Mean Girls 10th Anniversary Reading List

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the awesome, grool movie, Mean Girls. It's quite nice that it lands on a Wednesday, so we all get to wear pink for it today! To celebrate this wonderful day, I thought I'd create a reading list that goes along with the theme of the movie, because who doesn't like a mean girl?

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers: “I didn't want to be popular because it was easier; I wanted to be popular because in high school that's the best thing you can be: perfect. Everything else is shit.” 

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray: “You set fire to my house, killed my family, and ate my dog. But steal my boyfriend? That's a step too far.” 

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver: “It's funny how you can know your friends so well, but you still end up playing the same games with them.” 

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian: "This is Karma. I’m a bitch. Can you think of anyone who deserves a bitch slap?"

Speechless by Hannah Harrington: “I'm an expert at finding out secrets, but keeping them- especially a secret of this magnitude - is something else.”

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers: “Tell Liz,' I say, 'the mean girl totally got what she deserved in the end.” 

 Have fun reading about some mean girls who either get what they deserve or learn how redeem themselves. What other books do you think should be added to this list?

Best Stand Alones of 2012

This year is quickly coming to an end. This means some great things: the holidays are upon us and life is filled with joy and family an we get to snuggle up together by the fire to keep warm. I'm sure we all can't wait to countdown to midnight on December 31st and ring in 2013.

This also means that our Pledges of almost over. Hopefully most of us have reached or will reach our goals before the year is through so that we can start all over again on January 1st!

Closer to the end of the year, I'm going to do the hardest thing ever: pick my top ten books of 2012. But for now, I'm going to list my favourite stand alones that I read this year. Stand alones seem like fish out of water these days. Most every book I pick up is the beginning of a series. Don't get me wrong, I love series. They give you a chance to really connect with the characters, but stand alones are a nice change. You don't have to wonder what will happen next, you get to make that up all on your own in your head. So here's my list for 2012:




This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

By far my favourite zombie book. Sloane is suicidal while zombies roam free and she must decide if she's ready to end her life or ready to fight for hers and others around her. Summers has rapidly become one of my favourite authors and I can't wait to see what else she has in store.

Speechless by Hannah Harrington

In a world where rumours rule, it's nice to see a book that captures it perfectly. After letting out a brutal secret, Chelsea decides to take a vow of silence so she won't hurt anyone again. She learns a lot more than planned. I plan on reading Saving June soon because Harrington really impressed me with this novel.





The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Do I really have to say anything about this book? It hit every mark. It made me laugh, cry and want to throw it across the room. Green is an incredible author and his characters are so real it hurts way too much when bad things happen to them. This book will live on forever, just like Hazel and Augustus.





The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

This book had one of the most interesting takes on death that I've seen. Each chapter was titled after a song and we watched as Brie tries to move on from her tragic death. Captured perfectly, it is definitely a book worth reading.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

This was the most hilarious book I read all year. Beauty queens stranded on a desert island - too funny. Each character had such a unique voice that I couldn't help falling in love with all of them. Especially Taylor though, because she was just too ridiculous words and everything she went through really showed her strength.




I know there are a lot of other stand alones that came out, but it seems I didn't read too many. any suggestions?

50! Speechless

Book #50!: Speechless
Author: Hannah Harrington
Published: August 28, 2012
288 Pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.

I can't imagine not talking for a month, let alone a day, but Chelsea Knot does it because she knows it's what she has to do. Her mouth has gotten her into a lot of trouble and I'm sure we can all relate to that. We hear gossip and we feel the need to spread it, to tell anyone that will listen. Chelsea is best friends with Queen Bee Kristen Courteau and she knows gossip is what's keeping her glued to her side. We do and say things we may regret to get where we want to be. Popularity is important, especially in high school, and I'm sure if I had the chance to be the most popular girl in school's right hand girl, I would have done whatever it takes. Unfortunately for Chelsea, that meant blurting out a terrible secret that nearly got someone killed. So Chelsea does what she knows is right - she tells her parents about what happened. This ostracizes her from her classmates, puts in Kristen's line of bullying, and goes straight to the bottom of the food chain - all without saying a word.

Chelsea keeps her mouth shut after realizing that everyone at school thinks she's a rat. She knows it's safer to keep her mouth closed than to hurt anyone else. Alone and scared, slurs being written on her locker and  cruel emails being sent out, Chelsea decides that if she can just get through the rest of high school, she'll be okay. She doesn't plan on telling anyone about the bullying since it all started because she told someone about it. She kills herself everyday for what happened and she doesn't think she deserves forgiveness. But when Asha decides she's going to be nice to Chelsea anyway and invites her to hang out at the diner she works out, Chelsea sees a whole other side of high school.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot because it's flawless. I like that the description is sparse and that all we really know is that she's taken a vow of silence. Chelsea is your average popular girl, ready to do whatever it takes to stay on top. But when she's dropped, we get to know the real her. We hate her at first, but throughout the course of the novel, you realize who she really is and that she is a nice person, she's just made some mistakes. Her new group of friends, Asha, Sam and the rest of the group that works at the diner treat her like an equal and she learns a lot about herself that she didn't realize. Asha is adorable, she's a lot like I was in high school, keeps to herself and her friends ad people think she's weird. Sam is, well Sam is perfect. He is the type of guy I dated in high school: artsy, lanky, caring and thoughtful. Chelsea is blessed with a new chance and it's up to her not to mess it up.

I probably gave away too much but I can't help it. This book was written wonderfully and it plays out like high school would. I'm glad the bullying was subtle because it's more realistic that way. A lot of bullying happens that adults can't see. Emotional bullying and name calling may not seem like a big deal, but it hurts everyone involved in it. Harrington addresses it properly, showing the victims in both lights. Chelsea is the victim but she also has to face that victims that she was responsible for getting harmed. It's not your average mean girl turned good girl story. Chelsea knows what she did was wrong and she is trying to change that. Harrington captured high school life to a tee and I hope reading this book will help victims of bullying to speak up and not keep it inside. Gossip is one thing, but bullying is a completely other planet.

“Hate is... It's too easy. Love. Love takes courage.”