{Audiobook Review} Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Publication date: September 10, 2013

Narrators: Rebecca Lowman, Maxwell Caulfield

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press

ISBN-13: 9780804121293

Synopsis 

There are fans and there are fangirls, Cath falls in the second category. Simon Snow has been a great part of her life, not only has she read all the books and she is a respected figure when talking about Simon Snow fanfcition, but it used to be something that tied her and her sister together.

Now it seems that their twin senses aren’t tingling nor in sync. College is around the corner and Wren just drop a bomb on her, they are not rooming together. Now Cath is at the mercy of her new roommate and her charming and always smiling boyfriend.

To add a little to the stress of her new environment Wren’s and Cath’s father isn’t what you would call stable and Cath can’t stop worrying about it. College, family and people are all coming at Cath whether she is ready or not, can this fangirl survive in an environment so far away from her comfort zone?

Review

I loved loved loved Fangirl, I was squirming, screaming and squealing, jumping and turning. Honestly I’ve been banging my head on my desk for not reading it as soon as it came out.

Would I’ve not enjoyed this book as much if I just read it instead of listening to the audio book? Definitely! That is not to say that Rebecca Lowman didn’t do a good job giving life to the whole fangirl entourage, and not to say that Maxwell Caulfield didn’t do a great backing her up.

The characters where yummy to read, Cath’s insecurities, her motivation, the way she was hit by the bumps in the road made her a really interested and fun character to read. The best part of it was that I never felt that she was being untrue to herself.

Secondary characters wise, yes some of them where kind of predictable but others punched this really nice surprises and I would love to get lost in a short story of Ragen and Levi. This book covers the basis of a standalone, it has the sweet glory of having a full story in just one book with the sweetest agony of wanting and craving for more.

Rating:

{Trailer Sunday} ROOM by Emma Donoghue

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

{Trailer Sunday} Find Me by Romily Bernard

“Find Me.”

These are the words written on Tessa Waye’s diary. The diary that ends up with Wick Tate. But Tessa’s just been found . . . dead.

Wick has the right computer-hacking skills for the job, but little interest in this perverse game of hide-and-seek. Until her sister Lily is the next target.

Then Griff, trailer-park boy next door and fellow hacker, shows up, intent on helping Wick. Is a happy ending possible with the threat of Wick’s deadbeat dad returning, the detective hunting him sniffing around Wick instead, and a killer taunting her at every step?

Foster child. Daughter of a felon. Loner hacker girl. Wick has a bad attitude and sarcasm to spare.

But she’s going to find this killer no matter what.

Because it just got personal.

{Review} Snowbound with the Soldier by Jennifer Faye

Publication date: October 1st 2013

Publisher: Harlequin

ISBN-13: 99780373742615

Synopsis  

Seven years have passed since Kara saw Jason, since Jason broke their engagement during Christmas and enlisted in the army without a proper explanation.

Now the loft that Kara’s been working for has been sold and there are really strong rumors that the new management want’s their people to move in, but all those rumors dull up when she finds out exactly who the new management is.

There are times when it’s just time to quit the military life, sometimes it forces you to quit, Jason is a member of the last circle. Now as a civilian he is trying to rebuild parts of the life he left, discovering that Kara is still in town is one of the few surprises that have been waiting 7 years to be discovered.

Review

Snowbound with the Soldier is my first experience with sweet romance, I usually shy away when the genres adult + romance mix because in a lot of them bum! They have sex problem solved which means I’ve either had a really bad experience with this two genres mixed together or that that’s usually how the work, either way I really liked the way this book dealt with romance .

The awkwardness and the first interactions with Jason and Kara feel real and I like how they’re relationship evolves, how not everything is clean and each characters shows the reader their doubts, their hopes and fears.

I like how in this story the reader is a silent and helpless confident that even if he gets a bigger picture the reader is still trying to put two and two together to see everything that happened in this characters during those seven years.

There was a large range of important subjects touched in this story, each one had its place and even if I didn’t like how some of them where enact each of them portrayed  the right message at the end.

I would suggest this story for all of you that will be doing some travelling for Christmas or New Years, this story would be a good companion during those trips or a good little companion during those times out we sometimes need during the holidays.

Rating:

3.5 Broken TV’s

{Cover Wars} Chocolate Aftertaste by Liz Grace Davis

Hello guys and welcome to Cover Wars where covers battle it out and ask you which one is the best face for the story they hold inside. Each week different books come and show you all they’re faces all the covers the world has known them about. Last week we had Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon where the first known cover and the one with the twist met, and now it is time to reveal the winner….

