Lara's cola's bookshelf: all en-US Wed, 11 May 2022 03:49:01 -0700 60 Lara's cola's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Edgar Allan Poe Annotated and Illustrated Entire Stories and Poems]]> 3369565 828 Edgar Allan Poe 1933747102 Lara's cola 0 to-read 4.48 Edgar Allan Poe Annotated and Illustrated Entire Stories and Poems
author: Edgar Allan Poe
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.48
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2022/05/11
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Divergent (Divergent, #1) 8306857 In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

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487 Veronica Roth 0062024027 Lara's cola 3 4.28 2011 Divergent (Divergent, #1)
author: Veronica Roth
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2016/05/28
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<![CDATA[Stealing Phoenix (Benedicts, #2)]]> 10410278 264 Joss Stirling 0192756583 Lara's cola 5 4.22 2011 Stealing Phoenix (Benedicts, #2)
author: Joss Stirling
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2014/05/16
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<![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6)]]> 1 652 J.K. Rowling Lara's cola 5 4.57 2005 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2014/04/30
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<![CDATA[To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #1)]]> 15749186
But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh.

As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.]]>
355 Jenny Han 1442426713 Lara's cola 0 to-read 4.04 2014 To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #1)
author: Jenny Han
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/04/15
shelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[Froi of the Exiles (Lumatere Chronicles, #2)]]> 10165727 Blood sings to blood, Froi . . .
Those born last will make the first . . .
For Charyn will be barren no more.


Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home... Or so he believes...

Fiercely loyal to the Queen and Finnikin, Froi has been trained roughly and lovingly by the Guard sworn to protect the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper. But when he is sent on a secretive mission to the kingdom of Charyn, nothing could have prepared him for what he finds. Here he encounters a damaged people who are not who they seem, and must unravel both the dark bonds of kinship and the mysteries of a half-mad Princess.

And in this barren and mysterious place, he will discover that there is a song sleeping in his blood, and though Froi would rather not, the time has come to listen.

Gripping and intense, complex and richly imagined, Froi of the Exiles is a dazzling sequel to Finnikin of the Rock, from the internationally best-selling and multi-award-winning author of Looking for Alibrandi, Saving Francesca, On the Jellicoe Road and The Piper's Son.]]>
593 Melina Marchetta 0670076082 Lara's cola 3
I must admit I do not like Quintana as much as I like Isaboe. It is not that Quintana isn't likeable. I'm pretty sure many readers would like her just fine, so don't let my opinion of her deter you from reading. However, I feel like she's a character I cannot connect with. Maybe it's the way her character was set up. Also, I feel like her romance with Froi is too forced.

So. ]]>
4.27 2011 Froi of the Exiles (Lumatere Chronicles, #2)
author: Melina Marchetta
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2013/06/11
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The only reason I am giving it 3 stars is because I love Marchetta so much. However, I really could not bring myself to enjoy the book. Half of the book was spent bringing readers nowhere closer to the eventual resolution, and the last half was filled with too much information littered over a vast number of pages (it gets exciting, but by then, I've lost interest).

I must admit I do not like Quintana as much as I like Isaboe. It is not that Quintana isn't likeable. I'm pretty sure many readers would like her just fine, so don't let my opinion of her deter you from reading. However, I feel like she's a character I cannot connect with. Maybe it's the way her character was set up. Also, I feel like her romance with Froi is too forced.

So.
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<![CDATA[Quintana of Charyn (Lumatere Chronicles, #3)]]> 10165761 There's a babe in my belly that whispers the valley, Froi. I follow the whispers and come to the road . . .

Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi must travel through Charyn to search for Quintana, the mother of Charyn's unborn king, and protect her against those who will do anything to gain power. But what happens when loyalty to family and country conflict? When the forces marshalled in Charyn's war gather and threaten to involve the whole of the land, including Lumatere, only Froi can set things right, with the help of those he loves.]]>
516 Melina Marchetta 0670076244 Lara's cola 5 4.30 2012 Quintana of Charyn (Lumatere Chronicles, #3)
author: Melina Marchetta
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2012
rating: 5
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date added: 2013/06/11
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<![CDATA[Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles, #1)]]> 4932435
Evanjalin is determined to return home and she is the only one who can lead them to the heir. As they journey together, Finnikin is affected by her arrogance . . . and her hope. He begins to believe he will see his childhood friend, Prince Balthazar, again. And that their cursed people will be able to enter Lumatere and be reunited with those trapped inside. He even believes he will find his imprisoned father.

But Evanjalin is not what she seems. And the truth will test not only Finnikin's faith in her . . . but in himself.]]>
416 Melina Marchetta 0670072818 Lara's cola 5 3.89 2008 Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles, #1)
author: Melina Marchetta
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/06/11
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I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked Isaboe, and her chemistry with Finnikin was amazing.
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<![CDATA[Bride of the Water God, Volume 1]]> 1702887 184 Mi-Kyung Yun 1593078498 Lara's cola 2
The characters feel very flat as well. I feel like the psyche of the characters are not drawn out very well, so they feel like paper dolls acting out whatever they were supposed to act out, instead of being living, breathing characters. Although they are beautifully drawn, they look too alike sometimes.

Last but not last, I understand that the story is inspired by Korean folklore, but as the folklore shares similar origins to the Chinese one, it gets extremely frustrating to read because of the way the author re-depicts some traditional Korean (and Chinese) folklore characters.

And yes, the ridiculously lavish garbs of the characters annoy me too. It's like the AUTHOR JUST WANT TO DRAW PRETTY FACES instead of tell a story, you know? And she didn't even take the time to do some proper research on what those characters were supposed to wear. I'm assuming the story is set in one of the olden-day Korean kingdoms (such as Shilla), but the characters are wearing things that look more Chinese than whatever Koreans would wear at that time. Coupled with the fact that the author took huge liberties in changing a lot of the original folklore characters' story arcs, it just doesn't feel right. ]]>
3.90 2006 Bride of the Water God, Volume 1
author: Mi-Kyung Yun
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2006
rating: 2
read at: 2009/01/01
date added: 2013/05/26
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The set-up is pretty intriguing but poorly executed, mainly because the plot is very confusing and seems to overwhelm the storytelling efforts of the author. (Plus I'm not sure if I remembered right, but um, did the villagers offer the bride because they were experiencing a drought? I don't even get how they managed to dump her into a rushing river when they were experiencing a supposed drought?)

The characters feel very flat as well. I feel like the psyche of the characters are not drawn out very well, so they feel like paper dolls acting out whatever they were supposed to act out, instead of being living, breathing characters. Although they are beautifully drawn, they look too alike sometimes.

Last but not last, I understand that the story is inspired by Korean folklore, but as the folklore shares similar origins to the Chinese one, it gets extremely frustrating to read because of the way the author re-depicts some traditional Korean (and Chinese) folklore characters.

And yes, the ridiculously lavish garbs of the characters annoy me too. It's like the AUTHOR JUST WANT TO DRAW PRETTY FACES instead of tell a story, you know? And she didn't even take the time to do some proper research on what those characters were supposed to wear. I'm assuming the story is set in one of the olden-day Korean kingdoms (such as Shilla), but the characters are wearing things that look more Chinese than whatever Koreans would wear at that time. Coupled with the fact that the author took huge liberties in changing a lot of the original folklore characters' story arcs, it just doesn't feel right.
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Awaken (Abandon, #3) 13061500 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, the dark reimagining of the Persephone myth comes to a thrilling conclusion.

Death has her in his clutches. She doesn't want him to let her go. Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera knew by accepting the love of John Hayden, she'd be forced to live forever in the one place she's always dreaded most: the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, though, because it meant she could be with the boy she loves.

But now her happiness—and safety—are threatened, all because of the Furies have discovered that John has broken one of their strictest rules: Never revive a human soul.

