BIG NEWS: Life in the Pages is moving!

Hey all! Excuse the lack of posting over the past week. Life in the Pages has been undergoing some major changes and I'll just come right out and say it:

Life in the Pages is now BooksyDaisy Reviews!

What?! But why a new blog? Why a new name? Well, for a while I've been trying little ways to tweak the current blog to make it prettier, crisper, and more "professional" looking, while still keeping it fun, but none of the changes were making me particularly happy. Also, I've been wanting a more creative, unique blog now for a while and last week as I was brainstorming different blog names, BooksyDaisy somehow popped into my head! I was so excited about it and knew I finally had the right new name. So, after some frantic searching through Twitter and Blogger to make sure the name hadn't already been taken, I jumped the gun and started setting up the new site. Today, I'm so excited to be able to share it with you all:

http://booksydaisyreviews.blogspot.com

To make the transition a bit easier, here's an updated list of my social media links: 

Twitter: @booksydaisy 

Tumblr: booksydaisyreviews

Bloglovin': BooksyDaisy Reviews

(Note: My e-mail, Goodreads, Instagram, and Pinterest accounts are still the same. No need to re-add me if you're already following!)

Man, it feels good to be able to share this with you all! I'm so excited!!  I will temporarily keep Life in the Pages open to avoid confusion and direct people to BooksyDaisy, but from now on all new posts will be at the new blog. I hope you'll all join me on there! :)

Reading Rambles {3}: Are You A Reading Procrastinator?

Reading Rambles is a sporadic feature in which I ramble about all things bookish and ask you to join in on the discussion.

Today's Ramble:

After nearly two weeks of putting off reading Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor, despite the fact that I was dying to know what would happen next, I've discovered something about myself: I am a horrible reading procrastinator. It's a real problem! As much as I want to read this book, I just keep finding excuses to put it off. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I do this more often than I originally thought. I'm curious to see if this is just me, or if you all struggle with reading procrastination too. 

Not sure if you're a reading procrastinator? Here's a short list to help you figure it out.

• Do you ever get to a point in a book when you know something horrible is going to happen and you're just not mentally or emotionally prepared to deal with it, so you have to stop, put the book down, and take a breather (which can last anywhere from a few days to a few months)?

• Do you put off reading a series of books until you have time to read them all in one go (even though this will probably never happen)?

• Do you tell yourself you'll read before bed but then end up going right to sleep because you're either too exhausted or know that if you start reading now you'll be up until the break of dawn with the phrase "Just one more chapter..." repeating in your head like a mantra?

• Do you ever feel like your TBR pile is staring at you? Do you find excuses to ignore it, such as, "Oh, my room is a mess! I can't possibly start reading until I've cleaned it up a bit!" Or, "Now feels like a good time to check the 50+ unread e-mails in my inbox." Or, "I think I'll go change the layout of my blog for the hundredth time this month."

• Do you find yourself reading reviews, watching YouTube videos, or scrolling through Pinterest and Tumblr looking for posts about the very book you're not reading, when you could be spending that time actually reading it?

• Have you ever checked out and/or bought books despite your already overflowing TBR pile?

If you said yes to any of the above, you, my friend, may be a reading procrastinator. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll get around to reading all those books.

Eventually.

Mini Review: Night of Cake and Puppets by Laini Taylor

Night of Cake and Puppets by Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company BFYR
Pub date: November 2013
Source/Format: Bought/E-book

In Night of Cake & Puppets, Taylor brings to life a night only hinted at in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy—the magical first date of fan-favorites Zuzana and Mik. Told in alternating perspectives, it’s the perfect love story for fans of the series and new readers alike. Petite though she may be, Zuzana is not known for timidity. Her best friend, Karou, calls her “rabid fairy,” her “voodoo eyes” are said to freeze blood, and even her older brother fears her wrath. But when it comes to the simple matter of talking to Mik, or “Violin Boy,” her courage deserts her. Now, enough is enough. Zuzana is determined to meet him, and she has a fistful of magic and a plan. It’s a wonderfully elaborate treasure hunt of a plan that will take Mik all over Prague on a cold winter’s night before finally leading him to the treasure: herself! Violin Boy’s not going to know what hit him.

As much as I loved Zuzana in Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about a whole novella dedicated to her. After all, the lifeblood of DoSaB was its dealings with magic and Karou's travels around the world (both our own and Elsewhere)--so how could a story about two ordinary humans hold up? I should have known that Laini wouldn't let us down. Night of Cake and Puppets is written in the same kind of wondrous, magical prose that first drew me into DoSaB, but with loads of wry humor courtesy of Zuzana, whose feisty voice quickly became my favorite thing about the novella. Actually, both Zuzana's and Mik's voices are fantastic: hilarious and unique and slightly weird, and their personalities shine through. The weaving together of Zuzana's and Mik's narratives is absolutely adorable, showing how they are both completely enamored with each other but too shy to admit it (until now, of course). Even in this story where there is no mention of chimaera or seraphim, Laini still creates a world full of wonder and magic, though in a slightly more lighthearted fashion. It feels, as Mik says, "like something out of a fairy tale." In short, Zuzana and Mik's story is a perfect little break from the angst left over at the end of Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

Favorite Quotes

My Rating:

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic:

Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art

You know how some people have their own personal movie theater rooms with a giant TV, comfy chairs, a popcorn maker, and movie posters covering the walls? Well, someday I'm going to have my own personal reading room filled with bookshelves, comfy chairs, a Keurig (because for the full cozy reading experience you need tea and coffee), and giant, framed book posters on the walls. These are some of the covers I'd frame:

1. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender: I know you're all probably sick of hearing me talk about this book, but LOOK AT THAT COVER! Just look at it! It's gorgeous!

2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: I love that Gingerhaze did the artwork for Fangirl--it's so unique!

3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling: Having grown up with the American editions of the Harry Potter books, I absolutely love Mary GrandPré's art. All the covers are fantastic but I love OotP the most for its blue tones and the wispy letters.

4.  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: Behold, the most beautiful cover of Jane Eyre ever created!

5. Black Spring by Alison Croggon: In keeping with the Jane Eyre theme is this spooky cover of Black Spring, a retelling of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.

6. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: Oh, look. It's that other book I talk about all the time (sorry, not sorry). I'm a bit obsessive when it comes to hunting down different editions of my favorite books, and I've been drooling over the beautiful manga-esque Korean editions of Twilight for years but MAN, are they expensive! (Also, there's the tiny little detail of me not being able to read Korean, but whatever...)

7. The Diviners by Libba Bray: It's purple, it's got creepy-cool designs and awesome typography. Need I say more?

8. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: This cover art is perfection! It's the main reason I wanted to read the book in the first place (although the book would be amazing even without the beautiful cover art. Seriously, go read it if you haven't already).

So tell me, do we share any of the same favorite covers? Which ones would you have framed?

Blog Event: Book Blogger Summer Reading Challenge

Remember those summer reading programs at the library that you used to participate in as a kid? Well, Katie of Katie's Book Blog is bringing back the fun of those days with the 2014 Book Blogger Summer Reading Challenge. It runs from May through the beginning of September and, in addition to the fun of seeing just how much you can read this summer, Katie will also be hosting various giveaways on her blog. You can find all the details and the official sign-up here.

Since my year-long reading challenge goal for 2014 is to read 100 books, and because I'm miserably behind so far, I'm challenging myself to read 30 books this summer. To keep track, I've made a Goodreads shelf and this fun little cross-off worksheet:

Since I'm a mood reader, I don't have a specific TBR list for this challenge. I'm just gonna go with the flow and read whatever strikes me as interesting. :) Let me know if you'll be participating and what your goal is!

