Question about The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

I am a huge fan of the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. Read them loads of times and can't get enough of them. Which is why I freaked out when I found out about her new book, The Immortal Rules, and was even more excited when I got an e-arc of it.

I've been reading it for a week now and I'm still not even half way through it and not for lack of trying either. I just can't seem to get into it. But Everyone is talking about how fantastic it is.

So here is my question: if you have read it, did you love it from the beginning or did it take you a while to get into it and is the end fantastic and make up for the slow start? Cause I would really hate to give up on a Julie Kagawa book, but I'm just not getting sucked into this. Should I push through it till the end?

Paintings

Today I did a guest post over at The Unread Reader and I showed one of my paintings. In the comments someone asked to see some of my other paintings and so I am. Here are some of the paintings I've done in the last few years.

 Charcoal sketch of a Jack Vetriano painting. This was a homework assignment.

One side of my bookcase. Cover of Just One Wish by Janette Rallison



 Other side of bookcase. Cover of Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

My bedroom door. I needed a way to hide the kitty door. 

 Other side of my door. Will and Tessa's first kiss

 Class assignment. It's Hagrid's Cabin.

 Painting of one of my childhood dogs.

 This was a Christmas gift to my sister. My family mostly gets paintings for all their gifts from me.

 Top of my bookcase. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Redo of Jack Vetriano's "Singing Butler." This one I've done twice now. I love Jack's work.

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves. It went with my Alice in Wonderland themed bedroom.

The Twilight covers combined. I've done this one 4 different times and in different colors. I end up selling this one almost every time.

Yup. So that is just a handful of some of the paintings I've done in the last few years. They are all done in acrylic paint. I'm saving up so I can learn how to paint in oils next. And I do do commission paintings just fyi. haha ;)

Guest posting

Hey everyone. Sorry my blog is lacking in it's posts lately. In a little over 2 months, I had read 35 books and I just burned out. I found myself in a slump and didn't read for about 3 weeks (which is a huge non-reading gap for me) and instead worked on other projects. Now I'm taking it a little slower and starting to read again (just at a slower pace) and trying to catch up on the blog.

Today I'm over at Missie's blog The Unread Reader and posting about what I do when I'm not reading. So go over there and check that out if you are curious as to what I do in my free time.

Book I Gave Up On (4)--Falling in Love with English Boys

As any avid reader knows, there are loads of fantastic books coming out every week. It is impossible to keep up with the ever growing tbr list. This is why I have gotten over my dislike of not finishing books and decided that some books just aren't worth the time it takes to finish them.

Falling In Love With English Boys by Melissa Jensen

Published by Speak

Genre: YA

293 pages

What it's about:

Sixteen-year-old Catherine Vernon has been stranded in London for the summer-no friends, no ex-boyfriend Adam the Scum (good riddance!), and absolutely nothing to do but blog about her misery to her friends back home. Desperate for something-anything-to do in London while her (s)mother's off researching boring historical things, Cat starts reading the 1815 diary of Katherine Percival her mom gives her-and finds the similarities between their lives to be oddly close. But where Katherine has the whirls of the society, the parties and the gossip over who is engaged to who, Cat's only got some really excellent English chocolate. Then she meets William Percival-the uber-hot descendant of Katherine-and things start looking up . . .

Why I gave up on it:
Lemme just say that I was really excited about this book. The name says it all. Who doesn't want to fall in love with an English boy? I mean, really. Stephanie Perkins says it best in Anna and the French Kiss, "Seriously. I don't know any American girl who can resist an English accent." This could not be any more true.

Which is why I was really shocked that I gave up on this book. It did not take me long do decide that I very much disliked this book. I formed this opinion really fast. The first 20 pages, if not more, not once did the main character shut up about how pissed off she was about moving to London for 5 weeks during the summer. It wasn't even a little bit of complaining, it was full on whining. Ughhhh. Not a good way to start a book. She was saying how horrible it was being stuck in London and why would anyone want to go there. Just on and on and on. This was just sick and wrong in my opinion.
I could not believe that a teenage girl would have issues with going to London for awhile. All girls love British boys. All girls. No girl is going to complain about meeting them. No girl is going to sit in a flat for days on end while staying in London and not go exploring. It's just not believable.

