asteriskpearl's book blog

Hiatus

2015-06-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hey, all! I'm going to be on a hiatus for a bit. Work and the amount of time it takes me to get there has been consuming my life.

Just to give you a bit of an idea: I get up at 6am, leave the house at 7 to be at work by 8:45 (curse you, traffic!). I'm at work til 5pm and get home around 6:45. So from that time til I go to bed (about 10 or 11pm), I have to cook dinner, eat, spend time with my dog and husband, and work out. Sigh. I am exhausted all the time.

As you all know, blogging takes HOURS. Thinking up new posts, writing them, proof reading, responding to comments, visiting the blogs of your friends... I just don't have the time right now. I'll be back soon, though!

Blog Tour: The Edge of Forever by Melissa E Hurst (Review & Favorite Quotes)

2015-05-31T00:30:00.000-07:00

The Edge of Forever

Publish Date: June 2nd, 2015

Publisher: Sky Pony Press

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

Blurb:

In 2013: Sixteen-year-old Alora is having blackouts. Each time she wakes up in a different place with no idea of how she got there. The one thing she is certain of? Someone is following her.

In 2146: Seventeen-year-old Bridger is one of a small number of people born with the ability to travel to the past. While on a routine school time trip, he sees the last person he expected—his dead father. The strangest part is that, according to the Department of Temporal Affairs, his father was never assigned to be in that time. Bridger’s even more stunned when he learns that his by-the-book father was there to break the most important rule of time travel—to prevent someone’s murder.

And that someone is named Alora.

Determined to discover why his father wanted to help a “ghost,” Bridger illegally shifts to 2013 and, along with Alora, races to solve the mystery surrounding her past and her connection to his father before the DTA finds him. If he can stop Alora’s death without altering the timeline, maybe he can save his father too.

My Review

Imagine a world where a handful of society members are born with the ability to travel back in time. School field trips are spent time travelling to famous historical dates and capturing the events on video. For example, a president's assassination or a devastating tsunami's destruction. These videos are then edited for the history channels on TV or even uploaded as video games for citizens to play through. Pretty cool, huh? This world enchanted me. If this is what's in store for the future, I was born in the wrong time period (just kidding!).

I loved the suspense in The Edge of Forever. Is Bridger's father really still alive? Why does he want to prevent Alora's murder? Who wants to murder Alora? Why does Alora look like Bridger's dead girlfriend? All of these questions kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put the book down because I needed to learn the answers to all the mystery!

The Edge of Forever is definitely a fun, quick read! I recommend it for anyone that enjoys the science fiction genre or stories of time travelling. Time travelling novels usually confuse me, but this one was very straight forward and told in a simplistic manner for anyone to understand.

Memorable Quotes

I return my attention to the stage. President Foster's voice is almost hypnotic as she speaks. Yeah, I could definitely trust her if I lived in this time. I glance at the info screen on my DataLink.

It's 9:17.

She'll be dead in less than five minutes.

My stomach clenches. I don't know why I'm feeling like this. She's a ghost. She's already dead. All these people are dead.

"What do you mean? He is my father."

"That's impossible. The Nate Walker I knew died in 1994."

I stay seated, too stunned to move, and watch as Mr. Miller storms out of the shop. His last words ring in my ears, along with another thought.

How could Nate Walker be my father if he died in 1994?

I was born in 1997.

About the Author

Melissa lives in the southern US with her husband & three kids. She writes YA science fiction & fantasy, which means she considers watching Star Trek & Firefly as research. She dreams of traveling around the world & maybe finding Atlantis one day. You can usually find her with a book in one hand & a Dr. Pepper in the other. Or consuming lots of chocolate.

THE EDGE OF FOREVER is her debut novel.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

Feature & Follow: TBR Count?

2015-05-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

The point of Feature and Follow is to meet new people & gain followers in the book blog community!

How it works: Each week, Rachel and Alison post a question for bloggers to answer, provide a bloghop link, and choose two lucky participants to feature in their blogs!

Question of the Week: How many books have you got on your TBR list?

Good grief. Too many. About 1100. It's such a disaster. I'm never going to read all of them! My Goodreads shelves are such a mess, too! I have a TBR, TBR soon, TBR long list, TBR this year. I really shouldn't even bother. I've read more books off my "interested" and regular TBR than I have off my TBR this year list. Lol!

How about you? How many books do you have on your TBR list?

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #1) by Ransom Riggs

2015-05-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

Publish Date: June 7th, 2011

Publisher: Quirk

Rating: 2.5 / 5

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I purchased a copy via Amazon.

Blurb:

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.

A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography.

First Thoughts

I've been holding on to reading this book for years because, frankly, the cover frightens me! After being assured by many Goodreads friends that it wasn't a scary read, I finally picked it up a week ago. Ok, guys, really?! The old photographs in the book were pretty damn scary.

How does this not give anyone nightmares?!

What I Enjoyed

Learning of the peculiar children's abilities. YYAASS. Old school and way creepier X-Men, basically. You have someone that can control fire, someone that can levitate, a strong person, someone that can foresee things to come. Pretty cool!

What Could Have Been Better

The story in general. Like WTH is going on? It starts out great-- grandpa is killed by the very monster he's been talking about, Jacob goes to the mysterious island to visit the old orphanage and gather clues about his grandfather's life. Then he tracks down a peculiar child, Emma. Good grief. Annoying couple alert. Then something about loops. Like they're in a loop (repeating day) forever to hide from the monsters. Then it's explained that the monsters are people that didn't want to be in loops anymore. So then why were there loops in the first place? I don't get it.

