2 months until the release of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer hits stores everywhere 9.27.11. Pre-order your copy here. Download the widget here. Enter to win an Advanced Reader’s Copy here.

Review: Die for Me by Amy Plum

Book: Die for Me
Author: Amy Plum
Publisher: Harper Teen

 Synopsis: In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

My Review: Need a book that will take you away to the beautiful scenery and life on the outskirts of Paris, just the right amount of thrill and suspense with a breathtaking romantic tie in, and not to mention a handsome & charming non-human? Then Die for Me is the novel for you ;-)

I picked up Die for Me after hearing mixed reviews, I needed to find out where I stood in the midst of Paranormal Romance novels and the truth is, Die for Me stole my heart- or rather the characters did! There is something about a human and a non-human (in this case a Revenant) falling in love that is gripping. Everyone wants something that they can't have, it is just the matter of how far are we willing to go to get what we want. This story shows just that.

Certain parts of the book had me in tears, others I was laughing, and throughout I was even scared for a few of the characters. Based on the emotions I described, the pace of the book follows; gradually rising and falling. Personally I love reading fast, adrenaline filled books, but enjoy when I have a chance to slow down to fall in love with a character and learn more about them. Die for me was a great balance between suspense and romance. 

One of my personal favorites about this book was that the author, Amy Plum came up with an entirely new "monster" "villian" "immortal" or whatever other word you may use to describe the un-dead. It was hard to wrap my head around something that wasn't the normal Vampire, Werewolf, Zombie creature but Amy put together an impressive story about Revenants to the point where I kept asking myself if they were also under the category with the other 3 and I just missed it. I was and still am impressed with the creativity throughout this book.

Also, If you haven't been to France, this book will make you want to book a flight!! ;-)  
Overall, I loved this read! I recommend for anyone who likes a great Paranormal Romance or even if you aren't sure if that is a category you would enjoy, pick it up anyways. You never know, you might surprise yourself!

Book Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Name: If I Stay (If I Stay #1)

Author: Gayle Forman

Publishers: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

Summary: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

Review:  I had heard a lot of great comments about this series and was finally able to go through my stack of books and begin to read If I Stay. I was drawn in right from the beginning. The author does a fantastic job at creating a visual picture of the scenes written in the book. If I Stay has such a deep emotional tie, that it is hard not to want to continue reading!

  The characters in this book are very likable. Mia, the sole character of the book has very fun, hip, supportive parents; I enjoyed reading the sections where Mia would describe her mother and father. During the dialogue it was great to see the difference between her parents personalities and their daughters- Mia may be the oddball, but I couldn't help but feel the warmth, acceptance and encouragement she received from  her family. In fact, Mia has everything any teenager could possibly want; She is being considered into Julliard, Adam her rocker boyfriend has the sweetest personality and who couldn't enjoy reading about her silly younger brother Teddy who always looks up to her. 

Gayle uses a writing style that I don't normally like; she switches back and forth between past events/stories and the present. Sometimes I feel as though that can either be confusing or interrupts the book. But I never felt that way while reading If I Stay; the emotions, feelings that I had while reading transferred over.

I believe this book was a reality check, it makes a person look around and think "Wow! My whole world could easily turn upside down in the blink of an eye." Gayle writes from the patients (Mia) perspective which is something that a reader doesn't always get to experience. The emotions and feelings that Mia has are believable, heartbreaking, and real. She is telling the story how she sees it as an observer of her own life, watching herself lie in the hospital. While watching these events unfold, hearing what her loved ones have to say, Mia has to make some valuable decision- one that won't only change her life but those around her. While reading I could help but put myself in Mia's shoes & wonder what my choice would've been. As well as what path I believe Mia should take-Should she stay or should she go.

