Thursday, May 31, 2012

What's Next #1

What's Next is a weekly meme hosted by Hafsha @ Icey Books where we ask you to help us in choosing what book we will read next.

The Choices:
I've had all of these books for a while now, and I kind of just want to read them so I can start on my newer books. Does anyone have any suggestions as to which one I should read next. Click on the photos for links to their Goodreads pages.









Don't forget to vote in the poll to tell me which one, and then comment so I know why you chose that one. Also leave links to your post if you did one!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent (Divergent #2)
Author: Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent Trilogy
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Hardcover
Source: Bought
Add it: Goodreads
Rating: 5/5

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so. (summary from goodreads.com)

Insurgent is the second book in the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth. To say that this book was one of my most anticipated for 2012 would be an understatement. Even before reading Divergent this book was at the top of my spring to-be-read list. I honestly don’t even know how to describe how much I loved this book, but what I do know is that this book definitely exceeded all the expectations that I had.

The Divergent series is one like none of the other series I have read, not because it’s a dystopian story or a totally unique idea but because of the way it’s written. Veronica Roth is seriously an incredible writer, probably one of the best around today. Everything in this book was important. There was no skipping sentences or skimming through chapters because there were no filler chapters. By having a book where you can’t skip through anything, it really makes you care about everything that’s happening. It wasn’t even that I just cared about the overall plot and the characters, it was that I was thinking-‘what would I do if I was in their place’, and I guess that’s what really makes up my mind when comparing a good and great book.

The overall plot to the Divergent series is so incredible, I don’t even know how to describe it. The political aspect of this book alone is enough to keep me interested. There’s the five factions that are all different in their own way, and I loved seeing how this whole ‘fight of the factions’ aspect played into the overall plot. Then there’s the characters, the setting, and everything that’s happening! AH. I don’t even know how to describe it, it was seriously just incredible. 

Tris and Tobias are two amazing main characters, I know I’ve said this before...but it’s true. I really like the fact that their relationship isn’t the focus of the story, sure it’s a big part of the story but it’s not the whole plot. Another thing I like about these two characters is that they don’t do things for no reason, there’s a point to everything that they do. For example when they have fights, it’s not just for the sake of arguing there’s always a bigger picture to look at after they’re done arguing. It’s kind of odd how well Tobias and Tris’ relationship works considering they’re really similar when it comes to their personalities.

The character development was another one of my favorite parts of this book. I can honestly say that every character in this book had their own personality, and by having said personality they were able to development into better...or worse characters. I think much of this is due to not only the authors amazing writing skills, but the use of the factions as identifiers for characters. Okay. That doesn’t really make sense, but think of it this way. When you find out that a character is from for example Erudite you already have a feel of what that characters personality is like, so I think that was a huge advantage to the story. 

Okay. If you haven’t figured it out already, I loved this book. I recommend it to you, go buy it now, borrow it from a friend. Do something, to get your hands on this book! Well read the first book, Divergent first and then get this book!  

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Top Ten Books For Future Readers to Read


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books Written In The Past 10 Years That I Hope Are Still Being Read In 30 Years

1. If I Stay / Where She Went by Gayle Forman



If I Stay is probably one of the best books I've read about death and Where She Went is probably one of the best books I've read about the grieving process. I definitely want these books to be read 30 years from now.

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins


Do I even need to explain this one?

3. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Perfect example of how bullying can practically ruin someones life. Also it perfectly portrays the idea of you don't know what you have, until it's gone.

4. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Such an important subject that will probably always be relevant.


5. Divergent by Veronica Roth

I think this book definitely contains an important message that future generations will be able to benefit from.

6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Etienne St. Clair. Need I say more? Hopefully in 30 years Stephanie Perkins will have more than two books to read.

7. On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
The book that introduced me to the amazingness that is Melina Marchetta. Proves that YA isn't all about sparkly vampires, and dystopian worlds.

8. Harry Potter # 5-7 by J.K. Rowling
Would have included the whole series, but I was at a ten year limit. If this doesn't get you reading, I don't know what will.

9. Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa
Don't really have a reason except for Ash is amazing. Which makes this whole series amazing.

10. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Yeah. I'm guilty of still loving the Twilight books. I seriously read them at least once a year, just to remind myself why I loved them so much in the first place. Hopefully people will still be reading these in 30 years, so they can see and discuss how possessive Edward is.


