Reading Challenges for 2012.

I kicked some serious ass in my reading challenges for 2011 and I want to keep making strides in my reading goals so I'm going to set forth some reading goals for 2012. I'll be participating in some more reading challenges this year and here are the challenges I'm taking part in...and when I say taking part in, I mean, unofficially participating in.

Check it out:



I picked these three challenges because I didn't want to participate in challenges that wouldn't really be a challenge for me. In 2011, I read a lot of debut author books but while I'll still be reading books by debut authors, this year I'm going to focus on reading Sophomore releases from the authors that released their first books in 2011. Last year, I did a crap job of reading books that I already own or books that are sitting on my book shelf and getting no love so I'm going to try to fix that this year. I also read a lot of books from series in 2011 so this year, I'm going to work on reading some standalone books. I love standalone stories and want to read more so I'll be pushing myself to read more of those this year as well.

I decided not to participate in the Out-Do yourself challenge because I'm going to be watching 100 movies in 2012 and thought it would be a bit much to read 160 books as well. I'm going to try to read another 150 books this year and see how I do.

Wish me luck!

What reading challenges are YOU participating in this year?

..and that's your scoop!

End of the Year Book Survey: 2011.

Instead of doing one of those Best of lists that everyone does at this time of year, I thought I'd participate in this end of the year Book Survey from The Perpetual Page-Turner. I thought that it'd be a lot easier since I just had to answer questions but man, this is a lot harder than I thought. I've been racking my brain for the last half hour trying to remember everything I read and how much I loved them and what not. It's a good thing I kept a book log of all the books I read this year.

Anyway, let's get on with the survey, shall we?

1. Best Book You Read In 2011?

I read 150 books this year (barely made that too, whew!) and of those 150 books, I gave 14 books an A grade. Of those A grade books, I have a top 5 favorites list and they are:



Where She Went by Gayle Forman|Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson|Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins|Past Perfect by Leila Sales|Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett
I loved all of these books, I can't pick a favorite from them because I loved them all for different reasons. So I'm cheating and keeping them all on here. Deal with it, haha. =) As you can see, I'm a HUGE fan of Contemporary YA. I love getting into the heads of teens from the here and now because I can totally relate to what they're going through because I so remember being in their shoes when I was their age.

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?


My most disappointing read of the year has to go to Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison.

I absolutely adored the cover of this book. I thought it was too cute for words and I just knew that I was going to love the book, only I didn't. The female lead got on my hot damn nerves and I was intrigued by the male lead, but not in a good way. It was more of how stranger could this guy get? Needless to say, it was a total miss for me and I was pretty bummed about that.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?


My most surprising (in a good way!) read of 2011 has to go to The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder. I'm not much of a free verse type of reader. I'm not sure why, I get scared that I might not enjoy the book because I'm not much into poetry? I'm not sure but for whatever reason, I don't read a lot of books written in verse. When I requested this book from NetGalley, I didn't even realize it was written in verse but I went ahead and read it anyway and was glad that I did because I ended up really liking it.

It got an A grade from me. Woot!

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?


All of the books in my answer for #1. I recommend those books to anyone that will listen. I loved all of those books, that much. Oh wait, I also recommended The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen a lot too. That's my #1 pimp book and I pimped it out a lot this year. My nieces all thanked me for it too, haha.



5. Best series you discovered in 2011?

There have been a few series that I began in 2011 that I absolutely adored. Like, the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty, The She's So Dead to Us Trilogy by Kieran Scott and the Angelfire series by Courtney Allison Moulton. All of these series were fabulous series that I'm anxious for more from, so yeah those are my choices.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?

Stephanie Perkins, Morgan Matson, Elizabeth Eulberg, Lindsay Leavett, Courtney Allison Moulton, Meg McCafferty. I read a bunch of fabulous authors for the first time this year and look forward to reading more from them.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?


I think this would go to Forbidden by Tabitha Suzman. I'm not a fan of books that deal with incest and stuff like that. It's heartbreaking and it's just not something that I'm comfortable with but man, I couldn't put this book down.

