Friday Featured Blogger (12): Thao of Serene Hours

I don't remember exactly how Thao from Serene Hours and I became friends through blogging. But she's amazing: she lives in Vietnam, and she does KILLER banners. She did mine (although she didn't put a signature mark on it or anything) and I am absolutely in LOVE with it. The cartoon girl? The gentle colors? The font? Fabulous! Thao, you are fantabulicious!

Want to find out more about Thao, whom I'm sure you've seen around? Read on!

1. Hi, Thao! Can you tell us about yourself in a few short sentences?

My name is Thao, I'm 19 years young, I'm from Vietnam and my biggest dream is to be an author. I have a pet called Bino whom I think has more love from my Mom than me. What I love to do? Reading and writing and annoying everyone. Well, that's it. I suck at introduction, really.

2. Tell us about your blog. When did you start it and why? Where did the name come from? What interesting things can visitors expect?

I started my blog - Serene Hours - on the 15th of January. It all happened back then when I wandered around and stumbled upon Reader Rabbit. There I discovered the whole book blogging community and I was in awe. It was so great that I wished to be a part of it and after a few days considering I decided to create my own blog and here it is :)

You can expect book reviews, author interviews, cover battles and quite a few memes. I'm looking forward to host some more contests at my blog too. Actually I'm still figuring out what I'm going to do with my blog.

3. Which character from a YA book can you relate to the most?

If there were someone who is a mixture of Jory Michaels from My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters and Francesca from Saving Francesca it would be my character. These two girls make me feel like they're my life-long best friends. Self-consciousness and insanity are what I have in common with Jory, as well as the crave for someone to love and care for. As for Frankie we think we both have those crazy kinds of confusion in thoughts and feelings and what we seem to be in front of people aren't what we really are.

4. I'm curious how the Vietnamese educational system works. What is your typical school day like? Have you gone to school elsewhere outside of Vietnam?

Let's see. School starts at 6:45 and goes on until 8:45 when we'll have a 30 minute break and then it ends at 11am. Sometimes we have classes in the afternoon too. The routine repeats and when we get to go home, it'll probably be 5:15pm. Each period last for 45 minute and we just sit in one classroom waiting for the teachers to come. The seats are assigned too. That's how it is in high school. It's practically the same in university but now it's us who runs from room to room. As you see, nothing much interesting.

5. Quick! Name 3 (yes, I'm giving you 3 because everyone knows it's impossible to choose just one) favorite books and why you think everyone should read them.

Okay I'll be quick, they're:

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - it's extreme, realistic and thought-provoking. At some point it may be too heavy but once you pick it up you can never put it down.

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta - if you haven't read it, it's your loss. I love Francesca and everything about the book.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen - first English YA book I've read in the past few years. It just blew me away. No need for me to tell you how awesome Sarah Dessen is, right? :)

6. What would your ultimate dream birthday party be like?

Woah hard question. I've hardly had birthday parties since I turned 10 or so. I'm not really into parties because I always feel lost if I'm with so many people. So let me tell you a perfect birthday to me. In the morning and afternoon I'll hang around with my best friends, we'll go to all sort of places that we love (initially the park). Then in the evening I'll spend time with my family, maybe we'll have a nice dinner somewhere and I'll eat my heart out. I love foood~

7. What are some books on the top of your wishlist right now?

You shouldn't ask me that because I'm really greedy *grins*. I want to get my hands on lots of books now. I've always loved This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen but never ever had to chance to read it. I also want Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway. Three upcoming books that are driving me insane are Positively by Courtney Sheinmel, Hate List by Jennifer Brown and Never Bite A Boy On The First Day by Tamara Summers.

8. What are some things you just LOVE to receive for presents? :)

Books, notebooks, books, unique bags, books, snow globes and books. Did I mention I want books? Hehe.

