Top 15 Books of 2008

This year has been great! I've read so many good books (and a few that were not-s0-good), it was hard to choose 15. I think I've narrowed it down to my favorites that were published in 2008. They are in no particular order, since I've never been able to pick one favorite book.

1. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer*
2. The Host by Stephenie Meyer
3. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare*
4. Paper Towns by John Green*
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins*
6. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen*
7. Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott*
8. Model by Cheryl Diamond
9. Death By Bikini by Linda Gerber*
10. Death By Latte by Linda Gerber*
11. Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway*
12. Rumors: A Luxe Novel by Anna Godbersen*
13. Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by Jody Gehrman*
14. Wake by Lisa McMann*
15. How To Build a House by Dana Reinhardt*

* indicates that there is a review.
Review Archives

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Audrey Cuttler was just a normal Southern California girl -- until she broke up with her musician boyfriend, Evan. After the break-up, Evan wrote a song entitled "Audrey, Wait!" with his band The Do Gooders. The song is good, and soon becomes so popular it's on the Billboard Top 100 list. Since Audrey is the subject of the song, she becomes famous. Everyone is asking her for her autograph and paparazzi stalk her like she's an A-list celebrity. Will Audrey's life ever return to normal?

I thought this book was so cute and the idea for it was very original. A lot of bands write songs about break-ups they had and it's interesting to see the point of view of the girl who the song was written about. And since everyone wants to know what it's like to be famous, they can read about Audrey and see her experiences. A lot of people will do anything to be famous, so the fact that Audrey hates it is a nice change from the norm. Actually, sometimes I thought she hated it a little too much. I could see how the paparazzi stalking you could get really annoying, but Audrey starts getting free stuff and still didn't like being famous! Anyway, I liked all the characters, especially Audrey's friend Victoria, who seemed like an interesting person and great friend. After Audrey's break-up with Evan (once again, it was weird reading a book about a guy who has the same name as my younger brother), a new love interest is introduced, James, who has liked Audrey for awhile. Audrey works with him, has never given him a second glance, but suddenly she's in love with him. I just thought it was weird that she would work with him, never talk to him, and then start liking him. But I guess it's because she was dating Evan. Oh well, I still thought it was kinda random. Even so, this is a good book for fans of music or anyone looking for a fun read.

7 out of 10.

Birthday Books!

Today is my birthday and I turned 17. Now I can see rated R movies and sing along to songs like "Dancing Queen" by Abba and "Seventeen Forever" by Metro Station. But I didn't come on here to tell everyone it's my b-day, I wanted to share with you the books I got today : ).

Breathe My Name by R. A. Nelson
Life should be sweet for Frances Robinson. She has a quirky best friend, lives in a McMansion with a loving, adopted family, and has just met a dreamy guy from Louisiana, Nix, who is as charming and exotic as an evening on the bayou.So why is she terrified of ambulances screaming in the night? And what makes her so uneasy about the coming of spring?Frances has a secret—the most terrifying secret in the world. A secret that has haunted her for eleven years: her birth mother, Afton Jelks.Afton is the mother who laughed, sang, and made up stories for Frances and her sisters Tan, Ninny, and Suddle when they lived in Fireless. A place that allowed their mother to lead them deeper and deeper into darkness, until one horrific morning Fireless overtook the real world, and Afton smothered her children one by one. Only Frances survived. Now that Afton is free from prison, Frances’ secret horror threatens to rip her happy world apart. She has one chance to win her life back: she decides to accept Afton’s twisted invitation to meet. She and Nix embark on a clandestine journey to confront the monster in its lair. This is a trip that will help Frances at last find peace . . . or die trying. But no matter what happens, Frances will discover just what it means to finish.


Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti
It is summer in the Northwest town of Nine Mile Falls, and sixteen-year-old Ruby McQueen, ordinarily dubbed The Quiet Girl, finds herself hanging out with gorgeous, rich, thrill-seeking Travis Becker. But Ruby is in over her head, and finds she is risking more and more when she's with him. In an effort to keep Ruby occupied, Ruby's mother Ann drags Ruby to the weekly book club she runs. When it is discovered that one of the group''s own members is the subject of the tragic love story they are reading, Ann and Ruby spearhead a reunion between the long-ago lovers. But for Ruby, this mission turns out to be much more than just a road trip....

Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita

What if... Your picture was taped inside lockers across America, your closets were bursting with designer clothing, and the tabloids constantly asked whether you were losing your "good girl" status? It's a glamorous life, but Kaitlin Burke, co-star of one of the hottest shows on TV, is exhausted from the pressures of her fame. So she decides to spend a few months undercover as an ordinary high school student. But could it be that real-life high school is just as harsh as cutthroat Hollywood...? Combining the vicarious star-studded glamour of the bestselling A-List series with the innocence of The Princess Diaries, this is an engrossing look behind the velvet curtains of stardom.

I'm so excited to start reading these books! In other news, The King's Rose finally came in the mail today so that was another plus. And the Twilight Saga Official Guide was released today, something I'm hoping to buy

Gallows Hill by Lois Duncan

Sarah can see people's secrets in an ordinary crystal paperweight. Too bad they still believe in witches in Pine Crest. And they don't like them at all. Sarah is about to relive a horrible ordeal that happened hundreds of years ago--unless she can undo a terrible wrong.

I usually write the summary myself, but I thought the summary on the back sounded so mysterious and spooky. Don't worry, though, I'll give my own summary, too:

Sarah has just (unwillingly) moved to Pine Crest, Missouri, with her lovesick mother who is following her new boyfriend. Never mind that Ted is still legally married, Sarah's mother has been swept off her feet by this overbearing and contemptuous man. Obviously, Sarah and her mother are not welcomed with open arms into this tight-knit, and extremely conservative, community. So Sarah agrees to read fortunes at a Halloween carnival to make some friends, and she begins to see things in crystal paperweight her mother gave her. Things that come true. When Sarah starts a fortune telling business with two kids from school, people start to believe she's a witch. And that could have deadly consequences in a town like Pine Crest.

If you like thrillers and supernatural type books, you definitely have to read Lois Duncan. Most people have never heard of her, but she wrote the book I Know What You Did Last Summer, which was later turned into a movie. (By the way, the book is a lot better. Just saying.) Her books are like Goosebumps for teens, but instead of vampires and mummies, she uses themes like reincarnation and immortality. So her books are really good. And Gallows Hill was no exception. It was so suspenseful, I didn't want to stop reading. The book was a lot like the Salem Witch Trials, where everyone started accusing people of being witches for riduculous reasons. But I don't want to give anything away, so you'll just have to read it to find out what happens.

8 out of 10.

The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees

Frankie Towers has always looked up to his older brother Steve. Steve is popular, great at soccer, and has even earned the respect of the local cholos. Frankie isn't as popular and spends his time setting off fireworks with Zach or trying to get the attention of his crush Rebecca. But when Frankie gets into a fight with John Dalton, the richest boy in school, things began to change. Steve takes him under his wing, and Rebecca agrees to go to Homecoming with him. Things are starting to look up, until Steve and Dalton get into another fight, and Frankie starts to think that Steve is taking the respect thing a little too far.

I really liked this book. I don't read many books where the protagonist is male, so this was a nice change. I enjoyed reading about the setting, which was a town in New Mexico because it's a lot different than where I live. Since I don't live in the Southwest, there really isn't any Mexican influences. There was a lot of references to Mexican culture, mainly regarding food, so that was really interesting. There was even some Spanish thrown in there, so I could test my language skills. As for characters, I liked Frankie a lot. He seemed like a good guy, trying to do the right thing. His brother, Steve, not so much. Steve put on this facade that he was popular and nice, but he did some nasty things. If anyone's ever read Tangerine by Edward Bloor (and if you haven't, go read it!), Steve is similar to Paul's older brother, Erik. But this time, Steve actually changes his ways for the better, unlike Erik. At some points the book got a little boring since there wasn't all that much going on plotwise, it was still a nice coming of age story with interesting characters.

7 out of 10.

What's Up With Barnes & Noble?

I got a giftcard to Barnes & Noble for Christmas and wanted to knock off some of the books on my To Read list, so today I headed to the bookstore. I need to buy The Elite by Jennifter Banash, because I got In Too Deep from Flamingnet and I can't read the sequel without reading the first book. So I went to the Teen section and I can't find the book. I looked around for some of the other books I want and can't find them either. I went to the customer service and had the employee look up The Elite.

"Sorry," she said, "We don't have it in stock, but we can order it for you."
How about The Violet Series by Melissa Walker? I ask.
"No, we don't have it, but we can order it for you."
Ok, do you have any books by Elizabeth Scott? I ask again, starting to get annoyed.
"Which ones are you looking for?" she asked.
Living Dead Girl and Stealing Heaven, I answer.
"We only have Perfect You and Bloom in stock."
I already read those. Ok, thanks for your time.

I'm still completely amazed by the fact that Barnes & Noble didn't have any of the books I wanted. What is the world coming to?

Nicola and the Viscount by Meg Cabot

Nicola Sparks, sixteen and an orphan, has just finished up her schooling and is ready to begin her London season. Residing with the Bartholomew's, she's hoping to catch the eye of the "god" Lord Sebastian Bartholomew, complete with good looks and a love of poetry. Although, it would be nice if her best friend's brother Nathaniel Sheridan would mind his own business and stop spreading rumors about Sebastian. But when Nicola finds out that Nathaniel's insinuations are true, she realizes she might have had the wrong viscount all along.

This book was so cute. I've never read a historical romance by Meg Cabot but she did a great job. Everything seemed well-researched and well-written, as always. Now that I've read a lot of Meg Cabot's work, I'm starting to see some recurring themes. The protagonist always falls in love, it seems, with her best friend's older brother. And she always denies that fact until the end of the book. I remember this happening in The Princess Diaries. But besides that, I thought the romance was nice and there was even a bit of action at the end that I was not expecting.

7 out of 10.

Shelter Me by Alex McAulay

Maggie Leigh is trying to be a normal girl. But that's hard when London is in the midst of World War II and German bombs are raining on the city every other day. After an attack that leaves Maggie's aunt in a coma, Maggie's ultra-religious mother sends her to a faraway boarding school in Wales. The school is run by nuns that are even more religious than her mother and slightly crazier to boot. After only one day at the school, an incident on the beach occurs, one that causes Maggie and her three friends to flee for their lives.

This book was really weird. All the characters were weird, except Maggie and her aunt (though her aunt isn't in the book all that much). The plot was weird and the ending was weird. Okay, "weird" is starting to lose it's meaning. Don't worry; I'll explain. Maggie's mother is really religious, and she believes World War II is punishment because of all England is sinners. She tells Maggie that she is staying with family in Wales, but is really sending her to a Catholic boarding school. So Maggie is staying with these nun who are crazy. They don't follow any of the Catholic church's stated practices (i.e: at one point a nun hears Confession, which only a priest is ordained to do) and believe that all the girls must be "cleansed" of their evil ways. It's actually pretty creepy because one nun's face is disfigured from a fire, but in reality she's burning it off herself to scare the girls. Anyway, I don't want to give anything away in case you still want to read this book but an "accident" happens on the beach and Maggie and her three friends run away. The one friend is actually pretty normal and isn't really a friend; just a rich girl that tags along to find her boyfriend. The other girl Kate seems pretty normal until she loses her temper and kind of freaks out. And then there's Eileen who almost seems mentally deranged. So we have a whole cast of odd characters. And then there's a twist at the end that makes you go "What just happened?" I won't ruin the surprise for you, but it's pretty crazy and slightly unbelievable. Just like the whole book.

3 out of 10.

Release Date: January 6, 2009

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! And Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa and anything else I've forgotten. This is my favorite holiday and I'm so happy it's finally here!

So what did Santa bring? Any good books? I didn't really get any books, but I did get a giftcard to Barnes & Noble's so I'm definitely going to buy something with that. I also got the Twilight Movie Companion, which looks really cool and a Twilight calendar for 2009. Well I have to run, my family is watching The Dark Knight, and I just wanted to wish everyone a quick Merry Christmas.

Happy Holidays!
Megan

Win Free Books!

Lisa Schroeder, author of I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, is celebrating the release of her upcoming YA novel, FAR FROM YOU, and hosting a contest with LOTS of great prizes!
For three days leading up to the book’s release date of December 23rd, you can watch VLOGs and hear some excerpts read from the book. The VLOG schedule is as follows:

Sunday, December 21st – Liv’s Book Reviews - http://livsbookreviews.blogspot.com/
Monday, December 22nd – What Vanessa Reads - http://whatvanessareads.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, December 23rd – Lisa Schroeder, author - http://lisa-schroeder.livejournal.com/ AND http://myspace.com/writerlisa

Help spread the word, and you might win a fabulous prize!