My heart went out to both Lochan and Mia. They both had a hard time of it and they fought their feelings and just everything.

This book was one of those books that you needed to know what would happen because so many different situations went through your head while you were reading it. It was one of those train wrecks that you can't help but look, no matter how much you didn't want to.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?



I think this would go to I think, Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I read this book twice before moving on to the next book. I loved it that much.





9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?


Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. I read and absolutely adored Anna and the French Kiss and just knew that I was going to love this one as well. This book didn't knock me on my ass nearly as much as Anna did but I did enjoy getting to know Cricket Bell. Lola took too long to come to her senses for me to be wild about her but it was still an entertaining book.


10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?

For some reason, my mind is drawing a blank. I have no freaking clue.

11. Most memorable character in 2011?

Jessica Darling: Jessica had me cracking up from the moment I was introduced to her character. She was funny, she was quirky and she was refreshingly honest. Her voice had me turning the pages and reading more. She had me wanting to read more, I loved her!

Adam Wilde : When we first meet Adam in If I Stay, he was great. He was that boyfriend that every girl wanted by their bedside, while they were fighting for their lives but we got to know him through Mia's memories. In Where She Went, we got to know Adam through Adam's memories and through his POV. Reading about his journey to where he was WSW made my love for Adam grow by heaps and bounds.

Etienne St. Clair: I fangirled all over my review about how much I loved Etienne. If you need to refresh your memory, go ahead and read my review again. Everything I can say to justify St. Clair being a memorable character for me is in that review. He was fanflippin'tastic.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2011?



Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal. This book was a romance for a younger audience but it's a story that stayed with me for a while and I thought it was beautifully written.



13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011?


Sign Language by Amy Ackley. This book took me right back to when I found out about nephew RJ's cancer and when my Mom died. Ackley was spot on with the thought processes that go through your mind when those things happen in your life. I cried a lot when I read this book because I could totally relate to Abby's grief even though we both handled our grief in different ways. It was one of those books that you need to read to understand.

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read?


Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty. This book had me cracking up from beginning to end. I absolutely adored Jessica Darling and the way she thought, the way she acted and the way she obsessed over her best friend's move. The month that I read it, the book was celebrating its 10 year anniversary. Seriously, why in the world did it take me ten years to read this book? Shame on me.


15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011?

Here's another one that I have no clue. I know that there are a lot but for the life of me, I can't think of anything right now. I'll have to edit this when I can think of any but for now, I'll publish this post without answering this. I know, I'm a cheater. Sorry (not really). =)

16. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012?

I'm already planning re-reads of all of the books in #1. I want to read all of those books again, soon. I think I'm going to start with Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. That book was too freaking rad.

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!


He's So Not Worth It by Kieran Scott. The way that book ended had me gasping all over the dang place. I couldn't believe it. I can't wait until the next book comes out. I gotta know what happens next.

Another one is Wildefire by Karsten Knight. I closed that book on a screech. I wasn't completely wowed by that book but I did enjoy it and that ending threw me for a loop. I had to go back and re-read something before I closed that book and screeched like a weirdo.

And there you have it...my bookish survey results. I hope you guys had a good reading year like I did. I look forward to another fabulous year of great reading so cheers to the freaking new year, I'll drink to that (yeah, yeah).

See you next year!

Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Amy's review of The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.

Nothing says Christmas like a good zombie book! LOL

Main Character: Mary
Love Interest: n/a
Series: The Forest of Hands and Teeth #1
Author: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

In Mary's world there are simple truths.


The Sisterhood always knows best.


The Guardians will protect and serve.


The Unconsecrated will never relent.


And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

In Carrie Ryan’s the Forest of Hands and Teeth, zombies (or the Unconsecrated) have taken over and the human survivors have fenced themselves in. This is the world that Mary, our narrator, has grown up in. Her village is smack in the middle of the Forest and surrounded by fencing. The forest stretches as far as the eye can see and everyone assumes that they’re the last people to survive the Return (what they call the zombie infestation).

Mary’s mother grew up listening to stories of how the world was before the Return and she passes on to Mary the stories of the ocean. Mary even used to have a picture of one of her many greats-grandmother in the ocean, so she knows it’s real. Her friends don’t really believe her and think her stories are just that, stories, fiction, NOT REAL.

So our tale begins with Mary washing some sheets. One of her best friends has joined her and he’s basically just asked her to marry him. Mary is looking up at him, thinking of his brother, and she’s just about to respond when the siren goes off – which means the fence has been breached. Mary knows in her gut that something has happened to her mother. You see, Mary’s father has gone missing months ago (into the forest) and everyday her mother watches the forest, waiting for her husband to come back to her. But today, Mary knows she dallied too long at the stream and her mother didn’t wait for her to return before she began her lookout…and got too close to the fence.

Now when someone gets bitten by the Unconsecrated, they become infected. They will die and rise again as a zombie. When this occurs in Mary’s village, the bitten always has a choice – they can be killed or they can be turned loose into the Forest of Hands and Teeth to join the other Unconsecrated. Mary’s mother chooses to join those in the Forest (which leads Mary to believe that her father is also Unconsecrated).

Throughout this, Mary’s brother, a Guardian (those that mind the fences) has been away checking on some fencing further out. He gets back just in time to see his mother rise as a zombie. So Mary’s guilt over not being with her mother and her brother’s anger at her letting her mother make the decision to turn in the first place all result in Mary joining the Sisterhood.

The Sisterhood runs the village. They have the final say in major decisions and they have all the knowledge of the Return and life before it. Mary does not want to join the Sisterhood, but she doesn’t have a choice. (There’s a good scene here where one of the sisters shows her which choices she does have.) And Mary quickly realizes that there is more to the Sisterhood than she knew. There are secrets hidden within the Sisterhood and when an outsider comes through the fence, Mary’s world as she knows it changes forever.

Ok, not sure I did justice to the book, but just know that I loved it loved it loved it!

I picked this book up and did not put it down until I was done reading it. The story sucks you in and doesn’t let go! There is terror, action, romance and zombies! What more do you need?

First the world-building. Carrie Ryan has done an excellent job in creating a post-apocalyptic society. There’s no info dumping and we learn through Mary’s thoughts and experiences.

Second – our narrator. She’s a girl that’s always dreamed about what’s beyond the forest. While everyone around her is content with their existence, she’s heard about the ocean and she wants to see it. She lets her guilt get in the way when she’s forced into the Sisterhood but she’s independent and can think for herself. She makes hard decisions and she’s brave. She’s also good to have around in a jam (like zombies trying to eat you). I like my heroines to be strong and kick ass and that’s what Mary is.

The characters and the way they relate to each other are interesting too. Sister Tabitha is a scary lady, her brother is a redemptive jerk, the two brothers as love interests, her best friend. There’s even a dog. LOL

And the story doesn’t stay in Mary’s village. There’s plenty of action beyond the fence’s borders...

So for those of you who enjoy an excellent story with a smart and strong heroine and you don’t mind a little blood and guts? The Forest of Hands and Teeth is for you.

..and that's your scoop!


Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository|Kobo
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Review: Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK by Betsy St. Amant.

Rowena's review of Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK by Betsy St. Amant.

Main Character: Addison Blakely
Love Interest: Wes Keegan
Series: None that I know of.
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Addison Blakely has tireless played the role of PK—preacher’s kid—her entire life. But after Wes Keegan revs his motorcycle into town and into her heart, Addison begins to wonder how much of her faith is her own and how much has been handed to her. She isn’t so sure she wants to be the good girl anymore. Join Addison Blakely as she attempts to separate love from lust, facts from faith, and keep her head above water in her murky, fishbowl existence.

This was a Christian fiction book that didn't come off as preachy which I enjoyed and appreciated. It didn't take me long at all to read this book and I appreciated that as well. This book is a coming of age story about a young girl who is trying to stay on the straight and narrow. She's at that age where she's starting to question her beliefs and her faith because up until now, she's been leaning on her Dad's testimony. Now she will be curious enough to find those answers for herself.

