Carla Does America - The Playlist

Okay, so I got to The America's in like 7 WEEKS, I FREAKING KNOW, I MAY BARF FROM OVER EXCITEMENT.  And this got me to thinking, I mean, there needs to be some kind of playlist right, because we're driving from Austin to New York City which is a MAJORLY long drive and I am already going to drive them all crazy with my accent that they won't be able to understand because I'll be too excited and when i get too excited i get all babbly and weird and OMG THERE'S A WENDY'S LETS GO IN.

So, what I would LURVE is for you to give me your recommendations........except main stream pop.  I'm sorry, I can't do that, i just can't.  They make me mad.  I want good REAL music because I like to think of myself as a music snob, so please just humor me.  Here is a little taste of the kind of bands/singers that I like.
Bob Dylan - Especially when he went all bat shit and decided he was going to rock out with an electric guitar and everyone thought he was on hardcore drugsw.
Youth Group - I WANT TO BE FOREVER YOUNG, really, I do.  
The Eagles - They know what life in the fast lane is like YO
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Give it away give it away give it away NOW
The Killers - I want it all!!!!!
Van Morrison - I can be your lover Van, I can if you want me too like maybe when you was 25.
Rob Thomas - Man, I love you, but not as much as you seem to love your fans which makes me go ahhhhh.
Jason Mraz - Do do dooooooooooooo
Bruce Springstien - Dancing in the Dark is fun....especially horizontal dancing.  KA-CHING.
The Clash - London Calling, they want me to move there, someone please arrange this!!!
Rolling Stones - Red Door is the song of my childhood, a childhood spent in summer clothes
The Strokes - This Is It < that album right there makes my heart want to explode
Joan Jett and The Runaways - I'm a ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch CHERRY BOMB, because I like to explode and steal peoples virginitys
Kings of Leon - The original kings of the rodeo, they know the way to Molly's chamber
Elton john - Oldie but a true legEND
Nirvana - Kurt Cobain is the ultimate blond rock star. ULTIMATE.  I spent the ages of 17 to 19 totally whacked out listening to his music.
The Beach Boys - Wouldn't it be nice if we were older.....uh NOT SO MUCH, but I forgive you because you guys totally rock.
The Kinks - YOU REALLY GOT ME WITH YOUR AWESOME MUSICS
The Smiths - Y'all are from my hometown, mad props MAD PROPS.
The Pixies - Where is my mind? can I please have it back.
Sex Pistols - Totally responsible for Punk hitting the UK......ANARCHY IN THE UK.

More recent ones are - Owl City, The National, The Decemberists, Arctic Monkeys, Jose Gonzalez, Ellie Goulding, Temper Trap, White Lies, Friendly Fires, Arcade Fire and SO many more.

I even have a music symbol tattoo because I love music so much, I did used to play the piano but gave up lessons because I was more interested in boys.  At the time I was like YAY BOYS WOOP and now i'm all sad because I can't play piano.

SO HIT ME WITH YOUR RHYTHM STICKS......bahaha just kidding, I mean reccomendations (or do I?)

In My Mailbooks

In My Mailbox is hosted by the lovely Kristi @ The Story Siren and inspired by the charming Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie.

Review

Shadows on the Moon - Zoe Marriot

One Seriously Messed-Up Week in the Otherwise Mundane Uneventful Life of Jack Samsonite - Tom Clempson

Bought

Silent in the Sanctuary - Deanna Raybourn

Silent on the Moor - Deanna Raybourn

Going Bovine - Libba Bray

Jane - April Lindner

Beige - Cecil Castellucci

Monster of Men - Patrick Ness

Mentioned

Shabby Geek @ That Cover Girl - I luff her like WOWZERS

Now, I need someone to try and find a time turner that I could perhaps keep, because I am in desperate need of one.  My email is in the right hand corner of this blog if you feel like you could help me with this interesting adventure. 

The Carla Diaries - In Which I Meet Lauren Oliver

I know.......SHOCKER RIGHT?!! I only went and met Lauren Oliver, and this must come as a big surprise to you all because it's not like I haven't shut up about it since before 2011 even got here and it's not like I completely bombarded twitter with tweets all day long along the lines of "OMG I'm going to meet Lauren today" or "OMG I just left my house to go catch the train to go meet Lauren" or "OMG I'm in the countryside and it's SUNNY and did I mention i'm going to meet Lauren".  I am quite certain that you are all quite fed up by me at this point, so I will try to make this short and sweet.

