When Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani opens, our angsty heroine has resigned herself to a long, lonely year at Prefect (or "the waiting room of hell itself" [24] as she prefers to call it). At least she's got her camera - she can chronicle her misadventures in a video diary, edit the footage and send it off to her faraway friends and family. Uploading her preliminary shots gives her a shock, a first indicator that her freshman year at Prefect might hold some surprises yet. To her astonishment, she finds her roommates becoming family; a cute filmmaker becoming her boyfriend; and the school she despises becoming a sort of refuge. Sure, she misses her family; her BFF back home seems ... distant; and then, of course, there's the ghost. Is she getting messages from beyond the grave or just missing home so much she's hallucinating? A school competition gives her the chance to find the answers, prove herself as a filmmaker, and win back the affections of the two boys she most wants to impress. Will Viola succeed? And how will the most difficult year of her life play out?

First off, I have to say that I admire Trigiani for trying something different. Not only is this her first YA novel, but it's also a giant leap away from her trademark Trigiani Trifecta (Italian families, Italian food and New York fashion). A little bit of Italian spice is sprinkled here and there, but Viola in Reel Life is basically a flavorless story about a semi-interesting (non-Italian) Everygirl navigating through her first year away from home. It's sweet, but slow, unfocused and just kind of ... blah. It needs some (okay, lots) of Trigiani's signature spice to stand out. The book seems lost without it.

Even though I've found her last couple books a little disappointing, I still love Trigiani. She writes with great warmth, especially about families. You can feel that closeness with Viola, her roommates, and their kin. None of the characters are particularly well-developed, but at least you can feel a bond between them. I liked that about the book, but otherwise, it was just really hard for me to get into. Maybe it's my fault - I was expecting a teen version of Big Stone Gap - but this one was just too bland for me. My advice to Trigiani? Spice, spice, baby.

Grade: C

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG

First off, the lovely Chantele presented me with the Honest Scrap award. It's given to bloggers whose posts come "from the heart." I'm supposed to pass it on to 7 bloggers, then answer a little meme. Since I'm all about living dangerously (ha!), I'm going to do it in reverse order. So, without further ado, here are 10 Random Things About Me:

1. I was born in the middle of a snowstorm on my dad's 37th birthday. I've been a big daddy's girl ever since :)

2. Although I'm not a very adventurous eater (just ask my husband - I'm always the last one perusing the menu, even though I pretty much always order the same thing), I have sampled dog, monkey, pig's brain, alligator and a thing so disgusting I shudder every time I think about it - balut. If you really want to know what it is (you don't), click here at your own risk. And, remember, I told you not to look!

3. I like soft ice cream. Not soft as in from-the-machine-soft-serve, but like hard-ice-cream-softened. I've been known to stick ice cream in the microwave if it's not melting fast enough for me.

4. I always sing along to the radio/CD/iPod when I'm driving. You'll never catch me singing in public, though, unless it's with a very large group of people.

5. I can't stand sports.

7. Once upon a time, I really was able to burp the ABCs.

8. I could eat custard-filled Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Reese's PB Cups and mashed potatoes for every meal. I'd wash it all down with Mt. Dew, of course. Mmmmm ...

9. I'm a cold weather creature. I love sweaters, blankets, fires crackling in the fireplace, snow, heavy comfort foods - yet I live in the desert. Go figure.

10. Although I come across as a "tell it like it is" person, I'm really the least acquiescent girl you'll ever meet.

But, enough about me. Let's talk about you. The 7 bloggers that came to mind for this award are:

Gaye from Inside a Book. She's one of my favorite bloggers because she's so nice. All of her posts come from her heart, and you can tell just by reading them what a kind, noble heart it is.

I just discovered Kristin's brand new blog, The Readers Chat. Probably because she has a son battling brain cancer, she wears her heart on her sleeve. This makes her reviews both poignant and moving. I can't wait to see her blog grow and develop.

Chris at Stuff As Dreams Are Made On. Not only does Chris blog about all the great sci fi/fantasy books he reads, but he's written about living through Hurricane Katrina, working in the mental health field, and lots of other things. His words definitely come straight from the heart.

Ari at Reading in Color. This high schooler writes passionately about something that's close to her heart - books about people of color. I love her sass, her confidence, and the fact that she willingly helped me out with a project that is so close to my own heart :)

Stephanie at The Written Word. I've "known" Stephanie for a while. When I announced my decision to adopt, she was one of the first to offer encouragement and advice. Like many of you, I've watched her battle cancer with strength and courage. And, oh yeah, she writes excellent reviews.

Laughing Stars at Stark Raving Bibliophile. This is one lady who's been making my day lately. I love her comments on my blogs as well as the reviews she posts on hers. She's a devoted mom and "unschooler," who's obviously passionate about what she does.

Cath at Read Warbler. Cath's another lady I've enjoyed reading for some time now. She always picks interesting books, about which she writes informative, intelligent reviews. I heart her, what can I say?

Mari gave me the Literary Blogger Award, which "acknowledges bloggers who energize & inspire reading by going the extra mile. These amazing bloggers make reading fun & enhance the delight of reading!" Thanks so much, Mari!

1. Katie at Katie's Literature Lounge. Maybe it's because she's a teacher, but Katie's one organized lady. I love her "Weekly Blog Plan" as well as the way she organizes her reviews. If you're an elementary school teacher, you're going to want to bookmark this valuable resource.

2. Jodie at Book Gazing just makes me laugh. She's chatty and friendly and fun. Reading her blog always gives me a lift and, of course, adds great books to my towering TBR mountain.

3. Sam at Book Chase. This is another blog I've been reading for a while. Sam writes a great book review, but I think what I love most about him is that he really stays on top of what is happening in the book/publishing industry. He finds interesting news items, gives his opinion and opens all kinds of issues up for discussion. I'd say that's "energiz[ing] and inspir[ing] reading by going the extra mile."

Thanks again for the awards. With the BBAW nomination and this bloggy love, I'm just flying high.