Christy Miller Book Giveaway!

We have a giveaway going on now!  Watch the video below for more info about the giveaway and then be sure to enter by clicking this link to go to the SKG website!  Good luck!

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Christy Miller Series: Book Review Video

Me and my sister have just created another review video!  It's about the Christy Miller Series written by best-selling-author Robin Jones Gunn.  Be sure to watch the video below or click this link to view the video on South Kakalaki Girl!

Tell us what you think of the review by commenting below!

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My Crazy Love of Books

Let me just start by saying, I absolutely love books!  Each time I go to the library, I get about 15 or so books.  Then about two weeks later, I return those and get fifteen more.  It's probably not long till I've read all the books in the library.  :) The stack of books above were some of the books that I got on my last trip to the library.  I haven't read any of them yet, but I thought I'd share them with you.  So here they are!

The Doll People Set Sail

The reason this one interested me was because I have read two of the earlier books in the series when I was younger.  The one called The Meanest Doll In The World actually scared me a little bit, but it actually wasn't as scary as I remembered it.  I think this will be a fun read!

Anne Frank - Diary of A Young Girl

This one intrigued me because Amanda has been talking about it for a long time now.  Also, I''ve heard a tiny bit about her life, and it sounds very. . . well, lets say eventful.  I read a tiny bit of the beginning and I'm actually surprised a how well she writes!  I know this will be a great book!

Tuesdays at the Castle

 I've actually read this one and Wednesdays in the Tower before.  There is currently three books in this awesome series, all which I have read.  I got this book again because it has been forever since I read it.  So when I recently read the latest book, I had forgotten what the first two were about!  :) 

Wednesdays in the Tower

I pretty much already explained this one, so I don't have much to say about this one.

The Baby-sitters Club: The Summer Before

You may find this surprising, but I've actually never read the Baby-sitters Club books.  I don't know why, I just haven't.  So I decided this is a good place to start.  There's no time like the present, right?  :)

Dragon Slippers

Jessica Day George is one of my favorite authors, so when I found this books, I knew I had to read it.  In the past, I wasn't really a fan of fantasy, but since I've been reading just about every book in the library, I've grown to like it a bit more.  This should make an interesting read.

Magical Mischief

I honestly don't really know why I got this book; I just did.  I guess I liked the picture on the front or something.  Well, I have it now, so may as well read it!

Christy Miller - Departures

I absolutely love the Christy Miller Series.  If you have not read these books, you must!  They are the best books ever.  I recently found out that I havn't read this one, though so I picked it up.

Hope you enjoyed learning about these books.  Maybe you'll even get a chance to check them out!

♥ Rachel

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Book Review - The Summer of Moonlight Secrets

Whenever I walk into the library, the same books always catch my eye for some reason.  Well, this book that I’m about to share with you was one of those, so one day I decided to get it!  I’m so glad I did.

The Summer of Moonlight Secrets, written by Danette Haworth, is an intriguing story of a young girl, a boy, and strange, mysterious girl.  Allie Jo, who lives at a hotel in Florida, and Chase, who is staying in Florida for the summer, meet a gorgeous girl named Tara.  But Tara always seems to be frightened by their presence and spontaneously jumping into the springs.   But once they learn her secret, everything changes. 

Good qualities of this book –

I love the descriptiveness (wait, is that even a word?) of the author.  “Tara’s shimmery skin, long flowing hair, and strange fondness for moonlight swims . . . “ “His breath is hot and moist on my ear.”  “I watch the ring as blackness dissolves into swirls of color” I think you get the point.  It makes you feel like you’re there.

The author also changes point of view in every chapter, which is pretty cool.  One chapter, you can see Chase’s point of view and thoughts.  The next chapter, you see Allie Jo’s thoughts and perspective.  And every once in a while, you can see Tara’s actions and thoughts.

Not so good qualities of this book –

Although this is also in the “good” section, the author changing point of view is also in the “bad” section.   After reading this book for a while, it can be dizzying and kind of hard to keep up with who is thinking or saying what.

My rating –

I give it 4.3 stars! 

