Waiting On Wednesday (36)

Idea taken from Breaking The Spine

The Extraordinary Secrets Of April, May and June by Robin Benway.

Three sisters, three extraordinary, life-changing powers!

I hugged my sisters and they fit against my sides like two jigsaw pieces that would never fit anywhere else. I couldn’t imagine ever letting them go again, like releasing them would be to surrender the best parts of myself.

Three sisters share a magical, unshakeable bond in this witty high-concept novel from the critically acclaimed author of Audrey, Wait! Around the time of their parents’ divorce, sisters April, May, and June recover special powers from childhood—powers that come in handy navigating the hell that is high school. Powers that help them cope with the hardest year of their lives. But could they have a greater purpose?

April, the oldest and a bit of a worrier, can see the future. Middle-child May can literally disappear. And baby June reads minds—everyone’s but her own. When April gets a vision of disaster, the girls come together to save the day and reconcile their strained family. They realize that no matter what happens, powers or no powers, they’ll always have each other.

Because there’s one thing stronger than magic: sisterhood.


Anyone else thinks of Charmed as soon as you read the synopsis of this book? I love the concept of this very strong, very sisterly and very magical. It sounds different from Robin Benway's first book, which I love with all my heart so I really don't know what to expect. But my intuition tells me it's going to be just as great. I love the names of the sisters and, needless to say, the cover rocksssssssssss.


August 3rd 2010, roll on!!!!

In My Mailbox (37)

Idea taken from The Story Siren



The I Girl (book 1) by Cecily von Ziegesar.

Popular Gossip Girl character Jenny Humphrey is leaving Constance Billard to attend Waverly Academy, an elite boarding school in New York horse country where glamorous rich kids dont let the rules get in the way of an excellent time. Jennys determined to leave her crazy Manhattan past behind and become a sophisticated goddess on campus. But first shell have to contend with her self-absorbed roommates, Callie Vernon and Brett Messerschmidt. Hot guys, new intrigue, and more delicious gossip all add up to more trouble than ever for Jenny. But if getting caught with boys and going up against the Disciplinary Committee is what it takes, Jennys ready. Shell do all that and more to be The It Girl.


Gossip Girl (book 1) by Cecily von Ziegesar.

'Welcome to New York City's Upper East Side, where my friends and I live and go to school and play and sleep - sometimes with each other. We're smart, we've inherited classic good looks, and we know how to party. It's a luxe life, but someone's got to live it.' The Gossip Girl series is the ultimate in glamour and cool - set in New York's glamorous Upper East Side the narrative follows the thrills and spills (with Jimmy Choo shoes and shopping at Barneys mixed in along the way) of its richest and most beautiful teenage residents. 'Gossip Girl' is the ultimate in sophistication, scandal and luxury - in fact if Carrie Bradshaw of 'Sex and the City' had a younger sister, there is no doubt she would be 'Gossip Girl'! Publisher's Weekly is quoted: 'Gossip Girl has the effect of gossip itself - once you enter it's hard to extract yourself; teens will devour this whole'. We will be publishing the series at regular intervals throughout 2003 with a high profile, energetic and suitably cutting-edge marketing campaign. This deliciously catty and engrossing series will be the spicy vanguard for Bloomsbury pushing the bundaries into young adult fiction.


Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough.

Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant.



Like I said before, I don't really like reading books on luxurious lives with mean girls and stuff but I decided to give the two series - Gossip Girls and the It Girl a try because they seem interesting. It must be interesting enough to be turned into TV series and became so popular right? For Once A Witch, I heard so many good things on it and couldn't resist requesting a copy. The cover looks fabulous in real life.

Thanks Maura from Headlines UK, Carolyn McCullough and Jennifer from Houghton Mifflin for getting these book sent to me ^^



Happy reading Monday~!!!!!!!

The Center Of The Universe by Anita Liberty

Publisher: Simon Pulse Aus
Pub. Date: July 1st 2008
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 160
Format: paperback
Source: from the publisher - Simon Pulse Aus

Welcome to the story of my life. Well, at least the story of my junior and senior years of high school. It's a profound, touching, and hilarious (if I do say so myself) tale told through cunning poems, revelatory diary entries, perspicacious (look it up) word definitions, shrewd bits of advice, and off-the-cuff (but brilliant) insights. You'll probably relate to a lot of it. Especially the parts about hating my parents, never feeling cool enough, failing my first attempt at the SATs, having an incredibly romantic (but one-sided) relationship with the coolest guy in school, and getting hexed by my ex-best friend who became a Wiccan. And if you can't relate? Well, step to the back of that humongous line. You'll probably be right behind my family. If you're lucky, my mom'll bring snacks. How can I be who I am and who my family wants me to be when the person I am wouldn't be caught dead with the person my family wants me to be?


What makes a teenager's life dreadful? School? Mean girls? Bad boys aka jerks? No. Parents. At least that was how it was to thirteen-to-nineteen Ania Liberty. Truthful to the max, the story, or should I say a collection of significant memories of tthe author's teenage years, was an awesome read that would unintentionally make Anita Liberty a very best friend of every girl those ages.

The best quality of the book that was it was not fiction and it was hilarious. Told through diary entries, poems of all kinds, self-definition dictionary and even SAT questions, Anita's story was nothing but unique. There were no dialogues at all, not a single one, but somehow it was more captivating than any other normal stories. Even the unpleasant appearance of a small rat in the new apartment, under the pen of Anita Liberty, turned out to be worth-noticing.

Because, as I said above, The Center Of The Universe was purely about teenage life, it had everything that concerned a young adult: schoolwork, life at home, dating and making/breaking friendship. All of these were mixed with special flavors of Anita's humor and lovely poetry skills. This was the book that'd keep you smiling, chuckling and cracking up from the preface page to the acknowledgment.

Although it covered the six most exciting years of Anita's life, the book didn't have a particular change of voice at all. All I saw was a cheerful and somewhat silly girl who always remained positive and hopeful no matter what she had to face with. Everything that happened to her every day was a new experience and she took pleasure in it. People could make she feel bad and depressed sometimes, yet Anita moved on and had fun again just a little while after. Her world wasn't surely pink but she managed to see it that way.

Anita was amazing. Her character, or the younger version of her when she wrote this book, was someone I would befriend with by all means. She was interesting, if not for her hilariousness or friendliness than for her talent. I also admired the fact the Anita Liberty brave enough to show all the readers this part of her life, especially when she showed such strong hatred toward her family members.

To sum up, this book was a book that not only each and every teenager should have on their shelf but the adults may pick up as well. It was the perfect picture of the time when we were young, wild, and was the center of the universe - even though others believed it or not.

Rating: 4.5/5

Friday Flavor (3) Five Reasons To Love The Treasure Map Of Boys

Last time Lara Zielin shared her love for the book she's always loved. This week, it's Susane Colasanti's turn to spill about the novel she adores. Guess what it is?

Well, you don't have to wait long. Let's hear (or more precisely, read) what Susane has to say:

Book title: The Treasure Map of Boys

Author: E. Lockhart

When did you finish it? August 23, 2009

Why do you love it so much?

E. Lockhart is one of my favorite authors. I adore her writing style. The way she can evoke such strong emotions with just a few well-selected words has always impressed me. Since there are so many reasons to worship this book, I have compiled a list of some of mine.

Top Five Things I Love About The Treasure Map of Boys

1. Fun word choices like “pony-tailing around” and “snarfled.” Oh, and “ag” of course.

2. It kept me entertained for over an hour in airport security lines.

3. The whole Fresh Fiasco on page 25.

4. Boy problems, girl drama, mental health issues, and friendly zoo animals.

5. Like Sara in When It Happens, Ruby is looking for something real.



You don't believe that Susane loves this book that much? I have more convincing proof.




Look at how bright Susane's smiles are. She even kissed the book! Notes: pictures taken in Vancouver in front of Science World.



Is it enough to make you excited about the book and pick it up right away? Hopefully it is for you because it is for me already. I don't just want to devour this book, I want to read the whole series too. Which girl doesn't want to learn more about boys, especially in such cute stories?

The Book Review Club NOV - Teach Me by R.A Nelson

Publisher: Penguin Aus
Pub. Date: March 22nd 2007
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 272
Format: paperback
Source: from publisher - Penguin Aus

What happens when a high school student and her teacher cross that line?

Teach Me by R. A. Nelson is a powerful debut novel that readers will not be able to put down. From the very first page, Nine speaks in a voice that is at once raw, honest, direct, and unusually eloquent. "There has been an earthquake in my life," she says, inviting you inside an experience that fascinates everyone-an affair between teacher and student-and giving a personal answer to the question: How does this happen?

R. A. Nelson's strong writing is paired with a story we all want to hear, resulting in a novel that will speak to every teenager. A novel about a love so intense that the person you're with becomes your world, and when you lose that person, you lose your world.



This book was so awesome I could squeal all day. A perfect combo of truth and lies, love and betrayal, passion and anger, poetry and science, Teach Me was a true work of art that would read out to not only teenagers but adults as well.

Teach Me was the book of many firsts - first time stepping into the world of poems and inconclusive dreams, first time falling deep into forbidden love, first time having the heart shattered and first time realizing the true meaning of life. The story grabbed your attention at the very first page with the seemingly bizarre but interesting protagonist - Caroline, or Nine as she called herself. There were no chapters at all. The book was divided into many different parts with a very poetic title for each, allowing the author to switch between very different scenes and the readers to explore various sides of Nine's story.

The devlopement of the story was amazing. At first you got this feeling of a very elegant novel where everything was gentle, sweet, delicate. Then came the passion, the desire, the addiction, pushing things to the verge of explosion. The change of voice was so smooth you hardly recognize the difference. It was still Nine, the smart and outstanding girl who tried to find the answer to the cause of her heartbreak. Sometimes what was happening was vague hence incomprehensible but that only made you wanted to read more and more. The book became unputdownable just then.

Nine was an a typical girl. Her personalities changed during the process of her story. Just like the book itself, on the first half all you saw was an intelligent girl who accidentally got herself involved in a relationship with her teachers yet things were under control . The rest of the book, on the other hand showed a confused and outrageous Nine who would do anything and everything to break the ones who had made her life this anguish. As for Mr. Mann, I wasn't really impressed by him initially, he just struck me as some jerk who took advantage of kids. But there was his side of the story too, with a hurtful twist that completed his character.

Overall this book was an impressive read of two people who fell in love and unconsciously taught each other things that were, hard to accept, but necessary to lead a real life. It was sad, almost too painful so if you have a faint heart, think twice before you pick it up

Rating: 5/5

Waiting On Wednesday (35)

Idea taken from Breaking The Spine

The Lighter Side Of Life And Death by C.K Kelly Martin.

Sixteen-year-old Mason Rice is having the night of his life. He's just delivered an incredible performance in the school play, basked in celebratory afterglow vibes at the party of the year, and lost his virginity to one of his best friends—the gorgeous but previously unobtainable Kat Medina. His dreams are coming true, and the future looks golden.

Unfortunately, Kat sees things very differently. Crossing the friendship line was a big mistake, and all she wants is to forget it and move on, even if that means forgetting Mason altogether. What's a guy to do? Well, if you're Mason, you hang your hopes on the first attractive twenty-three-year-old you cross paths with. At first Mason wonders if he's imagining the chemistry . . . until Colette invites him over to her apartment. Suddenly Mason's living in a whole new world.

Acclaimed YA author C. K. Kelly Martin offers a sexy, soulful story of one confused boy, two girls, and all the complications that ensue in this romantic feel-good love story that celebrates friendship, first love, first lust, and second chances.


This book sounds perfectly HOT. The only thing it needs to complete the package is a really cool cover. Judging from the previous covers of C.K's books I think we all can hold up our hope. The premise is new and nostalgic just like I Know It's Over and One Lonley Degree. One more point for the male narrator and another one for somewhat scandalous relationship. I can't wait :(

Find the lighter side of life and death in May 2010.

In My Mailbox (36)

Idea taken from The Story Siren.


Secret Society by Tom Dolby.

An eccentric new girl. A brooding socialite. The scion of one of New York’s wealthiest families. A promising filmmaker. As students at the exclusive Chadwick School, Phoebe, Lauren, Nick, and Patch already live in a world most teenagers only dream about.

They didn’t ask to be Society members. But when three of them receive a mysterious text message promising success and fame beyond belief, they say yes to everything. Even to the harrowing initiation ceremony in a gritty warehouse downtown, and to the ankh-shaped tattoo they’re forced to get on the nape of their necks. Once they’re part of the Society, things begin falling into place for them. Week after week, their ambitions are fulfilled. It’s all perfect—until a body is found in Central Park with no distinguishing marks except for an ankh-shaped tattoo.


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

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.


The Naught List by Suzanne Young.

As leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), Tessa’s mission is twofold: pep preservation and relationship salvation. That’s right, Tessa is a head cheerleader whose night job is catching cheating boyfriends in the act! Thank goodness her own relationship with Aiden is strawberry-smoothie purrfect—except for the fact that she’s been concealing her nocturnal habits for, oh, two years.

Aiden suspects something’s up, and his patience is wearing thin. But in the meantime, Tessa’s far too busy to deal with her own romantic roadblocks. The Naughty List is at maximum capacity; because so far, every single suspect on it is 100% guilty.

But Tessa’s in for an even bigger shock when Aiden’s name shows up on The Naughty List, and she’s finally forced to confront the unthinkable: is her own boyfriend just as naughty as all the rest?


I'm reading the six word memories book at the moment and mang it was good. Such talented teens, they can summarize their lives in just six words and make us react to it. I'm also very excited to start The Naughty List book 1. Who doesn't like reading stuff about naughty boys? LOL.

Thanks Kelly Tapper from HC & Suzanne Young for these books ^^

Happy new week, happy new books. Lame I know =.=

The Betrayal Of Natalie Hargrove

Publisher: Penguin US
Pub. Date: Nov 12th 2009

Age Range: Young Adult

Pages: 248
Format: ARC
Source: from the publisher - Penguin US

A steamy Southern beauty makes one fatal mistake

Natalie Hargrove would kill to be her high school’s Palmetto Princess. But her boyfriend Mike King doesn’t share her dream and risks losing the honor of Palmetto Prince to Natalie’s nemesis, Justin Balmer. So she convinces Mike to help play a prank on Justin. . . one that goes terribly wrong. They tie him to the front of the church after a party—when they arrive the next morning, Justin is dead.

From blackmail to buried desire, dark secrets to darker deeds, Natalie unravels. She never should’ve messed with fate. Fate is the one thing more twisted than Natalie Hargrove.

Cruel Intentions meets Macbeth in this seductive, riveting tale of conscience and consequence.


To be very brief, The Betrayal Of Natalie Hargrove belonged to the could-have-been-better kind. Steamy, sinful and secrecy, the book had so much potential that failed to thrive.

Lauren Kate's writing was very beautiful. It was indeed elegant, the kind that gave you a satisfied feeling from reading something decent and neat (I know I don't make sense here =.=). However, it was the plot that fell short of the readers' expectation. Half of the book turned out bleak for me because the characters were too obsessed over popularity like it was their oxygen. Snobbery, bitchiness and pointless competition came out as boredom and I kept wondering "when will I get to the exciting part?"

