2/21/14 2/21/14

The One Where Jolene Perry Guest Blogs & We SHOULD Be Buds!

I love when authors come to visit! Please welcome Jolene Perry! So. When I'm on blogs that I don't visit often, I feel the need to skim them over and check them out, and the longer I was on Nicole's blog, the more I was like - WE MUST BE FRIENDS! WE HAVE LOTS AND LOTS IN COMMON.FIRST - PROJECT RUNWAY. I love this show. LOVE. This is the only bit of reality TV that I watch. I have not missed an episode. Ever.SECOND - There are a lot of Twilight posts on this blog. I will readily admit that I don't have TV and when I want it on just to have it on... I usually toss in a Twilight movie.THIRD - I Have a board on Pinterest labeled - STUFF THAT MADE ME SMILE.For real.SO, there.Anyway. Since I gave you three reasons why me and Nicole should be friends, I thought I'd also give you three reasons to read my book ;-)ONE -Writing a guy with one arm who is falling for a girl and is trying to figure out how to be with her, how to get closer to her, when he's used to having two arms... It was fun.TWO -Kate is a scattered mess who rarely does the right thing the first time - very much like me.THREE -The hair cutting scene, the scene where Kate helps him drive his stick shift car before he has to sell it, the scene where he kisses her in the back of said car, the night she sleeps over and where I wrote my fav sex-scene EVAH :-)So. Thank you SO much for letting me "invade" for a day!!!!~ Jolene

"All they have in common is that they're less than perfect. And all they're looking for is the perfect distraction."

Scoop up The Summer I Found You on AMAZON/BARNES & NOBLEFind Jolene Perry Online: Blog • Twitter • Website • Facebook • Tumblr Jolene Perry is a YA Author of:Out of Play The Summer I Found You (March 1, 2014)Stronger Than You Know (September 1, 2014)Love Blind (2015)Other Books By Jolene Perry Thanks Jolene!Can't wait to read The Summer I Found You!xo nicole

2/21/14 2/21/14

The One Where Jolene Perry Guest Blogs & We SHOULD Be Buds!

"All they have in common is that they're less than perfect. And all they're looking for is the perfect distraction."

2/20/14 2/20/14

Book Review: "And We Stay" by Jenny Hubbard

And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard the author of Paper Covers Rock is a story of overcoming tragedy and is full of good prose and in a few instances poetry which caused me do that thing, where you inhale and hold it for a second…because you want to pause for a moment to give yourself enough time to really absorb the words.Though I enjoyed the story overall, I felt disconnected from the main character Emily Beam, as she tried to deal with her guilt over the role she played in the events that transpired in her school's library. Events, which ultimately led her to be in Amerherst, the home town of her favorite poet Emily Dickinson. I have to wonder if the author didn't choose to write in third person so that the reader would feel a separation from Emily, much like she felt from the world as she struggled to face the pivotal moments that shattered her life. It is through her poetry the reader really begins to feel for Emily, and I suppose that is the point.If I had one issue with the plot it's with regards to Emily Beam's character mirroring to perfectly in a lot of ways that of Emily Dickinson. I however enjoyed some of the history regarding Emily Dickinson and the treat of both her poems and those written by her namesake.And We Stay by Jenny HubbardPublished by Random House LLC on 28 Jan 2014Genre: Young AdultStand Alone or Series: It's a loner.Source: NetGalleyFormat: eARCBuy on Amazon • Goodreads

2/20/14 2/20/14

Book Review: "And We Stay" by Jenny Hubbard

10/4/12 10/4/12

Owlet: Society of Feathers Book Review

Everything about Iris’ daily life weighed her down. She lived a sheltered lifestyle filled with nothing but homeschooling and books. Her asthma seemed to limit her every move, never letting her run or get overly emotional. To Iris, everything in life was a threat she had to face—everything but her father. Even her dreams seemed to have switched into nightmares, making themselves her enemy.“Iris, calm down. It is just me. You are all right. I found you and brought you in here.” She heard him add softly, “You are in trouble for not taking your preventative meds, Izzy.”Iris tried to sort out her thoughts and realized what must have happened. Finally awake enough to open her eyes, she looked around. She wanted to be in her room, because there she would find strength in her surroundings. But as she surveyed the scene nothing was familiar to her. It felt as if she were sitting in a foreign land.Novel: Owlet: Society of Feathers #1Genre: Young Adult Paranormal RomancePublished: by Tribute Books, October 13, 2012Stand Alone or Series: This is the first in a series.How I Got it: I received a copy in e-book format from the publisher.Where can you get it? Amazon, PDF version.What’s it About?From the publisher:

Somewhere between falling and flying… there is a girl.