In my opinion, the “goods” definitely outweigh the “bads.”   So what are you waiting for?  Run to the library and grab this book before it flies off the shelves!  :)

♥ Rachel

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Book Review: The Bravest Princess

The Bravest Princess by E.D. Baker is filled with adventure, mystery, and even a little bit of romance!  This is the third book in a series; however this is one of those books that you don’t really have to read the other books in the series to understand the book.

It starts out with a princess named Annie who lives in the kingdom of Treecrest.  She gets summoned to her friend Snow White’s castle because Snow White’s evil step-mother has escaped her tower.  With evil Marissa on the loose, the king fears that she plans to harm Snow White.  He thinks if she is married, she will have better protection from Marissa.  While traveling to Snow White’s castle, Annie runs into many problems that only a powerful witch could create. 

Which of the suitors will Snow White choose?  And who is behind these powerful spells?  You’ll have to read the book to find out!  :)

♥ Rachel

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to all the boys i've loved before by jenny han

I thought The Selection series and The Hunger Games and Divergent were all, like, the best series, but that was until I met To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han.  It is not really like The Selection or The Hunger Games or Divergent, mainly because it is more about a girl that lives like regular girls. . . sort of. What I am saying is, that, she is kinda your average girl that fell in love and wrote letters to boys.

I am going to get to a review now.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before. . . what it is about

Lara Jean has liked--or loved--five different boys in her lifetime.  Five boys with different personalities.  Even though she liked them, she never admitted it. . . well, except through letters that were never meant to be sent to them through mail.  They were good-bye letters, telling them she moved on from them.  But once the letters are sent out to all the guys she ever loved, things take a turn for the awkward, the bad, and maybe even the good.  Lara Jean will soon find out what it means to really be in love. (Recommend for ages 14-Up)

To All the Boys I've Loved Before. . . what to expect

I'm just going to be downright honest; this book has a lot of bad words in it.  It says bad words maybe 20-30 times or so during this entire book.  I think maybe that is the only real bad thing in here, but there is something else, but I don't think it'd be right to mention it on here.  That is why I recommend it for ages 14-Up, although if you are younger and want to read it, you can give it a shot.  You might want to let your parents look at it first, though.

Also expect fun and funny stuff, plus cute outfits, mean girls, and what it means to fall in love.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before. . . my rating

I give it 4.9 stars!

To All the Boys I've Loved Before. . . my character crush

Peter Kavinsky over Josh!

Yes, this is a young adult read.  Photo taken by Maddie.  Review written by Maddie.  I was not paid to write this review.

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The One by Kiera Cass

Remember that post about The Selection series I did a while back?  Well, at that time, I had still yet to read The Elite and The One, the other two books in the trilogy.  And now, I can say I read them!  I saw The Elite at my local library, and read it twice because I was so in love with it.  When The One came out, I ordered it from Amazon and got it six days later.  I have only read The One once so far, but I most certainly plan to read it again in the near future.

Should I get to the review, now?  Okay, that's what I thought.

Please go HERE to read The Selection review before reading this review

Here is an overview:  In The One, you finally find out which of the Elite (the bottom four) Maxon chooses, and which guy America chooses.  You also get in on what the rebels (these people that attack the palace) are up to, and you learn so many secrets about them and other people.  Like... Celeste (an Elite), Anne (one of America's maids), and Aspen.  There are also a few romantic scenes, which gives the book some spice, and a huge shock towards the end of the book.

To describe this book in a few words, I would have to say epic, romantic, and shocking.  This book will leave some of you crying, some of you mad, and some of you swept off your feet.  It left me sad, mad, despressed, happy, and all sorts of things.  But I did not cry once during this book.  I only got chill bumps.  I am kind of dry when it comes to books.

I give it ten+ stars, totally, although it is my least favorite book in The Selection series.  I think it was kind of boring in some parts, and I just couldn't wait for it to be over with, but for good reasons.  I couldn't wait to find out if Maxon did, in fact, choose America, our main girl in the series.  Although, I cannot tell you who America chooses.  Maxon or Aspen.  Maxon or Aspen.  Maxon or Aspen.

The king in this story is very powerful, and he likes to get what he wants.  If you read The Selection, you think the king seems like any king; meaningful, has power, and knows how to fight.  But in The One, you'll find out his true self.  It's... it's kind of creepy.

