The Book Scoop

Happy Birthday Izzy!

2012-03-02T06:00:00.001-08:00

Today is a very special for one of my best friends. Goodness, we've been friends for about ten years now, huh Izzy? We met on an author's board back in 2002-2003 and have been the best of friends since. She's one of the most caring people that I know and she just had a baby and I'm super thrilled for her since she's been trying for so long to start a family with her husband.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IZ!

I hope you have a fantastic day and enjoy your dinner tonight with Joey. Tell him I said to take extra special care of you tonight because you deserve a night out on the town (even though you're a cheap date) love you mucho and this one is most definitely for you!!

Seeing this guy never gets old, does it? Haha.

..and that's your scoop!

Review: Darkest Hour by Meg Cabot.

2012-03-01T06:00:00.001-08:00

Rowena's review of Darkest Hour (Mediator #4) by Meg Cabot.

Main Character: Susannah Simon
Love Interest: Jesse
Series: Mediators, Book 4
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

When the nineteenth--century ghost of Maria de Silva wakes her up in the middle of the night, Suze knows this is no ordinary visitation -- and not just from the knife at her throat, either. In life, Maria was the fiancée of Jesse -- the same Jesse who was murdered a hundred and fifty years before. The same Jesse Suze is in love with.

Maria threatens Suze: The backyard construction must cease. Suze has a pretty good idea what -- or rather, who -- Maria doesn't want found. But in solving Jesse's murder, will Suze end up losing him forever?

Spoilers in this review, if you don't like them, move on and come back once you've read the book.

You've been warned.

I was expecting this book to be my favorite book because it centers around what happened to Jesse and I was looking forward to really getting to know the Jesse that I have fallen for since the beginning of the series, but the book was more about stupid Maria and I found out a lot of things about her that I really could care less about. I don't care about how she lived, how many kids she had, how happy she was with her stupid ugly husband, Diego...all I wanted to know about was Jesse, but did we get enough Jesse in this book?

Not really.

But man, I enjoyed the new characters. I loved little Jack and his hottie brother Paul, well I don't know if I love him but I am intrigued to see just what this boy is up to and what exactly he is.

I'm pissed off that he didn't help his little brother, Jack deal with being a mediator. I mean, Jack was literally freaked out about his ability and Paul, having the SAME ability didn't help him out? What's really going on? I don't know if I like this guy at all because then at the end when everything is coming together, I came to the same conclusion that Suze came to and I was like, oh hell to the nah, I wanna kick his ass.

But then I read the letter and got confused all over again and though, oh hell, I can't wait to read the next book to see what the hell is going on.

I really liked the storyline of this book, I loved the whole Maria coming back to scare Suze off and keep Andy and Dopey away from Jesse's body but I've got to wonder, was THAT why he was still here? Because he was waiting for someone to find his body so that they will know that he was killed and did not disappear? I mean, when Suze asks him, he says that's not it but if that's not it, then what is it?

WHY IS JESSE STILL HERE?

Because he's in love with Suze just as much as she's in love with him? Oh goodness, I hope so but seriously guys, how the hell is a relationship like that going t work?

I've got to say that the ending was whoa, I loved it! I wasn't expecting it but when it happened, I was jumping for joy, YAY SUZE!

I really enjoyed this book but not as much as the book before. I enjoyed meeting Jack and reading about the old characters that I still know and love in this book and I am going to stop this review now so that I can go and read the next book.

WOO HOO!

..and that's your scoop!

This book is available from Harper Teen.
Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Recap of Passion and Prose Event in Long Beach, CA.

2012-02-29T06:00:00.002-08:00

Over the weekend, I attended the 2012 Passion and Prose event that was held at the Westin in Long Beach, CA. Lots of awesome authors attended the event and I was able to hang with some of my favorite book buddies and I also got to meet some pretty awesome new book friends too.The event started promptly at 9am, but really all you did was register, get your badge, eat breakfast and meet your friends.

The first person I saw when I got there was Super Librarian Wendy. Wendy is one of my fellow So Cal Blogging buddies and it was good to see her again, we chatted for a little bit and then Lori from I Just Finished Reading arrived and we caught up with Lori, Helen Kay Dimon and Zoe Archer. It was a little early in the morning but that didn't stop us from laughing it up until 10am came around and it was time to go in and get seated.

Each table seated about 8 people around and an author was seated at each table, so us readers got to eat with our very own author for the entire day. I sat at Zoe Archer's table and she's pretty fanfrickin'tastic. She, along with the other ladies at the table kept the conversation going throughout the day and it was great to meet and chat with others who share my love of books for an entire day.

We had a lovely breakfast of danishes, bagels, chocolate croissants and a variety of pastries, a variety of teas and coffee. Everything tasted delicious and I was seriously in Heaven.

They were also selling books that were provided from the bookstore that is literally like two minutes away from my house. Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, I can't believe that I haven't been inside this bookstore and it's so close to my house. It's a lot closer to my house than my Barnes and Noble store is and that's the bookstore that I usually go to. After attending this event, I will definitely be checking this bookstore out. I had a blast at the Passion and Prose event.

My table was a bit toward the back so the pictures that I took of the keynote speakers are really grainy because I was taking the pictures with my iPhone and not a camera or anything, so sorry for the grainy pics. The first keynote speaker was Gail Carriger and she had me laughing up a storm that I marched out at the first break and bought her book. I'm not a fan of steampunk, I'm too chicken to try it out (its way outside of my comfort zone) but after sitting through Gail's speech, I'm definitely going to give it a try. If her books are anything like her personality than I'm totally going to enjoy it.

Gail talked about pretty much everything from tea to her background in academia and she taught me what "killing your darlings" mean and I really just enjoyed her whole keynote speech. She was cute, she was funny and she made me want to branch out and try other genres outside of my comfort zone so steampunk, here I come...=)

Afterward, we broke for the first of a couple of book signings and author chat fests. There were tables set up outside of the conference room where the authors were sitting, ready to get their sign and chat on. This is where I went kind of crazy. Being the airhead that I am, I forgot to bring books for the authors to sign so I had to buy books, not that I was really all that mad about spending money on books.

Sylvia Day and Zuri Day

Tessa Dare

Jill Sorenson

Jill Sorenson and Lori
I'm a huge fan of Jill Sorenson and I was thrilled when I asked her to take a picture with her and she told me that she's never taken a picture with a fan before. WHAT? Why in the heck not? I mean, she's pretty awesome so everyone should be taking pictures with her but yay me on being the first fan to ask Jill Sorenson to take a picture. Lori!!! We were the first fans to take a picture with Jill!

After the first book signing, we went back into the conference room and the Breathless Reads panel was up. Can I tell you just how adorable they all were? I really enjoyed listening to them share their stories with us. They shared their publishing stories, their writing styles and funny stories that was totally enjoyable. I run a YA book blog so I thought that I knew most of the YA authors out there but I hadn't heard of two of the authors but I definitely know who they are now and will definitely be reading their books soon.

Lunch was served while the Breathless Reads Panel was up there talking and I was so hungry that I didn't take a picture of my food before I scarfed it down but it was good, trust me...that's why afterward, my plate looked like this:

Before I inhaled that, it was a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. It was fabulous, so much better than the rubbery chicken that people say they usually serve at these kinds of things so I was a happy camper.

After lunch, they served sundaes for dessert and it was delicious!

Oh, and they also served macarons. I've been itching to try these out since my friend Foti came back from Paris and was gushing about how good these little things are. I finally tried them and loved them. I'm on a mission to find a bakery that sells these.

I tried the lemon and the coffee one (didn't want to feel like a total pig) and I'm definitely going to try more of these.

After the Breathless Reads panel, we broke again for another author signing...and this is where I stalked someone's life. =P This is where I went in search of the YA authors that were apart of this event.

Jessi Kirby.

Andrea Cremer
Beth Revis
Now, after I took this next picture, I could have walked away from this event and my life would have been complete. I mean, if you've followed this blog from the beginning then you'll remember how many books I read and reviewed by this author on this very blog and you'll remember how much I absolutely LOVE this author.

She seriously rocks my socks! Look guys, it's me and MEG FREAKING CABOT!

Meg Cabot was the freaking bomb. She's so funny and super cute and I was thrilled to have gotten the chance to chat with her for a little bit. When we went back into the conference room, it was the last keynote speaker of the day, Meg freaking Cabot.

I can't express how cute she is. I have a serious girl crush on her. I love her books, I love her personality and she made me the happiest person because she told me little tid bits about THE NEW HEATHER WELLS BOOK! It comes out in the summer and I'm more than a little anxious for it.

Meg Cabot is such an entertaining speaker. She shared story after story and had everyone in the audience laughing and smiling all over the place. She's got such a sparkly personality that its hard not to get wrapped up in her. She told us the story about how she first got published, she told us stories that happened in her real life that led to books, she told us about Whitney Houston optioning off The Princess Diaries into a movie and she told us the story of the movie premiere for the movie and all of her stories were just as adorable as she is.

She wrapped up an event that was fabulous, fun and something that I'd definitely come back to for more. The entire day was a good time and I thought everyone that had anything to do with putting it together did an outstanding job. From the authors to the tiny details of lunch, venue and seating, everything was great. I would definitely recommend this event to readers of romance and young adult fiction. You'll have a good time, I promise!

How can I forget to talk about the goodie bags? Those were fabulous! Check out the swag that we got for coming to Passion and Prose...love it!

And where's what I bought at the event:

I'm definitely going next year! It was so good to see my buddies Lori and Wendy. It's always nice to get together with my girls and chat about books and catch up on life. I love my girls!

My favorite person of the day was definitely, this lady!

If you haven't read anything by Helen Kay Dimon, you're missing out because she's hilarious and one of the very nicest people I've ever met. All in all, it was a fabulous day of books, authors and food- my favorite things in all the world! =)

I'm cross posting this over at my romance book blog, Book Binge because there's no way in hell I'm going to recap this day twice.

I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of me, Wendy and Lori. I suck.

Guest Review: Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

2012-02-28T06:00:00.001-08:00

Ames' review of Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald.

Main Character: Sadie
Love Interest: n/a
Series: n/a
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Sadie is in love: epic, heartfelt, and utterly one-sided. The object of her obsession - ahem, affection - is her best friend, Garrett Delaney, who has been oblivious to Sadie's feelings ever since he sauntered into her life and wowed her with his passion for Proust (not to mention his deep-blue eyes). For two long, painful years, Sadie has been Garrett's constant companion, sharing his taste in everything from tragic Russian literature to art films to '80s indie rock - all to no avail. But when Garrett leaves for a summer literary retreat, Sadie is sure that the absence will make his heart grow fonder - until he calls to say he's fallen in love. With some other girl! A heartbroken Sadie realizes that she's finally had enough. It's time for total Garrett detox! Aided by a barista job, an eclectic crew of new friends (including the hunky chef, Josh), and a customized self-help guide, Sadie embarks on a summer of personal reinvention full of laughter, mortifying meltdowns, and a double shot of love.

I think it’s safe to say, a lot of us have been there. In love –or like- with our guy best friend. I know that was me in high school. LOL Not as bad as Sadie, but my best friend was that uber cool guy like the guys I’ve been reading in YA romances. I still reminisce fondly over the things we got into and the stuff we did. Can you say weekend trip to Amsterdam? One of the best times of my life, and he was there. *sigh*

Anyway, Sadie’s situation is different. She met Garrett when he first moved to their town when she was 14. He’s a year ahead of her in school and a year older. And she fell hard for him. She couldn’t believe someone as cool as him wanted to hang out with her. And when school started and he didn’t abandon her for cooler kids, she knew they were meant to be. So for two years Sadie was his best friend, even when he dated other girls. But now it’s the end of sophomore year and they’re off to go to a 6 week literary camp. Except Sadie doesn’t get accepted (she’s too young). And the night before he leaves, Garrett gives Sadie some mixed signals at a party. And so she thinks this is it, this is the summer where they’re finally together. But Garrett falls for someone else at writing camp and Sadie is devastated. She hits rock bottom. However, when her first attempt at Garrett detox fails and she backslides, that’s when she realizes there is something lower than rock bottom. LOL (That scene was mortifyingly funny.)

Now before you get your hopes up that Sadie gets over Garrett by falling for someone else, this is NOT a romance. This book is about Sadie’s path to self-discovery. She was so tied up in Garrett for two very formative years that without him, Sadie doesn’t even realize who SHE is. And with the help of new and old friends, Sadie is going to discover what she likes, who she is and the blinders will come off where Garrett is concerned. I liked these kinds of stories because it’s all about girl power – and that’s always a good thing. And it isn’t easy. Garrett has tentacles into every part of Sadie’s identity and there are a few defensive moments when her friends challenge her on things she thinks she likes. She realizes though that a lot of things she likes or doesn’t like is because of Garrett’s tastes. Sadie had it BAD. And I honestly liked that Sadie didn’t immediately latch onto another guy. That would not have been a good thing. Because she would have been like Julia Roberts’ Runaway Bride character when she liked whatever the guy liked. She needed to find out who she was first.

Don’t think that it turned her off from love though. It didn’t. Her friends also go through some relationship stuff where Sadie can see that love is not a bad thing. Losing yourself in another person is bad. But love is a wonderful thing. Getting Over Garrett Delaney was a cute and thoughtful book. I’m giving it a solid B.

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

Review: Reunion by Meg Cabot.

2012-02-27T09:22:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of Reunion (Mediator #3) by Meg Cabot.

Main Character: Susannah Simon
Love Interest: ??
Series: Mediators, Book 3
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

The RLS Angels are out for blood, and only Suze can stop them—since she's the only one who can see them. The four ghostly teenagers died in a terrible car accident, for which they blame Suze's classmate Michael... and they'll stop at nothing until he's joined them in the realm of the dead.

As Suze desperately fends off each attempt on Michael's life, she finds she can relate to the Angels' fury. Because their deaths turn out not to have been accidental at all. And their killer is only too willing to strike again.

This is my favorite book of the series so far.

I've been reading non stop when I started reading this series. I just keep right on gobbling these books up.

The third book in the mediator series is another adventure that Father Junipero Serra Mission Academy Sophomore Susannah Simon has to fight her way through.

You see, there are 4 teenagers who were killed in a car accident and are pissed to high heaven that they're not reading or willing to move over to the other side until they avenge their own deaths by killing the other person driving the car that caused their own car to fly over the cliff near their make out spot.

So Susannah finds out about all of this and tries to save Michael from the numerous attempts on his life. He takes all of this protection from Suze as interest in him and it all goes straight to his head.

But seeing Suze work her way through this mystery and then solving it and going after the person involved in putting the people she loves in danger had me rootin' her on and cheering when she gets in her serious Buffy the Ghost Slayer frame of mind. She is a wonder and so kick ass, I'm sometimes jealous that I can't be that great, haha.

What I liked most in this book was how close Jesse and Suze are getting. They have come a long way from the first book and in the third book, you can see just how much they care for each other, even though they can't ever be together with him being a ghost and her being alive and all. I'm longing for them to be together, for them to find a way to be together that I'm seriously biting at the bit to hurry up with this review so that I can get to the fourth book already.

