Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #158 - The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22429350-the-start-of-me-and-you
The Start of Me and You
by Emery Lord
Website | Twitter | Tumblr

Publication Date: March 31st 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN: 9781619633599

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22429350-the-start-of-me-and-you

Available for Pre-Order: Amazon

Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for a year, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances. (Goodreads)

Must. Have. This. BOOK!!
It seriously sounds amazing, and the cover is stunning.
I can't wait to read it!
If you haven't read Open Road Summer by this author,
You MUST do so now.
It's pretty great. :)
**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**


Friday, July 25, 2014

Review: Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7514925-tiger-lily
Tiger Lily
by Jodi Lynn Anderson
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Publication Date: July 3rd 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 292
ISBN: 9780062003256
Genre: Fantasy | Fairy Tale | Retelling
Source: Library

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up. (Goodreads)
Tiger Lily is a book that I’ve wanted to read for a while now, as I’ve heard nothing but good things and I’ve been super curious about the book. I was super excited when the book was picked for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Book Club read for August. I couldn’t wait to dive into the story. I had just recently read Anderson’s The Vanishing Season, so I was really looking forward to starting this book and seeing what all the fuss was about. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Most of the characters in the story are ones we’ve meet before; Peter Pan, The Lost Boys, Hook, Smee and even Tinker Bell. The story is actually told from Tinker Bell’s point of view. But the character that really stole the story would be the main character, Tiger Lily. Wow, she reminded me of a buffed-up Katniss, in a way. She was an outcast in more ways than one, and it was unfortunate that most of the people in her village avoided her. I couldn’t help but feel bad for her throughout the story, I just wanted to grab her and give her a great big hug. (Not that she would appreciate that at all.) But we get to watch her grow from a person that doesn’t really know how to care or show feeling, to a person that learns what love is. It was interesting to read her story.

Peter was a bit different than the ‘Disney version’ of Peter Pan that I have known for so long. He loved to have fun, was at times selfish and conceited, and was also a bit broken. He cared for the Lost Boys like they were family, and did whatever he had to do to keep them safe, even at times doing things that were very unpleasant. With no memories of his life before, all he had ever known was Neverland. But he longed for so much more. It seemed that there were so many different sides to this Peter, and it was interesting to read all the differences to what I was used to.

Some of the secondary characters were really great as well. I LOVED Tinker Bell, what a great character. The only thing that annoyed me was that NO ONE paid attention to her, when they really should have. Another interesting character was Pine Sap, who was Tiger Lily’s best friend. I do believe that I am half in love with him after reading this novel.  The villains in the novel were well written as well; although Hook didn’t seem quite as determined as I expected him to be, and Smee was a bit terrifying.

Much like The Vanishing Season, I really enjoyed the writing style for the book. The writing was, at times, almost lyrical, and I really love when that happens. The storyline was highly addictive, and it drove me crazy that I had to keep sitting the book down. I finally finished the last half of the book all in one sitting, and I wasn’t disappointed at all.

(Just a side note—I’ve been a big fan of the TV show Once Upon a Time for a while now, so of course I pictured some of the characters in the novel to look just like the characters in the show. LOL!)

Overall; I am so glad that I finally got to read this book. It was worth the wait, but I’m kind of kicking myself for not having read it sooner.



Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #157 - I Was Here by Gayle Forman

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18879761-i-was-here
I Was Here
by Gayle Forman
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date:
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
ISBN: 9780451471475

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18879761-i-was-here

Available for Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss. (Goodreads)

Wow, so this book sounds like it's going to be a super emotional read.
But... it's Gayle Forman, so you know it's going to be great.
I've already pre-ordered my copy. I can't wait to check it out!

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


Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #156 - Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22465597-vanishing-girls
Vanishing Girls
by Lauren Oliver
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: March 3rd 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780062224101

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22465597-vanishing-girls

Available for Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident.

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other. (Goodreads)

AHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Vanishing Girls has a cover! And it's awesome!
I've been waiting to see this for a while now,
and I have to admit, I love it!
The story sounds great as well.
I can't wait to read some Lauren Oliver awesomeness!



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


Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Review: Forget Me by Kim Harrington

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18311425-forget-me
Forget Me
by Kim Harrington
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr

Publication Date: August 7th 2014
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 288
ISBN: 9780399165290
Genre: Young Adult | Mystery
Source: Penguin First to Read

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

An edge-of-your seat psychological thriller with a romantic twist

On the three-month anniversary of her boyfriend Flynn’s death, Morgan uploads her only photo of him to FriendShare to get some closure—but she’s shocked when the facial recognition software suggests she tag him as "Evan Murphy." She’s never heard of Evan, but a quick search tells her that he lives in a nearby town and looks exactly like Flynn. Only this boy is very much alive.

