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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

"Dark Eyes" by William Richter

Release Date: March 15th, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Format: ARC
Age Group: Young Adult



Wally was adopted from a Russian orphanage as a child and grew up in a wealthy New York City family. At fifteen, her obsessive need to rebel led her to life on the streets.

Now the sixteen-year-old is beautiful and hardened, and shes just stumbled across the possibility of discovering who she really is. She’ll stop at nothing to find her birth mother before Klesko—her darkeyed father—finds her. Because Klesko will stop at nothing to reclaim the fortune Wally’s mother stole from him long ago. Even if that means murdering his own blood. But Wallys had her own killer training, and she's hungry for justice.




I don't think I have ever read a YA novel quite like this one, but that is going to change. A lot of the books I read are contemporary or paranormal romance. They have other stuff going on, too, but a lot is focused around the love story. Which, I like, I wouldn't read them otherwise. However, it turns out that I also really like a story thats really different. This one was crazy intense. It has action, intrigue, violence, and yes there is a little dash of romance thrown in. This book didn't shy away from the bad stuff. It's like when you are watching a movie or tv show, you know something bad is about to happen and you want to cover your eyes, but you also don't want to miss what goes down. There were some moments while reading DARK EYES that I wished I could cover my eyes, but I kept reading because I had to know what was going to happen, even if it didn't end up being a good thing.

There was some serious emotional stuff going on in this book, too. I actually teared up more than once, which I never would have expected, but I think it made the story that much better for me. The relationships between Wally and the various people in her life were so well drawn. I could feel the connections, or lack thereof, between the characters and it made me that much more invested in the outcome. If I don't believe relationships in books, or feel like I can connect with a character, I don't really care what happens to them and often put down the book. I don't relate to Wally in any way, but by the end of the book I felt like I knew her. I was sad with her and I was angry with her, I even shared what little happiness she had.

This ended up being an excellent action/mystery wrapped up in a satisfying package. I don't feel like we are really left hanging on anything and you can see where things may go in the future, for everyone involved. Still, I would absolutely read another book about Wally and her life. As of right now I think this is a standalone, but if William Richter ever decides to write a book two, I'm on board! The description on this one didn't really seem like my normal read, and it wasn't, but I'm glad I picked it up and I hope everyone will give it that same chance. I don't think you'll be disappointed :0)

Waiting on Wednesday - Unraveling


"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that showcases our most wanted upcoming releases.

First, just let me say that my level of pining for this book knows no bounds, I can't even tell you how excited I am for it's release day!


"Unraveling" by Elizabeth Norris
*Release Date: April 24th, 2012*


Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.


People being brought back to life, a mysterious countdown, love and the apocalypse...what's not to want about this book?!? It's sounds really exciting and action packed, plus I love any story where the main character goes snooping for clues. I like a little espionage, even it's minor, in my reading! I also like that it is the mysterious loner who saves her life, I'm a sucker for unconventional pairings. And my hope is that he saved her life, because he's been secretly in love with her for years...yeah, I'm a sap. I just feel like this book is going to be wonderfully epic, and from everthing I've heard about it, I can't see how it will be a bad choice. So excited <3

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Release Day Spotlight: "When the Sea is Rising Red" by Cat Hellisen


Release Day Spotlight is a feature, at The Book Life, that shines a light on a book I am really excited for on the day of it's release. Along with telling you why I am so exicted to read the book, there is a little something extra from the author!

Today's spotlight is on WHEN THE SEA IS RISING RED by Cat Hellisen


What It's About:

After seventeen-year-old Felicita’s dearest friend, Ilven, kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven's death has called out of the sea a dangerous, wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg's caste system, and the whole city along with it.

Initial Reaction:

Ooh! Creepy cover, I like it!

