That Summer

Title: That Summer
Author: Sarah Dessen
Pages: (paperback) 198
Summary: For fifteen-year-old Haven, life is changing too quickly. She's nearly six feet tall, her father is getting remarried, and her sister—the always perfect Ashley—is planning a wedding of her own. Haven wishes things could just go back to the way they were. Then an old boyfriend of Ashley's reenters the picture, and through him, Haven sees the past for what it really was, and comes to grips with the future.

My Thoughts: I've read a quite a few of Sarah Dessen's books (for years they've been my go-to beach reads), and they usually involve the theme of "girl meets boy." This book didn't have that particular trope, and color me surprised. I was waiting for the first half of the book for Haven to meet a future beau, but she never really did. You know what, though? I actually appreciated this lack of romantic entanglement in the end. It was strangely refreshing.

However, I wasn't blown away by the plot progression and I found the pace to be a little slow, especially for the first 100 pages. I wanted something big to happen that didn't involve Haven's whiny sister, Ashley, or her wedding.  I felt bad for Haven, though, when she had to deal with her sister, her disaffected mother, her father, and her new stepmother lovingly called the Weather Pet. In the 198 pages of this book, she goes through one of the hardest summer's of her life, while reminiscing on better times of the past when everything seemed whole.

This was more of a coming-of-age story than anything, and sets out to show how a teenage girl learns a big life lesson as she matures over the summer. After overly romanticizing a summer trip that happened five years before, she realizes that maybe it wasn't all it was cracked up to be and that everyone can be disillusioned by someone or something at one point or another. And that's the best part about Dessen's novels, you feel like you've been on this emotional journey with the protagonist and like you've learned a little bit more about life along the way. It's this reason why I keep going back to her books. I feel like I'm bettering myself as a person once I've finished one of Dessen's novels.
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Sarah Dessen Book Signing

This past Tuesday, I was lucky enough to go to a book signing in Chapel Hill for NY Times Bestselling author Sarah Dessen. She is the author of eleven books, including This Lullaby, The Truth About Forever, and Along for the Ride among many others and she's gearing up for the June 4th release of her new book The Moon and More. She got up in front of the store-filling crowd and talked about her books, answered questions, spoke about The Moon and More, then gave away pens and stickers that were Colby themed (where many of her books take place) as prizes for trivia questions. She is currently on a book tour for the paperback release of her book What Happened to Goodbye.

And this is what I love about young adult (YA) authors and their book signings. Of all the signings I've been to (not a lot, but a fair few), I've found that it's the young adult fiction writers who are the most relaxed and welcoming.  For example, when I went to a Lauren Oliver signing for her Delirium series last year, she would talk to each person, ask them questions, then personalize the note she put next to her signature. I love it! Not to mention Dessen is among one of my favorite tweeters (is that what they're called?) on twitter.

 When I finally reached the table and even though I brought four books, which was only half of my Dessen book collection, she took her time and talked with my sister and I about sharing books and Entertainment Weekly before moving on to the next person. She's my sister's favorite author, and when I told her this she gave us some Colby stickers, was very gracious, and thanked us until the guy behind us scooted in to have his books signed. This made my younger sister's week, of course, and I was very happy with the way things turned out.  I don't know what I was expecting, but I felt like Dessen carried herself very well and didn't let the nerves of talking in front of a store filled with fans get to her.

 Dessen's novels are of the YA variety, usually involving a high school girl living through life, dealing with her parents, and handling boy trouble among a plethora of other twists and turns. Mostly, they'll either take place in the fictional towns of Lakeview or Colby, which are loosely based on Chapel Hill and Emerald Isle, North Carolina, respectively.  I think that many would agree that her books feel very realistic and timeless. I mean, I've been out of high school for four years now and I can still relate to her protagonists. I usually will try to save reading her books for the summer, because they are perfect beach reads, and it is so easy to get lost in her stories.

