In My Mailbox (30)

Idea taken from The Story Siren

I was supposed to have a Sunday Special post up yesterday but I hung out at my cousin's house from dawn to dust I totally forgot. My bad. I'll try to make it up to you later. Anyway here are the books I got last week.



Lock And Key by Sarah Dessen.

Ruby is used to taking care of herself. But now she's living in a fancy new house with her sister Cora—a sister she hasn't seen in ten years—and her husband Jamie—creator of one of the most popular online networking sites. She's attending private school, wearing new clothes, and for the first time, feels the promise of a future that include college and her family. So why is she so wary? And what is Nate— the adorable and good-hearted boy next door— hiding behind his genial nature? As Ruby starts to see, there's a big difference between being given help, and being able to accept it. And sometimes, in order to save yourself, you've got to reach out to someone else.


The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy.

When the Prom Queen becomes your fairy godmother… Sixteen year old outsider, Jess Parker, gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join a secret girl power society dedicated to defeating the mean girls of the world. The Cinderella Society guides all new recruits through its top secret ultimate life makeover. It’s all part of preparing them to face down the Wickeds and win. Determined not to let the Cindys down, Jess dives in with a passion. Finally, a chance to belong and show the world what she’s made of. … be careful what you wish for. Jess’s transformation wins her the heart of her dream crush and a shot at uber-popularity. Until the Wickeds–led by Jess’s arch enemy–begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers the real force behind her exclusive society. It’s a high stakes battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys in power need Jess on special assignment. When the mission threatens to destroy her dream life come true, Jess is forced to choose between living a fairy tale and honoring the Sisterhood… and herself. What’s a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn’t want to wear it anymore?


Angel Cake by Kathy Cassidy.

The new bestseller from teen queen Cathy Cassidy.

Anya used to dream of moving to Britain to start a brand-new life. But as she sits in a school where nobody understands her, she dreams of Polish summer skies and the place where she once belonged.

Then Anya meets bad boy Dan. He's no angel, but she's sure there's a sweeter side to him. And when things begin to fall apart, Anya realizes she's not alone - how can Dan be such bad news when being with him feels like heaven?




Cute books aren't they? I was most happy to receive The Cinderella Society because it's a 2010 title :) So far it's been my second 2010 book so I'm extremely excited about it. I won it from Kay Cassidy contest and she also sent me a note and a postcard, her handwriting is breathtaking, I'll show you soon. Angel cake is a book by an Australian author and it seems really nice. Lock and Key is too familiar I don't think I need to elaborate.

Hugs and kisses to Kay and Erin for sending me these lovely babies. ilu


Have another book-filled week~!

Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pub. Date: March 2008
Age Range: 12 and up
Pages: 336
Format: paperback
Source of copy: from publisher - S&S US

It is summer in the Northwest town of Nine Mile Fails, and sixteen year old Ruby McQueen , ordinary dubbed The Quiet Girl, finds herself hangng ouy with gorgeous, rich, thrill- seeking Travis Becker. But Ruby is in over her head and starts risking more and more when she's with him.

In an effort to keep Ruby occupied, Ruby's mother, Ann, drags her to the weekly book club she runs. When it is discovered that one of the group's own members is the subject of the tragic love story they are reading. Ann and Ruby spearhead a reunion between the long ago lovers. But for Ruby, this mission turns out to be much more than just a road trip...


I'm not going to lie. It's really hard reviewing this book as well as rating it. Honey Baby Sweetheart just tore me apart. With its amazing parts knitting with the not-so-interesting moments, the book makes it quite impossible to decide whether it's a outshining or just an okay book.

First, let me start with what I love about the novel.

