Review | Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

This is one of those books that I wanted to, really wanted to love, especially after all the amazing reviews I read on it. But isn't usually how it goes? Instead, I barely liked Let the Sky Fall and was sorely disappointed in it's lack of originality despite having a unique paranormal concept.

The book begins with Vane, who I disliked the most.  I would have liked him if he wasn't such a complainer. And if his "love" for Audra, his guardian and now trainer, had been expressed beyond wanting to rip her clothes off (and loosen her tight braid.) Unfortunately, when he finds out that he is the last Windwalker of his kind, he constantly whines about all the training he has to go through. Ugh. He just annoyed me and I wanted to smack him. Repeatedly.

Audra is kind of kickass. But she's also so disconnected that I wasn't able to like her much either. She's built this wall around herself that doesn't allow her to want to feel anything and that caused me not to even feel any attachment towards her character. The only time I felt any sympathy towards her were her encounters with her mother, who was just plain cruel, but otherwise I didn't care much for her either.

Surely I wouldn't have been able to look past two characters that I felt iffy about, but I decided to push myself through the book. I soon realized that the fate of our planet was once again at the hands of a pair of teenage lovers. And while I don't always mind this, I felt that in Let the Sky Fall it just didn't make sense. Since Vane is a special person (the last of his kind, remember?) I would think he would need more protection than just one teenage girl. But no, because apparently extra guardians couldn't be spared to stop the evil guy and he manages to get to them anyways. Instead, when the final battle came, it felt rushed and was predictable because the entire book focused on this weird relationship between the two and the training they did.

The only thing that I actually enjoyed about the book was the mythical aspect of it. The book is based on pretty much Vane finding out that he is a Windwalker, a sylph, which means (according to Wikipedia) that he is an invisible being of air. Of course, he's not invisible, but he's also not human and idea of this was completely awesome. I wish it could have been executed better, with more likable characters, but unfortunately for me this was not the case. Let the Sky Fall, turned out to be not for me after all.

Author Event | Gretchen McNeil and Kendare Blake

Two nights ago I got the chance to go to Mysterious Galaxy for an author event. It had been a few months since I went to any author event so I was really excited to go even though I have met both Gretchen McNeil and Kendare Blake before. The event started at 7:30pm and I was a wee bit late.

As usual, McNeil was in an amazing dress and shoes! I love her style and always admire what she's wearing. Blake is also so cool, and she shared with us that she recently got a quote from the Illiad, which makes her that much more awesome! Anyways, the authors began by telling us a bit about their books.

I'd heard of 3:59 previously from McNeil herself at another event so I was really excited to finally grab a copy. Earlier that week, I had picked up a copy of Antigoddess, but I hadn't even read the synopsis yet, so I was completely fascinated as Blake told us all about it. It sounds so good, and I can't wait to finally dive into it.

Both authors are great when speaking to crowds, and it was obvious that neither of them wanted to read from their books (just because they didn't know what to read from them!) so they jumped straight into questions. I never ask questions (actually, I did ask a question once but that rarely ever happens) but I am always interested in what others ask, especially if they don't know the author or his/her writing.

After the questions died down, there was the signing and I always feel super awkward talking to authors cause they are so awesome and stuff. I went to purchase my copy of 3:59 and also grabbed a copy of NOS4A2 by Joe Hill which Kendare Blake highly recommended, and so did the book seller.

Even though I didn't say much to either author, I did ask to take pictures with both of them after they were done signing my books. I am really looking forward to reading both books since I have previously enjoyed their work. And that was my night! Happy reading :)

Literary Fashion | Ghost Hand

If you take a look at my review of Ghost Hand by Ripley Patton, you will see that I absolutely loved Olivia, the protagonist. She's a kick ass girl who is a bit...morbid. She wears all black clothing (which her mother does not approve of one bit) and I figured I could sort of play around with some outfits for her. Even though her colors are limited to...one, it was still fun to look at all the options. Plus, I couldn't resist creating a set after reading about her coffin backpack which I've only seen once in real life.

Review | Ghost Hand by Ripley Patton

Ghost Hand by Ripley Patton
Series: The PSS Chronicles #1
Genre: YA - Paranormal Thriller
Publication: 12.11.12
Format: E-Book
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★★

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Black has a rare birth defect known as Psyche Sans Soma, or PSS. Instead of a right hand made of flesh and blood, she was born with a hand made of ethereal energy.

How does Olivia handle being the girl with the ghost hand? Well, she's a little bit morbid and a whole lot snarky.

Her mother thinks her obsession with death, black clothing, and the local cemetery is a bid for attention. But when Marcus, the new guy in Olivia's calculus class, stares at her like she's a freak, Olivia doesn't like it. And when her hand goes rogue, doing things she never imagined possible, Olivia finds herself running for her life with Marcus from a group of men bent on taking the power of her hand for their own nefarious purposes.

Ghost Hand provides what I look for in paranormal books: a unique main character that is snarky, smart and can kick ass, a unique paranormal gift, some romance but not too overwhelming (although I don’t mind overwhelming romance all that much *sigh*,) action, suspense and a great supporting cast. This was a freebie I got off of Amazon for no particular reason, and the only book I had downloaded on my Kindle app. So when I was on a plane flight, done with all my physical books, and only my iPad on hand, I turned to this. And Ghost Hand pretty much blew me away. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was definitely not to enjoy this as much as I did.

From the start, we are introduced to Olivia and her “birth defect” (aka: an awesomely creepy ghost hand that does weird stuff that is awesome) and we are immediately thrown into the story. Loved that. The story after immediately gets moving with a creepy accident, some interesting actions, chase scenes and some rolling around with a strange hot guy (not that kind of rolling around though) and I was hooked! I could not put this down.

I really loved Olivia as a protagonist, the writing was great, the story was well paced, and there were great dynamics in the story. This is one of those books that if I talk too much about it, I may give something important away. All I can say is that thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to Ghost Hold, which will be released on September 30th!

★★★★★

(New Feature) Literary Fashion | Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

I have always loved these kinds of fashion posts and I know my idea isn't original, to combine books with fashion, so I won't take any credit. I just signed up for a Polyvore account one day and decided to create a few sets with books, and I got addicted. I decided to start a new feature to showcase the outfit sets that I've made! I will try to make it a regular feature, but I am pretty bad about keeping features going.

For this first one I decided to start with Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, which I read and reviewed recently, and liked a lot. I definitely wanted the focus to be on the camera, which is an important part of Naomi, but also wanted there to be some attention given to the typewriter letters on the book.

