Jun 30, 2013

Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves #9

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.
                                    

Hello everyone! Hope you guys are having an awesome summer! So I am revising Sunday Post a little and I will be adding a little "Stacking the Shelves" segment at the bottom. I don't get many books but when I do I will add it to the bottom.

So here's the recap:

Innocent Darkness Read-Along-I'm participating in this read-along. Why don't you?
Why I am Outraged-The scandal that have left many of us upset and outraged.
Killing Sarai Blast+Giveaway-J.A. Redmerski's newest release with a giveaway! :)
The Distance Between Us by Kasie West- 5 out of 5 stars ARC review
Cover Reveal- See My Unexpected Forever's new cover!
New Releases-Check out which book's release I'm excited for..

Upcoming:

Blog tour of Blood Flows Deep in the Empire
4 reviews!

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Visit Tynga's Reviews to learn more about this weekly meme.

Purchased:

Treasure Island (PagePerfect NOOK Book)

For Review:

The Distance Between Us  Rush (The Game, #1)      September Girls
What books got a home on your shelf this week?

Have a great week and for us Americans have a great 4th of July!!

Jun 29, 2013

New Releases (Week of 6/30/13)

Hi everyone! Hope everyone is having a great summer so far! So this week I have the New Releases for which I have only one book I am looking forward to...and I've already read it. 

It's The Distance Between Us by Kasie West! 

The Distance Between UsRelease Date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Number of Pages: 320

Here's the synopsis:

"Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about."

I loved this book, and you can read my review here.

*What books are you looking forward to buying this week?

Jun 28, 2013

COVER REVEAL: My Unexpected Forever

Cover Reveal



ebook
Expected publication: 
September 1st 2013 by Bandit Publishing Company

I expected a life of music.

I expected to raise my son.


It took one look to make everything change.

I never expected happiness.

I never expected to find her.

I never expected to feel desire.

I never expected I’d be a family man.

I never expected to be loved.

I never expected to fall in love.

They say you should expect the unexpected. I didn’t realize my unexpected would be the forever kind.


Get the countdown widget below

Heidi McLaughling is offering My Unexpected Forever up for pre-buy for those attending the Naughty Mafia Rocks Vegas 2013. Pre-buy: http://bit.ly/11JRWEP

Pre-buy My Unexpected Forever for August delivery: http://heidimclaughlin.com/buy-books/





Heidi is the author of USA Today, Digital Book World, Amazon and Barnes & Noble Bestselling novel, Forever My Girl.
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell and two Parakeets.

During the day Heidi is behind a desk talking about Land Use. At night, she's writing one of the many stories planned for release or sitting court-side during either daughter's basketball games.
Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr | Facebook | Blog 

The Distance Between Us

The Distance Between UsAuthor: Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen
Number of Pages: 320

I am a huge fan of Kasie West after Pivot Point (You can find my review here.) Once I figured out that she had another book coming out I spazzed out and rushed to get this book, and it was SO GOOD!! This book was a great read, and I read it in a day.

Here's the synopsis:
"Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.
So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.
She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about."
First thing first. I respect Kasie West so much for writing books that aren't even in the same genre. Not many authors do, but when the ones who do don't really end up writing the most amazing books ever. I'm not bashing on anyone and I'm not saying that there books are bad. Their books are usually pretty good, but they aren't like "I MUST put this on my favorites self now!!!" No-they are just good, but Kasie West just rocked it.
Xander opens the compartment above my knees and takes out a pair of leather gloves. As he pulls them on I can't help but laugh.
"What?"
"You have driving gloves."
"And?"
"And it's funny."
"Funny adorable?"
I shake my head. "If you say so."
Xander, Alex, Alexander? WHICH IS IT?!?!? Can I just say that I love you? I hope that isn't scary and all since I just met you yesterday, but I do. I really love you. You are perfect in my eyes.  You're rich, but still kind. You look nice, without flaunting your money. My favorite thing...you are just so darn adorable! In the end...



...yes Xander, I will have your babies.

Honestly Xander's character is one that you end up falling in love with. No matter how hard you try not to or even if you fall in love with Mason, you still find a part of liking Xander. You might not want Caymen to be with him but you still like him. Don't ask me how that works but it does. 

