Follow Friday (7)

Feature & Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's View!

Q. Do you read one book at a time or do you switch back and forth between two or more?

Emily's A:


It really depends on the book. I'm kind of obsessed. If I find a book that I love, I often read it in one sitting. When it takes me a bit longer, I switch between physical copies, books on my kindle and books on my phone/iPod. I JUST LOVE BOOKS.

Edwin's A:

I read books one at a time. If I try reading more, I get the plots and characters confused.

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.

In Emily's Mailbox:

From Netgalley:

Pure by Julianna Baggott

Release Date: February 8, 2012

Bought:

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 1 by Naoko Takeuchi

Release Date: September 13, 2011

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 2 by Naoko Takeuchi

Release Date: November 15, 2011

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 3 by Naoko Takeuchi

Release Date: January 17, 2012

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 4 by Naoko Takeuchi

Release Date: March 13, 2012

Won:

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Release Date: March 27, 2012

I received this from Megan Miranda, who hosted a giveaway on her blog.

The Underside of Joy by Seré Prince Halverson

Release Date: January 12, 2012

I won this from Jill at Breaking the Spine!

In Edwin's Mailbox:

I didn't receive or buy anything this week, but Emily and I did go rent a few movies.

We rented 50/50, Immortals and Spirited Away!

Movie Review: The Hunger Games (2012)

The blurb as seen on Internet Movie Database:

Release Date: March 23, 2012

Directed by: Gary Ross

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Lenny Kravitz, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson

142 Minutes

PG-13

The Hunger Games (2012)

Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match.

Review:

So over the weekend I went and saw The Hunger Games. I personally thought it was a good film adaptation because a book that turns into a film always has its flaws.  Now, I’m not going to write about what the film is about because it is originally a book and that’s Emily's job. What I will be talking about is how the film was as an adaptation and as its own film.

First of all I really loved the book and if you haven’t read it by now, you seriously need to go to a book store and buy it! The film had all the major characters that the book introduces so that’s a thumbs up. Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) was just as I imagined her to be. Peeta ( Josh Hutcherson) was superb! What I really loved about the film is that there were scenes of Seneca Crane (the gamemaker) and President Snow that were not in the book but I thought that the scenes were very helpful to make the audience understand because the book barley talks about Seneca Crane and President Snow really isn’t in it.  Overall, I really loved the film as a book adaptation.

Now, as its own movie? I felt that even if someone went to the movie theater to watch it without  even knowing what the book was about they would fall in love and get hooked on The Hunger Games. The film does an excellent job to explain just exactly what the hunger games is all about and the acting was pretty awesome. The only thing that I was not a big fan of was how the camera got really shaky during intense moments. This just gave me a headache and made everything feel awkward because I was trying to figure out just what was happening whenever the camera got shaky.  I don’t want to give anything away for those of you who have not seen it but the scene that really bothered me was when the games first began. Everything had gotten so shaky that I did not even know what was going on until the end of the scene. That was the only problem that I had wit the film but overall I really enjoyed it and I’m sure that you will too! Hit me up by leaving a comment about what you thought of the movie!

Click here to watch a trailer for The Hunger Games!

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Emily is waiting on:


This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: June 19, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
320 Pages


It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually wantto live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what doyou hold on to?

I love books about zombies and gore. I'll admit it. It's one of my favorite types of books. And Courtney Summers writes brilliant, realistic situations. I'm dying to read this one! It sounds fantastic! This Is Not a Test needs to be in my hands right now. It's one of the books I'm looking forward to most in 2012!

Edwin is waiting on:

Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Length: Not Yet Released
PG-13

Eight years after Batman took the fall for Two Face's crimes, a new terrorist leader, Bane overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that brands him an enemy.

I'm obsessed with Batman and I can't wait for this!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? 

Mini-Review: The Goddess Hunt (Goddess Test #1.5) by Aimee Carter

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: March 1, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
71 Pages

A vacation in Greece sounds like the perfect way for Kate Winters to spend her first sabbatical away from the Underworld...until she gets caught up in an immortal feud going back millennia. Castor and Pollux have been on the run from Zeus and Hades' wrath for centuries, hiding from the gods who hunt them. The last person they trust is Kate, the new Queen of the Underworld. Nevertheless, she is determined to help their cause. But when it comes to dealing with immortals, Kate still has a lot to learn...

VISIT THE AUTHOR:

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

FIND THE BOOK:

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble

Review:
I liked reading from Henry's point-of-view. I wish there was a book all about him. He brings a different perspective to the goings-on within the books. I hope that Ms. Carter brings more of his thoughts into the next book. His ideas and thoughts about everything that was happening were very interesting to read. I enjoyed it.

And while I enjoyed this, Kate still gives me trouble. Kate is a fiesty, interesting girl, but she's not my favorite heroin. Her maturity level definitely sways. It can be annoying, but I love how she doesn't let anyone take advantage of her or push her in this novella. She's very stubborn and stands up for what she believes is right. That is an important quality in a good heroin.

I am very excited to read the next book, though after reading this, I realize thatII definitely need to reread the first book! I'm looking forward to reading the reunion between Kate and Henry. For what it's worth, I want them to get their "happily ever after."

Top Ten Tuesday (4)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
The prompt this week is Top Ten Books I'd Like To Play Hooky With! 

How To Save A Life by Sara Zarr

How to Kill a Rock Star by Tiffanie DeBartolo

Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien

Above by Leah Bobet

Torn by Cat Clarke

The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Stay With Me by Paul Griffin

This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

If We Kiss by Rachel Vail

These are books that I'm sure will love! I just want to read one after another. I'd play hooky for a week if I had to! I love the covers and the blurbs sound wonderful!

