The Christmas Gift by R. William Bennett

The Christmas Gift

Author:  R. William Bennett

Publisher:  Burgess Adams

Date Published:  September 1st 2010

I literally sobbed my eyes out with The Christmas Gift. At 152 pages this Christmas book gives a whopper of a punch right to your emotions. It’s a really quick read but the story stays with you long after you read it.

The Christmas Gift is about two 6th grade boys that find an unlikely friendship after learning the gift of forgiveness, compassion, and understanding. Scott’s family moves around a lot, when he arrives at his new school he has a unfortunate incident with the school bully Ben in the lunch line, after that he becomes a target of Ben’s. Things come head to head one day when during lunch Scott sticks up for himself, but what happens after that is a story that will touch your heart, seriously. I need to discuss this book with someone so I started reading bits and pieces of it to my husband, and was completely choked. Imagine reading something out loud with a lump in your throat…that was me. This book is one that I will pass on to my kids to read, and my nephews, because I really think they will be able to gain something good, and really think about others.

I absolutely loved The Christmas Gift, it was truly a gift..lol! I highly recommend this one for adults, and kids of all ages.

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

Something, Maybe

Author:  Elizabeth Scott

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher:  Simon Pulse

Date Published:  March 24th 2009

From Goodreads:

Everyone thinks their parents are embarrassing, but Hannah knows she's got them all beat. Her dad made a fortune showing pretty girls--and his "party" lifestyle--all over the Internet, and her mom, who was once one of her dad's girlfriends, is now the star of her own website. After getting the wrong kind of attention for far too long, Hannah has learned how to stay out of sight...and that's how she likes it.

Of course, being unknown isn't helping her get noticed by gorgeous, confident Josh, who Hannah knows is her soul mate. Between trying to figure out a way to get him to notice her, dealing with her parents, and wondering why she can't stop thinking about another guy, Finn, Hannah feels like she's going crazy. She's determined to make things work out the way she wants....only what she wants may not be what she needs.

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I’m surprised I didn’t fall in love with Something, Maybe, it had all the elements that I love in YA books, but for some reason I just couldn’t get into the story, or feel anything for the characters.

I honestly can’t pinpoint exactly what it is that didn’t do it for me, but in all honestly I was bored. Hannah has a huge crush on Josh, but Josh has a girlfriend, on the other side is annoying Finn, who loves to get on her nerves, and is throwing around some signals that he is interested. To top all that Hannah’s dad is a player reminiscent of Hugh Hefner, along with the lifestyle, and she is being raised by her mother who doesn’t quite act her age. I mean, her mom’s money comes from running a website containing pictures of herself, which she sells.

The story seemed somewhat rushed, and the characters were kind of what you thought they should be like. For instance, her dad is clearly inspired by Hugh Hefner, so why not have him exactly like Mr. Hefner (i.e multiple girlfriends, irresponsible), and the mom, yeah, lets make her a needy sexual imbecile. I’ve read many reviews raving about Something, Maybe, maybe they got something different out of it, but I thought it was lacking depth.  As for the Hannah and her relationship woes, I just didn't really care.  I didn't have a favorite I was rooting for.  She over analyzed everything, and I just started getting bored.  Should I get him a coffee, or not?  If I get him a coffee will he want it or not?  Get my drift.

Something, Maybe is clearly not one of my favorite Elizabeth Scott. books, but I’m still a fan, I loved Perfect You. Definitely a case of tomato, tomahto.

Top Ten Tuesday

A weekly meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish

This will be the first I ever participate in this meme, but I really enjoy reading what everyone's top ten is so I figure why not join in.

This week's top ten is

Top Ten Characters I'd Like to Be Best Friends With

1. Bridget Jones from Bridget Jone's Diary

I love Bridget Jones, she's quirky, funny, and oh the trouble she gets herself into.

2.  Benny Hogan from Circle of Friends

This was the first book I read that I fell in love with, Benny was the main reason.  She reminded me of myself.

3.  Dexter from This Lullaby

I just finished this Sarah Dessen book, and I loved Dexter.  He is fun, spontaneous, and such a free-spirit.

4.  Sophie Katz from The Sophie Katz Series

She's hilarious, and my life would always be an adventure with her as my sidekick.

5.  Marianne from Sense and Sensibility

She seemed like a optimistic, and I love hanging out with people like that.  I'm so cynical.

6.  Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City

Come on she's Carrie Bradshaw..enough said, plus we have a shared love of all things fashion.

7.  Lisbeth Salander from the Millennium series

I would just feel like a bad ass having her as my best friend.

8.  Georgia Nicholson from the Confessions of Georgia Nicholson Series

What can say I like drama, and fabulosity.

9.  Frankie Landau-Banks from The Disruptable History of Frankie Landau Banks

The mischief, and mayhem we would cause.

10.  Forney from Where the Heart Is

Need someone stable to keep me grounded.  What a sweet man.

As you can tell I need chaos in my life, and fun times.  Honestly ask my two best friends (which I've had since grade school), our parents, and now husbands say the three of us together equal trouble.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

This Lullaby

Author:  Sarah Dessen

Genre:  Young Adult

Publisher:  Puffin

Date Published:  March 8th 2004

From Goodreads: 

When it comes to relationships, Remy doesn't mess around. After all, she's learned all there is to know from her mother, who's currently working on husband number five. But there's something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy's rules. He certainly doesn't seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can't seem to shake him. Could it be that Remy's starting to understand what those love songs are all about?

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This Lullaby is one of my favorites of Sarah Dessen, mainly because of the male protagonist, Dexter (isn’t that a awesome name, and it fit the character so well). The story is told through Remy, and though I liked her character, she was very annoying sometimes with her overly cautious ways. She is definitely jaded. She has good reason to not believe in love, her mom is currently going on her 5th marriage, and she really never knew her dad other than he wrote a popular song titled “This Lullaby” about her.  Somethings just irked me quite a bit like she was so cynical, and negative, but looking back at the story it made for a better one. She was able to learn from her wrong decisions, and grow.

The progression of Remy coming into her own doesn’t happen with a snap of the fingers, Ms. Dessen slowly inches main character to some realizations, and I’m appreciative that she takes the reader through Remy’s journey. I also loved that Remy had her core friends, and they had realistic thoughts, and problems.

Now for the best part of This Lullaby…ahh Dexter. What is it exactly about Dexter that is so charming, I don’t know, maybe it’s his persistence, his freedom, his easiness. You have to read it for yourself, but I guaranteed you will love him.

This Lullaby is up there with some of my favorites, more and more I think of Dexter it inches closer and closer to the top. A great YA..I seriously had this in my TBR shelves for a couple of years now, can't believe I didn't pick it up sooner.

Challenges:  Blogger Recommendation, YA



Blogger Hop

This week's question:

"What is your favorite book cover?"

There are so many covers I like but two come to me right off the bat.





Josie and Jack by Kelly Braffet



 









Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen



Funny how they are two totally different looking covers.  I love the simplicity of Josie and Jack, and colors, it just makes me want to pick it up and see what it's about.  Along for the Ride is nostalgic for me, brings me back to being a YA when life was more simple, but course I didn't realize that back then.  My teenage self would have talked your ear off with teen angst..lol!  By the way both books were good!

New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/books/review/100-notable-books-2010.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

Hmm, I've only read one book from the list...The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson.  Totally agree about this book, everybody who had read the first two were waiting on pins and needles for this one, including myself.

There is a couple that I've been wanting to read like  Great House by Nicole Krauss, Room by Emma Donoghue,and One Day by David Nicholls. 

I think i'm going to make a personal challenge to read as many as I can. 

Any thoughts on the list?

Jane by April Lindner

Jane

Author:  April Lindner

Genre:  Young Adult

Publisher:  Poppy

Date Published:  October 11, 2010

I LOVED Jane!  First, I would like to put out there that I have never read Jane Eyre, so I don't have anything to compare it to.  It's hard to believe though that I wouldn't have enjoyed this book having read Jane Eyre...anyways.

Jane had a rough childhood, basically overshadowed by her siblings.  She was the ugly duckling, and was treated like the stepdaughter.  When her parents die, and stocks left by her parents to her don't amount to much money, Jane has to drop out of Sarah Lawrence, and get a job.  She gets a job as a nanny taking care of famous rock star Nico Rathburn's daughter.  While taking care of the little girl, she begins to fall for Nico, and Thornfield Hall, but all isn't perfect.  Jane is warned not to go up to the third floor, and Jane knows something is not right,  fires start in the middle of the night, laughing and cackling noises come from upstairs, and Nico brushes these things aside as if they are not a big deal, but Jane knows there is more to the story. 

I immediately was drawn to Jane, I can't help I love the underdogs.  She flashes back to moments with her family, and you realize how horrible she was treated.  You get to understand why Jane is practical, and serious, and plain, she had to be that way to live with her family.  When Jane gets the job with Nico, she doesn't gush like a school girl, infact she remember's just a little of his music because her brother was fan, but she has to do research on him to get a better idea of who she will be working for.  She was just a no nonsense kinda girl.  Nico was an enigma to me...really, does a rock star fall for the plain jane girl?  Well, Ms. Lindner's rock star does.  Author Ms. Lindner decided to make Nico a man dealing with his past, and over the typical rock star antics.  He seems a man ready to do things right, and enjoy moments that just are.  I liked him immediately as well.  I knew I would love Jane because I loved the characters.  I think they were exactly what they needed.

Jane is a love story with a dark gothic touch to it, the characters are wonderful, as well as the writing.  I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good love story.  I really want to read Jane Eyre now.