The Hunger Games By: Suzanne Collins

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

HARDBACK

Amount of Pages: 374

Publisher: Scholastic

Publishing Year: 2008

Geared Towards: Teens +

Extra Info: The Hunger Games is part of a trilogy, the sequal Catching Fire will be coming out on September 8, 2009. (I want to read it sooo badly....I'm not very patient)

Summary (From front flap):

COULD YOU SURVIVE ON YOUR OWN, IN THE WILD, WITH EVERY ONE OUT TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T LIVE TO SEE THE MORNING?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love.

Wdebo's Review: I have heard way many good reviews for this book, so I decided to read it. I was NOT disappointed. One of the most amazing books I've ever read!!

Even the beginning was very intense (Something that rarely happens). From the first time I picked it up, I was sucked into this world. The whole time I was reading it, I was thinking how the hell will I survive a world like this and, what kind of cruel government would allow this to happen?

The romance that was in it, was not all forced in, like how most fantasy novel romances are. It flowed with the story, it actually made sense, I was totally in love with it at the end.

Katniss was such an awesome character, she was strong and fought for her way and protected those she loved.

The cover, uh, not the best, the symbolism is on there, but I just couldn't really fall in love with it like I could with the story.

All in all, this is one of the best books I have read in my life so far. I LOVED LOVED LOVED it and I am dying to read the sequal, god, how am I going to be able to wait for it to come out? I AM NOT THAT PATIENT!!!!!!!!

Grade: A+

Wdebo :)

In My Mailbox 十 (10)

So, I know I haven't been posting my IMM, but I have just been really lazy SORRY!!

As usual, I am "Stealing" this from Kristi from The Story Siren

So, not the biggest haul (three books) but not bad... [I am too lazy to post up ALL the books I missed by missing all those weeks of IMM]

The Recieved:

The Chosen One By: Carol Lynch Williams

(From Booklist): "Taking a story “ripped from the headlines,” Williams looks inside a polygamist cult and the dangers it poses for one girl. Kyra and her father, three mothers, and 20 siblings live in an isolated community under the thumb of a prophet, who controls every aspect of his apostles’ lives. The most shocking intrusion of all comes when the prophet decrees that Kyra is to become the wife of her 60-year-old uncle. A secret patron of a local mobile library, Kyra knows there’s a world away from the compound she might escape to, but first she pins her hopes on her father’s ability to change the prophet’s mind. Instead, her family is threatened, and the stakes for her refusal to marry are raised. The clandestine relationship Kyra is having with one of the compound’s teenage boys is a romance more convenient than convincing (everyone is carefully watched except this duo, it seems). Contrivances notwithstanding, this is a heart pounder, and readers will be held, especially as the danger escalates. Williams’ portrayals of the family are sharp, but what’s most interesting about this book is how the yearnings and fears of a character so far from what most YAs know will still seem familiar and close"

[I finished this book and it's AMAZING!! Check out my review HERE- Thanks to Steph @ Reviewer X for this one!!]

The borrowed:

Dear Julia By: Amy Bronwen Zemser

All Elaine Hamilton wants to do is become a chef. Not a feminist politician like her mother. Not a yoga like her father. But a chef like Julia Child. Julia Child who she has been writing letters to since she was very young, locking them into a chest at the foot of her bed stamped and left behind.

Enter Isadora Wilhelminetta Fischburger AKA Lucinda Sans [Yes like the font]. Over-the-top, crazy, popularity-craving, Stargirl acting Lucinda Sans. Who meets Elaine in an event that has to do with: Romeo & Juliet, a fire, and a guy who's name looks suspiciously like crouton.

As these two girls meet, a friendship blooms that could turn Elaine's dreams into reality!

[I finished this book, it was very cute! Review coming soon!]

Larry and the Meaning of Life By: Janet Tashjian (No pic-srry)

(From Amazon): "Josh Swensen (otherwise known as Larry) can’t seem to get off the couch. His usual overactive imagination and save-the-world mindset have all but vanished, and his best friend Beth is seriously worried.When Beth coaxes Josh into taking a walk at Walden Pond, Josh meets Gus Muldarian, a spiritual guru who convinces him to join his study group as a way to find deeper meaning in life. Josh thinks Gus is a joke. Still, feeling desperate and seeing no way out of his rut, he agrees to try it. What begins as a harmless Thoreau-esque search for meaning soon turns into Josh’s most chaotic and profound adventure yet. After the success of The Gospel According to Larry and Vote for Larry, Janet Tashjian returns with yet another tour de force—a book that explores important topics and will keep teens hooked right until the unexpected end."

[I'm not sure if I should read the first two books before I read this one]

The Bought:

None :(

Wdebo :)

P.S. Remember to join my contest!!!!! HERE

Whiteberry - 夏祭り

I kno like 2 Japanese songs, and both of them I am IN LOVE with!!

This is one of them (I can't read Japanese but the first word means summer in Chinese :P )

OMG they are HIGH SCHOOLERS but their voices ROCK!!

The MV is werid... lol

Please comment and tell me what you think!!

Wdebo :)

Animal Farm By: George Orwell

Title: Animal Farm
Author: George Orwell
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 97
Publisher: Plume (Part of Penguin Group)
Publishing Year (1st ever): 1946
Geared Towards: Adult



Summary: I think this quote sums it up quite nicely....

"THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS

1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear cloths.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal."

So now all you need is the background. The animals of Mr. Jones' farm, Manor Farm, are fed up with Jones' actions. So, with the pigs as the leaders they make up a plan to drive Mr/Mrs Jones out of the farm. When they succed all seems well, until the pigs start to act peculiar and slowly very slowly the seventh commandment is broken.


