EXTREMELY Late Halloween Book Recommendations

So. This is REALLY short notice but I have some book recommendations for you on this awful, spooky holiday. With the help of TLC (that's Teen Lit Central to you) Barnes & Nobles, Borders, and of course Amazon.com I have compiled a list of books you should definitely read on this day of horror, pain, and sorrow. These books will be separated into three categories: Down Right Freaky, Hilariously Scary, and Heart Poundingly Romantic. Let us begin.....

DOWN RIGHT FREAKY
Series:
Fear Street
Readers Beware!! You're in for a scare!! Wait.... that's Goosebumps. But I'm justified to otter those words because for this 1990s series the same rules apply. R.L. Stine's series for the kids who got bored of Goosebumps but not the author's style of writing (ahem, me) this was a nasty treat. That was swallowed up faster than a zombie eating brains.

The Last Apprentice
This series is my NFHBSFN (NEW FAVORITE HORROR BOOK SERIES...FOR NOW). Those of you who hated R.L. Stine would hate this series, and those of you who didn't, well, you'll begin to hate it too. The series is set in the olden days somewhere between the The Medieval Ages and the time of King Henry VIII (Almost thirty or years--give or take a decade or two--before the first Queen Elizabeth ruled England). in a place similar to the UK. The series follows Thomas Ward, a 12 year old boy who, due to his lineage (he was born the seventh son of the seventh son) is chosen to be the next Spook. The series follows Tom throughout his training as he battles ghosts and ghasts, boggarts and witches.

HILARIOUSLY SCARY
Series:
Braced2Bite
Colby Blanchard is the popular cheerleader with the grades, the hunky boyfriend, and the homecoming crown in the bag. Then things go bad as in turning-into-a-vampire bad. And complicating things is the fact that her orthodontist father has removed her canine teeth to give her a perfect smile, so she can't even do the vampire thing properly. Luckily, he's fitting her with some new headgear so she can feed. So now she's not just a vampire but a dork.

The Salem Witch Tryouts
Prudence Stewart had it all at Beverly Hills High: straight A's, the cutest crush, and a sweet gig as captain of the cheerleading squad. Then poof! Mom and Dad announce they're moving to Salem, Massachusetts. Turns out, Pru comes from a long line of witches and it's time for her to learn the craft. Buh-bye, Beverly Hills High -- hello, Agatha's Day School!

Novels:
Hex Education
Sophie Stone doesn't want to leave the bright lights of LA for the dreary little burg of Mythic, Massachusetts. So why, then, does she feel eerily drawn to the place? And why, after she crosses the county line, does she begin having headaches, accompanied by strange and frightening visions? At least school is a bright spot-Sophie is immediately accepted by the coolest, most popular, best-dressed girls at Mythic High. But what she doesn't know is that her new friends don't buy their couture-they conjure it! they're a coven of witches, formed to save the town from an evil that is rising, an evil that was foretold decades ago. And Sophie is their leader! will Sophie embrace her powers and save the town? Or is Mythic totally hexed?

HEART POUNDINGLY ROMANTIC
Series:
Twilight
The world's current favorite read. Everyone (from Great Grandma Lydia to little cousin Billy who practically just started to read chapter books) is reading this series. And why not? It is after all the best tragic romance since Romeo and Juliet. Some say it's even better.

Vampire Kisses
Not as popular as the Twilight series but a few have read and hated series. This isn't a heart wrenching romantic story our heroine would have none of that. But it is funny. sort of like a horrific romantic comedy.

Novels:
Tantalize
Another Twilight-esque story about a girl, her werewolf best friend/boyfriend and the vampire who ruined her life. Not exactly Twilight but close enough that some would fear or even run away screaming from this story.

OK so that's it!!! My recommendations for this year's All Hallows Eve. Have a nasty time reading

PS: If you haven't caught on. Halloween is also Opposite Day. So anything that is bright and sunny becomes dark and dreary. But anything originally horrifying stays that way. What do you expect. On Halloween nothing is fair.

The Last Apptrentice: The Wrath of the Bloodeye by Joseph Delaney

Thomas Ward has spent two years as the Spook's apprentice. He's faced unimaginable peril, and survived. But a new danger has emerged: an ancient water witch, Bloodeye, is roaming the County intent on destroying everything in her path. To strengthen his skills, Tom is sent to the far north to train with the demanding Bill Arkwright. Arkwright lives in a haunted mill on the edge of a treacherous marsh, and his training methods prove to be harsh and sometimes cruel. Will Tom's new bag of tricks be enough to overcome a critical mistake that leaves him confronting Bloodeye on his own?