And dude, I just read the back of the fourth book and HOLY HELL it can only get better. Because, seriously???? Maria de Silva? HOLY WOW, you just know it's gonna be good stuff.

In any book that I read, if the family connection is strong, I'm gonna like it and this book is no different. Suze's family may be an after the fact family, a ready made family, one that wasn't born together but they definitely stay together. I love how Jake has dropped the step in front of sister where Suze is concerned and I totally love how he calls Suze's Mom, Mom. I think it's so frickin' the bomb that he's protective of his step sister even though she does some really hoey things, like going out with the guy that her Mother distinctly told her to stay away from.

It's great.

I even like how protective Suze continues to be over David. And then her relationship with Brad? It's just all good good stuff and I totally dig it.

It's part of why I am so absorbed in this series, it's just good, wholesome fun and adventures and Suze never ceases to make me crack the hell up. She's one funny chick.

This was another winner and I totally loved it!

Read this series and you can even pimp this series to your teenage kids, sisters, nieces, cousins, whatever..the whole family can enjoy this series, seriously!

..and that's your scoop!

This book is available from Harper Teen.
Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Review: Ninth Key by Meg Cabot.

2012-02-23T06:00:00.001-08:00

Rowena's review of Ninth Key (Mediator #2) by Meg Cabot.

Main Character: Susannah Simon
Love Interest: ??
Series: Mediator, Book 2
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

Everything is going great for Suze. Her new life in California is a whirlwind of parties and excellent hair days. Tad Beaumont, the hottest boy in town, has even asked Suze out on her very first date. Suze is so excited that she's willing to ignore her misgivings about Tad... particularly the fact that he's not Jesse, whose ghostly status—not to mention apparent disinterest in her—make him unattainable.

What Suze can't ignore, however, is the ghost of a murdered woman whose death seems directly connected to dark secrets hidden in none other than Tad Beaumont's past.

This was a great addition to the series, it's got me hoping and wishing that in the next book, Reunion, that we'll be reunited with the boys that just up and disappeared from the first book. I want to see Bryce Martinson again, I want to see if him and Suze will hit it off like Tad Beaumont did in this book, even though Suze didn't really like him the same way that most girls like boys in school, I mean she only liked making out with him. But whatever, I want to see Bryce and Suze before I find another hottie guy for her to like.

I'm really excited to see Suze's reunion with her best friend, Gina from New York. I think that will be such an awesome story. I've been anxious to see what Gina would be like from all the talk that Suze does about her in the previous books.

But back to this book, it was good. I liked Shadowland better but I still enjoyed this story as well.

I enjoyed the whole "vampire" thing going on and I hecka enjoyed reading Suze's reaction to all of that. She's seriously the bomb.

I fell a little more in love with Jesse and dude, what is up with him and Suze? Can she really have relations with a ghost?

I WANT THAT FOR HER!

Nobody that Meg has introduced us to has come close to being perfect for Suze as Jesse has but I want her to get some experience before she goes on her merry way with Jesse, however that will be possible.

That's why I want her to have a thing with Bryce.

Well that and because he's such a cutie, even if he is a whiny baby. HA!

What I really enjoyed about this story was how the dynamics for Suze at home have changed and she DOES have a family with her step brothers and with Adam....and how her life in Northern California is started to grow on her and is becoming...HOME to her.

I loved the change in her relationship with her younger step brother, David. I have a soft spot for David and his nerdy geeky facts but I really love that he's in on Suze's little secret and understands. I just love this little guy a whole bunch!

Brad cracks me up, him and Suze's relationship is so funny to witness. Brad thinks he's all rough and tough and I totally think that Suze can kick his ass!

HA!

Jake, goodness, I want that boy to hurry up and get his Camaro so that he can get back to having a life. He's a handsome boy, he needs to start living it before a ghost comes and gets him and there goes his life. I really like him though, he's funny and he's good to Suze.

The parents are cool and it was cool to see Andy get all pissed off at Suze and yell and hollar at her the same way he'd yell and hollar at the boys.

They're a family, YAY!

I liked getting to know Tad and his crazy family and his Uncle? Holy wow, I wonder if he'll make an appearance later on in the series...hey, it could happen.

Anyway, this story was really good, I enjoyed the storyline, the interactions with all of the characters and it's made me look forward to a whole lot more from these guys. I'm really enjoying this reading experience and can't wait to start on the next book...tonight.

Great read for sure!

..and that's your scoop!

This book is available from Harper Teen.
Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Review: Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale.

2012-02-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale.

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

When 17-year-old Rosie's mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington's Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty percent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when Rosie tells her mother's best friend, "Aunt Sarah," that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie wasn't her real mother after all. Rosie was swapped at birth with a sickly baby who was destined to die.

Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, joining her ex-boyfriend on his gap year travels, to find her birth mother in California. But all does not go as planned. As Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonizing decision of her own, one which will be the most heart breaking and far-reaching of all.

I wanted to read this book because it sounded like something I could really get into. Grief, missing loved ones, I've recently been through that and I can easily connect with characters that were going through the same thing but for some reason, I couldn't connect with Rosie. I'm thinking because in the book she says that she loved her mother, Trudie more than everything and yet I didn't really see it. You see, she finds out that her mother Trudie, the woman who raised her wasn't really her mother, that she was switched at birth. She finds this out because Trudie died of Huntington's disease and that's hereditary so the nurse who swapped her (a dear friend of her mother and neighbor Sarah) had to finally fess up to what she did all those years ago because Rosie is scared to death that she has Huntington's disease too.

I had a lot of issues with this book and my main gripe came from what Sarah did. I wasn't happy with the way that her actions were kind of glossed over. I kept waiting for that whole fiasco to be dealt with and when it never was, I was disappointed and in turn, I kept getting thrown out of the story. I get that Rosie was delivered news that would have devastated anyone but she reacted like a child would react. I wasn't a fan of hers throughout most of the book and my enjoyment of the book suffered because of it. When they went to New York and she kept her true reasons for going with Andy a secret, she got a mark on my crap list. When everything just sort of fell into crazyland, the way she reacted to it all, she got a mark on my crap list.

There was too much in this book that bothered me and because of that, this book was nearly a DNF for me. It just didn't work for me. I couldn't sympathize with Rosie, I didn't buy the way that everything just fell together and for most of the book, I kept circling around to Sarah's actions. I kept hoping that she would pay for her actions because you could get into some serious trouble for doing something like what she did in real life and yet, it wasn't that big of a deal in the book- at least that's how I took it from the way that story played out.

I went into this book wanting to like it, wanting to connect with the characters and while there were things that I enjoyed of the story, overall it was a big let down.

..and that's your scoop!

This book is available from Random House.
Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Review: Love? Maybe by Heather Hepler.

2012-02-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of Love? Maybe by Heather Hepler.

Main Character: Piper
Love Interest: Charlie (highlight to see)
Series: None.
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

Wary of romance following her mother's second divorce and resisting her friends' attempts to fix her up with the hottest guy in school, Piper's life gets complicated when she receives a series of valentines from a secret admirer.

This book was such a delightful read and I'm oh so flippin' glad that I read it. I read and adored The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler last year and was super stoked when this book was offered for review. I went into this book hopeful for fabulous characters and a story that I would be able to sink my teeth into and wasn't at all surprised that Hepler delivered on all counts.

This story follows Piper as she tries to be there for her best friends and be apart of their whole Valentine's Day plan even though she's not a fan of Valentine's Day. Piper has seen first hand what love can do to a person and she's of the mindset of Peyton Sawyer from One Tree Hill. "They always leave". Her father left and then her step father left as well. She's not all that sold on the love thing and I totally understood why she thought the way she did. Plenty of times, I have understood why female leads felt the way they felt about certain things and still, their thought processes on that very subject were hard to take. Like, I understood the why's but their attitude still grated on my nerves. That wasn't the case with Piper, yes she was a bit on the cynical side but she wasn't unlikable. She wasn't annoying. She was blessedly normal about everything.

One of the main things that I really enjoyed about Piper was her relationship with her family and her friends. She tried to be the best person she could be, by being there for her Mom and watching her younger siblings even though it was the very last thing she wanted to do. She was really good to her friends and she didn't feel the need to be perfect or change who she was at her core to please anyone. I really enjoyed getting to know her and the people around her.

Both of her friends were people that I could see myself being friends with at that age and they were both girls that I would hope my daughter would surround herself with. They were good people at their cores and I enjoyed getting to know the whole lot of them.

Hepler did a fabulous job of writing this story. Not once was I taken out of the story and not once did I want to put this book down to read something else. It was a quick read with fabulous characters and a cute storyline that had me turning the pages one after the other. The love interest was too cute for words and I loved his place in Piper's life. Their teen love was totally believable and I ate it all up. I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of contemporary YA and to fans of Heather Hepler. This was a fabulous book!

..and that's your scoop!

This book is available from Dial.
Buy the book: B&N|Amazon
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Review: Every Boy's Got One by Meg Cabot.

2012-02-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of Every Boy's Got One (Boys #3) by Meg Cabot.

Main Character: Jane Harris
Love Interest: Cal Langdon
Series: Boys Series, Book 3
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

When cartoonist Jane Harris’s best friend Holly, New York Journal art director, announces that she’s eloping to Italy with longtime doctor boyfriend Mark, and asks Jane to come along as her witness, Jane jumps at the chance, delighted by the prospect of her first ever trip to Europe.

What Jane doesn’t gamble on is Mark’s witness, New York Journal foreign affairs correspondent Cal Langdon. It’s hate at first sight for Jane and Cal, and neither is too happy at the prospect of sharing a villa with one another for a week —not even in the beautiful and picturesque Le Marche countryside.

But when Holly and Mark’s wedding plans hit a major snag that only Jane and Cal can repair, the two find themselves having to put aside their mutual dislike for one another in order to get their best friends on the road to wedded bliss, and end up on a road themselves —one neither of them ever expected....

This was one of those, I hate you but I'm falling for you and I don't want to love you stories that I thought was just so cute. I finished it in one day and just enjoyed the heck out of it. It's a really quick read, with no really steamy love scenes because this story is told through emails, blackberry IMing's and PDA journal entries and travel diary entries.

It's fun, light and just extra cute.

I loved Cal, even when he was a psycho cell phone guy in the airport and a I do not believe in the institution of marriage jerk to Jane, Jane was funny, quirky and just cute all over. She reminded me of me, she remembers all sort of pop culture trivia, like only I would remember when Britney Spears filmed one of her commercials in Italy and talk of the oil problems in Saudi Arabia would bore me to death, much like it did for Jane, the cartoonist though that's where our similiarities stop because she loves cats and I hate them.

But the story moved at a great pace, the characters were fantastic (though it appears we've read about these characters in Meg Cabot's other books, The Boy Next Door and Boy Meets Girl)...Cal is one of John Trent's journalist friends and Jane Harris used to work with her best friend, Holly at the NY Journal with Amy Jenkins and Dolly Vargaz (remember them, Izzy? They're in this book) ...Cal is a pimp too and I love it!

Read this book when you're in the mood for something fun, cute and light, this is the book for you. I'm telling you, I heart Meg Cabot.

..and that's your scoop!

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

Happy President's Day!

2012-02-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

I'm taking the day off to spend it watching my daughter play in her basketball tournament. I'll be in action bright and early tomorrow morning. I hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend (if you were lucky enough to get today off).

See you tomorrow!

..and that's your scoop!

Book Watch: Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols.

2012-02-17T08:47:00.001-08:00

A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business--until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers--and the consequences could be deadly.

This book sounds like all kinds of awesome and how cute is that cover? I'm all about it and it's by Jennifer Echols so of course I want to read it. It comes out on July 10, 2012 so we still have a bit of a wait but I'm sure it'll be well worth the wait.

Who's excited to read this one?

..and that's your scoop!

This book is available from MTV Books.
Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Guest Review: The Fault In Our Stars

2012-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Ames' review of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

Main Character: Hazel Grace
Love Interest: Augustus Waters
Series: n/a
Author: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, 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.

I've only ever read one other John Green novel and that was his collaboration with David Levithan titled Will Grayson, Will Grayson (which I enjoyed and will probably re-read to write a review one day). I saw a lot of buzz for this book prior to it's release so I figured hey I'll check it out. I am ever so glad I did. And I'm pleased as punch to know I have another John Green book in my tbr pile which I will be reading sooner rather than later.

So the Fault In Our Stars made me laugh and it made me cry. It's about Hazel, a 16 year old girl with cancer. Her mother wants her to get out more so she forces her to go to a support group. Hazel has been going for a while and knows everyone but things change when Isaac brings his friend Augustus to the group. Augustus at first puts Hazel on edge. He just stares at her but he eventually approaches her and they begin hanging out. Augustus is hot stuff and Hazel cannot believe he's into her. But these two have such a quirky sense of humor and they just get each other. I love Hazel's inner dialog and that's what had me cracking up the majority of the time. Augustus is the best guy friend you had in high school that just made things brighter and cooler, you know the one that you're in love with.

I don't want to go into what made me cry because that's a major spoiler. Just knowing that these kids have cancer is enough to clue you in as to what makes you cry. But I definitely recommend this book. There was so much going on. It's about falling in love, it's about getting hurt, it's about dying. I loved the Fault in Our Stars. I now this is one heck of a short review but I can't say anything, I love it that much. You're going to have to experience it for yourself.

..and that's your scoop!

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

Review: I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

2012-02-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella.

Main Character: Poppy Wyatt
Love Interest: Sam Roxton
Series: None
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

I’ve lost it. :( The only thing in the world I wasn’t supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It’s been in Magnus’s family for three generations. And now the very same day his parents are coming, I’ve lost it. The very same day! Do not hyperventilate, Poppy. Stay positive :) !!

Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!

Well, perfect except that the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life.

What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.

Sophie Kinsella delivers again. I really loved Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella. I loved Jack and I loved Emma, it was such a fun book that I re-read it every so often just to fall in love with both Jack and Emma again. I read a couple of the Shopaholic books but after a while, Becky Bloomwood got on my nerves and I couldn't pick another one up. I haven't read any of the other books by Sophie Kinsella but I'm so glad that I picked this one up.

This book follows Poppy Wyatt as she goes completely crazy, trying to find her lost engagement ring. She's engaged to a guy with a family that has bigger brains than her house. They're so smart and she always feels inferior. So after she loses her engagement ring, she tears the hotel that she was at up trying to find it. Her phone gets lifted and she goes crazy all over again. She finds a new phone in the trash and snatches it up, fully intending to use it as her own until she can find her ring and move on with her life.

The phone belongs to the personal assistant of a businessman named Sam Roxton. All of his emails are sent to the smartphone in Poppy's possession and Poppy works her magic on Sam and gets him to agree to let her use the phone until she gets her ring back. It is while she has Sam's phone and is forwarding everything over to him that the story takes off. Poppy gets herself into all manners of madness while she has the phone and to make things even better, she gets Sam mixed up in her madness as well. The longer that Poppy has the phone, the closer they get and it is through the texts, emails and phone calls that their story is told. I loved it all. I fell in love with Sam right along with Poppy. Sam and his blunt, in your face personality was a real treat to get to know. The way that he was with Poppy, helping her cheat at Scrabble, giving her advice when she needed it and then at the end? To know him was to love him.

