Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? by Louise Rennison

Title: Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?

Author: Louise Rennison

Published: London : HarperCollins Children's Books, 2009

Series: Book 10, Georgia Nicolson

Pages: 315

Snippet: "I look like I've been playing hockey with the piranha family."

Summary: Ohmygiddygodspyjamas! The tenth marvy book in the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson is here! Get ready to laugh like a loon on loon tablets. It's the FINAL instalment of Georgia's fab and hilarious diary! Does Georgia escape the cakeshop of luuurve? Can there be more heartbreaknosity in store? Will the Sex God pop up again unexpectedly (oo-er)! And what about the supreme accidental snogmaster Dave the Laugh? Will she FINALLY choose her only one and only? So many boys, so little time!.

Review: So the end is finally here and it is mighty sad to see Georgia go.

But in the final book there were some completely wonderful moments. I laughed so much it was great.

I've been wanting to read this book for such a long time and now I have, and I am here to tell you that the Georgia Nicolson series is not to be missed.

It was good to see all of my old favourite characters for the last time. And then there were others I didn't really like.

Are These My Basoomas I See Before me is such a funny book and it is definitely worth the read.

The Screaming Tree by Tom Bradley

Title: The Screaming Tree

Author: Tom Bradley

Published: Auckland : HarperCollins, 1994

Pages: 116

Snippet: "I swear to you Karla, that blade went right into his back."

Summary: Brent Nichol, 16, often hears screaming in his head. When he goes to stay with his secretive grandfather and finds an old trunk in a lake, he discovers the terrifying source of the screaming.

Review: What started out as a really interesting read slowly petered out into a very fast-moving but boring story. From the cover and the summary I thought this would be a really creepy story that would have me on the edge of my seat but no.

I struggled to finish it to be honest because the ending was so rushed I felt like I missed a whole chunk. I think the story should've been longer and offered more of an explanation.

Unfortunately I can't think of much to say about this book thats positive. I was just slightly disappointed with The Screaming Tree.

All I can say is, it's a shame because the book did have a lot of potential.

Ghost in the Machine by Patrick Carman

Title: Ghost in the Machine

Author: Patrick Carman

Published: New York : Scholastic Press, 2009

Pages: 205

Series: Sequel to Skeleton Creek

Snippet: "I want to live, don't you want to live?"

Summary: Although forbidden to see each other, Ryan and Sarah continue their investigation of the mysterious happenings at the dredge by communicating through video clips, text messages, midnight meetings, and journaling.

Review: I loved Skeleton Creek and could not wait to read Ghost in the Machine after the cliffhanger ending of Skeleton Creek. I managed to read this book and watch all of the videos in a day because it is so entertaining and amazing.

In a way Ghost in the Machine reminded me a little of the movie Disturbia because it's so full of suspense that you have to keep reading it to know wants going on.

So many of the videos were creepy and I started reading this at midnight, alone in my room and it was pretty freaky.

I thought it ended really well and it was so cool to see everything revealed. Although, it did have a bit of a Scooby-Doo feeling to it, but nonetheless it was a good ending.

Overall, Ghost in the Machine is definitely a good book to read if you're in the mood for something creepy and a book where you watch a video and read text to go along with it.

Call me crazy but I just really love books

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren.

So this week I decided to stop calling my posts In My Mailbox because I rarely get books in the mail although I did get a book in the mail, anyway, I want to be more creative with the titles of these posts because I can and so from now on I'll be coming up with different names. So this week I went a tad crazy at the library and I got my present for the book blogger holiday swap, this is what I got:

My Secret Santa was Mya from Dissecting Perfection. And I got an ARC of Fire by Kristin Cashore which is really awesome because not only is Graceling one of my favourite books ever but this is the first ever ARC I've ever been given. I also got some very cool bookmarks so a HUGE thanks to Mya who is totally cool.

Then from the library:

Young Warriors: Stories of Strength by various authors

Fifteen original short stories by various authors relate the exploits of teenage warriors who defeat their enemies with cunning and skill as they strive to fulfill their destinies.

Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

In three intertwining short stories, several high school couples experience the trials and tribulations along with the joys of romance during a Christmas Eve snowstorm in a small town.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place.

