The Bridge by Jill Cox

Oh my goodness. Ya’ll.  To come back from such a long hiatus and and start back with this book…floored.  I adored these characters, the writing was completely captivating and the scenery is enrapturing.  PLEASE buy this amazing book from a self publishing author HERE!

Title: The Bridge

Author: Jill Cox

Summary (by Goodreads):

Meredith Sullivan has three goals:

Win the Beckett Scholarship to study abroad.
Move to Paris for a year.
Leave boy-next-door Drew Sutton (and her ridiculous heart) behind.

There’s only one problem: Pete Russell. Yes, he speaks French like a native, but he’s boorish and snarky with a penchant for unflattering nicknames. So when Pete shows up on her flight to Paris, Meredith starts to wonder if that scholarship covers a year in Antarctica instead.

But as the autumn leaves begin to fall in the City of Light, Meredith learns a thousand things about Pete she never knew. And to her surprise, she’s suddenly torn between the future she’d always imagined with Drew and a new path with the kindred spirit she never saw coming. Because sometimes, what you don’t know about a person has already changed your life.

First Sentences:

Pythagoras believed that three is the perfect number.  Maybe he was right, or maybe he was the original Jedi master.  Whatever the reason, the number three is everywhere.

Three blind mice. Three wishes. Three’s a crowd.

Third time’s the charm.  The third degree. The third wheel.

You can’t blame a girl named Mer-e-dith Fi-o-na Sul-li-van for noticing this phenomenon.  We moved to Oregon from Ireland nearly three months after my 3rd birthday, on March 3rd.  I graduated third in my high school class – all of the hard work, non of the glory.

My Take:

Oh sweet motherly goodness of all that there is, for a beautiful sweet YA fiction with a strong and smart female lead who isn’t bogged down with every teenage angst known to man.  This book was beautiful and funny, witty and romantic, real and raw all at the same time.  I found myself in complete understanding of our girl and yet rooting for seemingly the “wrong guy”.  I never do that!  Jill is an author ninja. 

We all have that one relationship. The one where that other person sees right past you.  The person that you’ve always been friends with but can never seem to get them to “see you” – to actually look at you as anything more than just that side kick or pal.  But what happens when you actually gain their attention?  And then what happens when the relationship you thought you were supposed to have with that person, doesn’t quite add up to what you thought it was going to be?

What if a dance changes it all?  What if a dance with someone you never figured you’d even want to talk to…changes your life?  Although, can we all just say if it’s Ryan Gosling – we’d all say “yes”?  If any of you (male or female) passes up the opportunity to dance with that beautiful man I will be so upset at you.  Extremely disappointed.

Meredith is our smart, head down in the books, good girl who has earned the opportunity to go on an amazing journey to learn and study in France.  One out of three students picked to gain this scholarship of a lifetime to go and study abroad belongs to our girl.  But when things change and a fourth person is added to the scholarship list, Pete Russell, all she can see is this frat guy who is friends with her “I wish you could see me as something more than a friend” Drew.  Pete Russell is nothing more than God’s way to torment her, in Paris, for a year.

Drew is Meredith’s best friend, always have been, always will be friend. But when Drew finally does notice her and asks her to be his girl…she finds that she is wondering why it doesn’t quite feel like how she thought it would.  When the long distance glitter of a new relationship fades to the sharp jealousies and misunderstandings, Meredith starts wondering what is going on and why her heart doesn’t seem to flutter for him like it used to.

Set amidst the beautiful scenery in France, we travel with Meredith and her friends all around the museums and beautiful picturesque parks and bridges along the way.  Her life living in Paris, the seasons that change, and train rides that take us to some amazing places is another reason why I fell in love with this book!

As time progresses, Meredith realizes that maybe she’s been someone else’s “see me” person.  Maybe she had been so focused on Drew that there had been a person there, all along, waiting for her to see him.  What if the persona of who this guy is to everyone is just a shallow mask compared to what he’s prepared to show her?  And this is where you’re like “Dang it Meredith, open your eyes and dump your jerk of a boyfriend because this guy WANTS you woman!!”

Needless to say, I got involved emotionally into this book!  Our amazing author takes us on a journey through France as a tour guide, but also into Meredith Sullivan’s life as she learns about herself and about her heart.  Ms. Cox, please say you are writing more and that you will be publishing more, pronto!

Myst~

PS – TODAY is the day this book is released so take a look-see at this book on Amazon and you won’t regret spending the $3.99 for this super amazing book!

“Nerve” by Jeanne Ryan

This book was hard for me to put down…it builds with a heavy sense of foreboding but with an eagerness of seeing just how far will it go and if our girl has the “nerve” to go through with it.  I really really enjoyed this book!

Title: Nerve

Author: Jeanne Ryan

Publisher: Dial Books (Penguin)

Summary (by Goodreads):

A high-stakes online game of dares turns deadly

When Vee is picked to be a player in NERVE, an anonymous game of dares broadcast live online, she discovers that the game knows her. They tempt her with prizes taken from her ThisIsMe page and team her up with the perfect boy, sizzling-hot Ian. At first it’s exhilarating–Vee and Ian’s fans cheer them on to riskier dares with higher stakes. But the game takes a twisted turn when they’re directed to a secret location with five other players for the Grand Prize round. Suddenly they’re playing all or nothing, with their lives on the line. Just how far will Vee go before she loses NERVE?

My take:

Disclaimers and such: I received this book from DAC ARC Tours!  Thank you for letting me read and review this ARC and thank you to Dial Books as well!  So although, I received this book for free in exchange for a review, all thoughts are my own.  This book was published September 13th!

In the book, “Nerve” is a new reality game based on the idea of someone taking a dare and, when successfully completed, earning a prize.  Contestants may enter by completing a preliminary dare and making sure the video is streaming through their phone to “Nerve”s website as they are completing the dare.  With enough views, comments, and popularity, “Nerve” will dare the contestant to do something else.  The dares get bigger and so do the prizes, but once you start, do you have the nerve to actually go through with all of it…to the end?

We find Vee in the beginning of the book as a back stage makeup artist to her friends who are in a school play.  No recognition and no fame has put Vee in the backseat watching everyone else get all the glory.   She doesn’t mind it, but a little recognition wouldn’t kill would it?  To gain the attention of a certain boy in particular, Vee enters the Nerve game by completing a preliminary dare and with the growing number of fans…Vee finds herself texted by Nerve to do another dare, but this time for a prize.  And so it begins…

I tried to find a “Pringles – Once you pop, you can’t stop” gif, but couldn’t find one!!  If someone finds one, tell me where and I’ll put it up!

We have a couple of characters in this book, boys in particular.  Matthew: the boy who Vee has a crush on, but she can’t tell if he’s really that into her or just after her best friend.  Tommy: the good boy that has a crush on Vee (and who Vee should like back), but he doesn’t have the guts to tell her.  Ian: the very cute boy that Nerve pairs Vee with as a partner to go through competitions/dares with.  I picture Scarlet O’Hara out on the lawn in the beginning of Gone with the Wind…if you haven’t read or seen the movie, just…now.  Go see it now.  It’s a classic.

As the dares progress, feelings escalate and the feeling of invincibility sets in, but just how far is too far?  Pretty soon we see the true nature of each person.  Is Ian too perfect?  Will Tommy be there for her in the end?  Who is Matthew really crushing on?

The book really feels like an adrenaline rush and it starts with coasting, then goes to jogging….and then you feel like you’re sprinting to the end.  What I think drew me in the most was the fact that this seemed like a game that you would possibly see on TV.  With all the reality shows…why not have one where people are dared to do crazy stunts for prizes at home with friends watching?   Question is, would you be one of the people to do it and have the nerve to do everything they ask?

Read it!  Read it!  Loved it!!  🙂

Myst~

TTT – Top Ten Bookish People I Want to Meet

Top Ten Tuesday: “Top Ten Bookish People I Want to Meet”

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun way to spice up Tuesdays (because everyone hates Mondays, Wednesdays are the halfway point, Thursdays are “little Fridays”, and everyone knows about Fridays… :)) and it’s hosted by The Broke and Bookish.

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10: John Grisham – I just want to know how he comes up with his stories and ends up on the best sellers list every time!  He’s got to have some great tips…plus, does anyone know if he was an attorney earlier or does he do all the research himeself for his stories?

