029 - Haven by Kristi Cook

One month into her junior year, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna transfers to the Winterhaven School in New York’s Hudson Valley, inexplicably drawn to the boarding school with high hopes. Leaving Atlanta behind, she’s looking forward to a fresh start--a new school, and new classmates who will not know her deepest, darkest secret, the one she’s tried to hide all her life: strange, foreboding visions of the future.

But Winterhaven has secrets of its own, secrets that run far deeper than Violet’s. Everyone there - every student, every teacher - has psychic abilities, 'gifts and talents,' they like to call them. Once the initial shock of discovery wears off, Violet realizes that the school is a safe haven for people like her. Soon, Violet has a new circle of friends, a new life, and maybe even a boyfriend - Aidan Gray, perhaps the smartest, hottest guy at Winterhaven.

Only there’s more to Aidan than meets the eye - much, much more. And once she learns the horrible truth, there’s no turning back from her destiny. Their destiny. Together, Violet and Aidan must face a common enemy - if only they can do so without destroying each other first.

Haven is...a strange book. It's one of those patchwork novels that (rather shamelessly) borrows from a number of other sources, and then tries to tweak them just enough so that, when someone calls it on it, it can point to those tweaks say "Nuh-uh, my book's not like that, because this part is different".

I certainly understand taking cues from other stories that you love - God knows my first foray into novel-writing was a painfully blatant rip of James Cameron's Dark Angel - but...you have to do more than tweak a few things here and there, because when it gets down to it, the elements that it seems Kristi Cook borrowed here are still recognizable.

Probably the worst part is that Cook ties this all together with a plot held together with scotch tape and a protagonist whose attitude (towards the supernatural, at least) is almost archaic in this Twilight and Buffy-saturated world. This whole book feels about twenty years too late - in the early '90s, I imagine this would have been new and innovative and relatable. Now, it's almost unbelievably dated.

Top Ten Tuesday! - Best Book-to-Movie Adaptations

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Book-to-Movie Adaptations

1. True Blood (television series, 2008 - ongoing)
Joint Pick: Okay, so this isn't technically a movie, but it is one of the most entertaining adapted television series out there. Even though we have our issues with some of the character and plot decisions Alan Ball makes (one to be specific, Eric's assholiness), the show never fails to be interesting, even when you think you know where it's going. We've read all the books, and we actually appreciate that Ball mixes it up, throwing in new and different storylines to keep fans of Charlaine Harris' book series intrigued, while still portraying the series plotlines that we so desperately want to see acted out. A+!

2. Lord of the Rings trilogy (film series, 2001 - 2003)
Joint Pick: We admit, we've never managed to finish these books, but that doesn't keep us from appreciating the films. They're visually breathtaking, and though we can't really say much on how faithful they were to the novels, as movies they were something we both looked forward to seeing and enjoy to this day.
K:I was hooked on the movies, that's when I figured out how nerdy I actually was. I really was obsessed with these movies and if I owned them I am sure I still would be. I watched the last one three times in theaters.

3. Pride & Prejudice (1995 mini-series)
Cyna's Pick What wasn't perfect about this adaptation? Nothing, that's what. The casting was excellent (Colin Firth is Darcy. Period), the script was solid, and, more importantly, there was actually enough time to include pretty much all of the novel's important plot points, relationships, and character development without it feeling rushed or forced. I adore this version. I own the dvds, and I've watched them at least twenty times. It's my hands-down favorite adaptation of my favorite book.

4. The Outsiders (1983 film)
Kayla's Pick: I do believe that this book\movie is completely a classic. I read this book in the seventh grade so it is a little foggy to me, but I do believe the movie follows it almost perfectly. This is a story about two rebel gangs (the Greasers and the Socs) that rival basically because of their social status. Even though this book was published in 1967 these are still issues of today, which I think makes this book and movie important and still interesting.

5. The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005 film)
Cyna's Pick: I've heard this movie wasn't very well-received by fans and idk this might be blasphemy or something, but I absolutely loved it. I'd never read the book when we went to see it, so I didn't have any expectations, and it's still one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. When I did get around to reading the book (you know, like two days after I saw the movie), I was delighted to find they'd lifted bits of dialog and guide entries directly from the book. The movie might have been a bit condensed, but I thought it was true to Adam's insanely funny voice, and I'm grateful to it for introducing me to some of the funniest books I've ever read.

6. The Notebook (2004 film)
Kayla's Pick: Ahh, The Notebook. Such a romantic story and movie. It was wonderful to see the book brought to life in the movie. I did have some issues with the movie however, it kind of made Noah out to be a little douchy. I also didn't like the ending only because it made it to where they couldn't make the sequel, The Wedding, which is one of my favorite novels that Nicholas Sparks wrote. But it's still a wonderfully heartbreaking movie. I love it.

7. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962 film)
Cyna's Pick: A classic adaptation of a classic novel. This doesn't have as much of the sentimental value of the rest of my picks, but it's undoubtedly one of the best adaptations out there. And man, could anyone have been more perfect for Atticus than Gregory Peck? He's brilliant and iconic and that alone warrants a place on this list.

8. The Vampire Diaries (TV series 2009- on going)
Kayla's Pick: Honestly, I really didn't like the books, but I do like the series. Probably because it has almost nothing to do with the books except for the characters names. I must also say that I am limited as to how many books\movies I can choose from and I really don't want all of my picks to be by Nicholas Sparks.

9. The Mists of Avalon (2001 mini-series)
Cyna's Pick: Okay, okay, I know it was kind of a disaster compared to the book, that there was a ton of stuff they missed and that the effects and sets were hokey and the acting was...well, sketchy, to be kind, but...well, what do you expect from a low-budget television series based on an 800+ page book? I enjoyed this adaptation because, again, it introduced me to one of my favorite books, and it wasn't, you know, horrible. Also, the casting of Anjelica Huston as Viviane? Brilliant.

10. A Walk to Remember (2002 film)
Kayla's Pick: Okay, I guess this one is difficult for me. Obviously, I am not having any luck here, so here is another one by Nicholas Sparks. I do love this book/movie so its not a bad pick. A heartbreaking tale that really grips you from the beginning to the end. This was also one of the first books I ever read and what a good way to start out.

Some Book-to-Movie Adaptations That We are Excited to See

The Hunger Games
The Radleys
Wicked Lovely
The Vampire Academy
The House of Night

Something Completely Different: Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein

The acclaimed author of the groundbreaking bestseller Schoolgirls reveals the dark side of pink and pretty: the rise of the girlie-girl, she warns, is not that innocent.

Pink and pretty or predatory and hardened, sexualized girlhood influences our daughters' lives from infancy onward, telling them that their image is more important than their essence - that how a girl looks matters more than who she is. But how many times can a parent say no when her daughter begs for a pink tulle princess dress? Does playing Cinderella shield girls from early sexualization - or prime them for it? Is today's little princess going to be tomorrow's sexting teen? And what if she is?

These questions hit home with Peggy Orenstein and so she went sleuthing. She dissected science and pop culture, created an avatar online, and parsed the original fairy tales. The stakes in this culture war turn out to be higher than she ever imagined: nothing less than the health, self-esteem, development, and futures of our girls. The potential negative impact of this new girlie-girl culture is undeniable-yet armed with awareness and recognition, parents can effectively counterbalance its influence in their daughters' lives.

I'll confess now, I'm really not the target audience here - I don't have any kids, and I don't really plan to. Kay's the mom, but I'm the one with the patience to read digital books, and when this book caught my eye on netGalley, I didn't think twice about requesting it. And I'm glad I didn't, because it turned out to be both an informative and engrossing read.

What I really want to emphasize about this book - you know, other than its content - is that it's never boring. I know that non-fiction often turns people (like me) off, because there's this idea that it's going to end up reading like the most boring textbook you ever had, but in this case, at least, this is not so. Orenstein has a good sense of humor, and her writing style is very engaging, very conversational, and very easy to read. The subjects flow very naturally, and the studies and figures Orenstein presents are never difficult to grasp. Plus, she balances them out with the human factor - stories about situations she's been in with her own daughter, situations her friends and the people she's interviewing have been in, and it all blends together to create this very engrossing narrative. I've read it twice, and both times I was both surprised and a little disappointed to find that I'd reached the end.

028 - Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

I'll admit: about twenty pages into this book, I was ready to dismiss it as annoying, tired YA crap. You can probably tell why from the summary above - "With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out." Oh God, eye roll. Around the same time this description comes about in the book, we learn that, though initially raised in foster care, Ari has lately been taken in by a husband-wife team of bail bondsmen, who have schooled her in the ways of fighting and gun-wielding. In the same breath, we're told she also closely associates herself with the moon, and has a platinum moon necklace and a stars-and-moon tattoo on her cheekbone.

Christ.

Could it be yet another ~*speshul*~ heroine, tough and aloof, who's had a bad life and doesn't trust anyone (and isn't that cool?) with supposedly "freakish" but in fact beautiful traits - both natural and self-inflicted - that ironically ostracize her from the rest society?

Well where have we seen that before? Oh, yeah, only everywhere.