9. And finally, tell us 2 interesting/strange things about yourself that can spark conversation.

I cannot write in normal notebooks, they make me lose all of my ideas and enthusiasm. I'm trying to find an inspiring notebook to stop this from happening. So if you come across an elegant looking journal with blank pages please tell me. It's my soulmate, I'm sure. And the second thing is kind of embarassing: I'm 19 but I still can't ride a bike. Anyone wants to teach me?

-

Thanks, Thao, for answering my questions! Anyone want to teach her how to ride a bike? Simply want to read her great reviews and interesting posts about book covers? Go over to Serene Hours and tell her I said hi. And thanks for dropping by today!

Review: Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

Publication date: July 21, 2009 (Walker Books)

Tags: middle grade, YA, magic, angels, coffeehouse, friendship, passion

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Summary

Katrina has no talent, no drive for anything. She’s not passionate for art, like her best girl friend Elizabeth, or swimming, like her best guy friend Vincent. All she does is help run her grandmother’s dying coffeehouse, go to school, and work at the empty coffeehouse until she goes to sleep at night.

Then, Katrina gives coffee and pastries to the young homeless guy in her alley, and her world changes. The guy, who calls himself Malcolm, says that he is an angel, and he must grant Katrina’s deepest desire before he can move on. The trouble is, Katrina doesn’t seem to know what she wants, and her first two wishes for fortune and fame only seem to get her into more trouble. The coffeehouse is in jeopardy from competition next door, and Katrina has no idea how to save it.

Malcolm can’t move on until Katrina knows what she most desires, but as they spend more time together, Katrina can’t help but think that she might want him almost as much as she wants to save the coffeehouse and find what she’s good at.

Review

Reading COFFEEHOUSE ANGEL is like reading a Disney movie: clueless and spineless girl gets into trouble, the bit of magic she gets involved in gets her into more trouble, she realizes her potential after the troubles, she gets with the guy and they all live happily ever after. It’s a fairy tale-like story that can’t fail to be cute, and that’s how you’ll feel when reading COFFEEHOUSE ANGEL.

Katrina is simultaneously a sweetheart, with her genuine concern for the coffeehouse’s well-being, and annoying with her inaction and naivety. However, the greatest part is probably the valid ambiguity of Katrina’s positions: for example, she gets legitimately mad at Vincent for not helping her save the coffeehouse, but is also at fault herself for always waiting for someone to come to her rescue. It’s difficult to balance ambiguity in a novel, but Suzanne Selfors succeeds in this story, which is amazing.

I’m a little less impressed with the supposed romance between Katrina and Malcolm. It seemed like Katrina was a little too eager to fall in love with Malcolm simply because he was good-looking and available. Of course, this fits in quite nicely with the whole story’s overall fairy-tale-like feel, so it may not bother you all that much if you keep that in mind.

COFFEEHOUSE ANGEL is a sweet read for reluctant tween and teen readers looking for a story with a healthy dash of love, magic, and character growth. Read for the feel-good smile it will leave on your face as you turn the last page.

Similar Authors

Elizabeth Scott

Maureen Johnson

Jenny O'Connell (The Book of Luke)

Jeannine Garsee

Writing: 3/5

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 4/5

Want more? I'll be sure to consider Suzanne's books for when I need a light read.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Cover discussion: 4 out of 5 - I've always liked this cover, and after reading the book, I like it even more. I can totally picture Katrina looking like that Scandinavian model, and I didn't even realize there was a guy standing in the doorway until I had the book in my hand! It definitely captures the book's feeling very well.

Thank you, Anna, for sending me a copy for review!

Waiting on Wednesday (21)

Nothing Like You by Lauren Strasnick

When Holly loses her virginity to Paul, a guy she barely knows, she assumes their encounter is a one-night stand. After all, Paul is too popular to even be speaking to Holly...and he happens to have a long-term girlfriend, Saskia. But ever since Holly's mom died six months ago, Holly has been numb to the world, and she's getting desperate to feel something, anything--so when Paul keeps pursuing her, Holly relents. Paul's kisses are a welcome diversion...and it's nice to feel like the kind of girl that a guy like Paul would choose.

