Swoon at Your Own Risk by Sydney Salter

Publication Date: April 2010

Summary:

You’d think Polly Martin would have all the answers when it comes to love—after all, her grandmother is the famous syndicated advice columnist Miss Swoon. But after a junior year full of dating disasters, Polly has sworn off boys. This summer, she’s going to focus on herself for once. So Polly is happy when she finds out Grandma is moving in—think of all the great advice she’ll get.

But Miss Swoon turns out to be a man-crazy sexagenarian! How can Polly stop herself from falling for Xander Cooper, the suddenly-hot skateboarder who keeps showing up while she’s working at Wild Waves water park, when Grandma is picking up guys at the bookstore and flirting with the dishwasher repairman?

No advice column can prepare Polly for what happens when she goes on a group camping trip with three too many ex-boyfriends and the tempting Xander. Polly is forced to face her feelings and figure out if she can be in love—and still be herself.

My Two Cents:

Polly has a lot of Daddy issues in this book. She's looking for the attention her father doesn't give her from teenage boys. When Polly doesn't have a boyfriend she feels empty. Every time she gets a boyfriend she becomes who she thinks they want her to be. Whatever they're into, suddenly she's into. This leaves her doing many activities just to impress them. In turn, she loses herself and is only defined by who she's dating at the moment.

Unforunately I know a couple girls like this. Unsurprisingly, the relationships don't work out for Polly, resulting in a lot of ex boyfriends floating around. She gets to the point where she swears off all men in general. In doing this she's overlooking the one guy who's been aound the whole time and into what makes Polly....Polly. Will it be too late to still give this one a chance?

I'd say this one is worth a read. The whole book I found myself screaming at Polly to give this guy Xander a chance. It was a little frustrating when she just keeps resisting him when she know she wants him too. My question is why deny yourself something that you deserve??

Rating:

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

Waiting on Wednesday is brought to you by Jill @ Breaking the Spine!

The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted







Publication Date: July 2010

Why I'm so Antsy:


Bet is sixteen, very intelligent, but only knows as much as her limited education will allow. In Victorian England, girls aren't allowed to go to school.

Will is also 16, and though not related by blood, he and Bet act like brother and sister. In fact, they even look like brother and sister. And though they're both raised under the same roof, by the same kind uncle, Will has one big advantage over Bet: He's a boy, and being a boy means he isn't stuck in the grand house they call home. He gets to go out into the world--to school.

But that's not what Will wishes. He wants to join the military and learn about real life, not what's written in books.

So one night, Bet comes up with a plan. She'll go to school as Will. Will can join the military. And though it seems impossible, they actually manage to pull it off.

But once Bet gets to the school, she begins to realize the education she's going to get isn't exactly the one she was expecting.



It has such a cute cover and it has that whole historical fiction look that I like. I doubt I can wait until July so I'll be keeping my eyes open for an advanced copy!

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

Publication Date: February 2010

Summary:

When the principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program, Fiona Sheehan believes that her life can’t get any worse. Then she marries her “husband”: Jerky jock Todd, whose cheerleader girlfriend, Amanda, has had it in for Fiona since day one of second grade. Even worse? Amanda is paired with Fiona’s long-term crush, Gabe. At least Fiona is doing better than her best friend, Marcie, who is paired up with the very quiet, very mysterious Johnny Mercer. Pranks, fights, misunderstandings, and reconciliations ensue in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors about mistaken first impressions, convoluted coupling, and hidden crushes.

My Two Cents:

I found this book to be completely hilarious! It had such a cute and original plot. Fiona is just soo likeable even when the other characters don't think so lol. She's blunt and to the point and I love it. She's someone I'd enjoy hanging out with. At least you'll always know where you stand with her! She gets paired with this jock Todd who she believes is such a prick yet he actually has a soft side and they love to hate each other. The pranks they pulled on each other throughout the book were such a riot! Johnny Mercer, Marci's "husband" is such a huge teddy bear and I wish he was real so I could give him a great big hug! Unfortunately the Johnny Mercers in real life never get much play with the ladies :(

I think back to when I was in high school, and I think I would've been happy to be married to someone...but not for the whole school year. It would also depend on who I was married to. The only part in this book that I didn't like was Fiona and Marci's relationship. I won't go into details because I don't want to give spoilers but let's just say I wouldn't have been so forgiving.

