Masterpiece Monday (Week 3)

~Masterpiece Monday~

This week's Masterpiece Monday is from Chapter 2 (Loooooong Night). I hope you laugh at our ramblings of Twilight as much as we did.   

Enjoy the soundtrack which includes...The xx - Infinity and The Intro (true wishlist tunes for the Breaking Dawn soundtrack); The Black Keys - Your Touch; Michael Jackson - Beat It; Kilo Ali - Baby,Baby (very throwback). 

*I am sorry about the sound quality...this is a work in progress*

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Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

Good Reads Description
What's a girl to do when meeting The One means she's cursed to die a horrible death?
Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.
But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.


Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Expected Publication Date - June 28th, 2011


Favorite Quotes:
"I longed to know what it felt like to have one person eclipse everything bad in your life - be a place of pure joy."


"High School girls are demons, seriously."


Thoughts, Rants, and Raves


I was fortunate enough to be provided with an ARC of this book from Harlequin Teen through NetGalley.

From the very first page, I knew the author had a good understanding of teenagers. It hasn't been that long that I don't remember what it was like to be a teenager. If you remember it at all, you will know that Schultz gets them.  She utilizes common teenage "slang", describes their dramatic reactions with flare, and provides a proper high school hierarchy since every school has one.

 I thoroughly enjoyed Schultz' character descriptions. She seemed to represent at least one member from each "social class" in high school. Emma is sometimes a dark and angsty girl from a nowhere town in Pennsylvania. She just wants to be anonymous in her new school. One thing I liked about her character, even though Emma has been through a lot more than any normal teenager, she isn't portrayed as trying to be an adult. She acts her age, is self-conscious, and boy crazy (well, one-boy crazy). We are introduced to Ashley, Emma's cousin; she is young and a bit naive. She aspires to be popular, but has a pure heart. Anthony represents the typical arrogant jock in high school. It isn't until later that we learn how dark twisted, and evil that he is.  Cisco is a great ally for Emma. He is candid, humorous, and witty. Angelique is what most teens in school would refer to as a "freak". She has black hair with blond roots and fuscia tips. She is the exact opposite of everyone else in this upper east side prep school. She proves to be a very loyal friend to Emma. We cannot forget Brendan. He is Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. Oh, and also mysterious. 

The first half of the book is like a slow burn. We get introduced to many characters, drama starts to unfold, but you just know something more is coming.  All of the early interactions between Brendan and Emma are very intriguing. You can feel that they are instantly drawn to one another, but Brendan often plays hot and cold with Emma.  After you hit the half way mark, the book really picks up pace and is packed with suspense.

Overall, this is a beautiful forbidden love story packed with suspense with a dash of witchcraft.  Think Gossip Girl with a supernatural twist.

** A bonus ** The very end of the book includes Brendan and Emma's iPod play lists.  As a music lover, I appreciated this extra touch.

Masterpiece Monday (Week 2)

It's that time again. 

Get ready for a chuckle or two with this week's Masterpiece Monday! Sassy reads from Breaking Dawn, Chapter 1 (Engaged). 

The last fitting...don't you worry Bella, we KNEW what you were thinking when you said "Happy Place".

*21 Weeks to go*

Divergent By Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Category: MUST READ


Good Reads Book Description:


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.


One of My Favority Quotes:


"I might be in love with you." He smiles a little. "I'm waiting until I'm sure to tell you, though."
"That's sensible of you," I say, smiling too. "We should find some paper so you can make a list or a chart of something."
I feel his laughter against my side, his nose sliding along my jaw, his lips pressing behind my ear.
"Maybe I'm already sure," he says, "and I just don't want to frighten you."
I laugh a little. "Then you should know better."
"Fine", he says, "Then I love you."



On to the Review:

This book owned my life for 24 hours.  I started reading Friday night at 9:38 pm and finished the book Saturday at 11:38 pm. I didn’t even realize that I was on the last page until I couldn’t turn the page anymore. 