Once I Read the Synopsis:

When I first read that there was a vampire in this book I was a little hesitant, but after reading through the whole synopsis I decided that it was definitely one I wanted to give a shot. I love that the main character fakes her own death and starts living in the slums to escape the unfair system that rules her world of privelege. I can only imagine what kind of crazy situations Felicita will end up in, while trying to survive on her own. And of course, there are the guys to get excited about. I love the name Dash, so I am prejudging and saying he's going to be my favorite. Haha. I am really interested to see what Cat Hellisen's take on vampire's is. I like a little diversity in vampire lore. I'm really curious about the magic that has been called on and I can't wait to read Felicita's journey of deciding who she wants to be.

And in Closing:

WHEN THE SEA IS RISING RED doesn't sound like a book that I would normally pick up, but with it's intriguing premise, magic and vampires, I'm sure it is going to be an excellent read. After reading Cat's bio on Felicita, I am certain she is the type of character I love to read about. She sounds flawed and complex, and I can't wait to dive into her story and get to know her a little better.


Character Bio on Felicita by Cat Hellisen:



Where to get it:

Cat Hellisen's favorite Indie: The Book Lounge


Monday, February 27, 2012

"Pretty Crooked" by Elisa Ludwig

Release Date: March 13th, 2012
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Format: ARC
Age Group: eGalley

High school sophomore Willa and her artist mother move to Arizona where Willa starts attending an elite prep school after her mother finally sells some paintings, and Willa attempts to even things out by stealing from the rich students and giving to the poor ones.








I absolutely love the premise of PRETTY CROOKED, I mean how can you not be intrigued by a girl who goes all Robin Hood on the bitchy, rich kids at her school? Fortunately, this one wasn't a disappointment for me. It was a little slow for me in the beginning, but that was mostly my own impatience. She spends the first part of the book introducing characters and building the relationships between Willa and her new friends. This was done well, but since I knew what was coming, I just wanted to get to the good stuff and wanted to rush through the beginning part. I'm glad I stayed steady, because the background and build up, with some of the characters, helped the story later on. Even though her form of justice was misguided, I really felt like her heart was in the right place and I had a very hard time feeling bad for the kids that she was stealing from. Once you read it, you will understand why they deserved what they got.

Once the story picks up, and Willa gets to thieving, it goes along at such a great pace and I couldn't put it down. There were definitely some times that I had to suspend a little disbelief. I would think that the school, and maybe even the authorities, would work a lot harder to get the cruel websites taken down. There were so many cruel, innappropriate, and derogatory things being posted freely about students. It was straight up bullying. There is also a secondary story going on with Willa and her mom. They were always super close, like Loralei and Rory close, but ever since they moved to this town her mom has been distant and won't talk to her. Willa spends a good amount of time, when not learning out to be a thief, trying to find out why her mom is being so weird. I actually really liked this part of the book and I wish we found out more about what was really going on.

I feel like I can't really say enough about what was so great in this story, because I don't want to give anything away, but it's definitely worth a read. It's got the excellent premise going for it, but it also has humor, designer clothes, cute boys and a little romance. I just found out from the author that it is part of a trilogy, which is good, because even though the ending wasn't a cliffhanger it left a lot of unanswered questions. So grab a copy, pull on a black stocking cap and get ready for an adventure :0)

Sunday, February 26, 2012

In My Mailbox (27)


In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.It's a weekly showcase of the contents of our mailboxes!

 


 For Review:

"Angel Eyes" by Shannon Dittemore
"Dark Frost" by Jennifer Estep
"The Marked" by Inara Scott
"172 Hours on the Moon" by Johan Harstad
"Horten's Miraculous Mechanism's" by Lissa Evans
"Let's Pretend This Never Happened" by Jenny Lawson

Bought:

"The Catastrophic History of You and Me" by Jess Rothenberg
"Pandemonium" by Lauren Oliver
"A Beautiful Evil" by Kelly Keaton
"Because of Low" by Abbi Glines (forgot to mention in the video)


What did you get in your mailboxes?

