That's all for this post! Keep reading!
Monday, December 7, 2009
2009 Archive
Hey Readers! In case you were wondering where to find some of the books I've reviewed, here are pictures of the covers of each of these books. Now you know what to look for! They are in order from first post to most recent post.
That's all for this post! Keep reading!
That's all for this post! Keep reading!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Good News and Bad News
"Children don't read to find their identity, to free themselves from guilt, to quench the thirst for rebellion or to get rid of alienation. They have no use for psychology.... They still believe in God, the family, angels, devils, witches, goblins, logic, clarity, punctuation, and other such obsolete stuff.... When a book is boring, they yawn openly. They don't expect their writer to redeem humanity, but leave to adults such childish illusions."
~Isaac Bashevis Singer
So, there is some good news and some bad news. And guess what? Yup, you guessed it...THEY'RE ABOUT BOOKS! NO WAY! Yeah, so I recently read one very good book and one very bad book. I'll start with the bad one.
The bad books is...is...L.A. CANDY. You know what, Lauren Conrad? I've got a few words to say to you...just because you can string sentences together doesn't mean you are a writer! Your famousness and prettyness will not get you very far! The book is not very good for anyone who didn't get that yet. It's about these best friends who move to LA and get put on a reality TV show. That's about as far as I can go before I go into the deep concepts. HA! Like there are any! Not suggested for anyone.
The good book, on the other hand, was very good. "Westminster Abby" by Micol Ostow is an awesome book. And I don't say awesome a lot. Who am I kidding, of course I do. Anyways, it's about this 16 year old girl, Abby, who gets flown to London from NYC. She stays at a boarding school in London and is there for a year. Over that year you read about her trials and tribulations of finally being without her nagging parents. Suggested for girls age 12- 16.
That's all for this post!
Keep reading! And tell your friends about my blog!
~Isaac Bashevis Singer
So, there is some good news and some bad news. And guess what? Yup, you guessed it...THEY'RE ABOUT BOOKS! NO WAY! Yeah, so I recently read one very good book and one very bad book. I'll start with the bad one.
The bad books is...is...L.A. CANDY. You know what, Lauren Conrad? I've got a few words to say to you...just because you can string sentences together doesn't mean you are a writer! Your famousness and prettyness will not get you very far! The book is not very good for anyone who didn't get that yet. It's about these best friends who move to LA and get put on a reality TV show. That's about as far as I can go before I go into the deep concepts. HA! Like there are any! Not suggested for anyone.
The good book, on the other hand, was very good. "Westminster Abby" by Micol Ostow is an awesome book. And I don't say awesome a lot. Who am I kidding, of course I do. Anyways, it's about this 16 year old girl, Abby, who gets flown to London from NYC. She stays at a boarding school in London and is there for a year. Over that year you read about her trials and tribulations of finally being without her nagging parents. Suggested for girls age 12- 16.
That's all for this post!
Keep reading! And tell your friends about my blog!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Some more good books
"I divide all readers into two classes; those who read to remember and those who read to forget."
~William Lyon Phelps
So, today we will talk about some more good books. These books just so happen to be a series. They are great, girly books.
The first one is called "You are SO not invited to my Bat-Mitzvah!" by Fiona Rosenbloom. I absolutely loved it. I read it in a day, and pretty much never put it down thats how awesome it was. It's about a girl, Stacy, who is really nervous about her bat-mitzvah. She wants to have a cool look, have a cool date, and she wants her parents to be cool. Which is hard considering they are separated, her dad is dating a Barbie doll (in the form of a human) and her mom is in a downward spiral. Oh yeah, and her obese 10 year old brother is a genius. And, wait, there's more! Her best friend betrays her. How, you might ask? Well you will just have to read the book and find out. All in all, the story works out. Did I mention there are some great puns?
Now, since I said that the books are a series, I should probably mention the second one. It's called "We are SO crashing your Bar-Mitzvah!". It is about the same girl, but in a new school year. Eighth grade brings bad luck for Stacy. One of her supposed best friends completely changes her look. She lost weight, her hair is beautiful, so naturally the popular crowd adopts her. Stacy has to find a way to get her friend back, which means lying, sneaking around, spending a whole lot of money, and ruining her chances of a boyfriend. Once again, READ THE BOOK YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
That's all for this post, so KEEP READING!
~William Lyon Phelps
So, today we will talk about some more good books. These books just so happen to be a series. They are great, girly books.
