I have to say, Uglies isn't a bad book, and considering it was one of the first dystopian fiction books, I commend Scott Westerfeld for how this novel was developed. However, the writing just isn't of great caliber. My reading pet peeve is slow-paced writing; and Uglies was definitely slow. It was very mellow and dreary at times, and even when I got to the climax, the writing style watered it down for me. I enjoyed Tally's mental tugs-of-war and her journeys, as well as the plot twist, but the dystopian world wasn't crazy enough for me to love it, nor was the climax exciting enough. Frankly, the slowness and characters were a huge dealbreaker for me. So I liked this iconic novel, but I won't, per se, be reading the rest of the Uglies Trilogy, though I'm sure they're filled with action and plot twists too. I just can't put up with the overall mood of the story.

To my disappointment, Glass Sword did not live up to my expectations at all. Its predecessor, Red Queen, was enthralling and left my vying for more, but this is not the sequel for me. First of all, most of the beginning and middle of the book consists of Mare wrangling with her emotions. She doesn't do much except for think about things like "Oh, I wonder how Cal's shaping up," and "How do I betray Maven," even though she literally does nothing half of the time. Also, as Mare and the other Reds venture through the kingdom, the book has a knack of going into long descriptions about their surroundings - which might seem essential, but it's a real drag. Most of the time, Mare is indecisive, reckless, and completely over her head. It makes me really uncomfortable even to read the story from her perspective. And the ending could rival even that of the first book, but by that time, it was too late; I was bored out of my mind. It took a lot out of me even to make it to the end, so dreadful was the writing. All in all, if you want to read about a protagonist stuck in her head most of the time, barely any humor, rather badly-developed characters (Kilorn was the worst; reading his character pained me physically), and you don't mind slow-paced writing, then go ahead and read this. But Glass Sword personally disappointed me and eradicated any prospects of reading King's Cage. Victoria, I love you, but you've plateaued!

It's time for Nikki Maxwell to kick back and relax! It's the month of July, which is supposed to be the height of summer, and she's canceled an all-expenses-paid Paris trip to go on the Bad Boyz tour with her friends, who are also her bandmates. Nikki's ready to have Actually, I'm Not Really Sure Yet go viral and have fun in the sun! But everything changes when the overseer of the tour, Trevor Chase, hires MacKenzie Hollister as the band's social media publicity manager. Yes, MacKenzie Hollister, mean girl extraordinaire and the fake in lipstick - remember her? Suddenly, Nikki's prospects for a lighthearted, time-of-their-lives tour goes down the drain. MacKenzie does absolutely nothing to help the tour, is Nikki's roommate, and worst, manipulates behind the scenes to 1) shatter Nikki and Brandon's relationship, 2) close down Fuzzy Friends, and 3) blackmail Nikki into letting her perform for the Bad Boyz! The dream tour soon turns into a nightmare. The Bad Boyz are fighting amongst themselves, too. Can Nikki and her band save the show?

Reynie Muldoon has always been the odd one out. Strange, awkward, and clever beyond his years, his only friend is his dear old tutor, Miss Perumal. But that all changes when an advertisement is posted: "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Curious, Reynie decides to grasp this chance and participate in a series of contests, which become stranger and stranger as they are carried out. But in the end, Reynie passes all these tests with sheer determination and cool logic; and he is invited to a life unlike any he's ever known. Beautiful, mysterious, and inherently dangerous, Reynie meets a peculiar Mr. Benedict, who fears for the world's safety. As secrets are spilled and the parts of the puzzle are pieced together, Reynie - along with three other children who passed Mr. Benedict's tests, named Kate Wetherall, Sticky Washington, and Constance Contraire - realize that their mission is much more fatal than it seems. Because the only way to succeed in saving the world is to venture into their enemy's base - and stay for months as spies. Winding, suspenseful, and utterly perfect, The Mysterious Benedict Society is a spectacularly-written novel following the adventures of four children who break the mold yet are the world's only hope.

I really want to read Aru Shah and the City of Gold but it does not come out until next spring!

My answers: 1. I am a "mothers helper" for my neighbor, doing chores and watching the kids and stuff, once a week for the past year 2. Percy's cabin, i love the ocean :-D 3. Yup, in February i went to get my bob trimmed just a tiny bit and when the hairstylist was done cutting my hair hit at mid cheek, like a really short 1920s bob. eeek 4. boston terriers and french bulldogs 5. blue

Love KOTLC!!! Just finished the book, Legacy!!! What ability do you guys think Keefe will manifest?

Stung and hurt because she wasn't voted as carnival leader, Abby storms back home with cumulonimbus clouds in her thoughts and actions. So it's a mild reprieve when she jumps into the mirror with her brother Jonah and lands in the Princess and the Pea fairytale...kind of. This time, Abby is determined not to mess anything up. But when she's too afraid to sleep atop the hundred mattresses given to her, everyone thinks she couldn't sleep because she sensed the pea under the mattresses, and suddenly Abby's dubbed a princess! After a while, Abby starts warming up to the princess treatment - who can argue when you have people waiting on you hand and foot, after all? - but knows she must find a real princess, someone who is truly good deep inside. And so, the princess games are on! But after venturing to the dark side of the moon and back with these games, and also having to fend off a snooty prince (all in a day's work!), Abby realizes that genuine leadership means stepping aside sometimes. Beautiful, creative, and inherently funny, this wonderful fractured fairy tale by Sarah Mlynowski is not to be missed!

Abby's in a horrible mood. She just got eleventh place in the school spelling bee, even though she was completely sure she would win. She can spell! She's smart! So why didn't she come out on top? Eyes stinging, Abby simply grumbles irritably when her little brother Jonah suggests going through the mirror that night—that is, until she realizes that Jonah intends to go through the mirror alone. Abby's sisterly instincts kick in and she runs after her tricky little brother! This time, they land in the coveted Rapunzel story. They're thrilled to meet the actual Rapunzel in-person, I mean, who doesn't want to meet an internationally-renowned fairytale princess? But Jonah accidentally shreds and rips most of Rapunzel's hair by climbing up it with his soccer cleats. Oopsie! Now, Abby and Jonah race to save Rapunzel's hair—and, most importantly, her story—before it's too late. But along the way, Rapunzel uncovers horrifying truths that have been stored away for years, and Abby realizes that winning isn't always everything. This brilliant fifth installment in the Whatever After series is bound to raise the "hairs" (get it?) on the back of your neck, make you cry, and most importantly, make you smile.