Stacking the Bookshelves #1

Yup, so I'm following in the footsteps of others who have come before me. I love the idea of sharing the books that we get each week.It makes us more aware of the different types of books that are out there.Books that we might not have known about ordinarily.

This was a very quiet week at the mailbox for me.I was still finishing Ethereal Fury:Gemini Rising as part of a Book Tour that starts soon.I also wanted to finish Cloaks & Veils that I had started over a month ago and finally I received my copy of Still Missing, that I had won in a Goodreads giveaway several months ago,that I really wanted to read.

On Thursday I received a copy of Stillwell by Michael Phillip Cash

I had received an email the week of June 17th asking if I would review this book and after I read the synopsis,I jumped at the chance.

As for the rest of the week,it has been very quiet. I did not buy any books either in hard copy or e-book formats.I'm hoping that next week will be a busier book week.

Reader's Choice

As a newbie blogger I tend to be a little more cautious than I would be in real life because I don't want to step on anyone's toes. I don't want to discredit the bloggers that have been doing the book blogging thing for multiple years. If I happened to find a great meme or idea,then I do my best to find the original blogger that began it and ask permission to borrow it and tweak it a little bit to fit who I am.

That's what I did with this new (to me) idea. I borrowed it with permission from Christina at A Reader of Fictions. Reader's Choice allows me to get to know my fellow readers better.It actually messes with me a bit because I am SUCH a control freak.So allowing others to choose my books for me definitely pulls me out of my comfort zone.

Here is the form



It will likely take me a few days to acquire the book as I am a college student and I don't have unlimited funds to buy books,although how awesome would that be? When I read a book,I have the right to not like it even if the person who picked it for me absolutely loved it. No one will like all the same books.I think that would make for a pretty boring world.Don't you think?

Happy suggesting!

Friday Musings

I am still trying to figure out the name for this weekly feature so for now I'm naming it Friday Musings.I am working hard not to tread on the toes of book bloggers who have come before me.Thankfully I have Molli from Once Upon A Prologue to tell me if a name I picked already for a meme has already been used. So thanks Molli.

So today I am going to talk about what got me into reading YA books.Until about 2 years ago I didn't even know that YA was a book genre.It wasn't until my friend Katie insisted that I read The Hunger Games that I realized that there was a whole new genre of books that I had never even known about. From the recommendation of The Hunger Games trilogy to the awesomeness that both the Divergent Trilogy & the Shatter Me trilogies have,I am excited to read the next Dystopian novel.

Some people will say that it was the Twilight series that got them into reading YA.I will not be one of them.I am one of the few people who loved the final book of the Twilight series best of all but I would never read the series again. Not when there is so many BETTER YA authors out there. Laura Howard who wrote The Forgotten Ones,R.J. Anderson who wrote Ultraviolet & Dan Rix who wrote Entanglement are all fantastic writers of the YA genre.

Tell me who are yout favorite authors of any genre?

Review: Cloaks & Veils by J.C. Carlson

Author: J.C, Carlson

Published: July 17th,2012

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Available at Amazon.com in multiple versions.Available at Barnes & Noble in paperback.

Synopsis: Disgraced FBI agent Sundara "Dara" McIntyre must monitor a junior agent as punishment for her affair with a Jordanian spy by the name of Tariq.Dara must figure out if recently widowed Caitlin is fit to be in the field. 

Yet this widow has her own secrets much like Dara. Dara begins investigating an operation that seems to raise red flags. An operation that Caitlin & her recently deceased husband Jonathan recently took part in. Dara's investigation takes her to both Dubi & to Barcelona. But the truth is much harder to find than Dara realizes.And when certain things come to light she begins to wonder if she can trust anyone...even the man who penetrated her hard exterior.

Disclaimer: I bought this book off Amazon.

Review: I got this one as a free e-book from Amazon.It seemed interesting and at the time I needed a book to read. It took me over a month to finish it. Not that I didn't enjoy it but just after I bought this book I had a plethora of books show up in my mailbox.Which meant this one got pushed to the side.

There was a whole lot of stuff going on in this book.But through it all I really liked Dara. She was a take charge kind of woman.She was a straight shooter & no BS kind of person.I did find it sort of sad that she had no one in her corner aside from Tariq who she had basically been forced to stop seeing. There was never any doubt in my mind that he cared deeply for her.

Now Caitlin was far more complicated than I ever gave her credit for initially.She had lost her husband and she had learned of her pregnancy shortly after Jonathan had died.By the end of the book I was firmly in Caitlin's corner as I had come to realize that this scheme that she and Jonathan had been involved in,had gotten out of hand.Tony Alvaro & Dominic Cahill are two other players in this crazy game of deception.

