Friday, March 30, 2018

Blog Tour: Starry Eyes - Jenn Bennett


















Starry Eyes
Jenn Bennett
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.

But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.

What could go wrong?

With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.

And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Discussion: How Do You Round?


This Week’s Topic: How Do You Round?

It is a well known fact, that many people wish Goodreads would allow half star ratings. But let's be real, half stars wouldn't be enough. I have seen ratings such as 4.05 and 3.9 stars listed in reviews. So, we probably wouldn't be satisfied with just half stars. And, since we will never have anything but whole stars to deal with, we have to decide if we round up or down.


Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Can't Wait Wednesday: Things Jolie Needs to Do Before She Bites It - Kerry Winfrey

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I can't wait for Things Jolie Needs to Do Before She Bites It!

Things Jolie Needs to Do Before She Bites It
Kerry Winfrey
Series: n/a
Release Date: July 10, 2018
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Waited on by: Sam
Months before her underbite corrective surgery, Jolie decides she needs to live life to the fullest—just in case the surgery doesn’t go as expected in this funny and honest YA novel.

Jolie's a lot of things, but she knows that pretty isn't one of them. She has mandibular prognathism, which is the medical term for underbite. Chewing is a pain, headaches are a common occurrence, and she’s never been kissed. She’s months out from having a procedure to correct her underbite, and she cannot wait to be fixed.

While her family watches worst-case scenario TV shows, Jolie becomes paralyzed with the fear that she could die under the knife. She and her best friends Evelyn and Derek decide to make a THINGS JOLIE NEEDS TO DO BEFORE SHE BITES IT (WHICH IS SUPER UNLIKELY BUT STILL IT COULD HAPPEN) list. Things like: eat every appetizer on the Applebee’s menu and kiss her crush, Noah Reed. Their plan helps Jolie discover what beauty truly means to her.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday: Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is...

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

About a month ago, I accidentally did this topic for my Top Ten Tuesday post, but that's OK. After combing my Read-shelf, I found that there were a bunch of other books I have read, which were set outside the US. Once again, I tried to pick books which actually featured the setting or the local culture.

Monday, March 26, 2018

In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.


I Have Lost My Way
Gayle Forman
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: New Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Penguin Teen
Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
A powerful story of empathy and friendship from the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of If I Stay.

Around the time that Freya loses her voice while recording her debut album, Harun is making plans to run away from everyone he has ever loved, and Nathaniel is arriving in New York City with a backpack, a desperate plan, and nothing left to lose. When a fateful accident draws these three strangers together, their secrets start to unravel as they begin to understand that the way out of their own loss might just lie in help­ing the others out of theirs.

An emotionally cathartic story of losing love, finding love, and dis­covering the person you are meant to be, I Have Lost My Way is best­selling author Gayle Forman at her finest.

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

My Week in Review

The winter of 2018 just won't give up. Another week, another nor'easter. This time, we got about a foot of snow AND for the first time in 3 years, my company closed the campus. Yeah for snow days! The free food game was pretty good too - Chick-fil-A, cupcakes, and breakfast were supplied last week, and you know how free food always tastes better.


Friday, March 23, 2018

Discussion: #WLABBGoesPlaces - Obsidio Book Store Event

It's been a while, but sometimes, #WLABBGoesPlaces. Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the Obsidio tour stop in Princeton, NJ, and I must say, a good time was had by all.

A post shared by Sam Kozbial (@kozbisa) on

Thursday, March 22, 2018

In a Nutshell Reviews - The Grief Edition

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights. It's a well known fact, that I have a special place in my heart for "grief" books, and as I was looking at these three books, I realized they were all stories dealing with grief and loss, and all very wonderful and hopeful as well.


Going Places
Kathryn Berla
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Amberjack Publishing
Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Hudson Wheeler is a teen for whom everyone had high expectations, but since his father was killed when he was ten, he's felt unmotivated to pursue much other than his art. During his senior year, he decides to home school, thinking he will get to relax and focus on his two lazy businesses. But instead, he experiences love and rejection for the first time; meets an athletic girl who shows him by example what it means to be a man; and solves the painful mystery of the WWII vet whose poignant plight forces Hudson out of the comfort zone of boyhood.

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Fragile Like Us - Sara Barnard

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I can't wait for Fragile Like Us!

Fragile Like Us
Sara Barnard
Series: n/a
Release Date: May 22, 2018
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Waited on by: Sam
A pitch perfect novel about friendship and what it takes to break the bonds between friends, “for fans of Morgan Matson and Sarah Dessen” (VOYA).

Caddy and Rosie have always been inseparable. But that was before Suzanne. Now the twosome has become a triangle with constantly shifting alliances.

Caddy’s ready to be more than just the quiet one. She wants something to happen. Suzanne is trying to escape her past and be someone different, someone free. But sometimes downward spirals have a momentum of their own. And no one can break your heart like a best friend.

Monday, March 19, 2018

Review: The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

The Wicked Deep
Shea Ernshaw
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal. Romance
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic meets the Salem Witch trials in this haunting story about three sisters on a quest for revenge—and how love may be the only thing powerful enough to stop them.

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

Sunday, March 18, 2018

Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

My Week in Review

Last week was a struggle. The good was free lunch Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, PLUS the Obsidio event. It was so much fun! Another Friday, another issue with the trains. This time, Amtrak couldn't get the bridge closed. Really, Amtrak?

Seen Online


Friday, March 16, 2018

Blog Tour: Finding Felicity by Stacey Kade


















Finding Felicity
Stacey Kade
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Caroline Sands has never been particularly good at making friends. And her parents’ divorce and the move to Arizona three years ago didn’t help. Being the new girl is hard enough without being socially awkward too. So out of desperation and a desire to please her worried mother, Caroline invented a whole life for herself—using characters from Felicity, an old show she discovered online and fell in love with.

But now it’s time for Caroline to go off to college and she wants nothing more than to leave her old “life” behind and build something real. However, when her mother discovers the truth about her manufactured friends, she gives Caroline an ultimatum: Prove in this first semester that she can make friends of the nonfictional variety and thrive in a new environment. Otherwise, it’s back to living at home—and a lot of therapy.

Armed with nothing more than her resolve and a Felicity-inspired plan, Caroline accepts the challenge. But she soon realizes that the real world is rarely as simple as television makes it out to be. And to find a place where she truly belongs, Caroline may have to abandon her script and take the risk of being herself.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Discussion: Let's Hear It For the "Seniors"! - Geriatric Rep in YA

I just finished two wonderful books this past week, which featured older characters, and I was not only very touched by the way the authors crafted these "senior" characters, but also by the way the main characters reacted to and interacted with them. It inspired me to reflect on this week's topic, and assemble a list of books, which have also accomplished this.


Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Listen to Your Heart - Kasie West

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I can't wait for Listen to Your Heart!

Listen to Your Heart
Kasie West
Series: n/a
Release Date: May 29, 2018
Publisher: Point
Waited on by: Sam
Talking to other people isn't Kate Bailey's favorite activity. She'd much rather be out on the lake, soaking up the solitude and sunshine. So when her best friend, Alana, convinces Kate to join their high school's podcast, Kate is not expecting to be chosen as the host. Now she'll have to answer calls and give advice on the air? Impossible.

But to Kate's surprise, she turns out to be pretty good at the hosting gig. Then the podcast gets in a call from an anonymous guy, asking for advice about his unnamed crush. Kate is pretty sure that the caller is gorgeous Diego Martinez, and even surer that the girl in question is Alana. Kate is excited for her friend ... until Kate herself starts to develop feelings for Diego. Suddenly, Kate finds that while doling out wisdom to others may be easy, asking for help is tougher than it looks, and following your own advice is even harder.

Kasie West's adorable story of secrets, love, and friendship is sure to win over hearts everywhere.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday: What a Pleasant Surprise!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is...

What a Pleasant Surprise!

This week, I am talking about books that surprised me in a good way. Each surpassed my expectations for different reasons, but each was a book that impressed me and delivered a wonderful reading experience.


Monday, March 12, 2018

In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.


Olivia Twist
Lorie Langdon
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Romance
Publisher: Blink
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
​Olivia Brownlow is no damsel in distress. Born in a workhouse and raised as a boy among thieving London street gangs, she is as tough and cunning as they come. When she is taken in by her uncle after a caper gone wrong, her life goes from fighting and stealing on the streets to lavish dinners and soirees as a debutante in high society. But she can’t seem to escape her past … or forget the teeming slums where children just like her still scrabble to survive.

Jack MacCarron rose from his place in London’s East End to become the adopted “nephew” of a society matron. Little does society know that MacCarron is a false name for a boy once known among London gangs as the Artful Dodger, and that he and his “aunt” are robbing them blind every chance they get. When Jack encounters Olivia Brownlow in places he least expects, his curiosity is piqued. Why is a society girl helping a bunch of homeless orphan thieves? Even more intriguing, why does she remind him so much of someone he once knew? Jack finds himself wondering if going legit and risking it all might be worth it for love.

Olivia Twist is an innovative reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic tale Oliver Twist, in which Olivia was forced to live as a boy for her own safety until she was rescued from the streets. Now eighteen, Olivia finds herself at a crossroads: revealed secrets threaten to destroy the “proper” life she has built for her herself, while newfound feelings for an arrogant young man she shouldn’t like could derail her carefully laid plans for the future.

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

My Week in Review

Mother nature and NJ Transit were not kind to me last week, so we can only hope next week is better. I am hoping the weather cooperates, because I really want to attend the Obsidio signing on Wednesday. It's kind of far from my house, but really close to my job. Keeping my fingers crossed all goes well.

I don't know if anyone saw this, but I love that Free Form did it.

Friday, March 9, 2018

In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.


More Than We Can Tell
Brigid Kemmerer
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
*While this book exists in the same universe as Letters to the Lost, it is a standalone title.

Rev Fletcher is battling the demons of his past. But with loving adoptive parents by his side, he’s managed to keep them at bay...until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back.

Emma Blue spends her time perfecting the computer game she built from scratch, rather than facing her parents’ crumbling marriage. She can solve any problem with the right code, but when an online troll’s harassment escalates, she’s truly afraid.

When Rev and Emma meet, they both long to lift the burden of their secrets and bond instantly over their shared turmoil. But when their situations turn dangerous, their trust in each other will be tested in ways they never expected. This must-read story will once again have readers falling for Brigid Kemmerer’s emotional storytelling.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Discussion: Irrational Book Envy

I don't know about you, but when I'm scrolling through Instagram and Twitter or checking out everyone's Stacking the Shelves posts, I find myself getting a little green with envy. I feel that dip in my happiness when I see #BookMail anywhere, and I often find myself wishing I was one of those bloggers, who received an Epic Reads box in the mail or one of those awesome promo boxes. I can even go a little Gollum and his precious sometimes, however it's not the envy I want to talk about, but rather, why my envy is sort of irrational.


Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Airports, Exes, and Other Things I'm Over - Shani Petroff

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I can't wait for Airports, Exes, and Other Things I'm Over!

Airports, Exes, and Other Things I'm Over
Shani Petroff
Series: n/a
Release Date: May 15, 2018
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Waited on by: Sam
A bad storm, two canceled flights, stuck in an airport with a hot stranger and the guy who broke her heart... what could go wrong?

After Sari caught her boyfriend Zev cheating on her, their romantic Florida vacation was ruined. She can't get back to NYC soon enough. Unfortunately, mother nature may have different plans. A huge storm is brewing in the Northeast, and flights all over the country are getting canceled—including Sari's. She winds up stuck at the airport for hours. With Zev!

When another stranded passenger (a hot NYU guy) suggests a connecting flight to Boston, Sari jumps at the chance. But when her mom freaks out about her traveling alone, she has no choice—she has to include Zev, and somehow survive being trapped with the guy who broke her heart!

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Tell Me Something Tuesday: Spring Picks 2018

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where we discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging.

This Week’s Topic:
Spring Picks for 2018


You know I have a million books I want to read that are being released this spring, but I thought it would be more interesting to feature books I have yet to feature, and also books I don't already have. So, this is a true spring wish list for me, featuring books that will release between March 20th and June 21st.

Monday, March 5, 2018

Review: Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner

Chaotic Good
Whitney Gardner
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Knopf
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Cameron's cosplay--dressing like a fictional character--is finally starting to earn her attention--attention she hopes to use to get into the CalTech costume department for college. But when she wins a major competition, she inadvertently sets off a firestorm of angry comments from male fans.

When Cameron's family moves the summer before her senior year, she hopes to complete her costume portfolio in peace and quiet away from the abuse. Unfortunately, the only comic shop in town--her main destination for character reference--is staffed by a dudebro owner who challenges every woman who comes into the shop.

At her twin brother's suggestion, Cameron borrows a set of his clothes and uses her costuming expertise to waltz into the shop as Boy Cameron, where she's shocked at how easily she's accepted into the nerd inner sanctum. Soon, Cameron finds herself drafted into a D&D campaign alongside the jerky shop-owner Brody, friendly (almost flirtatiously so) clerk Wyatt, handsome Lincoln, and her bro Cooper, dragged along for good measure.

But as her "secret identity" gets more and more entrenched, Cameron's portfolio falls by the wayside--and her feelings for Lincoln threaten to make a complicated situation even more precarious.

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

My Week in Review


I think those of us that survived the nor'easter can claim that March came in like a lion. I am really grateful we didn't lose power, and I feel bad for all those who did. Otherwise, we had catering from Panera last week, and these amazing cakes on Friday. Did I mention how much I loved tax season? I also won a $20 Amazon gift card from The Candid Cover (Thank you!!!), and my daughter is starting to get job offers.

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Blog Tour: This Tiny Perfect World - Lauren Gibaldi


















This Tiny Perfect World
Lauren Gibaldi
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
The big-hearted story of a small-town girl who discovers how wide the world really is during one transformative summer. Perfect for fans of Susane Colasanti and Sarah Dessen.

Penny loves her small-town Florida life, and she has her future mapped out. She’s going to community college after graduation to stay close to home and her best friend, Faye. She’ll take over the family diner that her dad has been managing since her mother died. And one day, she’ll marry her high school sweetheart, Logan.

But when she unexpectedly lands a scholarship to a prestigious summer theater camp, she is thrust into a world of competition and self-doubt. And suddenly, her future gets a little hazy. As she meets new friends, including Chase, a talented young actor with big-city dreams, she begins to realize that maybe the life everyone (including her) expects her to lead is not the one she was meant to have.

From the acclaimed author of The Night We Said Yes and Autofocus.