Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (2/29/2012) Unbreak My Heart

Author: Melissa Walker
Expected Release Date: May 22, 2012
Summary From Goodreads:


Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life. 

Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now. 

Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart? 

Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem’s heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock to.





Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we (bloggers) are anxiously awaiting. So what book are you excited about right now?


I'm BACK! I had a most excellent adventure in New York City with my just turned 16 year old daughter. You might know her as Jessica from Shut Up I'm Reading! For as long as I can remember Jessica has wanted to go to NYC. I had been telling her for years that I would take her for her 16th birthday, that day finally came and away we went. We had such a great time and are already talking about another trip to the Big Apple one day. Until then it is time for me to get back to life and blogging. I've gotten tons of reading done but almost no blogging for a while.  It's good to be back!







Monday, February 20, 2012

Neurotic Thoughts on Ditched

Ditched: A Love Story
Author: Robin Mellom
Release Date: January 10, 2012
Genre: YA Contemporary
Published by: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley
Summary from Goodreads:


High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her. 
Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat, handle first. 
Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice. 
Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom. 
And then ditched her. 
Now, as the sun rises over her small town, and with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven, Justina must piece together -- stain by stain on her thrift-store dress -- exactly how she ended up dateless. A three-legged Chihuahua was involved. Along with a demolition derby-ready Cadillac. And there was that incident at the tattoo parlor. Plus the flying leap from Brian Sontag's moving car... 
But to get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. And discover if losing out at prom can ultimately lead to true love. 
Filled with humor, charm, and romance, "Ditched: A Love Story" by debut novelist Robin Mellom will have readers dreaming of love on their own prom nights.
Ditched is such a fun and endearing book. Justina finds herself on the side of the road the morning after prom and stumbles to the nearest 7-11 looking for a pay phone. Instead of using the phone she encounters Gilda the 7-11 clerk and Donna the bubbly customer. They all sit around the 7-11 munching on snacks and trying to figure out what went wrong with Justina's fail proof prom plan.


Gilda and Donna are such great additions to the cast of characters in this book. It's not too often that you find eclectic, understanding adults in young adult books. Usually the parents are missing for some reason, and the teens are just out there on their own. Even though Ian is missing for a lot of Ditched you still get to know him really well during Justina's flashbacks of their history together. In fact I was really impressed that for a book that involves a girl sitting in a 7-11 telling a story to two women that you get to know so many people so well. The Mikes that call everyone by their essence and their girlfriends Serenity and Bliss added so much to the adventure of Justina's prom experience. They really made the book have that certain something in my opinion. 


From the first page I was laughing and dying to know how Justina had ended up in a ditch on the side of the road. If you are looking for a light, fun, romantic comedy then look no further you have found it. 

Friday, February 17, 2012

Neurotic Thoughts on Obsidian (Lux #1)

Obsidian (Lux #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: December 6, 2011
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Published by: Entangled Publishing
Source: Bought for myself
Summary from Goodreads:


Starting over sucks. 

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. 

And then he opened his mouth. 

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me. 

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don’t kill him first, that is.



Loved this book! Loved IT!!! Some of my first thoughts about Obsidian: so far my favorite book of 2012, writing is fast paced, and will keep you turning the pages with lightning speed. To be honest I was so caught up in the story that I didn't pay that much attention to the technical aspects of the writing so we are just going to assume that it was excellent.

Katy our main character is fabulous in so many ways. First off she is a book blogger which as a book blogger, and the mom of two book bloggers was fun for me. She's vulnerable but not in the kind of way that allows her to put up with anyone's crap. Plus she is adorably snarky, witty and just plain hilarious.
  
Daemon's character is SO confusing, and I can't imagine having to put up with his array of crap on a daily basis. However, Daemon is hot, not just hot but HOT!!! Not that looks are everything and sometimes I find the "but he's so dreamy" thing to be a bit overdone but Jennifer pulled it off perfectly!  Plus, he has reasons for the way he acts. The chapter after the book is over is written strictly in Daemon's voice and trust me it will have you falling in love with him if you haven't by the time you finish the book, trust me on this.
  
The chemistry between Daemon and Katy is the best of any YA book that I have read so far. By this I mean that there are a few scenes that remain fairly innocent but will have you fanning your blushing face. Oh yeah, it's that good.
  
The only complaint I have is that the fight scene at the end was a little confusing. I had to read it a few times because it seemed a tad bit jumpy. I was unable to figure out exactly what had happened during this scene.

