Good Friday everyone! Today I'm going to be doing my first ever IMM. IMM is hosted by the Story Siren. It's something any book-blogger can do, and I'm going to try it out. I'll be showing you all the books I ordered online today with giftcards I got on Christmas. Hope you enjoy! -Charlotte
Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen This is the second book in the Bright Young Things series. Anna Godbersen is such a good author I could literally worship her books.
Brilliant by Rachel Vail The third in a trilogy about you guessed it--three sisters, this is the concluding novel. The series has been a sort of guilty pleasure for me. My favorite still stands to be the second one, Gorgeous.
Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have) by Sarah Mlynowski I've been secretly wanting to get this book for a while now. It looks interesting, and very teenish.
Vintage Veronica by Erica S. Perl This book on the other hand is not as well-known as the others. Not that that's a bad thing. This one is all about a girl who loves vintage, and I know I'm going to love it. I love books about fashion!
And coming in the mail SOON should be Popular by Alissa Grosso. It's being a little turtleish on its way to my house.
I love Christmas, don't you? To those people who do not celebrate it, happy holidays! I got a lot of great gifts; but since this is mainly a book blog, that's just what I'll show. Feel free to comment what you got as well!
Sixteen-year-old Katla LeBlanc has just moved from Los Angeles to Minnesota. As if it weren’t enough that her trendy fashion sense draws stares, Katla soon finds out that she’s a Stork, a member of a mysterious order of women tasked with a very unique duty. But Katla’s biggest challenge may be finding her flock at a new school. Between being ignored by Wade, the arrogant jock she stupidly fooled around with, and constantly arguing with gorgeous farm boy and editor-in-chief Jack, Katla is relieved when her assignment as the school paper’s fashion columnist brings with it some much-needed friendship. But as Homecoming approaches, Katla uncovers a shocking secret about her past — a secret that binds her fate to Jack’s in a way neither could have ever anticipated. With a nod to Hans Christian Andersen and inspired by Norse lore, Wendy Delsol’s debut novel introduces a hip and witty heroine who finds herself tail-feathers deep in small-town life.
and that's all my books! I did not specify what books I wanted so I got several
It's fall, but feeling like winter already. The season of cozy mittens, hot chocolate, and reading by the wood stove. Are you ready? I am! Here's some of my favorite picks for heart-warming and light reads by the fire.
Time Traveling Fashionista ~ With it's amazing illustrations and nifty recount of Titanic, this book is something that isn't only great to read, but to own! I know it's worth it when I look over the pretty dresses every once in a while. :)
Love In The Corner Pocket ~ A small, but nice romance story. With the POV of a strong lead female, you can't help but root for her.
Dream Factory ~ Who DOESN'T love Disney? This book not only is set in the park, but it has a romance along with it. It's a book that you definitely will reread.
Something Borrowed ~ An adult romance novel that includes weddings! Definitely a guilty pleasure type of book. The movie is just as good too! (Which you can't always expect from book-to-movie adaptations.) If you like this one don't forget the sequel, Something Blue!
All-American Girl ~ It's by Meg Cabot, who brought us the Princess Diaires. How can you go wrong?! With a strong female protagonist, who saves the president, it really is a cute read.
That's all for now, so get reading! And don't forget to add me on Goodreads, so you can see my reviews of these books!
Hello everyone! Today I am starting up a series called Recommended Reads. It consists of 3 books that I have read recently and have really no problems with. I still want to share them with everyone but I don't have enough content to make a big video review! This started on my youtube channel and now I am bringing it over here. Let's get started!
PICK OF THE BUNCH:
Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued — in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own. Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet.
When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband? Romance abounds as this year's season begins!
Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to emall. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count.
When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for the past year, he doesn't want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him in Colorado. When he meets Kiara Westford, a good girl totally unlike any of the girls he's usually drawn to, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she's too good for him. But will he put his pride aside when he realizes that being with Kiara might finally allow him to be his true self?
I really liked this book, since the plot like was creative and was a overall plot I'd seen a lot before; but still managed to be very different and unique. It was about Emily. Her parents both died in a plane crash. Of course that's distressing, but her mother also left her a sprawled apology in red lipstick. "EMILY PLEASE FORGIVE ME"
So that all goes down in the prologue, and then when you get to chapter 1 it's fall in NYC. Emily is living with her aunt, Jolie. She meets two great guys, the popular and handsome Owen [who helps her forget]; and Anthony [who helps her remember and heal]. The book is about her discovering what she didn't know about people, her mom in particular.