 I get tired of using the words great, fantastic, and amazing, but this book was all of those words and more.  I haven’t pinpointed the exact reason that I love this book, but it has a great mix of suspense, action, and romance.  I was hooked from the first page.  I honestly enjoyed the entire book. I never once felt like a part of the book was dragging or wasn’t interesting

I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. Normally, it takes me just a bit to get used to the style when starting a new book. This was not the case with Divergent.  I fell right in step with Veronica Roth from the first page. She did a wonderful job at creating an image in your mind without overloading you with excessive details.   I knew that if something was described or even mentioned in Divergent, that I needed to remember it because it was coming back up soon.

Something I found interesting was the character descriptions between Four and Tris.  I feel like I got a pretty clear picture in my mind of Four. (See below). However, I never could picture Tris. No matter what, I couldn't conjure up an image of her in my mind. This wasn't due to my lack of imagination or any fault of Veronica Roth's. My theory is that is that way it was supossed to be.  Tris comes from an abnegation background (selfless) so she has been trained to never focus on herself. Since the book is from her point of view, we never get the details that you normally would from a character.  For instance, the character in another book might describe their hair, face, and clothes before leaving for work or when they look in the mirror. We never got that with Tris other than her stating she had plain blonde hair. Just a random thought I had...I actually thought it was quite clever of the author in keeping true to Tris' character.

This is who I had in mind for Four (Tobias). Thoughts?

This was a unique YA love story.  There was not an overwhelming passionate love affair between Tris and Four.  The love story develops along with the plot. We never lost focus of the main story line. The love story stayed true to their characters as well. Four is a quiet, reserved, but fiery instructor. Four didn’t become all clingy and girly when he realized he was attracted to her. He never once babied her because she was small, weak, or female. He pushes her to be stronger, mentally and physically.

"You think my first instinct is to protect you. Because you're small, or a girl, or a Stiff. But you're wrong."
He leans his face close to mine and wraps his fingers around my chin. His hand smells like metal. When was the last time he held a gun, or a knife? My skin tingles at the point of contact, like he's transmitting electricity through his skin.
"My first instinct is to push you until you break, just to see how hard I have to press." he says, his fingers squeezing at the word break. My body tenses at the edge in his voice, so I am coiled as tight as a spring, and I forget to breathe.
HIs dark eyes lifting to mine, he adds, "But I resist it."
"Why..." I swallow hard. "Why is that your first instinct?"
"Fear doesn't shut you down; it wakes you up. I've seen it. It's fascinating." He releases me but doesn't pull away, his hand grazing my jaw, my neck. "Sometimes I just want to see it again. Want to see you awake."

I was hesitant when beginning the book because of the hype surrounding this book.  I didn’t want to be let down. I just recently read The Hunger Games which many people compared this book to. The comparison begins and ends with the dystopian setting.  That is all.  I LOVED The Hunger Games. It was so creative and at times just insane (the books caused stress in my life while reading, lol)  However, Veronica Roth does a great job at creating a series set in dystopian Chicago where every citizen at 16 chooses a faction (what I compare to a district). The purpose is to devote your life to a positive quality: honesty, intelligence, selflessness, bravery, and peacefulness. Well, things don’t always work out the way they are planned. Ultimately, some people are just downright evil. Shit hits the fan from here…

I could say so much more about this book, but I won't. Just go read it! I definitely recommend this book after reading Twilight, The Hunger Games, or any book for that matter.  This is an amazing debut novel from Veronia Roth.  I can’t wait for the next book in the series to be released.

Exciting Note - I just heard that Summit Entertainment obtained the rights to Divergent and they have hired a screenwriter to adapt this novel to a movie! Woo Hoo! Can't wait!!!

Another Exciting Note - Just like 30 seconds I saw the 2nd installment in this series is entitled Insurgent!

Masterpiece Monday (Week 1)

Hi All! We are doing something different for our Monday posts for the next few months. We are starting our Masterpiece Mondays this week.

We will be reading and discussing an except from each chapter each week leading up to the release of Breaking Dawn, November 18th, 2011. This is just for laughs. Hope you enjoy...

A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches 

by: Deborah Harkness

Good Reads Book Description

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell. 

