Tuesday, March 25, 2014

"Erasing: Shadows" (a Lexi review)

Readers,

This book is really weird. It's a stretch of the imagination, but bear with me here... Erasing: Shadows by K.D. Rose.



Summary: "What if to save the ones you love, you had to unlock the key to a different reality?

Generations of mystery smash together when a seemingly traditional family must shatter their illusions of normality to confront themselves and their friends, leaving no possibility unexplored in order to rescue- well, who exactly? Watch the Ross family, the High Five Gang, and multiple generations dig into an innovative explosion of imagination where they must confront numerous realities, real-world danger, and worst of all—their own teenage hormones!
In a place where nothing is as it seems and shocks are around every corner, even the people you thought you knew may find themselves strangers in this moving and provocative reality-bender. With breathless pacing and psychological intrigue, Erasing: Shadows and the High Five Gang will keep you guessing until the very end." (Thank you, Goodreads!)

It's an odd book. It is definitely original and interesting, but it couldn't capture me. The worlds in here seem amazing, and I was into it, but the plot was just not for me. It is a good book though. If you want a more fantastical fiction, then this is the book for you, and ignore my rating. But if you're not, go check out the other novels we've reviewed! :)

In Conclusion: Eh, why not?


Rating:
2/5 pine trees

Till next time!


XOXO,

Lexi

Sunday, March 23, 2014

This Week's Weird/Strange Holidays (a Sunday Lexi post)

Readers,

I'm giving you a reason to celebrate every single day this next week! Here's a list of holidays from today to next Sunday!!!

Today:
National Chip and Dip Day
Near Miss Day*

Monday:
National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day

Tuesday:
National Agriculture Day
Pecan Day
Waffle Day

Wednesday:
Make Up Your Own Holiday Day

Thursday:
National "Joe" Day**

Friday:
Something on a Stick Day

Saturday:
National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day
Smoke and Mirrors Day

Sunday:
National Doctor's Day
I am in Control Day
Take a Walk in the Park Day

Till next time!

XOXO,
Lexi


*This is recognizing that, on March 23rd, 1989, a large asteroid missed the Earth by a mere 500,000 miles!

**This is the day you change your name, even if it's just for today!

Saturday, March 22, 2014

"The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare" (a reincarnated Lexi review)

Hey, Readers!

Not really too much to say today, so let's go on to the review of The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare by M.G. Buehrlen!


Summary: "For as long as 17-year-old Alex Wayfare can remember, she has had visions of the past. Visions that make her feel like she’s really on a ship bound for America, living in Jamestown during the Starving Time, or riding the original Ferris wheel at the World’s Fair.

But these brushes with history pull her from her daily life without warning, sometimes leaving her with strange lasting effects and wounds she can’t explain. Trying to excuse away the aftereffects has booked her more time in the principal’s office than in any of her classes and a permanent place at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Alex is desperate to find out what her visions mean and get rid of them.

It isn’t until she meets Porter, a stranger who knows more than should be possible about her, that she learns the truth: Her visions aren’t really visions. Alex is a Descender – capable of traveling back in time by accessing Limbo, the space between Life and Afterlife. Alex is one soul with fifty-six past lives, fifty-six histories.

Fifty-six lifetimes to explore: the prospect is irresistible to Alex, especially when the same mysterious boy with soulful blue eyes keeps showing up in each of them. But the more she descends, the more it becomes apparent that someone doesn’t want Alex to travel again. Ever.
And will stop at nothing to make this life her last." ()

It took me all of my 57 lives to read this book. I had to keep forcing myself to go on. It could have been and should have been shorter than it was. I love the idea, the plot, the characters, but I just couldn't get hooked onto this as much as I wanted to. The book pace was just waaaaay too slow for me, and there were too many parts I had to muscle through all throughout this novel. I did too much muscling. I even had to muscle through the end. Then, I'm left wondering/hoping that the sequel will be better...

In Conclusion: Do what you want. But I'd say no.

Rating:
2.5/5 lightbeams



Till next time!

XOXO,
Lexi

Thursday, March 20, 2014

"Parasite" (a squirmish Lexi review)

Dear Readers,

You guys are awesome, reading our blog and sharing us with your friends!!! We really appreciate it!!!

Okay, today's book is Parasite by Mira Grant.


Summary: "A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.

We owe our good health to a humble parasite - a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system - even secretes designer drugs. It's been successful beyond the scientists' wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them.
But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives...and will do anything to get them." (Toda, Goodreads!)

All I can really say is that this book is very interesting, but it took a little bit to get into. I do like it, and this idea is amazing to think about! I mean, a parasite that helps us??? How cool would that be!?!?! I really liked the medical view of this novel, and how creepy the idea of a tapeworm is, lol. I also like the relationships, and the twists that this novel takes, so I say read it!

In Conclusion: Read if you can take it.

Review:

4/5 parasites


Till next time!!!

XOXO,

Lexi

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

"Edge of the Falls" (a "tale as old as time" Lexi review)

Readers,

So I'm into "Beauty & the Beast." I made my mother watch it waaaaay too many times as a kid. She always told me I was just like Belle, and she taught me to be all the awesome things Belle was. I now seek out books to read with that theme. Today's is one of them!

It's Edge of the Falls by Nazarea Andrews!


Summary: "In a world torn apart by science and war, an outcast finds love with a beast.
Sabah has lived outside the Commission’s control her entire life. But as she approaches the age of Majority, her guardian pushes her to make a choice: life in the wild with a boy she barely knows, or a place in the nearby City with Berg, the boy she’s known since childhood.
But when Arjun, a monster created by scientists, saves her life, everything Sabah knows begins to change. Hidden away from her life and family, Sabah finds herself trusting the beast when he tells her secrets and more—falling in love with a creature she’s spent a lifetime fearing.
But in a world where control is everything, and life is something you fight for—can a love that defies society survive?" (Spasibo, Goodreads!)

This novel is soooooo good! Taking a dystopian novel and rigging it with a fairytale? That's just awesome. The characters have depth, and they're very relatable. I love the suggestive couples in the story, and the ban wolf den. The rules surrounding the dome seem realistic, which makes the novel even more engaging. I got through it quickly, because this is awesome! I hope you love it like I do!

In Conclusion: Yay! Read it!

Rating:
4.6/5 wolves


Till next time!

XOXO,
Lexi

Saturday, March 15, 2014

"The Forgotten Fairytales" (a royal Lexi review)

Readers,

We're having storms down here, which makes it perfection for reading books and watching movies, all cuddled up in blankets and pillows. Or to make a fort, whether it blanket or pillow. (I'm on the sheet side, but I don't want to start a war...) And it's perfect for my dog(who is also part cat and part hyena, we're pretty sure) to hide under a bed. Currently, the one I'm in. (Poor baby.) It's also a great day to read the creepiest things young kids have ever said to their parents, grandparents, etc. on Reddit as well!

But, before you go to that link, and before the rain ends, let's move on to the book I'm reviewing today, shall we? It's The Forgotten Fairytales by Angela Parkhurst.


Summary: "Once upon a time, seventeen-year-old Norah Hart believed in the lure of fairytales and happily ever afters. That was before she was forced to live in a fairy tale nightmare.

A psychotic, couture-clad, shoe obsessed Princess.
A not-so-charming, alcoholic Prince.
A hot Big Bad Wolf that she absolutely cannot fall for—no matter how well he kisses.

If Norah had known she’d be attending a boarding school for the nut job reincarnations of fairy tale characters, she would have insisted on going to Moscow with her father. But getting out isn’t as easy as she thought. Especially once Norah realizes she, too, is a storybook character. An Unknown. The first one in over one hundred years. Soon Norah learns she has the ability to rewrite the stories, putting everyone’s Happily Ever After in jeopardy. 
Some princesses will do whatever it takes to protect their endings. Even if it means betraying the one closest to you." (Obrigado, Goodreads!) 

This novel wasn't only magical, but it was funny. Showing up at a boarding school full of tales of "Happily ever after" makes Norah think everybody there is absolutely insane, and her dad sucks big time for making her go there. From there, she tries to find her own place amongst grumpy, devious princesses, dopey princes, and other awesome people/creatures! I absolutely LOVED this novel, and I think that you will, too!

In Conclusion: Magic is still alive! Go read this book!

Rating:

5/5 Disney Princesses (Okay, so there are ten here. Just go with it!.. Thank you to the DeviantArt artist who drew these!)



Till next time!!!

XOXO,

Lexi

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

"Elusion" (a digital Lexi review)

Hey, readers!!!

I've been bleh all day, so to cheer myself up, I wanted to write a post about this awesome book that's been stuck in my head ever since I finished reading it. It moved up the list of novels I've read and need to review on! What book? Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam.


Summary: "Soon, Elusion® will change the world and life as we know it.

A new technology called Elusion is sweeping the country. An app, visor and wristband will virtually transport you to an exotic destination where adventure can be pursued without the complications—or consequences—of real life.

