Review: Boys that bite - Mari Mancusi

Release date: April 4th 2006
Published by:  Berkely trade
Number of pages: 272
Series: Blood coven vampires #1
Blurb:  The 6th book in the series Blood ties came out very recently.


Plot:
Two sisters—as different as the sun and the rain. For one, getting into the Blood Coven is to die for. But for the other, getting out could be lethal...

When Sunny McDonald gets dragged to Club Fang by her twin sister Rayne, she doesn't expect to find anything besides a bunch of Goth kids playing at being vampires. But when some guy mistakes Sunny for her dark-side-loving sister and bites her on the neck, she finds out that his fangs are real—and deadly.

Now, Sunny has less than a week to figure out how to reverse the bite, or else she's going to end up as the perpetually undead. And not only will she be a vampire, she'll also be bonded to Magnus—the bloodsucker who bit her—forever. And forever is a really long time...


Review:
Boys that bite by Mari Mancusi cannot be described with different words than entertaining, light and slightly cheesy.
Such things as Bertha the vampire slayer, VampsRUs.com and drunken, football-loving druids got me laughing out loud on basicly every single page.
It was a super fun read, but not something that will have me thinking about the story or the characters afterwards. That's why I gave it three gumdrops ^^


The characters were very steriotypical, the narrator, Sunny, was super ignorant and though she could easily win gold in a "who's-got-the-best-pop-culture-refrences/funny-puns-contest" she was very stupid and sometimes I felt like smacking her in the head with a frying pan.


Mancusi's writing is fluent, interesting and fun which makes the pages of this book fly by so quickly that you won't know where it went :S
I liked the twist at the end and that last sentance will definetly have me craving the second book Stake that!, but I would not call this book a favorite. 
Maybe I'd reccomend it to someone who was looking for a quick, fun read, but it's nothing that I'll be throwing in my friends faces and forcing them to read.

Soundtrack Sunday (5)

The song "The listening" by LIGHTS was replaying itself in my head alot while reading Boys that bite by Mari Mancusi.
It really matches the feel of the book and I think that the lyrics somewhat describe Sunny's feelings towards Magnus ^^


"The things that I have to work out
I don't feel right
What has come over me, I'm about to lose my mind "

Soundtrack Sunday (4)

If you know anything about this book the title of this song makes it obvious why I think of Wither when I hear it.

If you don't know anything about this book, I'll tell you; It's a dystopian in which females live until the age of 20 and males until the age of 25. Basicly, every human on earth is a ticking time bomb and everyone knows exacly when they're going to die.
The main character Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a wife to a man she's never met before in her life.



You should definetly check this book out if you haven't already, and now you can listen to Waiting for the end by Linkin Park while reading it!

Review: Nevermore - Kelly Creagh

Release date: August 31st 2010
Published by:  Atheneum
Number of pages: 543
Series: Nevermore #1
Blurb: Sequel, Enshadowed will be released on August 28th 2012.


Plot:

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it.

Review:
As some of you might know, I had a bit of a hard time with this book. I read about 200 pages, felt that nothing really special happened and I just felt like picking up another book and so I did. There were weeks (YES WEEKS) when I didn't even open this book, didn't look at it, didn't think about it..
Then, the other day I just picked it up, read ten pages or so before school and I was hooked!
I couldn't stop thinking about it, the story, the characters , everything. I don't really know what happened to change my opinion about it so very drastically in such a short amount of time, but I'm sure thankful that it did!

I found the first half or so of the book a bit slow, kinda boring, just another book about the popular cheerleader and the lonesome outsider, but then, things started happening.
I think the "scene" that really changed my mind, was the one when Isobel comes to Varen's house. I really liked that and I will probobly always remember it.

I really like the characters in this book, I fell flat on my face for Varen, and strangely enough I really liked annoying little Gwen. She doesn't give a damn what other people think of her and she's really loyal towards Isobel despite the fact that she hasn't got a clue what's going on.