Iris has a secret. She lost her memory eight years ago and never told a living soul. After an asthma attack one night she finds out that her dreams of a strange house on a snowy island may be a memory resurfacing but the more she learns about the past the more she realizes the life she has been living is a lie. As the façade her father has built starts to crumble around her she will have to decide which means more to her; the truth or her life.

What made me want to read it: I love a good "lied to her whole life" story, I am writing one after all.What I thought…Iris, though physically weak due to chronic asthma, is a strong female protagonist, who is smart and likes books. (I can totally relate!) I would have preferred to see this "strong" aspect of her character explored more in the story, instead of having other characters relate their experiences and perception of her strength.I totally dug the premise. This is not a book about a shape-shifter girl who becomes an owl, which is what I was pretty sure was going to happen; but rather a coming of age story in a world where everything isn't as it seems. I went cross-eyed from time to time when the author used an alternate "inner voice" that dwelled inside the protagonist. The main character actually had full blown conversations with this inner voice, which made me wonder in the beginning if she was schizophrenic and these conversations and dreams were hallucinations. As a reader I don't like to work to figure out who's voice I'm reading, and it took me a few chapters to get into it. If you experience the same problem press on, it takes a bit of getting used to, once you do all will be well. The author's writing style is flowery which bodes well with the theme, but at times felt a bit awkward to this reader especially during scenes that contained songs or poetry.What I enjoyed best was the rather witty dialogue between characters, the lovely descriptions of the MC's dream-turned reality island retreat, and her love interest. I wasn't crazy about the extensive use of flashback to relate the protagonist's back story, however it was well done and it helped the reader understand Iris better. Overall the premise is fantastic, and not like anything I've read recently which was refreshing.As part of the blog tour check out this cool giveaway that includes original artwork created by Emma Michaels herself!

4/22/12 4/22/12

The Name of The Star by Maureen Johnson [Book Review]

The Name of the Star is a cool paranormal-esque book that will bring two worlds together to solve this murder mystery.

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.

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Novel: The Name of the Star Shades of London, Book One - By Maureen Johnson.

Published: September 29, 2011

Stand Alone or Series: Series - This is the first book in the 'Shades of London' series.

How I Got it: I bought it.

What made me want to read it: I've been wanting to read Maureen Johnson for the longest time. When I read Cassandra Clare's praise, “A gorgeously written, chilling, atmospheric thriller. The streets of London have never been so sinister or so romantic.” - I decided I'd start here, instead of with an earlier work.

What I thought...

The Name of the Star has a great MC (main character) in the form of Rory Deveaux. I liked her immediately. She's an American teenager from Louisiana who moves to London to go to boarding school for her senior year of high school. Everything would have been hunky-dory except her arrival happens to coincide with some gruesome murders that have quite a bit of similarities to the famous (and never apprehended) Jack the Ripper! "Rippermania" ensues as it only could in modern times complete with t-shirts, round the clock news, and the web. Unfortunately for Rory she finds herself right in the middle of it all and no, she's not going crazy (but the stories about her family and home town sure are!) Lucky for her she befriends some cool London police officers who aren't exactly your typical "bobbies"!

The Name of the Star is a cool paranormal-esque book that will bring two worlds together to solve this murder mystery. There is a bit of romance but it's not the main focus which is very refreshing in a YA novel.

This is the first Maureen Johnson novel I've read and I can't wait to perch my nose in the middle of her other works. It was very well written and her characters are so believable and the pace is just perfect. I'll definitely read the sequel.

You can read a bit of The Name of The Star on Maureen Johnson's website.If you'd like to see some other photos I took of this gorgeous book -Check out my flickr set Books and Writers and thingslove & books,nicōle