In My Mailbox, Gobble Gobble

A Very Serious Book Haul

I appologise for my lack of enthusiasim while filming this book haul, as you can see from the video, there were many books and I had already filmed about half of the video before, but my dog decided to make my camera fall and it just wasn't pretty. So, I redid it. I hope you like it anyway. :)

National Novel Writing Month!

Hey guys! I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm going to be participating in NaNoWriMo this month, so I won't have time to review as much. I'm going to try and review as much as possible, but with school and NaNoWriMo it's going to be hard. I'm sorry that the reviews will be in short supply. However, December brings holidays which means more books! Which means what? Well, there are going to be more book hauls, more IMMs, more reviews, and at least one new bookshelf tour! See, NaNoWriMo has it's advantages.
Since this is my first year doing NaNoWriMo, I'd like to have some help because I really don't know what I'm doing... So, here are my URLs.

NaNoWriMo:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/leahfortomorrow
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/leahtft


Thank you for your support!

Perfect - Ellen Hopkins

"Everyone has something, someone, somewhere else that they’d rather be. For four high-school seniors, their goals of perfection are just as different as the paths they take to get there. Cara’s parents’ unrealistic expectations have already sent her twin brother Conner spiraling toward suicide. For her, perfect means rejecting their ideals to take a chance on a new kind of love. Kendra covets the perfect face and body—no matter what surgeries and drugs she needs to get there. To score his perfect home run—on the field and off—Sean will sacrifice more than he can ever win back. And Andre realizes to follow his heart and achieve his perfect performance, he’ll be living a life his ancestors would never understand. Everyone wants to be perfect, but when perfection loses its meaning, how far will you go? What would you give up to be perfect ? A riveting and startling companion to the bestselling Impulse , Ellen Hopkins's Perfect exposes the harsh truths about what it takes to grow up and grow into our own skins, our own selves." (Taken from Shelfari)

Ellen Hopkins. What is there to say about Ellen Hopkins, except that her writing is fantastic and drawing and just, well, perfect. She has written many teen books before, and I've read almost every single one of them. I love them all for many different reasons, but I feel as though I love this one a little less. It's not that the writing was bad--with Ellen Hopkins it never is--or that the subject matter was dull, because it wasn't. I loved reading Perfect and I will probably read it again one day. I think that the only thing that I didn't like about this book, besides the fact that it had to end, was that I didn't connect as well with this book as I have with her other ones. For those of you who don't know, Perfect is a companion novel to Impulse, which followed the lives of four teens who have all attempted suicide and go to a facility to help them deal with the problems that lead them to suicide. Perfect, on the other hand, is about the family, friends, and acquaintances of one of the patients--Connor. Connor had to be my favorite out of all of the characters in Impulse, because had an allure to him that made me want to know more. My heart went out to this fictional character as I slowly learned his story. Alas, this review isn't about Impulse, it's about Perfect. I would give Perfect a 4.5/5, only because I couldn't get into the characters completely until the last 20 pages or so, and then the book had to end, as all books do. It took me a while to finish this book--not because the book was bad but, because I had no time to read it. Usually Ellen Hopkins's books take me about 5 hours at the most to finish. I absolutely adore the cover, it definitely suits this book. The way that 'Perfect' is written on the cover makes me both happy and sad at the same time, if that makes any sense. The way the swirls are broken by the way the water color moves across the cover is imperfect in the most perfect way possible.

Now that I'm done gushing about the cover, which you probably don't care about, I'm going to get into the characters, mainly my most and least favorite, and what I think could have helped me connect more with them. Andre is definitely my favorite character, because he seemed like he had the most collected thoughts throughout the book; he knew what he wanted and he went for it, even if it caused him some sort of inner turmoil. He dealt with a lot of crap throughout this book, with Jenna's family, Jenna and wanting to follow his dream but being weighted down by his parent's expectations, and he dealt with these things in the best way that they could have been dealt with in. He wasn't disrespectful about it, he just took it and thought about what he was going to do before he did it. He made calculated risks and in the end, I feel that he did what was best for him, not what was best for the people around him, without being a completely selfish jerk about it.
On that note, let's get into my least favorite character out of the four: Sean. Honestly, this character made me so angry that I almost stopped reading this book. He was so beyond obsessed with his personal life that he didn't think about others. He just wanted what was best for him, and was completely obnoxious about it. If he didn't like a call that the ref made, he shouted and basically threw a temper tantrum on the middle of the baseball diamond. He was so self-centered and mean (for lack of a better word) towards other people, especially Cara, the supposed love of his life. What he did to Cara was completely and totally wrong. He took things way too far, and I really wanted to Gibbs-slap him. (That was an NCIS reference...I think I've been watching way too many marathons.) Sean just made me so angry, mainly because he was in denial and kept making non-justifiable excuses for himself all the time and even at the end, when Impulse and Perfect combined, all he was thinking about was himself which made him, I feel, the least alluring and most disturbing character that Ellen Hopkins has ever written.

Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy - Sonya Sones

"Stop pretending.
Right this minute.
I'm your sister.
Don't you tell me you don't know me.

When her older sister has a shocking and unexpected mental breakdown, Cookie embarks on a fierce emotional journey to keep her own sanity, deal with friends who shun her, and find new love. Sones's powerful poems explore the chilling landscape of mental illness, revealing glimmers of beauty and of hope along the way.
Inspired by the author's true story."

It only took be about 20 minutes to read this book, and throughout those 20 minutes, I both enjoyed and disliked this book. I feel that Sonya Sones did an amazing job of explaining what Cookie felt as her older sister snapped and had to go into a medical institution, but I didn't like that there was really no character development. This book is so short that you can't really get a feel for the characters, until the book ultimately ends.. I absolutely adored the way this book was written, leaving out many of the details and only telling the main details and leaving the bulk of the book to the reader's imagination. However, some of the branches of this book aren't explored. Around the middle of this book you find out about a kind-of love interest that Cookie has, but that supporting character isn't explored and only shows up once, leaving the reader confused as to why the character was introduced in the first place. It doesn't make sense to me that Sones would introduce a character that could have major influence over Cookie's character development and then not bring them up again. Another thing that I disliked about this book was the way it ended, I wanted to read more and I wanted to see how the events progressed. I don't know if there is a sequel to this book, but if there is, I'd love to pick it up and see if any of these things are explored more. Overall, I'd give this book a 2/5, and I would recommend it to people 10 and up.

Stone Butch Blues -- Leslie Fienberg

Stone Butch Blues – Leslie Fienberg

               

Very emotional and devastating. This book tells of the cruel world behind transsexual eyes. You experience the horrors of being a homosexual in the 1950’s. How the police raped them how everything was their fault. Very emotional. It contain drugs, bars, sex so I recommend to a mature audience of 16+ J

Rating J

Grading scale

ü Hüdfagghoutin’ – This book has got to be kidding me. Was the author high when (s) he wrote this?!? I can’t think of another word to describe this horrid piece of work other than Hüdfagghoutin’!

‽ Questlimation Mark – This book made me think “What the heck?!?” It’s not the worst thing but it’s defiantly not the best. I have no idea what the book is supposed to be telling me. I wouldn’t recommend it. It bored me out of my freaking mind!!

J Smiley Face – This was an awesome book. I enjoyed reading it and I would love to read it again. The story was fabulous and I’ll recommend it to people.

⓮ Fourteen – This is the highest rating I will give a book. It’s only reserved for my absolute favorite books. If it gets a Fourteen then you know you HAVE to read it. I absolutely couldn’t take my eyes off the book until it was done. I probably stayed up all night and day to finish. This is a book that I’ll be reading many times in the future. It touched my heart in a way that can only be described as magic and I fell in love with one or more of the characters. I will insist on people reading this book and hope that someday I will marry it. 

Sweep Sundays – Eclipse – Cate Tiernan

Sweep Sundays – Eclipse – Cate Tiernan

This book’s point of view is between Morgan and Alisa Soto. They join forces with Hunter and Daniel to combat the Dark Wave. What will happen when the dark wave is threatening to take them out and the only way to stop it is by killing a blood witch?

`KT

Pride and Prejudice -- Jane Austin

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austin

 

To be honest I could not get into this book.  I couldn’t understand  the writing because it was so old. And because I couldn’t understand it, I couldn’t get into to it and I got bored very easily. I got half way through and there was no love story forming. So maybe one day I’ll stick through it. If anyone can explain in modern writing what happened I will marry you.

Rating: ‽

Grading scale

ü Hüdfagghoutin’ – This book has got to be kidding me. Was the author high when (s) he wrote this?!? I can’t think of another word to describe this horrid piece of work other than Hüdfagghoutin’!

