Christmas Version of In My Mailbox (4)

*In My Mailbox was brought to you by The Story Siren.

This Christmas, I didn't get many books, just the boxed set of the Mortal Instruments books 1-3. Oh, and a second copy of Hush, Hush. Mom forgot I already owned it and bought it for me. She was right excited about it, too... until my sister started laughing at her because she realized that I had already bought it. The sad thing is that when I bought it, mom saw it. She was there in the store with me, and saw it. *Sighs* This is what happens once parents reach the 50-year old mark.

I guess it is partly my fault though, I did put Hush, Hush on my Christmas list... in November. But then I ended up at Chapters, intending to buy Richelle Mead's "Succubus Heat" and Rachel Vincent's "Pride" but neither were in stock... and Hush, Hush was. I couldn't help myself. I bought it. And, as a added bonus, it was 20% off. Add that to mt 10% off Irewards card, and I got it 30% off! I just wasn't walking out of there without that book.

Annnnnyway, I got a box with an "I owe you one book" note inside it. And about a bazillion Chapters/Coles/Indigo gift cards. (I think, adding all the cards up, I got over $100. Can you say SHOPPING SPREE??!?!)

So, that's my post for today. I might post again later today, though. But I'm not sure yet. I'm having a lazy day today. I blame mom's Christmas baking. *Mmmmmm* :) Cookies, fudge, and candy = love.  :) <3

Robolobolyn

Around the blogsphere - A contest @ The Bookologist

The Bookologist is hosting a MEGA 2010 Box Contest!!! Annnnnnnd it's international! :) Which it makes it all that much better, cause it means that I can enter! And so can you! As long as you don't live in Pluto... ;p

Here's what you can win: --->>>

Box 1:

• Firespell by Chloe Neill (HC)
• The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (ARC)
• The Mark by Jen Nadol (ARC)- Cover is different

Box 2:

• The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (ARC)
• The Good Girl's Guide To Getting Kidnapped by Yxta Maya Murray (ARC)
• Anastasia's Secret by Susanne Dunlap (ARC)

Box 3:

• The Line by Terri Hall (ARC)
• A Match Made In High School by Kristin Walker (ARC)
• Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman (ARC)- Cover is different
  
  Sounds great, right? Right! :) So head on over and ENTER now!
  
  Robolobolyn (:
  

Beautiful updates

Ugh, you know what I hate to do? Picking new winners for contests when the original winner(s) don't get back to me. Which is exactly what I just had to do. Gregory, one of the original five winners, didn't get back to me within the two days given, so I picked another winner.

And the new winner is... Anna from Good Gone Girl !!!

Congrats Anna! Let's hope you get back to me soon! Because I DO NOT want to pick another winner!

Robolobolyn

Review Time! Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
(471 pages)

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight--she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po's friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace--or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.
With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

I'd heard plenty of good things about Graceling around the blogsphere and on Goodreads, and recently decided to give it a try. Reading the summary, I wasn't sure if it would be my kind of thing, I typically steer clear of old-fashioned type books like Graceling.

Though Graceling did take me a few chapters to get hooked, once I was there was no turning back. I stayed up all night reading this one, then immediately placed a hold on my local library's copy of Fire. It cannot get here fast enough.

I think my favorite thing about the whole book were the characters. Not a single one of them was the same, nor were any of them boring to learn about. Throughout Graceling, I felt myself get more and more attached to the characters, particularly those of Katsa, Po, and Bitterblue. Katsa was the girl who everyone probably wants to be. Strong, independent, and powerful, wither she knows it or not. She had the power to stop Leck, and she did. She had the power to stand up to King Randa, and she did. And can I just say that her survival Grace was kick-ass?

Po was another of my favorite characters. I always loved reading about him, and cried when Katsa and Bitterblue had to leave him. Po was a all around great guy, a complete gentleman at times, and fierce warrior at others. I loved the romance that blossomed between Po and Katsa. It seemed genuine and adorable and was the kind of romance that you wished you had.

Bitterblue might just have been my favorite character of all. She was sweet, innocent, and scared. Despite that she knew what she wanted, and wasn't afraid of trying. She was brave and strong, intelligent and a born leader. Bitterblue will make a great queen and I hope to see more of her soon!

Even the secondary characters were unique and fun to read about! I can't wait to read more about Po's bothers and about Katsa's cousin Griffin!

The struggles that Krisitn Cashore put her characters through, while horrible events for the characters, were wonderful. She developped her characters beautifully and thoughtfully. I felt like I really knew the characters! When Katsa felt bad, happy, or scared, I was too! That's a great quality to have in a book.

The cover was another thing I loved about this book. It was wicked cool, and I loved the sword with Katsa's eye (eyes on the back cover) peeking out. The cover looked old-fashioned, which fit in well with the fact that the novel took place in older times.

The novel was beautifully written.  The characters fun, witty, and a blast to read about. The plot unique and creative. The cover amazing. All in all this was one of my favorites of 2009, and I know for a fact that this book will appear in my "Favorites of 2009" list.

My Rating:

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Cover: 10/10
Romance: 10/10
Creativity/Originality: 10/10

Total: 50/50 = A+   ;-D

This book gets FIVE BOOKMARKS!!! :):):)


Robolobolyn

Today's Releases

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
(375 pages)

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.


Darklight by Lesley Livingston
(320 pages)

Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was Faerie royalty, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved New York City from a rampaging Faerie war band. When a terrifying encounter in Central Park sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful—but cut short. For they’ve been plunged into a game of Faerie deception and wavering allegiances in which the next move could topple a kingdom...or part them forever.

The fans who flocked to Lesley Livingston’s Wondrous Strange will fall hard for Darklight, the soaringly romantic second book in the trilogy. Breathless high stakes and vividly magical characters make this a can’t-miss fantasy for readers of Melissa Marr and Holly Black.

