Review: Heist Society by Ally Carter

Title: Heist Society

Author: Ally Carter
Genre/Audience: Young adult, fiction, adventure, mystery
Publication: 2010
Source: Library

Heist Society was a friggin' blast.

I was a bit hesitant going into it, because I'm not typically one for action/adventure, in my movies or books, but wow, was I surprised to find myself really enjoying it!

Katarina Bishop comes from a long line of career criminals. Her family's business is that of thievery and conning... but don't worry, you'll like them! Despite being master manipulators and con artists, Kat and her family are quite likable. Kat recently conned her way into an elite boarding school, with hopes of escaping the "family business," but just a short while into her stay, has been taken out by her friend, Hale, in order to save her father. He's been accused of stealing a priceless art collection from a dangerous man who demands they be returned in two weeks time. The problem is, her dad didn't steal them, and doesn't know where they are. In order to save him, Kat puts together a team of other teen con artists to find the paintings and steal them back. The job seems impossible, but Kat is determined to save her father.

This book was kind of like a fantasy world. No, I don't aspire to be a thief or criminal, but I loved the jet-setting all over the country that Kat did, and the camaraderie she had with her co-conspirators. In other words, the story didn't necessarily seem realistic, but it sure seemed fun! This book was pure entertainment and adventure, an escape from reality, with a nagging question full of suspense: will they recover the paintings in time without getting caught? I also enjoyed the air of mystery surrounding the original thief of the paintings, the enigmatic "Visily Romani."

I'd highly recommend this for all YA readers looking for something a little different - particularly fans of adventure, mystery, and intrigue. I am looking forward to reading the next in the series, Uncommon Criminals.

My Rating: 4/5

Life Update.

Hi everyone! I know I've been a crappy blogger for basically the whole month of September and I am planning on fixing that right away! Things have been hectic for me this whole month. Recap? Okay:

• First weekend of September... went to Cedar Point with boyfriend, brother and future sister in law. Rode lots of rides, listened to crappy music in the car, played Apples to Apples and just overall had fun.
• Then, the next weekend, got my wisdom teeth out... got dry socket... had pain for two freaking weeks! The ordeal is finally winding down. I am back to normal eating, and have to flush out the holes in my mouth where the teeth were for two weeks, several times a day. It's to clean the food out so it doesn't get infected while it heals. I have to use a bendy syringe. Woohoo! TMI? Sorry.
• Then the next weekend, AKA last Saturday, I moved! I got a nice apartment with my boyfriend, Charles. I really like it, but I miss my momma, dad, and pets. :( I still see them almost every day, though. We are basically unpacked, but I still have lots of things at my parent's place, namely books, that still need to be brought over. Boyfriend is putting together my new bookshelves this weekend. Expect pictures soon!
  
• Lastly, I am now in grad school. I'm getting my MLS online and am liking my classes so far... except for cataloging... hate cataloging.

So that's what I've been up to this past month. Things have been so hectic that my reading and blogging have been cut back drastically, which makes me sad. I do have a couple of reviews coming up in the next week or so, though, so I'm excited about that. Hopefully things will be getting back to normal and I can pick up my normal reading pace again! :) I have some cool books picked out to read in the month of October. I'm a huge fan of Halloween and fall so I have some scary books to read next month! I also can't wait to go on a haunted hayride; they're my favorite.

What have you been up to? What scary books can you recommend? What do you like to do in the fall?

Review: Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank

Well it's certainly been a hot minute since I've posted a review up on this here blog! Things have been crazy and will continue to be as I am moving on Saturday! Mouth is STILL sore from surgery, but hoping I'll be back to eating normal foods in another week or so. And with that, onto the review!

Title: Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes
Author: Denise Grover Swank
Genre: Mystery, Southern, chick-lit
Publication: 2011
Source: For review, CLP Tours

Rose Gardner is a naive 24 year old Southern girl with psychic-like visions of the future. One day while working, she sees a vision of herself... dead! Only... it's her nasty and abusive momma that ends up dead that night instead of her. Realizing that she isn't going to live forever, and that her vision may still come true in just a few short days, Rose makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt of 28 things she wants to do before she dies. These include things like playing in the rain, kissing a man, and doing "more" with a man. Before she can make a dent in her list though, Rose becomes the prime suspect in her momma's murder. Rose quickly realizes someone is after her, believing she has something that they want, and they will do anything to get it - including kill again. When her house gets broken into, her sexy new neighbor, Joe, comes to the rescue. Now, Rose must clear her name, stay away from the dangerous killers, complete her list, and figure out her growing emotions for Joe, who has a few secrets of his own!