Review | Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: 08.21.2007 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Format: Audio
Source: Library
Rating: ★★★★

If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldn’t have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn’t have hit her head on the steps. She wouldn’t have woken up in an ambulance with amnesia. She certainly would have remembered her boyfriend, Ace. She might even have remembered why she fell in love with him in the first place. She would understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her “Chief.” She’d know about her mom’s new family. She’d know about her dad’s fiancée. She never would have met James, the boy with the questionable past and the even fuzzier future, who tells her he once wanted to kiss her. She wouldn’t have wanted to kiss him back.

But Naomi picked heads.

I was really excited to pick this up because I had heard great things about Zevin and her writing. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac was a random pick-up from the library (Are my library picks always spontaneous? Yes.) and I had no idea it was even written by Zevin or knew anything about it. I recognized the title and after reading the summary rather quickly, I decided to give it a go. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I am pleased to say that I really enjoyed Memoirs and am glad I grabbed it.

The story immediately starts with Naomi and a bumped head. She has no idea who she is, what happened to her, and what her life has been like since she was 12 years old (approximately.) We get thrown into the story as confused as she is, and I loved this about the book. It gave me a chance to really connect with Naomi, since she is as lost about what’s going on as I was. Though she does take things rather calmly at first, it becomes obvious that her lack of memories really gets to her, and eventually becomes a struggle to deal with.

Naomi seems like a nice enough girl, but once she starts learning about the person she was, she doesn’t really like herself. I know I wouldn’t have liked her too much either, if we would gotten a glimpse of her before the accident. So in attempts to get her life together, she tries to jump back into her “normal” life, resuming her friendships, relationship with her boyfriend, and classes. Of course, things don’t work out that well since she can’t remember who she was before and kinda doesn’t like the same things now.

I did like Naomi and although sometimes her actions seemed a little selfish or hurtful, I totally understood where she was coming from. Her best friend, Will, is pretty awesome. I don’t know what it is about him (maybe it’s that he writes her letters, or makes her mix tapes, dresses curiously, or always speaks properly) but I really liked him and wanted him in all the pages. Fortunately, he is a huge part of the story, and I was definitely satisfied with the amount of him. James (the love interest,) Ace (the boyfriend,) Naomi’s father and mother, among several other characters are given enough depth to be realistic, and enough pages to show their individual importance in Naomi’s life. I won’t get into too much detail about everyone’s part though, in an attempt to not reveal too much.

I really enjoyed this, and found the author’s writing style made it easy to connect with the characters and ease my way into the story. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac is about being a teenager and growing up, which is hard enough, but also about re-discovering yourself and changing yourself into someone you want to be. It is definitely a must read and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

★★★★

Review | Perfect Girl by Mary Hogan

Perfect Girl by Mary Hogan
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication:
Format: Audio
Source: Library
Rating: ★½

Ruthie Bayer is stuck. Her mom is totally overprotective, her dad is nonexistent, and her best friends can't help her now when she needs them most: Out of the blue, Ruthie has fallen in love with the boy next door, Perry. Perry has suddenly grown up and made her heart go "thwang," and Ruthie has no idea what to do about it. Then a new girl shows up at school, and Ruthie realizes she has to do "something," and fast. Jenna is perfect, from her perfectly straight hair to her perfectly manicured toes. Perry's noticed her, too, and worse, Jenna has noticed him right back. Ruthie knows she has to call her aunt, New York's "Goddess of Love." If Aunt Marty, romance columnist and woman of the world, can't turn Ruthie into a perfect girl, no one can . . . but she might also turn Ruthie's entire world upside down.

The first thing I want to say about this book is not so good: Perfect Girl is forgettable. As I am typing up this review, I am having a hard time remembering the book. I picked it expecting a quick, cute read but it turned out to be rather bland. And though I can’t seem to pinpoint why I didn’t really like Perfect Girl, I know that I hard time getting into the story from the start.

Ruthie has just fallen in love with her best friend and neighbor Perry. This seems like a cliched storyline, but the author had the opportunity to make it unique, yet failed to do so. Perry is actually a unique sort of guy that I would’ve liked, but I never got why Ruthie even liked him. There wasn’t anything particularly special about her feelings for him or their relationship as far as I could tell, and there was no defining moment when she “fell” in love with him. They were just sort of hanging out and she suddenly decided she was in love. It was rather awkward.

While the characters were okay, their personalities were sorta meh and their actions totally predictable. From Ruthie’s conversations with her friends, to her arguments with her mother, and even her reactions to Perry being near, everything sort of fell flat. The only time I was really engaged in the story was when her aunt, “The Goddess of Love,” is introduced into the story. We get a quick glimpse at this stranger several years prior, before she is dragged into the present day story unexpectedly, and then also falls into a cliched role.

From the synopsis, this sounds like a fun romance, but that’s kind of misleading. While the story does focus a bit on Ruthie and Perry’s relationship, it doesn’t play such an important role in the actual story as it might seem to. Perfect Girl was about Ruthie’s strained relationship with her mother, and how her aunt ends up getting involved. When a tragic event takes place towards the end of the book, the three are sort of forced to get along, which in turn makes the entire “love story” take the backseat. Perry and Ruthie interact only a handful of times in the book and that was disappointing (because that’s what I expected.)

Overall Perfect Girl had the potential to be a sweet story about a girl growing up and learning how important family is, but instead was attempted to be told as a love story, which threw me off. If the author would have focused her energy into making this a coming of age book, instead of throwing in the awkward friendship-turns-romance part, this could have turned out better. Instead, everything felt forced and the characters were cliche. All in all, I was pretty disappointed.

★½

Review | Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell
Series: N/A
Genre: Contemporary
Publication: 08.21.2007 by Feiwel & Friends
Format: Audio
Source: Library
Rating: ★★★★

“I've got my entire life planned out for the next ten years — including my PhD and Pulitzer Prize,” claims 16-year-old overachiever Vassar Spore, daughter of overachiever parents, who in true overachiever fashion named her after an elite women’s college. Vassar expects her sophomore summer to include AP and AAP (Advanced Advanced Placement) classes. Surprise! Enter a world-traveling relative who sends her plans into a tailspin when she blackmails Vassar’s parents into forcing their only child to backpack with her through Southeast Asia.

On a journey from Malaysia to Cambodia to the remote jungles of Laos, Vassar sweats, falls in love, hones her outdoor survival skills — and uncovers a family secret that turns her whole world upside-down.

