Thursday, December 30, 2010

Out With A Bang Update

I am such a bad book blogger :(

No really. The challenge started Tuesday and I've read maybe.... a page and a half? Oops O.O HOWEVER, I will be tearing myself away from my DS this afternoon (*sniff sniff*) to read some. I'm hoping to at least finish my current read Pretty Little Liars, and if I have time I'll be reading Are You There God, It's Me Margaret?

Now I will get reading :) Hope everyone is having a good end of the year!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Out With A Bang reading list


The next few days I'm going to try to read some of my older books in my TBR stack, to make room for the new ones I got for Christmas :) Be sure to click the pictures to see more info at their Amazon pages! My list is as follows:


Pretty Little Liars (TV Show Edition) by Sara Shepard


Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (Re-Read) by Judy Bloom

Be looking for my review on this one, I have two copies and will be giving one away!






Real Live Boyfriends (ARC) by E. Lockhart





Leven Thumps and the Eyes of Want by Obert Skye

I can't actually remember if I read this one :/ I know I read the first two, and when I went digging in my closet for books for this list I found this one and book 4 (see below) and since I got book 5, the last one, for Christmas (SUPER excited!) I figured I should brush up on this one and read the next one so I'm set to read the last one!





Leven Thumps and the Wrath of Ezra by Obert Skye





The Love Killer by Josh McDowell

I actually forgot I had this one.... I'm glad I found it! I'm really looking forward to reading this one.


Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill

The title of this book was intriguing, I had to pick it up. It actually sounded really great, so I bought it :) I'm posting this because one of my friends who reads my blog thinks this book sounds completely creepy :P Just for you Shortie! ;)

Hopefully I can get through all of these in the next few days.... I bought two new DS games with my Christmas giftcards and have an older one I'm re-playing so I'm not sure how well my balancing time will go :P

Out With A Bang Read-A-Thon



I will be participating in the Out With A Bang Read-A-Thon, hosted by Book-Savvy and The Bookish Type. Basically the rules are to read as much of your TBR stacks as possible during that time period to prepare for all of the new releases and reading challenges in 2011. I have quite a few older books I need to read before I start reading the new ones I got for Christmas :) I'm excited to start this challenge!

If you want to participate, you can find the complete details and the sign-up linky at this post. Good luck and let me know if you join! :)

Friday, December 17, 2010

Secret Santa Swap!

So I finally am home for break, and I have my package for my Secret Santa book swap! I was super excited, so I had to open it and share it right away :D I got two books: The Highwayman of Tanglewood and.... MATCHED!!!!!! I was super excited to get this, because I have wanted it for awhile :D The other one wasn't on my wishlist, but my Secret Santa left a note with it saying it was a Christian author and that she thought I might like it based off of my other books.
I also got a few goodies: a pair of fuzzy socks (which I love!), a book light! (woohoo!), a cute Christmas tree snowglobe, and an amazing Eiffel Tower bookmark!!! I am definitely using it right away, that's for sure ;)
I plan to start Matched ASAP, and the other one soon after :) I also have two others I won recently off of blogs, plus my already HUGE TBR stack, so I plan to read tons these next three weeks of break :)

To my Secret Santa: thank you so so so much!!!! I would love to know who you are, so I can follow your blog and send you a thank you card ;)

To my readers: be prepared for reviews galore these next few weeks! :D

Have a great Christmas!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Review - How to Survive Your Freshman Year of College

Excerpt from the back cover:

The perennial bestseller, How to Survive Your Freshman Year has become known as the college freshman's "bible.” The Third Edition offers college freshmen 30 per cent new material: more real-life advice and experiences from interviews with college students and graduates across the country, plus tips from the book’s new special editor, Frances Northcutt, an academic advisor and instructor. New entries reflect today’s world of new freshman lifestyle and experiences, including all wireless digital devices, social networking, global and political awareness, and the importance of volunteerism.

My review:

This book as a whole is great and has a good amount of advice. However, some of the advice does not align with my morals and beliefs. There is a whole chapter on drinking and partying (which I almost skipped, but didn't for the sake of a fair review). I would still encourage anyone just starting out in college to read it. While this is more sophomore year, it is my first year away from home so a lot of the advice applied. A good choice to pick up!

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Review - The Magykal Papers

The description from the inside cover of the jacket is as follows:

Enter the world of Septimus Heap with this collection of previously unpublished papers.

This rich compendium include:
  • The private journals of Septimus, Jenna, and Marcia Overstrand
  • The best - and worst - places to eat as described in The Egg-on-Toast Restaurant Guide
  • Sirius Weazal's Speedy Guides to the Palace, the Wizard Tower, and Wizard Way
  • Excerpts from the Pigeon Post Biography series and the Heaps of History series
  • Alther Mella's Guide to Being Dead: Ten Handy Rules for New Ghosts
  • Beautiful maps, quirky flyers, funny letters, and much more!
 My review:

This is a great addition to the Septimus Heap series! I am a huge fan of the series, so as soon as I found out about this book I had to get my hands on it. It took me a few years, but once I found it (and CHEAP) I was thrilled! I finally got around to reading it now and I do not regret buying it. While it would make no sense to someone simply picking it up randomly, to those (myself included) who love the Septimus Heap books it is a great side book to read while waiting for the next book to come out. If you are a fellow fan, I highly recommend it!

Review - Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul on Tough Stuff


I got this book from a friend. Originally I had simply borrowed it, but then she said I could just have it since she never read it. It didn't disappoint!

The description from the back of the book is as follows:

Part of growing up is learning how to deal with difficult issues. The pressures of life can be overwhelming for teens. You worry about schoolwork, competitive sports, family responsibilities, dating, and sometimes more serious problems, such as school violence, drugs, pregnancy, eating disorders and suicide. This book gets to the heart of these issues in the following chapters: On Self-Acceptance, Drugs & Alcohol, Suicide, Tragedy, Family Matters, On Courage, Growing Up, Eating Disorders & Depression, Abuse, Learning Difficult Lessons, Death & Dying. (I accidentally wrote the chapters slightly out of order, so the actual order is different on both the back of the book and inside the book.)

Every person in this book realized something profound from his or her experience; hopefully, this lesson will be passed on to you and spare you similar pain. At the very least, you will know as you read these stories that you are not alone in the world with the challenges you face. May you find comfort, hope and inspiration in the courage, strength and faith of the teens who have bravely shared their stories with you in this book.

My Review:

This book has it all! Whether you have a normal life with not many obstacles, or you're like me and have had your share of trials, this book has a story for you. Many of the individuals I can relate to. The stories don't gloss over any of the hard details; they share the experience as-is. These teenagers went through terrible situations but many of them are using them for good. This book is an inspiration. Another great Chicken Soup book!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Book review: No More Christian Nice Girl

The excerpt from the back of the book state:

Be the Strong, Confident, and Caring Woman You Were Meant to Be Tired of doing all you can for others while your relationships remain stuck in neutral--or headed in reverse? Paul Coughlin and psychologist Jennifer Degler show how being nice can harm you and drain the life out of your relationships. They explore the keys to fulfillment at home, work, church, and even in the bedroom. You'll discover that emulating the real Jesus is the key to transforming from a Christian Nice Girl into an authentic, powerful woman of loving faith. "What's wrong with being nice? Paul Coughlin and Jennifer Degler make a strong case that women need to be bold and assertive rather than people pleasers who try to do too much. I recommend this book to you." --Dr. Kevin Leman, Author of The Birth Order Book and Have a New Kid by Friday "This refreshingly practical book is a must for any woman who yearns to move from the entanglements of being nice to the freedom of being real." --Georgia Shaffer, PA Licensed Psychologist, Certified Life Coach, and Author of Taking Out Your Emotional Trash "As a Christian counselor, I see many women paying the high price of being too nice: depression, anxiety, stress-related physical ailments, as well as difficult and destructive relationship patterns. Finally there is a book I can recommend that gives women the reasons why nice isn't always good and the tools to help them stop." Leslie Vernick, Licensed Counselor, Speaker, and Author of The Emotionally Destructive Relationship and Lord, I Just Want to Be Happy. Paul Coughlin is a bestselling author, international speaker, and founder of The Protectors, a faith-based and values-based solution to adolescent bullying. Jennifer Degler, PhD, is a licensed psychologist, life coach, and a frequent speaker at women's events and marriage retreats.

My review:

4 out of 5 stars

This book is good for the women and girls who have mainly grown up in the Christian home and have always been in church. I did not, and most of this I already know. However, this book has some great ideas and I strongly encourage all Christian women to get their hands on this book!

I received this book free as a review copy from Bethany House Publishers. This review is my own opinion.
 
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