So I gave up on it. I was not willing to sit there and read about a girl bitching about having the oportunity I know most girls (myself included) would sacrifice just about anything to have. No way.

Hunger Games Movie Review

The Hunger Games

Staring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

Directed by Gary Ross

In theaters now

My thoughts:
It is 3:27am and I just got home from seeing The Hunger Games. I can say this with complete and utter honesty: it is the best book to movie adaptation there has ever been. Completely worth the forever long wait.

My reaction when the movie finished:
*sits in stunned silence* Omg....O.M.G....OH MY FREAKING GOSH!!!!! BEST MOVIE EVER!!!!!!

That was my actual reaction at the end of the movie. I have never seen a book turned into a movie and actually be as good as the book. I always have complaints coming out of movies based on my favorite books. I always think "that's not how they did it in the book!!!!!!" and get all annoyed about the change. That did not happen to me at all during this film. I was just as shocked and horrified seeing it as I was reading about it. It made me smile, it definitely made me cry, and of course there was lots of "awww"ing as well.

The actors:
Remember how everyone was upset when Josh was cast as Peeta? Well don't be sad. He wasn't playing Peeta, he was Peeta. Josh did such a great job with the role. And Jennifer as Katniss was amazing as well. They didn't look like they were constipated and had something in their eyes the whole movie like some other certain book to movie adaptations... (yes yes, I'm talking about Twilight). They actually knew how to do all the right facial expressions and have all the right emotions. The actors were chosen for their talent (and they actually have some! Yay!) and not their looks.

The only thing that was a little off about this movie was the camera. It shakes. A lot. Constantly. The camera is always moving and that was a little hard to handle at times, but it was perfect for the mood of the movie.

Now to wait for Catching Fire.

p.s. anyone else notice how they snuck Nicholas Hoult into the movie? Yay for Jennifer sticking her boyfriend into her movie. Haha.

ARC Review: Spellcaster

Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz

Series: Spellbound #2

Published by Harlequin Teen

Genre: YA

384 pages

Release date: March 27th

What it's about:
Finding your eternal soulmate - easy.
Stopping a true-love-hungry evil - not so much…

After breaking a centuries-old romantic curse, Emma Connor is (almost) glad to get back to normal problems. Although...it's not easy dealing with the jealous cliques and gossip that rule her exclusive Upper East Side prep, even for a sixteen-year-old newbie witch. Having the most-wanted boy in school as her eternal soul mate sure helps ease the pain-especially since wealthy, rocker-hot Brendan Salinger is very good at staying irresistibly close....

But something dark and hungry is using Emma and Brendan's deepest fears to reveal damaging secrets and destroy their trust in each other. And Emma's crash course in über-spells may not be enough to keep them safe…or to stop an inhuman force bent on making their unsuspected power its own.


My thoughts:
The way I feel about this book is going to be hard for me to explain, because I'm not really sure how I feel about it.

I read the first book in this series, Spellbound, about a year ago and I remember loving it. I remember thinking that Brendan was super hott and awesome and that Emma was really cool and overall just really enjoyed the book. This is why I was really excited for the second book.

But when I started reading the second book,  it was sort of just "eh" for me and I'm not really sure why. All the characters are still pretty cool. Emma was still Emma. I love how she sticks up for herself and how she has all this crap happen to her because of who her boyfriend is, and yeah it gets to her but she doesn't let it get her down.
But what I'm not really getting is the whole "OMG Brendan!!!" part of this book. He was a total player before he met Emma, and yeah, he's super hott and rich, but there didn't seem to be much to him before Emma came along. Which is why I'm finding it hard to believe that evil classmate, Kristin, is still going after Brendan even after everything he's said and done to her. I'm just not buying it.