Teaser Tuesday: Forgiving Trinity by Liz Reinhardt

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

•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 what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!) 

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

----------------------------------

"From the corner of my room my pajamas are singing a siren's song of soft flannel and reassurance. Flannel pajamas do the opposite of pressing your comfort zone; they become your comfort and hold you close."

Chapter 5, 16%

Forgiving Trinity by Liz Reinhardt

----------------------------------

Giveaway

In honor of the release of the wonderful, Jill Hathaway's debut novel, SLIDE, we here at Ed and Em's Reviews are hosting a giveaway!

What is SLIDE about, you ask?

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered. 

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body. 

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane. 

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.


Sounds great, right? I read the first fifty pages and fell in love. My copy is in the mail now!

You want it, too? Well you are in luck. One winner will get a copy of the book and a Jill Hathaway signed bookmark! Two other winners will receive their own signed bookmarks!

VISIT THE AUTHOR:

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

FIND THE BOOK:

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble

Giveaway Details:

1 Winner will receive a signed SLIDE bookmark and a Copy of SLIDE

2 Winners will receive signed SLIDE bookmarks

Open US/CA

Ends 3/31/2012

Book Review: First Time, Forever by K.C. Burn

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: March 29, 2012
Publisher: Carina Press

Derrick and Trevor used to have an incredibly passionate relationship, full of spontaneity and sizzle. Now that their son is off to college, they want to put their days of routine, vanilla sex behind them and bring back some of that spark. 

Realizing that they’re empty-nesters, Trevor begins to notice their age difference. He suddenly feels old and unsure of himself, and isn’t confident Derrick still desires him. When Trevor decides to keep his health issues and gray hairs down there to himself, Derrick is hurt by his partner’s secretive behavior and thinks Trevor must be having an affair. 

Nothing could be further from the truth, but Trevor doesn’t know how to communicate his fears to his partner. He desperately wants to reconnect with Derrick and rev up their sex life, but will it be enough to reclaim their marital bliss?

WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS MATERIAL UNSUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18.

VISIT THE AUTHOR:

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

FIND THE BOOK:

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble

Review:
The writing was a bit choppy for my taste, but the plot and the characters made this a great story!

It was hard to determine a time frame because of the changes in point-of-view. That was a struggle for me, not because I purposely keep track of novels day-by-day, but because in the back of my mind, I'm usual figuring it out. Blame it on those annoy instant love young-adult novels!

I wish there had been more interactions between Luke, Trevor and Derrik. I wanted to see way more of Luke's childhood with two dads. It would've been sweet to have some flashbacks of that and of the beginning of Trevor and Derrik's relationship.

I loved Trevor and Derrik together. They were really sweet and completely adorable. It was great to read about a couple that wasn't "in their prime." Most authors write about characters in their mid-twenties and ones that think constantly about sex. It was really refreshing and very realistic.

This books made me really see how frustrating boys are. They say girls cause too much drama. No matter what gender boys are in a relationship with, they always manage to disrupt the balance. Boys, here is a good life lesson: Communication is key! Talk to your partner if something is wrong! No one likes secrets!

There are a few flaws in the characters and parts of the plot were far-fetched, but that didn't stop me from loving it! Trevor and Derrik were so sweet together. I adored their relationship (after everything worked out, that is). They really love each other. They put their relationship above all else, besides their son, Luke, who they dote on.

This was a short, sweet and romantic story that was a great read!

I received and e-copy of this novel from the publisher through Netgalley for my honest opinion and review.

Book Review: It's Not Shakespeare by Amy Lane

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: November 9, 2011
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
174 Pages

College professor James Richards is in a rut and feeling his age. He moved to northern California to escape heartbreak and humiliation, but so far the only good thing to happen to him has been his Boston terrier, Marlowe. 

Then James’s toughest student sets him up with her best friend. Rafael Ochoa is worlds apart from James—chronologically, culturally, and philosophically—but he’s also beautiful, kind, and a shot of adrenaline to James’s not-quite-middle-aged heart. Together, the two of them forge a bridge between James’s East Coast sensibilities and Rafael’s West Coast casualness, but can their meeting of the hearts survive James’s lack of faith in happy-ever-after? 

This is the prequel to You Can't Make an Omelet from the DSP's Halloween Howl Series.

WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS MATERIAL UNSUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18.

VISIT THE AUTHOR:

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

FIND THE BOOK:

Goodreads.Amazon

Review:
This book was a bit confusing. There was a lot of unexplained Spanish, using it is fine, but an explanation is necessary. I took German in high school and now in college. The most I know how to say is "I want Taco Bell" and "Hello, friends." Everything else goes right over my head.

Rafi, the main character's love interest, also called everyone's mom "moms." I'll admit, at first, I thought every one had two moms. It confused me a lot. And I didn't enjoy that part. I had trouble with most of what Rafi said, and his speech. He was the stereotypical Mexican. I wish he hadn't been. It annoyed me, too. I couldn't see anything in his relationship with James because they were on two different levels.

James was annoyingly whiny. My advice to his character: If you don't like your life, change it. Complaining does nothing. It was obnoxious that he spent so much time complaining. He had a lot going for him, he was just too blind to see him. He didn't care to see it though, because he was broken hearted. 

This book definitely wasn't a classic by Shakespeare.

It was a typical, cliche story. It wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't horrible.