Sunday, April 30, 2017

April 2017 Wrap Up & Book Haul


*April Book Haul*

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
No Good Deed by Goldy Moldavsky
Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky
And Then There Were Four by Nancy Werlin
Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray
Legion by Julie Kagawa
Alex & Eliza: A Love Story by Melissa de la Cruz
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
And We're Off by Dana Schwartz
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare


*April Wrap Up*

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Kill All Happies by Rachel Cohn
Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
Meg & Linus by Hanna Nowinski
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
And We're Off by Dana Schwarts

Not pictured:
Fireworks by Katie Cotugno
Big Mushy Happy Lump by Sarah Andersen
Blacksouls by Nicole Castroman
Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman


Geez, I just now realize that I read 17 books this month.
SEVENTEEN!!
I really hope that I can keep up this reading mojo in May,
because my TBR is more than a little overwhelming for the next few weeks.
I've actually already started on it, so that hopefully I can stay caught up.
We shall see!!

I love all the new books I added to my collection this month as well.
I've read a few of them, and I'm hoping to get to the rest of them soon.

Tell me, how was your April??



Saturday, April 29, 2017

My Thoughts: Kill All Happies by Rachel Cohn

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31823243-kill-all-happies
Kill All Happies
by Rachel Cohn
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: May 2nd 2017
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 288
ISBN: 9781423157229
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Review Copy

Add to Goodreads

Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Last Call at Happies! Tonight, 8 P.M. Senior Class Only! Please with the Shhhh….

This is it. Graduation. And Vic Navarro is throwing the most epic party Rancho Soldado has ever seen. She’s going to pull off the most memorable good-bye ever for her best friends, give Happies—the kitschy restaurant that is her desert town’s claim to fame—a proper send-off into bankruptcy, and oh yes, hook up with her delicious crush, Jake Zavala-Kim. She only needs to keep the whole thing a secret so that her archnemesis, Miss Ann Thrope, Rancho Soldado’s nightmare Town Councilwoman and high school Economics teacher, doesn’t get Vic tossed in jail.

With the music thumping, alcohol flowing, bodies mashing, and Thrope nowhere to be seen, Vic’s party is a raging success. That is, until Happies fans start arriving in droves to say good-bye, and storm the deserted theme park behind the restaurant. Suddenly what was a small graduation bash is more like Coachella on steroids with a side of RASmatazz pie. The night is so not going as planned. And maybe that’s the best plan of all. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...

Kill All Happies is not the first book I've read by Rachel Cohn, but it is the first book I've read that's she's written by herself. The other two books I've read were co-written by David Levithan. (Yes, I'm totally talking about the Dash and Lily series.) I've had a few of Rachel's other books on my TBR as well, so I was curious to finally read one of her books.

I've read quite a bit of summer-themed books lately, and Kill The Happies could also make that list as well. The characters have just graduated from high school, and they want to have one last hurrah at their favorite restaurant/theme park, which is closing down for good. What should be a simple fun for the graduating senior class turns into so much more when fans of the closing park arrive to have a party of their own.

I really enjoyed the setting of the book. I love a good amusement park, and Happies sounded like it was a cool place to visit when it was up and running. It actually sounds like a little amusement park we have where we live, a place I love to visit. I don't know how I would feel if it were to ever close down! Reading about the party itself made me more than a little anxious. The party was pretty wide, and I was actually a little surprised at the amount of drinking and drug-usage throughout the story. I'm no prude, but this seemed a bit... much? Maybe that's me though.

Overall; I'm really not sure how I feel about this book at the moment. There are parts I enjoyed, mostly the amusement park parts, but the rest really didn't quite work out for me. If you're looking for a quick, end-of-school read, this book may be up your alley.



Week in Review • Week 17


Happy Saturday, Bookworms!

Yes, I usually share my Week in Review posts on Sunday, but tomorrow I'll be sharing my monthly wrap-up, so I wanted to get this post up today, to hopefully avoid some confusion.