Monday 21 March 2011.  Herby to be known as the day I meet Lauren Oliver

6am.  I am already awake.  I wonder why today of all days, I have to wake up at an ungodly hour, then I remember I get to meet Lauren and I fall out of bed with excitement and start my day with a dance party to extremely quiet music, because, like I say, it's 6am.  I pretend I am the star of a hip hop music video and pump and grind until my legs hurt.

8am.  I have just totally forgot what I am doing today (my memory = shot to shizz) so I have laid around in my pink fluffy robe silk robe and drank coffee for the past two hours.  I decide to make a day of it and watch Iron Man.  I proceed to make declarations of love for Robert Downey Jnr on Twitter then get into a debate about why I think he should do more topless scenes.

9.30am.  I realise it would probably be a good idea if I like, actually got out of bed and got ready.  I start to comprehend that I have just wasted a good 2.5 hours on nothing and panic and get ready fast enough to make me a little queasy.  I end up wearing a black bra with a white t-shirt because I dressed in a hurry.  I also forget to put on any jewellry, but I remember to put foot cream in my bag?

12:30pm.  I am in Starbucks trying to read what people are typing on their laptops and listening to the two guys in front of me discuss things my tiny brain can't compute, one has tight fitting trousers and his fly is half undone.  I wonder if I should tell him and then decide against it.  I don't want to draw attention to where I was looking, I shall be discreet I tell myself.  I have a mini panic attack when I realise I don't know what time my train is and that the queue is too long and I am nowhere near the station.  I end up ordering a Caramel Macchiato, Egg Cress Sandwich and a slice of Carrot Cake.  I dash to the station.

1pm.  I am on the train and some strange lady is sat in Jenny's seat, you know Jenny right? from Wondrous Reads? YEAH HER!.  She smells like pie and is eating this weird wrap thing that smells even worse.  I throw disgusted glances at her and remind her that the seat her bum occupies has been reserved and that she simply must move.  I thoroughly ignore her for the journey to Jenny's station and think myself a snob because of it.  This should make me feel bad, but it does not.  Bish was sat in OUR seats YO!

3pm.  Arrive in London after a rather hysterical train journey where I scarfed down my food in ten minutes flat, laughed at Jenny for getting travel sick, then had to lay down because I TOO got travel sick.  Karma at work.  Or just my stupidity at eating cream cake on a train going crazy fast.  I take some photo's of the green scenery to make everyone in colder climates jelly.  

5pm.  I am now with Tara from Hobbitses who I LURVE and who is originally from Florida but is here doing a semester abroad and Kay from Dead Book Darling and of course, Jenny.  We have all just acted like complete nerds and jumped around Foyles then proceeded to do the same thing in Forbidden Planet.  I am not sad that I have just spent too much money on books because Y'ALL too much money on books IS NOT A SENTENCE THAT I GOT FROM MY OWN PERSONAL VOCABULARY.

5:30pm.  We are joined by Kat, in a little joint called The Big Chill.  It is full of pretty British people and has funky wall things and candles instead of lights and a chandelier it would be rather fucking fab to swing on.  I order fries and nachos because HEYO it's Happy Hour and cocktails are half price and alcohol always over food.  it's my life motto.

6:30pm.  I just knocked back a Margarita and Funky Fruit Punch.  I am still waiting for my fries and nachos!! DISASTER.  I am a little bit drunk by now so I make a little scene about my food order.  Apparantely they ran out of sour cream and had to go out to buy some more.  Questions - 1, how in the centre of London does it take 1 hour to get sour cream? 2, give me MY DAMN MONEY BACK.  The Big Freeze is right because this service is FROSTY.   OHHHHHH BURN.  We take the free fries and eat them without chewing and leave.

8:30pm .  I JUST MET LAUREN......EVERYTHING IS A LITTLE CRAZY BECAUSE THEY WERE SERVING FRICKIN COCKTAILS IN TEA CUPS AND HAD BIG TUBS FULL OF ICE WITH BOTTLES OF BEER IN THEM.  I LOST COUNT OF HOW MANY COCKTAILS I HAD BECAUSE THEY COME IN SMALL CUPS THAT ARE SO PRETTY.  THERE WAS LIVE MUSIC BY MINNIE BIRCH AND I MET LAUREN AND THEY HAD CAKES AND COCKTAILS IN TEA CUPS.  I ALSO SPOKE TO A CAMERA ABOUT WHY I LOVE LAUREN AND HER BOOKS, I DON'T FEEL NERVOUS BECAUSE I'M QUITE INTOXICATED.

12pm.  I am home, I am completely drained.  I sit and read what Lauren wrote in my book and cry.  I regret eating the cheeseburger I ate in the station because I realise just now I have a large mustard stain on my new trousers.  I also have train bed head because I feel asleep on the journey home.

THE END.

For realz though, Hodder did SUCH an amazing job and I honestly canNOT thank them enough for the invite.  I have been to a couple of book launches before but nothing as classically English and just simply divine as this one.  The venue was decked out in all little kitch designs and mis-matched furniture covered in gingham and crazy cute floral patterns.  The publishers had designed these art deco posters and had them scattered around the room.  All the drinks were served in these floral teacups that came on saucers.  There were cupcakes and brownies and slices of cream cake.  Everything was just SO PURDY!! I finally got to meet the publicity team too, who I have no doubt completely drove insane ever since they first emailed me.  From the lovely Leni to the ever fabulous Kate.  THANK YOU girls for everything, from the little sneaky bits of information about what to expect from you guys in the future, to making me even more excited for Pandemonium and Liesl and Po than I was before and I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT WAS POSSIBLE.

To all the bloggers that I met, YOU ROCK MY FACE OFF.  Yes, I'm talking to YOU, you know who you are.  Well I hope so, because I met that many of you I can't quite remember.  I always love getting to meet the people behind the blogs.

And finally, to Lauren.  I don't even know where to start or what to say, but RAGING is ON!  I will pack a brick in my suitcase and nestle it next to the scones.  See YOU in May.
XOXO

In My Mailbox = F to the AB

In My Mailbox is hosted by the fabulous Kristi @ The Story Siren and inspired by the every inspiring Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie
Disclaimer - What you are about to witness is what happens when one has had one, okay two, OKAY four beers before recording their video.  It also is what happens to young girls who let themselves be spoiled by society.  I will admit that I do swear approximately twice.  I even flashed my pants a few times, but don't worry, I edited that stuff out once I'd had a nap.  And yes, you are quite right in saying that the ending? not as legendary as i'd led you to believe, however, I do hope you have it in your heart to forgive me of my misdemeaners, because this is probably, no definitely, going to happen again. I do not need to see the future to tell you that much.

Review

Monster High - The Ghoul Next Door - Lisi Harrison

The Gathering - Kelley Armstrong

Invincible - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Viola in the Spotlight - Adriana Trigiani

Vanished - Meg Cabot

Blood On My Hands - Todd Strasser - Not pictured because i'm a complete lush and totally forgetted.

Die For Me - Amy Plum

Blood Magic - Tessa Gratton

Gifts from Jenny - I LURVE YOU JENNY THIS MUCH . < yes, the dot of infinty.

The Devouring - Simon Holt

Never Cry Werewolf - Heather Davis

Story of a Girl - Sara Zarr

Switch - Carol Snow

It's Not You, It's Me - Kerry Cohen Hoffman

Chasing Boys - Karen Tayleur
This Gorgeous Game - Donna Freitas - again, not pictured because I fail at life
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece - Annabell Pitcher - honestly, I'd had 4 beers, be thankful I talk about books and not something vulgar and totally random

Bought

Howls' Moving Castle - Dianna Wynne Jones

Girl in the Arena - Lise Haines

How I Live Now - Meg Rosoff

Silent in the Grave - Deanna Raybourn

This Side of the Grave - Jeanine Frost

Daughter of the Forest by Julit Marillier

Mentions

Angie from Angeville mega watt big grin for her crazy good recommendations

Ana from The Book Smugglers who I suspect is a genius in the disguise of a small blond

April from Good Books and Good Wine who's blog name goes a long way in proving how awesome she is and who I luff with total abandon.

I am a complete and utter nut case.  Happy Reading.  If you are thankful of one thing this week, let it be that you don't have to handle my special kind of out of my tree crazy in real life.  Except YOU Jenny, you I shall see on Monday.

Waiting on Wednesday - Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

Waiting on Wedndesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine

Published by Egmont USA
Published 11 October 2011

A modern retelling of the German legend "Tristan and Isolde", "Tris and Izzy", is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until-- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school. 

Reasons I would possibly do things that are illegal for a copy of this book, uh, like right this second thanks very kindly:

1, Look at that cover.  I mean come on, this cover is like the pretty girl in school that you secretly hate because she's so damn gorgeous
2, I LURVE re-tellings.  I really do.  Possibly why I know most of the lines from 10 Things I Hate About You, and also why Cruel Intentions isn't my guilty pleasure, it's just my frickin pleasure.
c, THE BOY ON THE COVER HAS ON NO SHIRT.  End. Of.

Review - Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien

Published by Simon and Schuster
Published March 2011

Summary - In the future, in a world destroyed by the harsh sun, there are those who live in the luxury inside the walled Enclave and those, like sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone, who live outside - struggling to survive.  Each month the people outside the wall must deliver a quota of babies to the Enclave, to be raised by parents within and brainwashed to forget about the world outside.

This is the way it's always been, and the way Gaia thinks it should be.......until her parents are arrested on suspicion of hiding a code; a code revealing the secrets of the "advanced" babies.  realising she is her parents' only hope for survival, Gaia ventures inside the wall to resuce them.  but she soon discovers that the Enclave is not as perfect as it appears; the gene pool has become too small and genetic irregularities are developing - something the brutal government wants to stop.  At any cost.  Can Gaia break the code and discover the truth, before it's too late?

I have been on SUCH a dystopia kick recently, so getting a copy of this book came at the perfect time.  Also, can we just have a little minute of silence for the beauty of this cover.  DAYUM. That is one fine looking book.  I am telling you, if this book was a guy, he'd be Alex Prettyface hot.  Okay, so let me break it down......Gaia is her mothers apprentice, who is the widwife for the sector where her and her family live.  Her mother is supposedly a faithful servent of the Enclave.  Always delivering the quota of healthy babies to the gates of the Enclave at the beginning of the month.  Except, one time Gaia comes home from her first delivery (which is a BIG deal....YAY Gaia, have an orange), she finds a soilder from the Enclave at her dinner table, not her parents.  It seems that her parents weren't as loyal to the Enclave as they would have had Gaia and everyone else believe, because they are hiding a secret, a secret that can change everything.

I will admit, I did struggle with this book at the beginning.  I would liken it to trying to swim in a pool of oatmeal covered in syrup.......rather strangely fun, but still more work than I would've liked.  BUT, I carried on because of the marvelous things I have heard and it was SO worth it.  From the subtle eerie sense of foreboding that lingered over everything to the atmosphere and story line O'Brien has crafted, I can see why dytopian lovers have been going CRAZY for this book.

World building always gets me.  I have a rather insane imagination, but the things these authors come up with really put my insanity in the shade.  Set in the future, the Enclave is this little oppresing commuinity that relies on the people outside of the wall to provide them with a fresh batch of babies each month to make the genetic pool more diverse and to aid the rather extravagent lifestyles most of them are accustomed to.  The Enclave and the people who live there live in a relatively good environment, unlike those who live in poverty outside the wall who are STILL expected to hand over their children.  (Honestly, if I lived outside of the wall here is no chance I would let them take my child, I would END them.)  Gaia's parents themselves have had to make this sacrafice, handing over their two sons and only being permitted to keep Gaia because of a burn on her face she got when she was small.  SEE? They only want the pretty people, filty oppresive scumbags they are.

Okay, so quite a few things DID make me giggle.  Firstly, give me a man in a uniform, and in this instance it was all the soldiers that worked both inside and outside of the wall, and you bet all common sense goes out of the window.  I wanted passionate secret affairs with the guards who randomly took their shirts off just because.  I wanted a ruthless soldier hell bent on making sure he got the secret at all costs.  I did not get these things.  I got a rather lovely and rather hot soldier named Sgt Grey, who has a secret of his own....DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!!!  Also, this whole Protectorat thing, the guy who runs the Enclave? why didn't someone just shoot him and be done with this nonsense.  Because there wouldn't be a book you say! oh yes, right you are then.

Birthmarked is a welcome addition to my bookcase, not only because of that smexy cover, but because it brings a lot of new notions and ideas to the table.  I am still trying to think about the questions behind the story that O'Brien must've asked herself when she was writing this story.  Is this the future she see's for us, or is the future she thinks may happen if nothing is done to stop the destruction of our planet.  SEE....I am thinking intelligent things, and that's quite remarkable from a debut.

Thank you to the lovely people at S&S for sending me a copy of this book to review.  

NEWS - Introducing INDIGO < YA YA YA YA!!!!

For those of you who follow the new directions of our amazing publishing houses here in the UK, you'll be SUPER pleased to hear that the Orion Publishing Group has launched the very snazzy and oh so fabulous imprint also known as Indigo, which will publish a wide variety of genres for teens and young adult (WHAT WHAT!!)  by established authors and rising stars.  HOW AMAZING!

SO.......Indigo will launch this September and will publish four new titles a month.  As per the press release that was announched earlier today (said in my best TV personality voice), "a stellar list of authors will launch the new venture, becoming our first INDIGO authors:

Mia James, Cinda Williams Chima, Harlan Coben, Kate Harrisan, Holly Black, Marcus Sedgwick, Sara Grant, Sally Gardner, Chris Wooding, Anna Kendall, Cliff McNish, Sarah Silverwoos, Alan Gibbons, James Dawson, Chloe Neill and Annabel Pitcher"

I KNOW I KNOW, this is stop what you are doing and take note of these amazing authors because their books are coming to steal your heart with their fabulous words.

Trade MD Lisa Milton has said "Indigo will publish books for teenagers that challenge, entertain, question and delight" 

I for one, CANNOT WAIT! YAY UK Publishers, you rock my face off.

My So Called Life - Pilot

My So Called Life.  If you don't know what this show is, then you probably don't know who Jordan Catalano is, which also means your life is not complete.  So, go fill that void in your heart with an episode of My So Called Life and then come back here enlightened and full of love for that sexy piece of moody teenage boy that basically ignores you a lot.

So, here's whats diddling in the Pilot -  Angela has just ditched her BFF Sharon in favour of the school rebel Rayanne (YAY, not to the hating on her old friend, but to the fact that Rayanne is fucking ace) and maybe bi, maybe gay Rickie.  She also has this super crush on the school dreg Jordan Catalano, who really doesn't even know she exists, what with him being zoned out like 99% of the time.

Angela's parents, Patty, who's face annoys the crap out of me and her dad Graham, who is a total DILF, which is the male form of a MILF in case you were wondering, are those kind of parents, you know, the ones that worry they are not cool enough.  They make me want to say "listen, your old now, it's okay for you to be uncool, hell, we EXPECT you to be uncool" even though I am legally a grown up pretty much everywhere on the face of the planet.  Her younger sister Danielle hates Angela but also wants to BE her, which is SO true when it comes to little sisters.

OMG, I love this show so hard.  I just bought the boxset last week and decided to you know, force this show upon you because it's seriously like a YA book in the sense that it just totally GETS what it is to be a teenager.  From the awkward moments Angela has with Jordan, to the simple fact that friendships can totally disintegrate over the space of a few short days.  

Angela totally decides that her life is boring and that her hair is the issue so she dye's her hair red, no wait, i'm sorry, Crimson Glow.  And GIRL let me tell you, your crazy 90's outfits may make me giggle and want to pull out my photo albums, but your hair is SO now.  I have seen so many people with Crimson Glow hair recently, but sadly, when I shout Angela none of them reply.  MAJOR SAD FACE.

So, what with the begging for money beginning and the random decision to change her hair colour, it's pretty clear from the Pilot that Angela has decided to go over to the dark side, which is GOOD, because then fun times follow.  Like the fact that she totally lies to her dad to go to a party on a school night.  A party that is in someone's ratty backyard with a impromtu mosh pit and a live band.  I don't know about you, but this kinda makes me wish I went to high school with Angela, because there were no live bands with mosh pits at the parties I went too.  There were teenage boys trying to shove their hands down my top if I looked at them longer than 10 seconds and maybe some warm beers and music blasting from a tiny stereo, which of course only played tapes.

BUT, BLAM, some total loser moshing in the mosh pit (how I long for a mosh pit) is all rude and knocks Angela over into a big pile of mud.  DISASTER RIGHT? nope, because when she goes into the house who is sat on the cough watching some lame TV show? it's only Jordan.  On his own.  GASP.  And you expect him to like turn around and have this deep and meaningful conversation with her because i'm a girl and we expect things that never happen.  Except all he does is say something stupid like "Today doesn't feel like a Friday" which it doesn't as Angela points out, because DUH, it's Thursday.  So not only do we learn that Angela likes him against her better judgement, but we also know he was kept behind for a reason.  He is for seriously dumb.  But his face makes up for the fact that his head is completely unoccupied.  And then he leaves, not even flexing his good leaning skills.  LE SIGH.  But a MAJOR event because it's Jordan fucking Catalano.