I am really excited for Onyx the next book in the series and I haven't been able to stop telling people about this book. The story line is original (at least to me it is) and the writing flows wonderfully. Jenifer Armentrout just became one of my favorite authors. I will be buying up everything I can find by her. 



Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (2/15/2012) My Life Next Door

Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Expected Release Date: June 14, 2012
Summary from Goodreads:


"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time." 

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen year old Samantha wishes she was one of them… until the day Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. 

Jase can sense that his beautiful neighbor is missing something in her sterile home, and as the two fall fiercely in love, his family makes her one of their own. 

But when the bottom drops out of Sam's world, which perfect family will save her–and will her perfect love survive? 

Set among the haves and have-nots of a coastal New England town, My LIFE NEXT DOOR captures the angst, the heartache, and the raw-nerve emotions of first time love—and biting loss.





Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we (bloggers) are anxiously awaiting. So what book are you excited about right now?




Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Transfer Student Cover Reveal & Giveaway

TWO WORLDS. TWO TEENS. ONE WISH.
TRANSFER STUDENT is a science fiction Freaky-Friday romance/adventure about two normal teenagers struggling to survive high school and deal with their parents… typical rites of passage. The twist? One teen is an alien from the planet Retha. In a galactic teleporting experiment gone wrong, Ashley, a Beverly Hills High surfing fashionista, and Rhoe, the biggest geek on planet Retha, swap lives. Only by surviving life as their biggest nightmare do Ashley & Rhoe discover their dreams. How far would you go for someone you love?

WIN TRANSFER STUDENT BOOKMARKS SIGNED BY AUTHOR LAURA A. H. ELLIOTT!
To enter to win all you need to do is tweet this & follow my blog Laurasmagicday:
Nothing says #ValentinesDay like an alien #romance! TRANSFER STUDENT Cover Reveal! #TransferStudent #teenreads #kindle 
http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com/
The first 100 tweets/followers win!

TRANSFER STUDENT BLOG TOUR: LEAP DAY, 2012 - MARCH 20th
AND STOPS HERE [
March 3rd, 2012
]!

Giveaways include free ebooks of TRANSFER STUDENT, Amazon gift cards & weekly surprise gifts that are out of this world!
TRANSFER STUDENT RELEASE DAY: MARCH 20th 
Laura A. H. Elliott, YA & MG Author

Winnemucca, a small-town fairy tale where fear’s as blind as love
Teen Halloween Series:
13 on Halloween, Roxie’s birthday gift is out of this world
http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com/
http://www.authorlaura.com/
http://www.facebook.com/Laura.A.H.Elliott

Friday, February 10, 2012

Nook Book Deals to make your weekend reading great!

I admit it... I am a Nook Lover!! I have the first generation nook, and this past Christmas was lucky enough to get a nook tablet as well! I LOVE my Nooks. I still read paper books since I have so many, and because I'm also a library addict. I love that I can even get library books on my Nook. I also love the great deals that Barnes & Noble routinely have for their nook books. Here are a few you might want to check out. Don't forget if you don't have a nook you can download the nook app for your phone, ipod, and other devices. ENJOY!


Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon is just $2.99 right now!


Need by Carrie Jones is currently $2.51!


Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout is $3.99!


Brightest Kind Of Darkness by P.T. Michelle is just .99!

There is a weekend's worth of great reading for a great price. Happy Reading!


Thursday, February 9, 2012

Neurotic Thoughts - Ripple

Ripple
Author: Mandy Hubbard
Release Date: July 21, 2011
Genre: YA Paranormal
Published by: Razorbill/Penguin
Source: My wonderful daughter Allison from Shorty Reads
Summary from Goodreads:
Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. The water calls to her, draws her in, forces her to sing her deadly song to unsuspecting victims. If she succumbs, she kills. If she doesn't, the pain is unbearable. To keep herself and those she cares about safe, she shuts herself off, refusing to make friends or fall in love-again. Because the last time she fell in love with a boy, he ended up dead. 
Then Lexi finds herself torn. Against her better judgement, she's opening up agian, falling in love with someone new when she knows she shouldn't. But when she's offered the chance to finally live a normal life, she learns that the price she must pay to be free or her curse is giving him up.
At the constant insistence of my wonderful daughter I finally picked up Ripple. I had to thank her for shoving this book in my face because it really was quite good.