Imagine if you will, walking around your favorite bookstore, checking out prospective reads; when you see the newest book in one of your favorite book series. You didn't know know that there'd be a new book and you're so excited that you start to freak out. That's what happened to me when I saw The Last Apptrentice: The Wrath of the Bloodeye on the new releases shelf at Barnes & Noble. The story was awesome!!!! Remember the prophesy I spoke about in the previous post about this series? well it seems to be coming true but in the way I feared it would. I'm not going to go into details like I did the last time. But I wiil say this again If you haven't started reading this series then you are missing out.

Book2Movie: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

By now you have probably have seen this movie or at least seen the trailer on tv. I saw an advanced screening on September 9th (compliments to filmetro.com) and was recently able to discuss my thoughts.

As you've probably know; Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is a book turned to movie about Norah, a girl who is forced to insinuate a temparary, fake relationship with Nick, a guy she just met, to proove to her frenemy Tris who is convinced that she (Norah) is a prude who doesn't know how to have a good time. To her entense mortification, Nick is Tris's most recent cast off (ex-boyfriend) and Nick isn't over her yet. Norah is about to go dig a hole to bury herself in it, but a little coaxing from Nick's friends and band mates convinces her to hang out with Nick for the rest of the night.

In the movie the relationship between Tris and Norah was altered making Tris a one sided character. I found that a bit sad because Tris, even though she's a bit bitchy, had a moment where she was really nice to Norah in the book. They also made the movie more of a slight epic by having Nick and Norah go through some pretty hilarious misadventures, while building up the "love triangle" between Tris, Norah, and Nick.

I enjoyed the movie. I found it really hilarious. However, I couldn't help but notice the similarities it had with both Juno and Charlie Bartlett, which (Surprise, surprise!) stars both the leading actors in this movie. However, towards the end of the movie I found my eyes glazing over and I began nodding off, so I guess the Movie left me hot and cold. I still like it though it was interpreted well enough. So I'm not too disappointed.

Miss Marple: The Tuesday Club Murders by Agatha Christie

Year: 1932
Location: Multiple

The unifying premise for this short story collection is the Tuesday Club: six people who meet socially one evening at Jane Marple's home and then decide to meet regularly each Tuesday night to solve a mystery which a group member must relate.

I've actually read a Miss Marple mystery without realizing it in high school. It was a short story for a final or possibly mid term exam. I found it very fascinating and was curious enough to want to read more of her books. The Tuesday Club Murders, now called The Thirteen Problems, is like a stepping stone to the Miss Marple series. They give you a taste of what her mystery solving is like without actually having you dedicate yourself to the whole book. i liked all the stories and Miss Marple's brand of mystery solving, using the knowledge of people's characters as opposed to Hercule Poirot's use of psychological profiling. Dame Agatha Christie's works of fiction are extraordinary; each book is a constant reminder of why she is so loved in the world of mystery.

Hercule Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express

Year: 1934
Location: On a train

Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of year. But by the morning there is one less passenger. An American lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside…Red herrings galore are put in the path of Hercule Poirot to try and keep him off the scent but in a dramatic dénouement he succeeds in coming up with not one, but two solutions to the crime.

Murder on the Orient Express was the first Agatha Christie book recommended to me, I was thirteen-years-old and never got around to reading it. Now that I've finally read it eight years later I regret not doing so when it was first recommended to me. I've recently started reading Hercule Poirot books: Black Coffee, The ABC Murders, Hickory Dickory Dock, and Death in the Clouds, are the only four Hercule Poirot (pronounced: ER-CUE-L PWAH-ROW) books I've read so far; and to me the Hercule Poirot series had a very black and white view of crime. But in this story it is the total opposite. There is a huge gray area that couldn't be overlooked. I now realize why many people love this book and why there are so many *pop culture* references to it. I really enjoyed this story and I'm really happy I decided to read it after all this time.

The Secret Rites of Social Butterflies by Lizabeth Zindel

When does truth become gossip?

Maggie’s parents have just split up, and she’s moved from New Jersey to New York City with her mom. Desperate to make new friends and to distract herself from troubles at home, she falls in with a group of social butterflies at the ritzy private school she now attends. These girls keep a top-secret record of their classmates’ most intimate details on a wall in one of their apartments. Maggie’s friends insist they are collecting the truth—not gossip—about the lives of today’s teenagers. But she soon learns that certain information in the wrong hands can do irreparable damage.