What Happened to Goodbye is no different. This novel is about McLean, a girl who has moved from town to town with her dad to "makeover" restaurants while remaking herself in each town, and how she comes to terms with her parents choices in general and finds her own identity. (You can find a more detailed summary here). I really enjoyed this book, along with most of her other novels, and I can always find a little bit of myself in her books.  Her characters and their development throughout their stories are amazing, and her storytelling skills are phenomenal, so it's not wonder her fan base is so dedicated and growing every day.

Needless to say, I will be attending her book signing in June for her highly anticipated book The Moon and More. I look forward to seeing her again and I'm very excited to read her new novel, and maybe I'll even getting the other half of my Dessen book collection signed. If you want to find out more about her book signings, HERE is the link to her website for more info on her book tours.You can also go to her website sarahdessen.com to learn more about her books and read some of her blog posts there.

Anna and the French Kiss

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Pages: (Hardcover) 372 pages
Series: Anna and the French Kiss (#1)
Summary: Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?
Favorite Quote: "Is it possible for home to be a person and not a place?

My thoughts: One question: why isn't Etienne St. Clair a real person? I think it's safe to say that most of the readership of this novel fell in love with this witty, charming English boy. Stephanie Perkins has a way of making you feel like you know the characters. Like you attend the School of America in Paris and like St. Clair, Rashmi, Josh, Anna, and Meredith are your best friends there.

And not only are Perkins' characters colorful and relatable, but she has somehow made the city of Paris one of the characters in her captivating novel.  I felt like I was in the heart of Paris the whole time. I could feel the breeze coming off the Seine, I could smell the scent of baked goods wafting from the patisserie, I could hear the opera singer outside the residence halls, and it just made me want to visit the city of lights just that much more. Throughout Anna's and Etienne's trials and tribulations, I felt for them. I wanted to jump into the pages and comfort them. And when they were laughing, going to movies, and exploring Paris, I wanted to be there and experience this beautiful city with them.

Not only that, but I loved Anna as the narrator. She had tone that was serious when it needed to be, witty, and honest. More than anything, I loved how real this book felt. The descriptions were delicious, the dialogue was dynamic, and the characters had depth. Everything I want in a book and more.

From what I understand, the books in this series can operate as stand-alone's, but they are all linked together in some ways. Similar to Sarah Dessen's books, the characters from other books in the series will pop up or play a small role in the rest of the novels in the series. For example, the protagonist in Perkins Isla and the Happily Ever After made an appearance in this novel. I think this is a very creative way to go about writing a series, and it's fun to see how Perkins will tie in  these iconic characters.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has a soft spot for the mushy (even though it's not that mushy, it just makes you feel like your heart is melting occasionally), and for anyone who enjoys a book where the setting is as much of a character as the protagonists. This was truly a wonderful novel, and I will definitely be rereading for years to come.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

City of Glass

Title: City of Glass
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments (#3)
Pages: 541 (paperback)
Summary: To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight. As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

My Thoughts: When Cassandra Clare had published this book, I heard that it was supposed to be the final installment to The Mortal Instrument series. After reading it, I could definitely see that when I reached the end. There was a natural break, but you were still left wanting more. I'm personally glad that Clare has gone on to write more installments of this growing series, because I enjoy delving into her world so much. And out of the first three books of this series that I've read, this one has to be my favorite, yet it took me the longest to read.

I found that the beginning dragged a bit and that I ended up skimming some parts just to get to the good stuff. But when I got to the meat of the story, which was pretty much the last half, my heart was racing even though it took a while for Clare to build up to the action near the end. I also found that I grew to love her characters more, even though a few of them (Jace and Clary to be specific) kind of got on my nerves. Simon, Alec, Isabelle, Magnus, and Luke are among my favorite secondary characters and they really helped round out the story. Without them, I don't think I would have enjoyed this book as much as I did. And if an author can make me feel anything towards a character, whether it be love or hate, then they've their job. And Clare certainly went above and beyond with making me feel for her characters and her the world she built for the shadowhunters.
My Rating: 4 out of 5.