That's A Wrap {1}: April

Oh, hi there, May! You snuck up on me! Seriously, you guys, where did April go and how did I end  up in such a terrible reading slump the whole month? I can't even look at my Goodreads challenge stats anymore because the number of "books behind" just keeps getting larger. Ugh! 
Anyway, I decided to write my first monthly recap post. It's pretty short this time around but I hope to remedy that in May. I will get back on track with the reading challenge!

On the Blog

• I gave the Life in the Pages tumblr a fresh look for spring/summer!
• I created a new feature, Bookish Imaginings, where I share playlists and Pinterest boards I've made for my favorite books. You can link up your own posts, too, so be sure to check it out!

 
Books Read in April

• Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (review)
• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
• Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi

Curse you, reading slump!


Life Outside the Pages

At the beginning of April, I got some very exciting news: I was accepted to a publishing grad program taking place later this summer! I was absolutely ecstatic when I received the letter, and I am so excited for this experience and where it might lead me.

I also became a bit obsessed with Pinterest this month, especially after starting my Daughter of Smoke and Bone board for Bookish Imaginings. It's so addicting to make boards for everything--what clothes I'd like to buy, what I'd like my future house to look like, heck, even what I'd like my future wedding to be like. While looking at pictures home decor, I came across some artwork by PAPAYA!, Nicolas Gouny, and Katie Daisy, all of which I absolutely love because it's so bright, colorful, and whimsical. I just want my own place already so I can go crazy decorating it! Pinterest, look what you've done to me!


Favorite Posts from Other Blogs

• Charlotte of Gyspy Reviews had a thought-provoking discussion about "The Abundance of Gender-Neutral Covers."
• Alex Bracken, author of The Darkest Minds and writer for Publishing Crawl, interviewed Anna Jarzab about working in Digital Marketing at Penguin. 
• Brittany of The Book Addict's Guide posted the results from her Book Review Survey.
• Jenny of Supernatural Snark posted this gorgeous fan art in honor of the release of Dreams of Gods and Monsters.
• Publishing Crawl talks about the editing process.
• Alyssa of Books Take You Places wrote a review of Fairytales for Wilde Girls, which I totally want to read now!

Let me know what your favorite book was in April and what you plan on reading this month!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books If You Like...SAILOR MOON

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic:

Top Ten Books If You Like "X"

If you're a child of the '90s, you're probably familiar with a famous Japanese cartoon by the name of Sailor Moon.

Via

To those of you who didn't grow up with early '90s television, or have just never heard of Sailor Moon before, I implore you to educate yourselves right now by binge-watching the first season (in the original Japanese, though. With subtitles. For the sake of your sanity, do not watch the DIC English dub--it's fine for those of us who first experienced Sailor Moon this way, but now it's just plain cringe worthy).

To five-year-old me, Sailor Moon was the epitome of cool. To begin with, she had the most beautiful name I'd ever heard (Serena), and had the most awesome hairstyle I had ever seen (which I still to this day regret never being able to pull off). She had a talking cat, fought against evil monsters with her best friends, and to top it all off was a princess, which sent her cool factor through the roof because there was nothing I loved more as a kindergartener than stories about princesses. Sailor Moon wasn't without her flaws, however--she wasn't great at schoolwork, was often lazy, and she could be a cowardly crybaby. But in the end, with the support of her friends, she always came through and saved the day. Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts oozed "girl power", and I'm pretty sure that this early obsession with kick-ass superheroines was the beginning of my love for stories featuring awesome girls. So for today's Top Ten list, I'm picking books that also have awesome girls at the center of their stories (along with some magical elements, of course).

Karou of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, Clary of The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, Celaena Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Fire of Fire by Kristin Cashore, Katniss of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Who are some of your favorite "superheroines"?

Introducing A New Feature: Bookish Imaginings!

 Happy Saturday! Today I am so excited to unveil a new feature on Life in the Pages called "Bookish Imaginings." One of my favorite parts of reading a really great book is watching the scenes play out in my mind like a movie. I love trying to visualize what the characters and settings would look like, and have gotten into the habit of creating Pinterest boards and playlists for my favorite books. Bookish Imaginings is an outlet for sharing my visions of books, and a chance for you to join in as well: At the end of each post, I'll have a link up for you to add your own Bookish Imaginings post.

