Return of Cat Tuesday (83)

Got water? Oops - Lu stole it.  Sorry.

Gilmore Girls Watch Along Part 1

Realizing we needed to catch up on some popular TV series of days past, Melody of Hollywood The Write Way and I decided to do a Watch Along.  We took a vote and Gilmore Girls won.  Melody has the guidelines for Week One on her blog.

This was my first ever time watching this show - I hadn't even caught a snippet of it before. Not so surprising considering it ran from 2000-07 and as far as I know, never aired in Germany.  In any case, it took me until ep 4 to get into the Lorelei/Rory groove.  At first I found them both annoying and the show boring.  But I'm finally seeing its charms.  So yay!

Here are my thoughts per episode:

Pilot

Lorelei has to ask her parents to pay for tuition for Rory’s new private school. They agree but demand to be more involved in Lorelei and Rory’s lives.

Lorelei is not as funny as she seems to think she is, and Rory is a bit too mopey for my taste. But I liked Sookie (especially the scene where the kitchen staff had to put out her fires).

Reminds me of my own teen life: My Korean friend always lamented the fact that her parents set her up with Koreans/future doctors (Like Lane).

First Day at Chilton

Rory finds Chilton more challenging than she expected and gains a rival in Paris.

Still not really seeing the charm in this show. Lorelei’s lateness and lack of clean clothes was cringeworthy, and not that believable (Cutoff jean shorts are really all she has?)

Lorelei and her mother Emily’s power struggle has a dynamic that could become interesting. Let’s see.

Reminds me of my own teen life: I had a school uniform with a really long skirt when I was an exchange student in Ecuador.

Kill Me Now

Rory has to choose a sport at Chilton and Emily suggests that Rory golf with her grandfather.

Love this line from Emily: “Her golf clubs are upstairs gathering dust. Like her potential.”

Lorelei seems threatened by Rory’s desire to spend time with her grandparents, so they have a fight about who has bigger boobs. Appropriately awkward.

Reminds me of my own teen life: My grandfather played golf, though I never played with him.

The Deer Hunters

Rory oversleeps, is late to her class and is not allowed to take a test that is 20% of her grade.

I liked Lorelei’s joking about the school supply shopping. Because Rory needs serious paper.

Paris recites my favorite Shakespeare sonnet! 116!

The double meltdowns (for good reasons) made me sympathetic to both Rory and Lorelei for the first time. I also loved Sookie's freak out about her risotto only being "fine" and the lengths she went to in order to defend its honor.

Reminds me of my own teen life: A deer once hit my car. Right after the Emporia exit on the Kansas Turnpike.

Cinnamon's Wake

Lorelei and Rory's eccentric neighbors hold a wake for their cat. Also, Rory catches Lorelei postponing a date with her English teacher.

Very cute moment between Rory and Dean. General wackiness. Nice friendship moments between Lorelei & Sookie and Rory and Lane.

Reminds me of my own teen life: We had a large orange cat. Her name was Lion-o. She died.

Rory's Birthday Parties

Emily throws Rory a b-day bash and invites her Chilton classmates. Lorelei makes it up to her with a hometown affair.

Emily and Lorelei actually get along while shopping for Rory. Luke asks Lorelei to marry him ;) (foreshadowing? I have seen spoilers...)  Emily observes Luke bringing ice to Rory's party and asks Lorelei how long they've been dating. She also accuses Lorelei of enjoying how Luke looked at her like a porterhouse steak.

Aww - Dean makes Rory blush when he mouths "happy birthday".  And they hold hands at the end of the episode -- the look on both their faces!

Reminds me of my own teen life: My grandmother constantly asked me what stuff in her house I wanted to inherit.  I ended up with only two things: a steamer trunk and an antique iron (the kind you put hot coals inside!)

Kiss and Tell

Rory gets her first kiss!  Lorelei goes commando! Lorelei invites Dean to movie night with her and Rory!

Rory's freakout after Dean kisses her in his free soda fake-out is so adorable.  How hilarious is it that she shoplifted corn starch?  

Lane's mother spills the beans about Rory's kiss to Lorelei. And then Lorelei spies on Rory and Lane and Rory's rosy glow and is sad that Rory won't confide in her.

Loved movie night. Great interactions all around. Especially liked that Dean thanked Rory for their second kiss.

Reminds me of my own teen life: Ummm.... I used to eat pizza a lot? (I wish this episode were an accurate portrayal of my teen life. ALAS!)

So that's it for this week.  What are your thoughts on these eps of Gilmore Girls?

More recaps:

Episode 1-3 recapped at Forever Young Adult

Episode 4-6 recapped at Forever Young Adult

Bookanista Review: Reboot by Amy Tintera

Dead for 178 minutes, Wren is the least human of the reboots, the deadliest and least likely to question the human government that enslaves her and sends her on missions to contain the rebels.