Digging through layers of secrets and lies, Morgan is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her boyfriend, her town, and even her parents' involvement in this massive web of lies. (Goodreads)
It’s been three months since the death of Morgan’s boyfriend, Flynn. She is hoping to finally get some closure of his passing by uploading a picture and a final goodbye to him on the popular website Friendshare. But when the facial recognition software on the site suggests that she ‘tag’ him as Evan Murphy, a boy who lives in the neighboring town who looks just like Flynn and is definitely alive, Morgan begins to question if anything she knew about her boyfriend was true.

Morgan was such a great character; so funny and very likeable. Oh, and she loves photography, which made me love her even more. She was also determined to figure out what exactly was going on it her little town and what had happened to her boyfriend, especially after she meets Evan, who looks almost exactly like Flynn. I admired that determination in her. The relationship that forms between Evan and Morgan was super cute as well. There were some pretty awesome secondary characters in the novel also, especially Morgan’s best friend Toni. Seriously, these two girls are the bestest best friends ever, and I adore their relationship.

I really loved the cryptic storyline for the novel. It definitely kept me guessing as I turned the pages, and just when I thought I had figured everything out, Harrington threw in a plot twist and totally threw me off again.  I had my suspicions quite a few times on who the ‘bad guy’ was, but I was totally wrong! At only 288 pages, this book makes for a really quick read. But it wasn’t just the page count that caused me to read the book so quickly, it was the fact that I just couldn’t put the book down! I needed to know what was going to happen!

Overall; I’ve been a fan of Harrington’s for a while now, and this newest addition to her growing book collection definitely does not disappoint! Both the characters and the storyline make this book a really great read. Check it out sometime!

A huge thank you to Penguin and their ‘First to Read’ program for allowing me to read and review this novel!



Monday, July 14, 2014

Review: The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18634726-the-vanishing-season
The Vanishing Season
by Jodi Lynn Anderson
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Publication Date: July 1st 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 256
ISBN: 9780062003270
Genre: Young Adult | Paranormal | Mystery
Source: Edelweiss

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Girls started vanishing in the fall, and now winter's come to lay a white sheet over the horror. Door County, it seems, is swallowing the young, right into its very dirt. From beneath the house on Water Street, I've watched the danger swell.

The residents know me as the noises in the house at night, the creaking on the stairs. I'm the reflection behind them in the glass, the feeling of fear in the cellar. I'm tied—it seems—to this house, this street, this town.

I'm tied to Maggie and Pauline, though I don't know why. I think it's because death is coming for one of them, or both.

All I know is that the present and the past are piling up, and I am here to dig.I am looking for the things that are buried.

From bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson comes a friendship story bound in snow and starlight, a haunting mystery of love, betrayal, redemption, and the moments that we leave behind. (Goodreads)
I was super excited to finally start The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson, as I have heard SO many great things about the author. I’ve had Anderson’s ‘Tiger Lily’ on my to-read list for a while now as well, and I’m super excited to start it now, hopefully soon.

Maggie is a good girl, one that will do anything to keep her parents happy. Even moving to the small town of Gill Creek after her mom lost her job. She never complains, even though the move is clearly something that she doesn’t want to do, but she understands the amount of stress that her parents are under, so she goes along with whatever they decide to make them happy. I both admired her for her this, and found it insanely frustrating at times. Especially when people took advantage of her, that really made me want to shake some sense into her.

I can’t say that I really cared for many of the secondary characters in this book. I never quite took a liking Liam and Pauline, teens that Maggie met in her new town. I knew something was up with these two from the very beginning. I especially didn’t buy the relationship between Liam and Maggie. Poor Maggie may have been into it, but Liam’s heart was elsewhere. Maggie did have some pretty great parents, however. I was also intrigued by the ‘ghost’ who narrated some parts of the story.

I really enjoyed the mystery feel to the book, it really kept me guessing. The ending was a big surprise that I didn’t really see coming. I expected something completely different to happen, but I was definitely wrong on my guessing. I can see how the ending of the book would upset some readers. It did make me a bit angry, but more for what happened with some of the secondary characters than with the main character. This type of ending is becoming increasingly popular in YA lately.  I also really enjoyed the writing style for the book. It had a hauntingly beautiful quality to it, which I thought went really well with the storyline.  The only issue that I really had with the book was that one of the side plots kind of left me hanging at the end of the book. While we really don’t get an answer on what happened, and that was a bit frustrating, I kind of liked the anonymity of that part of the story.