9: Seal Member who shot bin laden – I know they’ve recently figured out who this guy his, but I would love to just be able to shake his hand and ask him how he’s kept it a secret for this long! 

8: Stephanie Meyers – First I would want to know how she deals with the mass media of love AND hate, then I would want to know if she thinks she could ever top Twilight?

7: Margaret George – I LOVE her books.  Just to sit down to lunch with her and talk about all the different periods of history she’s covered with how she decides to put little details in the chapters would facinate me.  I’m a history junky at heart.

6: Phillippa Gregory – Her love stories with the different characters ALL in the and around the same era are amazing reads for me.  I love being able to look through the eyes of the different characters that may have been mentioned in another book to see the different points of view. 

5: Christopher Paolini – To be SO young and come up with those characters, the adventure, the places…I would love an afternoon to sit with him and just see what all he thinks about day in and day out.

4: Amy A. Bartol – This is the first author to reach out to me and send me one of her books.  I absolutely adore this woman and the characters she has given us!  I fangirl for her and what makes it awesome…she is totally cool with it.

3: Veronica Roth – I would love to know how the series ends…if she wouldn’t give up the ending, I would settle for an afternoon of find out how she thought of the factions and the different characters.  I would be surprised if she doesn’t come out and look/sound like Tris! 

2: Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games…it was a bestseller, now a major motion film.  I would love to know how she feels about the movies.  I would ask her if she’s got any other book ideas.  I want to know why she put Peeta and Katniss together…I would demand to know why Gale just wasn’t the guy she chose.  Can you tell I’m a little biased?

1: J.K. Rowling – I just want a day with her.  7 books…that’s all it took for her to be set for life.  She could choose to never write another book again.  How amazing would that be?  I want to see how quirky she is…beacuse to come up with Dobby, Hippogrifffs, and floo powder means either you’ve just got a great imagination or maybe a few nuts and bolts that aren’t tightened all the way.  Either way, I would love her the same.

Personal Effects by E. M. Kokie

With everything going on in the middle east and the loss of our ambassador and ex-navy seals, I found this book to be fitting.  Please keep your thoughts and prayers on the families who have lost loved ones or are seeing them being deployed to help protect the Americans still living in those countries.  This book totally caught me by surprise.  I knew what it was about and I knew it would probably deal with a few tough situations, but this book had so many moments where you didn’t know how things could ever be set right.

Title: Personal Effects

Author: E.M. Kokie

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Summary (by Goodreads):

Ever since his brother, T.J., was killed in Iraq, Matt feels like he’s been sleepwalking through life — failing classes, getting into fights, and avoiding his dad’s lectures about following in his brother’s footsteps. T.J.’s gone, but Matt can’t shake the feeling that if only he could get his hands on his brother’s stuff from Iraq, he’d be able to make sense of his death. But as Matt searches for answers about T.J.’s death, he faces a shocking revelation about T.J.’s life that suggests he may not have known T.J. as well as he thought. What he learns challenges him to stand up to his father, honor his brother’s memory, and take charge of his own life.

First Sentences:

Of all the lame shit on Pinscher’s backpack, his “War is Not the Answer” sticker pisses me off the most — even more than his “Practice Nonviolence” button, which makes me want to practice some violence on his face.

It’s not enough that I have to listen to him run his mouth all the time.  But to have to see all his slogans and crap on his backpack, watch him strut around and show off, laughing like it’s all a big joke — it’s almost too much to take.  Espectially on Monday mornings.  Especially on a Monday morning after an even more shitastic than usual weekend.

My take:

Disclaimers and such: I received this book from DAC ARC Tours!  Thank you for letting me read and review this ARC and thank you to Candlewick Press as well!  So although, I received this book for free in exchange for a review, all thoughts are my own.  This book was published September 11th!

I want to preface that this book does contain profanity, a fair amount. As you probably saw from the first few sentences.  Our main character is also a boy and is dealing with the rush of hormones, so he does deal with the temptation that all boys deal with at that age.

The other thing our boy, Matt, is dealing with…is a whirlwind of anger.  Anger at his physically abusive father, who swears his punches are to help him “man up”.  Anger at his mother for leaving them when he was only 4 or 5 years old.  Anger at his brother for dying while serving in the Army overseas.  Anger at bullies at school who wear shirts/pins that try to undermine the war and make it seem like Matt’s brother, T.J., died for nothing.  Everything soon comes to a head and Matt finds himself “seeing red” with consequences.