My issues with this book were small, but repetitive. One-her mood swings were TOTALLY unrealistic. Sure, everyone has mood-swings. But every-time Emily started screaming and spazzing out in general, I cringed. Not from a omg-what-are-you-doing standpoint, but just because no one does that in real life.
And then her meeting with her 'father'. Umm, wut now? Just leaving it there. It seemed rather unrealistic too.
My biggest issue with this book is quite obvious, is it not? A realistic fiction book NEEDS to be realistic.
4/5 stars because I enjoyed reading it. Recommended for anyone who likes; realistic fiction, romance, New York, high-school or friendship.
This book was so fun to read. Everything down to the littlest details were creative. I LOVE Lauren Barnholdt to say the least! I'm definitely going to read as many books as I can by her. At some parts in the book I was laughing out loud!
The characters were so funny and relatable at the same time. The only misleading thing about one of them was Cooper. In the bio he's made out to be such a bad guy, but he isn't! Not at ANY points in the book. Eliza just believes he is, which does in fact add extra drama.
My only issue was that the book was over too quickly. But, there are always more books! 5/5 Stars.
Hey there! Marissa here and today I'm going to be reviewing the book 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson.
REVIEW -- 3.5/5 stars is my rating for this book. This book is about a girl named Ginny who receives 13 envelopes from her aunt. In those 13 envelopes, there are tasks she must do all around Europe. Ginny goes all around Europe. Paris, London, Greece, Rome, etc. On/during her journey, she learns different things. Not only things about her aunt but things about herself as well. This book made me feel like I was also on a journey too. And of course, since I've never been to Europe, it seemed pretty cool. The book was paced very good. I started it last night and finished it tonight. The only thing that bothered me about this book was the ending. It felt almost like everything she went on the trip for wasn't worth anything. I do recommend this book though. It is a very good read and perfect for the summer!
This book was about Molly. She starts a band with two of her best mates, and along the way they pick up two guys to join them. It becomes a hit real fast. But she learns that the music business isn't all it's cracked up to be, and the book becomes a kind of downward spire.
This book was extremely creative. I'm not much for books-about-bands but this was reinvented my outlook for them. I really connected with Molly, with most everything she did. There were never any parts where I was like 'OH MY GOSH, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!' I was on her level with it all. Especially the end, where I quote;
*small spoiler* It might seem strange that I didn't run from the enforced day of fun, screaming at the top of my lungs. But to tell you the truth, I was saving up all the seconds I still had left with Dean. . .
It doesn't sound so great out of context, but believe me I choked up a little over that line. The writing flowed so smoothly and I loved the additions of magazine articles. The only few things I didn't like were;
-Tara and T. They weren't developed at all. The end with Tara made my mind spin. She seemed vicious and just out of character. Then her relationship with T, AND Molly. Which one?! -I felt like not enough really happened in this book. The plot was great and moved fairly quickly. BUT we the readers already knew she was beginning to have second thoughts maybe 100 pages in. Maybe a few more unexpected plot surprises would have made up for that. -Mom and dad? Alright. . . You were in the first 100 pages but gone the rest. Unrealistic very much.
Most of all the end with Dean. I kinda knew that would happen, but it just made me want to cry. All in all, this book was pretty amazing. 4.5/5 stars. I recommend this for a sunny day or maybe the beach. It's not a mindless book!
This book was mainly about Quigley and her best friend Anne. Anne is making Quigley do odd jobs with her as a scheme to get money for their perfect prom dresses. On one of those jobs Quigley happens to meet Zander, whom right away she starts to fall for. But then David who is the self proclaimed 'Art King' comes into the picture. He's always treated Quigley like crap, but claims to want to date her now. This all happens in the first 50 pages in and this is basically what is written on the back cover. The rest of the book is a little bit of a mystery, inadvertently. Even prom doesn't turn out to be a big plot in this book. I'd like to say that the biggest thing that is always lingering in the background is where Quigley will go to college. I just have to say, this book by far exceeded any expectations I had. I thought it was going to be just a fluffy light book about a girl finding her perfect prom date. It wasn't, it was much more than that! It had depth to it and a lot of creativity.