The Cover that Breaks the Mold

Now that the winner has had a few seconds to bask on its glory we can move on into a more peaceful looking book, Chocolate Aftertaste by Liz Grace Davis a romantic women's fiction
contemporary novel that if you haven’t heard then let me lead you to the book blurb darling.

Nora Darkin’s life has never been her own, but that’s about to change, and what she finds on the other side will taste a lot like sweet freedom.

Aidan Darkin, a wealthy entrepreneur, has controlled his daughter, Nora, since the death of his wife years prior. Nora never thought to question the decisions he made for her, always believing he knew best. But trust comes with a price, and for Nora, the sacrifice is her own happiness.

On the eve of her wedding, confronted with a truth that will change everything and a betrayal that will fracture the life she’s always known, she will do the unthinkable—defy her father and make her escape.

On her own for the first time, Nora makes the quaint country town of Dreara, known for its extraordinary chocolate, her temporary home. Faced with choosing for herself for the first time in her life, she sets out to capture her own independence, to fall in love for the right reasons with a man of her own choosing, and embark on a journey that will fulfill her soul—even if that means risking it all, and losing more than she ever imagined.

But even a place known for its chocolate doesn’t quite offer Nora the sweet beginning she’d hoped for.

Now that we know a little bit more about the Chocolate Aftertaste let’s get to meet the pretties!

On the right corner we have the original cover, the one showing a woman full of confidence for someone trying to make it on her own for the first time, a cover of grandeur and a one tone color palette.

On the left corner we have the newcomer the one of soft violets, a sense of peace and a feeling of new begginings.

So now that you know the contestants let us know which cover leaves you feeling with an aftertaste of chocolate and freedom? Which one is more attractive to you and wich one you feel fits the story best. Let us know be it by voting on the poll or leaving a comment and remember to stop by next week to see who won!

{Cover Reveal} Sidelined by Kendra C. Highley

Today Kendra Highley and Entangled Teen Ember are revealing the cover for SIDELINED. Coming out this September!

On to the reveal!

Publication date: September 23rd 2013

Publisher:  Entangled: Teen

ISBN-13: 9781622662975

Synopsis

 After being pushed to excel her entire life, high school basketball star Genna Pierce is finally where she wants to be. University scouts are taking notice, her team is on its way to the state tourney, and Jake Butler, the hot boy she's daydreamed about since ninth grade, is showing somedefinite interest. When he asks her out and their relationship takes off, Genna believes things can't get better.
Then, it's over.
A freak accident ends her career before it's even begun. Her parents are fighting more than ever, her friends don't understand what she's going through, and she's not sure who she is without basketball. And while he tries to be there for her, Genna doesn't understand how Jake could ever want the broken version of the girl he fell for.

Her life in a tailspin, Genna turns to the only solace that eases her pain: Vicodin. 

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Kobo/iBooks

About Kendra:

Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to two self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most critical job. She believes in everyday magic, extraordinary love stories and the restorative powers of dark chocolate.

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Giveaway!

1 eBook of SIDELINED International

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{Trailer Sunday} The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf

A laugh-out-loud, bittersweet debut full of wit, wisdom, heart, and a hilarious, unforgettable heroine.

When you’re a hypochondriac, there are a million different things that could be wrong with you, but for Izzy, focusing on what could be wrong might be keeping her from dealing with what’s really wrong.

I almost raised my hand, but what would I say? “Mr. Bayer, may I please be excused? I’m not totally positive, but I think I might have cancer.” No way. Then everyone at school would know, and they would treat me differently, and I would be known as “Izzy, that poor girl who diagnosed herself with breast cancer during biology.”

But Izzy’s sense of humor can only get her so far when suddenly her best friend appears to have undergone a personality transplant, her mother’s health takes a turn for the worse, and her beautiful maybe-boyfriend is going all hot and cold. Izzy thinks she’s preparing for the worst-case scenario, but when the worst-case scenario actually hits, it’s a different story altogether—and there’s no tidy list of symptoms to help her through the insanity.

{Trailer Sunday} Lily Alone by Jacqueline Wilson

Lily isn't home ALONE - but she sort of wishes she was. Looking after six-year-old twins Bliss and Baxter and three-year-old Pixie is a lot of responsibility.

When Mum goes off on holiday with her new boyfriend and her stepdad fails to show up, Lily is determined to keep calm and show she can cope without any grown-ups. But being in charge soon feels overwhelming, and Lily is worried that school or social services might discover their situation and break up the family. What could be better than to take all the little ones for a camping adventure in the park? Plenty of space to run about, no carpet to vacuum, and surely no chance anyone will guess they're there . . .