This week was another good reading week for me! I managed to read *almost* all the books on my April TBR, so I went ahead and got a head start on my May TBR. With so many books to read next month, I'm going to need all the time I can get. :)

Here's what I've been up to this week...

http://www.thereaderbee.com/2017/04/my-thoughts-blacksouls-by-nicole-castroman.htmlhttp://www.thereaderbee.com/2017/04/my-thoughts-girl-out-of-water-by-laura-silverman.htmlhttp://www.thereaderbee.com/2017/04/my-thoughts-and-were-off-by-dana-schwartz.htmlhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31823243-kill-all-happies

This past week I read 4 review books. I shared my thoughts for Blacksouls by Nicole Castroman, Girl out of Water by Laura Silverman and And We're Off on the blog, and my thoughts for Kill All Happies by Rachel Cohn will be up later today. So check those out if you're interested!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22449288-the-titan-s-curse https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15395725-the-truth-about-forever

I also finished my reread of The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan for my Percy Jackson rereadathon. I forgot how much I really enjoyed this series. I was hoping to also read The Battle of the Labyrinth, but I'm thinking that will have to go on next months TBR.

I haven't yet finished The Truth About Forever for my Sarah Dessen Readathon, but I'm including it anyways, because I'm hoping to finish the last half of it today!



No TV or Movies to add this week. I've been too busy reading! *grin*



https://www.instagram.com/thereaderbee/



This was not a bad reading week for me at all, and I'm really hoping I can keep up reading mojo into next month, because I'm really going to need it. I wish I had some Other Stuff to add, but I've mostly just been reading lately. Haha!

That's all for me this week, so...

Friday, April 28, 2017

My Thoughts: And We're Off by Dana Schwartz

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31707102-and-we-re-off
And We're Off
by Dana Schwartz
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: May 2nd 2017
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 288
ISBN: 9780448493817
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Travel
Source: For Review

Add to Goodreads

Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Seventeen-year-old Nora Holmes is an artist, a painter from the moment she could hold a brush. She inherited the skill from her grandfather, Robert, who's always nurtured Nora's talent and encouraged her to follow her passion. Still, Nora is shocked and elated when Robert offers her a gift: an all-expenses-paid summer trip to Europe to immerse herself in the craft and to study history's most famous artists. The only catch? Nora has to create an original piece of artwork at every stop and send it back to her grandfather. It's a no-brainer: Nora is in!

Unfortunately, Nora's mother, Alice, is less than thrilled about the trip. She worries about what the future holds for her young, idealistic daughter and her opinions haven't gone unnoticed. Nora couldn't feel more unsupported by her mother, and in the weeks leading up to the trip, the women are as disconnected as they've ever been. But seconds after saying goodbye to Alice at the airport terminal, Nora hears a voice call out: "Wait! Stop! I'm coming with you!" (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...

When And We're Off arrived on my doorstep, I was definitely curious to check it out. It sounded like a really great summer read, and with summer quickly approaching it sounded right up my alley. I love a good travel story, especially when it's about traveling through Europe!

Seventeen year old Nora has plans to spend the summer before her senior year of high school traveling through Europe to study art and attending a very exclusive art program. Everything is going exactly as she planned, until her mom decides at the very last minute to go along on the trip with her. And so, there goes her summer.

I found the characters in the book a bit hard to relate to. I understand that Nora was disappointed that her trip wasn't to go as planned, but she was a bit overdramatic about it at times. And the mom was just really annoying. Being a mom myself I can usually relate to the moms as well, but not this time. I get wanting to spend time with your kid, but she just went about it the wrong way. I kind of expected their relationship to grow throughout the story, but I feel like that never really happened, unfortunately.

This book was a really quick read. I quickly became engrossed in Nora's adventure through Europe. I absolutely loved the setting for the book the most. I would LOOOOOOOOVE to travel through Europe, and one day I hope to actually do so. Not that it will be happening anytime soon, however, so I'll just have to fill the void by watching lots of foreign movies. *grin* I really did love the setting. The descriptions were great, and totally made me want to be there right along with Nora on her adventure.