Overall, I truly enjoyed reading If I Stay. I am excited to continue onto the next book, Where She Went. I would recommend this book for anyone- especially if you are looking for something quick to read. If you are a sappy reader like myself, then I advise having a few tissues close ;-) 

Dark Days of Supernatural- Summer Tour- June 7th

So as a "spur of the moment" idea I decided to take a quick trip to Naperville, IL to the Dark Days of Supernatural Summer Tour that was being held at Anderson's Bookshop on June 7th. The authors on the tour were Veronica Roth- Divergent, Ellen Schrieber- 8 Cryptic Cravings (Vampire Kisses Series), Aprilynne Pike- Illusions (The Wings Series), Tara Hudson - Hereafter, and Amy Plum- Die for me. This was my very first tour and signing, so I was very excited to have the opportunity to go.

The main reason I went was to see Veronica Roth- author of Divergent. I absolutely loved that book! You can read my book review for Divergent here

Veronica Roth and Myself- LOVE this book. And she is such a sweetheart.

Below are a few pictures from the event. As well as a few answers from the authors during a Q&A session.

 I met up with Jasmine and Jacinda from The Reading Housewives of Indiana. We went out to eat beforehand, walked around downtown Naperville and ate some delicious Gelato. Then went into the bookstore early so we could get good seats (In the front row!)Who knew how much fun 3 book lovers could have!!! lol. Check out there book blog here

 The Question and Answer session was so much fun and very interesting. These authors are hilarious. They had the crowd laughing the entire time.

Aprilynne says that she is a religious planner-everything is outlined. She doesn't skip ahead because she loves writing endings, so going from beginning to end is her motivation  to finish. Veronica on the other-hand does not outline her writing process. She writes out of order- wrote Four's part first because she found him compelling ( so did the rest of us ;-) LOL) 

 Amy Plum, Tara Hudson, & Ellen Schrieber always knew what ages their characters would be. Aprilynne logically worked out what age her character was going to be based on how many books she was going to have. Veronica Roth said she wanted Tris to be 16 because it that aged seemed like an "awful" idea for someone to choose what to do in life. 

Veronica Roth shared.... If you check her blog next week she will reveal the name of the 2nd book in the Divergent Series!! (*squeee* I am so excited about this!)

And it was the Book Birthday of Hereafter that day also! It was very exciting to have Tara there talking about the book. I hadn't preordered it so I bought it after hearing her talk about it! Sounds like a fantastic read.

The Crowd

Tara Hudson signing my Hereafter book

Amy Plum

I went home with every book except for Ellen Schreiber's 8 Cryptic Cravings. I hadn't read that series yet, but maybe one of these days will get the chance to read them! Also came home with some cool swag: Signed bookmarks, bracelets, and Divergent tattoos.

This trip was fantastic and I can not wait to attend my next book event! If the Dark Days of Summer Tour is in your area be sure to check it out- you won't be disappointed.

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth 

Pages:  487 pages 

Genre: YA fiction - Dystopian

Synopsis: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. (from Goodreads)

 

 My Review is vague: I didn't want to spoil any of the plot- therefore it is my opinion & reaction to the overall book!! 

My Review: Lately, I have noticed that Dystopian reads have been hitting the young adult shelves like crazy. And after reading books like The Hunger Games Series, I had to pick up a few more novels in this genre. What does Dystopian mean? Well, below is a quick definition:

                     Dystopian is a fictional society; when the conditions of life are extremely bad 

                     due to deprivation, oppression, or terror. In most dystopian fiction, a corrupt 

                     government creates or sustains the poor quality of life, often conditioning the 

                     masses to believe the society is proper and just, even perfect.

The above is a perfect example of the society in Divergent. At the age of 16, Beatrice is made to choose one of the five factions (a group/society) that the city of Chicago is divided into. Each faction having a their own distinct rules and identity. While reading I couldn't help but wonder which faction I would belong to? On Veronica Roth's blog she explains the first 100 pages of Divergent including a definition for each faction. I put a quick summary of her blog post below:

DAUNTLESS: fearless, undaunted (courageously resolute in the face of danger/difficulty).

ABNEGATION: .to refuse or deny oneself (some rights, conveniences, etc.); reject; renounce.

ERUDITE: characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly

CANDOR: the state or quality of being frank, open, and sincere in speech or expression; candidness.

AMITY: friendship; peaceful harmony. mutual understanding and a peaceful relationship, especially between nations; peace; accord.