Poppy was a fabulous main character as well. Her personality was sparkling and utterly charming and I really enjoyed getting to know her. The things that she got herself into had me laughing my guts out. She had such a great sense of humor and the way that she saw things, the way that she saw life was just a real treat. Even when she should have known better where Magnus is concerned, I liked her.

My only gripe with this story was the end. I thought it took Poppy too long to come around and when the end was nearing and she was still confused about Magnus and Sam, I wanted to bean her in the head. I thought that she should have been let Magnus go long before she did but alls well that ends well. Overall, the story was fun, funny and just too cute for words. I'm so glad that I read it and I definitely recommend this book. Fans of Kinsella will enjoy it as will fans of chick lit fiction. This book is a definite treat!

..and that's your scoop!

This book was received through NetGalley and is available from Dial.
Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Happy Valentine's Day from The Book Scoop!

2012-02-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

I hope you're feeling pretty darn special today, if you've got a special love in your life or not. Big hugs to you all!

...and that's your scoop!

Review: You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis

2012-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis.

Main Character: Lina
Love Interest: Oliver (highlight to see)
Series: None
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

It's been a year since Luna's mother, the fashion-model wife of a successful film director, was hit and killed by a taxi in the East Village. Luna, her father, and her little brother, Tile, are still struggling with grief.

When Luna goes to clean out her mother's old studio, she's stunned to find her mom's cell phone there—charged and holding seven unheard messages. As Luna begins to listen to them, she learns more about her mother's life than she ever wanted to know . . . and she comes to realize that the tidy tale she's been told about her mother's death may not be the whole truth.

So Luna's Mom has died and she's grieving with her father and younger brother Tile. She just turned fifteen and went over to her Mom's studio to clean it out when she comes across her mother's cell phone that was charging and has seven messages. Nothing makes sense about her Mom's death so she's got questions. She's hoping that through the messages on her mom's cell phone, she'll get some much needed answers but when she starts finding out things she never knew, things change for her in ways she never thought possible.

In this book, we're in Luna's head and she's a 15 year old girl who is mature for her age. She's lost her Mom but she's got a good relationship with her Dad and her younger brother Tile. She was really close to her Mom so it was really hard for her to lose her. It's why she goes digging into her Mom's death and when things to start coming to the light, it rocks her world off its axis.

Luna's got a lot of great people in her life. Aside from her family, she meets some friends along the way that are a lot older than she is but kind of adopt her into their lives. Luna isn't the most perfect of characters and while that is fine and dandy, there were times when I couldn't connect with her. There were times when I wanted to smack some sense into her, like when she had no business being in places that she shouldn't have gone by herself. That's really the jist of my issues with Luna. She was only 15 and even though that is old enough to go off and do things on your own, some of the places she went to by herself (a stranger's house who happens to be a male) had me shaking my head because so many different things could have happened to her (yes I know that this is a work of fiction) and she's lucky that nothing did happen.

While I respect why she felt the need to do the things she did, the parent in me wasn't a fan of some of the things she did. I thought that this was a well written story, the storyline was interesting and it was what grabbed me at first but the characters we meet in the book kept me interested. Luna was great but I loved Tile, Oliver and even her father and the model friend she picks up along the way. It was interesting to peek into the lives of people who can afford to jet off to Italy whenever they please and I was totally jealous of Luna doing just that in this book but I never hated her. She came into her own, in her own time and she went after what she put her mind to and I respected that. I struggled with the story line from time to time, I felt that it lagged a bit in the middle as it was easy for me to put this book down at times but I was glad that I kept with it because it got better and the ending was satisfying so kudos to Stewart Lewis.

..and that's your scoop!

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

In My Mailbox (55)

2012-02-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

A new week with new books. Getting any new book is enough to make me a happy camper! Check out this week's new stash:

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks|Struck by Jennifer Barnes

What did you guys get in your inbox this week?

..and that's your scoop!

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

Book Watch: Because of Low by Abbi Glines

2012-02-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

In my debut novel, Breathe, Sadie may have fallen in love with the teen rock star, Jax Stone, but readers fell head over heels for Marcus Hardy. This is his story…

Marcus Hardy had hoped to enjoy a year away at college while he put the summer he’d rather forget behind him. But instead, he’s jerked right back to the coastal town of Sea Breeze, Alabama due to a family crisis. His dear ol' dad found himself a girlfriend only a few years older than Marcus. So now his sister needs help dealing with their mother who is mentally falling apart. The only bright spot to returning is the fascinating red head who sleeps over several times a week. The problem is she's sleeping in bed with his new roommate, Cage Watson.

Willow “Low” Foster needs a place to live. Running to Cage’s apartment every time her sister kicks her out isn’t exactly a long term solution. Juggling her courses at the local community college and a part time job doesn’t produce excess income. But Cage has a new roommate and suddenly sleeping over at her best friend’s apartment isn’t such a bad thing. Not when she gets to see those sexy green eyes of Marcus Hardy’s twinkle when he smiles at her like he wants her there.

Even though Cage seems a little territorial where Low is concerned, Marcus finds time to spend with Low without upsetting his roommate. Cage may use his small college baseball star persona to sleep with every hot female in his path but he’s still under the disillusion that when he’s through sowing his wild oats, he’s going to marry Low. Marcus intends to change that assumption for both Cage and Low. Until his carefully laid plans come crashing down with a revelation he never expected. He’ll have to choose between Low or his family. Because once the truth comes out.... there’s no other choice.

This book sounds like a good one and it also sounds like I need to get my hands on Abbi Gline's debut novel, Breathe. I'm mighty intrigued to read about Marcus and Willow sounds like a person I'd like to know. I'm also wondering if Willow's older sister is Marcus' Dad's new girlfriend.

Hmm.

This book comes out on Tuesday (2/14/12) so I'm looking forward to reading this one!

...and that's your scoop!

This book is available from Amazon Digital Services.
Buy the book:|Amazon|
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Review: Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler.

2012-02-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler.

Main Character: Chelsea Keyes
Love Interest: Clint Morgan
Series: None
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

Star basketball player Chelsea "Nitro" Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college—and everyone's admiration in her hometown. But everything changed senior year, when she took a horrible fall during a game. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.

As a graduation present, Chelsea's dad springs for a three-week summer "boot camp" program at a northern Minnesota lake resort. There, she's immediately drawn to her trainer, Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player who's haunted by his own traumatic past. As they grow close, Chelsea is torn between her feelings for Clint and her loyalty to her devoted boyfriend back home. Will an unexpected romance just end up causing Chelsea and Clint more pain—or finally heal their heartbreak?

I've been wanting to read this book for what seems like forever, since long before the book came out but I haven't been able to get around to it before now. Ames read and reviewed this book already, you can read her review here and after I read her review, I just knew that I was going to like it.

And I did.

This book follows Chelsea Keyes, star basketball player who's college plans are nixed when she gets injured during a game. As a graduating gift, her Dad buys her three week vacation to a lake town in Minnesota. He also signs her up for a three week boot camp with Clint Morgan and these days, Chelsea isn't looking forward to much. Clint Morgan is back for the summer to work at the lake resort where he's worked at for a long time. He's a changed man these days because he hasn't gotten over his ex-girlfriend Rosie. His friends are at a loss as to how to help him and he seems to work too much to keep from falling into a depressed funk.

When Chelsea shows up in Minnesota, his first client for his boot camp, things change. For Chelsea. For Clint. For everyone, really. You see, Chelsea has a boyfriend who's been totally supportive of her injury and she loves him but her reaction to this new guy is something she wasn't expecting but not exactly something she can run away from. Clint hasn't been able to date anyone since Rosie because he's not over her and he's not over what happened. He's being pursued by Kendra, a girl that he practically grew up with but he's not even a little bit interested in her. Nobody is more surprised than he is at his growing attraction to the girl with the broken hip.

I need to stop reading these kinds of stories because as much as I say I hate infidelity, I keep reading stories about it and loving the heck out of them. Holly Schindler is another author (in a long list of authors) who haas made a liar out of me. I really adored the relationship that blossomed between Clint and Chelsea. They're both complex characters that are going through complex problems and I found myself unwilling to put this book down. I had to know what was going to happen next.

Schindler did a fabulous job of telling Clint and Chelsea's story. I was right there with the both of them, in their heads and hurting for them, wanting better for them and fighting the attraction to each other with them. I loved that they were both fumbling through their own lives with their own problems and were able to help each other over the course of Chelsea's vacation there.

I will say that this book is for a more mature YA audience as there are some pretty steamy scenes in this one but I adored it. My one gripe with this book and it's not really with the book but with Chelsea. I thought she took way too long to figure out what she was going to do with both guys. All the while that Brandon was pissed off at Chelsea for what she was doing, I was right there with him. Not really pissed off but disappointed but even as I was disappointed, I couldn't help but want her with Clint. I just wish it wasn't at the expense of Gabe. Gabe was good to her and didn't deserve all the cheating business and this is where I was torn because even though I was totally Team Clint, I was disappointed in the way that Chelsea went about that whole thing.

Still, this was a fabulously written story that will keep you turning the pages and sighing all over the hot dang place. It was entertaining, the characters were real and their stories were captivating and I'm definitely going to be reading more by this author. I definitely recommend this book to lovers of contemporary YA stories but there's steamy love scenes in this book so beware.

..and that's your scoop!

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

My Boyfriend of the Month: Roger Sullivan.

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

This month's book boyfriend holds a special place in my heart. He's just too bleeping cute. From the moment he pulls up to Amy's house to pick her up for their road trip, I knew that I was going to love him and I wasn't wrong.

What a dream boat Roger turned out to be. How can you not love him when he says things like:

“Saying good-bye is basically an invitation not to see a person again. It's making it okay for that to be the last conversation you have. So if you don't say it--if you leave the conversation open--it means you'll have to see them again."

Too cute! I've never thought about saying good bye like that but it sure is a good thing to know. And then my love for Roger grew after their first kiss and his response is this:

Roger: God, I've been wanting to do that for a long time."
Amy: Really?
Roger: Oh yes. Since Kansas. At least.

*swoon* That scene totally had me grinning like a silly school girl with a crush. But my absolute favorite scene between Roger and Amy was this one, when they're in Yosemite.

“He stood and looked at me for a moment, taking in my outfit. "You look hot."
"What? Me?" I stammered, completely flummoxed.
"Yeah," he said, still looking at me.
"Oh. Um, thank you. I mean, not that you don’t, but I’m not sure that you should—I mean …"
"Oh, no," Roger said quickly, and I could see that he was blushing again. "No. I mean—I meant what you’re wearing. Are you going to be too warm?”

This scene had me cracking up. Over the course of the book, you wait and you wait for Roger to get over his old girl and see what's right in front of him. When it finally happens, there's a happiness that seeps into your body and you won't be able to stop grinning about it. Roger is too cute for words and the more you read his book, the more you'll love him. You just won't be able to stop yourself because he's cute, he's funny and he made that road trip so much fun.

I was trying to rack my brain for the perfect picture of Roger and I stumbled across this new to me blog and saw who they cast as Roger and I don't think I could do better because he's just perfect. So here's where I got this picture, Bewitched Bookworms. How cutie patootie is Roger in this picture?

Total good catch so instead of finding another one that fits him, I'm totally going to just go with their expert choice and choose Finn Hudson for my Roger too. =)

If you haven't read Roger's book, you need to fix that pronto because that book is the business. That book is a ball of fun and it's one of those feel good books that everyone should read. It's a fabulous road trip book and you can read my review here and Ames review here.

..and that's your scoop!

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

Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows.

2012-02-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of Incarnate by Jodi Meadows.

Main Character: Ana
Love Interest: Sam
Series: No Soul, Book 1
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

New soul

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

What a lovely book, this one turned out to be.

I say that because it took a while for me to get into the story. When we first meet Ana, she's really down on herself because its all she knows but as the story progressed and the closer Ana and Sam got to Heart, the more the story picked up until finally I was really enjoying it.

The journey to Heart revealed a lot to Ana about life outside of living with Li. You see, Ana was born into a world where people are reincarnated over and over again. Ana's a new soul and so right off the bat, you know she's different. She's grown up thinking that she doesn't have a soul and isn't worthy of the good things in life so she's only known the hard life that Li has raised her in. It's hard to try to think any other way after it's been beaten into you all your life but with Sam coming into her life, he's changed it.

Oh how I adored Sam. I loved the way he was with Ana, the protective way that he was with her. He was so full of awesome that he made reading this book such a pleasure. Getting to know him was to love him and he made me so glad that I read this book. The way he helped Ana see things differently, feel differently just had me all agog over him.

Seeing Ana morph into a person of worth, someone who was worthy of life and everything life has to offer made for a great story. I loved seeing her come into her own and I really enjoyed the journey she went on, the people she met and the romance that was slow to build between her and Sam was just too cute for words.

Meadows did a fabulous job of telling this story. The world she created was refreshingly charming with a great mixture of fantasy and real life elements. It was an enjoyable ride and I'm so glad that I got to know both Ana and Sam along with the other characters in this book. They all banned together to make the story pop and even with the slow start, the middle and end made the journey more enjoyable.

..and that's your scoop!

This book was received through NetGalley and is available from Harper Teen.
Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

In My Mailbox (54)

2012-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

I got a few more books for review that I've been looking forward to so I'm one happy camper. Check out this week's stash:

Karma by Carly Phillips|Love? Maybe by Heather Hepler|Overbite by Meg Cabot|Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer|Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins

I couldn't find any covers for the last two books so sorry but that's what I got in my mailbox this week. What about you? Share your loot with me!

..and that's your scoop!

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

Book Watch: The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland

2012-02-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth Margaret—better known as Em—has always known what life would contain: an internship at her father’s firm, a degree from Harvard and a career as a lawyer. The only problem is that it’s not what she wants. When she gets the opportunity to get away from it all and spend a month with the aunt she never knew, she jumps at the chance. While there, Em pursues her secret dream of being a chef, and she also learns that her family has kept some significant secrets from her, too. And then there’s Cade, the laid-back local surfer boy who seems to be everything Em isn't. Naturally, she can’t resist him, and as their romance blossoms, Em feels she is living on her own terms for the first time.

This book sounds like it'd be too cute for words. I love teen summer books. They're free to do whatever they please and this girl just so happens to dig becoming a chef instead of a stuffy lawyer (ha), so I'm definitely going to check this book out. It comes out on May 10, 2012 so there's still a bit of a wait but I'm sure I can find something to read between now and then. =)

Who's going to be reading this book?

..and that's your scoop!

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

My Monthly Wish List: February 2012.

2012-02-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

1. Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale.

When 17-year-old Rosie's mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington's Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty percent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when Rosie tells her mother's best friend, "Aunt Sarah," that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie wasn't her real mother after all. Rosie was swapped at birth with a sickly baby who was destined to die.

Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, joining her ex-boyfriend on his gap year travels, to find her birth mother in California. But all does not go as planned. As Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonizing decision of her own, one which will be the most heart breaking and far-reaching of all.

This book sounds like it'd be one of those books that will gut you. Like you'll get sucked right into the characters lives. I'm so looking forward to reading this one.

2. Fever by Lauren DeStefano.

The second book in The Chemical Garden Trilogy reveals a world as captivating—and as dangerous—as the one Rhine left behind in Wither. Rhine and Gabriel may have escaped the beautiful prison of Wither’s mansion, but they are far from escaping danger. First they’re chased for stealing a getaway boat, and then the fleeing pair ends up in the eerie den of Madame, an old woman who collects girls and sells them to the highest bidders. Worst of all, Vaughn, Rhine’s sinister father-in-law, seems to be on her trail every step of the way. Rhine remains determined to get to her brother in Manhattan—but the road they are on is long and perilous.

Now that Rhine has finally regained her freedom, what lengths will she need to go to in order to keep it?

I read the first book in this series and really enjoyed it so I'm really looking forward to reading this one. I'm itching to find out what happened to Gabriel and Rhine after they left the mansion. What's going on right now? Where did they go? I want to find out now, now, now. I can't wait to read this one.

3. In Too Deep by Amanda Grace.

I never meant for anyone to get hurt. All I wanted to do that night was make a play for Carter Wellesley. His heartless rejection was mortifying, but people got the wrong idea when they saw me leaving his bedroom, crying. That’s how rumors of rape started.

Now girls at school are pouring out their sympathy to me. Guys too. But not everyone’s on my side. The school has become a war zone and the threats are getting scary. What began as poetic justice has morphed into something bigger—forcing me to make a terrible choice.

This book looks like a really good one and I must read it soon!

4. Bewitching by Alex Flinn

Bewitching can be a beast. . . .

Once, I put a curse on a beastly and arrogant high school boy. That one turned out all right. Others didn’t.

I go to a new school now—one where no one knows that I should have graduated long ago. I’m not still here because I’m stupid; I just don’t age.

You see, I’m immortal. And I pretty much know everything after hundreds of years—except for when to take my powers and butt out.

I want to help, but things just go awry in ways I could never predict. Like when I tried to free some children from a gingerbread house and ended up being hanged. After I came back from the dead (immortal, remember?), I tried to play matchmaker for a French prince and ended up banished from France forever. And that little mermaid I found in the Titanic lifeboat? I don’t even want to think about it.

Now a girl named Emma needs me. I probably shouldn’t get involved, but her gorgeous stepsister is conniving to the core. I think I have just the thing to fix that girl—and it isn’t an enchanted pumpkin. Although you never know what will happen when I start . . . bewitching.

I read and adored Beastly by Flinn. I've been putting her books on my TBB list ever since. This book looks like it's much different from anything else she's put out so of course, I'm mighty intrigued....so on my wish list it goes.

5. The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen

Pretty in Pink meets Anna and the French Kiss in this charming romantic comedy

Ella is nearly invisible at the Willing School, and that's just fine by her. She's got her friends - the fabulous Frankie and their sweet cohort Sadie. She's got her art - and her idol, the unappreciated 19th-century painter Edward Willing. Still, it's hard being a nobody and having a crush on the biggest somebody in the school: Alex Bainbridge. Especially when he is your French tutor, and lessons have started becoming, well, certainly more interesting than French ever has been before. But can the invisible girl actually end up with a happily ever after with the golden boy, when no one even knows they're dating? And is Ella going to dare to be that girl?

Ooh, the geeky girl and the hottest guy at school? I'm totally in on this one. I'm itching to get my hands on it already and soon, I will have it.

6. The Disenchantments by Nina Lacour

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall.

But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?

Morris Award—finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifest of their lives.

This sounds like one of those coming of ages stories that shouldn't be missed and I'm all about reading this one. It looks like a pretty good set up for what can only be awesomeness so sign me up!

7. The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

Brie's life ends at sixteen: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart - literally. But now that she's in heaven, Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend knows a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost - and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul who's been D&G (dead and gone) much longer than she… and who just might hold the key to her forever after. With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on… but how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

So many questions arise after reading this blurb so kudos on the authors team behind this book because I'm totally curious. I must have this book and read it so I can find out about the truth behind Jacob's betrayal and find out who Patrick is and what his deal is. I also need to know if she really did in fact, die of a broken heart. =)

8. Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

This book sounds like it'd be such a treat to read. Pint size Jo? Aww, too cute and she's a photographer? I'm all about it. One of my best friend's is a photographer and I love seeing him bring pictures to life and the whole background scenes to photography is interesting to me already so throw in a paparazzi gig and secrets surrounding the guy she might be falling in love with? I'm in.

There are a lot of other fabulous books coming out in February that I may have missed so if I have, let me know.

What books are you guys looking forward to reading this month?

..and that's your scoop!

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

Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of New Girl by Paige Harbison.

Main Character: Callie
Love Interest: Max
Series: None
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

I went into this book, thinking that this was going to be some kind of contemporary YA story with a paranormal twist but I'm glad that this wasn't one of those kinds of stories. I don't think this story needed a paranormal twist to make it interesting. It was interesting without adding any of that into the mix.

This story follows the new girl at Manderly. She comes into this new school and immediately is thrown in the shadow of the girl that she replaced. No matter where she goes at that school, Becca is everywhere. Everyone loved her, including the guy that you develop a serious crush on.

I had to keep taking breaks when I read this book because I would get so flippin' pissed off at the injustices that these teens committed, day in and day out. They compared the new girl to Becca, who was like the Queen Bee and that dumb little shit Dana got on my hot damn nerves. I couldn't stand it. Even when the story of Becca starts to come together and you realize things, I still didn't like Dana. She was unnecessarily mean to the new girl and I hated the things she said and did to the new girl.

My favorite and most frustrating part of this book was the relationship that blossomed between Callie and Max. There were times when I was so excited for Callie (the new girl) and times when I wanted to throw my arms around her and stop her from acting a straight fool. There were times a plenty that I wanted to smack some sense into Max. I thought they spent too much time not discussing what was bothering them and them not talking would lead to embarrassing outbursts. I had to keep reminding myself that they were teenagers and teenagers did stupid things like this. At the same time, I enjoyed both of them. I like Max and felt bad for him because of the sticky situation he was in because of Becca. I also liked getting to know Callie. She was the kind of girl that I would have been friends with in high school and I felt bad for her because she dealt with a lot of crap that she shouldn't have had to deal with.

I will say that this was an interesting read. I wasn't bored at all while I was reading this story and though I had to put it down from time to time because I would get so frustrated but never once did I hate the book. I think Harbison did a great job of sucking me in and making me come to care for the characters in the story. I liked this book and am glad that I decided to read it.

..and that's your scoop!

This book is available from Harlequin Teen.
Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Review: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand.

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of Hallowed by Cynthia Hand.

Main Character: Clara
Love Interest: Tucker or Christian? Who knows.
Series: Unearthly, Book 2
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

Clara Gardner knew that as a part angel she would one day have to fulfill her purpose, rescuing Christian from a forest fire…what she never considered was what might happen if she were to fail.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend Tucker, Clara must deal with the repercussions of what happened the day of the fire as the two boys vie for her heart. And, as she is drawn further into the world of angels and part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain after a shocking revelation, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning…

Last year, Unearthly was one of the first books that I reviewed for the blog. I absolutely adored that book. I enjoyed getting to know Clara and Tucker and I enjoyed seeing them fall in love. Hand did a fabulous job of making me feel for her characters, the way that I would feel for my friends. They became my friends and I was totally Team Tucker by the end of the book.

Now that I've finished Hallowed, I'm not sure what team I'm on. In Unearthly, I didn't think that there was a Team Christian but I was totally loving Christian in this book. A lot more than I remember loving Tucker in the last book.

In this book, Clara's back and the fire is behind her. Her purpose is something of an issue in her life because she's not sure what happens next. What happens if you don't fulfill your purpose the way that you're supposed to. Clara's in love with Tucker but she can't forget about Christian. Try as she might, she's drawn to Christian in a way that she's not drawn to anyone else. He understands what she's going through because his purpose wasn't fulfilled either since it was linked to hers and they're both stuck in this weird place where they're not sure if they're supposed to move on or stick close. Clara wants to move on but it's clear that Christian doesn't share the sentiment.

Tucker and Christian continue to battle wills in this book and in this book, I found myself annoyed with Tucker, more than Christian even though Christian does a douchey thing. For me, Christian tototally won me over in this book (not that I didn't like him in the other book) and after reading it, I found myself truly conflicted over who I wanted Clara to end up with.

Clara reminds me of Elena from the Vampire Diaries. She's that martyr that is always so wrapped up in herself and how to save her loved ones that she doesn't take the time to ask those people she's always trying to save about the issues they're facing. In this book, Clara is so wrapped up in keeping Tucker alive, in keeping her feelings for Christian under wraps that she doesn't notice that Jeffrey is pissed off. What I liked about this part of the story line is the way that Hand handled it. There are so many things that could have happened that made Jeffrey as angry as he is but when we find out the real reason he's so angry, it surprises you. Not surprised in the sense that it was unbelievable or anything but surprised, because it made sense.

There are a lot of things that pop off in this book and a lot of questions that are raised in this book. What happens next? What is going to happen next year? Where will the next book take place? What's going to happen to Jeffrey? Where did he go? All of those things wrap around themselves until you're anxious for the next book already. Kudos to Cynthia Hand for writing a book that has definitely hooked me in even more than I was before. I can't wait for more. If you read Unearthly and enjoyed it then I'm positive that you'll enjoy this book as well. So give it a go, Christian is a cutie patootie, so he's reason enough. =)

..and that's your scoop!

This book is available from Harper Teen.
Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

In My Mailbox (53)

2012-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention some books that I got last week so I'll include those in this week's In My Mailbox. Check out this week's stash:

Rescue Me by Rachel Gibson|About that Night by Julie James|Tessa Masterson WILL go to Prom by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin|Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby|A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare|Girl Meets Boy by Kelly Milner Halls
There are a lot of books that I'm looking forward to reading and I've already started. I've read and finished both About that Night by Julie James (FABULOUS) and Rescue Me by Rachel Gibson (Lovely romance) and I'm eager to keep going.

So now that you know what I got in my inbox this week, how about you share your loot? I'm nosy too! =)

...and that's your scoop!

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

Guest Review: The Taming by Teresa Toten and Eric Walters

2012-01-27T08:34:00.000-08:00

Ames' review of The Taming by Teresa Toten and Eric Walters.

Main Character: Katie
Love Interest: Evan
Series: n/a
Authors: Teresa: Website|Goodreads Eric: Website|Goodreads

Katie likes to believe she's invisible. It seems much safer than being exposed as she is--shy, poor, awkward. So getting up on stage in the school production of The Taming of the Shrew should be complete torture. But as Katie tells it, something totally unexpected happened when she stepped on stage: "My head exploded. I loved it. Acting hit me like a sucker punch and I loved, loved, loved it! . . . Invisible Katie became visible Katharina."

Evan Cooper is, as they say, another story. He knows just what it takes to get noticed, and he uses every one of the skills he's honed after years of being the new kid. Like tossing the keys to his father's high-end Audi to a kid he's never met, first day of school. "I have insurance for car theft," he explains to a shocked Danny. "And there's a full tank." An abuse of the power that comes with privilege and money? Sure.

But more dangerously, is his romance with Katie another version of the same thing? Or is it the real thing?

I went into this book thinking it was going to be light and fluffy. My goodness was I ever surprised by the turn it took! And just like the heroine, I was lulled into believing Evan was a nice guy. That was very sly of the authors. So this review is going to be a bit spoiler-ish.

Katie likes to stay invisible. She's perfected it actually. Why? Let's just say mom doesn't have the best taste in men. Katie and her mom move around quite a bit and Katie is used to not making friends, because she never knows how long she'll be in any particular place or school. But now she has friends, super supportive friends that accept her for the way she is - which is really nice but unobtrusive. So how does Katie end up the star of the school's play? She's in a drama class and to receive credit, you need to be involved in some way. And Katie's way just happens to be as the star - something she did not plan on and is surprised as everyone else that she is amazing at playing Katharina, from Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

And then there's Evan. He's been expelled from his very posh private school and is only going to public school as a last resort. His parents are rich and distant and he basically does whatever he wants. His father is also abusive towards his mother, something that drives Evan crazy. He hates that his father treats his mother that way. So he gets back at his dad by being a bit rebellious and letting strange kids use his car on the first day of school. He gets in with the popular crowd right away and as he is also registered in the drama class, he has to help out with the school play. And that's how he meets Katie. He didn't notice her that first day in drama class, but his new friend's point her out as the star of the play and he's intrigued. More so after he sees her perform during rehearsal. And despite all the popular girls who throw themselves at him, he wants Katie.

The Taming is told from both Katie's and Evan's point of view. It works really well because it gets us in both their head spaces and like I said, it lulls the reader into a false sense of Evan's character. At first he comes across as a great guy. He's nice to Katie, attracted to her...and then slowly little thought's start creeping into his narrative and then you're thinking to yourself, "Wow, this guy is a little bit of an a-hole." That was a very neat trick on the part of the writers. You're as flabbergasted as Katie is when Evan's dark side comes out. Because despite the fact that he hates his father, he's more like him then he realizes.

Ok, I enjoyed this book a lot! The alternating POV makes the book fly by. You're totally immersed because you're in both head spaces. And yeah, very crafty the way we're drawn in, just like Katie was. And despite the dark tone, there is some levity among the characters. It's a high school setting and I thought this was portrayed really well by the way they talked to each other:

“It’s Petruchio, not Pinocchio,” I said, correcting him.

“Not the way he plays it,” Danny said. “He’s made of wood and trying to be a real boy. But the difference is that Katie is doing a really great job.”

But this book definitely has a dark side and we're right there with Katie when things turn sour. I thought the authors handled the subject matter very well. I really liked how supportive Katie's friends were. I would definitely recommend this book - it's one that has stuck with me since I've read it.

..and that's your scoop!

This book was received through NetGalley and made available from Double Day Canada.

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

Pretty Little Liars and Storylines I Hate.

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

A few weekends ago, I took my 12 year old daughter with me to the bookstore to spend the gift cards that I got from Christmas. This was a happy time for me as I LOVE bookstores and I don't get around to going to any very often.

Brenna, who reads when she has to and that's it, came because after the bookstore, I was taking her to her basketball practice. So, in other words, she had to come with me. While we were in the store, she wanted me to buy her a Pretty Little Liars book and I kept telling her no. So of course, she gets upset.

She gets all pouty and goes downstairs to play with the nooks, the nook colors and all of the other stuff downstairs while me and the actual readers (my nieces Chaylene and Cheridan) continue to browse the bookshelves for books. We left with a bunch of books and Brenna got a Starbucks.

On our way to her basketball practice, she says, "Mom, the only reason you don't like Pretty Little Liars is because of Aria and Ezra."

My response? "Damn straight."