Monday, May 28, 2012

Review: Torment by Lauren Kate

Title: Torment (Fallen #2)
Author: Lauren Kate
Series: Fallen, #2
Release Date: September 28, 2010
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Add it: Goodreads
Rating: 3/5
Hell on earth. That’s what it’s like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel. It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts—immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn’t told her everything. He’s hiding something—something dangerous. What if Daniel’s version of the past isn’t actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else? (summary from goodreads.com)

Torment is the second book in the Fallen series by Lauren Kate. The story picks up directly after the events of Fallen give or take a few days, and it follows the main character Luce as she embarks on a new journey at her new boarding school, Shoreline. While reluctant to attend Shoreline at first Luce slowly opens up and makes a number of new friends while at the same time learning about her past.

Much like the first book in the series, the writing in this book was very simple and easy to follow, yet descriptive at the same time. I have to admit that I did enjoy Torment much more than I did Fallen. While the story was still fairly predictable at times, it was much less predictable than the first book. This book also had a completely different feel to it compared to the first book. In Fallen, Luce was attending Sword & Cross, but now she’s attending Shoreline which is pretty much the exact opposite of Sword & Cross.

The main character Luce has what I like to call the “Bella Swan Syndrome” also known as BSS, meaning she puts herself in harms way for no reason whatsoever. I could ignore this once. Maybe twice, but it happened much too often for my taste. Despite her case of BSS, Luce did grow a lot over the course of this book and I really liked that. I’m glad that she stopped taking no for answer, and finally started to try and find out more about her and Daniels past. I also really liked that Luce branched out from her relationship with Daniel, and became her own person.

My favorite aspect of this book had to be the new characters that were introduced. In the first book I wasn’t really a fan of any of the secondary characters, but in this one there are two that I feel deserve to be mentioned. Shelby and Miles. Shelby is a hard character to warm up too, at first I absolutely hated her character but about halfway through she grew on me. Then there’s Miles. Oh Miles. Seriously my favorite part of this book! He was just so sweet and umm amazing? I don’t know. If I had to choose someone for Luce to be with as of Torment, I would definitely choose Miles over Cam and Daniel.


The romantic aspect to this series is still one that I do not understand. I know that I want Daniel and Luce to be together, but I just can’t find myself liking Daniel. He’s just too controlling and cold, but it’s all because he’s trying to protect her, right? I don’t know. Plus I thought this was supposed to be a love triangle between Luce, Daniel, and Cam. But now there’s this new guy Miles, who just so happens to be way sweeter then both Daniel and Cam. But I think that’s what the author was trying to go with in this book, the idea that maybe Daniel and Luce aren’t meant to be together? I don’t know! I’m rooting for Luce and Daniel, but all I have to say is that Daniel better get his act together.

The thing that I don’t like about this series is that as soon as things start to get interesting and FINALLY pick up, the book ends. It’s happened twice so far, so I’m hoping that with the next book, Passion it won’t happen again. Plus like nothing has been explained. I still don’t know how Daniel and Luce originally met, why they can’t be together, and why no one can explain why all of this stuff is happening.

I definitely need to get a copy of the third book, Passion because I’m dying to know what happens next. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good new series to start. Fans of The Mortal Instruments, and Hush, Hush will like this one.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Title: Fallen (Fallen #1)
Author: Lauren Kate
Series: Fallen, #1
Release Date: December 8, 2009
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Add it: Goodreads
Rating: 3.5/5

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her. (summary from goodreads.com)


Fallen is the first book in the four part Fallen series by Lauren Kate. It's been awhile since I've first heard of these books, and I can honestly say I'm glad that I waited so long to read this book. I was a bit reluctant to read it at first because I've read so many mixed reviews and what I got from them was that this series is one that you either liked or didn't like. Although this book wasn't anything spectacular it wasn't definitely a good book, and I'm glad that I finally decided to give it a chance.

Fallen is definitely the type of book where I would recommend skipping the synopsis before reading. Honestly, I didn't read the synopsis, and I think by doing that it enhanced my reading experience for this book. Had I read it beforehand the element of surprise that was present throughout most of the book wouldn't have been there.

With that being said the writing in this book was great! Very simple and straight to the point. It was a pretty slow paced book, but it really worked with the overall plot of this particular story because had it been set at a faster pace the reader probably would have been left behind at parts.  The one thing about the writing was that it was so darn predictable! I don't know if it's just that I've read too many of these types of books, or if the story was truly that predictable... but it was! I knew less than halfway through the story what was going to happen, who the good/bad guys were, and who was going to fall in love. Despite the predictability, I didn't stop reading the book because it was so entertaining! 

