TGIF (4) Choose Your Next Read

This feature is hosted by Ginger at GReads! She asks book bloggers a fun question every week and we get to answer it. (Ginger is putting this feature on hold for awhile. So this is my last TGIF for a while.)

This weeks question is. . .
 How do you go about choosing what you read next? Do you have a schedule you follow, or do you read whatever makes you happy at the moment?
 
I have a shelf in my cabinet that holds all my TBR books, and I have a shelf on my nook that holds all my unread ebooks. I will usually decide first if I want to read a physical book or an ebook. Then I will either browse through them and just decide on whatever I want to read, or I will choose the top five books I would like to read and go on Goodreads and see if any of my friends have read it and liked it.

Book Haul #2

So......... I got some more books. But what can I say? They were super cheap.

Review: The Wish by Gail Carson Levine

Title: The Wish
Author(s): Gail Carson Levine
Release Date: May 31, 2000
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Page Number: 243
Format: Paperback


Synopsis(Goodreads): From the author of the Newbery Honor Book "Ella Enchanted." When Wilma gets one wish, she asks to be the most popular girl at school. But when her wish is granted, it's more than she bargained for.

My Review: I'm slightly disappointed in Gail Carson Levine right now. I have read all her other books(with the exception of A Tale of Two Castles) and I've loved them all. And I'm not saying I didn't like this book. It just wasn't as good as her other books. [This is a middle grade book. If you don't like reading them, this review is not for you.]

When Wilma Strutz gives an old lady her seat on the subway, she is given one wish. She wishes to be the most popular girl at her middle school. Suddenly everyone wants to be her friend and 40 boys have asked her to the Grad Night dance. But it turns out there might be a loophole in Wilma's popularity, and she'll do anything to avoid it.

This book had no depth. And I'm talking, like ZERO depth. Nothing was very well explained, at all. When Wilma told us that their were two types of people at the school, and that she was a brain, I was excited. I thought she would tell us about how smart the brains were and all about the schools academics. Nope. I hated the lack of depth.

The only character we got to know was Wilma, and because the book was so short, I felt that I didn't know her at all. And because of this, I couldn't paint an accurate picture of who she was as a character.

The writing style of this book was what I was hoping for. Gail Carson Levine has a fantastic writing style that keeps readers reading and wondering what will happen next. I absolutely loved it in all her fairytale retellings, and I loved it here too. The book was such a quick read that I really did enjoy reading, even though I did have problems with it. But, if I'm being honest, I think Gail Carson Levine should stick to fairytales.

Rating: 4/5 Worms

I think I'm rating this book highly because I love Gail Carson Levine as an author, but I also did like this book. It was aimed at a younger audience, but I love this author so much I had to read it.

 

Audio books, Ebooks, Hardcovers, or Paperbacks

Hey everyone! Today I'm going to discuss my thoughts on the following formats of books: audio books, ebooks, hardcovers, and paperbacks. I saw a few videos like this on YouTube, so I thought it would be cool to discuss it with you.

Audio books: Lately I've been on an audio book craze. I have been re-reading the Harry Potter series, and my mom has all the books in audio book, so I hesitantly picked one up. And I loved it. Normally I don't like audio books because I feel like I can get more if I actually read the book, but since I'd already read the book and I understood it, I loved listening to it. I also loved the narrator. He did a wonderful job making the characters sound like themselves(if that makes any sense).

Ebooks: If you watch my videos on YouTube, you know I did a video on my thoughts on ebooks vs. real books. If you haven't seen it, I will link it here. I own a Nook Color and I really love it. I love how its light and portable, and you can store thousands of books on there at one time. I also love that sometimes books are cheaper, which is nice because I am always looking for a good deal.

Hardcovers: Hardcovers and I aren't the best team. I don't particularly like them because of how heavy and large they are. But I do love the jackets they come with, and the fact that the spine doesn't show breakage very easily.

Paperbacks: I love paperbacks. They are light and easy to carry and you can hold them open with one hand. But on the other side, the spines break really easily and the covers can get damaged. All in all, though, I really love paperbacks.

So those were my thoughts on the formats. Feel free to comment and tell what you favorite format is. Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday (5)

Waiting on Wednesday in a weekly feature hosted at Breaking the Spine that showcases titles that we are eagerly awaiting.

This weeks title is...

Erasing Time
by C.J. Hill
Publication Date: August 28, 2012

Synopsis(Goodreads): In this high-action and romantic futuristic adventure, there is no escape from the future for two contemporary girls pulled out of their own time.

When twins Sheridan and Taylor wake up 400 years in the future, they find a changed world: domed cities, no animals, and a language that’s so different, it barely sounds like English. And the worst news: They can’t go back home.

The twenty-fifth-century government transported the girls to their city hoping to find a famous scientist to help perfect a devastating new weapon. The moblike Dakine fights against the government, and somehow Taylor and Sheridan find themselves in the middle. The only way to elude them all is to trust Echo, a guy with secrets of his own. The trio must put their faith in the unknown to make a harrowing escape into the wilds beyond the city.

Full of adrenaline-injected chases and heartbreaking confessions, Erasing Time explores the strength of the bonds between twins, the risks and rewards of trust, and the hard road to finding the courage to fight for what you believe in.

Waiting on Wednesday (4)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Breaking the Spine that features upcoming releases we are patiently awaiting.

This weeks title is....

The Lost Girl
by Sangu Mandanna
Publication Date: August 28, 2012


Synopsis(Goodreads): Eva’s life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination—an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her “other”, if she ever died. Eva studies what Amarra does, what she eats, what it’s like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything she’s ever known—the guardians who raised her, the boy she’s forbidden to love—to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.

What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva.

From debut novelist Sangu Mandanna comes the dazzling story of a girl who was always told what she had to be—until she found the strength to decide for herself.

Top Ten Tuesday (1)

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where a topic is posted and bloggers make a list of the top ten things that go into each topic.



This weeks topic is...

Top Ten Book Romances That You Think Would Make It In The Real World


1.  Rose and Dimitri for the Vampire Academy series: Yes, I realize that there are no vampires in the real world, but I still think that their romance could work. They were just so cute in the books that I really think that they could make it. But they'd have to find new jobs.

2. Owen and Annabel from Just Listen: Since contemporary is the closest to real life, I think that Owen and Annabel would still be perfect for each other. They were super cute together and their problems weren't huge problems like being turned into a vampire. 

3.  Harry and Ginny from Harry Potter: Yes I think that not having magic would be a bit of a culture shock, but they would make it. I am confident.

4. Ron and Hermonie from Harry Potter: I think not having magic would kill Hermonie, but Ron and Hermonie would get along just fine. I hope.

5. Four and Tris from Divergent: I think without people trying to kill them their relationship would grow. I mean, they are just so good for each other!

6. Kate and Fitz from The A Circuit series: Come on, he was willing to lie to save her job! He gets some major props for that. And their mutual love for horses will keep them together too.

7. Sean and Puck from The Scorpio Races:  Their relationship is perfect! Well, almost perfect. Its good enough for me.