Waiting on Wednesday 31

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Ruby Oliver, the neurotic, hyperverbal heroine of the The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, and The Treasure Map of Boys, is back!

Ruby Oliver is in love. Or it would be love, if Noel, her real live boyfriend, would call her back. But Noel seems to have turned into a pod-robot lobotomy patient, and Ruby can’t figure out why.

Not only is her romantic life a shambles:

Her dad is eating nothing but Cheetos,

Her mother’s got a piglet head in the refrigerator,

Hutch has gone to Paris to play baguette air guitar,

Gideon shows up shirtless,

And the pygmy goat Robespierre is no help whatsoever.

Will Ruby ever control her panic attacks?

Will she ever understand boys?

Will she ever stop making lists?

(No to that last one.)

Roo has lost most of her friends. She’s lost her true love, more than once. She’s lost her grandmother, her job, her reputation, and possibly her mind. But she’s never lost her sense of humor. The Ruby Oliver books are the record of her survival. Release Date: December 28th, 2010

 I've been a huge fan of Ruby Oliver and her wacky, boy-crazy adventures. Roo is just so kooky and adorable that it's hard for me to NOT like her (However, I have no problems disliking her friends-they are terrible). I have mixed feelings for this cover; I do like it but I wish they had stayed with the theme that the other books have-they were unique and once I spotted them, I knew it was an E. Lockhart book. Anyways.... what's your pick for the week?

A Golden Web by Barbara Quick

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: April 6, 2010
Source: Traveling ARC Tours
Language: English

Synopsis: Alessandra is desperate to escape—from her stepmother, who’s locked her away for a year; from the cloister that awaits her if she refuses the marriage plans that have been made for her; from the expectations that limit her and every other girl in fourteenth-century Italy. There’s no tolerance in her village for her keen intelligence and her unconventional ideas.

In defiant pursuit of her dreams, Alessandra undertakes an audacious quest, her bravery equaled only by the dangers she faces. Disguised and alone in a city of spies and scholars, Alessandra will find a love she could not foresee—and an enduring fame.

In this exquisite imagining of the centuries-old story of Alessandra Giliani, the world’s first female anatomist, distinguished novelist Barbara Quick gives readers the drama, romance, and rich historical detail for which she is known as she shines a light on an unforgotten—and unforgettable—heroine.

It's unclear whether Alessandra Giliana actually existed or not but Barbara Quick's attempt to explain who Alessandra was in her novel, A Golden Web, paints a vivid and inspirational story about a young woman who fights for her dreams at all costs.  Born in an era where girls were encouraged to marry well and think of little else, Alessandra's mindset veers towards intellectual pursuits where she finds solace and fulfillment. The illusion for a better life is shattered when Alessandra is promised to a man she has never met; now, faced with sacrificing her happiness, she runs away to forge her own destiny and achieves more than she could have ever imagined.

Quick's writing style was perhaps my favorite aspect of this novel; she has a poet's soul, using some of the most striking metaphors to describe the feelings and actions of her characters. Her exquisite writing actually made me pause to reread certain sentences (or paragraphs) because I wanted to sink into the lyricism of her words and conjure the fantastic imagery in Alessandra's story. Alessandra herself was a sprightly character, full of charm, brimming with potential and utterly enchanting; her determination to beat the odds and study in the University of Bologna to become an anatomist--the first female anatomist, no less--had me admiring her from the very start. Her bright personality easily outshined the other characters in this story and usually I'm not fond of having underveloped characters (no matter how minor they are) but for this particular book, it fit. This story was purely Alessandra's, and whoever else was in her life only reflected how brilliant Alessandra was. The plot itself moved at a quick pace, sometimes too fast, but I could understand why; Alessandra's life was short-lived and yet there were so many pivotal events in her life that it's no surprise the author went through her life so swiftly; but even so, Quick did a wonderful job of tying everything together. The ending itself is of note: it could be described as ending abruptly (normally something I dislike) but strangely enough it didn't faze me. It worked. I've never encountered a book that made me appreciate an open ending but Barbara Quick made it work.

Beguiling, lyrical and fascinating, A Golden Web breathes life into the legend of Alessandra Giliani and even if she is only a myth...it is an inspirational one and Barabara Quick has given a fantastic rendering of this extraordinary young woman.

Rating: 4.0

"Hey look, it's a contest!"

And an epic one at that!

As a way of showing our immense appreciation for our followers, Kari from A Good Addiction, Corrine from Lost For Words and I, the Pirate Penguin of the blogosphere, (*inner monologue* I never thought I'd reach a point in my life where I'd refer to myself as a PENGUIN...*ends inner monologue*) are co-hosting a contest that you will find (hopefully) to be awesome! Here's what we'll be giving away:

  

  

 Pick up those jaws! This is totally real! ;) Ok, now onto the guidelines for this contest...
Rules + Details:

-There will be six winners-one for each title. First winner gets first pick, second winner gets second choice, etc. There'll be additional winners for swag packs.

