Friday Five: My Week in Review

So, it's been a CRAY-ZEEE week, peeps.  Which is probably why I've been kind of quiet on the Twitter/Facebook/blog front.  Seriously.  There were many times this week when I was ready to yank my hair out, but of course, I didn't cuz, well, I'm not all the sure I'm the kind of girl that can make bald look beautiful.  Anywho...so on this Friday Five, I give you:

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and The WOW That Was My Week (a list of FIVE)

1. The baby blanket is done!  I have to admit that I was a little concerned about this endeavor.  It was the first time I actually had to read a pattern for something I'd crocheted, and it actually looks like the picture in the book!  I only had to call my grandma a half-dozen times for help, so I practically did it myself.  Admit it. You're impressed.  (so am I, to be honest)
2. Work has been insane...but, hey! I'm not complaining here. Busy = job security, people. I love it!
3. Time of death has been officially called on the treadmill.  That's right, folks.  The old girl (I've had her for like seven years now) has finally dropped.  I really miss that 45 minutes we spent together every night while drooling over my boys, Sam and Dean.  Here's to hoping I get a new one soon.  I'm starting to go through Supernatural withdrawls.
4. I got a call the other day that pretty much made my month.  But, that's another day's blog post.
5. It's official!  I (and a dozen other authors) will have not one, but FOUR essays published in the upcoming anthology WRITE FOR THE FIGHT, A Collection of Seasonal Essays.  It comes out March 5, 2012, as an exclusive NookBook First book, and a month later will be available in both e-book and print format.  All author proceeds will go to charities supporting breast cancer research. 

So, that was my week, friends.  What was up in your world?  Hopefully, you had more of the Good than the Bad or the Ugly :)

ARC Review: FRESHMAN YEAR & OTHER UNNATURAL DISASTERS

The Book: FRESHMAN YEAR & OTHER UNNATURAL DISASTERS
The Author: Meredith Zeitlin
The Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (an Imprint of Penguin)
Anticipated Release Date: March 1, 2012

Summary (as lifted from the Penguin website):
Laugh-out-loud funny high school drama - perfect for fans of Lauren Myracle and Meg Cabot


Let's say you're fourteen and live in New York City. You'd think your life would be like a glamorous TV show, right? And yet . . . You don't have a checking account, much less a personal Black American Express card. You've never been to a club, and the only couture in your closet is a Halloween costume your mom made from an old laundry bag.

In other words? You're Kelsey Finkelstein - fourteen and frustrated. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled. Kelsey wants to rebrand herself for high school to make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny. But just because Kelsey has a plan for greatness . . . it doesn't mean the rest of the world is in on it.

Kelsey's hilarious commentary and sardonic narration of her freshman year will have readers laughing out loud - while being thankful that they're not in her shoes, of course.

My Take:
First off, it must be noted that if I'd had a freshman year that was anything like Kelsey's, I might not have survived.  There.  I said it.  Now, for my thoughts on this book.

I LOVED IT! 

Alternating between literal LOL moments (I mean, snorting guffaws here folks, not just staring at the book and coolly saying LOL. I actually did Laugh. Out. Loud.), rolling my eyes at some of Kelsey's observations, shaking my fist at a few characters (including Kels), cringing at some particularly brutal moments, and then laughing again, I flew right through to the final page in record time. So, why did I like it so well, you ask?  Simple. 

Kelsey is a freaking riot.  Her voice rings loud and clear from the first sentence.  Her dry wit and her determination to transform herself into a new and improved version of herself instantly endear her to the reader.  Add to that her circle of friends, all vastly different but sharing a common bond of history and knowing each other inside and out.  They each add their own little hint of flavor into the mix.

Then, of course, there are the disasters, of which there are many.  Making JV soccer only be placed in the dreaded goalie position, which frankly, terrified me even before I read this book.  A junior girl who has it in for Kelsey from day one.  Trying to be noticed by her crush, all the while fending off the advances of a boy she really has no interest in.  Oh, and then there are the photographs! *snort* I'm still snickering thinking of those.  And the school play.  *double snort*

Through every embarrassing catastrophe that befalls Kelsey, she never loses her sense of self.  She may get knocked down a few times, but she doesn't shrink away (well, there was that one time, but I can't hold that against her).  I found myself rooting for her through it all, every time something went wrong, I cheered her on to power through, and that she did, which sometimes didn't help her cause, but it was very entertaining, in deed.

A fast, fun read by a new voice on the scene, FRESHMAN YEAR is a must-read for any girl ready to embark on the journey that is high school...and even for those of us wanting to relive that time in our lives;)

So, how about all you fun folks?  Did you have a particularly disastrous freshman year? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

ARC Review: BELIEVE IT OR NOT

The Book: BELIEVE IT OR NOT
The Author: Tawna Fenske
The Publisher: SourceBooks Casablanca
Anticipated Release (hehe. I said RELEASE) Date: March 1, 2012

This is where I'd normally give you a summary of the book, but really, you can get that here or here or here and also pre-order it while you're there, because BELIEVE IT, this book is that freaking AWESOME.  Do it. Do it NOW.  I'll wait right here while you go do that. 

...

...

Done?  Okay, good.  Now, for my real review.  And, since this is a Friday, I'm going to give you the goods in true Friday Five Fashion (say that five times fast).  And so, I give you:

Five Reasons To Fall For BELIEVE IT OR NOT

1. The Characters.  Of course you have your MC, Violet McGinn, and her LI (love interest) Drew Watson (*sigh, swoon* Drew. *sighs again* I love him and kind of wish he was real...and working next door to me. I'm just saying.)  But, in some cases, it was the side characters who stole the show for me, even those who only showed up for a scene or two.  Moonbeam (Violet's hippie dippie psychic mom) was a hoot and a half.  Jamie, sweet kind of dumb and drop-dead gorgeous Jamie, inspired his fair share of "Aw"s and more than once, I just wanted to pat him on the head.  And, then there was Dreadlock Dude.  I freaking loved him!
2. The Music.  Butt Rock.  Glam Rock.  Eighties Hair bands.  Whatever you want to call it, although I think I kind of like calling it Butt Rock now.  It plays a central role in the plot, and has you snickering a bit, especially when Violet has to give a psychic reading for a cop and Drew is blaring Aerosmith in the background. 
3. The Dialogue.  This is perhaps my favorite part of Tawna's writing.  She comes up with such snicker/snort inducing conversations for her characters to have, and still finds a way to make them completely believable as real bantering.  Nothing feels forced, and you just get to sit back and enjoy the sarcastic/silly ride.  The only other author I can think of who can do this so seamlessly (and keep it going throughout the entire book without feeling contrived) is Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
4. The Curse.  That's all I'm going to say.  As soon as the object of the Curse showed his mug on the page and I realized what was actually on his--Oops! almost gave it away there for a second.  Bad Karla!.  Anywho, you'll just have to wait and see for yourself.
5. The Documentary Scene.  Remember the Cheez Doodle scene in MAKING WAVES?  Well, this one is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much funnier, and that's really saying something.  At one point, I laughed so loud, I kind of startled myself. 

Really, I could go on and on and on, folks.  This book was that good.  So, what are you waiting for?  Go pre-order your copy of BELIEVE IT OR NOT, right now.  As for me, I'll just have to wait for Tawna's next one to come out.  When is that again?  Oh, man, such a long wait.

A Bit of Reading in January

Yep, folks.  It's that time once again, where I regale you all with my reading list for the month...er...previous month, that is, considering it is now February.  Eh. Potatoe. Potahto.  So, here it is!

• UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi ... YA dystopian/post-apocalyptic (ARC ... released: January 3, 2012)  Not the absolute best dystopian I've read, but definitely not the worst.  It falls somewhere in the middle range.  I'd recommend to anyone still as in love with dystopians as I am.
• THE UNBEARABLE BOOK CLUB FOR UNSINKABLE GIRLS by Julia Schumacher ... YA Contemporary (ARC ... release date: May 8, 2012)  A great, light, fluffy read.  I'd highly recommend this if you're looking for something to take to the beach or the pool with you this summer.
• RED HEART TATTOO by Lurlene McDaniel ... YA Literary (ARC ... release date: July 24, 2012) I had high expectations for this book, and at first McDaniel not only met but exceeded them...but the last half of it kind of fell flat for me.  A little disappointing, actually.
• AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES by John Green ... YA Contemporary  This was a re-read for me as it was my pick for January's Book Hungry book club meet.  And, it's still just as good as I remembered. 
• EXPLOSIVE EIGHTEEN by Janet Evanovich ... Comedy/Mystery  BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH! Stephanie Plum is at it again, and there is great fun to be had within those pages
• GODDESS INTERRUPTED by Aimee Carter ... YA Fantasy (ARC ... release date: March 27, 2012)  Fans of THE GODDESS TEST will definitely love this sequel, and I am definitely one of those peeps.  My fave YA this month.

Only six this month, minions.  I must've been sleeping or something cuz that's just plain laziness.  What about you?  What have you been reading? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

ARC Review: GODDESS INTERRUPTED

The Book: GODDESS INTERRUPTED (book #2 of THE GODDESS TEST series)
The Author: Aimee Carter
The Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Anticipated Release Date: March 27, 2012

Marketing Copy Summary:
WHAT IF IMMORTALITY ISN’ T FOREVER?

KATE WINTERS HAS WON IMMORTALITY.

BUT IF SHE WANTS A LIFE WITH HENRY IN THE UNDERWORLD, SHE’LL HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT.

Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.

Henry’s first wife, Persephone.

My Thoughts:
This is where I admit that I read THE GODDESS TEST last year only after much badgering by a fellow reading friend.  To say I was unsure of whether I'd like is a bit of an understatement, but as this friend always picks up the books I throw at her, I had to give it a shot.

And, guess what, minions? I love, love, LOVED that book.  It was fresh and unique and in the midst of a time when vampires, werewolves, angels, demons, and ghosts reign supreme, this storyline (comprised of the Greek gods and goddesses of myth) was wholly inspired, at least in my mind.  So, of course, when I finished it, I made a note to make sure I kept an eye out for Carter's next book.

