in which the book lover in me squeals with delight

I got on Goodreads! I love it. Not just like, love.

Pages and (internet) pages of books await me!

I rated all the books that I have read (no, not all of them), and am currently in the process of moving my to-read spreadsheet over to teh interwebz!

Of course, I'm billyBobjoe on there, but I think it messed up and shows me as "Billybobjoe", which you should all know, is NOT how I spell my name. I just wanted to clear that up before I get bombarded with, "That's not how you said to spell your name!"

Abanyhoo, if you like to read in the slightest, you should get on there! If you don't....start liking to. It'll change your life. If you are on there, make me one of your friends!

I just finished The Hunger Games, which are amazing! I honestly don't like the writing style, but the story is great. The way that the author describes those characters that you need to know is interesting. I love the way that symbolism is used. If you are planning to read them soon, look for fire, and the mockingjay symbols. Those should seem obvious, because of the titles, but they come in the story in different types of ways. Full reviews on each to come....hopefully.

I'm off to study!

bBj

Review on The Only Alien on the Planet

Author: Kristen D. Randle

Genre: Drama

Rating: PG-12

“...something's seriously wrong with him.”

   “They've all gotten used to him. The one who never speaks. The one who never smiles. They all say he's retarded. So, though his name is Smitty, they call him “The Alien.” and from the moment Ginny sees him she knows she has to meet him. Because she's been feeling weird since she and her family moved from the West Coast. She knows what it's like to feel alone. Ginny decides to become his friend. But Smitty is very different from anyone Ginny has ever known. And she soon realizes that reaching out to him might destroy him. Because in his world, there is no love. No pain. No room for anything – or anyone. Until Ginny comes along...”*

   I really wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. I kind of read this as a favor! I ended up really loving all the characters and could resonate with all of them. The plot was interesting and wasn't predictable at all. The main characters were seniors, but I didn't get sick of the “school” setting. Even though the plot isn't something that happens to anyone, the setting was normal, but not boring. It delved into some pretty deep issues, one especially that I've been thinking about a lot, and will be talking of in my NaNo novel. Go read it, it's worth it! I gave this a PG-12 rating, if that even exists. Practically speaking, I recommend this to anyone over 12 with no limitations. I'd give this 4 out of 5 stars!

* This summary taken from the back of the The Only Alien on the Planet book cover

~bbj the reader!

Review of Prada and Prejudice

Author: Mandy Hubbard

Genre: Romance

Rating: PG

Callie is tired of being a clumsy geek-girl. So during a school trip to London she buys her ticket to popularity: a pair of real Prada pumps. But then she wobbles on the cobblestones, trips in her too-high heels, and conks her head. When she comes to, it's the year 1815!

Luckily she meets kindhearted Emily, who mistakes Callie for a long-lost friend. Sparks soon ignite – of the nice and not-so-nice variety – between Callie and Alex, the handsome but totally arrogant Duke of Harksbury. Too bad Alex seems to have something sinister up his ruffled sleeve...

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 in the past is up?*

“I didn't know these dances! And as soon as the next dance starts, I'm going to be standing here alone while Emily dashes off to dance with Trent. It's like my worst nightmare, come to life.

Turns out 1815 isn't so different from the twenty-first century, because this is exactly what would happen if I were back home.

Why did I think it would change? Flying thousands of miles to Europe didn't change my fate. Traveling two hundred years, it seems, didn't either.”

   I absolutely loved this novel! I have loved Pride and Prejudice for a long time and wanted to see if this was mocking it or tipping it's hat to the original. This book did not disappoint! Despite the main character's being almost exactly like me, the book would've held my attention anyway. The characters felt real and the setting even more vivid! I read this in a few hours and thought I had gone back in time as well. This book would be good for someone not really interested in the 1800's; who knows, they might end up loving old fashioned things better for this! I rated this PG just because it's a romance and Callie takes the Lord's name in vain several times. The whole attitude behind this is kind of sassy though, beware! 5 out of 5 stars.

* This summary taken from the back of the Prada and Prejudice book