Crush Du Jour by Micol Ostow

Busy busy busy. That's how Laine Harper would describe her life at this moment. But she has no intension of slowing down unless it's to check out the hottie that passes her by. Laine is also a notorious flirt and has never been in a relationship that has lasted more than three weeks. Cute boys aside, Laine has to keep busy if she wants to be able to be accept into the college of her choice. so When the local community center puts an ad out for someone with cooking experience to teach a beginners cooking class for tweens she jumps at the opportunity. After all she loves to cook and with her mom being a well known and respected food critic the art of food practically runs through her veins.

She gets the job of course but there is one problem. her teaching partner, Seth, is so cute it's distracting. She would ask him out but having made a strict pact to herself and best friend that under no circumstance would she be distracted by any boys this summer. But this is easier said than done. But when Seth asks her to work part time at his dad's new restaurant Hype to earn some extra cash she couldn't refuse. But she finds that working as a waitress isn't all what it's cracked up to be. But when she finds out that her mom gave the restaurant a bad review she finds both her job and her non-relationship with Seth to be in jeopardy.

Crush Du Jour was a fairly good read but I found myself not connecting with what was going on in the story. It seems as if the relationship with Seth was very one dimensional and at times shallow. And it also seemed odd that Laine being the extremely driven person that she is was too easily side track by a little bit of eye candy which I found to be very uncharacteristic for a person who is so Type-A. I was disappointing because I Read and loved Micol Ostow's previous Romantic Comedies book 30 Guys in 30 Days and I really liked it. Oh well I guess this is another Strike for the series.

Gender Blender by Blake Nelson

IT'S FINALLY HERE THE POST YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR..........GENDER...........BLENDER

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Yeah so I'm finally posting my review for Gender Blender. OK so.......

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For a sixth grader Emma has the schedule of a busy adult. No time to hang out at the mall or just do nothing at all Her life is completely booked. Tom on the other hand has only one thing to worry about....the upcoming Baseball tryouts. Sure his grades are slipping and he'd probably fail the sixth grade but who cares he doesn't. So when their Health teacher pairs them up for an assignment where they need each other to pass which they find impossible to do when they fight about every thing. But when they switch bodies they have to learn the hard way abut walking a mile in each other's shoes.

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With just under or possibly a tiny bit over 200 pages Gender Blender is reminiscent of all those movies where two people switch bodies-- Freaky Friday, Wish Upon a Star, The Hot Chick and It's a Boy Girl Thing to name a few. It was funny and different from the rest (something I wasn't really expecting). Blake Nelson did a good job writing both Emma's and Toms side of the story. Hope to read more from him soon.

Thirteen by Lauren Myracle

Winnie Perry is turning thirteen that means:
1. She's a teenager
2. She can finally see PG-13 movies WITHOUT her parents
3. She's one step away from High School

But with all the joys with being thirteen Winnie learns that it comes with even more problem than when she was twelve. First there's her boyfriend Lars seems to drifting away from her. Then there's Cinnamon, Winnie's not-so-new best friend and Amanda her ex-best friend, who are both growing up too fast. The only person who's staying the same is Dinah but Winnie's not too sure if that's a good thing.

But she isn't the only one dealing with changes. There's her sister who's getting ready to leave for college. Her younger brother who is trying to impress a girl at his elementary school. And her mom who may or may not be having a nervous break down. All this has made Winnie come to the conclusion that the year between thirteen and fourteen will be the most difficult year to date.

Thirteen was a fun book to read. It was kind of reminiscent of the Alice McKinley books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. It dealt with Winnie's problems with a side of humor which made it a real pleasure to read. Readers can take a page or two...maybe even three or more (figuratively of course) from her book and apply it to any problems mirroring hers in your life. Before Thirteen there were Eleven and Twelve which preceded this book. After reading Thirteen I felt like I had missed out on the last two years of her life so I decided to back pedal and check out the last two books.

I got Thirteen from Book Divas who were giving away free copies of this book for Lauren Myracle's (author of this book) upcoming author visit. Lauren is visiting March 2nd to the 10th on the Book Divas message boards. She'll be answering questions about Thirteen and anything else you'd like to know so check that out. If you want to ask questions Sign Up At Book Divas.com and post your question on the Lauren Myracle Author Visit message board.

Weregirls: Birth of the Pack by Petru Popescu

Lily, Arielle, Grazia and Nikki have been friends since forever and have bonded of the love of soccer and Lily's father's stories of the Weregirls; the Native American tribal gods responsible for the creation of life on earth and mankind. Fast forward several years later; Lily is sixteen years old writing for the school paper and fighting for her high to create an all girls soccer team. She's lost her dad and is missing him now more than ever.

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But all that takes a backseat when trouble enters life in the form of Andra Hewlit. Andra is the daughter of Howard Hewlit a rich real estate mogul (think Donald Trump) who decided to move his family back to his hometown of Pasadena, California which happens to be Lily's hometown. Andra is just as talented as Lily on the soccer field and even more manipulative off the field. When Andra asks and is allowed to create a soccer team Lily can help but feel gypped. She was only allowed to crate a Soccer which wasn't even supported by the school.

