Thursday, May 31, 2012

Throwback Thursday (3)

This is a weekly meme started by me, Kelley Lee of Reading to Stay Alive
The rules are simple, pick a favorite book of your past, and post about it. You can pick a quote from the series, post the blurb, maybe write what was your favorite thing about the book. Pick a book that you haven't read for a long time, and spread the word about it's awesomeness, in something less or shorter than a review. Once you have your Throwback posted, come here are post a link in the comment section. 


My Throwback Thursday-


This week I would like to highlight, and yes I know, I know, it is pretty obvious, but it is a can't miss.


Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Released on September 1st 1998


Goodreads:
Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility. 
All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley—a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years. 
But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry—and anyone who reads about him—will find unforgettable. For it's there that he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter.


The Harry Potter series are great books to read as you are growing up. They opened my imagination  for better and brighter possibilities. They were really wonderful novels from my past. I hope you enjoyed my blast from the past! 


Leave a comment with your own Throwback, or link me to your own. I love to check out others posts. 

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

50 Follower Giveaway

Hello Everyone! Can you believe just a short month ago there was no followers and this was blog wasn't even up and running? Now I have over fifty followers and this wonderful giveaway.



So, what am I giving away you ask? Well, in honor of it's release date (June 1st) I am going to be giving away GIRL OUT LOUD




Goodreads:

*Silent Scream!*
Kass Kennedy is nobody's idol. She does forget the lyrics. She's not a gleek. The x factor? Not her! Read her lips: She has the right to remain silent.
Just try telling that to her dad.
Because he's totally lost it this time, demanding Kass audition for a TV talent show. Which would be slightly less than death-by-embarrassment if Kass could (duh!) actually sing. And if even the smallest part of her craved the spotlight. Stardom is her dad's dream, not hers. But he's so fragile, she's afraid he just might crack if she doesn't go through with his latest, craziest plan.
Not helping: Her hopelessly MIA mom. The budding criminal mastermind also known as her kid brother. And amateur shrink Izzy and used-to-be-sweet Char, who've gone all frenemies over a boy in brown boots. (Don't ask.)
It's only rock n' roll? If only! Inside, Kass is screaming, but no one is listening. How loud does a girl have to shout to be heard?


So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and sign up!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine, that spotlights
 upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This weeks Waiting on Wednesday will focus on a book not too far from publication.
Devine Intervention by Martha Brockenbrough Release Date: June 1st 2012

Luckily, I received the ARC of this so I could start reading it today!

Goodreads:

There is a great legend of the guardian angel who traveled across time and space for the human girl he loved, slaying those who would threaten her with a gleaming sword made of heavenly light.

This is not that story.

Jerome Hancock is Heidi Devine's guardian angel. Sort of. He's more of an angel trainee, in heaven's soul-rehabilitation program for wayward teens. And he's just about to get kicked out for having too many absences and for violating too many of the Ten Commandments for the Dead.

Heidi, meanwhile, is a high school junior who dreams of being an artist, but has been drafted onto her basketball team because she's taller than many a grown man. For as long as she can remember, she's heard a voice in her head - one that sings Lynyrd Skynyrd, offers up bad advice, and yet is company during those hours she feels most alone.

When the unthinkable happens, these two lost souls must figure out where they went wrong and whether they can make things right before Heidi's time is up and her soul is lost forever.

Martha Brockenbrough's debut novel is hilarious, heartbreaking, and hopeful, with a sense of humor that's wicked as hell, and writing that's just heavenly.


Please leave a link to your own WoW, I love to check them out!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Teaser Tuesday (3)


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This weeks Teaser Tuesday comes from My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick...

"'Is Jase already going to marry you?'
I start coughing again. 'Uh. No. No, George. I'm only seventeen.' As if that's the only reason we aren't getting engaged.
'I'm this many.' George holds up four slightly grubby fingers. 'But Jase is seventeen and a half. You could. Then you could live in here with him. And have a big family.'
Jase strides into the room, of course. midway through the proposition. 'George. Beat it. Discovery Channel is on.'
George backs out of the room, but not before saying, 'His bed's really comfortable. And he never pees in it.'
The door closes and we both start laughing." ~ Page 36


"He walks slowly over, his eyes locked on mine, then puts his hands around my waist.
'Umm. So...are we going to study?' My tone's deliberately casual.
Jase slides his thumbs behind my ears, rubbing the hollow at their base. He's only inches from my face, still looking into my eyes. 'You bet. I'm studying you.'" ~Page 258
I finished this book on Sunday. It was absolutely fantastic! A must read, and it comes out on June 14th.

