Review: Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar

Book: Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar


Synopsis:
[from goodreads]
Welcome to New York City's Upper East Side, where my friends and I live, go to school, play, and sleep--sometimes with each other. 

S is back from boarding school, and if we aren't careful, she's going to win over our teachers, wear that dress we couldn't fit into, steal our boyfriends' hearts, and basically ruin our lives in a major way. I'll be watching closely...

You know you love me, 
gossip girl


My Thoughts On...


Plot: Since I've already seen the first two seasons of the TV show Gossip Girl (I've only seen those two seasons -no spoilers please!), I sort of know what I think is going to happen in this book. I like the plot, mostly because I love reading about rich people, and it's just something that I find interesting.


This book's plot is what was the first couple episodes of the first season, and I thought it was pretty good. I liked the switching point of view, ohmygoodness that was written so well, how you had it written in third person, but you got an insight into everyone's mind, and what they were thinking. As for the cattiness of some of the girls, it worked really well. I thought everyone's motivations were believable and interesting. 


Characters: There were so many characters, I couldn't get to them all, but let me try. Serena was so much fun to read, and I know exactly who she is at my school, because every school has to have a Serena van der Woodsen. Blair was the jealous beta, wanting so badly to be the alpha, she can't stand herself. Nate, Dan and Chuck all were written really well, getting all of their character traits correct. 
Lastly, Jenny. She is my favorite character, a little because I really like Taylor Momsen, a little because I relate to her the best. She's the girl who wants so badly to have friends she likes, she is willing to do anything to get it. 


Settings, Cover, ect: I love books that take place in NYC, I love New York. I wish that I could go to New York and live there :)
The cover works for the book, because it's just a group of girls gossiping about everything and anytthing. 


Overall: Gossip Girl is a guilty pleasure book that is fun to read, and is a fun insight into the world of New York's Upper East Side.  

three/five=it's alright, i'd get it from the library, but don't spend money on it.

Review: Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Book: Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella


Synopsis: 
[from goodreads]
Becky Brandon thinks that having a daughter is a dream come true: a shopping friend for life! But two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping. The toddler creates havoc everywhere she goes, from Harrods to her own christening. Her favorite word is “Mine!” and she’s even trying to get into eBay! On top of everything else, Becky and Luke are still living with her parents (the deal on house #4 has fallen through), when suddenly there’s a huge nationwide financial crisis. 

With people having to cut back, Becky decides to throw a surprise party for Luke to cheer everyone up. But when costs start to spiral out of control, she must decide whether to accept help from an unexpected source—and therefore run the risk of hurting the person she loves. 

Will Becky be able to pull off the celebration of the year? Will she and Luke ever find a home of their own? Will Minnie ever learn to behave? And . . . most important . . . will Becky’s secret wishes ever come true?


My Thoughts On...


Plot: I've been reading this series since the eighth grade, and really liked it. The plot for this book wasn't as much about her shopping problem, her passing it onto her daughter Minnie (whom I loved!), or anything about shopping really, except for the bartering part (which I will get to later), and that was what was the biggest problem for me. I really wanted it to be more about her making up reasons why she had to have stuff, like she did in the first book. 
I liked the surprise party part of the plot, but I didn't think it was really about her being a shopaholic. It was interesting, however, how she got some of the things for the party. Bartering was a cool way for her to still be a shopaholic while not spending any money, like she promised Luke. I liked that she learned her lessons about overspending and not to trust everything you read on the internet through that. 
The twist at the end, it seemed a little rushed. I liked it, but it sort of seemed thrown in there. In my opinion, I think there should have been a hint about it or maybe a clue about it or something, not something just thrown in there to bring up the word and page count. 


Characters: Becky and Luke are both still hilarious characters, and Suze is still my favorite!! Becky and Luke's daughter Minnie, is so cute. She reminds me of my younger cousins, and I loved that. It was easy to relate to Becky's pain because I have done a fair share of babysitting, and have had to go run an errand while babysitting. 
Bonnie was such a great addition to the cast! I loved her, and if there is another Shopaholic book, I really hope she shows up again :)


Setting, Cover, ect: I love their search for a house, and how they're still living with Becky's parents. It really adds to the story, the search for a house while they're trying to get out of her mom's place. 
The cover is cute, but not my favorite cover from this series. 