TL;DR

Story isn't scary, but the photographs are. The story goes along great until Jacob finds the orphanage and the Peculiars. WTH is a loop? Kids in love are so annoying. Jacob is annoying. This book was annoying. I can't even review it because I hardly understand it.

2.5 / 5 asterisks

Review: The Story of Us (Carnage #1) by Lesley Jones

2015-05-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

Publish Date: February 14th, 2014

Publisher: Self Published

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I purchased a copy via Amazon.

Blurb:

I love him, from the instant I set eyes on him when I was just 11 years old I have loved him and nothing will ever change that, he owns me, he owns my heart and he owns my body and no matter how many lies are told, no matter how many people conspire to keep us apart, despite the fame and the distance, we will find a way.

"Georgia Rae, when we made love you used to cry" ... He waits for me to sing my bit. I try to swallow down a sob but I just end up singing through it...
"I said I love you like the stars above, I'll love you till I die"

Carnage is an edgy coming of age love story that breaks all the rules and transcends the decades. Georgia and Sean's story will stay with you long after you read the final word. An emotional, smoking hot, gut wrenching read.

First Thoughts

(Spoilers ahead cause I can't not) Could you do it? Date a rock star? Even if you've known him since you were 11 years old, even if you've known him before he gained fame? I couldn't. There's too much temptation. Women, drugs, booze. I just couldn't.

Women, drugs, and booze are exactly what came between Georgia and Sean. Super predictable. Another guy comes along to put Georgia back together. Predictable. He's a dangerous businessman who shoots a guy in the kneecaps while out with Georgia. Okayy...?! Not predictable. Georgia and Sean find their way back to each other. Predictable. Then the ending happens. WTH WTH WTH??? Not predictable at all!

After I ugly cried and sobbed for a bit, I immediately one-clicked the next book on Amazon.

What I Enjoyed

Cam. I don't get him! Am I supposed to like him? I feel gross for liking him over Sean! There were some parts that made me cringe like when he kissed Georgia "a little too hard" on the mouth or when he grabbed her arm. Shooting the guy in a kneecaps was all sorts of crazy. Is he going to be a bad boy gone good? I don't know. I sure enjoy the mystery around this guy, though.

Sex scenes, FTW. Whew, I had to fan myself more than a few times. Georgia had a lot of 'fun' with both Sean and Cam. Lucky girl. Ha!

Family. Family is number one to me, so I absolutely love how important it was in the book. Georgia had her mom, her dad, 3 brothers, her brother's best friend became her lover, her best friends became her brothers' lovers. Super confusing, but very awesome!

The ending. This ending had me sobbing into my pillow at 2 in the morning last night. I can't imagine going through that. My life would be over. Sigh. Read it for the ending. The ending hurts.

What Could Have Been Better

Georgia and Sean's breakup. (spoilers ahead) While on tour, Sean got high off ecstasy and cheated on Georgia. Georgia refused to talk to him for 4 years after that. I get that. I'd dump the guy, too. Drugs and cheating? No thanks. Moping around for months. Ok. 4 years, though?! Good grief. This happened at age 16. You think from age 16 to age 20, she would have done some growing up. Either be with him or move on!

Memorable Quote

"I love you, Georgia Rae, show us your tits," he whispered, then he closed his eyes, his beautiful brown eyes, with their flecks of gold.

(You have to read it to understand)

3.5 / 5 asterisks

ARC Review: Remember Me This Way by Sabine Durrant

2015-05-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

Publish Date: May 26th, 2015

Publisher: Atria

Rating: 3 / 5

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Blurb:

Everyone keeps telling me I have to move on. And so here I am, walking down the road where he died, trying to remember him the right way.

A year after her husband Zach's death, Lizzie goes to lay flowers where his fatal accident took place.

As she makes her way along the motorway, she thinks about their life together. She wonders whether she has changed since Zach died. She wonders if she will ever feel whole again.

At last she reaches the spot. And there, tied to a tree, is a bunch of lilies. The flowers are addressed to her husband. Someone has been there before her.

Lizzie loved Zach. She really did.

But she's starting to realise she didn't really know him.

Or what he was capable of . . .

I received and Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

First Thoughts

It's hard to rate this one because I can't pinpoint the exact way I feel about it. I loved the suspense. My heart raced throughout the entire book and I read it in one sitting. I hated Zach. What a monster. His behavior toward people and animals was disgusting. I stayed up late reading Remember Me This Way because I had to know if Zach was really dead. Ugh.

What I Enjoyed

The mystery. It all starts when Lizzie goes to lay flowers at the spot of her husband's fatal car crash. She notices that flowers have been left behind by another woman. Lizzie spends the entire book trying to piece together who this mystery woman could be and all the while, strange incidents happen that make Lizzie believe Zach is still alive.

The dog. Only a dog would still love a human being even though that sack of crap human being keeps physically abusing the dog and even plotting to poison it slowly. Wake up, Lizzie! Your husband was a complete psycho. Jealous because she loves her dog? Give me a break, Zach. Go to hell.

What Could Have Been Better

Just leave animals out of it. Lizzie is a human being. She can find her independence. She can leave Zach. I don't have to feel too sorry for her (especially when I think she enjoyed Zach's dark side). Animals, though? An animal is dependent on its owners. They love unconditionally. I don't care if the abuse of the dog was supposed to help portray Zach's mental instability. It enraged me.

Father/lover plotpoint. I'm not even going to explain what this is. If you read it, you'll understand what I'm talking about. Disgusting. It seemed to be an unnecessary addition to the story.

