Friday, January 31, 2014

Book Blogger Hop! 1.31.14

Book Blogger Hop


Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. It gives bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about those bloggers and get followers for your own! It starts on Fridays and runs to the end of Thursday. To learn more, visit the host! 

How to participate: 

1. Answer the question that's posted each week

2. Enter your link to the list on the host's blog
3. Visit the other bloggers that are participating

This week's question:

When you receive new books in the mail, do the older ones get moved to the bottom of your list or do you go strictly "by the book" and keep your list with older ones first and then the new ones? 

I guess I do a little of both. I definitely get really excited when new books come in the mail, and sometimes, I just really want to read one of those first. Other times, I try to grab books that have been on my shelves longer. But it really comes down to my mood. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to read anything that I have laying around (though there's TONS to choose from), so I'll grab a newer one that came. Sometimes I really want to read a certain genre and I'll grab one that's been on my shelf longer. So I guess I don't really have a system; I choose a book I'm in the mood to read (: 




Wednesday, January 29, 2014

[Review] Letting Ana Go by Anonymous

Letting Ana Go by Anonymous 
Publisher: SimonTeen
Publishing Date: June 4, 2013
279 Pages
Format: won, paperback
Purchase Links:  Amazon |  Barnes and Noble





Synopsis 


In the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Lucy in the Sky, a harrowing account of anorexia and addiction.

She was a good girl from a good family, with everything she could want or need. But below the surface, she felt like she could never be good enough. Like she could never live up to the expectations that surrounded her. Like she couldn't do anything to make a change.

But there was one thing she could control completely: how much she ate. The less she ate, the better - stronger - she felt.

But it's a dangerous game, and there is such a thing as going to far...

Her innermost thoughts and feelings are chronicled in the diary she left behind.

My Review

I haven't read Go Ask Alice or Lucy in the Sky yet, but I received this book in a large giveaway hosted by SimonTeen that I won. I picked it up first because I had heard of how good Go Ask Alice was, and it sounded like a great story.

What I wasn't expecting was how much this story would get to me! We never really know the girl's name in this story, but I thought of her as Ana, since it's the name on the cover, but that could be about anorexia and not her actual name. Regardless, Ana has a pretty good life when this story starts out. She's asked to keep a food journal by her cross country coach because girls from other schools have been struggling with eating disorders and running. They restrict their calories and overexercise so much that their bodies shut down. Initially, Ana likes keeping the journal, and does a really great job with being honest. But as you read, you slowly start to see signs before the eating disorder becomes full-blown.

Ana slowly starts to become controlled by what and how much she eats. What starts out as a simple food journal becomes a journal about a severe disease. It doesn't help that her mom is struggling with her weight, her best friend has started restricting her calories to a dangerously low amount, and her friend's mom makes comments about how good Ana looks when she starts losing weight. All of these factors add up and Ana's mindset changes from being carefree, to becoming consumed with controlling her food.

It makes me really sad to see how people view themselves and feel the need to be "perfect." I've struggled with weight throughout my life, and I've definitely counted calories. But for me, it was more about choosing healthy things to eat - if I saw how many calories chips were, and how few I would be able to eat, I would choose carrots, yogurt, or fruit. It just made me much more conscious of what I was eating. I stopped counting calories after a while because it just was tedious work that I constantly forgot, but I've been able to still eat pretty healthy. I just wish more young girls (and guys) would understand this rather than trying to starve themselves. There's such a big difference between eating healthy and cutting out bad foods, and starving yourself. And anorexia doesn't just affect the person its controlling; it affects their family and friends as well.

Wishlist Wednesday 1.29.14



Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop hosted by Dani @ Pen to Paper where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our shelves :)


Well, I've mentioned this book many times on my blog within the past couple weeks because I really, really want it!  It's.... Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins! I've read so many great reviews and blog posts about this book, and I cannot wait to get it! I looked for it at my local used book store, but they didn't have a copy at that location, so I'll have to look elsewhere. I'm really hope to get this soon and hopefully I'll like it as much as everyone else does! I worry that I'm setting high expectations for it, but how can I help it after all the reviews I've read?! :) 


Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Tell Me Something Tuesday 1.28.14



Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Heidi @ Rainy Day Ramblings. Each week a new question is presented. Check out Heidi's blog for all the details :)

This weeks question:

So you want to be a blogger edition: what are your tips for contacting authors and publishers for interviews, ARCs, etc? 