So when Andra offers to add them to her team if they can beat her team at a soccer match. Lily has no choice but to accept after all the soccer field that she and her friends built and their legacy is at risk. With all this on her mind Lily calls out to her dad for help. But what she didn't expect is for him to answer and give her the powers of the Weregirls the fictional heroes she and her friends modeled themselves after for years. Now with the Power of the Weregirls at had Lily feels as if anything is possible.

Weregirls Birth of the Pack started out very slow in my opinion the story started to pick up pace around chapter five or six. After that the story was more enjoyable. Lily is an awesome character who I think is very misunderstood. Despite the fact that her dad is magical her family life was very real-- kind of what I'd expect the life of two people, one magical and one who's not, to be like when the other doesn't understand or refuses to understand their life. Popescu weaves a very sad and thrilling tale. I hope to read more about his Weregirls.

The Clique #9: Bratfest at Tiffany’s by Lisi Harrison & Other Clique-ish News

Yes I know I said that I was reading and reviewing Gender Bender by Blake Nelson next -- and I will....just....not right now. It's because I came across the latest Clique novel and couldn't resist reading it.

Bratfest at Tiffany's picks up at the beginning of the school year at OCD-- oops I mean BOCD. The "B" is for Briarwood-- as in Briarwood School For Boys, The school that is forced (thanks to the unfortunate collapse of the entire school the past school year) to make nice with the girls of OCD. For Massie and the PC (Pretty Committee) this means a whole new start on staying on top of the social food chain that is (for now) BOCD. Massie decides that the girls should abstain from interacting with the boys of Briarwood and any boy for that matter and dubs their group the New Pretty Committee (NPC). But the girls are finding it hard to follow orders.

Massie finds the new and improved Dempsey Solomon very hard to resist. Claire is still upset about her breakup with Cam and is devastated when he hooks up with Olivia Ryan. But when Alicia devises a plan with Josh Hotz to ditch the NPC she finds herself on the outs with the group yet again, and the NPC finds themselves in a trailer with the lowest of LBRs. Now Massie has to do some extreme scheming to get revenge both on the boys of Briarwood and Alicia.

I really liked Bratfest at Tiffany's it was the best Clique novel I've read since Revenge of the Wannabes. I loved seeing Claire and Alicia deal with the upsets in their lives -- Claire with getting over Cam and dealing with the consequences of her action in Dial L for Loser and for Alicia (the age old lesson) learning not to let boys get between you and your friends. Lisi Harrison did a good job writing this book. Can't wait to read The Cliques Summer Collection #1: Massie coming out this April.

Speaking of upcoming Clique projects. There will definitely be a clique movie on the way. Lisi Harrison has mentioned in her Blah-g that there will be direct to DVD films. The cast has been chosen and filming has started. Tyra Banks heads the production of the film. Not only that ET (Entertainment Tonight) will be doing a small expose on the film. That's it for now but before I go here is the cast so far for the Clique Movie.

P.S. Lisi Harrison updates her BLAH-G EVERY Wednesday so check that out if you want frequent updates on what going on in the Clique World.

Maximum Ride: School's Out....Forever by James Patterson

Max and her Flock are back for another awesome action packed adventure.... In Maximum Ride: School's Out....Forever Max, Iggy, Fang, Nudge, Gasman, Angel and the newest addition to the flock, Total are off to DC to start the search for their parents. Along the way they are ambushed by some flying Erasers. Fangs gets Injured and has to be rushed to the hospital where he is instantly put under special surveillance when it is discovered that he isn't a normal human boy. The FBI is called in and after some questioning Max and her Flock find themselves driving to the suburbs of Virginia to live with Anne Walker, a high ranking FBI agent to lie low for a while.

This all sounds good to everyone except Max who is a bit skeptical of the sweet, loving Anne who seem just a tad bit too sweet and loving. This isn't the only thing Max has to deal with. Ari's back from the dead and is out for blood. He's up to something but Max can't figure out what. Not to mention, Max and the gang have a new adventure at hand...school. Yes their self appointed mom Anne has taken it upon herself to enroll them into private school. Now apart from dealing with daily Eraser attacks Max has to try and keep herself and the gang out of trouble at school which sounds less easier than it actually is.

All this, however, takes a back burner when she starts seeing another Max running around and an Eraser version of herself in the mirror. Is she loosing her mind or is it some sinister plan the School is cooking up to get a hold of the flock again? Now with school, the pending threat of flying Erasers, searching for the Flock's parents and her own possible deteriorating mind Max feels more alone than ever before.

Okay.....where to start. This was one of the most......no this is the most action packed adventure book I've read so far this year. As usual I have no qualms with this book except the end which was a little vague and confusing and I saw where the plot was heading before it got there..... BUT, Mr. Patterson did an amazing job keeping the story alive (no surprise). And I loved the fact that he gave us a view of Ari's side of the story; it made me understand why Max sympathizes with him a bit. I'm looking forward to what's coming next in the story of Max and her Flock.

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TTFN! I'm about to start Gender Bender by Blake Nelson. I'll post asap.

Alex Unlimited: Split Second Sight by Dan Jolley

Before I get into the review, here's a little back story on the Alex Unlimited series:

Alex Unlimited is a Tokyo Pop novel series written by Dan Jolley (no pictures to be found what-so-ever) that follows the misadventures of Alex Benno, an 18 year old girl who happens to live and sort of work for a government agency -- similar to that of the CIA and FBI, since she was a little girl. It all sounds glamorous but when you're an 18 year old girl who everyone thinks is still 14 it ruins the whole effect. But, Alex has a unique talent, she can summon alter egos of herself from other alternate realities. Again it sounds great but it really isn't. Compared to Alex the alter egos are usually much more prettier, smarter and all out cooler than she is. And to make matters worse no one pays attention to her when their around. But that will all change with the arrival of the latest Alex Prime (that's what they're called) Rachel who was summoned to help translate an ancient language that is unknown to everyone in this reality.

In Alex Unlimited: Split Second Sight, Alex is off on another whirlwind adventure in San Francisco, California with the latest Alex Prime, Jane. to find and protect Amy Titus, a self-proclaimed medium who has -- until recently proving to be the real deal. Now Amy's being hunted by the evil SKAR cooperation and other world Cooperations and agencies to get her on their side. This isn't the only thing Alex has to deal with. Between searching for answers about her parents death and dealing with the creepy message she got from them during a séance The latest Alex Prime has something to hide and it's all driving Alex crazy trying to figure it out.

Split Second Sight was just as crazy and action packed as the first Alex Unlimited book, The Vorsarak Code. It was fun reading about Alex's latest adventure with her latest alter ego Jane, girl who is an expert on all things that is supernatural in this and other dimensions. It was also good to hear Alex whine less about the woes of being not as pretty and as experienced as her alter ego it made me like her even more for that. I also liked that I got to learn little bit more about her parents. Dan Jolley is doing a pretty good job with the series so far and I'll definitely be on the look out for book 3 True Chemistry.

Next up: Maximum Ride: School's Out....Forever by James Patterson. Stay tuned ;-).

Platinum by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

OK, I'm back. and with two books up for review. First, Platinum -- the sequel to Golden, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes which takes place about six weeks after Golden ends.

Lilah Covington's life has changed A LOT since finding out the Lissy James' family secret; every female descendant has some form of the "Sight". Now, she's seeing things, more like memories of everyone she encounters, things that has happened in the past.....oh and ghosts. Well, one ghost to be exact. One very cute ghost boy who just happens to like hanging out Lilah. She can deal with all that, but when Ghost Boy informs her that her boyfriend will be killed in a matter of days and that he (Ghost Boy) will the murderer she reluctantly decides to seek Lissy, Lexie-- Lissy's younger sister , and their creepy grandmother's help.

Like ALL the Golden fans, I have been impatiently waiting for the sequel to Golden to arrive and take it's place among the other awesome books that Jennifer Lynn Barnes has written so far. I for one am not disappointed. Jennifer has once again mix regular high school life and drama to the paranormal world where anything can happen and produced near perfect results. I almost started to believe that some teens in ever high school has to deal with paranormal situations in their lives.

On a slightly (10%) bitter note I'd have to say that I didn't care much for the B plot in this book -- sorry I won't tell what it was in fear of giving away the story's ending, let's just say I knew what really happened and I wasn't surprised at the way everything turned out.

Over all Platinum was a very entertaining reading and an enjoyable break from the college textbooks I have been reading. I'm probably wrong so don't quote me on this BUT I see a third sequel on the way. With the talk of Lissy, Lilah and Lexie having to form a sisterly like bound between them and Lexie entering the th grade very soon gives way for another story to be made. But that's just my opinion.

Next up Alex Unlimited: Split Second Sight by Dan Jolley

What Happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles

It's really hard to summarize this story without spoiling the ending but here goes.

When David Kirby commits suicide, Cass McBride feels guilty because David saw the note she wrote about him and left her friend to find. But she isn't the only one who believes that she is to blame. Kyle Kirby knows that Cass inadvertently caused his brother's death and he wants revenge. So he devises a plan.....bury Cass McBride alive with only a tube to let in enough air so she'd stay alive long enough for him to torture her, via walkie-talkie, using the same words she used to kill his brother.

Told in three person point of view (Kyle, Cass and Ben, the detective who heads Cass's case), What Happened to Cass McBride? is a very well written story that did not skim on the suspense. I had a hard time at first reading Cass's POV (point of view) because it felt as if I was the one buried alive. As traumatic as that may have been I loved every minute of it. Even though Kyle and Cass where both in the wrong -- Cass for treating David the way she did and Kyle for seeking revenge on Cass -- I couldn't help but sympathize with both their characters._

Gail Giles I applaud you for your excellent work on this book. You kept me up until the early hours of the morning hungrily devouring every word on every page and for that I'm truly thankful.

At the moment I have no books to read but I'll be off to the library to search for more. Be back as soon as I can