-All books will be pre-ordered FINISHED COPIES through The Book Depository. Books won't be shipped until release day.

-This contest is INTERNATIONAL. (But please check to see if the site ships out to your country before entering. Just in case.)
-Contest ends on August 8th, 2010 at 6 PM CST.

Fill out this form to enter

Comments are welcomed but will not count as entries. You must fill out the form (which is the same for all three blogs) to enter. Please enter once and once only. Multiple entries will be deleted.

Good luck everyone! This contest is now closed!

Book love is endless...

Which is why my book blog isn't just about YA. I realize that most of my reviews have been for YA novels but after book blogging for over a year (a year! I can't believe so much time has gone by) my taste in reading has broadened into other genres as well. I've noticed that lately, whenever I vist a bookstore, (and try to fight the clawing need to buy more books) I find myself circling the YA section because I'm not sure what to read anymore. Then before I know it I start gravitating towards the sci-fi/fantasy section of Barnes & Noble and then I'm pulled over to the historical section... I think it's because I'm ready to dive into other books that aren't YA. Don't get me wrong, I love YA; I started reading it when I was like ten or eleven years old and there are so many things to be discovered; I've learned many things through YA and it's undoubtedly my favorite section of my library. But I think it's time to nourish my appetite for books that aren't young adult books. Which is why in the future I'll be featuring books like these two for example...

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

How good does this sound? I know it's at my library because I've seen it a thousand times but now? I. want. it.

A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club.

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing.

But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.

If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love...

Err. *WANT* I've been in this mood for historical-type romance novels and here's one that sounds excellent! It's been getting great reviews and I haz to read it.

Two years ago, I probably never would've picked up these kinds of books. But book blogging has opened up my eyes thousands of books I've been missing out on and I'm ready to explore those sections of the library that I've ignored in the past... or take a chance on that paperback I've eyed but ended up not buying because it wasn't YA.

In My Mailbox 31

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme where you get to show off all the cool books you receive! This meme was inspired by Alea and memefied by Kristi.

For review:

What started out as girls' games became a witch hunt. Wicked Girls is a fictionalized account of the Salem witch trials told from the perspectives of three of the real young women living in Salem in 1692.

Ann Putnam Jr. plays the queen bee. When her father suggests that a spate of illnesses within the village is the result of witchcraft, Ann grasps her opportunity. She puts in motion a chain of events that will change the lives of the people around her forever.

Mercy Lewis, the beautiful servant in Ann's house, inspires adulation in some and envy in others. With a troubled past, she seizes her only chance at safety.

Margaret Walcott, Ann's cousin, is desperately in love and consumed with fiery jealousy. She is torn between staying loyal to her friends and pursuing the life she dreams of with her betrothed.

With new accusations mounting daily against the men and women of the community, the girls will have to decide: Is it too late to tell the truth?

This came completely unexpected the other day; I'll admit, other than admiring the lovely cover in the past, I didn't give this book much thought. But now that it's with me... I'm really tempted to just start reading it! I've always been intrigued by the witch trials, and I really enjoyed reading The Crucible ( Did anyone read that? John Proctor, despite being an adulterous liar, was my favorite character♥) so...I'll probably like this one too. ;)

In the year 2098 America isn't so different from the USA of today. But, in a post-9/11 security-obssessed world, "secured" doesn't just refer to borders between countries, it also refer to borders between states. Teenagers still think they know everything, but there is no cure for cancer, as Kelsa knows first-hand from watching her father die.


The night Kelsa buries her father, a boy appears. He claims magic is responsible for the health of Earth, but human damage disrupts its flow. The planet is dying.

Kelsa has the power to reverse the damage, but first she must accept that magic exists and see beyond her own pain in order to heal the planet.

This one, unlike the first book, was one I knew would eventually makes its way into my mailbox and I'm very happy that it's here! (A huge thanks to Hilari Bell!)

This week was light but I'm overall pleased with what I got. What's in your mailbox?

Update:

Claire is a #hopelessromantic.
Lottie is determined to set up her BFF with Mr. Perfect.
Will wants his #secretcrush to finally notice him.
Bennett is a man with a plan.


Claire can’t believe it when her dream guy starts following her on Twitter. She never thought he noticed her, and suddenly he seems to understand her better than almost anyone.

But the Twitterverse can be a confusing place, especially when friends act differently online than they do in person. Things get even more complicated when Claire realizes she’s falling for someone else, the last person she ever would have expected….

Told in an innovative format combining tweets, emails, and blogs, Tweet Heart is a contemporary romantic comedy that will set your heart atwitter.

9:21 PM: I was out all day so I wasn't able to mention what I found in my mailbox today! Tweet Heart sounds so adorable AND it's about Twitter. This=love.