Review of Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

Title: Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters
Author: Meredith Zeitlin
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Pages: 288
Source: Library
Format: Hardcover
Rating: ★★★

Summary from Goodreads: Kelsey Finkelstein is fourteen and FRUSTRATED. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled – by her impossible parents, her annoying little sister, and life in general. But with her first day of high school coming up, Kelsey is positive that things are going to change. Enlisting the help of her three best friends — sweet and quiet Em, theatrical Cass, and wild JoJo — Kelsey gets ready to rebrand herself and make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny.

Kelsey’s hilarious commentary throughout her disastrous freshman year will have you laughing out loud—while being thankful that you’re not in her shoes, of course…

Freshman year of high school is always hard, but it seems for Kelsey Finkelstein nothing seems to go right.  Kelsey starts of her first day of high school with a plan to change her life and make sure that high school is all she wants it to be (didn't we all feel this way a bit?).  Well like everyone knows even the best laid plans have ups and downs and it seems for Kelsey there are way more downs than ups. 

The one thing that really stood out for me in this novel was the friendship between Kelsey, Em, Cass and JoJo.  Sure like all friends they fight some and disagree, but for the most part they are there when one another needs them.  Out of all the girls, I didn't particularly like Cass and how she handled some of the situations in the book.  She and Kelsey seemed a bit immature at times but I guess that is to be expected.  As crazy as JoJo was (which I didn't think was outrageous at all) and as quiet as Em was, I really liked them as characters.  They brought their own confidence and style to the friendship and balanced everyone out.  They are both characters I could have seen myself become friends with in high school. 

I thought the romance was at times funny and cute and others times a bit ridiculous.  I think Kelsey often found herself in these awkward situations, be it her own fault or some weird coincidence, and then regretted them much latter.  There is one 'relationship' though that is so flipping adorable that you just feel giddy and happy thinking about it.  As light as this book was, there were some serious issues that I thought Meredith Zeitlin wrote very well.  She had a refreshing take on high school that wasn't naive or condoning, but really a close reality to what some teenagers deal with everyday.   

Overall it was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from this debut author. 

Top Ten Tuesday

Today I'm participating in Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Books To Read In A Day

1. The China Garden by Liz Berry.  At only 288 pages it is a shorter book and was one of the first YA books I read that hinted at the paranormal.  It is a great 

book that not many people know about.  

2. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson.  I started this book at the airport waiting for my plane to board and 4 hours later when the plane landed I had finished it.  I loved it and was so addicted to it I couldn't put it down.

3. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.  A short but moving novel that will stick with you long after you've finished reading it. 

4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.  While this book is not for everyone, I found it funny and heartbreaking.  It's an emotional rollercoaster that deals with many issues and situations of a young boy in high school.

5. The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan.  This is a funny and engaging book that you won't be able to put down.  It's a fast, easy read and 100% enjoyable.

6. A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris.  These are short stories in the Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampires series.  They are quirky, sexy and always entertaining.

7. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie.  The story involves the joy of discovering and reading banned books.  A subject after my own heart...gotta love it.

8. Touch of Twilight an anthology with stories from Calista Fox, Erin Quinn, and Mary Leo.  All of the stories are short and filled with a bit of romance and a touch of paranormal.  

9. Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling.  Obviously it's no H.P. but it does give us a little more insight to the last H.P. book. 

10. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  A story that I read every year.  It is so moving and unforgettable that the pages will fly by.   

Yikes March is already over?

Do you remember when you were young and people would tell you that when you're older time would fly by.  Meanwhile you in an all school assembly watching the minutes tick by ridiculously slow and thinking to yourself that this person is certifiably crazy?  Well I guess you can commit me because I cannot believe how fast time goes by.  Another month of 2012 is over and I'd like to have a little talk with Father Time about slowing things down a bit or maybe I should just chat with Hermione and ask to borrow the time-turner.  That being said...what did I accomplish this month?