Overall; And We're Off is a quick read that will be great to add to your summer reading list. If you're a fan of books with travel in them, you'll definitely want to check this out.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

My Thoughts: Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29640839-girl-out-of-water
Girl Out of Water
by Laura Silverman
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: May 2nd 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781492646860
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Netgalley

Add to Goodreads

Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Anise Sawyer plans to spend every minute of summer with her friends: surfing, chowing down on fish tacos drizzled with wasabi balsamic vinegar, and throwing bonfires that blaze until dawn. But when a serious car wreck leaves her aunt, a single mother of three, with two broken legs, it forces Anise to say goodbye for the first time to Santa Cruz, the waves, her friends, and even a kindling romance, and fly with her dad to Nebraska for the entire summer. Living in Nebraska isn’t easy. Anise spends her days caring for her three younger cousins in the childhood home of her runaway mom, a wild figure who’s been flickering in and out of her life since birth, appearing for weeks at a time and then disappearing again for months, or even years, without a word.

Complicating matters is Lincoln, a one-armed, charismatic skater who pushes Anise to trade her surfboard for a skateboard. As Anise draws closer to Lincoln and takes on the full burden and joy of her cousins, she loses touch with her friends back home – leading her to one terrifying question: will she turn out just like her mom and spend her life leaving behind the ones she loves. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...

I have to admit, I was really curious to start reading Girl Out of Water. I follow Laura Silverman on Twitter, and all her tweets about the book made me really interested to check it out. I'm glad I did. This book would be perfect to add to your Summer TBR list!

There were a lot of interesting characters in the story, including the main character, Anise, who wanted nothing more than to spend her summer hanging out with her friends and riding the waves. When all her plans changes, she takes them in stride, even when she totally doesn't want to, because.. family. They're everything, right? Anise has a pretty awesome family; her dad, aunt and cousins were all really great. She has some pretty great friends as well, both at home, and the new ones she meets along the way. And, of course, Lincoln is totally awesome as well.

The storyline for this contemporary novel was fun and very entertaining. (I am a sucker for contemporary novels, so this book was right up my alley. *wink*) While the book had a few serious moments in it, it was mainly a really light-hearted read. I loved the summer setting, and though it's not the summer Anise expected to have at the beach, Nebraska still sounds pretty cool. All the descriptions of Anise's home in California totally made me want to BE at the beach. It sounds like an awesome place to live. Laura did a great job with the descriptions.

Overall; Girl Out of Water was an interesting summer themed read, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to check it out! Definitely add this to your TBR if you're in the mood for a fun summer read.


Tuesday, April 25, 2017

My Thoughts: Blacksouls by Nicole Castroman

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30312562-blacksouls
Blacksouls
(Blackhearts #2)
by Nicole Castroman
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: April 11th 2017
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9781481491051
Genre: Young Adult | Historical | Pirates
Source: Netgalley

Add to Goodreads

Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Nicole Castroman brings the dangerous pirate ports of the Caribbean to life in this vibrant sequel to Blackhearts—the reimagined origin story of history’s most infamous pirate, Blackbeard.

Edward “Teach” Drummond is setting sail to the Caribbean as first mate on the most celebrated merchant ship in the British fleet—until he rebels against his captain. Mutiny is a capital offense and Teach knows it could cost him his life, but he believes it worth the risk in order to save his crew from the attacking Spanish ships.

Sailing on the same blue waters, Anne barely avoids the Spanish attack, making it safely to Nassau. But lawless criminals, corrupt politics, and dangerous intentions fill the crowded streets of this Caribbean port. Soon, Anne discovers that the man entrusted to keep the peace is quite possibly the most treacherous of them all—and he just happens to hold Teach’s fate in his terrifying hands.

Life and death hang in the balance when Teach and Anne are given a dangerous mission. It’s a mission that will test their love, loyalty and devotion, forcing them down a path neither one could have ever imagined. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...

