Book Blogging Break is Over!

For a long time, I took a small hiatus from the book blogging world. However, now I am ready to review more books than ever before for you guys! I just wanted to make a quick post to say that I am sorry for being gone for so long, but I hope you are looking forward to all of the exciting posts to come!

Stuck In A Good Book: Giveaway Hop

Welcome to TV, Movies, & Books, Oh My!

First off, the creators of this wonderful giveaway hop are Stuck in Books & I Am A Reader, Not A Writer (click on their names to visit their lovely blogs).

Today on my blog, I am giving away a FREE Personalized Bookmark from my Etsy store Simply Emily's Designs!

Just to give you a few examples of what the personalized bookmarks look like, here are some pictures:

To go to my store, you can click on the store name above, or click on the following link:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SimplyEmilysDesigns

To enter, all you have to do is leave your email address in the Rafflecopter form below! You can get additional points for tweeting about the giveaway, for following @SimplyEmDesigns on tiwitter, or for liking our shop. You can do these things below in the form. GOOD LUCK!
P.S. Of course if you don't win I will be happy to make you a personalized bookmark for just $10.00! 
Winner will get an email letting them know that they won within 2-3 days after the giveaway has ended (Sept. 25th). If winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown: Review

Goodreads Synopsis: 
Born and raised in the Midwest, Jersey Cameron knows all about tornadoes. Or so she thinks. When her town is devastated by a twister, Jersey survives -- but loses her mother, her young sister, and her home. As she struggles to overcome her grief, she's sent to live with her only surviving relatives: first her biological father, then her estranged grandparents. In an unfamiliar place, Jersey faces a reality she's never considered before -- one in which her mother wasn't perfect, and neither were her grandparents, but they all loved her just the same. Together, they create a new definition of family. And that's something no tornado can touch.

Review:
My first and most consistent thought throughout reading this novel was that this plot was so unique from anything I had ever read before. I know there are stories out there about tornado victims and survivors, but I don't know of any YA ones, and I had never picked a book up about this topic before now. I loved it, because it let me see things from a perspective I was never able to see from until reading this book. 
Torn Away was about Jersey's experience surviving the tornado and everything that she lost because of it - but it is also about what makes a family, and what it really means to lose everything. My favorite quote from the book pertains to what it means to lose everything:
"I'm wondering if it's even possible to lose 'everything,' or if you just have to keep redefining what 'everything' is." 
This quote, in a way, expresses everything that this book is about. It is about rediscovering the important things in life, and figuring out what your "everything" really is. 

Something else about this book that I felt should be known by those considering reading it is that this book really has no romance. This isn't a book about love in the sense of the "boyfriend and girlfriend" kind of relationships. This book is deeply focused on the bonds of family love, and natural disasters, and what it means to be human when everything physical that you use to define humanity is suddenly ripped away. 

I also have to state that, even though this is a bit unrelated to what I have been talking about so far, this book cover and title are so fitting for the book, and I think the cover picture and artwork is stunning. 

Now that we have that comment out of the way, I will wrap this up.
Basically, I loved this book very much. The writing style was classic Jennifer Brown, and I quite enjoyed that. Brown typically writes contemporary stories about very serious subjects, and she does it so well. I highly recommend this book to those who are interested in it, and even those who are unsure of their interest...it is definitely worth a read. 

Just a few more comments before you go. I did end up giving this a 4 stars, so you may be wondering why I didn't give it a full 5 stars since I loved it so much. The only reasons I have for not giving it 5 stars is because I have liked some of Brown's other stories a little bit better, just for little reasons here and there. The main character was a little bit less likable, but she was in no way intolerable. In fact, I felt her so much in this story. Other than a few little nit-picky things like that, it was a fantastic book, so pick it up if you get the chance!
 
In honor of our main character, Jersey, I give this book 4 little porcelain kittens:

Disclaimer: This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review by the Publisher, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, through Netgalley. These opinions are completely my own, and are completely honest.
 Publication Information:

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published May 6th 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers  

ISBN: 9780316245531

(most information is from Goodreads page)

You can purchase this book almost anywhere that books are sold. 