I guess I would just tell people to just reach out and try. The worst that's going to happen is you're going to get denied an ARC, interview, guest post, etc. It's not the worst thing in the world. There are always other ARCs that you'll want to ask for, and you'll get approved for more than you thought you would! I know when I started out, I requested so many books, and got approved for so many, that I ran out of time to read them all! Then I stopped asking for so many and only concentrated on ones that I really, really wanted. I would also suggest to just be honest. You don't have to make up things or embellish what you do on your blog just to make a publisher like you. I tell publishers or authors that I am interested in their book, and then I always include a link to my blog so they can check it out if they'd like to.

One other thing is that the longer you are around, the more review requests you tend to get from new authors. At the beginning, I always felt like I needed to accept their request to review a book they wrote. But you'll soon learn that there's not enough time to read everything! I found that I was forcing myself to read some of these books that didn't really interest me, and then books that I really wanted to read got pushed aside.

 Become a book blogger because you love read and talk about books. It's the best when you find other like-minded people to talk about what you love (:   

Monday, January 27, 2014

[Review] Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publishing Date: Aug 24, 2010
390 Pages
Format: hardcover, purchased
Purchase Links: Amazon





Synopsis 

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans - except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future to Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay - no matter what the personal cost.

My Review

What to say about this book... Well, it kept my attention! I had tried to read this book so many times before, but I could never get past the first couple of pages. Then I went to see Catching Fire the other night with my fiance, and I decided I really wanted to find out what happens next! I'm happy it restored my want to finish the series! It actually kept my attention throughout the whole story, which I was really happy about.

I didn't think it was as good as the first book (why does this happen so often in series?!), but it was better than I was expecting it to be. Mostly I wanted to read it just to finish the series, but the further I got into the book, the more I wanted to read it because it was enjoyable. Katniss faces so many struggles throughout this book. What I really love is that she doesn't just breeze through them all. She actually has doubts about what she should do; she withdraws from people when she can't decide what's best for the people of Panen and her family. Things don't just come really easy to her. It makes Katniss as a character so much more easy to relate to. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. It wasn't bad - it was actually a good ending. But who Katniss ends up being with (Gale v Peeta), is not what I expected, nor what I really wanted. But that's all I'll say about it (:

If you haven't read this series yet, or if you just haven't finished it, do so!!


Favorite Quote: 

"It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart." pg 156




  

It's Monday, What are You Reading?




It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey, where we share what we read last week, what we're currently reading, and what is next for us! 

Last Week: 


Wither by Lauren DeStefano 

Just Finished:

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
(review to come later today!)

Up Next: 

  Either...

Letting Ana Go         or ...        Hate List

They both sound so good, I just can't decide! I think I may choose Letting Ana Go because I know its a little shorter, and I've been so busy wedding planning lately that I haven't read as much. 




What are you reading???

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Book Blogger Hop 1.25.14

Book Blogger Hop

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. It gives bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about those bloggers and get followers for your own! It starts on Fridays and runs to the end of Thursday. To learn more, visit the host! 

How to participate: 

1. Answer the question that's posted each week
2. Enter your link to the list on the host's blog 
3. Visit the other bloggers that are participating

This week's question:

Do you think you will ever read every book on your TBR pile? 

Well, I sure hope so! I think I will read them all, but I don't think my pile will ever be completely gone because I'm always buying and receiving new books to add! I have a list printed out of all my books that are on my shelf from December 31 2013. My goal is to have many of those finished by the end of 2014. But that's not counting new books that I add to my shelves. The list is overwhelming, so I don't think I'll ever get rid of my pile (: 

Stacking the Shelves 1.25.14



Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews. Its all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, whether physical or virtual books. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks! Tynga posts this meme on Saturdays, but you can post on any day that works best for you! Check out the guidelines by visiting Tynga's blog!

Well, it's been a while since I've participated in this, and I don't remember when I got these books exactly (roughly a week or two ago), but that's ok, I'll still showcase them! 