‽ Questlimation Mark – This book made me think “What the heck?!?” It’s not the worst thing but it’s defiantly not the best. I have no idea what the book is supposed to be telling me. I wouldn’t recommend it. It bored me out of my freaking mind!!

J Smiley Face – This was an awesome book. I enjoyed reading it and I would love to read it again. The story was fabulous and I’ll recommend it to people.

⓮ Fourteen – This is the highest rating I will give a book. It’s only reserved for my absolute favorite books. If it gets a Fourteen then you know you HAVE to read it. I absolutely couldn’t take my eyes off the book until it was done. I probably stayed up all night and day to finish. This is a book that I’ll be reading many times in the future. It touched my heart in a way that can only be described as magic and I fell in love with one or more of the characters. I will insist on people reading this book and hope that someday I will marry it. 

The Hunger Games - Susanne Collins

Summary: in future North America, where rules of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen year old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place.

Review: When I first glanced at this book, I skimmed right over it. At the time, I didn't like the cover art, nor did I understand it. After reading this book, however, I understand the design and I really like it's layout. I would rate this book a 4.5/5 because, although I finished this book in about two days, it felt like something was missing from it.

The characters in this book mesh so well, it's almost like you're fighting the battles, both real and internal, with them. Suzanne Collins has really outdone herself in reference to the backstory between the Capital (the government) and the districts, and the personal histories that go along with each character. While explaining these complicated relationships, I didn't feel that she took away from the plot or the main idea of the story at all, and that's what's so great about this book.

My favorite character in this book would have to be a tie between Haymitch and Peeta. They're both such great characters! It's hard to pick just one. Haymitch is such a complex character, and I don't want to say too much without giving anything away, but I really feel like he tried to do what was best. He was a really good teacher to both Katniss and Peeta, although sometimes his methods were a bit odd, he taught them a lot. As for Peeta... Well, he's got this whole tortured good guy thing going on and I really feel like he challenges Gale by being the exact opposite.

Please, read this trilogy especially if you like fast paced action books. It's amazing and you definitely won't regret it!

-Leah

Sweep Sundays – Origins – Cate Tiernan

Sweep Sundays – Origins – Cate Tiernan

Hunter found a book while he was in Canada and it is a memoir of one of Morgan’s ancestor’s. it tells the story of how she fell in love, had her heart broken, and created the first dark wave for revenge.

-KT

In My Mailbox

Polls!

Hey guys! This is just a little update on what we've done with the blog. We've added a 'Polls' page. Please, check it out! We worked really hard on it and would like to know what you think about it. Please leave comments below telling us what you think about this new gadget. It'd also be really cool if you would answer the poll question. We'd love to hear from you.
--Leah

Sweep Sundays – Seeker – Cate Tiernan

Sweep Sundays – Seeker – Cate Tiernan

This book is from Hunter’s perspective. My dream book J and it sucked because Leah gave me Strife and Seeker at the same time and I had to promise her that I would read strife first L I hate you.

So Hunter is on the hunt for his parents. When he finds them he finds death and dark magick. And then he cheats on Morgan. How nice J

-Kay

The Break Up Diaries – Ni-Ni Simone

The Break Up Diaries – Ni-Ni Simone

I really enjoyed this book until the end when the stupid cops and Keeya had to ruin everything!! But it's not completely all their fault because Chance had a

chance to get Sexy Double Dipped in Dark Chocolate in the last stupid chapter but NO! Just cause she's 16, he can't have that! And @Ahmad? Who said anything about another lifetime?!?!?!? SHE WANTS YOU NOW!!! Actually... I want you now :)

Ratings

2 for tension

1 for yelling

1 for DDIDC

1 for stupid crazy uncalled for making people mad and cry an

d get upset at the ending

6 stars

-Hailey

Guest Writer @HAILRXS

Saved by the Sea – David Helvarg

Saved by the Sea – David Helvarg

Saved by the Sea : A Love Story with Fish

“From bodysurfing in Central American war zones, diving barrier reefs with his tragically fated love, Nancy, or being bumped by a whale off Antarctica, David Helvarg has lived a life often as endangered as the ocean he now works to protect. Saved by the Sea is the story of this longtime journalist’s personal love, loss, and redemption in the free-flowing heart of our blue-marble planet.