Cut to an awkward scene at home where Angela finds her mom and dad arguing.  LAME.  moving on to the NEXT Friday, where Angela basically decides to lie to her parents again because OMG Tino can get them into some club.  So Angela, Rayanne and Rickie all get dressed up, them in some whacky 90's get up with the standard flannel and him with his sexy eyeliner.  Gotta say, Rickie is my fave.  Then Rayanne acts all weird and gets MEGA wasted and ends up being almost assaulted by some sleazy seriously old guys, which just goes to show that alcohol is illegal for teenagers for a reason, because it gets them in tricky, possibly dangerous situation.  Enter the cops who make the sleazy men leave and makes the girls get in the back of the cruiser.  BUT WAIT.  Just as Angela is getting in the car, Jordan arrives and spots her from across the parking lot and shouts her name.  HOLY SHIT HE KNOWS HER NAME.  And she smiles this mega watt smile, which isn't all that white, because Claire Danes isn't quite rich enough to get them whitened yet.

BUT, when they get back Rayanne's mom's not home, which makes Angela sorta realise that she's lucky to have parents that stay home and care about her, and that maybe, just maybe it's not all that cool being Rayanne.  Then another drama unfolds when she gets dropped off at home by the officer, only to see her dad with another woman (dudes, he's supposed to be playing pool with her brother, and unless his brother is a blond with big bazooma's, i'm guessing daddy'o has been naughty).  Cue to Angela feeling all sad and a long rendition of "Everybody Hurts" (LOVE that song), and then her apologising to her mom for being a mega bitch and END SCENE.

Favourite Quotes:-

Angela - Cafeteria is the embarrassment capital of the world. It's like a prison movie. < WORD!

Angela - I'm in love.  His name is Jordan Catalano.  He was let back, twice. Once, I almost touched his shoulder in the middle of a pop quiz.  He's always closing his eyes like it hurts to look at things < YEAH, you with your Crimson hair.  HA just kidding Angela, yeah I know that was mean.  Did I tell you your flannel shirt that looks ten times too big is so totally bitchin?!

Rayanne - You wanna have sex with him.
Angela - Who?
Rayanne - Who.  Jordan. Catalano.  Come on, i'm not gonna tell anyone, just admit it.
Angela - I like how he's always leaning.  Against suff.  He leans great.  Well, either sex or a conversation.  Ideally both. 

AMEN.  A-FREAKIN-MEN.

Review - Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Published by Balzer and Bray, Harper Collins Imprint
Published 26 April 2011

Summary - When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. 

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job. 

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from. 

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

Imagine a virus that creeps up on you before you leave your teens, leaving you infertile.  Then Imagine a world in which teenage pregnancy is celebrated, where shirts with the slogans “fertilicious” are coveted.  Imagine a world where teenagers are viewed as the only hope to re-populate our nations.  Then imagine hopeful parents paying them to conceive and give birth to their children.  Welcome to Bumped, watch out for the swollen ankles and baby bumps.

So, we meet identical twins Melody and Harmony.  But even though they may have the same super shiny blond hair and oh so amazing brains that can hold lots of clever things, they couldn’t be more unalike.  Firstly, Melody is playing this game with her brain having managed to score the best contract she could with a couple called the Jaydens.  Not to mention she has a hot best friend called Zen (supreme hottie), who she can’t bump with because even if he would make a good everythingbut, it wouldn’t be a good thing because maybe she kinda likes him just a little.  Then we have Harmony.  Harmony is from Goodside and she has God.  Which means pregging for profit is a sin worse than sharing your marital bed with someone other than your husband. BUT, Harmony has a secret and OH gosh you want to know this secret because it is goooooooooooodddddd!  Then, melody gets matched with super famous, so hot you could fry and egg on his bare chest and the producer of the best sperm in the world, Jondoe.  Annnnnnnnd………..BAM, everything changes.