While the plot was still good, the characters still the same, and the writing well done, I just wasn't feeling this book. I wasn't really in the mood for this book while reading it, and my egalley when transfered to my ereader decided to make the book one really long chapter. It didn't have any breaks and that also started to really bug me. Those chapter breaks are very important.
Overall, if you read the first book and enjoyed it, chances are you will also enjoy this book. I probably would have liked it more if I wasn't forcing myself to get it read by a certain time and read it when I actually felt like reading it.

My rating: 7/10

Top Ten Tuesday-- Spring TBR books

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

I really can't believe today is the first day of spring. Oregon seems to be loving the snow this year and we are still getting random snow. WTF? It's throwing me all off. Weather is crazy.

Because it's the first day of spring, this weeks top ten is books on my spring TBR list. These are sort of in order. I'm mostly going by release date.

1. Perception by Kim Harrington (Released March 1st):
I read Clarity last year and loved loved loved it and now I'm dying to get my hands on this book. Just waiting for it to make it's way around the book swap group I'm in.

2. SpellBound by Rachel Hawkins (Released March 13th):
Ahhh!!! I'm in love with this series and can't believe I haven't been able to read this yet. Nowhere in my city is selling this book so I'm waiting for my turn at the library. Ughhhh.

3. This Side of the Grave/One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost:
I can't believe I've fallen behind in this series. I used to read these the day they came out, and now I'm two behind. The new book (Once Burned featuring the always awesome Vlad) comes out soon and I'm dying to read that, so I've got to read this first.

4. Taken At Dusk by CC Hunter (Released April 10th):
aksodgnasidgknadso! I'm so so so so so excited for this! I need to know what in the world kylie is!

5. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (Released April 24th):
Julie Kagawa is easily one of my all time favorite authors. The Iron Fey is a series I read all the time. I can't wait to meet new characters of Julie's.

6. Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready (Released May 1st):
The third and final book in this series! I have to know what happens! Plus then I get to read more about Zach ;) Go Team Kilt!

7. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare (Released May 8th):
Really, who isn't excited for this book?

8. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson (Released May 8th):
After reading Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, I'm now really excited for everything else Morgan Matson writes. Plus this one sounds really good.

9. Insurgant by Veronica Roth (Released May 28th):
I think waiting for this book has been harder than any other wait I've had lately. I'm currently listening to the Divergent audiobook for literally the 5th time in a year. Can't seem to get enough of Tris and Four.

10. Body and Soul by Stacey Kade (Released May 28th):
I really like this series. This is the 2nd series I'm reading about a goth boy and a cheerleader and I love it.

Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Published by S&S

Genre: YA contemporary

$9.99 (US paperback)

344 pages

What it's about:

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.



My thoughts:
Oh my, I do so love this book! It was like the YA book version of the movie Elizabethtown.

I loved all the little extra things that were in this book. All the play lists (Roger has FANTASTIC taste in music. Just sayin') and all the pictures, state motos, and of course the little drawings. Which is why I would highly recommend reading a bound copy of this book and not an ebook. I don't think it would be the same as an ebook.

I can't think of a single complaint I have for this book. This book had me laughing and crying through the whole thing. I loved how it would show what happened in the past along with what was going on in the here and now. Through the whole book which takes place all within a week or so, the characters grow a lot, yet it is very believable. They are put in situations they wouldn't normally want to be in, are forced to deal with things they have been hiding from, all while driving across the country. Ah, the magic of road trips.

I'm not normally a huge contemporary fiction fan. I tend to stick with all things paranormal, but I can not sing enough praise for  Amy and Roger's Epic Detour. This is a book that will stick with me for a long time and will be reread in the near future.
My rating: 10/10
Side note:
Roger has absolutely fantastic taste in music. If you do not know the songs on the playlists for this book, I would highly recommend looking them up and giving them a listen.
Some epically awesome person on youtube created "Roger's Playlist" and has the first 3 or so playlists on one big playlist on youtube. To listen go here. That link will start it at song #37 because that's when I found it.