This eloquent and honestly told tale of the changes in one man’s journey and the world’s ocean over the last half-entury is also profound, startling, and sometimes surprisingly funny reflection in the state of our seas and the intimate ways in which our lives are all linked to the natural world around us. Saved by the Sea will bring salt water to your eyes and small waves of hope to your heart.”

I was going to sit down and make a review up on how this was an okay book. But I can’t lie and I have to tell the truth. I couldn’t get into it. I usually give a book 2 chapters but this was really boring. I know you might be telling me I should give it a chance and maybe one day I will. I recommend this book to people who would be interested in this man’s adventures at seas. No age limit I suppose. J

Rating ‽

~KT

Grading scale

ü Hüdfagghoutin’ – This book has got to be kidding me. Was the author high when (s) he wrote this?!? I can’t think of another word to describe this horrid piece of work other than Hüdfagghoutin’!

‽ Questlimation Mark – This book made me think “What the heck?!?” It’s not the worst thing but it’s defiantly not the best. I have no idea what the book is supposed to be telling me. I wouldn’t recommend it.

J Smiley Face – This was an awesome book. I enjoyed reading it and I would love to read it again. The story was fabulous and I’ll recommend it to people.

⓮ Fourteen – This is the highest rating I will give a book. It’s only reserved for my absolute favorite books. If it gets a Fourteen then you know you HAVE to read it. I absolutely couldn’t take my eyes off the book until it was done. I probably stayed up all night and day to finish. This is a book that I’ll be reading many times in the future. It touched my heart in a way that can only be described as magic and I fell in love with one or more of the characters. I will insist on people reading this book and hope that someday I will marry it.

Sweep Sundays – Strife – Cate Tiernan

Sweep Sundays – Strife – Cate Tiernan

Strange things are happening. Books are flying, light bulbs are bursting and Mary K knows what Cal and Selene have done to her. Morgan’s failing school and everyone is blaming her for the weird occurances. And worst of all... MORGAN AND HUNTER ARE BACK TOGETHER!!!

The 90-Day Fitness Challenge – Phil and Amy Parham

The 90-Day Fitness Challenge – Phil and Amy Parham

The 90-Day Fitness Challenge : A Proven Program for Better Health and Lasting Weight Loss

“You’ve tried diet plans with little success. Now let Phil and Amy Parham, former contestants on NBC’s The Biggeest Loser, show you how to transform your life and live your dreams of being healthier, happier and more fit.

The 90-Day fitness challenge is a faith-based, informative, and motivational book that will

ü take you step-by-step through a 90-day program for permanent weight loss

ü provide simple and practical healthy food and fitness plans

ü point the way toward developing better eating habits and an active lifestyle

ü incorporate Scripture and faith principles to encourage you to make God a part of your journey

The Parhams know from experience the obstacles to fitness you face. Allow them to come alongside to inspire, motivate, and provide practical life skills on your 90-day journey toward better health and lasting weight loss.”

This book is more like a weight loss journal. Amy and Phil has made templates for you to fill out each day. And every day you get an inspirational quote, tip of the day and the challenge of the day. They give you shopping lists, and exercise routines and great recipes. This book’s on my good side give it a whirl J

Rating J

~KT

Grading scale

ü Hüdfagghoutin’ – This book has got to be kidding me. Was the author high when (s) he wrote this?!? I can’t think of another word to describe this horrid piece of work other than Hüdfagghoutin’!

‽ Questlimation Mark – This book made me think “What the heck?!?” It’s not the worst thing but it’s defiantly not the best. I have no idea what the book is supposed to be telling me. I wouldn’t recommend it.

J Smiley Face – This was an awesome book. I enjoyed reading it and I would love to read it again. The story was fabulous and I’ll recommend it to people.

⓮ Fourteen – This is the highest rating I will give a book. It’s only reserved for my absolute favorite books. If it gets a Fourteen then you know you HAVE to read it. I absolutely couldn’t take my eyes off the book until it was done. I probably stayed up all night and day to finish. This is a book that I’ll be reading many times in the future. It touched my heart in a way that can only be described as magic and I fell in love with one or more of the characters. I will insist on people reading this book and hope that someday I will marry it.

