Monday, April 30, 2018

In a Nutshell Reviews - Dark Side Edition

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights. Both these books are on the grittier side for me. They involve the drug world, violence, and even murder. Yes, very different from the fluff I normally like to ingest, yet, I enjoyed them both.


White Rabbit 
Caleb Roehrig
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Rufus Holt is having the worst night of his life. It begins with the reappearance of his ex-boyfriend, Sebastian—the guy who stomped his heart out like a spent cigarette. Just as Rufus is getting ready to move on, Sebastian turns up out of the blue, saying they need to "talk." Things couldn’t get much worse, right?

But then Rufus gets a call from his sister April, begging for help. And then he and Sebastian find her, drenched in blood and holding a knife, beside the dead body of her boyfriend, Fox Whitney.

April swears she didn’t kill Fox—but Rufus knows her too well to believe she’s telling him the whole truth. April has something he needs, though, and her price is his help. Now, with no one to trust but the boy he wants to hate yet can’t stop loving, Rufus has one night to prove his sister’s innocence…or die trying.

Sunday, April 29, 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

This time next week I will be in North Carolina. Please forgive me if I am quieter than normal, because I have the drive from NJ to NC, graduation, and then packing to move my child temporarily home.

Speaking of graduations, congratulations are in order to the other three WLABBers. Kiersten,  Noor, and Amrutha are graduating! Congratulations ladies, and I know the future holds lots of wonderful things for you.

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Blog Tour: Love Songs & Other Lies - Jessica Pennington



















Love Songs & Other Lies
Jessica Pennington
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Tor Teen
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
It’s summer romance and second chances, the songs that stay in your head, and the boy you’ll never forget.

Two years after rock-song-worthy heartbreak, Virginia Miller is looking forward to a fun, carefree summer. Her friends just landed a spot on a battling bands reality show, and Vee is joining them for her dream internship on tour. Three months with future rockstars seems like an epic summer plan. Until she learns she’ll also be sharing the bus with Cam. Her first love, and her first heartbreak. Now Vee has more than just cameras to dodge, and Cam’s determination to win her forgiveness is causing TMZ-worthy problems for both of them. With cameras rolling, she’ll have to decide if her favorite breakup anthem deserves a new ending. And if she’s brave enough to expose her own secrets to keep Cam’s under wraps.

Praise for LOVE SONGS & OTHER LIES

“Reading Cam & Vee's past and present romance reminds me of This is Us! This is going on my keeper shelf.” ―Simone Elkeles, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author

“Fun and full of heart, with a hero who stole my heart!” ―Katie McGarry, author of Long Way Home and Pushing the Limits

“Boys in bands, second chance romance, and pitch-perfect chemistry. Love Songs & Other Lies hits all the right notes!” ―Gina Ciocca, author of Last Year's Mistake

“A music-infused romance about a pair of perfectly imperfect teenagers who will have readers rooting for their happily ever after. Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, contemporary young adult fans won’t be able to put this debut down!” ―Katy Upperman, author of Kissing Max Holden

Friday, April 27, 2018

Review: Royals - Rachel Hawkins

Royals
Rachel Hawkins
Series: Royals, #1
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Meet Daisy Winters. She’s an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair; a part time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who’s nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her to join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond.

While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince’s roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown–and the intriguing Miles–might be trying to make Daisy into a lady . . . but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself.
I am not a royal watcher, but I am a fan of Rachel Hawkins' books. Her previous work has been mostly paranormal. Therefore, I was surprised when I learned she would be writing a contemporary romance. No need to worry! There may be no supernatural elements in this book, but it still was fairly magical for me.

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Discussion: HEA All the Way!

I know this is going to be sort of controversial. I see people complain all the time about how it's "predictable" or "too neat", but if there's one thing I will never get enough of, it's an HEA.


Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Supervillain and Me - Danielle Banas

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 The Supervillain and Me!

The Supervillain and Me
Danielle Banas
Series: Morriston Superheroes, #1
Release Date: July 10, 2019
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Waited on by: Sam
As witty as it is heartpounding, this fresh take on the beloved superhero genre is all about finding your own way to shine even when it seems everyone else around you is, well... super.

Never trust a guy in spandex.

In Abby Hamilton’s world, superheroes do more than just stop crime and save cats stuck in trees—they also drink milk straight from the carton and hog the television remote. Abby’s older brother moonlights as the famous Red Comet, but without powers of her own, following in his footsteps has never crossed her mind.