Last year I had the pleasure of reading Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman, and I really enjoyed the story. There are seriously not enough pirate books in my life, and I can't quite seem to get enough of the ones that are! So, of course, I absolutely couldn't wait to read Blacksouls, the much anticipated sequel to Blackhearts. While the first book had really been a pre-pirate novel, this book HAS ALL THE PIRATES!! And that made me so, so happy.

There are so many characters in this book that I love; many we know from the first book, like Anne, who is a very headstrong young lady whom I absolutely love, as well as Teach, aka, the young Blackbeard. But we're also introduced to a lot of new characters as well, so many that it would take me a while to name them all. But with the good, comes the bad, and there are a few characters you're absolutely going to hate. There are two new characters, in particular, that I want to know SO much more about. One is a girl, and one is a guy, and BOTH ARE PIRATES. ARGH! haha! Read the book and meet them for yourself. You totally won't regret it. *wink*

As I mentioned above, I'm a pretty big fan of pirate stories. Unfortunately, there are not nearly enough in my collection, so when I do have the chance to read one, I go in with pretty high expectations. Blacksouls was awesome. There was definitely a lot more action and pirate-y content than what was in the first book. While there were some slow parts, there were also some that had me holding my breath at times when the suspense almost killed me. The setting for the book was completely different than the first as well. Nassau is a far different world from the England that Anne was so used to, and life in there was brutal. And I mean so brutal. It was definitely a different world than in the first book.

The book ends in a way to where I assume that there will be a third book, but I couldn't find any information on it. I really hope that there is one, so I can continue along on this adventure with Anne, Teach and the rest of their crew!

Overall; I really enjoyed reading Blacksouls! It was an interesting sequel to Blackhearts, and I'm super curious to see where the story is going to go next. Now I totally feel the need to binge watch ALL the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, because, you know.. pirates. *wink*



Monday, April 24, 2017

Sarah Dessen Readathon: This Lullaby

This Lullaby
by Sarah Dessen
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: first published May 27th 2002
Publisher: Speak
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780142501559
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Own

Add to Goodreads

Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

She's got it all figured out.

Or does she? When it comes to relationships, Remy's got a whole set of rules.

Never get too serious. Never let him break your heart. And never, ever date a musician.

But then Remy meets Dexter, and the rules don't seem to apply anymore.

Could it be that she's starting to understand what all those love songs are about?
(Goodreads)

My Thoughts...

This Lullaby is the next book on the list for my Sarah Dessen Readathon, and I’m super excited to read this book again. This Lullaby was the first book that I ever read by Sarah, and I read it many, many years ago, so a lot of the details from the book are super fuzzy in my mind. I'm excited to have the opportunity to read the story again!

As I mentioned above, I read This Lullaby a while back, in 2009 actually, and it was the first book I read by Sarah. I expected the story to come flashing back in my mind as I started reading the book, but it didn’t. That was totally ok with me, however, as it felt like I was getting a chance to read the story like it was a new-to-me read, and I liked that. Some details I did remember, like Dexter, who is hard to forget, but a lot I had forgotten. (Easily done, considering how many books I read in a year!)

Remy was an interesting main character to follow, and I definitely found her to be really relatable. People in the story saw her as a b-tch in the beginning of the story, but she proves as the story goes along that she’s anything but that. I appreciate her need for independence and such. I get it, Remy. Dexter, Remy’s love interest in the story, was definitely the highlight of the book for me, as a lot of Sarah’s leading males are. He made me sigh more than a few times throughout the book; he was just so, so sweet. Why aren’t more guys like Dexter? There are many more interesting secondary characters in the story, including Remy’s family and friends. I love the friendship she had with them all, especially with her friends.

The storyline for the book was, like most of Sarah’s books, relatable and completely engrossing. There’s just something about Sarah’s books that are so comforting to me, I can start a story and become completely engrossed. That’s exactly what happened with This Lullaby. It was set in the summer as well, which I loved, since summer is quickly approaching. Altogether, the characters, setting and storyline made for a really great read.

