The Book Barbies

Love-a-Thon 2016 Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon (A Book Barbie)) — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 05:46:00 +0000

Hosted by: Alexa (Alexa Loves Books), Cee (The Novel Hermit), Hazel (Stay Bookish) & Mel (The Daily Prophecy)

Welcome! I always manage to just miss the Love-a-Thon somehow, so I'm glad to finally be participating! Here's an introduction, which will be handy for...well, probably, most of you. If you're new to the blog, hello there! Nice to meet you! If you're an old follower, hello to you, too! It'll be nice to get reacquainted. But anyway, here we go!

What’s your name?

Sharon

Where in the world are you blogging from?

Midwestern USA

How did you get into blogging in the first place?

I had a LiveJournal back in the day. I started reviewing books more and more often, and around the end of 2010, realized I wanted to start blogging about them, even though the only blog I followed at the time was Smart Bitches, Trashy Books (which remains awesome to this day). So I did some research, made a blog, and the rest is history! I made my own blog, then joined The Book Barbies with Racquel in 2012.

I accidentally took a very long hiatus due to fandom this past year, but I'm getting back into book blogging now, and I'm pretty excited about it.

What genre do you read and review the most on your blog?

Romance, probably. There's also quite a bit of YA. But my reading tastes have broadened recently, including more literary fiction, nonfiction, etc. so my reviews will reflect that. I even have posts on fanfiction and graphic novels in the works right now. You never know what might pop up!

Name the 5 books you’re most excited for in 2016!

• #1 is Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi, hands down! I am so in love with Mafi's writing, it isn't even funny. As an aside, I love how colorful the cover is!
• Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell. Rainbow + Star Wars? Count me IN.
• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. Even though it was for none of the reasons I expected, I loved the first book and can't wait for the next one! I NEED MORE.
• Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas. I was intrigued by this couple in the first book and am quite desperate for their story!
• I am going to be a blind optimist and say Book #5 in the Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. Because going by previous release dates, one should be due out this year. And I will cross every possible appendage for this to happen.

What’s an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read?

Since I've already mentioned it, I won't say Queen's Thief series. You know, officially.

My official answer is Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill. Seriously one of my favorite YA books that doesn't get nearly enough love.

Which book boy or girl would be your book boyfriend/girlfriend?

Oh, trust me, you don't want to get me started! LOL. We'll just go with the standard answer of Hardy Cates. Boom. You can't go wrong with Hardy Cates.

Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests?

I love cooking and watching way too much television (currently making my way through Farscape and Frasier). I am also pursuing my dream of being able to flawlessly sing my way through the entire Hamilton soundtrack. I've had over three months to practice at this point, so I'm probably as skilled at it as I'm going to get.

At a party, the DJ suddenly changes the song – and it’s your song. What song would be playing?

Literally any song from Hamilton. Preferably "Satisfied" or "Non-Stop," though, if I had to choose.

Author you want to meet and sit down to tea with?

SO MANY. Tahereh Mafi. Lisa Kleypas. Jill Shalvis. Jen Hatmaker. Sarah J. Maas. Margaret Atwood. Megan Whalen Turner. Megan Mayhew Bergman. Eloisa James. Can I just have a giant author speed dating session? Except instead of five minutes I get like an hour with each one. Someone make this happen.

There's a bit about me. I can't wait to read all of your answers, as well!

(Review) Falling for Max by Shannon Stacey

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon (A Book Barbie)) — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 04:42:00 +0000

Title: Falling for Max
Author: Shannon Stacey
Series: Kowalski Family, #9
Published: July 2014 (Carina Press)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Paperback, borrowed from the library

Summary: Max Crawford has reached the point in life where he's starting to think about settling down. Unfortunately, he's always been a little awkward when it comes to social interactions, and working from home doesn't help. He spends so much time alone, painting beautiful, historically accurate model trains that half of Whitford has begun to joke that he may be a serial killer. Not exactly prime husband material.

Tori Burns has found happiness in Maine, thanks in large part to her shifts at the Trailside Diner. She likes the work, and she loves the local gossip. When shy, geeky Max Crawford becomes a regular, she's intrigued. When she finds out he's in the market for a wife, she's fascinated…and determined to help.

Molding Max into every woman's dream turns out to be much easier than expected. But has Tori's plan worked a little too well? As she turns his comfortable life all sorts of upside down, she'll have to find a way to show just how she's fallen for him…the real him.

So, I was all set to use my spare time tonight to sit down and write my review for Level Up, which I read a few days ago and adored. But I plopped down with my Chick-fil-A in one hand and this book in the other, and once I started, I couldn't stop until I'd reached the end. So now I need to tell you about my feelings for THIS book. And be prepared, because I have a lot of them. (But be on the lookout for my other review, too, soon. Because Level Up was awesomesauce.)

Three things I love but can almost never find all together in one package: contemporary setting, a humorous tone, and slow burn.

And guess what?

Falling for Max has ALL THREE OF THEM. Plus awesome characters. And I'm not just talking about the main two, either.

(This review is just basically going to be me gushing. In case you hadn't gotten that vibe already.)

Honestly, though, I already knew I loved Shannon Stacey. But it had been quite a while since I'd read one of her books, and I'm a lot pickier about my romance nowadays. It takes more to hook me and keep me invested in the characters and the romance, much less actually impress me. But that is exactly what Stacey did.

I loved Max. I loved Tori. I loved Tori's best friend, Hailey, who was the town librarian and kept Tori supplied with books. You may think that this is extraneous information, but a) it actually wound up being important and b) she was just awesome. I really enjoyed reading about their friendship, from the book drops to the dialog to the supportive friend moments. Give me a solid lady friendship, and you're already one step further into my good graces. Also, Hailey said this, which has no relevance except for the fact that I love it and want to share it:

Bad things happen to people who write in library books, Tori. Very bad things.

BUT I WILL MOVE ALONG. To, you know, the romance. Or we might be here all night.

Falling for Max is basically a super amazing reverse Pygmalion / My Fair Lady / The Ugly Truth. The heroine offering to help "make over" the hero? HELLO, I'M THERE. I was very excited about this premise, and I love how it worked into the story. Tori didn't go overboard with the advice, never suggested that Max had anything to be ashamed of. She was more of a coach and a cheerleader, all wrapped up into one. Over the course of working together (which involved a fake date at one point, and let me tell you, if I have a single trope weakness, it's Fake Dating), Tori and Max bonded and quickly became friends. Of course, it didn't stop there, but they were friends for a very long time while the chemistry sizzled steadily in the background. But while my toes were curling in anticipation at every longing stare, it wouldn't have made sense for them to get together in the beginning. So they didn't. And I was a happy camper, just waiting for them to get around to figuring things out and then deciding whether or not to do anything about it. And in the mean time, I enjoyed the heck out of their friendship. They made me giggle and swoon, and I genuinely enjoyed every time they interacted.

As for the characters themselves, I was definitely fan.

Max was an introvert and socially awkward, but Stacey did an excellent job of writing him. A lot of times when authors attempt to write socially awkward or anxious characters, the characters wind up feeling like cartoonish stereotypes. But this wasn't the case with Max at all. He felt real. I understood his perspective. And he wasn't All Awkward, All the Time. He was just, in his own words, a bit of an odd duck, and I mean that in the most loving way possible. (And trust me, that's a lot of love.)

Max was very familiar with people saying logical in a tone that suggested the word had a negative connotation to it.

And Tori! Tori was a graphic designer slash waitress, and she was a delight, honestly. She was friendly and outgoing, and unlike Max, she was very engaged with the community. She had major hang-ups about love and marriage, due to her parents' nasty divorce (which weren't magically swept aside by The Power of Love, either), which she was honest and up-front about from the beginning of the story.

You know what else is great?

Honesty.

There was no Big Misunderstanding in this book, because the characters were honest with each other. They were up front about things. Was everything hunky dory? No. Did they fight? Yes. Did I believe they would make it in the long run? Without a doubt.

I have only one complaint about the entire book, and that is the ending. It was rather abrupt, and I wish it would have been drawn out a bit longer. It just felt a little jarring. And then there's the fact that it ended, period, which let's face it, was pretty sad. But I do happen to have two other Shannon Stacey books checked out from the library right now, so there's a silver lining.

I wasn't super impressed by the cover or title of Falling for Max, but please don't be fooled by either! This is honestly one of the best contemporary romances I've read in a long time. I laughed out loud on multiple occasions. I saved tons of quotes. And I fell hard for the characters and the romance. (And did I mention that it was slow burn? Because it was slow burn. And this fact alone makes me want to get up and do a happydance.) This book reminded me why I automatically smile when I see Shannon Stacey's name on a book cover, and I definitely recommend it.

First:On the first day of each month, Max Crawford made it a habit to compile a list of everything he wanted or needed to accomplish that month. Without a list, he tended to immerse himself in work and then wonder why he was out of mouthwash and the car payment was overdue.

As the calendar ticked over to October, he catalogued which projects he was working on and their due dates. He noted there were two birthdays on his calendar, which meant shopping for and sending gifts to his mother and niece. The furnace needed its annual checkup. And he wanted to find a wife.

Favorite:"I have feelings. I intend to kill them with ice cream."

Teaser:“Did I tell you how nice you look tonight? Definitely the good nice.”
“You didn't have to.” He took her hand and started toward the door.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I see the way you look at me in this sweater.” He stopped walking. “Maybe I should leave it in the car. This is a family restaurant.”
She slapped his arm and nudged him forward. “I've created a monster.”

(Review) The Word for Yes by Claire Needell

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon (A Book Barbie)) — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 23:45:00 +0000

Title: The Word for Yes
Author: Claire Needell
Published: February 16, 2016 (HarperTeen)
Rating: 2 stars
Format: Digital galley received from publisher in exchange for an honest review. (Thank you!)

Summary: After their parents’ divorce, Jan, Erika, and Melanie have to get used to the new world order: a father who’s moved to another continent and a mother who throws herself into moving on. Jan, off at her first semester of college, has plenty to worry about, including an outspoken roommate who’s kind of “out there” and an increasingly depressed and troubled long-distance boyfriend. Her younger sisters, left at home in New York City, and dealing with all the pressures of life in high school, aren’t exactly close. Erika is serious and feels awkward and uncomfortable in crowds, though her beauty tends to attract attention. Melanie is socially savvy and just wants to go out—to concerts, to parties, wherever—with her friends. The gap between all three girls widens as each day passes.

Then, at a party full of blurred lines and blurred memories, everything changes. Starting that night, where there should be words, there is only angry, scared silence.

And in the aftermath, Jan, Erika, and Melanie will have to work hard to reconnect and help one another heal.

{ Trigger warning for mentions of rape. }

This is a very difficult book to review. If it had been a library book, I would not have written it. In fact, if it had been a library book, I would not have made it past the first chapter.

The Word for Yes is the story of three sisters: Jan (The Oldest), Erika (The Brain), and Melanie (The Pretty One). It is also the story of some of their friends and acquaintances, because there are a few portions narrated by characters other than the sisters. But by and large, it is about these three girls going through the various stages of their lives along the course of several months, about the circumstances that draw them together and push them farther apart.

The main thing you need to know about this book is that it does tackle very heavy issues, the main one being rape. Needell did not shy away from the confusing, blurry circumstances that can surround it, and that is important. Rape isn't always about the random predator that leaps on unsuspecting girls from the bushes - in fact, scenarios along that line make up a scarily low percentage of sexual assaults. But I digress. Rape is an important topic, and I appreciate that Needell took on the challenge of writing a story about it.