She's always been the PK (Preacher's Kid) that gets good grades, is active in just about everything and is on the straight path to a great college of her choice. All of that is thrown in the air when she meets Wes. She's distracted by her attraction to him and he's not a boy that a good girl like her would bring home to her Daddy and him give her his blessing to date. He's a bad boy with a leather jacket and a motorcycle that she can't get out of her mind.

Wes has his own issues throughout this book and even though Addison is too caught up in her own personal demons to pay much attention to Wes', the author did a great job of letting the reader know that Wes is real and he's got his own issues to work out. What I really enjoyed about Wes is that he's rough around the edges but he's got a great big heart. You could see his frustrations with his attraction to Addison because she represents everything that he's not too wild about but you can see that he can't help his feelings for Addison.

What I liked about this story was that the author did a great job of making me wonder who the better boy was for Addison. Usually, I know which camp I'm in from the beginning but it was hard to tell in this book because while I liked both boys, I wasn't always sure if Wes was good or not. He had a way of going about doing things that are meant to be good but don't come off as good at first look.

Getting to know Addison was easy to fall in with but there were times when I wanted to smack some hot dang sense into her. There were times when she was so wrapped up in herself and what she was going through that I wanted her to take a step back and be there for someone else. So many people were there for her but she was always more wrapped up in herself to be there for anyone. Those people included Wes, Marta and Claire. I just thought that if she was less wrapped up in herself, she would have tried harder to reach Claire and she would have noticed that things weren't as light as Claire was making it out to be. With Wes, she would have been able to realize that something happened that made him not perform in public and for him to get up there and do it anyway...FOR HER, made me want to slap some dang sense into her because all he got for his troubles was a thank you and a smile. With Marta, she was the best friend that Addison had (aside from Wes) and she was there for Addison but they spent most of their time together talking about Addison and her problems. I wish we could have spent some of that time, getting to know more about Marta. What happened to her that made her such a firm believer in the Church because she mentioned that there was a story there but we didn't really get much of it.

Overall, this story was a fun read because Addison is fun to get to know and she's not perfect (even though everyone seems to think she is) and that's what I enjoyed about this book. I enjoyed all of the imperfections and I'm definitely interested in reading more from this author.

..and that's your scoop!

This book was received through NetGalley.

Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

In My Mailbox (48)

Another week, another couple of books that found their way into my mailbox, woo hoo for me! Check out this week's stash:

Supergirl Mixtape by Meagan Brothers|First Date by Krista McGee|A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

Sorry this is all late but better late than never, right? What did you guys get in your mailboxes this week?

..and that's your scoop!

Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Review: Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Amy's review of Rampant by Diana Peterfreund.

Main Character:Astrid Llewelyn
Love Interest: n/a
Series: Killer Unicorns
Author: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns...

Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. Fortunately, they've been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.

Or not.

Astrid had always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend—thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to the prom—Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

However, at the cloisters all is not what it seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from the crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to—perhaps most dangerously of all—her growing attraction to a handsome art student ... an attraction that could jeopardize everything.

Everything about this book worked for me. I mean, who doesn't like unicorns? But the unicorns in Peterfreund's world are vicious monsters - and after 150 years of being thought extinct, these dangerous creatures are slowly emerging from hiding.

Astrid grew up listening to the tales her mother told her, of unicorns and unicorn hunters and she always thought her mom was crazy. But one night while babysitting and making out with her boyfriend, a small unicorn attacks Astrid's boyfriend. Astrid is beyond flabbergasted and before she can blink, her mom has her shipped to Rome to become a unicorn hunter. Except the hunting school has kind of fallen to ruin and the man in charge of it kind of doesn't know what he's doing.
With the re-emergence of unicorns, a few other girls show up at the school. And what made this book so good for me was that they educate themselves. They work together to train and rely upon each other. And strong characters like that are ones I enjoy.

I also enjoyed the unicorns. Yeah, if you weren't a virgin they'd try to tear your face off, but Astrid had a cute little lap-unicorn that I liked. Rampant goes into unicorn lore in a way that was truly interesting.