Wdebo's Review: I am NOT, I repeat, NOT, a fan of classics, I try to avoid them at all costs. But I had been making a deal with myself to read more classic books, so the very first one I start with is, Animal Farm. I did read 1984, and found the stoyline quite interesting Orwell has an interesting writing style but it did get boring. However, maybe it was because Animal Farm was so short, but I found it went by fast and held my attention a lot.


The storyline was very original, making you wonder if this could really happen. The reason I do like Orwell's books is because there is this sort of warning in them, making you cautious for the future. His writing was very good, the very first line is so simple, but for some reason, it held my attention fast. No fancy imagry, no fancy similes or metaphors like or anything like that.

"Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but
was too drunk to remember to shut the popholes."

The animals were very well developed. The pigs were very sly and cunning, the sheep dumb, the dogs were strong but dumb all the other animals were swayed easily with a simple "do you want Mr. Jones to come back."

I find the cover of classic books to be boring bland and put-off-y. This one was no exception. (I had a diffrent cover then the one in the picture...I like the one in the picture a whole lot more).

All in all, this is one amazing story that will take you on a giant ride and make you think long in hard during the whole time.

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

Random Entertainment Clips : 5

-ENG SUBBED!-

This time, I decided to put out clips of Show and his date with his fan who has spinocerebella ataxia...I think these clips are super sweet and funny...check it out!

Part 1 ...

Part 2...

Part 3...

Part 4...

Part 5 (Last part)...

It's really rare to see a celebrity doing this for his fans, so I admire Show a lot for what he does.

Hope you enjoy it! And remember to comment!

Wdebo :)

P.S. Thanks so much to ooST1NAoo for these subbed clips! ~

The Debs By: Susan McBride

Title: The Debs

Author: Susan McBride

PAPERBACK

Amount of Pages: 246

Publisher: Random House

Publishing Year: 2008

Geared Towards: Teens

"Pick on me and that's between us.

Pick on my friends

and you've got a war on your hands."

Summary (From B.O.B): The heat is on down South!

Debutant season in Houston is under way,

and four ultraprivileged girls await their invitations from the

illustrious Glass Slipper Cub.

Laura Delacroix Bell: This trust-fund baby's size-fourteen figure doesn't stop her from attracting hot boys or the admiring eye of the GSC committee. But a salacious secret could take her out of the running quicker than you can say "Rosebud."

Michelle "Mac" Mackenzie: She'd rather bury her nose in a book than embrace her deb destiny. But Mac's debut is her late mother's dream and her stepmother's obsession If Mac doesn't bow out now, she may become the crankiest deb in Texas.

Ginger Fore: She hopes to wear her grandmother's vitage ball gown on her big presentation day. But when a mysterious college guy puts Ginger's deb eligibility in jeoprady, she may end up wearing an unflattering orange jumpsut instead.

Jo Lynn Bidwill: A former beauty queen, she makes it her mission in life to take out the debu-trash. For now, Jo Lynn's sights are set on Laura Bell, and what she has in store for her bitter rival is anything but ladylike.

Wdebo's Review: I read this book about a week ago, so, I'm very embarassed to say, I have forgoten some things, so I'll do my best with this review!!!

It was a cute story, but very predictable and cliche. It is a really, I hate to use this expression, but silly, how can anyone get into such a fuss about such silly incidents and stuff? But then again, if my life was written into a story it would sound silly to a lot of people.

I could really connect with Mac, she is a really smart "nerdy" girl. It was nice to read about someone like Mac and not having all of them flaunting around, where the only things they things they think about is sabatoge, getting to be debs, and guys. Also, Mac is very sharp and has good comebacks!

The cover is pretty pink and cute. I really like her dress!

All in all, if you are looking for a cute read and don't mind bitchy girls this is the book for you.

Grade: B

Wdebo :)

****************

Songs listened to while writing this post:

Be With You By: Akon ft. Wilber Pan

Only Have Feelings For You By: Fahrenheit ft. Hebe (S.H.E)

Wo De Ai Diao Dian Di By: Rainie Yang

Kai Tian Chuang By: Mayday

The Chosen One By: Carol Lynch Williams

Title: The Chosen One
Author: Carol Lynch Williams
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 213
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publishing date: May 12, 2009
Geared Towards: Older Teens



Summary (From front flap): Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated community without questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters, with two more on the way. That is, without questioning them much-if you don't count her secret visits to the Ironton County Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her.

But when the Prophet decrees that she must marry her sixty-year-old uncle-who already has six wives-Kyra must make a desperate choice in the face of the violence and her own fears of losing her family forever.

Wdebo's Review: I was so happy when I got this book today!! I totally loved it!!

The paragraphs were there but some were divided up so the writing was very hauntingly poetic. Kyra was an amazing character. Her voice was strong and allowed you to know what she wanted, I was very proud of her. She grew up in this enviorment, this was what she was used to, but she was able to throw that aside and fight for her freedom while other women near her just allowed whatever to happen happen and grumble silently alone.

It was nice to read a book where I could actually think and reflect on life. I wonder what life would be like to live in this culture, we take life for granted, we really need to think more about stuff like this, what would we do, I seriously have no idea what I would do if I was stuck in this kind of place, sure, I was pissed while reading this story (What a good book does to you-lets you hate what it wants you to hate, and love what it wants you to love). and decided I would do whatever it took to get out, but seriously if I grew up there, I probobly wouldn't do that and would just lay down and quietly take what was coming to me, I totally admire Kyra's strength and will.

My favorite character? Patrick, the bookmobile driver. He was such an amazing guy, he would risk his life to save a girl he barely knew, that my friends, is heroic.

The cover is very haunting (Like the book!) the picture has this "The Ring" thing going on and then the hot pink (which usually is muy pretty) but against her pale "Ring" skin, it's scary like some kind of unnatural blood, but I think it captures the essence of the book perfectly, such an amazing cover! Even though it does feel a bit elementary.

All in all, such an amazing book on such an important and contreversial topic. I seriously don't want to get into the topic too much, because if I do I can talk for HOURS about what I believe, which I don't want to do, because a lot of people have diffrent opinions, and it's boring and angry-making (Thanks Scott Westerfield for the gift of "Pretty talk"!) to read about ppl thinking of themselves as the rightest of the right people on a topic that you are against what they are saying.

Grade: A+

Wdebo :)

********************

Songs listened to while writing review:

1 2 3 Mu Tou Ren By: High Volatage Pink [Part of Hey Girl!]
Shining Kiss By: Hey Girl!
Parody/Praise Song/Rap By: K One
Ting Bu Dong By: Mayday
Kai Tian Chuang (Ft. Open Jiang) By: Mayday

Contest: Win Suite Scarlett !!

-CLOSED-

Hello, ahh I'm so excited, you can win one of five copies of Suite Scarlett, now!! Here's some information about it....

"When Scarlett Martin turns fifteen she is put in charge of the Empire Suite, one of the rooms in her family’s hotel. Enter Mrs. Amberson, an aging C-list starlet who decides to employ Scarlett. Soon, she is taking dictation, running around New York City , and getting caught up in Mrs. Amberson’s crazy adventures. In the midst of it all, Scarlett falls in love–or so she thinks–and it takes Mrs. Amberson to help her see the light. Now in paperback from top-selling author Maureen Johnson!"

Doesn't it sound so good?

So here are my rules....

The contest ends July 13 (3 weeks!), so to enter all you have to do is answer this question...

What do you think would be the funnest thing about working in a hotel?

So, isn't that easy?

For extra entriees just do this... (please use seperate comments and leave a CONTACT INFORMATION)

Sorry I just found out this is for people in the US only and please if you win, they don't want any P.O. Boxes. Thanks!!

+1 Becoming follower (or already a follower)
+1 Adding this contest to your sidebar/blogging about it/facebooking it..etc. etc. anything publicity related just send me the link :D-You can have one for each thing you do just send the link
+1 Adding me to your blogroll (Or if you already have b4 that's ok too!)

Good Luck!!

Wdebo :)

**************************

Songs listened to while making this post:

Bu De Bu Ai By: Wilber Pan ft. Xuan Zi
Marry Me Today By: David Tao ft. Jolin Tsai
You Are a Song in My Heart By: LeeHom ft. Selina
Sunshine Homeboy By: Jay Chou

You Can Hear It- Jay Chou

This is such an awesome song by Jay and I love this mv...

Yeah! It's Eng Sub

I just think it's so funny he randomly takes a picture of a massivly making out couple and they don't even notice...

Hope you enjoy! And remember to comment! Go Jay!

Wdebo :)

Cafe Chit Chat: Tanya Egan Gibson

Yeah! I finally found a new name for my author interview! What do you think?

So this week we have a amazing debut author, Tanya Egan Gibson, who wrote the awesome book How To Buy A Love Of Reading (Read review HERE).

*************************************************

Wdebo: Can you describe a typical day?

Tanya: I have two young children, which pretty much guarantees that no day is typical...or, at least, that days are rarely predictable! I write from home -- sometimes when I have childcare for my kids, and often when I don't. When I'm pressed for time (say, my four-year-old is home sick from school and wants me to do arts and crafts projects with her when I'm supposed to be writing), I end up writing late at night instead. A large amount of How To Buy a Love of Reading was written after midnight!

A lot of ideas that later end up being "keepers" also come to me when I'm not actively writing -- when I'm out with the kids or driving somewhere. When I'm being a *person* instead of focusing my thoughts exclusively on getting words down on the page.
I manage to read some fiction every day. I subscribe to something like seven or eight literary journals (even though I'm constantly behind on reading them) and have a huge to-read pile of novels on my nightstand.

W: Oh wow, and I thought school was stressful! How did you come up with the idea for How To Buy a Love of Reading? Were you a big reader as a kid?

T: When I was a high school English teacher, one of my students reported to me, rather apologetically, that she'd never in her life read a book she liked. (She was trying to explain that it wasn't my "fault" that she hadn't liked any of the books I'd put on the syllabus.) When I asked her what she did with her time (expecting that she spent it all in front of the TV), she told me that she often replayed in her head all the things she and her friends had done that day and imagined the different outcomes real-life scenes might have had if she could "re-do" those times. It wasn't until many years later that I began writing this book, but I never forgot my urge to want to write a book for a "book-hater." And I never forgot that even though she disliked books, the kind of daydreaming she described sounded to me like a very "writerly" quality. That quality became what Carley, the protagonist of How to Buy a Love of Reading, calls "Aftermemory."

Was I a big reader as a kid? Absolutely. I remember coming back from the library with a pile of new books and spreading them out on my bed, giddy with not knowing which I should read first. Come to think of it, I do that still.

W: Yeah! I'm still like that too! Are any of your characters based on someone you know?

T: Everyone in How to Buy a Love of Reading is fictional. (Carley, for instance, bears little else in common with the girl whose statement catalyzed the idea for this book.) The truth is I love making people up! I love making up places, too. And brands. I like creating worlds. (See my answer to #8 below for more on that.)

W: I know what you mean. What is your favorite thing to do (apart from writing)?

T: Reading.

W: Haha makes sense. What's your favorite color?

T: Blue. Ocean blue. Sunny day blue. Robin's egg blue. All kinds of pretty-things-outside blue.

W: Love LOVE blue! If you were stranded on an island and could only bring five things what would they be?