Saturday, February 25, 2012

The Shopping List: February 27th-March 4th


The Shopping List showcases exciting new releases for the upcoming week :0)



"Partials" by Dan Wells (My Review)
"Pandemonium" by Lauren Oliver


"Perception" by Kim Harrington
"Shooting Stars" by Allison Rushby (My Review)


"A Touch Morbid" by Leah Clifford
"Torn" by Amanda Hocking


"Allegiance" by Kayla Kluver
"Ripper" by Stefan Petrucha
"The Lifeguard" by Deborah Blumenthal











Friday, February 24, 2012

Calling all bloggers and readers! I need your help!! :0)

Alright, this is going to be an odd request, but it's for something really cool and I need all of you guys help!

Anyone who has a copy of CINDER, it can be hardcover or ARC, take a picture of the book doing something random and cool!

What kind of random and cool things, you ask? Well...how about CINDER eating ice cream, maybe have it driving a car, it could be enjoying a latte at Starbucks while on it's laptop, or taking a nap w/ it's favorite stuffed animal! The possibilities are endless and feel free to use your imagination!

I'm sure you're curious why I'm asking for pictures like this and I promise all will be revealed, but I don't want to give it away just yet. It's going to be awesome, though, so you are just going to have to trust me :0)


 
All of the pictures can be emailed to me at sarah(at)thebooklife.com. Thanks in advance for all of those who are willing to pitch in, I love you bunches :0)

Week of Giveaways - Day Four: All about Indie/Self Published Books!

Today's giveaway is for a couple of Indie/Self Pub authors I really enjoy! Now I know Amanda Hocking has gone and gotten herself a book deal, but the book in this giveaway is still one of her self published works and it's good!

One winner is going to get both books shown below. One is a paranormal and one is a contemp, so hopefully that works for everyone! The winner will receive ebooks of both titles, from either Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com. It's international, as long as you can read either of those ebook formats. Scroll to the bottom for the Rafflecopter and enter away :0)





a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, February 23, 2012

"Wanderlove" by Kirsten Hubbard

Release Date: March 13th, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte
Format: eGalley
Age Group: Young Adult

It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry into this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.


Everything about this story makes me want to embrace life and have some adventure. All of the places that Bria and Rowan travel to are described with such beautiful detail that I imagined I was right there with them. The characters are nowhere near perfect and a lot of their past mistakes define who they are when we come into the story, even though they are trying their best to run away and pretend the past doesn't matter. The book takes place over just a few weeks, but the relationship that forms between Brian and Rowan doesn't seem forced or unrealistic. They start out completely unsure of eachother and it takes a lot of time and conversation for them to even start to begin to trust each other. I loved that we got to see some of the memories that shaped the Bria we meet in the beginning of the book. They are worked in so well and they

Week of Giveaways - Day Three: All about the BOYS!

I don't know about everyone else, but I enjoy reading from the boys perspective. I know we don't get a lot of that in YA, but there are definitely some standouts for me that are male pov and I thought it was a good theme for one of this weeks giveaways!

I've picked out six male POV books that I have read and adored (okay five, I haven't actually read PAPER TOWNS, but I have been assured that it is good! Thanks, Lexie!) and the winner of this one is going to get their pick of which one they want me to send their way :0)

Since I don't want to leave anyone out, this one is going to be international, as long as The Book Depository ships to you!

Oh, hey there, you probably want to know which books you could win...






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday - Social Suicide


"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that showcases our most wanted upcoming releases.

"Social Suicide" by Gemma Halliday
*Release Date: April 24th, 2012*


Publisher: HarperTeen

Twittercide [twit-er-sahyd]: the killing of one human being by another while the victim is in the act of tweeting.