That is, until the city’s newest vigilante comes bursting into her life.

After saving Abby from an attempted mugging, Morriston’s fledgling supervillain Iron Phantom convinces her that he’s not as evil as everyone says, and that their city is under a vicious new threat. As Abby follows him deeper into their city’s darkest secrets, she comes to learn that heroes can’t always be trusted, and sometimes it’s the good guys who wear black.

Chosen by readers like you for Macmillan's young adult imprint Swoon Reads, The Supervillain and Me is a hilarious, sweet, and action-packed novel by debut author Danielle Banas that proves no one is perfect, not even superheroes.
So, that synopsis makes me think of something like this:

Meg = Abby

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday: "LOVE" is in the Air

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

"LOVE" is in the Air!

This week, I assembled a list of YA books I read with titles, that feature the word LOVE in some form.


Monday, April 23, 2018

In a Nutshell Reviews: The Pros of Cons & The Poet X

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


The Pros of Cons
Alison Cherry, Lindsay Ribar, Michelle Schusterman
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Point
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Drummer Phoebe Byrd prides herself on being one of the guys, and she's ready to prove it by kicking all their butts in the snare solo competition at the Indoor Percussion Association Convention.

Writer Vanessa Montoya-O'Callaghan has been looking forward to the WTFcon for months. Not just because of the panels and fanfiction readings but because WTFcon is where she'll finally meet Soleil, her internet girlfriend, for the first time.

Taxidermy assistant Callie Buchannan might be good at scooping brains out of deer skulls, but that doesn't mean it's her passion. Since her parents' divorce, her taxidermist father only cares about his work, and assisting him at the World Taxidermy and Fish-Carving Championships is the only way Callie knows to connect with him.

When a crazy mix-up in the hotel lobby brings the three girls together, they form an unlikely friendship against a chaotic background of cosplay, competition, and carcasses!

Sunday, April 22, 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 am sad to say, this is the end of our jeans week. I will miss them dearly. Back to ironing for me. The winter that never ends is starting to get me down. I guess I should be grateful we have not had any more snow, but I just want to ditch the winter jacket, you know?


Friday, April 20, 2018

In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights. I love when I can see some kind of unifying theme in my Nutshell books, and this week, I think both tackle feeling like an outsider. Jess struggled with being a bigger girl in a family of beautiful people, and Ron struggled being a half-Indian, half-israeli Jewish kid in Nebraska. Both stories were told with tons of humor and both warmed my heart.


Rebel with a Cupcake
Anna Mainwaring
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: KCP Loft
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Jesobel Jones is bold and brash, the daughter of a hand model and a washed-up rock star. Jess sees no need to apologize for her rambling house, her imperfect family, her single status … or her weight. Jess is who she is. She makes her own cupcakes and she eats them, too. No regrets.

That is, until Own Clothes Day rolls around at school. Jess and her friends dedicate the requisite hours of planning to their outfits, their hair and their makeup for the one day they are free from school uniforms. But a wardrobe malfunction leaves Jess with a pair of leggings split open at the worst spot, and a mean girl calling her the one thing that’s never bothered her before: fat.

The encounter shakes Jess’s formerly iron-clad confidence, and she starts to wonder if she’s been just a little too comfortable in her own skin. When the boy of her dreams invites her to a party, she must decide whether to try to fit in for the first time in her life, or remain true to herself — whoever that really is.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Impossibility of Us

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 The Impossibility of Us!

The Impossibility of Us
Katy Upperman
Series: n/a
Release Date: July 31, 2018
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Waited on by: Sam
The last thing Elise wants is to start her senior year in a new town. But after her brother’s death in Afghanistan, she and her mother move from San Francisco to a sleepy coastal village.

When Elise meets Mati, they quickly discover how much they have in common. Mati is new to town too, visiting the U.S. with his family. Over the course of the summer, their relationship begins to blossom, and what starts out as a friendship becomes so much more.

But as Elise and Mati grow closer, her family becomes more and more uncomfortable with their relationship, and their concerns all center on one fact—Mati is Afghan.

Beautifully written, utterly compelling, and ultimately hopeful, THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF US asks—how brave can you be when your relationship is questioned by everyone you love?

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday: It's a Boy!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is a freebie, and I selected.....

It's a Boy!

Lately, I have been reading more and more single POV books featuring male protagonists, and since I am not a guy, I find it interesting to see things from their point of view. The following is a list of books I have read in the past year or so starring young men, which gave me a peek into a boy's mind.


