Bookshipper

BLOG TOUR for Waitlisted by Laurel Gans

2012-01-30T04:49:00.000-05:00

I am not a huge fan of blog tours, however, having said that, I have been working with the wonderful Samantha over at http://chicklitplus.com/ on a few tours for 2012.

First up is the book Waitlisted by Lauren Gans!

TITLE:                 Waitlisted

AUTHOR:            Laurel Gans

GENRE:               Chick Lit (!!!!!)

RATING:             4 Stars
I got my Kindle a few months ago and have been roaming through Kindle books. Interestingly enough, I had seen this one on Amazon.com, but, was hesitant to download it as I am a bit skeptical of books that are only available as ebooks. My experience, for the most part, has been that the books are not usually good.

Waitlisted is the exception to this rule. I loved, loved this book. As soon as I started reading it, I found myself completely entertained by the storyline. Kacey, the main character is a brain - in fact, she has gotten early placement in the coveted dentistry program! now, all she has to do is coast along - except that things backfire when she learns that her average is no longer good enough to get her into school. She can't tell her parents and it takes a few twists and turns before she can even admit it to her best friend, but eventually, she let's the cat out of the bag.

What follows is a hugely entertaining, hilarious and, at times, touching story about Kacey and self-discovery (or, should I say, everyone else figures their lives out, while Kacey still goes around, for the most part, clueless about who she is and where she fits in, although, for the most part, she is too clueless to even figure this out!).

At times, I found myself hating Kacey - I mean if she was my BFF, I would have strangled her. I haver never seem someone so self-centered. But, at the same time, she was not mean or cruel, she simply has absolutely no self-awareness and this, of course, made for some completely comic situations.

I also loved the relationship between Kacey and her roommate, who arguably, is the exact opposite of Kacey in absolutely every way and turned out to be a very interesting character of her own.

One of the things I liked about Gans is that she fleshed out some of the secondary characters very well - which is not something you normally see in Chick lit.

Sure, some of the situations where a tad too "perfect" and, at times, I really did wonder how Kacey could remotely live on this planet and be so clueless, but I found this book so darn entertaining and fun, fun, fun that these were very, very minor glitches in an otherwise wonderful storyline.

I hope that Gans writes a second book in this series as I am dying to see how Kacey does in "dentistry" school.

IN MY MAILBOX for week ending January 28, 2012

2012-01-27T14:38:00.000-05:00

Wow, the weeks are just going by so quickly!

This is what came to my house.

I did not get one book this week - but I got some wonderful freebies -

I received this great freebie from l'Occitane En Provence - its a 1 oz size and retails for $11.50 - totally free! - love, love free :)

I also purchased one box of Timothy's Coffee and received 2 boxes FREE - and I did not even have to pay for shipping.

I also received a purse size format of lip balm/care from Aveeno.

REVIEW for Bittersweet

2012-01-24T05:36:00.001-05:00

Thank you, thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book.

TITLE:        Bittersweet

AUTHOR:   Sarah Ockler

GENRE:      YA

RATING:    4 Stars

Okay, I usually like my YA to be either gut wrenching, i.e. social issues such as addiction OR light and airy, chick litty stuff. Bittersweet falls somewhere in between these two types, which is interesting.

Having said that, I loved Bittersweet, in part because it focuses on figure skating, which I have always loved and followed quite alot about 15 years ago.

Our main character Hudson is a figure skater and she has potential. However, she feels responsible for her parent's separation and ultimitely their divorce and through a series of self destructive moves, she pretty well gives up her skating dreams.

This backstory (which occurs in real time) is actually quite well told by the author - which I am thankful for, considering how corny the whole dialogue could have been (its NOT!). From the very second Hud's mon finds the mysterious bra to the moment where Hudson's dad leaves the family, you feel for the entire family!

As the story progresses, we see each member of the family desperately trying to rebuild their lives, one piece at a time and for Hud, this means, among other things, making cupcakes. In fact this storyline is loaded with food references and made me want to eat cupcakes and more cupcakes - a nice touch!