So without further ado, let's kick off the first Bookish Imaginings with:

Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Re-Read)

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pub Date: September 2011
Source/Format: Bought/Hardcover

From Goodreads:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Bookish Things (That Aren't Books) That I'd Like To Own

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic:

Bookish Things (That Aren't Books) That I'd Like To Own

1. A reading nook/window seat: Ever since I was a little girl, one thing I've always wanted was a cozy little hiding place where I could tuck myself away to read in peace and quiet. I've never had a room with a window seat, but someday I'd love to have one.

2. A home library: I think just about all of us are familiar with the scene in Disney's Beauty and the Beast in which the Beast surprises Belle with that fantastic library. And I think that most of us bookish types would give anything to have a library like that. My dream is to one day have a home with a giant library room to fill with all my books (and if that library is equipped with a spiral staircase or ladders, all the better!).

3. Katie Daisy book plates: If you haven't heard of Katie Daisy and seen her gorgeous, whimsical artwork, allow me to direct you to her Etsy shop. I'm not sure she sells these book plates anymore, but I'll be the first to buy some if they become available again!

4. This Harry Potter mug: Because who doesn't need a Harry Potter mug?!

5. A replica of Sirius Black's wand: Yes, I am one of those geeks who frequently drools over those Noble Collection catalogs...and even own a few things from it. So far I've acquired Hermione's wand, the Elder wand (which my wonderful dad got me at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter), and Hermione's Time Turner. Now I want Sirius's wand because the engravings on it are so cool!

6. The Clockwork Angel necklace: How gorgeous is this necklace?! Unfortunately, the really nice ones are far too expensive for me to justify buying (at least for the moment).

7. The Folio Society editions of Andrew Lang's Fairy books: Technically, this list is supposed to be things that aren't books...but the chances of me getting these particular editions are so slim that I've decided to throw them on the list anyway. I have always been, and still am, a huge fairy tale lover, so when I saw these books on tumblr, I immediately had to track them down. I found them...and nearly cried when I saw the price. The books are absolutely gorgeous, but at $80 a pop I don't see myself owning them any time soon, if ever.

8. Penguin Books tote bag: I love the look of these editions of the Penguin classics, so of course I freaked out when I saw they had matching tote bags!

9. Old-fashioned Harry Potter postcard posters:  I absolutely love how the artist of these posters gave an old-timey postcard feel to their depiction of Hogwarts and the Quidditch World Cup and the Hogwarts Express! So fun! I'd love to hang these on my walls.

10. ALL OF THE Sacchi bookmarks! You know those shiny metal bookmarks with the ribbons and beading that you always see hanging on the bookmark carousel at Barnes and Noble? I love them! They are my favorite bookmarks ever and I'd love to have a collection of them.

Check out my "Bookish Things" Pinterest board to see what else is on my bookish wishlist.

Stacking the Shelves {4}

By far the most exciting addition to my bookshelf this week was Laini Taylor's Dreams of Gods and Monsters! I ran out to the bookstore Tuesday night to get it, even though I was in the middle of rereading Daughter of Smoke and Bone and still am (it's been a busy week...but more on that in a minute). I might have squealed a bit when I saw that Barnes and Noble also had the copies with the signed art print of Karou, which I had thought only came in the pre-ordered editions. I'm planning a giant DoSaB review post once I finish the trilogy, so keep your eyes peeled for that (there will be some other fun stuff thrown in, too).

Ahhhh! It's finally mine!

I also made a trip to the library this week (surprise, surprise) and hidden in this picture of my haul is the reason why I haven't gotten much reading accomplished this week:

Looks like a fairly normal library haul, right? I've got some YA, some fairy tale retellings...but wait--why do I have a copy of the 2013 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market, you ask? Well...because I got some very big news this week:

I've been accepted to a publishing grad program this summer! Ahhhh!