Regan is an Elusion insider. Or at least she used to be. Her father invented the program, and her best friend, Patrick, heir to the tech giant Orexis, is about to release it nationwide. But ever since her father’s unexpected death, Regan can’t bear to Escape, especially since waking up from the dream means crashing back to her grim reality.
Still, when there are rumors of trouble in Elusion—accusations that it’s addictive and dangerous— Regan is determined to defend it. But the critics of Elusion come from surprising sources, including Josh, the handsome skeptic with his own personal stakes. As Regan investigates the claims, she discovers a disturbing web of secrets. She will soon have to choose between love and loyalty…a decision that will affect the lives of millions." (Gracias, Goodreads)

This novel is really cool. I loved the setting, and how polluted everything was. I guess it made me feel like it was more realistic. Then came the virtual reality machines that are a big part of this novel. I loved them! I loved how detailed and realistic they were, and how different they made this novel. Sure, there have been others with the same idea of device, but those are nothing compared to this novel's. This could be because of the descriptiveness of this book. The descriptions are amazing in this novel, from the machines to the people to the outside to even inside buildings. The storyline was really cool, and I was just wowed with the book in general. It had (and still has) me hooked!

In Conclusion: Read it!

Rating:
5/5 motherboards


Adios till next time!!!

XOXO,

Lexi

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Our Sunday Comics!!! (a Sunday post by Lexi)

Here are some funny memes (our own Sunday comics, lol)!!! Hope they make ya smile!!! <3 font="">, Lexi

This is even funnier now, A) because Harry Potter books just turned 15, and B) the royals just announced that the Duchess is indeed pregnant.

It's called Facebook, not Boobbook. So next time try to get your face in the picture too

The 4th Twilight Book... by Will Ferrel. Twitter joke. I really want to create a twitter just so I can follow him!! XD
I'm still convinced that this happened.

Dennis, is that you?

Every time you make a typo, the errorists win | Img @ The Meta Picture. http://bit.ly/TheErroristsWin

I shot the serif... I probably think this is funnier than it really is. :)

Humor quotes, funny pics, humourous, jokes funny, hilariousness, just hilarious, Lmao funny …For the best humour quotes and hilarious sayings visit www.bestfunnyjokes4u.com/lol-funny-cat-pic/

I'm hilarious like that...

Read this in Malfoy's voice and laughed way harder than I probably should have.

Funny Pictures Of The Week (55 Pics) Rue and Katniss sitting in a tree. K-I-L-L-I-N-G

Police State? What Police State? This is such a joke.  What about the real criminals out there?  Where are taxes being use, oh wait, to Islam. !!

“Otters” Daily Odd Compliment

I'll admit it, this almost worked on me. And by that I mean I stopped after the first two syllables...

I totally understand, Rihanna.

Fun Claw - Funny Cats, Funny Dogs, Funny Animals: Funny Dogs - 20 Pics

:)



LOL!

Hope you're grinning!!!

Saturday, March 8, 2014

"Control" (a biological Lexi review)

Hey, lovely readers!!!

I know y'all loved reading April Lindner's post!!! Her books are amazing, so how could we not have her on here!?! She's been awesome with us.

Okay, so today's book was released the day after Christmas! It's called Control (Control #1) by Lydia Kang!



Summary: "When a crash kills their father and leaves them orphaned, Zel knows she needs to protect her sister, Dyl. But before Zel has a plan, Dyl is taken by strangers using bizarre sensory weapons, and Zel finds herself in a safe house for teens who aren’t like any she’s ever seen before—teens who shouldn't even exist. Using broken-down technology, her new friends’ peculiar gifts, and her own grit, Zel must find a way to get her sister back from the kidnappers who think a powerful secret is encoded in Dyl’s DNA.

A spiraling, intense, romantic story set in 2150—in a world of automatic cars, nightclubs with auditory ecstasy drugs, and guys with four arms—this is about the human genetic “mistakes” that society wants to forget, and the way that outcasts can turn out to be heroes." (Thank you to Goodreads!!!)

The technology and characters were totally unique. The main character and her sister had a close bond, and did with their father as well. I saw only the one-sentence summary "Copyright" page, so I wasn't privy to many facts that are in that summary. I was walking into this one blind. However, the family she develops, and the truths that are found made it worth it. I'm so happy I chose to read this! Kang is a great writer that gets you into the novel, invested in the characters, and also be laughing at things said. The plot is unique, and the ending was good!

In Conclusion: Read away, especially if you're into this genre!!!

Rating:



4/5 DNA strands

Till next time!


XOXO,

Alexis (Lexi)

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Guest Blogger!!! APRIL LINDNER!!!!!!

Writing about music isn’t easy.  How can mere words convey the excitement of a backbeat, a smoking guitar solo, a throbbing bass rift, or a lead singer throwing his whole body and soul into the high notes?  When I set out to write Catherine, the last thing I meant to do was write about rock music.  For one thing, I’d just been there and done that.