Feature and Follow Friday

Feature and Follow Friday is a blog  hop that happens every Friday and is hosted by Parajunkee and Alisoncanread

Q: What is the best book you've read in the last month? What is the worst book you've read in the last month?

Hmmm. Nothing popped into my head right away, but when I looked up what books I've read this last month, I realized I've read some fantastic books. Besides the new Kim Harrison (which wouldn't be fair to other books, because KH books will always be my favorite) I'd have to say It's a toss up between Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson and Incarnate by Jodi Meadows as my favorites.

Both of these books took me by surprise. I am so madly in love with both of them for completely different reasons. Definitely must reads.

And as for worst book (which wasn't bad, just not fantastic) would have to be Article 5 by Kristen Simmons.

I had high hopes for this book. I'd been hearing that it was pretty good and I love dystopians, so I figured I'd love it. Wrong. It was "eh." Nothing fantastic and it took me longer than I'd hope to read it.

My Book Boyfriend-- Ash

My book boyfriend is a weekly meme hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader.

A couple months back, I did a MBB post about Ash from The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. I did not do it justice. I had a massive cold at the time and couldn't focus for very long, so I didn't look for actors to play him or post pictures or any of that.

Ash deserves better.

And because I just listened to the first three Iron Fey books on audiobook and am about to listen to Iron Knight, I've fallen in love with Ash all over again. So I'm redoing his post.

About Ash
*Is the youngest Unseelie court prince
*Best swordsman there ever was
*Hides behind an icey persona
*Has longish dark hair and silver eyes
" His eyes, cold and inhuman, glimmered with amusement. Up close, he was even more beautiful, with high cheekbones and dark tousled hair falling into his eyes. My traitor hands itched, longing to run my fingers through those bangs."

Who should play him in a movie
I'm an avid youtube fan. There are a few different youtubers I follow religiously and one is Dan Howell aka Danisnotonfire. One day I was like "hey, he would make a good Ash" and now the idea is stuck there. Won't come out and now I picture Ash looking like him.

“My name is Ashallyn'darkmyr Tallyn, third son of the Unseelie Court...Let it be known--from this day forth, I vow to protect Meghan Chase, daughter of the Summer King, with my sword, my honor, and my life. Her desires are mine. Her wishes are mine. Should even the world stand against her, my blade will be at her side. And should it fail to protect her, let my own existence be forfeit. This I swear, on my honor, my True Name, and my life. From this day on..." His voice went even softer, but I still heard it as though he whispered it into my ear. "I am yours.”

“His forehead bumped softly against mine, his brilliant silver gaze searing into me. “I plan to keep you, from everyone, for as long as I’m alive. That includes Puck, the false king, and anyone else who would take you away.” One corner of his mouth quirked, as I struggled to catch my breath under his powerful scrutiny. “I guess I should’ve warned you that I have a slight possessive streak.”   

“But ... but what if I hit you?”
A snort. “You’re not going to hit me.”
“How do you know?” I bristled at his amused tone. “I could hit you. Even master swordsmen make mistakes. I could get a lucky shot, or you might not see me coming. I don’t want to hurt you.”
He favored me with another patient look. “And how much experience do you have with swords and weapons in general?”
“Um.” I glanced down at the saber in my hand. “Thirty seconds?”
He smiled, that calm, irritatingly confident smirk. “You’re not going to hit me.”   

As a side note. Finding pictures of Dan when he does not have cat whiskers drawn on his face or eating a banana seductively is hard. Those seem to be the two videos people like to screen cap the most. So I stole pictures off of Dan's facebook.  Yay for being stalkerish! haha.

If you are wondering who he is, here is his latest video he posted on his channel.

Top Ten Tuesday--Favorite Dystopian/Utopian books

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish

This weeks top ten is favorite x genre. I'm picking dystopian/utopian books. These are in no particular order.

