~ The Ivy ~

Book: The Ivy
Author: Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur
Cover Rating: 1 out of 5
Book rating: 3.5 out of 5

Harvard - you either get in or you don't and when your in, it's not just homework and learning, its everything else in between. From new friendships, to those new friendships vanishing quicker than they began. Love, parties, and everything in between, will Callie survive as the blonde girl from LA that seems to be getting all the boys attention? One things for sure - when one of the most popular girl gets jealous, she'll do anything to get revenge.

"The Ivy" was a questionable book for me. I liked it, but then I didn't. I really didn't like how Callie seemed to make the same bad decisions over and over again, expecting that she can just say sorry and then going out and doing it again! On another note though, it kept me reading and wanting to find out what was going to happen next. I didn't feel like I could really "get" most of the characters, except for Mimi, the French girl. Everything seemed so unreliable, but in the end it seemed to work!

Win one of two copies of "The Clearing"

Remember this wonderful book that I posted a review on a few months back about?

Well, here is your chance to win a copy!

I am giving away two copies of "The Clearing" to two lucky readers of this blog!

How do you enter?

Tell me what your favorite book of the summer has been!

+1 Entry: Visit Venetian Masks and come back and in a separate comment tell me which mask was your favorite!

That's all you have to do! Feel free to tweet, blog, or email about it, but I want to make it easy for you to enter so I'm only doing one way to enter!

Ends: August 19th

Disclosure: I was given copies of "The Clearing" to giveaway at no charge

Like this? Follow me on Twitter for more!

I am looking forward to...

I can't wait for "My Unfair Godmother" to be released! I'm sure its going to be amazing! And isn't that a great cover design?

It will be out sometime in 2011!

What upcoming books are you looking forward to?

The Secret Diary of Ashley Juergens

I receive a commission if a book is purchased from this link

Book: The Secret Diary of Ashley Juergens
You will like if: You enjoy watching the "Secret Life of the American Teenager" series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Cove rating: 5 out of 5

From watching the TV show, viewers will notice that Ashley Juergons is somewhat secret, a little naughty, and greatly sensible and has a lot of wisdom that many her age - or older - do not. Because the TV show is so focused on Amy and how her life goes as being a pregnant fifteen year old, we often don't see Ashley's side of the story and what she is feeling. That is why this book is so good for Secret Life fans, as Ashley writes in her "journal" her thoughts and points of views on things.

I have watched the entire series of "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" and so I was excited when I received Ashley's diary to review at no cost and with my honest opinion from (Hyperion) publishers. I really did enjoy reading through her diary because it gave a fresh perspective on things. However, I wished that maybe it was more current rather than starting before she even knew Amy was having a baby. Maybe Hyperion will make it a series and we will see a book #2?

Have you watched "The Secret Life of the American Teenager?"

Fast Twitter "The Clearing" Giveaway!

I have a copy of "The Clearing," thanks to a wonderful publicist from Graphia, to give away to one lucky Twitter follower!

How do you win it?

Follow my on Twitter at polopony95 and tweet out this message:
Win "The Clearing" by Heather Davis by following @polopony95 and RT'ing this message! 30th RT wins! http://bit.ly/dkVvfK

Good luck!

Also, stay tuned because I'm going to be having more great giveaways going on for copies of "The Clearing!"

Disclaimer: I was given copies of "The Clearing" to giveaway at no charge

"Plain Paradise" Guest Blogger

Plain Paradise, by Beth Wiseman does not disappoint. This is the 4th Daughter's of the Promise Novel, yet you do not have to read the previous books to understand the story line.

Imagine being 17 and forced to give up your child. Then imagine finding out that you are going to die in under a year. Meet Josie, who is working through pain and suffering and moves to be closer to the daughter she never met. Linda wakes one day to a stranger on her front porch, learning soon that this is her birth mother...when she never knew she was adopted. Linda feels betrayed, yet becomes friends with Josie and comes to terms with the betrayal from her family. As the book progresses so does Josie and Linda's relationship, an unexpected twist happens which only makes the story more delightful. Will Linda be able to love two mom's and what about her beau who worries about Linda leaving the Amish, hope and love can conquer many things, will hope and love conquer in this story?

This was a great book, I love learning about the Amish and it always amazes me how similar their lives are to the rest of ours outside the Amish community. This is a light read, but a good read and quite entertaining!

*I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review blogger's program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Planning a "Fancy Nancy" Tea Party

Little girls go wild over "Fancy Nancy" and would be thrilled to have a "Fancy Nancy" tea party. Can you imagine? Bright colors, frills, cupcakes, and little girl smiles? Oh, and we can't forget the tea! Perfect!

When looking for the perfect tea cups, be sure to check thrift stores. You can find some adorable ones that are funky! You could even find white ones and have the girls decorate them with special paint.

There are a lot of different ways you can incorporate Fancy Nancy into your party. Look for feather boas at thrift stores and garage sales. You could also host a mini fashion show and provide them clothes to dress up with! Another fun project would be to purchase straw hats at a craft store (Joans or Michaels) and have the girls decorate those.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get a Fancy Nancy prize pack. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” (http://www.twittermoms.com/forum/topics/share-your-tips-for-planning-a)

Fancy Nancy Poetry Party IdeasFancy Nancy Books