Overall; I really, really enjoyed re-reading This Lullaby, especially as I read it so long ago, and it felt like reading the book again for the first time. I really enjoyed the book, and I’m not excited to move on to The Truth About Forever, which I actually read last year for the readalong that Penguin Teen hosted, and it ended up being one of my most favorite books by her. I’m super excited to dive into it again!

My Thoughts: Meg and Linus by Hanna Nowinski

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29102794-meg-linus
Meg & Linus
by Hanna Nowinski
 Twitter
Publication Date: April 18th 2017
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Pages: 336
ISBN: 9781250098603
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Review Copy

Add to Goodreads

Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Can friendship, Star Trek, drama club, and a whole lot of coffee get two nerdy best friends through the beginning of their senior year of high school?

Meg and Linus are best friends bound by a shared love of school, a coffee obsession, and being queer. It’s not always easy to be the nerdy lesbian or gay kid in a suburban town. But they have each other. And a few Star Trek boxed sets. They're pretty happy.

But then Sophia, Meg’s longtime girlfriend, breaks up with Meg. Linus starts tutoring the totally dreamy new kid, Danny—and Meg thinks setting them up is the perfect project to distract herself from her own heartbreak. But Linus isn’t so sure Danny even likes guys, and maybe Sophia isn't quite as out of the picture as Meg thought she was. . . .

From crowdsourced young adult imprint Swoon Reads comes Meg & Linus by Hanna Nowinski, a fun friendship story about two quirky teens who must learn to get out of their comfort zones and take risks—even if that means joining the drama club, making new friends, and learning how to stand on your own. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...

To be completely honest, the first thing that drew me to Meg & Linus by Hanna Nowinski was the absolutely adorable cover. (I can’t help it, I adore a good cover.) Then I read the summary for the book, and knew that it was something that I needed to read. This book was super cute; a diverse story of love and friendship. I really enjoyed reading it!

In the story we follow Meg and Linus, who happen to be the bestest nerdy friends ever, through the first half of their senior year of high school. The story is told from the alternate perspectives of Meg, who just broke up with her long-time girlfriend, and Linus, who is experiencing his first ever crush on the new boy Danny. I really enjoyed reading the story from the alternative perspectives, as Linus was absolutely adorable experiencing his first crush ever, and my heart completely went out to Meg as she learned to cope with her breakup. I love these two characters, and their friendship was something super special. There were a lot of really great secondary characters as well.

The storyline for the book was super cute. It was about friendship, and being nerdy, and first loves and losses. But mostly it was about the friendship between Meg and Linus, which was great, and had its ups and downs just like everything in life. And I love that while the story had swoon-worthy moments for the characters, it was mainly about their friendship. There should definitely be more books in the world like this!

Overall; Meg & Linus was a super cute read, and I’m glad I was able to fit it into my TBR this month! I’m super curious to read more by Hanna Nowinski in the future! Do check out Meg and Linus for a super cute, diverse story of love and friendship!!


Sunday, April 23, 2017

Week in Review • Week 16


Hey, Bookworms!!
Has this weekend been really great, or what??
Yesterday was Earth Day, and today is WORLD BOOK DAY!!
I looooove days where we get to celebrate the Earth, AND books.

Here's what I've been up to this week!!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29523625-fireworks https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29102794-meg-linus

This week I read two review books, the first was Fireworks by Katie Cotugno, which you can see my thoughts for here, and also Meg & Linus by Hanna Nowinski, which I'm hoping to have my thoughts up for soon.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30754980-big-mushy-happy-lump

I also read Big Mushy Happy Lump by Sarah Andersen, which is book 2 in her Sarah Scribbles series. I love these graphic books SO much. They are so very relatable. If you haven't read them, do it.



