Monthly Monday (2): February

 Monthly Monday is a meme I decided to start because most memes I found were about "what I will be doing this week or month" and I needed "what I did this month". Also, I didn't want to limit myself to books; I wanted the freedom to write about everything I read and saw that month (be it film or book). So that is how Monthly Monday started forming in my mind. I guess it's kind of like a monthly recap of what i did. I will be posting on the first Monday of every month and talking about everything i read or saw the month that passed.

I hope you enjoy and feel free to join :)

Books:

Cracked

by K.M. Walton

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

[Goodreads]

[my review]

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, Book 1)

Veronica Rossi

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

[Goodreads]

[my review]

The Glass Menagerie

by Tennessee Williams

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

[Goodreads]

[my review]

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, Book 1)

by Marissa Meyer

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

[Goodreads]

[my review]

Shatter Me (Shatter Me, Book 1)

by Tahereh Mafi

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

[Goodreads]

[my review]

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, Book 1)

by Susan Ee

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

[Goodreads]

[my review]

The Pledge (The Pledge, Book 1)

by Kimberly Derting

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

[Goodreads]

[my review]

Courtney Crumin and the Night Things (Courtney Crumin, Vol. 1)

by Ted Maifeh

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

[Goodreads]

 [my review]

Statistics:

Books = 8

Female Authors = 6 / Male Authors = 2

(single POV) Female POV = 2 / Male POV = 0

(multiple POV) = 4

Series = 6 / Standalones = 2

(Genre) YA = 6 / Classic =1 / Graphic Novel = 1

(Format) Paperback = 1 / eBook = 7

(Publication Date) 2012 = 3 / 2011 = 3 / 2003 = 1 / 1945 = 1  

Pages: 2,228

(Purchased = 7) B&N = 6 / Other Greek bookstore = 1

(Free = 1, ARC from NetGalley)

Day in which most books were read on: Thursday = 3 /Wednesday = 2 / Monday = 1 / Tuesday = 1 /Sunday = 1 / Friday =0 / Saturday = 0

Book I liked the most: Angelfall by Susan Ee
Book I liked the least: The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Films/Movies:

The Woman In Black (2012)

I just  can't get used to Daniel Radcliffe playing a role that isn't Harry Potter. Despite this, he did a good job. The movie was ok, not really scary but it did have the element of surprise.

[IMDb]

Wishful Thinking (1996)

I love Drew Barrymore. This was a very interesting movie and what made it unique was that it showed (more or less) the exact same scene 4 times from each characters perspective.

[IMDb]

Red Riding Hood (2011)

I did NOT see that ending coming. It kept me wondering all the way to the end. I also love Amanda Seyfried.

[IMDb]

Priest (2011)

I really like Paul Bettany and I find him hot in a bad-boy kind of way. I'm not really sure about how I feel about this movie though. I mean I know it's not really supposed to be realistic, but some of the stunts were way too much (see part where Paul Bettany jumps in the air and his partner throws two rocks his way and Paul steps on them as if he were climbing up the stairs and then kills a vampire mid-air).

[IMDb] 

Striptease (1996)

I can't believe Demi Moore has an eating disorder, her body was so perfect, so healthy-looking and sexy. It's sad that she thought she needed to lose weight. Anyway, the movie was ok, it was an interesting thriller but there wasn't something special about it (other than the very sexy Demi Moore dancing).

[IMDb]

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)

They have all the Charlie's Angels movies on TV every year and since it had been a while since I last saw them I thought I might as well see them on TV this year. Unfortunately I only got the chance to watch the second one, but all the Charlie's Angels movies are fun.

[IMDb]

Film/Movie I liked the most: Wishful Thinking

Film/Movie I liked the least: The Woman in Black

Cover Reveal: Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein

Yay my first cover reveal! I'm so excited!! Well, this looks like an interesting book with a prom night gone wrong theme. I for one, am tempted to read it so I'll be picking myself up a copy when it's out on May 15.

Blurb:

Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing—like she is nothing.

Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.

 Soooo here is the cover:

What do you think?

Read an excerpt: HERE

About the author:

Lisa Burstein is a tea seller by day and a writer by night. She wrote her first story when she was in second grade. It was a Thanksgiving tale from the point of view of the turkey from freezer to oven to plate. It was scandalous.

She was a lot like Amy when she was in high school.

She is still a lot like Amy.

Fun!

 Now that's not all. Lisa Burstein is also hosting a "Worse Prom Photo" contest so you should watch out for how to submission rules and directions at her website. The contest will be accepting entries till May 15 (release date of Pretty Amy) and the prize is a beauty package. Good luck to all who will enter! I wish we had prom in Greece, I feel like I've missed out on a lot since we moved here and Prom was definitely one of the things I regretted missing most.

 You can find Lisa Burstein on Twitter, Facebook and her website.