Overall; I did enjoy reading this novel, and I’m looking forward to reading more by Anderson in the near future. Tiger Lily is my book club read for next month, and I’m super excited to start it now.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Review: The Things You Kiss Goodbye by Leslie Connor

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18651924-the-things-you-kiss-goodbye
The Things You Kiss Goodbye
by Leslie Connor
Website

Publication Date: June 24th 2014
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780060890919
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Edelweiss

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Bettina Vasilis can hardly believe it when basketball star Brady Cullen asks her out, and she just about faints when her strict father actually approves of him.

But when school starts up again, Brady changes. What happened to the sweet boy she fell in love with? Then she meets a smoldering guy in his twenties, and this “cowboy” is everything Brady is not—gentle, caring, and interested in getting to know the real Bettina.

Bettina knows that breaking up with Brady would mean giving up her freedom—and that it would be inappropriate for anything to happen between her and Cowboy. Still, she can’t help that she longs for the scent of his auto shop whenever she’s anywhere else.

When tragedy strikes, Bettina must tell her family the truth—and kiss goodbye the things she thought she knew about herself and the men in her life.

Leslie Connor has written a lyrical, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful story about family, romance, and the immense power of love. (Goodreads)
I’ve had The Things You Kiss Goodbye on my list of books to review for a while now. I have really mixed emotions now that I’ve finished the book. I both loved the novel, and found it insanely frustrating as well.  I went into the book rather blindly, even though I had read the synopsis, I was expecting a love story of sorts, but what I got instead was a story that was much darker instead.

When basketball star Brady Cullen asks Bettina out, she can hardly believe her luck, especially since her super strict family seems to approve of him. So she jumps on the chance to get some time out of the house. But things start to change when the summer ends, and school begins, and with these changes, comes great turmoil.

Bettina had the makings to be a really amazing character.  She was Greek, artsy, and all kinds of awesome, but she’s also pretty much a pushover. Her father was overbearing and rarely ever even let her out of the house. So when she saw a little bit of rebellious freedom in her future when Brady asks her out, she jumped on it. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out well for her after Brady changed. I really wish that she had stuck up for herself earlier in the novel, both to Brady and her father. It really bothered me that she didn’t tell anyone close to her what was going on in her life. It’s never good for one to hold in so much information, especially if you are only doing it for reasons such as getting to spend time away from your family or getting out of the house. Yes, her father was insanely overbearing, and I can see why she would need a break from time to time, but she definitely went about it the wrong way. One thing I always stress to my daughters is to never, ever let someone hurt you, and to always go to someone for help if they do. Easier said than done, I know, especially when you are a teenager with raging hormones, and just want a little freedom in life. I just really with Bettina would have stepped up and at least talked to someone. People were there, willing to listen, but she never really even tried to talk to them, and that made me very sad for her.

Brady, the ‘boyfriend’ in the novel, was a jerk. Flat out, jerk. Bettina stayed with him a heck of a lot longer than she ever should have. While we know from the blurb that he changes over the summer, it’s never really said as to why he changed. I can’t see how just ‘becoming popular’ could have turned him from such a sweet, shy guy into the cruel being that he had become. What’s worse is that he’s never really held accountable for the abuse that he caused.

While I’m glad that Bettina had found a caring soul in “Cowboy”, someone that treated her kind and actually listened to her, I barely felt the connection between the two. Cowboy was someone that she should have been able to open up to, and while she did in a way, but she really didn’t. Also, I don’t see how they came so close over such a short amount of time that they were together to have warranted an ‘I Love You’ from each other. It never really seemed like they had gotten that close to me. Both of these characters had experienced abuse, and that totally could have bonded them, but it was rarely ever discussed between the two. These two characters, despite the major age difference, could have been really great friends until Bettina was of legal age.

There were some really great secondary characters in the book that I really enjoyed. Two being Tony and Bonnie, who were friends from school whose relationships with Bettina grew over the course of the book, and who I found myself wishing that Bettina would talk to about what she was going through. Another was Tony’s grandmother, Regina, and I would have to say that this woman was really the highlight of the book for me. Such a caring, wonderful woman, even if she was insanely scary at times. I also loved the sweet relationship between Bettina and her younger brothers. As for her father, on the other hand, I didn’t care about him so much. He didn’t seem like much of a father to her, always seemed to be overlooking her while also being insanely controlling. Luckily he does redeem himself a bit in the end, but there for a while, I pretty much hated him.