T: 1) My family. (It's not a fun scenario for me to imagine if my husband and children aren't in it.)
2) Flint. (I have watched *way* too many episodes of Survivor in which people go on the show without knowing how to make a fire. This seems so weird to me. The *first* thing I would do if 3) I were chosen for such a show is learn to make a fire. And yes, I think about reality TV far too much, a preoccupation you could probably guess from some of the reality-TV material in my novel.)
Paper.

4) Crayons. I figure the paper would run out soon enough, but my daughter, the four-year-old artist could color on trees and leaves after that.
5) Cell phone that works on island and allows us to be un-stranded within, say, three days. That's about all I can take of stranding.

W: I would bring my family too, or at least one person who I love. Who are some authors you look up to?

T: There are SO many! Jennifer Egan, whose novel THE KEEP had me saying aloud over and over, "I wish I had written this!" I kept reading lines aloud from it to my husband and getting teary because they were so cool. I've read all of Ann Patchett's books once, except for BEL CANTO, which I've read over and over because it's just beautiful. Andrew Sean Greer floors me with the eloquence with which he describes emotions. Glen David Gold has written two gorgeous, expansive novels that make you feel like you're in the middle of a once-upon-a-time piece of history that you never want to leave. Mark Childress makes me laugh and laugh and laugh!

W: Do you have a new project you are working on? And if so, can you tell us a bit about it?

T: I'm working on a novel that is set in a contemporary theme park. That is, a fictional theme park. I'm getting to do all this research about the inner workings of theme parks and I'm creating an entire "place" -- from the rides to the games to the shows to the architecture. It is an incredibly fun project.

What's going to happen in the theme park (a.k.a., What's the Book About)? That, I'm keeping to myself for now.

W: Can't wait to read it! Lastly, do you have any last things to say before we wrap up the interview?

T: Thank you for interviewing me!

W: Cool! Check out Tanya's awesome website HERE

Thanks for letting me interview you!

Wdebo :)

********************

Songs listened to while writing this post:

Twinkle By: Show Luo ft. Koda Kumi

Be With You By: Akon ft. Wilber Pan

Bu De Bu Ai By: Wilber Pan ft. Xuan Zi

Random Entertainment Clips : 4

Here are just some random clips featuring Xiao Gui.

Here is Xiao Gui and Gui Gui drunk (very funny!)-Eng Sub



XG tries to kiss XZ, misses then *gasp* -watch to find out! :D



Finally, here is Xiao Zhu immitating XG muy funny!

Hope you enjoy! And comment!

Wdebo :)

What I Saw and How I Lied By: Judy Blundell

Title: What I Saw and How I Lied
Author: Judy Blundell
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 281
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publishing Year: 2008
Geared Towards: Teens


Summary (From front flap): Some truths are never meant to be revealed.

When Evie's father returned home from World War II, the family fell back into its normal life pretty quickly. But Joe Spooner brought more back with him than war stories. When movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, a young ex-GI who served in Joe's company in postwar Austria, shows up, Evie is suddenly caught in a complicated web of lies that she only slowly recognizes. She finds herself falling for Peter, ignoring the secrets that surround him...until a tragedy occurs that shatters her family and breaks her life in two.


As she begins to realize that almost everything she believed to be a truth was really a lie, Evie must get to the heart of the deceptions and choose between loyalty to her parents and feelings for the man she loves. Someone will have to be betrayed. The question is...who?


Wdebo's Review: I have always enjoyed reading books set in WWII period. They are very interesting. I did enjoy this book, it was slow in the beginning but it got progressivly better through the pages. The storyline went towards mysterious but it was pretty easy to guess what would happen at the end.


I was not the biggest Evie fan, she felt too naive and she wouldn't see the signs RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER!! But at least she got stronger *sorta* towards the end, her mom was strong, but then she did THAT and eh I wanted to punch her so much!!

But I did thouroughly enjoy the writing style. Judy Blundell's writing is very strong and leads you through the story quite well. The topic she wrote about was intense and very interesting to read about...but there was a part in the middle that was slow and annoying that I had to skip like 20 pages or else I would have died.

I like the cover the pose is pretty intriguing and the blackness does show off the story well, but I am not a big fan of the model, she scares me a lot.

The ending disappointed me a bit, it didn't feel like it fit that much, first this BIG thing happens then it ends small.

All in all, this is a pretty good book! I am sure most people will enjoy it, mysterious yeah!

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)

*********************

Songs listened to while writing this post:

You Belong With Me By: Taylor Swift
Love Story By: Taylor Swift
The Show By: Lenka
Dao Xiang By: Jay Chou

Choc 7 (超克7)

Choc 7 (超克7) is the band from the Channel V show Mo Fang Bang Bang Tang (In english: Immitating Lollipop).

The members include 李铨, Mao Di (Prince's little bro), Xiao Ma, Ah Ben, Ye Shou, 小禄, Wei Yu, 翰奖 and Ya Gao.


They are your typical taiwanese boy band ok voices, the only reason they are famous is for their looks, but I guess there is this aura around them.



Here is a song by them... What Are you Waiting For?




Another one...Too Young (This is such a cute song!)

Hope you enjoy! And remember to comment!

Wdebo :)

Access Denied (and other eighth grade error messages)

Title: Access Denied (and other eighth grade error messages)
Author: Denise Vega
Release date: July 1, 2009
Publisher: Little Brown and Co.
Geared Towards: Middle School +
Extra Info: This is the sequal to Click Here : (to find out how I survived seventh grade). Which I haven't read...so just an FYI.

"Some things were just ment to be.

And that was just great."

