High Tide by R.L. Stine

Last week, we while hubs and I were on vacation, we checked out quite a few bookstores. Even though, we own plenty of books somehow we just can't get enough. Really, it is rare for both of us to walk out of a bookstore empty handed. One of the little indie shops we went into had a great kids/teen/young adult section. Hubs and I both picked up books that we would have probably would have begged for back in our elementary school days! Sometimes a little blast from the past is nice, you know, remembering where you came from and all that. Hubs brought home a new Hardy Boys book and I got a Fear Street: Super Chiller book by R.L. Stine. I remember LOVING the Fear Street books when I was younger. The other kids liked Goosebumps but I guess I thought I was more mature by reading the Fear Street ones. 

(And how about that, my nail polish even matches! 

I didn't plan that this time! Swears!)

Anyhoo, so I had this recently acquired book in my possession and I'd just finished the book I took with me on the trip, therefore, High Tide by R.L. Stine became my companion for the flight home. (Well, about half way, the book is only 163 pages long and the flight was from Seattle to Atlanta, you do the math :)

I'm not going say this was the most brilliant piece of literature I've ever read BUT I did totally enjoy it and the nostalgia it brought me. I think what I always liked about Fear Street books was the suspenseful mystery. And High Tide did not disappoint in that area, in fact, it is almost like a YA psychological thriller! 

The main character, Adam, is a lifeguard who is working at the same beach his girlfriend died at the summer before. He is suffering from some severe mental trauma surrounding that event and he's having a hard time with what is reality and what is hallucination. The author sets up a good story and the ending is not what I expected at all. It's kind of cheesy in places but I guess when you take in account it was written 15 years ago, I guess that isn't so bad! I didn't find it to be really believable either but hey, it is fiction! 

My final thoughts: good trip down memory lane and worth the hour or two it took to read it.

What were your fav books when you were younger?? 

Feel free to comment. 

I heart comments!

Teaser Tuesdays (Aug.28)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's Teaser Tuesday comes from my current read, Intangible by J. Meyer. So far I'm liking it very much. It's Paranormal Young Adult Fiction. What's not to like, right?

She knew her heart was wrong, her mind was right. She couldn’t be with him. She couldn’t date him. She couldn’t fall in love with him. 

If only her heart would listen.

(*Thanks to J. for sending me a copy of her book!)

Book Trailer Thursday: MIRAGE by Kristi Cook

I hadn't heard of these books but the author's name is familiar.

Seems interesting. I'd be willing to add to the TBR pile 
based on this trailer. :-)

Enjoy!

Teaser Tuesdays (Aug. 21)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"You were in my dream."

One amber-colored eye opened. "Please tell me we were naked."

I rolled my eyes. "You're such a perv."

This week's teaser may not be fair. But I'm post from my current read, Deity, by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Now it may not fair because Spencer Hill Press was kind enough to send me an ARC of this book and the general population will not be able to accquire this book until its release date, November 6, 2012. Sorry peeps. But I'm down right giddy with my "advanced knowledge!" And I wanted to share just a couple of lines with y'all! Don't hate me too hard!

Happy Hunger Games!

And may the odds ever be in your favor!

So, The Hunger Games movie is finally out on DVD today! We only went to see it twice at the theater. I can't flipping wait to get my own copy of the movie! I loved the books and I thought the movie was very good, one of (my) best of 2012. It kept all of the important elements of the book. Granted there were a few things that were different. (I'm thinking the bread scene. Anybody agree?) I think that is just going to happen when going from pages to screen. Just because the author can imagine it, doesn't mean the movie people can make it happen on film. Anyhoo, I think that the film adaptation of the book was wonderful in The Hunger Games. 

One thing I will say though, is that it really bothers me when people are like, "Oh, I saw the movie, so I don't have to read the book." I know people do this, heck I've done it but don't disregard the book just because you saw the movie. Books give you the chance to exercise your own imagination. You don't have to let Hollywood do that for you! (Sorry about that soap box, I just overheard a little girl say that while leaving the movie the last time and it just broke my heart a little!)

Back to the topic at hand...In celebration, I'm sharing some photos from The Hunger Games Mall Tour I attended at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta. Some of the movie cast members went on tour before the movie came out back in March. These pics maybe kind of grainy, they were taken on my cell. (True to our nature, when we went to this event, both hubs and I failed to put the memory card back in the real camera. And neither of noticed until the actors were taking the stage.) Nonetheless, we had a great time and it was good times getting to see the actors before the movie was even out! And I sure have enjoyed looking back at these pics! Hope you guys like!