I gave this book 4 stars.While I enjoyed it very much,there was not a whole lot of character development in the supporting characters.Outside of Dara,Tariq,Caitlin and Jonathan I don't feel like I got to know the other characters that well.

Review: Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

Author: Chevy Stevens

Published Date:July 6th,2010

Published by St. Martin's Press

Available at Amazon.com in multiple versions.

Available at Barnes & Noble in paperback & Nook versions.

Synopsis: On the day that Annie O'Sullivan was abducted,she had three things to worry about: Resolve things with her mother,sell a house and be on time for dinner with her boyfriend.That all changes when she is abducted from a home that she is trying to sell.Still Missing interweaves Annie's year of hellish captivity into sessions with her psychologist. 

In these sessions,Annie struggles to put her life back in order but she just can't let go of the lack of answers behind her abduction.Things come to a head with people in her inner circle that she never would have suspected.Does Annie have the strength to learn the truth about people she thought she knew?

Disclaimer: I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway.

Review: Well when I first read the description of this book I thought "Wow reminds me a LOT of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" which I love. So when the book arrived in my mailbox,I eagerly began reading it. While the book itself reminded me a lot of what I imagine the victims' side of SVU would be like,it was even better than that. It was bone chilling and creepy. It was the kind of book that made me sleep with a bat next to my bed. 

Certain parts of the book scared the living daylights out of me. I've been through a lot in my personal life and it's rare that something can actually scare me but Still Missing did just that. Yet I devoured the book.I finished nearly 3 quarters of the book that first night.I had recently read Chevy Stevens' newest book Always Watching (I received an ARC of it) and while that one was amazing in it's own right,the creepiness factor wasn't there as much as it was in Still Missing.

Annie was amazingly resilient. I tried to put myself in her shoes when she was being held captive by The Freak and I remember thinking that as strong as I think I am,I never would have made it a week much less a year with this man.

I could not really connect with Annie's relationship with her mother and I think that is based on my own life experience. My mother and I are extremely close.Best friend close.

The relationship with Luke seemed I don't know...One sided. I never thought I'd say this but I think The Freak had a point. I don't think Annie was ever really that into Luke. I think Luke was more into her than she was into him.

The relationship with Christina made me smile. Christina was there for Annie in a way that no one else really was. Yes Christina pushed her but I think her heart was in the right place when she pushed Annie.Christina's viewpoint on friendship was awesome.She viewed their friendship more important than her job.

The Freak was just that. A freak. It gave me the creeps to watch how he talked to Annie and made her actually feel pity for him when all she should have felt was anger at him.There were certain parts of the book where I actually had to put the book down and do something else.Those parts coincided with whenever The Freak was mentioned.These parts also included tears and/or throwing of the book across the room.

Overall this book was simply amazing.It was bone chilling and creepy in a way that really made you feel like you were in the story.Like her newest release I am giving Chevy Stevens' Still Missing 5 stars. This book,like Always Watching is not for everyone but for anyone who likes a great psychological thriller,you need to read this one.

Cover Reveal: The Fab Life

Add it on Goodreads

It’s the life I was born to live: billionaire’s daughters, living amongst the rich & famous. But my mom kept me a secret from my dad. Until now.

I am so out of my league. Fancy parties, expensive cars, and a private school for the elite… It sounds like a dream. But everything is not as perfect as it seems on the outside. Here, the secrets are dirty, and the lies comes easy.

Welcome to my fab life.

Author Bio

 I am a YA/ NA author, with an addiction to NOS & Red Bull energy drinks. My guilty pleasure is the TV series The Lying Game and The Vampire Diaries. I'm 23 years old. I currently live in St Louis, with my husband of 2 years.

Stalk Links

  Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Giveaway

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Review: Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

Author: Aprilynne Pike
Published: April 30th,2013
Available at Amazon.com in both Kindle & hardcover versions.Also available at Barnes & Noble in both hardcover & Nook versions.

Synopsis: Kimberlee thought she was doomed to haunt her high school forever.She might have been right if she hadn't met Jeff. Unlike any other of her former classmates,Jeff can both see & hear Kimberlee. Now Kimberlee needs Jeff's help and Jeff is very reluctant to help her but the idea of her disappearing forever is very tempting to him.Things only get more complicated when Jeff agrees to help her.

Disclaimer: I won this in a book blog giveaway.

Review: I am extremely glad that I decided to read this book before reading the comments posted on various sites.I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much as I did,if I had read certain comments beforehand.

