I just love starting my week off with this meme hosted by Sheila at Bookjourney. It is the perfect way to plan my reading for the week and find out what all my favorite blogging friends are reading as well!

This is going to be a light week for me. I'm starting 1 new book and hopefully will be able to move on to a second. Life would be grand if I could get to a third – but I think I'd be dreaming if I could read 3 books in a week these days!

Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally (Hundred Oaks #3)

Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt–with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

Waiting for the Storm by Marie Landry

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte O’Dell knows this summer is going to suck. Her mother just died, her sister hates her, and her dad has completely checked out. Fulfilling her mother’s final wish, the family heads to Angel Island for the summer to stay in a beach house her mother once loved.

After a year of being shut away taking care of her mother, Charlotte is numb and practically afraid of her own shadow; she hopes going to the island will give her the time and space she needs to begin healing, and an opportunity to bring her family back together. When she meets her mysterious neighbor, Ezra, it doesn’t take long for Charlotte to confess the issues she’s developed. Ezra begins giving Charlotte assignments to get over her fears, and although she accepts his tasks, all she really wants is to be with him. When she’s with Ezra, she’s able to forget the hollow ache in her heart and the fact that her family is falling apart. But Ezra has secrets…
 

What are you reading this week?

Published: May 1, 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire   
Source: Finished copy from the publisher (thank you!)
Find the author: Goodreads || Website || Twitter: @geoffherbach
Buy: Amazon || B&N || The Book Depository

~ The Blurb ~
From Goodreads

Felton Reinstein has never been good with stress. Which is why he's seriously freaking out. Revealing his college choice on national TV? It's a heart attack waiting to happen. Deciding on a major for the next four years of his life? Ridiculous. He barely even knows who he is outside of football. And so…he embarks on The Epic Quest to Be Meaningful.

Which leads to:

1. Mentoring a freshman called Pig Boy.
2. The state of Wisconsin hating him.
3. His track coach suspending him.
4. The funniest viral video the world has ever seen.
5. A whole new appreciation for his family, his friends, and what's really important in life

~ My Thoughts ~

I’m with Stupid is the third and final book in the “Stupid Fast” series. If you loved Stupid Fast and Nothing Special as much as I did you will be thrilled to know that I’m With Stupid is full of the same razor sharp dialogue, lovable characters, and of course lots of chances to watch Felton as he navigates the complex waters of growing up and growing into the kind of man he thinks he should be.

This book felt a little meatier than the previous two books in the series. Don’t get me wrong it was still a fun, quick read that kept me laughing but Felton is dealing with some major issues mostly on his own. Jerri (Felton’s mom) is distracted with her own life as usual and while his younger brother Andrew is quite obviously on his side and wants nothing but the best for Felton he is in Florida, instead of Wisconsin. Felton has always been a little anxious and jumpy (where do you think he got the nickname Squirrel Nut) but what I had previously seen as a quirk became debilitating in I’m With Stupid. Felton was confused about his post high school plans and didn’t even know where to begin with his decision making. To top things off he had very little support, and learned quickly that he felt much better when he was drunk. Little did he know that depression and alcoholism runs in the family.

           Did I drink one of those weird, smelly brown beers when Abby pestered me to drink a beer? Yes. Did I fill up with the beautiful tears of a thousand crying angels? Yes.

            Am I a danger to myself (and others)? Yes.

            This beer was not Hamm’s, like Gus bought. It was very strong and filled with cocaine or something. (I think more alcohol in it-  that would make you stupid faster, right?)

            Guys like me don’t want to deal because dealing is goddam hard. Dealing is torture. Living the hell again and again. Who wants to do that? Do you understand? Fighting with the State of Wisconsin is easier, even though it’s stupid and useless.

Felton had so much going on in I’m With Stupid and the more complicated problems he was dealing with really helped to show his growth. It was actually quite incredible being able to watch a character grow so much throughout the series.

I’m With Stupid sealed the deal for me. I officially love Felton Reinstein. Yes he is a bit of a bumbling jock, yes he tends to make a mess of things before he makes them better but the thing that I found so incredible was that he had such an innocent, and good heart. He wasn’t perfect, he was blissfully naïve and had a penchant for reacting quickly and violently, but his intentions were always pure. I consider myself lucky if a book has 1 or 2 characters that I love but I tell you Geoff Herbach has a gift for crafting memorable, unique and evoking characters. Andrew was a little strange but I will never forget the 14 year old philosopher, even Abby and Pig Boy were characters that while secondary played such a huge role in helping Felton grow.