First off, everything stated in the biography happened less than 50 pages into the books. So I was like 'ohhkayy. .' and prepared myself for a lot of chapters full of prom-related stuff. I didn't know what to expect. I got a really great story out of it, so I'm not mad one bit. That's why I'm not going to go on about it but instead, let you get surprised if you read it.
A few things I predicted. But they weren't big things, mostly stuff along the lines of 'will they, won't they?'. Then there was other stuff that popped out of no where that surprised me with the randomness, but perfectness of it. The writing flowed smoothly and nicely.
There were a few things that annoyed me. 1-the ending. I DON'T get it. She stated that she had her perfect fit 'right here at home.' (Don't worry, it's not a spoiler in any way.) Okay, great. Good for you. Please elaborate a little more for the reader though? Thanks.
2-There's a fine line between romance, and sappiness. I feel at the end of the book that it was just dripping with sap. Get what I'm saying? Again, this wasn't terrible but sometimes it really makes me put-off by a book when the characters have meaningful kiss after meaningful kiss.
3-David. Jerk. All I have to say on the matter of him.
I really liked Anne, although the matter of her father should have had a bigger play in the book than it did. . .
Look at what a pretty book I got in the mail today =) It's from a Midsummers Eve Giveaway contest, specifically here! It was sent from the author, and she even wrote a little note on the inside! Here is all about it, and I'll be writing a review when I get to it!
This was a complete guilty-pleasure book. I have to admit that in the past fallen angels haven't really entertained me, but this book changed that. The imagery was so great at some points, I reread the pages over and over.
I only have 2 main concerns that I didn't like. But since in all they only knocked off one star; they're not terrible. 1=It got pretty sappy near the end. I feel like there should have been a better segway between Daniel trying to make her not like him, then Daniel trying to kiss her. Rofl. 2=The chapters! I don't know about you, but I HATE it when a chapter ends, and then the next chapter is a few days later. That annoyed me a whole lot. I really like to know what is going on at all times in a book, but oh well.
I liked all of the characters. I was glad that they were all different too. Luce was the only one I have a tingle of a issue with. She just kept going back to Cam! Plus giving into everything. *sigh* I forgave her though, because there was a particular line in the book that said she was 'incapable of brutal honesty.' I did like her at all other times, her view of the world was entertaining.
The whole plot did end up being about Luce and Daniel. It's always like that with paranormal romances, but it could have used a bit more substance. The fight scene at the end wasn't much! But it WAS something. The end of the book wrapped things up nicely, and the epilogue made me want moremoremore.
This isn't totally relevant, but did anyone else thing that the font in this book was BIG? That puzzled me a bit.
Anyway, this got a 4/5 star rating. I will be reading the next books!
This book is the first in the Trilogy about the Avery sisters. I originally read Gorgeous first, which I loved. So anyway this focuses on the youngest sister; Phoebe. The whole plot is that Phoebe and her friends are planning a Graduation Party for middle school graduation. But Phoebe's mother loses her job and they're not able to pay for it. It's about the affect this has on Phoebe and her social life.
This book was slow moving. That was my biggest concern. There were times I got fed up with it and would rather be doing something else than reading. (Which doesn't happen often.) And considering the LENGTH of this book, and that it took me more than usual to read! *Sigh* There was some repetition with the plot line, among other things. It left a bunch of stuff unexplained such as Kyrstin's hatred for Ann, was Kyrstin actually jealous of Phoebe, and the real reason why Phoebe wasn't invited to the Hamptons. Those are just a few. There were a LOT of little fiddly things that never got explained.
This book I'd recommend as a beach read for it's light and fluffiness. The only reason that this got 3 stars instead of 2 is that I loved Gorgeous, which is the sequel.
So this book is about Kate. Her mother is slowly dying; and her last wish is to return to the town of her birth. (The mother, not Kate.) So they wind up in a small town called Eden. Immediately in the first few chapters Kate is pranked by the queen bee named Ava. But instead of a clean get away, Ava cracks her head open in the woods and is knocked out. Kate is freaking out all alone when a mysterious man shows up named Henry. He fixes Ava with one negotiation, that Kate reads the story of Persephone and then she will know what he needs her to do. Skipping over a bit, Kate is now in the Eden Manor to pass 7 tests in 6 months. If she passes she will become a goddess and marry Henry. If she doesn't her mother will die and she won't remember anything in the manor, including Henry whom she is falling in love with. Not to mention someone is trying to kill her from within the walls.