Stupid Cupid by Rhonda Stapelton
(208 pages)

Felicity's no ordinary teen matchmaker...she's a cupid!
Felicity Walker believes in true love. That's why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid's Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn't just a matchmaker...she's a cupid! (There's more than one of them, you know.)
Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But when she bends the rules of cupidity by matching her best friend Maya with three different boys at once, disaster strikes. Felicity needs to come up with a plan to set it all right, pronto, before she gets fired?and before Maya ends up with her heart split in three.

Robolobolyn

Review time! Jumping off Swings by Jo Knowles

From the publisher: One pregnancy. Four friends. It all adds up to a
profound time of change in this poignant, sensitively written YA novel.

Ellie remembers how the boys kissed her. Touched her. How they begged for
more. And when she gave it to them, she felt loved. For a while anyway.
So when Josh, an eager virgin with a troubled home life, leads her from a party
to the backseat of his van, Ellie follows. But their "one-time thing" is
far from perfect: Ellie gets pregnant. Josh reacts with shame and heartbreak,
while their confidantes, Caleb and Corinne, deal with their own complex swirl of
emotions. No matter what Ellie chooses, all four teenagers will be forced to grow up
a little faster as a result. Told alternately from each character’s point of view,
this deeply insightful novel explores the aftershocks of the biggest decision of one
fragile girl’s life — and the realities of leaving innocence behind.

*Okay, this review contains serious spoilers, so don't read it unless you've already read the book or you never plan on reading it.*

A few weeks ago, I got Jumping Off Swings from the library. A few days later I had it finished. Yes, it took me a few days to read a 240 page book. Why? Because it wasn't as good as it had originally sounded. There were so many big, black holes in Jo Knowles' writing that it made the book a little boring to read. All the biggest parts, like Ellie telling her parents, are gone. It goes from her deciding that she has to tell them, to the after shock of the parents finding out that their daughter is pregnant.

Not to mention that the characters all annoyed me. They were all winey and depressed all throughout the book. Almost every single one of the main characters. Particularly Ellie. Caleb was the only character I didn't hate. He seemed to be a little more believable than the others. And I liked the character of his mother. Though she seemed a little too "cool" to be true. Josh, Corinne, and Ellie, however all seemed like whiny little babies who make too big of deals about every little thing. Ellie refused to deal with her pregnancy, and was constantly complaining about the same things over and over again. She was too needy, and I don't think that would  have changed much if the story continued on after Ellie had the baby. She might be a little more careful about preventing pregnancy, but I think she could very well end back up where she started in the first chapter of the book. I was actually really surprised that she didn't end up keeping the baby. I thought that she would be one of those needy people who just have/keep their babies so they'd have someone to love them.

Josh was an irresponsible idiot who couldn't figure out how to put a condom on right and ended up running away from his problems. It also seemed like both Josh and Ellie had issues with confrontation. Josh wouldn't face Ellie and Ellie wouldn't even look at Josh. And both had serious issues with talking to their parents. Though Josh did get better at that near the end.

Corinne however, I believe I hate the most. It seemed like, instead of worrying about Ellie, she spent a lot of time worrying about how Ellie's pregnancy would effect her. How her life would change. While she was a fairly good friend, she kinda seemed, I donno, a little self centered? She couldn't even stay in the waiting room with Ellie when she went to get an abortion.

The cover was one of my favorite things about the whole book. It was a really cool cover and I think it really grasped the meaning of the book. Ellie was pretty much all alone, without her parent's support really, or the father's. Yes, she had Caleb and Corinne and Caleb's mom, but it seemed like, despite that, Ellie still seemed alone and unhappy. And the empty swing beside the girl on the cover showed that.

I think that, all in all, the idea of this novel was a good one, but the characters and the writing just wasn't up to my standards. But, what do I know? Maybe you'll love it? Maybe you did love it.

My Rating:

Characters: 4/10
Plot: 6/10
Cover: 9/10
Romance: 5.5/10 (For the romance between Caleb and Corinne)
Creativity/Originality: 5/10

Total: 29.5/50 = C

Robolobolyn

BEAUTIFUL winners!! :)

Because I was being forgetful yesterday, I didn't draw any winners for my BEAUTIFUL contest. Today, however, I remembered. I'm sure you want me to get to the good stuff, so here I go:

The FIVE winners for the five copies of Beautiful by Amy Reed are:

Gregory @ Teens Read and Write

Bianca @ Wicked Good Books

Sara @ The Hiding Spot

Jenn @ Book Crazy

Brizmus @ Brizmus Blogs Books

Congrats to everyone who won and a big shout out to everyone who entered! I love you guys!!! :D  To the winners: You've got 2 days to e-mail me back with your address or I'll have to pick another winner! So e-mail me back cause I don't wanna do that!

Robolobolyn (:

Friday Finds (2)

Friday Finds was started by Should Be Reading. The idea is to share, every Friday - if I manage to remember -  books that I've recently discovered (never heard of before) that sound like they'll be great reads!

So, here's my list. It's a little longer than last weeks, which had a total of one book, probably because I was being lazy. (I decided to NOT be lazy and post tonight, even if it's not going to be a review).

*All links are linked to Goodreads

                        Winter Longing by Tricia Mills

                                 Ash by Malinda Lo 

                       Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

                           Leap Day by Wendy Mass

Robolobolyn (:                           

"Beautiful - A contest" is ending today!

Yes, you read the title right! Beautiful - A contest is ending tonight at midnight wherever you live. Sadly, it's only open to US residents, but if you happen to live there, well then, whatcha waiting for?! Enter! Cause it could never hurt, right? So head on over and ENTER!

I was gonna review GRACELING today, but I'm feeling too lazy, so I think I'll do it tomorrow maybe. Tonight I just want to bask in the wonders of this thing called Christmas Break! :)

Robolobolyn (:

A contest @ Princess Bookie

'Kay, so, I've gotta make this reeeeally quick cause supper's almost ready, but over at Princess Bookie, a contest is being held. A fun one. With three grrrreat books! :) Books such as these:

Worth entering? Me thinks yes. So whatcha waiting for? Head on over NOW!!! :)

Robolobolyn (:

Welcome to the Challenge 2010 @ The Queen of Happy Endings

'Kay, so I was hanging around down at Alaine's blog, The Queen of Happy Endings, and I found this challenge. It sounds like fun, so I've decided to sign up. But, to sign up, I needed to post this, then Mr. Linky it to her. 

So, because I'm me, I'm gonna go with the Mor-book-ly Obese level of participation. Wish me luck!

Welcome To the Challenge: 2010

February 1, 2010 - January 31, 2011

Many thanks to Dana who has hosted this challenge for the past couple of years and has generously handed over the reins to me in 2010. I am keeping most of Dana's rules and definitions...Why? Because why fix something that isn't broken?!??!

Definition of a Chunkster:

• A chunkster is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature (fiction or nonfiction) ... A chunkster should be a challenge.
• If you read large type books your book will need to be 525 pages or more ... The average large type book is 10-15% longer or more so I think that was a fair estimate.

The Rules:

• No Audio books in the chunkster. It just doesn't seem right. Words on paper for this one folks.
• No e-Books allowed - we are reading traditional, fat books for this challenge.
  
• Short Stories and Essay collections will not be counted.
• Books may crossover with other challenges
• Anyone may join. If you don't have a blog, just leave me a comment on this post with your progress (and to let me know you are playing)
• You don't need to list your books ahead of time.
  
• Once you pick a level, that's it...you're committed to that level!
  

You must pick a level of participation (thanks again to Dana for the humor in these categories!):

1. The Chubby Chunkster - this option is for the reader who has a couple of large tomes on their TBR list, but really doesn't want to commit to much more than that. 3 books is all you need to finish this challenge.
2. Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who wants to commit to 4 Chunksters over the next twelve months.
3. Mor-book-ly Obese - This is for the truly out of control chunkster. For this level of challenge you must commit to 6 or more chunksters OR three tomes of 750 pages or more. You know you want to.....go on and give in to your cravings.
   

Review of Living on Impluse

Mia Morrow is impulsive, plain and simple. While her friends are concerned with grades and colleges, Mia would rather focus on the things that make her happy— like chasing boys or snatching something off a department store shelf. No big deal, right? But then Mia gets caught shoplifting, and her thoughtless behavior doesn’t just push her friends away, it gets her into a lot of trouble, too. In this eye-opening tale of friendships, family, and negative impulses, Cara Haycak subtly shows that the power to heal is within all of us, and it almost always starts with forgiveness.

Living on Impulse was a decent book, but not something I'd go crazy over. It started off fast paced, then seemed to slow down and get boring. It eventually got better, near the end when Mia's mother was in trouble and Mia thought she found her father. But I couldn't really get into it. It wasn't one of those books where you just can't help but stay up all night reading. It was a read, but don't buy kind of book.                        

Living on Impulse had it's good qualities, though. Mia, the main character, was fairly well developed, and was fairly easy to relate to. She wasn't the perfect, sweet and happy girl next door, but the troubled, maybe too outgoing girl next door. She had real issues that people    face everyday. I had a bit of a problem with some of the secondary characters, though. It seemed like they came and went so quickly. You were just starting to like them and then BOOM! they're gone. They didn't have enough time to get great. For example, Peter seemed like a fairly likable character, was featured in three or four scenes near the beginning, and then disappeared again until almost the end. Graham was another character who seemed to come and go so quickly.  He was there for chapters, and then just gone for another 4 or 5 chapters, and then back again. Like magic. His character was a little more developed than some of the other secondary characters, but I was still left with big blanks, it seemed like.                                                                                                            
The cover was fairly cute, but nothing original and amazing. It did manage to capture what the book was all about, though. Even the shoes look the way they were described in the     book!       

One thing I did like was the fact that the ending wasn't quite predictable. Clancy turend out to not be Mia's father, like most, including me, thought, but just a guy her mom dated. Mia and her two best friends, Michele and Gale,  ended up separating for good. Which is kind of refreshing since books usually end up with a nice, clean ending. Picture perfect.                  

Living on Impulse had  it's ups and downs in my mind, but my  final decision is to rate it 2 1/2 bookmarks. Almost good, but not quite. Read it, but don't buy it.                                      

Characters: 7.5/10
Plot: 6/10
Cover: 5.5/10
Romance: 4/10 (Cute, but it really didn't go anywhere until the end).
Creativity/Originality: 7/10
Total: 30/50 = C :/

Robolobolyn :)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Winner of PURGE and The end of Author's Week (1)

How 'bout we just get to the good stuff right away?

The winner for PURGE is... THE BOOK PIXIE!!! :)

I've already informed her via Twitter, but in case she see's this first... email me @ robolobolyn03(at)gmail(dot)com. Cause I might not email you until tomorrow. But whenever I do, please email me within 2 days or I'll have to pick another winner. And that's just not fun. :(

Now, on to the poll results....

Purge won with 44% of the votes
Confessions of a Closet Catholic came in second with 33% of the votes
And Life, After and Want To Go Private tied with 11% of the votes each!

Yay to Purge for winning! :)

Again, we've got to give many props to Sarah Darer Littman for donating a copy of Purge, and for taking her time to do the interview and guest blog. Because without her none of this could have happened. So, THANK YOU SARAH!!!!! =D

Robolobolyn (:

What are you reading on Monday (1)

So this is my first What are you reading on Monday post. Let's see how this goes, and maybe I'll remember to keep posting... ;p

This past week I read...

