Hate List

The list was my idea.

I didn't mean for anyone to die.

Will you ever forgive me?


Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

 Wow, what to say. This is about a school shooting, but so much more. Its the story or Valerie, whose boyfriend shot her and lots of other people at their school. After recovering she now has to deal with all the pain, all of the guilt she has.She went through a lot during the story and had to come to face a lot of personal demons, she had to struggle to even just go to school everyday. This book is very good, ( what else is there to say?) and I really loved the reality of the story and all that she went through. I would defiantly recommend this, if you are looking for a heavy read. 

Isla and the Happily Ever After

Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last?

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

OH MY GOSH. This book gave me more feels then I could even talk about. I burned through it, couldn't set it aside to do what I needed too. But it was so worth it in every way. This was amazing and very great. I loved the whole story and all the things that happened between them felt, real like they had happened. There isn't much to say that don't involve spoilers, so I will end with this: read this series, please and thank you. 

Gramma Nancy's Animal Hats (and Booties, Too!): Knitted Gifts for Babies and Children

Knit up the cutest, smoochiest little hats for babies and children featuring hilarious animals (and matching booties) from the grand prize winner of Vanna's Choice Contest by Lion Brand Yarn.

Everyone needs a hat! But why settle for just any old hat? These fun and fabulous animal hats will delight new parents, and they're a snap to knit. Sized from newborn to 12 years old, the 20 projects in this book are designed to grow with kids and become their go-to favorite hats. All the hats and booties are both beginner-friendly and budget-friendly, using machine-washable acrylic yarn and time-tested knitting techniques for quick baby shower and children's gifts. The animals offer a variety of customization options for favorite storybook characters and even mascots for kids' sports teams. Knit an elephant with hoofs, a cheeky monkey, or an adorable bunny hat with matching paws.

I love this! I thought I would love it more though, a lot of them i would want to change to be a little less crazy, or time consuming. I received this book for review from Blogging for Books. 

Girl in Blue

From acclaimed QUILT TRILOGY author Ann Rinaldi comes another gripping historical adventure. Here, a courageous girl disguises herself as a boy and fights in the Civil War.

The year is 1861. When spirited teenager Sarah Louisa learns that she is to be married off to her despicable neighbor, she runs away from home. Disguising herself as a boy, Sarah boldly joins the army--and before long is a soldier in the Civil War. Sarah navigates the joys and hardships of army life, all the while struggling to keep her true identity a secret. But Sarah's real adventure is only just beginning. A chance encounter with a detective soon draws her into a web of mystery, intrigue, and romance--and Sarah's courage will be put to the test as never before.

This book, WOW! I love Ann Rinaldi, her books made me love reading historical fiction and made me love getting into history. This one was just as good as all of the other ones I have read by her. I loved the fact that she dressed up as a man and joined the war, and then was sent to the pinkertons which fascinate me to no end. The whole thing was put together wonderfully and i would highly recommend it!

Ink Exchange

Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.

Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.

The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils... 

This book, everyone either loves or hates these, there isn't a middle ground on this issue. I am on the love side. I  am not a huge fantasy reader and only read those that are mostly set in the real world over  a full on fantasy world. Its easier to imagine it, to picture it in your mind. Anyways this is my favorite quote from the book. 

“Sometimes love means letting go when you want to hold on tighter.”

― Melissa Marr, Ink Exchange

Sighhhh, I just love this! I would defiantly recommend YOU read it.

Wonder

I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels. 

Oh My Goodness this book is amazing, I was told by my friend that this was amazing and oh was she right. I loved this so much I cant even describe my love for it. I read through it very fast because I was so engrossed by the story and the different POV made the story even more engrossing. Getting to see the different views of  August was very interesting. 

Lola and the Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss #2)

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the negihborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Wow, after reading Go Ask Alice, I defiantly needed a good lighter read. This one was perfect! After reading Anna and the French Kiss a couple months back I have been dying to read the rest of the series. This one I feel is just as good as Anna, I love the characters and  the relationships and just all of it. Its all so good. i would highly recommend it!

Go Ask Alice

A teen plunges into a downward spiral of addiction in this classic cautionary tale.

January 24th

After you've had it, there isn't even life without drugs.... 

It started when she was served a soft drink laced with LSD in a dangerous party game. Within months, she was hooked, trapped in a downward spiral that took her from her comfortable home and loving family to the mean streets of an unforgiving city. It was a journey that would rob her of her innocence, her youth -- and ultimately her life.

Read her diary.

Enter her world.

You will never forget her. 

For thirty-five years, the acclaimed, bestselling first-person account of a teenage girl's harrowing decent into the nightmarish world of drugs has left an indelible mark on generations of teen readers. As powerful -- and as timely -- today as ever, Go Ask Alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction. 

This book speaks of a journey that no one could possibly ever want to take, the journey of drugs. I have never thought about taking drugs but after reading Go ask Alice and also Crank, I even more don't want to even think about ever taking ANYTHING. This is a very similar read to Crank , if you enjoyed that you will defiantly "enjoy" this one. 

The Greatest Stories Never Told

History isn't always made by great armies colliding or by great civilizations rising or falling. Sometimes it's made when a chauffeur takes a wrong turn, a scientist forgets to clean up his lab, or a drunken soldier gets a bit rowdy. That's the kind of history you'll find in The Greatest Stories Never Told.

This is history candy -- the good stuff. Here are 100 tales to astonish, bewilder, and stupefy: more than two thousand years of history filled with courage, cowardice, hope, triumph, sex, intrigue, folly, humor, and ambition. It's a historical delight and a visual feast with hundreds of photographs, drawings, and maps that bring each story to life. A new discovery waits on every page: stories that changed the course of history and stories that affected what you had for breakfast this morning.

Consider:

• The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock because they ran out of beer
• Some Roman officials were so corrupt that they actually stole time itself
• Three cigars changed the course of the Civil War
• The Scottish kilt was invented by an Englishman

Based on the popular Timelab 2000® history minutes hosted by Sam Waterston on The History Channel®, this collection of fascinating historical tidbits will have you shaking your head in wonder and disbelief. But they're all true. And you'll soon find yourself telling them to your friends.

This is one of those book that makes you ponder what you have read but you arent in shock that these things really happened. Some feel more like a speculation then anything, like this is what we think happened so we are going to say it as a fact. Other then that its a very good book and has awesome extras like pictures. Each story is 2 pages long so makes for a fast and easy read.