1.jpg

I won these books from Simon and Schuster in the 31 Days of Reading giveaway! I cannot wait to start reading all of these!! But it will probably take me a while. Good thing I have nothing to do today besides read and crochet!! (:  (You can see my crochet projects here)

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Letting Ana Go by Anonymous 
Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
The Program by Suzanne Young
Changeling by Philippa Gregory 
Haven by Kristi Cook
Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt
Wither by Lauren DeStefano 
Poison Princess by Kresley Cole 
Winger by Andrew Smith
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Crash by Lisa McMann
Golden by Jessica Kirby
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
Uglies by Scott Westerfield 
The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse 
Precious Blood by Tonya Hurley (previously published as The Blessed)
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young
Linked by Imogen Howson
Fault Line by Christa Desir
Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger


Friday, January 24, 2014

Feature and Follow Friday! 1.24.14



Feature and Follow is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community. If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers. But you have to know, the point of this hop is to follow other blogs also. I follow you, you follow me. 

The general rules are: 
- Follow the Feature and Follow Hosts (Parajunkee and Alison Can Read)
- Follow the Featured Bloggers
- Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts. 
-Grab the button up there and place it in a post. This post is for people to say hi and that they are now following you in your comments. 
-Follow, Follow, Follow as many as you can. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Don't just follow, comment and say hi in the post! Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say 'hi'
-If someone comments and says they are following you, please follow back! 

This weeks question: 

What books are you looking forward to reading in 2014? 

That's a loaded question because there are SO many books I can't wait to read! I recently posted about the 31 Days of Reading contest that I won here. There are so many great books in this pile that I can't choose what to start first! Below is a picture of all those books that I'm looking forward to reading. It includes the book one of The Infernal Devices series, Uglies, Let the Sky Fall, Letting Ana Go, and so, so many more! 

I also really want to continue reading A Song of Ice and Fire series, and since I've only finished the first, that would mean reading A Clash of Kings this year! As well as Anna and the French Kiss (I've heard such great things!) and Fever and Sever from The Chemical Garden Series. There are obviously so many others I want to read, but if I listed them all, we'd be here all day! (: 

Displaying 20140115_171002.jpg 



    



What books are you looking forward to reading in 2014? 



Thursday, January 23, 2014

Cover Me Up! 1.23.14


Pages of Comfort

So, we're always told not to judge a book by its cover, but you know that you still do! It's often the first thing that grabs your attention when in the book store, library, or on a website. If a cover is intriguing or beautiful, you pick it up to find out what it's about. If the cover is boring or unappealing, you pass it up in search for something else. Maybe the title catches your attention too, but for me, it's often the cover. This purpose of this meme is to showcase a book cover that you found interesting. It could be that you absolutely loved it, or maybe you can't stand it. Whatever the cover means to you, post it on here and tell is a little about your thoughts. Do you love it? Hate it? Think it doesn't fit the story? 

To participate in this meme, please follow the host, Pages of Comfort and link back to this blog. Leave a comment below to let me know that you've participated so I can check out your post. Or simply leave a comment with your thoughts on the cover I've posted.



Iron Fey


I saw these books posted on another blogger's site and they caught my eye immediately! They are very fairie-ish (which, if I remember correctly, some of the characters are fae) and I love them (: I looked them up on Goodreads and they sounds pretty interesting, so they will be added to my TBR list!! 

What do you think about these covers? 



Want to participate in this meme?! Grab the button below and paste it in your post! 

HOVER TEXT



Tuesday, January 21, 2014

[Review] Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither by Lauren DeStefano 
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Teen
Publishing Date: Mar. 22, 2011
358 Pages
Format: hardcover, purchased
Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes and Nobles





Synopsis 

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan on 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crown the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can't bring herself to hate him as much as she'd like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never though existed, and it almost makes it possible to igore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband's strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape - before her time runs out?

Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

My Review

I can't imagine living in the world that Rhine Ellery does, only living to the age of 20. As I was reading this book, I kept thinking about all the things that I've done in my 24 years that I wouldn't have been able to do if I were Rhine. I graduated from high school, college and law school. I fell in love. I'm marrying my best friend in October. All these things I wouldn't do if I were Rhine. Sure, she had some schooling and does get married. But she doesn't get to marry the person she fell in love with. She doesn't even get to fall in love at all. She's forced into a world that she doesn't like simply because of how short her lifespan is.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Ms. DeStefano is an incredibly talented writer; her words are beautifully strung together and made me fall in love with this very unique story. I've read many post-apocalyptic books, but nothing quite like this. Like I said, I can't imagine a world where, for the most part, the max age is 25. There are some older, first generations that are in their 60's or 70's, but a majority of the population is well below the age of 25 and many grow up orphans because their parents have died so young. If you can get a copy of this book, definitely do so! I cannot wait to get the second and third in this series and find out what happens to these characters!

Tell Me Something Tuesday 1.21.14


Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Heidi @ Rainy Day Ramblings. Each week a new question is presented. Check out Heidi's blog for all the details :)

This weeks question:

What are some of your favorite pick-me-up reads? 

Well, I love a good book with a happy ending and romance novels. Some of my favorite are probably:


Yes, there are some sad parts in this book, but it's always been one of my favorites, and I've reread it so many times. 


Anything that Nora Roberts rights with romance is usually one of my go-to books if I need something light and fun. 

  

I also really love the Texas! Series by Sandra Brown and the Dakota Series by Debbie Macomber.
And give me anything that's young adult and I'll love that as well, so I generally reread them a few times :) 




Monday, January 20, 2014

Piles of Books!

I recently participated in a giveaway on Twitter called 31 Days of Reading from SimonTeen. I found out I won and then got a box FULL of books on my doorstep a couple days ago! I was so incredibly excited to open it up and look through all the books! I knew which ones were coming because I saw the picture when the giveaway was posted, but I didn't remember them all, so it was a nice treat to open it up and find these beauties! What I really love about this giveaway is that for any book in a series that was given away here, they gave the first book. I wasn't sure what to expect because they could have given away the most recently released book in the series, therefore almost forcing you to buy the first few. But this helps me because I've wanted to start so many of these series, and now I can! 

 This definitely made my week and I cannot wait to start reading them!! Has anyone read any of these books?! If so, I'd love to know what you think of them :) 

Displaying 20140115_170954.jpg

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Letting Ana Go by Anonymous 
Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
The Program by Suzanne Young
Changeling by Philippa Gregory 
Haven by Kristi Cook
Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt
Wither by Lauren DeStefano 
Poison Princess by Kresley Cole 
Winger by Andrew Smith
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Crash by Lisa McMann
Golden by Jessica Kirby
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
Uglies by Scott Westerfield 
The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse 
Precious Blood by Tonya Hurley (previously published as The Blessed)
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young
Linked by Imogen Howson
Fault Line by Christa Desir
Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger


Saturday, January 18, 2014

[Review] Champagne Kisses: A Timeless Lovestory by Krista Lakes

Champagne Kisses: A Timeless Love Story by Krista Lakes
Publisher: Zirconia Publishing
Publishing Date: Sept. 19, 2013
228 Pages
Format: ebook

Synopsis

In the summer of 1990, Rachel Weber spent a week down on the Florida coast, soaking up the sun's rays while she waited for her life to begin. It was there that she met Dean Sherman, a handsome, muscular soldier with blue eyes. The two spent a week together full of champagne kisses that only ended when Operation Desert Storm forced Dean to choose between his duty and his love. He chose duty.

Twenty years later, Rachel figured it was just summer love, but she never forgot those eyes. As personal assistant to powerful billionaire Jack Saunders, she never expected Dean to walk into her office after being hired as Jack's personal bodyguard. Even though she had spent the last two decades trying to forget Dean, she found herself falling for him once again.

When fate forced both Rachel and Dean to choose yet again between love and duty, Rachel had to decide between the man she had always loved and the family that had become her life. She knew she couldn't have both, but she knew she wouldn't be happy with just one. Would she choose love, or be forever haunted by the memory of those Champagne Kisses?

This thrilling romance novel brings the cast of the bestselling novels Saltwater Kisses and Rainwater Kisses back for an epic and timeless love story.

My Review

I got this Kindle book for free on Amazon, and I always love reading romances. I liked this simple love story. It didn't go too into depth about the characters, which I would have liked to know a little more, but at the same time, it still worked with the story. I liked that it flashed back to various time periods as it gave the story a unique feel. It wasn't just that they fell in love and lived happily ever after. There were some struggles that each character had to face. However, a negative aspect to this book is that it didn't go into enough detail about the characters pasts. I was left wanting to know about their childhoods, what they were like outside of each other and their work. I also felt like this story was about younger people, not those in their 40's. I think maybe it was just the way the characters were written. Whatever the case, it was a pretty good story overall.


Friday, January 17, 2014

Splendour in the Grass by William Wordsworth



What though the radiance
Which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight, 
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, 
Of glory in the flower, 
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind; 
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be; 
In soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering; 
In the faith that looks through death, 
In years that bring the philosophic mind.

                                                                                       - William Wordsworth

I heard this poem a few days ago when I was watching an old season of Criminal Minds and fell in love. This poem jumped out at me in a way that no poetry ever has before. I think it's incredibly beautiful. Poems often have so many different interpretations, and what I think it means may not be how someone else sees it. But this poem really reminds me of my cousin and my grandmother. To me its about loss of a loved one and not thinking about the grief their death has caused, but rather the great memories that you had with them. My cousin died very tragically and violently when I was 10 (over 14 years ago), and my family hasn't been quite the same since.  And then my grandmother died almost 6 years ago, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of them both. This poem just really makes me think of them and all the joy and goodness they brought to our lives.

Now I'm discovering a strong desire to read more poetry, but I don't really know where to start! If anyone has any suggestions, I'm definitely open to them (:

Feature and Follow Friday! 1.17.14


Feature and Follow is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community. If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers. But you have to know, the point of this hop is to follow other blogs also. I follow you, you follow me. 

The general rules are: 
- Follow the Feature and Follow Hosts (Parajunkee and Alison Can Read)
- Follow the Featured Bloggers
- Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts. 
-Grab the button up there and place it in a post. This post is for people to say hi and that they are now following you in your comments. 
-Follow, Follow, Follow as many as you can. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Don't just follow, comment and say hi in the post! Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say 'hi'
-If someone comments and says they are following you, please follow back! 

This weeks question:

Who is your blogger BFF? If you have one, tell us a little about him or her. 

Sadly, I don't have a blogger BFF. I just started blogging this past year, and didn't get too into it right away because I was concentrating on graduating from law school and getting a job. BUT I hope that changes this year and I can connect with more bloggers! 

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Cover Me Up! 1.16.14

Pages of Comfort

So, we're always told not to judge a book by its cover, but you know that you still do! It's often the first thing that grabs your attention when in the book store, library, or on a website. If a cover is intriguing or beautiful, you pick it up to find out what it's about. If the cover is boring or unappealing, you pass it up in search for something else. Maybe the title catches your attention too, but for me, it's often the cover. This purpose of this meme is to showcase a book cover that you found interesting. It could be that you absolutely loved it, or maybe you can't stand it. Whatever the cover means to you, post it on here and tell is a little about your thoughts. Do you love it? Hate it? Think it doesn't fit the story? 

To participate in this meme, please follow the host, Pages of Comfort and link back to this blog. Leave a comment below to let me know that you've participated so I can check out your post. Or simply leave a comment with your thoughts on the cover I've posted.


For those who have been following my blog, you know that I LOVED The Night Circus. So you probably shouldn't be surprised that I loved this cover too (: I think it really shows the magic that is inside this book. The colors are so contrasting (and the main colors of the circus in the book), that it makes everything stand out. It really just makes me want to jump in a reread it! I think I will be doing that soon since its been almost a year since I first read it (:


Want to participate in this meme?! Grab the button below and paste it in your post! 

HOVER TEXT

*Book Tour* [Review] and GIVEAWAY of Atonement by J.H. Cardwell

Displaying Atonement-J-H-Cardwell.jpg

Atonement
Attainment Series Book Two
By: J.H. Cardwell


Synopsis 

Reese Stanford is off to college at Wake Forest with her loving boyfriend, Tate Justice…or is she? When trust issues arise regarding Tate’s behavior, she turns to none other than her beautiful past - the beach god, John Rider who is conveniently available and still waiting. Will it be enough drama for John to finally have her forever, or will other shocking revelations and dark discoveries keep Reese from becoming his life-long dream? Will Tate ever be able to win her love back?

 Betrayal, anger, lust, and love fuel the future of Reese causing unexpected twists and turns on her long-awaited road to happiness. Will undying love conquer after all? Can Reese remain true to herself?


My Review

This is a tough review to write because while I did enjoy reading the book, there were a few things that bothered me. When I first started reading it, I didn't really like the writing style. I didn't think it was as polished as it could have been. I also was bothered by Reese and Tate's relationship. They were both incredibly clingy with each other, and Tate was very possessive over Reese. When they first broke up, I was actually happy about it. I thought maybe John would be the good guy to swoop in and treat her right. But then I realized that John is just as obsessive and possessive over Reese as Tate was. 

As the story went on, I liked it more, and was content with how things turned out. However, there were two different times when I thought the book was going to be over. The first time, I noticed that it was only half way through the story. The second time was only about 2/3 of the way through. 

Nevertheless, I did enjoy reading this book. I thought the story line was good, and I really liked how the characters developed throughout the novel. Tate became less possessive and Reese made up her mind (for the most part). Overall, I'm glad I read this book. I probably should have read the first one before this, but everything that happened in the first one was pretty well explained in this one, so I didn't feel like I was missing huge chunks of the story. 

About the Author

Julie has spent years in the medical field. The first few as a Cardiac Specialty Nurse, and over the last decade as a Pharmaceutical and Medical Sales Representative. She has gathered mounds of experience both personally and professionally to pour into her long time passion…writing. After years of power points in the corporate world, she is finally pursuing literary fiction/New Adult/Contemporary romance with her first novel, Attainment, and the now released sequel Atonement. The third book in the series, Chloe, will be released in 2014. Julie resides in a small town in NC with her husband and four children. She continues working full time in sales, exploring her writing late at night and in the wee hours of the morning when her children are tucked safely in bed.

Author Links
Rafflecopter Giveaway 
($25.00 Amazon or B&N Gift Card or Digital Set of ATTAINMENT SERIES)


Wednesday, January 15, 2014

[Review] The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Publisher: Vintage Books
Publishing Date: March 28, 2007
287 Pages
Format: paperback, purchased

Synopsis

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape ssave the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food - and each other.

My Review

This book has been sitting on my shelves for a very long time, and I just never got around to reading it. I finally decided, with the push of a new challenge (which you can see here), to read some books off my TBR pile. So I picked this one up.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. It was different from so many books that I've read in the past. There wasn't much going on in the story besides the father and son traveling south. Sure, a few things happen here and there, but overall, not much. But, oddly enough, I found that intriguing and so different. I wish we would have known their names though. I feel like that would have been something that could add to the story and help readers identify with them more. Nevertheless, even though I enjoyed the book, I strongly disliked the ending. I want to know what happens! It left me with SO many questions! I can't list them here because I think it would give too much away, but dang, just tell me! Oh well, I guess that adds to the mystery of it all... (:

Buy on Amazon

I also just found out there's a movie based on this book. It could be interesting. I'm sure I would like it since I liked the book (though the ending may drive me crazy again) (:


Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Tell Me Something Tuesday 1.14.14

I use Grammarly's plagiarism checker because it's better to be the original than a copy cat! 



Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Heidi @ Rainy Day Ramblings. Each week a new question is presented. Check out Heidi's blog for all the details :)

This weeks question:

What books are on your must read list for Winter 2014? 

There are so many books that I want to read and so little time! In December, I posted my Top Ten books on my winter TBR pile. You can see the original post here. I've since added a few more and finished a couple of them, so here's an updated list: 

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The Panopticon by Jenni Fagen 

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

Fifty Shades Freed by EL James

Clash of Kings by George RR Martin 

Wither by Lauren DeStefano 

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski  

And since I'm in the middle of reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy, I suppose that's on my list too (: