Welcoming the Fall Giveaway WINNER!

Thank you everyone for stopping by for the Welcoming the Fall Giveaway here at resugo reads. I had 215 entries and over 100 new followers. Which is super exciting. So thank you!

Random.org chose #71 which makes the winner Marit. I've sent an email. If I don't hear from you in two days I'll pick a new winner.

Thanks again everyone! Happy reading

review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

pub date: October 12, 2010
publisher: Delacorte Press for Young Readers
pgs: 496
content: swearing

source: ARC from ALA

Revolution is another book that comes out in October that is so wonderful. Donnelly is an amazing author. I loved her first YA, A Northern Light. Absolutely ADORE it! I listened to it years ago and was mesmerized. I sat in my car one summer evening for two hours to finish the book because I just could not wait any longer! And the reader was amazing so I didn't want to read it myself. Though I can't say why I didn't go inside and listen to it. Maybe I was enjoying watching the setting sun? I don't remember. But for whatever reason, I have a very fond memory of listening A Northern Light and Loving it.


I didn't even know that Jennifer Donnelly had another YA novel coming out until I just happened to pass by a stack of ARCs at ALA. I snatched it up. It was the first book I read when I got home from DC.

Andi is a girl living in present day New York. She is severely depressed. Her brother was killed two years ago and she blames herself for his death. Her father has left the family and is living with his pregnant girlfriend. Her mother has checked out mentally, leaving Andi essentially alone. The only thing Andi has is her music. She is barely surviving.

Then her father shows up unexpectedly and makes her accompany him to France. She really does not want to be there but her father says he'll send her home if she starts researching her final project for school. While researching Andi finds the diary of Alexandrine, a young Parisian who lived during the French Revolution. Their two worlds come together in unexpected ways.


Though both the past and the present are sad, they are also hopeful. As Virgil says, "Life's all about the revolution...the one inside, I mean. You can't change history. You can't change the world. All you can ever change is yourself."*

I did have an issue with Andi's parents in this book, and I am probably being really unfair about it. I feel like in a lot of books I've been reading over the past year or two the dad leaves the family to start a new family and/or the main character's sibling dies, leaving the mom catatonic. I'm getting kind of tired of it. So when there are both parental situations in this book, it kind of bugged. Unfair, I know.

*from ARC and might change

review: Girl, Stolen by April Henry

pub date: September 28, 2010
publisher: Henry Holt
pgs: 224
source: ARC from PLA

Girl, Stolen comes out TODAY. I thought it was a wonderful book. I think you should totally go check it out.


blurb (the blurbs from goodreads and amazon have small incorrect details, so here's the one from the back of the book): 
Sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of the car while her stepmom fills her prescription. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, someone is stealing the car--with her inside! Griffin hadn't meant to kidnap Cheyenne; all he planned to do was take the car. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne's father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes--now there's a reason to keep her. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare? She's not only sick--she's BLIND!


me:
Seven reasons I liked this book (though not in any particular order):

1) The cover is cool. I like how Cheyenne is peaking out between her fingers.

2) It's very suspenceful, but not to the point that I couldn't sleep at night because of the house creaking (I'm wimp when it comes to scary)

3) I learned a lot about what it's like to be blind. I never spent much time thinking about how those who are blind might be treated or how they navigate in a world where most everyone else sees. It was interesting.

4) Griffin's the kidnapper, but he's not just the bad guy. He has depth and character. He had some redeeming qualities.

5) Griffin's dad is rather evil and has no redeeming qualities.

6) Cheyenne is brave and very strong. She's determined to take control of her situation and do everything she can to escape. She doesn't wait around for someone to rescue her.

7) Cheyenne does not suffer from Stockholm Syndrome. Yeah!

review: Jane by April Lindner

pub date: October 11, 2010
publishers: Poppy
pgs: 384 pgs
source: ARC from ALA
content: swearing (including f-bomb), sex

It's almost October! I love October. It's one of my favorite months of the whole year. What makes this October even better are some yummy books coming out that I'm so excited about! IOne of which is Jane. I was lucky enough to get an ARC at ALA in June. Loved it. 

blurb from goodreads:
Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, an iconic rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer, and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance. But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is tested by a torturous secret from his past.


my take:Sound familiar? If you know Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, it should. This is an updated retelling of the classic. And from a huge fan of the original, Lindner did a wonderful reworking. I loved it. I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to finish Jane's story even though I knew the basic plot and how it was going to end. It was just too delicious!


I thought it was very clever how Lindner modified Bronte's original story to work in today's world. Jane wasn't an orphan growing up, but she did feel very distant from her family. Her brother was cruel instead of her cousin. Nico's wild past was as a rock star. And though Jane doesn't forget her past when she meets the River family, her desire to keep it secret made sense. It all worked.


My one problem was the book was the ending. Jane and Nico are finally together again...and then it's over. So sad to turn the last page. I wanted a longer resolution!  

I read this book back in July, and I've had Jane cravings ever since. Every few weeks I'll want a fix so I just read a couple chapters here or there before moving on to something else. It adds so well into my Jane cannon, which includes the original book and 5 different movie versions (Toby Stephens is the best Rochester ever!). I really enjoyed this book!

in my mailbox (6)

This week I only got two new books:

Neal Shusterman's Bruiser from my friend Jaye as a late house warming gift. Yay! I LOVE this book.

and

If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I bought this one because I love it but also because I'm not a fan of the paperback cover so I wanted to buy it in hardcover while I still could.

Aren't they beautiful and blue? Yay for new books!

In My Mailbox is a meme from The Story Siren.

What's in your mailbox?

book blogger hop! (3)

Book Blogger Hop is a meme from crazy-for-books. This weekend's question is:

When you write reviews, do you write them as you are reading or wait until you have read the entire book?

I don't write the review until I'm done with the entire book. I don't even really think about a review until I've finished the book. I'm still getting used to reviewing books, it's only been a few months! Once I'm done it's smart for me to write the review asap so that its all fresh in my mind. And it's usually good for me to sit on the review for a few days before I post it. It gives me a chance to really solidfy my thoughts and change or add to the review. Many times it takes a few days for my thoughts on a book to solidify. And I don't write reviews for every book I read. Sometimes I just have nothing to share.

book reference

Last night I went up into the canyon with some friends to have a bonfire and tin foil dinners. I was already hungry and after eating my dinner I was still hungry. So I made a second (which I burned in my impatience). Yeah, still hungry. So when I got home I ate two bowls of Special K cereal. Even after that, I went to bed hungry. As I lay in bed, it definitely reminded me of Katnis and her hollow days. Though I'm sure I ate way more by lunch than she ever got in 24 hours. Still

On the way up the canyon my friend Bex was talking about teeth. (By way of explanation, she works in a dentists office). After teeth she moved on to dentures. For some reason it reminded me of Unwind by Neal Shusterman (I'm a big fan. He's awesome). I began to regal everyone with the intricacies of unwinding, how they wouldn't need dentures, they could just got brand new teeth. (Well, used teeth, but they were only 10 years old, so practically new). And they would have no need for glasses or contacts, because they could just get new eyeballs from a 16-year-old. Bazaar conversation, I know.

I just find it fun when life reminds me of books. Especially when I get to talk about them.