TL;DR

Still not sure how I feel about this one. Suspense and mystery was on point. I can't sympathize with Lizzie. Zach was an abusive psycho. You will keep reading until you know whether or not Zach is dead because you will be hoping for him to be dead. Best character in the book was the dog. Unnecessary plotpoint seemed to be added to make book longer.

3 / 5 asterisks

Feature & Follow: Writing Reviews

2015-05-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

The point of Feature and Follow is to meet new people & gain followers in the book blog community!

How it works: Each week, Rachel and Alison post a question for bloggers to answer, provide a bloghop link, and choose two lucky participants to feature in their blogs!

Question of the Week: How do you write your reviews?

I honestly try to review a book right after I finish it so it's still fresh in my mind.

First, I grab the book information (publisher, publish date, etc) off Goodreads. I state my rating and tell how I acquired the book (purchased, won, ARC provided by author/publisher, etc). Then I write about my first thoughts, I state my likes and dislikes, and I add any quotes that spoke to me.

I've recently added a TL;DR (too long; didn't read) section to my reviews. Haha! It's just a brief summary of my thoughts in case people don't want to read the entire review.

How about you? How do you write you reviews?

Let's Discuss: When You Just Aren't Feeling an ARC

2015-05-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

In the past 2 weeks, I have DNFed more ARCs than I want to admit.

It feels awful. I can't even begin to imagine the time and effort that go into writing a book, only for some readers to not even finish the ARC you kindly provided them, for free!!

The thing is, as readers, we all know the struggle of always having too many books than we could ever possibly read. Our TBRs are ever-growing and the saying "too many books, too little time" has become very real.

So why waste time on something we don't enjoy?

I almost don't want to accept any more email review requests. My ARC struggles on NetGalley aren't nearly so bad because I can be really picky if I have to. I can judge a book by its cover. I can skip over a book if the synopsis doesn't sound particularly enticing. With email requests, I feel like a mean person if I don't accept a book for review.

The problem is, I've accepted almost everything that's fit into my list of favorite genres. Even the ones with covers that make me cringe. Even the ones with book summaries that sound just ok. Unenjoyable ARCs and the pressure to review them have killed my mood for reading, but I can only blame myself.

From now on, it's over!

I'm only reading what I enjoy!

How about you guys?

How do you deal with your ARC struggles?

Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

2015-05-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

Publish Date: April 28th, 2015

Publisher: Razorbill

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I purchased a copy via Amazon.

Blurb:

I WILL TELL YOU THE SAME THING I TELL EVERY SLAVE.

THE RESISTANCE HAS TRIED TO PENETRATE THIS SCHOOL COUNTLESS TIMES. I HAVE DISCOVERED IT EVERY TIME.

IF YOU ARE WORKING WITH THE RESISTANCE, IF YOU CONTACT THEM, IF YOU THINK OF CONTACTING THEM, I WILL KNOW

AND I WILL DESTROY YOU.

Laia is a slave.
Elias is a soldier.
Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

First Thoughts

I know Sabaa Tahir has said that there are no plans for a second book, but come on.. there has to be a sequel! The way it ended.. seriously? I kind of need to know what happens next. There are too many loose ends that need to be tied. Too many fates that need to be revealed. You can't just end it like this!

What I Enjoyed

The Masks. Everything about these elite soldiers intrigued me. I, for one, could not imagine learning to kill and survive from an early age. I would hate wearing that silver mask, knowing that one day, it'd bond with my face and I'd never be able to remove it again. The training is intense; I'd never survive it.

The Trials. Just when I thought the schooling and physical training that Masks endure each day was rough, the Trials to name a new Emperor began. Was the Third Trial really necessary Sabaa?! Anyone who reads An Ember in the Ashes should prepare for that particular Trial to tug on their heartstrings a good bit.

What Could Have Been Better

The love.. square? Love triangles suck most of the time, but some of the time, they can be written very well. Love squares, however, are never good. Elias loves Helene but she's one of the guys so he can't love her, right? Oh well! Slave girl Laia is looking pretty fine, so Elias will just like her instead. Let's not stop there. Laia thinks of Elias often, but there's also her red-headed friend in The Resistance. Who does she choose? Well. We don't know, because the book literally ends as the action gets good.

Everything after the 50% mark. Everything was going great prior to the halfway mark. The world-building and story-telling was on point. Then LOVE got in the way. Elias started making idiot decisions because of his feelings for Laia. Laia's love for her brother clouded her judgement when choosing who to trust. It was like the characters became stupid all of a sudden.

Tie up the loose ends. If it's true and this is a standalone, then what the heck?? This whole thing starts because Laia wants to save her brother. So does she save him or what?? Also, the whole story builds up like the Scholars have been oppressed by the Martials but some people (like Elias) want change. So is that change going to happen?? The two major plot points don't have a resolution by the end. How can I be ok with that?

TL;DR

One of my most anticipated 2015 releases ends in a bit of disappointment. Supposedly a standalone but ends with some major loose ends. World building is great. Halfway through the book, the characters become idiots. I kind of still wonder what the whole point of the story is if there's no sequel.

3.5 / 5 asterisks

Feature & Follow: Organizing Books

2015-05-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

The point of Feature and Follow is to meet new people & gain followers in the book blog community!

How it works: Each week, Rachel and Alison post a question for bloggers to answer, provide a bloghop link, and choose two lucky participants to feature in their blogs!

Question of the Week: How do you organize your books? Either at home on your bookshelves or on your reading device, or on your bookish platform like Goodreads, Leafmarks, or Booklikes.