The storyline for the book was quite engrossing, and I found myself reading this book very quickly. There were quite a few parts in the novel, especially near the end, that made me ugly cry. That doesn’t happen a lot with books, but with this one, I just couldn’t hold it back. I think this book would make a great book to discuss as a group read, especially between teenage girls. It would definitely make for an interesting discussion for teens and parents as well.

Overall; while you may thing after reading this review that I didn’t like the book, please know that I really did enjoy it. Some things were insanely frustrating, and some things I wish were different, but in the end, it really did make for a great read. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author in the future.



Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #155 - Trust Me, I'm Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17341550-trust-me-i-m-lyingTrust Me, I'm Lying
by Mary Elizabeth Summer
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: October 14th 2014
Publisher: Delacorte Press
ISBN: 9780385744065

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17341550-trust-me-i-m-lying

Available for Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Fans of Ally Carter, especially her Heist Society readers, will love this teen mystery/thriller with sarcastic wit, a hint of romance, and Ocean’s Eleven–inspired action.

Julep Dupree tells lies. A lot of them. She’s a con artist, a master of disguise, and a sophomore at Chicago’s swanky St. Agatha High, where her father, an old-school grifter with a weakness for the ponies, sends her to so she can learn to mingle with the upper crust. For extra spending money Julep doesn’t rely on her dad—she runs petty scams for her classmates while dodging the dean of students and maintaining an A+ (okay, A-) average.

But when she comes home one day to a ransacked apartment and her father gone, Julep’s carefully laid plans for an expenses-paid golden ticket to Yale start to unravel. Even with help from St. Agatha’s resident Prince Charming, Tyler Richland, and her loyal hacker sidekick, Sam, Julep struggles to trace her dad’s trail of clues through a maze of creepy stalkers, hit attempts, family secrets, and worse, the threat of foster care. With everything she has at stake, Julep’s in way over her head . . . but that’s not going to stop her from using every trick in the book to find her dad before his mark finds her. Because that would be criminal. (Goodreads)

Heist Society?? Inspired by Ocean's Eleven??
COUNT ME IN!!
This sounds like it will be a really fun, mysterious book to read.
I can't wait to check it out!
**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**


Monday, July 7, 2014

Review: Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18406862-sinner
Sinner
(The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3.5)
by Maggie Stiefvater
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr

Publication Date: July 1st 2014
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780545654579
Genre: Young Adult | Paranormal | Werewolves
Source: Own

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

A standalone companion book to the internationally bestselling Shiver Trilogy.

Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole's story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole's darkest secret -- his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel's life. Can this sinner be saved? (Goodreads)
How super excited was everyone to learn that Sinner was going to be an upcoming addition to The Wolves of Mercy Falls series?? I know I was pretty darn excited.  I’ve been intrigued by Cole since we first met him, and I was super curious to know how his story was going to end. Fans of the trilogy will definitely not be disappointed by this novel.

To be honest, I was a little anxious about starting Sinner, because Cole has been one hot mess from the beginning. I was afraid that I wouldn’t like the outcome of this book, and I seriously had my doubts when I first started reading it. But I was proved wrong, and by none other than Cole himself. Yes, he’s still cocky and conceited, and sometimes I worried about his sanity, but I would really expect nothing less from Cole. He came to L.A. ultimately to be with Isabel, and honestly, I don’t think there’s anyone else in the world that would be better for him. Isabel is such a strong character herself, and she doesn’t put up with anyone’s crap, including Cole’s. These two characters are insanely perfect for each other. It’s so hard to put my thoughts about them into words, but they just work so well together. And when I think back on the rest of the books in the series, they always have.

I really enjoyed the storyline for the book, and I’m super glad that Steifvater decided to write the story. I had always wondered what Cole and Isabel’s future would hold, and now that I know their story, I finally feel like I have closure with the couple.

Since this book is a standalone companion novel, it can be enjoyed by people that have not yet read the The Wolves of Mercy Falls series, but I highly recommend that you read the series beforehand anyways, just to get the back-story and better understand these two characters.

Overall; I thought this book was a great addition to The Wolves of Mercy Falls series. I really think that fans of the series will really enjoy reading this book.


Thursday, July 3, 2014

Review: Fan Art by Sarah Tregay

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17924987-fan-art
Fan Art
by Sarah Tregay
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: June 17th 2014
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780062243157
Genre: Young Adult | LGBT | Contemporary
Source: Edelweiss

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When the picture tells the story…

Senior year is almost over, and Jamie Peterson has a big problem. Not college—that’s all set. Not prom—he’ll find a date somehow. No, it’s the worst problem of all: he’s fallen for his best friend.

