Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday (185)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme to discuss upcoming books we can't wait to get our hands on. Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.


This week, I'm waiting on:

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
Release date: July 26, 2016

Signed, sealed, delivered...

While spacing out in Chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favorite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk, and added a message to her. Intrigue!

Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters -- sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. Lily realizes she's kind of falling for this letter writer. Only who is he? As Lily attempts to unravel the mystery, and juggle school, friends, crushes, and her crazy family, she discovers that matters of the heart can't always be spelled out...

Kasie West brings irresistible wit, warmth, and sparkle to this swoon-worthy story of love showing up when you least expect it.

I haven't read anything by this author yet but I think P.S. I Like You sounds like a cute contemporary teen romance, perfect for light summertime reading.

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Sunday Post (52) / It's Monday, What Are You Reading



The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme now hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next.

It has been a busy two weeks! I can't believe Memorial Day is already behind us. I had a nice trip home to visit my family and my sister and her husband stopped by while I was there so it was great to see them too. We celebrated my mom's retirement from teaching. The weather has been hot but mostly sunny and I am enjoying it.




On Friday I went to Schnormeier Gardens in Gambier, Ohio for their annual open house. They family opens the gardens to the public once a year. I've been wanting to go for a few years so I was thrilled to be invited by some ladies from my evening book group and to have the day off so I could actually go. The gardens are on 75 acres of land and are inspired by Japanese and Chinese culture. I was disappointed there weren't more flowers but it was very pretty. I loved the bridge and the waterfalls. While in Gambier we had lunch and visited the Kenyon College bookstore where I almost bought an adorable children's/YA book called Lizzy Bennet's Diary by Marcia Williams.  After our tour of the gardens we stopped to get something cold to drink at a lovely coffee shop. I rarely get to do things like that and I had a fantastic day.

Yesterday I worked and we were very busy at the library. This week is the start of our Summer Challenge (formerly known as summer reading program). I bought the stuff for the prizes and now I have to put the gift baskets/boxes together. I'm also busy planning my 80's prom murder mystery dinner for the library. I am really excited about it but I need to figure out decorations and my costume. I am not wearing a prom dress (people can wear anything 80's related). I want something more comfortable and if I could recreate a style I loved as a kid/tween (without sewing) that would be perfect. I will be spending the afternoon searching Pinterest for inspiration :)



#FitReaders Weekly Check In

#FitReaders is hosted by Felicia at The Geeky Blogger and Jen at That's What I'm Talking About

I had a couple of good step days especially Friday while walking at the Schnormeier Gardens (I was told it is a 3 mile walk but it feels like I walked a lot more--still sore!). I've been doing better with my eating habits and even had a few days where I ate gluten and dairy free. It is still a challenge and I had some small slip ups. I worry that I may not be eating enough to lose weight and build muscle.

Sunday--6,344 steps
Monday--3,471 steps
Tuesday--10,231 steps
Wednesday--5,873 steps
Thursday--5,420 steps
Friday--13,819 steps
Saturday--11,170 steps


Last two weeks on my blog:


The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson (review)
The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson (review)


Books read:


The Mourning Hours by Paula Treick DeBoard

This was my afternoon book group's May selection and I liked it. It was mostly well received by our members too. The story is about a family in a small town in Wisconsin and what happens when the son and golden boy is accused of a crime. 


Wanderlost by Jen Malone

Wanderlost was a fun book and I enjoyed reading about Aubree's crazy experiences as a tour guide in Europe. 

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

My evening book group read this for May and I struggled with it. The characters aren't very likable and the writing style took some time to get used to. It is written in first person plural and there are a ton of Shakespeare references. I love Shakespeare and have read several of his plays but I still didn't catch all the references used by this quirky family.



Nerd love :) I loved this contemporary twist on Much Ado About Nothing and while I didn't understand all the geek culture references (I haven't watched Doctor Who or read many comic books) it was still a lot of fun. 


Currently reading:


A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

This sequel to A Court of Thorns and Roses is a polarizing book. People seem to either love it or hate it and so far I love it. I was not a big fan of a certain character in the first book so that could be why :)


Currently listening to:


Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (reread)

I am at the part that is hard to read about (after the third task). I hate that part of Goblet of Fire because it is sad and creepy. Probably why I stopped listening for a few days and listened to 80's music on Pandora during my work commute instead.


On my TBR pile:


One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I've read another novel with a similar premise (only in that case the poor woman married another man believing her first husband was dead until he suddenly reappeared). 