There's an interesting plot afoot in this book as well. The unicorns seem to be working together in their attacks, something that is not supposed to happen. So who is the hidden foe organizing them? And let me tell you - one of the characters falls victim to this foe's plot and that part broke my heart. But again, even though something bad happened, the characters rallied together. More than anything, this was a good book about girl power. LOL Yes, I meant that to be corny. But it's about putting aside your differences and working for the greater good. In this case, it's taking on some seriously deranged unicorns. Fun times! So if you're in the mood for something along the lines of fantasy, with some seriously kick-ass teenage heroines, I'd say pick up Rampant. You won't be disappointed. A-

..and that's your scoop!

Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository|Kobo

Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Guest Review: Of All the Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz

Ame's review of Of All the Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz.

Main Character: Tara/Whitney Blair/Pinkie
Love Interest: ??
Series: None
Author: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

When a rumor starts circulating that Tara's boyfriend Brent has been sleeping with one of the guy cheerleaders, the innuendo doesn't just hurt Tara. It marks the beginning of the end for an inseparable trio of friends. Tara's training for a marathon, but also running from her fear of abandonment after being deserted by her father. Whitney Blaire seems to have everything, but an empty mansion and absentee parents leave this beauty to look for meaning in all the wrong places. And Pinkie has a compulsive need to mother everyone to make up for the mom she's never stopped missing. This friendship that promised to last forever is starting to break under the pressure of the girls' differences.

And then new-girl Riley arrives in school with her long black hair, athletic body, and her blasé attitude, and suddenly Tara starts to feel things she's never felt before for a girl--and to reassess her feelings about Brent and what he may/may not have done. Is Tara gay--or does she just love Riley? And can her deepest friendships survive when all of the rules have changed?

I forget how this book came to my attention but I was intrigued because it features a girl coming out and most GLBT YA I've read has been about boys.

Tara, Whitney Blaire (I love that everyone says her whole name) and Pinkie have been best friends since first grade. And each girl couldn't be more different. Tara is a bit of a health/fitness nut, eating healthy and training for a marathon. Her father took off and never returned a while ago and barely remembers to keep in touch via cards at birthdays, etc. Whitney Blaire is raising herself basically. Her parents are career oriented and never home. So she's the poor little rich girl. Pinkie is OCD. Her mother died when she was younger and she is the mother hen to her friends. She's a bit obsessive about things...a bit too much in my opinion...like enough to need therapy.

So of All the Stupid Things starts when WB tells Tara that her hottest-guy-in-the-school boyfriend was caught with a male cheerleader in the boys locker room. Tara freaks out - even after WB hears that it was all a mistake. Tara can't get the image of Brent with a guy out of her head. So she wants a break from him. And then Riley comes to their school. Riley from the get-go starts a ripple effect between the three friends. First of all, Whitney Blaire hates her with a passion of a thousand burning suns. She saw Brent trying to flirt with Tara and being the good friend she is, she warned Riley away from him, in a very publicly embarrassing way. But then Tara starts to befriend Riley, because she's also an athletic girl and Tara just feels good when she's with her. Pinkie's need to mother goes overboard because she can feel her friends pulling apart from each other, and since she's always felt like the odd man out, this really freaks her out.

Ok, OAtST is told from all three girls' POV. This was good and bad. It was good to see the motivations for all three characters. But the depth for story suffered because of it. I definitely would have liked to know more about Tara's accepting of her attraction to Riley. To me, Tara was the most interesting character and I definitely wanted more from her perspective. As you can imagine, Whitney Blaire is the typical self-centered character who doesn't think too much about her motivations. And OMG Pinkie got on my nerves! Despite all these little complaints, I really enjoyed the story.

..and that's your scoop!


Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository|Kobo
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

In My Mailbox (48)

New week, new books! Check out this week's stash:

Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Corriel|All I Want is You by Sherrill Bodine

..and that's your scoop!

Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Review: Sign Language by Amy Ackley.

Rowena's review of Sign Language by Amy Ackley.