Leave a link for your TT's. I will be sure to check everyone!

Monday, May 28, 2012

My Life Next Door

Goodreads:
A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”
The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?
A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.
Title: My Life Next Door
Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Release Date: June 14th
Publisher: Dial Books
Where to buy: Barnes and Noble, Amazon

Review:

*This review is based off of the ARC, thanks to ATWT Tours.

This book is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Realistic fiction that is actually believable. Samantha Reed is a heroine that you can be proud of. You understand her love, her trust and her pain when she is put in one of the most difficult situations I can imagine. She is honest, and brave, the kind of heroine you want to be like yourself.

Jase Garrett, probably one of the most adorable and handsome male leads of all time. He puts all the bad boys to shame by making them look exactly that, like boys. No girl could ever resist him, even if they are not into the good guy type. He is perfect, literally perfect in every way. Just the thought of him climbing up my terrace at night makes my heart flutter and skip a few beats.

The reason that their love is kept a secret at the start is because Sam's mom is very strict. She has looked over at her neighbors for the last ten years and seen constant mess. Sam's mother expects things to be held to a very high standard and the Garrett's fall far, far, far below that standard. So when their relationship starts Sam keeps it to herself, even hiding it from her so called best friend. Which you might be able to imagine is weird if you are a Garrett and everything is out in the open, and it is even acceptable to engage in mild PDA in front of your parents.

Basically, Mrs. Garrett and Mr. Garrett are the parents that you should have, the ones that love you for who you are and accept that teenagers will be teenagers. Another bonus is that this book had great length. Most realistic fiction, romance YA's top out around 300 pages but this one is almost to the 400's. It made it there without ramblings and drawn out thoughts. It was beautifully written and artfully crafted. The plot had me questioning what could possibly go wrong but not in a way that was unplanned and just thrown in there. There was a lot of depth and thought put into the steps each character will take that lead us straight through to the end.

The only thing that I was dissatisfied with was the last ten pages or so, because it was not as magnificent as the whole story. I felt I was left a little hanging on the ending, but that is my inner greediness asking for more and more. Because, truthfully, that is what you will be asking, you will want more of Sam and Jase, more of the assisting characters, George, Duff, Alice and especially Tim. Everyone played an important role and it was all purposeful not just thrown in as a space filler. I love this book and as I have to return this ARC I will be in Barnes and Noble on June 14th purchasing my own copy of My Life Next Door so I can read it for years and years to come.

I anticipate many great novels from Huntley Fitzpatrick. This was a beautiful debut and I hope I hear more about when her next novel will be released very soon. Her name is definitely a name to remember, and will certainly be on the best sellers list.

Rating:
And it deserves every single one of them, I would give
it 500 stars if I had that many!







Recommended for people who enjoyed:
Catching Jordan or Along for the Ride

This book is so fantastic I just want to keep reading it!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

In My Mailbox (4)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.
For more information, 
click here.
This week in my Mailbox I purchased...

Grave Mercy, I have heard such wonderful things about this book. I cannot wait to sink my claws into it. Did I say claws...I meant hands, yeah hands...Anyways, I love the sentence on the front cover, that alone could have made me buy the book, it says "Why be the sheep when you can be the wolf?" I mean, of course I want to be the wolf!

Next in my purchases is these books I got at a make your own price book sale.



This book involves American Indian culture, and I am obsessed with that so, I had to gobble this one up!



Enter a time where seances were all the rage and you will find yourself smack dab in the middle of Inamorata! 





And from Netgalley...

Shift! "Loser" boy meets amazing girl and he finds out he might not be such a loser after all! 

Not only that but he learns he has the power to shift. Hence the title. Needless to say, should be a great read!



That's it for me this week! Post a link to your IMM, I love to check out people's great grabs of the week!

Happy Reading!
P.S. My Life Next Door is going amazingly well. I LOVE IT!

Friday, May 25, 2012

Delirium

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.
But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.
Title: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Release Date: February 1st 2011
Publisher: Harper Teen


Review:

Well, this review is long overdue. I read this book so long ago it seems, but I suppose in reality it was less than a month ago. Delirium was a book without love, or maybe just overflowed with it. The government has found that love is the cause of all the worlds problem. It made people crazy, now they have a cure. A surgical procedure that can eliminate the deliria forever.

