Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

As many bloggers before me have pointed out, this book is Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day.  Samantha Kingston happens to be a girl that dies in the first chapter and is the main character of the book.  She lives February 12 over and over again over the course of 7 days, but she is the only one that knows that she’s reliving the same day.  The first 300 pages of this book she is so unlikable that I wanted to slap her and all of her friends across the face repeatedly.  There were no redeeming characteristics for these mean girls and that’s saying something, usually in a book you can find something in every character, not these girl.  They were the devil.  Samantha was so unlikeable that I wanted to throw the book across the room several times throughout my reading journey, but overall, I liked the book and thought it had a good message behind the words.

I loved Kent McFuller.  What a great character!  He was funny, sweet, and a quirky.  He gave Sam some things to think about with his little one liners like “I see right through you,” or “I would be your hero too, no matter how long it took.”  Kent actually made the book for me.  Without him I would have given this book only 1 star, but he makes me want to give a 5.  He was a well thought out character that had amazing lines and the way Sam’s affection grew for him throughout her journey made me smile. 

I liked Sam’s 7^th day.  (SPOILERS IN THIS PARAGRAPH) The last day is when she finally figured out what would end her cycle and who she could help and who she couldn’t.  After I finished this book, I had to fear the disaster Samantha left behind.  Her parents are probably at a loss at what to think, she was a horrible teenager, but the last day she was on earth she hugged them and said she loved them.  She was a terrible big sister that didn’t pay attention to her sister, but on her last day gave her a necklace.  She ignored Kent and dated a pod of a guy who only wanted one thing from her, but on that last day she gave him a sweet note and noticed him for the first time in years.  I can only imagine the confusion that everyone around her felt, even Juliet Sykes, why would her tormentor save her life and then she has to live with her savior being a horrible person, except in her final moments. 

I did not like the best friend’s interactions.  They were unrealistic and felt too staged.  If someone is going to write for teenagers, it needs to sound like what teenagers would say.  Every time the girls would lose control in laughter I rolled my eyes because I couldn’t imagine that in real life.    

Overall it was a pretty good book.  I was glad I read it and I may pass it along to one of my middle school girls in my church small group.  I wouldn’t highly recommend this book to my adult friends that like YA, but for a younger audience it may be a good read.  Either way, Keep Reading my Friends! 

The Best Side of Daemon yet!

Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Have I mentioned that I heart the Lux series?  I cannot get over how much it warms my heart to read about Katy and Daemon.  This book has done it again.  I fell for Daemon in Obsidian, I got to know him a little better and start to see through his tough exterior in Onyx, but Opal is by far the best side of Daemon yet.  We get to see his sweet, romantic, loving side without losing his confident, cocky, arrogant side.  I loved this book. I could start reading it over again right now and not be upset.

I’m not sure that I could sum up this book in a paragraph without losing some readers so I’ll go straight into what I loved about this book and I probably won’t even try to say what I didn’t like (because the only things I didn’t like were characters that were supposed to get on my nerves, i.e. Blake-ugh, hate that guy and Dee’s falling out with Katy- sad that friendship was gone.  I hated Will-so glad he is out of the picture.  I hated what happened with Carissa).    But I loved so much, so let’s start there.

I loved Prom and the picnic by the lake.  So sweet and romantic.  I loved that there was a fire and food and it was in a special place for both Daemon and Katy.  I love that he still calls her Kitten.  Have I said that before in these blogs?  I love the nickname Kitten.  So glad he calls her that and not Kitty Cat, that nickname sends the bad chills down my back (and not in a good way).

I cannot wait for Origin.  Requested from the Library and I can’t wait!

Read this series!  It’s an excellent YA series and suddenly I am very interested in Aliens! Keep Reading my Friends!

Love...quadrangle?

Where You Are (Between the Lines #2) by Tammara Webber

Now that School Pride is finished taping we follow Emma to her new plans of going to college, she has one person in mind when she’s making those plans, Graham.  She doesn’t know if there is anything to what she felt with him, but she is still drawn to him like she has never experienced before.  Reid of course still wants what he can’t have.  He knows it’s not love, but what girl has ever told him no?  Only Emma, so that’s who he wants. Brooke also has a story to tell in this episode and she wants Graham, she has decided that she will do whatever it takes for her to get him even if it means lying, cheating, stealing, she doesn’t care as long as Graham is her prize in the end.  Well and of course Graham wants Emma, he actually thinks he loves her, so you’ll have to read it to find out how this big cluster of a story gets straightened out… or will it?

I of course loved Emma and her character is fun and easy to read.  She doesn’t have any annoying traits like some leading ladies can.  I felt her pain and wanted her to do well.  Maybe the only thing that I wanted to slap her around about is the fact that she listened to Reid.  That lying sack of crap was always doing stupid stuff and yet she automatically believed anything he had to say about Graham and Brooke.  Emma was very naïve about Graham and his true feelings for her. 

