Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Review: The Geography of You and Me

The Geography of You and Me
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Published: April 15, 2014
Hardcover, 352 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.


Smith loves taking two characters that live nowhere near each other and making them fall in love in a small amount of time. She certainly made me fall in love in both The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and This Is What Happy Looks Like. She creates these worlds and characters that are normal in most every way, but they each find a chance at love in the most unlikely places. Lucy and Owen are perfect examples. Lucy has lived in New York all her life and Owen has just moved there. One day the power goes out and they get stuck in the elevator together. They spend one night together, up on the roof in view of stars. But everything changes after that. Lucy finds out she's moving to Scotland and Owen's father gets fired, leaving them with no reason to stay. Told in alternating view points, we watch as Lucy and Owen grow further apart, connecting only via postcards and emails. As their lives threaten to pull them so far apart that they'll never see each other again, things keep reminding them about that night, about the other, and the realize they need to find a way to be together.

I won't lie, I was very jealous of Lucy's family situation. Her parents seem to have endless amounts of money and she gets to live in Scotland and England and see most of the world. But her life is lonely and I'd rather be near love than be in England. She's not very close to her family and spends more time wandering around alone. Owen's life is not very good at all. After his mother died, his father and him knew they couldn't stay in their old house. So they travel around, trying to find a new job, while also trying to settle down so owen can graduate high school. Both characters led not so normal lives that were a bit hard to relate to, but it still hurt whenever they moved further from each other and tried to move on with their lives. 

This one didn't beat out  The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, which is still my favourite of the three books I've read of Smith's. But it was cute and made me want to get to the end just so I could see if they would get together. It broke my heart knowing they were both thinking about the other even thought hey couldn't be together. There were some really cute moments, especially during the black out and whenever they found postcards for the other. Overall, it was a cute read that certainly satisfied my hunger for a cute contemporary read. 

“Maybe they were never meant to have more than just one night. After all, not everything can last. Not everything is supposed to mean something.” 

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?

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: If You Like That, Try This

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we make lists about bookish topics to share around the world.

This week's topic is Top ten books to read if you like these T.V. shows, movies, plays, etc.

If you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer read... Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead: Hunters, hunted, lots of puns and snark!

If you like Once Upon a Time read.... The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: Fairytales remade into something completely different
                                                           
If you like Pitch Perfect read... This Song Will Save Your Life by Laila Sales: Finding out who you are through music, solo girl making friends

If you like Easy A read... Uninvited by Sophie Jordan: Ostracized for something she didn't do

If you like Mean Girls read... Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers: Mean girls of course!

If you like Romeo and Juliet read... Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor: Forbidden love, war between families

If you like The Walking Dead read... The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan: Zombies!

If you like Romantic comedies read... anything by Jennifer E. Smith! Cuteness overload with happy endings

If you like Veronica Mars read... Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers: Girl goes from top to bottom, trying to figure out something that happened to her.

If you like Anything so much you want to watch it over and over again, read... Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. This is a must for anyone who is obsessed with anything.

I feel like I could do this all day, there are so many good books and movies out there that relate to each other in on way or another. What's your top ten?


Friday, April 25, 2014

Review: Veronica Mars and the Thousand Dollar Tan Line

Veronica Mars: Thousand Dollar Tan Line
Author: Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
Published: March 25, 2014
Paperback, 324 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She’s traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.

Now it’s spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is no simple missing person’s case; the house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica’s past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined.



If you know me, you know I'm a Veronica Mars fan. I re-watch the show at least once a year, diving back into the sleuthing and drama that was Neptune, California. When they announced the movie, I was so happy. I was even happier when the whole cast returned and the movie was well done and perfect. So when they announced a new book series, I squealed. I get Veronica in every form now and it's fantastic. This book starts right where the movie left off, Veronica is back in Neptune and she is in charge of Mars Investigations while her dad recovers from his injury. Life is much different here than it was in New York. Veronica gave up a job at a huge law office to come back home so the money certainly isn't as good as it was. But this life called to her and now she just needs a big case to fill it. So when a girl goes missing during spring break, Veronica is on it, doing everything she can to bring the girl back alive. Madness ensures, as it does, for Veronica.