I actually really enjoyed this book.It was a quick read which I wasn't expecting.I got the book 22 hours ago and I'm already done.That's even with a decent night's sleep and reading other books in between.I am not surprised that this copy was a proof as there were several issues. Only one spelling error BUT there were several formatting issues that were driving me batty.

Oh well, on to the book. Like I said already,I enjoyed it. Having the book be in a guy's perspective was really awesome as most books have the female narrating the book.I loved that Jeff was a nerd.That was another deviation from typical fiction.

I'm absolutely obsessed with Khail. He was totally awesome and I really loved that there was more depth to him than we initially knew. I loved that he was a wrestler and that he wasn't a total meat-head like so many jocks in these YA book are.

Sera was totally confusing.Initially I really liked her a lot but by the end I wanted to hang her by her hair.She really didn't understand how to let go. I truly think that Jeff was only into her because she was in a word, hot. Yes she had substance but we didn't know the depth of the substance until much later in the book.

Kimberlee was totally messed up but I had the complete opposite feeling about her than I felt for Sera. By the end of the book,I just wanted Kimberlee to be at peace.She had struggled to have some semblance of peace while she was on Earth,so I wanted her to finally find it when she was able to completely be on the other side.

Obviously I am morally against stealing,however Kimberlee wanted to make amends for her actions.I couldn't vilify her for that.I wanted her to be able to make her amends to those whom she had stolen from.

I was pretty annoyed with Sera.Not only for her apparent inability to forgive Kimberlee,but also for her refusal to share things with Jeff. True intimacy in a relationship requires that both members of the couple be emotionally vulnerable and I just don't think Sera was there yet.

Ghosts have always fascinated me,so I knew the second I had read the synopsis,that I absolutely had to read this book.I think I would give this book 3.5 stars.I enjoyed it mostly because of the paranormal aspect of it. Kimberlee and Khail were my 2 favorite characters mostly because of their complexities. Sera was complex too but hers was more of the teenage rebellion complexity.Jeff was pretty uncomplicated which bored me a little bit.

In this case,me giving it 3.5 stars is not indicative to how much I actually enjoyed the book

My Bookish Pet Peeves

As of today I will be launching a new weekly feature for my blog. I will be covering different things related to books & blogging every week.From best/worst book covers to best/worst male & female characters.

Today I'm going to be talking about my biggest pet peeves when it comes to books.If you know me in real life I'm pretty sure you'd expect my first answer to be different than what it will actually be.

My number one pet peeve about books is when they have a character that's "perfect" Gorgeous,smart & with a perfect family with no family skeletons.No person is perfect just as no family is perfect. I tend to get irritated with books that establish a Mary Sue/Gary Stu character. Every single person has some sort of flaw.I would think that writing flawless characters can really get boring.When a character is flawless,they are very one dimensional. Flawed characters add to the story. They are multi-dimensional which make them more interesting and make the reader more interested in them.

Pet peeve number two has to go to editing.There are editors in the world and I wish all authors would use them.I haven't found many issues with the flow of books,but rather the grammar, sentence structure,syntax & spelling.I hate to brag but I won a school spelling bee when I was in 7th grade.My final opponent was older than me and I still managed to out spell her.Even if the author is not a great speller,there are devices that they can use such as spell check.Of course spell check doesn't catch everything but it would be a start.

Insta-love is another one that drives me absolutely batty. I have been seeing this one a lot in books lately and it's just not realistic.I know books aren't always realistic but love stories should at least be plausible and it should make you root for the couple. In both Sweet Serendipity & Picturing Perfect the insta-love showed up in slightly different forms but it was still the same.

In both of these books,the female character becomes so absorbed in the man in her life that everything else suffers.It was really bad in Sweet Serendipity when the female character had kids but she was so wrapped up in her new boy toy that she didn't realize that her youngest was slipping into dangerous territory.

I enjoy the love stories that start off slowly and not involve immediate romps in the sack.I like strong,confident women that DON'T need to jump into the sack the second a man smiles at her.A woman that has self respect does NOT need to jump in the sack with any man who simply looks at her.While I am aware that sex sells (look at the horrid Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy) sex alone does not make a compelling read.Well not for me anyway.

Those are three of my biggest pet peeves. Visit next Friday for my next installment.

What are some of your book related pet peeves?

Review: Bed, Breakfast & Bondage (Emerald Valley) by Riley Shane

Author: Riley Shane
Published: November 2012
Available at Amazon.com in Kindle version.Also available at Barnes & Noble in Nook version.