Top Ten Tuesday! - Characters We'd Name Our Kids After

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Characters You'd Name Your Kids After

Cyna's Picks

Have I ever mentioned how much I love naming things? Pets, characters, blogs, I've even named things that don't really need names like my computer and Xbox. Even though I don't plan on having children (ever), I've joked that the only reason I would would be to saddle the poor thing with an undoubtedly awkward name for life. Still, this is a tough call, because while there are lots of names I like, literary names are a bit more complicated. There are some I find pretty, but don't care for the characters attached to them (Aislinn, Sakura, Mercy, Zoey). Then it seems like many of my favorite characters have names I just don't care for (Elizabeth, Sophie, Motoko, Yoruichi). So I'm gonna attempt to find a middle ground here, and choose (mostly) pretty names I'd give in the hopes that they'd bestow some of each character's finer qualities.

/end long intro

1. Lyra from The Golden Compass
Lyra is both a kick-ass young character and a very pretty, unique name. I'd want my daughter to be like Lyra, even though she'd probably be a huge pain in the ass to raise. Still, it'd be satisfying to know my daughter had the same kind of cunning, survival instincts, and strength.

2. Morgan from the Sweep series
I love the name Morgan, and it is very much Sweep's fault for putting it on my radar. I like that it's unisex, and that it could also be a last name - Morgan is multi-purpose. And I wouldn't mind my daughter ending up like the character Morgan - gifted, but down-to-earth, hard-working, and tough.

3. Viviane from Mists of Avalon
Ever since Mists of Avalon, the name Viviane has become synonymous with 'strength' for me. Though the character was very...flawed (ruthless, conniving, heartless...), she was also undeniably smart, strong, and powerful. If my daughter could stand up for her beliefs like Viviane, I'd be proud.

4. Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird
Atticus, while admittedly sounding just a tad too much like a child flubbing the word "attic", is one of those names that you don't have to explain to anyone. You say "Atticus", and almost everyone knows where the name came from, why you'd choose it, and what you'd hope it would mean for your child. Forget what the name actually means (if anything) - in my dictionary, Atticus means justice, integrity, pride (in the best sense of the word), and having the courage of your convictions.

5. Tora/Arcadia (Aradia) from In the Forests of the Night/Night World: Black Dawn
Yeah, okay, these are my superficial picks. "Tora", in Forests, was actually the name of the tiger the heroine (awkwardly named "Risika") loved like a pet. No, it isn't all that imaginative (tora = "tiger" in Japanese) but my thirteen-year-old brain loved that. It was a pretty name that meant tiger. AWESOME.

Arcadia was the name of the witch Maiden in Black Dawn, and while she was generally a passive (but beautiful) fairytale princess-like character all through the book, I loved the name. Her real name was Aradia (much better than Arcadia, which sounds like an exotic video arcade), but Arcadia comes with the benefit of being able to call the kid "Cady", and that's ridiculously cute. I'd probably end up naming the kid Aradia and calling her Cady anyway, and letting people look at me funny.

Bonus: Hinata (Hina) of Suki. Dakara Suki
I'm totally gonna indulge my inner weeaboo here and say that yes, I would give a Mexican-American kid a Japanese name. Yet another reason I probably shouldn't reproduce. But if I were dead-set on naming her after a manga character I admired, I would have to settle on Hinata (Yoruichi and Motoko would be a bit too harsh). As a character, Hinata is everything I wish I could be, and would wish for my child to be: she's sweet, smart, kind, strong, forgiving, and only sees the best in people. Hinata is a girl unspoiled by cynicism or the cruelty of the world, and even when she's hurt by people, she refuses to let it make affect her outlook on life or faith in others. It's likely impossible to find this sort of personality in the real world in anyone over the age of five, but hey, it's something to aspire to.

Kayla's Picks

1. Jacefrom The Mortal Instruments
I love the name Jace. In fact, when I had my son I asked my husband about this name, but he didn't like it (sad face). It wasn't really even the character who sold me on this name, though I did like him, It was just the name itself.



2. Aubreyfrom Demon In My View
Aubrey, I really loved his character. He has that bad boy thing going for him. I really like this name, because of the character and just because I like it. Its cute! It can be used for both a boy and a girl and I think it would work well for both.



3. Landonfrom A Walk To Remember
From the moment I read this book, my heart was set on what I was going to name my little guy. My sister beat me to the chase though, and the name is perfect for my little nephew. It really was Landon's character in the book that made me fall in love with it. I thought he was the perfect guy for the longest time. I was, however, 13 when I read it.



4. Adrianfrom The Vampire Academy
I was soooooo close to naming my son Adrian. It was a choice between this name and his daddy's name (Steven just in case you wanted to know) and, of course, he became a Junior. But it was sad that I didn't get to name him Adrian. I like that this name can be used for both female and male, but I like it better for a male. I also Love this character. Definitely one of my favorites (bad boy thing again).



5. RileyFrom The Demon Trappers Daughter
So I have noticed that I haven't put down a female name yet. The reason is that I tend to like male characters and names more. I have always had problems with girls names. It's a amazing that I could even come up with a name for my daughter, poor thing. But Even though I have this problem and I also found the character to be somewhat annoying, I still really like this name. I wish I had found this name before because I might have even named my daughter Riley. It's a very cute and strong name.

50 Follower Giveaway Winner!

And it's time for the 50-Follower Giveaway winner to be revealed!

50-Follower Giveaway!

Hey guys! We've been wanting to do this for a while, but never thought we'd actually make it to 50 followers! But it's happened, and so here we are with our first ARC giveaway~

027 - Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

Seth never expected he would want to settle down with anyone—but that was before Aislinn. She is everything he'd ever dreamed of, and he wants to be with her forever. Forever takes on new meaning, though, when your girlfriend is an immortal faery queen.

Aislinn never expected to rule the very creatures who'd always terrified her—but that was before Keenan. He stole her mortality to make her a monarch, and now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she'd ever imagined.

In Melissa Marr's third mesmerizing tale of Faerie, Seth and Aislinn struggle to stay true to themselves and each other in a milieu of shadowy rules and shifting allegiances, where old friends become new enemies and one wrong move could plunge the Earth into chaos.

So, we feel that we should start this out by saying that either this book should not have existed, or the out come better be damn good, because it kind of ruined our Ink Exchange buzz.

And how did it do this, you ask? Well, by having every single character become an asshole. Fragile Eternity is all about the messy consequences of what we believed in Wicked Lovely to be a happy ending, and it's a huge buzzkill.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. We're going to start by talking about Seth, since he seems to be the main character this go 'round.

Top Ten Tuesday! - Best Debut Novels

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Best Debut Novels

1. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Wicked Lovely was an amazing book, and we can't believe it was Melissa Marr's first. It was one of the first YA books we've read where the heroine took control of her destiny and refused to be a victim. The concept was sad and dark and awesome, and the novel itself was beautifully written. Plus, this was the first fairy book that Cyna actually liked.

2. Soulless by Gail Carriger
Soulless was awesome. Funny, sexy, and different in a very good way, Gail Carriger's mash-up of steampunk and paranormal romance worked better than you'd think. We loved the spunky heroine, her best friend, and the hilarious tension between her and her love interest. Plus, it was Kayla's first foray into Victorian steampunk and she loved it.

3. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Okay, he may not be the most highly-respected author out there, but The Notebook was a heartbreaking debut. It was one of the first books that we read at roughly the same time, and he was the author that really got Kayla into reading in general. We were big fans for a while, and The Notebook is a big reason why.

4. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
This is - reluctantly - a joint pick. Yes, it has terrible characters, themes, and a meandering plot with no conflict whatsoever, but nevertheless, we've both read it, and as debut authors go, Stephenie Meyer certainly hit the jackpot, didn't she? That alone warrants its inclusion on this list.

5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Cyna's Pick: Do I even need to explain? This book was amazing, our first introduction to Harry and his world, and the beginning of a phenomenon that a whole generation would grow up with. I read Sorcerer's Stone in sixth grade, and became a Harry fan for life. Even now, Sorcerer's Stone is one of my favorites of the HP novels.

6. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Kayla's Pick: To me, this is a classic. I read it in the seventh grade and fell in love with the story and some of the characters. It felt like a true story and I could really empathize with Ponyboy's pain at the loss of a friend. If you haven't read this, read it. Plus, it was cool that all the stars of the movie - Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze (RIP), and Diane Lane, in particular - ended up being super famous, and The Outsiders was one of their first movies.

7. In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Cyna's Pick: This might not be the most technically perfect first novel, but it was a debut that made a huge impact on my life. As a thirteen-year-old, this was the best novel ever, and it was ridiculously cool that it was written by an author my age. It made me want to write, and even now, Forests has a huge nostalgic place in my heart.

8. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Kayla's Pick: I can't believe this is the first book that she wrote. I really liked the story, of the heroine finding out who and what she is, and falling in love with a boy - Jace - which is really complicated. It was one of the first YA paranormal books I read and liked. Can't wait to see the movie, hope they don't screw it up.

9. A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Cyna's Pick: I know we've said this a lot, but I honestly didn't believe that A Study in Scarlet was Doyle's first novel until I read it on Wikipedia. I hadn't read Holmes until a few years ago, but I fell for them pretty quickly. A Study in Scarlet isn't the dense classic you'd expect - the writing is smart and involving, and Holmes is an iconic character for a good reason. He's memorably brilliant, scathing, and douchy.

10. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Cyna's Pick: House of Leaves counts as an AMAZING debut just for it's sheer size, detail, and weirdness. It's a book about a scholarly analysis of a fictional movie about a fictional house that may or may not be supernatural, edited by a fictional character who includes his own fucked-up story in the footnotes. CRAZY. And SERIOUSLY CREEPY. It's an impressive accomplishment, not just as a debut novel, but as a novel in general. And so very wroth reading.