Friday Flavor (5) Chatting With Sarah Ockler + Contest

Hi there people!!!

Friday Flavor is back this week with more book recommendations and of course, as you can see from the title, a contest! :) Is that enough to keep you reading on? Well, this week is a little more special than others because our guest will talk about her favorite recently read book through a video she recorded in Philadelphia. So what are you waiting for? Click play and see which books Sarah loves and the one she is giving away for one luckiest commentor.

Such a lovely video isn't it? I was already interested in Once Was Lost but hearing Sarah talk about it make me want to read it even more. Jumping Off Swings seem good to and I'm really glad I'll be able to read it soon. I've not heard about Sorta Like A Rock Star til Sarah mentioned it here. It sounds great, you guys should check more info on it.



Now, onto the giveaway part, Sarah has agreed to give away an ARC of Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr to one of the readers of Friday Flavor. (I'm so jealous of the winner already ^^) Simply leave a comment on this video and you'll be entered.


For extra entries:

+1 New follower
+2 Old follower
+2 If you comment on my review of Twenty Boy Summer
+2 If you follow @sarahockler on Twitter
+4 If you link/tweet about the contest

Open to whoever has USA/Canadian mailing address(es). The contest runs to Dec 18th so you have plenty of time to get extra entries. Good luck to everyone, and thanks Sarah for such a wonderful video as well as the awesome giveaway.

<3

THE BOOK REVIEW CLUB NOV - Bloom by Elizabeth Scott

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pub. Date: April 24th 2007
Age Range: Age 12 and up
Pages: 231
Format: paperback
Source of copy: from the publisher - Simon Pulse Aus

There's a difference between falling and letting go.

Lauren has a good life: decent grades, great friends, and a boyfriend every girl lusts after. So why is she so unhappy?

It takes the arrival of Evan Kirkland for Lauren to figure out the answer: She's been holding back. She's been denying herself a bunch of things (like sex) because staying with her loyal and gorgeous boyfriend, Dave, is the "right" thing to do. After all, who would give up the perfect boyfriend?

But as Dave starts talking more and more about their life together, planning a future Lauren simply can't see herself in -- and as Lauren's craving for Evan, and moreover, who she is with Evan becomes all the more fierce -- Lauren realizes she needs to make a choice...before one is made for her.

An awesome debut by Elizabeth Scott, a heartfelt message about true love and how to live your life the way you want it to be. Honestly, I was a fan of Elizabeth even before I read her books and after reading Bloom I know why such a strange thing occured.

I know this sounds pretty bizarre, but if you asked me to describe how I feel about Bloom, I'd say reading the book is like wrapping a baby chicken in your palm. Everything about Bloom is gentle, sweet and extremely neat - something you want to learn more about, to realize the meaning of it and to cherish it even more.

I really like the way Elizabeth writes. She uses unfussy words, she describes things in a very simple way but there's still a feel of elegance to the book. It's brilliant I guess, cause that way Bloom will reach out to readers of all kinds. The story itself is very believable, even though the plot is totally predictable, the situations planned out for the characters are flawless. Reading Bloom is like listening to a friend's story that happened in the past. Bloom isn't actually fast-paced either, but funny enough I feel this urge inside to read faster and faster because I know it's getting better page after page.

I feel like I can make friends with the main girl - Lauren. Her character development is beautiful to begin with - from being all passive and hiding herself in her comfort zone to breaking her shell and coming out strong and determined to do things she should, even though it may hurt people at first. She's a passionate reader too and you can feel it clearly. Her connection with Even is another thing I admire. It's super strong and it doesn't happen too fast. I also like the rest of the characters except Dave. He's just way too good to be true. If I ever meet this guy in real life I think I'll just run away because the perfection is almost scary.

Overally, this is an unforgettable read for all the teen girls out there. Let Bloom tell you more about the choice between safety and wild happiness and then you'll be more confident to pick the right one yourself

Rating: 4/5

Waiting On Wednesday (38)

Idea taken from Breaking The Spine

Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis

I’d love a cup of coffee. I wish she knew how pretty she was. I wish I could drop this kid in the dryer sometimes. I just want her to be happy. I hope she didn’t find out what Ben said about her. I wish I knew how many calories were in a bite of muffin…

Joy is used to hearing Whispers. She’s used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people’s deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good, to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people’s lives—especially Joy’s—miserable. Still, when Joy Hears Jessica whisper: I want to kill my Hearing dead, and kill me too if that’s what it takes, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own.