Synopsis: Anaya Bancroft has had her heart broken by Devlin Levi,yet her complete ineptitude in the kitchen of an inn that she co-owns forces her to ask her ex for hep in the kitchen.Just in the kitchen. That's it. However Devlin has other ideas.He wants 8 nights with her. 8 nights of fantasies.8 chances to prove that they can make this work.If at the end of it Anaya still believes that they can't make it work,then Devlin will never bother her again.

It's an arrangement that Anaya can't resist, even though she's afraid that Devlin just might break her heart all over again.

Review: Bed, Breakfast & Bondage was just the right amount of funny and sexy.Erotica is definitely not a genre of book that I read most often,but it's also not a genre that I shy away from. If it's done right,it can make one hot, sexy book. BB&B was definitely done right.It was clear to me from the start that both Devlin & Anaya were still in love. Anaya could try to deny it to her best friend all she wanted,but Leah and I both knew how she really felt about Devlin.

The sex scenes were done to perfection. I've never been able to write sex scenes, so to see them done so brilliantly and without giving body parts stupid names,gave me confidence that I could write sexy scenes just as well. I loved how one of the terms of the agreement was that there would be no judgement on the fantasies and if either of them were not interested in a certain fantasy or it was going in a direction that they were uncomfortable with,it would be stopped immediately. That showed a lot of class to me. Sometimes in these types of books,class is lacking.Then it feels just dirty and like raw animal sex.

I think I am going to give this book 4 stars. 4 only because I really wanted more and I felt like the book went too quickly.I thought I was going to say that I hated the ending but the more I think about it,the more I loved the ending.I need to go read more of Riley Shane's work now.

Review: Waiting for the Storm by Marie Landry

Author: Marie Landry
Publication Date: April 5th, 2013
Available on Amazon.com in Kindle version. Available at Barnes & Noble in Nook version.

Synopsis: When Charlotte O'Dell loses her mother to illness,she is forced to begin the process of finding herself again.She had lost sight of who she was as she cared for her mother in her last months.Her sister is no help as she is inexplicably angry with Charlotte for reasons Charlotte can only speculate about.Her father is deep in his own grief,seemingly unable to pull himself out of it.The three of them are heading off to a beach house that was once Annie O'Dell's. It was her last wish that they go spend the summer there.

Once there,things don't seem to improve. Ella, or Gabriella,as she wants to be called now is hanging out all night with strangers. Their father seems to be sinking further and further into his grief and Charlotte is trying to take care of both of them even though there's no one to take care of her.

That is,until she meets Ezra.Ezra lives next door to the O'Dell's and he manages to worm his way into Charlotte's heart.He has is own demons though and when Charlotte discovers them for herself,it takes her awhile to forgive him for not telling her sooner.The summer at the beach house helps all three of the remaining O'Dell's in ways none of them expected.


Review: Have you ever read a book that stayed with you minutes and hours after you finish it? This book is of that caliber. I finished it several hours ago and yet it still sits with me. I think of certain parts of the book and I get emotional all over again.That's the mark of an amazing book.One that can give you so many feelings throughout it. One that can make you smile, laugh and yes, even cry.

Charlotte was a relatable character.It made sense to me that she had lost sight of who she was during the later part of her mother's illness.Ella's response made sense too.Grief comes in many forms. Some people soldier on,determined to take care of the family that are left.Some fall off the wagon so to speak and do things they wouldn't ordinarily do. And still others sink so far down in their grief that they struggle to see the light.All three O'Dell's could fit those three separate descriptions.

Ezra, Ezra, Ezra.There's not much I can say about this young man.Except I fell totally in love with him.I loved how there was a lot of depth to him. That's something that is usually lacking in books like this.What he did not only for his mother but also for the kids that lived on the island.He was flawed which is something that I look for in a book.No person is perfect. Everyone has flaws or have had crappy things happen to them in the past. No one's life is perfect.

It wasn't the aggravating love story that I have seen come from Young Adult books lately.It was gradual,which I loved.Ezra wasn't the type of guy to push Charlotte which made me adore him all the more.Charlotte needed him to be gradual and cautious as she worked to re-emerge back into the world.And Ezra happily obliged.I made the comment while reading,that Charlotte & Ezra were swoon-worthy and it's completely true.

This book was a perfect summer read and I just couldn't put it down for very long except when my eyes were closing in protest late at night.I am giving this book 5 stars.It has everything a person could want in a book.I really need to read more of Marie's books if all of her books are as amazing as this one.

Review: Picturing Perfect by Melissa Brown

                                                                                                    

Author: Melissa Brown

Publish Date: June 11th,2013

Available at Amazon.com in paperback & Kindle versions. Also available at Barnes & Noble in Nook version.