My favorite part about Nevermore though, is this world, this universe that Kelly Creagh has created. This is NOT just another boring book about the cheerleader and the loner who gets paired up for an English project in school. It's not another book about a vampire boarding school either.
To weave in the works of Edgar Allan Poe within the pages of a young-adult novel with precision and -let me say it- beauty is something I though impossible. I knew that this book had something to do with Poe but not in my wildest dreams could I have created this magically scary dreamland of Nevermore.

I loved everything from Reynolds to Lilith to the Nocs, especially the Nocs I might say, God I hope someone more artistically talented than me will create loads of great Noc-fanart.

Wait.. *Googles*...

OH LOOKIE WHAT I FOUND!!

Welcome to Bookie Brunch

Come join the discussion!

Founder: Sasha Soren (Random Magic)

* Every Sunday*

Today's host: The book nerd (me!) 

Next week’s host: Songs and Stories (Natalie) 

This week’s discussion open through: Sept 14

Your host this week:

Janine, The book nerd: @CurlyGirl11 (diaryofabooknerd)

Her guests this week:

Kiwi (Assortments) (@Chumbwa)

Jo (The fluidity of time)

Lorren (The story Girl) (@LLthestorygirl)

Liddy (Lovely lil' bookworm) (TheeBookMonster)

Bonnie (A Backwards Story) (@abackwardsstory)

On the Menu:
 The question under discussion: 

What are three songs that remind you of your favorite book?
Why do they remind you of that particular book?

Kiwi says:

*takes a sip of green tea*

Entangled by Cat Clarke  has been on my favorite list for a while, despite its unsatisfactory ending.Songs that remind me of this book-

Crawling by Linking Park- This song makes me think of all her pain, misery and unhealthy habit of cutting. :/

Enya- Only Time- seems so perfect for the book towards the ending. Especially in context with the confusion and the post climax scenes.

The Kill by 30 Seconds to Mars- makes me think of Sal, her friendship with Grace and her role in the entire story.

I know my playlist sounds very emo, buts those are the kind of emotions that came to mind when I read the book, and the tracks I chose convey my reaction to the book very well!

Jo says:

One of my favorite books is Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, so I thought about songs that I like that suited the story and came up with:

Fall With Your Knife by Peter Murphy. I've always thought this is such a romantic song, and I really like Peter Murphy's voice.    Neverwhere isn't really romantic, but there's a budding romance between two of the main characters, Richard and Door.

Tomorrow by Morrissey. The lyrics of this song are "Tomorrow - Will it really come ? - And if it does come Will I still be Human ? -All I ask of you is one thing that you never do- Would you put your arms around me ? - (I won't tell anyone) "      In the book, Richard is really on his own, and he can't find anyone to help him right away -- and getting through his first night is somewhat dangerous.

Lucretia My Reflection by The Sisters of Mercy. Okay - this one doesn't really match the story.  However, this is one of my favorite bands -- and this dark song reminds me a bit of the Velvets in Neverwhere.   They're these gothic-y women who dress in velvet and are mysterious (and a bit deadly).

I don't always match songs to a book, although that Morrissey song is one that I added to a playlist I made for a book display at the library that was all about werewolves and shapeshifters. It is fun to think about different stories and match them up with music!

Lorren says:

My favorite book is Kartography by Kamila Shamsie. It has two parallel stories - the 

first is a boy and a girl who are best friends, growing up together. However, as they mature and grow apart, some issues and secrets from the past threaten their relationship. The second is basically the story of those issues - it takes the reader back to the civil war when East Pakistan became Bangladesh, a time when the parents of the boy and girl made some drastic decisions. 

I have a logical, silly, and sentimental song that remind me of this book. The logical song is "Where the Streets Have no Name" by U2. It is logical because one of the main characters, Raheen, states that this is the theme song for her city - she loves the intimacy of knowing the streets of Karachi without having to draw a map or attach official labels to the places that to her are defined instead by memories. This becomes a huge metaphor for relationships and life in the book.

The silly song is "Jitterbug" by Wham!. This song is also mentioned in the book, only in passing. Raheen, one of the main characters, has a scene where she feels cool because she corrects some older kids on the correct lyrics to the song. It has nothing to do with the mood or theme of the story, but now, whenever I hear it, I think of the book.

The sentimental song is "Globes and Maps" by Something Corporate, for a few reasons. First of all, one of the main themes of the books is maps - how we define ourselves based on place, and how we expand our lives out of the places in which we are most comfortable. This song   describes sorrow at a loved one wanting to "charter your way back home." The singer cries out, "Do you wanna leave or something?" This is a really strong feeling in the book as characters grow apart and relationships change. Secondly, I read this book when I was a sophomore in high school, and at that time, Something Corporate was my favorite band. Both the book and the band played strongly into my emotions and relationship situation at the time, and I can't help but think of both when I encounter either one or the other. 

Liddy says:

Ok, so at the moment,my favorite books have to be the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard.

The first song that reminds me of the series is Secrets by One Rebublic. The reason for this is because it is all about giving your secrets away, and in the series, that is exactly what happens to the girls who are just filled to the brim with secrets!



The second song is Iridescent by Linkin Park. Because I think it really describes what it's like too loose someone you love, even when it's tough, it tells you to try and let go. And this is one of the problems the girls face when they loose their best friend, Ali.



The last song I choose is Secret by the Pierces, because it's the theme song ot the tv show Prett Little Liars and whenever I read them I just keep thinking of that song! 

Bonnie says:

Oooh, this is a really hard question!  I've never thought about what songs go with my favorite books before.  Even though I'm predominantly a teen blogger, my all-time favorite novel is MY SISTER'S KEEPER by Jodi Picoult.  It tears me to shreds and makes me sob like a baby Every.Single.Time.  I always manage to think it will be different upon picking it up again and am punched in the gut again and again.  I won't even watch the movie.  I hear it's so very, very different from the book and that the part that makes me love it so freaking much...no longer exists.  The movie does not exist to me, and if that's your only experience with this book, I hope you will one day read it because you will be STUNNED.

I think that a few songs I've been infatuated with lately could tie in well with this novel; they all deal with loss and heartbreak in some way.  So here are three songs on my favorite playlist that really work with this novel:

For at least year now, I've been obsessed with the song "My Hands" by Leona Lewis (which I can just listen to again and again on repeat for hours; at least once a day, please!).  For as upbeat as this song sounds, the words just grab at you.  It's about someone who has experienced unspeakable loss and desperately wants to move on, but finds that she can't.  That person is everywhere.  And not necessarily a romantic love, either.  But the sense of loss is overpowering and the song gets me every time.

I just discovered "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry and, for obvious reasons, this song fits in with MY SISTER'S KEEPER...on multiple levels.  The singer is musing about what might happen if she dies prematurely.  In MY SISTER'S KEEPER, one of the main characters, Kate, has been in and out of the hospital since she was a toddler.  She's always had the fear of death loitering on her shoulders and been forced to ponder this very question!

Finally, another recent discovery is "Skyscraper" by Demi Lovato.  Demi's voice is raw and powerful, aching with emotion.  The song is about overcoming adversity and rising above all the horrible things that can occur in life in order to persevere, make it through, and ultimately succeed.  Again, this song resonates with MY SISTER'S KEEPER on so many levels!

I (Janine) say:

One of my favorite books is Miss Peregrine's Home for peculiar children by Ransom Riggs, so that's the one I chose for this occation :)

This book is unique on so many levels. 

That Riggs actually has the guts to write this very creepy young-adult book filled with even more creepy photographs astounds me to this day. I am very happy with the songs I picked out for this book, I think all of them matches the feeling of the book perfectly.

My Immortal by Evanescence.

This is a very sad song, but if you take your time and listen to the lyrics, it matches Jacobs feelings towards his grandfather somewhat perfectly.  I know it's a bit strange since this is like, a love song, but it really fits with the book.
"Your prescence still lingers here, and it won't leave me alone" 

Restless by Within Temptation really makes me think about the sad romance between Jacob and Emma, Also, the agression towards the middle of the song mirrors their strong feelings. The lyrics matches their situation perfecly. And I mean perfectly.

"Take my hand as I wonder through" "You are the ghost haunting through her heart. Past and present are on in her head"

If you've heard me rant about music before, you probobly know that NeverShoutNever is my favorite band ever. Time travel is one of his new singles from the albun with the same title that comes out in NINE DAYS (20th).

The title of the song makes it obvious why I think it fits with Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children.

"Standing there white as a ghost. lacked in completion. And stabbed my reflection twelve times." - God I love this song.

~

About: With the same trademark compassion and erudition he brought to
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, neurologist and
professor Oliver Sacks explores the place music occupies in the brain
and how it affects the human condition.

In Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, he shows us a
variety of what he calls 'musical misalignments.' Among them: a man
struck by lightning who suddenly desires to become a pianist; an
entire group of children who were born highly musical; and a man whose
memory spans only seven seconds - for everything but music.
Illuminating and inspiring, Musicophilia is a book of strange
but true tales about the mysteries of the intimate connections between
music and the human mind.

 Shown above: Oliver Sacks discusses music and synesthesia, in Bright Blue Music
Additional clips: The Power of Rhythm

,Amnesia and Music , The Power of Music 

Browse this book: Preview

 Details: To win this intriguing read about music and the mind, please
leave email info and thoughtful or interesting comment below. A winner
will be picked at random. If host and guests agree that a specific
visitor comment is substantial, outstanding, or in some other way has
particular merit, they can override random.org pick at their
discretion.

 Brought by: Sasha Soren(Random Magic) 

Watch the trailer for Random Magic or browse this book.

~
That was it for this bookie brunch dearies ♥
A big thanks to all the guests, I really enjoyed listeing to these awesome songs. And I got some new books to add to my to-read list aswell :)
I hope you guys enjoyed this Bookie Brunch and now you can create your own book-playlist! Yay!

Liebster award ♥♥

Thanks a million to Claire over at whnbstihwsoft (We have no boyfriends so this is how we spend our free time) for giving me this AWESOME award :)) 

~~

The 'Leibster Blog Award' is an award that is given to new and upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers, it's given in order to put a "spotlight" on these bloggers.

The rules of the award are as follows:1. 

 Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.      Thanks, Claire ♥♥ Lots of love to you ^^

2.  Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
- Andrea (andreaiboklandet)
- Nea (BokNea)
- Clara (BokClara)
- Liddy ( lovelylilbookworm)
- Sindre (SecretPages)

3.  Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4.  Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.

5.  And most of all: support each other and have lots of fun!! 

Pottermore craziness ^^

So, I got my Welcome email yesterday and I've been playing like mad for a really long while, and if you didn't get the chance to be a beta user and explore for yourself, let me tell you, YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED !
Pottermore is awesome. It is simply magical, and it exceded my expectations. -I do have a few complaints though, for example, there's no sound effects or background music at all right now. But it's just a beta version and I'm sure all the little things will be fixed in time for the October relese :)

As you see on the picture above, I got sorted into Hufflepuff. Super-duper happy about that :))) (If you notied that I only collected 14 points  for my house it's because I SUCK AT POTIONS GAAH!)
Super-happy with my wand aswell, Spruce with Pheonix feather core, 11", hard.

The exclusive content is AMAZING. There was this long text about Professor McGonagall's childhood and her time at hogwarts that I really liked. Also, I loved the info about Mr and Mrs Dursley and __ I could rant on for hours.