If you aren't familiar with the storyline between Ezra and Aria, this is it. Ezra is Aria's English teacher and they're in love. Yeah, I get that there were extenuating circumstances and that there's a story here but I'm sorry, as a parent of a soon to be 16 year old daughter, I never ever want her to have a relationship with her teacher or someone in a position of authority at her school, on her sports team, etc...

This is a total deal breaker for me. It's why I stopped watching Pretty Little Liars (never really paid much attention to the books until the show aired) and it's why I stopped watching Life Unexpected. The minute Lux continued her relationship with her teacher, or the minute that the teacher continued the relationship with Lux, I tuned out.

My main gripe with this is that to someone like Brenna, it's not a big deal. When she said, "It's not a big deal, Mom." I wanted to bean her in the head with a tennis ball.

Of course it's a big deal. Teachers aren't sent to schools to start relationships with their students. There's a reason that it's against the rules and against the law for adults to engage in relationships with children. When you're 16, you're still a child.

I get that the teachers met these students under false pretenses but when they found out the kids true age (when they showed up in their classrooms) they should have ended the relationship. What bothers me the most is that they continued the relationship. They couldn't help themselves, you can't help who you love and blah blah blah, I'm sorry but the right thing to do is to let that one go.

Kids treat this whole thing like it's not a big deal. Brenna did. Chaylene and Cheridan didn't think it was that big of a deal. They treat the whole thing like it's something normal and I don't want this to be normal. Kids should be kids, they should be running around town with their friends, getting into trouble, not doing their homework, not tying themselves down to an adult who was entrusted with their care and their education.

I know that it probably happens more than usual and that this is all fiction, not real anyway but I don't want my kid thinking that it's normal and that it's okay. I want my kid to be out there playing basketball with her friends. I want her to laugh too loud and play kickball or dodgeball in the street. I don't want her kissing her teacher or sneaking out to be with the adult that I send her to school to learn from everyday.

Any thoughts? Are there any story lines that you hate reading? Any deal breakers for you?

Review: The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani.

Main Character: Sonia
Series: None
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

After her father loses his job, Sonia Nadhamuni, half Indian and half Jewish American, finds herself yanked out of private school and thrown into the unfamiliar world of public education. For the first time, Sonia's mixed heritage makes her classmates ask questions—questions Sonia doesn't always know how to answer—as she navigates between a group of popular girls who want her to try out for the cheerleading squad and other students who aren't part of the "in" crowd.

At the same time that Sonia is trying to make new friends, she's dealing with what it means to have an out-of-work parent—it's hard for her family to adjust to their changed circumstances. And then, one day, Sonia's father goes missing. Now Sonia wonders if she ever really knew him. As she begins to look for answers, she must decide what really matters and who her true friends are—and whether her two halves, no matter how different, can make her a whole.

I didn't know that this book was a middle grade book until I was reading and it mentioned that Sonia (the main character) was finishing up her fifth grade school year. So she's finishing up her last year of elementary school and she finds out that her father lost his job and they're going to be cutting back, financially. That means that Sonia and her younger sister will not be attending their private school next semester, but attending the public school instead.

This isn't one of those contemporary YA books where there's a love interest and the story is focused on their blossoming crushes on each other. This book is about the changes in a young girl's life and how she decides to adapt to this new life of hers. I thought the author did a pretty fabulous job of keeping the story at the age group of the main character. The conflicts in this story are centered around Sonia and they're written in a way that speaks to middle grade aged kids and I really appreciated her efforts in keeping the story authentic.

My heart went out to Sonia and her family because when her father sinks into a depression, you can see the effects this takes on the entire family. I came to love Sonia as if she was my very own daughter through out this book and my heart hurt for everything she dealt with in this book. From her father losing his job to the new school to the mean girls, all of it made me want to tuck Sonia close and protect her from everything. Her confusion was felt by me and watching everything go down brought me a lot closer to Sonia's character than I remember being to any of the other characters that I've read in the last few months.

I appreciated this story because seeing Sonia deal with the different changes in her life was interesting. I've never had to deal with the things that Sonia did, not in the same way anyway and it was just really interesting to see it all go down in this book because for those few hours, I wasn't in my world but in Sonia's and I felt what it was like to be in her shoes and there were times when it was frustrating and times when I wanted to smack a monkey but through it all, I enjoyed getting to know Sonia.

I recommend this book to fans of contemporary YA books that deal with issues because this isn't one of those fun and fluffy stories. It deals with real life issues and it puts you right smack dab in the middle of it all and I enjoyed the story as a whole.

..and that's your scoop!

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

Review: Fracture by Megan Miranda.

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of Fracture by Megan Miranda.

Main Character: Delaney
Love Interest: Decker(highlight to find out)
Series: None
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine

-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

I've been looking forward to reading this book and was happy when I finally picked it up. Delaney Maxwell fell into the lake and was under for eleven minutes before her best friend Decker was able to save her life.

Eleven minutes.

She should be dead but by some miracle, she didn't die. She's alive but she's not exactly the same person that she was before the accident. She's got a sixth sense for when people are going to die and her doctors and parents are starting to think that she's crazy. She's starting to think that she's crazy.

Just like the lake fractured under her feet when she was trying to cross it, her life is fractured because everything is different for her now. She knows things, she sees things and she has no idea what to do about these things and the introduction of a new guy on the scene doesn't really help matters.

He knows about her and he knows things that she knows and he's got secrets but because she can't really talk about anything with anyone else, she leans on Troy.

Lots of things pop off in this book that had me reading and reading and reading. The sexual (or teenage sexual tension I should say) between Decker and Delaney. All of the drama between Troy and Delaney. The stuff she was going through after the accident. Her parents thinking she was looney. Her doctor's thinking the same thing. It all made for an interesting story and I was glad that I read this one but there were parts of the story that was hard for me to read.

Most of that was the back and forth between her and Decker. I'm all about the love interest. Romance between characters always gets me excited about reading a book. I don't even mind love triangles as long as they're written in a way that is believable and..right. So the romance between Decker and Delaney (if you could call it that) is very immature but still interesting. They're best friends, you kind of know that he's got a thing for her but you can't be entirely sure because he's very close mouthed about it.

The same goes for Delaney. She swears nothing is going on with her and Decker but the minute he moves on, she flips the eff out. So that's what I mean about the whole back and forth stuff with those two. It goes on like that throughout the entire book and toward the end, I was getting fed up with it. I wanted the both of them to just come out and deal with it. Saying that, the ending left me perplexed. Perplexed in the sense that I didn't quite know how to feel about the way that the book ended. I wasn't disappointed but I wasn't exactly thrilled either. You'll have to read it to find out what I'm talking about but the ending and the frustrating relationship between Decker and Delaney then the whole Troy thing tainted my enjoyment some and that's why I'm giving this book the grade that I'm giving it.

I did enjoy the book, I did enjoy getting to know all of the characters in this book but there were times that I wished that Delaney would have let Decker be there for her. There were times when I wished that Decker would come out and say what was on his mind about his feelings for Delaney and I never fully warmed up to Troy for him to be considered a third part to a love triangle for Delaney. Despite all of that, I thought the story was told in a way that kept me interested in what came next so I didn't feel like this was a waste of time reading. I just wanted more from some things and less from others.

..and that's your scoop!

This book is available from Walkers Children.

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

In My Mailbox (52)

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

I purged my bookshelves this weekend and got rid of some books but also picked up a few as well. Check out this week's stash:

Kiss Me, I'm Irish by Roxanne St. Claire, Jill Shalvis and Maureen Child|I've Got Your Number by Sophia Kinsella

Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right by Kieran Kramer|Someone Like You by Susan Mallery|The Next Always by Nora Roberts|Blame it on Paris by Jennifer Greene

I'm super excited to get these books read. What did you get in your mailboxes this week? Share your stash with me!

...and that's your scoop!

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

Book Watch: Slide by Jill Hathaway.

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

I'm super excited to start reading this book. I got it for review last week and I'm thrilled. Over the moon because it sounds like such a great book. The blurb is interesting and I'm excited to see how Vee slides in and out of people's thoughts and finds out their secrets and everything. This book doesn't come out until March 27, 2012 so we'll have to be patient for a few more weeks but I'm sure it'll be great.

Is anyone else excited to read this book?

..and that's your scoop!

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

Review: The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott.

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott.

Main Character: Sara
Love Interest: Ryan
Series: None
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

He's looking at me like—well, like he wants to look at me.
Like he likes what hes sees, and he's smiling and hiw eyes are so blue, even in the faint flow of the porch light they shine, and I nod dumbly, blindly, and then grope for the door handle, telling myself to look away and yet not able to do it.

"Sara," he says, softly, almost hesitantly, and my heart slam-bangs, beating hard, and this is what it's like to want someone you can't have. To want someone you shouldn't even be looking at.

This book has been in my TBR pile for a long while now, for almost a year. It's actually my first book read in this year's TBR Challenge. Ames reviewed this book here a long time ago (you can read her review here) and just like Ames, this book came onto my radar when Mollie reviewed it on her blog (you can read her review here).

Both Mollie and Ames loved this book so I knew that I would enjoy it as well and enjoy it, I did. This book follows Sara as she tries to move on from having a massive crush on her best friend's boyfriend, Ryan.

All of this young love in the air going on in this book had me sighing all over the dang place. Not only was I sighing all over the place but my heart hurt for Sara and for Ryan. Right from the jump, you're thrown into Sara's world. She's in love with her best friend's boyfriend and being around them hurts her but she can't not be around them. Especially when her best friend Brianna insists that Sara play third wheel to them everywhere they go.

Scott does a fantastic job of making the reader sympathize with Sara's plight. In this book, Sara's been in love with Ryan since the eighth grade but because she's the under dog best friend, she bows out when Brianna (the super star best friend) goes after Ryan. So she likes Ryan from afar and does everything she can to keep her feelings for him masked from everyone.

This book is a pretty short story, I read it all in one sitting and enjoyed the story as it progressed. Sara feels bad for having these feelings for Ryan but the heart wants what the heart wants and even Ryan's heart wants Sara. You won't be able to stop yourself from cheering Sara on because Brianna wasn't the best of friends. With all of the constant put downs and the backward compliments she threw Sara's way, I wanted Sara to speak up long before she did.

Ryan was a cutie patootie and I totally got why everyone liked him. He was cute and sweet and I liked that he regretted not saying anything about his feelings for Sara. I loved the way that he tried to shield Sara from the fallout that came when Brianna found out and I loved the way that he stood up to Brianna for Sara even though I would have liked Sara to do that herself, to know that Ryan had her back was just too cute for words.

The characters in this story were easy to connect with and I enjoyed getting to know all of them. From Sara's parents to Sara and Ryan, hell even Brianna were all great characters with problems that leaped right off the pages and into my heart. It was a great story to be drawn into and my heart went out to everyone involved, even Brianna. I was really happy with the way that things turned out for everyone and I loved Sara's parents. They were adorable and I would totally recommend this book to anyone who is in the mood for a great contemporary YA story with characters with real problems and a cast of characters that are too cute for words.

...and that's your scoop!

This book is available from Simon Pulse.

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

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith.

Main Character: Hadley
Love Interest: Oliver
Series: None
Author: Twitter|Goodreads

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

I've been looking forward to reading this book for ages now. I mean, it's been months and months and months since this book came onto my radar and when it finally came out, I had to have it. There were so many reviews going up about this book and so many different people were loving it so I just knew I was going to love it too.

And I did.

Only, I didn't love it as much as everyone else did. That's not to say that it wasn't plenty entertaining, I just didn't go absolutely gaga over it.

I guess because for me, the main focus wasn't on Hadley's romance with Oliver but on her estranged relationship with her father who is getting re-married and the reason why Hadley is going to London in the first place. You see, Hadley hasn't really forgiven her father for splitting their family up and for hurting her mother and you see the toll all of this non-forgiving takes on their relationship. The father knows that he messed up and he misses Hadley but Hadley is more wrapped up in what her father's moving away did to their family. Hadley loves her Mom and is mad at her Dad and this new woman for hurting her. You understand why she's mad but there were times when I wished she would lighten up.

Then there's Oliver. She's four minutes late to the airport so she misses her flight. She has to wait for the next flight and Oliver is on that flight. Oliver spends the seven hour flight trying to make Hadley laugh so that she wouldn't stress about anything (she's afraid of flying) and also to keep him from thinking about waits for him at home. I really enjoyed getting to know Oliver through everything that happens on the flight but for some reason, even at the end when everything comes out, I still felt like I didn't know Oliver as much as I wanted to.

Did they fall in instant love? I'm not sure. Do I believe in love at first sight? No. I believe in lust at first sight and attraction at first sight but I'm not sure I believe in love at first sight. Did I believe they were on their way to being in love with each other by the end of the book? Totally.

Getting to know both Hadley and Oliver throughout this story was entertaining because Hadley is going through a lot of things and she's smart so it was easy to fall along with what she was going through. The way that Oliver was on the airplane and then when they land in London, it was really cute. I really liked him and my heart went out to him just because you could tell that there was something going on with him but he spent most of the time with Hadley trying to keep her spirits up and I loved it.

I really liked the conflict between Hadley and her father. Far too often in YA books, the parents are either neglectful and selfish but to see that Hadley's father miss his relationship with Hadley, to see him want to fix their relationship was refreshing and I was glad to see Hadley meet him halfway. You see Hadley change for the better from the beginning to the end and I enjoyed that aspect of this story.

Overall, it was a good, solid story and I enjoyed it. I will definitely be reading more from Jennifer E. Smith.

...and that's your scoop!

This book is available from Little Brown Company.
Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

Review: First Date by Krista McGee.

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of First Date by Krista McGee.

Main Character: Addy Davidson
Love Interest: Jonathan Jackson
Series: None
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

Addy Davidson is the last girl in the country who wants to be on the new reality TV show to win a date to prom with the President's son. She's

focused on her schoolwork so she can get a scholarship to an Ivy League college,

uncomfortable in the spotlight,

never been on a date,

and didn't even audition for it.

But she got selected anyway.

So she does her best to get eliminated on the very first show… right before she realizes that the President's son is possibly the most attractive guy she has ever seen in person, surprisingly nice, and seemingly unimpressed by the 99 other girls who are throwing themselves at him.

Addy's totally out of her comfort zone-but that may be right where God can show her the most about who she is . . . and who she was meant to be.

I went into this book thinking that it was going to be a bunch of fluff and I wasn't wrong. This book follows Addy Davidson as she goes on a reality TV show (pressured into doing the show is more like it though) to try to win the chance to go to the prom with the President's son. She gets roped into going on the show by her Principal and then her Uncle, who all said that it was God's plan for her to do this. I thought that was strange since I can't imagine God sitting up in Heaven thinking, "Yeah, I think this reality TV show is the perfect place for Addy Davidson." Reality television shows with a whole lot of backstabbing and bullying isn't something that I thought God would want a good Christian girl to be at, but well, that's what Addy was told in this book.

So Addy goes to this reality show in hopes of saving her school. Saving it by getting some press so that people would want to go to that school and they'd pay tuition money to go there. That was another thing that I couldn't believe. The Principal was basically whoring Addy out to get more money and students and I thought that was completely strange.