  

Synopsis: Jason Kelly and Hadley Foster have known each other since they were children. Hadley has been best friends with Jason's sister Auden since they were kids. Hadley has been in relationship with Tucker for nearly 7 years.It isn't until she gets some unexpected news that she realizes just how wrong Tucker is for her. Jason is a writer but after a chance encounter with Hadley,his work begins to suffer.Will Jason and Hadley find their way to each other and realize that the feelings that each of them have are shared by the other person.

Review: I happened to get this as a freebie and I was happy because I needed something "fluffy" to read. I almost wish I hadn't wasted my time on this one. Yes it was a quick read but this formula was exactly like almost every other "fluffy" book I've read lately.

I really loved how Hadley worked at a day center for mentally challenged adults and I really wish we had seen more of that.I loved Hadley's back story. Jason was aggravating.He was uncomplicated which can be a good thing but when characters are uncomplicated it means that the writers didn't delve into them enough. Tucker was a straight up asshole and I wanted to pound him into the ground as soon as humanly possible. I loved seeing the evolution of Hadley's mom.She started off still in a depression over her husband's death that had happened years ago and she slowly emerged from the dark cloud of depression.I tried to connect with Auden but I really couldn't.

The editing and flow of the book were fine. No editing issues at all which was a relief.I really detested how quickly Hadley jumped into a new relationship. I was annoyed because I think everyone needs to take time in between relationships to make sure that they don't make the same mistakes in the new relationship.

Would I recommend this book to someone else? Unfortunately I have to say no.It was boring and predictable. For that reason I have to give it 2 stars.Of course this is merely my own opinion and someone else may absolutely adore this book.It just wasn't for me.

Review: Always Watching by Chevy Stevens

Author: Chevy Stevens
Release Date: June 18th, 2013
Available for pre-order at Amazon.com & Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: When a new patient by the name of Heather Simeon arrives at the hospital,psychiatrist Dr. Nadine Lavoie senses something about her but she has no idea how similar their lives are until Heather begins to open up bit by bit.Dealing with a runaway daughter by the name of Lisa,Nadine must confront the memories of her horrific childhood.She begins to remember with more clarity the horror that she,her mom & brother experienced when they went to a compound on Vancouver Island. Now Nadine must find out what really happened and why the name Aaron Quinn still scares her.

Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I wasn't expecting to get this book. In fact this was the first unsolicited book that I have received. Nonetheless I was in between books and this one came at the right time. As soon as I read the synopsis of the book, I knew that I had to read this.It's been a long time since I have read a book that kept me up half the night and made it difficult for me to put down in order to sleep.I managed to finish this book in under 24 hours and a 6 hour sleep.

I really liked Nadine.She was compassionate towards her patients without becoming too involved in their personal lives.She was personable and likable. I had a feeling I knew what she was going to find out about her time on the compound but I was so hoping I was wrong. I wish we had gotten to see more of Nadine's brother.I found him to be very compelling. I never quite believed that he knew nothing about what Nadine had gone through at the compound.

My heart ached for Heather.She seemed so damaged. I don't think she was like that before she had spiraled downward. Daniel adored her but I knew pretty quickly that there was more to him than met the eye initially. I knew he was somehow tied to the mysterious Aaron Quinn.I also knew that if there was a connection,we wouldn't discover it until the book was almost over.

Lisa was such a troubled young woman and I knew that could pose a problem for her as the compound leaders seemed to be very adept at convincing the troubled people to join them.I found myself hoping against all hope that Lisa would escape her demons as unscathed as possible. I had a feeling I knew what had driven Lisa into drugs but again I was hoping I was wrong

Books about these religious cults that begin in a compound have always been interesting to me. Even though I am not of the religious sort,I find the complete trust in a leader compelling.This book held many secrets in it and every chapter would unveil yet another layer of secrets. Some were compound related,some weren't.

This book gets 5 stars.It was a thrilling read that made me feel so many things. By the end of the book I was full on crying.I had gone through so many emotions while reading this book. Of course this book isn't for everyone,but it was right up my alley. I plan on buying the previous books that this author has written and all future books that she writes.

Giveaway being held by author K.A. Robinson

Guys, I just received an email from author K.A. Robinson asking me to spread the word about her mega giveaway.There is only six days left to enter so follow this link https://www.facebook.com/KARobinson13/app_228910107186452 Please share the link to her giveaway with anyone you think would be interested.

Good luck to all of the entrants!

Review: Too Much Blood-A Toni Day Mystery by Jane Bennett Munro

Author: Jane Bennett Munro
Published: 2012
Available: Amazon.com in both paperback & Kindle varieties.Available at Barnes & Noble in paperback & Nook varieties.