Lena can't wait for the procedure, her mother and her family had a poor reputation when it comes to the deliria, and she doesn't want to be in the spotlight any longer. After she gets the procedure everything will be fine, everything will be safe. Then, she falls in love and now she has to fight with everything she has so she can keep from getting the procedure.

This novel was a straight three star rating until the very end. The ending alone deserves five stars, but to balance it out I am giving this book an overall four star rating. The novel was decent enough throughout the meat of the story, it just lacked that certain oomph to turn it into that amazing story. The character and plot developments were efficient and not lacking. I loved the secret teen society rebelling against the government, and the descriptions of the wild, and how it was well known that there had to still be people out there.

Again, I would just like to mention how absolutely fantastic the ending was. I feel Oliver really stepped out of the normal paradigm author comfort zone and threw us into the middle of a war. It was beautifully told, and had me gripped waiting and hoping for the best. Grace was one of my absolute favorite sideline characters, such big presence for such a little quiet girl.

Oliver certainly has a talent for the endings. I look forward to Pandemonium so I can read more of what happens next for Lena.

Rating:




Recommended for people that enjoyed:
The Pledge or Glitch

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Throwback Thursday (2)

This is a weekly meme started by me, Kelley Lee of Reading to Stay Alive
The rules are simple, pick a favorite book of your past, and post about it. You can pick a quote from the series, post the blurb, maybe write what was your favorite thing about the book. Pick a book that you haven't read for a long time, and spread the word about it's awesomeness, in something less or shorter than a review. Once you have your Throwback posted, come here are post a link in the comment section.


My Throwback Thursday-


Go As Alice by Anonymous 


This was a very serious book. I loved it. Dark and gripping, are the words that come to mind. It is a girls diary as she goes through the ups and mostly downs of her life.This books is the book that actually turned my opinion of reading around. See, my mom used to force me to read, so I had taken a break from it. Then I read this book, and my mind had completely changed. This book taught me that there could be life within the covers of a novel. There could be struggles that touched my soul. The characters could be real people in my heart. Because of this book I have so many fictional fantasy worlds going on within my very brain. I love it! And this is a great throwback from my past. 


Goodreads Summary:
January 24th After you've had it, there isn't even life without drugs.... 

It started when she was served a soft drink laced with LSD in a dangerous party game. Within months, she was hooked, trapped in a downward spiral that took her from her comfortable home and loving family to the mean streets of an unforgiving city. It was a journey that would rob her of her innocence, her youth -- and ultimately her life. 

Read her diary. Enter her world. 
You will never forget her. 
For thirty-five years, the acclaimed, bestselling first-person account of a teenage girl's harrowing decent into the nightmarish world of drugs has left an indelible mark on generations of teen readers. As powerful -- and as timely -- today as ever, Go Ask Alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction.
This book really had an impact on my life. So here is a teaser!

" Febuary 8
Well, I've gained almost fifteen pounds since we've been here, my face is a mess and my hair is so stringy and oily I'd have to wash it every night to keep it decent. Dad is never home and mMom is on my back all the time, 'Be happy, put up your hair, be positive, smile, show some spirit, be friendly,' and if they tell me I'm actually negatively and immaturely one more time I'm going to gag. I can't wear any of the clothes I made before I came here and I know Tim is ashamed of me like a dum-dum, insults me and makes remarks about my hippy hair. I'm getting fed up to here with this town and school in general and my family and myself in particular." 
                                                                                             - Page 15

That quote was taken before the major downward spiral.

These diaries that Beatrice Sparks formed into novels were really amazing. There are many great ones out there. It Happened to Nancy and Jay's Journal are other favorites of mine. Basically the bottom line is that they are great reads of my past. Comment a link to your own posts about your favorite novels from the past, or just comment your favorites! If you want to post a Throwback Thursday make sure you link it back to here!


Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
Today's Waiting on Wednesday is a book I am waiting on because I read Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally, and it was so excellent that now I am waiting for her second novel.


October 1st 2012
Stealing Parker

Goodreads:

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?

Companion to CATCHING JORDAN.

The companion novel to Catching Jordan, ugh why does it have to be so long from now. I fell in love with Kenneally's writing through the mind of Jordan, now I am so excited to catch another glimpse of that school through the eyes of Parker this time.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Teaser Tuesday (2)


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This weeks Teaser comes to us from Blackwood by Gwenda Bond...