Brainjack by Brian Falkner

Sam, a teenage computer genius, takes up an invitation to join a secret online convention for the best hackers in the world. The location for the convention? The White House. But Sam finds out that it is really a challenge to find expert hackers to protect the country. Sam is thrown into a world of international high-risk security and double crossing traitors where he must protect the world from a metasystem, connected to every computer terminal satellite and secuitry camera, that seeks to erase the human race.

Nina of the Dark by Ken Catran

Nina of the dark was slave-born and fated to seek a terrible truth from lost centuries. Her only allies a thief, a giant and an ancient prophesy, Nina must battle the darkness in herself and the ungodly creatures of evil who threaten humans with a new dark age.

Strife by Cate Tiernan

Morgan has been so involved in the world of magick that her parents are furious with her for neglecting school. And now the members of her coven are being persecuted. Morgan is falling to pieces. How can she find the strength she so desperately needs?

Ghost in the Machine by Patrick Carman

Strange things are happening in Skeleton Creek...and Ryan and Sarah are trying to find out why. Ryan writes down everything in his journal, and Sarah records everything on her videocam. The two move deeper into the mystery they've uncovered, determined to discover the secrets buried in Skeleton Creek, in the conclusion to Patrick Carman's thrilling series.

Night Shade by Lynne Ewing

Jimena was once the toughest chola in East L.A. No longer in a gang, she is still feared by many. Nothing scares Jimena. Nothing, that is, except the reappearance of Veto, who was once the love of her life. That terrifies her, because Veto was killed a year ago by a rival gang. Or was he? Jimena discovers that he has made a devil's bargain, which could cost both of them their lives.

Night World No. 3 by L. J. Smith

Vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters -- they live among us without our knowledge. Night World is their secret society, a secret society with very strict rules. And falling in love breaks all the laws of the Night World.

The apocalypse is drawing near. But four Wild Powers can save the world from the impending doom. Circle Daybreak, an underground organization with both Night World and human members, is searching for the four who can stop the darkness.

A vampire hunter -- who is half vampire -- stalks her own kind to protect humans in Huntress.

In Black Dawn, Maggie stumbles upon an old Night World kingdom where the ruling vampire prince is both an enemy and an ally.

And Circle Daybreak hires Keller, a shapeshifting panther, to guard a new Wild Power in Witchlight. But when Keller falls in love with the Wild Power's soulmate, her love could destroy everything....

Are these my Basoomas I see before me by Louise Rennison

For Georgia, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Just when she thought she was the official one-and-only girlfriend of Masimo, he's walked off into the night with the full hump, leaving Georgia all aloney on her owney—again. All because Dave the Laugh tried to do fisticuffs at dawn with him!

Two boys fighting over Georgia? It's almost as romantic as Romeo and Juliet . . . though perhaps a touch less tragic.

It's time for Georgia to get to the bottom (oo-er) of this Dave the Laugh spontaneous puckering business once and for all. It's like they always say: If you snog a mate in the forest of red bottomosity and no one is around to see it, is he still a mate? Or is he something more?

Runemarks by Joanne Harris

Maddy Smith, who bears the mysterious mark of a rune on her hand, learns that she is destined to join the gods of Norse mythology and play a role in the fate of the world.

While I Live by John Marsden

For Ellie Linton, being back on the farm with her parents is what makes the terrible things that happened during the war -- the things she, Homer, Lee, Fi, and the others had to do -- all worthwhile. It's where she belongs.

But the war won't let her go. A devastating tragedy has shattered any hope she ever had to reclaim her life, or herself. It's a new kind of fight. And the enemy isn't always from the other side of the border.

And that is all I got this week. Can't wait to see what everyone else got.

Book A Day Challenge Starting Line

Just a quick post to let you all know that the Book a Day Challenge I am partaking in starts tomorrow. So hopefully if all goes well you will be seeing posts every day between now and the 29th of reviews of the books that I've read that day.

So sit back, and keep an eye on my progress. Also, wish me luck because I am really going to need it.

I think the biggest challenge will be 25 December because that day I may be very busy so it could be awkward fitting in reading but I will definitely give it a go.

If I'm awake at midnight tonight I will be starting off the challenge by reading Ghost in the Machine by Patrick Carman and hopefully I will be finishing it before Midnight the next night, but I should do unless my internet dies and I am not able to actually watch part of the book.