One positive I can say about the book is that sometimes Needell captured very human aspects to some of her characters. There were moments where I felt like I was observing actual people, with their little details and idiosyncrasies that make them unique.

Unfortunately, however, the book overall was not a success for me.

My main complaint is, without a doubt, the writing. It was incredibly stilted and off-putting, especially in the first few chapters. The author relied very much on telling rather than showing, both in the narration and in the actual dialogue. The dialogue itself was often unrealistic, sometimes rambly to the point of being incoherent, in the case of Jan's roommate Eliza. The entire book was bogged down a slew of unnecessary details. The random backstories and side characters that were thrown around were distracting and did nothing to enhance the story. The author attempted to tackle too much in the limited number of pages and as a result, it just didn't all come together like it should have. I also wasn't a fan of the ending, which was very abrupt. I think a more thorough editing job would have helped this book immensely.

The other problem was the characters. I had trouble connecting with them. But I couldn't quite tell if it was because the characters themselves or because I couldn't connect to the book overall, due to the writing. They seemed to me to be at turns flat then larger-than-life, relatable then repulsive. There were moments when I would empathize with one sister or another, but then she would totally lose me. It was an odd experience that I can't quite describe, but it might have been a problem with me rather than with the book.

The Word for Yes had potential, and I appreciate the courageous effort by the author to tackle such an important subject. There was a great book here struggling to get out, but in my opinion, it ultimately failed.

(Review) Between You & Me by Marissa Calin

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon (A Book Barbie)) — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Title: Between You & Me
Author: Marissa Calin
Published: August 2012 (Bloomsbury USA Children)
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Format: Hardcover, borrowed from the library

Summary: Mia appears on the first day of drama class, and she is fascinating. You can't cast someone to be fascinating, they just are. And Phyre can't help but want to impress her - especially since Mia is her teacher. But as she rehearses for the school production, Phyre realizes that her feelings for mia go deeper than she's ever experienced.

Phyre's best friend is a constant, ready to help Phyre make sense of her emotions. But just as Mia doesn't realize what Phyre feels, Phyre can't fathom the depth of her best friend's devotion...until it's almost too late.

Written as a screenplay, Between You & Me offers a breath-by-breath, moment-by-moment story of first love.

I've had Between You & Me on my TBR list for a couple years now, and I finally got around to picking it up for this round of Bout of Books! I didn't quite have time to sneak it in under the wire for BOB, but I kept it around and picked it up a few days later.

This is a somewhat difficult book to review, because there were a lot of things about it that worked for me but some things that didn't.

Between You & Me is the story of Phyre (pronounced like “fire” according to the baby name websites I checked), a sixteen-year-old girl who develops a crush on her teacher. It happens to the best of us. (I mean, I was homeschooled, so I didn't get the Hot Teacher experience until college. But hey, better late than never, right?)

The biggest thing I liked about this book is that Calin was not afraid to take risks when writing it. The whole thing is told in a screenplay format, but it's more than just reading a play. There's plenty of internal dialogue and description. It is difficult to describe, but trust me when I say it works! But perhaps the most interesting aspect is that the book is written from the perspective of Phyre (“me”) but addressed to her long-time best friend, known only as “you.” That's it. We don't get a name or a gender or a physical description other than tanned skin and blonde hair. It is entirely up to the reader's interpretation.

I am always up for something new and interesting in books, and this is no exception. It works very well with this story and these characters. To me, it felt new and refreshing and fun without being gimmicky. The script format in particular serves to enhance the story rather than take away from it, as the vast majority of the book focuses on theatre classes and rehearsals and performances. It all fits together in one easy-reading package.

But back to the story. Phyre develops an instantaneous crush on her new drama teacher, Mia. Ahh, crushes. Probably both the best and worst thing about being a teenager. I have to say that Calin does an exceptional job capturing what it is like. The way they overtake your every thought, the hyper-awareness of every single movement you make around them, the way you blow little moments entirely out of proportion. Reading this was like stepping into a time machine and jumping back the better part of a decade, and though the experience was not entirely pleasant, it was certainly familiar.

Yet for all the things I liked about Between You & Me, it took me a long time to really care about what was happening. I think it probably stemmed from the fact that I was obviously not rooting for the teacher/student romance, nor did I think it was going to happen. Because as long as you've read the cover summary (and probably even without it), you know the love story is clearly between Phyre and her best friend. You (the reader) just have to wait until she realizes that “you” (the best friend) has been there all along and that she belongs with them.

Go ahead and burst into Taylor Swift now. I'll wait.

However, most of the book consists of Phyre obsessing over Mia (though there's barely more than like two lines about sexuality, which I found odd) and not much else. I wanted a little more substance, a little more of her relationship with her best friend. I also found myself growing annoyed at Phyre at times, because her actions were often flighty and incredibly self-involved, even for a sixteen-year-old girl with an all-consuming crush. So that took away a bit of my enjoyment as well.

Overall, though, I did like the book, and I appreciate the risks that Calin took when writing it. It was courageous and definitely made an interesting change of pace. I would recommend Between You & Me to anyone looking for something a little different but not too deep or difficult of a read.

First:Phyre, sixteen, that's me! And this is my life. Or how I picture it. The door swings open and I smile up at you.

Favorite:Seeing a play stops time – makes the real world seem so harsh.

Teaser:I wonder how different I would be in a world with no consequences. Will the voice telling me what's right always be so loud?

(Review) Almost Famous Women by Megan Mayhew Bergman

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon (A Book Barbie)) — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 14:26:00 +0000

Title: Almost Famous Women
Author: Megan Mayhew Bergman
Published: January 2015 (Scribner)
Rating: ★★★★☆
Format: Hardcover, borrowed from the library

Summary:The fascinating lives of the characters in Almost Famous Women have mostly been forgotten, but their stories are burning to be told. Now Megan Mayhew Bergman, author of Birds of a Lesser Paradise, resurrects these women, lets them live in the reader's imagination, so we can explore their difficult choices. Nearly every story in this dazzling collection is based on a woman who attained some celebrity—she raced speed boats or was a conjoined twin in show business; a reclusive painter of renown; a member of the first all-female, integrated swing band. We see Lord Byron's illegitimate daughter, Allegra; Oscar Wilde's troubled niece, Dolly; West With the Night author Beryl Markham; Edna St. Vincent Millay's sister, Norma. These extraordinary stories travel the world, explore the past (and delve into the future), and portray fiercely independent women defined by their acts of bravery, creative impulses, and sometimes reckless decisions.

The world hasn't always been kind to unusual women, but through Megan Mayhew Bergman's alluring depictions they finally receive the attention they deserve. Almost Famous Women is a gorgeous collection from an "accomplished writer of short fiction" (Booklist).

I will preface this review by saying that I don't tend to like short stories. I am all about the characters and getting to know them, and when one has less than 40 pages (sometimes less than 10), there simply isn't an opportunity do so. But I stumbled across this collection when I was at the library the other day, and I was too intrigued to let the opportunity pass me by.

I went ahead and picked it up, and then I took the plunge and began reading it. I am immensely thankful that I did.

Megan Mayhew Bergman's writing is absolutely stunning. She weaves together similes and adjectives and the most unlikely strings of words on occasion, but they all somehow coalesce into a moving reading experience. Whether you are experiencing joy or revulsion or compassion, the words are there to make each moment just that much more poignant.

Her stories are all compelling, though each is completely unique. It is difficult to compare a story about a multiracial swing band to that of a cross-dressing heiress who owns her own island and races boats. What I can say about all of these stories is that they all explored human nature in the most interesting ways and from all different angles.

The idea of taking real women from history and writing fictional stories about them is risky, but the author pulls it off splendidly. I felt like I was immersed in each woman's life from the very first sentence of each segment. While it is not an uplifting read – the stories tend to be rather dark in subject matter – it never feels cumbersome or depressing. It is more like seeing each woman when she is most human, whether viewing her in a single moment or in brief snapshots throughout the course of a life.

If I have a single complaint, it would be that “The Lottery, Redux” did not fit with the rest of the stories, being based on a fictional work. I have not, in fact, read “The Lottery,” (or if I have, it's been quite a long time), so reading a *cough*fanfiction*cough* “cover story” on it did not interest me at all. The author does say in her notes, however, that McSweeny's specifically asked her to write a cover story of a classic, so apparently someone felt that it was needed.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this collection, the writing in particular, and I will definitely be checking out Mayhew Bergman's previous short story collection soon.

First:Let me tell it, I said.
No, you're a liar and a drunk, she said. Or I said.

Favorite:L is choreographing in her head again, making mental diagrams: the arch of a back, a lunge, a flexed foot. Her own bare feet tap the floor of the rented flat. She wants to stumble upon an invisible idea and render it with her body, amplify it. She feels something savage and raw inside and wants to show it on the stage, or in a patron's garden. She wants to begin a discussion underneath the orange trees.

Teaser:Time didn't matter on Whale Clay. You did what Joe wanted to do, when Joe wanted to do it. That was all.

Top Ten Books On My Historical Romance 101 Syllabus

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 14:51:00 +0000

This Week's Topic:

Top Ten Books On My Historical Romance 101 Syllabus

I only started reading historical romance 3 years but its now my favorite genre to read and its almost becoming the only thing I read. I never tire of it and I've made my way through the classics musts and newer releases so I do consider myself an expert! Let us begin:

01. Lisa Kleypas

We will begin the semester by reading The Empress of Historical Romance, to get a feel of the amazingness to come. There are plenty of amazing series to choose from, Wallflowers, Hathaways, Gamblers, Bow Street Runners, so much rich material!

02. Loretta Chase

Next we need to establish something early on: heroines. Heroines with agency who do things and who are so amazing they outshine the hero. Also, looking for a historical romance set outside a London ballroom? Loretta Chase is the perfect example.

03. Julie Anne Long

Want a long complex series with two rival families to lose yourself in and want to get invested in EVERY SINGLE COUPLE? The Pennyroyal Green series is your best friend.

04. Sherry Thomas

Lets get back to studying heroines shall we? Sherry Thomas also pushes boundaries with her heroines and the amazing research that goes into her books.

05. Jennifer Ashley

Switching it up by going for Scottish Hunks, Jennifer Ashley's MacKenzies and McBrides series brings the hot, sexy and the highlands!

06. The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

Moving away from aristocrats and titled hero, how about a lady of a ton who falls for her steward? Yes please.

07. Nearly a Lady by Alissa Johnson

Are you looking for a tomboy heroine in an era where such a thing was taboo? This is your book.

08. A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant

Are you looking for bad sex? Or a book that shows romance needs more than automatic and guaranteed excellent sex to bring a couple together? This is your book.

09. Yours Until Dawn by Teresa Medeiros

Read it and find out why *wink*.

10. Confessions from an Arranged Marriage by Miranda Neville

Hate-to-love is an excellent trope and this is how it's done right!

Did I nail it or forget someone? Leave me your list below!