If the balance between life and death isn't fixed, both the Underworld and Pierce's home back on earth will be wiped away. But there's only one way to restore order. Someone has to die.]]>
343 Meg Cabot 0545284120 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.92 2013 Awaken (Abandon, #3)
author: Meg Cabot
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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date added: 2013/05/23
shelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[Leo Tolstoy's 20 Greatest Short Stories]]> 6441435
Now in one collection, by award-winning editor Andrew Barger, are the 20 greatest short stories of Leo Tolstoy, which give a snapshot of Russia and its people in the late nineteenth century. A fine introduction is given by Andrew Barger. Annotations are included of difficult Russian terms. There is also a Tolstoy biography at the start of the book with photos of Tolstoy's relatives.

A Candle,
After the Dance,
Albert,
Alyosha the Pot,
An Old Acquaintance,
Does a Man Need Much Land?,
If You Neglect the Fire You Don't Put It Out,
Khodinka: An Incident of the Coronation of Nicholas II,
Lucerne,
Memoirs of a Lunatic,
My Dream,
Recollections of a Scorer,
The Empty Drum,
The Long Exile,
The Posthumous Papers of the Hermit Fedor Kusmich,
The Young Tsar,
There Are No Guilty People,
Three Deaths,
Two Old Men, and
What Men Live By.

Read the greatest short stories of Leo Tolstoy today!]]>
392 Leo Tolstoy 1933747153 Lara's cola 0 to-read 4.23 2009 Leo Tolstoy's 20 Greatest Short Stories
author: Leo Tolstoy
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2009
rating: 0
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date added: 2013/05/23
shelves: to-read
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The Ghost Bride 16248223 A startlingly original voice makes her literary debut with this wondrous coming-of-age story infused with Chinese folklore, romantic intrigue, adventure, and fascinating, dreamlike twists.

'One evening, my father asked me whether I would like to become a ghost bride...'

Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs. And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound.

Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects. But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family's only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, traditional ghost marriages are used to placate restless spirits. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price.

After an ominous visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lims' handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits, and monstrous bureaucracy—including the mysterious Er Lang, a charming but unpredictable guardian spirit. Li Lan must uncover the Lim family's darkest secrets—and the truth about her own family—before she is trapped in this ghostly world forever.]]>
368 Yangsze Choo 0062227327 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.79 2013 The Ghost Bride
author: Yangsze Choo
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/05/23
shelves: to-read
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The Fault in Our Stars 11870085
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.]]>
313 John Green Lara's cola 5 4.13 2012 The Fault in Our Stars
author: John Green
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/05/23
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Promised (Birthmarked, #3) 13010211
As a leader, a woman, and an idealist in love, Gaia must decide if she can sacrifice what--or whom--she values most.]]>
293 Caragh M. O'Brien 1596435712 Lara's cola 3 3.76 2012 Promised (Birthmarked, #3)
author: Caragh M. O'Brien
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2013/05/23
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<![CDATA[The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #2)]]> 12950372 528 Michelle Hodkin 1442421797 Lara's cola 3 4.38 2012 The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #2)
author: Michelle Hodkin
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2013/05/23
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Survive 12926806 Hatchet meets Lost in this modern-day adventure tale of one girl's reawakening

Jane is on a plane on her way home to Montclair, New Jersey, from a mental hospital. She is about to kill herself. Just before she can swallow a lethal dose of pills, the plane hits turbulence and everything goes black. Jane wakes up amidst piles of wreckage and charred bodies on a snowy mountaintop. There is only one other survivor: a boy named Paul, who inspires Jane to want to fight for her life for the first time.

Jane and Paul scale icy slopes and huddle together for warmth at night, forging an intense emotional bond. But the wilderness is a vast and lethal force, and only one of them will survive.]]>
259 Alex Morel 1595145109 Lara's cola 3 3.69 2012 Survive
author: Alex Morel
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2012
rating: 3
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date added: 2013/05/23
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Losing Lila (Lila, #2) 12410324
Struggling to control both her growing power and her deepening feelings for Alex, Lila decides the time has finally come to stop running and start fighting. Together with Alex, Demos, and the others she's come to think of as family, Lila plans not only to save her brother and mum, but also to completely destroy the Unit and everything it stands for. But the plan requires Lila to return to California alone, andto make friends with the enemy - and in doing so, she risks losing everything: Alex, her family� even her life.]]>
346 Sarah Alderson 0857071971 Lara's cola 0 to-read 4.07 2012 Losing Lila (Lila, #2)
author: Sarah Alderson
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2013/02/16
shelves: to-read
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Postcards from No Man's Land 987756 320 Aidan Chambers 0525468633 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.64 1999 Postcards from No Man's Land
author: Aidan Chambers
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.64
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/10/23
shelves: to-read
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On the Jellicoe Road 1162022 I'm dreaming of the boy in the tree. I tell him stories. About the Jellicoe School and the Townies and the Cadets from a school in Sydney. I tell him about the war between us for territory. And I tell him about Hannah, who lives in the unfinished house by the river. Hannah, who is too young to be hiding away from the world. Hannah, who found me on the Jellicoe Road six years ago.

Taylor is leader of the boarders at the Jellicoe School. She has to keep the upper hand in the territory wars and deal with Jonah Griggs—the enigmatic leader of the cadets, and someone she thought she would never see again.

And now Hannah, the person Taylor had come to rely on, has disappeared. Taylor's only clue is a manuscript about five kids who lived in Jellicoe eighteen years ago. She needs to find out more, but this means confronting her own story, making sense of her strange, recurring dream, and finding her mother—who abandoned her on the Jellicoe Road.

The moving, joyous and brilliantly compelling new novel from the best-selling, multi-award-winning author of Looking for Alibrandi and Saving Francesca.]]>
290 Melina Marchetta 0670070297 Lara's cola 5 4.10 2006 On the Jellicoe Road
author: Melina Marchetta
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/10/22
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review:

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<![CDATA[Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)]]> 6148028 Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol—a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before . . . and surprising readers at every turn.]]>
391 Suzanne Collins 0439023491 Lara's cola 4 4.34 2009 Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/10/22
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)]]> 7260188 My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans—except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay—no matter what the personal cost.]]>
390 Suzanne Collins 0439023513 Lara's cola 3 4.10 2010 Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/10/22
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Code Name Verity (Code Name Verity, #1)]]> 11925514
When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage and failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?

Harrowing and beautifully written, Elizabeth Wein creates a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other. Code Name Verity is an outstanding novel that will stick with you long after the last page.]]>
452 Elizabeth Wein 1405258217 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.99 2012 Code Name Verity (Code Name Verity, #1)
author: Elizabeth Wein
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/10/22
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Don't Turn Around (Persef0ne, #1)]]> 13455542 In Michelle Gagnon’s debut YA thriller, Don’t Turn Around, computer hacker Noa Torson is as smart, tough, and complex as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’s Lisbeth Salander.

The first in a trilogy, Don’t Turn Around’s intricate plot and heart-pounding action will leave readers desperate for book two.

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her hacking skills to stay anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in a warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side.

Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa’s talents on his team. Especially after a shady corporation threatens his life in no uncertain terms. But what Noa and Peter don’t realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and there are those who’d stop at nothing to silence her for good.]]>
309 Michelle Gagnon 0062102907 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.85 2012 Don't Turn Around (Persef0ne, #1)
author: Michelle Gagnon
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/10/22
shelves: to-read
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Take Me There 7148786
But trouble follows Dylan wherever he goes, and a deadly mistake soon forces him to hit the road and leave his dreams behind. He's on the run and in search of answers; answers to questions he wishes he'd never asked.]]>
325 Carolee Dean 1416989501 Lara's cola 0 3.87 2010 Take Me There
author: Carolee Dean
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/10/22
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<![CDATA[For Darkness Shows the Stars (For Darkness Shows the Stars, #1)]]> 8306761
Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.]]>
407 Diana Peterfreund 0062006142 Lara's cola 5 3.88 2012 For Darkness Shows the Stars (For Darkness Shows the Stars, #1)
author: Diana Peterfreund
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/07/05
shelves:
review:

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Article 5 (Article 5, #1) 10677277
The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.]]>
362 Kristen Simmons 0765329581 Lara's cola 2 3.77 2012 Article 5 (Article 5, #1)
author: Kristen Simmons
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2012
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2012/06/29
shelves:
review:
super naive heroine. cannot stop fawning over her supposed first love, even when she risked her friend's life and nearly got her lover killed. cannot contain her bitchy side even when she is in grave danger.
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Saving Francesca 82434 MOST OF MY friends now go to Pius Senior College, but my mother wouldn't allow it because she says the girls there leave with limited options and she didn't bring me up to have limitations placed upon me. If you know my mother, you'll sense there's an irony there, based on the fact that she is the Queen of the Limitation Placers in my life.