Call me crazy, but I figured writing for the Herbert Hoover High Homepage would be a pretty sweet gig. Pad the resume for college applications, get a first look at the gossip column, spend some time ogling the paper's brooding bad-boy editor, Chase Erikson. But on my first big story, things went...a little south. What should have been a normal interview with Sydney Sanders turned into me discovering the Homecoming Queen-hopeful dead in her pool. Electrocuted while Tweeting. Now, in addition to developing a reputation as HHH's resident body finder, I'm stuck trying to prove that Sydney's death wasn't suicide.

I'm starting to long for the days when my biggest worry was whether the cafeteria was serving pizza sticks or Tuesday Tacos...

I loved DEADLY COOL! It had such a great sense of humor and Hartley is such a wonderful main character. Going back to Herbert Hoover High for a whole new mystery and getting to join Hartley and her gang, while trying to solve it, is even better. Not to mention, I'd like to get to know Chase a little better! And Twittercide...hilarious :0)


"A Million Suns" by Beth Revis

Release Date: January 10th, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Format: ARC
Age Group: Young Adult

Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

They have to get off this ship.

This one is going to be short, because I don't want to give away too much about either book. Let me tell you, though, this was one heck of a sequel. It starts off with a huge shocker, one I certainly didn't expect, but it gave an excellent unravelling point for all of the secrets locked up inside Godspeed. And boy does Godspeed have a ton of secrets. With Elder now the current Eldest, he's got to try and calm the people and keep the ship from complete chaos. Unfortunately, Elder isn't sure he's completely ready for the task and there isn't a lot of room for error.

After everything that happened in book one, Amy has certainly got her own opinions about what should be taking place aboard the ship. When she starts uncovering secrets that were left for her to find and starts to piece together some horrible truths, she is adamant about what she thinks Elder needs to do.

Things have never been easy aboard Godspeed, but the tension and chaos have only gotten worse. This was an excellent follow up to ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and I can't wait to see what the next book holds for us. This one had quite an ending on it and I can only imagine what kinds of twists we are going to get in book three!

A Week of Giveaways - Day Two: Sloppy Firsts!

I have been jonesing for a reread of SLOPPY FIRSTS by Megan McCafferty, the first book in the Jessica Darling series. Since it's such an awesome read, I decided it need to be shared! So today's giveaway is for...


Jessica Darling is one of my favorite female leads and I hope everyone else enjoys reading about her as much as I do! It's definitely a series that you can read and reread :0)

Proceed to the Rafflecopter to enter...


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

A Week of Giveaways!!

I am feeling extra present-y right now and I would give everyone books, if I had all the money! Since I don't have all the money, I figured I would settle for doing a week of giveaways, instead. I know it's Tuesday, but since yesterday was a holiday, I figure it still works. There will be 5 giveaways, one each day this week, through Saturday. Each giveaway will last a week and there will be all kinds of awesomeness to win!

Today's giveaway is all about book two. There are so many good series that are debuting this year, but there are also a bunch of good series that have their second book showing up on shelves this year, so I want to celebrate book two :0)

This one is going to be International, as long as The Book Depository ships to you, and the winner will get to choose one of the seven book two's pictures below! The giveaway ends February 28th. Now onto the books :0)



 Go to the Rafflecopter to enter :0)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview w/ Jess Rothenberg: Author of "The Catastrophic History of You and Me"



It isn't much of a secret that I absolutely adored Jess Rothenberg's 2012 debut "The Catastrophic History of You and Me". Jess has been so sweet and gracious, in regards to my crazy fangirling, and was kind enough to do an interview for the blog! She really is the sweetest and I feel honored that she took some time to answer some questions for us. Since I haven't already said it enough, this is such a great book and you will definitely want to get your hands on it immediately!





Brie’s heart literally breaks in two, was that always the fate of her character or did she originally die in a different way?