First things first, Ian Somerhalder reminds us of Matthew, dark and brooding.  Dangerous and alluring. (*I know, I know, he's already Damon - but hey - this is who I pictured, what can I say, he's a perfect vamp.*)

Couldn't you imagine a make-out session next to the apple tree with THIS!

In case anyone wondered what was underneath that.

We read this book kind-of at the same time so we could discuss; therefore, this post will be both of our ramblings on DOW. Here. We. Go!


Our thoughts? We got lots of them.  This was a very interesting read. Deborah did her research before writing this book.  We learn A LOT about things that we never thought we wanted or needed to do.  We now have knowledge of D.N.A., Alchemy, poets, playwrights, wars, the list goes on.  I didn't fact check her, but I am taking the history/medical knowledge in this book like it is a text book because she couldn't have possibly made this shit up, right?

Anywho....Neither of us had ever read a book about witches before.  Witches have made appearances in books that we have read, but we have never had the opportunity to delve in to the world of witchery.  Let's just say...Witches are bad ass.  They can do just about anything; witch-fire, witch-water, witch-wind, time-walk, read minds, the opportunities are endless (well, at least Diana's are). 

We both enjoyed the "mush" we experienced with this book...several different elements from other semi-similar books smashed together (Twilight, Outlander, Vampire Diaries and a little True Blood). We are *VERY* much eagerly anticipating the next installment of Discovery of Witches. If you enjoy Diana Gabaldon's writing style and reading about history, I would really recommend adding this to your book list. If you don't like the "vampire-book-thing", I would say skip this one. Lets face it, if you can't get past a guy wanting a girl AND her blood, you will probably will not enjoy a story focused on VAMPIRES, witches and daemons. 


The romance involved in this story is not over-kill, it instead is the glue that holds the story lines together. With so much inner turmoil with the main character, external conflicts, family issues, why not add romance to the mix. One may think this seems like a lot in one book - and you're right - but it is written in such a way that it all just fits together perfectly. You know a book is good when you go to bed thinking so much about it.

(P.S. Izzy: If Diana complains about her clothes (black trousers and a plain colored shirt), then why doesn't she just pop new clothes in her closet? I mean, hasn't she heard of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, duh?!? lol)

 Matthew, Matthew, Matthew...

*************PLEASE BEWARE LOTS OF SPOILERS BELOW***********

IM's relating to A Discovery of Witches: 

Sassy - 5/24/11 - 12:09am     =     It's 12 o'clock and I'm just finishing chapter 17! It's officially ON! I'm now losing  sleep b/c I neeeeeed to know what is happening next. Lucky for u I have to wk tomorrow & need to go to the gym during lunch, so I won't get much reading done.

I can't wait to discuss!

Izzy - 5/24/11 - 7:24am     =     Lol I read just a couple pages. I had every intention of reading last night but Nicole called and we ended up talking until 11:00. That's past my bedtime so no more reading was done! Maybe today on lunch I will read though.

Izzy - 5/25/11 - 12:59pm     =     Just starting chapter 8!

Izzy - 5/26/11 - 7:44pm     =      They are having lots of wine with dinner! Is this about to get exciting? Lol

Izzy - 5/26/11 - 9:41pm     =     Starting chapter 16 tomorrow. Am I almost caught up to you yet?

Sassy - 5/27/11 - 6:21am    =     Yes! I think I'm on 19

Izzy - 5/27/11 - 4:53pm     =     Got a bottle of Moscato to start the weekend off right

Sassy - 5/29/11 - 11:05am      =     Did u read? Need to ck your chapter... To see whether I can read yet or not. -lol   (**Wow - I'm a book bully - lol**)

Izzy - 5/29/11 - 1:08pm     =     I read some not much though. I think I am on chapter 20. They went horse back riding.

Izzy - 5/29/11 - 4:23pm     =     Starting chapter 22 now. Reading on my phone makes me so sleepy! 

Izzy - 5/30/11 - 12:56am     =     Starting chapter 27. What chapter are you on?

Sassy - 5/30/11 - 10:29am     =     Ooooh! I'm only starting 25 :) wooooohooooo!

Sassy - 5/30/11 - 1:28pm     =     So when he came home....They totally had a makeout session and full on grope-fest right next to his car?! Buddy's grabbing her boob when his mom walks out? Nonetheless, now they're sleeping in the same bed!

Izzy - 5/30/11 - 2:31pm     =     Lol. they get you worked up just to be blocked!

Sassy - 5/30/11 - 2:41pm     =     Holy freakin cow! Boyfriend just barged in holding a towel! Things are getting more interesting.   (**Or so I thought)

Sassy - 5/30/11 - 2:44pm     =     And now naked!   (**girlfriend just didn't know this was AAALLLLL the action she was going to be getting for awhile**)

Izzy - 5/30/11 - 3:23pm     =     You are pretty much caught up with me then!!

Izzy - 5/30/11 - 4:29pm     =     What chapter are you on?

Sassy - 5/30/11 - 5:37pm     =     Just about to start 29. She was just kidnapped I think!

Izzy - 5/30/11 - 6:13pm     =     I am right ahead of you. Craziness!

Sassy - 5/30/11 - 6:16pm     =     I just finished 29 she's trapped in some hole and doesn't know how to fly out

Sassy 5/30/11 - 6:18pm     =     Matthew is going to be so pissed! She promised not to leave, and then she goes gallivanting out after all sorts of fondling fun the night before! She's in heaps of trouble!  (**bahhhh-haaaaaa - we were wrong, again**)

Izzy - 5/30/11 - 7:10pm     =     I thought so too

Izzy - 5/31/11 - 9:04pm     =     We need to talk ASAP! craziness!

Sassy - 5/31/11 - 9:22pm     =     Book?

Sassy - 5/31/11 - 10:28pm     =     Hold on! The tea is a contraceptive!? There's gotta be something to THAT!

Izzy - 6/1/11 - 9:33pm     =     This is going to be a big cliff hanger. I just know it! Only 15 pages left and so much to do!

Sassy - 6/1/11 - 9:45pm     =     Okay I met Juliette! She just kissed Diana?! WTF? She is crazy!

Izzy - 6/1/11 - 10:11pm     =     Now what?

Sassy - 6/1/11 - 10:18pm     =     She's giving him blood b/c the bitch almost killed him! Holy freakin cow!

Izzy - 6/1/11 - 10:18pm     =     Intense, huh? I just finished!

Sassy - 6/1/11 - 10:21pm     =     Yes! They r trying to keep her alive now since Matthew drank so much

Sassy - 6/1/11 - 10:34pm     =     Just jotting...Deal made?   (**this helps me not forget important things that need to be discussed in actual phone conversation - sorry, most of these will make absolutely no sense whatsoever.**)

Izzy - 6/2/11 - 9:54pm     =     Reading?

Sassy - 6/2/11 - 10:08pm     =     Just got home :( bout to start though.

Izzy - 6/2/11 - 10:08pm     =     Late start!!

Sassy - 6/3/11 - 7:12am     =     10 pages left!

Izzy - 6/3/11 - 7:32am     =     You will be done today!!!

Sassy - 6/3/11 - 5:56pm     =     WTF - Again no consummation!    Matthew in love w/a man?!

Sassy - 6/3/11 - 5:56pm     =     Nevermind

Sassy - 6/3/11 - 5:59pm     =     Playhouses?

Sassy - 6/3/11 - 6:23pm     =     WTF! I'm done but WTF!

Sassy - 6/3/11 - 6:27pm     =     I'm still confused.

Izzy - 6/3/11 - 7:16pm     =     Call me!

We love us some Matthew, but a few things need to be said here. WFT!?!? NO SEX.  Normally, this is not a big deal. We aren't crazy pervs that demand sex in every book we read, but can we say COCK BLOCK? (Can we say that word on here? I guess so, since it's our blog, lol) But seriously people, Deborah got us worked up SEVERAL times in the book (didn't EVERYone think when the entire fam left the house and they were completely alone THAT would be the time???)  and they never consummated their relationship! I (Sassy) had a very hard time with this aspect of the book when all was said and done. But...how can Harkness tell us that Diana 'used' men in the past for her personal 'needs' (never mind she's in her mid 30's), and then you go below the border with your HOT boyfriend/husband but decide you're not going to press the issue of sex? BABE - I think a serious convo would have taken place - BEFORE they traveled hundreds of years in the past. Can we say anti-climatic - LITERALLY!

I must say there were quite a few scenes that we just LOVED imagining while reading. All that talk of wine tasting really had me wishing I could taste caramel, berries, purple grapes, etc just by taking a sip of wine. (Matter of fact, we are planning on a wine tasting date very soon.) We also, quite enjoyed the descriptions of when Diana's magic went hay-wire...it was so exciting discovering (he-he) it  when Diana did too!

Another thought, during the the book Matthew mentions his rules about "not telling other people's tales" and it seems it is more of an almost 'don't ask, don't tell policy', it just SPELLS trouble! Don't you think?  Poor Diana! Shit keeps hitting the fan before she can even recover from the last episode because of Matthew's rather extensive past!

Overall, the books started off a little slow to us. There were lots of details that at times slowed the story line down, but after around chapter 16 (?) things definitely picked up speed. So many clever characters throughout - Marcus (Surfer-ish?), Marian (misunderstood?), Sarah (condescending Bitch!) - Nathaniel & Sophie (what the heck - you just came from no-where into our family?). Your mind can go anywhere with this story.

Nonetheless, the home stretch of the book, we couldn't even put it down. But, man, were we left hanging. BIG TIME! Nothing in the book really got resolved. Conflict after conflict, question after question, were presented, but none of it was answered. Call us OCD, but sometimes we like things to be tied up in a bow with a little resolution.  Resolution - we did not receive.  Definitely, looking forward to the next book.  We have lots of questions that need answers. We're hooked!

Favorite quotes from the book:

"Somewhere in the center of my soul, a rusty chain began to unwind. It freed itself, link by link, from where it had rested, unobserved, waiting for him. My hands, which had been balled up and pressed against his chest, unfurled with it. The chain continued to drop, to an unfathomable depth where there was nothing but darkness and Matthew. At last it snapped to its full length, anchoring me to a vampire. Despite the manuscript, despite the fact that my hands contained enough voltage to run a microwave, and despite the photograph, as long as I was connected to him, I was safe."

"Yes, I see that you are behaving like a prince but that doesn't mean you won't behave like a devil at the first opportunity."

"Are you smelling me?" After yesterday I suspected that my body was giving him all kinds of information I didn't want him to have.
"Don't tempt me," he murmured." 

"We kissed each other, long and deep, while my legs opened like the covers of a book." (Reader's note - This shit didn't get us anywhere...don't get your hopes up)

Wanna See Something FUNNY!

 OUR  MANIC MONDAY  POST...

is US!

This is MY reaction to the Breaking Dawn trailer that was released last night on the MTV Movie Awards (which in-itself, should have it's own post to discuss the numerous embarrassing moments by Mr. Rob Pattinson). After deliberation and an accidental watch from Izzy earlier in the day (thinking that she was just watching the "teaser-trailer" again), I decided I must watch in order to discuss (curiosity killed the cat - or so they say). 

Please keep in mind I am "slightly" drunk, and do NOT typically act like a pre-teen drama queen (comma however) this particular mix of 'things' (alcohol/Twilight/Pattinson/sleeping child/ new release) tends to bring out a different side. Enjoy!

MTV's Breaking Dawn Part 1 Sneak Peak

I know it is only 15 seconds, but what do you think? If you have watched it 83 times already like I have (lol), then you have can pick up on some details in those few seconds.

Sassy has not seen this yet and she isn't sure if she is going to. She doesn't want to overload on clips like we did for the past 3 movies.  You almost felt like you had seen most of the movie before midnight on release night. However, I, Izzy, have no self control so I will end up watching anything Summit throws at me!

A deal breaker for me though is the wedding dress. For some reason, I DO NOT want to see it before the movie.  I really don't want to see all that much from the wedding at all. I do want to be surprised. From the looks of this sneak peak though it looks like the wedding is what we are getting.

So what did everyone else think? I need to talk about this!

 What things did you pick up on in the short clip?  It took me a couple plays to even notice that we get a small glimpse of her dress!  Edward is Mr. Hotness as usual!