Sweep Sundays – Changeling – Cate Tiernan

Sweep Sundays – Changeling – Cate Tiernan

Morgan is broken up with Hunter in this one (YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and the council sends a witch to give Morgan an assignment. She starts studying to kill the dark wave because it was cursed on Starlocket’s coven. Morgan has to make a choice of evil and past or good and family.

First Step 2 Forever -- Justin Bieber

Justin bieber -- First step 2 forever

Justin Bieber. Juuussttttiiiinnn Biiiiieeeebbbbeeeerrr! Why isn’t all the girls screaming? Oh you are? Me too J Justin wrote this book to tell you how he became famous and what he loves about it. It’s a picture book and ITS THICK! Who knew he had the time? It’s cool, the pictures are awesome. I mean c’mon it’s Justin Bieber how can the pictures not be awesome? J

Rating J

~KT

Grading scale

ü Hüdfagghoutin’ – This book has got to be kidding me. Was the author high when (s) he wrote this?!? I can’t think of another word to describe this horrid piece of work other than Hüdfagghoutin’!

‽ Questlimation Mark – This book made me think “What the heck?!?” It’s not the worst thing but it’s defiantly not the best. I have no idea what the book is supposed to be telling me. I wouldn’t recommend it.

J Smiley Face – This was an awesome book. I enjoyed reading it and I would love to read it again. The story was fabulous and I’ll recommend it to people.

⓮ Fourteen – This is the highest rating I will give a book. It’s only reserved for my absolute favorite books. If it gets a Fourteen then you know you HAVE to read it. I absolutely couldn’t take my eyes off the book until it was done. I probably stayed up all night and day to finish. This is a book that I’ll be reading many times in the future. It touched my heart in a way that can only be described as magic and I fell in love with one or more of the characters. I will insist on people reading this book and hope that someday I will marry it.

Eight Little Faces -- Kate Gosselin

This is a children picture like book. It’s full of pictures and easy to read for the little ones so anyone can read. It’s a cute little book J

Rating J

-Kay

Grading scale

ü Hüdfagghoutin’ – This book has got to be kidding me. Was the author high when (s) he wrote this?!? I can’t think of another word to describe this horrid piece of work other than Hüdfagghoutin’!

‽ Questlimation Mark – This book made me think “What the heck?!?” It’s not the worst thing but it’s defiantly not the best. I have no idea what the book is supposed to be telling me. I wouldn’t recommend it.

J Smiley Face – This was an awesome book. I enjoyed reading it and I would love to read it again. The story was fabulous and I’ll recommend it to people.

⓮ Fourteen – This is the highest rating I will give a book. It’s only reserved for my absolute favorite books. If it gets a Fourteen then you know you HAVE to read it. I absolutely couldn’t take my eyes off the book until it was done. I probably stayed up all night and day to finish. This is a book that I’ll be reading many times in the future. It touched my heart in a way that can only be described as magic and I fell in love with one or more of the characters. I will insist on people reading this book and hope that someday I will marry it.

Sweep Sundays -- The Calling – Cate Tiernan

Sweep Sundays -- The Calling – Cate Tiernan

So in this installment Morgan has a dream … NO WAIT! A vision…. And it’s weird and gets the council all hyped up. They send Hunter to New York and everyone tags along. THINGS HAPPEN IN NEW YORK! And just when you think you knew everything about Morgan … BOOM! … No you didn’t know. Was Angus really her father? Was Meave really her mother? Or was she switched at birth?

By the way do you watch Switched at Birth? How do you like it?

~KT

And keep everyone who suffered from the 9/11 attacks in your hearts <3

Multiple blessing – Kate Gosselin & Beth Carson

Multiple blessing – Kate Gosselin & Beth Carson

This book is about the troubles Kate has faced when she had her babies. From the complications of birth to eating 4,000 calories a day to the fear that at any second one of her babies could lose his or her life. I liked the book and there’s no clear audience. Nothing obscene. She speaks of God and faith and if your interested then go ahead.

rating J

~KT

Grading scale

ü Hüdfagghoutin’ – This book has got to be kidding me. Was the author high when (s) he wrote this?!? I can’t think of another word to describe this horrid piece of work other than Hüdfagghoutin’!

‽ Questlimation Mark – This book made me think “What the heck?!?” It’s not the worst thing but it’s defiantly not the best. I have no idea what the book is supposed to be telling me. I wouldn’t recommend it.

