Blog Happenings (24)

Hi!
Happy Saturday!

I hope their was a review yesterday. I haven't wrote it yet, and I wasn't sure if I'd get around to it! I did/was going to review The Other Boy by Hailey Abbott! It was a really great summer read.

I've read like a billion books these past few days. If you want to see what I've been reading. Here! Since then I've read Winterborne and The Other Boy. I should of finished Bumped by now and Die for Me!

Sorry if I'm being weird, things around the blog are a little crazy!

So the 30 day reading challenge is going pretty great, and so is accomplishing some summer reading.

I ordered 3 books from Barnes and Noble on Tuesday and they still haven't shipped! I'm super excited to read all of them. Don't worry, you'll get to see what they are!

And look! A beautiful new cover that I'm sure you all know about! But I like it so much that I might as well show it!

Pretty cool right??!

That's where I'm going to leave you today guys! I hope you have a great weekend!

The Other Boy

Title: The Other Boy
Author: Hailey Abbott
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: June 1, 2011
Source: Bought

Summary: Maddy's Boy Pros & Cons ...


Brian—Super cute / hangs with my friends / goes to my high school / my boyfriend!

David—Says I'm a spoiled princess / hates my friends / has amazing blue eyes / cooked me an unbelievable dinner / annoyingly irresistible!

Summer for Maddy Sinclaire starts as a blur of house parties and dips in the pool—until she's caught throwing an unauthorized beachside bash. As punishment, her parents send her off to Napa Valley, where she'll spend her free time working on the family vineyard. Even with her boyfriend, Brian, miles away, Maddy's about to discover that the vineyard is a very romantic place. It's vast, sunny, magical ...and there's another boy just waiting to steal her heart.

Review: If you don't already know books like The Other Boy aren't my usual reads. But when I discovered this one Goodreads one day, I knew that this would be the perfect summer read. And boy was I right!

The Other Boy starts off with a bang and held my attention till the very last page. It was fun being able to escape in a book you wouldn't normally read. And I had a wonderful time being in the character's world and heads.

Other than being a light, fluffy sort of cliched book, The Other Boy was extremely enjoyable. I had no clue how much I would love it. It was really, really good.

Maddy is a little spoiled as it says in the summary. But thankfully she does change and it was so great to watch her change! She was a really great character after that. David was a total sweetie! And so, so funny! It was great to read the banter between the two, and watch all the fun situations they got each other in! Those were by favorite parts, hands down.

The Other Boy was a great change in books for me and I loved it! If you're looking for a great summer read, this is definitely the books for you!

Rating:

Winterborne by Augusta Blythe

Title: Winterborne
Author: Augusta Blythe
Source: Received for review from author*

Summary: Sixteen-year old Mia Winterborne is destined to be special. Details are sketchy, though, as her dad disappeared with all the answers when she was five. Mia only knows that she will inherit her superpowers on her seventeenth birthday. Helping Mia prepare for her anticipated ascendancy is Loie Bryce, her best friend and eternal sidekick extraordinaire. The girls' intense friendship has never wavered until now, when Andreas arrives in Salcey Ridge. They both fall hard for the British hottie, who quickly becomes a fixture in their lives. When they discover that Andreas is not who he appears to be, the frightening reality of Mia's powers finally hits home. The nearer Mia's birthday draws, the more the danger escalates and long-buried lies are exposed, putting the girls on a path that they never expected.

Review: I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I picked up Winterborne. But I really never expected something this good!

I actually thought this would be narrated by Mia instead of Loie. But it was really enjoyable to have Loie as a narrator. She was really a sweet girl that cared about her friend. Although she did live in Mia's shadow and that sort of annoyed me, I got it. And a random fact: I really like the name Loie! I ended up connecting easily to Loie, while she was shy and living in a shadow she could also be a really funny, great person! And I admired that.

Andreas was a pretty good character also. He seemed like your typical nice guy, that was just mysterious. He and Mia did annoy me a tad. Especially Mia, she treated Loie nicely but was just so overpowering!

One of my favorite things was that fantasy elements! It was so much fun to read and learn about. And while it wasn't terribly original I enjoyed Blythe's take on it. 

I really liked how things played out in the end, it was so much fun and so interesting to see how things ended!

With a good main character and some great fantasy elements, Winterborne is a great book!

Rating: 4.5

*I received this from the author for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion and the honesty of this review.

Waiting on Wednesday (20)

Hi!
Happy Wednesday!

WoW is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine!

This week's pick is:

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
September 20, 2011

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.


Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

Wow! This looks amazing! Secret Ghost Police? That sounds like it's right up my alley! And Johnson writes really funny books! I can't wait.

Update #1

Hi!
I'm going to update you on my progress on the 30 books in 30 days challenge and my own little summer reading challenge!