Caymen! Let's talk about Caymen! .......I WANT TO BE YOUR BEST FRIEND!!! I absolutely love Caymen as a character, she would be better if she was real but she's not. I loved every bit of her sarcasm. I can relate, I can be very sarcastic at times but of course some people can't tell. Her sarcasm isn't the roll-your-eyes-I-don't-care sarcasm. It's the it's-my-way-of-being-funny sarcasm. That was probably my favorite thing about her personality, but I also loved her devotion. She is devoted to her mom and her mom's doll shop. She gives up her time to hang with her friends to help her mom in a porcelain doll shop. I honestly don't know many people who would do that, I don't think even I would do that (sadly...). 

I must say I am jealous of Caymen about one thing...she get's to spend time with Xander while I can only read about him. I know I'm hung up on him but that boy is my obsession now...

My all time favorite thing about this book, besides Xander, would have to be the setting. Porcelain doll shop? Brilliant, utterly brilliant! Kasie West definitely thought of everything when it came to this book. She had every detail perfect-down to the bone perfect. 

Kasie West...

You are officially part of my favorite author list. I can name on one hand how many favorite authors I have. I will officially be owning and reading all your work. Thank you so much for writing such an awesome book.

This book was extraordinary, amazing, beautiful and so much more! I definitely recommend this to everyone!!

5 out of 5 stars!!

*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Jun 27, 2013

Killing Sarai Release Blast + Giveaway!

Author: J.A. Redmerski
Number of Pages: 393
Release Date: June 20, 2013

Here's the synopsis:

"Sarai was only fourteen when her mother uprooted her to live in Mexico with a notorious drug lord. Over time she forgot what it was like to live a normal life, but she never let go of her hope to escape the compound where she has been held for the past nine years.


Victor is a cold-blooded assassin who, like Sarai, has known only death and violence since he was a young boy. When Victor arrives at the compound to collect details and payment for a hit, Sarai sees him as her only opportunity for escape. But things don’t go as planned and instead of finding transport back to Tucson, she finds herself free from one dangerous man and caught in the clutches of another.

While on the run, Victor strays from his primal nature as he succumbs to his conscience and resolves to help Sarai. As they grow closer, he finds himself willing to risk everything to keep her alive; even his relationship with his devoted brother and liaison, Niklas, who now like everyone else wants Sarai dead.

As Victor and Sarai slowly build a trust, the differences between them seem to lessen, and an unlikely attraction intensifies. But Victor’s brutal skills and experience may not be enough in the end to save her, as the power she unknowingly holds over him may ultimately be what gets her killed.

This is their story…"


I am very excited about this book! 

Excerpt

          "I raise the gun a little higher, settling the barrel at the back of her head, but not touching it. I don’t want her to be afraid before she dies and although I know she fears nothing, death is something we all fear in our final moment even if only the smallest part of us is conscious of it. I don’t want her to fear it at all and she can’t if she doesn’t know that it’s happening. 

“How old were you when you became what you are?” she asks.

Caught off guard by the question and maybe more-so by the shifting of the mood, I hesitate before answering.

“I was nine.”

She sniffles and wipes her eyes with the hand near her cheek.

“You were very young,” she goes on. “I guess in a way like me, you never had a chance to live a life of your choosing. I guess maybe we aren’t really so different from each other.” She pauses. “Except I might be more like your brother than I care to admit. He’s as angry as I am.”

I release my finger from the trigger and slowly, so she doesn’t know, move the barrel away from the back of her head.

“It must’ve been hard growing up with Niklas,” she says.

I set the gun back on the bed next to me and before I know what I’m doing I’m cradling the back of her head in my hand again."


Author Bio
J.A. Redmerski, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of THE EDGE OF NEVER lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas with her three children and a Maltese. She is a lover of television and books that push boundaries and is a huge fan of AMC’s The Walking Dead.

Author social media links:







Jun 26, 2013

Why I am Outraged

Now I don't know if some of you know, but recently I reviewed a book called Amazingly Broken by Jordin Williams. I really did enjoy this book, but while I was reading it I noticed similarity between this and Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. I shrugged it off as being a coincidence, similarities happen between a book because it can be a cliche or for some other reason.