I'm hoping this will be as fun as The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You. I have never been to a Comic Con though I kind of want to go.


Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

This is the other armchair travel YA book I have on my TBR pile for this summer. I can't wait to read it. I love that it is set in Italy, a place I'd love to visit in real life.



New books received:


738 Days by Stacey Kade (for review)

Mystic Summer by Hannah McKinnon (for review)

I Will Send Rain by Rae Meadows (for review)

The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash (for review)

Almost Like Being in Love by Beth K. Vogt (for review)

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (purchased)

River Road by Carol Goodman (library book)




Thursday, June 2, 2016

Review: The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You

The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You
By Lily Anderson
Published: May 17, 2016

Trixie Watson has two very important goals for senior year: to finally save enough to buy the set of Doctor Who figurines at the local comic books store, and to place third in her class and knock Ben West--and his horrendous new mustache that he spent all summer growing--down to number four.   

Trixie will do anything to get her name ranked over Ben's, including give up sleep and comic books--well, maybe not comic books--but definitely sleep. After all, the war of Watson v. West is as vicious as the Doctor v. Daleks and Browncoats v. Alliance combined, and it goes all the way back to the infamous monkey bars incident in the first grade. Over a decade later, it's time to declare a champion once and for all.   

The war is Trixie's for the winning, until her best friend starts dating Ben's best friend and the two are unceremoniously dumped together and told to play nice. Finding common ground is odious and tooth-pullingly-painful, but Trixie and Ben's cautious truce slowly transforms into a fandom-based tentative friendship. When Trixie's best friend gets expelled for cheating and Trixie cries foul play, however, they have to choose who to believe and which side they're on--and they might not pick the same side.

My review:

The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You is a retelling of Much Ado About Nothing set in a school for very gifted students. The story is peppered with references to comic books, Doctor Who, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other "nerd" pop culture. 

Trixie is opinionated and not always easy to like which is something she knows about herself. She has an ingrained hatred of Ben West and they've been verbally sparring since they were kids. Trixie's best friends are Harper and Meg. When Harper starts dating Cornell, Trixie has to put aside her animosity and try to get along with Ben (and his mustache). Things become complicated when Trixie accidentally finds out that Ben may have feelings for her and then Harper is accused of hacking into school accounts and cheating. Trixie wants Ben to take Harper's side and help her find the real culprit but not all of the friends think Harper is innocent.

Trixie is very smart and I liked how nerdy she is but her behavior could be a bit much. Her snarky attitude was annoying at times and I felt like her anger towards Ben wasn't always justified. She had a way of crossing the line especially by bringing up Ben's painful family/friendship issues. Thankfully her friends call her on it and she starts to change and be kinder. I really liked how loyal she was to Harper and how she marched to her own tune. I enjoyed seeing the friendship and romance bloom between Trixie and Ben. It was nice to see Trixie making more friends as well. 

I thought this book was clever though the references didn't all make sense to me as I am not into those particular fandoms. There are some fun secondary characters that correspond to characters from Much Ado About Nothing but the novel doesn't follow the play faithfully (it wouldn't really work if it did) so readers who aren't familiar with it would still be able to appreciate the book. Although I didn't always like Trixie's behavior, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and even laughed out loud at times. I'd suggest this book for fans of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern. I think readers who like snarky and humorous dialogue, offbeat protagonists and Doctor Who would like this too and maybe even be inspired to pick up Much Ado About Nothing (or at least watch the Kenneth Branagh movie).


Note: I received an ARC for review purposes courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley. 

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday (184)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme to discuss upcoming books we can't wait to get our hands on. Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week, I'm waiting on:


Flying by Carrie Jones
Release date: July 19, 2016

People have always treated seventeen-year-old Mana as someone in need of protection. She's used to being coddled, being an only child, but it's hard to imagine anything could ever happen in her small-town, normal life. As her mother's babying gets more stifling than ever, she's looking forward to cheering at the big game and getting out of the house for a while.
But that night, Mana's life goes haywire.

First, the hot guy she's been crushing on at school randomly flips out and starts spitting acid during the game. Then they get into a knockdown, drag-out fight in the locker room, during which Mana finds herself leaping around like a kangaroo on steroids. As a flyer on the cheerleading squad, she's always been a good jumper, but this is a bit much. By the time she gets home and finds her house trashed and an alien in the garage, Mana starts to wonder if her mother had her reasons for being overprotective.

