week! 

-Danielle

In My Mailbox (74)

In My Mailbox is a meme started and hosted by The Story Siren.


From Net Galley: 

When I saw this on Netgalley I just had to request it. I was such a huge fan of the show when it was on. I've actually already read this one after I put it on my nook today. It was short but really good. My review will be up sometime this week. 

This one just looked like a light fun summer read, that would be perfect to bring on vacation. I can't wait to read this one down by the beach. 

Library: 

I picked up a audio book of Wither from my library also today. I just got my license and my first car a few weeks ago, I thought it would be fun to try out listening to an audio book while I drive around. I've never listened to an audio book before so I'm really curious if I'll like it. 

Bought: 

 

I don't know why it took me so long to pick this one up. Delirium is one of my favorite books and I'll finally get to see what happens next! So excited :)

What did you get this week?

--Danielle 

Review: Fracture by Megan Miranda

Last year, my cousin Kelli wrote a review of Linger for With A Book since I had received the novel but did not enjoy first book, Shiver. Which she did a perfect job with! Well, now I have all these books on my shelves that are just sitting there all lonely. This is where Kelli comes in, I have recruited her to help me keep the blog updated and get through all the review books that I have received. You will (hopefully) be seeing much more of her here at With A Book. She is the best cousin ever for helping me out and I know you guys will love her as much as I do, because she is just awesome! :)

Fracture by Megan Miranda
Published on January 17th 2012

Summary ~ Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine
-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

Review ~ I'm not sure what it was about Fracture that made me want to read it so badly, but I did, and I have no regrets. The story started out on a suspenseful note and kept me flipping the pages. The scientific mystery/love story was certainly notpredictable, as I've come to find that a fair amount of YA stories have become. The characters are real and relatable without being too perfect or too flawed. Delaney finds herself trapped in a unique love square (yes, square). She is attracted to three different boys in different ways. One who gave her her first real kiss, another who she loves as a best friend, and a third with a similar circumstance.

There were very few problems I had with Fracture. For one, it's short. Everything happened quickly and rushed, without much depth or explanation, including the ending, which upset me. Some of my questions were left unanswered, and I'm still wondering what exactly happened to Delaney's relationships with her family, friends, and Decker. Also, Megan Miranda stated that she was inspired to write this novel after studying serious brain injuries, yet we never uncover the cause of Delaney's and Troy's abilities.

Overall, I found Fracture to be extremely interesting and different. It kept me guessing, thinking, wondering, even googling some things! I smiled, laughed, and had to contain slight urges to throw the book into a wall. With this book, expect the unexpected.

~~~Kelli~~~

You can find more of Kelli on her Twitter @k3lLiBi3b3r, and hopefully more on here soon. Maybe I will be able to convince her to write an About Me. :)

Waiting On Wednesday

Fairytales, romances, princes, princesses, and everything else in between are things I just devour. This one has all of that and has a dystopian, Hunger Games, kind of thing going on. I also love the author Kiera Cass.
She is just awesome!

Summary: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon. 
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. 
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined

 The one comes out on April 24th of this year! Whooo so close.

Review: Hunger Games Movie (Spoiler Free)

My thoughts on The Hunger Games Movie. 

When I watch a movie that was adapted from a novel, I'm usually bored. I already know the story, the plot, and the ending. Unless it was one of my favorite books, I usually do not enjoy the movie. Even then sometimes the movie is just not very entertaining. With the Hunger Games, I had read the novel first but I was nowhere close to falling asleep during the film. The action, excitement, and characters made the Hunger Games not only a great novel but a truly great film as well. 

The acting, in my opinion, is what makes The Hunger Games so great. Each actor was perfect for their parts from Effie who was just as quirky as I had pictured her in the novel, to Katniss and Peeta. Who really seemed to understand their characters and got the emotions from the book to the big screen perfectly. They were just perfect. 

Personally, I do not like gory movies. I usually find myself hiding behind my popcorn if there is anything more than a paper cut. However, I was expecting this movie to be much gorier then it was. There were only a few times that I actually had to look away. The Tracker Jacker scene in my opinion was the worst, but that's probably because bees scare me. If you have yet to see the movie, don't worry about the gore. There is blood, stabbing and death but nothing to graphic and gushing blood. 

The Hunger Games is a movie and book that you don't want to miss. Let's hope they keep it up with the sequels! I'm very excited to see Catching Fire. 

What did you think of the movie? 

--Danielle

In My Mailbox (73)

In My Mailbox is a meme started and hosted by The Story Siren.

For Review:

This is one I didn't know I was getting but it looks really interesting. I'm a huge history geek, more then half of my classes for my senior will be in the history wing of my high school, and the scandals in history are always the best.

From the Library:

Just finished. Such a great series, so sad I waited so long to read it.
Bought:

Funny story, accidently bought this one on amazon. I wasn't paying attention and talking to someone else while twitter was up on my kindle. Someone had put a link up to this novel and I guess I accidently pressed it and bought it. Once I noticed it was free, it didn't bother me. I thought it was just going to sit on my kindle. But I opened it up to see what it was about and read the first few chapters, and I have to say, so far it is amazing! So glad I happened to buy it.