Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Release Date: February 6, 2012
Publisher: Egmont Press
Source: Library

Summary

I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.(courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

Code Name Verity is a deceptive book. It presents itself as just another World War II story at the beginning, but it slowly transforms into a heart-wrenching punch to the stomach that you'll never forget. It's the kind of book you'll want to re-read to catch all the details, but you also won't need to because the story will be permanently etched in your mind.

Harry Potter Questions to Ponder

Good news! I picked up my computer from our fix-it guy in Salt Lake this weekend. He upgraded me to a 500 GB hard drive (only 150 before) and a faster CPU for only $114!!! I'm so happy to have my computer back. I kissed it the moment it leapt into my arms. *Now that I have my computer back, I'll work on commenting back to all of you who've left comments in the past week or so.*

It's October and that means it is time for my fifth annual Harry Potter re-read. I'm currently reading the fifth book. I think I will finish the entire series in my fastest time yet - only two weeks! Which is good because I have tons of other things to read.

As always when I read the Harry Potter series, the rest of the world disappears and all I can think about is Hogwarts, hippogriffs, and horcruxes.

I know most of you are also huge Harry Potter fans, so I thought I'd put up a few questions about reading the series:

1. When did you first read Harry Potter?

Manga Mondays #124: Skip Beat vol. 25 by Yoshiki Nakamura

Manga Mondays Meme!

I've been doing Manga Mondays every week since I started my blog 2 years ago. It's always been a personal feature, but now I'm going to try turning it into a meme. There are quite a few people who do Manga Mondays. I don't claim by any means that I owned or created the idea of Manga Mondays - it's an obvious choice given the alliteration. I think a meme would be a good way for everyone to publicize their own Manga Mondays and get a little more publicity.

The linky will be below my review.

Skip Beat! vol. 25 by Yoshiki Nakamura

Summary

Kyoko Mogami followed her true love Sho to Tokyo to support him while he made it big as an idol. But he's casting her out now that he's famous! Kyoko won't suffer in silence--she's going to get her sweet revenge by beating Sho in show biz!

Kyoko's Valentine's battle with Reino has finally gained her Sho's attention-- but now it's the last thing she wants! Sho is determined to make her obsessed with him, and shows up on set with an over-the-top gift to taunt her. But when Kyoko explains her true relationship with Reino, Sho makes an inexcusable move. Has he undone her years of healing in one fell swoop?!(courtesy of the back cover and Goodreads)

Review

*Warning: Potential spoilers. My manga reviews tend to be more of a summary than a review. I find it hard to review manga in the same way I do regular books.
It's funny how you can intellectually know that a story is silly, but get sucked into the moment and worry with all your heart, mind, and soul about the plight of these characters in their outrageous escapades. Skip Beat is ridiculous in most ways, but the strong human emotion does me in every time.

Feature and Follow Friday #118

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

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Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

Destined by Aprilynne Pike

Destined (Wings #4) by Aprilynne Pike
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Library

Summary

Tamani looked at her gravely, and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear.

He hesitated for an instant, then his hands found the sides of her face, pulling her to him. He didn't kiss her, just held her face close to his, their foreheads resting together, their noses almost touching.

She hated how much it felt like good-bye.

Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful--and deadly--of all, and Klea plans to use her to help conquer and destroy Avalon. But Klea's reach extends far beyond one wild Winter faerie. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares to face what may be Avalon's final days, in the stunning conclusion to the Wings series.(courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

I am computer-less for the next week. My hard drive decided to take an undeserved vacation, so it is on its way to Salt Lake City where it will get a brand new hard drive. I'll pick it up when I fly to Utah this weekend (going to the Libba Bray event!!!!). I'll still be able to update the blog through my husband's computer at night but my comments will probably be limited. Boo. :-(

Wings - the first book in the series - was one of the best fairy books I've read. It drew from traditional fairy lore but with a unique botanical twist. Add to that compelling characters and sweet romance and you have a great book. The subsequent books in the series have failed to achieve quite the level of magic I discovered in Wings, but have still been good in their own right. I particularly love the rich world building that pervades the books.

To Wordpress or Not To Wordpress: Bloggers Speak!

More and more bloggers are abandoning the Google ship in favor of the foreign waters of Wordpress. I'm considering taking the plunge. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it.

Switching to Wordpress is a big step for any blogger to take. There's a risk that your content will get lost in the shuffle and most importantly, that your readers might get lost. But there are so many potential benefits - better SEO, more plug-ins, etc. I've been weighing the risks versus benefits for a long time. Danny of Bewitched Bookworms is the main person who swayed my opinion. When I visited her in August, we spent several hours staring at her Wordpress account as she showed me all the cool things she could do with it and how much it had helped her blog (although I think Danny, Pushy, and Heather's hard work helped more than anything).

I'm guessing I'm not alone in thinking about a Wordpress switch. Lots of blogs have fabulous posts about the pro's and con's of Wordpress and great technical information about switching. I wanted to collate the opinions of numerous bloggers who've already made the switch, so you can read multiple opinions in one post.

Thank you to all the bloggers who took the time to answer my Wordpress switch-over questions! There were so many of you that I am splitting this post into two. Today, I'm featuring the experiences of Rebecca of Kindle Fever, Mariya of Mystifying Paranormal Reviews, and Anna of Anna Reads. Stay tuned for the next installment!

*And also thanks to my husband for letting me spend an hour on his computer setting this post up when I should have been making dinner. Sorry we won't be eating until after 9 pm!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Release Date: February 1, 1999
Publisher: MTV Books and Pocket Books
Source: Library

Summary

Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.(courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

I am computer-less for the next week. My hard drive decided to take an undeserved vacation, so it is on its way to Salt Lake City where it will get a brand new hard drive. I'll pick it up when I fly to Utah this weekend (going to the Libba Bray event!!!!). I'll still be able to update the blog through my husband's computer at night but my comments will probably be limited. Boo. :-(

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a classic coming of age literary young adult novel. Too often these kinds of novels try too hard. As though the authors unconsciously push the plot and characters into the background and place themselves in the foreground: "Hey, my writing is incredible! I'm really smart! Look at me!" But The Perks of Being a Wallflower is not like that. It is the perfect balance of character, plot, and skillful writing.