Oh, the queen.  I absolutely adore her.  She is so kind, strong, powerful, beautiful, and so many other things. I feel really bad for her about only having one child, Maxon.  In The One, she really looks forward to having a daughter-in-law, and I can see why.

America's dad.  Oh.  My.  Gosh.  You will find out a huge secret about him in this book.

America's brother, Kota, reveals a secret that he has known for quite some time.

Anne reveals a secret to America.

Lucy (another one of America's maids) has been keeping a secret.  What could that be? ;)

You learn a lot more about the Northern rebels, and what they have been up to after all the attacks.  You also find out about a few secret rebels that America knows personally.

The Southern rebels are the same always... brutal, ruthless, and wanting to destroy everything in sight... including the royal family.  But this time, they are fiercer than ever, and you'll be shocked at the timing of their attack.

America learns so much in this book, and I am pleased to say how proud I am of her.  She has really grown into a young woman, and is no longer some rude and stubborn girl.  She learns some valuable lessons, and makes great choices in this book, however...

I am not pleased that she and Maxon have this thing, where, America wants him to tell her he loves her first, before she can tell him the same.  So it's like a battle between Maxon and America... who will say 'I love you' first?  Read the book to find out!

Ah, Maxon!  I love him!  He is sort of like my book character crush, ya know?  Any girl who reads The Selection series will fall in love with him.  Although, not so sure if anyone can fall in love with Aspen, because he just seems... so... so... I have no idea!  There are no words to describe him, which is a bad thing.

Anywho, that's all for my review.  I tried creating a video for this instead of writing it all out, but that didn't work out because YouTube didn't want to upload my video.  But hopefully YouTube will work next time.

 

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Divergent

The Divergent books and movie are awesome... you need to read the books and watch the movie asap!

Here are my thoughts on the movie:

*It is not totally true to the book series, but I guess that is because they had to smash the entire book into a two hour and twenty minute movie.

*The characters did not have enough time to form into what the book told them to be.

*It is quite funny in some parts.

*My favorite line in the movie is by Will, who says, "Technically, you should have hit it at least once by now.... even by accident."

*'Beating Heart' by Ellie Goulding is perfect for this movie.... well done Ellie!

*Uriah IS in the movie.... he is.  He just doesn't go into much detail.

*Shailene Woodley did an awesome job as Tris.  At first I wasn't so sure, but then after watching the movie... WOW.

*Great actors and actresses overall.

*Catching Fire is more awesome than this.  This is just my opinion, though.

*WATCH THE MOVIE BEFORE READING THE BOOK SERIES.  Just please do this.  Trust me.

You need to go see the movie as soon as possible!  Best movie of 2014, do doubt. (Not sure what it is rated, but it has some bloody parts, action, romance, and drama.)

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Eve Trilogy Rant

Usually I share great reads with you, but I suppose now is a good time to share a boring read.

I was taking this trip and wanted to get a book to tie me over for the ride over.  I heard about how great Eve was, so I got it and then, while riding down the highway, I opened up the Eve book by Anna Carey and read the first chapter and was totally in love with it!  But then, after that, the book went way down hill and I practically skipped to the very end to see how it ended.

THINGS I DO NOT LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK: (note: spoilers are highlighted in purple)

* It skips way too many important things
* It does not go into enough detail
* The girl on the cover looks weird (Yeah, I know... I am saying I don't like the cover...)
* It has three books in the entire Eve series, so the end of the first book will leave you like "what?!"... if you even get that far.
* It is all way too quick!
* (spoiler) Then again... it doesn't go fast enough.  You know that hide-out Eve has to find?  Well, just how long does it take for her to get there?  Yep.  The whole book.
* (spoiler)  When Eve get's attacked by a bear, what does she do?  Yeah, she's scared.  But it doesn't go into enough detail and it happens way too quick.  Then Caleb comes and saves her?  Like, wow.
* (spoiler)  OMG, she left her friend Pip!  Ugh, now Pip is going to suffer.  How could Eve do that?

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:

* Uh, chapter one.