I'm just going to take the opportunity to talk about how I figure I will tackle this challenge.

Seeing as how it is a book a day I'll be starting a new book each day and aiming to finish it that day.

Then when I've finished reading the book I'll be posting up reviews of the books. So expect to see them whenever I finish the books. *fingers crossed*

Now I must be off to prepare myself for the reading ahead.

The Eternal Kiss : Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire

Title: The Eternal Kiss : Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire

Edited: Trisha Telep

Contributors: Kelley Armstrong, Holly Black, Libba Bray, Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Caine, Cecil Castellucci, Cassandra Clare, Melissa De La Cruz, Nancy Holder, Dina James, Karen Mahoney, Maria V. Snyder, Lili St. Crow, Debbie Viguie

Published: N.S.W : Random House Australia, 2009

Pages: 416

Summary: There’s an allure to vampire tales that have seduced readers for generations. From Bram Stoker to Stephanie Meyer and beyond, vampire stories are here to stay. For those fresh-blooded fans of paranormal romance or for those whose hunt and hunger never dies, these stories have what readers want!

Review: I really like vampires, mostly I think I like vampires because they have a fixation with blood and also there are so many different ways of portraying vampires. I found The Eternal Kiss to be a really good book filled with short stories about different vampires.

I also thought of The Eternal Kiss as a good way to find new authors. I was most impressed with most of the authors and their short stories. A good example of this is that there is a story in here that I think is based on the characters from The Morganville Vampires series and I loved that short story so now I will definitely be reading the Morganville Vampires series soon.

Another thing I loved was the story by Melissa De La Cruz which featured a character from her Blue Bloods series. I was pleasantly surprised at this.

There were a couple of short stories that I didn't find to be overly wonderful but in a collection of short stories I would hardly expect every single story to be to my liking.

Not only does The Eternal Kiss have vampires but there are also a few other creatures which adds a bit of spice to the book.

My favourite stories in The Eternal Kiss were Kat by Kelley Armstrong, All Hallows by Rachel Caine and Wet Teeth by Cecil Castellucci.

Overall, The Eternal Kiss is a really cool anthology and if you like vampires or are a fan of any of these great authors mentioned you should definitely check it out.

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Title: Rampant

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Published: New York : HarperTeen, 2009

Pages: 402

Snippet: "Massive beyond all imagining - an elephant, a tank, a battering ram of tightly coiled death, the monster stood and stared at me, shifting its giant head with the graceful slowness of all great animals."

Summary: After sixteen-year-old Astrid Llewelyn survives a vicious unicorn attack, she learns that she is a descendant of the most famous unicorn hunter of all time and she must travel to Rome, Italy, to train in the ancient arts in order to carry on her family legacy and save the world from the threat posed by the reemergence of lethal unicorns.

Review: First thing I have to say about Rampant is how cool is this cover. But the cover is actually not the first thing that drew me to this book. No, it was the unicorns. It is not everyday I get to read a book about unicorns. Much less killer unicorns at that. That is why I am very happy that I managed to grab a hold on Rampant and read it to the very end.

From the first couple of pages we are instantly drawn into the action with a unicorn attack and I thought it was very cool and very exciting. From there I found Rampant to be really interesting and was a good book to get sucked into. I actually found Rampant one of those books that were hard to pick up but once I did, I couldn't put it down.

While I quite liked Astrid as a character she wasn't my favourite. I have to say my favourite was Cory and I wished I had gotten to know more about her and the other girls for that matter. I didn't really like Lilith or Phil that much. But I did have some sympathy for Phil in the end.

I have to say that there is one part of Rampant that shocked me a little and unnerved me slightly because it isn't the type of thing that I like to read about. I did carry on reading though because it was only a minor setback.

As for the unicorns, they were great. Who doesn't love a good story about unicorns? These unicorns were fantastic. My favourite type of unicorn would be the karkadann, just because they're so fierce and creepy. I thought the history of the unicorns was really fascinating too.

I quite enjoyed the ending too. There was enough there for a good tie-up but it also left a couple of questions which I'm hoping will be in the sequel which I have heard there will be.

Overall, Rampant is a really cool book and while I had not expected it to be set in modern times I found it to be really well-written and an incredible book. It is definitely a worthwhile read.