Synopsis: Pathologist Toni Day receives a call in the middle of the night informing her that a local attorney by the name of Jay Braithwaite Burke has been found dead in his Mercedes. This attorney was known because of his elaborate hedge fund that he had managed to get the entire hospital to invest in. The only ones who didn't invest were Toni and her husband Hal.Jay disappeared shortly after it was discovered that his hedge fund was actually a Ponzi scheme.

When Toni discovers that Jay bled to death,she's ready to rule this as a homicide.Before she can do that,his partner Lance dies in similar circumstances. This is quickly followed by a series of house fires that leave both Jay & Lance's wives and children homeless.

Toni is already dealing with some personal issues of her own.Her marriage is on the rocks. She fears that the emotional distance that she is experiencing with her husband could lead him to an affair. Her suspicions only grow when she sees him with a young,blond twenty-something woman.

However,concerns about her husband's faithfulness must be put aside as a mysterious illness begins to threaten the lives of those she knows and loves. Can she solve the mystery in time?

Review: Despite seeing that this book had some not so great reviews, I was elated when I got a copy from the author and the following day I dove head first into the book.Mystery books have always been a favorite of mine so I had high expectations for this book.

My expectations were definitely met.This book was an awesome book. Yes there were some issues mainly surrounding the HIPPA laws that I know are in place to protect the patient. As someone who has spent a ton of time in hospitals,I was expecting to be bothered by the violations of HIPPA but I found myself not even caring. That's how engaging I found the book.

This book kept me guessing the entire time. I really liked Toni and she seemed to have everything all put together even though her personal life was unraveling. I wish I had a better feeling about Hal but I don't feel like his character was developed as much as I was hoping.Then there was Bambi who I didn't like initially but I grew to absolutely adore her. Let's not forget the awesomeness that was Toni's mother,Fiona. She was full of spunk that was so similar to Toni.

The finale scene with Ruthie and Toni was pure perfection. My heart was racing as I read the pages.It was so suspenseful that I could barely wait to read the next page and the next one.

I would give this book 4 stars. The only reason it's not getting a full five stars is that I don't feel like I got to know all of the supporting characters as well as I wanted to. I think she could have tapped into them a bit more,especially Hal.

Review: The Obsessive Chronicles by Josh Greenfield

Synopsis: This is a story told in first person by Jordan Fineman. It tells the story of a seemingly ordinary American Jewish teenager who evolves into a very troubled and dysfunctional young man.The story picks up when Jordan is on a trip to Alaska.He is in Alaska to do seasonal work since he cannot hold down a steady job. We follow him back to New York where he has a complete mental breakdown and is forced to spend some time in a psychiatric facility.

Jordan has severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and he also has Bipolar Disorder. With the ups and downs of Bipolar Disorder also come fits of rage.He has a very supportive father who must support Jordan both financially & emotionally.Jordan also sees a psychiatrist several times a week.

Review: I wanted so much to like this book because I find the topic of mental illness so fascinating. One of the problems that I found was that the OCD issues & the rage issues were talked about but not fully explored in the way that I was hoping they would be.It didn't feel like the author totally committed to the subject matter. I wanted to like Jordan but I found myself very indifferent to him which was strange considering how likable the author was clearly trying to make him.

I really didn't like the opening of the book.It felt way too wordy and like the author was trying too hard to make it sound interesting.That them of being too wordy carried on throughout the book and that was probably why I couldn't get into it as much as I wanted to. There were also too many misspellings and grammatical errors that a good editing session would fix rather quickly.

This book gets 3 stars from me. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either.


About the Author

Josh Greenfield is a graduate of both Phillips Andover Academy and Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences. He holds two masters degrees from the City University of New York, one in History and one in English Literature. He also completed the better part of a doctorate in English at Fordham University. His desire in writing is to tell a entertaining and engaging story, to look for laughs in dark places.

Review: Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

Author: Lauren Graham
Published: 2013
Available: Amazon.com in hard copy & Kindle varieties.Barnes & Noble in hard copy and Nook varieties.


Synopsis: 

Frances "Franny" Banks is bound and determined to make it as an actress in the cutthroat business in New York. 2 1/2 years ago she set a deadline of three years. If she doesn't make it as an actress in those three years,then she will give up her dream. She now has six months until her deadline and she still hasn't made it. She has a fan club of Jane and Dan but even she knows that,that's not enough.

A pretty important showcase is coming up in her acting class and she cannot afford a mistake. Not if she wants to get into this business. Throw in a very attractive man by the name of James Franklin and you've got a disaster waiting to happen.