The characters in this book were easy enough to like. The main character, Luce was great, but she was definitely frustrating at times. I was seriously going "how can you be SO dense, it's obvious what is happening", and then there were a few times where she would act like she had no backbone. I was like seriously Luce... why, but then she would have these moments where she's a totally different person. I'm hoping that throughout the course of the series she grows into a stronger more confident character. Daniel Grigori was an alright character, I'm hoping to like him more as the series progresses. It's just so far he hasn't wowed me like some of my favorite book guys. The one complaint I have is his last name, Grigori? I mean seriously! If I didn't know he was a fallen angel before I do now. Sorry for spoiling, but it was something that frustrated me to no ends. Then there was Cam, I seriously loved this guy. I know we're all probably supposed to be rooting for Team Daniel, but as of the first book I'm Team Cam.

The romance was definitely there during the book, but I just didn't understand the appeal.  That's another thing I'm hoping will improve throughout the course of the series because from what I've heard it's supposed to be a major highlight of the series.

Okay... Don't hate me, but I am going to compare this book to Twilight. There wasn't a lot of similarities, but there was enough for me to feel the need to talk about them. One of them was the way Daniel would be so bipolar with his feelings towards Luce. One minute he would be like "let me show you my secret place", and the next he would be like "you need to stay away from me". It was so freaking frustrating! I wanted to just yell at him to make up his mind, but then everything was explained in the end so his bipolar tendencies were explained. Another one was how long it took Luce to figure everything out. As a reader I knew what was happening immediately, so maybe that's why it frustrated me so much when Luce couldn't figure it out.

Okay, I feel like I'm kind of bashing on this book but that's not what I'm meaning to do. It's definitely a good book, and is a perfect example of the whole "not every book is for you" idea. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a nice quick read to hold you over until your next anticipated read. Fans of books like The Mortal Instruments, and Hush Hush will definitely enjoy this one and if you're a bit on the religious side I wouldn't recommend this series. It might offend you in some ways... I don't know! 
Have you read this book?
Did you like it or not?
If you haven't read it are you going to give it a chance?

Stacking the Shelves (#2)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews as way to share all the great books you've received throughout the week.

BOOKS I BOUGHT
- I still need to read the rest of the series, but at least I have this one for when I read them!

GIFTED/WON
 - I haven't read the first book, so that's definitely at the top of my TBR at the moment considering I now have the second.

It was a pretty slow week, but I'm happy with it considering I'm so behind on my reading.

What books did you receive this week? Be sure to leave links to your hauls!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Review: Knee Deep by Jolene Perry

Title: Knee Deep
Author: Jolene Perry
Series: No
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Tribute Books
Format: Kindle Book
Source: Review Copy / Blog Tour
Add it: Goodreads
Rating: 4/5

Shawn is the guy Ronnie Bird promised her life to at the age of fourteen. He's her soul mate. He's more uptight every day, but it's not his fault. His family life is stressful, and she's adding to it. She just needs to be more understanding, and he'll start to be the boy she fell in love with. She won’t give up on someone she’s loved for so long. Luke is her best friend, and the guy she hangs with to watch girlie movies in her large blanketopias. He's the guy she can confide in before she even goes to her girlfriends, and the guy who she's playing opposite in Romeo and Juliet. Now her chest flutters every time he gets too close. This is new. Is Ronnie falling for him? Or is Juliet? The lines are getting blurry, but leaving one guy for another is not something that a girl like Ronnie does. Shawn’s outbursts are starting to give her bruises, and Luke’s heart breaks as Ronnie remains torn. While her thoughts and feelings swirl around the lines between friendship and forever, she’s about to lose them both (summary from goodreads.com)


Knee Deep is the third book I've read by Jolene Perry and thanks to it I think I have a new favorite author. It's not often that I can say that I've absolutely loved every book by a particular author, but that is the case with Jolene Perry. Knee Deep is definitely a bit different then her other books, it deals with big problems, but in a way that isn't overwhelming if that makes sense.

