Review: Just Listen

Title Just Listen
By Sarah Dessen
For fun
Source Borrowed from a friend




Synopsis
Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything"—at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help,maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends. (from Goodreads)


General thoughts
K, I couldn't even be bothered to write a synopsis for this one so you'll have to deal with the Goodreads one. I've only read one other Sarah Dessen and I wasn't impressed but I wanted to give her another shot so I borrowed this one from a friend. Well....it was better than the other one I read. I know that there are girls who will relate to the main protagonist, Annabel, and maybe she will even inspire or touch them and that's a good thing. But I am not, nor was I ever, EVER, even remotely like Annabel. So much so, that I just couldn't relate at all! I tried, I really did but this one just wasn't for me.


Characters
Well, as I mentioned above, I just could NOT relate to Annabel at all! It's not that I have to even relate to a character to enjoy the book, but when every thing they say, or do, or think, makes you want to punch them, it's not a good thing. Owen, was a breath of fresh air! I really did like this guy and that's probably the only reason I made it through the whole book. Rolly, Owens friend, was great. I enjoyed him most of all! As for all the rest of the characters...meh! 


Would I recommend it?
No. I mean, I wouldn't NOT recommend it but you won't see me shouting praises for this one on every street corner.

Just Two Little Things

So, the last little but I've been thinking of some things and thought I'd share. Maybe it'll open up some discussion.

First up, the ever annoying "love at first sight" so prevalent in YA theses days. How do you feel about it? Is it romantic? Does it make you blush and sigh a little?  Or, like me, do you roll your eyes when are main protagonist is "inexplicably" drawn to the cliched love interest? Do you feel like it's real and believable or do you just except it cause it's fiction? Cause it drives me up the wall. Which I don't really understand. I guess the idea is awfully romantic but somehow it makes me go beserk! Is it just because it's in practically every YA book these days? What do you think?

The other thing I've been pondering is why my book reviews are usually the least commented on. Maybe this is needy and a little arrogant of me but it just seems weird. Isn't that one of the major reasons we book bloggers blog? To review? And yet I too find it hard to comment on book reviews. Either I've read the book and I agree or disagree and can say as much, or I haven't and can only say whether I want to read it or not. So, am I  making sense? Does anyone else have a hard time commenting on review posts? Do your review posts seem a little light on comments or is just me?

Well, there you have it. Two things I've been contemplating. So let's here your opinions. Am I all alone in my thoughts?

Utah Festival of Books!

So, I won't go on and on about the few short hours I spent at this fun event because it would get rather boring, I'm afraid. I will tell you a little about my experience, though, pathetic as it was. First of all the weather here in Utah has been pathetically cold for way too long and then, suddenly, it's freakishly hot on the day of the festival. OK, not THAT hot but hot enough! I only went for a few short hours. I missed the whole David Archuleta thing, didn't go to any panels and only bought one book, but...I did get four books signed and actually chatted with the authors instead of standing there looking stupid like I usually do. Below is proof. Enjoy!

And there you have it. I was beaten by the heat and my sister who came with me and her baby who needed  fed. Ah well, I had fun and got some books signed.

Summer Reading Plans

Yeah, I wish I was at the beach and bold enough to wear those bright green shades. Summer is a bit of a drag for me. Don't get me wrong, I like it well enough, but there's no new TV shows (well a few)  and no soccer so alas I tend to get bored. Luckily I love to read and always make a nice list of books I hope to read each summer.  So, here's my list.

This is only 13 of the 21 I plan on reading. I just thought you'd enjoy a pic.

Under the Dome by Stephan King
I hope to read this one in a buddy read with Suey of It's All About Books
 Middlemarch by Gerorge Eliot
This one is my book club's summer pick
The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory
I always try to read one of these every summer
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
This one is a friend's I'm borrowing so it will be first up
Possession by Elana Johnson
 I hope to buy this one
I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells
I can't wait to finish off this series
Mercy by Rebecca Lim
I've been waiting for this one for a good six months so I've got to get to it soon
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Everyone is raving about this one. I've got to see what it's all about
Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien
Yay! I finally got my hands on this one and now I can't wait to read it
Tattoo Jennifer Lynn Barnes
I'm just so interested to see what this one is all about
The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
This one looks absolutely hilarious to me
Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan
I need a good fantasy in here somewhere
Bruiser by Neal Shusterman
I love Neal Shusterman and I've heard good things.
Back When You Were Easier To Love by Emily Wing Smith
This is a local author's book and I've been trying to get to it since I had the honor of getting it signed
Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon
I'm obsessed with the cover of this one so I've just got to read it
The Boyfriend List Ruby Oliver #1 by E. Lockhart
I need a light fun read that makes me laugh. I have high hopes for this one
Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange
I just heard about this one a month or so ago. I've got to read it!
Ripple by Mandy Hubbard
This one comes out in July, can't wait.
Nightlife by Rob Thurman
I keep thinking about this one and staring at the cover. It's time to see what it's all about
The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
I've been waiting for this one since I read I Am Number Four
Shade by Jeri Ready Smith
Another I've been waiting to get to

Yes, that's 21 books! I hope to average 7 a month. I'm thinking Middlemarch and Under the Dome are going to be an ongoing thing all summer. I own 12 of the 21 so that will put a small dent in my owned books. The others will be bought soon or gotten from the library. So what do you think of my list? Anything I should add, or take away? What are you reading this summer or do you even plan on anything specific?

Review: Firelight

Title Firelight
By Sophie Jordan
For Fun, and you bloggers voted for it
Source I own it




Synopsis
It's Star Trek vs Romeo and Juliet vs Twilight! OK, not really. It's about Jacinda a Draki, a descendent of dragons. She breaks a rule and to save her from punishment her mother takes her and her sister away from the pride. Jacinda is not happy about this and we listen to her whine for pages and pages until...she meets Will. (sigh!) Then she proceeds to talk about how wonderfully handsome he is and how she makes him feel for pages and pages!

My thoughts
So, I bet you're thinking I must have hated this one. Well, I didn't. At the beginning I was having the hardest time stifling giggles at the writing. It was written in a way that had me hearing William Shatner narrating it. Oh, it was priceless. Then the whole love/lust "inexplicably drawn to each other" at first sight stuff happened and my laughter was silenced. So, about a hundred and fifty pages into it I must have subconsciously embraced my inner teenager trekkie because I read the rest of the books in one sitting and found myself getting into it. So, yeah, it was predictable, and laughable and sickeningly romantic but I liked it. Weird huh?

Characters
None of the characters bugged or interested me. I wasn't drawn one way or the other. I would have liked to have gotten to know Catherine and Az better and Xander did give me the creeps but other than that...nothing. See?! Isn't it weird that I actually enjoyed the book?

Would I recommend it? 
(Twilight Zone music) Yeah, yeah I would. (shakes head)