The tone of the narrator is exquisitely calm and collected. Fans of Sarah Dessen, like me, will definitely get absorbed into the story once Ruby voices. Everything just flowed slowly, step by step helped us discovers the characters and their hardships. Even anger and frustration were depicted elegantly; not once did I feel anything heavy at all. Also, there were a lot description and telling throughout the book, the majority of which was nicely written. Readers can also find a lot of hidden messages through random details - it surprised me that Deb Caletti delivered her thoughts in such a cool way, I bet lots of authors want to do the same thing as well.

My favorite of Honey Baby Sweetheart was the first few chapters where Ruby introduced everything about herself: her family, her routine, her incident that labeled her The Quiet Girl among the kids at school. The best thing off all was the union with her father. It made me feel as if I was living with the story and experienced every single ounce of the characters' thoughts and emotions. I was happy, I was mad, I was depressed in spite of not having encountered anything these people had to go through. I also loved Ruby's story of how she became a normal girl to one who didn't know what her true qualities were. It was real, like it could happen to any of us here without our realization. The matter of finding one's self could never get old and it became more complicated once someone stepped into the picture and gave Ruby the adjectives of her own personalities and she started to see herself the way he did.

What's more to look out for? The secret love of the author and one of the book club members. I thought it was really beautiful, it was pure, unexpected and wore the color of a classic book which fitted the mood of the story well.

Honey Baby Sweetheart had so many good points right? So how could it possibly make me feel doubtful?

Because at some chapters of the story fell pretty dull. You know, too much monologue and not enough of dialogue could kill any good stories. I had to skip a few parts even though I didn't want to. Moreover, having said that I did feel the excitement, Honey Baby Sweetheart still didn't satisfy my hope of a snapping point. There was a climax but it felt not much different from other parts.

I also had a few problems with the characters. First the bad boy Travis Becker. To me he didn't appear to be bad enough. He was risky, check. He was unexpected, check. He was flirtatious, check. Still, it didn't perfect the image he was supposed to reflect. Quiet often I thought he was more thoughtless than bad, perhaps a little bit stupid. He did sound, the first time he met Ruby (maybe it's just me but that's what I really felt), overexcited like a young boy. As for Ruby, she was great in first half of the book but the rest, I'm not sure. During some book club discussions she seemed lost and her character just became a shadow to me.

Okay, so, overall, Honey Baby Sweetheart was a book about finding your true self and true love, a mixture of the goods and the not-real-goods. You just have to read to find out yourself.

Rating: 3/5

I'm Officially Back or Help Me Pick A Header

Hey everyone, it's me again. Finally I got my access to Blogger ^^ it's been hell of a week not getting to post anything on my blog. I miss you guys really much. But now I'm back and I'm trying to catch up with everything...it feels so great.

So during the days I was away I made some new headers for Serene Hours, 2 for fall and 2 for winter. I'm having trouble choosing between these two so I hope you guys could help me with it. Please have a look and tell me which one is your favorite.

Is it the header with the falling leaves?

...or this one with swaying flowers?

Click on the picture for clearer view. I know you won't refuse to help so comment on and let me know what you think ^^

Donut Days by Lara Zielin

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Pub. Date: August 2009
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 256pp
Format: printed manuscript
Source of copy: from author - Lara Zielin

Emma has a lot going on. Her best friend's not speaking to her, a boy she's known all her life is suddenly smokin' hot and in love with her, and oh yes, her evangelical minister parents may lose their church, especially if her mother keeps giving sermons saying Adam was a hermaphrodite.

But this weekend Emma's only focused on Crispy Dream, a hot new donut franchise opening in town, where Harley bikers and Frodo wannabes camp out waiting to be the first ones served. Writing the best feature story on the camp for the local paper might just win Emma a scholarship to attend a non- Christian college. But soon enough Emma finds the donut camp isn't quite the perfect escape from all her troubles at Living Word Redeemer.

I adored Donut Days so much. It's a story that exudes both cuteness and profundity. If you're on a reading crisis this will for sure be your cure. It got me hooked at first words and I just couldn't help reading on and on.