Copy and paste THIS entire blog entry into your blog between now and December 21st, then come back to Lisa’s blog at either Livejournal OR Myspace and leave a comment with the link to your blog and you will get TWO enteries to win a number of prizes.
Wondering what you might win? Here is the list (there will be multiple winners):

~ An Advanced Review Copy of THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, by Carrie Ryan
~ An Advanced Review Copy of SOMETHING, MAYBE, by Elizabeth Scott
~ Young adult novel GIRL, HERO by Carrie Jones
~ Young adult novel, THE POSSIBILITIES OF SAINTHOOD by Donna Freitas
~ Young adult novel, UGLIES by Scott Westerfield
~ Pair of YA fairy tale retellings by Cameron Dokey (BELLE and BEFORE MIDNIGHT)
~ TWILIGHT movie soundtrack
~ $15.00 Barnes and Noble gift card along with some Harry & David’s chocolate moose munch
~ And of course, a signed copy of FAR FROM YOU

For more chances to win, watch one or all of the VLOGs and leave a comment on that vlogger’s page, and you get another entry. That means if you post the schedule on your blog AND comment on all three VLOGs, you can have FIVE entries for the contest!
A live drawing with winners announced will be done by Lisa Thursday morning, December 24th, in a special holiday VLOG.

Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by Jody Gehrman

Geena can't wait for summer: she's working at a cute coffee shop called The Triple Shot Betty and her cousin is coming home from boarding school. Geena is positive that her cousin Hero and best friend Amber will hit if off immediately; but when they don't become instant friends, Geena isn't sure what to do. Trying to reconcile her two friends and work with them at the same time may seem hard, but Geena is up for the challenge. But things get complicated (as always), when boys come into the picture: there's tension between Geena and Ben, Hero is in love with Claudio and John, who is used to getting what he wants, wants Hero. This crazy love triangle causes some problems, but it's nothing the Triple Shot Bettys can't handle.

This book was so cute! I love books that take place during the summer (my favorite season) because the weather is perfect for all kinds of adventures, plus the endless days provide the opportunity for interesting things to happen. And that they did. Geena is the classic girl-next-door, albeit a skater girl-next-door, which was something new. And she was nicely complemented by her soft cousin Hero and outgoing friend Amber. Though at times the animosity between Amber and Hero was annoying and unwarranted, it created the needed tension that made this novel good. Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty was loosely based on a play by Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing. Even though I haven't read Much Ado About Nothing, I could still see the Shakespearan themes coming through (mainly regarding the archetypal villains). John, the villain, had all the characteristics of a bad guy: charming (like the creepy charming), calculating, cunning, and at times just plain evil. I liked this new spin on an old story and think it's the perfect read for someone wanting to sit down and relax with a book.

8 out of 10.

True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks

Seventeen-year-old Noreen has had a tough life, and that's part of the reason she steals her boyfriend's truck and drives off into the stormy night. She stops at a little diner to grab a coffee, which is arguably one of the best decisions she's made in a long time. She meets a young woman and her son, a wise old lady, and an suffering man, all who have problems of their own. As Noreen continues to make bad choices and learns from her mistakes, the individuals in this quaint Canadian town come together to create a better future for Noreen and themselves.

So. I'm on the fence about this book. It was well-written, no doubt about that, and Martha Brooks has this flow to her writing that must have taken awhile to perfect. The characterization of the individuals in this town was very good: everyone had their own backstory and past, which made them interesting to read about. The only character I didn't like was Noreen, who happened to be the protagonist. For some reason, I can never sympathize (in most cases) with characters who throw their lives away and don't really give a crap about anything or anyone. That was Noreen. At least it was her throughout most of the book, until the end. She did change her ways, I'll give her credit for that. But for practically all the book, she whined and moped and basically did nothing to solve her problems and even created new problems for the people in this town. I started to feel bad for these poor people, because Noreen started fires and caused dogs to get sick, and so on. Besides Noreen, I didn't mind the book. Although, I think if Noreen remained a static character throughout the whole novel, I wouldn't have liked it at all.