As Hudson struggles to find her footing (both on and off the ice), we are treated to a touching and realistic story of what life can be for a family that is hit with betrayal.

Nicely told, the author gives us glimpses of what life can be if you have believe in hope and in love, even if you find them in the oddest places!

IN MY MAILBOX for week ending January 21, 2012

2012-01-20T14:23:00.000-05:00

Another week is over. Here is what came into my house this week. There was a bunch of really great stuff!

From the publisher (for review):

White Horse by Alex Adams Visit Simon&SchusterCanada!

Paris, My Sweet by Amy Thomas Amazon

From Abebooks:

It's Not about the Poms-Poms by Laura Vikmanis with Amy Sohn Amazon

Capitol Murder by Phillip Margolin Amazon

Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage by Hugh Brewster (I will be reading lots of Titanic books this year!)Amazon

For my Kindle:

Head over Heels by Rain Mitchell Amazon
Post it Note Diaries by Arthur Jones Visit site
Albatross by Josie Bloss

Amazon

Also I received Another Piece of my Heart by Jane Green (win from Goodreads) Amazon

I also received this beautiful yoga mat from Kellogg's as a promotion related to their excellent cereal and health. Beautiful!
http://www.facebook.com/Kelloggs

I also received a full size free sample mascara from the wonderful people at Rimmel. http://www.rimmellondon.com/ca/en/landingpage/

REVIEW for Love & Leftovers

2012-01-20T05:24:00.003-05:00

Once again, a big thank you goes out to Harper Collins Canada for sending me a copy of this book.

TITLE:              Love & Leftovers

AUTHOR:        Sarah Tregay

GENRE:           YA

RATING:          3 Stars

http://www.harpercollins.ca/books/Love-and-Leftovers-Sarah-Tregay?isbn=9780062023582&HCHP=TB_Love+and+Leftovers

I have to start his review off by admitting that I am not a fan of free verse and this book is entirely free verse.

Having said that and in the spirit of challenging myself with versatility in my reading, I tried, once again, to enjoy this type of writing.

What I did love about this book: Marcie - the main character is someone I enjoyed. She is a YA, but is quite aware of who she is and what she needs and what she is looking for, although, of course, with her limited years of experience, she may not have chosen the best methods to get it!

This book is also honest - about sexuality and how it affects women as well as men. So, if you are someone who offends easily, don`t read this one - while it is not explicit, there is a focus on the subject matter.

I also liked the diversity between the main characters two love interests and how she works her way through it.

However, I still can`t quite get pass the free verse method which, to me, is toooooo slow. I keep wanting to say 'oh, just say what you want to say and stop waxing poetic'.

So, I have to rate this book a 3 star because I am just not the right target audience, but I bet that someone who enjoys this format would rate this storyline much higher.

REVIEW for Kiss, Crush, Collide

2012-01-17T06:52:00.001-05:00

A huge Merci to Harper Collins Canada for sending me this book.

TITLE:                Kiss, Crush, Collide

AUTHOR:          Christina Meredith

GENRE:              YA

RATING:            3 Stars

http://www.harpercollins.ca/books/Kiss-Crush-Collide-Christina-Meredith?isbn=9780062062246&HCHP=TB_Kiss+Crush+Collide

First off, I have to say that I loved this cover. It felt sexy and romantic to me at the same time. I was really looking forward to reading the storyline.

Basically, this book is about Leah and her family. On some level, I felt as though I was reading an updated version of Cinderella. With Leah being the youngest and the one always somehow trailing behind her sisters. She meets her 'prince' or does she?

I liked the basic premise, but to be perfectly honest, I found the storyline a little slow paced. I wanted it to move ahead, to give me some drama, but it somehow felt as though it never really got off the ground.

I have to admit that I like my stories to move way faster than this, which means that I lost interest in the story and the characters fairly quickly.

This was not horrible, it just wans`t grabbing me at all.