Books I reviewed:

1. Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck--3 stars 
2. Sleeping Tigers by Holly Robinson--5 stars
3. A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young--3 stars
4. Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer--4 stars
5. Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John--5 stars

*Not as many as I would have liked...but what's a girl to do.

Progress on Challenges:

1. Debut Author Challenge-6/12
2. Audiobook Challenge-8/25
3. YA Contemporary Challenge-2/15
4. TBR Pile Challenge-7/20
5. Why Buy the Cow Challenge 1/12

Top Ten Lists:

1. Top Ten Books On My Spring To-Be-Read list
2. Top Ten Five Books I'd Play Hooky With 

Friday Night Date Nights were put on hold this month as I participated in the Kiss Me I'm Irish: Hounded Read-along.  It was so much fun and I loved hearing every participant's different opinions on all the topics.  Plus the book rock...review to come!

Kiss Me I'm Irish Read-along:

Week 1
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5

It was kind of an uneventful month, but I enjoyed my much needed vacation and the unexpectedly warm spring weather was nice too. 

I hope you all had a wonderful March and Happy April! 

Hounded Read-along: Week 5

I have been wanting to read this book for a while so when the lovely ladies from Geeky Blogger's Book Blog, On a Book Bender, Smash Attack Reads!, In the Closet With a Bibliophile, and The Unread Reader decided to host this read-along I jumped on board. Come join the fun!

Questions for Chapters 21-25 + epilogue

1. In a moment of anger, Atticus reveals something about himself that he usually keeps very secret, for his own benefit. Has something similar ever happened to you? Have you ever spilled a closely guarded secret in a moment of excitement or anger or absent-mindedness?

I don't think that I've ever spilt a secret in moments of anger, but I know that I've said things that I regret.  It may not be secrets about anyone else, but I think it reveals something about me and it is something that I hope I don't do much of anymore. 

2. Atticus tells Mrs. MacDonagh, "the universe is exactly the size that your soul can encompass. Some people live in extremely small worlds, and some live in a world of infinite possibility." Then he asks her what she is going to do with the new information she has discovered. What would you do if you found out that other beings were among us? Would you deny it or embrace it?

I would love to say I'd embrace it, but I'm a pretty logical person and it would take more than someone biting on my neck for a little liquid nourishment to make me believe in other beings.  (I mean humans have some interesting fetishes too.)  I think I'd need proof multiple times before it would finally sink in.  But once I believed, I would embrace it 100%.  I love individuality and as long as no one is trying to kill me or eat me alive I'm all for it!

3. So far, Atticus has revealed a few of his powers and has even shared some power by putting bindings on Granuaile. What do you think has been his coolest or most helpful power so far?

I love his power to cast invisibility cloaks on people and things.  Just imagine the power of hiding anything and anyone.  Man I would have loved that power in high school. 

4. Atticus gets pretty pissed when he finds out that Aenghus Óg is drawing power from the Earth and, in turn, killing it. That's when Atticus decides he must fight the old Fae for committing such a heinous offense. What is something you would fight for, even if it meant you might die trying?

So I must admit I'm kind of a wuss.  I hate confrontation and will avoid it at all costs.  I know the only thing I would fight for is my family...everyone else, get your own damn body guard because I'm too cute to get shot and I seriously need to be alive so I can find Mr. Sweep-me-off-my-feet-change-my-last-name-I'll-love-you-forever-and-I'll-always-do-the-dishes.  BTW if you see him, send him my way please!     

5. What did you think of the final showdown between Atticus and Aenghus Óg? Did it go down the way you expected? Was there anything about their battle that surprised you?

The battle didn't go down as I expected.  I hate to say it, but it felt almost too easy for Atticus.  I wanted some down and dirty, gladiator style, fight to the death battle.  I love that Atticus got help, but a little more hand-to-hand combat would have been nice. 

6. What was your favorite/least favorite part of Hounded? Who was your favorite/least favorite character?

My favorite part was when Atticus would talk to Mrs. MacDonagh.  I think it showed what a great person he is and it made me like him even more.  My least favorite part would be when Atticus has Emily's head and he's thinking about sending it to the new coven.  Gross and totally inconvenient to be suck with the head of the person he hates while the cops are still him.  My favorite character (hands down) would be Oberon.  He made me laugh so much and always brought a smile to my face.  My least favorite character would be Emily...she was such a snotty brat.