Alas, that was always Brie’s fate!  The basic premise of the story (a girl dying of a literal broken heart) came to me during a time when I was going through a really intense break-up and felt like my own heart was breaking in two.  As anyone who’s ever been through that knows, having somebody you love admit they don’t feel the same isn’t just emotionally painful—it physical, too.  I’ve obviously never died from a broken heart (phew!), but there were definitely some moments during that period when my heart ached so much I thought I might.  Around the same time, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about “Broken Heart Syndrome”—a rare condition where a person really can die from the cardiac stress brought on by intense sadness or an emotional trauma.  And since first love tends to be all the more intense and emotional, I thought to myself, what if that happened to a teenage girl?  And voila!  CATASTROPHIC HISTORY was born!    

I love the song titles and lyrics that are at the beginning of the chapters! Are those songs you were listening to while writing, or were they put in after to tie in with the story?

I’m so glad you love them!  (I do too.)  Yes, those are the songs that inspired the story—a playlist I had on repeat for months as the book unfolded.  The 80s-songs, in particular, really informed the tone of the book and the arc of the characters, given some of the stuff we eventually discover about them.  (Shhh, no spoilers, I promise!)

Did you always aspire to be a YA author or did you start off writing in another genre?

I’ve loved telling stories for as long as I can remember and, as a little girl, always dreamed of becoming a writer (especially since “Unicorn” and “Mermaid” weren’t exactly solid career options).  I wrote a lot all through high school and college (mostly short stories and a lot of really bad poetry), but my heart was always in YA and children’s books.  When I graduated, I got a job working at a publishing house in New York, where I edited a ton of awesome YA and middle grade fiction (books like Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series, Lili St. Crow’s Strange Angels series, and Josh Lieb’s I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil & I Want to be Your Class President, to name just a few).  I always had stories of my own brewing on the backburner, but when I started writing the early pages of what eventually became CATASTROPHIC HISTORY, I wasn’t consciously writing it for a genre—it was more just me trying to make sense of the catastrophic dating world in New York!  I guess the truth is, I still feel like a teenager in my head most of the time and, given the kinds of books I’ve been editing for years, it made sense that the story ended up as YA.  But I like to think anyone who’s ever had his or her heart broken (whether they’re fifteen or thirty) will enjoy the story. 

While creating this story, what was your favorite part about the writing process? And do you have any quirky rituals?

My favorite part was definitely the way the characters kept surprising me!  There’s nothing more awesome than starting a chapter with a specific idea of how things are going to go, only to have the characters leap off the page and catch you totally off guard by doing or saying something you never saw coming.  And then suddenly the words are down in front of you and you’re reading them like “Wait, WHAT?  Sometimes the surprises are a bit much, and you’ve got to rein things back in, but other times, it’s like getting a water balloon thrown at you—just the jolt of energy a story needs! 

As for rituals, for me it’s mostly about music.  I literally cannot write without it.  Sometimes it’s just one or a few songs that I’ll play on repeat for days and days until I’ve gotten them totally out of my system.  The songs on the CATASTROPHIC Playlist (which you can check out at http://jessrothenberg.com/playlist.html) were all a huge inspiration to the story, in one form or another, as I mentioned above.  

I know parents aren’t supposed to love one child more than another, but I’m dying to know which of the characters in the book is your favorite?

I’m a major animal lover, so my first instinct is to say Hamloaf, Brie’s family’s Basset Hound!  But the characters I truly love most are Brie and Patrick.  They were so real to me from the very beginning, and I loved watching them come alive, page after page.  It was hard to say goodbye when the book ended—I still miss hanging out with those two!

It’s no secret that I am absolutely in love with The Catastrophic History of You and Me! And I’m positive that everyone who gets a chance to read it will love it too! Tell me you have some more fantastic YA stories in the works, pretty please?

Aw, thank you, Sarah!  I’m so happy you loved it!  Yes, I am currently working away on my second YA novel (still under wraps for now), due out in 2013.  And after that… who knows?  I’ve got a lot of fun ideas for both YA and middle grade stories floating around in my head, so we’ll see!  : )

Just for fun, if you were the captain of a pirate ship, which literary characters would you want as your crew?