The idea of the donuts was just so fun. I have to admit that I've never ever tasted a single donut in my life; despite that, reading about these sweet pieces was enough to turn me into a fan of them. But it wasn't just about how yummy they were described. The thing that got me excited, also about the whole story, was the camp. It brought the book the color of happiness, pure fun and good times together with your loved ones. I bet you will be just like me, during your progress of reading wish you would actually one of those who camped in front of a donut store waiting for the fresh donuts, or simply just to join the thrill.

But well, Donut Days wasn't all about donuts. It focused on belief, which, I thought, was delivered very well. Once again, I'm not into religion and I'm not a Christian so the concept of God is rather strange to me. However, I felt comfortable reading about it in this book. The situation was enjoyable - Emma, whose parents believed strongly in God and sister happened to be exactly like an angel, didn't take the Church and the Bible very seriously. She didn't hold much hope in God at all therefore was disapproved by her own family most of the times. But the problem didn't end here. There was also a best friend who she just lost, a boy she thought she didn't love but suddenly felt so much toward and a college fund she had to work on. All of that made the story attractive. At some point Donut Days felt a little typical, like the bad side vs the good side, but it wasn't a big problem to me.

Emma reminded me of Emma in What Would Emma Do? They got the same name and they talked to God the same way and both got themselves into sticky situations. What I liked about our main character here? She was honest, strong-willed and sometimes silly in a real nice way. I enjoyed seeing her getting all goofy in front of Jake or acting all jealous of Natalie and Molly's bond.

Another book with an open ending. Not exactly what I was expecting but everyone did find their own ways to face their troubles in lives, to keep their faith in God and remain together no matter how different they were. In other words, bright lovely story.

Rating: 3.5/5

In My Mailbox (29)

Idea taken from The Story Siren

Four great books landed on my windows pane last week. Check them out ^^

Give Up The Ghost by Megan Crewe.

Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts to “breathers.” Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable. They know the dirt on everybody . . . and Cass loves dirt.
She’s on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of all of the poseurs in her school. But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass’s whole scheme hangs in the balance. Timwants her help to contact his recently deceasedmother, but Cass is less than enthusiastic.
Kicking and screaming, Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim’s life. And she’s more surprised than anyone when she realizes that maybe some living people aren’t so bad if she’d only give them a chance.

Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson.

Using the skills you've learned so far in Introduction to Psychology, please write a brief self-assessment describing how things are going in your freshman year.

Presenting Concerns:

The Patient, Leigh Nolan (that would be me), has just started her first year at Stiles College. She has decided to major in psychology (even though her parents would rather she study Tarot cards, not Rorschach blots).

Patient has always been very good at helping her friends with their problems, but when it comes to solving her own...not so much.

Patient has a tendency to overanalyze things, particularly when the opposite sex is involved. Like why doesn't Andrew, her boyfriend of over a year, ever invite her to spend the night? Or why can't she commit to taking the next step in their relationship? And why does his roommate Nathan dislike her so much? More importantly, why did Nathan have a starring role in a much-more-than-friendly dream?

Aggravating factors include hyper-competitive fellow psych majors, a professor who's badly in need of her own psychoanalysis, and mentoring a middle-school-aged girl who thinks Patient is, in a word, naive.

Diagnosis:

Psych Major Syndrome


Donut Days by Lara Zielin.

Emma has a lot going on. Her best friend's not speaking to her, a boy she's known all her life is suddenly smokin' hot and in love with her, and oh yes, her evangelical minister parents may lose their church, especially if her mother keeps giving sermons saying Adam was a hermaphrodite.
But this weekend Emma's only focused on Crispy Dream, a hot new donut franchise opening in town, where Harley bikers and Frodo wannabes camp out waiting to be the first ones served. Writing the best feature story on the camp for the local paper might just win Emma a scholarship to attend a non- Christian college. But soon enough Emma finds the donut camp isn't quite the perfect escape from all her troubles at Living Word Redeemer.
In a fresh, funny voice, newcomer Lara Zielin offers up a mesmerizing, fast-paced narrative full of wit and insight.



Wonderful books aren’t they? They’re all published in August and September so I’m really eager to start reading them right away. I actually finished Donut Days last night and I thought it was really cute. Please look out for the review soon. Donut Days also came with a Donut coupon and Give Up The Ghost some bookmarks and a button, I’ll show you when possible.
Happy eating and reading~!


Thanks Hallie from Hyperion Books, Lara and Megan for these great YA novels. Also, my friend Debbie, for posting for me once again<3

Sunday Special (27) Yum Yum (Part 2)

More food for you guys (in the mean time when I'm away from Blogger *cries*)

Scones and Sensibilities from Lindsay Eland.



Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block.



Skinny by Ibi Kaslik.



Triple Shot Bettys In Love by Jody Gehrman.



Angel Cake by Cathy Cassidy.



Sweetheart by Sara Zarr.

Enjoy yourself and have an amazing week ahead okay? Pray for me so I can come back soon :( And remember, if you spot any yummy covers, don't hesitate to share with us like last time. Thanks a lot<3

THE BOOK REVIEW CLUB AUG - After by Amy Efaw

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Pub. Date: August 11, 2009
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 304

Who would leave their own baby in the trash to die?

Certainly not someone like Devon--a straight-A student, soccer player with Olympic dreams, more mature than her own mother. But desparation and panic drover her to do what most people can't even imagine. Now Devon's in a juvenile detention center, charged with attempted murder. If she's tried as an adult, she faces life in prison.

Does Devon deserve that punishment? Your answer depends on whether you believe her story--that she didn't even know she was pregnant. Was she buried in a denial so deep that she was unable to register the seemingly obvious signs of pregnancy?


On the acknowledge page Amy claimed her book to be clique since we have too many novels on teen pregnancy that it becomes a usual thing; however, to me, After clearly stood out. Because it didn't just tell a story of a mother at an inappropriate young age, but also about one that, as we all say, is heartless enough to abandon her own baby.

When I first read the synopsis I knew that this story was going to be very intense and haunting so I braced myself for everything that could happen in this. On the contrast, I wasn't really ready for all the heaviness, anguish and the likes. Don't get me wrong, I love it a lot. After is one of the rare books which grab you at first look, force you to turn page after page and leave you with a void of dry sadness. And that's just great.

The main character, Devon, presented two so-called kinds of women - those who get involved in sex when they're definitely not prepared to deal with the consequences and ones having the heart to throw away their babies. Surprisingly, I didn't find Devon devilish or despicable at all. There's something kept in the dark from the very first words that will give you hints of what actually happened to this girl and make you want to read more and more to find out why she did such a cruel thing, to figure out if she's guilty. Or if she's worth being forgiven at all. I think the author was really brave. At first I was really worried since I had no idea if she would manage to convince readers the fact that Devon didn't even know that she was pregnant could occur in real life at all. Turned out that I was worried about nothing. The reason came out slowly, it was logic though a bit vague, accompanied by the reality that Devon and her baby had absolutely no connection.

Amy Efaw's writing was fantastic. I got carried away with the story all of the time. What I loved about it was that even though it seemed really fast and breathless, I had time to explore the whole thing step by step and didn't get confused at all. The descriptions were creepy in an excellent way, especially those about the fateful night. I also liked the flashbacks. I thought they had the strongest impression of all.

I was glad I read this book because it gave me an inside look of the juvenile detention center like how the teens lived, what they learned from the staff and how they interacted with each other. Karma was my favorite character of the bunch, she was someone who could like bring out the worst in you.

I wouldn't have rated this book higher had it not been for the sudden ending. It left me kinda shocked and disappointed. If the author had written one chapter to elaborate Devon's realization it'd have been much much nicer. I wanted to know more about the guy too since he was responsible for this situation too. And maybe it's just me but I'd love to see the mother-baby unite and some growth of affection between them.