-Living on Impulse by Cara Haycak
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Fade To Black by Alex Flinn
Jumping off Swings by Jo Knowles

Currently reading...
Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Planning to read...
The Devouring by Simon Holt
Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur
Last Night I Sang To The Monster by Benjamin Alire Saenz

And, just wanted to let yah know, I'll be posting the contest winners and poll outcome either later tonight or tomorrow sometime. Good luck everyone! :)

Robolobolyn (:

Author's Week (1) Info

Okkaaay avid readers! Today is the second last day of Author's Week! So we've got a few things to finish up. I originally planned on posting the results of the poll and the contest today, but didn't realize that the PURGE contest runs until midnight wherever you happen to live, and the poll runs until tomorrow at 5 o'clock, Halifax  time. 

So, head on over and enter the PURGE giveaway. It's open to Canadian and US residents only. And you've got a pretty good chance at winning, seeing as there's not too many entries. After you've done that, head on over to my sidebar and check out the poll. Cause you've got nothing better to do, right? And even if you do, it'll only take thirty seconds, annnnnd it'll make me veeeery happy! :)

And, hey, while I'm at it, why don't you head on back a few blog entries and check out my other BEAUTIFUL contest. "BEAUTIFUL" meaning Beautiful by Amy Reed. And guess what? There's FIVE copies of Beautiful up for grabs! :):):) Who could say no to that? (Sadly, though, this contest is only open to US residents. Buuuut, you've got until Friday, December 18th @ midnight to enter!)

So, make me a happy blogger, and enter to win some awesome books! :)

Robolobolyn (:

Author's Week (1) Books by Sarah

Today is the day where I dedicate a blog post to ALL of Sarah's books. The old, new, not-yet-released, read and to-read. Sarah is a relatively new author, with only two books released, and two more with release dates within the next year or two.

Her first book to be released was CONFESSIONS OF A CLOSET CATHOLIC. I haven't read this one yet, but it sounds great! See for yourself!

Justine Silver's best friend, Mary Catherine McAllister, has given up chocolate for Lent, but Jussy doesn't think God wants her to make that kind of sacrifice. So she's decided to give up being Jewish instead.

Jussy's bedroom closet becomes her confessional as she pours out her sins to her teddy bear, "Father Ted." But when her beloved Bubbe suffers a stroke, Jussy worries that her religious exploration is responsible.

Worse, Jussy must contemplate life without Bubbe, the one person who seems to understand her.
Young readers of every faith will see themselves in Jussy, as she struggles to find balance between her search for religious identity and the dramas of her everyday existence, including boys, life as a tormented middle child, and, of course, the temptations of chocolate.

Sarah's second book, PURGE, was amazing. I loved it. You can read my review of it here.

A striking story about one girl's deadly secret...

Janie Ryman hates throwing up. So why does she binge eat and then stick her fingers down her throat several times a day? That’s what the doctors at Golden Slopes hope to help her discover. But first Janie must survive everyday conflicts between the Barfers and the Starvers, attempts by the head psychiatrist to fish painful memories out of her emotional waters, and shifts in friendships and alliances among the kids in the ward.

Soon to be published July 1st, 2010 is LIFE, AFTER. This is one that I really can't wait to read! It sounds like an amazing read!





Everything changes when a terrorist attack kills Dani’s beloved aunt and unborn cousin. 

 Dani’s life in Argentina—private school, a boyfriend, a loving family—is crumbling quickly. To escape from a country in crisis, where it feels like every day the ground sinks a little more under their feet, Dani and her family move to the United States. It’s supposed to be a fresh start, but when you’re living in a cramped apartment and going to high school where all the classes are in another language  - and not everyone is friendly -  life in America isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Dani misses her old friends, her life, Before. In addition, she must deal with an angry father who seems more like a stranger every day.
Just when Dani is about to break, she meets a boy named Jon, who isn’t like all the other students. Through him, she becomes friends with Jessica, one of the popular girls, who is harboring a secret of her own. And then there’s Brian, the boy who makes Dani’s pulse race. In her new life, the one After, Dani learns how to heal and forgive. She finds the courage to say goodbye and allows herself to love and be loved again.

Sarah is currently writing another novel, the working title being WANT TO GO PRIVATE? Sadly, the book is too far away to have a cover yet, and there's not really a great summary of it yet.

Here's what Sarah had to say about it in out interview a few posts ago.

It’s about Abby, a ninth grader who becomes involved with an Internet predator. It’s been a fascinating and very disturbing book to research and write. Fascinating because I’ve been working with my local FBI office and the Youth Division of Greenwich Police, and I’ve had an opportunity to see how they are working to track down these predators and keep our kids safe. Disturbing in so many ways – because you realize how easy it is for kids to get in trouble and how clueless most parents are about what their kids are up to online. I also found it very hard when I was writing suggestive chat scenes between Abby and the predator and my 13 year-old daughter would come home from school. I felt like saying to her “Stay away from me, I’m being a pervert right now!”  I felt like I wanted to take a shower after writing those scenes, and for a while starting having nightmares.

 

When I had a research meeting with the FBI, I asked the agents how they managed to deal with this kind of stuff day in and day out without getting nightmares. The Supervisory Special Agent told me they can sleep because they know they're doing this to keep these guys from doing such crimes do anyone else.

 

Still, writing this made me wonder how people write books about serial killers!

That's all for today, readers!

Robolobolyn (:

           

Books to read before I die...

Found this over at Lost In Ink, who found it from Brizmus Blog Books. I think it sounds like a good idea, so I borrowed it. So before I die, my goal will be to read all of these books. Or at least try to read all of these books. Plus a whole wack of others that aren't on this list.

*Books in bold = I've already read 'em.

