Category Archives: Book Review

CATCH ME WHEN I FALL Review and Blog Tour

Posted in Book Review, Reading by

blog tour

 

I have the lovely privilege of hosting a stop on the blog tour for my very own CP’s debut release, CATCH ME WHEN I FALL. I’ve followed the progress of this novel from its inception to its final, published form, and it is really something special. The concept behind the story is something I’ve NEVER heard of, which is really rare these days in publishing, especially with Young Adult. Immortal beings called Catchers and Weavers who protect you from Nightmares, which are actual creatures that feed off of your fears while you sleep. Uh, yes please! That is the start of the story but it is so much more than that. A swoony romance, a band of friends fighting evil, and a creepy antagonist that will catch you off guard when revealed — this all awaits you when reading Book 1 in the Dreamcatcher series.

Well, are you ready for my full review? Onward!

Continue reading →

Top 10 Reads of 2013

Posted in Book Review, Inspiration, Top 10 by

So I know I’ve been absent from posting on my blog. I admit it and I accept the punishment of barely any traffic. I’m on the cusp of finishing up my FIRST DRAFT of my FIRST full length novel EVER. So yeah, I’ve been busy doing other things. You know, the things I TALK about doing on my blog posts.

Anyway, I promise January will be more active. If you missed it, I will be reading the Harry Potter series for the FIRST TIME starting in January. I’ll be posting my thoughts and reactions to one book in the series per month, so if you haven’t read them either or are up for a re-read, join me! I also will be posting about my final drafting and querying journey here and at YAStands for my bi-weekly post there, so if you are in the same boat or interested in seeing how I take this rough first draft to the finish line and (maybe, hopefully, possibly??) snag an agent, then stay tuned for those!

To get back into my blog skills, I wanted to cover my top reads of 2013. This doesn’t mean the books were all published in 2013, only that I read them during this time.  Also, they are in no particular order. Without further ado, here we go! Continue reading →

Book Review: SHADOWLARK by Meagan Spooner

Posted in Book Review, The Writer Diaries by
11558256Shadowlark
By Meagan Spooner
Published Oct. 1, 2013 by Carolrhoda Lab
336 Pages
 
I have been intrigued with the SKYLARK series for awhile now but, alas, never picked it up until recently. You know how it goes. You see a book that seems to have a sweet concept and the author sounds awesome and everything points to a great read but …life gets in the way or you want to read books more aligned with what you’re own writing or ….you get the picture. That’s what happened with this series. I have been wanting to read it for a long time but the stars never aligned…until I scored a Digital Reader’s Copy from NetGalley of SHADOWLARK, the second book in the series. Then I was like CRAP, I need to read the first one FIRST.So I read SKYLARK in, like, a day and was ready to GO. Continue reading →

Book Review: ONE by Leigh Ann Kopans

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17251203ONE

By Leigh Ann Kopans
Published June 11, 2013
374 Pages

I am on TEAM ONE…so I may be biased…

No, actually I’m not because the book is too amazing to be biased. Check out the quick summary below first and then I will get into my review!

…

Here’s the book summary:

When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak.

It makes you a One.

Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover.

If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.

Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.

Merrin’s mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub’s internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it’s more important to fly solo, or to save everything – and everyone – she loves.

So my review? Read on! Continue reading →

Book Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Posted in Book Review, The Writer Diaries by

dare-you-to-katie-mcgarrySo I’ve been reading a lot of dual-narrative books in YA contemporary because that is what my current WIP is – trying to do my homework since I’ve 1) never really been drawn a lot to contemporary and 2) also never really read a lot of multiple POV stories except maybe Game of Thrones…but come on, George R.R. Martin is a genius so of course that was good.

Anyway, in my research, Katie McGarry’s Pushing the Limits kept coming up as a good dual narrative YA contemporary. When I saw her latest novel Dare You To on NetGalley for free to review, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for me to test out her writing style since it was also a dual narrative (and pulled characters from Pushing the Limits so I guess it’s considered part of a series). Now I had just finished reading The Sea of Tranquility which I am still reeling about how amazing it was so I wasn’t sure how much this book was going to show me anything more about dual narrative that I didn’t already acquire from TSoT.

Here’s the book summary:

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. “Dance with me, Beth.”

“No.” I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again….

“I dare you…”

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk’s home life, they’d send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom’s freedom and her own happiness. That’s how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn’t want her and going to a school that doesn’t understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn’t get her, but does….

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can’t tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn’t be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won’t let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all.

So my review? Wow. It was pretty damn good. Continue reading →

Review of The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Posted in Book Review, Inspiration, The Writer Diaries by

the-sea-of-tranquility

Um. Seriously. Wow. No words. Blown away. Can’t stop thinking about it. Incredible. Unbelievable. Wow.

So if you couldn’t tell already, I just cannot find the words to express how much I loved LOVED LURRRRVED The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay. Like honestly, new favorite book of ALL TIME.

Maybe it’s mostly because it’s the kind of book that I want to write myself. It’s lyrical, it’s powerful, it’s got deep and dark themes, it made me ball my eyes out, it has characters that were so real they walked out of the pages and said hello to me…all that good stuff.

But seriously. Wow.

I never wanted it to end and I was so sad when it was over, I started reading it again. This is a super big deal since my TBR list is growing uncontrollably long.

I guess you are ready for the official description of the book then? Ok, here it is: Continue reading →

Cheating Death by Jen Naumann Blog Hop Tour

Posted in Author Interview, Book Review by

Cheating-Death-Blog-TourMy good friend and Writer Diaries member, Jen Naumann will be releasing her fourth novel very soon and I’m lucky enough to be a part of the Blog Hop Tour for it!! Jen was kind of enough to answer some interview questions for me so, along with the book description, perrrty cover, GIVEAWAY, and all that other jazz, check out her answers at the end of this post. Oh, and of course be sure to pre-order Cheating Death, duh!

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Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff Book Review

Posted in Book Review, The Writer Diaries by

paper-valentine-coverPaper Valentine
By Brenna Yovanoff
Published January 8, 2013 by Razorbill
306 Pages

I cannot express enough how much I loved this book. If you like ghosts, if you like dark themes that have real, yet heartbreaking truths about human nature, then this book is for you. And guess what, if you don’t like ghosts and dark books, this is still a book for you because I wouldn’t necessarily put myself in that category either.

Here is the official book description:

The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls. Continue reading →