'Miranda lifted her free hand and brushed her hair back to reveal the angry snake crawling up her cheek. "Then what's this? What else makes a birthmark leap bodies?"' - Page 57


'His mother barely paused, and Philips watched as Mirada's finger squeezed the trigger. Philips shut his eyes, a reflex against the memory of the powdery burst, a burst that shouldn't have been possible...' - Page 126

That's it for this weeks Teaser Tuesday. 

Please leave the link to your own Teaser Tuesday! I love to check out everyone's.

Happy Reading

Monday, May 21, 2012

Breaking Lauren

Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Danny Cummings' life is far from a fairytale, but that's okay since he doesn't believe in happy endings. After spending a year in juvenile hall for maliciously beating his sister's boyfriend, Danny embraces his badass image. Spending most nights drinking, fighting and collecting gambling debts for his Uncle, Danny's life is out of control. His addiction to the bad boy lifestyle won't let him do anything about it, even with his family begging him to go straight. But, when fifteen-year-old Lauren McIntosh stumbles into one of his nightly escapades, the self-proclaimed anti-romantic can't concentrate on anything except Lauren and the fact that she's on the same path his sister was on. Danny knows true love happening for the villain is as common as gamblers paying their debt on time, but he's never backed away from a challenge before and he hates the idea that history will repeat itself.
Growing old with the man she loves—in the small town where she was born—is the only dream Lauren McIntosh has ever had; that is until her family is practically run out of town amidst rumors of arson and adultery. So, when she meets Danny at her new school and hears the rumors about his activities from her new friends, she wants nothing to do with him or the gossip that seems to follow Danny everywhere. After a dangerous and ill-fated attempt at sneaking out, she develops unwelcomed feelings for Danny that he seems to reciprocate. But, Danny’s unrelenting pursuit makes Lauren nervous, especially since he's the only one that wants to know the secrets surrounding her family’s move. Lauren can't tell if Danny's intentions are true or if he has other plans for their newfound and unlikely friendship. The only way to figure out is to let him in and that could destroy everything, including the popularity and social acceptance she desperately seeks.
Title: Breaking Lauren
Author: Jordan Deen
Release Date: May 24th 2012
Publisher: Black Rose Writing

Review:

*Recieved from Netgalley and publisher for an honest review.

After reading this novel, I took it upon myself to actually read the blurb, and I found I would have been duly warned about this novel before I read it, had I been thorough when I requested this on Netgalley. So, it is my fault, I put the blame on myself. To be honest when I first read the blurb I skimmed the first paragraph so quickly that I thought we were talking about a girl named Danny who has been to juvi, and I was like "Heck yes, B.A. girl in the house." Well the story is the complete opposite of that.

Danny is the tough guy, and has fallen into the enforcer gig for his uncle's bookie business. He is all business, money, sex, and alcohol. Told from alternating perspectives, Lauren is the goodie-goodie to the EXTREME. She recently moved from a small po-dunk town in Illinois to Cali, where she plans on reinventing herself so she can become popular and be a cheerleader. (You know, every girls dream!) Well when they first spot each other across the quad, it is love at first sight. Danny catches one glimpse of her and he is ready to throw his wild lifestyle of girls and money away, without ever even talking to her. Luckily for Lauren, she has a few cheerleaders right next to her and they warn her away from the bad apple that is making eyes at her. Still she is intrigued, but she wants the perfect life just like her mother and father, (you know what I mean, the one where her father cheats on her mom, and her mom commits a felony by burning down their home, she wants that.)

So, instead of going with her love at first sight, insta-love, she goes after the wide-receiver of the football team, yummy, handsome Josh. *wiggles eyebrows* But it just so happens that Danny's sister dated Josh way back when and he broke her heart, so instead of telling Lauren about the upsets that Josh is sure to cause her, we let this play out and let Lauren learn her mistakes for herself.

I was upset that the author seemed to take the easy way out on this one. Danny was a love struck little boy, who was literally obsessed with Lauren. If she would have given Lauren more of a back-bone and let her be slightly intelligent and have some thoughts of her own, and given Danny more of a personality, instead of it being a personality solely revolved around Lauren, then this could have the setting of a very good book. Come on, I mean bad boy wants to be good for good girl, it is a concept that I am a sucker for.