I’ll hold my hands up, I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did and McCafferty is one of my favourite authors, HELLO, she created Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie just with her brain who are my favourite fictional people, so that goes a LONG way into expressing just how much I loved this book.  First off, the world building was so seamless and so quietly done that I was immersed in this new world without me even realising.  The world she has created was so fully realised that it was so easy to slip myself into.  I may or may not have walked around for a couple of days letting the slang of Otherside take over my life but MAN, I was so totally terminated after reading this book that I couldn’t help myself.  TERMINATED!!! And it's a book about sexing it up, so expect lots of sexytimes talk.  I know.

McCafferty stole my heart with her humour.  It’s the kind of humour that is subtle and a little dry, but still manages to make me laugh like a lunatic.  Her ability to make me laugh even when a teenage girl is trying on a baby bump at the mall is a skill that I one day wish to possess.  I love the way, even with only a few choice words, she can make me FEEL something for a character.  She can make me fall in love with a character I don’t feel all that much for in the blink of an eye.  Plus, this whole total storyline is so scandalous it makes my heart sing.

Whilst the storyline doesn’t kick into high gear until you have been fully inducted to this new world, I never once found myself pulled from the story.  And you know why? I could SO see this happening in the future, which is quite bizarre and a little frightening.  I don’t want to have to pay some teenager to carry my child.  So, I think we should all start eating more green food and paying more attention to recycling and stuff.  Despite Bumped being set in the future, the points and questions she puts forth to us as readers are food for thought.  Where would your morals lie? What future would you choose for yourself and for those whose lives you could change with one small decision.

And that ending? HOLY WOW, I see what you did there, you sneak.  Bumped is a richly developed book with layer upon layer of meaning, peppered with humour about a ridiculous world that McCafferty herself is not afraid to mock.  A book that deals with the issue of teen pregnancy in a way that I don’t think I could ever forget.  If I had to choose one author to read for the rest of my life, right now, right this second, I would pick her.  And probably if you asked me again next week, my answer would be the same.

In My Mailbox aka A Book Bomb Exploded

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi the brains behind the Story Siren and is inspired by the awesome Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie

So, I tried something new this time with the vlog.  No there is no drunk me.  I know, this makes me sad too :(

As always, a great big HUGE thank you to the amazing publicists who send me fantabulous books to review.  It means a lot to me that you support my reading habit with books that I could cry over.  

A special and omgithinkimayloveyou goes to the amazing Nancy, blogger and tweeter who sent me Where She Went and Beauty Queens as a gift.  I LOVE YOU SO HARD.  Y'all should check out her totally bitchin blog right here at Ravenous Reader.

And Shaun........FIST BUMP, what you wrote, well, I agree with it all : ) We will sit and watch Skins together soon.

E-Reader Death Match

I will totally hold my hands up and admit that for the longest time ever I have refused to believe that e-readers are really amazing pieces of technology.  When I first saw one, my eyes were offended.  What? this little measly piece of metal is going to take the place of a treasured book? AS IF I thought.  I was horrified.  HORRIFIED.  I despised them.  When I saw people reading off of them, I plotted their eternal demise in my head, and man, it was gory and brutal.   I hated those people, with their smart phones and e-readers, sat in the park having a coffee and not having to worry that the spine of their book would get creased because it was bloody electronic.  I also hate those people who crease book spines, but that's a different matter entirely.

Even so long as a couple of months back, had you mentioned the word "e-reader" to me, I probably would've done this to you.

And now after so long, after all that time hating on innocent strangers and giving the evil eye to anyone who approached them in a bookshop, this morning I found myself coveting an e-reader.  And when I say coveting, I mean, instead of standing by the e-readers warding everyone off with sardonic looks of pure hatred, today I was pushing them out of the way and shouting "SO SHINY I WANT IT I WANT IT".  I think these technological people have conspired against me and turned me from a total loather to a total swooner of all things electronic.  I even have an iPhone for goodness sake.  I have sold out to the consumers, but oh crap, they are just so damn pretty that I don't even care.  

SO, you lovely people.  I have decided that I, Carla, am generally an awesome person who deserves to have the latest technology at my perfectly manicured fingers (ahem, I got them done last night.  They are a coraly, orange colour, why thanks for asking).  I am buying myself an e-reader, BUT, here's the glitch, I may want to be tech savvy, I, however, am not.  So what shall it be, the Kindle or the Nook.  YOU DECIDE.