First of all, I love this question, since I’ve pretty much wanted to be the captain of a ship ever since falling in love with Avi’s The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle when I was nine.  So here goes:  First Mate would go to Katniss Everdeen, since she’s obviously super tough and awesome.  Plus, I’m assuming she could use her bow and arrow to catch fish for us, which is an instant added bonus.  Quartermaster would be Hermione Granger, since she’s always great in a crisis and, in the event anything broke aboard the ship, she could just wave her wand and be like “Reparo!” and we’d be back in business.  Sailing Master would be Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, since he could check his Seeing Stone to make sure we weren’t sailing in circles, which would be very likely with me at the helm.  Harriet the Spy would keep the daily Sailing Log (top-notch reporting skills and all), Stuart Little would be Boatswain because he’s brave, kind, and someone the crew could really look up to (okay, not literally, he’s a mouse), and Cook/Galley Master would be Willy Wonka for obvious reasons.  As for Swabbie… maybe Mary Anne from The Baby-sitters Club, since she’s pretty OCD about keeping things nice and neat?  Avast, ye scurvy swab!

Thank you for writing such an amazing book and for taking the time to answer some questions! :0)

My pleasure!!  Again, I’m so thrilled you loved THE CATASTROPHIC HISTORY OF YOU AND ME, Sarah.  Thanks so much for having me as a guest on your blog!

xo,
jess


Check out my Review of "The Catastrophic History of You and Me", right HERE!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Me and Earl and The Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Release Date: March 1st, 2012
Publisher: Amulet Books
Format: eGalley
Age Group: Young Adult

Seventeen-year-old Greg has managed to become part of every social group at his Pittsburgh high school without having any friends, but his life changes when his mother forces him to befriend Rachel, a girl he once knew in Hebrew school who has leukemia.







I never expected a book, about a high school guy befriending a dying girl, to make me laugh almost all the way through, but that is exactly what happened with this book. Greg is self-depracating, sarcastic, and unable to take anything too seriously. I mean, he had a conversation about researching alien barf, with the school's hot girl, on more than one occasion. What more proof do you need. I really like the way the story was told. It was all from Greg's point of view, but instead of pages of paragraphs strung together, we get something a little different. I'm not saying this was a bad thing, because I really think it's what made the story for me. That and the humor. Sometimes Greg is telling what happens like a normal book goes, but then all of the sudden he's telling it as if it were a scene from a movie. We get script lines and stage directions, as if him and the other people he's talking to, are merely actors. I also really liked when he outline's why something was a terrible idea or lists the ways in which he tried, and failed, at something in the past.

Through the whole book Greg maintains that he is not really a good person and he's only spending time with Rachel, because he feels like he has to. It's obvious to the reader, that he really does care about Rachel, even if it's only a little. I liked her presence in the book. Her interactions with Greg, definitely made him more interesting to read about. Since this is from his perspective, and he proclaims to know nothing about how girls really work, we get kind of a disjointed view of Rachel. It works for the story, though, and I definitely grew fond of her. And Earl. He didn't always make sense, sometimes he was completely crazy and he was so profane. Yet most of the time, he ended up being the voice of reason for Greg. Earl, his family and the things he said almost always got a laugh out of me.

This book was nothing like I expected, but definitely worth the read. It ended up being a really fast read, because I was having so much fun while reading, I couldn't put it down. Definitely one to pick up if you are looking for a laugh.

Pining For: Macmillan Summer 2012



Macmillan has a whole heap of awesome YA imprints and they all have so many amazing upcoming books! Which means this video is a little bit longer than the others have been, but it's full of pretty covers and great stories I am so excited to read! I just know some of these are going to end up being my new favorites :0)


"Auracle" Gina Rosati
I don't think I've read a book where the main character can astral project, but it sounds like it could be epic.