The book itself was an enjoyable read but there were quite a few things that got on my nerves about this book. If Christian fiction books are done right, they won't come off as preachy but there were parts of this book where I thought it came off a bit preachy and I would put the book down. It wasn't like that throughout the entire book but through enough of the book that I took notice. Now, don't go thinking that I'm saying this book is all about preaching the good word because that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that there's enough Christianity in this book to make a person that isn't used to reading about that stuff in their fiction books to sit up and take notice.

It's an enjoyable book with great characters. I really enjoyed getting to know Kara, Addy's best friend on the show. Kara was a good friend to Addy and was there when she needed her because the other girls on the show were a bunch of bully's and haters. I think I liked Kara better than I liked Addy. To me, Addy was too perfect. Even when she wasn't being perfect, she was too perfect. I wish there had been more conflict with her character, everything came too easy for her and I was left hoping that she had things a little harder. Had that been the case, this book would have gotten a B instead of the C that it got.

It's not a bad book but there was too much sunshiny goodness for me to enjoy it more than I did and I think that was why I didn't connect with Addy more. I did really enjoy getting to know Jonathan Jackson and was happy that a friendship sparked between him and Addy. I enjoyed their little romance connection and was glad that I finished the book.

..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 (51)

2012-01-16T10:42:00.000-08:00

Unbreak by My Heart by Melissa Walker|Jersey Girl by Beth Ann Bauman|Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

What did you guys get this week?

..and that's your scoop!

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

Book Watch: Being Friends with Boys by Terra Elan McVoy.

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Charlotte and Oliver have been friends forever. She knows that he, Abe, and Trip consider her to be one of the guys, and she likes it that way. She likes being the friend who keeps them all together. Likes offering a girl's perspective on their love lives. Likes being the behind-the-scenes wordsmith who writes all the lyrics for the boys' band. Char has a house full of stepsisters and a past full of backstabbing (female) ex-best friends, so for her, being friends with boys is refreshingly drama-free...until it isn't any more.

When a new boy enters the scene and makes Char feel like, well, a total girl...and two of her other friends have a falling out that may or may not be related to one of them deciding he possibly wants to be more than friends with Char...being friends with all these boys suddenly becomes a lot more complicated.

This book sounds like a good one. I mean, being friends with boys is supposed to be drama free but when it's not anymore, the drama has to be big time drama so I'm all about reading this book. It comes out on May 1, 2012 (according to Goodreads) by Simon Pulse so woo hoo, that's just a few months wait.

..and that's your scoop!

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

Review: The Darlings in Love by Melissa Kantor.

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of The Darlings in Love by Melissa Kantor.

Main Character: Jane, Natalya, Victoria
Love Interest: Simon, Colin, Jack
Series: The Darlings, Book 2
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

The Darlings have just begun their second semester of ninth grade, and love is in the air.

Victoria: The sweetheart Jack: The irresistible songwriter…but is he writing off Victoria?

Natalya: The overachiever Colin: The perfect match, if only the game were less complicated

Jane: The drama queen Simon: The Greek god… of mixed signals

In the face of both joy and heartbreak, the Darlings know that they'll always have each other. Boys come and go, but the Darlings are still forever.

What a fun book this turned out to be.

I'm pretty sure this isn't the first book in this series but that didn't stop me from enjoying the book anyway. Kantor does a fabulous job of writing this story so that it seems like a standalone, even though it isn't. In this book, we're front and center as Jane, Victoria and Natalya go through obstacles surrounding the boys in their lives. Jane meets a new boy named Simon who sweeps her off her feet and seems to be too good to be true. Victoria and Jack are still going strong but they don't have much in common and it's becoming a problem that everyone is seeing except Jack. Natalya still likes Colin, the boy that she ditched and she's regretting her decision to ditch him for his sister (the popular girl) and when Colin invites her to play Chess again, things start to get pretty complicated, pretty fast.

This book was cute. I really enjoyed getting to know all three of the Darlings and be a part of their love lives. Each girl is going through different things and I was right there with each of them. I can't say that I had a favorite storyline in this book because I enjoyed all three storylines. I liked all three boys even when I wasn't really sure where they loyalty was.

Victoria and Jack were going through a rough patch that isn't really anything with couples their age but I still enjoyed getting to know both Jack and Victoria. I loved that Victoria had strict parents even though we didn't get to see much of them because so many kids have strict parents these days and it made Victoria's story come alive that much more for me because I know exactly how she feels. I was right there with her when I was in high school, strict parents and at a complete loss as to how to hang out with my boyfriend outside of lunch period at school. The way that her and Jack fought and then talked things out was too cute for words.

Natalya and Colin were a cute couple too. They're not together or anything but their story hurt my heart. After Natalya ditched Colin in the first book (which is where I'm assuming it happened but I don't know for sure since I didn't read that book), the two of them didn't really talk much. Natalya was all bummed about losing him because she really liked him but thought that it was a lost cause because that ship has sailed and she blew her chance. When he comes sprawling back into her life, she's all excited until she's not anymore and all of the drama behind this one had me connecting with Natalya because who hasn't had their heart broken before? Too cute, these two were. I loved their texts back and forth and their chess game.

Last up is Jane. Jane is a drama student who's being pursued by Mark, a guy that she is sold on being a poser. He said that he was a great actor and what not and then doesn't even audition for the part. He comes back in this book and wants to direct so he asks Jane to act in a scene that he's directing for school and only after she meets her hot co-star does Jane accept. Simon (the hottie co-star) and Jane were cute but for me, I was more of a fan of Mark. He just seemed more sincere than Simon was and even though I liked Simon, my heart hurt for Jane because it couldn't have been easy for her to deal with all of that drama and then not talk about it since everyone else was going through their own personal drama's.

Overall, this book was a great treat for me to read. It's got a little bit of everything for lovers of contemporary YA. It's cute and cuddly and I really enjoyed it. I definitely recommend it.

..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

Guest Author: Lauren Clark.

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena: The Book Scoop would like to welcome author Lauren Clark to the blog today. She's here to talk about her new book Stay Tuned which I read and enjoyed. You can read my review of this book, here.

Take it away, Lauren...

Lauren Clark: Everyone’s short on time. Life’s too busy! Where’d the day go? It’s a fact. You have to be selective about who and what gets your attention. If reading a good book helps you stay sane, then Stay Tuned is the perfect escape. It’s fun, fast-paced, and a peek behind the scenes at a local TV news station. Best of all, it’s all about someone else’s crazy life!

Stay Tuned is also based on a true story. Before I began work at an Upstate New York television station as a reporter, the two main anchors (who were in a romantic relationship) got into a fistfight in the parking lot of the television station. They were fired, the incident made the newspaper, and a lot of ugly editorials and threats were exchanged. The story—and the irony of these two successful people losing their jobs—has always stayed with me. While I was beginning to write Stay Tuned, I thought it might be interesting to have something similar happen—this time, while the anchors were on air—and watch what unfolded behind the scenes.

Now that I’ve shared those messy details, (see, you never know what might end up in a novel!) here’s more about Stay Tuned: Melissa Moore has a good life—better than average—but not great. She’s stuck with an absentee husband and a high-maintenance boss, and must help care for her mother, who’s afflicted with dementia. While Melissa loves her job as a producer, her two main co-anchors’ on-again, off-again love affair is a constant stressor. When their arguing gets out of hand in the studio, punches fly during a live show. Melissa jumps on set to help—sink or swim. When the dust settles, her boss taps her to be a fill-in anchor until a replacement can be found.

With the help of her best friend Candace, Melissa’s wardrobe and haircut get a much-needed update and polish. Bolstered by praise and encouragement from friends and strangers, Melissa tackles her new job with confidence and energy. Meanwhile, though, her personal life starts falling apart. Is it just her imagination or does her new male co-anchor seems a little too friendly? Why is her husband leaving post-it notes instead of calling? Can she cope with her mother’s failing memory? Who’s sending strange packages to her house? Is someone stalking her?

In the midst of all of this chaos, tragedy strikes. Fire breaks out at a local home for the elderly, a friend of the family loses her life, and Melissa’s husband reveals dark secrets that may cost him his job. As the story races to the finish, Melissa must make choices that will affect everything and everyone she loves.

I hope you enjoy Stay Tuned as much as I loved writing it! I’d love to hear what you think about the story and characters. Feel free to drop me at line at laurenclarkbooks@gmail.com.

Rowena: Thanks so much for joining us today on The Book Scoop, Lauren. I hope you'll go out and get yourself a copy of Stay Tuned. I enjoyed it and I'm sure you will too!

..and that's your scoop!

Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: Lauren Clark Books

Review: Stay Tuned by Lauren Clark.

2012-01-11T06:00:00.001-08:00

Rowena's review of Stay Tuned by Lauren Clark.

Main Character: Melissa Moore
Series: None
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

What happens when a #1 news team becomes the top story instead of reporting it? For TV producer Melissa Moore, crisis management comes with the job. From employee disputes to her high-maintenance boss, there’s not much she hasn’t seen or can’t handle. But no one—including Melissa—expects a fistfight during the ten o’clock news. When sexy-but-crazy Alyssa Andrews lands a punch on her co-anchor’s face, Melissa jumps on set to help. She’s determined that WSGA’s reputation won’t be destroyed on her watch. Both anchors are fired and Melissa agrees to fill in—but not before polishing her look from haircut to heels. While the new Melissa wows WSGA viewers, her personal life starts fraying at the edges. Melissa’s husband is away more than he’s home, leaving cryptic Post-it notes in his wake. Her mother’s antics spiral out of control at the nursing home and a stalker decides Melissa is her next target. What happens next? Stay Tuned to find out…

When I signed up to read this book, I thought I was getting a chick lit. Something totally different from what I got but I can't say that I was bummed about not getting that chick lit read. This book is more women's fiction than chick lit but that was okay because I ended up liking all of the characters (even the guy that I kept saying, "He better not ask her out," "He better not try to get fresh with her" about).

This book follows Melissa Moore as she rises from producer of a news show to the co-anchor of same said news show. It follows her as she battles jealous ex-anchors, tries to find out what's really going on with her absent husband and fights internal battles with herself about co workers. I can't imagine working at a place as fast paced as Melissa's newsroom but I enjoyed getting an inside look into the world of TV news.

It was easy to follow along with everything that was going on in this book because Melissa had a voice that made me want to get to know her better. I cheered for her when she got the co-anchor job temporarily and loved when she got that make over. I really enjoyed the scenes between her and her best friend, the Dr. Phil lover and I wanted her to find out what was really going on with her husband, Chris and I wanted her to fix the problems there. I enjoyed getting to know Chris and I even enjoyed getting to know the people at the news station. From Rick to Drew to Joe and the guys, this book was filled to the brim was characters that made me laugh and made me want to keep turning the pages.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. It was a read that had me laughing and I'm totally glad that I read it. If you're in the mood for a light women's fiction book then I think you should give this one a go because Clark introduced some characters that leaped right off the pages and into your heart. You'll definitely enjoy this one.

..and that's your scoop!

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

Review: Unscripted by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz

2012-01-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of Unscripted by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz.

Main Character: Abby Edwards
Love Interest: Will
Series: None, that I know of

As a producer on a reality dating show, Abby Edwards knows that true love is a myth. Her career and her friends are all she needs. Right?

When her screenwriter ex makes a hit movie based on their relationship, Abby's faults are projected on screens across the country. Suddenly the fact that her job depends on orchestrating hot tub hook-ups doesn't seem so impressive.

Her friends rally to help. Zoë thinks she needs to meet a guy. Stephanie suggests an attitude adjustment. Nancy wants her to get in touch with her inner Goddess. Abby knows they mean well, but she prefers to focus on her work. Unfortunately, she's already embarrassed herself in front of her new boss, Will Harper, who she would find totally crush-worthy if he weren't so irritating.

Abby's about to be reminded that life doesn't follow a script—and good things happen when you least expect it...

I like watching reality TV shows so when I came across this blurb, I thought it'd be right up my alley of a good time and I liked it but I didn't exactly love it. One of the main things for me when reading a book is connecting with the characters. If I can't connect with the characters then I can't really connect with the story so I was glad that I was able to connect in some ways to Abby. Abby Edwards is our heroine in this story and we see her cope with an ex-boyfriend who's making their past love life into a movie and she starts to realize that she's not living the life she thought she'd be living right now and the adventures start popping off.

This book is filled to the brim with characters that leap right off the page. Whether those characters are driving you insane (Zoe) then you're loving the heck out of them and wanting more of them (Will). I really enjoyed getting to know Abby throughout this story. From the beginning to the end, she was definitely one of those characters that drew you deeper into the story. She had a voice that at times grated on my nerves but it didn't stop me from reading on. Watching her and Will's relationship bumble on made me want to know more and more about them. It was actually my least favorite thing about this book. Not that I didn't like the romance between them but because we didn't get enough. I was left wanting so much more of Will that my enjoyment of the book suffered a bit because I didn't get enough.

Abby's best friend Zoe got on my hot damn nerves and every time she came onto the page, I wanted to smack some dang sense into her. I wasn't a fan of her whole relationship, the way that she trapped her boyfriend into marriage and just her whole personality turned me off.

Overall, the stuff that kept me reading on (aside from wanting more Will and Abby) was how real the behind the scenes action was on set. The fast paced environment and just everything that went down had me laughing or grinning like a crazy people so while this wasn't the best story ever, it was still had enjoyable moments with a heroine that drove me crazy but had me cheering for her anyway and a love interest that I was thirsty for more. I'm glad that I finished reading this book and if you're in the mood for a contemporary chick lit book then this definitely fits the bill.

..and that's your scoop!

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

Essay Contest for Aspiring Authors from Book Wish.

2012-01-10T14:00:00.000-08:00

I came across this writing contest in my email and thought it would be something worthwhile to post for all of those aspiring authors that read my blog. If you're at least 13 years of age, you should check it out.

Here's the information from the email:

Win a literary agent or acclaimed author's feedback on your unpublished manuscript for young adult or middle grade readers. This rare opportunity is being offered to the six winners of an essay contest recently announced by the literacy charity Book Wish Foundation. See http://bookwish.org/contest for full details.

You could win a manuscript critique from:

Laura Langlie, literary agent for Meg Cabot
Nancy Gallt, literary agent for Jeanne DuPrau
Brenda Bowen, literary agent and editor of Karen Hesse's Newbery Medal winner Out of the Dust
Ann M. Martin, winner of the Newbery Honor for A Corner of the Universe
Francisco X. Stork, winner of the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award for The Last Summer of the Death Warriors
Cynthia Voigt, winner of the Newbery Medal for Dicey's Song and the Newbery Honor for A Solitary Blue

All that separates you from this prize is a 500-word essay about a short story in Book Wish Foundation's new anthology, What You Wish For. Essays are due Feb. 1, 2012 and winners will be announced around Mar. 1, 2012. If you win, you will have six months to submit the first 50 pages of your manuscript for critique (which means you can enter the contest even if you haven't finished, or started, your manuscript). You can even enter multiple times, with essays about more than one of the contest stories, for a chance to win up to six critiques.

