If We Kiss, by Rachel Vail

Charlie Collins has never been kissed.

She's never been in love, either. Charlie's beautiful best friend, Tess, has kissed three boys and has loved each one of them. Then Charlie unexpectedly finds herself falling for Kevin, and she's in a mess of trouble right away. For one thing, Tess is in love with Kevin. Even worse, his father seems to be dating Charlie's mom, who suddenly can't stop smiling. With no one to confide in, Charlie has to figure this one out for herself. But even as she tries to pull away from Kevin, she can't stop wondering, What would happen if we kiss?

When I first started reading If We Kiss, I was a little caught off guard by the tone from the main character. She seemed a little... immature. Needless to say, the first couple of chapters were a little rough to get through. Then, miraculously, it's told in the story that Charlie is just fourteen years old - and I had a very big Aha! moment. Suddenly, the voice made a whole lot of sense. Then, I felt bad.. and had to go and start all over. I'm telling this so people can go in with the knowledge that yes, the tone is a little on the young and immature side - but, that's because she is young and immature. And I am not saying she is immature in a negative way - just immature in a way that goes away with age and life experience.

Now, with that out of the way...

Despite her age and the things mentioned above, I really warmed up to Charlie through the story. She's a spunky character with a lot of humor and wit. She also had a lot of conflicting feelings and moments of doubt, all things that come with being a teenage girl. She was a genuine character that was easy to read and empathize with. Her best friend, Tess, was a solid character as well.. and reminded me so much of some of my female friends in school that fell in love with every guy that they kissed, it was a bit nostalgic. Reading now, of course it made me want to roll my eyes about a thousand times.. but, that is definitely a very real portrayal of how insanely intense your feelings are for everyone when you're a teen. I have to admit that I had a big problem with Kevin. I mean, his portrayal through the eyes of Charlie and Tess was that he was a nice character - oh, and a bit of a kissing slut. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I didn't see this "nice" character that they both fell for. He was really playing both girls, which is a big turn-off in my eyes. I did like how he called Charlie Chuck. It was cute. And I wish, wish, wish that George would have had a bigger role because he seemed like a decent character.. but I can't say for sure with the little time I got to read about him. Maybe next book?

There was an equal amount of drama and humor in this book that worked well for the story. Once I was over my little hiccup in the beginning, I really enjoyed If We Kiss. I was actually surprised at how fast of a read it was, but it made it no less enjoyable. The story flowed smoothly and keeps you turning page after page until the end. If you enjoy sweet little romances, I definitely think you'll enjoy this book.

My copy also had fun extras in the back that included an interview with author Rachel Vail, a kissing quiz and, my favorite, a sneak peek at the sequel, Kiss Me Again - a book that I WILL be nabbing as soon as it's available!

Rating: ★★★★✩
Source: Young Adult Books Central

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Title: If We Kiss
Author: Rachel Vail
Series: If We Kiss, Book 1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
Release Date: January 1, 2012

Purchase Book
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | IndieBound

Author Profile: Rachel Vail

Rachel Vail
New York, New York

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Bio

I was born on July 25, 1966, in NEW YORK CITY, and grew up in New Rochelle, NY, with my mother, my father, and my younger brother Jon. (And down the street from my future husband, though of course I didn't know that until much later.)
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More Books By Rachel Vail »

The Vincent Boys, by Abbi Glines

Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe That’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from.

Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah.

I swear, I can read a thousand and one books on high school loves and I just cannot get enough. It's as though I'm vicariously living through the characters since my high school love life was not so great.. and pretty non-existent, considering I never thought I truly loved anyone until my husband came around after high school. I had a nice amount of boyfriends, but love? Yeah, not so much. So, stories like this make me all warm and fuzzy.

With that said, I think it's kind of obvious that I loved this book. I loved the whole dynamic of the friendships between Ashton, Beau and Sawyer. I enjoyed the whole story of Ashton rekindling her old friendship with Beau. Even if it seemed a little shady to me that she did it behind her boyfriend's back, I understand the motive behind her decision to do so. Ashton was a great female lead, though I feel as if she lost a bit of her steam as the story progressed. She started out as a strong character, but toward the end turned a bit dependent on the boys to fight her battles for her. Normally, I'd really start losing respect for a character once that happened. However, having those chapters in her POV and understanding why she did it because she felt as though she deserved it.. well, I didn't lose all hope in her. Maybe because I know, given her situation and her actions, if I was in her shoes I would feel the exact same way. Is it completely, 100% rational? No, but when you're a teen and in love... everything is rational.