I also read This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen for my Sarah Dessen Readathon! I can't believe that I'm actually keeping up with this readathon. Usually I'm waaaay behind by now, but I'm actually keeping up! (It helps that the books are just SO good as well!)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18051352-to-all-the-boys-i-ve-loved-before https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20698530-p-s-i-still-love-you

I also re-read To All The Boys I've Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han, to refresh my brain before Always and Forever, Lara Jean is released next month. I'm SO excited for the new book now, I can't hardly stand it!

www.imdb.com/title/tt3874544 www.imdb.com/title/tt0112471

This week I managed to squeeze in two movies, the first being The Boss Baby, which was SO cute and the kids really loved it, and the second being Before Sunrise, which I watched with  my book club girls and had never seen before.

I'm still behind on ALL the shows I've been watching recently, but I'm hoping to get caught up on those soon.

https://www.instagram.com/thereaderbee/

Not much else has been going on lately, thanks to my super overwhelming TBR. Haha! Six books in one week wasn't bad at all, but I'm still a bit behind, unfortunately. I am, however, almost completely caught up on my April TBR, I believe. Which is a good thing, because I *really* need to get started on my May TBR, which I am kind of dreading. ALL THE BOOKS COME OUT IN MAY!! Haha!

That's all for me this week, I suppose, so...

Monday, April 17, 2017

Sarah Dessen Readathon: Dreamland

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15392025-dreamland
Dreamland
by Sarah Dessen
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: September 1st 2000 (first published)
Publisher: Speak
Pages: 250
ISBN: 9780142401750
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Own

Add to Goodreads

Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository


Love can be a very dangerous thing.

After her sister left, Caitlin felt lost.

Then she met Rogerson.

When she's with him, nothing seems real.

But what happens when being with Rogerson becomes a larger problem than being without him? (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...

Dreamland is the fourth book in my list to read for my Sarah Dessen Readathon, and it's one of the few books by Sarah that I've not yet read. To be honest, I've actually started to read this book in the past, and have promptly put it aside. For a reason. I know it deals with abuse, and books dealing with abuse tend to make me very angry. But, I wanted to read the book for this readathon, so I decided to dive in. I'm glad I did, as I can now finally mark it off the list of books I've read by Sarah.

I've read a lot of books lately where I've really been able to connect and relate to the main character, and this book was no exception. I totally get where Caitlyn was coming from regarding her parents and her sister, and I totally get why she did some of the things that she did. Been there, done that. And while I've never experienced firsthand the abuse that Caitlyn went through in the story, I do know someone close who has, so I instantly picked up on the signs from Rogerson. Maybe it's the overprotective parent in me as well, but I just know to watch for these things. It made me SO mad that no one around Caitlyn could see it. Seriously, I wanted to shout at everyone to OPEN THEIR EYES and see what is going on with this girl! Argh. This made me SO angry for her.

I knew going into Dreamland that the storyline for the book would be a lot darker than I am used to by Sarah. I totally prepared for this. I'm really astonished at how much darker it was. And though the storyline made me so angry, I'm also glad that books like this exist in the world, so that maybe someone reading the book is experiencing the same thing as Caitlyn will be able to relate. I wanted SO badly for Caitlyn to just talk to SOMEONE, to tell them what she was going through. There are people out there to help! No one should have to go what she went through.

Sigh.

Overall; Dreamland was a hard book to read, but I'm so glad I finally did. I'm totally going to have both of my girls read it asap. Now I'm moving on to the next book on my list, This Lullaby, which I have read before, but I am super excited to read again!! :)

My Thoughts: Fireworks by Katie Cotugno

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29523625-fireworks
Fireworks
by Katie Cotugno
Website | Twitter | Tumblr

Publication Date:April 11th 2018
Publisher: HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray
Pages: 336
ISBN: 9780062660244
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: For Review

Add to Goodreads

Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

From Katie Cotugno, bestselling author of 99 Days, comes Fireworks—about a girl who is competing with her best friend to become the new pop star of the moment—and all the drama and romance that comes with it—set in Orlando during the late-'90s boy-and-girl-band craze.

It was always meant to be Olivia. She was the talented one, the one who had been training to be a star her whole life. Her best friend, Dana, was the level-headed one, always on the sidelines, cheering her best friend along.