Just today one of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Reyes, emailed all her bloggers and told us about an article online about someone plagiarizing Easy by Tammara Webber which is another book I ADORE. What I didn't realize was that Amazingly Broken was that book. I was horrified. I loved Amazingly Broken, and while I had noticed similarities between it and Beautiful Disaster and never even thought of Easy

I am thoroughly outraged right now. This author took the work of some very popular authors and tried to make it her own just so she could get the popularity she wanted. That is wrong, and sadly once this is all figured out this won't be the last time it happens. 

I am currently in the midst of writing my own book and it is hard to come up with your own ideas sometimes but you can't someone else's work. I know if someone took my work I would be very upset. If I get stuck while writing or think of something to write that has already been written I immediately stop writing and take a break. 

We are all taught starting in elementary school that plagiarizing is wrong, and you will feel the consequences of it. 

Here's the evidence:

broken1
broken2
broken3
broken4

That is all from Amazingly Broken. Here is Easy:

The hoodie joined the cap, and his t-shirt fell back into place. Picking up the sketchbook and pencil, he turned to me, and I noted that the ink on his forearms continued over his biceps and under the short sleeves of his shirt.
“Where do you want me?” More breathless than I’d intended, my question seemed a brazen proposition. Wow. Could I be any more obvious? Maybe I should just come out and ask him if he wanted to be my Kennedy-rebound, no strings attached.
My insides went liquid from his ghost of a smile—the one that was becoming more and more familiar. “On the bed?” he said, his voice gruff.
Oh, God. “Okay.” I moved to perch on the edge of the mattress as he swept the hoodie and the cap to the floor. My heart was pounding, waiting.
He peered at me, head angling to the side. “Um. You look really uneasy. We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
We don’t have to do what? I thought, wishing I could ask him if using me as a model was a pretense, and telling him that if so, it was a pretense he didn’t need to maintain. I looked him in the eye. “I want to.”
He stuck the pencil over his ear, looking unconvinced. “Mmm. What position would be the most comfortable for you?”
I couldn’t say aloud the answers that popped into my head at that question, but the flush that spread across my face like wildfire gave me away. He caught his lower lip in his teeth, and I was sure it was to contain a laugh. Most comfortable position? What about with my head stuck under a pillow?
He glanced around my room and went to sit on the floor, against the wall, facing the foot of my bed. Knees up, pad on his thighs, he was just as I imagined him in class the other day. Except he was in my room, not his own.
“Lie down on your stomach and rest your head on your arms, facing me.”
I did as he told me. “Like this?”
He nodded, eyeing me as if absorbing details or searching for flaws. Coming onto his knees, he moved close enough to fan his fingers through my hair and let it fall over my shoulder. “Perfect,” he murmured, scooting back to his position against the wall, a few feet away.
I stared at him as he sketched, his eyes moving back and forth from my face to the pad. At some point, his gaze began to move over the rest of me. As if his fingertips skimmed over my shoulders and down my back, my breath caught in my throat and I shut my eyes.
“Falling asleep?” His voice was soft. Near.
I opened my eyes to find him on his knees next to me, sitting back on his heels. My heart picked up the pace again at his nearness. “No.”
He’d left the pad and pencil on the floor behind him. “Are you… done?”
He shook his head slightly. “No. I’d like to do another, if you don’t mind.” At my nod, he said, “Turn onto your back.”
I rolled over slowly, afraid he’d be able to see my heart hammering through my thin sweater. He grabbed the pad and pencil from the floor and stood. Staring down, he let his eyes roam over me, and I felt vulnerable, but not in danger. I knew so little about him, but there was one thing I felt unequivocally: safe.
“I’m going to arrange you, if that’s okay?”
I swallowed. “Uh… sure.” My hands were clutched to my ribcage, my shoulders hunched almost to my ears. What, this isn’t how you want me positioned? I barely contained the nervous twitter that bubbled up at the thought.
His fingers encircled the wrist nearest him, and he brought my arm over my head, bent it as though it had been thrown back. Taking the opposite hand, he splayed my fingers over my abdomen, sat back, stared at me a moment, and then moved it, too, over my head, crossing my wrists, as though I was bound. I struggled to breathe normally. Impossible. “I’m going to move your leg,” he said, his eyes on mine, waiting for my nod. His hands on my knee, he angled it out, leaving it flush against the mattress.
He picked up the pad and turned the page. “Now tilt your face toward me a bit—chin down—that’s good. And shut your eyes.” I fought to remain relaxed, knowing that as long as I heard the scratch of his pencil across the page, he wasn’t going to touch me. I lay unmoving, eyes closed, listening to the rasp of lead on paper, broken by the soft brush of his finger, smearing a line or a shadow.
From the laptop on my desk, my inbox dinged, and my eyes flashed open. Without thinking, I rose to my elbows. Landon? But there was no way I could check.
Lucas was watching me closely. “Do you need to check that?”
Landon had ignored my email all afternoon, when in the past he’d answered so promptly that I was probably spoiled. But Lucas was sitting in my room. On my bed. I lay back, returned my arms to their prior position, and I shook my head. I didn’t close my eyes this time, and he didn’t ask me to.
He returned to sketching, concentrating on my hands a long while, and then my face. He stared into my eyes, back and forth between that intense examination and his drawing. When he stared at my mouth for long moments—drawing, staring, drawing, staring—I wanted to reach up, grab his t-shirt, and pull him down to me. My hands clenched involuntarily and his gaze flicked there and back.
Eyes blazing, he looked down at me. “Jacqueline?”
I blinked. “Yes?”
“The night we met—I’m not like that guy.” His jaw was rigid.