Then Callum arrives. Callum is different. As a reboot only gone for 22 minutes, he still has a lot of his human traits left. Wren dismisses him immediately as weak and not long for the reboot life. However, he awakens Wren's curiosity when he suggests that maybe he has a chance if she trains him.

Wren accepts the challenge and thus begins the "second rebooting of Wren" - aka her reawakening to human desires, needs and feelings - an incredibly touching transformation.

REBOOT is primarily a romance (thus the Zombie Chicken Merit Badge for Romance), though the setting is brutally dystopian. For me, this worked beautifully because of Callum's charisma, charm and his undeniable chemistry with Wren. There's an "angry dancing" scene that I adored because it showcases their relationship dynamic so, so well.

Callum's humanity also drives the plot and raises the stakes - because if Wren can't contain him, her heartless overseers will. What's a previously unfeeling girl to do?

Find out more about REBOOT at the author's website.

See index of all dystopian reviews at Presenting Lenore

FTC disclosure: Edelweiss

Other Bookanista reviews this week:

Carrie Harris adores BEYOND DINOCALYPSE by Chuck Wendig -- with giveaway!

Tracy Banghart & Debra Driza join THE GIRL GUIDE by Christine Fonseca book blitz!

Corrine Jackson is stunned by BREAKING BEAUTIFUL by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Nikki Katz wonders at THE GRAVE WINNER by Lindsey Loucks

Gretchen McNeil talks TRUTH OR DARE by Jacqueline Green

Elana Johson admires INSOMNIA by Jenn Johannson

Tracey Neithercott celebrates THE YEAR OF SECRET ASSIGNMENTS by Jacqueline Moriarty

Katy Upperman fawns over FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK by Melina Marchetta

Rebecca Behrens is wowed by THE FIFTH WAVE by Rick Yancey

Cover Reveal: Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff + giveaway

You may remember how much I enjoyed STORMDANCER - so obvs I'm pumped for KINSLAYER and this cover reveal.

The following summary of KINSLAYER has spoilers for STORMDANCER so read at your own risk:

A SHATTERED EMPIRE  

The mad Shōgun Yoritomo has been assassinated by the Stormdancer Yukiko, and the threat of civil war looms over the Shima Imperium. The Lotus Guild conspires to renew the nation’s broken dynasty and crush the growing rebellion simultaneously - by endorsing a new Shōgun who desires nothing more than to see Yukiko dead. 

A DARK LEGACY 

Yukiko and the mighty thunder tiger Buruu have been cast in the role of heroes by the Kagé rebellion. But Yukiko herself is blinded by rage over her father’s death, and her ability to hear the thoughts of beasts is swelling beyond her power to control. Along with Buruu, Yukiko’s anchor is Kin, the rebel Guildsman who helped her escape from Yoritomo’s clutches. But Kin has his own secrets, and is haunted by visions of a future he’d rather die than see realized.

A GATHERING STORM 

Kagé assassins lurk within the Shōgun’s palace, plotting to end the new dynasty before it begins. A waif from Kigen’s gutters begins a friendship that could undo the entire empire. A new enemy gathers its strength, readying to push the fracturing Shima imperium into a war it cannot hope to survive. And across raging oceans, amongst islands of black glass, Yukiko and Buruu will face foes no katana or talon can defeat. The ghosts of a blood-stained past.

The US cover:

The UK cover:

Jay is also doing a quiz! So if you answer my question over at his blog, you just might win something incredibly fabulous. 

3. What kind of animal is Buruu?

Want a chance to read KINSLAYER early? Enter via this form by May 29, 2013 at 11:59 pm CST. US only.

Return of Cat Tuesday (82)

I promised my father and stepmother a cat picture today to cheer them up, so here's Emmy.  If your arm or lap is not free, she'll take your legs.

Pitches that Grab Me

Despite the fact that my review policy says I'm not accepting books for review, I still get upwards of ten pitches a day for new books.  Add those to summaries I read on GoodReads, publisher's catalogs, blogs and elsewhere, and I'm reading tons of new pitches every day.  So what makes me curious enough to add something to my TBR?

Top ten words/subjects in pitches that make me take notice:

plague
time travel
fairy tale retelling
parallel worlds

afterlife

dystopian
road trip/globetrotting/travel

thriller
doppelgänger

music/dance/performing arts

Top ten words/subjects that make me not want to read a book:

fairies 

politics

ennui

cutting/self harm

stream of consciousness
womanizer

small town high school life

cancer

animal cruelty or death

drugs/gangs/street violence

How about you?

Book news!

We had a great mail day yesterday!

First - finished copies of CHICK-O-SAURUS REX (which comes out July 23, 2013)

You can already preorder on amazon or at an independent bookstore near you.

Then, I got copies of the Tawainese version of Level 2

Lots of quotes on it from people we know

I also got cover flats for THE MEMORY OF AFTER paperback (new title of Level 2), but I can't show them because they have the cover of CHASING BEFORE on the back ... which I will reveal soon, but not quite yet.

Speaking of THE MEMORY OF AFTER (Level 2) - there's an awesome eBook sale going on which ends tomorrow.  Get it on kindle for only $3.79. Or in any other eBook format for only $3.99.

Bookanista Review: 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma

I'm back from tour in the US, so I'll be posting more regularly again and reading more. Yay! Today I'm talking about 17 & GONE, a book I read and enjoyed last month.

Summary from publisher:

Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are 17 and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And . . . is she next? As Lauren searches for clues, everything begins to unravel, and when a brush with death lands her in the hospital, a shocking truth emerges, changing everything.

One of my favorite things about Nova's previous book, IMAGINARY GIRLS, was the imagery, and 17 & GONE excels in this department too. It's never overblown, or too frequent as to be distracting, but every so often, you get a description that makes you see something ordinary in a new way. I love that kind of writing.

I also really appreciated the characterization. You get a good feel for the missing girls and I thought Lauren's descent into (possible) madness was especially well done.  Lauren's boyfriend Jamie was sympathetic, but also realistic in reactions for a teenage boy.

So is 17 & GONE a book about a mentally ill girl? Or is it paranormal? A strength of this novel is that it leaves a lot up to interpretation. Nova keeps the stakes high, which kept me glued to the page, needing to know what would happen next.

Don't miss this one! Out now.

More Bookanista reviews:

Christine Fonseca marvels at MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza – with giveaway!

Corrine Jackson is blown away by BRUISED by Sarah Skilton

Elana Johson buzzes about STUNG by Bethany Wiggins

Stasia Ward Kehoe fawns over THE FIFTH WAVE by Rick Yancey

Jessica Love raves about THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING by Ashley Elton

Shannon Messenger shares an exclusive excerpt from INSOMNIA

Tracy Banghart swoons for THE NAME OF THE STAR by Maureen Johnson
FTC disclosure: bought

Bookanista Review: The Rules by Stacey Kade

You know how I've been wavering about writing reviews? Well, the Bookanistas invited me to join their group, and it seemed like the perfect solution. So I'll be doing at least two book reviews a month, maybe more.  My first Bookanista review is THE RULES.

In order to stay out of the grasp of GTX the laboratory that created her, Ariane follows very specific rules. She lies low. She doesn’t get involved. And she never falls in love.  Until she gets to know Zane.  Will Ariane risk everything for a chance at a normal life?

THE RULES is told from two perspectives – that of alien/human hybrid Ariane and that of Zane, a popular boy who is under the thumb of high school tyrant Rachel.  Both Ariane and Zane are sympathetic, though they both have their weaknesses, especially in relation to Rachel.

The stakes are high – if Ariane gets caught, she’ll be imprisoned in the sterile lab she grew up in – but Ariane can’t resist the pull of Zane, and the way he makes her feel something like normal for the first time in her life.  I loved their growing relationship and the tentative way they begin to trust each other.

You should know that this novel contains one of the best first kiss scenes ever put to print.  It kinda brought tears to my eyes. And also – a blush to the cheeks of the man who was reading over my shoulder on the plane. 

I also very much appreciated the time Kade took to develop the voices of Ariane (very detail oriented) and Zane (hurting with a sheen of false bravado). Lots of excellent characterizing details too – i.e. Ariane loves high-end jeans because she yearns for nice things and yet can’t afford to stand out.

Can’t wait to see where this awesome new series goes next!

THE RULES came out this week. Find out more about THE RULES at the author's website. 

Check out what the other Bookanistas are saying:

Katy Upperman ponders LOVE AND OTHER PERISHABLE ITEMS by Laura Buzo

Kimberly Sabatini wonders at WHEN YOU WERE HERE by Daisy Whitney

Elana Johson falls for THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green

Tracy Banghart loves LACRIMOSA by Christine Fonseca

Corrine Jackson adores the ARCADIA BELL series by Jenn Bennett

Rebecca Behrens delves into CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein

Stasia Ward Kehoe wraps up National Poetry Month with THE POETRY TEACHER’S BOOK OF LISTS by Sylvia Vardell

Christine Fonseca celebrates UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi

Jessica Love hails THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE by Jennifer E. Smith

Shannon Messenger discusses some recent reads

FTC disclosure:  NetGalley

5 years of book blogging!

Though I started this blog in 2007, I didn't publish my first bookish post -  Where to Get Free Books - until April 21, 2008.  But now it's officially been 5 years of book blogging fun! Thanks for sticking with me.