Review: Lucky T by Kate Brian

"Some girls have all the luck. So far, Carrie Fitzgerald's sixteen years have been pretty sweet. Straight A's, an adorable boyfriend, a starting position on the varsity basketball team... But Carrie's luck is about to change. Suddenly, her boyfriend dumps her (to "hang out with his friends"), she and her best friend have a massive blowout, and she gets a D on a biology test. Carrie knows what's wrong - her mom accidentally donated her lucky T-shirt to Help India. That one adorable, perfect T-shirt was the source of all her good fortune. So Carrie does what any girl would do: she's going to India. Cross your fingers and hope that Carrie finds adventure, love, and maybe just a little good luck along the way..."

This was definitely a bummer by Brian. I loved her other books, but this one was a bit immature for my tastes.

Review: How Not to Spend Your Senior Year by Cameron Dokey

"Rule #1: If at all possible, don't pretend to be something you're not. Specifically, don't play dead. Trust me on this one. I did it, so I should know. Jo O'Connor has spent her whole life moving around. When it comes to new schools, there's not a trick in the book about starting over that Jo doesn't know. but life is about to teach her a new trick: how to disappear entirely.

Rule #2: Always expect the Spanish Inquisition, no matter what anyone else does. They have to move again. Now. This very night. Jo knows better than to argue. her dad is the keky witness in a major case against a big-time bad guy. But Jo just can't resist one last visit to the school where she's been so happy. All she wants is to say goodbye. That can't cause any problems, can it?

Rule #3: Never assume you can predict the future. Now Jo's on elast visit has landed her smack in the middle of a ghost story. Specifically, her own. By the time it's over, she'll have a whole new set of rules about what's real, what's make-believe, and - most of all - what's important."

I thought that this book was really cute. It was short and simple, but just what I needed when I was stressed out at school - a book I could easily put down and pick back up. It was very straight-forward and uncomplicated.

Review: Bloom by Elizabeth Scott

"Lauren has a good life: decent grades, great friends, and a boyfriend every girl drools over. So why is she so unhappy? It takes the arrival of Evan Kirkland in class for Lauren to figure out the answer: She's been holding back. She's been denying herslef a bunch of things - like sex - because staying with her ever-conservative, yet ever-loyal (and did we mention gorgeous?) boyfriend, Dave is the "right" thing. Lauren doesn't want to end up like her mother, though, who indulged her desire for risk and adventure and ran away when Lauren was a mere tot. But as Dave starts talking more and more about their life together through college and even beyond, all perfectly perfect - and as Lauren's craving for Evan and, moreover, who she is with Evan becomes all the more fierce - Lauren realizes what she needs to do. She needs to let go, and take the ride."

I loved, loved, loved this book! I could relate to the characters easily and could even envision them as people I knew. Lauren was a loveable heroine... and she made the right choice (eventually!).

Review: Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton

"In Guilty Pleasures, Laurell K. Hamilton introduces us to Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter. Anita's small, dark, and dangerous. But when the city's most powerful vampire comes to her for help, Anita is faced with her greatest fear - a man capable of arousing in her a hunger strong enough to match his own..."

I expected this book to be a lot like Hamilton's Meredith Gentry novels, but this better in some ways. There weren't any really graphic sex scenes and the book focused more on a plot. It was a nice change. Vampire fans will be in heaven when reading Hamilton's Guilty Pleasures, as well as zombie and lycanthrope fans

Review: If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince by Melissa Kantor

"When high school sophomore Lucy Norton's father remarries, Lucy's life is turned upside down. She and her father move from their West Coast home to a suburb on Long Island. With a small bedroom in the unfinished basement, unlimited chores, a blank social calender, and a huge crush on the dashing prince of the varsity basketball team, Lucy's life has the makings of a Cinderella story - complete with two bratty stepsisters and a wicked stepmother. So isn't she supposed to get the prince? And go to the senior prom?"

I liked this book, but Lucy's age (younger than me) and her personality weren't as magnetic as characters in Confessions of a Not It Girl. I really started to hate Lucy's stepmom a lot, so it was kind of awkward how Lucy's feelings changed towards her. It almost seemed to happen to fast to me, making the character seem underdeveloped, like none of the feelings were real, only obviously fictional.

Review: Confessions of a Not It Girl by Melissa Kantor

Jan Miller is a senior in high school who's convinced she is destined to lead the world's least fabulous life. From her best friend, who is an official New York It Girl, to her parents (who always seem to be in the right place at the wrong time), Jan never feels that she's got it. Her college application deadlines are looming and her French homework is taunting her. And when it comes to love, Jan's destiny appears to be as tragic as a Greek play. When a romantic Shakespeare scene-reading with her crush turns humiliating, Jan feels more star-crossed than Juliet. She never seems to say the right thing around guys. Unlike her best It Girl friend, who knows the moves and the lines to catch an older, adorable, sophisticated boyfriend. If only Jan could write and star in her own reality... But in spite of feeling that the forces of the universe have it in for her, Jan's about to learn that in life and romance, being a Not It Girl has some major rewards."

I thought that this book was really amazing. Jan was an great lead character... full of witty one-liners and sarcasm that was very entertaining. Jan's It Girl best friend was amusing and a good foil to Jan... highlighting all her qualities (good and bad). I identified with Jan because we are the same age (about 17) and I am going through a lot of what she was going through in her life.