Dystopian

1. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:
Of course this series is on this list. Who doesn't love the Hunger Games? It's practically what started the whole dystopian craze that is happening right now.

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth:
Ah! There are no words that can describe how much I adore this book.

3. Wither by Lauren Destefano:
This series is so well done. It shows all the ugliness that happens in this world. All the kidnapping, killing, protesting, all of it. It's such an interesting world.

4. Unwind by Neal Shusterman:
Neal pretty much wrote dystopian books before dystopian was even a genre. Unwind came out before all the big dystopians such as Hunger Games. He writes this kind of fiction very well.

5. Enclave by Ann Aguire:
This one had some really cool elements to it. There is the clan life, the zombie like people, and then the whole earth has been destroyed thing. Adding them all together was really cool.

6. Ashes, Ashes, by Jo Treggiari:
I liked how this was more about natural disasters instead of man made disasters. That was pretty cool.

7. Gone by Michael Grant:
I wasn't really sure if I should put this is dystopian or Utopian. It's a little of both. This book grossed me out so bad. There was times I'd find I was closing my eyes cause I couldn't stand to "see" what happened next. Then I'd remember I was reading a book and not watching something, so I'd have to keep my eyes open. It was gross. My mind was too vivid.

Utopian
8. Unvieled by Trisha Wolfe:
This isn't really a book, and is also one of those that is a mix and kinda hard to place. It is a short story of only 35 pages, but it was awesome. The world was already set up and the characters as well. I heard she's making this a full of novel now. yay!

9. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows:
Oh man, I adore this book. This is one I'll probably be rereading in the near future. The world is so much fun to over analyze.

10. The Host by Stephenie Meyer:
Utopian or dystopian? Can't really tell. It's one of them. I loved the characters in this book. They are so much more... just more than the characters in Twilight.

Review: Article 5



Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Published by Tor Teen

Genre: YA dystopian

$17.99 (US hardback)

364 pages

What it'sNew York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.



My thoughts:
I love how there are more and more dystopian books coming out. I can't seem to read them fast enough.

Article 5 is set in America, somewhere over on the east coast at some unknown future time. It was never said. And a war happened a few years back that caused all of the major US cities to be destroyed. I think it said the war was 8 years long, but I'm not positive. It also never said how it happened, and who it was against. All we know is that it was bad and it made the government decide it does not like the constitution anymore and everything that was in the constitution is now the exact opposite. There is only one religion, Religion of America, people do not have the right to own weapons, there is no such thing as free speech, people are guilty until proven innocent, and most people never get a fair trial.

So in other words, life in America just plain old sucks.

I really wish that there would have been more back story. I didn't have any trouble believing that America was ganged up on and a huge war broke out. That was perfectly believable. I did however have a very hard time believing in the new government system. How the war made us go back about 300 years was strange to me. I just couldn't buy into it.

Characters: I had a really hard time liking Ember. She wasn't a bad character and I loved the relationship between her and her mother, but Ember did some really stupid things. Really really really stupid things. And when it came to Chase, she was even more dumb. I couldn't believe it. She made me so angry most of the time. Then all the sudden right at the end, there was this huge character change in her, that somehow fit and seemed real, and I ended up liking her. I did like Chase through the whole book. He is a broken down boy who has had to see and deal with more than anyone his age, or anyone in general, should have to see.

This whole review has pretty much been my complains about the book, but I did enjoy reading it. It had my attention and I was curious as to how it was going to end and I cared about the characters. I was happy with how it ended and I think I will leave it at that. I do not plan on continuing with this series.

My rating: 7.5/10

Review: The Other Countess

The Other Countess by Eve Edwards

Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Genre: YA historical fiction

$17.99 (US hardback)

to be released in paperback 4/10/12

352 pages

What it's about:

Ellie--Lady Eleanor Rodrigueez, Countess of San Jaime--possesses a worthless title, but her feisty spirit captivates teh elite of Queen Elizabeth's court--especially the dashing new Earl of Dorset.