"Between You & Me" Marisa Calin
Drama in drama club! Plus I love those glasses on the cover.

"Dark Companion" Marta Acosta
I love books with boarding schools and I love characters with secrets. Double win!

"Girl of Nightmares" Kendare Blake
I cannot wait to find out what happens next with Cas and crew. And I have to know where Anna ended up!

"Glitch" Heather Anastasiu
A world with no pain or war, that is bound to have some explosive consequences!

"The Hunt" Andrew Fukuda
Do I want to read a story where humans are near extinction, of course I do!

"Just Flirt" Laura Bowers
A girl who spends the summer flirting with all the boys at her parents campground, so fun!

"Monument 14" Emmy Laybourne
I'm definitely intrigued by the idea of a bunch of kids stranded in a superstore. I don't think I will be able to look at Wal-mart the same after reading :0)

"Of Poseidon" Anna Banks
This one sounds fantastic! I love that she can communicate with fish. I love the name Galen, and I love that part of it is set in Florida!

"Pizza, Love and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous" Kathryn Williams
A contemporary romance with cooking! I love contemps and I love food, so how could this be wrong?

"Shadow & Bone" Leigh Bardugo
Kingdoms, powers and flesh eating monsters! Plus I hear this one has awesome maps :0)

"Something Like Normal" Trish Doller
I am so ready to read this one! It sounds like it's going to be emotional and maybe even a little dark at times, but I just know it's going to be great!

"Struck" Jennifer Bosworth
The main character is a lightning addict, do you really need to know anything else?

"This is Not a Test" Courtney Summers
Courtney Summers and zombies. I'm not sure it's possible for this book to be bad!

"Unbreak My Heart" Melissa Walker
I'm intrigued that it's told in alternating timelines and it really just sounds like a solid contemp.

"The Unquiet" Jeannine Garsee
This one sounds seriously dark and maybe a little crazy!

"Wake" Amanda Hocking
I love Amanda Hocking, so I didn't really need any other information than that to pine for this, but then to find out it's a story about sirens. Must read!

Cover Reveal: INBETWEEN (Kissed by Death #1) by Tara Fuller


INBETWEEN (Kissed by Death #1)
by Tara Fuller
*Release Date: August 7th, 2012*

Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s
life has been a freaky—and unending—lesson in caution. Surviving
“accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so
Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling
in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who
makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.

It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate
has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him
hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn't let her die before,
and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves
from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the
only thing he has left…his soul.

I love the black and white cover and the green text is really eye catching. The story sounds really cool, too! What do you guys think?

Sunday, February 19, 2012

In My Mailbox (26)


In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.It's a weekly showcase of the contents of our mailboxes!

Small mailbox and super busy weekend = no vlog this week...
...but the books I did get I am SO excited for :0)


Traded:
"Once" by Anna Carey
The always awesome Michelle, over at The Passionate Bookworm, traded with me for this one! I am so excited to read what happens next in this series. Thanks, Michelle :0)


Look how pretty they are sitting side by side :0)

Bought:
"The Disenchantments" by Nina LaCour (My Review)
I read the arc of this one a while back and it got all of my love, so I knew that I had to snag the hardcover copy when it came out this week :0)
"The Fine Art of Truth or Dare" by Melissa Jensen
I have been pining for this one for almost as long as I have been blogging, so I literally hugged it when it came in the mail. I wanted to dive right in, but I'm in the middle of a couple books, but I'm going to start it VERY soon :0)


Saturday, February 18, 2012

The Shopping List: February 20th-26th


The Shopping List showcases exciting new releases for the upcoming week :0)
 

"A Beautiful Evil" by Kelly Keaton


"Fever" by Lauren DeStefano
"Double" by Jenny Valentine
"Faery Tales & Nightmares" by Melissa Marr


"Shadows" by Jennifer L. Armentrout
"Darkest Mercy" by Melissa Marr




 

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