This one seems so great doesn't it? I love that it has a touch of paranormal but not too much. It's like reading mind, but Hearing Whispers sounds much more mysterious and less typical. I read about people having problems with their special abilities but killing herself? Woah, very intense. One more point for pretty cover.


Be prepared for all the whispers you'll hear on April 27th 2010

If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? by Melissa Kantor

Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pub. Date: April 1st 2007
Age Rang: Young Adult
Pages: 304
Format: paperback
Source of copy: from the publisher - Disney Hyperion

Wicked stepmother? Check.
Evil stepsisters? Check.
Miserable life? Check.

Lucy Norton's life has all the makings of a Cinderella story. Her dad's always away on business, leaving Lucy with her cruel stepmother and bratty stepsisters. She's burdened with chores, and has a hard time fitting in at her new school. So when she sees Connor Pearson, the star player on the varsity basketball team, Lucy hopes her destiny has finally changed. With everything else going on in her life, doesn't she at least deserve to get the handsome prince?


A retelling of Cinderella with a more light-hearted plot and some twist, If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where Is My Prince? is a heartwarming story for those who truly believe that fairy tales can happen in real life. The story has its flaws; however, that doesn't stop lots of readers to enjoy it.

If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where Is My Prince? has all the qualities of a fairy tale: it has the bad ones, the good ones and miracles. It also stays really true to the classic version of Cinderella. Even though it's set in modern times, it resembles the original one in the background really much. The subordinate characters and how they first appear, are exactly the same as those we once read about when we were younger. That makes me feel happy, like I'm going through the emotions I had for Cinderella when I was introduced to it the first time, but also I'm looking forward for a change.

The new details and twist are nice. I don't say that they're mind-blowing or brilliant but for a quick and cute read they contribute quite a lot to the story. Lucy has a guy all smitten for her in the middle of the story but he's not necessary her real prince. And there's a lot of tension between the Lucy and her step-mother at first, but then their relationship gets much better. Lucy too, is a new refreshing version of Cinderella. Although she's in such a bad situation, she sounds calm and never too meek. I love the fact that she has a slight humor and that she's passionate for art.

Ironic as it might sound, what I find kinda confusing is the twist. I mean Connor seems very nice to Lucy and their relationship has potential to develop into real love if they spend more time with each other and stop talking just about sports. That's way more persuasive than Lucy falling in love with Sam with light speed. And it still seems weird as well how the mother and the daughter make up so smoothly, almost without much effort.

To sum up, this book is a lovely retelling of Cinderella even when it lacks the wow factor. Suitable for a read in the garden on a sunshineful Sunday.

Rating: 3/5

Sunday Special (34) Before & After

As promised here are the luckiest stock pictures which have been chosen to present YA books. Some are old, some new but all look very interesting. Check out the input and output of the process of cover-creating alright?

before

after

I Know It's Over by C.K Kelly Martin

before after

Stranded by J.T Dutton

before after

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

before

after

Flash Burnout by L.K Madigan



before

before after

Wild Roses by Deb Caletti

What do you think? Fun isn't it? I think all the designers did a great job on bringing a fresh look for the pictures. Which one is your favorite? Want more posts like this? Just let me know!!!

Wake by Lisa McMann

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pub.Date: March 4th 2008
Age Range: 12 and up
Pages: 210
Series: Dream Catcher
Format: paperback
Source of copy: from the publisher - Simon Pulse Aus

Ever since she was eight years old, high school student Janie Hannagan has been uncontrollably drawn into other people's dreams, but it is not until she befriends an elderly nursing home patient and becomes involved with an enigmatic fellow-student that she discovers her true power.


An intoxicating read, a promising beginning for a series about dream catching. With very intriguing concept and twell-planned details, Wake is a perfect book for fans of paranormal and romance as well.

Needless to say, the premise of the book is the richest feature of Wake, also the next two books in the series. The narrator doesn't dream of people's secrets, she doesn't sneak into their dreams either. She is, against her will, forced to witness others' deepest darkest desires and fears of all time. Also, she has no control over the power at all.

Lisa McMann's style of writing is, in my opinion, calm but very mysterious. The descriptions of the dreams, especially the sex-crazed ones, are very well-written and elegant. It gives the exact feeling of being in dreams - vague, clueless and almost powerless. The story is not action-packed nor magic-packed. It digs the land of emotions, self-exploration more. I like the situation that the author puts Janie through, specifically how she finds out about her special ability. It's natural and convincing.