I wouldn’t have changed a second of this series. I am often sad when a series that I love ends. I don’t feel that way with Stupid Fast. Don’t get me wrong I would love to see what college ball is like for Felton, but I just have this feeling like things are going to be ok for him, and I’m happy in the place where Geoff Herbach left us. Very few series hold my attention from start to finish and I rarely give 5-star ratings to each book in the series so that has to tell you something! If you haven’t already read these books, just trust me and know that you need to read them!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This review was posted as part of the Contemporary Month(s) event hosted by Evie – Bookish, Asheley - Into the Hall of Books and Bonnie – Words at Home. Stay tuned for more contemporary fiction goodness in May and June 2013!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in excahange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This week I had the absolute pleasure of reading the entire Stupid Fast series and have come to love Felton Reinstein. I'm super excited that author Geoff Herbach took the time to answer a few questions. Be sure to come back tomorrow for my review of I'm WIth Stupid and your chance to win a finished copy courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire!

Published: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: I borrowed this book from the library
Series: Stupid Fast #2
Find the author: Goodreads || Website
Buy: Amazon || B&N || The Book Depository

~ The Blurb ~
From Goodreads

Hey Aleah,
I miss you. Because there's some serious donkey crap going on right now. I'm supposed to be at football camp, but noooo … Andrew had to go missing! So because of my stupid little brother, I'll probably lose my chance at a scholarship and end up being nothing special.

I'm pretty sure Andrew ran away to Florida, and now Gus and I have to drive cross-country to get him. Did you know Gus used to think
Miss Piggy was hot? Anyway, Andrew once told me I needed to get my head out of my butt. So that's what I'm trying to do. How about a kiss for luck?

 

~ My Thoughts ~

I am loving this series more and more with each page I read. There are very few books that I actually find laugh out loud funny but I just couldn’t help myself while reading Nothing Special. Seriously, it got to the point where I was eliciting stares from my family and random bench sharers at the park and in waiting rooms.

Rather than a straight narrative, the entire novel is told by way of an extremely long letter that Felton is writing to his girlfriend Aleah while waiting for a series of planes and busses. This letter is interspersed with short looks into the present while Felton’s road-trip-gone-wrong continues to unfold. It was unique and completely worked for the story.

There is so much to love about Nothing Special but the one thing that really stands out for me is Felton’s narrative. I feel like Felton is going through life kind of like a tourist. He is completely in awe and not quite sure what is going on. He actually showed a lot of growth in Nothing Special though, and towards the end of the novel it seemed as though he was finally becoming comfortable in his own skin.

Nothing Special is a wonderful continuation of this series and  I am waiting with nothing but eagerness and excitement to see how his journey ends.

Published: June 1, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire   
Source: I borrowed the book from the library
Find the author: Goodreads || Website 
Buy: Amazon || B&N || The Book Depository

~ The Blurb ~
From Goodreads

I, Felton Reinstein, am Stupid Fast. Seriously. The upper classmen used to call me Squirrel Nut, because I was little and jumpy. Then, during sophomore year, I got tall and huge and so fast the gym teachers in their tight shorts fell all over themselves. During summer, three things happened all at once. First, the pee-smelling jocks in my grade got me to work out for football, even though I had no intention of playing. Second, on my paper route the most beautiful girl I have ever seen moved in and played piano at 6 a.m. Third, my mom, who never drinks, had some wine, slept in her car, stopped weeding the garden, then took my TV and put it in her room and decided she wouldn’t get out of bed.

Listen, I have not had much success in my life. But suddenly I’m riding around in a jock’s pick-up truck? Suddenly I’m invited to go on walks with beautiful girls? So, it’s understandable that when my little brother stopped playing piano and began to dress like a pirate I didn’t pay much attention. That I didn’t want to deal with my mom coming apart.

~ My Thoughts ~

It recently came to my attention that I do not read enough male YA authors. Thankfully the team at Sourcebooks Fire stepped in and let me know that I was seriously missing out on the brilliant writing of Geoff Herbach.

Stupid Fast is a hilarious, heartwarming and surprisingly emotionally complex story following 15 year old Felton Reinstein through the summer when he, much to his surprise, becomes a stupid fast barbarian with a girlfriend and jock friends.

I was glued to this book and found myself laughing out loud at just about everything that Felton thought or said. Felton was having a rough summer, his only true friend left town and he was stuck taking over a paper route he didn’t want, while his family literally fell apart in front of his eyes (or you could say behind his back as he tried desperately to ignore what was really happening). His relationship with his brother was deteriorating and his body was going crazy growing into what he referred to as a barbarian. Then one day Felton realized that he was fast and strong, and then other people started to notice it too. The next thing he knew he went from being the weird loner freak who was picked on and bullied, to a weird barbarian who was also a sort of popular football player.

I thought that Felton was absolutely hilarious. Everything from the thoughts he had about himself to the way he interacted with his brother and friends was laced with razor sharp wit and the geeky, self-deprecating humor that made me laugh every time.

“My F-BOMB summer by Felton Reinstein: Kick off with a serious sweat
fest. Add the absence of best friend. Stick in a damn morning paper route.
Make sure it all goes down in Suckville. Fantastic!”

“Hi, I’m Felton Reinstein, football player on the outside; Squirrel
Nut Donkey Ass on the inside.”

“…I’m sort of a chucklehead. And my family is a disaster. And I say
honkey because I don’t know what it means. And I freak out like a little kid.”

“Two minutes later, I’d thrown on sweats (not to look like a jock but because
all my pants were too short and they made me feel dumb) and I was upstairs,
ready… to show that Reinsteins are’t just a bunch of freaks.”

I wasn’t surprised that I loved this book, I could tell it was going to be a winner from the first page, but what did catch me off guard was the seriousness of the story line. As Felton became more engrossed in is rapidly changing self-identity and social group, things at home were falling apart. Looking back as he told the story he could see where his mother started falling apart and when his brother’s actions became an obvious cry for help and attention instead of just being the actions of a freakish, weird, young kid – but at the time he didn’t want to see it. My heart hurt for Felton and Andrew as their mother slowly slipped away from them, and watching Felton embrace his new self was comical and sort of sad at the same time.

One thing I can say for certain is that Geoff Herbach can write some wicked characters. Felton and Andrew were perfect in their awkward, geeky, glory. He brilliantly captured, what I think would be, this 15 year old boy’s voice and all of the characters from Jerri, and Aleah to Cody simply jumped off the pages.

I loved the quirkiness, humor, and depth found within the pages of Stupid Fast. Great characters, witty writing, and a surprisingly entertaining and engrossing storyline make Stupid Fast a book not to be missed. I highly recommend this book to fans of YA and contemporary fiction and am eager to begin reading the next two books in the series: Nothing Special and I’m With Stupid.

I have loved every single one of Janet Gurtler's books and How I Lost You was no exception. If you missed my review yesterday click on over here for your chance to win a finished copy generously provided by Sourcebooks Fire (US/Canada).

Not only is Janet an awesome writer but she is also a Cannuck, and I love it when my favourite authors and I share a country!

Show Janet some love in the comments and don't forget to enter to win your own copy of How I Lost You!

Published: April 23, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: eARC via Netgalley/the publisher (thank you!)
Find the author: Goodreads || Website || Twitter @janetgurtler
Buy: Amazon || B&N || The Book Depository .

~ The Blurb ~
From Goodreads

There are a few things Grace Anderson knows for sure. One is that nothing will ever come between her and her best friend, Kya Kessler. They have a pact. Buds Before Studs. Sisters Before Misters. But in the summer before senior year, life throws out challenges they never expected. And suddenly the person who's always been there starts to need the favor returned. Grace and Kya are forced to question how much a best friend can forgive. And the answer is not what they expected.

~ My Thoughts ~

I became a huge Janet Gurtler fan last year after reading Who I Kissed and I’m Not Her. The thing that always strikes me the most about her books is that they always seem to be so much bigger than the main characters. Every character, and their role in the story, is important and there is also a large issue being written about beyond the scope of the immediate plot line. Gurtler’s books make your brain work a little harder, and play on your emotions a little more than your standard novel, and she is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine.

How I Lost You is a book that so many people can relate to – it is about the dreaded moment when you realize that you best friend is no longer your best friend. When that person causes you more pain than happiness, and when you realize that you can no longer make excuses for their behavior or forgive the way they treat you. But beyond the best friend break up, there are even deeper themes surrounding self-identify, rape, guilt, and complicated friendships. Gurtler has a knack for writing about difficult topics without coming across as preachy, or as if she is trying to teach her readers a lesson. The characters simply exist in their complicated lives and Gurtler leaves it to the reader to form their own opinions, and I find that truly refreshing.

Kya was such a complicated character, knowing her past it was understandable to see the way she was coping and how she saw herself but it was also incredibly frustrating to watch her self-destruct the way she did. She had friends who was there for her and it was upsetting to watch her take advantage of how forgiving Grace was of her behavior – granted most of the time Grace gave Kya a pass because she felt sorry for her. Rather than trying to find a constructive way to deal with her grief Kya chose the most destructive path possible and played the victim card anytime she was confronted about her behavior. Like I said she is complicated because I can understand her actions in relation to her past, but she also showed a real lack of maturity in the way she chose to act and I find myself flipping between how James viewed Kya and how Grace viewed her.

I spent a lot of the novel feeling sad for Grace. She was so used to allowing herself – her needs, wants and feelings – to take a back seat to Kya and her ever-present drama. And the few times that she did go for something she wanted, she was so conflicted about whether she should do something for herself, or make excuses for and protect Kya that she couldn’t enjoy herself. Grace certainly wasn’t perfect. I don’t think that she did Kya any favors by working so hard to protect her, and I don’t think she deserved half of what she was forced to put up with because of their friendship. Like I said these relationships were complicated, and so realistic in their messiness.