So the entire book Danny is chasing after Lauren, trying to make himself better for her, when he isn't insisting he doesn't like her. Lauren has her little moments with Danny, but then she goes right back to Josh, because he is the good boy, the one who would never do anything to hurt her.

Now, the end is where I have to shake my head a little bit. I mean, we were all set up for the grand finale...when, it ended very abruptly on an awkward cliff hanger. I feel like I was halfway off the edge, but for some reason, I still haven't fallen yet. This is when I find out the author has planned to make this book a series, the next one is called Losing Lauren, and it comes out in January 2013.

This may be my inner masochist coming out, but I actually want to read Losing Lauren, I want to read it like right now. Because, I actually liked Danny, other than his obsessiveness over Lauren, he was the basis of the kind of character I like. So, I actually want to know what happens next. This may not have been the best books ever, and it may have also been annoying with a female character that is selfish, petty, and materialistic, but Danny was pretty cool. So I gotta find out what happens next. This is my guiltiest of pleasures.

Rating:




Recommended for those who enjoyed:
Hereafter (because in my opinion the romance is close to the same for sappiness)

Sunday, May 20, 2012

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.
For more information, 
click here.
Time for another week of IMM!

From Netgalley

Breaking Lauren is about a girl who is the sweet and innocent type and the guy who is bad news, your mother's worst nightmare. It is told in alternating perspectives and I just happen to be currently reading it! For those that are interested it is released on the 24th of this month! That is on Thursday!

Blackwood is about a remote island where 114 people just dissapeared. The main character is a juvi troubled teen who happens to be able to hear the dead. 

I would also like to add that this cover is amazing. The snake turning from 3-D to only paint on her face. It makes me think..."Okay, what is going on here, because that is freaking awesome!"

This weeks purchase...
Waiting is about a girl whose brother just died and it has turned her whole life upside down. She meets a guy and she tries to deal with her new struggling emotions about him and the loss of her brother. This was recommended for people who enjoyed While He Was Away so, I am a little skeptical of how good it will be but I am so willing to find out!


Well that's it for me this weeks IMM. I hope all of you have some great grabs of your own this week. Feel free to post a comment linking me to your own post, or just a few books you got this week! I always read my comments and check out your posts!

Happy Reading

Saturday, May 19, 2012

While He Was Away


Goodreads:
"This is just something I have to do, okay?" I hear David say. "The right thing."

He cradles my face in his hands. He kisses me hard. Then he lets go of me. His eyes dart from me to whatever's next. 

All she wants is for him to stay. She's been doing pretty well, pretending he doesn't have to go. But one day, after one last night to remember, she wakes up and there's no denying it anymore. He's gone.
When Penna Weaver's boyfriend goes off to Iraq, she's left facing life without him. As summer sets in, Penna tries to distract herself with work and her art, but the not knowing is slowly driving her crazy. Especially when David stops writing.
She knows in her heart he will come home. But will he be the same boy she fell in love with?
Title: While He Was Away
Author: Karen Schreck
Release Date: May 1st 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Where to buy: Barnes and Noble, Amazon

Review:

While He Was Away is a story about a girl, Penna, whose boyfriend leaves for war. It is about her struggle to cope with knowing he is facing life endangering situations. In the very beginning we are introduced to both Penna and David early in the summer on the day before he is deployed. Then slowly we progress through the summer, with her discovering new things about her past and learning more about herself as she grows emotionally, and of course as David tries to contact back to her.

First I would like to say that I have experience with the long distance relationships, and they are no fun. Now if I would have added him going overseas to fight in the war to that, it would have been unbearable. I think the fact that this would be a completely life altering and difficult to go through is something everyone could agree on. But, I know what you are thinking, ‘I don’t want to read a book about a girl pining for her boyfriend.’ I wouldn’t want to either. And it isn’t just that, it does involve it, but it also revolves around her mother and her estranged grandmother.

I enjoyed that this novel took a complete different path then I thought it was going to take from just reading the blurb and after reading the beginning of the story. Schreck did not take the well beaten path of the main character getting everything she wants, far from it. In fact, I would say that she is your average teenager that falls in love and grows to learn that maybe the love she thought she knew wasn’t the love unrequited love she thought she had. Maybe time and distance are too much of a hurdle to pass. Maybe love doesn’t conquer all. I know I had to learn that lesson the hard way.