After was truly realistic and compelling. It help me get rid of my prejudice and hatred towards irresponsible teen parents and ones who left their babies. Everyone had their own stories and hardship so we people aren't in no situation to judge, and at some point, they can be forgiven for whatever they've done.


Rating: 4/5



P.S This post is published by my friend Debbie. Unfortunately my internet is acting up (again) so I think I cannot put up any reviews/comment on your posts for one or a few days. Bare with me, I'll be back soon ^^

Waiting on wednesday ( 26 )

Idea taken from Breaking The Spine

Never Bite A Boy On The First Date by Tamara Summers.

I've got a few issues:

I'm a vampire now.
One of my classmates was found dead, with telltale fang marks.
I didn't do it! (really!)
Nobody believes me, so . . .
I'm going to have to find the real killer. I've already got three suspects. (three very cute suspects.)
One more problem: I am seriously falling for one of them . . . but what if he's the killer?


I’d love to have a bite of this book because:
1. The cover is freaking awesome. It looks mysterious but not not too dark for my taste. I never found the fangs this cool
2. The vampire is a girl and she’s involved in some investigation, which, I think, orginal. Or at least, different from other vampire stories I’ve encountered.
3. Tamara Summers books always sound cute. I want to try one ^^


See if you could resist biting a hot boy on first date this Sept 19th 2009

In My Mailbox (28)

Idea taken from The Story Siren

It's been a kind of lousy week but I have my new books to keep me up and happy. Here they are~!

TMI by Sarah Quigley.

Friends call Becca the Overshare Queen, but her tendency for TMI never seemed like a problem to her until she blabs about her sweet band-geek boyfriend's sloppy kisses—and gets dumped! Realizing it may be better to resist the temptation to overshare face-to-face, Becca decides to blog anonymously about everything instead. On her blog, Too Much Information, Becca unleashes her alter ego, Bella. Bella tells it like it is . . . though perhaps with a bit more drama. After all, no one's going to read it, right???



Me, My Elf and I by Heather Swain.

It's not often you see an elf in the middle of Brooklyn, let alone a tall, blond, gorgeous elf in the middle of one of the most prestigious performing arts high schools in the country. And yet, that's just where Zephyr Addler finds herself: smack dab in the middle of a bustling New York City school, worlds away from the secluded woodland community she knows so well. But Zephyr knows that she has to figure out how to live in the world. And dress in the world. Thanks to a little friendly advice from her new friend Mercedes, Zephyr starts to get the hang of Brooklyn. That is, until Zephyr snags a role in a commercial, beating out the most popular girl in school, Bella Dartagnan. Now with Bella and her friends out to get her, can Zephyr out-maneuver the mean girls (and catch the eye of a certain cute boy) without losing herself?


Living On Impulse by Cara Haycak.

Mia Morrow is impulsive, plain and simple. While her friends are concerned with grades and colleges, Mia would rather focus on the things that make her happy— like chasing boys or snatching something off a department store shelf. No big deal, right? But then Mia gets caught shoplifting, and her thoughtless behavior doesn't just push her friends away, it gets her into a lot of trouble, too. In this eye-opening tale of friendships, family, and negative impulses, Cara Haycak subtly shows that the power to heal is within all of us, and it almost always starts with forgiveness.

Viola In Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani.

When fourteen-year-old Viola is sent from her beloved Brooklyn to boarding school in Indiana for ninth grade, she overcomes her initial reservations as she makes friends with her roommates, goes on a real date, and uses the unsettling ghost she keeps seeing as the subject of a short film—her first.






Two fun books, one intense and one thought-provoking. Great isn't it? Have you guys read any of these? Which one do you want me to review first? Voice your thought ^^


Thanks Sara from Penguin Kelly - Adriana's assistant for sending the books to me.

Sunday Special (26) Coffee Chat With Suzanne Selfors

I was supposed to post this on July 31st but I saved this special post for a special Sunday :) Needless to introduce our guest to day since she's known (and loved) by all of you already. It's Suzanne Selfors, the mother of Saving Juliet as well as Coffeehouse Angel, a super duper cute, fairytale-like novel which was released 2 days ago. For those of you who hasn't picked up the book, go and grab a copy yourself right away. But first, here's a little chat with our lovely author...



-Hi Suzanne, welcome to Serenehours! Firstly, I think the readers want to know what inspired you to write the book and How you came up with its title. So why don't you tell them a little bit about that?
I've always wanted to own a coffeehouse. And I spend a great deal of time in them, writing. I write best when I'm surrounded by lots of noise and activity. My favorite coffeehouse is in the town of Poulsbo, this little Scandinavian town in Washington, and it was the inspiration for Nordby and Anna's Old World Scandinavian Coffeehouse. The book was orginally called Coffeehouse Girl. But because in some ways, Katrina takes on an "angel" role (I'm not giving anything away), we changed the title.

-That's a cool change I guess. So...off all the characters, which one do you feel most related? If you could play any of them for a day, who would you choose?
Well, this is a tough question because as a writer, little bits of me show up in many of my characters. It just always turns out that way. But I'd have to chose Malcolm, the messenger angel. How could I turn down the chance to be an angel for a day?

-Katrina in the book did a good deed and was rewarded by angel although she didn't want to. Have you ever done something good and was unexpectedly repaid?
I'm a firm believer in Karma, in that if you surround yourself with positive energy and treat people with respect, then you will draw that kind of energy to yourself.

-Katrina also has, for a long time, been stuck, she didn't even know what she wanted to do or what she was really good at. Have you ever found yourself in her shoes when you were a teenagers?
I was exactly like Katrina. I had no idea what to do with myself. And when I went to college I was still lost. For most of my adult life, I would call myself a dabbler. A little of this, a little of that. I tried my hand at many jobs, from selling clothes to working in a TV station. But I always wanted to write. Always. It took me a very long time, (age 39), before I got up the courage to pursue that dream.

-As for Malcolm, I found him a really interesting and charming character but somehow it's hard to believe that he's really an angel. Personally, do you believe in angels, especially ones in disguise?
Well, I definitely believe that there are things in this world we will never be able to explain. And I definitely love the idea of angels. I would most certainly love to meet one. Malcolm's character was very fun to create because I drew from many traditions. From the belief that there is a hierarchy of angels (archangels, guardian angels, messenger angels,), from the tradition in painting where angels have halos, and even from one of the earliest messengers, Hermes, the Greek Messenger God. Malcolm is my own mixture, and I hope that each reader will interpret him in his/her own way.

-I see that the book delivered a lot of messages on forgiveness. What's your view on it?
It's often the most difficult thing to do --to forgive. I have struggled with it myself on many occassions. What you learn, as you get older, is that it takes a whole lot more energy to be pissed at someone than it does to let things go.

-Let's talk about your upcoming books. Are you working on any? If possible, we'd love to hear a bit about it.
I am hard at work on my next teen novel. It should be released next summer. Many of your readers might not know that I also write middle grade novels. I just released one called Fortune's Magic Farm. They can visit my website and watch the beautiful animated book trailer for the book. I'm very proud of it.
www.suzanneselfors.com

Or they can go directly to YouTube and watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FsRq_ixHYE

That's great! I know everyone will be looking forward to it.




So thanks Suzanne really much for paying a visit to my site today. We had great time altogether I hope. Also, as some of you may know, Suzanne has asked the readers for help with finding the model on Coffeehouse Angel cover. So if you have any slightest idea about who she is or how to contact her, please drop Suzanne a note ^^


Thank y'all in advance. Have a great weekend~!