Overall Thoughts: A cute book to add to the series. Not the best, but still a fun chick lit read!

three/five=it's alright, i'd get it from the library, but don't spend money on it.

~Lydia

Hello, My Name Is...

Hey everyone! Sorry for my absence, but I was on SPRING BREAK!!


Before Spring Break, I wrote a post about my name. Julie isn't my real name. I've decided to begin using my real name for blogging again.

So, I would like to formally introduce myself...

Hello, my name is Lydia.
It's nice to meet you :)
How are you?
Thanks for following my blog!!

~Lydia

Real Name

It's not secret that I love names! I use a pseudonym for my blog, and about a month ago, I wrote a post about it. Here are the parts I think are important, because I want to bring that topic back up and get some opinions about it. 

I would say that it's obvious, but it's not. I use a pseudonym. Julie is not my real name. I really want to use my real name, because in the future, as a writer, I think I want to use my real name. But when I started my first blog, I didn't use my real name because I thought using a pseudonym would be loads more fun and just look be more interesting. But now that I'm getting very serious with writing, I don't know if I want my pseudonym on it.

I don't want to be Julie, I want to be _____. At least as a writer. Let me give you a little background on who Julie is and why she is my pseduonym.

A few years ago, I began a WIP about three girls living in the 1970s. It was based off my best friends and my friendship, the way we would've wanted it to be, if we lived in the 70s. When my friend Charlotte showed interest in co-writing it, we gave our 70s-alter-ego characters our favorite names, and I choose Julianne Wendy as my first and middle name, and Meyers stuck as the last name. Charlotte and Layla are not their real names, just the ones they decided to be in the book. When they started their blogs, they used their alter-ego's names and they stuck.

When I created my first blog, I had it under my real name, then decided to change it to Julie, for safety and fun. Now that I see that it's alright to have your first name out there, I sort of want my real name back.

But people out in the blogging world know me as Julie. I'm not ____, I'm Julie. I want to be _____, but I'm thinking I might be stuck with Julie.

Does anyone have any opinions on if I should change my name back, or if I should stay Julie? I love being Julie, but I want my real name back.

What do you think??

~Julie

Oh, and as a post-script, my name is the only thing that is incorrect information about me. All my about me is true and everything I post on here is true, just my name is different. I don't want ya'll to think I have multiple personalities or anything, I just used a pen name :)

The Hunger Games Tag

While I wasn't tagged in this, I love The Hunger Games and I want to do this tag! I got them from Jordyn of Ten Cent Notes.
I decided to do this post because everyone I know is going to go see it tonight, and I won't get to see it for about two weeks because I promised I'd go with my dad to see it, and I'm going on a trip with my mom for Spring Break next week.

SPOILER ALERT!! THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR ALL THREE BOOKS OF THE HUNGER GAMES TRILIOGY, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE SERIES, STOP READING HERE!

1. What is your favorite book in The Hunger Games Trilogy?

I'm pretty sure that I'm with the rest of the world on this one; The Hunger Games is my favorite, because you see everything that goes on in a typical games, up to the end with the nightlocks. I loveloveloved it!

2. How long would you last in The Games?

I doubt I would win, especially against Cato and other careers, but I would run off my platform, grab the first thing I saw and could reach, and run toward the woods. I know how to build a fire, climb a tree, hunt, ect, since my dad taught my when I was younger, but I don't think I would win. I would make it to the top 8 maybe. Maybe. But I think I would last a lot longer than anyone else I know. 

3. What's the strangest thing you thought was going to happen in the books (but didn't)?
I thought Rue would end up winning. I really wanted her to win. I really wanted her to win. This isn't strange, but it's honest. 

4. How were you introduced to The Hunger Games?

This is a long story..when it first came out, my aunt (who is a teacher) gave it to my cousin and dad to read and they told me I had to read it. I had others to read, so I put it on my shelf and waited. I waited, and waited and waited. When I heard it was going to be a movie, I about died. I freaked out because I knew if I didn't read it soon, I would be accused of not reading it until it was popular. I put it off a little more until I finally read it and I mean I read it. It took me less than a day. It was so good.