J Smiley Face – This was an awesome book. I enjoyed reading it and I would love to read it again. The story was fabulous and I’ll recommend it to people.

⓮ Fourteen – This is the highest rating I will give a book. It’s only reserved for my absolute favorite books. If it gets a Fourteen then you know you HAVE to read it. I absolutely couldn’t take my eyes off the book until it was done. I probably stayed up all night and day to finish. This is a book that I’ll be reading many times in the future. It touched my heart in a way that can only be described as magic and I fell in love with one or more of the characters. I will insist on people reading this book and hope that someday I will marry it.

Sweep Sundays – Spellbound – Cate Tiernan

Sweep Sundays – Spellbound – Cate Tiernan

The two covans merge in this one and Morgan falls for Hunter (grrr!) oh! And guess who comes back! What? You want to know? THEN READ THE BOOK! It’s awesome and addicting and you’ll just never guess what happens! J

-KT

Sleeping Naked is Green – Vanessa Farquharson

Sleeping Naked is Green – Vanessa Farquharson

Sleeping naked is green: how an eco-cynic unplugged her fridge, sold her car, and found love in 366 days – Vanessa Farquharson

“No one likes listening to smug hippies brag about how they don’t use toilet paper or lecture about the evils of plastic bags and SUVs. But most of us do want to lesson our ecological footprints. With this in mine, Vanessa Farquharson takes on the intense personal challenge of making one green change to her lifestyle every day for a year, to find out what’s doable and what’s too hardcore.

Whether confronting the hypocrisy of carbon-offsetting air travel or figuring out the best place in her living room for a compost bin full of worms and rotting cabbage, Vanessa writes about her foray into the green world with comical and accessible insight in this honest look at what happens when an average girl throws herself into the murkiest depths of the green movement.”

As it says in my About Katelyn page, Sleeping Naked is Green is one of my favorite books. Vanessa gave me some insight of the world and I caught the inspiration that poured off of her witty words and look on life. This book is nonfiction and is about Vanessa’s green year where she makes one green change a day and blogs about it. She has completed her challenge and you can read her blog entries over that year at www.greenasathistle.com and send her a hello. This book’s for 15+ and up. Maybe younger depending on maturity does have references to sex (hence sleeping naked) and womanly issues. J

Rating ⓮

~Kay

Grading scale

ü Hüdfagghoutin’ – This book has got to be kidding me. Was the author high when (s) he wrote this?!? I can’t think of another word to describe this horrid piece of work other than Hüdfagghoutin’!

‽ Questlimation Mark – This book made me think “What the heck?!?” It’s not the worst thing but it’s defiantly not the best. I have no idea what the book is supposed to be telling me. I wouldn’t recommend it.

J Smiley Face – This was an awesome book. I enjoyed reading it and I would love to read it again. The story was fabulous and I’ll recommend it to people.

⓮ Fourteen – This is the highest rating I will give a book. It’s only reserved for my absolute favorite books. If it gets a Fourteen then you know you HAVE to read it. I absolutely couldn’t take my eyes off the book until it was done. I probably stayed up all night and day to finish. This is a book that I’ll be reading many times in the future. It touched my heart in a way that can only be described as magic and I fell in love with one or more of the characters. I will insist on people reading this book and hope that someday I will marry it.

Don’t Make a Black Women Take off Her Earrings – Tyler Perry

Don’t Make a Black Women Take off Her Earrings – Tyler Perry

Don’t Make a Black Women Take off Her Earrings: Madea’s uninhibited commentaries on love and life – Tyler Perry

“If you can count on one thing from “Madea” Mabel Simmons, star of the smash hits “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” and “Madea’s Family Reunion”, it’s that she’s got something to say. Now the beloved, sharp tongued, pistol-packing grandmother has her own book – part memoir, many parts hard-won, hilarious, straight-up in-your-face words of wisdom.

“Every time I’m out in front of people, they ask me for advice. ‘Madea, what should I do about this? Madea, what should I do about that?’ I tell people I’ve got problems of my own, but for some reason, they keep asking and they seem like to listen to the advice that I’ve got to give.”

On sex … “Holding out will get you diamonds and furs and Cadillac’s and marriage proposals. A man likes a challenge. If you’re throwing it at him, sometimes he don’t want to catch it.”

On marriage … “I love marriage. I believe the sanctity of marriage. I believe in keeping a marriage going up until the point that it gets on your damned nerves. Then shut it down.”