It turns out, Mana's frumpy, timid mom is actually an alien hunter, and now she's missing--taking a piece of technology with her that everyone wants their hands on, both human and alien. Now her supposed partner, a guy that Mana has never met or heard of (and who seems way too young and way too arrogant to be hunting aliens), has shown up, ordering Mana to come with him. Now, on her own for the first time, Mana will have to find a way to save her mother--and maybe the world--and hope she's up to the challenge.

I think this sounds like a fun YA contemporary/sci fi novel, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer but with aliens :)

First Comes Love by Emily Giffin
Release date: June 28, 2016

Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious, relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing, Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes, their delicate bond splinters.

Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and this close to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter is assigned to her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands.

On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired.

As the anniversary of their tragedy looms, and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover that they need each other more than they knew—and that in the search for true happiness, love always comes first.

I am always interested in stories about sisters so this caught my attention. Emily Giffin is a popular author at my library but I don't think I've read any of her other books yet.



Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Top Ten Beach Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. There is a new subject each week and this week's theme is "Beach Reads".

When it comes to beach reads or summer themed books, my list usually includes authors like Sarah Dessen, Mary Kay Andrews and Morgan Matson. This week I'll be sharing my list of books I've read recently that would make good beach reads as well as books I plan to read this summer.

Books to read on the beach or during summer:



The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

I really enjoyed this novel about a young woman whose summer plans go out the window. I also blame this book for my recent ice cream binge :)

Wanderlost by Jen Malone

Can't go to Europe this summer? Armchair travel with this book instead! I loved reading about the places that the they got to visit but I also liked the characters especially the zany senior citizens on the tour.

The Flip Side by Shawn Johnson

Gear up for watching the summer Olympics with this book about an elite gymnast who hides her athletic talent from her friends at school so she can have a more "normal" life.  Plus it's written by Shawn Johnson so it should be accurate!


Summer of Sloane by Erin L. Schneider

This book involves healing a broken heart on the beaches of Hawaii. While I thought the setting could have been more memorable, it was still a fun and engrossing read.


The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews

This book makes my list with some reservations. I thought there were too many points of view and I was a little disappointed by the way the mystery storyline was resolved. Still it was fun and I liked the setting.


A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan

This book was published last summer but I didn't get around to it till this year and I really enjoyed it. 


Books I plan to read this summer (though sadly not on a beach):


Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

More armchair travel plus gelato equals win for me! I plan to read this one soon. I'll be sure to stock up on gelato first :)


Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine

Ink and Bone was one of my favorite books of 2015 so I have been anticipating this sequel. While it is darker than the typical summer book I like to read, I know I will love it. Besides I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in the summer of 2007 and I'm sure this won't be as sad as that one. I hope!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling

Speaking of Harry Potter...I am so excited to read this script though I know it won't be the same as her novels. When are they going to release a final cover? The book will be out in less than two months!

Crowned and Dangerous by Rhys Bowen

I love this fun historical mystery series so I can't wait to read the next installment.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Review: The Unexpected Everything

The Unexpected Everything
By Morgan Matson
Published: May 3, 2016


From Morgan Matson, the bestselling author of Since You’ve Been Gone comes a feel-good story of friendship, finding yourself, and all the joys in life that happen while you’re busy making other plans.

Andie has a plan. And she always sticks to her plan.

Future? A top-tier medical school.
Dad? Avoid him as much as possible (which isn’t that hard considering he’s a Congressman and he’s never around).
Friends? Palmer, Bri, and Toby—pretty much the most awesome people on the planet, who needs anyone else?
Relationships? No one’s worth more than three weeks.

So it’s no surprise that Andie’s got her summer all planned out too.

Until a political scandal costs Andie her summer pre-med internship, and lands both she and Dad back in the same house together for the first time in years. Suddenly she’s doing things that aren’t Andie at all—working as a dog walker, doing an epic scavenger hunt with her dad, and maybe, just maybe, letting the super cute Clark get closer than she expected. Palmer, Bri, and Toby tell her to embrace all the chaos, but can she really let go of her control?


My review:

What do you do when your plans fall apart? Andie is an organized and driven teen so missing out on the chance to participate in an internship is a heavy blow. On top of that she has to interact with her dad daily now that he is home all the time. Since her mom died of cancer five years previously she and her dad pretty much just orbit each other without really connecting so this is a challenge. Thankfully she has some great friends like Palmer, Bri and Toby to cheer her up. When Andie gets a job as a dog walker and meets nerdy but sweet Clark, things start to look up.

I liked how this novel was about more than a summer romance (though there is nothing wrong with that!) There is friendship, drama, humor and relationship issues. I thought the novel did a good job of building the relationship between Andie and her dad. I loved seeing them work through their issues and start to bond and get to really know each other. The novel also realistically portrays the ups and downs of teenage friendship and the fallout of betrayal.  The romance is nicely developed as well. Clark is a great love interest for Andie and I enjoyed their relationship as well as the friendship that developed between Clark and Andie's dad. I also can't fail to mention Bertie and the other adorable dogs that made this book so much fun to read.

Morgan Matson proves again that she has a talent for writing YA contemporary novels. I have definitely become a big fan of her work. I think this would be a great beach/summer break read.


Note: I received an ARC for review purposes courtesy of the publisher and Edelweiss

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday (183)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme to discuss upcoming books we can't wait to get our hands on. Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week, I'm waiting on:

The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
Release date: August 2, 2016

Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda and the path before them is winding and dangerous - what will happen now? This third and final book in The Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed.
Bestselling author Mary E. Pearson's combination of intrigue, suspense, romance and action make this a riveting page turner for teens.

I still need to read book two but I thought the first book was fantastic. I need to get caught up so I can read this last book.



Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Top Ten Books I've Changed My Mind About



Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. There is a new subject each week and this week's theme is "Top 10 Books I Feel Differently About After Time Has Passed"


Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I first tried reading Jane Eyre when I was in 6th or 7th grade because my mom told me she'd liked the story as a kid. I bought a copy at our school book fair and I devoured the pages (I could relate to Jane's issues with a mean cousin) but then I lost interest. I didn't pick it up again till college when I decided to give it another try and I loved it! Now it is one of my favorite novels. 


A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

I first read this for my American Lit class in college (my professor was a huge fan) but I didn't really connect with it until I reread it years later for my book discussion group. I was able to appreciate the story much more the second time around.


Emma by Jane Austen

I started reading Jane Austen's novels while in college but I struggled with Emma. I just couldn't get into the story so I didn't finish it. I picked it up again a couple of years later while participating in Barnes and Noble's online book club and this time I finished it but I wasn't a huge fan. Recently I listened to the audio book and I was able to connect better with the story. Emma may not be my favorite of Jane Austen's heroines but I do appreciate the novel more with time.


The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

I first tried reading The Lord of the Rings as a kid because one of my friends loved the series. Unfortunately for me I picked up The Two Towers first and couldn't get into the story (understandably). I then tried The Hobbit and didn't finish that either. It wasn't until 2001 with the upcoming release of The Fellowship of the Ring film that I decided to give the book another try. This time I loved it and it is now one of my favorite books of all time.


The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

After devouring The Lord of the Rings I decided to give The Hobbit another try. While I did read the book I didn't care for it and felt really let down because I was expecting something more like The Lord of the Rings. When I found out about the film version of The Hobbit, I decided to reread it and this second reading gave me much more appreciation for the story. While I still prefer The Lord of the Rings, I now love The Hobbit too.


The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

When I first started reading the Twilight Saga in 2007 for a YA Services class, Twilight was the book everyone was talking about and many of the other women in my class including our professor loved it. I decided to give it a try and I was hooked on the story too. Fast forward to the release of Breaking Dawn and my love for the series cooled a little. Then after hearing some of the critical backlash I started to pay attention to Edward's treatment of Bella, Bella's characterization and other issues with the books and I changed my mind about them. 


The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

When I first read City of Bones back in 2008 or 2009 I was hooked on the story at once. I just had to know what would happen with Clary and Jace and I cared about the other characters too. I quickly purchased City of Ashes and later City of Glass and I thought both were as good as the first. Then I read City of Fallen Angels and while I didn't like it as much as the earlier three books, I still thought it was okay. Then I started reading her spinoff series and while I liked the first book (Clockwork Angel) I started losing interest with the second book. I finally quit reading her books with City of Lost Souls. I think I just moved on from it.


The Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris

I picked this series up in 2009 because of True Blood (even though I didn't get cable at the time) and I read them all (published at the time) in the course of a week. The first four were my favorite. Then as the series kept going on and on the quality started to drop and by the end I just wanted it to be over.

The Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz

I read this series after Twilight and I initially liked it a lot but I gave up before the series finished as things just got stranger and stranger and I had my fill of snobby rich people and brand names dropped all over the place. I think I was getting tired of vampire and other paranormal YA fiction too (with the exception of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy books).

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

I don't hate this book or other similar books (now sometimes classified as New Adult depending on the age of the characters) but I just don't have the same love or tolerance for this type of story that I used to.