I arrange my bookshelves by genres, series, then book sizes. I have no organization system on my Kindle besides just deleting books off my device once I've read them (LOL). I'm still working on organizing my Goodreads shelves. Some of my friends have some funny names for their shelves and I'm trying to follow in their footsteps. (;

How about you? How do you organize your books?

Let's Discuss: The Goodreads Rating Scale-- Love it or Hate it?

2015-05-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

The look on Neil Patrick Harris' face and the disappointing sigh at the end perfectly describes how I feel about the Goodreads rating scale.

If you follow the reviews on my blog, you know that I rate books on a scale of 1-5 stars (or asterisks). My rating scale is as follows:

5 stars: All-time favorite! Truly exceptional!

4 stars: I really, really enjoyed it!

3 stars: I liked it!

2 stars: Meh.

1 star: Disaster.

This is the same scale I use on Goodreads. The difference is, on my blog, I can allot a 1/2 star here or there when I feel the book warrants it. I can't do that on Goodreads!

The problem is, I've read a few books recently that I felt deserved that extra half star! For example, Undertow by Michael Buckley-- I more than "really, really enjoyed it" but it definitely didn't make my "all-time favorite" list.

On my blog, I gave Undertow a 4.5 stars, on Goodreads I gave it 5. Why, though? It's not exceptional. It's not on my all-time favorite list. I gave it 5 stars because it deserves more than 4 and I've always rated up on Goodreads. Now, I'm not so sure. I certainly don't want to mislead anyone!

Any advice for me?

How do you rate books on Goodreads?

Booklover Buys: Harry Potter Themed Party Ideas

2015-05-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

Booklover Buys is a post I do every Tuesday to share all the awesome bookish stuff I see while searching the internet.

Every week, I share book-related items of a certain theme or from a specific website.

This week's theme is: Things to Buy When Hosting a Harry Potter Themed Party.

The list includes decoration, food, and drink ideas.

Decor Ideas

No party is complete without first sending invitations.

How adorable are these Harry Potter owl invitations?

All you need are balloons, antique paper, twine, and wax.

Photo credit.

Remember the Hogwarts acceptance letter scene?

Recreate it here using fishing line and envelopes.

Cute centerpieces consisting of
potions made of jars & food coloring
along with a pair of round glasses.

Recreate the idea here and here.

Ever wanted your own Great Hall in your home?

Buy some flameless candles and learn how to do it here.

Recreate the Winged Key scene from The Sorcerer's Stone

using paper and old keys.

How funny is this Moaning Myrtle toilet seat idea?

How creative is this Sybill Trelawney teacup Grim?

All you need are teacups, glue, and sesame seeds.

Photo credit.

Food Ideas

Start off with a Sorting Hat made of pita bread.

Recipe can be found here.

How simple (but cute) are these crescent roll Wizard Hats?

Find the recipe here.

Time for dessert? Why not recreate the Honeydukes shop?

Chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott's, licorice wands, cockroach clusters, etc.

Photo credit.

Here's another great Honeydukes table.

If you've always wondered how Florean Fortescue's ice cream tastes,

find the recipe here.

Here is a simple recipe for Cauldron Cakes!

How gorgeous are these Golden Snitch cake pops?

Find out how to make them here.

Drink Ideas

What would any Harry Potter themed party be without Butterbeer?

Find the recipe here.

Throwing the party on a warm day?

The baker above also has a Frozen Butterbeer recipe.

She also has a Butterbeer Hot Chocolate recipe for the winter!

I'm dying to try out these Buzzfeed Harry Potter cocktails.

The Polyjuice Potion recipe sounds especially delicious!

Thank you for taking the time to browse through this post.

It literally took me 2 hours to put it together. Lol!

What do you think? In the mood to throw an HP party soon?

Review: Lost and Found (Lost and Found #1) by Nicole Williams

2015-05-10T15:11:00.002-07:00

Publish Date: May 7th, 2013
Publisher: Smashwords Edition
Rating: 2 / 5
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Downloaded a free copy from Amazon.

Blurb:

There’s complicated. And there’s Rowen Sterling.

After numbing pain for the past five years with boys, alcohol, and all-around apathy, she finds herself on a Greyhound bus to nowhere Montana the summer after she graduates high school. Her mom agreed to front the bill to Rowen’s dream art school only if Rowen proves she can work hard and stay out of trouble at Willow Springs Ranch. Cooking breakfast at the crack of dawn for a couple dozen ranch hands and mucking out horse stalls are the last things in the world Rowen wants to spend her summer doing.

Until Jesse Walker saunters into her life wearing a pair of painted-on jeans, a cowboy hat, and a grin that makes something in her chest she’d thought was frozen go boom-boom. Jesse’s like no one else, and certainly nothing like her. He’s the bright and shiny to her dark and jaded.

Rowen knows there’s no happily-ever-after for the golden boy and the rebel girl—happily-right-now is a stretch—so she tries to forget and ignore the boy who makes her feel things she’s not sure she’s ready to feel. But the more she pushes him away, the closer he seems to get. The more she convinces herself she doesn’t care, the harder she falls.

When her dark secrets refuse to stay locked behind the walls she’s kept up for years, Rowen realizes it’s not just everyone else she needs to be honest with. It’s herself.

First Thoughts

Lost and Found was just "meh" and it had a lot to do with the female MC, Rowen. She's "complicated" and "troubled". Ha, I guess. She drank, smoked, and messed around with boys in high school. Yes, she sounds so troubled. -_-

I grew tired of her inner monologue-- I'm troubled. Woe is me. Everyone hates me because of my goth makeup and black clothes. Woe is me. I've only known Jesse for 2 seconds but I love him. Oh wait, here's a jerk named Garth-- he's cute, too. Why would Jesse be interested in a weirdo like me! Woe is me. Jesse, Garth, Jesse, Garth. Woe is me. Oh no, that jerk Garth says Jesse has GF. Jesse says he doesn't. I believe Garth for some reason. Woe is me.