Summary (From B.O.B): Computer whiz Erin Swift is ready to start eighth grade. The Year of Humilitating Events (aka seventh grade) is behind her and she's ready to rule the school. But eigth grade comes with its own set of problems for Erin to navigate, including her first boyfriend, her first breakup, and the fact that her mom has been treating her more like an eight-year-old than an eighth grader. Even worse, there's a new girl at Molly Brown Middle School who is determined to remake Erin in her bad-girl image, and former crush Mark "Cute Boy" Sacks has been acting strange lately.

But as Erin's school year once against hurtles toward disaster, a personal tragedy forces her to realize that things, and people, aren't always as bad as they seem. Can she save waht's left of eighth grade before it's too late?

Wdebo's Review: I remember in Middle School seeing the first book on the library shelf and not reading it at all. But I still decided to read the sequal.

The reading was very light and sarcastic. I love the little website pages, they look cool! It's cool to see the "site" change as the story goes through changes.

I like the cover it's very light and cool, and cute. As was the story. I just have a question why are there a lot of pictures with the Shrinking Violet pose? The turtleneck over the nose and mouth.

The thing I can't stand is how these kids are in middle school yet they have high school problems. I don't remember having this type of problem in middle school! Erin and I had a love-hate relationship, she was cool in her way of how she was an average girl, not too popular not to0 un-popular. However, I hate how fickle she is, one moment she likes this guy, one moment she like another, then another. Also, she's so naive. While Jilly, her BFF, is a good friend, she is also a bad one from how she dumps Erin after every small bad thing that happens.

All in all, this was a light read, that was a great summer read, and all the ppl who were waiting for the sequal, I guess, will enjoy it.

Grade: B-

Wdebo :)

The Longest Movie-Jay Chou

OMG this is like my new fav MV by Jay.


It is so sad..especially because YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END!!

Story: The little girl is blind and the little Jay is training to become a fighter. The little Jay is used to protecting the little girl. So, then one day the girl goes out of the country to get her eyes fixed and never comes back (i guess...not sure). Before leaving she gives him a pink hair tie. Then they grow up and Jay, who's a driver, sees her and she's a figure skater. Then one night he sees her in the parking lot and she's getting attacked by these "Chinese gangsters" (LOL love it when they always have these kinds of ppl in these mvs), he saves her, then he realizes that it's the same girl from his childhood. She asks to see the hair tie thing and realizes that it was the boy, then the dude cracks open the window then it ends..AHHH



Oh yeah and in the end it says "Yet, in the end, she still hasn't seen me"

I love this song to pieces and I hope you will too! Comment esp if you LOVED it!

Wdebo :)

Nana By: Ai Yazawa (Manga)

Title: NANA

Author: Ai Yazawa

PAPERBACK

Publisher: Shojo Beat

Amount of books in series: 21

Amount of Pages: approx. 200

Geared Towards: Older Teens

Extra Info: Has been made into a live action film and an anime

Summary (From B.O.B): Nana Komatsu is a young woman who's endured an unending string of boyfriend problems. Moving to Tokyo, she's hoping to take control of her life, and put all those messy misadventures behind her. She's looking for love and she's hoping to fit in.

Nana Osaki, on the other hand, is cool, confident and focused. She swaggers into town and proceeds to kick down the doors to Tokyo's underground punk scene. She's got a dream and won't give up until she becomes Japan's No. 1 rock'n'roll superstar.

This is the story of two 20-year-old women who share the same name. Even though they came from completly different backgrounds, they somehow meet and become best friends. The world of NANA is a world exploding with sex, music, fashion, gossip and all-night parties.

Wdebo's Review: (I've only read the first volume so far so I can't say all that much :D ) The cover at first threw me off and I didn't feel like reading it at all. It looked like a manga for ghost stories or something...old, and I couldn't read the back at all because there was a GIANT LABEL BLOCKING IT! Doesn't that just piss you off when that happens?

So, when I started it, I found it weird and everything, then when I started reading it, it got better and better. I really got into both of the stories and was cheering on both Nanas until the end. Both Nana's stories were very raw and true. I really loved the characters and feel what they were feeling.

I really love Shoji Endo, at the beginning he's such a yuck but after he gets better <3>

All in all, for all manga lovers Nana is just PERFECT for you!

Grade: A

Wdebo :)

Winners: Twenty Boy Summer

Yeah! The end of my contest has finally come...so I would first like to thank everyone for participating in my contest...80-something comments, thanks a lot you guys! I felt really loved :)

So, the winners, drumroll please *drumroll*

Kayla

dissectingperfection

Gaby317

Llehn

Ella Press

All you have already been emailed!! Please reply within two days...or else I'll have to pick new winners :(

Thanks again for joining! And once I have another contest I hope all of you guys can join and win!

Wdebo :)

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Songs listened to while writing this post:

Dong Mo Mo Xi Mo Mo By: Momo Jie Jie
Ke Yi Bu Ke Yi By: Ding Dang

Random Entertainment Clips : 3

Welcome back!! So, this time I decided to spotlight Xiao Gui, here are some of the clips were he sings with others...really hope he can have a new album out!!

With 戴愛玲 singing 千年之戀 (Show is muy funny but it feels like he's being more famous then XG when it's his moment :( -XG's question lol "This song is really high can you sing up?" )




With Fan Fan singing 愛情限時批 I like it sooo much!! Both of them sound realli good and it's very funny




Here's he is with Rainie singing Only Have Feelings for You by Fahrenheit ft. Hebe (From S.H.E) (They have so much chemistry, I guess that's what you get when you have dated)

Hope you enjoy! And please comment and support Xiao Gui!