I also enjoyed the chapters from Beau's POV. Without those, I think I might have seen him and his actions as a little more shady than what I did. But once you get to see just how love-struck he has been with Ashton (and still is), then you kind of fall completely and madly in love with him as well. I also enjoyed Sawyer. To be honest, all three main characters were great but definitely had their fair share of faults in how their relationships got trapped in this whirlwind madness. Thankfully, they all owned up to their actions and things seemed to wrap up nicely with them.

The plot of this story is something we have all probably read before a time or two. What makes this one refreshing and stand out uniquely from the others is that we have characters who aren't perfect, but know that they're not perfect. Yes, they may make some mistakes and know they're making them even as they're doing it but they learn and face their consequences head-on. The characters really take precedence in this story, and the HEA that you get is really just the really good icing on an already delicious cake.

Rating: ★★★★★
Source: Purchase

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Title: The Vincent Boys
Author: Abbi Glines
Series: N/A
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: Kindle, 174 pages
Release Date: October 12, 2011

Purchase Book
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Lie, by Caroline Bock

Everybody knows, nobody’s talking. . . .
Seventeen-year-old Skylar Thompson is being questioned by the police. Her boyfriend, Jimmy, stands accused of brutally assaulting two young El Salvadoran immigrants from a neighboring town, and she’s the prime witness. Skylar is keeping quiet about what she’s seen, but how long can she keep it up?

But Jimmy was her savior. . . .
When her mother died, he was the only person who made her feel safe, protected from the world. But when she begins to appreciate the enormity of what has happened, especially when Carlos Cortez, one of the victims, steps up to demand justice, she starts to have second thoughts about protecting Jimmy. Jimmy’s accomplice, Sean, is facing his own moral quandary. He’s out on bail and has been offered a plea in exchange for testifying against Jimmy.

The truth must be told. . . .
Sean must decide whether or not to turn on his friend in order to save himself. But most important, both he and Skylar need to figure out why they would follow someone like Jimmy in the first place.

I don't know what I was expecting when I first started reading LIE. Obviously, not stories of fluffy kitties and puppies frolicking together in flower-covered meadows... but, I don't think that I was expecting such an intense story, either. It was a shock to the system, to say the very least.

I think the most unique part of the story for me was the fact that it was told in so many different POV's, yet it didn't get confusing in the least. To be honest, I think because the story was about such a sensitive subject, we actually NEED a lot of these POV's to understand just how everyone reacted to this. And the most eye-opening part about this was, besides the family of the victim, a lot of people seemed to literally worship Jimmy and was able to turn a blind eye to the horrific crime that he had committed. I expected it from Skylar and Sean, but all of the grown-ups, too? I applaud the fact that the author decided to write so many POV's and she did an INCREDIBLE job at fleshing all of the characters out so well in so little time. However, to have all of the characters (especially the grown-ups) make up excuses for Jimmy is a little unbelievable.

Speaking of Skylar and Sean: Ehh. Alright, I get it... Skylar's mother died and Jimmy was all she had, blah blah blah. But the way she worshiped the ground that boy walked on and seemed to not be able to even manage to exist without him really made my nerves stand on edge. I honestly do not get the dependency on one boyfriend - especially when she clearly had a father at home that was competent and there for her. My emotions for her fell flat from the very beginning. I started to have a little respect for her closer to the end but her actions throughout the entire book seemed to trump the little bit of redemption at the end. And Sean.. well, I can't say much about him for fear of spoilers. My feelings toward him were very roller-coaster, up and down throughout the story.

One character that did not have his POV written into the book was Jimmy himself. Honestly, there was so much told about him through the other characters that his POV was not needed.. but it didn't mean that I didn't want to know exactly what was going through his mind to make him do what he did. We get enough of an idea, but it doesn't make me any less curious. Though, it might be best that he didn't have a say in this story because I don't know if I could have handled it. Lisa Marie made my skin crawl enough with her behavior, so I could only imagine how dirty I would feel after reading any thoughts from Jimmy's mind.

Even though my emotions were all over the place throughout reading the novel, it was a very good read with a powerful message. If there was one thing I would have liked to change would be the ending. It was very abrupt and left a lot to the imagination as to what could have happened. This could have been left open like this on purpose and I could understand why. After being so emotionally invested throughout the story, I would have liked to see some concrete conclusion to the story. Besides that, it was a read worthy of the time.

Overall, with the subject matter at hand, I think this will be one of those books that people either love or not like because this isn't some contemporary romance with rainbows and sunshine throughout. This is raw and very real, dealing with a sensitive subject that may be a little too much for those with a weak stomach when it comes to hate crimes. However, if you can digest it.. it's worth the read.