Some places you can find it online:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

 

The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt: Review

The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt is about 17-year-old Holly Nolan who acquires ownership of her Grandfather's Vegas wedding chapel after he passes away. Not only is she shocked by her sudden ownership of the business, but she also learns that the place is much more "in the hole" than anyone expected, and it's up to her to save it.
Next door to the business sits another wedding chapel owned by her Grandfather's long-time nemesis...and things get even more complicated when said nemesis' super handsome Grandson, Dax, comes into the picture.
Before I go any further with this review, how fun does this sound? I, personally, have never read a book about a teenager trying to save a wedding chapel while also dealing with the whole Romeo & Juliet romance with the competition's grandson. When I read this synopsis I was immediately interested. Also, seeing Lindsey Leavitt's name on the cover sure didn't hurt. I recently read Going Vintage by Lindsey as well, and my friends can tell you I gushed about it for quite some time after I read it.
There is something infinitely charming about Lindsey Leavitt's writing that just keeps you coming back for more.
I had so much fun going along this journey with the characters as they tried to save the chapel. This book was pretty hilarious, and I had a smile on my face 90% of the time...however that is not to say that this book didn't have its serious moments, because it did, and it had me feeling for the characters in those moments of grief and disappointment as well.
Simply put, I adored this book for many reasons. It was cute, funny, unique, and just so much fun.
If you like contemporary, pick it up.
If you like a story that is different & a breath of fresh air in YA, pick it up.
If you like witty, relatable, and realistically-flawed characters, pick it up.
Basically what I'm saying is, just pick it up.

I give this book 4.5 Moths...for Dax's sake...no species racism here! ;)

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira: Review

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira is about a girl starting her very first year of High School who gets an English assignment that requires her to write a letter to someone who has died. This soon turns into much more than an English assignment, and we get to hear Laurel's story through these letters that she writes to famous dead people that she looks up to. Laurel's sister, May, passed away less than a year ago, and so she writes about her often. This book is ultimately about Laurel's journey discovering who she is without her sister around.
The synopsis itself could make you think that the book sounds quite similar to the Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky...and having read the book, I can say that those assumptions would be accurate. Perks is one of my favorite books, so when I heard the comparison between the two in addition to seeing Stephen Chbosky promoting the book himself on twitter (his blurb is also on the front cover of this book) it was enough to completely sell me on this one. I went into it with high expectations, and I was not disappointed.
This books was absolutely incredible, and I loved every minute of it. I wanted to read this slowly to enjoy everything about it, but because it was so good and such a page-turner I just couldn't put it down...which led to my reading it practically in one sitting.
There were a lot of things about this book that had me so enthralled with it, so I have decided to list them in bullet points to save time and to keep from gushing endlessly:

• The writing style was so beautiful and poetic, I couldn't get enough of it.
• The characters were so extremely well-developed, they felt like real people that I truly cared about. They were all so beautifully flawed, and I loved them for it.
• Our main character, Laurel (I agree with what the character Hannah said in the book, "coolest name EVER") was such a distinct and relatable character, I immediately loved her. Her growth through the book was beautiful to watch, and by the end, I was so completely happy for her and all she had discovered about herself. 
• The writing to dead celebrities aspect was so interesting and unique, and I learned so much about the people that she wrote to, like Kurt Cobain, Judy Garland, Amelia Earhart, etc. I loved hearing about them and why Laurel looked up to them as much as she did; it was a nice addition to this story.

There wasn't a single aspect of this book that I did not enjoy. It was raw, gritty, real, and completely breath-taking. Like I have also said about Perks, it is amazing to me the way I felt so connected and involved with all these characters through letters...that, to me, is just incredible talent.
I highly recommend this books, and I give it a full 5 heart-shaped sunglasses, in honor of May:

 

Five Ways to Fall by K. A. Tucker: Review

Five Ways to Fall is the fourth book in a series, but they are companion novels, so there will be no spoilers.

Five Ways to Fall by K. A. Tucker is the fourth book in the Ten Tiny Breaths series. Here, we get side-character Ben's story, along with his love interest's POV, Reese. Ben has been in the series since the first book, and he seems like your typical womanizing pig, but this book (of course) makes you see him in a different light. Ben finally finds himself falling for a girl that just might make him...*Ben cringing at these words*...settle down.
Reese finds herself in Cancun, where she meets Ben. Things go down and Ben and Reese ALMOST hook up, but then a disaster ensues, leaving Reese humiliated and Ben curious about this purple-haired girl that has suddenly gotten under his skin...even if he doesn't realize it yet. As you can imagine, the story doesn't end there. Ben and Reese cross paths again, and that is where the story takes off. 
Now, with that out of the way, let me tell you just how much I loved this book.
Kathleen Tucker did not disappoint with this book in any way. A great end to the series. Ben and Reese have a heart-melt-worthy relationship. I haven't decided if this is my favorite book in the series, but it's pretty dang close!!
One thing I love so much about these books is that they are completely addicting, and there is never a dull moment. I read all four of these books back to back, and it didn't take me longer than a day to get through any of them...and that's saying something since this week I have been finishing up my classes for the semester, and it's been so crazy. Any second I had to read these books, I took advantage.
The characters are real people to me, and I so badly want to live in these books with them, they are all so incredible.
This book (as well as all the others in the series) made me feel a gamut of emotions. I cried, I laughed out loud (multiple times), I was angry, I was sad...JUST SO MANY FEELS BASICALLY. 
This series is my favorite all time New Adult series, and I highly recommend it.
On a random note, I LOVED Reese's nickname in this book - Reeses Pieces - so in honor of that, I give this book:

5 REESES PIECES...

or actually just the whole box.