(Bout of Books 14) Sharon's Goals & Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon (A Book Barbie)) — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 14:43:00 +0000

My Goals for Bout of Books 14

   • Read 6 books
   • Discover some awesome new blogs and friends
   • Participate in both Twitter chats
   • Participate in four or more challenges

Books To Read
Any books! All books! Anything that's not fanfiction, which is what has been stealing all of my time and feels as of late. My 2015 book count is looking really, really sad and needs some boosting! I would also like to actually read a few books I own.

Updates

Monday
Books Read Today:
  Completed:
The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs (208 pages)
Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe (128 pages)
Rat Queens, Vol. 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth by Kurtis J. Wiebe (128 pages)
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (232 pages)
Ruthless by Carolyn Lee Adams (256 pages)
  In-Progress:
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (40 pages)
Challenge: Fictional World Travel @ Between Library Shelves

A photo posted by Sharon (@starsaloft) on Aug 17, 2015 at 8:22am PDT

Total Books Read: 5.1
Total Pages Read: 992

Tuesday
Books Read Today:
Completed: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (354 pages)
In-Progress: The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick (213 pages)
Challenge: Bookish Scavenger Hunt @ The Book Monsters

A photo posted by Sharon (@starsaloft) on Aug 18, 2015 at 8:06am PDT

Total Books Read: 6.5
Total Pages Read: 1559

Wednesday
Books Read Today:
Completed: The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick (219 pages)
In-Progress:
Challenge: MASH @ Rocky Top Real Talk

A photo posted by Sharon (@starsaloft) on Aug 19, 2015 at 5:40am PDT

I met my husband Wes Baker while we were both at SDCC (hey, at least I get to go in my dreams!). We got married while I wore a lime green wedding dress. We now live in a house in Lucky Harbor with our 4 kids and our pet thestral. We drive a DeLorean, and I work as a caterer.
(SO MANY FLASHBACKS. I have such an undying love of this game, not even gonna lie.)
Total Books Read: 7
Total Pages Read: 1778

Thursday
Books Read Today:
  Completed:
  In-Progress: You Wish by Mandy Hubbard (200 pages)
Challenge: Alas, I did no challenges today. *sigh*
Total Books Read: ~7.66
Total Pages Read: 1978

Friday
Books Read Today:
  Completed:
You Wish by Mandy Hubbard (104 pages)
All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue by Sophie Jordan (384 pages)
Lumberjanes, Vol. 1 by Noelle Stevenson & Grace Ellis (128 pages)
  In-Progress: Wildthorn by Jane Eagland (14 pages)
Challenge:
Total Books Read: 10.1
Total Pages Read: 2608

Saturday
Books Read Today:
  Completed: Wildthorn by Jane Eagland (345 pages)
  In-Progress: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (66 pages)
Challenge: Road Trip Challenge @ In Wonderland

A photo posted by Sharon (@starsaloft) on Aug 22, 2015 at 10:25am PDT

My Road Trip:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (England)
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (California)
Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda (France)
Forever And a Day by Jill Shalvis (Washington. Though if Lucky Harbor itself decided to pop up on a map, I would be there in a heartbeat.)

Featuring Special Appearances By:
Oh, the Places You'll Go! (It seemed appropriate.)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling + Narnia boookmark (Because, duh.)
Total Books Read: 11.1
Total Pages Read: 3019

Sunday
Books Read Today:
Completed: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (257 pages)
In-Progress:
Challenge: None today.
Total Books Read: 12
Total Pages Read: 3276

Final Wrap-Up

I am so, so happy with this round of Bout of Books! Despite my horrible failing and forgetting about the second chat on Saturday (which I'm still bummed about), this was one of my best readathons in a while! I actually made a huge dent in my 2015 reading goal. I read books I owned. I read my first full graphic novel - 3 of them, in fact. It was great! And there was MASH. You can never go wrong with MASH!

Also there was the fact that I DOUBLED my reading goal. Yeah. Pretty proud of that. :D

Thank you to all the super awesome people who made this such a good time! I can't wait until next round!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 17th and runs through Sunday, August 23 in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Racquel's Top Ten Auto-buy Authors

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 11:00:00 +0000

This Week's Topic:

Top Ten Auto-Buy Authors

This topic is similar to last week's but I'll never pass up the chance to push my favorite author's on people!

01. Lisa Kleypas OF COURSE

She writes it, I read it. Whatever the genre is. Historical, contemporary, magical realism, grocery store list, I'll read it and LOVE it. There is a reason she's my favorite author in the universe!!

02. Ellen O'Connell

Holy slow burn romance!! O'Connell writes historical western romance and the sexual tension is riiiiiiiiidiculous. I'm currently anxiously waiting for any news about a new release for her. I seriously cannot recommend all her books enough. Slow burn swoon is the best swoon!

03. Sarah Ockler

Excellent, thought provoking, emotional and always moving contemporary YA? Big fat yes anyone? Her latest, The Summer of Chasing Mermaids is beyond excellent.

04. Carrie Arcos

Arcos only released two books but they're two of my all time favorite books and I'll pant after her new books and auto buy them like crazy. She writes subtle YA that packs a PUNCH.

05. Julie James

I wait 364 days a year for JJ's alpha heroines then I read the book, fall in love and spend the next year rereading her books until the new one coms out. Smart novels anyone? Alpha heroins? Sexy heroes? Urban setting? HERE FOR IT.

06. Sarah Dessen

Queen of contemporary, which is how I like my YA. Plus Sarah Dessen is pretty much why I read, write, blog. HERE FOR HER BOOKS.

07. Jennifer Echols

Echols writes the best ladies in YA and I can't get enough of them. Dying wishes is more girls in YA like how Echols write them: messy, complex, complicated, multi dimensional. Yes please.

08. Julie Anne Long

Her Pennyroyal Green series is 10 books long and just keeps getting better. She is my ultimate favorite historical romance author.

09. Sherry Thomas

No one writes heroines like Sherry Thomas does in the historical romance genre AND her novels are beyond smart. Queen.

10. Jennifer Ashley

Who will NOT auto buy Victorian sexy Scottish heroes? WHO?

Let the buying commence! Do we share any auto buy authors?

Racquel's Top Read Authors

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 05:00:00 +0000

This Week's Topic:

Top Ten Authors I've Read The Most Books From

01. Her Majesty the Empress, Lisa Kleypas, 19 books

Favorite book: Blue-Eyed Devil & everything else

Bow down to the historical and contemporary empress, rocking the scene since 1987!! and writer of true rakes.

It's no secret to anyone that Lisa Kleypas is my favorite author! I talk about her books on Twitter & in real life too ALL THE TIME. I've read 19 Kleypas books and I've loved Every. Single. One. Of. Them. LOVE! Not liking them... LOVING THEM! I still have 19 books left to read by Kleypas but after binging the Wallflowers & Hathaways series, I slowed down because I want to save some LK books for the apocalypse. Or something.

02. Richelle Mead, 12 books

Favorite book: Shadow Kissed & The Indigo Spell

Love me some vampires, forever and always, amen!!

I love me some Dimitri & Adrian Ivashkov and they're definitely ultimate book boyfriends but man I am HERE FOR ROSE HATHAWAY AND SYDNEY SAGE! I love that she has these two very different girls, one with agency and one without and we see Rose OWNS her agency while Sydney grows to reclaim her agency and it's just beautiful to read about. Rose and Sydney, forever and always.

03. Julie Anne Long, 11 books

Favorite book: What I Did For a Duke

Julie Anne Long AKA Queen of Epic Series!

Companion family/friend series are The Thing in romance and JAL is The Queen. Her Pennyroyal Green series follows two families that hate each other and the series alternates between the Everseas and Redmonds. Every time I start a new book by her I tell myself to lower my expectations because no way this new book will beat the one before but it is always as amazing and romantic. Her writing is just so magnificent, not overly flowery, but you'll read passages over and over. There are 10 books so far in the Pennyroyal Green series are none of them are the same. Each one of them is fresh but you can expect beautiful writing, amazing characters and a beautiful romance from all of them. This is BIG for me to say because Lisa Kleypas is first and last love, but JAL's historicals rival LK's.

04. Ruthie Knox, 9 books

Favorite book: Making it Last

Hello, sexy and honest romance books!

Making it Last is a follow up novella to How to Misbehave, also a novella. Making it Last is set 14 years after we met and read about Amber and Tony falling in love. We're ten years into their marriage which just hit a bump and we all know marriage in trouble is my favorite thing to read about EVER.

05. Julie James, 8 books

Favorite book: All of them!

ALPHA HEROINES!!!

Julie James is the queen of this list because she's the only one on here who I've read every single one of her books! I am here for smart and sexy romance withOUT a power imbalance between the hero and heroine. Julie James' heroines are successful before the hero came to the picture and YESYESYES. Her books are also all set in Chicago (with the exception of Just the Sexiest Man Alive, set in Los Angeles) and I love this urban setting because I'm very iffy and picky when it comes to small town romance books *shudder*.

06. Sarah Dessen, 8 books

Favorite book: The Truth About Forever & Just Listen

Go to YA contemporary.

Sarah Dessen introduced me to YA and I was in a Sarah Dessen fandom that sparked my love for writing and eventually led me to the book community after a few detours. I love her books because they're subtle, focus and family and friendship and her love interests are NICE! More of these, please!

07. Laura Florand, 7 books

Favorite book: The Chocolate Kiss

Sweet, delicious (French!) romance.

Laura Florand's books are usually set in either in Paris or South France. She writes setting so well and will transform you there. Her writing is absolutely gorgeous, her romance always sweet and swoony and she wrote THREE marriage-in-trouble/marriage novellas so she's clearly a favorite.

08. Elizabeth Hoyt, 7 books

Favorite book: The Leopard Prince

Harry. Pye.

So Elizabeth Hoyt excels at romance, especially forbidden ones! Even though her books always future a mystery/suspense/kidnapping sub-plot which is not something I'm a fan of in historical romance, I still love her books. I'll also be forever grateful to her for The Leopard Prince and Harry Pye and Georgina. Forever and always. A working hero, yay!

09. Sherry Thomas, 7 books

Favorite book: Not Quite a Husband & Private Arrangements

Alpha Heroines. Married Couples.

Sherry Thomas is a rockstar who writes super smart romance books AND THE BEST COMPLEX HEROINES IN LIFE!!!! Heroines are my favorites but she also writes my other favorite thing! Marriage in trouble or good ol' married couples. Seriously, every single Sherry Thomas book speaks directly to my soul.

10. Jennifer Ashley, 6 books

Favorite book: All of them!

Victorian Scottish Highland Heroes!

I love Scottish historical romance but most tend to be medieval and I have to take it slow with that sub-genre because a lot of the books blend together so I'm always looking for Regency or Victorian Highland books and this series DELIVERS. It's so addictive, it always leaves me in an epic book hangover when I reread. And OH HEY, did I mention this series has a lot of married couples (which I've already mention a trillion times) who are my FAVORITE!!!

So, do we have any authors in common? Have you tried any of these authors out or need a nudge?

Read it & Drool: The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 05:00:00 +0000

So I love these type of posts and making graphics for books I loved. The first two I did were for Dangerous Girls, one of my all time favorite books in the universe, and last summer I did one for Boomerang by Noelle August, the perfect summer read (hey, it's summer now! Go read it.) So now I'm doing one for The Chocolate Kiss, my top favorite book and romance of the year. I've already reread it multiple times and pushed it on countless people. The ebook is usually pretty pricey but right now it's $2.51 (and $2.99 for Nook!) so perfect timing!