After reading Divergent I couldn't come to a conclusion of which faction I would choose; but two that I would best be fit for: Candor & Dauntless - honest & brave. Say what's on my mind & a little bit of a daredevil! lol 

So, which faction would you be in? 

The characters in Divergent are written incredibly well, not to mention I fell in love with a few (who can't love Beatrice & Four ;-) ) I was very impressed. Each character belongs to a different faction, and it was very easy to tell by the way the character talks to one another & their actions which faction they belonged to. Or in some cases which faction they are in but don't necessarily belong there. This isn't always easy to do, and each character had a distinct voice. 

One of my favorites parts to this book is that I believe the author, Veronica takes a very relate-able topic, and makes it into this adrenaline filled novel. Beatrice has to make the ultimate choice, continue to be in a faction with her family or chose a faction that best fits her personality. We all have to develop a sense of self: who are we? who we hang around? What do we want out of life? And maybe those things aren't exactly what our parents or family would choose for us or even be a part of. All in all, the messages are clear, you just have to think a little (which I love about books- everyone can take from it what they want). I have never taken so many notes on my Nook before. 

Overall, the WOW factor & excitement of Divergent is over the top! This book was a page turner no doubt and will keep you up into the wee hours of the night. I can't wait for the next book- the ending was a bit tortuous I will say- leaves the reader with a bit of a cliff hanger ;-)  ***** Five of Five Stars

Book Review: Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Something Borrowed 
Author: Emily Giffin
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 336


Synopsis:
Rachel White is the consummate good girl. A hard-working attorney at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid of honor to her charmed best friend Darcy, Rachel has always played by all the rules. Since grade school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcy's fiance, and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same way. As the wedding date draws near, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows she must make a choice between her heart and conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself. (From Goodreads)

My Review:
My first thought after a wonderful friend recommended this book was, oh boy here we go, just another chick-lit type read that has a predictable ending (we all know I love to be surprised with twists in the plot ;-) ). So I tried it out anyways and although it did take me a little time to get used to the slower pace of this genre that I'm not normally used to reading, I would say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading Something Borrowed. 

Yes, the story is predictable to an extent, but Emily Giffin portrays her characters with so much life and personality that a reader starts to look beyond what will happen in these characters lives and focus on the present. There is too much drama that needs to be understood and fixed before any of these characters can really begin to find themselves. 

Emily takes a reader down the path of two best friends,Rachel and Darcy. Rachel the average person who is always wanting something just a tad bit better, and is always comparing herself alongside her "I'm always perfect. It is all about Me, Me, Me" best friend Darcy. The characters are very relate-able. Although we may not have a friend who is identical to Darcy (let's hope not!) in some way I think everyone, at some point, is a Rachel. Whether we are the work-a-holics who have to follow the rule books or always think of ourselves as average compared to someone who has a very high sense of self worth.

It seems so unfair that Darcy always gets what she wants at such little cost to her that I was happy for Rachel when Dex (the fiance of Darcy and friend of Rachel) hooked up. Although I don't condone cheating AT ALL, there was a part of me that was happy for her. Rachel finally got a piece of what she was looking for. She was able to begin to figure out what she really wanted in life; asking herself questions about who & what mattered most to her.Others have disagreed with me, but I'm going to side with Rachel on this one! 


There were a few things that came up about Darcy that had surprised me at the end... ultimately making the story more exciting. :-)  


I think that there are lots of little ideas that a person can take away from this novel. I love that Rachel finally goes for what she wants. And in a way, Darcy does too she just doesn't know it yet. Life takes turns and we may be blinded as to the direction our lives are taking, but eventually it will lead to a lighted path, we just have to be patient. Something Borrowed was a novel that shows just that!! 

Once Upon a Twilight!: OUaT's Blow-Out Inventory Giveaway!

Check out this awesome giveaway that Yara from Once Upon a Twilight is doing... She will be attending BEA soon and needs to clear her bookshelves.

Click the link for more details and to sign up! 

Once Upon a Twilight!: OUaT's Blow-Out Inventory Giveaway!