 

Teaser Tuesday!

 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This weeks book is:

Silver Linings Playbook!

Excerpt: "My mom has a library card, and she checks out books for me now that I am home and allowed to read whatever I want without clearing the material with Dr. Timbers, who, incidentally, is a fascist when it comes to book banning. I start with The Great Gatsby, which I finish in just three nights.

The best part is the introductory essay, which states that the novel is mostly about time and how you can never buy it back, which is exactly how I feel regarding my body and exercise - but then again, I also feel as if I have an infinite amount of days until my inevitable reunion with Nikki." -from page 9 of Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. 

Thanks for stopping by!

  

Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Goodreads Synopsis: "You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.
Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside. 
Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was. 

REVIEW:

I gave this book 4 stars. It was incredibly entertaining, and I sped through it. The premise was interesting from the start, and I am happy to say it continued to keep me intrigued throughout the whole book. The characters were pretty good in this novel, but I felt they could have been better for me. I didn't feel as strong of an emotional attachment to them as I could have. The unique plot is definitely what makes this book. The rest of it was nothing extremely special if I am being honest, but it wasn't a bad book by any means. Would I read it again? Probably not. Would I recommend it to others? Definitely. I still thoroughly enjoyed this book, and if you are looking for a quick easy read about time travel, this is the book for you!
So in a nutshell, my four star rating was due to the unique plot, the fact that I had to know what would happen in the end, and the fact that I would recommend it to others in the end. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

 

Kindle Haul!

I have not done a proper e-book / kindle haul in a very long time. I have accumulated MANY books since my last haul, and it would be impossible to show you every single book I have gotten since then. So, instead, I will show you the most exciting e-books I have gotten within the last month or so. Reviews of the books shown will hopefully be coming soon here on the blog! Find all the books on Goodreads and Amazon with the links at the end of the post. Ok, here we go!


Books I bought:

 
Won from giveaway(s):

Received for review:

Happy Birthday to Me by Brian Rowe: Goodreads | Amazon
The Initiate by Megg Jensen: Goodreads | Amazon
Stitch by Samantha Durante: Goodreads | Amazon
Eve and Adam: Goodreads | Amazon
Easy by Tammara Webber: Goodreads | Amazon
Shadows (Ashes book #2) by Ilsa J. Bick: Goodreads | Amazon
Timepiece (Hourglass book #2) by Myra McEntire: Goodreads | Amazon
The Savage Blue (The Vicious Depp book #2): Goodreads | Amazon
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill: Goodreads | Amazon
One Moment by Kristina McBride: Goodreads | Amazon
Ink by Amanda Sun: Goodreads | Amazon
Splintered by A.G. Howard: Goodreads | Amazon

 Have you gotten any good Kindle books lately?
Thanks for stopping by!

  

#FridayReads!

#FridayReads was started on twitter, then brought to youtube by Bunny Cates!
 Us booktubers make Friday Reads videos every Friday to show what books we will be reading this weekend. Check out my video here!

Waiting on Wednesday #9

I've decided to come back from my hiatus with a Waiting on Wednesday post! Enjoy!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's title being featured here is:

In Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? Open her heart to someone?
Or will she just go on living inside somebody else’s fiction?

How amazing does this book sound? I absolutely loved Eleanor and Park, so I have a feeling I will love this one as well.

Expected publication date: September 2013.

What are you looking forward to this Wednesday?

Thanks for stopping by!

 

BlogLovin'

I am on bloglovin' now. yipee! Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Why I love YA + GIVEAWAY!

There is an amazing giveaway going on, so once you get done reading about why I love YA, go enter! :)
Young Adult books are my favorite kind of books to read. I just love the feeling I get while reading them. Being 19 years old, I just feel I can relate more to YA. I love the plots that YA authors come up with! Adult books of course have great plots as well, but the YA books just have a certain something that I can't exactly put my finger on; something that draws me to them.

Now, Since my answer to why I specifically love YA is pretty vague, I will just quickly say why I love books in general. I love the fact that no matter what is going on in my life, I can escape into a good story. I also love that it is a productive form of entertainment. You are exercising your mind, and broadening your vocabulary by reading. There are just so many benefits. Now, tell me why you love books, and particularly, why you love YA!
......and NOW go enter this AMAZING giveaway!!! 