7. What do you think is coming up next for Atticus? Will you continue reading this series, and if so, what do you hope to see happen in the next book?

I would like to see Atticus teach Granuaile to become a druid and maybe meet a nice girl, instead of these goddess who use and abuse him.  As for reading this next book, I already ordered it!  I can't wait to see what happens next.

What's your favorite audiobook?

Lately I have really enjoyed listening to audio books.  I listen to one in my car and I'm lucky enough with my job that at times I can listen to an audio book on my iPod while I'm doing research.  I also listen to audio books when I clean the house, do the dishes, do yard work, walk the dog, etc. 

For me though some books I love on audio and others either have too many characters or the plot line is not conducive to listening to. 

Therefore, that brings me to the question of what is your favorite audio book, or what are some good ones you have listened to lately? 

I'm always on the lookout for great audio books and who better to ask than all the book bloggers!   

Review of Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

Title: Five Flavors of Dumb
Author: Antony John
Published by: Dial
Pages: 338
Source: Won in a contest
Format: Hardcover
Rating:

Summary from Goodreads: The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.

The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits.

The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she's deaf?

Piper can't hear Dumb's music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb.

Absolutely brilliant.  I loved this story from the first page to the last.  From the unique storyline, to the crazy, messed-up characters this book had all the elements for a great read. 

Piper is almost 100% deaf and somehow through unexpected circumstances, lands the job of managing an amateur rock band.  Piper is a character you instantly like.  She's spunky, a bit moody, and like a lot of teenagers...insecure.  Piper takes on this gig without really knowing much about music.  Not only does she have to understand the industry, but also to really feel what makes music that magical element that it is.

The band itself is made up of some pretty awesome people who will completely change your opinion of them by the end of the novel.  The ones that I originally liked I ended up seriously disliking, and the ones that I didn't care about at the beginning I ended up loving.  Each character in this novel added so much depth.  You know how there is usually one character that doesn't really matter to you or is often forgettable.  This didn't happen for me.  All of the characters made the story what it is. 

The things that really made this story great was how people change and how our opinions of people can change also.  Five Flavors of Dumb threw a lot of stereotypical people at you, but also makes you realize that there may not be stereotypical people after all.  Everyone, no matter who they are, has a little bit of rocker in them, and Antony John lets that shine through in his characters. 

The one aspect I had a bit of trouble with at the beginning is Piper's family.  I felt really bad for Piper and I think she often got the short end of the deal.  Her dad was a complete jerk and her mom just didn't seem to have all her priorities straight.  Throughout the novel I understood their dynamic a little more and by the end things had changed enough that I was happy with how it ended.  In fact, I was more than happy.  The ending was ridiculously awesome! 

I am so happy I gave this book a chance and I hope to read more by this author someday.   

Today I'm participating in Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Spring Fever: Top Ten Five Books I'd Play Hooky With

1. The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth.  I'm reading this book right now and I really like it.  I wish I could either stay up all night or take off today just to finish it.

2. Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley.  I have been wanting to read this novel ever since I finished Gone With the Wind.  I couldn't believe that Scarlett and Rhett's story ended the way it did and I wanted more.  I've had this book for awhile so a day off would be the perfect time to start it. 

3. Cum Laude by Cecily von Ziegesar.  This would be the perfect beach read for my day of playing hooky.  Too bad the beach is right next to where I work.  Maybe if I wear a big floppy hat and dark sunglasses, no one will know it's the girl who called in 'sick.'

4. Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian.  This book is sure to be scorching sexy.  This way I won't be lying when I call in and tell them I have a fever!

5. Lord of Misrule by Rachel Cain.  It would be worth calling in just so I can catch up with this series.  What a better way to play hooky than with a vamp.  It's not like they can typically come out it daytime normally.