Vassar Spore can plan on one thing: she’ll never be the same again.

Carpe Diem was one of those spontaneous choices from the library because it was on audio. I hadn’t heard of it before, but when I checked out the reviews, I saw that it had a good rating and from the summary it sounded quite interesting. While Vassar is a little difficult to like at first, she definitely does grow up, as she gets herself in and out of crazy situations that had me rushing through the book to find out what she got into next.

Vassar has her life planned out every step of the way, following her parents’ wishes, who only want her to focus on her academics. Of course, her plan is to spend her summer taking more classes so she can get that 5.3 GPA that she needs to be valedictorian. What she doesn't have planned is for her Grandmother Gerd (who she's never met) to buy her a plane ticket and expenses paid trip through Southeast Asia (which she doesn't want to go to.) Shocked when her parents accepted (or are blackmailed to accept, since she overhears their phone conversation) Vassar is pretty much forced to take the trip.

Vassar is totally a Type A personality that I didn't like at all at first, and she complained so much! Of course if I had been her age and made to do something I thought ruined my plans completely, I would've complained a lot too. Vassar definitely did grow on me, even though her personality remained pretty much the same. She goes through a heck of a lot but manages to come out with a positive outlook. She also does a lot of growing up herself, even though she was already mature, and eventually learns to LIM (live in the moment!)

Grandma Gerd is something else, with her trash collection (for her art) and her attempts at trying to make Vassar loosen up as much as possible. She’s wild, and fun, but pretty crazy too. Hanks is also something else. I mean a Malaysian wanna-be cowboy? He's sweet but so cocky sometimes I wanted to smack him! Vassar’s parents and friends, while not exactly main characters, still stay connected to the story through various emails to Vassar throughout her trip.

Carpe Diem is definitely a fun adventure. Vassar struggles to adjust to a foreign country with a strange person and tries to figure out how she managed to blackmail her parents, and then she eventually learns to live a little. She manages to get herself in trouble, not only in wacky situations but also into dangerous scenarios that add some suspense to the story as it develops. While the ending (as well as “the big secret”) were a bit obvious to me several pages before the ending, I still enjoyed reading how everything would be revealed and concluded. I thought Carpe Diem was humorous, entertaining, and overall, and great read that I am sure others who enjoy teen books about travel will enjoy as well.

★★★★

Review | Mad World: Sanctuary by Samaire Provost

Title: Mad World: Sanctuary by Samaire Provost
Series: Mad World #2
Genre: YA - Horror
Publication: August 30th 2012 by Creatspace
Format: E-book
Source: Chick Lit Plus
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Synopsis: The year is 2017, and the Black Plague infection has swept across most of the United States, leaving death and chaos in its wake. Martial law is the rule rather than the exception, with outbreaks cropping up when they're least expected. Alyssa and her friends must not only battle outbreaks of the disease, but also find themselves pursued by government agents – men and women determined to track them down at any cost.

Fleeing north to the fabled Sanctuary, Alyssa, Jacob, DeAndre, Caitlyn, Risa and Luke face disturbing ordeals and terrible tragedy as they encounter unbelievable situations in their struggle to reach safety. Using their skills and wits in their fight to survive against ever worsening odds, they weather hardship, betrayal, and the ever-present specter of death as they flee north, all the while vowing to protect one another – and most of all their precious 5-year-old Luke, from a world gone mad.

Sanctuary, the second installment in the Mad World series, is a heart-rending adventure of astonishing revelations, tragic discoveries, agonizing separations and devastating losses that test these friends to their limits. With heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat suspense at every turn, this is a story you will not be able to put down.

Thoughts: After finishing off the first book in this series, Mad World: Epidemic, I was excited to see the story continued, especially since I don't usually read books from a series right after another. Even though the story took place several years later, Mad World: Sanctuary turned out to be disappointing, enough that I am not sure if I want to continue the series after all.

At the beginning, we are tossed back into the story, with a few reminders here and there about the previous book that I felt were more awkward than necessary. The story picks up five years later with the same characters and a few changes in their lives. They are now traveling with a five year old boy who is half zombie (or something) and they have all paired up as couples except for the youngest girl. Also, they have to constantly hide from the government in order to keep Luke (the zombie-child.) While I expected some more action packed events full of zombies, now that the outbreak was five years + in, the amount of zombies was about the same as in the first book. While one scene does stand out because there are numerous zombies involved, the horror scenes were more of the same and not really exciting or creepy.

The story doesn't develop much either, since the characters spend the book just re-locating from one place to another. Instead we get similar fight scenes, a lot of driving around in a van (and only having energy drinks or soda, which was also something that bugged me about the first one but I failed to mention in my review) and constantly being followed, although they don't come across anyone until the last third of the book. They manage to meet some new people but the predicaments sounded way too familiar (almost like some of the volumes of The Walking Dead, actually) so I wasn't really entertained.

The only thing that redeemed this book for me, in fact, was the ending because there is a twist I didn't see coming, which turns into a cliffhanger of an ending. So if I want to know what's in store for these characters, I would have to read the next book and I am just not interested. Overall, I found this to be a weak filler of a book to continue the series without adding anything significant to the story until the very end.

Author Event | L.A. Times Festival of Books 2013

I wasn't sure I was going to make it this year to the festival. Partly because my brother's birthday (or birthday party) falls on the Saturday, a.k.a. the first day of the festival. On Sunday, I had plans to go hiking and meet up with a classmate after that to do some work together. I felt too tired to wake up early for the hike though, so I cancelled that. Around 10am, I still had about six hours before meeting up with my classmate. I checked online the schedule of activities and my attention was instantly caught when I saw Sarah Dessen was going to be there that day! I double checked on her website and saw that she was in fact going to be on a panel around 12pm and signing after.

I decided I would go after all! I got ready quickly but ended up in traffic and was having a hard time parking, so I didn't get there until a little after noon. I wandered around for a bit once I was there, but without a map or schedule, I really had no idea where to go. I set out to find the YA stage, but after a few minutes I saw a sign for the information booth. I headed that way instead and finally managed to snag a schedule and a free tote bag. On my way to the YA stage, I checked the schedule and realized that the signing and panel I had seen for Dessen was in fact a ticketed event, for which I had no tickets. Bummer!

Disappointed, I decided to continue since I knew I would find some author signings to attend anyways. I made a quick detour to the Harlequin booth, who were handing out free paperbacks of several of their titles and snagged a copy of Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry. I made another quick stop at the Once Upon A Time bookstore booth and grabbed two t-shirts.