Monday, April 16, 2018

Reviews: The Eleanor Ames Series

I became a Julie Cross fan via her Juniper Falls series (book 1, book 2), and I finally got around to reading her Eleanor Ames series. I sort of thought I would enjoy them, since I like Cross' writing, but I didn't expect to like them as much as I did.


Chasing Truth
Julie Cross
Series: Eleanor Ames, #1
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Suspense
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
At Holden Prep, the rich and powerful rule the school—and they’ll do just about anything to keep their dirty little secrets hidden.

When former con artist Eleanor Ames’s homecoming date commits suicide, she’s positive there’s something more going on. The more questions she asks, though, the more she crosses paths with Miles Beckett. He’s sexy, mysterious, arrogant…and he’s asking all the same questions.

Eleanor might not trust him—she doesn’t even like him—but they can’t keep their hands off of each other. Fighting the infuriating attraction is almost as hard as ignoring the fact that Miles isn’t telling her the truth…and that there’s a good chance he thinks she’s the killer.

Sunday, April 15, 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

This week was pretty much the same old same old, though I was very excited to NOT have to wear my winter coat the other day. Obviously, we went from winter to summer, but it was still a nice change from the frigid days. I really appreciated all the interaction on my discussions this week. I was shocked to see I was NOT alone as an infrequent fantasy reader.

I always joke, about how I may not be good at much, but I can sure read a lot. So, when the GoodReads quarterly challenge update email came, I put out this tongue-in-cheek tweet, that got A LOT more attention then I expected. Now, if all those people would just follow my blog....


Friday, April 13, 2018

Reviews: The First Love Edition

Now a Major Motion Picture
Cori McCarthy
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Fandom and first love collide for Iris on the film set for her grandmother’s famous high-fantasy triology—perfect for readers of Fangirl!

Unlike the rest of the world, Iris doesn't care about the famous high-fantasy Elementia books written by M. E. Thorne. So it's just a little annoying that M. E. Thorne is her grandmother—and that Iris has to deal with the trilogy's crazy fans.

When Iris gets dropped in Ireland for the movie adaptation, she sees her opportunity: if she can shut down production, the Elementia craze won't grow any bigger, and she can finally have a normal life. Not even the rascally-cute actor Eamon O'Brien can get in her way.

But the crew's passion is contagious, and as Iris begins to find herself in the very world she has avoided her whole life, she realizes that this movie might just be amazing…

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Discussion: Fantasy Friction

Once upon a time, I considered myself a mixer. I used to read all over the place, and I used to enjoy quite a few fantasy books, but I reading less and less fantasy these days. Today I want to discuss my Fiction Friction.


This Week’s Topic: Fantasy Friction

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Allied - Amy Tintera

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 Allied!

Allied 
Amy Tintera
Series: Ruined, #3
Release Date: May 1, 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Waited on by: Sam
In the final book in the New York Times bestselling Ruined series, the romance of The Selection and the epic stakes of Red Queen come together in a story of revenge, adventure, and unexpected love.

Emelina Flores and her sister, Olivia, were determined to bring peace to the people of Ruina. But as the war for liberation raged on, what triumph and freedom meant to Em and Olivia slowly changed. As Olivia’s violence and thirst for vengeance became her only ambition, Em was left to pick up the pieces.

But it’s not only Em who is upset by Olivia’s increased violence. Other members of the Ruined army are beginning to see the cracks, and soon a small group of them defects from Olivia’s army and joins Em instead. The two sisters are soon pitted against each other in an epic battle for the kingdom and the future, and only one will win.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Tell Me Something Tuesday: Review Pressure

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: Review Pressure

One of the tasks we take on as reviewers, is to contribute to the early buzz about a book. We get a complimentary copy of said book, we are expected to read and review it, with the goal being some time close to publication. But you know life and other books can get in the way, and that brings us to this weeks topic: Do you feel pressure to get your reviews posted in a timely manner?

Monday, April 9, 2018

In a Nutshell Reviews

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


Sneaking Out
Chuck Vance
Series: Chased, #1
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Publisher: Dunemere Books
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Could you sleep next to a murderer?

Luke Chase—yes, that Luke Chase, a modern hero ripped from the headlines—didn’t mean to get caught up in Mrs. Heckler’s murder. He just wanted to hook up with the hot new British girl at St. Benedict’s, and if that meant sneaking out to the woods after hours, then so be it. But little did he know someone would end up dead right next to their rendezvous spot, and his best friend and roommate Oscar Weymouth would go down for it. With suspects aplenty and a past that’s anything but innocent, Luke Chase reluctantly calls on his famous survival skills to find the true killer.

For fans of “A Study in Charlotte” and boarding school lit, “Sneaking Out” (book one in the “Chased” series) immerses readers in the privileged prep school world, with a mystery that exposes the dark side of life on a residential high school campus.

Sunday, April 8, 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 worked my first 5-day week in over a month, and though work went smoothly, my commute was even more of a struggle than normal. One day I had to go west to Trenton in order to switch to the eastbound side and get my train home, because the trains were bypassing my stop. NJ Transit is the gift that keeps on giving.

I was really overwhelmed with my discussion post this week. It's so awesome to have so many interactions. So, thanks to all of you, who stopped by and weighed in on the topic. ❤️🌸🦄

Friday, April 6, 2018

Black Sheep Reviews - Volume 1


You ever read a book, and have an opinion that seems different from the majority of readers? That is exactly why I created Black Sheep Reviews.

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Discussion: Why Do You Review?


This Week’s Topic: Why do you review?

I love reading and I like to read reviews. I think they fill that void in my life, that could be filled by an IRL book club, and I noticed that there are several different kinds of reviews. 
  • There is the rant, where essentially the reviewing goes on and on as to why this book was complete garbage and every copy should be burned. 
  • There is the book report.  These reviews tend to be very long, because they essentially retell the book, the whole book, and then have a few sentences at the end that contain an opinion about the the book. 
  • There is the analysis, which looks at the book in a very academic way. 
  • There is the fangirl/fanboy review, where the reviewer just gushes about all the ways they loved this book. 
I always wondered, what are the reviewers trying to accomplish when they write a certain kind of review?

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Can't-Wait Wednesday: We Regret to Inform You - A.E. Kaplan

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 We Regret to Inform You!

We Regret to Inform You
A.E. Kaplan
Series: n/a
Release Date: August 21, 2018
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Waited on by: Sam
Mischa Abramavicius is a walking, talking, top-scoring, perfectly well-rounded college application in human form. So when she's rejected not only by the Ivies, but her loathsome safety school, she is shocked and devastated. All the sacrifices her mother made to send her to prep school, the late nights cramming for tests, the blatantly résumé-padding extracurriculars (read: Students for Sober Driving) ... all that for nothing.

As Mischa grapples with the prospect of an increasingly uncertain future, she questions how this could have happened in the first place. Is it possible that her transcript was hacked? With the help of her best friend and sometimes crush, Nate, and a group of eccentric techies known as "The Ophelia Syndicate," Mischa launches an investigation that will shake the quiet community of Blanchard Prep to its stately brick foundations.

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Tell Me Something Tuesday: But Am I Rushing to Read It?

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: But Am I Rushing to Read It?

This week's topic has to do with those HOT releases that everyone is talking about and dying to get your hands on. I know I will claim to NEED the book, and oh, what I wouldn't do to get my hands on the book, but how often do I start reading the book the day it hits the shelf?

Monday, April 2, 2018

In a Nutshell Reviews

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


Relative Strangers
Paula Garner
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Candlewick
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Why is there a gap in Jules’s baby album? A wry and poignant coming-of-age novel about finding the truth in lies, salvaging hope in heartbreak, and making peace with missing pieces.

Eighteen-year-old Jules has always wished for a close-knit family. She never knew her father, and her ex-addict mother has always seemed more interested in artistic endeavors than in bonding with her only daughter. Jules’s life and future look as flat and unchanging as her small Illinois town. Then a simple quest to find a baby picture for the senior yearbook leads to an earth-shattering discovery: for most of the first two years of her life, Jules lived in foster care. Reeling from feelings of betrayal and with only the flimsiest of clues, Jules sets out to learn the truth about her past. What she finds is a wonderful family who loved her as their own and hoped to adopt her — including a now-adult foster brother who is overjoyed to see his sister again. But as her feelings for him spiral into a devastating, catastrophic crush — and the divide between Jules and her mother widens — Jules finds herself on the brink of losing everything.

Sunday, April 1, 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 Month in Review

I am happy to report, that the final week of March passed WITHOUT  a nor'easter. Can we get a round of applause, please. I know I was happy about that. I would like to wish everyone a Happy April. I am hoping spring is ready to be sprung this month, and to those of you who celebrate, Happy Easter!