Without further ado, here is why you'll LOVE READING THE CHOCOLATE KISS BY LAURA FLORAND, the second book in the Amour et Chocolat.

I. It's a magical book with a sparkling romance. There are hints of magical realism in the book and it works so well and enhances the love story, the setting and the background of hot chocolate saloon and pastry shop. The writing and descriptions are outstanding and the book truly has magical feel that will warm you down to your toes.2. Philippe is a world famous pastry chef and Magalie owns a chocolate shop with her two aunts. Be prepared to salivate at the description of the delicious things Philippe makes for Magalie. You will definitely need hot chocolate nearby and macarons. I'm not a fan of macarons at all but I had to go out and try them again after reading this book in hopes of being wrapped up in book's world again.3. The Chocolate Kiss is set in Paris, specifically Île Saint-Loius, the sister island to Île de la Cité, home of the Notre Dame cathedral. While reading The Chocolate Kiss, you WILL be in Paris, on it's island in the Seine, you will be transported there and you will taste and smell Philippe's macarons and Magalie's hot chocolate. Laura Florand's writing is just that good!4. Did I mention the sparking romance? You will root and cheer for Magalie and Philippe so much. The book is extremely romantic but not like what you're expecting. Philippe falls for Magalie but she sees him as her competition. What follows is an epic romance that will make your heart flutter.Once you finish The Chocolate Kiss, with a big sparking romantic sigh, you will have plenty of Laura Florand books to binge read. I was nervous to read the next book in the series, The Chocolate Rose, but it was just as lovely, romantic and amazing and I loved it with all my heart. I was convinced that book 4, The Chocolate Touch, will not live up to these two outstanding books but it definitely did. So did book 5, The Chocolate Heart. So did a prequel novella, Turning Up the Heat. See a pattern here? I haven't picked up a Laura Florand book that hasn't wowed me and made a little place for itself in my heart.

Finally, if you need MORE convincing than my amazing graphic *wink* and the steal price of the ebook, NPR held a reader poll early in the summary and from over 18,000 votes, they narrowed a down a list of 100 great romance novels and The Chocolate Kiss made the list! (you betcha I listed it as one of my votes!) It's up there with the romance greats & hall of famers and I'm so happy this gem of a romance is getting recognized.

With that, I believe my job here is done. I can go on and on about my love for The Chocolate Kiss but I intended for this post to be short and sweet with the graphic only! As you can see, I mad love for Philippe and Magalie and I hope you'll love them too. Don't forget that the book is currently $2.51 at Amazon and $2.99 at B&N so run, run, run and happy reading!

Racquel's 2015 Favorite Books So Far

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 06:25:00 +0000

This Week's Topic:

Favorite Books of 2015 so Far

Racquel's picks: top 10 lololol I ain't about the narrowing down life AT ALL since I really believe that a favorite is a favorite, whether you have 3 favorites or 300. I have to share them all! Beware, this is an amazing list except for one fact: 2 YA book. I'm so far behind on reading YA and I vow that this summer I'm going to read a ton of YA to make up for it!!

01. The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand: hands down my favorite book of the year! The writing is absolutely stunning, the setting is Paris and you'll feel like you're there, the romance is an honest to god hate-to-love which is my favorite, it has a hint of magical realism which I LOVE, and finally, macaron and chocolate heaven.

02. Graceling by Kristin Cashore: why didn't anyone tell me Grcaeling is what dreams are made of?! Super romantic, the ultimate OTP, feminist and awesome fantasy? Unbeatable.

03. Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare: my first book of the year set a high standard! It was so delightful and feminist. I loved it.

04. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, narrated by Julia Whelan: This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read and listening to it on audiobook has turned an already amazing book to an extraordinary experience. I can relisten to this audio for everyday of my life. If you take one thing from this blog or me let be this: Read Dangerous Girls and listen to The Sky is Everywhere. The audio just makes the book even more emotional and journey even more beautiful. I am OBSESSED with the audiobook.

05. The Master by Kresley Cole: I'm on my third read of the year of The Master which has the best and hottest opening scene I've ever read. Plus the heroine is hella feisty AND it's female sex positive. Hell yeah. Here's the 7 chapter excerpt that hooked me from page 1 (literally. This is by far my favorite opening chapter/opening scene in the history of all of books).

06. Ruining Mr. Perfect by Marie Hart: I didn't even want to read this book because I wasn't looking forward to the couple and I only read it to read the book after it but NEVER DOUBT because now Ruining Mr. Perfect is my favorite of the McCauley Brothers series! Funny how life works that way.

07. The One in My Heart by Shery Thomas: Sherry. Thomas. 'Nuff said. This is her first contemporary and it's unique because it has some historical romance themes but it works so well!! So emotional like you'd expect from The Queen.

08. Brown-Eyed Girl by Lisa Kleypas: I've been waiting for this book for almost FIVE years. I'll never in my life be as excited for a book again! So much of who I am and what I love is shaped up by Kleypas and specifically this series so I can't believe it has come to an end! Good thing Lisa Kleypas never lets me down so I was not disappointed.

09. Suddenly One Summer by Julie James: I've wanted this book for 2 years and after Lisa Kleypas, JJ is the other author that never lets me down. Another smart, funny and sexy read from the Queen of Contemporary!

10. Blamed by Edie Harris: even though this is romantic suspense, it's out of the world ROMANTIC. I mean pure swoony romance. It was heaven. It's really hard for me to find super romantic books. Not sex wise, but straight up romance that make you clutch your heart and happy sigh.

11. Kiss of Steel by Bec Master: okay whatever this is a steampunk romance but I didn't want it to be all by itself! Anyways, I love me some vampires so I was all over this. I love me some steampunk even more, and what I really really, realllllly love is SLOW BURN and holy moly, this was an epic slow burn!!

12. The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale: The MOST unique historical romance I've ever read. I'll never read another romance like this one and I'm still in awe of the research that went into it. Absolutely breathtaking. Also, shoutout to my boy Fabio!

14 The Seduction of Elliot McBride by Jennifer Ashley: my second favorite historical romance series after the Pennyroyal Green series! I LOVE the fact that it's has VICTORIAN Scottish heroes! It's so sexy AND romantic and the big family dynamic is just spectacular. I always love these books.

15. First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh: it took me a few chapters to get into this but omg when I did I never wanted it to end! Marriage stories will forever by my favorite.

16. Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas aka QUEEN: one of my new ALL TIME FAVORITE historical romances!! Gigi and Camden hate each other but they have so much chemistry and ugh they're so snarky with each other and it's just BEAUTIFUL to see their journey!!

17. Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt: thank you Alyssa for this awesome super forbidden romance!! Who doesn't love a good forbidden romance? and in true Hoyt fashion, it was the perfect mix of epic and swoony.

2015 in two words: LAURA FLORAND. The Chocolate Kiss is my favorite book of the year which I've already reread multiple times and pushed on countless people but the whole series is fanfuckingtastic. I was worried about reading The Chocolate Rose because how can it live up to my favorite book of the year? But it did! It's set in south France and it had all the beautiful elements that Florand SLAYS at. Beautiful setting, mouth watering descriptions, amazing chemistry, amazing romance and swoon for days. The exact same thing for The Chocolate Touch which takes us back to Paris. Another 5 star jackpot. As for Turning Up the Heat, it's a marriage in trouble novella so you know I went into it already loving it because I've said this a million times: I LOVE MARRIAGE STORIES!

So have you read and loved/hated any of these? As always, any similar books I should know about?

Encore: bae forever&ever.

(Review) Anticipation by Sarah Mayberry

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon (A Book Barbie)) — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 13:00:00 +0000

Title: Anticipation
Author: Sarah Mayberry
Series: Brothers Ink, #2
Published: April 2015
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Digital review copy provided by author for honest review. (Thank you!)

Summary: Blue Sullivan knows a player when she sees one. And Eddie Oliveira—charm and sex personified—was born to play. She never wanted him to say goodbye, so for the last ten years she’s ignored the sizzling attraction between them and focused on being the best sidekick a guy could have. Smart girl, right?

Then Blue has a serious accident, and overnight Eddie changes. Suddenly he’s more intense and singularly devoted…to her. With all this sexy attention, it’s hard to stay within the boundaries she’s scrupulously drawn. The temptation, the anticipation builds and, finally, she has to have what he’s offering. Of course Eddie proves to be brilliant. Now, she worries he’s ruined her forever…and she might regret leaping from friends to lovers.

I love that the title of this book is Anticipation, because that is entirely accurate in regards to my feelings about it. I've been looking forward to Blue and Eddie's story since meeting them in Satisfaction last year. While it is not absolutely necessary to read that one first, I would recommend doing so. It is nice to see Blue and Eddie's dynamic from an outsider's perspective before getting a peek at what is really going on beneath the surface. Plus it's just a great book!

Anticipation does not disappoint! I have a serious weakness for I've-loved-you-forever books. From the very first paragraph, you know that is going to be the case with this one. Blue has had feelings for her best friend Eddie for years, but she is trying to move past them. Alas, she is not, much to her dismay, having very much luck.

This book does have a Big Dangerous Incident. That is common enough in romance novels, and it is usually used as the catalyst to make someone - quite often the hero - realize that he does, in fact, have feelings for the heroine, that he cannot go on living with out her, etc. etc. And I don't know about you, but I've been sick of that plot device since the first ten times I read it. BUT in Anticipation, the Incident actually happens in the first chapter. Blue is hit by a motorcycle while crossing the street, and she winds up in the hospital. While Eddie is extremely upset, obviously, the accident is not merely the hit over the head he has always needed to realize he loves her. He already knows he cares deeply about her; they have been friends for years. It is treated seriously, and it has repercussions. It also leads to her staying at his apartment so he can help her recuperate, which is a 100% awesome setup, let me tell you.

One of the reasons I loved this book is that I was so convinced of how Blue and Eddie knew each other inside out. They were friends - close friends, real friends - for years before the book even started, and that shows in all their interactions. They give each other crap. They joke. They fight. But you always know that there is that foundation of caring that will always remain.

I really enjoyed having Blue as a main character. She is an atypical heroine, definitely, and rather difficult. A talented tattoo artist who wears her hair in varying shades of blue, she has walls a mile thick. She is straightforward and blunt, and she doesn't take crap from anyone. I've seen reviews that said she interfered with their enjoyment of the book, but I personally loved her! My heart broke as she struggled against her natural instincts to run away from anything that might wind up causing her pain.

Eddie is a great guy as well, and it is clear that he cares very much about Blue. He also has a great relationship with his brother, a dynamic I very much enjoyed reading. Then there's the chemistry between the two of them (er, "them" being Eddie and Blue, obviously). Yowza! I thought my Nook was going to start shooting sparks at one point.

Overall, Anticipation is definitely a winner. It could be just a standard friends-to-lovers with lots of long-time pining, but Mayberry makes it so much more. She brings the tattoo parlor and the secondary characters to life. Blue and Eddie are flawed people, but she weaves their story together beautifully.

First:Her life would be so much easier if she could hate him.

Favorite:Ground rules: anything I can do for myself, I do for myself. Period. End of story. You can, however, bring me food any time you like.

Teaser:“I can be as gracious as the next person.”
“If the next person is a sleep-deprived rhino with anger management issues.”