Click HERE or on the picture to get there!
You can win ALL the books in the picture below :D

Waiting on Wednesday #8

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's title being featured here is:

Lullaby by Amanda Hocking (Watersong #2)

 

This is a sequel, so I will skip the synopsis, but CLICK HERE if you would like to go read it for yourself!
The first book, Wake, was so absolutely amazing. I need more ASAP!

Lullaby is scheduled to come out November 27th, 2012
and is published by St. Martin's Griffin.

What book are you waiting on this Wednesday? :)



IMM (#5)

IMM is a weekly MEME hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where every Sunday I share with you the books I got "In My Mailbox". If you wish to participate, visit The Story Siren's blog by clicking the link above.

Purchased:

 

Guardian by Rachel Morgan: Goodreads/Amazon

Labyrinth (Creepy Hollow series #2) by Rachel Morgan: Goodreads/Amazon

Won:

ARC of Tempest by Julie Cross: Goodreads/Amazon

ARC of Eve of Destruction (Dark Eden #2) by Patrick Carman: Goodreads/Amazon

Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder: Goodreads/Amazon

Thanks for stopping by!

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop

This Hop is hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Once Upon A Twilight.
I just want to start off by saying: 
HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE! 
 Easter is one of my favorite holidays. Chocolate and all the pretty pastel colors are so fun!

And here is a cute little picture to hopefully make you smile!

 Ok...enough of that. Time for the giveaway!
RULES: This giveaway is US only because I am having to ship it myself. SORRY :(

Here is what you can win:

A hardcover copy of Swoon by Nina Malkin!

The only requirement is that you follow this blog either by e-mail or GFC. If you follow both ways you get an extra entry! Woohoo :)
Just fill out the rafflecopter form below and your done!
After you enter, click HERE to continue hopping.
May the odds be ever in your favor!

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa Review

Goodreads Synopsis: Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for

Julie Kagawa has done it again.
Let me start off by saying that this is NO Iron Fey Series, so if you go into this book expecting something similar you will be disappointed. With that said it is no less amazing that Julie's previous series.
Allie Sekemoto is our main character, and I loved her. She comes from the Fringer life (which in this story is basically the hood) and she is rough around the edges, and was raised to think of no one but herself. Soon in her journey, though, she is forced between thinking like the Fringer Allie, or thinking like the new vampire Allie and saving the people she has come to care about.
We have two other main characters, Kanin and Zeke. I know what you are thinking, but I am happy to announce there is no love triangle...yet. It seems almost inevitable, and I am sure we will come across one in the future; but for now, there is only one love interest.
Kanin is Allison's "sensei" (sen-say), so to speak, when she joins the vampire world. I really enjoyed his character and I hope to see more of him in the rest of the series.
Zeke was a wonderful character that I immediately fell in love with, even when he was pointing a gun at Allison's chest. He was a great contrast to Allison's character, and I just loved them together.
As always in Julie's stories, every single character introduced had such depth, and they all felt like real people to me, no matter how small the character was to the story. Julie has a way with making the characters come alive, and it is one of the many things I love about her writing style.
Although this is an entirely different story from The Iron Fey series, Julie did not fail to take us on yet another amazing adventure that captured me from the start. I did not even want to put this book down long enough to eat my dinner.
There were quite a few similarities between The Rabids in this book and the creatures from the movie I Am Legend. In fact that was exactly how I was imagining The Rabids while reading. They are very vicious, and awful, creatures. Anytime they were mentioned in the story, my stomach was in a knot. It felt like such a real experience, but thankfully I did not have to face any Rabids myself, I don't think I could do it!
So, if you haven't figured it out by now, I simply loved this book. I highly recommend it! All of the Kagawa fans out there will not be disappointed!

I gave this book 5 stars!

You can find this book on Goodreads and on Amazon.com.

 Thanks for stopping by!

Waiting on Wednesday #7

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's title being featured here is:

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

Goodreads Synopsis: Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.
Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.
Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.
Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Expected publication: May 8th 2012 by HarperCollins

You can find this book on Goodreads and you can pre-order your own copy from Amazon.com

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Teaser Tuesday #4

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This weeks book is:

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

 
"Blackness crawled at the edge of my vision like a million ants. "Now Little Human," the vampire said, placing a hand on my forehead. "Now you will die. And hopefully I will see you on the other side."

Excerpt from Chapter 4.

This book will be published by Harlequin Teen on April 24th, 2012.

You can find the book on Goodreads and it is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

IMM (#4)

IMM is a weekly MEME hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where every Sunday I share with you the books I got "In My Mailbox". If you wish to participate, visit The Story Siren's blog by clicking the link above.

Received for review via NetGalley:

 Purchased by me: 

Thanks for stopping by!