6 out of 10.

Girl Week!

Steph at Reviewer X is hosting Girl Week, a compilation of reviews, author chats and contests. It all about feminism, women empowerment and being a girl. So far, it's really interesting and Steph is doing a great job putting this all together. So head over there and support our fellow book reviewer!

By the way, sorry I haven't been posting much. I should be posting a review of True Confessions of a Heartless Girl this weekend. This is seriously the busiest week of my life, so no Waiting on Wednesday today, sorry. Ok, now I have to decorate my Christmas tree, do my homework before 5 pm and then I have a Band and Chorus Winter Concert to perform in. Joy.

Revealers by Amanda Marrone

Jules and her friends Dani, Zahara, Margo, and Sascha may seem like normal high school seniors-- but they're not. The girls are actually Revealer witches, which means they have the ability to make vampires, werewolves, and demons "reveal" themselves so the girls can destroy them. Even though it's a pain to kill these monsters every night, doing the world some good is a small consolation. That is, until the girls turn eighteen and are initiated into the inner circle of their coven. One by one, the girls are getting freaked out, but Jules, as the youngest, doesn't know what's going on. There's a terrible secret, one that threatens the very existence of the coven, and Jules has to find a way to save herself before it's too late.

This book was okay. The reader is immediately pushed into this coven's world, and at first everything was really confusing. I didn't know what was going on and there should have been more explanation about the coven and witches. As you read, you find out more, but a little background info at the beginning would have been nice. I liked all the characters, and they all had distinctive personalities which was fun to read. I also liked the suspense; the whole time you were wondering what the big secret is. Amanda Marrone does a nice job of slowly doling out new information, so you keep learning but at the same time are left in the dark. The ending, though, I didn't really like. It was a little corny and was too easily resolved. I think this book would be good for anyone that likes reading fantasy about witches.

6 out of 10.

You Are So Undead To Me by Stacey Jay

All Megan Berry wants to do is go to Homecoming. But that might not be possible, seeing how she's a Settler, and must be around to "settle" the Undead's affairs. Megan doesn't like being around dead people-- and after a freak accident a few years ago she thought her powers were gone for good. But now they're back, and she must re-learn everything about putting the dead to rest. At the same time that Megan's getting a hang of the ropes, someone starts using black magic to turn the Undead into Zombies and she must figure out who it is before it's too late.

I really liked this book. It was an interesting take on zombies, and having the power to put the undead back to their eternal rest is kind of cool. I liked Megan as a character (and her name, haha!) though in the beginning she annoyed me. She really didn't want to be a Settler again, especially since it was ruining her dates with boys, and she would not stop complaining about it. But finally Megan accepts what she has to do and gives the reader a break from the whining. I also liked the romance with Ethan, except I found it weird that Ethan is a freshmen in college while Megan is a sophomore in high school. There seems to be a big age difference, but whatever, they were still cute together. There was a lot of zombie action, especially at the end, but I didn't really like who the villains ended up being. Their motives for the black magic and awakening zombies weren't very good, and I feel like the author decided last minute who the bad guys were. Needless to say, this is a very good read and I can't wait for the sequel Undead Much to be written.

8 out of 10.

Release Date: January 22, 2009

Waiting on Wednesday - 2

If you didn't already know, Waiting on Wednesday is place for bloggers to get excited for upcoming reads.

Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

Fifteen-year-old Callie buys a pair of real Prada pumps to impress the cool crowd on a school trip to London . Goodbye, Callie the clumsy geek-girl, hello popularity! But before she knows what’s hit her, Callie wobbles, trips, conks her head… and wakes up in the year 1815! She stumbles about until she meets the kind-hearted Emily, who takes Callie in, mistaking her for a long-lost friend. Sparks soon fly between Callie and Emily’s cousin, Alex, the maddeningly handsome—though totally arrogant—Duke of Harksbury. Too bad he seems to have something sinister up his ruffled sleeve… From face-planting off velvet piano benches and hiding behind claw-foot couches to streaking through the estate halls wearing nothing but an itchy blanket, Callie’s curiosity about Alex creates all kinds of trouble. But the grandfather clock is ticking on her 19th Century shenanigans. Can Callie save Emily from a dire engagement, win a kiss from Alex, and prove to herself that she’s more than just a loud-mouth klutz before her time there is up?