This book is about finding yourself even when you think you've lost sight of who you are. It's also about friendship and love.

Review:

I gotta be honest. When I found out that actress Lauren Graham had written a book, I was extremely hesitant to give it a try. I had watched her on Gilmore Girls and then on Parenthood and I had totally enjoyed her. However reading a book written by an actress was an entirely different ball of wax.

I needn't have worried. Someday, Someday, Maybe was a joy to read. I could feel Lauren Graham's persona really emerge in this book.It was definitely quirky,but a good quirky. Not the obnoxious quirky.

Franny Banks was awesome. I was rooting for her to succeed through the entire book. I wish we had seen just a bit of of Jane. Jane had her moments of comedic brilliance but I wish there had been more of it. Dan was SUCH a sweetheart and I knew almost immediately that he was interested in Franny despite him being engaged,James was definitely stereotyped as the cute guy who turns out to be an ass. That was a bit of a disappointment. I wanted him to be different and he wasn't.

Honestly I'd give this book 4 stars. The only reason it's not getting a full five stars is that I had an issue with the ending. The ending felt unfinished which I really didn't like.

If you've read this one,comment and let me know what you think.

May Wrap-Up

May was certainly an interesting month. I continued my new venture as a book blogger,entered FAR too many giveaways and connected with a TON of book bloggers & authors on Twitter, Facebook, GoodReads & even Instagram.

• I reviewed If You Stay by Courtney Cole and gave it five stars.
• I created three mini-reviews for books that weren't terrible but I didn't have a lot to say about them.Tuesday's Child,Indelible Love: Emily's Story & The Job Offer.
• I wrote about how much I loved my Kindle and how I had been attempting to do some more reading on it.
• I wrote about how I had jumped right in with two feet into this book blogging thing.Also how crazy I was with these giveaways.
• I reviewed Deceived:Part One New York. This was an erotic book written by Eve Carter.I gave this one two stars. The editing was stellar but the actual content of the book was not very high quality.
• I wrote about how I was already having to turn down review requests.I hadn't expected to be doing that,right off the bat. I had figured it would take awhile for my name to get out there
• I wrote about my book haul that I had bought for myself and how I didn't know which book I was going to read first.
• I reviewed Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson and I gave that one a glowing review as well.It was different,but good different and written well. This one is now on my list for favorite books that I've read in 2013.
• I reviewed The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard.This one was yet another stellar one that earned it's place on my favorite books of 2013 list.
• My final post of May was on how Mental Illness is depicted in books. I did a few very short reviews on some of my favorite books on the subject.

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Publish date: February 5th,2013

Available at Amazon.com in hard cover & Kindle versions. Barnes & Noble in hard cover and Nook versions

Synopsis: Unravel Me is the 2nd book of a series that started with Shatter Me. Juliette is now at Omega Point and away from the Reestablishment who is trying to use her as a weapon. Omega Point is for others like her. Others who have special abilities just like her.She's free to be with Adam. However Warner is not who he seems and Juliette begins to wonder just who is Warner. Juliette must now make a choice and that choice can either save Adam's life or break her heart.

Review: I wasn't really sure what to expect with the second book. Second books are notoriously weaker than the first so I was apprehensive about it.I had adored Shatter Me so much that the thought of Unravel Me being subpar just broke my heart. But I didn't need to worry. Unravel Me not only matched up to Shatter Me, it EXCEEDED Shatter Me by a landslide. Very rarely are 2nd books better than the first one but this one was.

I kind of fell in love with Kenji in this one. He tried so hard not to get into anyone's business but he found himself worming his way into my heart. I really wish we had seen more of James. I think James is adorable and I just want to hug him every single time he's mentioned in the book. From what little we saw of the other secondary characters such as Winston,Brendan and the girls I loved them and they were all likable.

Of course I'm gonna have to talk about the three main ones. I never thought I'd say this but Adam was aggravating nearly the entire book.His strength that I admired SO much in Shatter Me,had completely disappeared in Unravel Me. Juliette was awesome. She was stronger and friendlier and happier. I could see the natural progression of her personality changes and it wasn't unexpected or weird. I loved that she had become less independent. I loved that she interacted with others and especially that she came to view Kenji as a friend.I loved watching her try to figure Warner out.

Oh Warner, Warner. He was easily my favorite male character in this book. He is definitely flawed but this time we got a whole new insight into who he really is. Maybe he's not the creep that scared the hell out of me in Shatter Me. In this book we learn that Warner and Adam share a connection that I sure as hell never saw coming.