OMG. I wanted to pull Rowen out of the book and give her a piece of my mind.

What Could Have Been Better

Rowen. So annoying. Nicole Williams couldn't have wrote a more annoying female MC. I couldn't stand all the emo nonsense. I LOLed hard when Rowen insisted she wasn't emo. Ugh. I did not care AT ALL when she told Jesse what her secret was.

Insta-love. Sometimes it works. In Lost and Found it doesn't. She falls in love with Jesse after two seconds because of his "painted on jeans". Yep, a cute boy with a great butt-- instant marriage material.

The dramatic ravine scene. Cowboy Jesse falls down a ravine trying to save a calf. Rowen-rode-a-horse-one-time horsebacks down a treacherous path in the dark and rain to miraculously save him. WTF. No.

TL;DR

I wouldn't recommend this to my worst enemy. Rowen is the most annoying character of all time. Jesse isn't that much better. The insta-love was stupid. The dramatic ravine scene had me rolling my eyes. Zero feels when Rowen revealed her traumatizing secret. -_-

2 asterisks

Review: Eyes Turned Skyward (Flight & Glory #2) by Rebecca Yarros

2015-05-08T23:46:00.000-07:00

Publish Date: December 8th, 2014

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Rating: 4 / 5

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I won a copy via a giveaway. Thank you, Jess @ JessTimeToRead!

Blurb:

Since her sister's death, twenty-year-old Paisley Donovan, who shares her sister’s heart condition, is treated like delicate glass by her parents. But nothing will stop her from completing her Bucket List—even if it kills her. And it almost does, until Jagger Bateman pulls her from the ocean and breathes more than air into her lungs—he sets her soul on fire.

Jagger is enrolled in the country's toughest flight school. He's wickedly hot, reckless, and perfect for a girl looking to live life to the fullest. Except that Paisley is the commanding general's daughter, and her boyfriend is Jagger's biggest rival. Now Paisley must decide just how much to risk for a guy who makes her heart pound a little too hard.

They're flying through dangerous territory—and one wrong move could make them crash and burn...

First Thoughts

There is just something about pilots-- especially military pilots-- that is absolutely sexy. Am I right, ladies?

Whew, I thought Josh Walker was every woman's dream come true.. Nope! Changed my mind! Jagger Bateman surpasses him by miles!

Paisley and Jagger's story touched me. I'm not even talking about Paisley's ticking time-bomb of a heart or Jagger's family issues. I'm just talking about a sweet country girl and a swaggering flyboy who fell in love. The dialogue between the two had me nonstop sighing with bliss.

What I Enjoyed

Jagger Bateman. Pilot pilot pilot. Helicopter. Pilot. Military. Flyboy. Enough said. He almost stole my "top pilot boyfriend" spot from Miles Archer. (If Eyes Turned Skyward ever becomes a movie like Ugly Love and the actor is as hot as Nick Bateman, I may reconsider my "top pilot boyfriend" choice. *Wink.)

Paisley Donovan. Ok, I'm going to be honest and say I hated her whole "I have a heart problem, I want to do dangerous things even though I could die" mentality. What I did enjoy was her country-ness. Is that a word? Whatever. I loved how she'd say everything in a sweet, polite, country manner, but it had bite and a little bit of sass behind it.

Pilots. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love pilots. Please recommend me more pilot romances. Yum. Also, Rebecca Yarros, please write books about the secondary pilot characters that were in this book. Thank you.

Memorable Quote

“I’ve seen love burn someone to the ground, and I’ve seen it make sense of the ridiculous. I won’t settle for less than that kind of fire.”

TL;DR

I think I have a pilot fetish. Jagger is book boyfriend material. Paisley was a likable country girl. The heart problem and family issues annoyed me. I just wanted to read more adorable dialogue. Rebecca Yarros should write more books about military pilots.

4 asterisks

Feature & Follow: Deciding What Books to Read

2015-05-08T20:57:00.001-07:00

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

The point of Feature and Follow is to meet new people & gain followers in the book blog community!

How it works: Each week, Rachel and Alison post a question for bloggers to answer, provide a bloghop link, and choose two lucky participants to feature in their blogs!

Question of the Week: How do you decide what books to read?

Well.. endless hours of browsing Goodreads! I look at what my friends are reading and if the cover looks good, I skim the book summary. If the book summary sounds good, I add it! Now, picking a book to read off my TBR, that's a problem. Lol!

How about you? How do you decide what books to read?

Review: Bright Side (Bright Side #1) by Kim Holden

2015-05-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

Publish Date: July 4th, 2014

Publisher: Do Epic LLC

Rating: 4 / 5

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I purchased a copy on Amazon.

Blurb:

Secrets.
Everyone has one.
Some are bigger than others.
And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you ...
And some will end you.

Kate Sedgwick’s life has been anything but typical. She’s endured hardship and tragedy, but throughout it all she remains happy and optimistic (there’s a reason her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side). Kate is strong-willed, funny, smart, and musically gifted. She’s also never believed in love. So when Kate leaves San Diego to attend college in the small town of Grant, Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with Keller Banks.

They both feel it.
But they each have a reason to fight it.
They each have a secret.

And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you ...
And some will end you.

First Thoughts

I can't talk about the plot without revealing too much. It's one of those books you just have to go into without knowing much. All I want to say is: This book made me ugly cry. A lot.

What I Enjoyed

Kate Sedgewick. The blurb says that Kate has gone through hardship and tragedy, but she's remained happy and optimistic throughout it all. That doesn't even begin to explain it. Kate's life circumstances devastated me. Devastated. I can't stress that enough. I didn't even want to get up out of bed after reading Bright Side. How in the heck did Kate get up every morning while living it?? God. Everything she went through...

The relationships between the characters. Kate and Gus had the most adorable female/male best friend relationship I've ever read. I kept wondering why they didn't just get together already! Then Keller Banks came along, and hello! I loved how his and Kate's relationship progressed into full on romance. Everything they went through was very real. I also enjoyed Kate's friendships with all the other secondary characters. Honestly, who wouldn't want to be Kate's friend?

The reality of the story. Again, I can't say too much without giving anything away, but I do want to stress that this story is raw and real. I think the reactions of certain characters revolving around certain circumstances was very true. Even the romance between Kate and Keller wasn't too perfect. There were fights and jealousy mixed in with a love that wasn't too mushy.

Memorable Quote

“Imagine for a moment that you were free of all the expectations in your life. What would you do? How would you live your life with no one watching? What would your future look like?”

TL;DR

Read it. Just read it. Kate is a special girl everyone should read about. The characters were all very likable. Everything was very realistic. There are alot of tough issues in this book, so prepare to ugly cry a ton.

4 asterisks

Review: Full Measures (Flight & Glory #1) by Rebecca Yarros

2015-05-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Publish Date: February 10th, 2014

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Rating: 4 / 5

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I won a copy via a giveaway. Thank you, Jess @ JessTimeToRead!

Blurb:

Three knocks can change everything...

"She knew. That’s why Mom hadn’t opened the door. She knew he was dead."

Twenty years as an army brat and Ember Howard knew, too. The soldiers at the door meant her dad was never coming home. What she didn’t know was how she would find the strength to singlehandedly care for her crumbling family when her mom falls apart.

Then Josh Walker enters her life. Hockey star, her new next-door neighbor, and not to mention the most delicious hands that insist on saving her over and over again. He has a way of erasing the pain with a single look, a single touch. As much as she wants to turn off her feelings and endure the heartache on her own, she can’t deny their intense attraction.

Until Josh’s secret shatters their world. And Ember must decide if he’s worth the risk that comes with loving a man who could strip her bare.

First Thoughts

What an emotional roller coaster! One minute I'm crying over Ember's father's death, then I'm laughing at Gus and his love for ice cream, then I'm falling in love with Josh, then I'm angry at that jerk Riley, then I'm crying all over again.

Three knocks can change everything.

I can't even imagine. I pictured myself in Ember's shoes, her younger sister's shoes, her kid brother's shoes, her mother's shoes, and her grandmother's shoes... Each character dealt with their grief in different ways and Rebecca Yarros get it right-- you can relate to each and every one of them.

What I Enjoyed

Josh Walker. He is completely swoon-worthy, girls! I loved that he was there for her when she wanted him to be, but also there for her when she didn't even know she needed him to be. He said all the right things at all the right times and knew exactly how quick and how slow to work at their relationship. Le sigh. Perfect.

The realism. Do I like that April charged $5000 on her grieving mother's credit card to ease her pain with designer things? No, but I get it. Do I like that little 7 year old Gus struggled to understand what it meant to lose his dad? No, but it happens. Do I like that Ember's mother completely checked out and wouldn't get out of bed for weeks? No, but I'd probably react the same way. I absolutely loved the realistic reactions of the characters.

The plot twist. Omgsh. When I found out why Josh went out of town once a month (even on hockey game weekends), I was devastated. I knew it would be a deal breaker for Ember. I could understand her anger in why he kept it from her, but I could also understand his hesitance in telling her what was going on.

Memorable Quote

“Maybe love this exquisite, this powerful isn’t meant to last forever. Maybe we’re meant to burn so brightly for each other right now to light whatever path we’re heading down, but there’s no sustaining a fire like this.”

TL;DR

Ember's army dad dies in Afghanistan and it rocks the whole family. Each character is easy to relate to. Josh Walker is every woman's dream man. Just when you think Ember and Josh are headed to a happy place, his secret comes out. You want to yell at Ember for running away from him, but you totally understand her decision. READ IT.

4 asterisks

ARC Review: From the Ashes (Legend of the Liberator #1) by Shelby K Morrison

2015-05-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Publish Date: May 3rd, 2015
Publisher: Self-Published
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Blurb:

For eighteen years Aia Wynnald has lived a lie. Raised as a highborn in the Kingdom of Tharien, she’s filled her days with tutors and archery lessons. But simmering beneath her polite surface is a dangerous gift, one which she must keep a secret. Aia is a Bender. And in Tharien, Benders are feared and hunted.

When her unruly power breaks free with dire repercussions, Aia’s lifelong goal of independence shatters. As she scrambles to piece her life back together while evading capture, she disturbs a vengeful force intent on destroying the kingdom.

Now, with the help of an unlikely ally, Aia will decide the fate of Tharien. To rescue those she cares about will require accepting what she is. But can she risk becoming the monster she’s dreaded to save the very citizens baying for her blood?

*I received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review*

First Thoughts

The cover for From the Ashes caught my eye on Azee's blog, The UnderCover Critique. I absolutely love the long red braid that Aia has going on. I commented on Azee's post, which Shelby K Morrison saw, so she reached out to me for a review!

I'm glad because From the Ashes was quite an enjoyable read! The opening scene grips you as terrified Aia runs for her life, having just been exposed as a Bender. Benders are feared in the Kingdom of Tharien because they have a magical power that can destroy.