Wdebo :)

Twenty Boy Summer By: Sarah Ockler

Title: Twenty Boy Summer
Author: Sarah Ockler
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 290
Publisher: Little Brown and Co
Publishing Date: June 1, 2009
Geared towards: Teens (14+)
Extra Info: This was an ARC, when released it was hardback/there was a diffrent amount of pages

"Nothing ever really goes away-it just changes into something. Something beautiful."

Summary (From B.O.B):

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?"
"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?"

According to her best friend, Frankie, twenty days to Zanzibar Bay is the perfect oppurtunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie-she's already had this kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

Wdebo's Review: When I first recieved this book, I was so excited to read it! All the great reviews sent shivers up my spine with excitment. When I started, I was like wow this book is so great! All the reviews were correct. But when I got to the death of Frankie, I was surprised, why the hell am I not crying? One thing you have to know about me is, I am the world's biggest cry baby. I cried at the end of Air Bud (haha I'm so embarassed), so naturally when I read that part, I was thinking Oh, red alert! Dead person! Bring on the tears! But when there was none, I just wondered why.

I guess all I can say was that I loved the storyline, the plot, the characters everything about the story was really good, but for some reason I just couldn't connect with the writing. Sarah Ockler did a good job building up the characters and the background (sorta). The prologue was one of the best I've read this year (props to Sarah for that!). After the death it just felt too hurried, they get to Cali, two days later she meets a guy who she falls IN LOVE with, and etc. etc. I always like these parts (finding the guy who closes up the gap left by the dead dude) to be left in the middle, it allows you to have an ability to sympathize with the character and build up to the climax when she turns around and finds this PERFECT guy standing next to her, reading to take her hand and protect her from this sadness. Like in The Tenth Circle.

Oh, wow I feel so negative, don't get me wrong, this was a pretty good book! All the other reviews were right about that, but for me all in all I couldn't connect with the writting.

On the other hand, the cover is just GORGEOUS, I love the heart, it's so simple and beautiful and the sea glass was prety and the red one, just one piece because it's so rare (more explanation in the story). One of my fav cover this year!

All in all, if you are looking for a good summer read check out this book!

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)

7 more days until the last day of school and counting...

Posh and Prejudice: A Diary of a Chav novel

Title: Posh and Prejudice: A Diary of a Chav Novel
Author: Grace Dent
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Publishing Date: June 1, 2009
Geared towards: Teens
Extra info: I haven't read Diary of a Chav before, so please pardon me for any dumbness you might find in this review!




Summary (From B.O.B): The divine Shiraz Bailey Wood is back in this hilarious sequal to Diary of a Chav to enlighten us with her signature brand of madcap humor on her signature brand of madcap humor on her demented, glorious life in the gritty suburbs of London.

Chav (n): A word that makes most Brits think of hoodies, hip-hop, bling, and trouble. (It ain't agood fing, bruv)

At the end of the school year, sixteen-year-old Shiraz Bailey Wood isn't expecting increadible grades. But when her test results come in, she's astonished to discover not only that she passed them all, but that she's also actually clever! Emboldened by an invite to higher-level classes, Shiraz decides she can't waste her brainpower frying eggs for minimum wage at the greasy spoon Mr. Yolk. So even in spite of her mum's objections that it ain't her place, Shiraz enrolls in Superchav Academy's "Center of Excellence" to get even brainier.

Setting forth into the heady field of academia and hanging out with other boffin types seem like just the ticket to avoid getting stuck living like a chav forever in crappy Goodmayes, Essex. Smooth-talking lads with whopping allowances tempt her, but Shiraz has to figure out: Are these posh types really any better? Or maybe being a chav might not be all that bad-as long as it stands for charming, hillarious, articulate, and vibrant.

Wdebo's Review: I remember seeing Diary of a Chav on the Hatchette website and dying from wanting to read it so much. Then because I was so busy I forgot completly about the book and when I recieved this book, I couldn't wait to check out Diary of a Chav so I just dove in it.

The plotline was not hard to follow at all! Thank you god for sequals where they discribe what happens in the last book in the first part of the second book! At first the writing was hard to get into, a bunch of slang-British slang-made it so that I had to flip back and forth between the glossory (I love you glossories! <3) then I started to get the words without having to look them up and then it went much better after.

The writing was funny and light hearted. Cute and yet annoying at the same time. Shiraz is a very very biased person and reading from her point annoyed me some, but it was just a minor thing.

The guys she falls for...yeah all of them are so ugh. Weasley might be a sweetie, but he is a wimpy sweetie who decks out his cars (something I think is a total waste of money). He can just allow people to walk all over him *Spoiler Warning* like when Shiraz totally gets ditched by Joshua he comes crawling back totally forgiving her and pretending none of that happened. I guess most girls find that sweet but I just find it needy-can't you at least show SOME anger or other emotion? *End of spoiler warning* Also-now that I am on that subject, Joshua is ugh, I didn't even like him, even when he was nice to Shiraz he was still so Snape (From HP) oily.
I really don't like the cover. I hate attacking people for how they look on the outside, but her bangs annoy me and her eyes are scary. Ok, that was a stretch but that's all I can say before I go on a giant rant.

My fav character? Uma-defidently! Even though she is a "Chav" she is totally down to earth and real and not trying to become some booky person trying to win the love from the rich ppl.

All in all, this was a really good book! (I was quite surprised) I enjoyed it, it was a light read and great for me I guess. Shiraz is quite a great character. A very fun book (sorry if there seems to be a lot of negativity in my review it was honestly very good!)

Grade: B

Wdebo :)

8 days of school and counting...