But everything changes when Dana tags along with Olivia to Orlando for the weekend, where superproducer Guy Monroe is holding auditions for a new singing group, and Dana is discovered too. Dana, who’s never sung more than Olivia’s backup. Dana, who wasn’t even looking for fame. Next thing she knows, she and Olivia are training to be pop stars, and Dana is falling for Alex, the earnest, endlessly talented boy who’s destined to be the next big thing.

It should be a dream come true, but as the days of grueling practice and constant competition take their toll, things between Olivia and Dana start to shift . . . and there’s only room at the top for one girl. For Olivia, it’s her chance at her dream. For Dana, it’s a chance to escape a future that seems to be closing in on her. And for these lifelong best friends, it’s the adventure of a lifetime—if they can make it through.

Set in evocative 1990s Orlando, New York Times bestselling author Katie Cotugno’s Fireworks brings to life the complexity of friendship, the excitement of first love, and the feeling of being on the verge of greatness. (Goodreads)


My Thoughts...

I was super curious to get started on Fireworks by Katie Cotugno, especially after reading her previous book, 99 Days, last year and really enjoying it. I had the pleasure of meeting Katie not too long ago, and she's such a fun person, and it really reflects in her writing!

The first thing that had me excited to read Fireworks was that it was set in the 90's. That was my era! The decade of boy bands and pop star girls. I fully expected to be completely immersed in memories of my childhood, but this book actually read just like any other contemporary novel, just minus the modern technologies. Not that there was anything wrong with that; it's always interesting to see someone else's version of the past. The book is filled with lots of drama, and the end took a bit of an unexpected twist that I didn't see coming, (but should have expected). It was also a really quick read. I read it in just a few hours time!

It was interesting to read the story from the main character, Dana's, perspective. She wants nothing more than to get out of her small town, and when the opportunity arrives to have something more, she totally jumps on it. I didn't really care for her best friend, Olivia, who seemed really great at first, or her mom, who made me cringe more than once. But I did like Alex, who is in a boy band, and who is really pretty awesome. I think he was my favorite character in the story. *grin*

Overall; Fireworks was a quick, interesting read. It's a definitely a book have on your spring and summer reading lists. I still need to read Katie's How to Love, which I'm hoping to get to soon, and I'm also excited for her next book, Top Ten, which is set to release in the Fall!



Sunday, April 16, 2017

Week in Review • Week 15


I want to start this post today by saying Happy Easter to those who celebrate today!

I don't have too much to update this week, as it's been kind of insane with sick kids and such, but I do have a few things to share!
http://www.thereaderbee.com/2017/04/my-thoughts-upside-of-unrequited-by-becky-albertalli.html https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15392025-dreamland

This week I read two books. (I know, I know... last week I said I have four to read. *blush*)
I did read two of those books, and DNFed another one, unfortunately. I have another book I'm almost finished with, so hopefully I can get caught up on it and a few others this week!

I read The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli this week, and it's SO good. You can check out my thoughts for it here! If you liked Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, you will totally love this book.

I also read Dreamland for my Sarah Dessen Readathon, which was my first time reading the book. I'll be sharing my thoughts for the book tomorrow, but let's just say that this book was really well written, but made me pretty darn angry.

Sigh.
No movies or shows to update this week, although I did catch the last 5 minutes of Riverdale, and AHHHH!! The mom!! I have so many shows that I need to catch up on. It's so overwhelming!

https://www.instagram.com/thereaderbee/


This week has been insane! I didn't get as much reading done as I had hoped, but I DID get my garden out, which was really fun and completely exhausting at the same time. I really, really hope my veggies grow, the squash in particular, because I love a good grilled squash. Yum!

I'm hoping to have a really normal week next week. My plan is to finish up my April review books, so that I can get an early start on my May TBR. I currently have 16 review books on my May TBR. SIXTEEN! That's no including all the books I have preordered that I want to read, and the Sarah Dessen Readathon books as well. Yikes! I better get on those, and soon. :)

That's about all for my week this week, so...