Once I reached the YA stage, I sat down for a few minutes even though it was too hot to sit for too long. The festival was really crowded around this area because it was also near the children's stage and booths. Since the authors on the panel were Middle Grade, I wasn't too familiar with them and eventually decided to keep wandering. I was walking past one of the booths when I saw that Lisa McMann was sitting at one of the tables watching the crowds walk past. I was super excited and went up to her and started chatting with her about her books. I didn't have my copy of Wake with me (which I now realize I let someone borrow once and they never returned it) or Fade because I had no idea she was going to be there. Since Wake was one of favorite books the year that I read it, I bought the trilogy and had her sign it!

I continued walking and across the way, Katherine Applegate (author of Eve and Adam) was sitting there also by herself just chatting with one of the volunteers. I already have an ARC of Eve and Adam, but I decided to go ahead and pick up a finished copy for her to sign as well.

Since I had checked Sarah Dessen's website while sitting at the panel, I knew she was going to be signing elsewhere, so I went to look for the other Mrs. Nelson's booth (they had three at the festival!) and hopefully find out what time she was going to be there. I found it eventually, not too far down and saw that Gayle Forman was also going to be signing, an hour before Sarah Dessen. Since I still had about an hour left to kill, I wandered around the festival. I saw a few performances, took a break under a tree (did I mention it was hot that day? It was hot!)

About fifteen minutes left to the signing (and a few too many book purchases later) I made my way back to the booth and saw that there was another person in line already waiting. I stood in line and I started chatting with the other person in line. Eventually there were three of us in line and Gayle Forman arrived. I'd met her previously, but hadn't gotten a copy of her book Just One Day yet, so I purchased that and had her sign it. I also grabbed another copy of If I Stay for her to sign.

After that I got back in line to wait for Dessen, and landed the first spot in line. The other two girls I had been talking to jumped in line right behind me. One of them was also a blogger, Jackie, and we were able to chat for the hour we had to wait for Dessen to arrive. The line ended up getting pretty long so I was glad I got there early, and even happier I had Jackie for company. Luckily, Dessen arrived a bit early and we didn't have too wait much longer in the sun. I hadn't brought any of her books that I own for her to sign (because they are still at my parents house) and instead bought a few of her books that I don't own. She was really nice! It was awesome to meet her and I got to take a picture when I thought I wouldn't be able to.

Anyways, that was pretty much my entire day because I left shortly after. For such a last minute event, I was able to meet some great authors, bloggers and grab some great books!

Monthly Rewind | April 2013

April Photo 

I went to the Caribbean during Spring Break and it was just gorgeous!

April in one word:
Unwind

Five things that happened in April:
1. I went to the Caribbean.
2. I opened a savings account.
3. I got sick a lot.
4. I learned to make a kite.
5. I discovered the awesomeness of Pandora.

Popular songs on my iPod:

 
  Top Books Read:  Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell 
  Most Popular Review:

New Obsessions:

1. Getting my toe nails done

2. Pandora

3. These planners

Things I'm looking forward to: 

1. Being done with school (May 17th can't come fast enough!)

2. Going to Vegas! 

Upcoming releases I am looking forward to: 

  

 April was definitely a good month, but slow for reading. Hopefully May will turn out better! Happy reading friends, and thanks for stopping by :)

Review | The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: 01.10.2012 by Dutton Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: ★★★★★

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities."

This is the first book in a long time that has made me feel like ASKJA!!AWKIRHAIG♥A!!♥♥! It makes all those mediocre/bad books I've read recently completely worth it. What else can I say that you haven't already read elsewhere? Nothing. You've probably read it all. Simply put: this book is awesome. It made me feel; I laughed and I cried. Oh, how I cried. And when I finished it, I looked at life a little different.

This was my first John Green book and to be completely honest, I am glad I waited. I waited for several of his books to be released, and for the hype to be over when this one was released, and then I waited some more. And when I read this, it was perfect. Like many others, I read this book rather quickly and I even skipped my morning class one day so I could finish it. It finally makes sense why everyone always recommended John Green.

Hazel and Augustus are a perfect pair and I loved them. They are both witty and intelligent, and best of all real. Obviously they are both fictional characters, but they feel real. Hazel is so strong, and Augustus is completely honest and awkward. I adored them both.

I also can't not mention everyone else in this book: Isaac (Augustus best friend,) Augustus' parents, Hazel's parents, and of course, Van Houten and Lidewij. They are all such an important part of this story that makes it all the more real.

When I came to the last page of this book, I turned it expecting more. And there wasn't anything more. So I closed the book, I laid in bed and cried. I cried because it was so beautiful. I cried because I was done with it and it was so unfair. But what else can you expect from a cancer book? Yes, it is a book about cancer. But there is so much more than just that. It is unlike anything I have ever read and I will treasure it forever.

Seriously, nothing I write can explain how much this book touched my heart. If you haven't read it, make sure you do. This book needs to be a part of your life too.

Psst: I loved this book so much I am giving away a copy of it here. 

Review | Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Title: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: 05.09.2006 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Synopsis: Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastian’s, a boys' school that's pretends it's coed by giving the girls their own bathroom. Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an impossibly dorky accordion player. The boys are no better, from Thomas, who specializes in musical burping, to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can't seem to stop thinking about.

Then there's Francesca's mother, who always thinks she knows what's best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, alone, and without an inkling of who she really is. Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, hersocial life and—hardest of all—herself.

Thoughts: This is one of those books that I picked up only because it was on audio. Sure, it sounded like something I would enjoy, but I really had no idea what to expect. Saving Francesca was different than what I thought it would be, but overall, I enjoyed it.

We are introduced to Francesca who goes to a former all-boy-school that she hates because all her friends went elsewhere. Her family is struggling with her mother’s depression. Her mother, who controlled and managed their life, suddenly falls apart and can’t seem to get out of bed and now, Francesca has to learn to take charge and help around as much as possible.

Francesca is a likable character, somewhat. She’s snarky, funny, sometimes spontaneous and really protective of her brother. But she can also be quite naïve about several aspects of her life, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I found a bit frustrating at first. As for the secondary characters; there was a ton! While I found the amount of characters confusing at first (I stopped trying to figure out who was who somewhere around the fourth or fifth chapter,) I found each character unique and interesting by the time I was able to grasp who they were.

“I can't believe I said it out loud. The truth doesn't set you free, you know. It makes you feel awkward and embarrassed and defenseless and red in the face and horrified and petrified and vulnerable. But free? I don't feel free. I feel like shit.” 