Speaking of Graham, he is of course our perfect book guy.  We find out a big secret that he’s keeping and we love him even more for it.  He always has great motives and even better lines.  He is the reason to read this book, every time we get to see a little into his mind it’s a good time. 

I am hoping we get to see more of Graham in the future, there’s only one way to find out, book #3 here I come!  Keep reading my friends!

The Beginning of a Rush Crush on Monday

Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines

After disaster upon disaster hits poor Blaire Wynn, she sells her family home in Alabama and moves to Rosemary Beach Florida to find her estranged father.  The same father who she hasn’t seen in five years since he left his wife and daughter after a tragic car accident that killed Blaire’s twin.  When she arrives she finds she has a step brother named Rush (who happens to be a rock star’s son) and her father is off with his new wife in Paris.  With nowhere to go Rush takes pity on her giving her a bed and little else so she can wait until her dad gets back and they can figure things out.  She feels how unwelcome she is from the first minute she’s there in the huge house with the extravagant parties and Rush doesn’t roll out any red carpets, but she also feels a strange attraction to him.  Knowing that she has to move out and start a life of her own, she quickly finds a job to save up for her own place and she finds that Rush isn’t the unkind jerk that he always pretends to be.  Of course there has to be a huge upset and it so happens to be a secret that will destroy Blaire, what will she do?  Has she fallen too far to be able to forgive the wrongs done?  So many questions that can only be answered if you read this book!

I loved this book and I cannot wait to continue with this series.  Blaire and Rush are well written and fun.  Maybe it’s not the characters, maybe I’m actually in love with Abbi Glines.  She has kept my attention on her characters all week.  I haven’t done a single dish or washed any dishes, my house is a wreck and I can’t stop reading.  I have requested every single one of her books from the library and when I can’t get them fast enough I’m buying them on my nook.  I’m ruined!

I can’t wait to read this entire series.  I liked Rush, he was a great character, he was so mysterious and never let Blaire in and therefore we didn’t know much about him.  He did things at the beginning that I would never have been able to forget.  It would have tainted the entire relationship for me, but Blaire was able to forgive and forget easily.  Guess I’m just a bitter female. 

With most New Adult books, I cannot recommend this book to anyone under the age of 18.  So, if you are a young reader, stay in the young adult genre.  

I hope you find books that you enjoy.  Keep Reading my friends!

35 Girls. 1 Crown. The Compitition of a Lifetime.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

I have never watched the Bachelor or the Bachelorette.  Knowing human nature and especially how females can be within competition with a man involved, I can only imagine the claws coming out and the crying eyes and all of the hardships that would come along with living with women you don’t know and all the while, trying to impress the man of your dreams and so are the other 34 women. 

This is where we find America Singer, our heroine she is a five in the caste system of the country that was formally the USA, that is now called Illea.  She is part of the Selected (sorry for the mild spoiler, but really, it would be a very short book if she wasn’t chosen.  It would be like Katniss not being chosen for the Hunger Games).  She now is going to stay in the palace and compete for the Princes’ heart and hand in marriage.  The only problem is that her heart already belongs to Aspen, the boy from the lower caste back home.  As she struggles with her feelings for Maxon the Prince as her friend and Aspen as her first love, the country is in danger of falling apart with rebel attacks. 

I loved this book.  It was suggest to me by one of the students in my small group at church.  She loved both of the first books (as the third has not been released yet) and she kept bringing it up.  I found a small window in my reading schedule and decided to go for it.  I just have to say, thank you Alex!  What a wonderful suggestion.

What I liked about the book mainly was Maxon.  I’m for Maxon all the way, what a sweet prince.  I love every interaction we see with him and America.  I hope that Kiera Cass doesn’t try and change my mind, because I am not an Aspen fan.  I am very worried that Maxon isn’t all that he says he is.  What is he saying to the other girls when he’s spending alone time with them?  Can we trust him?  I guess we’ll find out.  I hope he is everything we Maxon fans hope and dream. 

I loved the character development in this book.  I felt like I knew America and felt bad that the other girls assumed that she was trying something when she was actually just being herself.  I liked that this book made me question everyone’s motives, I even thought that maybe the palace was faking the rebel attacks to see how the girls would act or react.  I also thought that maybe Maxon was giving American insider information to see if she would repeat it or if she was truly trustworthy. 

Read this book, read it just to get to know Maxon, if for nothing else, he is a great book crush.

Keep Reading my Friends!     

Can't Decide-Who's the Man Crush Monday This Week?...Ridge or Griffin?!?