This book was so much more than a story of abuse in a relationship. I don't even know how to describe it without spoiling the main aspects of the book. I've never read a book about abuse before, but if they are all similar to this one I might just have to look into more. The thing that I liked was that the book didn't start out with Ronnie and Shawn being in a dysfunctional relationship. It's a slowly developing thing, and the book shows every aspect of it from the first time he grabs her to the way she feels after every encounter. It was pretty suspenseful, I was always like "okay this is where she's going to tell someone, or finally leave him", but more often then not I was wrong. Which was okay because it just added to the greatness that is this story!

Anyone who's read any of my past reviews on books knows what a big fan of love triangles I am, and Knee Deep had one that definitely didn't disappoint. The two guys in question are Shawn, the boyfriend who is suddenly not who he used to be, and Luke the best friend. I was automatically on Luke's side for this story not only because of the abuse aspect, but because in my opinion it was clear that he and Ronnie should be together. But who knows? I could be wrong. You'll just have to read the book to find out.

One aspect that I really loved about this book was the way the story of Romeo and Juliet was  combined into the story to make it that much more unique. I loved that what would be happening during the play would somehow work into the overall storyline. 

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a different story then your typical YA contemporary. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's a deals with tougher situations then what is normally described and is a nice change from what you normally read. Well at least from what I normally read. GAH! I have so many things I want to say and talk about, but I don't want to spoil the book for anyone.
Anyone who has read the book leave a comment and let me know what you think of the whole story!

Monday, May 21, 2012

Top Ten Blogs/Sites You Read That AREN'T about Books


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Blogs/Sites You Read That AREN'T about Books
This weeks topic was actually pretty difficult considering most of the sites I visit are book related! :P

1. College Fashion
- I found this website around two years ago, and I am literally OBSESSED. I check it at least once a day.

2. The Beauty Department
- I'm pretty much obsessed with the hair/nail tutorials on this site.

3. Pinterest
- I can literally spend hours and hours just re-pinning things on this site. SO addicting! 

4. Modcloth
- I never actually buy anything from this site, yet I'm always on it. How does that work?

5. Etsy
- I seriously love everything that I see on this site.

6. Youtube
- I'm sure a lot of you spend your time on Youtube. I literally spend hours watching One Direction videos with my friends, or you know... by myself. 

7. Twitter
- I don't even tweet that much, but it's so addicting!

8. That's So True
- Basically this site that has these GIFS and then captions to go along with them. Like "What I think I look like." and then "What I really look like". Most of the time they are so TRUE. Hah. Best website ever.

9. Perez Hilton
- I'll admit it. I'm a fan of celebrity gossip. It's such a bad habit, but it's true. I love this site because it's hilarious. I don't even know if it's true most of the time, but it's funny so yeah...

10. People of Walmart
- I don't even know how to explain this website without being rude. But the funniest pictures are posted and then there's these little captions. Oh geez. It always makes my day.

What Non-Book related sites do you visit on a regular basis?
Do we visit any of the same ones?

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Review: Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith

Title: Kiss Crush Collide
Author: Christina Meredith
Series: No
Release Date: December 27, 2011
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Format: Kindle Book
Source: Bought from Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
Rating: 2/5

Kiss 
What Leah did—only she really shouldn’t have—one hot night at a country club party. 
Crush 
What Leah has—only she really shouldn’t have—on the guy with the green eyes, the guy who is not her perfect boyfriend, the guy who does not fit in her picture-perfect life, the guy her sisters will only mock and her mother will never approve of. Not in a million years. 
Collide 
What happens when everything you always thought you wanted—having cool friends, being class valedictorian and homecoming queen—runs smack into everything it turns out you really do want. 
Kiss. Crush. Collide. 
For Leah and Porter, summer is only the beginning. (summary from goodreads.com)

Kiss Crush Collide is a book that I really really wanted to enjoy, but in the end I just couldn't. I've been wanting to read this book for months now, but when I finally got my hands on a copy it was a complete let down. Well, not a complete let down, but it wasn't anywhere near as good as what I had expected.

The main character Leah isn't a bad person, but she isn't good one if that makes sense. She was always complaining about how much she dislikes her life, and the way that she doesn't have to work for anything. Then there was the way she treated her boyfriend, Shane. He really wasn't that good of a boyfriend, but he didn't deserve to be lied and cheated on like he was. I don't know. There really wasn't a lot to like about Leahs' character, but there wasn't a lot to dislike at the same time. In my opinion she just fell flat a little bit which made her hard to relate to.