1. Jane Austen – Pride & Prejudice
2. Harper Lee – To Kill A Mockingbird
3. JRR Tolkien – Lord Of The Rings
4. Jodi Picoult – My Sister’s Keeper
5. Stephanie Meyer – Twilight Saga
6. JK Rowling – Harry Potter & The Sorceror's Stone
7. Audrey Niffenegger – The Time Traveler’s Wife
8. Markus Zusak – The Book Thief
9. George Orwell – 1984
10. Raymond E. Feist – Magician
11. Khaled Hosseini – A Thousand Splendid Suns
12. Paullina Simons – Bronze Horsemen
13. Gregory David Roberts – Shantaram
14. Margaret Mitchell – Gone With The Wind
15. Bryce Courtenay – Power of One (I think I watched the movie though)
16. Dan Brown – The Da Vinci Code (To-Read list)
17. Dan Brown – Angels & Demons (To-Read list)
18. Paulo Coelho – The Alchemist
19. Charlotte Bronte – Jane Eyre
20. Tim Winton – Cloud Street 
21. Khaled Hosseini – The Kite Runner
22. Emily Bronte – Wuthering Heights
23. Arthur Golden – Memoirs of Geisha
24. LM Montgomery – Anne Of Green Gables
25. Joseph Heller – Catch-22
26. Elizabeth Gilbert – Eat Pray Love
27. Niv Mass Market Bible With Bible Guide – International Bible Society Staff and International Bible Society
28. JRR Tolkien – The Hobbit
29. Yann Martel – Life of Pi
30. AB Facey – Fortunate Life
31. Douglas Adams – The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
32. Lewis Carroll – Alice In Wonderland & Through The Looking Glass
33. Diana Gabaldon – Cross Stich
34. Rohinton Mistry – A Fine Balance
35. David Pelzar – A Child Called It
36. Li Cunxin – Mao’s Last Dancer
37. John Marsden – Tomorrow, When The War Began
38. Frank McCourt – Angela’s Ashes
39. Frank Herbert – Dune
40. JD Salinger – A Catcher In The Rye
41. F. Scott Fitzgerald – The Great Gatsby
42. Gabriel Garcia Marquez – One Hundred Years Of Solitude
43. Bryce Courtenay – April Fool’s Day
44. Ken Follet – Pillars Of The Earth
45. Patrick Suskind – Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer
46. Matthew Reilly – Ice Station
47. Carlos Ruiz Zafon – The Shadow Of The Wind
48. Stephen Hawking – A Brief History Of Time
49. Christopher Paolini – Eragon
50. Louisa May Alcott – Little Women
51. Mitch Albom – Tuesdays With Morrie
52. Jane Austen – Persuasion
53. Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
54. Ian McEwan – Atonement
55. Leo Tolstory – Anna Karenina
56. George Orwell – Animal Farm
57. Anthony Burgess – A Clockwork Orange
58. Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince
59. Roald Dahl – Charlie & The Chocolate Factory
60. CS Lewis – The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe
61. Gabriel Garcia Marquez – Love In The Time Of Cholera
62. Bill Bryson – A Short History Of Nearly Everything
63. Fyodor Dostoevsky – Crime And Punishment
64. Anthony Bourke – Lion Called Christian
65. Arundhati Roy – The God Of Small Things
66. Paullina Simons – Tully
67. John Grisham – A Time To Kill
68. John Grogan – Marley & Me
69. Vikram Seth – A Suitable Boy

70. Alexandre Dumas - Count Of Monte Cristo

71. Neil Gaiman – American Gods
72. Cormac McCarthy – The Road
73. Aldous Huxley – Brave New World
74. Brendan Shanahan – In Turkey I Am Beautiful: Between Chaos And Madness In A Strange Land
75. Tim Winton – Breath
76. Bryce Courtenay – Jessica
77. Graeme Base – Animalia
78. Donna Tartt – The Secret History
79. Mario Puzo – The Godfather
80. Anne Rice – Interview With The Vampire
81. Steig Larrson – The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo
82. Stephen King – Stand
83. Helen Fielding – Bridget Jones’ Diary
84. Eckhart Tolle – New Earth
85. Matthew Reilly – Seven Ancient Wonders
86. Jung Chang – Wild Swans
87. Nicholas Sparks – The Notebook
88. Bret Easton Ellis – American Psycho
89. David Eddings – Belgariad Vol. 1: Pawn Of Prophecy; Queen Of Sorcery; Magician’s Gambit
90. Louis De Bernieres – Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
91. Melina Marchetta – Looking For Alibrandi
92. Celia Ahern – PS I Love You
93. John Irving – A Prayer For Owen Meany
94. Colleen McCullough – The Thorn Birds
95. John Kennedy Toole – A Confederacy Of Dunces
96. Terry Pratchett – Good Omens
97. Hunter S. Thompson – Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas
98. Joanne Harris – Chocolat
99. William Goldman – Princess Bride
100. Charles Dickens – Great Expectations

I haven't read that many books on this list, so I better get to work! :)

Robolobolyn (:

Author's Week (1) Book Review

Sorry about the switch in the schedule yesterday! It was our school holiday dance and I needed to make the blog short 'n sweet, which meant less typing for me. Aka, post the guest blog. (:

Today, though, I'll take a little more time and actually blog. Today I will be reviewing PURGE.

Quickly, here's the summary:

Janie Ryman hates throwing up. So why does she binge eat and then stick her fingers down her throat several times a day? That's what the doctors and psychiatrists at Golden Slopes hope to help her discover. But first Janie must survive everyday conflicts between the Barfers and the Starvers, attempts by the head psychiatrist to fish painful memories out of her emotional waters, and shifting friendships and alliances among the kids in the ward.

