I read this book when it first came out, but I am just now getting around to reviewing it on the blog. First, here’s a little history about the author. Melinda Metz is a librarian and the co-author of the original Roswell High book series that was eventually adapted for television as the CW’s Roswell T.V. show. The Roswell books and television series have a cult following and fans have been campaigning for a […]
Wow. If you start this book with looming deadlines or close to bedtime, be prepared to disregard both once you start reading Rea Frey’s immensely absorbing novel, Not Her Daughter. This is, hands down, one of the most compelling and complex books I’ve read so far this year. It is a fast-paced story that alternates between two female narrators, leading up to and during the kidnapping of a five-year-old girl. This book immerses the reader into […]
NOTE: I elaborate on some of my issues with this book at the end of my review. It is a little spoiler-ish. I will give a heads-up for when to stop reading/scrolling if you do not wish to know more. I was ecstatic when I got an ARC of this book because I thought it was going to be full of commentary on the most pressing social and political issues of the past four years. […]
I experience an urge to be scared witless from a book or film twice a year, usually in October and during the summer. It’s not quite summer, but I couldn’t resist checking out the new Netflix series Requiem. Long story short: this show was a gripping piece of art infused with suspense, psychological terror, Welsh mythology, and muted horror. I highly recommend adding it to your queue/watching it right away. My abbreviated plot synopsis: The […]
Why did I read this book? Well, I was drawn to the contrast of the hot-pink hearts and grayscale image of Tolstoy’s face on the cover, in addition to the idea of young adult fiction intersecting with high-culture literary fiction. I checked out this book because I liked the packaging, so I want to give props to all of the people who had a hand in creating the finished version of this product. Sometimes being […]
If you enjoyed Colleen Hoover’s Slammed series, you will obsess over Georgina Guthrie’s Words series. From Power Poetry (dot) com: Slam Poetry is a type of competition where people read their poems without props, costumes, or music. After performing, they receive scores (0-10) from 5 randomly selected judges. … Scores are awarded based on how much each judge likes a poem. I never thought that I would end up reading a Colleen Hoover book. I am not sure why, […]
I thought a setting like this was going to be boring. Beautiful, yes, but ultimately dull. I was sooo wrong. I’ll be blunt. I do not have a sister and reading about drama between sisters is the LAST THING I want to do with my precious reading time. But throwing in the male character tipped the boat in favor of reading this novel for me. I know this is an unpopular position, but I am […]
The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel is the perfect read to bridge your summer book binges over into your more selective fall reading schedule. This witty and poignant novel taps into the same vein of magic as Bridget Jones’s Diary, and any gal or guy who has loved and/or lost will enjoy the personal and romantic journeys of the two leading characters. I absolutely love modern retellings of romantic literary classics, and this […]
THE TAKEDOWN, Blog Tour Digital Assets Title: THE TAKEDOWN Author: Corrie Wang Pub. Date: April 11, 2017 Publisher: Freeform Pages: 384 Formats: Hardcover, eBook Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads Kyla Cheng doesn’t expect you to like her. For the record, she doesn’t need you to. On track to be valedictorian, she’s president of her community club, a debate team champ, plus the yummy Mackenzie Rodriguez has firmly attached himself to her hip. She and her three high-powered best friends don’t just […]
About the Book: Title: HEAR THE WOLVES Author: Victoria Scott Pub. Date: March 28, 2017 Publisher: Scholastic Press Pages: 240 Formats: Hardcover, eBook Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads It’ s survival of the strongest in a contemporary, girl-versus-wild middle-grade début from Fire & Flood author Victoria Scott! Sloan is a hunter. So she shouldn’ t be afraid of anything. But ever since her mom left the family and she lost hearing in one ear in a blizzard, it’ s been hard […]
ENTER TO WIN a Hardcover copy of The Wonder below! US ONLY. Have you read Emma Donoghue’s Room, or seen the Academy award winning film based off of that book? I haven’t indulged myself in either of these yet, but I did recently read Donoghue’s, The Wonder, and I could not put it down. Set some years after the Crimean War, this story unfolds within the confines of a thatch-roofed home, in a small Irish village, […]