Such a fun Southern mystery with a lovable and adorable heroine! I loved Rose. Even though she is 24 years old, you'd definitely think otherwise. Her momma sheltered her for her entire life and Rose is severely lacking in life experience. Having never kissed a man or drank alcohol, Rose promptly adds these to her list of things to complete before her impending death at the end of the week and Joe is happy to help. Her list also includes things like dancing, getting a cell phone and cable TV, as well as a dog. Her list demonstrates just how much she has been sheltered and how much she has yet to live. Her naivety, while silly, is actually quite endearing. I also loved her Southern charm, and loved the dialogue throughout the novel. Oh, how I wish I had a Southern accent...

The mystery was fun and surprising, the romance was a roller coaster ride also full of mystery, and the main character was funny and charming. If you like Southern novels and mysteries with humor, this is definitely the book for you! I am really looking forward to the next book in the series, and I already miss Rose, so hurry up and write, Denise. :) Haha!

My only problem was that there were some grammatical errors/typos, which could easily be cleaned up and edited, so I did not let that deter me from my enjoyment of the story!

My Rating: 4/5

They love me, they really love me!

I was extremely surprised and overjoyed today to see two blogging friends write about me in their BBAW Community posts today. Thank you so much to:

Adam from Roof Beam Reader, who is probably one the most intelligent bloggers I know. He writes exceptionally well thought out reviews, and I always trust his opinion. He is way too cool. 8-)

and

Allie from A Literary Odyssey, who was one of my very first bloggy friends. Allie is tackling quite an interesting challenge to get through 250 of the classics and I really admire her perseverance! I know how tough it can be to read classics so way to go, Allie!

I've been blogging for over two years now, and I often wonder if my earliest bloggy friends remember me. As beginning bloggers, we all tend to flock towards each other, then break off a bit as we find our niche in the blogging world. While I don't read the same types of books as either of these bloggers, I still read their blogs and respect their opinions, and value our friendship. It's nice to know I am still remembered and I appreciate the two of you, as well. Thanks for making my day!

My two year blogiversary was on September 8th, but I was busy getting my teeth yanked out, so there will be a post about that soon once I am fully recovered. As per usual, I will get all sentimental and mushy gushy, so be prepared.

I love you all, friends!!! :)

Still here...

Hi guys, I'm still here, I'm just in a lot of pain and have not been able to read or spend much time online. I'm looking something like.... this:


I know. I'm thinking of submitting it to America's Next Top Model. It's stunning.

I'm getting pretty frustrated and upset because I thought I would be feeling better by now, but it still hurts, I still can't eat, and I'm getting pretty crabby.

I'll be back just as soon as I'm better!

(Damn wisdom teeth).

I'm leavin' on a jet plane (or in a station wagon).

Just a quick post to let you all know where I'll be for the next few weeks.

Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving for Cedar Point in Ohio. It's the best amusement park ever, and a must for roller coaster lovers like myself. This will be my 4th or 5th time. I'm going with my boyfriend, my brother, and his fiance. We are going in my boyfriend's station wagon, as my title implies. I like to laugh at his vehicle.

The following weekend I am getting all four wisdom teeth removed. I'm kind of nervous as I am a big, giant baby. I am getting the laughing gas though, so hopefully it will all be just a distant, foggy memory... Wish me luck. We'll see how it goes...

THEN, the weekend after that, I am moving! My boyfriend and I got an apartment and I am pretty excited/nervous to live on my own.

I also started grad school this past Monday. If you don't already know (and you probably do), I'm getting my Master's degree in Library Science. I can't believe I'm a grad student. It feels like I just graduated high school... and now I sound like a grandma. Sorry, guys, I'm quite nostalgic.

As you can see, things will be pretty hectic for this month, so if I'm not around as much, that's why. I'll definitely be around as much as I can, and still posting/commenting whenever possible. Things will be back in full swing next month, though!

Talk to you soon! :)