This book had the humour and twists that I loved about the show, but something fell flat for me. I think it might have been because it was in third person and in the show, we were always inside Veronica's head. And it missed her sass, her wit, that we all love, which didn't really come across the page well. But all my favourite characters were there - Veronica and Logan (though not enough Logan!), Wallace and Mac, and of course, Keith Mars. The mystery was well done, as always, and kept me guessing until the end. Rob Thomas has a knack for making you think one thing while something completely different is happening right over there. Veronica is a smart girl, yet she always gets herself into tough situations. When this happened in the book, it reminded me so much of the show and I couldn't wait to find out how she'd get herself out of it.

There is a fantastic twist that took everything we knew and messed it all up. It was a nice addition to the story, as it was a plot line we hadn't seen in quite some time. There was some nice closure, some nice tender moments between Veronica and Keith that we all love, but I wanted more Veronica and Logan, of course, because they are my favourite couple. I understand why he wasn't there, but maybe just a moment, just a flash into the future at the end, to rest my weary heart? Though I do know that this is going to be a series, and I can't wait for more Veronica. Seriously, Rob, I will read/watch/live anything you are willing to put out there about my girl. Thank you for keeping her alive.

“It’s hard to look the people you love in the face when they’ve seen you fuck up everything you touch. Sometimes, it’s easier to rebuild your life if you’re with someone who’s been as low as you’ve been.” 

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Author: Jenny Han
Published: April 15, 2014
Hardcover, 368 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them... all at once?

Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control.


The vague description left this book to really shine on its own. We know Lara Jean writes letters, we know they are never meant to be seen by the boys they are addressed to, but when they are suddenly mailed out and the boys are coming to Lara Jean asking her about them, she's not sure how to face the  consequences. Going from invisible in the eyes of these guys to suddenly the spotlight of their minds is too much for her to handle. Especially since one of those guys is her sister's boyfriend.

Jenny Han has a great writing style. She mixes in plot, feelings, and a whole lot of style into every sentence. She captures the essence of a teen girl wonderfully. They care about boys and fashion and everything that happens in life is a huge deal. When Lara Jean's sister, Margot, moves to Scotland for school, Lara Jean doesn't know how she'll survive without her. Especially since Margot left behind Josh, the boy Lara Jean has had a crush on all her life. I don't want to give too much of the plot away, since I love how mysterious it all is and that the description tells you nothing about what happens after the letters are mailed out, but everything entwined together wonderfully and there was no telling how everything would turn out for Lara Jean. Each event leads to something else and we watch as Lara Jean struggles to keep herself together as she tries to pick up the pieces she's scattered around with the letters. I related to Lara Jean a little too much. I fell for boys very quickly in high school and they didn't even know my name. And when I did finally have a real boyfriend, everything was very different than how I thought it would be. Things are always better in your imagination than they are in real life, aren't they?

Love triangles suck, I'm sure we all agree, but the one in this was so unlike anything I've read that I'm not sure if it's even a love triangle. Josh is a sweet guy who Lara Jean has known forever and is finally up for grabs, but after he gets her letter, she can't even be near him, even though her heart desperately wants to. And Peter is the kind of guy you stay away from, but somehow Lara Jean ends up spending a lot of time with him and he becomes someone we never thought he would. The ending of this book left so many questions unanswered and I'm in dyre need of the next one, but every character leapt off the page and into my heart and I love how they were all written. Kitty, Lara Jean's little sister, is hilarious and vicious and I love her. Lara Jean's best friend, Chris, is a bit of a head case and is going through something in her life that she may regret but is living to the fullest. 

Lara Jean has her faults. She's naive, a little sheltered, and confused about boys and her feelings for both Josh and Peter, but wasn't every teen girl like this? I know I liked boys I shouldn't have and I certainly wasn't the smartest girl when it came to boys, so I think Lara Jean was the perfect teen for this book. Everything was so complicated and it played out like real life. I can't wait for more and I also can't wait to meet Jenny Han tonight!! 

“Margot would say she belongs to herself. Kitty would say she belongs to no one. And I guess I would say I belong to my sisters and my dad, but that won’t always be true. To belong to someone—I didn’t know it, but now that I think about, it seems like that’s all I’ve ever wanted. To really be somebody’s, and to have them be mine.”

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Book Friends


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where we make lists about books and bookish things.

This week's topic is Top Ten Characters Who X (fill in the blank) I'm going to do top ten characters I wish I were friends with (since this week has been all about friends for me!)


1. Zuzana (Daughter of Smoke and Bone) She is adorable and feisty and I feel like we'd get along great.

2. Kaylee (Soul Screamers) only because I want to be her.

3. Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games) I'd never have to be scared because she'd have my back. And I feel like I could get a smile out of her.

4. Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars and the Thousand Dollar Tan Line) Because who wouldn't want to hang with Ronnie?

5.  Sophie (Hex Hall) Everything about her. I love her.

6. Cath (Fangirl) We could just read all day and Levi would bring us coffee, yes? Yes.

7. Annabeth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) I could certainly learn a thing or two from Annabeth, and maybe she'd lend me her hat every once in awhile.

8. Lola (Lola and the Boy Next Door) She could make me outfits, I could help her pick out wigs! I would have so much fun raiding her closet!

9. Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles) I want all the ladies in this book to go out for a drink with me, but Scarlet is my soul sister.

10. Becky (Confessions of a Shopaholic) Need I say more? Let's go shopping!


What's your Top Ten Tuesday and which girls would you love to be BFFs with?

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Teaser Tuesday: To All the Boys I've Loved Before




Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly feature hosted by Should Be Reading where we tease our readers with quotes from the books we're reading.

All you have to do to participate is grab your current read, open to a random page and share 2 teasers from that page (make sure there's no spoilers!)

My book this week is:

To All the Boys I've Loved Before
By Jenny Han
Publication Date: April 15, 2014
Hardcover, 355 pages


'Margot would say she belongs to herself. Kitty would say she belongs to no one. And I guess I would say I belong to my sisters and my dad, but that won't always be true. To belong to someone - I didn't know it, but now that I think about, it seems like that's all I've ever wanted. To really be somebody's, to have them be mine.' (page 190)

'"No, I've never had a boyfriend. But plenty of people I know have had boyfriends but they've never once been in love. I've been in love." That's why I'm doing this.' (page 191)



Since today is the release date of this book, I'm giving it full treatment! I got it early, but I'm hoping everyone else goes out to buy it today! Happy Book Birthday, Jenny Han!

Friday, April 11, 2014

Review: Hopeless (Losing Hope and Finding Cinderella)

Hopeless
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: December 19, 2012
Paperback, 406 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.


My adventure in New Adult continues with a very good lead. Hoover's novel excelled every exception I had for it and now I know what NA is supposed to be like. Real characters going through a stage in their life where they're not sure what comes next. Real, raw emotion and love that isn't always perfect. Though her characters are still in high school, this is more mature than YA and will certainly pull at the heartstrings of anyone who reads it.

Sky has a reputation even though she's still a virgin. She lets boys come into her window at night and she feels numb when they kiss her. She lets them because she likes feeling nothing. Home schooled all her life, Sky has decided to go to a public school, alone and already with a reputation. But when Sky meets Holder at the grocery store, she's not so sure about public school. Holder's intense, but there's something about him that makes her want to know more. They keep running into each other and their relationship gets really tricky. Sky likes the way she actually feels something around Holder, but it seems like he's hiding something from her. The moment Sky realizes what he's been hiding, her world shatters and she's not sure if she can ever glue it back together.

Sky is a beautiful heroine. She keeps to herself and doesn't let what others say about her affect her. She is iffy about getting close to Holder, but in her head, I saw how much she wanted to be near him because he actually made her feel important. The way their relationship formed was beautiful to read and I didn't want anything bad to happen, though I knew it would. Holder is intense because he's holding back a lot. His sister killed herself almost a year before hand and something happen when he was a child that he just can't get over. There is a companion novel, Losing Hope, told through Holder's point of view that gives you a really in depth look at the pain and suffering that Holder puts on himself. It made me understand his character so much more and I just wanted him to get a happy ending as much as Sky. I fell in love with these two as quickly as they fell for each other. Their relationship is far from perfect, but I love how real it all felt. Holder is sweet and caring and would do anything for Sky, wanting to protect her with his life. 

Hoover knows how to fill your heart with love and then break it to pieces. This story took a turn that I was not expecting at all. Everything Sky knows is wrong and Holder holds the answers. It played out beautiful and terrifying and there was no telling how it would all end. It felt so real and I haven't felt that kind of emotion in a story in a long time.