Hubs and Me. Waiting.

(We waited from like 5 am til like 2 pm

to meet the actors.)

Me. :)

After meeting the stars.

See that poster? It is signed

by all the stars in attendance.

Unfortunately, no photos were allowed

during the signing.

That's Gale,

in real life:

Liam Hemsworth.

And here we have tributes:

District 1's Marvel-Jack Quaid

District 1's Glimmer-Leven Rambin

District 11's Thresh-Dayo Okeniyi

District 11's Rue-Amandla Stenberg

The whole crew:

(left to right)

In purple is the MC Jenn Hobby from The Bert Show on Q100,

Jack, Leven, Dayo, Amandla, and Liam.

Book Trailer Thursday: The Hunger Games

In honor of The Hunger Games coming out on DVD this week...

I'm posting the BOOK Trailer to 

The Hunger Games.

It's a little late in the game but the book

is EPIC.

I like at the of this trailer that says something like

"The movie shows you how,

the book shows you why."

Review: Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Pure is the second novel in the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The first in the series is called Half-Blood. Again, yes, it may seem that this blog is a cheerleader for Ms. Armentrout's work but I'm just gonna say, if you write book I like, I WILL fangirl out over [likely ALL] your work. That is just the way I am.

Now, if you have been following my blog at all you know Alli's World has been busy, busy with non-bookish things lately. And honestly that was starting to depress me just a little. So I put aside what I had been reading and avoided my required work reading. (Hey, that's due for another week or so, I got plenty of time. By the way, confession: I procrastinate like other people breath. Seriously. If it can be done "later" it should be done..."later." Even though I have the best of intentions to read ahead, I'll be reading that stuff the night before it is due, I'm sure.) 

But the point is, I have had this book for a couple of months and I've been REALLY wanting to read it but allowed myself to keep pushing back my to-be-read stack for other THINGS. I put my foot down, and read Pure just because I wanted to. 

Annnnnnnd. I am SOOOOOOO glad I did! Pure really got me out of my reading funk. I will say you simply must read book one, Half-Blood first. Pure references characters and events you meet in Half-Blood and you really need that info to appreciate Pure. I read Pure fairly quickly and very hungrily. I just couldn't get enough! There is an epic love triangle building between the main character Alex, the totes love-able yet unattainable Aiden and the annoying, "destined" playboy Seth. (If you didn't know, I am a HUGE fan of the love triangle!!) There are at least two sets of bad guys, intent or killing Alex or making her an indentured servant OR my favorite sucking her life force right of her. I guess you could say this series is like a vampire meets demigod mash up. There's some fight scene action, swoon-worthiness, forbidden love, tear jerking sadness, and even some laughable moments, including a jab at the Twilight movie!) So really, what is not love about this book?

Oh yeah, it did leave me wondering, what's up with that brown eyed Half-blood servant? Very big Hummmm....

**Also, please make note of the cover. There is actually a scene in the book that directly correlates to the cover. I LOVE when I can specifically identify, "This is what's on the cover!"**

In conclusion, I would most def recommend Pure (and therefore it's predecessor Half-Blood). It is a young adult novel but it has some more adultish themes so I'd say good for older teens. I'd give this book a 4 out of 5 rating. I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series, Deity, which is due out November 6 per Amazon.com.

Book Trailer: Onyx

In honor of Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout coming out this TODAY, I'm posting the book trailer for your viewing pleasure! I read this book about a month ago and really enjoyed it. Remember this is book two in the Lux series and the follow up to Obsidian. I'd def recommend both, especially if you are into teen angst love stories with a supernatural twist!

Here ya go, Kitten!

Teaser Tuesdays (Aug 14)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Not surprisingly, Seth knocked on my bedroom window that night. Honestly, the curfew thing sucked--being confined to my room and not being able to really sleep usually left me with a mad case of boredom--so I kind of welcomed his little visits."

~From Pure: The Second Covenant Novel 

by Jennifer L. Armentrout~

The Scorpio Races: Audiobook & November Cakes

Book Description from Amazon:

Some race to win. Others race to survive.

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive. The Scorpio Races is an unforgettable reading experience.

My thoughts:

This is one of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to. The English accents threw me off a bit in the beginning but it all worked well together and added to the experience of the story. I became truly emerged in the story. By the last CD, in my car on my way home from work, my heart was beating like crazy right long with the riders in the race. Maybe I loved this book because I have always wanted a horse but never had the opportunity and this was a way to live vicariously. (But then again, aren't all books a way to live vicariously?)