The best part about Saving Francesca is probably the humor. While the book revolves around a more serious topic, there are many laugh out loud moments throughout. My favorite part was definitely the writing style. I hadn’t read anything by Marchetta before, but I can definitely say that I look forward to reading other books by her.

“Where did this come from? Do you know what this is? Luca is going to sneak out of bed in the middle of the night and squirt it on his tongue. It's like drugs for ten-year-olds. Today it's Ice Magic. Tomorrow, heroin.” 

While I was a little uninterested at first, I think my attention was finally captured when a love interest is introduced. Romance doesn’t play an important part in the story. It has a minor role but I felt that when that part is introduced, it really starts the development of Francesca’s character. I can’t say I really liked the love interest all that much (he was kind of an idiot and a jerk) but we get to see more of the real Francesca after their first few encounters.

“Do you think people have noticed that I'm around?"

"I notice when you're not. Does that count?” 

Even though Francesca has to deal with her mother’s depression throughout the book, I had a hard time relating to her through these difficulties. I have never dealt with depression or with someone who is depressed, but I would have still been able sympathize with what was going on. I didn’t though. At least, I didn’t until the end, when we finally understand what was really going on and Francesca learns some truths that were kept from her.

Overall: Saving Francesca is about growing up, family and learning who your real friends are. It's about learning to be yourself. It's about a teen who has to deal with real life situations, but with enough humor to offer a less serious tone to the book. I am sure contemporary fans will enjoy this one, and definitely recommend it.

Top Ten Tuesday | Rewind: Ten Characters (and Literary Figures) that I'd Name My Children After

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Hey guys! I didn't mean to be absent so much last week but you know how it goes, I got caught up with life and stuff. Anyways, this week's Top Ten Tuesday is the bloggers choice, so I decided to go ahead and pick the Top Ten Literary Names I'd Name My Children After. This topic seems like a fun and kind of silly one, since I don't know if a) I will have children one day and b) if I will actually name them after these literary characters. But to be honest, some of these are choices that I would really really choose for my children if I had some.

1.Atticus [To Kill A Mockingbird]: This is one of those real life choices that I have even discussed with my boyfriend about. It will most likely be a middle name, but I almost like it better as a first name.

2. Jane [Jane Austen]: After reading Pride and Prejudice, I fell in love with Jane Austen. While I haven't read all her books, I have read enough to know I will love her forever. 

3. Serenity and/or Zoe [Serenity]: Okay, so this one is more based on the show than anything else, and is another one of those real life choices. But it is book related, kind of :)

4. Paul [How to Kill a Rockstar]: Because he was awesome and I loved this book and it's music related. 

5. Jesse or Miles or Tuck [Tuck Everlasting]: This is one of my all-time favorite books and I think if I had to choose one book to name my children after, it would have to be this one. 

6. Davy [Welcome to Temptation]: I adored him, really. And this is one of my favorite books of all time. 

7. Adam [If I Stay]: Because this book ripped my heart out.

8. Augustus or just Gus [The Fault in Our Stars]: Need I say more?

9. Daniel [My Name is Memory]: This is one of those books that I still talk about even though it's been years since I read it because it is still so very special to me. 

10. Sam [Shiver]: I thought this book was super cute and even though I didn't cry, it still meant a lot to me. 

Did anyone notice that the majority of my list consisted of male names? I've always wanted boys. Haha. 

What Top Ten did you choose this week? Leave some links below and I'll make sure to stop by yours too!

\\ Blog Tour \\ Review + Giveaway | Surface by Tiffany Daune [CLOSED]

Title: Surface by Tiffany Daune
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult - Paranormal
Publication: February 1, 2013 by Noble Young Adult
Format: E-book
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Synopsis: Bound to the water bound to land, a Siren’s soul will never be safe on either side of the ocean’s surface. Hidden beneath the rolling waves lies the secret to Theia’s past and as she unveils each haunting truth, she realizes the last seventeen years of her life have been a lie. Now, drawn into a mysterious new world and with nowhere to turn, Theia must place her trust in Luc, a beautiful boy who stops her heart with each dazzling smile, but even his unearthly charm can’t hide the truth—he has secrets— dark secrets binding him to his world—an underwater world where Theia will never belong—a world determined to destroy her soul.

Thoughts: While not overly fond of the mermaid books I have read, I definitely wanted to give them another shot to see if I could like them. With it's beautiful cover, Surface caught my eye instantly. After reading over the synopsis, I knew I wanted to give it a shot. Surface, while not causing me to fall in love with mermaid folklore, definitely gave me a more positive look on these paranormal creatures, and made me want to check out other mermaid/siren books.

Surface is action packed and detailed from the start, throwing the reader into a scary situation which leads Theia, our protagonist, to learn the real truth about herself. Learning that she's a siren didn't really shock her as much as I expected it to, but partly this is because her few memories of her father were only by the water. With the help of Luc, an extremely handsome Artagasian, she learns more about their history and how she is in danger, not only from others sea creatures, but humans as well. I was mildly put off with how easily she handled learning every thing she learned, but I brushed it off as I read on to find out more.

The story switches points of views among several characters, surprising me at first, but in the end I found it added a lot more to the story. Since we are able to learn more about the characters and their intentions, instead of getting a one sided story, I was able to connect to several of the secondary characters who play pretty important roles in developing the story. The more we learn about every character, the more interesting the book became and, really, this is what captivated my attention most.

I was a little disappointed that some things were not explained in more detail (like how the underwater world really works? I mean, Theia doesn't notice when she is first underwater, and I thought that was kind of weird.) But I did like how the author offered a lot of information (but not an overwhelming amount) on the differences among Artagasian, mermaids, and sirens, along with an fascinating history to back it up.

I don't want to go into too much detail about the story because even though it is short, it presents a lot of interesting surprises that I would rather not spoil, and offers an interesting ending that I really liked.

Overall: With twists and turns, a sweet boy and some romance (which does happen to be kind of quickly formed between the two characters - insta-love, anyone?) interesting characters and back stories to help bond each one with the reader, and an interesting take on mermaids/sirens, I definitely enjoyed Surface. I am sure fans of paranormal and mermaid books will find this one a good read to dive into as well, and I look forward to reading more from Daune in the future.

Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours, you can enter for a chance to win a brand new e-reader, a Starbucks or Amazon giftcard, or your very own e-copy of Surface!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Check out the other stops and follow the rest of the tour for more chances to enter.