{Cover Wars} Letters to Nowhere by Julie Cross

Come one come all, welcome to Cover Wars, where covers battle it out in a fierce catwalk so we can decide on who wore it best. Before we take a look a this week's contestant lets reveal the winner of last week's long battle "Dearly, Departed", and the winner for best dressed is....

U.S. Cover

Now that we've basked on the glory of the winning "Dearly, Departed" cover, it is time to move into this weeks Cover War affairs, this week we have Julie Cross's new book "Letter to Nowhere" where she moves away from the world of Tempest and makes us dive into the world of Contemporary. Let's take a pick into the world of "Letter to Nowhere".

Seventeen year old Karen Campbell has just lost both her parents in a tragic car accident. Grief stricken and alone, her gymnastics coach opens his home to Karen, providing her a place to live while she continues to train, working toward a spot on the world championship team. 

Coach Bentley’s only child, seventeen year old Jordan is good-looking and charming enough to scare away a girl like Karen—someone who has spent ten times more hours on balance beams and uneven bars than talking or even thinking about boys. But the two teens share a special connection almost immediately. It turns out Jordan has a tragic past of his own, grief buried for years. 

As Karen’s gymnastics career soars, her nightmares and visions of the horrible accident grow in strength. She can only avoid facing her grief for so long before it begins to surface and ultimately spin out of control in a very dangerous way. Can discovering love and lust (simultaneously) help with the grieving process or will it only provide a temporary distraction while waiting for reality to hit full force.

Now that we're all a bit more informed we can take a look into a covers, first we have the one I call the kissing cover, the one that shows Karen and hopefully Jordan sharing a sweet kiss with a blurry background as if saying that nothing else matters or that all fades away when they are together.

Next we have the one I call the "Comforting Cover" the one that shows Jordan behind Karen letting her know he has her back, with a subtle hand on her right shoulder as if trying to say that it doesn't matter that she must move forward he will be there for her.

Now you know my opinion of each cover and the names they go by in my head, but here comes the most important part! What do you guys think of this covers? Which cover wore this story best based on the book blurb or if you have already read this book then please share your thoughts.

Letters to Nowhere is now out and you can get it where e-books are being sold.

{Review} Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

Publication date: March 26, 2013

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

ISBN-13: 9780061953415

Synopsis

Gigi, Bea and Neerja idolized Parad, Neerja’s older sister. Until they uncover the secret of her school life before parting to college, where Gigi bows that they will not follow Parad’s path.

Now the girls are in sophomore year and a mistake gets Gigi in trouble, which roughly translates in her and Mike working together. Mike is the guy that even if he is in Gigi’s advances classes is also a jock and he’s asked every now and again for her homework putting him on the jock that knows when to turn up the charm, hence he always gets what he wants leaving the conclusion that Mike Ipolito cannot be trusted.

This incident unchains a series of events that make the girls stop leaving their safe and guarded life and getting out there and take chances, from drama, ski to running for student rep this girls will find out that high school has more to offer if they decide to take a risk even if life presents a set back every now and then.

Review

Smart Girls Get What They Want was different from what I expected, it had some really nice surprises and little changes that made all the difference and made this book stand out from others of its kind.

If I had to pick one word to describe this story it would be “fresh” this story wasn’t fully loaded with drama, it was more like this things happen in life and it’s how you decide to deal with them that makes a difference kind of story.

The main character Gigi is naïve and is locked on preconceptions that her high school is an: us versus them world so her and her friends play it safe, stay together and study. We see her grow in what feels a natural pace and she has her friends to help her discover the things she would have otherwise discarded or taken a little longer to figure out.

Bea and Nerjaa are good secondary characters each one of them has her own personality, problems and side story. I like it that they aren’t the type of characters that are tossed aside and then when help is needed they come running. Gigi, Nerjaa and Bea are tight as thieves and they stick for one another.

Mike, Will, Henry and Justin are part of the male cast of this book, maybe Henry and Justin don’t get enough paragraphs to get to know them in a deep level but they each work their part well.

Mike and Will are part of the extra seasoning that shakes this story up and even if you know how things will end  they make you stumble and second guess about how exactly will the path to the end of the road twist and turn before you are finally able to read before you reach your destination.

For those of you looking for a fresh, high school, contemporary story I would highly sugest this one.

Rating:

 

{Review} Zero Tolerance by Claudia Mills

Publication date: June 18, 2013

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

ISBN-13: 9780374333126

Synopsis

Ever been punished for doing the right thing? That is what happened to seventh grader Sierra Shepherd who in an attempted to do the right thing she got herself suspended and is now on the bridge of expulsion.

Now the whole thing is getting bigger and she is discovering who is really by her side, how adults can change from looking at her from model student to most wanted and just how far will people go when pushed.

Review

Zero Tolerance is a great book it makes people think about actions and consequences put in a more ordinary scenario. As the story progresses we get little lessons that just enrich the story.

The author does a great job balancing Sierra out; yes Sierra is a good girl and as the story progresses she is tested by her actions and her parents actions. We get a deeper feel of some of the secondary characters like Sierra’s parents and her in school suspension mate Luke, so don’t worry about the story lacking because of the secondary characters.

I feel that this story isn’t limited to middle grade, this is a story that can be enjoyed by everyone it has layers and lessons to be thought.

This story is great for parents and kids to discuss and the chapters aren’t too long that children that aren’t used to reading will not feel like they aren’t doing any progress at all.

This was a day read for me and it made me think about the Zero Tolerance’s out there, I love how the cover lines up with the story and the how it got me thinking about all these different subjects from different characters from the adult side and the kids side where I don’t feel that anyone of them gets discriminated or the message they are trying to get across is lost because of their age.

Rating:

 

{Review} Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Publication date: October 26, 2010

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

ISBN-13: 9780375866593

Synopsis

What do you do when you find a strange book on in the shelf where your favorite books reside, what do you do?

Obviously you pick it up and do whatever the book tells.

And that is basically how Dash’s winter adventure started and he got into the road to meet Lily.

Review

Dash & Lily’s book of dares is between my summer picks, I picked this book on a hot day and thank goodness it made me forget all about the heat (in case you didn’t notice I am not a hot weather person, I feel like the wizard of Oz witch when she is screaming I’m MELTING!!!!). Now don’t get me wrong this isn’t a book that I would just recommend for summer this book is a good read at any season and any day of the year is a good one to start Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares.

Dash and Lily don’t voice out the way that normal teenagers do, instead of feeling like you are reading a regular teen it’s more like you are reading representative from the quirky awesome minority group. And by the way this is done I can assure you I’m saying this as a good thing.

This is not a book I would aloud myself to read in public, this books sense of humor is just great there was a lot of grinning, smiling and laughing, so… that might be a thing you might want to consider if you haven’t graduated from the book reading poker face academy.

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan make a great work at mixing a boy and girl’s point of view in this interesting quest of two people trying to know each other via the Book of Dares, no cellphones, no facebook, no technology to get in the way of the two of them knowing each other, not even their faces get in the way or really discovering who the other is in the middle of the busiest time of the year in New York city and this digital age.

 I would call this book a must read, but honestly you will be the ones making the call and I hope that if you do pick up you enjoy it more or at least as much as I did.

Rating:

 

{Review} The Barftastic Life of Louie Burger by Jenny Meyer Hoff

Publication date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

ISBN-13: 9780374305185

Synopsis

Young Louie Burger likes to spend his time in his big closet preparing comedy routines for his shows and comedian posters, but when his sister asks the big question “Are you really a comedian if you don’t perform in front of others?” Louie’s closet is in danger of disappearing and he can’t get that questions out of his head, especially with the fifth grade talent show coming up and several people telling him he should perform.

Now Louie isn’t in danger of losing his comedy stage but also of losing his best friend when  a new friend comes into Nick’s world and Louie feels set to the side. Can Louie get his confidence and perform with an audience while getting back his spot as Nick’s best friend?

Review

The Barftastic Life of Louie Burger had me worried at first; there was an excessive use of the word barf, I say excessive because it is a word we don’t hear so often and here you might get to see it on every third page or so. I thought the book would lose all relevance and the word barf would be the only thing I would end up remembering from this book; I was gladly proven that I was wrong.

 Louie is a flawed character, he feels real and you can feel his change moods along the story. I like how he doesn’t make it a big deal that he is the only male sibling in his family and how he takes the time to play with Ruby his quirky and adorable little sister that isn’t afraid of marching at her own beat.

The lessons Louie learns in this book are valuable for every kid to remember, bullies aren’t funny and you should not make fun of someone else just to escape the bully-radar, being afraid is natural but there are some rewards for those that decide to take the risk any way, don’t judge others by their appearances   you might be stealing yourself of a wonderful opportunity.

I would have wished that the character known as Thermos would have had a more complete part to the story, I know this is Louie’s story but I think this character could bring a story really worth telling to the table. The way this character gets bullied and the way Thermos fits into the story would have helped give this story the extra kick it needed to be a great story.

I loved that the parent figures weren’t shadows or blurbs on the background of the story, Louie Burger has a family who spends time together, the parents issues aren’t oblivious to the children yet they are just there enough to enhance the main points that this books is trying to make.

Yes, I do think The Barftastic Life of Louie Burger is a book worth checking with your little owns.

Rating: