Reader Girls Blog

Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (January 11, 2011) Summary: Sarah Vida has given up everything for love. From a legendary family of vampire-hunting witches, Sarah was raised to never trust a vampire, to never let her guard down, and to avoid all tricky attachments of the heart. But now Sarah IS a vampire—changed by the boy she thought she loved. Her family has forsaken her, and Sarah herself is disgusted by her appetite for blood. Aida Vida is Sarah's older sister, the good, reliable sibling who always does her family proud. But when Aida's mother insists that Sarah be found and killed, Aida is given the one assignment that she may not be able to carry out.  Our review: "When witch-kin is slain, there shall be no safe haven, no higher law to protect the guilt. Every hunter shall turn her blade to the task, and there shall be no rest until those responsible have been slain." The words  from ...

Reading level: Ages 9-12 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1 edition (March 1, 2010) Summary: You can pierce your ears when your twelve. You can go to the mall with your friends when you’re twelve. You can babysit little Timmy next door when you’re twelve. You can get a cell phone when you’re twelve. Hey, you can even ride in the front passenger seat when you’re twelve, when you’re twelve, when you’re twelve . . . My name is Rory Swenson, and I’ve been waiting to turn twelve my whole life. In exactly 18 hours, 36 minutes, and 52 seconds, it will finally happen. My life will officially begin. My review:  Rory’s been waiting all her life to turn 12. This number is so magical for her she's fantasied about blowing out the candles on her cake and FINALLY getting to do everything she’s been adding to her “12” list: getting a cell phone, going to boy-girl parties, drinking coffee, shaving her legs, staying home alone and much more. Rory has so many expect...

What a better way to begin a brand spanking new year than with a giveaway hop. Thanks to Candace at Candace's Book Blog , Lori at Pure Imagination , and Angel from Reading Angel for hosting. This Giveaway hop begins today and runs until midnight on January 9. Please make sure to stop by all of the other participating blogs listed below. ReaderGirls have decided to do some organizing and put together a nice box of contemporary YA titles as our prize. As winter continues there may ne some snow days we can take advantage of by catching up on our reading. These books would be great to read cuddled up somewhere warm with a mug of hot cocoa. Our box contains:  A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker (ARC). Summary: When the principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program, Fiona Sheehan believes that her life canat get any worse. Then she marries her ahusbanda: jerky jock Todd, whose cheerleader girlfriend, A...

Reading Level: YA Paperback: 240 Pages Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (November 9, 2010) Book Summary: A group of of teens sign up for an assassination game on the streets of a big city. Their weapons: pressurized water guns. It's meant to be a game, a sport. But for some, it's more than harmless fun. To win, they'll use "any" means necessary. Two hundred players. Three weeks of tense cat-and-mouse action. Every stalker is being stalked and only one player will be left standing. No one will be the same. My Review: For those over the age of fifteen, an all out war has broken out in a fictitious city. The objective: to assassinate your target. Weapon: water gun. This all out Super Soaker war was created and is constantly maintained by the mysterious man referred to by all as the “Gamekeeper.” A select group of assistants are the only help he receives in keeping track of the score and handing out the laminated cards that contain the details of each play...

Reading level: Ages 4-8 Hardcover: 32 pages Publisher: Roaring Brook Press; First Edition edition (August 17, 2010) Summary: Playful and lighthearted with a subversive twist that is signature Lane Smith, It’s a Book is a delightful manifesto on behalf of print in the digital age. This satisfying, perfectly executed picture book has something to say to readers of all stripes and all ages. My review: I read Lane Smith's It's a Book to my six-year old son and his smile never wavered until the end when he wanted to hear it all over again. That's the proof that a picture book is good.   The story is about a monkey trying to read a book while a donkey, with his laptop on his knees, wonders what has his companion so captivated. Donkey then begins to ask questions about this mysterious marvel Gorilla has and Gorilla, always patient, answers him. His Mouse buddy, conveniently hidden under Gorilla's cap, makes an appearance twice and both times steals the story. By th...

What we really like about the 100 Books in a Year challenge, hosted by Book Chick City , is the fact that we can include books from other challenges. And we can include ebooks too. Couldn't pass that up! So as we get ready to ring in 2011 we post our two last challenges to participate in.  When we saw the Vampire Chronicles Reading Challenge , also hosted by Book Chick City , we knew we would like to do this. I've read six titles from this series over the years and recently completed acquiring the rest of the Anne Rice titles of this series for my home library. Lestat has always been my first foray into vampires and I loved Rice's ingenious and heady world. What challenges are you participating in? Happy New Year everyone!

What title are we waiting for this week? Since we just had our first blizzard of winter here in NY and everything is still bathed in white, we thought a summer title would be fitting. Our pick is We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han. Summary: It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college--only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever (from Goodreads ). We still remember how good the first two books ( The Summer I Turned Pretty and It's Not Summer Without You ) of this series were and can't wait to see what Han has in store for Belly, C...