I thought that this book was extremely heartwarming and real. Janie was a character that you could really like, despite her problems with bulimia. I can't remember exactly. but I believe I cried during this book. And, if you knew me personally, then you'd know I don't often cry. But when a book is as emotional and heartfelt and addictive as Purge was, then you really just can't help it. Because when a book is well written then you just can't help but cry or laugh or scream along with the characters.

I was happy that Janie was not the only character who was well written. Tom, my second favorite character, also faced some great challenges during Purge, and was really really fun to read about. I'd actually really like to see Sarah write a sequel about Tommy, or, oh, God, I can't remember her name! Chloe? I think that's it, but I'm not for sure. She's Janie's roommate. I can't believe that I forget her name! Anyways, whatever her name is, I'd like to see more of her as well. She seemed like she'd have a interesting story to tell, what with everything Janie finds out about her throughout the novel, and with what she doesn't find out as well.

It can get a little slow in a few places, but mostly reads with new things happening every other chapter. It can really grab your interest!

Another thing that I loved was the plot idea! Even though many authors have written about the same or similar subjects, not many of them have managed to convey a message as strong as Janie's message in Purge. Bulimia, and eating disorders in general, is a serious issue that isn't always addressed as well as it should be. Many choose to ignore it, or simply think  that it isn't as big of a deal as people make it out to be. Well, news flash, it is! I think that Purge really helps people realize this. Which happens to be a great quality in a book. I firmly believe that a book isn't truly great if you don't get some kind of great life lesson/information of it. And you did. Sooo, great book. A must read. :)


Characters: 10/10
Plot: 9.5/10
Cover: 9/10 (I never talked about the cover, but don't you just love it? It really grabs attention and really portrays what the book is about! When you look at the girl on the cover you immediately think sadness and great. What a wonderful combination!)
Addictiveness: 9.5/10
Creativity/Originality:9/10

Total:47/50 = A :)

Up tomorrow will be me telling you a little about Sarah's upcoming books, and some of her older novels as well.

Robolobolyn (:

Author's Week (1) Guest Blog

Hi, I'm making this quick cause I've got people here and I'm going to the Christmas dance in a few, so I'm switching today and tomorrows stuff so today is the guest blog. So here's Sarah's take on Christmas/Hanukkah.

 

Christmas. A tree lovingly decorated with ornaments collected over the years with piles of presents underneath. The family gathered around singing carols and drinking hot chocolate and eggnog. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

 

Well, that’s my fantasy anyway. See, I’m Jewish, and we never celebrated Christmas, but all my Christian friends did, so I grew up with a very strong case of Christmas envy.

 

It’s pretty hard to miss Christmas anyway. It gets earlier every year. Here in the U.S., they used to wait until after Thanksgiving, which occurs the third Thursday in November before putting out the Christmas goods in the stores. But these days Thanksgiving tends to get short shrift – once Halloween is over the carol muzak starts playing in the stores until by December 24^th, even those of us who don’t celebrate the holiday are singing “Falalala” in our sleep.

 

On my street, you can tell that we’re the Jewish family – amidst the houses bedecked in holiday lights, our house stands and undecorated, except for the Chanukah menorah which we light in the window for eight nights. There are a few other Jewish families with similarly unlit houses, and I bet those parents get the same “How come we can’t have lights?” that my kids ask me and I asked my parents…one of the difficulties of being a religious minority.

 

I think this lifelong Christmas envy was part of the inspiration for my first novel, CONFESSIONS OF A CLOSET CATHOLIC, in which the main character, Justine Silver, a short, frizzy-haired Jewish girl obsessed with chocolate (sound familiar?) gives up being Jewish for Lent. It’s a humorous exploration of faith and family relationships, but I wrote it as a way of answering some serious questions that had worried my teenaged self. Questions like “How do you be Jewish without being ‘too Jewish’” because that was the unspoken message I felt growing up in secular suburban America. Questions like “What does faith mean to me personally, as opposed to just something that my family does?”

 

These days, I enjoy my neighbors’ lights without any pangs of envy. They bring cheer and illumination to the winter darkness, and best of all, I don’t have to do any work to put them up or take them down. I just sit back and enjoy the beauty. Merry Christmas!

And Happy Chanukah to the Driedel Spinners among you :-)

 

 

Again, thanks soo much Sarah! :)

Robolobolyn (:

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

This week, the book I've been dying to read and have decided to share with you guys is...

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles !!! =D

New sparks will fly in the sequel to Simone Elkeles’s breakout book Perfect Chemistry
When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado. Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.
With new characters to fall in love with and the same hot romance found in Perfect Chemistry, Simone Elkeles has crafted another sure-fire hit for teens.

In stores April 27th 2010!! :)

I LOVED Perfect Chemistry and I can't wait to read Rules of Attraction! :) Even though there is a main character change, which I typically dislike.

Robolobolyn (:

Author Week (1) Author Interview

Today is the author interview part of Author's Week. I'm slightly busy today, so I'm not gonna blab and I'll get right on to the good stuff. (Aka. the interview!)


1. First off, tell us a little bit about what makes you tick.

I try to approach my writing the same way I approach life - using humor to deal with difficult subjects. 

2. In Purge, the main character deals with bulimia. Why did you decide to write about the serious issue of eating disorders?

I was inspired to write PURGE when my mother sent me a picture of myself as a teenager. ( http://sarahdarerlittman.com/_Media/se_caribeean_bikini77.jpg) When I first looked at it, as a 40-something year old woman, I thought, "Wow, I had a good figure." But almost immediately the voice of the girl in the photo started up in my brain - the one that thought she was fat and ugly. I've suffered from body image problems my whole life and was actively bulimic in my late 30's. When I thought about how energy I've spent hating my body and the way I look, energy that could have been put to better and more creative uses - well, I hoped that if by writing PURGE I could help even one person not to make that same mistake it would be worthwhile.

3. Just because we're talking about eating... favorite food?

No question - Dark Chocolate. The higher octane the better. I love Lindt Excellence 85%. Yum. Just one square can cure most plot problems. 

 

4. Life, After is due to come out in July 2010. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Two years ago I met with a mother-daughter book group here in Greenwich that read my first book, CONFESSIONS OF A CLOSET CATHOLIC. A few days later, I received a lovely e-mail from one of the moms in the group thanking me for meeting with them and saying how normal I was (clearly, she hadn't gotten to know me well yet). She told me that her daughter had become interested in writing after losing her father on 9/11 and asked if I'd ever considered writing a book on the topic, because there wasn't anything out there for kids at that point.

I was touched and flattered that she thought I had the capability to handle such a sensitive subject. About about a year earlier, I'd written a synopsis and sample chapters on a novel about a girl from South America who moved to the United States and eventually befriended a girl who lost her father on 9/11, but I hadn't connected with the characters and ended up sticking it in a drawer and writing PURGE.

When Claudette wrote to me, I took out the synopsis and sent it to her. She told me I should write the book. Subsequently I spoke to my editors at Scholastic and they agreed, although they said it should be YA rather than middle grade. Meeting Claudette and hearing her story gave me a new connection to the characters. That book became LIFE, AFTER, and it's dedicated to Claudette Greene. Daniela, the main character, lost her aunt in a terrorist attack on a Jewish center in Argentina that took place in 1994, so the book tries to put terrorism in a more global context.

You can read a more complete synopsis on my website: http://sarahdarerlittman.com/books_2/life_after_scholastic_press.html

 

5. What about Want To Go Private? Got anything to tell about that one, like what is it about and when should we expect to see it in stores?

WANT TO GO PRIVATE? is the working title and it is scheduled for release some time in 2011. 

It’s about Abby, a ninth grader who becomes involved with an Internet predator. It’s been a fascinating and very disturbing book to research and write. Fascinating because I’ve been working with my local FBI office and the Youth Division of Greenwich Police, and I’ve had an opportunity to see how they are working to track down these predators and keep our kids safe. Disturbing in so many ways – because you realize how easy it is for kids to get in trouble and how clueless most parents are about what their kids are up to online. I also found it very hard when I was writing suggestive chat scenes between Abby and the predator and my 13 year-old daughter would come home from school. I felt like saying to her “Stay away from me, I’m being a pervert right now!”  I felt like I wanted to take a shower after writing those scenes, and for a while starting having nightmares.

 

When I had a research meeting with the FBI, I asked the agents how they managed to deal with this kind of stuff day in and day out without getting nightmares. The Supervisory Special Agent told me they can sleep because they know they're doing this to keep these guys from doing such crimes do anyone else.

 

Still, writing this made me wonder how people write books about serial killers!

 

6. Biggest pet peeve while writing or otherwise?

Writing Pet Peeve - when I'm working in a cafe and other people there have VERY LOUD CONVERSATIONS. Particularly if they are on a cell phone.

Non writing pet peeves - People who drive slowly in the fast lane on the highway

 

7. Do you have any writing rituals?

Before starting a new book I pick out a new perfume, and while writing that book I only wear that perfume. 

 

8. What book are you most proud of?

That's like asking me which is my favorite child. I can't say!

9. Describe your perfect day.

Being at the beach with my friends and family with good food and a great book. 

 

10. Which character (out of any book you've ever read) would you most like to meet? Why?

Ooh, that's tough. So many choices. I think possibly Death in Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, because he was such a compelling narrator and who doesn't have questions for Death?


Before I go, I must remember to give a shout out to Sarah saying THANKS for the interview and everything else she's done to help me out with Author's Week! 

And don't forget to head on over and check out my contest. Purge being the prize and one of YOU being the possible winner! :)

Robolobolyn (:

Author's Week (1) Day 2 - The Contest

Today, and for the rest of the week, I will be holding a contest feat. PURGE. Because it's Author's Week, which means it's-all-about-Sarah-Darer-Littman-week as well!

Purge is about a girl who suffers from bulimia. You know what? I'm too lazy to give you my own summary, so here's the official one.

Janie Ryman hates throwing up. So why does she binge eat and then stick her fingers down her throat several times a day? That's what the doctors and psychiatrists at Golden Slopes hope to help her discover. But first Janie must survive everyday conflicts between the Barfers and the Starvers, attempts by the head psychiatrist to fish painful memories out of her emotional waters, and shifting friendships and alliances among the kids in the ward.

Sound interesting? It is. :) I really liked this book, and although I haven't got around to reviewing this book, I will be doing that sometime this week.

On to the contest part of this contest. I will (well, I'm holding the contest, but Sarah is the one sending it out to the winner) be giving away one copy of Purge! :) Yippie, right? Me thinks yes. :)

(Sorry, I have smiley face issues).

So, the RULES. (Yes, I know everyone hates rules, but too bad. It makes my life easier!)

Rules:

Please be a follower. It makes me happy.  :) And it's mandatory for entering this contest,

Please put all entries in ONE COMMENT. Please!

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. Sorry! But shipping gets expensive!

*Ends on Sunday December 13th @ midnight wherever you live!*

Extra Entries:

+2 for being an old follower. (Me loves you guys!)
+2 for commenting on any Author's Week post (excluding this one).
+2 for following me @robbiebear03) and +2 for following Sarah (@SarahDarerLitt) on Twitter.
+2 for Tweeting/sidebar post/blog post. (Max. +6)

That gives you a grand total of +14 total entries!!! Whoot! :)

So why don't you scroll on down and enter to win? Cause it couldn't hurt. The plus side being you could win a totally awesome book. The minus side being you might wallow in despair if you don't... but we wont go there. ;p

Robolobolyn (:

Author's Week (1) feat. Sarah Darer Littmen

First of all, before I do anything else, I have to give props to The Undercover Book Lover for thinking up such a wonderful thing as "Author's Week". Cause what could possibly be better then dedicating a whole entire week to a author? To give them props, and to let people know just who (fill in the blank with an author's name) is, and what kind of books they write.

In the spotlight this week for my very first Author's Week is... SARAH DARER LITTMEN !!! *Whoot Whoot!*

Here's the outline for the next week, what fun stuff we'll be doing.

Day 1 - author info, poll, week outline
Day 2 - contest
Day 3 - interview
Day 4 - book review(s)
Day 5 - guest post
Day 6 - upcoming books by the author
Day 7 - contest winners, poll outcome, etc.

So, as day 1 states, starting off Author Week includes a poll and Sarah's bio. I'll do the bio first and then post the poll on my sidebar. Which you *will* check out because I'm using my physic powers to mind control you to vote. (*Tehe* This is what my friends deal with daily.)
So here's her bio...

Sarah Darer Littman, writer, mother, and unpaid chauffeur, is a living example of the cliche, "Life Begins at 40." After spending much of her adult life doing things she didn't really plan to, including such diverse occupations as financial analyst and farmer's wife, she at long last found her true calling as a writer. She indulges her adult voice as a columnist for the Stamford Advocate/Greenwich Time newspapers. 
Sarah lives in Cos Cob, CT with her two children and an adorable Havanese puppy named Benny.
She is a proud member of AS IF! (Authors supporting Intellectual Freedom) AS IF! champions those who stand against censorship, especially of books for and about teens. Check out our website: http://asifnews.blogspot.com.
Click here for some resources on censorship and intellectual freedom.

...directly copied and pasted from her website, http://sarahdarerlittman.com/

That's all for today, but be sure to keep your eyes out for tomorrow's post cause there will be a contest for PURGE going on. :)

Robolobolyn (:

In My Mailbox (4)

In My Mailbox was first created by The Story Siren, so let's give her some applause, shall we? ;p

Nothing much came in the mail recently, but I got some great books from the not-so trustly library today and on Wednesday.  

Won:

Wild Heat by Bella Andre


Received from the library:

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Fade to Black by Alex Flinn (Which I've already read and will be reviewing soon)
The Blonde of the Joke by Bennett Madison
Crashed by Robin Wasserman
Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe 

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
Sticky Fingers by Niki Burnham
The V Club by Kate Brian 
There's Something About St. Tropez by Elizabeth Adler

There's a lot of books on this list which I've been waiting to read for a while now. They all sound so great that I had difficulties deciding which one to read first. Which is why I'm now reading three of them at the same time. *Oops*

What do you have in your mailbox? Comment and let me know!

Robolobolyn (:

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

Waiting on Wednesday gives us bloggers a day to shine the light on not yet released novels. Which I think is a pretty good idea, cause it's a great way to find out about the books before they're out, and gives you a chance to maybe bug the authors for an ARC. ;p (Not that anyone's going to do that!)

Right now, I'm waiting on quite a few different books, but here's one that's on the top of the list. Or, well, tied for the top of the list with like, 25 other books. Cause I couldn't just pick one, you know?

Hunger for nourishment.

Hunger for touch.

Hunger to belong.

Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.
Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries’ coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani’s death.

Ani isn’t one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin’s plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

Alluring romance, heart-stopping danger, and sinister intrigue combine in Melissa Marr’s next volume of Melissa Marr’s New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series.

I loved the first two, and am currently half way through the third in the series. I don't want it to end, though, cause I know I have to wait until April 20th to get it! :( Oh, well. I guess I'll just have to put it on my birthday wish list. :)

Robolobolyn (:

Review of Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange

Just recently I've started reading Melissa Marr's WICKED awesome series, starting with Wicked Lovley. I had been hearing great things about her books, but I hadn't gotten around to reading them. So when a friend from school recommended them, and I saw them that very day in the school library, I grabbed the first book, Wicked Lovely.

Rule #3: Don’t stare at invisible faeries. Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens. Rule #2: Don’t speak to invisible faeries. Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.
Rule #1: Don’t ever attract their attention. But it’s too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.
Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything. Faery intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in this 21st century faery tale.

By the back cover alone I knew I would love it. And I was right. The first paragraph got me hooked, and by the first chapter I knew that this would be a book I would be staying up late to finish.

The novel itself was beautifully written. There was just enough of everything. Enough romance, suspense, and humor. Yes, there wasn't all that much actual action, but WL didn't need it. It was prefect without it. Some big ol' fight would have just ruined it.

I loved the character of Aislinn! :) She was someone that I'd love to be friends with! Despite all she's been through, she still manages to live a happy live with her friends and Seth.

Speaking of Seth... I just knew that Ash and Seth would end up together for good! Screw Keenan, Seth all the way! Throughout the book, I found myself hoping that Aislinn would stick with Seth and find some way past Keenan's idea of them being together forever.  Because we all knew that she'd end up being the Summer Queen. That much was obvious.

I loved the added surprise that Ash's mom would have been one of Keenan's Summer Girls (or Donia's Winter Girl replacement)! I hadn't seen that coming at all! When Keenan had mentioned something about one of the girls getting out of being a Summer/Winter Girl due to death, I had a feeling that something was up, but I didn't connect the dots.

My only complaint really was that Seth's character wasn't as developped as I'd have liked it to have been. Same thing went with Niall's character. But, happily, those two problems get solved in book 2 and 3. (Niall is one of the main characters in Ink Exchange, and Seth is a main character in the third book, Fragile Eternity, which I'm still currently reading - and loving).

The cover was awesome, the writing beautiful, the characters realistic despite the majority of them being fey, and the plot creative and fun.

My rating:

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9.5/10
Cover: 9/10
Romance: 10/10
Creativity/Originality: 9.5/10

Total: 47/50 = A+ :D