Old Magic

Old Magic
by Marianne Curley

Kate Warren just knows that there is something different about Jarrod Thornton as soon as he walks into the classroom. She thinks he is supernatural...like her. And not much later, a thunderstorm occurs, in the classroom.

But, Jarrod doesn't believe in the paranormal. He doesn't believe Kate, but goes along with it, because he finds her fascinating. But he has a problem. Anything bad that happens always will happen to him. Kate thinks it is a curse, conjured up from Jarrod's ancestors, which age back to medieval Europe.

Together, to save him and his family, Kate and Jarrod embark on an adventure to try to help him, and maybe learn a little too.

Grade: A+

This was my first book from PaperBackSwap, and I was totally impressed. I hadn't heard of this book before, nor the author, but I am sooo glad I got it. It was amazing. There is history, romance, and it was just a fun story. And look at that guy on the cover. He is SMOKIN. :] Medieval Europe is one of the most interesting time periods to me, and this book included it, which made it even better. I loved the relationship between Kate and Jarrod; I just wanted to be her so I could be around that guy! I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a little magic.

Deadly Little Secret

Deadly Little Secret
by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Three months ago Camelia's life changed. She almost got hit by a car, but someone, a guy, saved her. That same guy starts school with her. His name is Ben. And the rumors are flying.

He supposedly killed his ex-girlfriend. Camelia doesn't believe the rumors, and is drawn to him. She wants to know the truth. Soon after school starts, she receives a picture in the mail. A picture of her, with a heart around it. She gets weird phone calls. Ben tells her she is in danger. She wants to trust him, but doesn't know if she can.

Grade: A+

:O Wow. That is what my face looked like towards the end of this novel. It was absolutely AMAZING. I've been way interested in reading all of Laurie's work (I have her series, but have yet to start it) after reading Project 17. I loved that novel, and I loved this one as well. I had to keep reading to figure out the mystery, and I didn't see it coming! It was so great, and I am so excited for the next book, Deadly Little Lies! You should definitely grab this novel for suspense, romance, and friendship.

The King's Rose

The King's Rose
by Alisa M. Libby

Yet another young female has caught the eye of the aging King Henry Tudor. This time it is fifteen year old Catherine Howard, cousin to Anne Boleyn. Less than a year has she passed since her arrival at court, and she is now the Queen of England. Catherine's new life of luxury and being the king's "rose without a thorn" is different.

But Catherine's past haunts her, so she must be careful. She dreams of that kiss she shared with her (distant) cousin, Thomas Culpeper. A perfect kiss. Her relations with other men. But all must stay a secret, or death caused by treason could come her way.

Grade: A+

I am a HUGE historical fiction fan, and I am especially interested in reading about Henry Tudor and his numerous wives. Once I heard about this book, I had to have it, but it took me a while to get it, sadly. This was one of those novels that is hard to put down, because you really want to know what happens next. There isn't much for me to say, really. I loved this book. It was amazing, and if you're a fan of historical fiction, you should pick this up for sure.

*also reviewed for teensreadtoo.com

well...

I am a college sophomore, as of Monday.

I haven't even been back to school for even a full week, and I am already exhausted. I think life is about to be quite busy for me. I have three classes, all of which have very high amounts of dry reading. And I am still working a few days a week, and as soon as I get my clearance, I will be back to my elementary school as a volunteer. (Get this: I need 40 hours of volunteer work in the classroom BEFORE I can take ONE class. Nuts!)

So, this means, basically, my only reading time is before bed, or on my break before biology, if I'm not doing history work. Therefore, I am pretty sure I will not be making my goal of reading 100 books this year. Maybe 2010!

Grist

Grist: A Novel
by Heather Waldorf

This summer will be Charlena's first away from home, away from Mike, her father. He invited her to go with him and his girlfriend to Toronto, but she would rather not be the third wheel, let along spend time with Barb. She is going to Lake Ringrose to spend her summer with Grams.

Grams warns Charlie to stay away from Kerry...she can befriend him, but nothing more. Charlie doesn't understand why, but she finds herself falling for him, and he is falling for her too. But then she learns something. Something terrible, and something that makes their relationship more than complicated.

Grade: B

I'm not sure where to begin. So, I will say that I love the creepy looking cover. But, I have NO idea what "grist" means. I've looked it up, but the definitions don't match the way it is used in the book. That is quite frustrating. I think the best part of this novel was the part where Kerry's secret was revealed. I didn't see it coming, and I was freaking out about it! I was really rooting for the relationship between Kerry and Charlie, but after that secret, I was as confused as Charlie. I liked her character a lot, because she was sarcastic, and we talked the same way. I haven't heard anything about this author, or if she has any other novels. I enjoyed this one, but I think it is a one-time read.

The Lost Summer

The Lost Summer
by Kathryn Williams

Helena Waite is finally a counselor at Southpoint, a summer camp for girls. She's been going to camp for years, and it is all she looks forward to. The bad part is, Katie Bell, her best friend, missed the counselor age requirement by a few months, and is therefore is stuck as a camper for another year.

Katie Bell and Helena swear camp will be the same. But Helena thinks it will be different. And it is. Helena leaves Katie Bell behind for her counselor friends, and Ransome, her long time crush that has become a reality.

Grade: B

As I've mentioned before, I love camp, therefore, camp books are a must read for me. And look at that cover. I love it. It reminds me of one of the camps I attend, because of the lake. I was a little disappointed in the read. The ending was a complete surprise that I didn't see coming, which is always a good thing. A lot of the time I found myself quite annoyed with Helena, what with her treating her best friend the way she did. With me knowing so much about camp, it made me curious, because most of the time it seemed as though there was nobody watching the children. I really thought this book was going to be different. It was quite average.

Ashley's ABC's

I was tagged by The Ladybug Reads...


Available or single? Neither. I am currently in a relationship. :]

Best Friend? I have two. Krysten and Rachel.

Cake or Pie? I'm thinkin' cake. I loooove frosting, which is probably bad.

Drink of choice? Water or milk.

Essential item for every day use? It's not really an "item", but oxygen is pretty darn essential.

Favorite color? TURQUOISE!

Google? I use it daily.

Hometown? Tacoma. Same house my whole life.

Indulgences? Do I need to answer this? Books.

January or February? Um. That's tough. I'll go with February.

Kids and their names? No kids.

Life is incomplete without…? Love. :)

Marriage date? I'm not thinking about marriage. I'm only 19!

Number of siblings? Two: one of each.

Oranges or apples? Apples all the way.

Phobias and fears? Death.

Quote for the day? I don't really have one. :/

Reason to smile? I'm happy. That is reason enough. :)

Season? Summer!

Tag 3 people: I'm not going to. There's too many people to choose from!

Unknown fact about me? I was on the bowling team in high school. We won state 3 years in a row.

Vegetable you hate? Pretty much all of them. haha

Worst habit? Well, I used to bite my nails. But now I pick/bite the skin around my nails. I dunno why, but I hate that I do it!

X-rays you’ve had? Arm, fingers (hand, I guess), and teeth.

Your fave food? Pizza, spaghetti, or nachos!

Zodiac sign? Aries.