Things that should be elaborated like Natalie's painful past with her abusive Dad, the humiliating memories she shared with Justin or how guilty/freaked out the couple were about their homicide didn't cover as many pages as they should. And it was such a pity.

Moreover, I didn't feel much connection with the characters. I actually found Natalie pretty annoying. All she cared about was getting the crowns, even when she just accidentally killed someone, she didn't seem to be affected much by her guilt. Her romance was Mike was based mostly on popularity and lust, or at least that was how I felt about it. For Justin, I didn't have much chance to learn about him. A few scenes with a flashback couldn't form his full personalities although I could tell that the author did really try.

Anyway, I sort of liked the ending. It surprised me to some extent and the story's message was clearly shown in it.

A suitable book to read to kill time was how I defined The Betrayal Of Natalie Hargrove. I'm still looking forward to other books by Lauren Kate though. Like I said, I don't love the storyline of this one, but I love her writing.

Rating: 2.5/5

And the winner is...

2 weeks of Donut Days contest has ended and I picked the winner without delay ^^ We have 167 entries totally and some of you guys have like...up to 14+ entries (huge chance of winning, I know). Unfortunately, there will be only one winner. According to random. org the owner of this copy of DD is

*takes deep breath*

pirate penguin

Congratulations penguin ^^ please send an email to something_maybeATliveDOTcom so Lara and I will have this book sent to you as soon as possible.

For those who have entered the contest, thanks so much. Please check back every Friday cos we'll have more contests coming soon!!!

My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Pub. Date: Sept 29th 2009
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 240
Format: ARC
Source: from the author

With Roz and Eva everything becomes a contest—who can snag the best role in the school play, have the cutest boyfriend, pull off the craziest prank. Still, they’re as close as sisters can be. Until Eva deletes Roz from her life like so much junk e-mail for no reason that Roz understands. Now Eva hangs out with the annoyingly petite cheerleaders, and Roz fantasizes about slipping bovine growth hormone into their Gatorade. Roz has a suspicion about Eva. In turn, Eva taunts Roz with a dare, which leads to an act of total insanity. Drama geeks clamor for attention, Shakespearean insults fly, and Roz steals the show in Lauren Bjorkman’s hilarious debut novel.



A GLBT novel with a delightful voice, a story of defining true identity and learning to regain someone's trust. Jocular but sincere, My Invented Life depicted beautiful sisterly love and friendship with an implication: be the one you really are.

Roz and Eva drifted apart for no reason - at least not what Roz could recall. Then the two sisters started to go against each other, starting with Roz's fantasies for Eva's boyfriend Bryan. Now Roz suspected that something was up with her sister and she made up a new life for herself on the hope of forcing Eva to come clean. The story was fun from beginning to end, mostly for the mix up of Roz's real life and her pure imagination. At first it was hard for me to tell what was true and what was not - hence the confusion stood between me and the joy My Invented Life could bring. Fortunately when I eventually caught the drift, it cracked me up all the time.

The story was full of characters who seemed to have problems with their sexualities. Some didn't know their real feelings, some had the wrong idea while the others were too afraid to face the prejudice. Roz has gotten herself involved in such a complicated world which did her bad but also helped her learn more about her friends, her sister and herself. I especially loved the part when everything was a bunch of mess and Roz had no clue of what was happening anymore. And the good thing was that no character was bad in the book, if there were, they all ended up redeeming afterward.

Roz? Extremely funny and unpredictable female lead. I couldn't believe that she did such a thing as lying about her sexuality. Her jealousy of Eva never disturbed me at all, I felt bad for her most of the time since it was as if each and everyone had something to hide from her. However, at times she acted so childish and silly I couldn't take her seriously. I also hoped to see more of her and Nico before the story ended though. He was such a sweet guy.

My Invented Life was a different story of a kind which made the somewhat heavy subject easier to digest and lighter to enjoy. I encourage you to give it a try.

Rating: 3/5