Francesca battles her mother, Mia, constantly over what's best for her. All Francesca wants is her old friends and her old school, but instead Mia sends her to St. Sebastian's, an all-boys' school that has just opened its doors to girls. Now Francesca's surrounded by hundreds of boys, with only a few other girls for company. All of them weirdos or worse.

Then one day, Mia is too depressed to get out of bed. One day turns into months, and as her family begins to fall apart, Francesca realises that without her mother's high spirits, she hardly knows who she is. But she doesn't yet realise that she's more like Mia than she thinks. With a little unlikely help from St. Sebastian's, she just might be able to save her family, her friends, and especially herself.]]>
243 Melina Marchetta 0375829830 Lara's cola 5 3.97 2003 Saving Francesca
author: Melina Marchetta
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/06/27
shelves:
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<![CDATA[This Is So Not Happening (He's So/She's So, #3)]]> 12022929
But as graduation approaches, things get more complicated as new secrets come out and Ally realizes maybe Jake isn't the guy she thought he was. After everything they've been through can Ally and Jake get out of Orchard Hill with their relationship intact?]]>
320 Kieran Scott 1416999590 Lara's cola 4 3.96 2012 This Is So Not Happening (He's So/She's So, #3)
author: Kieran Scott
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/06/22
shelves:
review:
Always encounter books about the pregnant girl, and the non-existent baby daddy w/ bitchy girlfriend (I don't know why they are always depicted as such). For once, we get to read about this "bitchy" girlfriend. Very refreshing, never thought I'll empathise with all the characters. Felt a little sugary (the ending was happily ever after for almost everyone. Hm, when will that happen in real life?), but it wasn't that unrealistic.
]]>
<![CDATA[The Darlings in Love (The Darlings are Forever, #2)]]> 11593326 The sweetheart
The irresistible songwriter…but is he writing off Victoria?

The overachiever
The perfect match, if only the game were less complicated

The drama queen
The Greek god� of mixed signals

In the face of both joy and heartbreak, the Darlings know that they'll always have each other. Boys come and go, but the Darlings are still forever.]]>
320 Melissa Kantor 1423123697 Lara's cola 3 3.72 2012 The Darlings in Love (The Darlings are Forever, #2)
author: Melissa Kantor
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/06/22
shelves:
review:

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The Space Between 10261812
Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.]]>
363 Brenna Yovanoff 1595143394 Lara's cola 2 3.82 2011 The Space Between
author: Brenna Yovanoff
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2011
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2012/06/22
shelves:
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Love, Inc. (Love, Inc., #1) 8430963 promising. Hardened vintage-vixen Syd is beyond tears. She and Eric had real history... Or so she'd thought. Now all three girls have one mission: to show that cheater the folly of his ways. Project Payback is such a success, the girls soon have clients lining up for their consulting services. Is your boyfriend acting shady? Dying to know if your crush is into you? Need match-making expertise? Look no further than Love, Inc.]]> 409 Yvonne Collins Lara's cola 3 3.80 2011 Love, Inc. (Love, Inc., #1)
author: Yvonne Collins
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/06/22
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<![CDATA[Fragile Eternity (Wicked Lovely, #3)]]> 5152561
Aislinn never expected to rule the very creatures who'd always terrified her - but that was before Keenan. He stole her mortality to make her a monarch, and now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she'd ever imagined.


In Melissa Marr's third mesmerizing tale of Faerie, Seth and Aislinn struggle to stay true to themselves and each other in a milieu of shadowy rules and shifting allegiances, where old friends become new enemies and one wrong move could plunge the Earth into chaos.]]>
389 Melissa Marr 006121471X Lara's cola 4 3.84 2009 Fragile Eternity (Wicked Lovely, #3)
author: Melissa Marr
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/06/21
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<![CDATA[Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely, #1)]]> 305234 Don't stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty - especially if they learn of her Sight - and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.

Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.
But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King, who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost � regardless of her plans or desires.

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.

Faery intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning twenty-first-century faery tale.]]>
328 Melissa Marr 0061214655 Lara's cola 3 3.70 2007 Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely, #1)
author: Melissa Marr
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/06/21
shelves:
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The Dark Light 13512495
Mysterious lights have flickered above Crownsville for as long as Mia can remember. And as far as she’s concerned, that’s about the only interesting thing to happen in her small town.
That is, until Sol arrives. Mia’s not one to fall for just any guy, but she can’t get Sol—or the brilliant tattoo on his back—out of her mind.
Then Mia’s brother goes missing, and Mia’s convinced that Sol knows more than he’s sharing. But getting closer to Sol means reevaluating everything Mia once believed to be true. Because Sol’s not who Mia thought he was—and neither is she.]]>
483 Sara Walsh 1442434554 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.77 2012 The Dark Light
author: Sara Walsh
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/06/20
shelves: to-read
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Silver (Bandia, #1) 10194637 As I step into the room, a silver flash blurs my vision. Before I can take a breath, the world falls away.

Brianna has always felt invisible. People stare right past her, including the one boy she can't resist, Blake Williams. But everything changes at a house party where Brianna's charm bracelet slips off and time stands still. In that one frozen, silver moment, Blake not only sees her, he recognizes something deep inside her she's been hiding even from herself.

Discovering she is descended from Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth, Brianna finds herself questioning the truth of who she is. And when she accidentally binds her soul to Blake, their mutual attraction becomes undeniable.

But Blake has his own secret, one that could prove deadly for them both. Bound together by forbidden magic, Brianna and Blake find themselves at the heart of an ancient feud that threatens to destroy their lives and their love.]]>
374 Talia Vance 0738733032 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.76 2012 Silver (Bandia, #1)
author: Talia Vance
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/06/20
shelves: to-read
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Allegiance (Legacy, #2) 6056287 Only I saw Narian for who he truly was: a young man with courage and an independent mind, and made to pay for what was outside his control. He couldn't help his past any more than he could help the way those intense, deep-blue eyes pierced me and held me captive.

An eighteen-year-old queen in love with the enemy as their countries pass the point of no return...

Bound to a man she cannot love, Queen Alera of Hytanica must forget Narian, the young man who holds her heart. For Narian is destined to conquer Hytanica at the behest of his master, the powerful magic-user known as the Overlord. Alera doesn't truly believe Narian will fight against Hytanica-until Cokyrian troops attack with Narian commanding the charge.

Faced with the greatest betrayal a heart can know, Alera must set aside personal feelings and lead her kingdom through its darkest time. And when all hope, will and courage seem lost, she must find strength and remember that even the blackest night must have a dawn....]]>
494 Cayla Kluver 0373210434 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.94 2011 Allegiance (Legacy, #2)
author: Cayla Kluver
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/06/20
shelves: to-read
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For Keeps 6603110 267 Natasha Friend 0670011908 Lara's cola 4 3.76 2010 For Keeps
author: Natasha Friend
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/06/20
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<![CDATA[When the Sea Is Rising Red (Hobverse #1)]]> 11388429 296 Cat Hellisen 0374364753 Lara's cola 2 3.44 2012 When the Sea Is Rising Red (Hobverse #1)
author: Cat Hellisen
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.44
book published: 2012
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2012/06/20
shelves:
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Tiger Lily 7514925
Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.]]>
292 Jodi Lynn Anderson 0062114611 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.96 2012 Tiger Lily
author: Jodi Lynn Anderson
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2012/06/20
shelves: to-read
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Good Girls 131060
The next Monday, messages begin popping up on people's phones and email inboxes. Somebody has taken a picture of her and Luke together and soon everyone knows, including her teachers, her mum and her dad� Now she must discover strength she never knew he had, find friends where she didn't think she would, and learn that life goes on � no matter how different it is to how you think it's going to be.]]>
274 Laura Ruby 0060882239 Lara's cola 4 3.66 2006 Good Girls
author: Laura Ruby
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/06/20
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Played 637086 240 Dana Davidson 0786836911 Lara's cola 4 4.06 2005 Played
author: Dana Davidson
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/06/20
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Scarlet Moon 985502 The True Face of Love

Ruth's grandmother lives in the forest, banished there for the "evil" that the townsfolk believed she practiced. But if studying the stars, learning about nature, and dreaming of flying is evil, then Ruth is guilty of it too. Whenever Ruth took food and supplies to her grandmother, she would sit with the old woman for hours, listening and learning.