This was a very Mean Girls-esque story. New girl comes to town and wants to fit in. She finds the popular clique and (you'll have to read to find out what happens here) then they become friends. But the girls are very different from your average uber popular clique is that they do not distinguish themselves from others for being mean. It's their exclusivity. The plot is original but predictable and I felt as conflicted as Maggie did in the story about the issues she had to face. This feeling of conflict was the story's savinggrace and I ended up liking it in the end.

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.

Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.

The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . . .

Compared to it's predecessor, Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange was a bit boring which was very disappointing. I don't know exactly what made the story less exciting to me. I guess that compared to there wasn't much going on. However, I did like that the story focused on someone different this time. There isn't much else I want to say about this book. The plot is great but not enticing. i wish I could have enjoyed it more.

Death by Bikini by Linda Gerber

A fun, sexy, murder-mysteryromance for all teen sleuths!

Aphra Behn Connolly has the type of life most teenage girls envy. She lives on a remote tropical island and spends most of her time eavesdropping on the rich and famous. The problem is that her family’s resort allows few opportunities for her to make friends—much less to meet cute boys. So when a smoldering Seth Mulo arrives with his parents, she’s immediately drawn to him. Sure, he’s a little bit guarded, and sure his parents are rather cold, and okay he won’t say a word about his past, but their chemistry is undeniable. Then a famous rock star’s girlfriend turns up dead on the beach—strangled by her own bikini top—and alarm bells sound. Is it too great a coincidence that Seth’s family turned up just one day before a murder? As the plot thickens, Aphra finds that danger lurks behind even the most unexpected of faces. . . .

Even though it was a predictable mystery, I found Death by Bikini to be a very original story. Aphra is a bona fide amateur sleuth with her somewhat endless knowlege of information on varying subjects. I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read Death by Latte.

Pretty Tough by Liz Tigelaar

Bubbly, blond Krista brown is pretty and popular. Her sister, Charlie, is more interested in braving the Malibu waves than the halls of the school that Krista rules. but when Krista and Charlie are both recruited to the school’s soccer team, they are forced to face their differences. Can these two sisters become teammates, and friends, in time to make it to the championships?


It's very interesting, this book, because as I read it I could not help thinking how much like a movie it is. The irony is that the author, Liz Tigelaar, is a successful script writer for shows like Brothers & Sisters, and Dirty Sexy Money, and the upcoming Clique movie. This book felt like a novelized movie script. Even if it was cliched and predictable, I really enjoyed this book. I love the alternating between the two sisters POVs. It gives readers a chance to see their part of the story.

The Clique Summer Series: Alicia by Lisi Harrison

Alicia takes on Mission Spalfa: Spanish Alpha!

Back in Spain to visit her relatives, Alicia discovers that Spain's newest pop sensation ¡Ignacio! is searching for a true Spanish beauty to star in his new hit-single video. She can't believe her luck! If Alicia is cast as a true Spanish beauty, Massie will never call her fake-Spanish again. The only trick: She'll have to beat her super-bonita cousins to win the coveted spot. Adios, bimbos!

I was never a fan of Alicia due to her backstbbing ways. However, I found this book very entertaining. Predictable, but entertaining. After reading both Dylan and Alicia's books I find that the girls really look up to Massie as a leader. The books are about them channeling Massie to get what they want. I find that somewhat funny in Alicia's case since she is always butting heads with Massie.

The Clique Summer Series: Dylan by Lisi Harrison

Game, Set, Match... Dylan?

Dylan and her TV-host mom are off to Hawaii's Aloha Tennis Open. While Merri-Lee interviews tennis's wild child Svetlana "Tennis the Menace" Slootskyia, Dylan lets the tropical sun melt away the memory of getting dumped by two guys at the end of seventh grade. But between avocado mud masks and poolside naps, she falls in love with a preppy, tennis- obsessed hawtie. Dylan soon realizes the only way to score a date with him is to master the game. Can she convince moody Svetlana to spill the secrets of her tennis success, or will she end up oh-for-three in summer love?

I really liked this book. It was everything a clique book should be: light, funny, and entertaining. I'm glad that Lisi H. decided to write some books focusing on an individual PC member. I gave me a chance to get to know them better. Even though I'm really waiting to read Claire's book (because it answers a question I've always wondered about.) it's fun reading about the other PC members. Dylan is fun as always. I'm glad Svetlana is giving her a workout. I always beleived that she needed one--she's always dieting and not exercising and they go hand in hand (in the case of dieting at least). As for the book; very fun, entertaining read, a bit predictable but I enjoyed it.