Also, you can add Pretty Amy on Goodreads and pre-order a copy on Amazon and Barnes&Noble

Friday Fill-Ins (2)

Friday Fill-Ins is a meme by Janet at Friday Fill-Ins. Basically, she creates a different template every week and you fill in the blanks. I find it very inspirational. Here are my Fill-Ins for this Friday:

1. I'm feeling nervous.
2. I want a perfect 4 CI.
3. I need time.
4. I was thinking about summer vacation.
5. I wish I had a personal chef.
6. I'm reading Erebos by Ursula Poznanski.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to stopping by Starbucks on my way back from the doctor, tomorrow my plans include multiple episodes of Pretty Little Liars and Sunday, I want to read!

Courtney Crumin and the Night Things (Vol.1) by Ted Naifeh

Publisher: Oni Press

Publication Date: 28 May 2003

Series or Standalone: Series (Graphic Novel)

ISBN-13: 9781929998609

Format: eBook

Pages: 128

Websites:

Ted Maifeh - Oficial Site

Ted Maifeh - Blog

Ted Maifeh - Twitter

Ted Maifeh - Goodreads

[add on Goodreads]

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Courtney Crumin Series Order:

Book 1: Courtney Crumin and the Night Things

Book 2: Courtney Crumin and the Coven of Mystics (6 Oct 2003)

Book 3: Courtney Crumin in the Twilight Kingdom (22 Sept 2004)

Book 4: Courtney Crumin's Monstrous Holiday (31 March 2009)

Blurb:

Courtney's parents have dragged her out to a high-to-do suburb to live with her creepy Great Uncle Aloysius in his spooky old house. She's not only the new kid in school, but she also discovers strange things lurking under her bed.

___________________

Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things was a fast, interesting and entertaining read. This edition in particular contains the four individual issues of the comic and is the first of four volumes.

The narration is a combination of Courtneys inner thinking processes and a goblin called Butterworth who lives in the woods and feeds on human flesh.

If you’re into dark, eerie graphic novels you might enjoy this one. The artwork works well with the story giving it a dark and gothic feel.

I enjoyed it, although I wasn’t blown away by it. I will be definitely reading the rest of the series since I found Courtney’s little adventures entertaining.

Challenge(s): 2012 Ebook Challenge

Source: ARC Review Copy by NetGalley.

Dystopian February Coming to An End

I was introduced to “Dystopian February” by Lenore at Presenting Lenore. I decided to participate in my own little way by reading mostly dystopian YA books this month. This gave me the opportunity to read some very awesome books, some of which I fell in love with. I think it’s safe to say that after a month of reading mostly dystopian novels, I have grown fonder of this genre; perhaps I can even say that it’s become one of my favorite genres.

The end of February is coming and so I plan to read some of the books I wanted so bad to read in February but didn’t because I wanted to dedicate that month to Dystopian YA novels. 

In all, it was a very fun month with some very great books.

Here are all the dystopian books I read this month:
 

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi   [Goodreads]   [my review]

Cinder by Marissa Meyer   [Goodreads]   [my review]

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi   [Goodreads]   [my review]

Angelfall by Susan Ee   [Goodreads]   [my review]
The Pledge by Kimberly Derting   [Goodreads]   [my review]

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Publication Date: 15 Nov 2011

Series or Standalon: Series

ISBN-13: 9781442422018

Format: eBook

Pages: 323

Websites:

Kimberly Derting - Official Site

Kimberly Derting - Blog

Kimberly Derting - Twitter

Kimberly Derting - Goodreads

[add on Goodreads]

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

The Pledge Series Order:

Book 1: The Pledge

Book 2: Untitled (~ 29 Jan 2013)

Book 3: Untitled

Blurb:

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

_______________________

 

The Pledge, though being a dystopian, felt more like a fantasy novel to me, what with all the magic and ancient queens. That’s not necessarily a bad thing since I also like fantasy. But, unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed by the end to find that the story and its characters felt completely flat for me.

For one thing, the dialogues and plot seemed a little forced and unnatural. Things were happening too abrupt, and there wasn’t always very much reasoning behind the characters actions. Also, there were some quick changes from one scene to the other, especially towards the end where everything seemed to be happening too fast. There was too much, too soon, without enough time to really grasp what was going on.

Furthermore, I never really grew a liking towards the characters because they didn’t have much depth. They seemed flat and superficial. I couldn’t bring myself to really care for any of them. The love interest between Charlie and Max was yet another thing I just didn’t get. I couldn’t feel the chemistry between them and their feelings were underdeveloped and, again, forced. 

A plus, are the unpredictable twists in the plot. There were a few things that I really did not see coming and they did take me by surprise. And Kimberly Derting leaves some hints which you are only able to pick up on when you read it again, after knowing all there is to know. I always find this aspect cool in books and movies.

The concept was an interesting one and the The Pledge ends without a cliffhanger (which is good), but I don’t think I will be continuing with the rest of the books in the series because I lost my interest somewhere on the way.

Challenge(s): 2012 eBook Challenge

Source: Purchased from Barnes&Noble

Teaser Tuesday (1)

Teaser Tuesday is a meme hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading. This is what you have to do:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Pledge (The Pledge, Book 1) by Kimberly Derting

[add on Goodreads]

I still remember that night, when I was only Angelina's age. The night the man had banged on our door, demanding to speak to my father and refusing to go away without answers. 

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