labor day reading + need help for school!

It's Labor Day weekend! What better way to spend the 4-day mini-break we get to have than with these books? Let me know what you are currently reading, and what you're planning to read next this week as well!

I also wanted to take advantage of having this blog and ask you all for school help. For one of my classes, we're supposed to write a 10 page argumentative essay. Now, I need ideas from you guys - for ethical topics, preferably those that are controversial! The thing is, we can't write on abortion, marijuana legalization, and/or gay marriage (since our professor says everybody ends up doing their essays on those topics!) So... if you could kindly help me brainstorm, that would be AWESOME. Thanks, as always!

quote of the day + thrill week

I love quotes, but I have to admit, I never really take the time to jot down page chapters and write down wonderful lines from books. However, every once in a while, I come across certain quotes and simply can not pass up the chance - I have to take note of them, write them down, and remember them. When I read The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, this was one of those that I couldn't help but fall in love with.

"I never read without making sure I am in a secure position. I have been like this ever since the age of seven when, sitting on a high wall and reading The Water Babies, I was so seduced by the descriptions of underwater life that I unconsciously relaxed my muscles. Instead of being held buoyant by the water that so vividly surrounded me in my mind, I plummeted to the ground and knocked myself out. I can still feel the scar under my fringe now. Reading can be dangerous."

And in other news, I do want to go ahead and mention about a fellow blogger's project. Enter Thrill Week at Tea Time with Marce... if you are a fan of Thrillers, Mysteries, Suspense, and Horror... then this event is for you. Visit her blog for more details :) Other than that, I hope you have a great weekend!

Wither by Lauren Destefano

Genre: Young Adult - Fantasy/Science Fiction-ish

Rating: 5 stars

Review: As you probably know, I had the case of an awful reading slump the past couple of weeks, and needed a fresh new book to cure it. Thankfully, I was able to pick up Wither from the library. First off, can I just say how much I love the plot line and its premise? It is so original and new, and it makes this story such a refreshing read. And the way the author executed the whole thing, I thought was simply flawless. The pace was on-point, the development was perfect, the writing was beautiful and flowed so well, and the entire setting was so great to learn more about and explore.

As for the characters, I really liked getting to know about them more. They aren't made up of stereotypical personalities and characteristics, which in itself, is a huge plus. But what I loved about the most was the narrator (the main protagonist). This may sound weird, but I actually didn't see her as a fictional character. Instead, it seemed as if she was actually me. I felt like I was in her situation, feeling all these kinds of things, going through all this stuff. It truly made the whole story realistic and believable, despite the fact that it's fantasy and science fiction.

So yes, I loved it. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and rooted for the characters all the way. I like the way it exudes 'darkness and sadness' in a very subtle (instead of contrived and forced) way. All in all, I just thought it was a very intriguing world to live in, even for a few hours. I highly recommend this to YA fans and readers looking for an original and fresh story line.

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

Genre: Young Adult - contempory/paranormal-ish

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: This book was alright. It has its fun and entertaining moments, and for the most part, I enjoyed my time reading it. The writing and the flow makes it perfectly readable, and the characters were okay enough - even though I have to admit, they were a bit stereotypical at times.

But like I said, it was just alright. It's one of those books that's fun as I read it, but one that I completely forget about after. It just didn't stand out to me. So at the end of the day, I don't think I would recommend it. Not necessarily because it was a bad read - because it certainly wasn't - but because I do feel that there are other titles out there that perhaps could be better choices instead.

Little funny tidbit: Bridget's best friends are Jillian and Michele. Well, my name is actually Jillian Michele ;)

quote of the day.

from the Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

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I will be back to normal blogging by next week. Thank you for all your nice messages and tweets! Happy Friday, everybody. I hope whatever it is you're reading is fantastic so far :)

in which I blog about not being able to blog about anything.

Right now I am sitting staring at my computer, trying to come up with something to talk about. Nothing is coming out. Blank. Zero ideas.

Do you ever get this annoying blogger's block? I have a very bad case of it right now for sure. I don't know if it's because I'm writing this at 11am (this is a scheduled post) which is in itself is unusual - as my writing/blogging brain typically works well late at night. Perhaps. Or maybe it's because I need to discover a new favorite read. Although I have read many and liked some, I really can't remember the last time I truly fell in love with a book, to be honest.

So as always, I come to you for help.

1) Do you ever get blogger's block? What do you do to cure it?

2) What inspires you, and where do you get ideas for blog posts?

3) Recommend me a book you personally think is amazing.

And as always, thank you. Which reminds me - sometimes I really, really think, "What would I do if I didn't have reader friends like you?" Sounds cheesy, but it's so true! Where will all my book and reading-related thoughts go if not here?

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Genre: Young Adult

Rating: 5 stars

Review: There's not much to say about this book - it was just simply a fun read. It was very entertaining, and loved the fact that it's incredibly fast-paced. I really liked the change of setting also, and liked the overall growth and development of the characters. Speaking of, can I just say how much I love Sophie Mercer as a protagonist? She's pretty awesome. I think her personality just fits, and her sarcasm definitely makes her a likable and realistic character.

I also liked the writing style - simple, conversational, and casual; almost like you're speaking with a friend.

So overall, I loved this book. It's just a fun read. It's a great sequel to the Hex Hall trilogy, and it most definitely made me excited for the final installment. This series as a whole is a must read for any paranormal YA fans that are tired of the usual and typical Paranormal YA stuff we often see around nowadays.

for the love of WORDS.

I don't know if it's just me, but I've always loved words. Reading them, writing them, learning more about them, discovering new ones and their definitions, actually using them in my daily life... I just love words. So today I thought I should share some of my favorite words - the ones that I just find sound nice - and my not-so-favorite words - the ones that make me cringe when I say them!

Lovely Words: (in my opinion)

rendezvous

tranquility

aesthetic

ethereal

serendipity

eloquent

quintessential

Not-So-Lovely Words: (in my opinion)

moist

spatula

chuckle

bulge

pus

ointment

yeast

colonel (because why would you spell it this way when it's meant to be pronounced COMPLETELY different?)

Pretty random topic, but what are your favorites and not so favorites? Tell me why. And remember, we're just basing it on the way the words sound - not necessarily on their definitions ;)