Main Character: Abby
Love Interest: ??
Series: None
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

Twelve-year-old Abby North's first hint that something is really wrong with her dad is how long it's taking him to recover from what she thought was routine surgery. Soon, the thing she calls "It" has a real name: cancer. Before, her biggest concerns were her annoying brother, the crush unaware of her existence, and her changing feelings for her best friend, Spence, the boy across the street. Now, her mother cries in the shower, her father is exhausted, and nothing is normal anymore. Amy Ackley's impressive debut is wrenching, heartbreaking, and utterly true.

It's been a long time since I was twelve years old but man do I remember when I got my period for the first time. Mine didn't happen at all like Abby's did in this book and boy am I glad. Though I did have my best girl there to help me through everything like Abby did, I started at home and that's something that I thank my lucky stars for because Abby started at school with kids pointing and laughing at her, the poor girl.

This book isn't about a girl who started her period though, it's about a girl who's father is diagnosed with cancer and while I was reading it, I could see the steps that cancer takes when it comes bursting into your life. The endless trips to the hospital for treatments, the devastation you feel when you realize that the cancer is real and reading this book took me right back to September 2, 2010 when I found out that my 14 year old nephew was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, which is bone cancer.

I was thirty when I found out about RJ and it hit me hard, it hit my daughter Brenna hard as well. She cried for days, worried sick about her cousin in Colorado. One of my favorite things about my family is that all of our kids are close. Growing up, there were plenty times when my Mom and Dad would introduce us to our cousins and we'd never keep in touch so every couple of years, we'd have to be re-introduced to them. The only cousins that we knew were my Uncle Pete's kids from my Mom's side and a handful of my cousins on my Dad's side. Our kids not only know each other but they're all friends, they all grew up together even when my sister Helen moved from L.A. to San Diego and then on to Colorado, our kids were still extremely close. When we told the kids about RJ, there was a cloud of gloom that followed every single one of us and the kids around for weeks afterward. Chance, who is RJ's best friend couldn't get to Colorado fast enough. I remember the night that Chance found out, he got off the phone with RJ and walked right out of the house. He disappeared for hours that night and when he came back, his eyes were bloodshot but you could see the desire to understand everything in his eyes as he walked over to the computer and pored over everything he could find on RJ's condition.

His parents did everything they could to make sure that Chance could fly out there and be with RJ during his first week of treatment. Before his first trip, he read everything he could and prepared himself mentally to be there for his best friend.

In this book, you see the parents trying to protect Abby from the truth about her Dad's illness. You see the way that Abby and her brother Josh react to the news of their father's cancer and you see them react totally different to the news. Josh kind of checks out mentally and Abby tries harder than ever to make sure nobody found out about her Dad. She even tried hiding the truth of it all from her best friend Spence.

Spence. What a star that kid was. I adored him from the very beginning and over the course of the book, adored him more and more.

Reading this book took me back to this past April. It took me back to after my Mom died and I had absolutely no clue what to do next. Like both Josh and Abby, I never really thought my Mom would die, until she did. When that happened, I was at a complete loss as to what to do next. I remember texting James and telling him that my Mom died and that I wasn't going to be in the office at all that week. I remember asking him to tell everyone. I sent an email to Ames and Izzy and asked them to let my readers here know what happened. I remember going home from the hospital and sitting with my sisters, too stunned to talk or plan, to stunned to think.

Reading as Abby went through these same exact things made this book really come alive for me. I wouldn't say that I enjoyed it all but I was interested enough to keep reading. I thought Ackley did a fabulous job of capturing the thought processes that go through your mind when you lose someone you love a great deal. The confusion, the grief. It's all in this book and it's raw and real.

This book is told in a before and after. Before the death, it reminded me so much of when I found out about RJ and after the death, it put me right back to this past April when my Mom died. This book came full circle for Abby and for me as well. I ended up being so glad that I read this book because I could relate to this story but there were parts of the book that I couldn't relate to at all. I've never been the kind of girl to blow up at everyone around me for no particular reason other than because I wanted to. Abby was very volatile and even though I understand why, when she would blow up at her Mom and at Spence, I would get so angry at her because like teens could be, she was so flippin' selfish.