William Lacey, Earl of Dorset, has inherited his father's title--and his financial ruin. Now Will must seek a wealthy bride and restore his family's fortune. If only he hadn't fallen for the beautiful but penniless Ellie...

Sparks fly whenever Ellie and Will are together; however, circumstances--and the conniving interference of others--threaten to keep them apart.

My thoughts:
I found this book last year when I was randomly browsing through the books at Borders. The cover caught my attention and then I found out that it takes place in Queen Elizabeth the 1st time and in one of her palaces and I knew I had to have it. It's not often I buy books that I've never heard of and haven't looked at reviews for, but I did with this one.

And then it sat on my shelves for almost a year.

I finally picked it up and read it not because it was what I was in the mood for, but because the title starts with "o" and I don't have any books in my review section that start with "o." I know, it's a silly reason to read a book but that's why I read it. I'm really glad I did as well. This book was great.

Ellie is the daughter of an alchemist and a bad one at that. He has lost all their money and now Ellie and her father rely on the charity of others. Poor Ellie, through the whole book one bad thing after the other happens to her. The poor girl could never catch a break. Yet she just kept on going, bright smiles and sharp tongue. I loved how strong she was. She didn't let anyone take advantage of her and she never let anyone change who she is. I loved that. There is also Will and the rest of the Lacey family. I loved that family. They remind me a lot of the Darling family in Peter Pan. Chaotic and adorable.

This book is written in third person and at times, that could be a little complicated. At some points it would switch from one person to another in the middle of a paragraph and it would take me a few seconds to make the switch. There was also a whole other story plot going on with one of the servants, Nell, that was completely unnecessary. It never really did tie in, never became important to the story plot, and was a little obnoxious. I did not like Nell, did not care about her, and was miffed that I had to wait longer to find out what was going on with the characters I did like.

If you are looking for a historical fiction book that is seeped in history, this is not it. This is strictly a love story set in a very cool period of time. At times I would forget what time period it was, just because it is not really the focus of the book. But it was fun non the less and I look forward to reading the next two books in this series.

My rating: 8/10

Feature and Follow Hop

Q: Have you ever looked at book's cover and thought, This is going to be horrible? But, was instead pleasantly surprised? Show us the cover and tell us about the book.

This question leaves me completely puzzled. Why would I pick up a book with a bad cover and think it was going to be horrible, and then read it? If I think a book is going to be horrible, I'm not going to read it. I can think of books that have ugly covers, but I've never thought that the book will be bad because of it. I just think the author was unfortunate to have a bad cover designer.

Recap of posts I did this week:

My Book Boyfriend--Roger from Amy and Roger's Epic Detour 

Movie Update-- The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Top Ten Tuesday--Favorite YA book covers

Review: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Review: Dead To You by Lisa McMann


If you decide to follow my blog, make sure to leave a comment with your blog so I can make sure to follow back! :)

My Book Boyfriend--Roger

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader

This week I read Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson and fell in love with Roger.

About Roger
*Just finished his freshman year of college
*Is a history major
*Has the best music taste ever.
(Fall Out Boy, Hellogoodby, Tom Petty, Jack's Mannequin, The Decemberists, All American Rejects, Franz Ferdinand, Bowling For Soup, The Hush Sound,...)
*Loves fast food more than anything
*Runs his fingers through his hair when nervous.
*Great listener
*sweetest boyfriend ever.

Physical description
"The guy coming toward me was shockingly good-looking. He had broad shoulders, light brown hair, dark eyes, and he was already smiling at me."
"...and I'd put it on that morning automatically, without considering the possibility that this Roger guy might be disarmingly cute.
And he really was, I saw now that he was closer. He had wide hazel eyes and unfairly long lashes, a scattering of freckles, and an air of easy confidence."

Who should play him in a movie
I picture my Roger to look a little somethin' like Matt Lanter.