The only parts of this book that I really liked were Leah's love interest Porter and her "she's not my friend" friend Valerie. Porter was a really likeable character in the parts that you actually get to see him in. Seriously, he wasn't even in half of this book which made me so upset. Maybe had I been able to see more of his and Leah's relationship, I might have liked this book a little more. Then there was Valerie. She was an alright character, maybe with a little more development she would have made the book more enjoyable. These two characters were the highlight of this whole book (in my opinion), and I found myself skimming to their parts the whole time.

My main problem with this book was the way it was written. There was so much description, and barely ever any dialogue or action. It wasn't so much that the way things were described was unenjoyable, but the amount of description was overwhelming at times. Most of the time I found myself wanting to skim through the descriptions, so I could get to a more plot oriented aspect of the book. 

Overall this book is a pretty light read that didn't leave an impact on me afterwards. There was so much potential for the story, but in the end it fell short.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)
Series: The Mortal Instruments, #2
Author: Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 25, 2008
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Format: Paperback
Source: Gifted
Add it: Goodreads
Rating: 4/5

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father. To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father? (summary from goodreads.com)


City of Ashes is the second book in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. If you haven’t started this series yet I’m serious drop everything and read it! I thought that the first book in the series was great, but this book blew me away! The first book, City of Bones dealt with introducing the reader into the world of the shadowhunters. City of Ashes was more plot oriented if that makes sense?



This book definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I don’t think I set it down once while reading it! There are so many different aspects of this book that I could talk about,  but the one that I do want to mention is the plot twists. Oh my goodness. Cassandra Clare is a master at plot twists. In CITY OF BONES there is this major twist that I never would have expected, so really anything is possible. I won’t mention any specifics for the sake of keeping the book a mystery for those of you who have yet to read it. 

All the characters have matured a lot since the first book. I have to say that I think Clary and Jace have matured the most in that short amount of time. I mean getting slightly disturbing news is bound to mature you a few years, right? Then there’s Simon. His character transformation was one I had not expected AT ALL! Maybe if I was a little better at the whole foreshadowing aspect of reading... I don’t know. Simon’s character transformation was probably one of my favorite parts of the book. It was so unexpected because you would never expect nerdy little Simon to turn into this BA character. The secondary characters in this book were just as great if not equally as awesome as the main. Magnus Bane, Alec, and Isabelle are probably three of my favorite secondary characters in a series.

All I have to say is that Jace and Clary have the absolute worst luck possible. At times I’m seriously rooting for them to be together, but then I remember how wrong it is for me to say that. I’m suspecting that there’s more to their umm relationship then meets the eyes. Otherwise I’m seriously going to die over here.

The one thing that I didn’t like about this book was the amount of time you have to invest in reading it. It’s not the actual reading that was frustrating, but the amount of concentration it requires. Okay. I’m not explaining this well at all! The book was just hard to read in the beginning because it’s so easy to get distracted. The pace at the beginning of the book is fairly slow, but after a hundred pages or so the pace picks up and the book becomes nearly impossible to set down.

So, now after reading CITY OF ASHES I’m desperately awaiting the chance to read CITY OF GLASS. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be amazing. And if you’re still hesitant on reading the series... there is a reason why there is so much hype built up around the books. I’m not recommending you go out of your way to the bookstore to buy theses books, it’s just if they just happen to be at your local library or bookstore why not give the first book a chance?

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

My Book Boyfriend (#2): Wesley Rush

UPDATE: 7/21/12: ALL PHOTOS OF WHO I PICTURED WESLEY RUSH AS HAVE BEEN REMOVED. 
My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader. This meme is basically an opportunity to obsess over some of our favorite book boyfriends every week. If you want to participate just head over to Missie's blog and link your post!

This weeks pick: Wesley Rush from The Duff
Click here to read my review of The Duff


Wesley Rush is one of those guys that you know you should hate, but you just can't. He might be a total jerk most of the time, but underneath all the walls he's built up he's a pretty great guy!


Who is Wesley Rush?
Full name: Wesley Benjamin Rush
Age: 17
Birthday: March 27
What he looks like: Tall (approx.. 6'2), brown curly hair, warm grey eyes, and a sneaky grin.
Grade: Senior (12th)
GPA: 3.95 (3rd in his class)

Who I pictured as Wesley Rush:
I'd like to thank the amazing Kody Keplinger not only for writing a character as amazing as Wesley Rush, but for suggesting that Jeremy Sumpter should play him. I don't know about you, but I'm a little weirded out that Peter Pan has turned into this insanely hot guy. Anyone else having that sudden realization?  Oh and I got all my stats information from Kody Keplinger's website. In case you were wondering.