Now, for the reason this book is not a must read. The plot seemed unfocused. While reading, I was almost to the end of the novel, about twenty pages, thirty at the most and thinking to myself, ‘How the heck is this story going to end.’ There were ideas throughout the entire novel that I thought could be explored more, but they were always just side notes, never to go in depth.

Another thing that truly pushed my button was the cover. I mean, to me the guy looks like a white male, when David is a Hispanic male, who apparently is very brown, the guy on the cover, yeah, not so much. I guess I just don’t understand how hard it is to find a guy that actually has some kind of resemblance to the guy in the story. Maybe it is actually difficult, but I am pretty positive I could go to my college and throw a rock and it would hit someone who would be a better fit for this photo. This cover kept making me think she was going to cheat on her boyfriend with a white guy and drive off on David’s motorcycle. I mean, I knew it was a ridiculous thought, but it still it was a thought, one I shouldn’t have had to have.

I enjoyed the novel. It was good, but not great. I feel let down by this While He Was Away, it held so much promise to me, of a girl worrying about the man she loves while he was away. In the blurb it says “But will my sweet, soulful, funny David be the same person when he comes home?” That was a question that when I read, I thought ‘Will he? I want to find out.’ But I never get to know, David never came back, and I don’t mean he died. He was on a 15 month deployment and at the most three months passed. So while I could tell David’s personality had changed from the David in Penna’s memories, to the David skyping and calling, I never got to see them together again. The unfocused plot and sudden end had me confused. I wish there was more direction to this novel because this really could have been great, given the proper guidance.  I recommend for those who are interested in the boyfriend off to war topic, but don’t expect a love sweet ending with roses and unicorns, like I mentioned before it just takes place over the summer so there is not a chance for him to even come back yet.

Because the plot was so unfocused, I find myself still confused about what exactly I thought of this novel, but I hope I described it well enough for you so you can know if you would like to read it or not. 

Rating:






Recommended for those who enjoyed:

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Throwback Thursday

This is a weekly meme started by me, Kelley Lee of Reading to Stay Alive

The rules are simple, pick a favorite book of your past, and post about it. You can pick a quote from the series, post the blurb, maybe write what was your favorite thing about the book. Pick a book that you haven't read for a long time, and spread the word about it's awesomeness, in something less or shorter than a review. Once you have your Throwback posted, come here are post a link in the comment section.

My Throwback Thursday-

The Blue is for Nightmares series!

These books were a favorite of mine, there are actually four of them, but I lent the last one to my cousin and she still has it at the moment. The series includes (in order) Blue is for Nightmares, White is for Magic, Silver is for Secrets, and Red is for Nightmares. Written by Laurie Faria Stolarz. Here is the blurb for BifN...
"I Know Your Secret . . ."

Stacey's junior year at boarding school isn't easy. She's not the most popular girl at school, or the smartest, or the prettiest. She's got a crush on her best friend's boyfriend, and an even darker secret that threatens to ruin her friendships for good. And now she's having nightmares again. Not just any nightmares – these dreams are too real to ignore, like she did three years ago. The last time she ignored them, a little girl died. This time they're about Drea, her best friend who's become the target of one seriously psycho stalker. It started with weird e-mails and freaky phone calls. Now someone's leaving Drea white lilies – the same death lilies that have been showing up in Stacey's dreams. Everybody thinks it's just a twisted game . . . until another girl at school is brutally murdered. There are no witnesses. Worst of all, no one has a perfect alibi. With everyone as a potential suspect, Stacey turns to the one secret weapon she can trust – the folk magic taught to her by her grandmother. Will Stacey's magic be strong enough to expose the true killer, or will the killer make her darkest nightmares come true?
Are you intrigued yet? Well how about this teaser...
"Pj's mouth fills with even more laughter when he sees it, and his snakelike tongue writhes and twists out his mouth, trying to break free. Madame folds the test into a paper airplane ans launches it at me. The plane circles the room a few times, but then lands on the center of my desk. I open up the folds and blink at the mass of words written in large red, block letters across the paper: YOU KILLED MAURA AND DREA WILL BE NEXT.
 'No, I didn't!' I scream. 'I didn't kill her!' My shriek wakes me up and everyone is just...staring. It takes me a second to put it all together, that somehow I nodded off to sleep, right here, in the middle of class."- Page 30
 Not only was this story really fascinating, it also had one of the best secondary characters ever, Amber. Be ready to laugh, be scared out of your mind and try to solve the mystery with Stacey! And above is a picture of the newer edition's cover. I love the theme they have with the smoke on the new covers, and I am really happy they kept the candles.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks Throwback Thursday. Feel free to post your old favorites, or post a link to your own post! Just be sure to link it back to here!