The first one is called "You are SO not invited to my Bat-Mitzvah!" by Fiona Rosenbloom. I absolutely loved it. I read it in a day, and pretty much never put it down thats how awesome it was. It's about a girl, Stacy, who is really nervous about her bat-mitzvah. She wants to have a cool look, have a cool date, and she wants her parents to be cool. Which is hard considering they are separated, her dad is dating a Barbie doll (in the form of a human) and her mom is in a downward spiral. Oh yeah, and her obese 10 year old brother is a genius. And, wait, there's more! Her best friend betrays her. How, you might ask? Well you will just have to read the book and find out. All in all, the story works out. Did I mention there are some great puns?
Now, since I said that the books are a series, I should probably mention the second one. It's called "We are SO crashing your Bar-Mitzvah!". It is about the same girl, but in a new school year. Eighth grade brings bad luck for Stacy. One of her supposed best friends completely changes her look. She lost weight, her hair is beautiful, so naturally the popular crowd adopts her. Stacy has to find a way to get her friend back, which means lying, sneaking around, spending a whole lot of money, and ruining her chances of a boyfriend. Once again, READ THE BOOK YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
That's all for this post, so KEEP READING!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
International Books
"Books - the best antidote against the marsh-gas of boredom and vacuity."
~George Steiner
This is a great quote. It is so true and it really explains..well...a way to not be bored.
So, for school I had to read at least two books on a different country. I read four. I thought I had only reviewed one, but I had already reviewed two, which was Persepolis and the Garbage King.
The second book I read was called "Beneath My Mother's Feet" by Amjed Qamar. “Beneath My Mother’s Feet” is a novel that takes place in India. It is about a teenage girl, Nazia, who has to make the biggest decision of her life. She must choose whether to betray her mother and get a job, or make her mother happy and marry at a young age. Lucky for Nazia, she has common sense and doesn't go along with her mothers plan like everyone expects her to do. Recommended for girls age 10- 17.
The other book I read was called "Over a Thousand Hills I Walk with You" by Hanna Jensen. IT IS SO INCREDIBLY SAD, I CRIED!AND IT'S A TRUE STORY! DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE VERY SENSITIVE LIKE ME! It is so sad because it is about the Rwanda genocide of 1994. I do not feel like explaining, so look it up. This girl, Jeanne, has a great life. Her family is wealthy and nothing goes wrong. Until someone decides that one religion in Rwanda is better than the other. Jeanne's family has to flee. Only she, her brother and her father make it out alive. Until, they are travelling and her father and brother get kidnapped. She watches them die. I CRIED THERE! Jeanne travels with friends and family until she gets adopted, and is currently living happily ever after. Recommended for boys and girls age 12 and up.
That's all for this post!
Keep reading!
~George Steiner
This is a great quote. It is so true and it really explains..well...a way to not be bored.
So, for school I had to read at least two books on a different country. I read four. I thought I had only reviewed one, but I had already reviewed two, which was Persepolis and the Garbage King.
The second book I read was called "Beneath My Mother's Feet" by Amjed Qamar. “Beneath My Mother’s Feet” is a novel that takes place in India. It is about a teenage girl, Nazia, who has to make the biggest decision of her life. She must choose whether to betray her mother and get a job, or make her mother happy and marry at a young age. Lucky for Nazia, she has common sense and doesn't go along with her mothers plan like everyone expects her to do. Recommended for girls age 10- 17.
The other book I read was called "Over a Thousand Hills I Walk with You" by Hanna Jensen. IT IS SO INCREDIBLY SAD, I CRIED!AND IT'S A TRUE STORY! DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE VERY SENSITIVE LIKE ME! It is so sad because it is about the Rwanda genocide of 1994. I do not feel like explaining, so look it up. This girl, Jeanne, has a great life. Her family is wealthy and nothing goes wrong. Until someone decides that one religion in Rwanda is better than the other. Jeanne's family has to flee. Only she, her brother and her father make it out alive. Until, they are travelling and her father and brother get kidnapped. She watches them die. I CRIED THERE! Jeanne travels with friends and family until she gets adopted, and is currently living happily ever after. Recommended for boys and girls age 12 and up.
That's all for this post!
Keep reading!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Choose Your Own Books
"Anyone who says they only have one life to live, must not know how to read a book."
-Author Unknown
This is one of the best quotes I have ever read. Why? Well because it is really true. Think about it. Every time you open a book, you enter another world. Whether it be sword-fighting, taming a wild boar, or reading about a teenage girl, you are put into a completely different place. I guess that's why I love books so much. Now, being in a different world is easy, if you are in a choose-your-own book. For those who didn't know, choose-your-own books are books where you flip to a different page and continue the story how you want to. For example, you are reading a book and a girl crashes her car. You can turn to page 100 to have her call 911, or you can turn to page 86 to have her lay there and hope someone finds her. I used to really love those kinds of books when I was younger. I had all of the Powerpuff Girls choose-your-own books.
Speaking of choose-your-own, I recently finished a book called "What if Everyone Knew Your Name" by Liz Ruckdeschel. It is the second in the series. I think there are 6 books. It starts out as a girl, Hayley, moving to New Jersey. She was originally from San Francisco, and she loves the city. She hates her new town that nobody knows about. She moves into a huge house, yet gets the smallest bedroom. She hates her room until she learns it looks right over the neighbor's basketball hoop. The neighbor is a cute boy, Reese, and Hayley knows they are meant to be together. The choose-your-own part starts on her way to school. I'm not going to say what it is, but I am going to say be very careful, or you will be very disappointed.
That's all for this post!
Keep reading, and Happy Halloween!
-Author Unknown
This is one of the best quotes I have ever read. Why? Well because it is really true. Think about it. Every time you open a book, you enter another world. Whether it be sword-fighting, taming a wild boar, or reading about a teenage girl, you are put into a completely different place. I guess that's why I love books so much. Now, being in a different world is easy, if you are in a choose-your-own book. For those who didn't know, choose-your-own books are books where you flip to a different page and continue the story how you want to. For example, you are reading a book and a girl crashes her car. You can turn to page 100 to have her call 911, or you can turn to page 86 to have her lay there and hope someone finds her. I used to really love those kinds of books when I was younger. I had all of the Powerpuff Girls choose-your-own books.
Speaking of choose-your-own, I recently finished a book called "What if Everyone Knew Your Name" by Liz Ruckdeschel. It is the second in the series. I think there are 6 books. It starts out as a girl, Hayley, moving to New Jersey. She was originally from San Francisco, and she loves the city. She hates her new town that nobody knows about. She moves into a huge house, yet gets the smallest bedroom. She hates her room until she learns it looks right over the neighbor's basketball hoop. The neighbor is a cute boy, Reese, and Hayley knows they are meant to be together. The choose-your-own part starts on her way to school. I'm not going to say what it is, but I am going to say be very careful, or you will be very disappointed.
That's all for this post!
Keep reading, and Happy Halloween!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
How to Choose a Good Book
"The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it"
- James Bryce
Most of the time when I pick out a book, it isn't a winner. And I have read A LOT of books. So here are some tips for picking out ones that aren't wastes of time.
1. Read the back cover or front flap
This is the most important thing. If you only pick it because it has a pretty cover (which I have done, believe me), you will probably be disappointed. So ALWAYS read the back cover or inside flap, and make sure it is something you are interested in! Even if there seems one thing wrong with it, or it isn't exactly your style, give it a chance. But don't buy it if it's expensive and it's not your thing. You might decide you like that style better.
2. Be Flexible
You can't always know what you are going to pick. Some books might look good, some have a good cover and some are just plain bad
3. Look Inside
If you don't like poetry books, then you might want to flip through a few pages of the book to make sure you aren't wasting your money. Also to make sure the print isn't too small or hard to read.
That's all for this post!
Keep Reading!
- James Bryce
Most of the time when I pick out a book, it isn't a winner. And I have read A LOT of books. So here are some tips for picking out ones that aren't wastes of time.
1. Read the back cover or front flap
This is the most important thing. If you only pick it because it has a pretty cover (which I have done, believe me), you will probably be disappointed. So ALWAYS read the back cover or inside flap, and make sure it is something you are interested in! Even if there seems one thing wrong with it, or it isn't exactly your style, give it a chance. But don't buy it if it's expensive and it's not your thing. You might decide you like that style better.
2. Be Flexible
You can't always know what you are going to pick. Some books might look good, some have a good cover and some are just plain bad
3. Look Inside
If you don't like poetry books, then you might want to flip through a few pages of the book to make sure you aren't wasting your money. Also to make sure the print isn't too small or hard to read.
That's all for this post!
Keep Reading!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Library Books
"Make thy books thy companions. Let thy cases and shelves be thy pleasure grounds and gardens."
-Judah ibn-Tibbon (12th century)
Libraries rock. You can get a book for free! I mean come on, how is that not awesome? Libraries are good for school work, but there are also awesome books to read. The most recent books I checked out are called "The Book of Everything" by Guus Kuijer and "Frannie in Pieces" by Delia Ephron.
"The Book of Everything" is about a sad boy growing up in Amsterdam. His family is falling apart and all he has are his private thoughts. It's really touching and made me think about my relation to my family. Recommended for girls and boys age 12 and up.
"Frannie in Pieces" is incredible. Incredibly confusing that is. Ephron repeats like three chapters. Except the second time they make sense. It is creepy because it talks a lot about dead people. But I really liked it and would read it again. Recommended for girls age 12-18.
Thats all for this post guys! The next post will be about choosing a good book.
Keep Reading!
-Judah ibn-Tibbon (12th century)
Libraries rock. You can get a book for free! I mean come on, how is that not awesome? Libraries are good for school work, but there are also awesome books to read. The most recent books I checked out are called "The Book of Everything" by Guus Kuijer and "Frannie in Pieces" by Delia Ephron.
"The Book of Everything" is about a sad boy growing up in Amsterdam. His family is falling apart and all he has are his private thoughts. It's really touching and made me think about my relation to my family. Recommended for girls and boys age 12 and up.
"Frannie in Pieces" is incredible. Incredibly confusing that is. Ephron repeats like three chapters. Except the second time they make sense. It is creepy because it talks a lot about dead people. But I really liked it and would read it again. Recommended for girls age 12-18.
Thats all for this post guys! The next post will be about choosing a good book.
Keep Reading!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Books for School
"Action is the real measure of intelligence"
- Napoleon Hill
For this post, I would like to talk about the books I'm reading for school. I just finished reading two, and I am starting a third this afternoon. The first one I read was called "The Garbage King" by Elizabeth Laird. WHAT A MESS! Well at the beginning anyway. The book is about two very different Ethiopian boys. Mamo, a scrawny boy who has just lost his mother, and Dani, a rich boy living in the shadow of his tyrannical father. I had trouble following the characters and I found myself going back and having to read pages over again. It's really elusive(look it up). In the middle it takes a dramatic turn, and the end is spectacular. I recommend it for boys and girls ages 11 and up.
Another book I just finished was "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi. It's an autobiographical graphic novel. The main girl, Marji, is growing up in the middle east in the early 1980's. She has to find her way as a teen, while trying to cope with the government. It is EXTREMELY graphic and has some language usage. Oh great, now I sound like a movie warning. I think it was a little confusing. Even some classmates, whom were reading the same book, thought it was hard to follow.
That's all for this post, the next one will be about good books you can find at libraries.
Keep Reading!
- Napoleon Hill
For this post, I would like to talk about the books I'm reading for school. I just finished reading two, and I am starting a third this afternoon. The first one I read was called "The Garbage King" by Elizabeth Laird. WHAT A MESS! Well at the beginning anyway. The book is about two very different Ethiopian boys. Mamo, a scrawny boy who has just lost his mother, and Dani, a rich boy living in the shadow of his tyrannical father. I had trouble following the characters and I found myself going back and having to read pages over again. It's really elusive(look it up). In the middle it takes a dramatic turn, and the end is spectacular. I recommend it for boys and girls ages 11 and up.
Another book I just finished was "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi. It's an autobiographical graphic novel. The main girl, Marji, is growing up in the middle east in the early 1980's. She has to find her way as a teen, while trying to cope with the government. It is EXTREMELY graphic and has some language usage. Oh great, now I sound like a movie warning. I think it was a little confusing. Even some classmates, whom were reading the same book, thought it was hard to follow.
That's all for this post, the next one will be about good books you can find at libraries.
Keep Reading!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files of Izzy K
"Life is Awesome, Live it UP"
Since this is my first post, it should say something about me. And since I am a not so typical teen, my first post will NOT say anything about me. Well maybe a little something. I will say my favorite books of all time. Why, you ask? Well because this is a book review website, and you can't take me seriously if you don't know what I like. So, my FAVORITE book of all time is Eleven by Lauren Myracle. There are also other books in the series, Twelve and Thirteen, which are also great books. They are a year in the life of Winnie, a teenage girl who tells the reader about her trials and errors of everyday life. They are extremely girly books, so if you aren't the girly book type, I don't suggest you read them. Good for girls age 11-14.
Well, I think that's all for this post. And, if I say so myself I think it went quite well. Keep reading!
Since this is my first post, it should say something about me. And since I am a not so typical teen, my first post will NOT say anything about me. Well maybe a little something. I will say my favorite books of all time. Why, you ask? Well because this is a book review website, and you can't take me seriously if you don't know what I like. So, my FAVORITE book of all time is Eleven by Lauren Myracle. There are also other books in the series, Twelve and Thirteen, which are also great books. They are a year in the life of Winnie, a teenage girl who tells the reader about her trials and errors of everyday life. They are extremely girly books, so if you aren't the girly book type, I don't suggest you read them. Good for girls age 11-14.
Well, I think that's all for this post. And, if I say so myself I think it went quite well. Keep reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)