Poor Lexi has no idea how she killed her boyfriend on her sixteenth birthday but she is deteremined to never kill anyone again. Since that horrible night she has shut herself off from everyone. All of her old friends bully her now because they all believe that she had something to do with his death.


 I love how a really well written character, paranormal or not can seem like a real person. Lexi's pain felt so real throughout this book. When Cole, her past boyfriend's best friend starts to show an interest in her she wants to stay away, she really does. He finally shows her that not everyone thinks she was the cause of her boyfriend's death. 


Then along comes Erik. He knows what she is. He knows how to fix her, and he is pretty darn awesome. He is everything she needs, and even though Cole is everything she wants she knows that Erik is the right choice. Until being with Erik just starts to feel wrong, and she can't get Cole out of her head.


I loved the twist in this book. I was completely blown away and couldn't believe how wrong I had been. The characters are pretty great from damaged Lexi, to her grandma in the sweats sitting in her recliner. Cole is an amazing guy that will have you wondering why your boyfriend isn't quite that sweet. Erik, oh Erik, that's all I have to say about him. Ripple is a quick read and guess what? It's not a series or a trilogy it's a stand alone novel. Ripple isn't like the few other mermaid books I've read (not that I've read many). I really enjoyed the legend behind what she is, and wish that they story had delved just a little deeper into that. Overall a quick enjoyable read!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (2/8/2012) Red World

Author: Clover Donovon
Expected Release Date: 2013 (I know this one is really far but it looks so good I couldn't wait!)
Summary from Goodreads:


"Blood Red Road" smacked by "Zombieland" with a kick of "Constantine" In this gory, action packed YA novel from Clover Donovon. 

Elena Carmel is an eighteen year old survivor of the underworld crossover and with the help of a thirteen year old boy and a ghost named Bronze, she fights Demons, Zombies, and blood thirsty ghosts to stay alive in her hometown. But when an army of Red Souls invade her city, she must switch on her hunter/survival mode and rid the city of the undead. (PART 1 in the RED WORLD duology.)





Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we (bloggers) are anxiously awaiting. So what book are you excited about right now?


Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Teaser Tuesday Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom


"Oh, you gotta tell me this story." Donna's eyes sparkle. She approaches me and reaches out to touch my blue dress, but pulls back. "What are these stains? You an intern for Bill Clinton or something?"


"What? No. NO!"


This teaser comes from page 57 of Ditched: A Love Story eARC from NetGalley. 




Summary from Goodreads:
High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her. 
Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat, handle first. 
Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice. 
Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom. 
And then ditched her. 
Now, as the sun rises over her small town, and with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven, Justina must piece together -- stain by stain on her thrift-store dress -- exactly how she ended up dateless. A three-legged Chihuahua was involved. Along with a demolition derby-ready Cadillac. And there was that incident at the tattoo parlor. Plus the flying leap from Brian Sontag's moving car... 
But to get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. And discover if losing out at prom can ultimately lead to true love. 
Filled with humor, charm, and romance, "Ditched: A Love Story" by debut novelist Robin Mellom will have readers dreaming of love on their own prom nights.


Miz B hosts Teaser Tuesday every week, check her out for the official rules.  I never seem to be able to stick to the rule about only 2 sentences.
I love reading teasers so let me know where I can view yours in the comments. Have a great day!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Neurotic Thoughts - Carpe Corpus

Carpe Corpus (The Morganville Vampires Book 6)
Author: Rachel Caine
Release Date: June 2, 2009
Genre: YA Paranormal
Published by: Signet
Source: borrowed from my lovely friend Lauren
Summary from Goodreads
In the small college town of Morganville, vampires and humans lived in (relative) peace-until all the rules got rewritten when the evil vampire Bishop arrived, looking for the lost book of vampire secrets. He's kept a death grip on the town ever since. Now an underground resistance is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths. He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants-the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires ever be content to go back to the old rules, after having such a taste of power?


What can I say about these books that hasn't already been said? Rachel Caine is brilliant,  six books into a series and she can still throw in plot twists and turns that keep me guessing every single time! I know when I pick up one of these books that I can't have anything important to do because once I start I'm not going to stop until I'm done! 


The characters are perfection every book. I love how Claire gets stronger and stronger, she has really learned how to hold her own. Mrynin, oh my gawd! that vamp, he keeps on surprising me! I loved the addition of Ada the computer type machine that took Mrynin 300 years to build. Of course I'm still loving Shane and Claire together. Towards the end I was freaking out thinking NO!!! you can't leave it here, you just can't!! I'll let you read for yourself to find out if she left it there or not. I'll be picking up book seven just as soon as I can clear a day to read uninterrupted.


