Saturday, March 24, 2012

Movie Review {1}: The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games
Format: Movie
Reported by: Julianna Helms

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games.  A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains.

Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy.  If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, with a screenplay by Gary Ross and Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik.  Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 23.5 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following. It has spent more than 160 consecutive weeks/more than three consecutive years to date on The New York Times bestseller list since its publication in September 2008, and has also appeared consistently on USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists.

-Summary from The Hunger Games official movie website

This movie was not perfect.

There is not such thing as true perfection, because everyone of us sees the world through drastically different eyes, and if we are to define the word perfection, then that grants individuals a power so long lost and never earned that it would be controversial and hated, loved and abused. And while I wholeheartedly embrace anyone who finds this movie perfectly perfect, as it might just be in their case, I myself am a full acknowledger of my truths, and I do not believe this movie was truly perfect...

but, a clarification: it was perfect for me.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Why basically I am going to SUCK for the next few days

Hey there!

Fancy seeing ya! Wait, why aren't you talking to me? *pokes blogosphere* *panics* What did I do??? Oh yeah...

I've been, well, absent.

'Tis true, folks. Juli cannot keep to a schedule at all. In fact, pretty sure she can't even fit in "write an actual schedule" in her "schedules." In mine, rather.

Sorry, y'all. I'm typing this quite late at my night and my brain's just fuzzy as heck.

Anyways, just wanted to let you all know that while you may hate me, I still love you! :) I'm so sorry for being absent, but I've had so much schoolwork and such that I've completely gone insane with what I have to do, and blogging, though I did already write up so reviews, just had to be held back until I can find balance.

I promise I will keep reviewing and such, of course, but posting will be sporadic (as always) and they might not be exactly punctual. I'm so sorry! D:

Will ya please stick around? 
The Reviews News

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Kiss Me I'm (secretly) Irish Giveaway!

I have approximately 12 different things I need to work on, so I'm so sorry, but this post is going to be short.

(I'm not Irish, but kiss me anyway! <---that was a picture I had in this post before which I've now taken down for reasons.)

So, today's St. Patrick's Day, and you know what THAT means! #TeamKilt is going to celebrate with some Logan Irish goodness! In case you live in a cave, #TeamKilt is dedicated to the STAR author Jeri Smith-Ready--basically we're Jeri's loyal fan group, divided on the Zachalicious Zachary Moore and rock STAR Logan Keeley from Jeri's Shade series. Since we celebrated Zach at Burn's Night a fwe months ago, it's Logan's STAR day today! Bloggers are having giveaway hops, and get this: not only do you have a chance to win individual prizes, the winner will also get their name entered into a grand drawing for the LAST SHINE ARC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah. I know.

I was supposed to share my favorite thing about Ireland or my first kiss or just a kiss story, but um, since I haven't had my first kiss yet (does that limit my age range? Oh darn, I was hoping that'd remain a mystery), I shall share some Irish funny stories!

My best bud, who I shall call Colie right now because that's my nickname for her (long story), decided that we would move to Alaska together after we finish college (noooo I just limited my age range again!!). But she said that it would be too cold (I disagree-I LOVE THE COLD!) and started searching up beautiful sights. Then she called me and said,

IRELAND.

WE ARE MOVING TO IRELAND.

So yeah, my first thought? HOLY COW IRELAND!!!!! And then I thought, but... but... Alaska! 
 In case you don't know, my trip to Alaska last year consisted of beauty like this:
my own picture

Yeah. But then I saw this: 
(found on google images)

and so now I think I'll spend the rest of my life divided in between Alaska and Ireland. What do you think?

And now! The giveaway!

I didn't know what to do at first, but I knew I wanted something GREEN. And if you've been reading this post closely, you can see the STARS I've scattered throughout. What does it mean?

This:

GLOW-IN-THE-DARK GREEN STARS!!!!
okay, okay, please just pretend you're excited, kk? :) And I'm so sorry, but unless you're willing to pay the shipping fee, I'll have to limit this giveaway to U.S./Canda ONLY! :( I promise I'll do an international giveaway soon!

Now just fill out the giveaway after the jump!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Out of Truths, Out of Lies

Out of Sight, Out of Time
By: Ally Carter
Reported by: Julianna Helms

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan--an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.

Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It’s a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.


-Summary from Goodreads
Mrs. Nelson's||Barnes&Noble||Amazon||Book Depository

I needed something fun, and Out of Sight, Out of Time didn't offer me that. It offered me something more: melancholy and honesty.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Interview with Megan Miranda!

So, for those of you who know me, you know I absolutely loved Megan Miranda's debut novel, Fracture. I loved it so much that I went to Megan's event at Vroman's (it's in Pasadena) afterwards, and my gosh, she is SO. FREAKIN'. AWESOME.

Ahem. Please excuse the excess fan-girling.

But anyway, the point is, Megan was kind enough to agree to an interview!!! So, behold...

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Cover Reveal: MY SUPER SWEET 16th CENTURY


You guys! I'm super excited to share with you today the cover for Rachel Harris's debut novel, My Super Sweet 16th Century!

Before we get to that, though, here's the synopsis:
On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?

-Summary from Goodreads
Pre-order: Barnes&Noble||Amazon
Now THAT sounds cool. Hey, are ya ready? Here's the super sweet cover! (ha, see what I did there?) (now just continue after the jump...)

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Starcrossed

Starcrossed
By: Josephine Angelini
Reported by: Julianna Helms
Source: Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop (thank you!)

Helen Hamilton has always tried to hide how different she is—no easy feat on an island as small as Nantucket, and only getting harder as she finds herself haunted by hallucinations and vivid nightmares.

It's not until she crosses paths with Lucas Delos at school that Helen's true heritage is finally revealed. Yet even as Lucas helps her awaken to her startling powers, they can never be together—not unless they can break free from the tragic destiny the Three Fates have in store.

-Summary via Josie's website
Mrs. Nelson's||Barnes&Noble||Amazon||The Book Depository

I love this book so much I hate it.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Teaser Tuesday {1}

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Don't I have a treat for you guys--and for my first Teaser Tuesday, too! I just got approved on Netgalley for The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long (Yeep!), and it's amazing so far. My teaser comes from the bound galley, so this might not even be in the final version of the book, but here you go.


"Tom had a wildness about him tonight, something just a bit desperate, as if his music scared him and yet he needed it."

-Page 3, The Treachery of Beautiful Things

What do you think? I think this is one of those instances where a beautiful cover actually means a beautiful book. :) Though, I'm not very far in yet, so I can't make a permanent judgment just yet.

Do you have a teaser today? Share it below!
The Reviews News

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Oh, Vee, what do you see?

Slide
By: Jill Hathaway
Reported by: Julianna Helms

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.
 

-Summary from Goodreads 
Preorder: Barnes & Noble||Amazon||The Book Depository

There is this deep mystery buried in everything, but only a handful of us can tell it so immensely well that all feelings of doubt are erased upon every suspect. Jill Hathaway is one of those people. 
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