I really like historical fiction, especially when it has a good plot, interesting characters, and is well-written. And this sounds like it fits all three!

Prada and Prejudice will be released June 11, 2009.

Update: Sorry I haven't posted anything in a few days! I've suddenly gotten really busy with school, swimming, and Christmas so sorry for the delay. I should be posting a review of You Are So Dead To Me by the end of the week so keep checking back!

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

Ruby Oliver is fifteen years old and has a therapist. She may be a little young, but she's had a rough ten days. Ruby broke up with her boyfriend, lost all her friends, and became a social outcast in a matter of days. This paved the way for some scary panic attacks, so now she's stuck expressing her feelings to a shrink named Doctor Z. Doctor Z asks Ruby to write a list of all the boyfriends she's had, which further causes problems when Ruby's Boyfriend List is copied and passed around to the whole student body.

This book was cute. I didn't like it very much at the beginning, but as the story progressed and we learned more about Ruby's "boyfriends", the book got better. The story was a little confusing though, because every chapter Ruby talks about a new boy on the Boyfriend List, but during the explanation, she's continuing with the real plot of the story, which is her breaking up with her boyfriend and losing all her friends, etc. So the story was all over the place, but E. Lockhart did a nice job of tying everything together so it made sense. But besides that, I felt really bad for Ruby. She's a great character but gets into all kinds of shenanigans that don't help her social status. And plus, Ruby's best friend Kim, is real piece of work. She starts going out with Ruby's ex two days after they break up and then says it's "fate" and "meant to be". So I definitely didn't like Kim. Who is also one of the only people who has a normal name in the book. There's characters named Shiv, Cricket, Gideon, Sky, Angelo and so on. Made the book interesting, I must say. There's also a sequel, The Boy Book, but I'm not sure if I'm going to read it yet.

6 out of 10.

Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom

Sports columnist Mitch Albom has found success and popularity in his occupation, but emotionally and spiritually he is bankrupt. While watching television one night, he comes across an episode of the news show Nightline and learns that his former professor Morrie Schwartz is battling ALS. At first, Mitch is reluctant to pay his former mentor a visit, since, at his graduation ceremony, Mitch promised to remain in contact with Morrie but failed to make good on that promise. Mitch eventually overcomes his uneasiness and, to his surprise, finds a very warm welcome from Morrie. The two begin to discuss the issues of happiness, life, and death, and they soon begin to meet on a weekly basis as Mitch reassumes the role of Morrie's student.
(Taken from Fandango)

This book is so sad. And I'll admit it: I cried. But it's still a really good book and one that I think everyone should read. Seriously, though, I think Tuesdays With Morrie changed my life. It's all about learning what's important in life, which not your job or making a lot of money, contrary to popular belief. Morrie preaches that it's about finding a purpose and being with your family and learning to love people. When reading about Morrie, I wanted to meet him. He seemed so sweet and nice and wise, which made the story even more sad. I feel like he holds this key to happiness and everything he says is so simple, but no one follows it. Everyone is concerned about themselves and making money, and don't take time to appreciate the little things. In short, if you want a life-changing story, I definitely recommend reading Tuesdays With Morrie.

7 out of 10.

Waiting On Wednesday

I'm finally starting one of these weekly post things that everyone does! For those of you who don't know, Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking The Spine to get excited about upcoming books.

The Season by Sarah MacLean

Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued -- in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own. Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet.

When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband? Romance abounds as this year's season begins!

I love historical fiction and this book sounds amazing! I don't think I can wait for the March '09 release date.

I Love Your Blog

I was nominated by Molly at Random 101for the I Love Your Blog award! Thanks, Molly! Now I get to pick seven blogs that I love. Some of you probably have already been awarded this, but I'm going to award you again.

Here's the Deal:
After receiving the award you are supposed to pay it forward:
1) Add the logo of your award to your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

My Nominees:
Au Courant
Just Blinded Book Reviews
Reading Keeps You Sane
that one girl emily
The Book Reader
The Book Vault
Reading Mania

Contest List Updated

My contest list for December has been updated. You can check it out by clicking the link under INFO CENTER on the sidebar. Every time I see a new contest I add it to my list so keep checking back if you want to win free books! And if you want your contest advertised, just send me an email or leave a comment. : )