If you dream of being a published author, this is an opportunity you should not miss. To enter, follow the instructions at http://bookwish.org/contest.

Good luck to anyone interested in entering. Happy writing!

..and that's your scoop!

Review: Ditched by Robin Mellom.

2012-01-10T06:00:00.001-08:00

Rowena's review of Ditched by Robin Mellom.

Main Character: Justina Griffith
Love Interest: Ian Clark
Series: None
Author: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.

Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat, handle first.

Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.

Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom.

And then ditched her.

Now, as the sun rises over her small town, and with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven, Justina must piece together -- stain by stain on her thrift-store dress -- exactly how she ended up dateless. A three-legged Chihuahua was involved. Along with a demolition derby-ready Cadillac. And there was that incident at the tattoo parlor. Plus the flying leap from Brian Sontag's moving car...

But to get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. And discover if losing out at prom can ultimately lead to true love.

Filled with humor, charm, and romance, Ditched: A Love Story by debut novelist Robin Mellom will have readers dreaming of love on their own prom nights.

I went into this book thinking that it'd be a Hangover type of book and it is that, only at a more age appropriate version for the young folks. This story follows Justina Griffith, the morning after prom. This story revolves all around Justina trying to piece together her prom night to find out how she ended up falling out of Brian Sontag's car and having to walk to the nearest 7-11 to figure out what to do next.

Justina had an interesting voice. It was easy to fall in with her story but there were times when I wanted to rip her a new one because she assumed too much about Ian and I wish she had more faith in him and in their friendship. I get that she's young and doesn't know any better but while she's telling her story to those two ladies at the 7-11, Gilda and Donna, I couldn't believe that they didn't have an inkling about what Ian was really up to, even if they didn't know the specifics, I knew and I was just hoping that they would know too but I didn't get the sense that they did and more than anyone, Justina should have known that Ian would have never did what he did without a valid reason and when everything comes out in the end, I was left wanting to strangle Justina for being so dumb.

This was one of those books where I kept saying, "That would never happen" and yet I still ate up every word. It was fun and it was far fetched but it was a great ride while it lasted.

Justina was hard to take some of the time but I didn't hate her, I just wanted to karate chop some sense into her, that's all. I really liked the essence girls and as you see the night unraveling before our very eyes, it was fun to be swept up in the madness of the entire night. The tattoo parlor, the various stains on Justina's dress, all of the blue going on with Justina's outfit, all of it could have been too much cheese but Mellom did a great job of making it work anyway. This is the kind of story that teens would enjoy because so many outrageous things happen and the book ends the way it should end and overall, it was just a fun ride.

..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 (50)

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

I got some pretty decent books in the mail this week and I'm super stoked to share them with you guys! I finally made it to the bookstore to spend some of my Christmas gift cards so I totally made out this week.

Check out this week's stash:

Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser

..and that's your scoop!

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

Book Watch: The Thing About the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt.

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

In this humorous love story from the author of Two-Way Street , an unlikely romance is the best sort of surprise—but the wrong secret can ruin everything.Kelsey’s not going to let one mistake ruin her life. Sure, she got kicked out of prep school and all her old friends are shutting her out. But Kelsey’s focused on her future, and she’s determined to get back on track at Concordia High.

Isaac’s been kicked out of more schools than he can count. Since his father’s a state senator, Isaac’s life is under constant scrutiny—but Concordia High’s his last stop before boarding school, so Isaac’s hoping to fly under the radar and try to stay put for a change.

When Kelsey and Isaac meet, it’s anything but love at first sight. She thinks he’s an entitled brat, and he thinks she’s a stuck-up snob. So it surprises them both when they start to fall for each other. Kelsey’s happy for the first time in months, and Isaac’s never felt this way about anyone before….But nothing’s ever completely perfect. Everyone has secrets, and Isaac and Kelsey are no exceptions. These two may have fallen hard, but there’s one thing that can ruin it all: the truth.

Oohhh, this book sounds like a good one. I haven't read a book by Barnholdt that I haven't liked it one way or another so I'm looking forward to reading this one. This book comes out on July 10, 2012 so we've got ourselves a wait with this one. I can't wait!

...and that's your scoop!

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

Review: The McCloud Home for Wayward Girls by Wendy Delsol.

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of The McCloud Home for Wayward Girls by Wendy Delsol.

Main Character: Jill, Fiona, Ruby
Love Interest: Read it to see...
Series: None
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

The McCloud Home for Wayward Girls, once a haven for unwed mothers, is now a bed-and-breakfast that houses three generations of women-and their many secrets...

In the early 1960s, Ruby, a spunky unwed teen mother was wooed and won over by the founder of the McCloud Home. Now, forty years later, the historic property has been converted into an inn that Ruby runs with one of her daughters, Jill. When Jill's fourteen-year-old daughter begins to search for the identity of her father, she sets in motion events that will test the bonds that bind mothers, daughters, and sisters.

Jill unwittingly aids the forces of upheaval when she agrees to host the wake of the town matriarch. As the guests-including the matriarch's handsome nephew and Jill's vivacious, irresponsible sister Jocelyn-return to the small town, the convergence of people and memories uncovers rivalries, sparks romance, recalls heartbreak, and reveals a shocking family secret, one that could separate the McCloud women forever or lead them to the renewal of their powerful, enduring connection.

What I liked most about this book was how well the story flowed throughout the entire book. I was totally invested in the goings on of all of the main characters in this book. From Jill to Fiona and then to Ruby, I wanted very much to find out what happened to them, what would happen and I couldn't read this book fast enough.

This story is centered around family and I thought that Wendy Delsol did a fabulous job of weaving a story that was entertaining at the same time that it was interesting and the cast of characters warmed my heart and stayed with me long after I finished the last word.

I'm real easy to please when it comes to reading books. If you write characters that I will grow to love, make them three dimensional and make me connect with them, odds are- I'll love your book. This book was entertaining because there was always something going on and the characters were charming so it made it easier to dig right into the story.

Fiona is on a mission to find her Dad, Jill is struggling with having an old crush/fling back in town and her crazy sister to boot. Ruby is going through her own struggles. Throughout this entire book, you're thrown into one situation after another but Delsol does a great job of pulling you deep into each story and making the reader come to care for each character. Even when the characters are being boneheads, you won't be able to help yourself from caring about them. You won't be able to stop yourself from rooting all of these characters on, for different reasons.

This book wasn't what I was expecting but it was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours of just reading pleasure. The pacing was fabulous as the story didn't drag and the characters all came alive for me. They weren't perfect and that was perfect for me. I'm so glad that I read this book.

..and that's your scoop!

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

Live Chat with Becca Fitzpatrick!

2012-01-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

Becca Fitzpatrick will be live chatting on Goodreads on January 10, 2012 starting at 7pm EST (4pm PST). If you're a fan of Becca Fitzpatrick then it's a must that you be there! But you have to RSVP by January 8, 2012 so head on over and RSVP so that you can chat it up with Becca freaking Fitzpatrick.

RSVP HERE

Becca Fitzpatrick is the author of the bestselling YA paranormal Hush, Hush series. She's the #6 most followed author on Goodreads and so she's got to be one fantabulous author, don't you think? Don't miss out on a chance to chat with her next week.

..and that's your scoop!

My Boyfriend of the Month: Adam Wilde.

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Last year before my Mom died, I did a monthly post where I spotlighted one of my favorite heroes from the YA books that I'm reading but it feels weird to call them heroes because those are what we call the male main characters in romance novels and these YA guys are a bit young to carry that name so from here on out, I'll be spotlighting a new boyfriend every month.

Now, I've seen a lot of these memes going around, the book boyfriend of the week and what not and my feature will be similar to that but instead of doing it weekly, I'll be doing it monthly.

I haven't done one of these posts in quite a long time so I'm going to kick the new year off by bringing this feature back...and my first boyfriend of the month is?

Adam Wilde from If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman

When we first "meet" Adam in If I Stay, I thought he was a great boyfriend to Mia but when we see Adam again in Where She Went, I thought he was just a flat out great person. He's that boyfriend that everyone wants for themselves. He's that boyfriend that other girls are jealous over and he's just a flat out fantastic person.

In If I Stay, Adam is going through a whole heapin' amount of crap. His girlfriend is in a coma and her family, which was a second family to him are all gone and he's in full blown grief mode. He's grieving over the loss of Teddy and Mia's parents and he's scared to death of losing the love of his life, Mia, as well. But even as he's scared out of his mind that the most important person in his life is going to die, he says things like...

“Please Mia," he implores. "Don't make me write a song.”

...and...

“All I can think about is how fucked up it would be for your life to end here, now. I mean I know that your life if fucked up no matter what now, forever. And I'm not dumb enough to think that I can undo that, that anyone can. But I can't wrap my mind around the notion of you not getting old, having kids, going to Juilliard, getting to play that cello in front of a huge audience, so that they can get the chills the way I do every time I see you pick up your bow, every time I see you smile at me.”

You can feel the pain and grief in everything that Adam says throughout this book. You see the toll that everything that happened to Mia has put on him and yet, he still says things like:

“If you stay, I'll do whatever you want. I'll quit the band, go with you to New York. But if you need me to go away, I'll do that, too. I was talking to Liz and she said maybe coming back to your old life would be too painful, that maybe it'd be easier for you to erase us. And that would suck, but I'd do it. I can lose you like that if I don't lose you today. I'll let you go. If you stay.”

For two people that are so young, they sure are put through the ringer in this book....and for Adam, it didn't stop there.

In Where She Went, we get Adam's point of view. We get to see what Adam was feeling and what he was thinking over things that went down in If I Stay and then we see where he's at since Mia woke up. There are scenes from this book that will forever stay with me and quotes from Adam that make me all squishy with goodness inside. I loved him in If I Stay but in Where She Went, I loved him so much more. I loved him for scenes and quotes like these:

“My first impulse is not to grab her or kiss her or yell at her. I simply want to touch her cheek, still flushed from the night's performance. I want to cut through the space that separates us, measured in feet-not miles, not continents, not years-and to take a callused finger to her face.”

and...

“You dumb-ass," I crooned, kissing her on the forehead. "You don't share me. You own me.”

and even...

“I’ve blamed her for all of this, for leaving, for ruin-ing me. And maybe that was the seed of it, but fromthat one little seed grew this tumor of a flowering plant. And I’m the one who nurtures it. I water it. I care for it.I nibble from its poison berries. I let it wrap around my neck, choking the air right out of me. I’ve done that. All by myself. All to myself.”

Seeing Adam again, feeling what he's been through, wanting to fix him is only a small part of why I loved this book so much. It's the coming full circle feeling that I got when I was reading this book. It was reading things like this:

“Her hands were freezing, just like they always were, so I warmed them, just like I always did.”

You go into Where She Went and everything you want to know is all in there. The who, the what, the why...it's all there and your heart that was broken into a million pieces in If I Stay is put back together and there are tears in your eyes and warmth in your heart that wasn't there before. The growth that Adam went through in both books is evident in every word that was poured into both books. Reading both books will put you in both of their shoes and it'll drag you through the depths of grief, through loss and it'll help you find your way again.

As great as Adam was, there was plenty of conflict for him to go through for his story to be complete. I absolutely adored seeing Adam at his highest and then seeing him fall to his lowest and fight his way back to the top. It's not all pretty but for me, Adam was the very best part of both books.

Adam's character had depth and he had an old soul that you won't be able to not fall in love with and if you haven't read these books yet, I urge you to fix that because you won't be sorry. For all of these reasons and so many more- this is why Adam Wilde is this month's book boyfriend.

..and that's your scoop!

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

My Monthly Wish List: January 2012.

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's a new year with new books coming out all over the dang place. There are so many books coming out this month that I'm super duper excited about. Check out the stash of books that made it onto this month's wish list.

1. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith.

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

I think of all the books that are coming out this month, this is the book that I'm looking forward to reading the most. How can you not be excited about a book about two people meeting for the first time and making a connection that they won't ever forget? This book needs to be on my bookshelves already!

2. Winter's Kiss by Jennifer Echols.

Cozy up to a double dose of winter-themed romantic comedy with two books in one bind-up.Lexi has come up with a master plan to make Cameron break up with her: get him to fall for another girl so she’ll be free (and guilt-free, too). But when the plan goes well—too well—Lexi starts to wonder if she hasn’t made a terrible mistake. Has she let the perfect guy get away? And is it too late to get him back?

Meanwhile, Hayden and Nick’s steamy relationship has ended in a frosty breakup, and now they’re just friends. But when they decide to go head-to-head in a boarding contest, the friendly competition gets heated….Will sparks start to fly on and off the slopes?

This one is on my list because duh, it's a Jennifer Echols and even though I haven' been thrilled with her latest books, I'm still a fan of hers and I keep hoping for another Gone Too Far. I have every faith that she'll come through for me with one of these and I sure hope that it's with this one. I've got my fingers crossed!

3. The Darlings in Love by Melissa Kantor.

The Darlings have just begun their second semester of ninth grade, and love is in the air.

Victoria: The sweetheart
Jack: The irresistible songwriter…but is he writing off Victoria?

Natalya: The overachiever
Colin: The perfect match, if only the game were less complicated

Jane: The drama queen
Simon: The Greek god… of mixed signals

In the face of both joy and heartbreak, the Darlings know that they'll always have each other. Boys come and go, but the Darlings are still forever.

This book looks like it'd be too cute for words and something my daughter would enjoy. I got it for review and read it, enjoyed it and now I really have to own the book. This made it onto my list so that you guys could put it on your wish lists. It's a great read.

4. Ditched by Robin Mellom.

High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.

Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat, handle first.

Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.

Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom.

And then ditched her.

Now, as the sun rises over her small town, and with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven, Justina must piece together -- stain by stain on her thrift-store dress -- exactly how she ended up dateless. A three-legged Chihuahua was involved. Along with a demolition derby-ready Cadillac. And there was that incident at the tattoo parlor. Plus the flying leap from Brian Sontag's moving car...

But to get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. And discover if losing out at prom can ultimately lead to true love.

Filled with humor, charm, and romance, Ditched: A Love Story by debut novelist Robin Mellom will have readers dreaming of love on their own prom nights.

This sounds like a Hangover kind of book and I was all about it. I read the book and even though the main character drove me bat crap crazy, I still enjoyed the book.

5. The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg.

Brie's life ends at sixteen: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart - literally. But now that she's in heaven, Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend knows a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost - and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul who's been D&G (dead and gone) much longer than she… and who just might hold the key to her forever after. With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on… but how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

I've been seeing this book around blogland lately and I'm mighty curious to see just how much I'd like it. It's got an interesting premise so that's why this one made it onto my radar....and my wishlist.

6. Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand.

For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn’t prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

Read and loved the first book so of course I want to read this one. I can't flippin' wait! I'm so stoked that I have this book to read for review. I'm anxious to dig right in but I still need to buy a copy for my bookshelves because I like the look of the cover. =)

And there you have it, what books are you looking forward to coming out this month?

..and that's your scoop!

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

In My Mailbox (49)

2012-01-02T06:00:00.001-08:00

It's the first week of the new year and I've got some new books to share with you guys. Check out my stash:

Slide by Jill Hathaway|Smitten by Colleen Coble, Kristen Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, Diann Hunt

What did you guys get in your mailbox?

...and that's your scoop!

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

2012 Upcoming Releases.

2012-01-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

January

1/1: Irises by Francisco X. Stork
1/2: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
1/2: Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker
1/3: Dreaming Awake (Falling Under #2) by Gwen Hayes
1/3: Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
1/3: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
1/3: Winter's Kiss by Jennifer Echols
1/3: Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
1/3: Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse by Lucas Klauss
1/3: Cracked by K.M. Walton
1/5: Run (A Subject Seven Book, Book 2) by James A. Moore
1/5: Karma by Cathy Oslere
1/5: Dragonwood by Janet Lee Carey
1/5: Love? Maybe by Heather Hepler
1/10: The Darlings in Love by Melissa Kantor
1/10: Ditched by Robin Mellom
1/12: The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
1/12: Getting Somewhere by Beth Neff
1/17: Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand
1/17: Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani
1/19: Brother/Sister by Sean Olin
1/19: Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer Hubbard
1/24: The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
1/24- Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh
1/24: Life Eternal (Dead Beautiful #?) by Yvonne Woon
1/24: Dark Goddess (A Devil's Kiss #?) by Sarwat Chadda
1/24: Bartimaeus by Jonathan Stroud
1/24: Havoc (Deviants) by Jeff Sampson
1/24: Pink Smog by Francesca Lia Block
1/24: Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald
1/31: New Girl by Paige Harbison
1/31: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
1/31: Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

February

2/1: The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin
2/2: This One Time with Julia by David Lampson
2/2: Harbinger by Sara Etienne
2/2: Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale
2/7: Dead to You by Lisa McMann
2/7: Fever (The Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano
2/7: Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles, Book 1) by Jessica Spotswood
2/7: Demonglass (Hex Hall #?) by Rachel Hawkins
2/7: Cold Cereal by Adam Rex
2/7: Two Truths and a Lie (The Lying Game #3) by Sara Shepard
2/8: In Too Deep by Amanda Grace and Mandy Hubbard
2/14: The Nightmare Garden by Caitlin Kittredge
2/14: The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison
2/14: Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood
2/14: Bewitching by Alex Flinn
2/14: Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer
2/16: Trafficked by Kim Purcell
2/16: The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen
2/16: The Disenchantments by Nina Lacour
2/16: Trafficked by Kim Purcell
2/21: A Beautiful Evil (Gods & Monsters #2) by Kelly Keaton
2/21: Blood Rose by Andrea Cremer
2/21: Faery Tales and Nightmares by Melissa Marr
2/21: The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
2/21: Double by Jenny Valentine
2/28: Allegiance by Cayla Kluver
2/28: Undeadly by Michele Vail
2/28: Inside by Maria V. Snyder
2/28: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
2/28: Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby
2/28: A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford

March

3/1: Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin
3/1: Embrace (The Violet Eden Chapters #1) by Jessica Shirvington3
3/1: Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin
3/6: The Talents by Inara Scott
3/6: Vampires Kiss (The Watchers #2) by Veronica Wolff
3/6: Balthazar (An Evernight novel) by Claudia Gray
3/6: The Ivy: Rivals by Lauren Kunze, Rina Onur
3/6: Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler
3/8: Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser
3/8: Katana by Cole Gibsen
3/13: Spell Bound (Hex Hall #?) by Rachel Hawkins
3/13: Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig
3/13: The Savage Grace (Dark Divine #3) by Bree Despain
3/15: The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George
3/20: A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink
3/20: Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter
3/20: When You Open Your Eyes by Celeste Conway
3/27: Slide by Jill Hathaway
3/27: Life is But a Dream by Brian James
3/27: After the Snow by S.D. Crockett
3/27: The Stalker Chronicles by Carley Moore

April

4/1: Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2) by Aimee Carter
4/1: The Night World by Jack Blaine
4/1: The List by Siobhan Vivian
4/1: Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg
4/1: Kiss the Morning Star by Elissa Janine Hoole
4/2: Pure (Covenant #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
4/2: The Haunting of Tabitha Grey by Vanessa Curtis
4/3: The Marked (The Talents #2) by Inara Scott
4/3: The Fame Game by Lauren Conrad
4/3: Radiate by Marley Gibson
4/5: Fever by Dee Shulman
4/10: Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross
4/10: The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
4/10: The Night She Disappeared by April Henry
4/12: Thou Shalt Not Road Trip by Antony John
4/12: Radiant Days by Elizabeth Hand
4/12: Losers in Space by John Barnes
4/17: Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz
4/17: The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting
4/17: Glimmer by Phoebe Kitandis
4/24: Gladiator (Fight for Freedom #1) by Simon Scarrow
4/24: The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa
4/24: Eve of Destruction (Dark Eden #2) by Patrick Carmen
4/24: Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
4/24: The Selection by Kiera Cass
4/24: Thumped by Megan McCafferty
5/24: Unraveled by Elizabeth Norris
4/24: Purity by Jackson Pearce
4/24: The Story of Us by Deb Caletti
4/24: Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf
4/24: Supergirl Mixtapes by Meagan Brothers
4/26: Seven Clues to Winning You by Kristin Walker

May

5/1: This is So Not Happening by Kieran Scott
5/1: Being Friends with Boys by Terra Elan McVoy
5/1: Destined by Aprilynn Pike
5/1: Wanted by Heidi Ayarbe
5/1: When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle
5/1: Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell
5/1: What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen
5/1: The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova
5/1: Wrecked by Anna Davies
5/1: Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams
5/1: The Summer of No Regrets by Katherine Grace Bond
5/1: While He Was Away by Karen Schrek
5/1: Wanted by Heidi Ayarbe
5/8: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
5/8: Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick
5/8: Until I Die by Amy Plum
5/8: Hemlock by Katherine Peacock
5/8: Fall from Grace by Charles Benoit
5/8: In Honor by Jessi Kerby
5/8: First Comes Love by Katie Kavincsky
5/8: The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes
5/8: Jersey Girl by Beth Ann Bauman
5/8: Revived by Cat Patrick
5/8: Ferocity Summer by Alissa Grosso
5/8: Hollyweird by Terri Clark
5/10: The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland
5/15: Vampire Kisses: Immortal Hearts by Ellen Schreiber
5/16: Stunning (Pretty Little Liars #11) by Sara Shepard
5/17: Gilt by Katherine Longshore
5/22: Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen
5/22: The Girl in the Clockwork Cellar by Kady Cross
5/22: Shift by Em Bailey
5/22: The Whispering House by Rebecca Wade
5/22: Human.4 by Michael A. Lancaster
5/22: Taken by Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
5/22: Unbreak my Heart by Melissa C. Walker
5/24: Adorkable by Sarra Manning
5/29: Dreamless by Josephine Angelini
5/29: Darkness before Dawn by J.A. London
5/29: Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore
5/30: Home in Time for Dinner by Kathryn Ellis

June

6/4: Pop! by Catherine Bruton
6/5: Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
6/5: All These Lives by Sarah Wylie
6/5: Arise by Tara Hudson
6/5: A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger
6/5: Miracle by Elizabeth Scott
6/12: Timepiece by Myra McEntire
6/12: Reunited by Hilary Weisman Graham
6/12: Flirting in Italian by Lauren Henderson
6/12: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
6/14: The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate
6/14: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
6/14: Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti
6/19: Something Like Normal by Trush Doller
6/19: Just Flirt by Laura Bowers
6/26: One Moment by Kristina McBride
6/26: Smart Girls Get what They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer
6/26: A Want so Wicked by Suzanne Young
6/26: A Midsummer Tights Dream by Louise Rennison
6/28: My Life in Black and White by Natasha Friend

July

7/3: Once by Anna Carey
7/3: 52 Reasons I Hate My Dad by Jessica Brody
7/5: Amelia is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield
7/10: Never Enough by Denise Jaden
7/10: Dark Water by Tricia Rayburn
7/10: So Close to You by Rachel Carter
7/10: Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols
7/10: The Thing about the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt
7/10: Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Clair
7/10: Perfect Escape by Jennifer Brown
7/17: The Unquiet by Jeaninne Garsee
7/19: Small Damages by Beth Kephart
7/24: Guitar Notes by Mary Amato
7/24: Endlessly by Kiersten White
7/24: Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
7/28: Choke by Diana Lopez
7/31: Hide and Seek (The Lying Game #4) by Sara Shepard
7/31: Destiny by Gillian Shields

August

8/1: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
8/2: The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin
8/2: Survive by Alex Morel
8/7: Carter's Unfocused, One Track Mind by Brent Crawford
8/7: Between You and Me by Marison Calin
8/7: Auracle by Gina Rosati
8/8: Narc by Crissa-Jean Chappell
8/14: Counting Backwards by Laura Lascarso
8/21: The Raft by S.A. Bodeen
8/21: Smashed by Lisa Luedeke
8/21: Pizza, Love and Other Stuff that Made Me Famous by Kathryn Williams
8/21: Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama
8/28: If I Lie by Corrine Jackson

September

9/1: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han
9/4: Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini
9/18: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

October

10/1: Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally
10/2: Love Through This by Mindi Scott
10/9: Time Between Us by Tamera Ireland Stone

..and that's your scoop!

*Please note that dates are subject to change without notice.

*I'll be updating this page with upcoming releases throughout the year so stay tuned for more upcoming release goodness.

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

My Book Log: 2012.

2012-01-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

January:

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean (ARC) (A)
First Date by Krista McGee (eARC) (C)
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (Hardcover) (B)
The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott (Paperback) (B)
Fracture by Megan Miranda (eARC)
Breakaway by Deirdre Martin (ARC) (B)
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (eARC) (B)
New Girl by Paige Harbison (eARC)
She Tempts the Duke by Lorraine Heath (eARC) (B)
Rescue Me by Rachel Gibson (ARC) (B)
Kiss Me, I'm Irish by Roxanne St. Claire, Jill Shalvis, Maureen Child (C)
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
About that Night by Julie James (A)
A Town Called Valentine by Emma Cane (C)

February:

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella (B)
Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler (B)
You Got Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis (C)
Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale (B)
Time Out by Jill Shalvis (B)
Love? Maybe by Heather Hepler (B)
When Harry Met Molly by Kieran Kramer

..and that's your scoop!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.003-08:00

I hope everyone has a happy new year, please be safe out there tonight because you know that the crazies are out and about.

Let's make 2012 even better than 2011, what do you say?

Reading Challenges for 2012.

2011-12-31T22:00:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

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)

2011-12-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

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)

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

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

Review: The Secret of Joy by Melissa Senate.

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of The Secret of Joy by Melissa Senate.

Main Character: Rebecca Strand
Love Interest: ??
Author: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

As 28 year old New York paralegal Rebecca Strand's widowed father lays dying, he confesses a secret: he had an affair 26 years earlier when Rebecca was just a toddler. Now he wants Rebecca to deliver the secret stash of letters he wrote, but never mailed, to the daughter he fathered. Rebecca's lawyer boyfriend, Michael, is adamant that she forget the woman exists. He's sure the woman will be an opportunist who will demand half of Rebecca's father's million-dollar estate. But Rebecca, now without any family in the world, can't help but wonder about her one living relative. With her relationship with Michael in tatters, Rebecca drives from New York City to Maine to find Joy Jayhawk, who operates a Weekend Singles Tour service out of an orange mini-van that her regulars dub "The Love Bus." Enter a cast of lovable, colorful characters, from Joy's eccentric mother to the singles on The Love Bus, and a sexy carpenter for whom Rebecca finds herself unexpectedly falling in love...

Melissa Senate is definitely one of my go to chick lit authors. She writes the kind of stories that even though I have nothing in common with the characters in her books, I connect with them anyway. She has a unique talent for writing stories that I can't put down. This was definitely one of them. The last book by Melissa Senate that I read was Love You To Death and I really enjoyed that book. I can still remember the day that I read that book. I cried and I rejoiced in everything Abby Foote went through and at the end of the book I was so damn happy for her.

I felt the exact same way for Rebecca Strand. Rebecca was just an average 28 year old woman living in New York City with her boyfriend, Michael happy as can be until the day before her ailing father dies, he drops the biggest bomb on her that a father could ever drop. He dropped the I'm dying but you won't be alone in this world even though your Mom already died and I'm going to die tomorrow because you have a long lost half sister that I never claimed even though she's my daughter bomb. It's pretty crazy to even consider finding something out like this from your dying father but to live with this knowledge after he's gone? What do you do with this bit of information?

Do you look her up and go meet her? Tell her who you are and who your father was? Do you keep the information to yourself and pretend your father was making his last final haha in your face joke? What would you have done?

Me, personally I have no idea. I mean, if you think about it...this long lost sister of yours has a mother and her mother was the woman that your father cheated on your mother with. Do you let that one go even though this long lost sister is the last familial tie you have on the face of the earth? There could be nothing but trouble and emotional upheaval if you go through with this but do you really want to risk not knowing the sister that you should have known about? I know that I would be deathly curious about this sister.

I thought Senate did a phenomenal job of writing this story out. She wrote a story and covered it from all angles. There really wasn't a good side and bad side in this story but an entire gray area of what if's. Since Rebecca was the main character in this story, it would have been so easy for us to be on her side. See things from her point of view and stick up for her but instead of doing that, Senate made us see Joy's side. She made us see Pia's side. She made this situation real by making the other people in this story real. She made the woman that Rebecca's father had a two week affair with real and she made us see things from her point of view. She wrote about the daughter that came from the affair and she made us see things from her point of view. Nobody got off scotch free in this story and I really enjoyed the life lessons I learned from this book. You can't judge someone just because you were hurt from the actions of others because they were hurt too. Things happened to them too. This book wasn't easy by any means but it was ...good. It was a damn good story that made one think about the choices they make in life and I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed the romance between Rebecca and Theo. I loved watching them meet, watching their attraction grow until the end and I loved watching them interact with each other. The way that Theo was with Rebecca made my heart pitter patter in my chest. It was a great addition to the book even though it wasn't the main focus of the book. Chick lit books are more like real life. They aren't perfect and though there's romance in them, there's so much more than just the romance. It's always great to read a chick lit every once in a while because I feel more like these things could happen.

Senate excels at writing character development. She is a home run hitter when it comes to making me connect with her characters and coming to care for them. All of them. This was a beautifully written story that had me gripped from the beginning. It was a fantastic story with characters that were charming, rich and just downright lovable. From the girls in the Divorced Ladies Club to Harry and Rex to Arlene at the restaurant, I loved them all. I was glad to get to know Joy right along with Rebecca and it was hard to read through the first hiccups of their relationship but at the end of the book when I closed it, I was so satisfied with what I had read that I wanted to start all over again. It was a good one. A book that I could see myself buying a copy for all of my sisters. I enjoyed it and I think everyone who reads it will enjoy it too. So would I recommend it to others? You betcha!

..and that's your scoop!

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