It would be so easy to go back and forth dissecting Kya and Grace’s relationship but in truth their story was really only part of the novel. How I Lost You seems to be a book written in a way that anyone who has ever lost a best friend can relate and find a piece of themselves within the pages. We don’t just get inside the characters heads, but they actually get inside of ours. This is a book that transcends generations because it is something that just about everyone has experienced at one time or another, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to fans of adult contemporary fiction or YA.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This review was posted as part of the Contemporary Month(s) event hosted by Evie – Bookish, Asheley - Into the Hall of Books and Bonnie – Words at Home. Stay tuned for more contemporary fiction goodness in May and June 2013!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher/Netgalley in excahange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I recently had the absolute pleasure of interviewing a new favourite author of mine Laura Nowlin. You might recognize her name from her completely awesome book If He Had Been With Me and my slightly fan-girl 5-star review of it yesterday. If you haven't already you should click on over to it for your chance to win a finished copy of the book generously provided by the publisher Sourcebooks Fire.

About the author (from goodreads)

Laura Nowlin holds a B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Missouri State University. . In addition to being ambitious writer Laura is also an avid reader who believes that books allow her to live many lives in one lifetime. When she isn’t at home agonizing over her own novels Laura works at the public library where the patrons give her plenty of inspiration for her writing. She lives in St. Louis with her musician husband, neurotic dog, and psychotic cat.

~ My Thoughts ~

I just finished If He Had Been With Me and I feel as though I’ve been punched in the stomach – and I haven’t had that feeling after reading a book for a very, very long time. Autumn and Finn got inside my head and even though I’ve finished the last page i still can’t get them out of it. I literally feel sick. *sigh* Laura Nowlin don’t you know that I need to go to bed right now and not spend the night sobbing over the characters in this book?

Where to begin. Seriously, with a book like this I’m not sure where to begin. I really enjoyed the style.  If He Had Been With Me was one of those books that almost read itself for me. I started reading and the next time I looked up I was nearly finished. Autum’s eccentric and sarcastic personality, as well as her vulnerability and insecurities had me from the beginning and I really felt as though I were inside her head for much of the novel. When a character can hook me like this I know I am going to be in for a good, and quick, read! She felt that she got where she was in high school almost accidentally and she didn’t have the courage at the time to make a drastic move to change her path. She spent much of the novel justifying to herself where she was in life, and who she was spending it with. Even though it was not quite where she wanted to be she thought it was good enough and most likely they best she could ever get. It was actually quite sad listening to her selling herself so short and settling for good enough when spectacular was completely within her reach.

Finn and Autumn were such well written characters, Nowlin did an incredible job breathing life into them. I was able to get to know them through the parts of themselves that they exposed to other people, the less publicized closeness that was rooted in deep friendship, as well as through Autumn’s thoughts to herself as she narrated the story. I enjoyed the secondary characters as well and while they added much to the story, I loved them for what they exposed of Finn and Autumn.

I don’t think there is a way for me to talk about the plot of this novel without sharing the outcome and ruining the story for you but I can tell you that it is a great story! As Autumn would say it is sad in a beautiful kind of way. I really appreciated the attention to all of the small details in Autumn’s relationships – with her mom, with Jamie, her friends and of course Finn.

If He Had Been With Me is a tragically beautiful story about friendship, love and the ways our lives can change in the blink of an eye however unintentionally. If you love a good character driven story and are a fan of contemporary fiction, or contemporary YA I highly suggest that you read this book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This review was posted as part of the Contemporary Month(s) event hosted by Evie – Bookish, Asheley - Into the Hall of Books and Bonnie – Words at Home. Stay tuned for more contemporary fiction goodness in May and June 2013!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in excahange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I just love starting my week off with this meme hosted by Sheila at Bookjourney. It is the perfect way to plan my reading for the week and find out what all my favorite blogging friends are reading as well!

Last week I finished reading both Stupid Fast! And Nothing Special (reviews to come next week) and I loved them. There is just one new book for me this week – and I'm excited to finish the series and spend just a little more time with Felton!

Please stick around for some contemporary fiction goodness this week, I have reviews, author interviews and two giveaways in store for you!

I'm With Stupid by Geoff Herbach

Felton Reinstein has never been good with stress. Which is why he's seriously freaking out. Revealing his college choice on national TV? It's a heart attack waiting to happen. Deciding on a major for the next four years of his life? Ridiculous. He barely even knows who he is outside of football. And so…he embarks on The Epic Quest to Be Meaningful.

Which leads to:
1. Mentoring a freshman called Pig Boy.
2. The state of Wisconsin hating him.
3. His track coach suspending him.
4. The funniest viral video the world has ever seen.
5. A whole new appreciation for his family, his friends, and what's really important in life.

What are you reading this week?