“The best discoveries always happened to the people who weren't looking for them. Columbus and America. Pinzón who stumbled on Brazil while looking for the West Indies. Stanley happening on Victoria Falls. And you. Amy Curry when I was least expecting her."

I smiled back at him while feeling sharply just how much I was going to miss him. It was almost a physical pain. "I'm on that list?"
"You're at the top of that list." He leaned over and kissed me and I kissed back.”
 

“Saying good-bye is basically an invitation not to see a person again. It's making it okay for that to be the last conversation you have. So if you don't say it--if you leave the conversation open--it means you'll have to see them again."

“He stood and looked at me for a moment, taking in my outfit. "You look hot."

"What? Me?" I stammered, completely flummoxed.

"Yeah," he said, still looking at me.

"Oh. Um, thank you. I mean, not that you don’t, but I’m not sure that you should—I mean …"

"Oh, no," Roger said quickly, and I could see that he was blushing again. "No. I mean—I meant what you’re wearing. Are you going to be too warm?”

“Hey," he said smiling at me pulling off his sunglasses. "Did you get me something good?"

"I think so," I said trying to ignore how hard my heart was beating. Then before I could think about it or analyze or consider what I was doing I leaned over and kissed him.”   

 "I knew Roger was tired, but clearly he hadn't been too tired to notice that the whole room had been set up with the expectation that the people staying in it would be having sex.

We were in the honeymoon suite. The expectation of sex was in the very atmosphere, like perfume, but less subtle. This was worse than sharing a bed in Yosemite, even if this bed was bigger. It was like there was an elephant in the room. An elephant that expected us to have sex."

"The Host" by Stephenie Meyer Movie Update

I know that a lot of you know that The Host is being turned into a movie. The news has been floating around the web for a few years now. Well, they are finally getting a move on it and started filming last month.

The movie is set to be released March 29, 2013
Here is who is cast (and listed) over at IMDB

I'm actually pretty surprised by who they picked for this movie, but not disappointed at all. I'm pretty excited that Jake Abel is Ian even though he couldn't possibly be farther from what I pictured Ian looking like. Same with Max as Jared. But those two are definitely my favorite cast picks.

There is also a current Facebook page for the movie and they are doing a contest for fans to be in the first teaser trailer for the movie. So check that out http://www.facebook.com/thehostmovie

Top Ten Tuesday--Favorite YA Book Covers

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a topic in which you pick your top ten favorites from.

This weeks top ten is all about my favorite young adult book covers! I'm having these all be the American covers. They are in no particular order.

1. The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling:

I am madly in love with these covers. I love how they are painted and not done on photoshop or any other device. It's art in it's purest form.

2. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare:

Look how pretty it is! With all its metalic colors, and the London background, and of course the cute guy on the cover.

3. Wither/Fever by Lauren DeStefano:

This series has the most gorgeous covers ever! I love love love love how you can tell this photoshoot was taken for this series and this series alone. It has so many elements from the book in it. So pretty.

4. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins:

I love the model they picked for Lola. She is perfect as Lola, with the big eyes and all that. Plus all the pastel colors are so pretty.

5. Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins:

I love how all the covers have the split personality look and how they are all the same design, but completely different.

6. The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa:

When I first saw this cover, I just sat there and stared at it for a good 5 minutes straight. It's just so pretty, with all the blues and the hott guy on the cover.

7. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer:

This cover is gorgeous and the original cover for the second book was even more beautiful. Too bad they went and messed it all up with the new ugly covers.

8. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer:

I love the symbolism. Plus these are just classey covers.

9. Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves:

Bloody tea cups? Awesome! It reminds me of the dark Alice In Wonderland art. I love this cover so much that I did a painting of it that is now hanging on my wall.

10. Rich and Mad by William Nicholson:

Making out in a phone booth? Love it!

Other note worthy covers:

Far From You by Lisa Schroeder:

This is the paperback cover and is so freaking pretty. I absolutely love it.

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson:

What's not to love about this cover?

Entwined by Heather Dixon:

Look at the dress! And the castle! Ah!