Review - Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Title: Pretties (Uglies #2)
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publish Date: Nov 1, 2005
Paperback, 370 pages

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Couple of things that took me by surprise. The second book, this one I am reviewing, was published back in 2005. That was over 6 years ago. Crazy that I am just now really reading the entire series. It is nice that I don't have to wait for the following book to come out, but odd that I haven't been really seeing the news on these til now. Second, there are at least three different covers that I have seen. I prefer the ones to the left. The designs are more attuned to how I feel when I read the books. I also do not care for books with real people on the front. I like to imagine the people on my own. Oh and these would make an incredible movie!!! (hint)

I read the first one months ago, so it did take me a bit to remember what I was reading and what had happened. You can read my review of Uglies #1 here!

I would highly recommend these books be read in the order they are in the series. I get this questions all the time at work and have a hard time because WHO wants to read a series out of order?? Really why would anyone do this? I admit that Westerfeld does a great job keeping the reader informed and up to speed, but that also takes away from reading the books and finding out what happens because they tell you in the next book.

Tally has survived being ugly, met the boy of her dreams (uhm, her ugly dreams) and he has taught her how to survive in the wilderness. Due to circumstances I refuse to divulge here, she winds up pretty. They give her the surgery to become pretty which she avoided in book one and she is now living in the city as a pretty. She is careless, vapid and constantly partying. She meets her old friend, Shay, but they aren't as close as could be because of Tally's slight betrayal in book one. She does meet a new boy, a pretty boy who she seems drawn to, but he has other plans and they involve Tally. As she is getting comfortable in Pretty Town she has a visit by an old friend. One she can't quite remember, but one that brings trouble and a whole whirl-wind of excitement. As her memory comes back, her level of trouble increases. She will soon learn the value of mind over body.

I am a huge fan of these books, not only as a teen at heart, but because they are clean and youthful. A teen, a tween, a younger maybe slightly sheltered younger person would truly love these books. They have excitement, energy and most importantly a young woman who is very inspiring. They teach you how to think for yourself and going with the flow still requires thinking. They teach how to be a leader amongst a crowd. And so many other wonderful life lessons.

Summary -
Gorgeous. Popular. Perfect. Perfectly wrong.

Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.

But beneath all the fun -- the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom -- is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.

Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life -- because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive.



Review - Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith

Title: Kiss Crush Collide
Author: Christina Meredith
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publish Date: Dec 27, 2011

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Leah is stuck in her life. She is living the life her parent's want her to and she is losing faith in it all. Then she meets this mysterious guy, Porter, and all bets are off. He is a working guy and she is rich man's daughter. She has her whole life planned out, including the boy she dating as her future well fill-in perfect guy. He is living moment to moment with no plans.

Leah is swept up in Porter and all that he represents - Freedom. She is allowed to live for the first time in her life and her heart craves it. Craves him.

This is such a sad story and yet, I was rooting for both of them. Could it be possible for Leah to really get what she wants and keep the boy who opened it up to her? Or will she succumb to life long lessons of do what you are expected?

This is such a fantastic quick read. It is the type of book to to take on a day off. A piece of chocolate that lasts longer than it should. Enjoy!

Summary -

Kiss
What Leah did—only she really shouldn’t have—one hot night at a country club party.

Crush
What Leah has—only she really shouldn’t have—on the guy with the green eyes, the guy who is not her perfect boyfriend, the guy who does not fit in her picture-perfect life, the guy her sisters will only mock and her mother will never approve of. Not in a million years.

Collide
What happens when everything you always thought you wanted—having cool friends, being class valedictorian and homecoming queen—runs smack into everything it turns out you really do want.

Kiss. Crush. Collide.
For Leah and Porter, summer is only the beginning.


Wordless Wednesday - Food

Yes, I take pics of my food. Here are the latest pics! Enjoy
Best Burgers ever!!! All natural meat
My boyfriend's margarita compared to the iced tea I ordered.
The iced tea I got at another restaurant that was ginormous!


Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday - Tune In & Teaser

Sitting here in bed trying to think of one of the songs I have Shazam'd in the past couple of days. There have been more than a few. Meanwhile this song is rotating around in my thick skull.

Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory

Lady Gaga really is amazingly talented. I love how different she is and so wonderful that she doesn't care she is who she is!! Can you imagine what the video would look like if Janet Jackson or Gloria Estefan had done it?







With her mind tangled by these questions, Tally put her foot wrong. The sole of one shoe slipped from a thick cable coated in slick plastic, sending her flailing legs away from the tower, yanking her hands from their grip on a strut that was still wet with dew. Tally tumbled downward, the feeling of free fall surging through her body, familiar from all the times she had wiped out on a hoverboard or thrown herself from the top of a building.


Pretties (uglies #2)
Scott Westerfeld




An entire week away from my computer

I just checked in my email and realized I haven't done a thing on my computer for at least a week. How refreshing. But then again, the same post has been up for well, a week. I have been enjoying life.

I joined a gym and have been working out as often as I can find a class. My muscles are sore and not so happy. I have days lifting my legs to walk seem difficult. Then one day had a massive migraine attack my sleep due to a pinched nerve and knotted muscle under my shoulder blade.

However, I have realized that Cardio Boxing is awesome and my Popeye muscles aren't so little. I really love Yoga and took an awesome all yoga class that the first twenty minutes were slow and breathing right, only to go in to warp speed and finish the class forty minutes with sweat pouring off me. Cycling is horrible. Too much time for my brain to wander and not enough to keep it busy. And I know now what my "saddle" is as it has been sore for the past four days. Zumba is fun, but not as focused as I like. Felt like a rag doll, bouncing around for an hour with no purpose. I am going to keep trying the new classes and I cannot wait for the Beginner Ballet to start. That is really what inspired me to join this gym. Ballet, I know. I have no idea why, but I am excited to try a new type of dance. Sadly in the first week of working out, I lost a water bottle. Can't seem to locate it or remember where I last had it. Hard part of being so tired at the end of class all I can do it put one foot in front of the other.

My landlord replaced my hot water tank and I AM SO EXCITED!! I get to take a bath anytime I want and it is actually steaming hot. So hot, I slightly burn my foot getting in. More than a few times this week, I have jumped back screaming HOT HOT HOT! No worries, I am so happy with a bath too hot it takes a minute to get used to it. Wasn't sure I was going to get the water heater when my landlord insisted that I have normal water. Uhm, normal is 11-12 minutes of hot water. I was lucky to get 7 minutes. That is not normal. I think my good argument is what prevailed.

Started writing a new novel this morning, really excited. I am going to finish this one. I will write it and then figure out the logistics of it all. There is a bit of lawyering and laws I will need to beef up on and I want to make sure I am not just telling the story, but really showing it. I have both my mother and my grandfather (an editor in the past) to help me, which is awesome.

Saw the movie, Gone with Amanda Sefried who I love from Big Love. It was so good and so thrilling. Kept me on the edge of my seat. I had a friend I was going to go with and then I dropped my boyfriend off at the bus and had the rest of the day free, so I found myself in the theater seat before I could think twice.






I have been reading like a mad cat!! Not really news if you know me, but I am knee deep in the series Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. Can't wait to see what happens. I hav theories and I am horrified at the amount of physical transformation is required to move from an Uglie to a Pretty and so on. I just figured out the reasoning behind the titles too! (duh)




My boyfriend and I are trying to plan a week long vacation in the future and can't decide where to go. I have over 60 hours of paid vacation time at work and would like to use it all up at once. I can't remember the last time I took a real vacation and not just a few days off. He is thinking Germany, Australia, Hawaii or Florida for Universal Studios. I suggested Alaska, Canada, Bora Bora and Pennsylvania for the Amish country and bed in breakfasts. We have not really narrowed down a thing. We played on the internet for awhile almost deciding on Florida, but then we figured out the cost and thought we'd look a bit more. Thoughts? Ideas? Best vacation ever?

What has been happening in your world??