Armed with wit and humour, Niven delivers a poignant story that reads like an insta-classic. It is the “Can’t Hardly Wait” of this generation. This novel was a fast read for me. I couldn’t put it down once I started. Alternating chapters reveal two characters that find a common heart-string among the awkwardness of high-school despite their night-and-day experiences. While the chapters were short and sweet, the characters were smart and addicting. Being inside of Libby […]
And all anyone will remember is that there were unanswered questions about the two kids who thought they could get out of a car in the middle of the freeway and survive a hurricane by running directly into it instead of getting the hell away. Two stupid kids who thought they were smarter than everyone else. Hurricane season is upon us, and for those who live in coastal […]
“With flashbacks that slowly reveal the terrible secret of Scarlett’s escape and Pixie’s fate, this psychological thriller evokes well-paced fear.” —Kirkus Reviews Psychological Thrillers are all the rage right now and if you tore your way through novels like Damage Done, With Malice, or The Darkest Corners , then you will want to add Amanda Pinatch’s Never Missing, Never Found to your “reading a psych-thrill and chill” queue. Never Missing, Never Found has a certain afterschool […]
Belle Époque Paris. Three words that will sell me on a book in a heartbeat. The opulence of fashion and architecture. The richness of artistic and intellectual life. The idea of “The Salon” and sparkling soirees that lasted until the morning sun lit the sky a color to match the Perrier Jouet in party-goers crystal flutes. BELLE EPOQUE PARIS. YES. The setting of Girl in the Afternoon lived up to my expectations of Paris […]
This book goes beyond capturing the music, fashion, and style of the WWII era and paints a picture of the chaotic attitudes, theories, failed diplomacy, and missed connections that contributed to the start of the world’s bloodiest war to date. The tone of the novel is serious and the author does an excellent job of capturing the psychosis and sexism of not only the Nazi party but the culture in general. Pre-Nazi party, Berlin was […]
“Set against the golden age of Hollywood, the dark days of WWII, and the swinging ’70s, The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem follows generations of unforgettable women as they forge their own paths through times of dramatic change.” – jacket excerpt The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem is an absorbing novel that traces the familial and amorous relationships and life-shaping decisions of four generations of Israeli women. “The shop employed several seamstresses who made the clothes according to patterns […]
A read about a teenage girl who wakes up in a hospital bed and cannot remember the last six weeks of her life, including the accident that killed her best friend– only what if the accident wasn’t an accident? (REMEMBER TO SCROLL TO THE END FOR THE AWESOME GIVEAWAY! US ONLY.) About the Book Title: WITH MALICE Author: Eileen Cook Pub. Date: June 7, 2016 Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers Format: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook Find it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Goodreads Eighteen-year- old […]
I enjoyed this story for the rich bits of history and biography revealed through long-lost discovered correspondence and the two main narrators of the story. The most entertaining character in the book was The Duchess of Marlborough, who tries her hardest to deny that she is, indeed, the duchess. The story does some time hopping as each chapter reveals another piece of the puzzle concerning the duchess and the main female protagonist’s parentage. The pacing […]
Check out my review of Jennifer Laam’s The Secret Daughter of the Tsar HERE. Catherine Zeta-Jones as Catherine the Great 1995 I enjoyed Laam’s debut, The Secret Daughter of the Tsar, and this follow up did not disappoint. Straddling the worlds of 18th century and 21st century Russia, the author bravely tackles some complex political and cultural issues that very much resonate with topics that are flooding American headlines today. It was absolutely genius how […]
Wow, I have no words for this book. Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of those authors who I don’t even bother reading the synopsis for any book she writes..I just usually dive in to the book. The Problem with Forever is a heartbreakingly beautiful book and when I started reading the prologue I knew that it was unlike anything she’s written before. Mallory is a high school senior who has spent the last so many years being […]