Rating: ★★★★✩
Source: Young Adult Books Central

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Title: Lie
Author: Caroline Bock
Series: N/A
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Format: Paperback, 224 pages
Release Date: August 30, 2011

Purchase Book
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound

Dragon Harald Fairhair

The largest Viking ship built in modern times.

Named after Harald Fairhair, the king who unified Norway into one kingdom, the great dragon ship is coming together in the town of Haugesund in Western Norway.





Though recreating this ship mixes modern with traditional methods, the timeless beauty of the Dragon Harald Fairhair is indisputable.

Thirty five meters long and nearly eight meters wide, this Viking ship requires one hundred oarsmen.



Longships with carved dragon heads would be a fierce image in wars involving superstitious people.

Heeling and rowing tests were done with models to examine the salient characteristics of the longboat designs. Beautiful Sixareens!




Experts in traditional Norse boat building and the square sail are engaged in the development and construction of this ship as an experimental archaeological research program.
The aim is to recreate a ship with the superb seaworthiness that characterized the open ocean longships of the Viking Age.

The Dragon Harald Fairhair will have the same sea qualities as the great ships (storskipene) of the "leiðangr" - the Norwegian war fleet. According to old Norse sagas these ships combined the excellent sailing characteristics of ocean going ships with the ordinary warship's use of oars.
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In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly feature hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren that showcases the books that we have received throughout the week. As part of my IMM post, I feature the book's cover art, along with a link to the book's page on Goodreads.

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For Review (YABC):
Balthazar, by Claudia Gray

Haunted by memories from his first days as a vampire, Balthazar has spent hundreds of years alone—without allies, without love. When he emerges from his isolation to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, Balthazar has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye’s psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the cruel master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Having learned of Skye’s powers and the remarkable effect her blood has on vampires, he plans to use her for his own evil purposes. As they stand together to fight the evil vampire, Balthazar realizes his lonely world could finally be changed by Skye...just as Redgrave realizes that he can destroy Balthazar once and for all by taking her for his own.

For Review (YABC):

If We Kiss, by Rachel Vail

Charlie Collins has never been kissed.

She’s never been in love, either. Charlie’s beautiful best friend, Tess, has kissed three boys and has loved each one of them. Then Charlie unexpectedly finds herself falling for Kevin, and she’s in a mess of trouble right away. For one thing, Tess is in love with Kevin. Even worse, his father seems to be dating Charlie’s mom, who suddenly can’t stop smiling. With no one to confide in, Charlie has to figure this one out for herself. But even as she tries to pull away from Kevin, she can’t stop wondering, What would happen if we kiss?

For Review (YABC):
Irises, by Francisco X. Stork

TWO SISTERS: Kate is bound for Stanford and an M.D. -- if her family will let her go. Mary wants only to stay home and paint. When their loving but repressive father dies, they must figure out how to support themselves and their mother, who is in a permanent vegetative state, and how to get along in all their uneasy sisterhood.

THREE YOUNG MEN: Then three men sway their lives: Kate's boyfriend Simon offers to marry her, providing much-needed stability. Mary is drawn to Marcos, though she fears his violent past. And Andy tempts Kate with more than romance, recognizing her ambition because it matches his own.

ONE AGONIZING CHOICE: Kate and Mary each find new possibilities and darknesses in their sudden freedom. But it's Mama's life that might divide them for good -- the question of *if* she lives, and what's worth living for.

For Review (YABC):
Pretty Crooked, by Elisa Ludwig

Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.

Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”—known to everyone as the Glitterati—without them suspecting a thing is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.

The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her: evening the social playing field between the haves and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.

But when the cops start investigating the string of thefts at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could Aidan wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?

For Review (Publisher):
Masque of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Purchase:

The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Purchase:
Getting Over Garrett Delaney, by Abby McDonald

Seventeen-year-old Sadie is in love: epic, heartfelt, and utterly onesided. The object of her obsession - ahem, affection - is her best friend, Garrett Delaney, who has been oblivious to Sadie's feelings ever since he sauntered into her life and wowed her with his passion for Proust (not to mention his deep-blue eyes). For two long, painful years, Sadie has been Garrett's constant companion, sharing his taste in everything from tragic Russian literature to art films to '80s indie rock - all to no avail. But when Garrett leaves for a summer literary retreat, Sadie is sure that the absence will make his heart grow fonder - until he calls to say he's fallen in love. With some other girl! A heartbroken Sadie realizes that she's finally had enough. It's time for total Garrett detox! Aided by a barista job, an eclectic crew of new friends (including the hunky chef, Josh), and a customized selfhelp guide, Sadie embarks on a summer of personal reinvention full of laughter, mortifying meltdowns, and a double shot of love.

Purchase (Free via Amazon):
The Vincent Boys, by Abbi Glines

Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe that’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from.

Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah.

New This Week

Here are some of this week's Young Adult book releases. To learn more about each book, click on its cover art to be redirected to its page on Young Adult Books Central.

January 24, 2012

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This post is brought to you by Missy's Reads & Reviews. It spotlights some of the newly released books in YA - but it is not a comprehensive list to ALL Young Adult releases. To see these books on the date that they are actually published, please be sure to "like" Missy's Reads & Reviews on Facebook.

We used to stay in an upstairs unit of an old Victorian building. The floors were hardwood and the walls were very thin. I hated being the upstairs neighbor because I knew the people downstairs could hear my cats scamper on the floor. And they would often do it at night! 

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One more thing! All the items in the CvsH shop are 25% off 'til February 15. The discount code is LITTLEPAWS.

:3

Foto Selingkuhan Zumi Zola Peni Farnita Saputri

Kasus perselingkuhan zumi zola artis yang kini menjabat sebagai bupati tanjabtim Jambi dengan istri orang yang bernama Peni Farnita Saputri sedang menjadi perbincangan hangat. saya penasaran seperti apa sih Peni Farnita yang berselingkuh dengan Zumi Zola? kenapa zumi zola berani main api berselingkuh dengan istri orang? berusan saya searching di google soal foto peni farnita selingkuhan zumi zola

I tell people not to bring me flowers when they come to my home.

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Roxette Konser di Ancol 3 maret 2012

Lokasi konser roxette akhirnya di tentukan di ancol. konser grup duo legendaris ini akan diadakan tanggal 3 maret 2012. sebagai seorang penggemar roxette pastinya tidak akan melewati event ini yang akan digelar di Mata Elang International Stadium (MEIS), Ancol, Jakarta.


Sebelumnya sempat muncul dua opsi mengenai tempat untuk mengadakan konser band pelantun "It Must Have Been Love" yang juga

Sabrina Mastrangelo was crowned Miss New York Teen USA 2012 on January 15, 2012 at the Purchase College Performing Arts Center, Purchase, New York

Road to Miss Teen USA 2012


Sabrina Mastrangelo, Miss Long Island Teen USA, was crowned Miss New York Teen USA 2012 on January 15, 2012 at the Purchase College Performing Arts Center, Purchase, New York. She will represent New York in Miss Teen USA 2012Pageant.


Special thanks and credits to http://beautypageantnews.com

source: (Thank you and credits to
http://freedom-guy.blogspot.com/
and all sources for the information and pictures)

Sabrina Mastrangelo was crowned Miss New York Teen USA 2012 on January 15, 2012 at the Purchase College Performing Arts Center, Purchase, New York

Road to Miss Teen USA 2012


Sabrina Mastrangelo, Miss Long Island Teen USA, was crowned Miss New York Teen USA 2012 on January 15, 2012 at the Purchase College Performing Arts Center, Purchase, New York. She will represent New York in Miss Teen USA 2012Pageant.


Special thanks and credits to http://beautypageantnews.com

source: (Thank you and credits to
http://freedom-guy.blogspot.com/
and all sources for the information and pictures)

Meet The Top 25 Finalists of Sexiest Women of The World 2011-1012

Once again, the 500+ women who competed in the world’s Grand Slam pageants in 2012 were evaluated, this time on a different factor: Sexiness. A difficult task on selecting these 25 beauties, worthy of appearing in any swimsuit calendar this year. Originally 24 finalists made the cut, but one more was added due to the excellent level of beauties competing for the title of Sexiest Woman Alive 2011-12.

Leila Lopes - Angola

Scherri Lee Biggs - Australia

Daniela Nunez - Bolivia

Drielly Bennettone - Brazil

Johanna Solano - Costa Rica

Evalina van Putten - Curacao

Carlina Duran - Dominican Republic

Aferdita Dreshaj - Kosovo

Daniella Rahme - Lebanon

Amanda Warecka - Poland

Amanda Vilavona - Puerto Rico

Viviana Ortiz - Puerto Rico

Ivian Sarcos - Venezuela

Natalia Valenzuela - Colombia

Tania Zuluaga - Colombia

Jeanine Castro - Fernando de Noronha

Iliana Papageorgiou - Greece

Zhanna Zhumaliyeva - Kazakhstan

Deborah Henry - Malaysia

Keity Mendieta - Panama

Shamcep Supsup - Philippines

Dhesha Jeram - South Africa

Carla Garcia Barber - Spain

Johanna Sansano - ST Barthelemy

Daniela Nguyen Thu May - Vietnam

Special thanks and credits to the source: http://globalbeauties.com

source: (Thank you and credits to
http://freedom-guy.blogspot.com/
and all sources for the information and pictures)