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Songs listened to while writing this review:

Yi Zhi Du Xiu (One Man Show) By: Show Luo
Lian Ai ING By: Mayday
Zhuo Huo Ru Mo By: Ah Shin (Mayday) ft. Ding Dang
Dao Xiang (The Fragrence of Rice)-eng subbed By: Jay Chou
愛情限時批 (Yu Le Bai Fen Bai) By: Fan Fan Ft. Xiao Gui

How To Buy a Love of Reading By: Tanya Egan Gibson

Title: How to Buy a Love of Reading
Author: Tanya Egan Gibson
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 389
Publisher: Penguin Group
Publishing Date: May 13, 2009
Geared Towards: Adults (tho talking about teens)
Extra Info: This is an ADULT book but many teens have been reading it (Just to clear it up!)

"There, in Aftermemory, we're forever Hunter at twelve and me at eleven, sitting at the edge of the Sound on the clearest morning ever, high on our brand-new-nothing-ever-like-it friendship"

I'm going to try to review it diffrently, tell me what you think!


Carley Wells is a rich, overweight, word hating teenage girl. When her english teacher, Mr. Nagel, asked her, "What is your favorite book?" She answered with a, "never met one I liked." Earning her anger from Mr. Nagel and her parents deciding to hire her a stay-at-home author who would create a story to her preferance.


Carley has no interest in this idea, for she has something else on her mind-Hunter Cay. Hunter is Fox Glen, her school's, resident golden boy, and also her best friend. Who is always there for her through the good, the bad, and the ugly. Hunter's parents are not very happy for they believe that Hunter being with Carley will make him look bad and make the name he made for himself go away. But Hunter has bigger problems (literally) then worrying about how his parents feel about his overweight best friend. After giving up his pill popping habits he digs himself deeply into a drunken hole.


The story is drawn together by other characters like her author, Bree, who can't write about love without making it metaphorical and not having any actual lerve. Also, Justin the egotistical writer (also my fav character) who is in love with Bree.


When I first saw this book I thought it was a catalogue for books or something. And once I read the summary, I was like "ok?" This is going to be one LONG book. When I started it, on the very first page I enjoyed it, thinking "Wow this book is PRETTY good" however once I started it I got bored then hated most of the characters. Once, I read more, like in the middle, and you meet and understood most of the characters I started to fall in love with the book.

The writing was very good, the ending made me cry. The writing was very unheld back, haha that's the only way I can think of describing it. No bonds, very brutal and straight-forward (in a good way).

I am not the biggest fan of this cover, it seems-eh yeah.

All in all, this book might be geared towards adults, but as long as you are a mature teen you can enjoy it, it might take a bit to get into it, but once you do it is such a good book!

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

Do you guys like this way of reviewing or should I divide it into "Summary" and "Wdebo's Review" again?

9 more days of school and counting...

Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances

Title: Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances
Author: John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 352
Publisher: Penguin Group
Publishing Year: 2008
Geared Towards: Teens

Summary (From B.O.B): Sparkling White Snowdrifts...

Beautiful preasents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you only see in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss with a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks.

Thanks to three of today's best-selling teen authors-John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle-the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance , and breataking kisses.

Wdebo's Review: Oh wow, three of the best YA authors together...in one book! (Though I only know two of them, but not important). I thought all the stories were super cute! The Jubile Express By: Maureen Johnson, A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle By: John Green & The Patron Saint of Pigs By: Lauren Myracle. I loved how all of them were connected together, during the very first story I didn't know this so when it ended I cried a bit thinking how it was sad it ended just like that, in just 100 pages. But then during the second I understood and got really happy, because yeah they connected together!

The stories were all very good considering each author only had around 100 pages to draw out a story and draw pictures, create plot/storyline/problems/etc. in just 100 pages.

Each stories were all very cliche but give you a very warm feeling like drinking hot chocolate on a cold *June* day. Aw I miss winter now, but I guess I don't want it to be winter cuz only a few more days until summer vacation and winter means no summer vacation :(

I think the cutest character is Stuart, (in first story) he is such a sweetie!!

The cover is cute, I like it and the gloves are muy red and comfy looking.

All in all, if you are looking for a warm, cliche, sweet book, read Let it Snow NOW!!

Grade: B

Wdebo :)

How Do You Do - Cascada

This is such a great song by Cascada, this vid just happens to feature the amazing Xiao Zhu.

Just watch it becuase of how cute and hot he looks :D

Hope you enjoy! And remember to comment especially if you LOVED it!

Wdebo :)

Contest Reminder!

Remember to join my contest HERE, ends in 5 more days!

Wdebo :)

Author Interview: Beth Fantaskey

Beth Fantaskey is the amazing debut author of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Read my reivew HERE). She is very sweet and funny...read her interview down below....

Wdebo: Can you describe a typical day?

Beth: I'm usually good for six snooze alarms, to start with – and that’s no exaggeration! When I DO wake up, if it's a workday, I try to put in a full day at my desk. I start by clicking on some free donation sites, like thehungersite.com, just to get the day going in the right direction. Then I pretty much get down to the business of writing, with either Pandora or the local college radio station playing in the background and a Diet Coke always on the desk. I am really a creature of habit!

W: Music always helps me too! How did you get the idea for "Jessica's Guide..."? Did you have to do any research for it?

My kids are adopted, and we sometimes wonder what their biological parents were like. I took that to the extreme with Jessica's Guide, by imagining Jess’s birth parents as incredibly different and unique. I had to research some of the math-related things, since math is NOT a good subject for me, and I looked up a lot of information on Romania, too. For example, I checked out a lot of recipes for the part where Jess tries to cook Lucius dinner. You really can substitute tarragon for 'minced levistan.'

W: Haha yep. Are any of your characters based on real people you know?

B: Nope... not in any conscious way. Although my sister is very rational, like Jess. I probably drew on that.

W: I hear you love to travel the world, but are fearful of flying how do you get over that? Do you travel on a plane often?