Happy Reading!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Waiting On Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hello everyone! This week the book I am waiting on the most is...Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

Goodreads:
A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.


High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.    

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business — until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers — and the consequences could be deadly.

Waiting for this book could just bring on the apocalypse. I am going to have zero fingernails by the time this book is released. Maybe I will have to talk my lovely friend into letting me have her ARC of this, so I can finally put all my pain to rest.

Let me know what book you are waiting on or send me a link to your post! I would love to check it out!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Glitch


Goodreads:
In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network. When Zoe starts to malfunction (or "glitch"), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers. As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse. In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.

Title: Glitch
Release Date: August 7th 2012
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Where to buy: Amazon, Barnesand Noble

Review:

* Received from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an honest review.

In the world of Glitch, the people are closer resembled to robots, or drones than actual human beings. The only ones capable of glitching are children and teens. The ones who have yet to get their permanent v-chip installed. Our main character Zoel, better known to her glitching friends as Zoe, is glitching big time. But not only that, she has a secret, a secret power. She can move things with her mind.

This is a dangerous power and an even more dangerous secret. When she is not glitching, she is in the link, a perfect follower, no different from anyone else. Seeing only in gray, and even contemplating turning herself in as a glitcher, to keep the community running in perfect order. That is what she should do, what she is programmed to do. But when she glitches, she is able to feel emotions she doesn’t even know how to describe. Emotions that existed long before the community had to move below the surface of the earth because of the Nuclear Holocaust, emotions that brought on it's very own destruction.

Glitch explores a wide range of emotion. The descriptions in the novel were very well received. I felt as if I was experiencing these emotions with Zoe for the first time myself. Sweet and innocent, Zoe goes on an adventure and later cannot recall what has happened. So much is out of her own control and in the hands of the Uppers, the ones that try to catch glitchers and either fix them or deactivate them.

On her quest to figure out what happened during her memory lapse and her newfound urge to escape, she finds out a boy she knows very well is also a glitcher. This boy is Max, now Max is exactly what I would expect him to be. A teenage boy, who has never once experienced emotions and has to absorb them all at once. He is pushy, needy, and clingy; basically he is the boy that just wants sex, magnified about one thousand times. He can’t control his emotions and that makes him dangerous. He goes on and on about the passions Zoe, not understanding what he is asking, complies. She lets him in her world, but is always cautious of his incessant need.

Not only is their Max but there is also Adrien, that is right fellow readers, another lovely Adrien. He might just have had that in his favor that there is already a lovable Adrian out there in book land that I could associate him with. He is in control to the extreme. The exact opposite of Max, but he has some secrets of his own. Deadly games are played with these two boys involved in Zoe's life. But she can't leave anyone behind, now that she can see the world through her own eyes. Everyone has to play their role if they want to escape this world of computer chip control. Zoe has to figure out who to trust, and if she can learn to trust her own emotions, even though they are so new to her. 

One of my favorite things about this book is that nothing is left unexplained. There is so much information that is perfectly laid out for us to gather along the way. There is a deeper exploration of love, and passion. Even getting into the interesting idea that love is a reaction of not just the mind, but the body as well. Anastasiu knew exactly what she was doing when she created each of these characters. She had a well thought out plan for Max, Adrien and Zoe. This book kept me in tune and had my heart pumping for what could possibly happen next. I look forward to reading the sequel!

Rating:







I would recommend this book for those that enjoyed:

Teaser Tuesday


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

My teaser this week comes from While He Was Away by Karen Schreck. 

"The tatooed dude curses and yanks back the gun as I throw my arms around David's neck. 'Watch out!' David cries. But he's hugging me back, not letting go." - Page 38

"'Don't wimp out on us now,' Jules says. And Caitlin cocks her gun." - Page 163

The last quote was a spoiler for even myself! I'm not that far in the book yet, but now I am dying to get there.

Hope you enjoyed Teaser Tuesday this week.

Feel free to comment with your own teaser, or send me a link to your own post. I will be happy to check them out!

Happy Reading