GODDESS INTERRUPTED picks up six months after the TEST leaves off.  After a summer of fun and sun in Greece, she and her friend, James (also known as the god Hermes) are headed back to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Eden Manor, the original setting of the GODDESS TEST.  But instead of whiling away her time above ground, this year Kate will be living in the Underworld with Henry.  Fine by her.  As long as she's with Henry, she doesn't care.

Or so she thinks.  But, no sooner does she arrive in the Underworld than the poo goes flying.  Henry and the Council find themselves in the fight for their lives as the only thing that can kill a god is awake and about to break free.

Packed with action right from the first chapter, GODDESS INTERRUPTED will keep you glued to the edge of your seat even as your gut is tied in knots over Kate's insecurities about Henry's love for her, her doubts about her own self-worth as a goddess, and the turmoil she's mired in over the power Persophene still holds over many of the gods, including her husband.

My one and only problem with this book was the cliffhanger ending.  If you've read my reviews before, you know how much I loathe the cliffhanger ending.  Well...yeah, that happened here, and I was ready to throw my ereader across the room.  I didn't, of course, but it was a close thing.  Now, I must wait for the next book in the series GODDESS INHERITANCE.  And, I so cannot wait.

If you haven't read anything by Aimee Carter, grab THE GODDESS TEST, and just for grins, look for her GODDESS HUNT (a short little novella on sale March 1, 2012 which tells all about how Kate spent her first summer away from the Underworld).

Friday Five: Embrace The Randomness

So, this is going to be a short post today folks as I'm over at Tracey's Tavern sharing my very own Drunken Friday tale.  BUT, before you go, I do have a Friday Five to impart.

Five Randomly Random Observations That Came To Me This Past Week

(perhaps the longest Friday Five title ever, btw)

1. Dieting can be dangerous to your health.  Yes, friends.  I nearly choked on a carrot.  Not once, not twice, but three times whilst eating my salad at lunchtime yesterday. Word to the wise, if you're going to watch what you eat, WATCH what you eat.  It'll help you avoid swallowing wrong...er...that sounded vaguely dirty...but whatevs.
2. Don't make sweeping declarations; they have a way of coming back to bite you.  Earlier this week, I told several people that I was closing to book reviews for indefinite amount of time.  No sooner had the words fell from my lips than I got not one but FOUR requests from authors/editors about books that I would've fallen all over myself to request had I been trolling the review sites that I normally frequent.  Suffice it to say, I'm not closed to reviews.  In fact, I now have more than I can handle, and I LOVE it.
3. I cannot walk and talk at the same time.  As many of you know, I'm an avid treadmill walker, mostly because it gives me a chance to watch Supernatural reruns without feeling guilty about loafing on the couch to do so.  On Sunday, I decided that level 3 on the machine just wasn't cutting it, so I jacked it up to 4.7 and I was keeping up...that is until my mother called me.  Then, I just about took a header off the thing. Lesson learned, minions. Lesson learned.
4. I am really a little old lady trapped inside a (cough!) thirty-two (cough!) year-old's body.  I have a friend soon to have a baby and decided that instead of a store bought gift, I was going to make her something...a crocheted baby blanket.  It's looking pretty damn good so far if I do say so myself.  Just call me Granny Karla.
5. I really kick ass at Jeopardy!  Er...the ones with the little kids.  Pit me against sixth graders (or even celebrities) and I clean up.  Not so much the adults, but I can pass as middle schooler, can't I?

That's it for my list, but what about all you fun friends?  Tell me something random about you.  I'll just be over at Tracey's Tavern getting my drink on...with Your Mom ;)

Book Hungry's January ABUNDANCE

This month, the Book Hungry girls wanted something a little lighter than our recent picks, and since it was my turn to choose, I thought what better reading fare than that of the illustrious John Green.  So, minions, I give you this month's Book Hungry reading selection, AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES

Summary (as taken from Amazon):
When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy–loving best friend riding shotgun—but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.

My Thoughts:
I first read this book a couple years ago, and I have to admit that on the reread, there's still some magic to be found within these pages.  As many of you fun friends know, I'm not one for light, fluffy reads.  I tend to lean more toward deep, dark tales of tragedy or mysteries or well, heavy reading. 

John Green is one of the few authors who write sharp funny stories that I gravitate towards.  For me, it's how engaging and well-developed each of his characters are, even those who show up for only a scene or two.  And, usually, my fave character in each of his stories is not so much the main character but one of the side characters.

In PAPER TOWNS, it was Ben and Radar.  In WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON, I was a Tiny Cooper fangirl all the way.  In LOOKING FOR ALASKA, it was the Colonel, and in KATHERINES, it was definitely Hassan.  He cracked me up.  All the freaking time.

Yes, KATHERINES is a somewhat quieter novel than his others, and there may be parts where the storyline meandered a bit, but the interaction between Colin and Hassan, Lindsey and Hollis, Colin and Lindsey, and of course, Colin and his abundance of Katherines that keeps you tuned in and wanting more.

What about all you fun friends?  Have you experienced the pure awesomesaucieness that is John Green?  I'd love to hear all about it in the comments.  And, until next month, peeps, when Patty has chosen DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth.