A little bit different!

Do you like my tomatoes?*




*Okay, fine, they're not mine. I got them from here: http://www.geekcasual.com/food/tomatoes/. Why tomatoes? It has to do with the name of my blog. I'll have to tell you that story sometime soon.

Giveaway!!!

No, not from me.

It's here! http://www.carolinavaldezmiller.com/

And look what's up for grabs:

 Signed ARC of ASHFALL
by Mike Mullin








 ARC of WITHOUT TESS
by Marcella Pixley







ARC OF UNFORSAKEN
by Sophie Littlefield









 Signed ARC of TRIS AND IZZIE
by Mette Ivie Harrison








Good luck! (But not too much luck, because I want to win, too.)

Mara Dyer

For Michelle Hodkin's contest here: http://michellehodkin.blogspot.com/2011/09/book-trailer-is-here.html

I haven't actually read this yet (it just came out) but I am planning too! Hopefully over fall break in November. I am planning on buying books and having a reading (no homework! yay!) marathon. I'm thinking Daughter of Smoke and Bone will be included, and perhaps Shatter Me, and maybe The Pledge, maybe Scorpio Races. Hmm . . .

No back to our regularly scheduled programming (read: homework).

If I Die Young

I love how this is about dying, but it's not really sad. It's also very catchy and I've been signing it in my head all day.

Chime!

Chime

Franny Billingsley

http://www.frannybillingsley.com/chime.html

Another awesome cover. I love pretty covers.

This is one of those books that just blew me away. It was one of those all too infrequent gems that I just fall in love with.

Look at this first line:

"I've confessed to everything and I'd like to be hanged. Now, if you please."

How can you not want to devour this book???

At first, I thought Briony was crazy, and I was almost disappointed when about ten pages in, I realized she wasn't. She's not normal, she's convinced that she's a witch, but she's not hallucinating everything she sees in the swamp.

The swamp, you say? Why yes, I respond. The swamp it is awesome.

The romance? Equally awesome. Chime is one of those books where the characters have a real relationship, and I fell in love with them falling in love.

I loved Briony. I loved her sister, Rose. I liked their relationship as identical twins, and Rose as being mentally unstable. Rosie's character is very well written, just as Briony is, and I wished she had appeared more in the story. I loved her.

Basically, I loved this book, and I loved the ending. Go read it.

Imaginary Girls

Imaginary Girls

Nova Ren Suma

http://novaren.wordpress.com/

First of all, if nothing else, isn't that cover awesome? I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover but . . . I do admire them. :]

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I did have a couple of problems with it, but I'll get to them later.

The plot? There isn't one, really. It's really a character driven book, but there is some mystery, and some magic. I loved the reservoir and how it was its own character. I liked Ruby's character, and I was happy with her development. The ending the author gives her really fits her character, and is believable (if a little weird).

(Okay, never mind, a lot weird.)

I didn't like Chloe's character as much. My two problems with the book both involve Chloe - and sex. Seriously? Why do so many YA books feel like they need their characters to have sex to seem like real people? I think that's the reason so many authors write those scenes, anyway. Maybe they think it makes their books more attractive, more sell-able, I don't know. I just know I don't like it. Not every teen has to have sex, ya know. In fact, many don't. I might go as far to say that the majority of avid readers don't, because most of the teens I know who love to read are not that type. If the sex actually helps develop characters, and adds to the overall book, and is a necessary addition, I'm okay with it. (Bee Season does this well, though it is not YA)

I would recommend this book. I liked the ending, and the mystery of the reservoir. Not everything is explained and that is absolutely okay with this book. It just works.

Smile!

Supernatural is on. :] <---- that's me.