Anywho, something I've learned years ago is that sometimes people grow on you. At first you may think they're just another face in the crowd and next..they could do something like picking your books off the floor and you see how pretty their eyes are and all of a sudden you can't stop thinking about them! Yes...it's happened to me before lol. Go get this book!

Rating:

Awesome Contest!

Hey everyone! Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews is having an awesome giveaway. You can win one signed copy of any Mari Mancusi books of your choice. You also get a very cool Vampire-in-training kit.

Contest ends December 10th so you'd better go quickly!

In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth

Publication Date: February 2, 2010

Summary:

When a small mistake costs sixteen-year-old Eagan her life during a figure-skating competition, she leaves many things unreconciled, including her troubled relationship with her mother. From her vantage point in the afterlife, Eagan reflects back on her memories, and what she could have done differently, through her still-beating heart.

When fourteen-year-old Amelia learns she will be getting a heart transplant, her fear and guilt battle with her joy at this new chance at life. And afterwards when she starts to feel different—dreaming about figure skating, craving grape candy—her need to learn about her donor leads her to discover and explore Eagan’s life, meeting her grieving loved ones and trying to bring the closure they all need to move on.
Told in alternating viewpoints, In a Heartbeat tells the emotional and compelling story of two girls sharing one heart.

My Two Cents:

Eagen gets into a tragic skating accident and ends up in limbo, not quite in heaven but in a very gray area that shows memories of her life, good and bad. Her and her mother have a love/hate relationship but when she dies she sees how much her mom really cared about her.

Amelia, she's been sick for the last 7 or so years of her life because of a heart condition. When Eagen dies, she gets the heart transplant. She doesn't know how to feel. Sometimes she's happy to be alive and sometimes she's guilty for beingalive and knowing Eagen isn't. Suddenly she's beginning to get some of the same traits and Eagen and just KNOW certain things about her. Eagen becomes a part of Amelia through the heart. Now all of a sudden she gets smart with her mom, she's more gutsy. Amelia's set on meeting the family of Eagen's. That in itself was such an emotional moment in this book.

Warning: If you're a big cry baby like me don't read this book! This was such an emotional read...man. I was sucked in from the very first page. It had excellent character development. It was such a short book, only 200 pages but it was very much complete. Great plot. The author even managed to squeeze in a bit of romance in there. Definitely look out for this one in February 2010.

Rating:

In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox is brought to you by The Story Siren :-)





My laptop is still being repaired so I can only use the computer at work (which I have to sneak and do) so this week's imm will cover what I've received over the last 2 weeks.

• Crazy Beautiful by Lauria-Baratz Logsted
• A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb
• Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
• Numbers by Rachel Ward
• Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (Woohoo!!!)
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
• Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman
• Hold Still by Nina LaCour
• The Amanda Project: Book 1: Project I by Stella Lennon
• The Secret Circle: The Initiation and the Captive by LJ Smith
• The Luxe by Anna Godberson
• Envy by Anna Godberson
• Splendor by Anna Godberson
• Burned by Ellen Hopkins
• Positively by Courtney Sheinmel
• Sing Me to Sleep by Angela Morrison

I also got Hate List by Jennifer Brown that I won in Princess Bookie's huge contest!

These were a great two weeks as far as my mailbox went. However terrible for my bookshelves which almost fell on me while trying to squeeze these in lol! What did you get??

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

Waiting on Wednesday is brought to you by Jill @ Breaking the spine!


Spells by Aprilynne Pike


Publication Date: May 4, 2010

Why I'm so Antsy:

Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger--and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever.
When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable?

Isn't this cover so cute?? I even loved the cover from Wings also but I think this one is just a bit more sophisticated.