The story reminded me of The Salem Witch Trials at times, which was pretty cool! There was such a hysteria surrounding Benders, it seemed like the Tharien citizens were just accusing anyone and everyone they disliked of being a Bender.

What I Enjoyed

Aia as a heroine. I admired the fight in her. She spent her entire life believing that Benders (like herself) were abominations that should be Cleansed. Still, when the very people that wanted to hunt her were threatened by an angry Bender, she stepped up to try and save them.

Cole. How awesome is he? Bender hunter by day, Bender savior by night. I loved his other secret, too! I never saw it coming!

What Could Have Been Better

I want more explanations! I appreciate that there was no info-dumping, but I wanted more information than there was! I wanted to know the history of the Benders, more about the Bender War, more about Bender powers, and more about the stones that Benders carry.

TL;DR

Long red braids on covers are cool. In Tharien, Benders=Bad. Reminded me of The Salem Witch Trials. The characters were cool. Cole has secrets. No info dumping, but I wanted to know more.

3.5 asterisks

ARC Review: Undertow (Undertow #1) by Michael Buckley

2015-05-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

Publish Date: May 5th, 2015

Publisher: HMH Children's Book Group

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Blurb:

Sixteen-year-old Lyric Walker’s life is forever changed when she witnesses the arrival of 30,000 Alpha, a five-nation race of ocean-dwelling warriors, on her beach in Coney Island. The world’s initial wonder and awe over the Alpha quickly turns ugly and paranoid and violent, and Lyric’s small town transforms into a military zone with humans on one side and Alpha on the other. When Lyric is recruited to help the crown prince, a boy named Fathom, assimilate, she begins to fall for him. But their love is a dangerous one, and there are forces on both sides working to keep them apart. Only, what if the Alpha are not actually the enemy? What if they are in fact humanity’s only hope of survival? Because the real enemy is coming. And it’s more terrifying than anything the world has ever seen.

Action, suspense, and romance whirlpool dangerously in this cinematic saga, a blend of District 9 and The Outsiders.

*I received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review*

First Thoughts

Yaaass! I loved absolutely everything about Undertow! The plot was quite unique and unlike anything I'd ever read before. The blurb describes the book as a blend of the movie District 9 and the book The Outsiders; but I say it's more District 9 mixed with the TV show Star-Crossed.

Undertow enthralled me. I could not put it down. The action and suspense kept me turning page after page and when it was all over, I considered emailing Michael Buckley or his publisher and politely demanding (j/k!) to have book two sent to me as immediately as possible.

What I Enjoyed

The world-building. Imagining the Alpha warriors taking over the beaches of Coney Island and creating a city of tents kind of scared me. I mean, seriously, the Alpha prince has sharp, knife-like objects coming out of his arms. It's a tad bit threatening. I could clearly envision the panic, chaos, and hate that filled the military zone and I think it was an accurate portrayal of how most humans would react if this book were to ever come true.

Fathom. Oh, yes, I grew to adore the Alpha prince-- stabby knives on arms and all. I enjoyed his moments with Lyric as she attempted to teach him to read. He cracked me up because he took everything so literal. My favorite moment was when they read Where the Wild Things Are and Fathom seemed quite perturbed by it, even after Lyric explained the island of monsters wasn't actually real.

The Alpha history. This was the most interesting part of the book for me. This is the part where you realize the oceanic warriors are, in some ways, a lot like us. They have religion, schooling, science, etc. It's hard not to sympathize with them when you find out why they've taken residence on Coney Island.

TL;DR

One of my favorite reads of 2015. Scary ocean warriors called Alphas take over Coney Island. Humans and Alphas hate each other. Alpha kids participate in a pilot program to attend human high school. Chaos. Panic. Hysteria. Alphas are not so bad after all. Fathom, the Alpha prince, is a hunk. War. The ending has me dying for book two.

4.5 asterisks

Let's Discuss: #bookwormproblems (Oh, & I'm Back From My Honeymoon!)

2015-05-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Wedding stress is finally over and I'm back from Hawaii, you guys! There were a few hiccups before the wedding- like accidentally shattering my phone on the concrete while trying to call my parents who got lost with my wedding dress!- Other than that, what a beautiful day!

Hawaii was amazing, too! The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort was absolutely gorgeous! I'll try to post some pictures soon!

Also, thank you for visiting the posts I scheduled for while I was gone! I appreciate every comment and I will respond and visit your blogs throughout the rest of this week!

On another note, while I was daydreaming by the pool during my honeymoon, I started thinking of how relaxing it was to be free of book struggles for the week. For example, spending hours adding new books on Goodreads, having a whole list of books to read next but never abiding by it, etc.

If you're a bookworm like me,

you can probably relate to these #bookwormproblems I've experienced:

1. Falling in love with someone who isn't real.

2. Your TBR has grown out of control.

3. Amazon & One-Click. Enough Said.

4. "Starting" a book before bedtime.

5. When someone doesn't like your favorite book.

6. Book to movie adaptations.

7. When your favorite character dies.

8. Books getting in the way of life.

9. When books let you down.

10. When someone spoils a book/series.

11. Getting asked what your favorite book is.

12. Trying to decide what to read next.

13. When the last book was too good.

What other bookworm problems have you encountered?

Booklover Buys: Society6 Finds

2015-05-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Booklover Buys is a post I do every Tuesday to share all the awesome bookish stuff I see while searching the internet.

Every week, I share book-related items of a certain theme or from a specific website.

This week's theme is bookish finds from the website Society6.