Review: In Search of Mockingbird by Loretta Ellsworth

"A book is the one thing that connects Erin with her mother. But how much can Erin really learn about her dead mother from a tattered copy of To Kill a Mockingbird? On the eve of her sixteenth birthday Erin decides it's time to find out. And so begins Erin's bus journey from Minnesota to Alabama, in search of Harper Lee, the reclusive author of Mockingbird."

This books was a cute, short read. Some of the characters were really engaging... they all seemed to help Erin discover who she was and sort out her world. While the book is short, it still packs a punch.

Review: An Avon True Romance: Tess and the Highlander by May McGoldrick

"Tess Lindsay has spend most of her life on the remote Isle of May, uncertain of her identity. Raised by the two sole inhabitants of the island, she is left to fend for herself after their deaths, until a stranger washes ashore in a storm. Tess pulls him from the surf, not knowing that in saving the Highlander she is saving herself. If good looks and a taste for adventure are a curse, Colin Macpherson is destined for ruin. Until he ends up a castaway on Tess's windswept island, he's been roaming the seas, seeking fame, fortune... and a different girl in every port. But his fascination for this strong-willed lass goes beyond her wild beauty, intriguing him as not girl ever has. As Colin gains her trust, Tess reveals what little she knows about herself and her past. From her scant clues, though, Colin comes to one conclusion: He must return Tess to the mainland to reclaim her birthright, even if it means losing her to a destiny that does not include him."

This was a good installment in the Avon True Romance series, but still not as good as Meg Cabots contributions. I did like the setting of this book though (Scotland AND England.) The characters were good as well, but this book was almost too predictable. It doesn't leave much up to the imagination...

Review: Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

"Quincie Morris has never felt more alone. Her hybrid-werewolf first love threatens to embark on a rite of passage that will separate them forever. And just as she and her uncle are about to unveil Austin's red-hot vampire-themed restaurant, a brutal murder leaves them scrambling for a chef. Can Quincie transform the new hire, Henry Johnson, into a culinary Dark Lord before opening night? Will he be able to wow the crowd in fake fangs, a cheap cape, and red contact lenses? Or is there more to this earnest fresh face than meets the eye? As human and preternatural forces clash, a deadly love triangle forms and the line between predator and prey begins to blur. Who's playing whom? And how long can Quincie play along before she loses everything?"

I must admit, this book was a bit of let down to me. I expected it to be more like Twilight, but there wasn't much similarity. It still was a pretty good book though. Quincie is a good heroine, even I found myself a little confused about who was the bad guy at times... so its understandable when she gets confused a few times as well. I did enjoy it more than Blood and Chocolate (Annette Curtis Klause), but it just didn't measure up to Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)...

Review: Nobody Does It Better by Cecily von Ziegesar

"Welcome to New York City's Upper East Side, where my friends and I get everything - and everyone - we want. Snagging the latest Marc Jacob's bag or your best friend's boyfriend isn't always pretty, but it's always hot.

Enter the world of Gossip Girl - a world where everyone is gorgeous, everything is fabulous, and jealousy and betrayal are everywhere you look.

Its springtime and our lives are really heating uop. Everybody's into college, and it's obviously time to party - as if we hadn't been doing that already! Now that B's finally lost her virginity to N, she can't wait to do it again (and again). But will B and N's love affair continue? And Will B finally get into Yale? Or will N and S hook up and leave B alone in the city? Only time will tell, but one thing's for sure: love is in the air, and it smells a lot like Gucci Envy."

Of course there is tension between Nate, Blair and Serena... even if it disappears for awhile, it always returns! I really like how Vanessa changes in this book though... she becomes a lot fuller character.

Review: A Girl Like Moi: The Fashion Forward Adventures of Imogene by Lisa Barham

"Imogene is obsessed with fashion. Combine that with her talent for trouble (aka maxing out her "emergencies only" AmEx) and suddenly she's not going to chere Paris with her best friend for the summer. No, she must do the unthinkable for a stylish Greenwhich girl such as herself - get a job.

Resourceful as always, Imogene works her connections and lands a dream internship at a fashion forcasting agency in NY. Now she's lunching at Serendipity, first on the line at Barney's warehouse sale, and skoshing seats at fashion week.

But when Imogene's dream is threatened by a cute Italian boy and one very evil intern, she questions what she really wants. And she learns that even in fashion, being true to yourself and following your dreams can go hand in hand."

This book was pretty good, but not my favorite. Imogene was kind of ridiculous and I can't really see any of the events happening in "real life". But if you're looking for a cute, light read... this could be the book for you. I especially liked the little illustrations on the sides of pages... Be warned, this book is very predictable!

Review: You're the One That I Want by Cecily Von Ziegesar

"Welcome to New York City's Upper East Side, where my friends and I live in gorgeous apartments, go to exclusive private schools, and make Manhattan our own personal playground. It might look hard to be this fabulous, but for us it's as easy as sleeping with your best friend's boyfriend.

Enter the world of Gossip Girl - a world of jealousy, betrayal, and $400 Christian Louboutin sandals.

Our college acceptance letters are arriving today. Those who do best will act all shocked and modest; the ones who fail miserably will declare how unimportant it all is, even though they secretly know they are doomed; Fee Fie Foe Fum, I smell a cat fight! But after today it's time to get back to what's important: our love lives. Can't wait for this day to be over so the real fun can begin!! Good luck, everybody."

Another great Gossip Girls book. I really like how every book seems to take place around a holiday or major event that happens in real life. It is fun to read the book while that stuff is going on in your life.