On childbirth … “I’ve heard it called a beautiful, wonderful, extraordinary thing … I don’t know what the hell they were talking about.”

On health and fitness … “My personal fitness test is ‘Can I make it to the car to get to a Dunkin’ Donuts to get me a donut today?’””

Did you know Madea has a book? I didn’t! I’m so glad I read Madea’s Wikipedia and found out. This was hilarious! I’m a really big fan of Madea and Tyler Perry and I found myself laughing because I reading it in her voice which made everything funnier! This book has a lot of cussing and sexual references so I recommend the audience to be 15 and older. You won’t be disappointed. J

Rating J

~KT

Grading scale

ü Hüdfagghoutin’ – This book has got to be kidding me. Was the author high when (s) he wrote this?!? I can’t think of another word to describe this horrid piece of work other than Hüdfagghoutin’!

‽ Questlimation Mark – This book made me think “What the heck?!?” It’s not the worst thing but it’s defiantly not the best. I have no idea what the book is supposed to be telling me. I wouldn’t recommend it.

J Smiley Face – This was an awesome book. I enjoyed reading it and I would love to read it again. The story was fabulous and I’ll recommend it to people.

⓮ Fourteen – This is the highest rating I will give a book. It’s only reserved for my absolute favorite books. If it gets a Fourteen then you know you HAVE to read it. I absolutely couldn’t take my eyes off the book until it was done. I probably stayed up all night and day to finish. This is a book that I’ll be reading many times in the future. It touched my heart in a way that can only be described as magic and I fell in love with one or more of the characters. I will insist on people reading this book and hope that someday I will marry it.

Sweep Sunday -- Awakening -- Cate Tiernan

The Sweep Series – Awakening—Cate Tiernan

Since the incident Morgan’s heart isn’t the same. Will she stay heartbroken over Cal or will she warm up to Hunter? There’s dark magick brewing from a familiar face and Hunter gives Morgan something special. I liked all the books in the sweep series especially the ones with Hunter (haha) so this one is another good read. J

~KTRXS

Sweep Sunday -- Dark Magick -- Cate Tiernan

The Sweep Series – Dark Magick – Cate Tiernan

This is the book where your jaw drops because everything you ever known and felt about these characters change in a matter of a book! Woodbanes start coming to visit Selene and to see Morgan. She’s offered an opportunity and you’ll never guess what will happen if she turns it down J

Happy Sweep Sundays

~KT

Update

There haven't been many reviews lately, and this is for a fairly good, but stupid, reason. You see, I, Leah, am nit the smartest person in the world. I have done something completely stupid. Sometime last week, I was looking through some old stuff that I had lying around my room. I stumbled across a disc, which I immediately inserted into my computer without asking anyone if said disc would do any harm. As it turns out, neither technology nor Windows Vista like me very much, because now I cannot open anything on my computer. There also haven't been any YouTube videos lately, because I just haven't gotten around to doing any. My sleeping schedule is all out of whack and I just haven't been motivated to read as much. I am starting to get - I know it's a weird phrase, and I'm sorry - back in the groove of things and I hope to have things fixed soon. I am very sorry for both of these wacky situations. But I will get back to everything as soon as I can. -Leah

Sweep Sunday -- Blood Witch -- Cate Tiernan

The Sweep Series – Blood Witch – Cate Tiernan

SPOILER ALERT!

So by now you know that Morgan is a blood witch and she’s adopted. I COULDN’T WAIT TO GET THAT OFF MY CHEST!

In this book you see Hunter sneaking around and then bad things happen. You get to find out why Hunter and Cal hate each other. You get to learn more about Meave and Morgan learns about scrying. Then there’s the battle of the brothers.

The Sweep Series -- The Coven -- Cate Tiernan

The Sweep Series -- The Coven -- Cate Tiernan

This is the second book and this is where Morgan’s world falls apart. Her world will always be split between before Wicca and after Wicca. She finds out more about her past that she never knew existed. In this book you also meet Hunter and Sky, foreign blood witches from England.

My favorite part of this book is when you actually meet Hunter, I’ve been hearing hype about him (thanks to Leah) and I couldn’t wait to meet him. Again this series is addressed to kids 13+ and I hate that I can’t give anything away but lots of drama, lots of lies and ties. Morgan is developing J

Sisters Red -- Jackson Pearce

Scarlett and Rosie March have spent their years hunting the Fenris - werewolves who took Scarlett's eye in a brutal attack years ago. Donning blood red cloaks and wielding deadly hatchets, the sisters kill Fenris to protect other young girls from a grisly fate. Yet even as the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is lethal with an ax and Scaarlett's only friend - but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all they they've worked for?
I found this book after stumbleing across Jackson Pearce's YouTube channel. Before viewing a few of her videos, I had not know that she was an author, and when I found out that she was an author I just had to pick up a copy of one of her books. So I went to Borders and picked up a copy of Sisters Red. I would give this book a 4/5, and the age group that I would give to this book would be 13+.

Sisters Red is a modern day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, only not. In this version Little Red isn't Little Red, but Little Reds. (If you didn't catch that, there are two girls who wear red cloaks.) The Little Reds are sisters, Scarlett and Rosie March. The March sisters find out about the Fenris (werewolves) after watching both Scarlett and Oma March (The sister's grandmother) get attacked. Oma March isn't as lucky as Scarlett, who only suffers severe scarring on the right side of her face. After this horrible witnessing Scarlett and Rosie vow to save other girls from Fenris attacks, along with their childhood friend and neighbor Silas. Silas is the last son in a long line of woodsmen.

Things are going well, until Silas and Rosie find themselves wanting more than the hunt. This dream is frequently disrupted by the increasing amount of Fenris attacks, and Scarlett's inability to comprehend a life beyond the hunt and her anger at anything not hunt-related. (Which, if you ask me, is scarier than any Fenris)

I think that Pearce did an astounding job at pointing out the differences between the sisters, and then sharing the underlying similarities. I couldn't help but feel an attachment to both sisters, and I understood what each sister wanted. This was just one of the many things that drew me to this book. I loved turning the page, only to find out something new.

The only thing that I didn't like about this book was that the relationship between Silas and Rosie didn't interest me. I couldn't get attached to them as a couple and I kind of wanted Silas and Scarlett to get together, but, hey, that's what FanFiction is for, right?

City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare

This review will contain spoilers if you have not read City of Bones.

Clary Fray just wishes that he life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? Clary would love to spend more time with her best friend, Simon. But the Shadowhunters won't let her go - especially her handsome, infuriating new found brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil - and also her father. When the second of the Mortal Instruments is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor suspects Jace. Could Jace really be willing to betray everything he believes in to help his father?

Immediately after reading City of Bones [Review] I picked up City of Ashes and completely devoured it. I give this book a 4/5, because I don't feel that it was as good as the first book, the writing seemed a bit rushed is all. The cover is astounding, and I love the contrast between the hair and the blue color in the background, not to mention that awesome swirling of silver. The age grouping that I would give this book is 13+ but, you are free to dismiss my "warning" and read this book anyway. It's not like I can (or would) stop you if you did.

 In this book you see more of Simon and Clary as their relationship grows. Clary is still trying to find herself and figure out which world she belongs in - the Shadow world or the mundane world. Throughout this book you are brought into many battles between many different Shadow persons. First, there's the whole Jace and Clary are siblings and Valentine is their father thing going on, which poses a major problem for both Jace and Clary's romantic relationship, as well as their Shadow Hunter relationship. Jace is seriously questioning who he can trust, including the Lightwoods, who are determined to give Jace a hard time about his father (Like Jace isn't beating himself up already). Then there is the whole vampires and werewolves are eternally at war with each other thing going on, which, at times, was a bit amusing.

Alec was seen more in this book, and I really enjoyed learning more about him. In City of Bones you do see some of Alec, but not as much as you see him in this book. Alec still pines for Jace, even though he knows that Jace wouldn't go for him. It tortured me to see Alec heartbroken at times, but it all worked out for him in the end. And, it was awesome. You also get to see the Lightwood family dynamic, which is pretty cool.

The only thing that I don't really feel that this book touched on was Isabelle's personal life. We learn a few things about her, but we don't really get to see who she really is. I don't know why this bugs me so much, because this book is rated 5/5, but it does. I kind of want to know who she really is and what she thinks about what's currently going on in everyone's lives. As I've said before, I felt that this book was rushed, and it didn't have as many twists as City of Bones did. I could easily figure out what was going to happen next, and I was expecting a little more from Clare.