So far this week I've read (Since Last Wednesday):

•  Into the Gauntlet by Margret Peterson Haddix
• Banished by Sophie Littlefield
• The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch
• Possession by Elena Johnson
• The Eternal Sea by Angie Frazier
• The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

So I'm pretty much on schedule. I just need to finish a book today!

I'm currently reading: 

• Winterborne by Augusta Blythe (Almost done!)
• Bumped by Megan McCafferty

To Read (This is subject to change)

• Die for Me by Amy Plum
• The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
• The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
• This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
• Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

Sorry if that bored you, but it was fun to do!

He's So Not Worth It by Kieran Scott

Title: He's So Not Worth It
Author: Kieran Scott
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: June 7, 2011
Source: Simon and Schuster Galley Grab

Summary: Ally Ryan, come on down to the Jersey Shore and forget your troubles!


Have you recently been humiliated in front of your friends and family at your former best friend's birthday party? Was your almost boyfriend partly responsible for that humiliation by withholding some vital information about where your estranged father is? Did you come home to find said estranged father sitting on your stoop?

If so, then it sounds like you could use a vacation! The Jersey Shore is the place to be. Your mother may be living with her boyfriend of only a few months, but at least the stunt Shannen pulled has put some of your friends back in your court. Even so, you're still angry and what better way to get over Jake than to blow off some steam with local guy, Cooper? People will hardly recognize your new attitude, but the old one wasn't getting you anywhere, so who cares!

Jake Graydon, an exciting opportunity is waiting for you in the service industry!

Are your grades so low your parents have grounded you for the summer? Did you the girl you really like unceremoniously leave you behind? Would you rather eat dirt than see your friends again? Then a job at the local coffee shop is just the ticket! Surprisingly, Ally's father is the new manager so you get to be reminded of her nearly every day. Maybe it's time to start flirting with your best friend's ex or even taking school a bit more seriously. Especially when you finally see Ally and she's hanging around with some loser and it's couldn't be more clear that she is over you.

Have a great summer!

Review: What an amazing sequel! I'm pretty sure this one was even better than She's So Dead to Us!

Ally and Jake are currently estranged. And it isn't good because they have this crazy love/hate relationship going on. A few times I just want to slap both of them, and scream at them to just to make up and just kiss! But my cries seemed to go unheard.

I'm pretty sure Ally was even more special to me during this one. She was going through an even tougher time. She felt so real and just like she should have. Scott really knows how to write dimensional, amazing characters. Ally was no exception and neither was Jake. Swoon.

That boy was just radiating hotness. (I really hope that didn't sound crazy, but he was!) He and Ally are perfect for each other. But who knows how that's going to work out.

I loved following both Ally and Jake. Their alternating perspectives are so believable! Both of their stories were so special and fun. And quite drama filled.

And that ENDING! Wow! Talk about a cliffhanger. And all us sorry readers are going to have to wait another year!? That's so unfair. But I'm sure it will be just as amazing as this one was! So it'll be worth the wait.

Another great book by Scott.

Rating:

The Eternal Sea by Angie Frazier

Title: The Eternal Sea
Author: Angie Frazier
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: June 1, 2011
Source: Bought

Summary: Romance and adventure are just around the corner . . .


After the thrilling journey that led Camille through the dangerous discovery of love, secrets, and a magical stone that grants immortality, Camille has everything she wants. She's escaped the men who wanted her dead, and now she is ready to build a new life with Oscar, her one true love. But things are not to be so simple. Oscar is acting strangely, and before they can even board a ship from Australia back home, to San Francisco, Camille learns that the journey is not over. If she does not follow the magic of the curse of Umandu, her life and Ocar's could be in grave danger.

Review: Um, WOW! That's basically all I can think after reading this book. That and a feeling of being heartbroken. I can't tell you why though.

Angie Frazier has done it again. She's written a book that I think might be the best ever. I loved being on this journey with our beautiful cast of characters. Frazier is seriously like my favorite author. I've read 2 of her previous books, and I've absolutely loved all of them. The Eternal Sea was no different.

Camille was just as amazing as ever. She was so human to me and I could easily relate to her. I felt her inner turmoils and was there right along side her the entire time. It was just plain great. Oscar, oh that boy just oozes wonderfulness. He and Camille, wow just wow! I don't want to spoil anything though so I won't say anymore. Or maybe I should say Camille and Randall? I do like Randall but Oscar is just my favorite. Yes, there is a love triangle. But it isn't annoying, it's actually quite amazing.

Ira!! He is SO funny. Other than the boys and Camille he is just plain awesome. SO funny! I don't know how many times I can say this but he is. And he likes making up nicknames for people too!!

And the plot the was riveting. I could not stop reading, it was just so good. There were so many twists and turns and new things happening. But it was easy to follow!

And the fantasy and historical aspects of The Eternal Sea were so well written, and just down right unique. I loved it. It makes it even more memorable.

I loved everything about The Eternal Sea, it was probably even better than Everlasting. I can't wait for the next book!

Rating: 5+++