Monday, February 18, 2008

after checking out all these other sites...

Wow, so although I started this blog last year, I never really got the feel of the book review blog-o-sphere (or whatever its called...) but now after checking it out I've found some really great sites! Some sites even offer competitions, which are pretty cool.

Some great sites with competitions that I have noted:

The Page Flipper-this is a great site with cool reviews, and she is hosting monthly competitions for free book giveaways! This month she is giving away a 5 book prize pack. Check it out!

TeensReadToo - Loads of awesome books given away from here as well!!

I might be missing some but for now check out these...I'll post some others asap

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Book Review: The Salem Witch Tryouts By Kelly McClymer


Rating: 2 stars -- unless you are 8-12 years and then I'd give it 4 stars
Genre: Fiction, YA Fiction

Most people with happy lives don't want to uproot themselves and move to another place. Well this is no exception for Prudence Stewart. Head cheerleader to-be, with a cute crush, good grades and a great BFF, this is one girl who does not want to leave her life. Except, Pru is a witch, and so is her mom and brother and the time has come for her to get witch training. So where to go but across the country to Salem, Massachusetts?

Not only does Prudence leave her life behind, she has to create a new one, with other witches. Plus to top it all off she just HAS to make the cheerleading squad!

Megan McClymer's: The Salem Witch Tryouts is a cute and funny story about a girl trying to fit in, after a big move. Although I found it relatively predictable, and not so original, I would recommend it for a girl ages 8-12. If you aren't, there are plenty of other better books out there in the world.

Tootles!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Book Review: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls


Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Biography, Memoir



Jeanette Walls didn't have to be very old to realize that her family was odd. One of her earliest memories is of cooking hot dogs when she was three and setting herself on fire. After a skin graft and while she recovers in the hospital, she explains how much she likes the 'quiet and order' there and how different it is from her home. This is just one memory, in a series of many compelling memories that tells the story of her life.

Born into a family with a father who was a drunk, and a mother who wished she could be free of responsibility, Jeanette learned to be self reliant from a very early age. Due to the fact that her father was an inventor, a man who disliked normal society, and could not keep a job for long, and her mother would only do what she wanted, Jeanette and her siblings often had to find ways to keep themselves from starving. Although when there was money there were good times, the money didn't often last long, and so their family would often struggle to pay for things like the electricity bill. Moving from place to place throughout her childhood, this memoir tells of the hardships her family suffered, and how she worked her way up to where she is today.

To say the least, Jeanette Walls' The Last Castle is extremely powerful. While I was hesitant to read it, as I am not a real fan of biographies or memoirs, I'm glad I did. The Glass Castle belongs in a group of its own.

Rating System

Well I wanted to make this cool rating system, but then I realized that unfortunatly, I am not particualarly good with computer imaging. Therefore I am stuck with the classic star system.

The BookBopper Rating System

1 star- not recommended at all
2 star- not so great
3 star- okay
4 star- good
5 star- great, highly recommended

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

A Restart

Well, its been a while since I last posted, and I have recently decided I am going to restart this blog again. That means a new rating system and of course, more books!

Books I should be finished with soon
The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

Looking forward to starting a new!