Janie is a...balanced female lead. She isn't the meek tight but I have yet to see her strong side. She's a hardworking, kind girl who just wants to live a normal life. I have so much sympathy for her because her family doesn't seem to care about her at all and with her secret she's so lonely. The only problem about her is that I don't understand why Janie falls for Cabel so fast. (How come this seems to happen all the time in like...almost every book?) I believe that she and Cabel have crushes on each other, but love? No way. Although I have to say that Cabel has a very unique way to confess to Janie.

Overall, this is a very nice first book of the series. If it's a single book I don't think I might be that impressed. But everything just begins and Wake's success is that it makes the readers want more and more. What do you say? Want to give it a try? Bet you'll like it.

Rating: 4/5

Waiting On Wednesday (37)

Idea taken from Breaking The Spine

One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt.

A hilarious and sweet teen novel by Lauren Barnholdt, the author of two-way street.

UPDATE UPDATE: full synopsis (thanks to Lauren<3)

Four dares
Two secrets
One night

Eliza is in a full-blown panic. Her notebook has been stolen—the one that lists everything she wants but is afraid to go after. And the absolute worst person in the world has it: her ex-boyfriend, Cooper.

Like it’s not enough Cooper was lying to Eliza for their entire relationship, now he and his friends are blackmailing her. They’re giving her just one night to complete the most humiliating tasks on her list or they’ll post her secrets online—including the ones that aren’t just about her.

Eliza’s sure of only one thing: she isn’t going down without a fight. Cooper may have what’s left of her dignity, but she’s not the only one with something to hide....

This sucks because we don't have a real synopsis yet. I have real high expectation for this book. Why? Because I love Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt really really much and One Night That Changes Everything seems to resemble that one in a few ways. I like the fact that even though the cover looks serious, the story, like Goodreads says, is going to be hilarious and sweet. Bottom line: I WANT THIS BOOK. (now that we have the synopsis here, I want it ever more. I'm done haha)


Let's read this one on the night of July 20th 2010 and see if it changes anything :-)

I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure by Larry Smith, Rachel Fershleiser

Publisher: Harper Teen
Pub. Date: September 1st 2009
Age Range: 12 and up
Pages: 240
Format: paperback
Source of copy: from the publisher - Harper Teen

True tales of love, loss, good friends, and bad hair days filled Not Quite What I Was Planning, the New York Times bestselling first book in the Six-Word Memoir series—an international phenomenon. Some of the very best were by teens, so the editors decided to create a book written entirely by those bold, brash truth-tellers. From cancer to creativity, prom dates to promiscuity, and breaking hearts to breaking laws, the memoirs in this collection reveal that often the youngest writers have the most fascinating stories to tell.


This book of memoirs is absolutely admire-worthy. A kind of book that every teen, even adult, should have in their bags, on their shelves just to read it every day and love it even more.

The great thing about the memoirs is the limited amount of words. Without much space to tell long stories about themselves, the talented teens still manage to convey the most important or influential happenings in their lives to the readers. Six words, no more or less. Six words with so much meaning. Six words that leave you with imagination of the rest of the stories. Six words that inspire you so much. You feel like you've been confided by people that you don't even know, you feel their joy, their sorrow, and then in an amazing away, everything inspires you, making you think of a special moments in your own years of being an earthling as well

The book covers a lot of fields: family, love, friendship, dream, life-changing decisions, some are just about how beautiful their lives are at this moment. It's emotion-packed with various kinds, from the heavenly feelings to the very sad ones, sad but not too depressed. It included memoirs of the normal teenagers mostly, but there are a few pages for memoirs of the real famous ones.

Here are a few memoirs - a sneak peak of the book:

Met online, love before first sight.

Seventeen, pregnant. He's off to Iraq.

You made me stronger. Thanks, rapist

We're the family you gossip about.

Her touch made me scars beautiful.

Impressed and excited about this book already? Why don't you go out and grab a copy right now? I assure you, you'll never regret picking up this one. Never ever.

Rating: 4.5/5

In My Mailbox (37)

Idea taken from The Story Siren

I got only one book this week, but it's fabulous one!!!