IN MY MAILBOX - for week ending January 14, 2012

2012-01-13T10:11:00.001-05:00

I am extremely excited by all of these books! What a great way to ring in 2012. For those who have asked if I could link to the books, I am currently working on this. However, since I am a techno dumb dumb, its taking longer than it should, please bear with me :)

From the publisher:

Dollars & Uncommon Sense by Steve Repak, CFP
Lovertorn by Kavita Daswani
The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez

From the bookstore (used and new):

Faking Faith by Josie Bloss
Infected by Scott Seigler

REVIEW for Point, Click, Love

2012-01-12T06:41:00.001-05:00

Thank you, thank you Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

TITLE:               Point, Click, Love

AUTHOR:         Molly Shapiro

GENRE:             Contemporary Women's Fiction

RATING:           4 Stars

This book was wonderful - that could be my entire review and I would stand by it. But, of course, I can never really just say that about any book, especially not a book that I enjoyed so much.

Firstly, Point, Click, Love made me think about just how difficult dating is/can be in today's world. Of course, I already knew that, but somehow Shapiro put it all down on paper - all my impressions and thoughts about dating in the crazy world we live in.

For those who have been married forever, just picture how your life would be if you were dating in the world of Facebook, Twitter and email. Imagine all the selection you have - but also all the choices the men have. Women of all types are but one click away for the man that you might be interested in.

Yep, dating is challenging today and Shapiro manages to tap into all of this, while, at the same time, keeping a sense of humour and optimism about dating and love.

I found this book uplifting, for the most part, and it was nice to see that I am not alone. I also loved that the message that comes through is that love does exist and you can find it. It may not be as easy as meeting the man of your dreams at a church social, but it can still happen.

Loved, loved the writing, the storytelling and the message.

REVIEW for The Yoga Club

2012-01-10T06:23:00.000-05:00

Thank you to the wonderful Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book to review.

TITLE:        The Yoga Club

AUTHOR:    Cooper Lawrence

GENRE:       ????

RATING:     2 Stars

I was so thrilled when I received this book. I am heavily into yoga and thought that I was in for a great chick lit read centered around yoga. I even loved the cover!

So, I really, really, really wanted to love this book but that did not happen. Why? well, for one thing, i can't quite figure out if it is a chick lit, a mystery or simply a spoof type of book. I feel as though the storyline was all over the place and I could not quite find my footing or, frankly, any interest in the story. The characters were kind of basic and the book was actually boring.

Other people have commented on the risque dialogue and some even thought the storyline was vulgar. This does not bother me if it makes sense in the story, but again, this was not really the case here.

I try to find some positive in every book that I read, but I was really disappointed with this one - especially since I was so looking forward to a great yoga read. Sorry, I can't recommend this one.

Harpercollins Canada 2012 50 book pledge challenge

2012-01-08T14:38:00.000-05:00

Finally! a challenge I can get behind!!!

www.thesavvyreader.ca

IN MY MAILBOX for week ending January 7, 2012

2012-01-07T05:00:00.005-05:00

First full week of 2012 and some great books have come my way!

For my Kindle (from Amazon and NetGalley):

Love?Maybe by Heather Hepler;
you@me.com by KE Payne;
Tessa Masterson WILL Go to the Prom by Brendan Halpin and Emily Franklin
Unbreak my Heart by Melissa Walker

From Abe books:

Cruising Attitude by Heather Poole;
150 Pounds by Kate Rockland (you JUST knew I was going to have to get this one!)

REVIEW for Red Means Run - Blog Tour and Interview with Brad Smith

2012-01-06T01:53:00.001-05:00

Welcome to 2012 and my very first review of the year! I have been taking a short holiday break, but I am back in full force for the new year and my first book is for a blog tour hosted by Simon & Schuster Canada.

TITLE:            Red Means Run

AUTHOR:       Brad Smith

GENRE:          Thriller

RATING:        4 Stars

http://pages.simonandschuster.ca/redmeansrun

(Please stop by and visit Brad's Facebook page)

I have to admit that I had never read anything by Brad Smith before. However, I had been hearing good things, in the "blogworld" so when Simon & Schuster contacted me about doing a blog tour, I jumped on the opportunity.

My overall impression of this book is that it is an engaging and fun read - but it is NOT a light read. What do I mean by that? Well, Red Means Run's plotline AND fairly heavy cast of characters demands focus.   There is alot going on in this storyline and there are a lot of characters, which, for me, meant that I could not grab a quick 5 minutes here and there with this book, but rather, I dedicated some quality time to sitting down and savoring the story and discovering just how each character fit into the plotline.

Actually, this was a perfect read for me, as I was looking for something that would completely engross me and this book did that throughout the entire read.

Yes, it is a "whoddunnit" but the author also challenges us to connect with the main story and, of course, the characters. I loved the Claire Marchand character as she was a strong female role, bright and no nonsense who did not stop digging until she found the truth. I realize that Virgil could be considered the "driving force" behind the storyline, but I still believe that Claire was the backbone of this story.

I also liked the fact that the author picked, in my opinion, a very original murder weapon - this told me immediately that this would not be your everyday "murder" story and frankly, it intrigued me. (As a side note, I did ask the author why he chose this particular weapon - see his answer below).

Red Means Run also offered me another treat - the fact that I could not figure out, until the end, whether Virgil was actually the killer - or not! At times, I thought he definitely was and then, at other times, I was sure he wasn't - which left me surprised by the ending. I love when a book keeps me guessing the entire time :) It is a sure sign that the author took the time to craft a well structed plotline.

So, I can happily say that my first Brad Smith experience was a great one and I highly recommend this read to anyone who is looking for an intriguing and entertaining whodunnit!! and the best part? there is a sequel in the works!!! (love the comparison to Clint Eastwood - by the way).

The author also graciously agreed to answer a few questions:
1) The murder weapon is intriguing - why did you choose it?
Thank you Brad!

Actually, I chose the location first, Tina… and then picked a suitable weapon. I needed something silent and appropriate for the spot.

2) Publishers Weekly has called this novel more character driven. Do you agree and if so, why did you choose this route?

As opposed to story-driven? I think all my stuff fits that description. There are only so many stories out there – and a wise man once noted that Shakespeare told them all – so the difference lies in the characters. And not only in the characters, but in their interactions with each other. Like Virgil and Claire, for instance.

3) Where did you get the idea for this novel?

I had an idea about an ex-athlete (Virgil) trying to figure out his next move in life. And – as is often the case – it turns out to be something he falls into. He stops to visit an old friend – a former coach - and ends up, quite serendipitously, becoming a farmer. The sub-plots came, in part, from the newspaper - the record producer charged with murder, the multi-millionaire mistreating horses, etc.

4) Can you explain how you chose your title, which I find interesting.

Red Means Run comes from Neil Young’s song Powderfinger, which figures prominently in the book, particularly in the resolution. So, I wanted to take that a step further and use part of the lyric in the title. At one point I decided to call the book Big John’s Been Drinking Since The River Took Emmy-Lou (another line from the same song)…but I decided that was it just a little bit too unwieldy. So I went through the song again and Red Means Run jumped out at me.

5) Can you tell us about your next book?

It’s another Virgil Cain book. This time Virgil’s out fishing for stripers on the Hudson River and he hooks a steel cylinder containing a couple million dollars’ worth of pure cocaine (again based on a true story). He is then beset by drug dealers, crooked cops, and a crazy Russian who thinks he’s the second coming of Clint Eastwood.

REVIEW for Blink of An Eye

2012-01-03T05:09:00.000-05:00

Thank you to the people at Tor/Forge for sending me this book.

TITLE:             Blink of an Eye

AUTHOR:        William S. Cohen

GENRE:           Thriller

RATING: 4 Stars

Reading thrillers is always tricky for me as I have become very, very picky. The good news and what interested me about this book was that it was written by Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen.

In fact, you can readily see the "insider" point of view throughout the entire plotline of this book. I was a tad surprised, however, at a few things. First, the author chooses to "plant" a nuclear device in Savannah, Georgia - really? Savannah? I guess, depending on how you look at it, that is either a very clever plot twist or a very weird one and I could not really figure out which one. On the other hand, it was nice to have some catastrophe set in an entirely different part of the US - I guess New York and LA have been done "to death".

Secondly, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the main character Sean Falcone. I even loved his name. He came across as someone with integrity, who has the country's best interest at heart, all the while being a normal type of person. Unfortunately, when it comes to thrillers, authors, in some cases, tend to "make" their heroes into some kind of superhero and this did not happen here - thankfully.

The writing, for the most part, is quickly paced, although the first chapter could have been a little bit more engaging. I did persist, however, and I am thrilled that I did as this book turned out to be a page turner - with an ending that I did not actually predict.

Loved this book. A very entertaining read that kept me alert, engrossed and wondering what was going to happen next.

IN MY MAILBOX - for week ending January 1, 2012

2012-01-01T04:15:00.008-05:00

The first IMM of 2012 - started off with a quiet week as Canada Post was working only 3 days! Having said that though, I am really surprised at how many books did come in and I am so excited to read them all!!!

From the publisher (for review):

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin
Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
George & Hilly by George Gurley

REVIEW for My Bleeding Teenage Heart

2011-12-27T04:32:00.000-05:00

TITLE:                     My Beating Teenage Heart

AUTHOR:              C.K. Kelly Martin

GENRE:                  YA

RATING:                 4 Stars

I have read all of C.K. Kelly Martin’s books and have loved each and everyone of them and My Teenage Beating Heart is no exception.

This YA novel was difficult for me to read, which is almost always the case with this author’s books – why? Because the storylines are usually deeply moving, but also sad and whimsical. Martin does not write funny and lightweight material and I have found that I can only read a few pages at a time because I always feel the need to absorb what I have read before I can go on. This book challenges me and all that I know. It asks me to look outside of myself and to feel the pain that both Ashlyn and Breckon are feeling.

The words and feelings that are felt by Ashlyn and Breckon are clearly brought to the forefront as the main focus of the storyline and it works beautifully here.

With these two main characters, Martin has succeeded in drawing a parallel between loss and the fact that there are so many ways to lose what you love. Having said that, however, the author has also written a story of hope and friendship, clearly showing us that there is always a ray of sunshine, if you are willing to look for it.

Beautiful read.

IN MY MAILBOX - for week ending December 24, 2011

2011-12-23T08:15:00.000-05:00

Well, its Christmastime and here is a list of the wonderful Christmas presents (books) that have come into my house this week.

From Abe books:

Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig
Beautiful Thing Inside the Secret World of Bombay's Dance Bars by Sonia Faleiro
Various Positions by Martha Schabas

From Fresh Fiction (for review):

The Immortalists by Kyle MillsFor my Kindle:
- Making it Big by Lindsay Russell
I was also supposed to receive a book delivered through UPS - which is turning out to be a total nightmare. The driver tried to deliver it ONCE and decided on his own to return it to the depot - where I now have to pick it up. Except that the depot is basically open on the days that I work and closed on weekends (not to mention during the holiday season). I am now having major arguments with them to get them re-delivered to me! What a nightmare. I hate dealing with these companies - they just don't care at all about customer service.

REVIEW for Steve Jobs

2011-12-19T05:30:00.000-05:00

Thank you, thank you goes out to Simon&Schuster Canada for sending me this book.

TITLE:                 Steve Jobs

AUTHOR:            Walter Isaacson
GENRE:              Biography

RATING:           3 Stars

I have to admit that I was never a huge fan of Steve Jobs. In fact, he never really registered on my radar and I guess part of the reason for this is that technology is something that simply seems to be ‘there’ for me. I never really thought much about how it got there, why or who created it.

However, you kind of have to be living under a rock NOT to have heard about Jobs in the last year or so. It seems as though his name was everywhere, despite the fact that he was physically removing himself more and more.

All of this, of course, brings me to his biography. I found myself curious about certain aspects of his life and thought it would be a great idea to find out more about this man.

My first reaction when I got the book was wow! This is more than I wanted to know about him. So, my first comment is that this book is too long.

Having said that, however, I will also say that the book, once it gets moving (the pace is slow at the beginning) turns into a fascinating look at what kind of man (and brain) is needed to create what Steve Jobs has created.

I have to admit that I was blown away with the way his mind worked and the biographer did a wonderful job of showing us just how quirky this man could be. Yet, at the same time, he was a control freak who needed a survey before deciding on his bride (kind of creepy actually).

Of course, this biography was incredibly honest which went a long way for me – I have always said that if you want the story of your life to be made public, it better be true and non-censored and Jobs did not seem to have a problem with this.

The pictures were okay and I especially enjoyed the ones with his family.

Overall, this is a great read. I walked away with a far better idea of who this man was.

IN MY MAILBOX - for week ending December 17, 2011

2011-12-17T07:50:00.000-05:00

So close to Christmas! Here is what came into my house this week. Amazingly, Canada Post showed up at my door last Sunday with a package. Needless to say, I was completely stunned - I mean, these guys don't even work when its a regular Monday. Anyway, they told me that over the holiday season, they deliver 7 days a week and have been doing this for years. This was completely news to me!!! Not complaining about it though.

From the publisher (for review):

Take A Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg
Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay
Blink of an Eye by William S. Cohen
The Yoga Club by Cooper Lawrence

From Abe books:

Ditched (A Love Story) by Robin Mellom

Some great books to read over the Christmas holidays.

REVIEW for It's a Waverly Life

2011-12-14T02:42:00.000-05:00

Thank you to the kind Maria Murnane, who sent me a copy of her book.

TITLE:             It's a Waverly Life

AUTHOR:       Maria Murnane

GENRE:          Chick Lit

RATING:         4 Stars

Okay, I loved, loved, Murnane's first book "Perfect on Paper". I remember devouring the book and was hoping to do the same with this second one.

I have to say that I loved It's a Waverly life almost as much, but I did find this second book a little more serious and it removed a little bit of the fun for me. Having said this, however, I gave this book a 4 star rating because Waverly and her two besties are so darn entertaining.

I like that the storyline is chick lit (yeah!) without being silly or stupid. Everything that happens to Waverly could actually happen - and there are no silly romantic moments to roll your eyes at (thankfully).

This book flows beautifully and Waverly is both a strong and weak character - just like almost every female I know.

Great, great read.

SECRET SANTA - Book Blogger Holiday Swap

2011-12-12T05:32:00.000-05:00

This is the second year in a row that I participate in the Book Blogger Holiday Swap and I am absolutely thrilled with the gift I received.

I am hugely picky about the books I have read and it is usually quite difficult for someone else to 'find' me a book. With this in mind, I have to say that my gift did not include one book, but rather a selection of some of my absolutely favorite things (oither than books of course).

I received a beautiful writing journal with an amazing cover. I can't wait to use this as my 2012 Journal!

Writing Journal

I also received a beautiful scented Orange Clove candle which is going to smell wonderfully during the holiday season.

Finally, a bar of scented Orange Spice soap. The smell is enchanting!

I love all of my gifts and wanted to thank Kristen at webereading.com for so thoughfully choosing gifts are perfect for me.

Thank you from Montreal and I hope you and your family share a wonderful holiday season!

IN MY MAILBOX - for week ending December 10, 2011

2011-12-09T18:16:00.000-05:00

Another week has ended and its time for another IMM.

This week was quiet, but the books I received were wonderful - I am thrilled.

From the publisher (for review):

Point, Click, Love by Molly Shapiro
MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche

From Abe books:

The Darlings by Cristina Alger
Charlotte an Chocolat by Charlotte Silver
The MisEducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
The Rivals by Daisy Whitney
Death Benefit by Robin Cook

Purchased for my Kindle:

Illuminating Anorexia by Michele Sparkes

I also received my Secret Santa gift from the Book Blogger Santa Swap and I loved, loved what I got. I will be doing a separate post on this shortly.

A great 'book' week!

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY

2011-12-07T09:10:00.000-05:00

The end of 2011 is coming fast, which means that I already have an impressive list of 'books to purchase/read/review' for 2012.

However, before the end of the year, I have one book that I will be reading shortly thanks to the wonderful people at Random House Canada and that I am dying to read as I have heard amazing things about it (its also right up my alley!).

Here is the trailer for :

MWF Seeking BFF written by Rachel Bertsche. The book will be released December 20, 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggEObQlmk1w

I am also anxiously waiting for the newest release by Natasha Friend which is titled:

My Life in Black and White

This book is due in June of 2012 (it seems so far....) I have read ALL of Natasha Friend's books and loved, loved them all. Looking forward to this one.

REVIEW for If I Tell

2011-12-04T02:29:00.001-05:00

Thank you Kay at Sourcebooks.

TITLE:               If I Tell

AUTHOR:         Janet Gurtler

GENRE:            YA Contemporary

RATING:          3 Stars

I loved I'm Not her and I have to say that I find this author wonderful. Having said this, I will say that I did enjoy reading If I Tell, especially since this was my savior as I wanted, in a local clinic, for over 7 hours to have my foot x-rayed after a fall (yep, it is broken!).

I immediately fell in love with the storyline - Jaz and Lindsey having a close, but very odd relationship which reminded just how fragile friendships can be, especially as you grow into adulthood and find that what you thought was great as a child is just not that great anymore. This book does a great job of showing how people can grow in diffeent directions, while struggling to stay together.

So, from that point of view the author had me hooked completely. What did not work as well for me was the other storyline - where Jaz finds out that the man who will be marrying her (somewhat odd) mother might have done something awful and it involves Lindsey.

The writing is wonderful and the plot moves forward at a great pace (always a huge plus for me). But I kept feeling so frustrated with this book and with the Jaz character who finds hersef having to make a decision. This is all fine and dandy but throughout the entire storyline, all I wanted to scream was "tell someone -tell Simon and get to the bottom of the truth". Instead, we see Jaz shrinking away of everybody and becoming a bit of a nut case herself.

I would have liked to see this storyline written with more adult decisions and a lot more willingness to communicate and talk it through.

I loved the book, but felt a little too frustrated to give it a 4 star rating.

REVIEW for Unnaturally Green

2011-11-30T05:49:00.000-05:00

Thank you to author Felicia Ricci for sending me a copy of her book!

TITLE:               Unnaturally Green
BY:                     Felicia Ricci

GENRE:           Memoir

RATING:          4 Stars

I love reading memoirs that are written with a funny twist and Unnaturally Green was the perfect story.

Author Felicia Ricci has written a delicious little romp into the world of theater with all of its ups and downs. One of the best things about these types of stories is that, while you are discovering all the author’s secrets, you also get to ‘listen in’ on the secrets of those around her – which is a lot of fun.

Although I have never had a huge curiosity about the theater and what goes on behind the scenes, I felt as though I was a little bird, perched in my hiding place, snooping (love it) on all the secret happenings that we going on in Ricci’s life and it was a blast.

From the (sometimes) hellish stage experiences to the somewhat funny AND convoluted love events of her life, she is not shy about inviting us into her world – the good and the bad.

Her honesty is refreshing and the writing style is just the way I like it – down to earth and engaging.

The story of Ricci’s life is interesting and the way she shares it with us is inviting. The only negative? I HATED the cover of this book – but don’t let it fool you, the content is absolutely worth it.

REVIEW for I'M Not Her

2011-11-27T02:25:00.000-05:00

Thank you to Kay at Sourcebooks for sending me a copy of this book.

TITLE:         I'm Not Her

AUTHOR:   Janet Gurtler

GENRE:      Contemporary novel

RATING:    4 Stars

Okay, I don't normally read books that are so difficult to read because I hate crying when I am reading.

However, I had heard so many good things about this book (all deserved) that I decided to give it a try. I thought this was both a tough and touching read.

The book deals with "the Big C" - which in itself petrifies me. The author introduces us to two sisters and we open the chapter with Tess and Kristina - who are polar opposites but are (for the most part) loving sisters.

With the eternity of youth, it seems as though they have their whole world ahead of them - until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer and nothing is the same again.

This book focuses on how the entire family deals with the illness, all the while incorporating the ups and downs of teenagers and the things they go through.

Like I said, this is a hard book to read, but the touching moments make it all worth it.

Beautifully written.