Ten Books Racquel Plans To Read This Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Tue, 26 May 2015 18:00:00 +0000

This Week's Topic:

Ten Books I Plan To Have In My Beach Bag This Summer

Racquel's picks: Since Goodreads doesn't count rereads, I'm behind on my challenge. I'm going to aim to read 50 books this summer starting with these:

01. On the Fence by Kasie West: I've recently read The Distance Between Us, my first West (FINALLY) and I loved it so I need to get to her other books!

02. Where Sea Meets Sky by Karina Halle: I read and LOVED Love, In English last year and summer is the perfect time to read this companion sequel!

03. Rebound by Noelle August: Boomerang is one my favorite books from last year and I've put off the companion sequel for some reason.

04. Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas: I met Liz at RT15 so I think it's finally time to read her books!

05. Going Rogue by Robin Benway: I just read Also Known As and it was delightful in the typical Robin Benway way so I can't wait to read the sequel.

06. Ripped by Edie Harris: the first book, Blamed, is the perfect mix of romance and suspense so I need to read the companion sequel for more swoony times.

07. Capricious by Gabrielle Prendergast: Audacious is an amazing verse novel and I've been stupid by not buying the sequel immediately.

08. Angelfall by Susan Ee: I want to get the series I've been meaning to read forever and since this one just ended, it's the perfect time to binge read.

09. Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty: WHAT AM I WAITING FOR?! I know.

10. Making Pretty by Corey ann Haydu: I just love Haydu's writing and her characters so I suck for not already reading this.

So, any of these also on your lists? Which ones should be a priority?

(Bout of Books 13) Sharon's Goals & Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon (A Book Barbie)) — Mon, 11 May 2015 03:16:00 +0000

Nothing draws me out of a book-reading funk like Bout of Books! I am so excited to be participating this time around. I've been reading a bit the past couple days (A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass, and it's AWESOME), but I am totally going to amp it up and try to catch up to my goal, which I'm currently super behind on. I would tell you not to blame Once Upon a Time fanfiction, but, well, I'd be lying.

I'm not setting any specific book goals this time around, besides the fact that I will obviously be continuing A Court of Thorns and Roses. I will also attempt to finish the new Eloisa James, which is currently sitting abandoned on my dresser at about 75 pages in. Other than that, I'll just see what I'm in the mood for! I've heard good things about The Queen's Thief series, so I'm thinking of starting that. Time will tell!

As the OUAT finale is airing tonight (has already aired, actually, but I still have a bit until I can watch it), I will probably have terrible reading productivity for Day One, but I hope to make up for it the rest of the week! And I know it's going to be fun whether I get 200 pages read or actually make my goal of 1,000. I can't wait to see what all of you have planned for this week, too!

My Goals for Bout of Books 13
   • Read 1,000 pages
   • Discover some awesome new blogs and friends
   • ~~Participate in at least one of the Twitter chats~~ (I had to work during both of them. Sad day.)
   • Participate in four or more challenges

Monday, 5/11
Books Read Today:
  Completed:
  In-Progress:
Challenge:
Total Books Read:
Total Pages Read: Nada. Not even a page. Called it.

Tuesday, 5/12
Books Read Today:
  Completed:
  In-Progress: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass (57 pages)
Challenge:
Total Books Read: ~.25
Total Pages Read: 57

Wednesday, 5/13
Books Read Today:
  Completed: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass (300 pages)
  In-Progress: Anticipation by Sarah Mayberry (130 pages)
Challenge:
Total Books Read: ~1.5
Total Pages Read: 487

Thursday, 5/14
Books Read Today:
  Completed: Anticipation by Sarah Mayberry (148 pages)
  In-Progress: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (36 pages)
Challenge:
Total Books Read: ~2.05
Total Pages Read: 671

Friday, 5/15
Books Read Today:
  Completed:
  In-Progress: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (293 pages)
Challenge:
Total Books Read: ~2.75
Total Pages Read: 964

Saturday, 5/16
Books Read Today:
  Completed: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (104 pages)
  In-Progress:
Challenge: Your Favorite #BOB13 Read, hosted at Once Upon a Chapter

My favorite book of #boutofbooks so far, for today's challenge.
A photo posted by Sharon (@starsaloft) on May 16, 2015 at 6:06pm PDT

Total Books Read: 3
Total Pages Read: 1068

Sunday, 5/17
Books Read Today:
Completed:
In-Progress: On the Fence by Kasie West (55 pages)
Challenge:
Total Books Read: ~3.25
Total Pages Read: 1123 (Made it! Whew!)

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

|12 in 12| Graceling by Kristin Cashore

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Wed, 06 May 2015 05:45:00 +0000

12 in 12 is me committing to read 12 books in 12 months. These 12 books will be old books that I've had on my TBR since the dawn of time and have been pushed aside for all the SHINY.

So I know it's May and I'm just now sharing my February pick for 12 in 12 and while I am behind on sharing reviews, I'm not behind on reading the 12 in 12 books so that's all that matters (just roll with it!).

12 in 12 February Pick

Title: Graceling

Author: Kristin Cashore

Published January 8th, 2008

Genre: YA fantasy

Rating: A

Goodreads summary:

Elisabeth Page is the daughter of Ben Page, yes, that's right, THE world famous novelist. And yes, she's also the sister of Rascal Page, world famous novelist in his own right. So what does Elisabeth do? Much to her family's disappointment, Elisabeth is a pastry chef. And a pretty damn good one, at Beverly, the hottest restaurant in LA. The last relationship Elisabeth had was with Will, a man she grew up with and whose family ran in the same social circles as her family. But Will's constant jaunts around the world have left her lonely and brokenhearted in L.A.

That is until Daniel Sullivan bids on one of Elisabeth's pastry tutorials at a charity auction. Daniel is everything her family is not: a basketball coach, a non-intellectual, his family doesn't summer on Martha's Vineyard, and the only metaphors he uses are about passing the ball and being a team player. But somehow they fit. Between her family, Will, and the new cooking show that Elisabeth is recruited to star in, Elisabeth's life is suddenly incredibly new and different--the question is, can she embrace being happy or has her family conditioned her to think she's just not good enough?Liza Palmer expertly depicts a woman trying to come to terms with professional success, personal success, and finally dealing with a family that might love her from the bottom of their heart but doesn't necessarily have her best interest always at heart.

Graceling is hand down, one of oldest (if not the oldest) book on my TBR. It's one of the first books that I came across when I started reading. We had multiple copies of it in my 8th grade reading college and I always picked up to read it but I always put it aside. Now I'm a sophomore in class and I FINALLY READ IT!! Alejandra, one of the first bloggers I diligently followed, raved about Graceling in every blog post she wrote and all her Youtube videos and she was RIGHT. Graceling seriously skipped the favorites shelf and went straight to the forever favorite shelf!

Why did I love it so much? Easy peasy. I appreciated how feminist it was. I did a whole review on the feminist aspect of it and specifically Katsa on my other blog, Feminist Talk Books, because it made me THAT HAPPY. But in this review I'll focus on every aspect of the book too.

I loved the fantasy and the world introduced. Graclings are people graced with a skill and instead of the gracelings being superior, they're actually disliked and the property of the king of the land. I liked this twist on being skilled and that it was something that the graced characters really struggled with. It made for beautiful characterization.

Katsa is graced with the skill of fighting and she's toughest and stronger than an army of a kingdom. I loved reading about Katsa's and how her strength meant that her uncle (a king) used her as a killing machine. Her nickname is The Lady Killer and there is so much complexity and depth with Katsa resenting her job but appreciating her strength. On one hand, she knows about the evil in the world and wants her skill to protect herself and others but she's a slave to her uncle and he turned her into a monster.

“She knew her nature. She would recognize it if she came face-to-face with it. It would be a blue-eyed green-eyed monster, wolflike and snarling. A vicious beast that struck out at friends in uncontrollable anger, a killer that offered itself as a vessel of the king's fury. But then it was a strange monster, for beneath its exterior it was frightened and sickened by its own violence. It chastised itself for its savagery. And sometimes it had no heart for violence and rebelled against it utterly.

So Katsa is really not in a good place in her life or in the best mindset about the world and I found her journey to be amazing! What I loved even more is that Po, the love interest, completely respected Katsa and her strength. He never once resented her for being stronger or held it against it. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. Po was such a nice guy, he was definitely complex, but he fit Katsa, who struggles with being used by her uncle, SO WELL. Respect, it is a beautiful thing.

“But you're better than I am, Katsa. And it doesn't humiliate me. It humbles me. But it doesn't humiliate me.” --When Po learns the extent of Katsa's grace. This quote is everything to me.

Plus, Katsa and Po are pretty damn swoony. Their chemistry is off the charts and I had to take frequent pauses so I can calm my grinning, feelsss self. The combination of Po who wore his heart on his sleeve and Katsa who was so closed off was a beautiful dynamic and it was handled with so much respect. Round of applause for Kristin Cashore. The book has a lot of heavy themes and Po and the romance balanced everything out so you have the heavy, tough stuff that Katsa has to work through and the swoon!

Another thing that deserves a round of applause is the fact that Cashore didn't "cure" Katsa from her beliefs when she found love. Katsa spent her life as nothing more than a weapon, harming others, for her uncle who's a king. She doesn't want to ever be tied to anyone and while she loves Po, she doesn't want marriage and is content with being a relationship without the formalities. THANK YOU. Thank you for giving Katsa agency and not belittling her experiences and respecting her views are valid. Katsa also had sexual agency and really, if this book wasn't already perfect, this would have broken the perfection spectrum.

So yeah, I loved this book with everything in me. It did take me a few chapters to get into because the writing is simplistic and distinct but I got used to it soon enough. Whether you're a fantasy fans or hate the genre, I still recommend Graceling because it's an important book.

Rating: [A+++] Every positive review was absolutely RIGHT. A new all time favorite.

First:

In these dungeons the darkness was complete, but Katsa had a map in her mind.

Favorite:

It hurt her eyes, almost, Ror City; and it didn't surprise her that Po should come from a place that shone.

Teaser:

Mercy was more frightening than murder.

|Review| Without Words by Ellen O'Connell

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Sat, 02 May 2015 15:52:00 +0000

Title: Without Words
Author: Ellen O'Connell
Published September 30th, 2014

Genre: historical western romance
Rating: A

Goodreads summary:

Bounty hunter Bret Sterling kills Rufus Petty, thief and murderer, less than ten feet away from a frightened, half-starved woman. Rufus should have surrendered. The woman should have kin to help her. But Rufus went down shooting, and the woman has no one. Bret figures by the time he finds a safe place to leave Hassie Petty, he'll earn the five hundred dollar reward several times over.

Hassie doesn't mourn Rufus, but the loss of the ten dollars he promised her for supplies is a different matter. The bounty hunter gives her nothing, takes everything, ties the body on one horse and orders her on another. Afraid if she defies him, he'll tie her down tighter than Rufus, Hassie mounts up and follows the icy-eyed killer.

Mismatched in every way, the sterling man and petty woman travel the West together, hunting thieves, deserters, and murderers. Wary traveling companions, friends and partners, lovers, Bret and Hassie must decide what they want, what they need, and the price they're willing to pay for love.

Yet another hit by Ellen O'Connell! Surprise, surprise. Let met say this first: I'm currently in the BIGGEST reading slump of humanity. I can't even make it through two of my most anticipated books of EVER and they're both series enders. I'm actually ashamed to mention what those two books are. I've tried historical romance, medieval romance, contemporary romance, suspense and I cannot finish ANYTHING. But then I started Without Words and it was like my reading slump was put on pause while I devoured this book. I might have been reading it while at a Katy Perry concert, heh.

When Danielle told me about the announcement of this book, I freaked out. O'Connell writes very subtle and VERRYY slow burn romances which is why I LOVE THEM. Subtle + slow burn are my favorite. Seriously, I will always and forever choose subtle and slow burn over anything else. Always.

So Without Words, a bounty hunter hero + a mute heroine (due to a childhood accident), who doesn't already love this book? In true Ellen O'Connell fashion, you have these two mismatched couple, who are thrown at each other under difficult circumstance and from that a beautiful friendship then romance blossoms. Slowly. It was GLORIOUS!

Lets start with Bret Sterling, our hero. He fought for the union in the civil war even though his family were pro-slaves, which alienated him from his family. After the war, everything was in ruins so Bret decided to become a bounty hunter because he was good at it and it provided a lot of money. That's how he meets Hassie, the heroine.

Bret and Hassie venture out on the trail, catching wanted men. Bret originally wanted to make sure he leaves Hassie in a safe place but she insists on staying with him. Hassie has been oppressed her whole life and I loved watching her enjoy being free moving from town to another with Bret. I loved that Bret let her have her freedom and respected her spirit.

I loved Hassie and her journey from being in constantly shitty situations to finding happiness and love. Bret respected her and let her have her freedom when she was with him and enjoy the trail and it was so wonderful and sweet to read about. These two are just the ultimate OTP. Another O'Connell book I can't recommend enough!

Recommend for: fans of the SLOW BURN!

Rating: [A] Holy slow burn heaven!

Top Ten Books with Sex Positive Heroines

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 05:01:00 +0000

This Week's Topic:

Top Ten Books with Sex Positive Heroines

Racquel's picks: I love the ladies. Whatever their choices are. But ladies who own their sexuality, who are sexually confident before the love interest enters the scene are pretty rare. I mean come on, hiring a guy to teach you the art of seduction is a freaking trope in historical and contemporary romance and NA. I don't explicitly only mean ladies who have sex and they're confident in that. You can have virgins confident in their sexuality. No biggie. I want to see more variety that tells girls its okay because there is so much shaming.

01. Sarah Dessen is really good at writings girls and showing us its okay to experiment and experience. Dating beyond your first and only boyfriend is a major theme of The Moon and More & This Lullaby features a sexually confident heroine. I'm loving it.

02. Biggest Flirts and every other Jennifer Echols novel. Jennifer Echols is the queen of writing ladies in YA. QUEEN.

03. I love Julie James heroines because they never need the heroes to actually save them. The heroines save themselves. They definitely don't need the hero to come in and show them what sex is.

04. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. I will forever love Vampire Academy for Rose Hathaway who has many faults. She's impulsive, aggressive, brazen but thank you Richelle Mead for writing her because we need more Roses. She owns her sexuality which she gets shit for but that just shows how important she is.

05. Graceling by Kristin Cashore: this book is a dream come true. Katsa making choices for herself and she's not "cured" from her beliefs when the love interest enters the scene. Yes please.

06. The Master by Kresley Cole: Cat doesn't have a lot of experience with men (actually, only one man) but she's still sooooo sexually confident. I LOVE IT.

07. The Star Thief by Jamie Grey. A space pirate who owns her sexuality. MAKES ME JUMP FROM JOY.

08. Love, In English by Karina Halle: two of my favorite things! Really messy, complicated relationships AND a heroine who owns her sexuality. Happy Racquel is happy.

09. Burning by Elana K. Arnold: here is a case of a character who has no experience but she's still confident in her sexuality and want to experiment and experience. I adore this book.

10. Anatomy of a Single Girl by Daria Snadowsky: this is an unflinching honest portrayal of sex done in an everyday, normal way. It's such an important book.

So, help me out and HIT ME WITH YO RECS! I know I have plenty more books to read and I have more books on my tbr like this but I NEED MORE!

|Review| The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 19:05:00 +0000

Title: The Art of Lainey
Author: Paula Stokes
Published May 20th 2014 by HarperTeen

Genre: contemprary YA
Rating: A

Goodreads summary:

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.

And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they're sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few "dates", it looks like her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.

What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be?

Round of applause for Paula Stokes for writing a real teenage girl in all her judgmental glory! I'm here to read about Laineys. Yes please.

So I was the idiot who waited 7 months to read Lainey even though I've been waiting for it for ions and when all the great reviews started trickling in, I become even more excited. So I put it off, of course. Typical me problem. But what matters is that I got to it within a year (miracle, see Typical me problems again) and I'm here to share what I LOVED about it!

+Lainey: she's 17 years old and she can be judgmental and make stupid comments which is perfectly fine and perfectly on point! People don't pop out of the womb aware of what's harmful and what's not. Lainey has her group of friends and her soccer team and this very narrow view of the world which is why she's judgmental to outsider stuff. However, the summer her boyfriend breaks up with her and she gets to meet Micah is when she gets out of her bubble and embraces how everyone is different. I LOVED seeing this character growth.

“If you asked me whether I was the type of person who liked trying new things or preferred sticking with what was familiar, I would have told you I was the second girl. The if –it-aint-broke-don’t-fix-it girl. I also would have told you plays were lame. It suddenly occurs to me that I don’t seem to know very much about…me. It’s a weird feeling, like maybe a stranger is inhabiting my body. Or maybe a stranger was, and I kicked her out.”

+Senior year: the books takes place over the summer before senior year and Stokes captures the uncertainty of what's to come at the end of high school SO WELL. Wariness of change, figuring out who you are outside of a long term boyfriend and a group of friends. These are things that seniors definitely deal with and it took me back to just two summers ago when I was graduating.

+Micah: SWOON TOWN. Can I just leave it there? Micah was for sure top ten YA book boyfriends material. Mohawk. Tattoos. Eyebrow piercing! He was actually kind of a bad boy but he wasn't a caricature one. I liked that he didn't let Lainey get away with her shit but their relationship was still fun and just my favorite in YA to read about.

The Art of Lainey is such a ME book, it's ridiculous. Challenging heroine, swoony guy, realistic high school setting AND soccer. I couldn't ask for more. I'll definitely be rereading this and picking up Paula Stokes' future books.

Recommended for fans of: realistic AND fun contemporary YA & fake boyfriend trope.

Rating: [A] is one for the all the contemporary fans!

Teaser
“Not sure how you can get them to him without looking like a crazy stalker chick," Micah says."You think I'm a crazy stalker chick?"
"You're using an ancient war manual to try to win back your boyfriend. I think you're a girl who will do whatever it takes to get what she wants," he says. "Hey, at least you're committed.”

Favorite:
“I go through memory after memory, looking for reassurance that nothing has changed, but it's like flipping through a book of stories I've outgrown. Everything has changed.”

Teaser:
“Standing up for yourself is about more than flinging barbed-wire insults around. Its about picking your battles, knowing when to fight, knowing exactly what and who is worth fighting for.”

Cover Reveal: All For You by Laura Florand

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 05:00:00 +0000

My name is Racquel and I am 10000% obsessed with Laura Florand's books! I read The Chocolate Kiss in January and it jumped into my favorite-of-the-favorites shelf. I've already reread it twice. It put me in a reading slump for weeks and I was scared to read another Florand book because what can live up to the amazingness that is The Chocolate Kiss? But I was WRONG because I've since then read The Chocolate Rose and fell completely in love and I thought, "this is it! Florand can't do it again". But then I read The Chocolare Touch and she did it AGAIN. And when I read Turning Up the Heat? Yup. It was just as amazing, just as magical and filled with beautiful writing, to die for setting and lovely characters as the whole series.

Breaking news from the heart of the event: Laura Florand is definitely a new favorite author of mine (and I don't make these claim lightly, AT ALL!)

With that being said, I'm SO EXCITED to share Laura Florand's new series and book cover!

All For You
May 5th, 2015

Paris Hearts series: Three young women trying to make their way in the most romantic city on Earth must learn how to open their hearts to love

Some crushes aren’t meant to be

When her older brother’s best friend left to join the Foreign Legion, eighteen-year-old Célie moved on to make a life for herself as a Paris chocolatier. Now, five years later, the last thing she needs is another man to mess up her happiness.

Let alone the same man.

But five years in the Foreign Legion is a long time for a man to grow up, and a long time to be away from the woman he loves.

Especially when he did it all for her.

Half strangers, more than friends, and maybe, if Joss Castel has his way, a second chance…

I'm SO excited about this because Célie is a lady chef and I've been wanting to read about one since the beginning of the Amour et Chocolat series (though I recently realized The Chocolate Temptation also has a lady chef but the hero is also a chef)! We do meet Célie The Chocolare Touch where she works under Dominique Richard. I'm so excited for this new series from Florand because I. Can. Not. Get. Enough. I haven't been able to focus on a non Florand book and I'm torn between binge reading all of the Amour et Chocolat series and the La Vie en Roses series or pacing my self and enjoying her released books. Being a reader is tough! Anyways, off I go to continue my obsession with Florand's books. If you haven't read a Florand book, you need The Chocolate Kiss in your life NOW. You won't have to thank me when you love it.

Author Interview: Sarah Morgan

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Last Wednesday, I left my backpack in my friend's car when we went to Chipotle because I wasn't supposed to get out of the car and then I thought it would take a minute to buy chips and salsa only but long story short, we ended up being inside for 20 minutes and we came out to a broken car window and my bag stolen. Fun! My review copy for First Time in Forever was in the bag so there goes the review I was planning to write since I already read the first quarter of the book. Lesson of the day: never leave anything visible in a car, even if you think it will take 10 seconds.

Anyways, instead of a review, I'm here with an interview. Yay! Quick notes that I got from the portion of the book that I did read. The setting is absolutely AMAZING. I fell in love and it's the reason I decided to participate in the blog tour. I'm iffy about small town romances but give me an oceanside setting and I cannot resist. Another thing is that Emily is afraid of the ocean and that is SO fascinating to me because I'm from Jeddah which means I grew up a literal 10 minutes away from the Red Sea. I love bodies of water. I can't imagine anyone afraid of water and I really enjoyed being in Emily's head.

First Time in Forever
Contemporary romance
February 24th 2015 by HQN Books
Goodreads summary:

Windswept, isolated and ruggedly beautiful, Puffin Island is a haven for day-trippers and daydreamers alike. But this charming community has a way of bringing people together in the most unexpected ways…

It's been a summer of firsts for Emily Donovan. From becoming a stand-in mom to her niece Lizzie to arriving on Puffin Island, her life has become virtually unrecognizable. Between desperately safeguarding Lizzie and her overwhelming fear of the ocean—which surrounds her everywhere she goes!—Emily has lost count of the number of "just breathe" pep talks she's given herself. And that's before charismatic local yacht club owner Ryan Cooper kisses her…

Ryan knows all about secrets. And it's clear that newcomer Emily—with her haunted eyes and the little girl she won't let out of her sight—is hiding from something besides the crazy chemistry between them. So Ryan decides he's going to make it his personal mission to help her unwind and enjoy the sparks! But can Puffin Island work its magic on Emily and get her to take the biggest leap of trust of all—putting her heart in someone else's hands?

First Time in Forever is the opening book in your brand new Puffin Island series. What inspired you to write this series?

I knew from the start that I wanted the link between the characters and stories to be a strong friendship. I write romance, but I also love exploring the other relationships in my characters’ lives, including family and friends. I had finished my O’Neil Brothers series, which was set in the beautiful mountains of Vermont, and I wanted a completely different setting for my new series. I decided on an island, a coastal retreat where three friends could escape when life was hard. I want readers to dive in, breathe in the sea air, taste the fresh blueberries and the smooth chill of ice cream and take a beach holiday while they read.

What made you choose the Puffin as the island bird?

I spent a long time researching the various islands around Penobscot Bay, Maine. Although I prefer to have a fictitious setting, it’s important to me to make it as authentic as possible so I was focusing on the national park and the wildlife of the area. I discovered that although Puffins are not an endangered species, they are rare in Maine and there are projects to reintroduce them to the islands.

I first saw Puffins in the north of England and they are the most amazing sea birds. As I was researching, one of the facts that stayed with me was that although they spend most of their lives at sea, they usually return to breed on the same island where they were hatched. This fitted well with my idea that Puffin Island would be a sanctuary for the three friends. Emily, Brittany and Skylar each live busy independent lives but when they need a safe retreat, they return to the island. In the books, the Puffins actually live on Puffin Rock, which is a small rocky outcrop to the north of the island. They don’t like humans to get too close!

Your character Emily has a terrible fear of the ocean. Why did you choose to include this in the book?

Overcoming fear is a theme of the book, and Emily’s fear of the ocean mirrors her fear of emotions. She is afraid of being swamped, of losing everything. She is torn because on the one hand Puffin Island is the perfect place to hide away, but it also means confronting her worst fears. When she visited the island with her friends she was able to stay indoors and inland and think only of herself, but now she has Lizzy, who wants to play in the sand and swim in the sea. She is forced out of her comfort zone and it’s difficult for her. I love challenging my characters and watching them grow, and that’s the case for Emily.

You have a strong connection to the ocean. What are your fondest seaside memories?

I love the ocean. I live close to London, so escaping to the sea is nothing more than a dream for most of the year. I have two sons and some of our happiest holidays have been spent by the beach. Every summer we hire a house near the ocean and like many families, we have our own routines and rituals that we often repeat each holiday. If we’re feeling energetic we brave the freezing waves to go body boarding and walk miles along the coast path. If we want a more leisurely day we explore the tide pools, delving beneath rocks and through fronds of seaweed to find hidden treasures. We build the most amazing sand sculptures and of course we eat! Beach picnics are always fun and sometimes we’ll take a fishing trip and cook what we catch. There’s nothing quite like the taste of freshly cooked fish eaten on the beach as the sun goes down. And no beach holiday would be complete without ice cream (my current favorite flavors are pistachio and vanilla). It’s no coincidence that ice cream plays a role in First Time in Forever. I had so much fun dreaming up Summer Scoop and the whole family (and my readers on facebook!) helped pick the flavors.

My favorite question! What are you working on next?

I’m in the middle of the third book in the Puffin Island series, Skylar and Alec’s story, called Christmas Ever After. Sky is a really fun character to write and the tension with Alec is electric. It’s one of those stories where life keeps throwing boulders at the characters (a bit like real life!) and it’s interesting to see them fighting their way out. I love this couple. Their relationship borders on adversarial but they have off the scale chemistry and plenty of humor so it’s fun to write. And it’s a Holiday story, so there is all the extra frosty sparkle I always enjoy.

Thank you Sarah Morgan!! I hope y'all liked this interview and let me tell you, pick up First Time in Forever if just for the beautiful setting alone. It's breathtaking.

|12 in 12| Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 05:20:00 +0000

12 in 12 is me committing to read 12 books in 12 months. These 12 books will be old books that I've had on my TBR since the dawn of time and have been pushed aside for all the SHINY.

I did 12 in 12 last year and it was success for me. I read a lot of books that I've been saying for years I would read and they were favorites! While I didn't keep up with 12 in 12 on the blog, I still loved my progress so here we go again! Here is the 12 in 12 intro post I did last year.

12 in 12 January Pick

Title: Seeing Me Naked

Author: Liza Palmer

Published January 8th, 2008

Genre: contemporary fiction

Rating: A-

Goodreads summary:

Elisabeth Page is the daughter of Ben Page, yes, that's right, THE world famous novelist. And yes, she's also the sister of Rascal Page, world famous novelist in his own right. So what does Elisabeth do? Much to her family's disappointment, Elisabeth is a pastry chef. And a pretty damn good one, at Beverly, the hottest restaurant in LA. The last relationship Elisabeth had was with Will, a man she grew up with and whose family ran in the same social circles as her family. But Will's constant jaunts around the world have left her lonely and brokenhearted in L.A.

That is until Daniel Sullivan bids on one of Elisabeth's pastry tutorials at a charity auction. Daniel is everything her family is not: a basketball coach, a non-intellectual, his family doesn't summer on Martha's Vineyard, and the only metaphors he uses are about passing the ball and being a team player. But somehow they fit. Between her family, Will, and the new cooking show that Elisabeth is recruited to star in, Elisabeth's life is suddenly incredibly new and different--the question is, can she embrace being happy or has her family conditioned her to think she's just not good enough?Liza Palmer expertly depicts a woman trying to come to terms with professional success, personal success, and finally dealing with a family that might love her from the bottom of their heart but doesn't necessarily have her best interest always at heart.

I've been meaning to read Liza Palmer since 2013 which is not that long since rest of the books in my 12 in 12 pile are much older than that. However, Liza Palmer comes HIGHLY recommend from so many people I trust (Sarah, Estelle, Angie, Ellice, Hannah, Cass) I just had to read one of her books and I have to say, I understand the love!

I picked Seeing Me Naked as my first Palmer because Nowhere But Home is too hyped for me so I was scared to make it my first choice and when I saw that Elisabeth is a chef, I had to start with this one since I love chef books.

There is a lot to love about Seeing Me Naked. There is chef Elisabeth and I just love chef heroes/heroines. This is a very character driven novel and I love reading about Elisabeth as she dealt with making a decision about her extremely demanding job that does not allow her to have a life outside the kitchen. Her complicated family composed of a Pulitzer winner (snobby) father, charity extraordinaire mother and her brother who's on the road to author fame himself. Family books for the win!

There is also her complicated love life. There is Will, who's Elisabeth childhood friend and love but he's rarely available and there is new0in-town basketball coach Daniel. This is not a love triangle in any sense, it's just two men who serve two different purposes. I loved Daniel who's a nice hero! I like nice guys. This book is not just romance focused but the meeting scenes between Elisabeth and Daniel were really cute and the overall romance was well balanced with the rest of the story.

I'm a big fan of family books and that aspect was really important here. Elisabeth's family is well, elite with a capital E. Her dad doesn't approve of her career or career goals. I love seeing this complicated, messy family who ultimately loves each other, yes, but they're not always good for each other or show it in the best away but no family is perfect. Elisabeth's family screws up a lot but that didn't mean they were The Worst Ever. It isn't just either perfect or not perfect and I just loved that complexity!

Again, I also loved Elisabeth who struggled with her privilege.

Apparently, when I'm not being a pompous asshole or a know-it-all, I have very little to say. Good to know.

She knew she could pretentious and even "shitty" and constantly tried to rein it in but everyone is a snob about something which for that something is food (she's a chef!). I enjoyed reading about her because in the end she really was your average person. She struggled with family, with being everyone's definition of a "good" person and in her love life. It was so realistic but on top of that, there were some great laugh out loud moments. Perfect combination, anyone?

Rating: [A-] My first Liza Palmer but definitely not my last. Binge reading, here I come!

First:

The crowd simmers down as the bookstore owner approaches the podium.

Favorite:

"Your building is in a commercial part of town. There are no kids there. Who are you going to pass candy out to, prostitutes?"

Teaser:

"How do you — I mean, how does one become a professional Santa?" I'm oddly intrigued. But at the same time, who is this person? What utopian parred did he frolic off of?

Top Ten Books For Fans of Nice Guys!

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 21:09:00 +0000

This Week's Topic:

Top Ten Books For Nice Hero Lovers

Racquel's picks: nice guys are nice. Maybe because I have an extremely strong personality and I'm the female version of an alpha-hope I have a deeper appreciation for nice guys because they're the only ones who can put up with me but alas. Nice guys finish first for me! (omg who am I?! I'm pretty sure I did a post a few years ago on my bad boy love!!)

01. Sarah Dessen guys! Sarah Dessen writes complex guys but they never fail to steal your heart. I think my love for nice guys originated from my love for Owen Armstrong from Just Listen. He becomes friends wit Annabel firsts and helps her through so much then they become more. Even Wes Baker, with his juvie past, is ultimately a nice guy.

02. Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway: shy, red-headed, ice-coworker James provides friendship and faith in boys to Audrey when becomes popular when her ex writes an international hit song about her. YES PLEASE.

03. There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones: Beckett Rush is an international superstar so you would think he would be super full of himself and completely arrogant but Jenny B. Jones didn't go in that route with him. Hallelujah!

04. Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelly Coriell: an extremely underrated gem that made me laugh, cry, swoon, and laugh and cry again. It has a little bit of everything, family, friends, romance, drama and Chloe just steals the show. It's refreshing to read about an extroverted heroine!

05. Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare: I hated Will in book 1 but I understood him in book 2 and finally fell in love with him then BUT I'm a Jem girl. Jem. Jem. Jem.

Sharon's Picks
Nice guy heroes are my weakness. I swoon over the bad boys, it's true, but the good guys are the ones who always truly capture my heart. There's a little something for everyone on this list. I included YA and adult, contemporary and historical. Swoon away! (Also, random side note: I am completely coincidentally typing up this list while listening to "Cell Block Tango" from Chicago, and I find this incredibly amusing.)

01. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. Jase Garrett! If I'd had a boyfriend in high school, I would have wanted it to be someone like Jase. He's just so freaking sweet! And he's great with kids, due to having many younger siblings.

02. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. I'll be honest, it's been a while since I read this one, so I can't recall specifics. But I remember being impressed with how much I loved Cricket.

03. Vision in White by Nora Roberts. Carter Maguire! ♥ I've read this book multiple times, and while I enjoy the heroine and the whole story, it's really because of Carter. I adore him. He's so awkward and adorable and earnest.

04. What Happens in London by Julia Quinn. Sir Harry Valentine! ~~Unlike JQ's more recent Sir Richard~~ Sir Harry is so nice and quirky and wonderful. He's a refreshing change from many of the typical historical heroes.

05. A Notorious Countess Confesses by Julie Anne Long. Adam Sylvaine is a vicar. Yep. And I swooned over him so hard, you have no idea. He has such a genuineness about him, even though he has struggles. And he's just perfect. Just thinking about him makes me want to re-read this book.

Our Top Ten Favorite Heroines

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 22:02:00 +0000

This Week's Topic:

Top Ten Favorite Heroines

Racquel's picks, or the OWN YO SEXUALITY, GURL! picks:

01. Katsa—I still currently reading this but WHATEVER. Graceling is a new addition to my favorite bookshelf and Katsa is DEFINITELY a big reason why. It seems that people think that she's too feminist with an agenda and while I don't agree with Katsa on marriage (it's not for her. No freedom), I understand her reasoning and fuck yeah, girl! Be assertive in your views! Stand by your choices! Not all character actions have to reflect our own beliefs. So yeah, hit me with your feminist agenda all day.

02. Rose always says she's an "act first, think later" person and I love that. Not a lot of YA heroines are impulsive, outspoken and well, bitchy, like Rose. I really relate to these characteristics and love seeing such a popular heroine who has such a backbone. Rose forever and always. I will never not mention her when I do a favorites heroines post.

03. Cat is another recent addition. I read The Master last week and I loved it because of Cat. She owned her sexuality. She was proud of her body and wasn't ashamed to flaunt it. She's feisty and headstrong and I freaking love her.

04. Sydney is the opposite of the heroines I've mentioned so far but hey, I like variety! Sydney shows some of the most extraordinary character development I've read about in the Bloodlines series. While she's super studious, by the book, follow the rules to the death (qualities which I absolutely do NOT possess), she's pretty dang amazing. Just shows that "strong" comes in many different flavors.

05. Renna—according to the summary Renna "is the most notorious thief in the galaxy". WHY would I not love Renna?! Renna took shit from NO ONE. Definitely not the hero, Finn, AND she's unapologetic about her sexuality and had so much agency. I cry. Please never stop writing heroines who get. shit. done.

06. Grace is a fucking MESS. She's whiny and constantly crying and she doesn't know how to handle her life in any aspect whatsoever. She's a gigantic messy mess. I love her. I want to read about more people like Grace. They really are "unlikeable" which I love. Antiheroines for the win!

07. Tia—another character who owns her sexuality. I'm so predictable. Jennifer Echols is the ROCKSTAR of YA Heroines. She writes a lot of messy heroines who are challenging to the norm. Round of applause.

08. Tansy—historical romance heroines are ~special~. They're the wallflowers who don't enjoy the social scene or dancing or blahblahblah *eye roll*. Not Tansy! Tansy likes flirting, know's she's beautiful, and is enjoying the marriage mart hunt. YES please. She was all these things which are usually always portrayed as the vain mean girl in historical romance but not Tansy. She was human. She wanted a family and knew that meant a good match and meanwhile, she was enjoying her season. Dear Julie Anne Long, THANK YOU. Thank you for complex characters who are not just caricatures who fall into this or that boxes.

09. Vera—another messy character, HOLLA! Vera liked drinking a tad too much and she generally just got trashed. I love that. Again, I love challenging heroines! LOVE THEM.

10. Julie James writes successful contemporary romance heroines. A lot of contemporary romance heroines are starting over, moving back to a small town, going through break up or a divorce, in a rut, etc. etc. etc. I love reading about JJ heroines who have their SHIT TOGETHER before the hero waltzes in and ~heals~ them. Hallelujah.

Now, am I contradicting myself when it comes to Julie James heroines because I mentioned Grace and Vera who are trouble? No. I like all types of heroines. All of them. I love super bad ass women, the type JJ writes, because they're inspiring. I also love the antiheroines. The unlikeable-est of the unlikeable. That's what's different between the messy characters I've mentioned and the usual women of contemporary romance who are in a rut. Those women are essentially angelic. Characters like Grace and Vera are challenging.

Sharon's Picks
In no particular order, because these ladies are all AWESOME.

01. Celaena Sardothian from the Throne of Glass series! I love how strong and fierce she is. BUT at the same time, she is completely unashamed to love pretty dresses. And that makes me happy.

02. Katsa from Graceling. What can I say? I love a girl who can kick some butt. And knows what she wants (and doesn't want).

03. Sydney from the Bloodlines series. I love that Sydney has imperfections and insecurities. She is also incredibly smart and logical and talented.

04. Macy from The Truth About Forever. Macy is a major perfectionist and is dealing with grief. She grows a lot over the course of the book and gets to know herself and be more comfortable in her own skin. And that

05. Cath from Fangirl. I love how much of a fangirl Cath was. It was awesome to see that reflected in a book. But there was a lot more to her character, too.

06. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series. Smart girls who care deeply about things and aren't afraid to do somethi g about them for the win!

07. Jessica Trent from Lord of Scoundrels. This lady is fierce and strong and hilarious amd witty and takes no crap from anyone, least of all the hero.

08. Karana from Island of the Blue Dolphins. She was the reason I read that book like a gazillion times growing up.

09. Jo March from Little Women. I was much more of a Beth growing up, but I always wanted to be Jo. In fact, when I was little, I cut off my brunette Barbie's hair and named her Jo. My mother was not impressed.

10. Elizabeth Bennett. It wouldn't be a favorite heroine list without Lizzie Bennett. She is simply wonderful.

|Review| The Devil Takes a Bride by Julia London

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Title: The Devil Takes a Bride
Author: Julia London
Series: The Cabot Sister #2

Published January 27th 2015 by HQN Books

Genre: historical romance
Rating: B+

Goodreads summary:

From powerful love to sizzling passion, Julia London always delivers an incomparable reading experience. Returning to her acclaimed Cabot Sisters series, we meet an earl who can only be tamed by one wicked lady…

A plan born of desperation…
Once the toast of society, Grace Cabot and her sisters now await the shame of losing high status and fine luxuries upon the death of the Earl of Beckington. The dire circumstances are inevitable unless, of course, Grace's wicked plot to seduce a wealthy viscount into marriage goes off without a single hitch. But once a stolen embrace with the wrong man leads her to be discovered in the arms of Jeffrey, the Earl of Merryton, her plan takes a most unexpected—and scorching—twist.

…and altered by passion.

Governed by routine and ruled by duty, Jeffrey had no desire for a wife before he succumbed to Grace's temptation. Though his golden-haired, in-name-only bride is the definition of disorder, he can't resist wanting her in every way. But once her secrets meet his, society might consider their lives to be ruined beyond repair…while Jeffrey might just see it as a new beginning.

If it isn't clear by now, arranged/force/convenience/in-trouble marriages are my FAVORITE romances to read so of course I was all over The Devil Takes a Bride. Good thing too because it was definitely different than the average historical romance I read PLUS it just reiterated why I love marriage romances so much.

Grace, the heroine, is the second oldest Cabot sister after Honor and is followed by Prudence and Mercy. Due to the desperate financial situation that Grace's family is currently in, it drove her to the situation that has her accidentally married to our hero, Jeffrey. I really liked Grace! She was headstrong and was constantly moving forward and trying to make the best of her marriage to Jeffrey and that's why I like reading about these types of stories! Seeing the characters work hard at it makes the payoff so well earned! I also liked that the author didn't make her unlike the ~other~ women of the ton to highlight how special she is. Grace admits that she likes flirting and enjoyed the game of suitors but when things got tough, Grace did what she thought would benefit their family.

She rather enjoyed flirting and suggestive innuendo.

Jeffrey is what made the book special. He's OCD and well, he's kinky. BUT he doesn't know that his kinky side is normal and thinks he's plagued by some sort of evilness, especially when you factor in his OCD. He doesn't have any friends or people close to him to tell him how normal he is so he was a rather shy man which was so cute to read about and a welcome change from the regular alphas.

She wondered if there was a way to reach that she boy, buried in that aloof man.

Can we get more diverse heroes? PLEASE AND THANKS! So, Grace and Jeffrey are secluded in Jeffrey's country estate which means that they're all alone in the country and they must learn to be a couple. Be still, my heart.

"I thought if we had some friends in common, we might...well, we might become friends, too."

Oh, this is what dreams are made of!! If this isn't a Racquel book, I don't know what is! Add in the fact that this is a sister series (yay sisters!) and we have some really good family scenes, especially with Jeffrey and his brother, John. The epilogue did not disappoint which makes me so happy since to me, epilogues are either super satisfying or super sucky. This would easily be an A read, honestly, but it took me over a week to read it thanks to school and that is one of my worst bookish problems. If I take more than a day to read a book, I lose enjoyment no matter how much I'm loving the book. Other than that, I didn't have any issues (that my memory can recall). Another book to solidify my love for married couple books? check!

Would I try the other companion books? HELL YEAH.

Recommended for: fans of unique historical romance!

Rating: [B+] A really pleasant surprise!

*quotes taken from an eARC.

Racquel's Bookish Problems

noreply@blogger.com (Racquel (A Book Barbie)) — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 06:00:00 +0000

This Week's Topic:

Top Ten Bookish Problems

Racquel's picks

01. My name is Racquel and I'm addicted to spoilers

I'm getting better and I'm definitely on the path of recovery but man, there was a point when my air was spoilers. I NEED THEM TO SURVIVE. I was a serious read-the-last-page-first, Google-the-plot worst type of spoiler seeker. Dangerous Girls is my BIGGEST accomplishment. Not spoiling that book for myself took every ounce of energy in me but I'm still not cured! My worst moment? I once stapled the last chapter of a book together just so I don't skim through it to see what happens. Yup. I told you I'm spoiler sick.

02. I'm awful at reading series

I REALLY AM! I put off reading (sequel) series until its complete and when it is? It takes me foreveeeeeer (I do mean YEARS) to pick it up to binge read. If I read a series from the beginning then I'll abandon it mid series because I hate waiting for new releases. I fail.

03. MOOD READER!

I need the book I read to match my mood, the weather, the day of the week, the month, the country I'm in...

04. If it takes me longer than a day to read a book, I lose interest

Being a fast reader is a blessing and a curse. Since I can get through books in a day now, if it takes me longer than that, EVEN if I'm 1000000% loving the book, I will lose interest, or I won't have any motivation to pick it up. Beginnings are my favorite and I'm always itching for a new book, new characters, new story.

05. MOODYYYY READER!

The book I'm reading also needs to match the outfit I'm wearing, the time of day, the way my hair is parted, if I'm upstairs or downstairs in my house...

06. SO EXCITED I START SKIMMING

When I'm loving a book SO MUCH and it's so exciting to the point where I start skimming because I want to gobble it all up. Patience is not one of my virtues.

07. I'VE WAITED FOR YOU ALL MY LIFE! So just sit on myself unread

For the rare series I read, or the companion series I'm able to keep up with, or the newest book from an author I LOVE, I have countdowns on my phone because I'm so excited I could DIE. And when I get the book? I don't read it. I get scared and wait for my hype to die and for my excitement to reach a reasoanble level and the next thing you know its been two years and I still haven't read the book.

08. I'll ONLY read the first page (yeah right)

I like to test books out so I tell myself I'll only read one page but I end up skimming half the book and never go back to ACTUALLY read it. Once again, I suck.

09. Superstitious

The last 3 books I read were amazing therefore the next book is bound to suck so now I have to find a book to read that I don't mind hating or just wait to ride the amazing books high out or or or or you know I just won't read.

10. Mood. Freaking. Reader.

What I'm having for lunch also needs to match the book I will decide to reader. Do I have a test/paper/presentation and will this book serve my procrastination state? I'm I in a mood to hate or love a book? Does my mood want to read adult romance, NA, or YA? Historical, contemporary, paranormal, or fantasy? Series, standalone, debut, new to me author?! ALL these have to fit whatever mood I'm in and the bajillion ludicrous unnecessary factors that control my mood. This is why I'm a sucky blogger. My mood owns me and rules me. It. Is. A. Serious. Problem. I can go days without reading JUST because I won't find a book to fit my ~mood~. Except I don't know what the mood is or what it wants. Help.