Top Ten Tuesday | Favorite Books I Read Before I Was A Blogger

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: I started reading this series when I was twelve years old and by the time I finished it, I still had years before I would actually begin blogging. All the books are still my favorites, of course.

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: I borrowed a copy from the library, just because. I had a few hours before going to work one day, so I drove to a nearby park and read and read. I got so caught up in the story I was late to work that day. I have loved it ever since.

3. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: This book took me about a million years to finish (I think it was like, three months, or something) but I loved every second of it. Sure, sometimes I wanted to fling it across the room, but that only made me love it more. One day, I will re-read it. 

4. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume: This is the only Blume book I have ever read and I picked it up on a whim at my local pharmacy. I could not get enough of it, and convinced my best friend to try it too. She loved it also. It has been a favorite for many years. 

5. The Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn: Another random pharmacy buy (before I was a blogger, I rarely went to bookstores! *le gasp*) I had no idea it was an entire series, so I accidentally picked up the last book, first. I devoured it. And then I realized I still had seven more books on this family to read. I was in heaven. I devoured those books, too. The only series I have ever finished in a matter of weeks.

6. The Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer: Okay, so I only read the first three books before I became a blogger. Breaking Dawn was one of my first few reviews here! I read Twilight before New Moon was published and I almost died in anticipation. Same goes for the other two books. I read these books faster than I had read any book in years. They sparked my interest for Young Adult. And the rest, is history.

7. God-Shaped Hole by Tiffanie DeBartolo: I picked up a copy of this book for two bucks at a thrift store only because I liked the quote on the cover. Little did I know that this book would be so amazing within. It blew me away. 

8. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie: This was my first adult Romance at the young age of thirteen. I flew through this book and then became addicted to all romance novels, and all books written by Jennifer Crusie. I own all her books; the only author under this category. (Also, this was another pharmacy buy!) 

9. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks: I saw the movie first. While I don't love the book as much as I love the movie, it's still one of my favorites. 

10. Never Too Much by Lori Foster: Another addicting romance that I couldn't get enough of. While I didn't particularly like any of the other books I read by this author, this one definitely stood out for me. And I'm pretty sure I bought this one at my local pharmacy. 

What are your Top Ten this Tuesday? Leave your link below :)

Review | Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything by E. Lockhart

Title: Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything by E. Lockhart
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: 03.14.2006 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Format: Audio
Source: Library
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Synopsis: At the Manhattan School for Art and Music, where everyone is “different” and everyone is “special,” Gretchen Yee feels ordinary. She’s the kind of girl who sits alone at lunch, drawing pictures of Spider-Man, so she won’t have to talk to anyone; who has a crush on Titus but won’t do anything about it; who has no one to hang out with when her best (and only real) friend Katya is busy.

One day, Gretchen wishes that she could be a fly on the wall in the boys’ locker room–just to learn more about guys. What are they really like? What do they really talk about? Are they really cretins most of the time?

Fly on the Wall is the story of how that wish comes true.

Thoughts:I don't know where to start with this book, so let me just tell you the truth. Fly on the Wall was a little funny and kind of entertaining, but it felt pointless by the time I was done. Even though I have heard wonderful things about E. Lockhart, this was an earlier book of hers (I believe,) and I wasn't too impressed.

Gretchen Yee is an okay character. She loves comic books, draws comic book characters for her art classes (which her teachers do not approve of,) and is a hoarder living with her parents who are getting a divorce. Nothing too special or interesting about her, but she is not unlikable, I guess. She spends her days alone now that her friend hangs out with another group of kids, daydreaming about the boy she likes, and just being...plain.

The story doesn't really change much until the fantasy twist when Gretchen ends up a fly in the boys locker room. Wish granted! Now she can watch boys and their gherkins all day long! (And all I could think was, really, you call them gherkins? Okay...?) And she does and for several chapters all we learn about are the sizes and shapes of their "gherkins" of pretty much all the boys at school. At one point she begins grading boys butts. Seriously?

She does get to observe identity issues, watches boys get bullied and really, learns that boys and girls are more similar than she expected. That's the message in the book and once the ending comes around, the story is wrapped up nicely and The End.

Overall: I was disappointed. Not because I thought it was truly bad, but because I expected something better from this author. I will definitely be giving her another shot (Ruby Oliver series, anyone?) but I don't highly recommend this one. It is a quick, and kind of entertaining read, but nothing special and with a lot of graphic content that I don't think is suitable for younger teens.

Review | A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Science Fiction
Publication: 08.09.2011 by Candlewick
Format: Audio
Source: Library
Rating: ★★★★

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose-- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire-- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes-- or be left without any future at all.

Thoughts: It has taken me a long (long?) time to write this review. Not because I didn't like it, or because I loved it so much that I have no words to describe it. I think it's just been difficult to figure out exactly what it is I enjoyed so much about this. I'm not sure if this is a bad thing? A Long, Long Sleep caught me by surprise. I'd never heard of it and picked it up on a whim after reading the synopsis really quickly at the library one day. I really wasn't sure what to expect, but I can say that I really did like it.

A Long, Long Sleep begins with Rosalinda being woken up by Bren with a "kiss." She's then thrown into a future where her family and boyfriend are dead, she is the heiress to her parents empire, and she has to learn to adapt to the strangeness of everything, all while recouporating from being in stasis for so long, which has left her weak and unhealthy. Luckily, she is an heiress and has plenty of people looking out for her and her well-being. So she is tossed to some foster parents and sent to a school and pretty much left up to her own devices.

At first, I wasn't too impressed. While this book claims to be science fiction, there aren't too many elements that would be considered sci-fi. I am not an expert in this genre so after a while I wasn't really bothered by this because the future was still advanced, just not ridiculously so. There are hovering "cars," fancy new gadgets, and genetically engineered specimen, and really, that was enough for me. The beginning also dragged on a bit but I was still interested in the story to keep going.

I have to admit that at the beginning, I didn't like Rosalinda. She could be so annoying at times and I just wanted to smack her. I didn't find her particularly interesting until she becomes friends with Otto, a blue genetically engineered teenager who actually brings out more of her personality and adds an interesting part to the book with his background story. We also get to see a few more glimpses into her past, and these were what grabbed my interest the most. I wanted to learn more about her and Xavier (her boyfriend) and how their relationship developed, which I know will be weird for some of you, but I thought was kind of sweet. With each flashback though we learn more about her troubling past, her parents, life growing up, and why she was who she was, and this really changed my mind about her, especially because of the way she was treated.

The story really picks up the pace when Rosalinda is attacked by a plastine, which is this really creepy human-robot that is sent to kill her. Once the story picks up, it gets a lot more interesting, and I was rushing through it to get to the ending. I think the best part of this book is towards the end, when Rosalinda finds out the truth about what happened to her, when we glimpse at her past one last time, and a few other mysteries are revealed. While the last few paragraphs just wrapped the story nicely, I was pretty satisfied with how things turned out.

Overall: Even though it's considered a science fiction book, it is really a story about love, loss, and believing in oneself, so you don't have to be a science fiction fan to enjoy it. It provides a unique take on betrayal, some forms of abuse, and is an interesting re-telling of the familiar fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty. I enjoyed it a lot and definitely recommend it to young adult fans.

More on Audiobooks

A little under four years ago, I was not an audio book listener. I'd heard a few books on audio because I was "forced" to in class but I didn't really listen to any on my own. One day, I stumbled upon a new library in my neighborhood and the way they had their YA section set up was having both physical books and audio books combined. I'm used to having audio books on their own shelf far off into a corner, but instead, these were right in my face. So I though, why the heck not? And I gave it a shot. I picked up The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong, and at first I disliked the idea of listening to the book, instead of reading it. It was weird for me. But by the end of the book, I was in love.

From then on, I started checking out audio books more regularly, and I've been listening to them for years now. I love the experience of being able to listen to a book, while I'm driving or doing chores around the house, or working out/running. It's awesome! In fact, this year, I've been so busy with school and life that I have only listened to most of the books I've "read" this year.

Earlier this year though, I almost gave up on them. I don't remember where I saw it but there was a forum of some sort that was discussing audio books. Someone made a comment that listening to audio books wasn't really reading. You weren't actually doing the reading, so it didn't count. I was stumped. Was that person right? Was it really not "reading"? I felt like I'd been cheating on my Goodreads challenge because I was adding all these books that I'd only listened to and didn't actually...well, read.

Then one day, I posted something really short about it here on the blog. It was a Top Ten Tuesday post and I mentioned I didn't want to listen to anymore audio books. And you know what? Rachelia from Bookish Comforts left me a comment that said I shouldn't let someone else's opinion sway my mind if I was doing something I enjoyed. She also went to say that, "I think audiobooks do count as reading - while it's a different experience, you are still devoting hours to listening and immersing yourself in the story." And I thought, damn, she's totally right. So I'm still listening to them like crazy.

So what about you? Do you like listening to audio books? If no, why not? Do you think they count as "reading" a book? Share any of your favorite audio books too! And favorite narrators, if you have any! I love Jesse Eisenberg (White Cat by Holly Black) and Scott Brick (The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga.) I'm always looking for new suggestions, so share them with me! :)

Review | Waves by Sharon Dogar

Title: Waves by Sharon Dogar
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: 04.01.2007 by Chicken House
Format: Audio
Source: Library
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Synopsis: When Hal's family makes the heart-wrenching decision to leave Charley, their comatose daughter, behind in a hospital ward while they spend the summer on the west coast of England, Hal finds it harder than ever to shake his sister's presence. What power is letting him share her memories? And will they reveal the deep, dark truth behind her tragic "accident"? Set at a beach where growing up goes wrong, WAVES is a coming-of-age story about first love and first loss; about a family drowning in sorrow, and the remarkable son who is struggling against the tide to save them.

Thoughts: This is one of those books that sounds like it's going to be awesome, but ends of being so not what you expected. From the cover, it looks like a light summer read, and from the summary it sounds like a heartbreaking story that I won't ever forget. It attempts to be both of these things, and happens to be neither of them, sadly.

Hal, for one, is sort of a jerk. He hates his sister for being in a coma and hates that he doesn't know what happened to her. He is determined to find out, but doesn't learn anything until the last couple of pages of the book which is a real drag. Charley's past self is definitely likable; a kind-of-insecure, fun girl that falls madly in love with Pete. Of course, the first part of book doesn't even show us the real Charley, just coma-state-Charley which was too weird and sort of confusing to be interesting. As for Pete, what was so special about him anyways? Sure he was good looking but there was no substance to the guy and he always seemed so hung up on taking care of Am, his ex-girlfriend, who of course, Charley hates.

So while away with the family, Hal begins to "hear" Charley in his head and this is where I thought the book got too weird. Not only was he hearing her voice speaking to him, he was also "seeing" her memories and reliving them himself at some points. It was really strange and I thought a completely unnecessary route to take in telling how Charley felt. Since the book is told in alternating views, both Charley and Hal's, these scenes when their minds connect, or whatever it is they're doing, become quite repetitive.

Hal seems to be going crazy, but these memories he begins to see sort of lead him to finding out what happened the night of the accident, which when finally revealed, is not as big of a mystery as we originally expect. The story is prolonged and in the end, the mystery is completely dissatisfying which is the only reason I kept going with the book!

Overall: I think fans of the authors work might appreciate this one more than I did, because I found it weird and repetitive. This one probably would have been a DNF for me if I hadn't wanted to find out how it ended, but the conclusion turned out to be just another disappointment for me. While I did enjoy Charley's side of the story (and is the reason I gave this book the extra half star,)  the rest of the book was not as engaging as I had expected and I really cannot recommend this to others who have enjoyed the authors writing before and want to give this one a shot as well.

Review | Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams
Series: N/A
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: 03.15.2011 by St. Martin's Griffin
Format: ARC
Source: Orange County Book Festival (Gift)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money.

But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control...

Thoughts: The biggest mistake I made when starting this was having such high expectations of this author. Her previous book, The Chosen One, blew me away and going into Miles from Ordinary I expected something similar that was equally heart-wrenching. Of course it was silly of me to think that this book would be like the last one, with the story being so different, but it sounded like it would be something just as captivating. Sadly, I was let down more than I thought I would be, and while Williams is amazing at capturing the mind of a 13/14 year old girl, the story weaved into Miles from Ordinary was not extraordinary and left me feeling iffy about the whole thing.

Lacey is this quiet, simple girl who pretty much takes care of her mother, who sees and hears Lacey's dead grandfather. Being short on money, Lacey talks her mother into getting a job as a cashier and helps her every step of the way. On the first day of her new job, and Lacey's new volunteer position at the library, they head out together and Lacey hopes that this will be a new beginning for them. Unfortunately, when the day comes to an end, Lacey finds her world spinning out of control and she struggles to figure where everything went wrong.

I have to say that I liked Lacey. I totally got what she was going through and even though I wasn't exactly able to relate to her because I've never had a crazy mother, I was still able to connect with her. I think Williams does an amazing job in writing what goes on inside a young girls head, and this was probably my favorite part of the book. The secondary characters are also important, each one playing an important part in Lacey's day.

The story takes place in a day, and while it was a short read, it was too slow for my liking. Nothing really happens in the first half of the book, and while we do learn a little more about Lacey, her mother, her aunt and their complicated relationship through memories, I wasn't too captivated by the story. The book drags on as Lacey discovers her mother is missing and then attempts to find her before anything disastrous happens. The last third of the book is creepy, but also dragged on so much in those few pages, that I eventually lost interest in the weirdness and put the book down for a while.

Towards the end, there is an incident Lacey goes through, and I feel like I never really got what was going on there. It added to the creepy factor, definitely, but it is not explained once the book is concluded and I was disappointed because I expected some kind of twist! And while the conclusion is reasonable, I thought it was rushed and flat compared to the prose that is used for the rest of the book.

Overall: I am glad I gave this a shot, honestly. I definitely didn't love it and I really wanted to. It wasn't at all what I expected, but I think that was the problem. I definitely think others who enjoy contemporary/heartbreaking/powerful books will enjoy this one. I plan to pick the other books by Williams because this one will not deter me from reading more of her work. I know she is an amazing writer, and while Miles from Ordinary did not turn out to be for me, I have hope for the next book!

Email Subscriptions

A few months ago, I discovered the awesomeness of subscribing by email to a blog. I never did this because I always followed via GFC and really didn't know how to use anything else (still don't, in fact.) I didn't want to subscribe to emails because I thought they would spam my inbox and I definitely didn't want that happening. But then some of the blogs I loved, and a few that I discovered, were not using GFC and this was troubling to me. I don’t have as much time to sit around the computer all day the way I used to, and I still can’t figure out how the feed readers work exactly, so I was a little frustrated with what to do.

One of my oldest blogging friends, Steph the Bookworm, had switched over to Wordpress and I no longer saw her posts on my GFC. I kept going back to her blog and realizing that she had posted a few things since I’d last checked it, so I decided, what the heck? And I subscribed to her blog via email. And it was awesome. Every morning I check my email, and sometimes I’d have a new email telling me Steph had a new post. And I’d open the email and I would read the post from there. Yes! I could read what she wrote without doing anything. It was right there, waiting for me. Anywho, one thing led to another and now I am subscribed to plenty of blogs and I love it.

I usually check my email on my phone because I am notified immediately when I get a new one. I am not one of those people who let the emails pile up. I read them right away, store it in a folder, and keep my inbox as empty as possible (this is why I also forget to email people back sometimes all the time.) I have an iPhone and I hate that little red number that shows up on the top of the icons telling me I have a new notification. So every morning, as I am laying in bed and trying to talk myself into getting out of bed, I check all my emails. And that means, every morning I am reading your posts. Yes, yours.

But you know what I realized? I am enjoying all your content and not commenting. Yep. Being a blogger, I know how awesome it is to receive comments. Every single one makes me want to pump my fist in the air and yell, “Yes!” – I don’t cause I am usually in school/work when I get an email (yes, I get an email for every comment and I love it) and that would weird. But with me receiving your posts in my email means I don’t have to go out of my way and find your post. So that means I never actually see it on your blog. Or comment. And now I feel bad about it. I mean, I want to comment. I do. I just don’t seem to have time to or remember when I am actually blogging/commenting because I have already read what you wrote and instead, I read what I haven’t looked at yet. And that kinda sucks for you.

What do you think about email subscriptions? Do you subscribe? Why or why not? Do you find yourself commenting less on blogs that you do get emails to, the way I do? I would love to hear your thoughts and if you have suggestions, those would be great too!

Top Ten Tuesday | Series I Would Like to Start...but haven't yet

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. Caster Chronicles: Okay, so I cheated a little and already started this one, but I do want to read the entire series!

2. Newsflesh: This sounds so awesome and I have been meaning to read it for so long!

3. Throne of Glass: I have heard only good things about this book and I cannot wait to read it!

4. Dust Lands: I've had a copy of this book for so long and I keep trying to read it, but haven't...yet!

5. Divergent: Everyone says this is awesome and I really want to check it out.

6. Across the Universe: This just sounds like something I need to read

7. The Immortals: I've heard great things about this series, have the first book, and have even met the author!

8. Halo: I have all the books in this series and I have yet to start it. I don't know why. 

9. The Marbury Lens: Another series that I own and have met the author, but haven't had the chance to check out.

10. Vampire Academy: I love vampires. Also, I want to know what all the fuss is about. 

What are your Top Ten this Tuesday? Leave your link below :)

\\ Blog Tour \\ Review | None of the Regular Rules by Erin Downing

Title: None of the Regular Rules by Erin Downing
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult - Contemporary
Publication: November 20, 2012
Format: eBook
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis: Sometimes, a few dares can change lives…

The weekend before the start of senior year, Sophie Erickson and her best friends, Ella and Grace, discover a handwritten list of dares tucked away in the glove compartment of Sophie’s beat-up old Toyota. But this isn’t just any list; it’s a dead girl's bucket list.

Sophie's beloved aunt Suzy died as a teenager in a fatal fall, leaving Sophie with an overly cautious family, a few fading photographs, and a bucket of bolts that barely passes for a car. But now, Sophie has Suzy’s list of the things she wanted to do in her last year of high school. Sophie can't help but wonder: What would happen if she tried to fulfill Suzy’s last wishes, to live out the longed-for life of her aunt, her hero?

As Sophie and her friends attempt to knock off the things on Suzy's list of dares, love blossoms in unexpected places and Sophie begins to feel that her life is finally coming together...when in fact, everything is slowly unraveling around her. When the truth about a long-held family secret threatens to shatter everything she believed to be true, Sophie is forced to question everything she knew about the life and people she believed in, and ultimately herself.

Thoughts: None of the Regular Rules is one of those self-published books that makes me feel happy that I still give them a shot. I am really glad I took the opportunity to read this one, because it turned out to be a fun, light read about friendship, love, and family.

Sophie and her friends were likable characters. While Sophie seemed a little too cautious sometimes, I still liked her and felt I would have done similar things in her situation. I enjoyed the slow-burning romance between her and her neighbor, Johhny Rush, who wasn't exactly what he seemed to be.

None of the Regular Rules is a quick, coming of age story that I am sure contemporary fans will enjoy. I look forward to checking out the author's other works soon!