If you haven't read The Morganiville Vampires then what are you waiting for? Pick it up you won't regret it!



Sunday, February 5, 2012

Winner Winner!


CONGRATULATIONS
Jamie S.
 you are the winner of Angelina's Secret!

 I will be contacting you shortly! Thanks to everyone who entered. Happy Super Bowl!


Saturday, February 4, 2012

Neurotic Thoughts - Pieces of Us

Pieces of Us
Author: Margie Gelbwasser
Release Date: March 8, 2012 (my birthday)
Genre: YA Contempory
Published by: Flux
Source: Flux through NetGalley
Summary from Goodreads:
Two families. Four teens. 
A summer full of secrets. 

Every summer, hidden away in a lakeside community in upstate New York, four teens leave behind their old identities…and escape from their everyday lives. 

Yet back in Philadelphia during the school year, Alex cannot suppress his anger at his father (who killed himself), his mother (whom he blames for it), and the girls who give it up too easily. His younger brother, Kyle, is angry too—at his abusive brother, and at their mother who doesn’t seem to care. Meanwhile, in suburban New Jersey, Katie plays the role of Miss Perfect while trying to forget the nightmare that changed her life. But Julie, her younger sister, sees Katie only as everything she’s not. And their mother will never let Julie forget it. 

Up at the lake, they can be anything, anyone. Free. But then Katie’s secret gets out, forcing each of them to face reality—before it tears them to pieces.

When I first finished this book my initial reaction was UGH, this was so not the book for me. However, I am finding that I can't stop thinking about the characters in this book. Their actions have left me thinking about what I would have done differently in the same situation, and why the characters maybe didn't react the way I would have. At first I found the characters to be weak and sometimes stupid, but the more I think about them the more I realize that not everyone can stand up for themselves at any given time. Some people have to grow into their courage. 

This book is not for the faint of heart. All four of these teens have been abused in one way or another, and there are a few scenes that are not graphic but still extremely disturbing. The biggest problem I had with Pieces of Us is that I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. They are all very flawed and troubled, but that's not what bothered me. I like it when characters are believable as real people with relate-able problems. Usually I can find at least one thing I like about these troubled people, but in this book I just wasn't feeling it. It's not that I have a problem reading books that don't have a happy ending or books that deal with real life, hard issues. I've read many and loved them. This one just didn't do it for me.

The writing wasn't bad but I found it hard to switch between the characters when they were each written in a different point of view. One character was written in the first person another the second, that made it hard for me to really enjoy, like the flow was constantly interrupted. I would start reading and then have to check back to see which character I was reading about, it became tiresome. As much as I am complaining here I do have to admit that I read this book pretty quickly so there was something about it at least that kept me reading. The ending was a bit disappointing because I didn't feel like there was one.

Since writing this review I've gone out seeking other reviews of this book because hey this is just one girl's opinion. I wanted to know why others liked the same book that I didn't.  So I am including a few links to a few positive reviews as well. 

Word of warning: if you decide to read Pieces of Us there is a lot of sex (not always consensual), drinking, cursing, and abuse of all types. This is by no means a light read. As a parent I mentioned to my almost 13 year old that she may not be ready for this one, and my almost 16 year old knows that if she picks this one up that I am always available to talk about any of the issues that get brought up. 

Mrs. Mommy Booknerd's review here
Books to Infinity and Beyond's review here
A New Kind of Ordinary review here

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (2/1/2012) Night Sky

Author: Jolene B. Perry
Expected Release Date: March 1, 2012
Summary from Goodreads:


After losing Sarah, the friend he’s loved, to some other guy, Jameson meets Sky. Her Native American roots, fluid movements, and need for brutal honesty become addictive fast. This is good. Jameson needs distraction – his dad leaves for another woman, his mom’s walking around like a zombie, and Sarah’s new boyfriend can’t keep his hands off of her. 

As he spends time with Sky and learns about her village, her totems, and her friends with drums - she's way more than distraction. Jameson's falling for her fast. 

But Sky’s need for honestly somehow doesn’t extend to her life story – and Jameson just may need more than his new girl to keep him distracted from the disaster of his senior year.



I'm excited about Night Sky because it sounds like a pretty original YA romance!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we (bloggers) are anxiously awaiting. So what book are you excited about right now?