Month in Review: November '11

NOVEMBER '11


Books read: 54
Pages read: I was a bad girl and didn't keep track! Oops!


New year-to-date total: 333
Books left to hit 2011 goal: 32


Titles

1. Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
2. Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
3. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
4. I'm a Little Teapot and Other Action Rhymes by Wendy Straw
5. Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater by Wendy Straw
6. Divergent by Veronica Roth
7. Tighter by Adele Griffin
8. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
9. The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix
10. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
11. There Were 10 in the Bed by Wendy Straw
12. If You're Happy and You Know It by Wendy Straw
13. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star by Wendy Straw
14. Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear by Wendy Straw
15. Old King Cole and Friends by Wendy Straw
16. Four Dogs in a Truck by Wendy Straw
17. Humpty Dumpty and Friends by Wendy Straw
18. The Little Engine that Could by Wendy Straw
19. Tom's Tail by Linda Jennings
20. Big Bears Can! by David Bedford
21. Dora's Chicks by Julie Sykes
22. I'll Always Love You by Peony Lewis
23. It's My Turn! by David Bedford
24. Penny and Pup by Linda Jennings
25. Titus's Troublesome Tooth by Linda Jennings
26. The Very Sleepy Sloth by Andrew Murray
27. Wait for Me, Little Tiger! by Julie Sykes
28. What Are You Doing in My Bed? by David Bedford
29. Scaredy Mouse by Alan MacDonald
30. Dora's Eggs by Julie Sykes
31. Hoppity Skip Little Chick by Jo Brown
32. I Don't Want to Have a Bath! by Julie Sykes
33. Molly and the Storm by Christine Leeson
34. Newton and the Big Mess by Rory Tyger
35. Shaggy Dog and the Terrible Itch by David Bedford
36. Smudge by Julie Sykes
37. What Bear Likes Best! by Alison Ritchie
38. When Will It Be Spring? by Christine Walters
39. What Puppies Do Best by Laura Numeroff
40. Love, Mouserella by David Ezra Stein
41. Hello, Gorgeous! by MaryJanice Davidson
42. Goldilocks and the Three Martians by Stu Smith
43. Dogzilla by Dav Pilkney
44. The Earth Machine by Kevin Tong
45. Chamelia by Ethan Long
46. Boogie Bones by Elizabeth Loredo
47. The Problem with Pelly by Shana Corey
48. Hot Rod Hamster by Cynthia Lord
49. Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery by Kevin O'Malley
50. Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates by Kevin O'Malley
51. A Box Full of Kittens by Sonia Manzano
52. Night of the Veggie Monster by George McClements
53. If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff
54. If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff

Reviews
Legend by Marie Lu
Graceling & Bad Taste in Boys by Kristin Cashore & Carrie Harris 
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Tighter by Adele Griffin
The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel


Other Posts
2011 YALSA Teens' Top Ten
Sneak peek of Cinder by Marissa Meyer
An Extra Hour of Reading Read-a-Thon!
Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Fiction Books of 2011
Movie Recap: November 2011
My Week in Books: 55 56 57 58

Movie Recap: November 2011

I have seen a lot of other book bloggers talking about the movies they've seen  lately, and I can't resist joining in any longer! If you've seen any of the movies below, please leave me a comment telling me what you thought about them. I love to hear how different people's opinions are about movies! (Please keep it spoiler-free.)

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CRAZY STUPID LOVE
I watched this movie for two reasons: (1) Julianne Moore and (2) Emma Stone. Neither of these two fantastic actresses were in the movie enough for my liking. Surprisingly, though, I did actually like Steve Carrell in this movie. I'm not a big fan of awkward comedy like The Office, which is what he seems to be in mostly, so it was a nice change of pace to see him in a better role. Crazy Stupid Love was a little too slow in the middle (the beginning was fine, oddly enough), but the ending was perfect.

CAPTAIN AMERICA
I never read comic books, but I did read a lot about them for one of my kid lit classes this semester and have been getting into the genre quite a bit. I've been getting my geek on with the superhero movies lately because of this, so I was very excited to see Captain America! It was surprisingly good considering how much they had to mess with the timeline to make things work out properly. I can't wait for the sequel!

THE KARATE KID
I hadn't seen the original Karate Kid in a while, so I recorded it when it came on ABM Family this month. I love Mr. Miagi. He's awesome. Honestly, that's enough of a reason to watch this movie! (I also loved the remake with Jackie Chan - highly recommended!)

FLIGHTPLAN
I bought this used when the Blockbuster by my house went out of business quite a while ago, but I never got around to watching it until this month when I was clearing out my DVD stash. I usually love Jodie Foster, especially in action movies, but this one just didn't do it for me. I still don't understand how an entire plane full of people wouldn't see a little girl. I ended up skipping through most of this movie and only watched the last 20 minutes or so just to see how it ended.

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR
This was an unexpected delight! I never should have doubted the amazingness of Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Amy Adams. Also a surprise (to me) appearance of Shiri Appleby, who played Liz on Roswell back in the day. (I always get excited when I spot a Roswell alum!) Most movies that are based on a true story are unbelievably boring, but Charlie Wilson's War follows the stories of interesting people who led interesting lives, and I couldn't have been happier with the result. Of course, it would have been nice if the ending had been a little happier, but real life rarely works that way!

NIGHTS IN RODANTHE
Oh my gosh I still cannot believe how this freaking movie ended! Why, Nicholas Sparks, WHY?!?

P.S. I LOVE YOU
All of my girlfriends love this movie, which is probably why I've been avoiding it for so long. The last movie they went this nuts over was The Notebook, and I'm still not a fan of that one. (Unfortunately, my boyfriend is. I just can't win!) Anyway, P.S. I Love You is not one of "those" movies. Sure, I cried a little, but it wasn't a sobfest. Any time you've got an Irish accent - even if it's done by a Scottish (!) actor - you really can't go wrong. Finally, a chick flick for those of us who hate chick flicks!

GHOST TOWN
This one was oddly funny. Ricky Gervais was hilarious. Even when he's being a bitch in this movie, I still wanted to hug him, if only to hear how he'd tell me off. The romantic pairing was a bit odd, but they managed to make it work without turning it into one of those stereotypical "fat, ugly guy somehow manages to get the beautiful woman even though he's incompetent and has no measurable sense of humor" movies. Sure, it's like a lot of other man-can-see-ghosts flicks out there, but Gervais really does make the movie.

THE SEEKER
I hadn't realized when I picked this one up that it was based on The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. I've yet to read the book, so I can't say how well the two compare, but I was rather unimpressed by the movie.

How do authors do it?

This picture pretty much sums up my night.

I am currently working my way through edits on a 34-page group paper. That page total doesn't even include our two biggest appendices, which contribute another 17 pages. I normally love editing, but this paper is driving me bonkers! I've been working on this for the better part of a week and a half, but it's still fairly craptastic and just doesn't want to come together for me.

I don't know how authors can stand editing and re-editing (and re-editing, etc.) a full-length novel! Kudos for having far more patience than I could ever muster!

My Week in Books (58)

Credit for IMM goes to The Story Siren

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Books received for review

EVERNEATH

(Everneath #1)

by Brodi Ashton

Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers

Imprint: Balzer + Bray

Source: Publisher (Thank you, Harper Collins!)

To be released: January 24, 2012

A CAPTIVATING STORY OF LOVE, LOSS, AND IMMORTALITY

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned - to her old life, her family, her friends - before being banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back - this time as his queen . . .

PANDEMONIUM
(Delirium #2)
by Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Imprint: HarperTeen
Source: Blogger trade
To be released: March 6, 2012


The old Lena is dead.


The old Lena remains with Alex in Portland, Maine, behind a wall of smoke and flame, but the new Lena was born in the Wilds, transformed by hardship, deprivation, and loss.


Now an active member of the resistance, Lena fights for a world in which love will no longer be considered a dangerous disease. Her inner life is as turbulent as the world around her . . . Although consumed with grief for Alex, might she be falling in love with someone else?


In this riveting sequel to her New York Times bestseller DELIRIUM, Lauren Oliver sets Lena on a course that hurtles through the unregulated Wilds and straight into the heart of a full-scale rebellion. With her signature exceptional prose, Oliver masterfully weaves a bittersweet tale of star-crossed romance with high-stakes action that fans of The Hunger Games will love.

Books bought


Pre-order arrivals


 


The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Unleashed by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

What I read this week


another ton of kiddie books

Books I started but haven't finished (yet!)


  


Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

My Week in Books (57)

Credit for IMM goes to The Story Siren

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Please check out this week's PICK IT FOR ME post to vote on next week's selection!

Books bought

Pre-order arrivals

  

Death Watch by Ari Berk

Outlaw by Stephen Davies
The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (no GR link)
The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

What I read this week

   

The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

My Week in Books (56)

Credit for IMM goes to The Story Siren

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If you haven't already, please check out this week's PICK IT FOR ME post!
The theme for this week is steampunk! 

Books received for review

THE WAY WE FALL

(Series #1)

by Megan Crewe

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Source: Blogger trade

To be released: January 24, 2012

It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throad. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they're old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

AND THEN YOU'RE DEAD.

When sixteen-year-old Kaelyn lets her best friend leave for school without saying good-bye, she never dreams she might not ever see him again. But then a strange virus begins to sweep through her small island community. As patients start dying, the government quarantines the island: no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for the town's dwindling supplies or risk losing any chance of survival. While everything familiar is crashing down, Kaelyn discovers a friend in a girl she once saw as a rival, and a chance at love with a boy she thought was an enemy. But as the body count continues to rise and the virus touches those she holds dearest, it's harder and harder to keep panic at bay. Soon Kaelyn finds herself challenging not just her fears, but her sense of what makes life worth living.

The heart-wrenching story of one girl's stand for hope and survival, The Way We Fall will leave readers fervently awaiting the next book in this standout new series.

UNDER THE NEVER SKY

by Veronica Rossi

Publisher: HarperCollins

Source: Blogger trade

To be released: January 3, 2012

For readers who loved GRACELING and THE HUNGER GAMES comes a startling new world and a breathtaking, unforgettable love.

Exiled from her comfortable home, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - called the Death Shop - are slim. Violent energy storms scan strike suddenly, and even the very air she breathes might kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild, dangerous - a savage. He's also her only hope.

Because Aria alone holds the key to his redemption. Perry needs her, too. Their unlikely alliance will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Books bought



The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Fire by Kristin Cashore :)
Reckoning by Lili St. Crow

Pre-order arrivals



Unison Spark by Andy Marino

What I read this week

 

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Tighter by Adele Griffin

 I also read a bunch of picture books from a set that I can't find on Goodreads. I really needed something quick and easy this week, and these were all pretty darn cute! 
Four Dogs and a Truck by Wendy Straw
Humpty Dumpty and Friends by Wendy Straw
I'm a Little Teapot by Wendy Straw
If You're Happy and You Know It by Wendy Straw
The Little Engine That Could by Wendy Straw
Old King Cole and Friends by Wendy Straw
Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater and Friends by Wendy Straw
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear by Wendy Straw
There Were 10 in the Bed by Wendy Straw
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star by Wendy Straw

Books I started but haven't finished (yet!)

 

Frost by Wendy Delsol
Frost by Marianna Baer
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Publishers Weekly Best Children's Fiction Books of 2011!

Have you seen this article about Publishers Weekly Best Children's Fiction Books of 2011? I am so excited by some of these choices! Of the titles I've read, my favorite is probably The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. Have you read anything off this list? What titles would you recommend?

• The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
• Chime by Franny Billingsly
• Small Persons with Wings by Ellen Booraem
• Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
• Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach & Antonio Javier Caparo
• Where She Went by Gayle Forman
• Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
• Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
• Legend by Marie Lu
• Apothecary by Maile Meloy
• A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
• The Flint Heart by Katherine & John Paterson
• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
• Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
• The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
• Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
• The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
• The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales by Chris Van Allsburg et al
• Variant by Robison Wells
• Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
• Blink & Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones
• How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

An Extra Hour of Reading Read-a-Thon

25 Hour Books is hosting a read-a-thon in order to take advantage of the extra hour we get as we switch over to Daylight Savings Time! Go to this post at 25 Hour Books for more information and to sign up.

This was the perfect excuse for a read-a-thon! I should probably be doing homework, but I won't be working on Monday so I will make up my assignments then. If you're interested, check back throughout the day for my read-a-thon updates!

Also, while you're here, please check out my Pick It For Me post to vote on which book I will read this week and review on Saturday!

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0:00

Let the read-a-thon begin!

First up is Frost by Wendy Delsol. Not only is it the sequel to an amazing book (Stork), but I thought the title was a great way to mark the changing seasons! I will be reading this until I fall asleep.

Of course, after I started Frost, I realized I had another book called Frost that was written by Marianna Baer, and I had to read that one as well! I only got through the first chapter before going back to the Delsol title, but it was very interesting! Hopefully I will be able to get through both books during the read-a-thon!

# books completed: 0

# pages read: 75 + 10 = 85

Titles: Frost by Wendy Delsol, Frost by Marianna Baer

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16:00

We had Boyfriend's niece's baptism today, so I got to read in the car. Now, I  couldn't put off all of my homework, so I have to put together a (hopefully quick!) PowerPoint for class. After that, though, it's back to reading!

# books completed: 0
# pages read: 136 + 10 =146
Titles: Frost by Wendy Delsol, Frost by Marianna Baer

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21:00

I finally finished my PowerPoint, got everything turned in, and got back to my book. Delsol's Frost is soo good! I'm a little frustrated with relationship development, but I love Katla, her spunk, and all of the mythology going on in this series!

# books completed: 0
# pages read: 183 + 10 = 193
Titles: Frost by Wendy Delsol, Frost by Marianna Baer

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22:00

I'm going to have to call an end to the read-a-thon . . . Once Upon a Time has taped, and Boyfriend and I really want to watch it! I hope everyone else who participated enjoyed the books they read!

Final totals:
# books completed: 0
# pages read: 193
Titles: Frost by Wendy Delsol, Frost by Marianna Baer

My Week in Books (55)

Credit for IMM goes to The Story Siren

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If you haven't already, check out this week's Pick It For Me post!
The theme for this week's choices is dystopian!

Books won

Thank you, Fresh Fiction! 



Books received for review

JESSICA RULES THE DARK SIDE

(Jessica #2)

by Beth Fantaskey

Publisher: Harcourt

Source: Blogger trade

To be released: January 10, 2012

It's one thing to find out that you're a vampire princess. It's whole other thing to actually rule. Newly married Jessica Packwood is having a hard enough time feeling regal with her husband, Lucius, at her side. But when evidence in the murder of a powerful elder points to Lucius, sending him into solitary confinement, Jessica is suddenly on her own.

Determined to clear his name, Jessica launches into a full-scale investigation, but hallucinations and nightmares of betrayal keep getting in her way. Jessica knows that without blood to drink, Lucius's time is running out. Can she figure out who the real killer is - and who she can trust - before it's too late? 

BORN WICKED

(The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1)

by Jessica Spotswood

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Source: Blogger trade

To be released: February 7, 2012

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship - or an early grave. 

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood - not even from each other.

Books bought

Pre-order arrivals



Dark Eden by Patrick Carman
Crossed by Ally Condie (review here)
Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

What I read this week

 

Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer (audio)
Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Books I started but haven't finished (yet!)




The Farseekers by Isobelle Carmody
Ninth Grade Slays by Heather Brewer (audio)