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

A brand new reading experience.  I believe that Colleen Hoover is the most innovative writer of anyone I have ever encountered.  I have heard of authors having a playlist to their books as in songs that have given them motivation or even thoughts from the songs to the pages that they are writing.  Actually, Colleen (yes I can call her by her first name because her writing has touched my soul-that puts us on a first name basis!) did this with Slammed and the Avett Brothers.  What a great way to express what you are feeling, but also give you a reference for what the characters are feeling, and also connect with the author.  But what Colleen has completed with Maybe Someday is an entire new experience. 

The first song was good and I thought, ok, this is a cool idea.  But after I started to get to know the characters and followed along with the plot, the song that changed the entire experience for me was “I’m in Trouble.” I literally got chills.  It was such an amazing moment.  I started smiling and got embarrassed because the words were so true, Ridge was in trouble.  I loved Maybe Someday and of course the last two songs were amazing and brought tears to my eyes.  Griffin Peterson, you did an excellent job with the music! I of course bought the album on iTunes and can’t stop listening to it… daily.

I loved the dual points of view.  I enjoyed getting to know Ridge and Sydney through their own perspectives, and Ridge especially was an amazing character, totally crush worthy and an amazing man.  I also loved Warren.  What a great secondary character and I loved that he wanted Sydney all up in his business and that he never got the hint.  I loved that he was a faithful friend to both Sydney and Ridge. 

I’m not going to lie (why would I?  It’s my blog). I spent a large majority of this book upset with both Ridge and Sydney.  I couldn’t believe what was going on especially after what Sydney had gone through at the beginning.  I don’t want to say much more than that, but know that I was upset with them and wanted to slap them around a little bit. When I wasn’t upset with them, I loved that Ridge would tell Sydney things that he had never told anyone.  It brought a special component to their growing friendship.  The stories from his past were heart wrenching and showed a very vulnerable side to Ridge which of course had me falling head over heels… I was in love!

So as I finished the book and even read the extra epilogue I sat speechless.  My heart beating (beat beat pause), and I just didn’t want it to end.  This seems to be a common theme with Colleen’s books.  She gets you hooked on characters that become a part of you.  I felt like Ridge and Sydney were my friends and at any point they could have turned to me and included me in the pages.  I feel like the worst part of finishing a Colleen Hoover book is that I feel like I’m going to miss my new friends.  Guess I’ll just have to re-read!    

I cannot wait for Ugly Love!!!   

Keep Reading and Listening my Friends!

I wish School Pride was a real Movie... I would watch it!

Between the Lines by Tammara Webber

As a child actor who did her fair share of commercials and made-for-tv movies, Emma has landed her big breakout role in an onscreen movie called School Pride, a present day Pride and Prejudice with her very own Mr. Darcy, the Reid Alexander.  This dual point of view book has both Reid and Emma wondering if their onscreen chemistry can swing right into real life magic.  Reid and Emma are confused about what their relationship should be and then there is the Graham complication.  Who is Emma supposed to be with?  Only one way to find out, read it!

I read Tammara Webber’s book Easy sometime last year and really enjoyed it.  I liked the characters and the flow of the book and so I quickly purchased Between the Lines on my Nook excited about reading more of Webber’s literary creations.  Then my ever growing TBR pile distracted me, since then, I have read books with friends, books with movie adaptations coming out, there is my library list, and books that have been recently released.  So, I have inevitably been sidetracked, but I always come back to my nook list.  Recently, I finished Maybe Someday, and I was doing some Facebook stalking and found Tammara Webber and saw that Easy is going to have a companion book called Breakable (um, I can’t wait!) and that reminded me that I had Webber books to read.  I started reading and quickly realized I was hooked.  I couldn’t wait to get off work to read, I couldn’t wait to read during my lunch break and it was difficult to stop reading when it was way too late to be up reading.

Why couldn’t I put this book down?  I loved the multi levels of the story and the themes that went along with it.  There was the acting “between the lines” theme where what was happening on camera was a lot like what was going on off screen.  I loved that the movie was an off-shoot of Pride and Prejudice and that’s what was happening between the characters.  Reid was the perfect Darcy and although Graham wasn’t playing Wickham in School Pride, he was a fantastic third to our love triangle (or is Reid Wickham and Graham is Darcy, can’t say, you’ll have to read it).

I disliked Reid the entire story.  I wanted to punch him straight in his obnoxious face.  I’ve read enough books in my life that I know Webber will change my final opinion of Reid, I just can’t see how, that is how much I dislike Reid. On the contrary, I really like Graham and from the beginning I wanted Graham and Emma to hook up from the first minute they met.  I also liked all of the actors and the relationships they built while filming School Pride and I even started to like Brooke.  She was just one of those mean girls with a horrible exterior and we come to find out she has a warm nougat center. 
I’m going to immediately start Where You Are, so look Webber up and no matter what, Keep Reading my Friends!