You see how much I totally love this book (says sarcastically).  I am sorry I had to rant about Eve but seriously, it just was not my cup of tea.  If you want to check out Eve and read it, then go for it!  But beware:  It may not be your cup of tea either.

I am going to sum up Eve real quick, just to tell ya what it's about.

Girls and boys were separated after this sickness occurred.  Eve, a teenage girl, was about to graduate with her bud's from this girl school.  But before she graduates, she learns the truth about why she has been attending the girl school... and the truth just might set her free... sort of.  As she travels, she will have to choose between two things:  life and love.

Yeah, that about sums it up.  Well, um.... hope you enjoyed my rant. :)

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♥ The Selection ♥ Book Review

I took advantage of my spare time and did one of my favorite things in the world - read!  I read the entire book of The Selection for the second time!  Yes, I said second! :)

It is a really awesome book about a teenage girl, America Singer (totally awesome name!), who is in love (or so she thinks) with Aspen, for whom she has known for a very long time.  But when she hears about "The Selection," a contest at the palace where the prince chooses his wife, she is skeptical.  She knows what is coming - her mom telling her to enter.  But poor America does not want to marry the prince - for she loves Aspen!  And even if she did want to fall in love with the prince, what are her chances?  Seriously, thousands of girls are entering!  Only thirty five girls will be chosen out of thousands, then narrowed down to one - the princess.  You'll just have to read this book for yourself to find out what happens.  This is an especially good book for you if you enjoy romance and drama (well, not all the time).

Glowing snow looks perfect with the blue gown

There are a total of four books in the series.  But I only read one; the first one.  I am planning on reading The Elite, the second book in the series, pretty soon because it just came out.  The third and fourth books are not out yet, but will be out before June 2014.

I would definitely have to say one of my favorite parts about these books would be the cover of them.  The dresses that America wears are just so pretty!


The Selection:

My favorite dress out of all of them

The Elite:

This matches her hair!

The One:

Ooh.... such a pretty dress!

The Prince and The Guard:

This book shows the prince and the guard's perspective.

So, as you can tell, Kiera Cass is an amazing author!

Please let me know when you read this book and/or series, and also let me know which book cover is your favorite.

I recommend these books for girls ages 12 & up.  There is some content in the books that may not be appropriate for younger audiences.

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My Reading Style

My reading style is unique, I love all the old-time books by Louis L' Amour and by Carolyn Keene and Louisa May Alcott.... love them all!  I also love some new books like "The Mother-Daughter Book Club" and "The Hunger Games."  I am going to share some of my favorite books with you!


1.  Ride the River by Louis L' Amour

  

Set in the 1840's, about a young teenage girl, Echo Sackett, who makes her way to a different state for some money, but some people try to rob her.  This is one adventure that you will feel like you are actually in, and you will also learn how people got along back in the day.  Echo is not afraid to use a gun.... even if she is a lady!

2.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott




Read this beloved book about four sisters who go through hard, fun, and happy times.... while being one happy family!

3.  Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene

 

I love this series by Carolyn Keene!  It is about a teenage girl, Nancy Drew, who solves mysteries.  This is for those people who like to solve things.... (like me!)

4.  The Mother-Daughter Book Club series by Heather Vogel Frederick
This book is about a group of four girls who start a book club called "The Mother-Daughter Book Club." And guess -- it includes mothers and their daughters!  The girls start out in sixth grade, and in each book they move up a grade.  In the final book, they are in tenth grade.  They read books like "Little Women" and "The Betsy-Tacy" series.  This is one of my faves!!

5.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games (surely you've heard of it by now) is a great book for those of you who like action.... it is about 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen who has to fight in order to provide for her family and -- gasp -- not to get killed!  One of the best books.... especially for teens.... boys and girls!

6.  Little Women and Me by Lauren Baratz



Know the "Little Women" series?  Well meet Emily March -- no, she is not related to the March sisters -- who has to do a report on her favorite book and that happens to be "Little Women."  She then get's sucked into the book!  I am currently reading this as of now.... a great book!


So I guess you can say I like all the old stories and some of the new.... it's all good!

Happy Reading.... and Thanksgiving!

Maddie

P.S.  What kinds of stories do you like to read?  Maybe even name a few;)

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