This book gets a five star rating from me. It was perfection.Actually better than perfection and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Not liking a fellow book blogger's book recommendation

You ever have that moment when you're reading a book that a blogger friend recommended to you and you really don't like it?

Yeah, that has happened to me.

Of course I understand that not everyone is going to like the same books. That would make the world quite boring. However I feel disappointed when I can't gush about the book like I wanted to.It's kind of hard to explain but I do feel disappointed and let down. Yes a part of me wonders "were we really reading the same book?" because basically every single other book that has been recommended to me recently,I adored.

Have you had an experience like this? What book was it?

Review: Entanglement by Dan Rix

Author: Dan Rix
Published date: 2012
Available: Amazon.com in hard copy & Kindle versions

Synopsis:

Hot-headed Aaron Harper is scheduled to meet his half in 29 days-on his 18th birthday.Except he doesn't buy this entanglement crap.He makes an unspoken vow to stick to brawling with the rugby team. Then a new girl arrives at school who changes everything.Amber Lillian is gorgeous yet cold and she can't seem to get away from the growing similarities between Aaron & herself. Except for one teeny detail,she is supposedly another man's half.As the story moves on,Amber & Aaron learn more about themselves and why they FEEL like halves. They just can't prove it. If they can't prove it by their 18th birthday,then Aaron is destined to live without a half and Amber must be with a man who plans to possess her in every way possible.


Review: 

I wasn't sure how I would feel about this one. It looked too good and on occasion when books look too good they usually fail in the writing department. Not Entanglement. It was beautifully written throughout the book. Dan Rix used the type of descriptive language that is really lacking in a lot of books today. He made me feel like I was in the book and that really is the best feeling.

Amber & Aaron were likable & relatable which I loved. Despite Amber's coldness you felt empathy for her.Especially once you met Clive her supposed half.Not only that but Amber's family holds a few dark secrets of their own as well.Secrets that could change the course of Amber's life.Clive reminded me of some jerks I had gone to high school with so it was impossible to feel any sort of positive connection with him.

The other characters we met were hard for me to connect with. There were so many and the names so odd. Yet the one character outside of the two main ones, that I liked,was Emma Mist.Her half had died prematurely and that meant that her time was nearly up as well. Halves cannot live for very long without each other.

I really want to give this book a full five stars but I can't. Because of the underdevelopment of some of the supporting characters.So I'll give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. It was a great book and one that I will likely read again.

My June Book Buy

Like I have previously talked about I recently established a "book budget" I can buy as many books as I want in a given month BUT they must not exceed a predetermined amount (AKA my budget) I started adding books to my Amazon cart shortly after my May book haul arrived. Now I haven't FINISHED my books that I got in May yet but I'm nearly there.

The books that I buy are either in hard copy or Kindle version and yes the Kindle books do count towards my monthly book buy.

The hard copy books that I picked out were mostly recommended to me by Molli but also endorsed by Marie.My best friend in the entire universe gushed about Golden to me as well. I wouldn't have even HEARD about that one without Katie.

So here goes my list for June:

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland
My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi
Parallel by Lauren Miller
Pivot Point by Kasie West
The Shinning by Stephen King (Yes a very old book that I seriously have never read despite seeing the movie 80+ times)
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
Golden by Jessi Kirby
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Of course this means that I will be unable to buy any books for my Kindle during the month of June. If they are free,then yay,otherwise I'll have to hold off until July.

Comment on this post if you have read any of these books. Let me know what you thought of them.

Review: Sweet Serendipity by Jenna Pizzi

I had a million and one problems with this book despite the fact that the cover was sexy.

Rebecca is a dissatisfied housewife and mother of two who has grown apart from her husband Jack. Until she discovers that Jack is having an affair with a younger,blond woman.From the moment that she discovers the affair,she changes completely and although her longtime friends Emily & Natasha "Tasha" disagree, the changes in Rebecca are not good ones.

She meets a younger artist by the name of Ethan and almost instantly she cannot keep her hands off him.I personally have a big issue with people running into relationships just weeks after the end of a marriage. Especially when there are kids involved.She turned into a selfish,horny teenager and I'm sorry but I just cannot deal with that. Yes she's a woman but she's a mother first.She got so involved with Ethan that she didn't even notice that her youngest child was slipping into a depression.

The book was overall really really slow and only picked up in certain spots. Not to mention that the spelling was atrocious. Again I found myself wondering where was the editor and why hadn't he caught these mistakes. The characters themselves were boring and not interesting at all. The only one I cared about was Adam,Rebecca and Jack's son.

I have to give this book 1 star. I finished it but with all the editing issues and the underdevelopment of the characters,I cannot in good sense give it more than one star.