Favorite Moments / Quotes:
Favorite Wesley Rush moments.


 “I think about you much more than any self-respecting man would like to admit, and I'm insanely jealous of Tucker - something I never thought I'd say. Moving on after you is impossible. No other girl can keep me on my toes the way you can. No one else makes me WANT to embarrass myself by writing sappy letters like this one. Only you.” - Wesley Rush, The DUFF

Spanish, huh?” he said, glancing down at the scattered papers as he grabbed them. “Can you say anything interesting?”“El tono de tu voz hace que quiera estrangularme.” I stood up and waited for him to hand over my papers. “That sounds sexy,” he said, getting to his feet and handing me the stack of Spanish work he’d swept together. “What’s it mean?”“The sound of your voice makes me want to strangle myself.”“Kinky.” - The DUFF

"Wesley was grinning at me as I spun around to face him. 'I just wanted to let you know that is you plan on stopping by tonight, I might be a little busy. With it being the day of love, I have a pretty full schedule.'Now he sounded like a professional man-whore.'But if you're desperate to see me, I should be free around eleven o'clock.''I think I can survive one night without you, Wesley,' I said. 'In fact, I can survive an eternity.''Sure you can.' He released my arm and winked. 'I'll see you tonight, Duffy.The DUFF

"Wesley Rush doesn't chase girls, but I'm chasing you." - Wesley Rush, The DUFF


What do you think of Wesley Rush?
Is he crush worthy?
Be sure to leave links to your book boyfriend posts!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Review: The Duff by Kody Keplinger


Title: The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend)
Author: Kody Keplinger
Series: Standalone
Release Date: September 7, 2010
Publisher: Poppy (Little Brown)
Format: Kindle Book
Source: Bought from Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
Rating: 5/5

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face. But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone. (Summary from goodreads.com)


The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) is a book I’ve been wanting to read for months now, and this past weekend I’ve finally gotten the chance! This book didn’t disappoint one bit, it was everything I hoped it would be and more. 

The Duff is a book that any girl can relate too. I’m pretty sure we’ve all had that point in our life where we feel like we’re living in the shadows of our friends, and that’s exactly what’s being addressed in this book. The term the Duff is one that I think should never be used, but it does bring forward a lot of interesting questions. For those of you who don’t know Duff stands for Designated Ugly Fat Friend. Which is offensive on so many levels, but really isn’t that bad. I don’t want to say too much, so you’ll just have to read the book to understand.

Bianca was a completely different kind of female lead. She was sarcastic, funny, and surprisingly pessimistic. At times the whole pessimistic aspect to her personality would get a little frustrating, but without it she definitely wouldn’t have been the same character. I really admired her character, and that’s not something I say often. If someone came up to me and just casually mentioned I was The Duff in my group of friends I’m pretty sure I would have an emotional breakdown. With all the things going on in Bianca’s life at the time I really admired how she didn’t let the little things get to her and just kept on living her life. Although some of the things she did to relieve her stress are a bit questionable... For example, Wesley Rush?

Wesley Rush. Where do I begin? I absolutely loathed his character, yet at the same time I found myself liking him at the same time. The first time you’re introduced to him is when he so kindly informs Bianca that she is in fact the Duff of her group. I mean, WTF?  It’s one thing to say that, but a whole other thing to inform the person in which you’re talking about. And then he goes on and nicknames her Duffy. Yet despite all of these horrible things he’s done I couldn’t help but crush on his character a little bit. Throughout the story he has this major personality development that I believe was for the better. Just incase you’re not convinced read this quote and tell me you didn’t die a little. (Is that the right phrase?)
"Wesley Rush doesn’t chase girls, but I’m chasing you.”

I think one of my favorite things about this book was the friendship aspect to the whole thing. At the beginning of the book you wouldn’t think that Bianca’s two best friends Casey and Jessica are actually good friends, but they proved themselves throughout the book. The three of them are polar opposites, yet they still manage to make their friendships work. This was definitely an example of when not to judge a set of characters based on first impressions. Another great thing about this book was the way that serious situations were incorporated into the story without it bringing down the overall plot. Oh! The romance was really good in this book. I won’t say too much, but it was pretty cute... In my opinion at least. 

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great contemporary book to read. The Duff is definitely a book you don't want to miss out on! 
What do you think?
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