"I had no illusions about love... It came, it went, it left casualties or it didn't. People weren't meant to be together forever, regardless of what the songs say." Remy doesn't believe in love. And why should she? Her romance novelist mother is working on her fifth marriage, and her father, a '70s hippie singer, left her with only a one-hit wonder song to remember him by. Every time Remy hears "This Lullaby," it feels like "a bruise that never quite healed right." "Wherever you may go / I will let you down / But this lullaby plays on..." Never without a boyfriend, Remy is a compulsive dater, but before a guy can go all "Ken" on her (as in "ultra boyfriend behavior") she cuts him off, without ever getting close or getting hurt. That's why she's stunned when klutzy, quirky, alterna-band boy Dexter inserts himself into her life and refuses to leave. Remy's been accepted to Stanford, and she plans on having her usual summer fling before tying up the loose ends of her pre-college life and heading for the coast. Except Dexter's not following Remy's tried-and-true rules of break-up protocol. And for the first time, Remy's questioning whether or not she wants him to.

I just read and review this book on my blog (look at the post below) but my copy is the UK version. I love the cover of the US version too much I just have to get this one. And it's rare to see a Sarah Deseen book in bookstores here so I bought it without second thought. Pretty book hey?


What about you? What have you got last week? Spill!

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Pub. Date: July 24th 2008
Age Range: Age 12 and up
Pages: 384
Format: paperback
Source Of Copy: from publisher - Hodder Children's Books

Remy doesn't believe in love. And why should she? Her romance novelist mother is working on her fifth marriage, and her father, a '70s hippie singer, left her with only a one-hit wonder song to remember him by. Every time Remy hears "This Lullaby," it feels like "a bruise that never quite healed right." "Wherever you may go / I will let you down / But this lullaby plays on..." Never without a boyfriend, Remy is a compulsive dater, but before a guy can go all "Ken" on her (as in "ultra boyfriend behavior") she cuts him off, without ever getting close or getting hurt. That's why she's stunned when klutzy, quirky, alterna-band boy Dexter inserts himself into her life and refuses to leave. Remy's been accepted to Stanford, and she plans on having her usual summer fling before tying up the loose ends of her pre-college life and heading for the coast. Except Dexter's not following Remy's tried-and-true rules of break-up protocol. And for the first time, Remy's questioning whether or not she wants him to.



This Lullaby is definitely the best Sarah Dessen book I've read so far, and can possibly be the best she's has written all over the years. It's the perfect combination of her usual style - laid back, thought-provoking with something new and exciting - rebellious, carefree and love-feared main character.

Natural plotline. That's the first thing I noticed about this book. Many have written about teenage girls who have lost faith in love but I always find them either too forceful or dramatic. With Remy's story, I felt nothing but the thrill to explore more about this. The girl doesn't remain aloof, she doesn't dread going out with boys at all. She just has no interest in long-termed relationship or commitment.

Music plays a very important part in This Lullaby. The song is really short but I can guarantee that you will fall in love with the lyric, it's meaningful and at the same time inspiring. This Lullaby holds the connection of the girl with her late father, and maybe with the musician boy Dexter too.

This Luallby excels the other books by Sarah Dessen, in my opinion, because it doesn't repeat the same texture the rest of her stories follow. This book focuses more on the subject of love than family. There're a whole range of characters, making the story less quiet. Our protagonist is not lonely either, she has a circle of friends whom she can totally trust. And she gith

Remy is awesome. I love how Sarah Dessen framed her character. She's not the perfect girl type like Macy or Auden, she resembles Ruby but in a stronger way. She does a lot of not-so-good things like drinking, smoking, sleeping around with guys, yet her image is still nice - a girl who always looks out for her mother and is adored by tons of the opposite sex. Sometimes she's bitchy and bitter too, but I like it a lot. (I've just discovered that I love reading about bitter characters?!) In compared to her match - Dexter, Remy is more mature and thoughtful. Speaking of Dexter, he's different from Wes, Nate and Eli, very different. He's impulsive, he's childish, he's untidy but he's also more fun and open-hearted, the kind that is not shy to express his feelings to the girl he falls at first sight. And did I mention that no only is he talented but also super sweet? That let's-be-friend thing is just unexpected of him.

As I said, (or have said a thousands of times)I like reading bout love so this is the perfect book for me. Remy learns that making light of love doesn't make her any stronger, if anything, she's considered weak for not having the guts to lay her love on someone just because she doesn't know what the future holds for the two. Sometimes love fails us and sometimes we fail love; however, that doesn't matter, because the great time it brings is priceless. Great message isn't it?

An amazing book by Sarah Dessen for teens who is going to fall in love or is already deep in it, promising 384 pages that will warm your heart and soul.

Rating: 4.5/5