Wow. I had pretty good expectations for this book, and they were by far exceeded. This book was a masterpiece and I have close to nothing bad to say about it. This book surprised me and outsmarted me a lot; and I LOVE that. There was nothing predictable and no cliches either. Plus, if there WERE cliches I would be the one to call them out!
When I first picked up my paperback copy I thought it would be a quick read. It was pretty flimsy and just gave off that shortness look. But it wasn't, and I know this may not be totally relevant but the words in it made you take a moment for them to sink in! If you read this book in one day, you probably haven't had it sink in well enough to truly appreciate the whole thing. Also, the cover is pretty awesome. :)
Kate was so relatable with I KNEW that I'd be friends with her if she was real. Ava was a bit annoying but seemed so loyal that it was fine with me. Henry, just dreamy. I loved him. Ella was just as I expected [her goddess] to act like. All the characters were amazing, but I would have liked them to go more in depth with the Theo and Xander thing especially.
The plot moved smoothly and so delicately that it surprised you when something dramatic happened. The story and danger grew over the course of the book. I liked how at the end you were still a bit skeptical, but not fuming with questions of what was going on. OF COURSE I'm gonna read the next one! :D And the one after that, and after that, and after that. etc.
Plotline=10/10
Characters=10/10
Ending=9/10 (Left me with questions about James!)
Writing=10/10
This is the sequel to Heist Society. It's a few months after the first book ends, and Kat has been traveling around alone doing pro-bono heists. She comes home, and sort of gets herself into the biggest theft of her life. If you thought the Henley was something, this is 10 times more tricky!
I adored Heist Society. And this book was no different. There were a few things lacking in this book, but I'd like to take a moment and appreciate what was there!
-Amazing writing style. I don't know how Ally Carter keeps all the details in HER head, let alone write about them? I loved the mysterious little parts that were used 'the man' and were just vague. It wasn't too repetitive or annoying, it added to the theme.
-Kat is one of my favorite characters. Even if she did repeat herself several times in this book, I still love her! Hale too.
The ending was satisfying. Not completely satisfying, but that's expected. IS there another book to it? That's my question. I didn't see one on Goodreads confirmed, but I might be looking in the wrong place. IF there is another book then the ending will be fine. But if this is the last one, then umm that's not okay with me. From Ally Carter's blog: WILL THERE BE A HEIST SOCIETY 3?
Maybe.
So I'm holding up some hope! :)
Now I must get onto the not-so-fun stuff. I didn't like how there was barely any character development in this book. I felt like Kat changed through the course of the book, but not very much. Hale on the other hand pleased me, they all did. The big thing was just Kat. Still love her though!
This book was about Mina Hamilton. Her parents are vampires, and the time has come for her to decide if she wants to be a vampire as well. She is thrown into vampire courses for the to-be vampire where she meets a bunch of people. And that's the most basic way to put it!
The plot line in this book was creative enough, but it was lacking fine points. Reactions to BIG things were minimal. Actually, fairly non-existent. And especially, there were a few phrases that were repeated OVER and OVER. That's one of my pet peeves! -.-
As for the characters, they were brilliant in my opinion. I loved Mina, George, and Uncle Mortie especially. There were all different (which is hard to do sometimes) and were all fun in their own ways. And annoying, in their own ways with the other characters. (Aubrey, Raven) I could really relate to Mina most of all. Which is funny, because some fancy-schmany young adult books have awesome plots--but cruddy characters! You never know.
The biggest thing of all was that the story was wrapped up jagged. The ending came at a bit of a random time. And a random place! [not a spoiler] Mina invites her parents to the beach at the end while she's with George. (George is from the vampire to-be course.) Ummmmmmm. . . .what REAL teen would do that? You can definitely tell with that fact and along with others that the author was trying to wrap up asap.
Characters=9/10
Ending=4/10
Plot=7/10
Thanks for reading! Please check out more reviews on this website coming SOON. :)
Charlotte here, and welcome to our site! We'll be posting little tidbits of stuff here, along with reviews, and books we're really excited for. Anything really! My counter-part is Marissa. (Get it? Charissa? XD) She's been my friend forever and we created a youtube account a few weeks ago. We've eager to break into the youtube community and also start a successful blog!