Book to Movie Adaptations: The Host

Over the years, more and more book to movie adaptations are being made. The Mortal Instruments, Percy Jackson, Les Miserables, Beautiful Creatures, Life of Pi, Silver Linings Playbook, and pretty much every new Nicolas Sparks book that hits the shelves. Many purists will refuse to see the movie until they've read the book it's based on.

I, however, don't mind seeing a movie before reading the book it's based on.  Sometimes I even prefer it that way.  Like when I went to see one of the more recent book to movie adaptations, The Host, I hadn't read a page of the book but everyone and their grandma has told me how amazing the book was.

The size of a brick, Stephenie Meyer's The Host is about a futuristic society where aliens have invaded Earth that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

I had put off reading The Host simply because I was too busy with my homework assignments and on top of that I was reading other books. I had heard mostly good things about the book from friends and other book bloggers, and the movie looked like it wouldn't disappoint.

After going to see the movie, I found that I wasn't too keen on it. Will I be going to see it again in theaters? No. Will I be buying it when it comes out on DVD? Probably not. It had it's moments, but in my opinion the cringe-worthy cheesy bits outweighed the more moving ones. However, I've learned over the years, though, that books and movies are two different medias. They're to be judged on their own and apart from each other, I feel. Don't get me wrong though, I'm still very excited to start reading the book, and I'm fairly sure it won't disappoint.

A Trip to the Aquarium

On March 30, I position myself in front of the 65 foot wide aquarium tank glass wall, front and center. A crowd

A captivated audience in front of the shark tank (Photo by me).

starts to gather to listen to a guide talk about the giant tank and the daily diving at 2:30 p.m., and I’m concentrated on my notepad, furiously taking notes on the facts and workings of an aquarium for my research.

I came to learn and absorb information because I’m working on my first novel. It primarily takes place in an aquarium, so of course I had to go and investigate the inner workings of such a place. I decided the best aquarium for me to study would be the Pine Knoll Shores aquarium just outside of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, since it is the biggest aquarium North Carolina has to offer.

One of the many volunteers at the aquarium, Debbie Dunham of New Bern, loves working there.  "My favorite part of volunteering is that people all over the world come here to learn," Said Dunham.

Dunham has donated 300 hours of service to the aquarium after volunteering there for three years. She is currently stationed in the touch tank area of the aquarium.

"I come here for thereapy. I have a full time job and this is kind of my therapy job," said Dunham. "It's a wonderful and a caring place to volunteer. It's a place that really cares about North Carolina's conservation."

There are volunteers in every area of the aquarium. From the sting ray touch tanks to the outdoor nature walk, where I found an older woman simply known as Mrs. Kay. She moved to Cedar Point on North Carolina's crystal coast after living all around the world in order to be with her son, who studied sea slugs off the coast and now works for NASA. So I wondered why such an interesting world traveler would be volunteering at an aquarium.

When I asked Kay this very question, she said, "I volunteer here because I'm interested in the ecology and biology of the marsh, and I came to learn and to share what little knowledge I have. The volunteers are a big part of the aquarium and it couldn't exist without its volunteers."
 
Next I moved on to trying to see what part of the aquarium the visitors seemed to flock to the most.  This is how I found myself waiting for the 2:30 p.m. dive show. I don't think I have ever seen this many people sitting in front of an exhibit at any museum, zoo, or aquarium in the Carolina's.  I singled out a mother of two, Maura Tourien of Raleigh, and asked her why she thought the big shark tank attracted so many people.

"It's just a spectacular life-sized experience we probably wouldn't get anywhere else," said Tourien.

 She was right, though. The experiences you have at the Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium are completely unique to anywhere else in or around the Carolina's. After getting enough background information, I can now finally start getting to work on my novel.

Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium:
1 Roosevelt Blvd.,
Pine Knoll Shores, NC 28512.
Hours: 9am -5pm daily.
Admission: $8 for ages 13-61; $7 for ages 62 and up; $6 for ages 3-12; no charge for ages 2 and under and NC Aquarium Society members.
For more information, visit www.ncaquariums.com/pine-knoll-shores or call 800-832-FISH (3474).