When she wasn't in the woods, Ruth was learning the trade of her father, a blacksmith, now that her brother would never return from the Crusades.

Amidst those dark days, a new man enters Ruth's life. William is a noble with a hot temper and a bad name, and he makes her shiver. But the young man is prey to his heritage, a curse placed on his family ages ago, and each male of the family has strange blood running in his veins. Now Ruth must come face-to-face with his destiny at Grandma's house

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157 Debbie Viguié 0689867166 Lara's cola 3 3.72 2004 Scarlet Moon
author: Debbie Viguié
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2004
rating: 3
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date added: 2012/06/20
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<![CDATA[The Fox Inheritance (Jenna Fox Chronicles, #2)]]> 9774821

Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.

Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.

Everyone except Jenna Fox.

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304 Mary E. Pearson 0805088296 Lara's cola 3 3.58 2011 The Fox Inheritance (Jenna Fox Chronicles, #2)
author: Mary E. Pearson
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/06/20
shelves:
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<![CDATA[The Way We Fall (Fallen World, #1)]]> 8573632 It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

And then you're dead.

When sixteen-year-old Kaelyn lets her best friend leave for school without saying goodbye, she never dreams that she might not see him again. But then a strange virus begins to sweep through her small island community, infecting young and old alike. As the dead pile up, the government quarantines the island: no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for the island’s dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.

Because how will she go on if there isn't?]]>
309 Megan Crewe 1423146166 Lara's cola 3 3.69 2012 The Way We Fall (Fallen World, #1)
author: Megan Crewe
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/06/20
shelves:
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<![CDATA[Tempestuous (Wondrous Strange, #3)]]> 6740756 "I don't love Sonny Flannery."

That's the lie Kelley Winslow is told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn't know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats to a haven for Lost Fae that's hidden deep underneath New York City.

But Kelley's not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she's got to find out who's after his magick and how to use her own. She's got to uncover who's recruiting Janus Guards to murderously hunt innocent Faerie. She's got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she's got to do it all without getting dangerously distracted by the Fenrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he's around Kelley.

The intrigue and romance that began with Wondrous Strange and Darklight come to a stormy head in Tempestuous, the breathtaking conclusion to Lesley Livingston's ravishing urban Faerie trilogy.

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361 Lesley Livingston 0061740063 Lara's cola 3 4.02 2010 Tempestuous (Wondrous Strange, #3)
author: Lesley Livingston
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/06/20
shelves:
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<![CDATA[Tiger's Curse (The Tiger Saga, #1)]]> 9284655
Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.]]>
403 Colleen Houck 1402784031 Lara's cola 3
However, there are a few problems with book, which are pretty annoying. First of all, the female and male main characters are complete Mary Sues. Or Gary Sue, whatever. Point is, they have no personality at all. I mean, the book kept saying how sad and melancholic Ren is. But I don't actually feel it. He just seems like a super hot tiger god to me -_- I can't connect with either of them at all. They are incredibly generic and vague, even with the whole circus/tiger/Indian curse thing going on. It doesn't help that the whole world is singing them praises, e.g. people, males in particular, constantly proclaim how beautiful and delightful Kelsey is. In turn, Kelsey will turn on her oh-really-I-didn't know oblivious charm. I want to see for myself how likeable Kelsey is, and not have it "forced" upon me like I wouldn't know better. Seriously, the comments about Kelsey's god-chosen loveliness/Ren's long-suffering become increasingly tiresome, and you just don't want to bother with them anymore.

Secondly, the conversations seem extremely...engineered. All the characters don't speak like they are actually talking. They sound as if they are reading off a script. Lastly, the book labours over EVERY tiny detail. Like how Kelsey wakes up in the morning, brush her teeth, eat her breakfast, blahblahblah. It would have been better if such details serve some purpose (like moving the story along, for character development, etc.), but the author just obsesses over every trivial thing that happens in Kelsey's life. ]]>
4.07 2011 Tiger's Curse (The Tiger Saga, #1)
author: Colleen Houck
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2012/01/01
date added: 2012/06/20
shelves:
review:
I love that a different kind of "shape-shifter' is featured in the book, and it does tie in with the whole Indian folktales thing.

However, there are a few problems with book, which are pretty annoying. First of all, the female and male main characters are complete Mary Sues. Or Gary Sue, whatever. Point is, they have no personality at all. I mean, the book kept saying how sad and melancholic Ren is. But I don't actually feel it. He just seems like a super hot tiger god to me -_- I can't connect with either of them at all. They are incredibly generic and vague, even with the whole circus/tiger/Indian curse thing going on. It doesn't help that the whole world is singing them praises, e.g. people, males in particular, constantly proclaim how beautiful and delightful Kelsey is. In turn, Kelsey will turn on her oh-really-I-didn't know oblivious charm. I want to see for myself how likeable Kelsey is, and not have it "forced" upon me like I wouldn't know better. Seriously, the comments about Kelsey's god-chosen loveliness/Ren's long-suffering become increasingly tiresome, and you just don't want to bother with them anymore.

Secondly, the conversations seem extremely...engineered. All the characters don't speak like they are actually talking. They sound as if they are reading off a script. Lastly, the book labours over EVERY tiny detail. Like how Kelsey wakes up in the morning, brush her teeth, eat her breakfast, blahblahblah. It would have been better if such details serve some purpose (like moving the story along, for character development, etc.), but the author just obsesses over every trivial thing that happens in Kelsey's life.
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Sea Change 5598960 There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can't make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship. . .and reality.

Is Leo hiding something? Or is he something that she never could have imagined?

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320 Aimee Friedman 0439922283 Lara's cola 4 3.63 2009 Sea Change
author: Aimee Friedman
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/06/18
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Seven Tears Into the Sea 1020102 I'll come to thee....

Shed seven tears,

perchance seven years....

At the age of ten, Gwen Cooke had a strange encounter with a boy with dark, slightly tilted eyes. He came to her on the beach, whispered strange words in her ear, and then disappeared. Shortly thereafter, her family moved away from their seaside home and Gwen never saw the boy again.

Now seventeen, Gwen is returning to her childhood home. Her nana asked her to come. But Gwen knows it's time to go back for another reason: She yearns for the sea. Perhaps the sea itself is calling to her. Perhaps the memory of the boy and his haunting words are drawing her back to the place they met. Perhaps it's time for her to face her destiny.

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279 Terri Farley 0689864426 Lara's cola 5 3.81 2005 Seven Tears Into the Sea
author: Terri Farley
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/06/18
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<![CDATA[The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)]]> 2767052
Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . .

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.]]>
374 Suzanne Collins 0439023483 Lara's cola 5 4.34 2008 The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/06/18
shelves:
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<![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5)]]> 2
Harry has had enough. He is beginning to think he must do something, anything, to change his situation, when the summer holidays come to an end in a very dramatic fashion. What Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down...]]>
912 J.K. Rowling Lara's cola 5 4.50 2003 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/06/18
shelves:
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<![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)]]> 6 734 J.K. Rowling 0439139597 Lara's cola 5 4.56 2000 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/06/18
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<![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)]]> 136251
In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectacular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited.]]>
759 J.K. Rowling Lara's cola 5 4.61 2007 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/06/18
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<![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)]]> 5 435 J.K. Rowling 043965548X Lara's cola 5 4.57 1999 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.57
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/06/18
shelves:
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<![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)]]> 3 309 J.K. Rowling 0439554934 Lara's cola 4 4.47 1997 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1997
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/06/18
shelves:
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<![CDATA[There's Cake in My Future (There's Cake in My Future, #1)]]> 8563495
Melissa (Mel), still ringless after dating the same man for six years, deserves the engagement ring charm. The red hot chili pepper would be perfect for Seema, who is in love with her best male friend Scott, but can't seem to make their relationship more than platonic. And recently laid off journalist Nic wants the shovel, which symbolizes hard work, to help her get her career back on track.

Nic does everything she can to control who gets which silver keepsake � as well as the future it represents. But when the charmed cake is mysteriously shifted from the place settings Nic arranged around it, no one gets the charm she chose for them. And when the other party guests' fortunes begin coming true, Mel, Seema, and Nic can't help but wonder�. Is the cake trying to tell them something?]]>
360 Kim Gruenenfelder 0312614594 Lara's cola 5 3.88 2010 There's Cake in My Future (There's Cake in My Future, #1)
author: Kim Gruenenfelder
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/06/18
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The Anti-Prom 9264058
They’ve spent years at the same high school without speaking a word to one another, but that’s all about to change. Popular Bliss was having the perfect prom until she found her BFF and boyfriend making out in the back of a limo. Bad girl Jolene wouldn’t be caught dead at the prom, yet here she is, trussed up in pink ruffles, risking her reputation for some guy - some guy who is forty minutes late. And shy, studious, über-planner Meg never counted on her date’s standing her up and leaving her idling in the parking lot outside the prom. Get ready for The Anti-Prom, Abby McDonald’s hilarious, heart-tugging tale about three girls and one unforgettable prom night.]]>
288 Abby McDonald 0763649562 Lara's cola 4 3.63 2011 The Anti-Prom
author: Abby McDonald
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/06/18
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots]]> 6705824
Jenna may hail from the ’burbs of New Jersey, but Green Teen activism is her life. So when her mom suggests they spend the summer at Grandma’s Florida condo, Jenna pleads instead to visit her hippie godmother, Susie, up in rural Canada. Jenna is psyched at the chance to commune with this nature she’s heard about � and the cute, plaidwearing boys she’s certain must roam there. But after a few run-ins with local wildlife (from a larger-than-life moose to Susie’s sullen Goth stepdaughter to a hot but hostile boy named Reeve), Jenna gets the idea that her long-held ideals, like vegetarianism and conservation, don’t play so well with this population of real outdoorsmen. A dusty survival guide offers Jenna amusing tips on navigating the wilderness � but can she learn to navigate the turns of her heart?]]>
304 Abby McDonald 0763643823 Lara's cola 4 3.73 2010 Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots
author: Abby McDonald
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2010
rating: 4
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date added: 2012/06/18
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<![CDATA[Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress]]> 311109 240 Tina Ferraro 0385733682 Lara's cola 5 3.78 2007 Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress
author: Tina Ferraro
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2007
rating: 5
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<![CDATA[The Near Witch (The Near Witch, #1)]]> 6931344 The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger-a boy who seems to fade like smoke-appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi's need to know-about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab's debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won't soon forget.]]>
284 Victoria E. Schwab 1423137876 Lara's cola 3 3.65 2011 The Near Witch (The Near Witch, #1)
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2011
rating: 3
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date added: 2012/06/18
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<![CDATA[A Long, Long Sleep (UniCorp, #1)]]> 10271616
Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten sub-basement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now her parents and her first love are long dead, and Rose -- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire -- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat.

Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existance, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes -- or be left without any future at all.]]>
342 Anna Sheehan 0763652601 Lara's cola 3 3.83 2011 A Long, Long Sleep (UniCorp, #1)
author: Anna Sheehan
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2011
rating: 3
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date added: 2012/06/18
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The Tear Collector 6411554 263 Patrick Jones 080278710X Lara's cola 3 3.21 2009 The Tear Collector
author: Patrick Jones
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.21
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/06/18
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<![CDATA[The Lonely Hearts Club (The Lonely Hearts Club, #1)]]> 6609714
Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows: no more. It's a personal choice. . .and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways . . . which is too bad, because there's this certain boy she can't help but like. . . .]]>
290 Elizabeth Eulberg 0545140315 Lara's cola 3 3.81 2010 The Lonely Hearts Club (The Lonely Hearts Club, #1)
author: Elizabeth Eulberg
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2010
rating: 3
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date added: 2012/06/18
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Fire (Graceling Realm, #2) 6137154
This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair the color of flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she had the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many of her own.

Then Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City, The royal family needs her help to uncover the plot against the king. Far away from home, Fire begins to realize there's more to her power than she ever dreamed. Her power could save the kingdom.

If only she weren't afraid of becoming the monster her father was.]]>
480 Kristin Cashore 0803734611 Lara's cola 2 4.10 2009 Fire (Graceling Realm, #2)
author: Kristin Cashore
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2009
rating: 2
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Never Enough 12974770 Losing Faith, a novel about two sisters and the eating disorder that threatens to destroy their family.

Loann’s always wanted to be popular and pretty like her sister, Claire. So when Claire’s ex-boyfriend starts flirting with her, Loann is willing to do whatever it takes to feel special� even if that means betraying her sister.

But as Loann slips inside Claire’s world, she discovers that everything is not as it seems. Claire’s quest for perfection is all-consuming, and comes at a dangerous price. As Claire increasingly withdraws from friends and family, Loann struggles to understand her and make amends. Can she heal their relationship —and her sister—before it’s too late?]]>
400 Denise Jaden 1442429070 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.85 2012 Never Enough
author: Denise Jaden
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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shelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[Dark Heart Forever (Dark Heart, #1)]]> 8478549 372 Lee Monroe 1444901893 Lara's cola 3 3.60 2010 Dark Heart Forever (Dark Heart, #1)
author: Lee Monroe
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2010
rating: 3
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date added: 2012/06/15
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<![CDATA[Seeking Crystal (Benedicts, #3)]]> 13181901
Crystal Brook has always been the dud Savant in her family; paranormal powers just aren't her thing. Dropping out of school with a clutch of 'E' grades and no future, she lives in the shadow of her high-flying sister Diamond. On a trip to Denver, a chance encounter with the dashing Benedict brothers leaves Diamond head over heels in love and engaged to be married. Crystal, on the other hand, is unimpressed by their charms . . . in fact no boy can annoy her as much as Xav Benedict! Back in Venice, their families assemble for Diamond's wedding and a powerful enemy seizes the opportunity to attack. Crystal and Xav must join forces to save their loved-ones, unlocking a secret that, until now, has lain deeply buried . . .]]>
258 Joss Stirling Lara's cola 0 to-read 4.27 2012 Seeking Crystal (Benedicts, #3)
author: Joss Stirling
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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Scandalous (Scandalous, #1) 13602986 NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY BESTSELLER

"I see it, Jack. Your muse is back. The thing that gave you passion, tormented you, and haunted you is back. You're reeling in ecstasy and dread. It's something you want, but can't ever have. And the one that brings the pain is pure, white as snow... and standing in front of you."

One kiss could have changed Abby's life, but when it didn't happen, she ran. Jack was everything to her and when he didn't respond, Abby couldn't bear it. Everything about that night--leaning in close to his face, feeling the night breeze teasing her hair, the way his scent filled her head--was burned vividly into her mind, including the moment when Jack pulled away. There was no kiss. Abby was wrong. She was wrong about him, wrong about them.

Maybe she didn't have to go to college two thousand miles away, but she did. She had to forget about him. Abby threw herself off the grid, disappearing completely from the life she knew. After completing her undergraduate degree, she enrolled in seminary. All contact with her old life was severed and she never looked back, until she was forced to.

When Abby puts idealism into practice, her congregation throws her out. If she can survive a year on her own, they'll take her back, and continue to pay off her student loans--but if she fails, Abby is on her own with enough debt to fund a small town. Seminary wasn't cheap. With no place left to go, Abby returns to New York and her best friend takes her in.

Desperate to make it on her own and prove she was right, Abby follows a job lead to an art studio on Long Island. It isn't until she hears Jack's voice that she freezes. The hairs on the back of her neck prickle as she turns to see Jack, ten years later, looking even more tempting than before.

Fate is cruel. Abby left this life behind, but she's thrown back into it, head first. It's like someone hit rewind on her life and its ten years earlier. She's the cotton-mouthed girl that she always was around Jack, and now her future relies on the man who rejected her.

SCANDALOUS 2 WILL BE RELEASED SPRING 2013]]>
324 Ella Steele 0615631274 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.85 2012 Scandalous (Scandalous, #1)
author: Ella Steele
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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Hunted (House of Night, #5) 4134071 336 P.C. Cast 031237982X Lara's cola 2 3.93 2009 Hunted (House of Night, #5)
author: P.C. Cast
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2009
rating: 2
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date added: 2012/06/15
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Crash (Visions, #1) 13146312 If what you see is what you get, Jules is in serious trouble.

Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode... and nine body bags in the snow.

The vision is everywhere—on billboards, television screens, windows—and she’s the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more she sees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.]]>
233 Lisa McMann 1442403918 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.78 2013 Crash (Visions, #1)
author: Lisa McMann
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[The Reckoning (Darkest Powers, #3)]]> 6468666
As if that's not enough, Chloe is struggling with her feelings for Simon, a sweet-tempered sorcerer, and his brother Derek, a not so sweet-tempered werewolf. And she has a horrible feeling she's leaning towards the werewolf...

Definitely not normal.]]>
391 Kelley Armstrong 1841497126 Lara's cola 3 4.18 2010 The Reckoning (Darkest Powers, #3)
author: Kelley Armstrong
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2010
rating: 3
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date added: 2012/06/15
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Snow 7251633 224 Tracy Lynn 1442408375 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.47 2003 Snow
author: Tracy Lynn
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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Swear (Swoon, #2) 8581147 A promise broken. A bond betrayed.

It’s been six months since ghost-turned golem Sinclair Youngblood Powers confessed his love, stole Dice's heart, and disappeared from Swoon, perhaps from existence. Despite the hurt, Dice has been moving steadily toward ordinary. Dreams of Sin still plague and pleasure her sleep, and the mark of Sin's love remains on her skin, still sore. But Dice has been throwing herself into music, finding solace in song and sometimes even in the arms of her band mate, Tosh. Life seems almost…normal. The last thing Dice wants is to mess with anything remotely supernatural. But when her best friend’s boyfriend goes missing, Dice has no choice but to become very much involved. She knows that his disappearance was no accident, and it somehow has everything to do with Sin. Because Dice can feel it: Sin is back. And the promises and deceptions he left in his wake have returned to haunt him.

What do you do when an oath of devotion threatens to destroy the one you love?

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480 Nina Malkin 1442426551 Lara's cola 2 3.68 2011 Swear (Swoon, #2)
author: Nina Malkin
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2011
rating: 2
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date added: 2012/06/15
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<![CDATA[The Selection (The Selection, #1)]]> 10507293
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.]]>
336 Kiera Cass 0062059939 Lara's cola 0 to-read 4.07 2012 The Selection (The Selection, #1)
author: Kiera Cass
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Princess of the Midnight Ball (The Princesses of Westfalin Trilogy, #1)]]> 3697927 A tale of twelve princesses doomed to dance until dawn�

Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above.

Captivating from start to finish, Jessica Day George’s take on the Grimms� tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses demonstrates yet again her mastery at spinning something entirely fresh out of a story you thought you knew.]]>
280 Jessica Day George 1599903229 Lara's cola 5 3.95 2009 Princess of the Midnight Ball (The Princesses of Westfalin Trilogy, #1)
author: Jessica Day George
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2009
rating: 5
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date added: 2012/06/15
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Incarnate (Newsoul, #1) 8573642
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.]]>
374 Jodi Meadows 0062060759 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.74 2012 Incarnate (Newsoul, #1)
author: Jodi Meadows
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2012/06/15
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Echo 14566
Simple text ands story lines do not appeal to Block, who weaves a tale with amazing grace and the flowing energy of a true genius. Images of vampires, ghosts, and fairies fill these pages, daring the reader to believe.]]>
215 Francesca Lia Block 0064407446 Lara's cola 2 3.89 2001 Echo
author: Francesca Lia Block
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2001
rating: 2
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Destiny (Immortal, #4) 12924419 Ìý
Malevolent forces haunt Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies, the girls� elite boarding school on the English moors. Dr. Franzen, an evil man from Helen’s past, has taken over as headmaster. And while Helen longs to believe her mother, the priestess of a coven of dark witches, has reformed, she fears her mother cannot be trusted. At least Helen can cling to the prediction that a love "beyond the confines of this world" is waiting for her. Could this be Lynton, the mysterious music student who visits Wyldcliffe for his lessons?]]>
384 Gillian Shields 0062000411 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.89 2012 Destiny (Immortal, #4)
author: Gillian Shields
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2012/06/15
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The Glimpse (The Glimpse, #1) 12367267
Jasper is from a rich and influential family and despite Ana’s condition, wants to be with her. The authorities grant Ana a tentative reprieve. If she is joined to Jasper before her 18th birthday, she may stay in the Community until her illness manifests. But if Jasper changes his mind, she will be cast out among the Crazies. As Ana’s joining ceremony and her birthday loom closer, she dares to hope she will be saved from the horror of the City and live a ‘normal� life. But then Jasper disappears.

Led to believe Jasper has been taken by a strange sect the authorities will not interfere with, Ana sneaks out of her well-guarded Community to find him herself. Her search takes her through the underbelly of society, and as she delves deeper into the mystery of Jasper’s abduction she uncovers some devastating truths that destroy everything she has grown up to believe.]]>
411 Claire Merle 0571280536 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.52 2012 The Glimpse (The Glimpse, #1)
author: Claire Merle
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2012/06/15
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The Dark Realm (Feyland, #1) 13597203
When a game�

Feyland is the most immersive computer game ever designed, and Jennet Carter is the first to play the prototype. But she doesn’t suspect the virtual world is close enough to touch � or that she’ll be battling for her life against the Dark Queen of the faeries.

Turns real�

Tam Linn is the perfect hero � in-game. Too bad the rest of his life is seriously flawed. The last thing he needs is rich-girl Jennet prying into his secrets, insisting he’s the only one who can help her.

Winning is everything�

Together, Jennet and Tam enter the Dark Realm of Feyland, only to discover that the entire human world is in danger. Pushed to the limit of their abilities, they must defeat the Dark Queen� before it’s too late.]]>
320 Anthea Sharp 1466408715 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.73 2011 The Dark Realm (Feyland, #1)
author: Anthea Sharp
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2012/06/15
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<![CDATA[Shadow Light (Beautiful Beings, #3)]]> 13060780 236 Kailin Gow 1597480320 Lara's cola 0 to-read 4.10 2012 Shadow Light (Beautiful Beings, #3)
author: Kailin Gow
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2012/06/15
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Endlessly (Paranormalcy, #3) 9064899 Paranormalcy trilogy comes to a breathless conclusion with a signature mix of wit, romance, paranormal creatures, and a truly original heroine.

In Endlessly, pink-loving, butt-kicking Evie has way too much on her to-do list. Paranormals are begging her to open a faerie gate so they can leave the human world, something Evie’s not sure she has the power to do. The Dark Queen is torturing humans and must be destroyed.

On top of all that, Evie’s prom is coming up. She’s not sure what to wear, and, oh, yeah, her shape-shifting boyfriend, Lend, has been cursed so that he falls into an enchanted sleep whenever he and Evie are in the same room…and even Evie’s ex-boyfriend, the faerie Reth, can’t reverse the dark magic.

An epic battle is looming, and the choices Evie makes will determine the fate of whole paranormal world—and her own life.]]>
385 Kiersten White 0061985880 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.97 2012 Endlessly (Paranormalcy, #3)
author: Kiersten White
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2012/06/15
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<![CDATA[Dragon Aster Trilogy (Dragon Aster Trilogy, #1-3)]]> 13517255
Until now.