A Book a Day Pillow. $20.00

Alice in Wonderland Tote. $22.00

Alice in Wonderland Pillow. $20.00

Little Red Riding Hood Mug. $15.00

Sleeping Beauty (Maleficent) Wall Clock. $30.00

Voldemort and Bellatrix Tote. $22.00

When in Doubt, Go to the Library Mug. $15.00

I seriously want the Voldemort and Bellatrix tote!

Feature & Follow: Curing a Reading Slump

2015-04-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

The point of Feature and Follow is to meet new people & gain followers in the book blog community!

How it works: Each week, Rachel and Alison post a question for bloggers to answer, provide a bloghop link, and choose two lucky participants to feature in their blogs!

Question of the Week: How do you cure a book hangover/blogging slump/reading slump?

You tell me! I'm in a reading slump now! I've tried switching genres, re-reading an old favorite, reading a book that's been on my TBR for a long time.. Nope. Still in a slump. That's ok, though. I need to catch up on Netflix, anyway! Lol!

How about you? How do you cure a reading slump?

Quick Hiatus: I'm On My Honeymoon!

2015-04-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I just tied the knot, guys!

I'm honeymooning in Kauai for a week, so I won't be posting as much. I set up a few scheduled posts just to have some activity on my blog while I'm gone. I'll respond to any comments when I come back!

In the meantime, check out some of the stuff I have planned for our honeymoon!

The Resort

We are staying at The Grand Hyatt Kauai!

The ocean-front property is absolutely gorgeous with many pools to swim in, a lazy river, spas, and lagoons! I'm planning on spending one day near the swim-up bar with a book in one hand and a pina colada in the other!

Food

Tidepools @ The Grand Hyatt Kauai

Zagat Awarded as a Top 5 Restaurant in Kauai

Hamachi with Watermelon.

Drools.. I'm going to get this!

Makai Sushi

5 stars on Yelp

Gorilla Poke Bowl!

Lean, spicy, and sweet poke with sauces, seaweed, and rice.

Sighhh. Get in my belly, please.

Chicken in a Barrel
Highly rated on Yelp

Well known for their sampler plate, which includes:

chili, brown rice, chicken, pulled pork, ribs, and beef.

I need some of that mac & cheese in my life, too!

Red Salt

Zagat Rated

Rack of Lamb with couscous and mango.

Ooh, I can only imagine how juicy that lamb is.

Puka Dog

Highly rated on Yelp

Choose either a veggie dog or polish sausage,

mild, spicy, hot, or lava secret sauce,

a tropical relish (mango, coconut, pineapple, etc),

hawaiian mustard or regular mustard or ketchup

OMGSH, it sounds so good!!

Things To Do

Tour the Na Pali coast via boat!

The boat guide navigates to areas well known for dolphins & seaturtles.

The tour includes boating through the sea caves!

Snorkel with sea turtles!

Kayak to the Secret Falls!

Explore Waimea Canyon aka The Grand Canyon of the Pacific

Can't wait!

See you all when I come back!

Booklover Buys: I Got Married This Past Weekend!

2015-04-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

Booklover Buys is a post I normally do every Tuesday to share all the awesome bookish stuff I see while searching the internet.

This week, I'm switching up the theme in honor of my wedding this past weekend! I've decided to share some of the Etsy stuff I purchased for our special day!

Love Cake Topper

ThePinkOwlDesigns

Rustic Chic Wedding Guestbook

BraggingBags

Mrs. _____ Hanger for Wedding Dress

haomaihanger

Mint To Be Favors

MintFavorsAndMore

Heart Wedding Ring "Pillow"

AlisaMayde

Initial Rings (to wear on my right hand)

DoubleBJewelry

My Custom-Made Wedding TOMs

ZacharyConnellyArt

You guys have to check out his work! I originally found him on Etsy and fell in love with his designs. I found a picture of the "Kiss the Girl" scene of The Little Mermaid (my fiance proposed to me on this ride at Disneyland), Zachary drew up a design, and made the scene come to life on the shoes. One shoe says "Happily Ever After" and the other shoe has our wedding date on it. Love it! He even sells the shoe design permanently in his shop now!

Thank you for stopping by and checking out my wedding buys!

16 Cakes That Look Almost Too Good To Eat

2015-04-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

The Cake Book Tag I did a few days ago inspired this post.

As I mentioned in that post, I was supposed to be looking at wedding stuff on Pinterest to finalize all my wedding details, but then I saw a book-inspired wedding cake.

That darn book cake made me lose all my focus and I started searching for other book inspired cakes.

Take a look at what I found!

Baby Shower Cake

Peter Pan, The Frog Prince, and The 3 Little Pigs!

I absolutely adore the baby in a blanket on top!

John Green Inspired Birthday Cake

Perfect for any John Green fan!

Wedding Cake with a Book Banner Topper

I would have loved this for my wedding!

Book Cupcakes

This would be a fun alternative to a cake!

Harry Potter Inspired Birthday Cake

The wand, the Golden Snitch.. so creative!!

Dr Suess Inspired Birthday Cake

I love how this cake refers to all his books!

Harry Potter Books & Hogwarts Express Bday Cake

I love how the book covers incorporate the whole series!

Library Cake

Look at the details on this one!!

The lamps, the ladder, the globe! Amazing!

Lord of the Rings Cake

This is so ridiculously cool. Seriously. I want this.

Book Inspired Cupcakes

I see you, Twilight!

Where the Wild Things Are

How is this cake even possible? It's so perfectly detailed!

Have you ever had a book-themed cake?

If so, let me know about it in the comments!

I'd love to see pictures!