In my first novel, Jane, a retelling of Jane Eyre, my reluctant heroine falls in love with an international rock star on the brink of his big comeback.  In writing that novel, I drew on everything I knew about arena rock, touring, and the lives of celebrity musicians.  As a hardcore fan who sees a lot of live music, I’d done a fair amount of imagining what a rock star’s everyday life would be like, and how a celebrity might find himself falling in love with an ordinary young woman.  In fact, I’d spent most of my teen years, and, quite a few of my adult years too, musing on this very subject. 

When I finished writing Jane, I thought I’d said everything I had to say on the subject of music.  But when I set out to write Catherine, I was a little lost. I knew that if I wanted to update Wuthering Heights, I would need a setting that was dramatic and a little dangerous, one that could be as important to the story as its characters would be.  At first I envisioned a doomed romance set in the remote and unforgiving climes of New Hampshire’s White Mountains.  I thought Catherine could be the daughter of a corrupt local politician, and Heathcliff might be at troublemaker from the wrong side of the tracks.  But my story just didn’t gel. I couldn’t care about it in that intense way a writer needs to about the worlds she’s trying to build and inhabit.

Then one night about three chapters in I happened to be seeing a show at the Stone Pony, a legendary club in Asbury Park, New Jersey.  As I held my little square of the packed floor, straining to see above the heads of the people in front of me, letting the music sweep me along, I felt it again—that old familiar rush I feel when I’m seeing a really good live show.  And I realized that feeling was a lot like the exhilaration I had felt while writing Jane.  I had missed that passion and I wanted it back.

I knew, suddenly, what I had to do to make Catherine come alive—for myself and for readers.  I had to set the story in a world I cared about.  I would make it a different slice of the music world this time—a punk rock nightclub on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.  And Hence, my Heathcliff character, wouldn’t be a star; he’d be a hungry, striving guitarist who might make it some day—or who might not.  As for Catherine, she’d be the daughter of a nightclub owner, a club as big and important as CBGB, one that could make or break the careers of young strivers like Hence.  She’d know better than to fall in love with a musician who might be interested in her more for her father’s sake than her own—but just this once she wouldn’t be able to resist. 

Catherine fell into place that night.  Picking a setting and a scenario that mattered to me made all the difference. As hard as it can be to write about music, to convey its magic with mere words, I seem destined to try over and over again.  Not too surprisingly, music plays a key role in Love, Lucy, my third novel due out in January 2015.  And these days I’m even blogging about rock music.  Here’s a recent post about Jesse Malin, the musician I was seeing that fateful night at the Stone Pony, and whose music kept playing in my head as I wrote Catherine: http://aprillindnerwrites.blogspot.com/2013/10/weve-got-that-pma-night-at-wonder-bar.html

Saturday, March 1, 2014

"Locked" (ANOTHER FAVORITE!!!!!!!!) (a snarky Lexi review)

Hello, Awesome Readers!!!

So today's review is my favorite novel that I've read recently!!! I seriously was expecting this book to be boring, or just to not have any spark for me. I was so, so wrong. I've been waiting all freaking week to review it today!!!

The book? Locked by Eva Morgan!!!

(Oh yes, Sherlockians, you will be Sherlocked yet again.)



Summary: "When eighteen-year-old Irene Adler meets her new neighbor, the gorgeous, brilliant, and arrogant Sherlock Holmes, she never expects him to be the one to make her feel like life is worth living again. Ever since her sister's death, she's been addicted to risk-taking as a way to deal with her depression, and Sherlock quickly becomes the biggest risk she's ever taken. 

Locked is the story of a broken girl and the genius who gives her life back to her. It's the story of a witty asshole who's never known love, and the girl who shows him what love means. It's the story of an unexpected connection, two people who save each other, and the importance of seeing the goodness underneath. " (Goodreads, you are superb!)

I was so surprised and happy with this book! It fit in perfectly with other YA, but stands out nonetheless. I love the characters, and any time I read something funny and literally laughed out loud, I'd highlight it in my Nook. I did that A LOT. Plus, the mystery is awesome! You can relate to everybody and everything because it's YA! The author is truly talented, and evoked a sense of the original Sherlock Holmes! Trust me, this novel is AWESOME!!!!!

In Conclusion: READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! REEEEAAAADDD THISSSSSS!

Rating: 7/5!!!!!!!! But since it's so good, I'm just going to put this awesome Disney "The Great Mouse Detective" pic here:



Many more book reviews on the way!!!


XOXO,

Lexi