B: Flying is one of my gazillion phobias, and I’m definitely not over it. One of my friends refuses to fly with me, ever again, because I squeezed her leg so hard on an eight-hour flight to Italy that she could hardly walk the next day! I do fly pretty often, though, because it’s always worth it, to see a new place. (Well, maybe my friend wouldn’t agree that it’s worth it…)

W: What's your favorite color?

B: Peach - like that mix of pink and orange you see in great sunsets

W: Yeah! Did you notice to color scheme of the post? (It's peach-y) If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 5 items what would you bring?

B: I'm guessing I can't say "Manhattan" as one big item, so I'm going to say a rocking chair, a copy of The Pickwick Papers, my iPod (if we overlook the battery problem...), a picture of my family, and a Big Gulp cup with a long, long hose, hooked directly to the Diet Coke dispenser in a 7-Eleven back home.

W: Haha that would be SOO awesome to have! What authors do you look up to?

B: I am a big fan of the writers of the classics, especially Dickens, Dumas, Austen and Melville. Not only did they write amazing stories, but they did it with pens. And not even ballpoints! I’d still be on chapter five of my first book!

W: I probobly wouldn't even get through the first five pages :P Can you tell me more about your new book "Jekell Loves Hyde"?

B: It’s about two teenagers, Jill and Tristen, who gradually discover that they share a mysterious – and possibly dangerous – connection to the old novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As they work against the clock to unravel the mystery, they become more attracted – and dangerous – to one another… That’s the gist, without giving too much away!

Thanks so much Beth!

And don't forget to check out Beth's website HERE

Wdebo :)

Twitter + Wdebo = ?

So I just got a Twitter for this site, come, join me!! And PLEASE help me, cuz I have aboslutely no idea what I am doing lol

My Twitter? You may ask. Well it's here!

Wdebo :)

Random Entertainment Clips : 2

I think this is one of my fav skit from Xiao Zhu, him as three diff dads. (But all very pervy :P )

Part 1



Part 2



Hope you enjoy it! And remember to comment!

Wdebo :)

Soler

Soler is a HK duo but are still popular in Taiwan. As seen from them being on Yu Le Bai Fen Bai!

Soler is comprised of two twin brothers- Dino Acconci (guitar/vocals) and Julio Acconi (Lead vocals). They debuted in 2005 and write their own songs and are acclaimed for their live performances.

The brothers were born in Macau to an Italian father and a Karen mother. They learned Chinese at a local Chinese school and later went to live in Italy.

Both of them can speak 7 languages!!

They sing mostly in Canto so I have no idea what they are singing but they still sound REALLY good :D

Here is a coolio song by them... Lost (Plus eng sub)

Also, Tsunami (Eng sub)

Hope you enjoy! And remember to comment especially if you loved them!

Wdebo :)

Kiss of Life: A Generation Dead Novel

Title: Kiss of Life: A Generation Dead Novel
Author: Daniel Waters
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 410
Publisher: Disney Book Group (Is this right?)
Publishing Year: 2009
Geared Towards: Teens-And paranormal romance lovers
Extra Info: It is the sequal to Generation Dead (Click here for review)
Also: Visit Tommy's blog !

"'You didn't move, Tommy! He pointed the gun right at me, and you didn't do anything!'

'I...'

'All you had..had to do was...move,' she said; 'it wouldn't have hurt if he, shot you. But you just stood there, and...and Adam's dead. He's dead, Tommy!'

She looked at him, her eyes blurry with tears. He'd stopped trying to talk, and the mask of conern had fallen away from his face as he stood there.

Just stood there.

'He'd be alive if it wasn't for you, Tommy,' she said, whispering so all the gawkers wouldn't hear.

'He'd still be alive,' she thought, 'and you and I would be together.'"

Summary: (From the front flap) The phenomenon that's been sweeping the country seems to be here to stay. Not only are the teenagers who have come back from their graves still here, but newlydeads are being unearthed all the time. While scientists look for answers and politicians take their stands, the undead population of Oakville have banded together in a group they're calling the Sons of Romero, hoping to find solidarity in segregation.

Phoebe Kendall may be alive, but she feels just as lost and alone as her dead friends. Just when she reconciled herself to having feelings for a zombie -- her Homecoming date Tommy Williams -- her friend Adam is murdered taking a bullet that was meant for her. Things get even more confusing when Adam comes back from the grave. Now she has romantic interest in two dead boys; one who saved her life, and one she can't seem to live without.

Wdebo's Review: I was so excited to begin reading this book! I was dying (haha) to know what happened after that big cliffhanger from Generation Dead. It picks up right from where Gen Dead left off.

I liked the story a lot, it still felt very strong, whereas a lot of sequals seem to get weaker because they just feel like add-ons. The storyline was good, except I felt that Phoebe was just using Adam, but I was quite satisfied with the ending, except it was ANOTHER cliffhanger! Daniel Waters better write a third book and fast, I really want to know what happens to everyone!

I think I like Adam the best he's so sweet and kind to Phoebe except when he thinks he has to push her away. I don't like Tommy that much he's, eh, I don't know how to say, I just don't really like him.

I think the cover is pretty good, but Phoebe looks creepy (black hair doesn't suit her... But then again the blond on Gen Dead was weird too...I think I'm way too picky huh?) Maybe if she had a diffrent haircut it would have looked better. And the graves in the back were pretty chessy but still gives a good effect, also I know Phoebe is goth, but WHY IS SHE SO PALE? I mean she is PALER then ADAM who is the ZOMBIE in this equation!!! And why the hell does he have a tan??!!!!! It was quite unnerving. Even though he is v good looking.

All in all, for all those who were breathlessly waiting for the sequal of Gen Dead, you will not be disappointed!

Grade: B-

Wdebo :)