Losing Hope was a wonderful read as well. Told at the same time as Hopeless, we really get into Holder's head and find out some back story about him and his sister. Both of these novels together made for a fantastic read that made me laugh, smile, and cry buckets. This is a story about love, forgiveness, and accepting the things in life we have no choice but to accept. Sky is so strong and I hope that anyone who has gone through what she has can be strong and live a life without regret and with the love that they deserve. The novella that goes along with this story as well, Finding Cinderella, follows Sky's best friend, Six, and Holder's best friend, Daniel, as they go through their own heartbreaking story. It's a nice little addition to the family and it will tear out your heart just like the others. I know that sounds awful, but these books are fantastic reads and I can't wait to read more from Hoover. Sometimes it feels good to get your heart ripped out and watch as it's dragged across the floor, don't you think?

“Not everyone gets a happily every after. Life is real and sometimes it's ugly and you just have to learn how to cope.” 

Thursday, April 10, 2014

This Side of Salvation Superfan Contest Final Day!

Hey all!

Today is the last day of the superfan contest for This Side of Salvation. I'm really hoping people have looked at my posts, read about the book, and now want to go out and pick it up. Jeri Smith-Ready is one of the sweetest authors out there. She is always there for her fans and this contest just proves how much she cares about us. If you haven't read any of her books, go read the Shade series or just go pick up This Side of Salvation, and you will not be disappointed.

Here's the post about the contest! And the rules are here. It's easy to enter and looks like it'll be a lot if fun. Jeri is great with her fans and I'm excited to participate in another one of her contests. Her Shade series is easily one of my favourites and I can't wait to read this new book as well!

 Here's the book summary from Goodreads:

Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, but there’s one thing he does know for sure: The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier,
 more he feels.

Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.

But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined...


Today's trading card features Mr. Ralph, David's homeschool teacher. Jeri woke up with this quote in her head and she knew it was the novel's central truth.


For Superfan contest details, including rules, prize list, and entry form, see this post. If you already know what to do, here's a direct link to the entry form, which contains helpful instructions on how to link to your posts. To see a gallery of trading cards (and other interesting stuff from the book), visit the TSoS Pinterest page.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Review: Panic

Panic
Author: Lauren Oliver
Published: March 4, 2014
Hardcover, 408 pages
4.5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.


When I heard Oliver had a book coming out, I knew I needed it right away. When I heard it was a contemporary book, I immediately thought about Before I Fall, her debut that blew me away. And while this book has the same prose as her others, it is so completely different that I can't even compare it to the others. Panic is so different from anything I've read, by Oliver or otherwise. When I saw that it was written in third person, I was worried. I'm so in love with hearing characters come to life in their own words, but I bit my tongue and took my words back after the first chapter. Panic came to be one summer when the graduating students got bored. There's no much else to do in Carp anyway, so they may as well make it interesting. Panic is a game that lasts all summer, only graduates may play. You don't have to, but the prize waiting for you at the end makes me hard not too. But Panic is not easy. Panic makes you face your worse fears or worse. People have been injured, people have died. But Heather needs to the money so she can get out of Carp and Dodge needs the money so he can help his sister. 

This book was so hard to put down. Even the parts between the challenges, the parts where not much was happening, kept me anticipating what would come next. Just like the contestants of Panic, I didn't know what was in store for me next. Each word Oliver used made me second guess anything I thought might happen. With each day,  a new Panic challenge would arrive anonymously, sending fear through the contestants. Heather was relatable, coming from a not so good home life and realizing that the money could help her get her sister out of the small town. She is certainly not your typical YA heroine in her looks. She's bigger and taller, while it's her friend, Nat, is the cute pretty one. And Dodge is so far from the normal YA hero, it's a breath of fresh air. He's dirty and conniving, but it's all for a reason. Both are trying to do what's best for their families, even if they risk their own lives doing it, and both are also wading through the waters of love, hoping against all hope that they will still have a chance when Panic is over.

Oliver's characters were not perfect at all. Their flaws only made their motives more thrilling and made me rooting for both Heather and Dodge to win Panic. The secrets they kept from each other, their reasons for playing, gave me a thrill that I don't get very often in other books. Even in the last few chapters, there was no telling who would take the prize home and who would actually survive to tell about it. Everything about the book was unique and I was engaged all the way to the end. The Delirium series fell short for me, but Before I Fall still reminds one of my favourites. This book was reminiscent of her first novel and I was glad to see that side of her back again. Can't wait for more, Lauren!

“It was so strange, the way that life moved forward: the twists and the dead ends, the sudden opportunities. She supposed if you could predict or foresee everything that was going to happen, you’d lose the motivation to go through it all. The promise was always in the possibility.” 

This Side of Salvation Superfan Contest Day 8!

Hey guys!

I'll be participating in a contest hosted by Jeri Smith-Ready for her new YA contemporary, This Side of Salvation, which comes out April 1st!

Here's the post about the contest! And the rules are here. It's easy to enter and looks like it'll be a lot if fun. Jeri is great with her fans and I'm excited to participate in another one of her contests. Her Shade series is easily one of my favourites and I can't wait to read this new book as well!

 Here's the book summary from Goodreads:

Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, but there’s one thing he does know for sure: The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier,
 more he feels.

Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.

But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined...


Today's trading card features Eve Decker, one of David's homeschool classmates. Overshadowed by her obnoxious older brother, Ezra, she's a bit of a wallflower when we first meet her. But then she develops, in every way. Like David, she's pissed at her parents for hiding the truth and denying her choices. Unlike David, she's really good at chess.


Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Unique Books


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we talk about bookish topics and share the love.

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Most Unique Reads

1. Mr Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloane: A mystery involving books that made my love for books even deeper.

2. Mind Games by Kiersten White: Just as the title suggests, this book played games with my head and it stood out from the rest because of it.

3. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi: Juliette's voice is unique one of a kind, that you'll never forget it.

4. Pivot Point by Kasie West: Two completely different worlds and realities playing out at the same time made for a really fun and unique read.

5. Imaginary Girls by Nova Suma Ren: It was hard to tell what was real in this book and as far as unreliable narrators go, this one has the best one.

6. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell: Cute and quirky, this book takes the email world to the extreme and I loved it!

7. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson: The grief in this book stands out above the rest and the notes and poems scattered through the pages made this book feel very real.

8. Bright Before Sunrise by Tiffany Schmidt: Two narrators, one counting down to something and the other just trying to get through. The titles of the chapters and the way that it played out in one evening gave this book a nice, unique quality.

9. Panic by Lauren Oliver: The concept was cool and different and the writing was very different from what I've been reading lately.

10. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold: I'm a big fan of books written from the stand point of a dead character (morbid I know) and this one was heartbreaking and touching with a bit of mystery involved.

What are some fun, unique reads you've had the pleasure of reading?

This Side of Salvation Superfan Contest Day 7!

Hey guys!

I'll be participating in a contest hosted by Jeri Smith-Ready for her new YA contemporary, This Side of Salvation, which comes out April 1st!

Here's the post about the contest! And the rules are here. It's easy to enter and looks like it'll be a lot if fun. Jeri is great with her fans and I'm excited to participate in another one of her contests. Her Shade series is easily one of my favourites and I can't wait to read this new book as well!

 Here's the book summary from Goodreads:

Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, but there’s one thing he does know for sure: The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier,
 more he feels.

Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.

But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined...


Today's trading card features Sophia Visser, leader of the Rush cult. A widow with a sordid past, Sophia dreams of eternal peace and salvation. But what will she sacrifice to achieve that dream, and at what cost to her devoted followers and their families?



Monday, April 7, 2014

This Side of Salvation Superfan Contest Day 6!

Hey guys!

I'll be participating in a contest hosted by Jeri Smith-Ready for her new YA contemporary, This Side of Salvation, which comes out April 1st!

Here's the post about the contest! And the rules are here. It's easy to enter and looks like it'll be a lot if fun. Jeri is great with her fans and I'm excited to participate in another one of her contests. Her Shade series is easily one of my favourites and I can't wait to read this new book as well!

 Here's the book summary from Goodreads:

Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, but there’s one thing he does know for sure: The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier,
 more he feels.

Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.

But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined...


Today's trading card features Jennifer Cooper, David's mom. Devastated by her older son's death, se goes to great lengths to save the rest of her family, but ultimately it's David and Mara who must save her.



Friday, April 4, 2014

This Side of Salvation Superfan Contest Day 5!

Hey guys!

I'll be participating in a contest hosted by Jeri Smith-Ready for her new YA contemporary, This Side of Salvation, which comes out April 1st!

Here's the post about the contest! And the rules are here. It's easy to enter and looks like it'll be a lot if fun. Jeri is great with her fans and I'm excited to participate in another one of her contests. Her Shade series is easily one of my favourites and I can't wait to read this new book as well!

 Here's the book summary from Goodreads:

Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, but there’s one thing he does know for sure: The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier,
 more he feels.

Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.

But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined...


Today's trading card features Mr. Cooper, aka Dad. A recovering alcoholic, he replaced booze with religion after his older son, John, was killed in Afghanistan.


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