This isn't the only passage there are many more. I really can't grasp the fact that Jordin Williams plagiarized off of two ladies who worked hard to get their books to be popular and published. If you want to publish a book make sure it's YOUR work. Not someone else's edited work. 

Everyone please help us get the book off the charts. The sad thing about this is that it is selling like crazy! It is number 58 of the US charts. We really need to get Tammara Webber and Jamie McGuire the justice they deserve.

To read more about the scandal click here.

Here are the book's links:

I have taken down all my reviews, just to let you guys know. Please do the same so we can stop her.

Thanks so much guys!

Jun 24, 2013

Innocent Darkness Read-Along!

Hello guys! Hope everyone is having a great summer so far, and I have something new to share with you..I will be participating in the INNOCENT DARKNESS Read-Along! 

Innocent Darkness is by Suzanne Lazear, and the first book in the The Aether Chronicles. She is doing because well it's fun and the sequel, Charmed Vengeance  is coming out on August 8, 2013. 
Innocent Darkness (The Aether Chronicles #1)
The Read-Along starts July 1st and goes until July 29th. There will also be Twitter chats in between each week of reading. Here's the full schedule if you are interested:


July 1-7th: Prologue-Chapter Six
July 5th : Twitter Chat 1 pm PST/4 pm EST #IDreadalong
July 8-14: Chapter Seven-Thirteen
July 12: Twitter Chat 1 pm PST/4 pm EST #IDreadalong
July 15-21: Chapter Fourteen-Twenty
July 19th: Twitter Chat 1 pm PST/4 pm EST #IDreadalong
July 22-28th: Chapter Twenty-One – Twenty-Seven
July 26: Twitter Chat 1 pm PST/4 pm EST #IDreadalong
July 29-Aug 4: Chapter 28-Epilogue
Aug 2: Final Twitter Chat 1 pm PST/4 pm EST #IDreadalong

This read-along is hosted by Ms. Suzanne Lazear herself, and she will be giving away prizes along the way! (They sound supercool too!)

To join the Twitter chats just use the hashtag #IDreadalong so join in! 

To see Suzanne's post about the giveaway click here.
To win a copy of Charmed Vengeance click here.

I really hope you guys will participate! I will be writing about my advances in this book on the day of the Twitter chat. At the end of the book I will post a review of the book(I've already read it before but I never wrote a review, so this is the perfect opportunity to write one!) Comment below if you plan on joining the read-along. 

Last but not least, here's a video from Suzanne Lazear telling you about Innocent Darkness:
Enjoy!

Jun 18, 2013

Eleanor & Park

Eleanor and ParkAuthor: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Number of Pages: 325

When I realized how much John Green loved this book I checked it out and I fell in love instantly. I started hounding the librarians at the public library and my school to get this book (because I'm on a book buying ban), and two weeks later I had it in my hands. It was beautiful and now because of my fangirling of this book, my friends have loved this book, and more people are being exposed to it and loving this.

Here's the synopsis:
""Bono met his wife in high school," Park says."So did Jerry Lee Lewis," Eleanor answers."I’m not kidding," he says."You should be," she says, "we’re sixteen.""What about Romeo and Juliet?""Shallow, confused, then dead."''I love you," Park says."Wherefore art thou," Eleanor answers."I’m not kidding," he says."You should be."
Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under."

This is a story of two teenage kids. One with a somewhat normal life-as normal as someone's life can get-and one with a life she's trying to get away from. This story was amazing, beautiful, tear-jerking, and just plain words...the perfect story.

“You can be Han Solo," he said, kissing her throat. "And I'll be Boba Fett. I'll cross the sky for you.”
The first thing that I had to love about this book was all the music and comic book references..would you call them references? There was just a lot of talk about them, and I was in pure bliss. I had heard many of those songs, I read or knew most of the comics in the book. Though, if you don't get it this book will expose you to so much more music and reading material that it won't matter, because the book is just plain amazing.

The characters in this book were amazing. I have to say that Park is my asian version of my dream guy. I say that I love a person A LOT, but Park is like my other half. We love the same things like comics, music, DOCTOR WHO!!! Park was the perfect guy in this book. I'm actually kind of jealous of Eleanor right now. 

“Holding Eleanor's hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.” 
May I just ask was kind of teenage boy asks something like that? That definitely describes him as the perfect guy. I definitely give Rainbow Rowell a 6 out 5 stars for creating a character like Park. 
“Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.” 
Eleanor was also a great character, she may not be the prettiest girl or the wittiest, but she has the pure heart and the good intentions. She makes Park curious and eventually he realizes that she is the perfect girl for him. I really love that she didn't make an effort to look nice by societies definition, she took what she had and made it into her style. It takes a lot of courage to do that and take the ridicule that comes with doing that. I wish I had Eleanor's courage and bravery.

The rest of the people in this story where a perfect part of this story. I must say I loved Park's mother. She might have been the bad guy for a brief time but I really liked her. She was a bit crazy about giving Eleanor a makeover and I absolutely love her personality and charm. Eleanor's stepdad made me want to knock his teeth out, I'm pretty sure if he was real I would have done it too.

The one thing that I really respect Rainbow Rowell for is that ending. Whenever I have read that kind of ending I usually end up not feeling as good about the book. The author created a ending that left me comfortable on how that situation was handled. Writing that kind of ending is risky, it could leave the readers feeling good about it and accepting it or they could hate it and be restless. Rainbow Rowell made the readers feel good about it.

This book is a must read for everyone, adults, teens, just everyone. This is one teen romance that I feel everyone will enjoy and grow to love and it will be passed around. Let's get the word out about this book!!

5 out of 5 star rating!

Conjure Cover Reveal





Available July 1, 2013
Sometimes to understand the present you have to conjure up the past...

The last thing Addison Harmon needed was to become tethered to the broody, often seemingly cold, Theo Van Rooyen, but that's exactly what happened.
Forced to partner up with Theo to figure out a way to break the tether, Addison soon realizes she may have bitten off more than she can chew.


(New Adult/Mature Young Adult: Contains sexual situations, language, underage drinking, and drug usage.)


Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina were she spends most of her time writing new adult and young adult fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is a tea lover with an obsession for Post-it notes and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.


Jun 17, 2013

[Adult] Review: Entwined With You by Sylvia Day

Entwined with You (Crossfire, #3)Author: Sylvia Day
Publisher: Berkley
Number of Pages: 368

Synopsis:
"From the moment I first met Gideon Cross, I recognized something in him that I needed. Something I couldn’t resist. I saw the dangerous and damaged soul inside–so much like my own. I was drawn to it. I needed him as surely as I needed my heart to beat.
No one knows how much he risked for me. How much I’d been threatened, or just how dark and desperate the shadow of our pasts would become.
Entwined by our secrets, we tried to defy the odds. We made our own rules and surrendered completely to the exquisite power of possession…"
So when June 4th came around I was squealing like a little girl who had just met her favorite actor, but I would probably squeal like a little girl if I met Gideon Cross. I absolutely loved this book, not as much as the second but this book still made my pants fall off!

This book was amazing, and had me begging for more. Originally this was supposed to be the last book, but Ms, Sylvia Day decided that she was going to make this into a 5 book series! I honestly don't know whether to be thrilled that there is more Gideon and Eva or be upset because I have to go through the agony that comes with waiting for the next book. 

This book wasn't as good as the second book which I gave a 5 out 5 star rating (You can read the review here.) Mainly, this book wasn't as exciting because of the beginning. They were happy and in love and that equals sex. I don't mind reading about sex, this is a series filled with it, but this book had a lot of it at the beginning. At first it was hot (H.O.T.) but it got to be too much with them doing it every 5 pages. The beginning didn't contain much substance. That totally ruined the rest of the book. I was tempted to skip through the next time they went and did it, but I didn't because well..I love Gideon...A LOT!

That was really all that I didn't enjoy about this book. Everything was amazing, totally beautiful and I wanted to shed tears of joy. The ending was like THANK GOD!!! NO FREAKING RELATIONSHIP CLIFFHANGER!!!! <--This my friends has been annoying me. I needed to know if they get together. You all will be happy with the results. :D
“I look at you, angel, and I want you so badly. I want to be with you, listen to you, talk to you. I want to hear you laugh and hold you when you cry. I want to sit next to you, breathe the same air, share the same life. I want to wake up to you like this every day forever. I want you.”
Throughout the whole book, and most of the series, Eva questioned whether or not two people who are abuse survivors could have a normal relationship. Gideon gave her the most beautiful little speech that I for one grew to love him even more for. 

I have to say that I am looking forward to the next book in the series, but I have to wait until 2014 which is very, very sad and I might die just waiting...hopefully not. 

This series is definitely a MUST read series for everyone. Well I suggest that you only read this if you are 17 or older

P.S. If you guys want to see a video interview of Aestas Book Blog with Sylvia Day about the upcoming series, click here.

Rating: 4 out of 5 star rating!!

Jun 14, 2013

Review: The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

The Lucy VariationsAuthor: Sara Zarr
Publisher: Little Brow, BFYR
Number of Pages: 320

So this book wasn't initially what I thought it would be about. I thought that Lucy would fall in love with her little brother's new piano teacher and there would be some problem and eventually they would live happily ever after. BOY was I wrong! This book is different, yet I still loved it so very much. The ending kind of disappointed me but I thoroughly LOVED this book and highly recommend it.

Here's the synopsis:
"Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. The right people knew her name, her performances were booked months in advance, and her future seemed certain.
That was all before she turned fourteen.
Now, at sixteen, it's over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. That leaves her talented ten-year-old brother, Gus, to shoulder the full weight of the Beck-Moreau family expectations. Then Gus gets a new piano teacher who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy rekindle her love of piano -- on her own terms. But when you're used to performing for sold-out audiences and world-famous critics, can you ever learn to play just for yourself?
National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr takes readers inside the exclusive world of privileged San Francisco families, top junior music competitions, and intense mentorships. The Lucy Variations is a story of one girl's struggle to reclaim her love of music and herself. It's about finding joy again, even when things don't go according to plan. Because life isn't a performance, and everyone deserves the chance to make a few mistakes along the way."

Originally I thought that this book was just going to be about a girl falling in love with her brother's piano teacher but then again Sara Zarr is writing this. I'm not saying this to be mean or anything, it's just that Sara Zarr doesn't write many of those types of books. 

This is actually the first book by Sara Zarr that I have and finished. I started Sweethearts and never finished it. Her books have never been my type of book. This book was different I really enjoyed it even though it wasn't what I thought it would be about.

Lucy, the main character, wasn't my favorite but she was definitely an interesting character. Her story was one that I would definitely agree with. Her reason for leaving piano was a really good reason. Nothing like that should come before family, especially if you don't have a lot of time with them.

Will, I really liked him at the beginning. I found him to be a total tool by the end of the book. Who does that to someone who they are supposed to be helping. He totally broke his trust with Lucy. That kind of disappointed me, but I guess I should have seen it coming.

Lucy's brother, Gus, is so adorable! He kind of reminded me of my brother. They both are stubborn, talented, and just plain cute! I don't really have much to say besides I was really disappointed with him on how he reacted when he found out about Lucy and Will being friends.

This book overall was enjoyable to read, though the characters and I did not really get along. I think I may have to try more books by Sara Zarr.

4 out of 5 star review!!

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