I found out on Wednesday afternoon and I've spent the rest of the week in a state of simultaneous shock and excitement. I've known for a while now that I want a job in publishing, but without internship experience it's almost impossible to get your foot in the door. The program I'll be in isn't an internship but it's just as good, and I'm absolutely thrilled I've been accepted! One of the first things I did after finding out was to run to the library and grab whatever books they had on children's and YA publishers (which, as you can see, was not very many). I've been poring through it and compiling a list of all the different publishing companies and their imprints, making note of the types of books each one publishes. I'm so excited and I just want to learn everything I possibly can before I go!

So tell me, what books did you guys pick up this week? Are you reading anything particularly good this weekend?

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Unique Books I've Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic:

The Most Unique Books I've Read

1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling: Does this one even need explaining? J.K. Rowling created an entirely new world when she wrote Harry Potter, a world that millions of children (and even adults) would have given anything to live in.


2. Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness: While it took a while to grow on me, I ended up absolutely loving the Chaos Walking trilogy. I love how Ness used grammar and spelling to portray Todd's voice; it was so real and unique to him. The inclusion of the different fonts for the thoughts of the men in Prentisstown and New Prentisstown also made these books stand out from others in the YA category.

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: The very fact that this book is narrated by an anthropomorphized figure of Death would be enough to make this book unique, but the way in which Death speaks makes The Book Thief really stand out. Death's way of seeing and experiencing the world is so sensory and heartbreaking and beautiful.

4. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: Possibly my favorite book of 2013, Fangirl was the best book I'd read about fandom since reading Melissa Anelli's Harry: A History. The whole time reading I was so in awe of Rainbow Rowell. I just thought, "wow, she really gets what it's like to be in fandom." And while I absolutely love Fangirl for the parallels it draws to the HP fandom, the story is about so much more than that. Cath is a character I could truly relate to and Rowell perfectly captured the anxieties that go along with being a freshman in college. I never expected that this book would make me feel so much, but it did!

5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: Some may argue with me about the originality of THG, especially with all the comparisons that have been drawn between it and the Japanese novel, Battle Royale, but for me these books were unique because they were the first dystopian novels I'd read, and they blew my mind. Each book was riveting and action-packed, and Katniss is such an awesome heroine.

6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: The Night Circus might be slow plot-wise, but gosh, it has such gorgeous imagery. I loved the combination of the whimsical nature of the circus with all those magical elements. I would love to see this book adapted to film.

7. Soulless by Gail Carriger: This book is so great! It's Jane Austen meets steampunk urban fantasy and I absolutely love it. It's so funny and entertaining!

Stacking the Shelves {3}

Another small book haul this week (I really need to stop but I just can't help myself!).

I went to the bookstore with my dad earlier in the week (it was his idea, I swear), and he was nice enough to get two books for me: Lost in Thought by Cara Bertrand and Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry. Look at those gorgeous covers!

In addition to these, I also downloaded the Cruel Beauty novella, Gilded Ashes, onto my e-reader.

Yesterday I made my weekly venture to the library and picked up some books that had come in for me: V.C. Andrew's The Unwelcomed Child and Osiris by E.J. Swift, a sci-fi novel that I saw Rosianna (of YouTube fame) tweet about earlier this week. For now, I'm putting all of my newly acquired books on the back burner because I'm catching up on the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series so I can read Dreams of Gods and Monsters when it comes out on Tuesday!

So tell me, what new books did you pick up this week? What will you be reading over the weekend?

WoW {4}: Fearsome Dreamer by Laure Eve

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme in which bloggers discuss the upcoming releases they're excited for. Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

From Goodreads:

There is a world where gods you’ve never heard of have wound themselves into hearts, and choice has led its history down a different path.

This is a world where France made a small, downtrodden island called England part of its vast and bloated empire.

There are people here who can cross a thousand miles with their minds. There are rarer people still who can move between continents in the blink of an eye.

These people are dangerous.

And wanted. Desperately wanted.

Apprentice hedgewitch Vela Rue knows that she is destined for more. She knows being whisked off from a dull country life to a city full of mystery and intrigue is meant to be. She knows she has something her government wants, a talent so rare and precious and new that they will do anything to train her in it.

But she doesn’t know that she is being lied to. She doesn’t know that the man teaching her about her talent is becoming obsessed by her, and considered by some to be the most dangerous man alive...

While Fearsome Dreamer has been out in the UK for about six months now, it's being released in the US on Thursday. It sounds similar to Samantha Shannon's The Bone Season, so I'm excited to check it out and see how it compares.

Release Date: April 3, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: YA "Gateway" Books In My Reading Journey

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic:

YA Gateway Books In My Reading Journey

Oh, my gosh, this post was so hard to make! I've been wracking my brain for nearly half an hour trying to remember some of the first YA books I ever read. The fact that it's been ten years (ten years!) since I turned thirteen combined with the fact that I didn't have Goodreads back then to track my reading progress, I've forgotten a lot of what I read back then. Luckily, after a little digging around through the YA book lists on Goodreads, I was able to find some of the books I read as a young teen. So, here you have it: Teen Alex's list of gateway YA books. This list spans some of the most influential books I read from around ages twelve to fifteen.

1. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech: This is one of the few childhood books that has survived two cross-state moves and multiple book shelf sweeps. I remember reading this book as a kid and just being absorbed by Creech's storytelling.

2. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot: If I had to name my favorite series in middle school, Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries would be it. They are hands down the funniest books I've ever read, even now. As an awkward, shy preteen and teenager, I related so much to Mia's struggles but loved the way Cabot conveyed them with such humor.

3. Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper: One of my absolute favorites in sixth grade. I think this was one of the first books that I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish. It's the classic Romeo and Juliet story modernized; set in an inner city where two teens in love are challenged by the racism perpetuated by school gangs, peers, and their own parents. It was such a suspenseful and exciting read at the time, and was the first truly "romantic" book I'd ever read.

4. A Rose for Melinda by Lurlene McDaniel: At the time, reading this book (about a young ballet dancer with terminal cancer) was the equivalent to reading The Fault in Our Stars now. I bawled at the end. My heart was totally broken. Afterward, I went into Lurlene McDaniel craze that lasted pretty much all throughout middle school. Not much has changed since then--I still love books that make me cry.

5. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli: If you were in middle school in the early 2000s, there's a good chance that you read this book. I wouldn't be surprised if this book ends up as required reading someday, if it hasn't already. It was so popular at my school that even with multiple copies, it still took forever to get your hands on one.

6. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares: Again, is there any 00s girl who didn't read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants? I remember being at Target with a friend who was begging her mom to buy this book for her, but her mom was really wary of letting her read it (I think it might have been the "You must never let a boy take off the Pants (although you may take them off yourself in his presence" line on the back of the book that was giving her reservations...we were only twelve at the time, after all). In the end, she caved and let my friend buy it.

The "Alice" books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor: To be perfectly honest, I don't remember a thing about this series other than the fact that I read a lot of them in seventh grade.

Daughters of the Moon series by Lynn Ewing: Whoever designed the covers for these books knew what they were doing--how could I pass up a book that featured fierce-looking girls wearing glitter and awesome dresses on each cover? Plus, I think the whole superhero/goddess aspect of the books appealed to the part of me that loved Sailor Moon as a little girl.

Sabriel by Garth Nix: This is a book I've been wanting to revisit for a while now. I read it in eighth grade, but a lot of the fantasy elements went over my head.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: My list of gateway books would not be complete without the ultimate book that defined my high school years and started my obsession with YA paranormal romance. I read Twilight over fall break of my freshman year, wanting something spooky to get me in the Halloween spirit, and that, my friends, was the beginning of the end. I've been obsessed ever since.