A dragon’s faith in a Prophecy that a Fay would return to restore the balance of life and death leads Cirrus to Sybl. They will be pitted against a demon’s vengeful pull towards a war against Earth. A war held at bay by a hope for peace that was nearly extinguished three hundred years ago.

The Threads of Fate will unfurl to their shattering point, and be held together by the wings of limitless love as the Dragon Aster Trilogy comes together, unabridged and complete with a glossary and map.]]>
450 S.J. Wist 0987719785 Lara's cola 0 to-read 4.25 2012 Dragon Aster Trilogy (Dragon Aster Trilogy, #1-3)
author: S.J. Wist
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2012/06/15
shelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[The Treachery of Beautiful Things]]> 11737311
The trees swallowed her brother whole, and Jenny was there to see it. Now seventeen, she revisits the woods where Tom was taken, resolving to say good-bye at last. Instead, she's lured into the trees, where she finds strange and dangerous creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with secrets of his own. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where stunning beauty masks some of the most treacherous evils, and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice--and not just her own.]]>
366 Ruth Frances Long 0803735804 Lara's cola 0 to-read 3.81 2012 The Treachery of Beautiful Things
author: Ruth Frances Long
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2012/06/15
shelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)]]> 11235712
She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.]]>
390 Marissa Meyer 0312641893 Lara's cola 3
At the start of the story, I was fairly engaged with the lead character, Cinder. I admit that I had this pre-conceived idea of her being a kickass heroine who doesn't take crap from anybody. I think it stems from my stereotype of tough love lady mechanics. However, this girl is a departure from the "norm". Despite showing some fighting spirit, she is mostly shy and self-conscious. Which is fine by me, because readers can relate to her as a real-life character. It also works well with her character, who is supposedly a modern day Cinderella (hence the unfortunate name, Cinder) who suffers abuse from her stepfamily, and has no other friends except her loyal Android and plucky stepsister.

However, despite the promising start, the story quickly dissolves into a contrived story of how an unknowing, misunderstood girl find herself in the middle of a decades-old plot to take over humanity. It may have worked, if not for the fact that our heroine is simply too naive and oblivious to see anything coming. While readers would have already figured out the entire plot halfway through, Cinder mopes around and basically does nothing but wait for disaster to unfold. Moreover, the author hinges a lot on forceful setups to advance the storyline. For instance, when Cinder is coming close to finding out parts of the truth, something unexpected (but not really unexpected, since we all know it is coming -rolls eyes-) happens and Cinder is thrown off-course again. And of course, the unexpected event serves no other purpose, except to act as a page filler and provide a convenient way to wreck some havoc in the poor girl's already miserable life.

As I read on, I realize I could no longer put up with the characters and slow pace. I know the story probably gets better towards the end, because more often that not, trilogies/books in series work that way. They are not meant to be particularly exciting in the first book. Sometimes, the first one in the series merely serve as a 400 page glimpse of what is to come. However, in Cinder, the characters were so dreadful, I had to put the book down. None of the characters had any development whatsoever, and Cinder was hopelessly clueless till the end. The antagonist wasn't particularly memorable, but it was that way for almost everyone else in the book. The android was likable, but fell flat as well. The prince has no personality. But maybe it is the author's intention to be that way, since royals in general don't have much personality to speak of. Who knows? The author may well decide to kill him off in subsequent books, and introduce other guys, as with previous series (e.g. Prophecy of the Sisters) in which the original lover boy proved too mundane. Of course, it also doesn't help that there are literally no action in the book, despite endless prognostications of impending doom and whatever that didn't transpire in this book.

I'll say that the series still hold some promise of a good story. The author made a convincing case of Cinder being a competent, if not brilliant mechanic. She also, thankfully, let some side character enlighten Cinder on what-the-hell-is-going-on in the last few pages of book, so readers don't have to go through the agony of seeing her so clueless again later in the series (but you'll find it painfully anticlimatic, because after all the trouble that Cinder went through, the huge revelation comes in the form of a conversation. No epiphany on Cinder's part). However, I can firmly say that I'm done with the first book, and will not revisit it again. The pace was horridly slow, and I couldn't help but disengage.

On a side note, I realize a lot of names in the book are somewhat Japanese, even though the setting is a Chinese city. I wonder if the author meant for it to be this way (I suppose a post-apocalypse world could mean an intermixing of cultures), or she thought all Asian names are like that. But either way, it is still nice a nice change from the usual settings of Western societies.]]>
4.14 2012 Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2012/01/01
date added: 2012/06/15
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I was actually very intrigued by the story at first. The premise seems to be interesting enough -- there's this girl who is really a cyborg, and she works magic as a mechanic. She lives in New Beijing, one of the few "countries" left after cataclysmic events like World War IV obliterated most of the world. Current economic powerhouses like India and Singapore have since been reduced to mere provinces, and I wonder if readers from these nations would feel indignant and disagree with the setup. But I digress.

At the start of the story, I was fairly engaged with the lead character, Cinder. I admit that I had this pre-conceived idea of her being a kickass heroine who doesn't take crap from anybody. I think it stems from my stereotype of tough love lady mechanics. However, this girl is a departure from the "norm". Despite showing some fighting spirit, she is mostly shy and self-conscious. Which is fine by me, because readers can relate to her as a real-life character. It also works well with her character, who is supposedly a modern day Cinderella (hence the unfortunate name, Cinder) who suffers abuse from her stepfamily, and has no other friends except her loyal Android and plucky stepsister.

However, despite the promising start, the story quickly dissolves into a contrived story of how an unknowing, misunderstood girl find herself in the middle of a decades-old plot to take over humanity. It may have worked, if not for the fact that our heroine is simply too naive and oblivious to see anything coming. While readers would have already figured out the entire plot halfway through, Cinder mopes around and basically does nothing but wait for disaster to unfold. Moreover, the author hinges a lot on forceful setups to advance the storyline. For instance, when Cinder is coming close to finding out parts of the truth, something unexpected (but not really unexpected, since we all know it is coming -rolls eyes-) happens and Cinder is thrown off-course again. And of course, the unexpected event serves no other purpose, except to act as a page filler and provide a convenient way to wreck some havoc in the poor girl's already miserable life.

As I read on, I realize I could no longer put up with the characters and slow pace. I know the story probably gets better towards the end, because more often that not, trilogies/books in series work that way. They are not meant to be particularly exciting in the first book. Sometimes, the first one in the series merely serve as a 400 page glimpse of what is to come. However, in Cinder, the characters were so dreadful, I had to put the book down. None of the characters had any development whatsoever, and Cinder was hopelessly clueless till the end. The antagonist wasn't particularly memorable, but it was that way for almost everyone else in the book. The android was likable, but fell flat as well. The prince has no personality. But maybe it is the author's intention to be that way, since royals in general don't have much personality to speak of. Who knows? The author may well decide to kill him off in subsequent books, and introduce other guys, as with previous series (e.g. Prophecy of the Sisters) in which the original lover boy proved too mundane. Of course, it also doesn't help that there are literally no action in the book, despite endless prognostications of impending doom and whatever that didn't transpire in this book.

I'll say that the series still hold some promise of a good story. The author made a convincing case of Cinder being a competent, if not brilliant mechanic. She also, thankfully, let some side character enlighten Cinder on what-the-hell-is-going-on in the last few pages of book, so readers don't have to go through the agony of seeing her so clueless again later in the series (but you'll find it painfully anticlimatic, because after all the trouble that Cinder went through, the huge revelation comes in the form of a conversation. No epiphany on Cinder's part). However, I can firmly say that I'm done with the first book, and will not revisit it again. The pace was horridly slow, and I couldn't help but disengage.

On a side note, I realize a lot of names in the book are somewhat Japanese, even though the setting is a Chinese city. I wonder if the author meant for it to be this way (I suppose a post-apocalypse world could mean an intermixing of cultures), or she thought all Asian names are like that. But either way, it is still nice a nice change from the usual settings of Western societies.
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The Karma Club 6584019

Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. Do good things and you'll be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what you deserve.

But when Maddy’s boyfriendÌý cheats on her, nothing bad comes his way. That’s why MaddyÌý starts the Karma Club, Ìýto clean up the messes that the universe has left behind. Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe.