But things aren't so simple with Saskia around. Paul's real girlfriend is willowy and perfect... and nothing like Holly. To make matters worse, she and Holly are becoming friends. Suddenly the consequences of Holly's choices are all too real, and Holly stands to lose more than she ever realized she had.

I don't know... it's not the cover, or even the bare bones of the synopsis, that attracts me to this story. There's just something about it that feels like this is a story that should be told. What with sex in YA lit being a huge controversial issue these days--despite the very true fact that, um, teens are having sex, hello? Statistics show that 75% of teens have sex by the time they graduate high school--Holly's dilemma seems all the more gripping to me. (If you couldn't tell already, sex in YA lit might be the topic of my next discussion post, heh.) This seems like it will be a book where there is no black and white, no easy answers, and no completely good or bad characters--and we always need more of those. Also seems like a book that fans of writers like Stephanie Kuehnert might enjoy. I can't wait!

Nothing Like You will be published by Simon & Schuster on October 20, 2009.

What are you waiting on this week?

Review (SS2): Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Tags: middle grade, YA, fantasy, faeries, trolls, love triangle

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

Summary

15-year-old Laurel has just entered public school for the first time after always being homeschooled. Besides for normal teenage issues such as trying to make friends and getting close to a boy named David, Laurel also has to worry about a mysterious growth on her back, which suddenly blossoms into an actual flower!

With the help of a familiar-looking fairy named Tamani, Laurel learns that she is, in fact, a fairy with the very important job of protecting her adoptive family’s land from possession by the trolls. The trouble is, her parents seem intent on selling the land, and even more so when tragedy strikes. Now, Laurel must face this set of seemingly unbelievable facts about herself and the world in order to protect the ones she loves, as well as the ones she may love.

Review

What a disappointment. WINGS garners attention as being similar to Twilight, but let’s just say that the over-hyped vampire series is still a lot more interesting than anything this book has to offer.

Where do I even begin? The characters lack personality or appeal. Laurel has not a stitch of mental or physical strength on her. Her choice of actions have no validity or sense. The love triangle between Laurel, David, and Tamani is extremely contrived: I sensed no attraction at all between any of the three, no real reason why the boys would like Laurel the bland “heroine,” and no appeal in the caricatures of the boys, David the goody-two-shoes good friend, and Tamani the “dangerously attractive and mysterious” fairy (adjectives placed in quotes because, uh, he’s not. At all). If you’re trying to copy off the popularity of the Twilight love triangle, at least develop the males well enough that readers are encouraged to take sides. There will be no Team David or Team Tamani here: there will be a Team Run-Away-As-Fast-As-You-Can!

The concept of fairies being similar to plants was fairly interesting; my favorite parts of the book are when David geeks out and begins doing all sorts of scientific experiments on Laurel to prove to her that she is a plant. It was quite fascinating, all of the ways that Pike came up with to link fairies to plants! Unfortunately, the story lacked everything else: engaging dialogue, plot, movement. The word that sprang to mind most when I read this book was “contrived;” it felt like we readers were told how we were supposed to feel about the characters and their predicaments instead of actually letting us feel anything. Anything that readers needed to know about the plot was explained in endless pages of stationary dialogue, which I wouldn’t even mind if not for the fact that the dialogue feels forced and the characters are not explaining anything of worth or interest to me anyway.

Alas, it seems like I and other reviewers can blither and blather all we want; the audience (and publishers) clearly know what they want, and that’s some more Twilight spin-offs. Seriously, though, if you’re looking for some more fantasy love triangles and fairy wars etc., don’t check here. It won’t be long before you’ll be wondering about how you can get a refund on your time.

Similar Authors

Stephenie Meyer

Melissa Marr

Maggie Stiefvater

R. J. Anderson

Writing: 1/5

Characters: 1/5

Plot: 2/5

Overall Rating: 1.5 out of 5

Cover discussion: 2 out of 5 - It's... pretty, I guess. And cute, sorta. But, um, what does it have to do with the story? Can anyone tell me?

Series Summer 2009 Book #2