5. Favorite moment in The Hunger Games?

Probably when Katniss first meets Rue. I love Rue, and that first time they meet is probably my favorite part in their relationship.
Either that or, in Catching Fire when Peeta and Katniss watch the video of Haymitch's victory...that was a really cool scene in my mind.

6. Who is your favorite character?
Either Katniss, Gale, Prim, Rue, Haymitch or Cinna. 

7. What district would you live in?
Like Jordyn, I'm going off of where things were located, and me being from hot, muggy, and humid Georgia, I'd be working in the peach orchids of District Eleven. I like it :)

8. What was the most emotional moment in the books for you?
My two most sad parts were when Rue and Prim died. I have younger cousins, and they both reminded me of  my cousins :'(

9. What item from home would you take into the arena with you as a token?
I would probably bring a safety pin that I used to keep on my shoe. I'm not going to explain what it means, but I know what it means, and that's what counts. 

10. What was the most evil plan someone made in the books?

I really have no idea...there were so many, I could never pick...the bombing of all the districts was really upsetting, and when Cinna was taken away..there were a lot..

11. What are you looking most forward to in the film?
Oh gosh, the cornucopia probably. Every time I imagine it, it's something different. I really want to see how it's designed, and how the initial bloodbath goes down. That's going to be exciting. 

12. Who is your favorite villain in the trilogy?
I really don't know...I loved Cato as a villian, and President Snow was kind of an ass...Effie too. Ah I don't know!! It's too hard to pick. 

I'm not going to tag anyone, but I want to know, what were your answers? Leave me a link in the comments!!

~Julie

Review: The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Book: The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler


Synopsis: 
[from goodreads]
It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future. 

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.


My Thoughts On...


Plot: Despite some of the negative comments I've heard about the plot, I liked it. I thought it was very unique, and not like most future-seeing books I've ever read. It was very creative and offered an interesting look at how much we use and abuse Facebook. 


Another thing I really liked was that it took place over only a week. I have a soft spot for books that take place in a short amount of time because the author has to pay attention to every detail, and it takes a lot of skill to pay that much attention to what you are writing, and it's even harder to do it with another author. 


Characters: Emma bothered me a little bit. She really didn't want to do anything about the future except make sure it was perfect for her. She should've done something more useful with it than what she did. 
Josh, I liked. He knew what the future would be, but didn't stress about it, or try to change it too much, he just worried about it would effect his present. 


Kellan and Tyson really helped make the book. Emma and Josh alone would've been dry characters, so Kellan and Tyson really helped. I'd have to say that they were my favorite characters. 


Setting: Cute, small town in the northeast, very cozy and at-home. 


Cover/Other: The cover was for sure my favorite. The binary code looked so cool. I just wish it had something involving Facebook and the changing futures. 

four/five=it's awesome and worth reading.

Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Book: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins


Synopsis:
[from goodreads]
Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create. 

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. 

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before... and surprising readers at every turn.


My Thoughts On...


Plot: Okay, honestly, I liked the first book way better. The Hunger Games topped this book by a thousand. That doesn't mean I didn't like this one. I really liked the whole victory tour plot, and then the Quarter Quell twist. 


The Quarter Quell really caught me off guard. The first thing I noticed was that what if Katniss and Peeta hadn't won the year before? What if Haymitch was still the only District 12 victor? How would've that worked out? 


Also, cliffhanger at the end? Not necessary. I have to wait and borrow my dad's copy of Mockingjay, and I don't see him until Thursday. Not happy. 


Characters: Katniss Everdeen: Still love her. Much more mature and real in this one. She's really grown as a character since the Games. 


Peeta Mellark: I am still not a fan of any part of his and Katniss' relationship.


Gale Hawthorne: I love Gale. He's really always there for Katniss, and really loves her. 


Primrose Everdeen: So cute, and very much a younger version of Katniss. She's awesome. 


Finnik Odair: He really rubbed me the wrong way in the beginning, but when he defends Katniss at the cornucopia, he shows his true colors. Or true for as much as I know. 


Johanna Mason: I liked Johanna. She was funny :)


Setting: All the settings were pretty awesome. I loveloveloveloveLOVED the *SPOILER* arena clock. So unique and awesome!


Cover/Other: Still awesome, very unique. No competition to the first book, but still a great read!

four/five=it's awesome and worth reading.