Throughout all of this, my heart went out to Spence the most because even though he wasn't a blood relative of Abby's family, he was still mourning the loss of Abby's Dad too. He was hurting and he missed Abby's Dad but Abby was much too lost in her own grief to realize any of that. Every time she snapped at Spence and every time she pushed Spence away, I wanted to backhand her.

But alls well that ends well and I ended up enjoying this book. It was like taking a walk down memory lane and I related to the telling of this story more than I thought I would. It's not one of those happy joy joy kind of books but it's interesting and it gives an inside look to what your friends are going through when they lose a parent. It sheds light on what is going through people's head (teens mainly) when their parents die. It puts you in their shoes for a few hours and it's good to know so that you're not left wondering.

..and that's your scoop!

Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Review: Twenty Times a Lady by Karyn Bosnak.

Rowena's review of Twenty Times a Lady by Karyn Bosnak.

Main Character: Delilah Darling
Love Interest: ??
Author: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

How many men does it take to find true love?

Delilah Darling's magic number was supposed to be twenty. She always thought she'd find the perfect guy by the time she'd slept with twenty of them. But when she wakes up naked in her disgusting boss's bed after a drunken night out, she's filled with regret -- and realizes she's hit her self-imposed limit. Unwilling to up her number but unable to imagine a life of celibacy, Delilah does what any girl in her situation would do: she tracks down every man she's ever slept with in a last-ditch effort to make it work with one of them.

A hilarious romp through Delilah's past loves, 20 Times a Lady proves that in the end, numbers don't matter. True love will come when you're open and ready to accept it.

I just watched the movie What's Your Number? not too long ago and so I had to read the book again. How could I not? Chris freaking Evans played next door neighbor Colin, YUM!

This book started out really good, I was hecka loving Delilah and I was loving her personality, her apartment and her sexy neighbor, Colin but then she went on this outrageous road trip to find her ex boyfriends in hopes of finding happiness with them so that she doesn't up her number to 21.

How crazy is that? She hires her next door neighbor, Colin to track down all of her exes and she goes on a road trip to see if she can reconnect with any of them. I'll be honest and let you know that it made for some hilarious scenes but as she went from city to city stalking and then trying to get to know each of her ex boyfriends, I got hecka embarrassed for her and then I groaned over some of the things that she did because some of the things she did made me wince in embarrassment for her. I was embarrassed for a fictional character and though I ended up liking the book, I got good and pissed with Del more than once in this book.

So she's on this road trip to find her exes so that she can keep her number at 20 (and by her number, I mean her sexual partners) and she's running around trying to make things work, build happy endings with men that she broke up with. Men that did things, were things she didn't want to be with anymore and still, she went to see all of them and out of all the men that she ever went out with, the one that I thought oh okay, maybe this guy I could see her having a happy ending with (well with the exception of the man that she actually ends up with) was the guy who's in rehab and a total nut case.

And the things she did in order to see these guys was just laughable. She got a dog to see the first one (and Ames, I totally thought about you with Rod and his dog named Max), she checks herself into rehab for another one and then she gets stuck in rehab for a few days and when she finally comes out, everyone is beyond themselves with worry over her and after that, I found her to be totally irresponsible and though she was sorry for it, I thought that okay, she finally realizes that what she's doing is not the best way to handle things but does she stop? NO! I was so mad when she didn't let up on this whole ridiculous chase after the whole Matt King thing that I wanted to stop reading and then things got better because she went back home, still single and still going to end up with a #21 but does it end there and does she stop from pissing me off?

NO!

Eventually she gets it right but the getting there was pretty ridonkculous and I wanted to slap her in the head so many different times but I'm glad that I finished this book. I'm glad that I got to know Del and I'm glad that she ended up with the guy she ended up with. This book was a rollercoaster of just everything and I'm totally glad that I read it. I rejoiced with Delilah and I got so pissed off at her but I ended up really caring about her the same way that Michelle cared for her and the same way that Colin, her Mom, Daisy and everyone cared for her.

This was a good book and I totally recommend it to anyone who is looking for a spunky heroine with a self journey that is going to drive you totally bonkers but make you laugh anyway.

..and that's your scoop!

Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://goodreads.com