I can't find a pretty picture of the nook on the beach, and I think that might do it some disservice, so hence why it's not picutred.  I want this to be a fair fight.  Let the E-Reader deathmatch begin!!!

Review - Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Published by 5 May 2011
Published by Doubleday

DISCLAIMER - Summary AND review will contain spoilers for the previous book, If I Stay, so please go out and buy a copy immediately and THEN read the review.  I have two words for you; You're Welcome.

Summary - It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future and each other.

Memories are funny little things.  They stick in your mind and swirl round your head.  Some of them fade with time, others are so dominent that you can just close your eyes and BAM, you're there, in that moment and everything, from the feel of the cold biting your fingers, to the softness of your favourite t-shirt on your shoulders, is so vivid and real.  I can remember every single detail about the day I was introduced to Mia and Adam.  I can remember being uncertain as to whether I wanted to buy it.  I can remember Jenny promising me that I wouldn't be sorry.  I can remember that we ate pizza and then walked in the cold through the town centre.  I can remember starting it that same night, hands still cold from bus ride home.  I can remember every single emotion that I felt.  I can close my eyes and i'm back there, and I feel myself falling in love with this story, these characters, over and over again.

After the events in If I Stay my whole heart belonged to Mia.  I wanted to reach into the pages and take some of her pain and bear some of this horrendous grief that had hit her like a sledgehammer.  Reading If I Stay was hard.  I will admit, I cried and cried and cried and cried some more, so much so, I had a headache for about two days.  I can't look at it on my bookshelf and not give it a second glance or a quick skim.  I will admit, I can't wrap my head around the amount of strength of character and bravery it must have taken for Mia to stay. This book just completely blindsighted me.  I just was not expecting it, which baffles me in a way because I should KNOW this woman has a way with words that just totally makes me loose my shit.  But, the myriad of emotions that I felt just seriously annihalated me.  

How can someone make heartache, anguish and gut wrenching devastation so beautiful? I still don't know the answer to this question, I just know that it's a skill Forman has mastered and wow does she weild this weapon well.  Everything from the anger that Adam feels that leaks into his songwriting, from the careful and quiet way that Mia holds herself together even though her life has crumbled to the ground.  Seeing them both now, more mature than they were in If I Stay, but all the more real because of the history we have with them as a reader, it was such an intensely emotional experience.  You can see the beauty in the brutality of their existences, how each of them understand the other so well, and how much you want them to bridge the gap between them, which they themselves have inadvertantly built. 

When I heard about this sequel, I wasn't sure.  But really, that's not how I see it now. They're like opposite sides of the spectrum if that makes sense, always in harmony, perfecting each other and complimenting each other.  I think both of them, If I Stay and Where She Went could do perfectly well as a pair or seperate.  If I Stay was the ultmiate choice.  It was about absolute devastation and profound loss.  Where She Went is more about anger than If I Stay, it's like a prime part of the grieving process, and learning to rebuild this life that you wanted.  This life that you need to live without the past chained to your wrist like shackles, but locked into your heart where it belongs.

Seeing through Adam's eyes, feeling the emotions that he feels and flashing back to the past that haunts him  is precisely why this book worked so well for me.  With Forman's writing ability and her amazing way of making even a 21 year old boy rock star seem like my second skin was mindblowing.  The interchangable way she made me feel love and anger, so fast and hard was shocking.  Which is exactly how I would expect the emotions of Adam to be; turbulent, violent, touching and resiliant and devastating.  Before this book, I never really comrehended what Mia's family's accident would be like for him.  I loved him as a character and I wanted her to stay if not for the sake of him, but I never really thought what the ramifications of her decision and the aftershocks of the events would do to him.  It's a testament to Formans writing that a lot of the time during this book I felt a LOT of anger towards Mia.  I know.  I know!!!

And the music.  Oh gosh the music.  I won't say a lot on that subject, only what Adam has to say, which I think is enough - 

First you inspect me
Then you dissect me
Then you reject me
I wait for the day
That you’ll resurrect me“Animate” Collateral Damage, Track 1

I can't describe to you how I feel right now.  It's like smiling through tears, speaking when you have nothing to say, dreaming in daylight.  Where She Went is utterly breathtaking.  It's realising that grief has to power to bring you to your knees, but that love can be the hand that holds you steady whilst you get your balance.  A book about love and second chances and living, truly living.  I don't think there is enough space or time or words for me to express how much I hope you read this book.