As much as Jamie tries to keep it under wraps, everyone seems to know where his affections lie, and the giggling girls in art class are determined to help Jamie get together with Mason. But Jamie isn’t sure if that’s what he wants—because as much as Jamie would like to come clean to Mason, what if the truth ruins everything? What if there are no more road trips, taco dinners, or movie nights? Does he dare risk a childhood friendship for romance?

This book is about what happens when a picture reveals what we can’t say, when art is truer than life, and how falling in love is easy, except when it’s not. Fan Art explores the joys and pains of friendship, of pressing boundaries, and how facing our worst fears can sometimes lead us to what we want most. (Goodreads)
Fan Art is the story about high school senior Jamie Peterson, who has a big secret -- he has a huge crush on his best friend, Mason. It doesn’t really feel like a secret, however, because everyone in his school seems to know exactly how Jamie feels. Everyone expect for Mason, the one person that Jamie actually wants to know how he feels. With the school year almost over, and college quickly approaching, Jamie must decide if he’s willing to risk friendship for love.

The main character, Jamie, was a somewhat frustrating character. While he was very smart and definitely artistic, he was also extremely obtuse. I wanted to shake some sense into him, and tell him to open his eyes and take a good look around him. The hints were there, he just didn’t see them, or chose not to and hid behind flimsy excuses so that he wouldn’t have to deal with it, (even though that is exactly what he wanted to do!) Mason, however, seemed to know exactly what he wanted, even though he was trying to let Jamie figure out everything for himself. I really enjoyed Mason’s character, although I do with he would have help Jamie more along the way.

I’ve only read a handful of LGBT books, so I really don’t have much to compare to. I read this book as I would any other contemporary novel; it was a love story, plain and simple. The storyline for the book is pretty much about Jamie’s struggle with wanting to come out to his best friend, but not knowing how to go about it, and at times, even being afraid to do so. Even though I’ve never been in the situation that Jamie was in, I was still able to relate with the way that he felt at times throughout the book, and because of that the storyline felt very realistic.

One thing that I really loved about this book was the support that Jamie had from his parents. And not just from his parents, but from his friends and the kids at his school as well. In a world where there are so many haters, it’s nice to see some support out there. I also really feel like this book sends out a very positive message about just being yourself, and loving yourself no matter what.

Overall; while I had my issues with the main character, I still enjoyed reading this book. A love story is a love story to me, despite whom the characters may be, and I can’t resist a good love story.



Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #154 - Atlantia by Ally Condie

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17731926-atlantia
Atlantia
by Ally Condie
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: October 28th 2014
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books
ISBN: 9780525426448

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17731926-atlantia

Available for Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Can you hear Atlantia breathing?

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths. (Goodreads)

I've seen this book around the internet a lot lately,
and I have to admit... I'm curious!
I've not read anything by this author before,
but my daughter has read her Matched series and loved it!
I can't wait to check this book out.


What are you Waiting on this week??

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

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Classic Books I've Read & Want to Read


1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - This is my most favorite classic read ever and also my most favorite book by Jane Austen. This is the book that made me fall in love with her, and I could just read it over and over again. Plus, Mr. Darcy. Enough said.  I love the movie for the book as well!

2. Emma by Jane Austen - My second favorite Jane Austen novel. I love the characters in the novel, especially Emma and Mr. Knightley. Emma is such a naive and flawed character, you can't help but love her. And Mr. Knightley... swoooooon. ;) Also, the BBC adaptation of the book is one of my most favorite things ever to watch. :)

3. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - The last Austen novel on my list, I promise!! Sense and Sensibility is yet another of my favorite classic novels. I love everything about this book, the characters, the setting... everything!

4. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - I read this book as part of a book club read a few years back, and I just really enjoyed the book SO much more than I expected to. It's super mysterious. Check it out sometime!

5. The Princess Bride by William Goldman - I really loved reading this book when I read it a few years ago. It's definitely one that I can see myself re-reading over and over again. I finally watched the movie recently and loved it too!



1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - I think I am the only person in the world that hasn't read this book yet! I've heard good things about it, and I'm super curious. I hope that I can read it soon!

2. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - This is one of my moms favorite books, and I've heard from others how much they loved it as well. Super excited to read this one in the future!

3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I actually tried to read this book a while back, but the timing wasn't good for me, and I couldn't get into the book. I'd love to try it again sometime.

4. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - I've had this book on my to-read list for quite a while now, and I'm hoping that I can get to it soon.

5. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - This is yet another book that has been on my to-read list for a while, as I hear about it EVERYWHERE and I'm super curious to finally read it and see what it's all about.

What's on your Top Ten list this week?
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!