I nearly teared up a couple of times while driving and when I finally got home and listened to the last five minutes or so I was bawling in earnest. (Now, mind you, it really doesn't take much to make me cry. But still, I believe what I was doing could be considered weeping.) Crying not from sadness, except for sadness the book was over, but from powerful, raw emotion of the well crafted story. Maggie Stievater has this way with words that is just...magical. It is smart, witty, emotion and thought provoking. I've read other books she has published (The Wolves of Mercy Falls series: Shiver, Linger, and Forever and her Faerie series Lament and Ballad) and they are all good too. But The Scorpio Races is the best to date, I think. At the end of the audiobook there is an author's notes section where Maggie explains how her idea of water horses evolved and gave further insight into the story. Super cool fact: Maggie wrote and played the music heard on the audio production of Scorpio Races and is an accomplished bagpipe player.

I would certainly recommend this book, audio or otherwise. There is a love story it is stuble and it sneaks up on you and it's all the better for it. Amazon says the age range is 14 and up and that seems to be approprate in my opinion.

For a bit of creativity:

In The Scorpio Races there are several mentions of November Cakes. These are special cakes that they only get around race time. Just from hearing the description, I thought of super awesome cinnamon rolls. I did some looking around and on the author's website she has a recipe for November Cakes so I had to try them. I just need to hang onto Thisby a little while longer!

Here's the link to Maggie's Recipe. 

Pic of my (attempt of) November Cake:

(Note: When I made my version, we accidentally used the wrong recipe. The one Maggie says DO NOT use. Yeah, that's what me and hubs did. Oh well. They still tasted pretty good. Next time we make November Cakes we will use the right recipe!)

Short Story Sunday: Intuition

Hey y'all! I decided I like Short Story Sunday so much last week that I'd do it again this week! Here's what I like about short stories. They are cheap, fast, and easy. Hummm, that sounds awful but hopefully you know what I mean! Usually you can download a short from Amazon for free or up to about $2.99. (That's about my limit--cheap I said!) I've also seen where some authors will run specials on their websites or the publisher will host free a short story on their site. Clearly, shorts are accessible if you are interested. They are quick reads for obvious reasons, they are SHORT stories, duh. And easy because you may or may not be invested in the story based other works in the series or if it is a stand alone. A short story can give you a taste of the world the series is in and either help pacify you til the next book comes out or get you interested in the series in the first place. With the Olympics being on this week, my work schedule change and some required reading I've had for class at work my fun reading time has been really limited. But I can read a short story in less than an hour and still get the feeling of "escape" that I love.

This week's selection is Intuition by J. Meyers, which is a short teaser story that goes with Meyers' debut novel Intangible. Currently on Amazon, Intuition is available for the crazy amount of $0.00. Free y'all! And that, as aforementioned, fits my price range. It is Young Adult, another check! And after I read the approximately 16 pages, I was left wanting more!

Intuition introduces brother/sister twins who have special powers. She is able to heal and he is able to see the future but is unable to change it. Intuition shows us their powers in action and ends on a cliffhanger that will leave you with that "what happens next?!" feeling. It gives us a little insight to the relationship the twins have with one another and a past experience that did not go well for them. So another words, good background info on the characters. Seems like if Intangible follows in the same vein it should be a super read. I'm looking forward to it!

Summary: I liked it. I hope you will too. And Intangible has been added to my ever growing TBR list!

Trailer Thursday: Lies Beneath

So, still slow reading around these parts. Oh well, maybe next week will get better! Anybody else ever get in these funks, life just getting in way of reading?? I've noticed sometimes I overdose on things, crafting, tv, movies, reading, etc. I guess I'm just kind of  forced in to a break from reading. But that doesn't seem to stop by TBR list from growing! 


While looking around on one of my fav book blogs, Once Upon a Twilight I found they had posted this trailer a while back. I must say, I realllly like this book trailer. I don't know if I have ever mentioned this before but I absolutely LOVE mermaids! I recall The Little Mermaid being one of the first movies I ever saw in the theater and I've been a fan ever since. Anyhoo, I've notice an increase in YA mermaid stories either out or coming out in the near future. I haven't had a chance to read this one (or any for that matter) but I'm super psyched by this movement! 


Here is the book trailer for Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown:

And here's the book cover:

click hereto get more

info from Goodreads.com