It turns out Karma often has plans of its own.

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258 Jessica Brody 0374339791 Lara's cola 5 3.71 2010 The Karma Club
author: Jessica Brody
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2010
rating: 5
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<![CDATA[True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet]]> 332800 272 Lara Deloza 1595141537 Lara's cola 4 3.78 2005 True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet
author: Lara Deloza
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2005
rating: 4
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Amazing Grace 448114 Teen People photo shoot, ducks the press, and calls her mom from the boiler room of the fabled USTA National Tennis Center. And right there, in her custom-made Nike warm-ups, tears streaming down her face, Grace says the three magic words that her mom told her she could say anytime, anytime this whole crazy life wasn't fun anymore. Three simple words—and her new life begins. For the hottest girl on the planet, life's about to change. Grace gets a make-under, a new identity, and a new life in a rugged little town on the edge of nowhere, population 813 (including one cute boy: one very cute boy). Megan Shull's Amazing Grace will grab you from the first paragraph (go ahead, read it!) and keep you reading till its satisfying, transporting—shhhh—happy ending. A sparkling new voice in teen fiction.]]> 256 Megan Shull 0786856912 Lara's cola 5 3.90 2005 Amazing Grace
author: Megan Shull
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2005
rating: 5
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Crescendo (Hush, Hush, #2) 7791997
Nora would have hardly noticed Scott Parnell, an old family friend who has moved back to town, if Patch hadn't been acting so distant. Even with Scott's totally infuriating attitude, Nora finds herself drawn to him - despite her lingering feelings that he is hiding something.

If that weren't enough, Nora is haunted by images of her murdered father, and comes to question whether her Nephilim bloodline has anything to do with his death. Desperate to figure out what happened, she puts herself in increasingly dangerous situations to get the answer. But maybe some things are better left buried, because the truth could destroy everything - and everyone - she trusts.]]>
427 Becca Fitzpatrick 1416989439 Lara's cola 3 3.99 2010 Crescendo (Hush, Hush, #2)
author: Becca Fitzpatrick
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2010
rating: 3
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Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush, #1) 6339664 A SACRED OATH
A FALLEN ANGEL
A FORBIDDEN LOVE

Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.]]>
391 Becca Fitzpatrick 1416989412 Lara's cola 3 3.93 2009 Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush, #1)
author: Becca Fitzpatrick
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2009
rating: 3
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date added: 2012/06/14
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<![CDATA[The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1)]]> 13449693
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them � not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He has it all � family money, good looks, devoted friends � but he's looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we've never been before.]]>
408 Maggie Stiefvater 0545424933 Lara's cola 0 to-read 4.06 2012 The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1)
author: Maggie Stiefvater
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover (Gallagher Girls, #3)]]> 5267365
As her junior year begins, Cammie can't shake the memory of what happened in Boston, and even the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women doesn't feel like the safe haven it once did. Shocking secrets and old flames seem to lurk around every one of the mansion's corners as Cammie and her friends struggle to answer the questions, Who is after Macey? And how can the Gallagher Girls keep her safe?

Soon Cammie is joining Bex and Liz as Macey's private security team on the campaign trail. The girls must use their spy training at every turn as the stakes are raised, and Cammie gets closer and closer to the shocking truth. . . .]]>
263 Ally Carter 1423116380 Lara's cola 3 4.21 2009 Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover (Gallagher Girls, #3)
author: Ally Carter
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2009
rating: 3
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<![CDATA[I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls, #1)]]> 852470
Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's on her most dangerous mission—falling in love.]]>
284 Ally Carter 1423100034 Lara's cola 3 3.84 2006 I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls, #1)
author: Ally Carter
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2006
rating: 3
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<![CDATA[Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls, #2)]]> 568645 I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. At first, giddy anticipation is in the air. Gallagher Academy, Cammie's elite spy school, is hosting a visit from a covert training center for boys. Soon after the boys' arrival, though, everything goes dangerously awry when a series of security breaches are discovered at the academy. Worse yet, teenage agent-in-training Cammie is being blamed for the penetration. With the school's top-secret status at risk, the Gallagher Girls have to work quickly to save their beloved school.]]> 236 Ally Carter 1423100050 Lara's cola 3 4.14 2007 Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls, #2)
author: Ally Carter
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2007
rating: 3
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<![CDATA[Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1)]]> 9565548 Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?]]>
549 Robin LaFevers 054762834X Lara's cola 5 3.89 2012 Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1)
author: Robin LaFevers
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2012
rating: 5
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<![CDATA[Simply Irresistible (Chinooks Hockey Team, #1)]]> 60220
Seven years later, Georgeanne and John meet again. She is on her way to becoming Seattle's domestic darling and he is past his hellraising days. Shocked to learn that he has a daughter, John's determined to be part of her life. Georgeanne has loved John since the moment she jumped into his car, but will he risk the wrath of his boss, and one final chance at glory, to prove that this time his love will be everlasting?]]>
375 Rachel Gibson 0380790076 Lara's cola 3 3.85 1998 Simply Irresistible (Chinooks Hockey Team, #1)
author: Rachel Gibson
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1998
rating: 3
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<![CDATA[See Jane Score (Chinooks Hockey Team #2)]]> 60223 This is Jane

A little subdued. A little stubborn. A little tired of going out on blind dates with men who drive vans with sofas in the back, Jane Alcott is living the Single Girl existence in the big city. She is also leading a double life. By day, she's a reporter covering the raucous Seattle Chinooks hockey team—especially their notorious goalie Luc Martineau. By night, she's a writer, secretly creating the scandalous adventures of "Honey Pie"...the magazine series that has all the men talking.

See Jane spar

Luc has made his feelings about parasite reporters—and Jane—perfectly clear. But if he thinks he's going to make her life a misery, he'd better think again.

See Jane attract

For as long as he can remember, Luc has been single minded about his career. The last thing he needs is a smart mouthed, pain in the backside, reporter digging into his past and getting in his way. But once the little reporter shed her black and gray clothes in favor of a sexy red dress, Luc sees that there is more to Jane than originally meets the eye.

Maybe it's time to take a risk. Maybe it's time to live out fantasies. Maybe it's time to....

See Jane score! ]]>
363 Rachel Gibson 0060009241 Lara's cola 3 4.02 2003 See Jane Score (Chinooks Hockey Team #2)
author: Rachel Gibson
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2003
rating: 3
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Just Listen 51738
This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong.

Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.]]>
371 Sarah Dessen 0670061050 Lara's cola 4 4.06 2006 Just Listen
author: Sarah Dessen
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2006
rating: 4
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<![CDATA[Revenge of the Cheerleaders (Pullman High #3)]]> 613934
That's when Rick and his band debut their new album, complete with a whole set of songs bashing cheerleaders. Chelsea's humiliation has reached a whole new level now that everyone is walking down the halls singing the words to "Dangerously Blonde."

It's time to make Rick pay. All he wants is to win the High School Idol audition, so he can be on his way to rock star fame and fortune. But with the help of her best friends, Aubrie and Samantha, Chelsea is going to steal his victory right out from under him.

The characters from All's Fair in Love, War and High School are back, only this time it's payback.]]>
256 Janette Rallison 0802789994 Lara's cola 4 3.83 2007 Revenge of the Cheerleaders (Pullman High #3)
author: Janette Rallison
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2007
rating: 4
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date added: 2012/06/14
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<![CDATA[How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend]]> 613932 In her trademark style, Janette Rallison delivers a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy that only leaves readers wanting more.

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265 Janette Rallison 0399246177 Lara's cola 4 3.76 2007 How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend
author: Janette Rallison
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2007
rating: 4
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date added: 2012/06/14
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<![CDATA[My Fair Godmother (My Fair Godmother, #1)]]> 4346365 Finding your one true love can be a Grimm experience!

After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy.]]>
320 Janette Rallison 0802797806 Lara's cola 5 3.93 2009 My Fair Godmother (My Fair Godmother, #1)
author: Janette Rallison
name: Lara's cola
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2009
rating: 5
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date added: 2012/06/14
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