The only saving grace to Matt is his best friend, Shauna, who has the courage to stick with him through everything he deals with and is there to listen, to provide a shoulder, or just a distraction from the life he’s learned to deal with.

Matt feels the only way to deal with the loss of his brother and abusive father is to find the personal effects of T.J. and go through them.  Everything that they got back before the funeral has been hidden by his father and Matt cannot seem to find them, no matter how hard he looks.  He strikes a break one day when 3 lockers of personal effects come in from the Army filled with everything Matt owned and had with him.

After his dad leaves for work one day, Matt goes through each locker looking through each item.  Uniforms, t-shirts, iPods, pictures, and letters.  Lots of letters.  People Matt has never heard of…along with one person in particular who has written Matt over and over.  Who were these people?  Who is this “C”?  Could T.J. have had a relationship and not told Matt?  Why would Matt show up for a week at home, tell him he was deploying to go back to the middle east, but actually spend months with these people before really going back?

I liked this book.  I read through the bulk of it one night and finished it the next morning.  It was such a “real” feeling book.  I could see this unfortunately happening to someone like Matt and it made me want to sit up with him to find out what was really going on and who his brother really was.

Myst~

Daisy Award

I’ve been nominated for the Daisy award!!!  How exciting is that!  And I feel so unworthy because I’ve been neglectful of my blog recently….*shamefully hangs head.

*waves from the podium and tries to keep eyes open amidst the flashes of the cameras*    Thank you, thank you!  First, mom and dad, thanks for always putting up with me wanting to read ALL the time…in the car, while walking behind you grocery shopping, while eating at the dinner table, …it must have been annoying, but thanks for putting up with it!  *blows kiss* God for giving me this spirit and attitude that oozes sarcasm and (what i would call…) wittiness!   

Last but not least…a big thank you to the blog that nominated me: ArtsAndYouthLove!!  Serena is an awesome blogger that writes about different American youth interests (lit, music, topics…etc.).    So go check her out and give her some love!

This is my first nomination for an award…so here goes:

The rules for this award:

• Thank the person who nominated you ( 🙂 ) Serena is awesome!  Thank you!
• Tell the readers seven unusual things about yourself   hhhhmmmm……*thinks hard
• Nominate some worthy bloggers   psh….That’s easy peeeesy!

7 Unusual Things

1. I am a Christian…I don’t know that, that would be considered unusual, but yeah.  I’ve been a Christian for 18 years and still don’t know everything, but I’m fine with that.
2. I like pickles but not cucumbers…and I don’t like cherries, but love cherry sodas (cherry coke, cherry dr. pepper, cherry 7-Up, etc.)
3. I go to Starbucks every Friday morning for an Iced Venti White Mocha with Three Pumps of Vanilla and no whip…it’s super yummy.
4. I owned a horse when I was in high school.  Strawberry was his name….very manly.
5. I have an orange betta fish and the poor thing doesn’t have a name.
6. I have over 16,000 songs in my iTunes library and I consistently Shazam songs on my iPhone to download later.
7. I was home schooled from 5th grade through high school (my parents offered to put me back into school every year, but I told them “no thanks”).

And now, drumroll please and dim the lights!  *picks up envelopes and nervously looks out over the crowd*  The following nominations are:  *opening envelope*

Gretchen at My Life Is A Notebook ;  Elizabeth at Don’t Take My Books Away ; and Kayla at Caught Between the Pages!

Whoop!  There you have it!  Again, this is my first nomination, so I don’t know how all this works, but I’m super excited!  *claps hands*

Myst~

“WoW” – Mila 2.0

“Waiting on” Wednesday is an event created and hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  That’s putting it nicely!  This is going to be a book I’m drooling over, waiting for it to be released.

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Title: Mila 2.0

Author: Debra Driza

Publication date: March 12, 2013

Summary (by Goodreads):

Pitched as a “Bourne Identity”-type sci-fi thriller about a teenage girl who discovers that she is a Mobile Intel Life-like Android, an experiment in artificial intelligence created by the U.S. government, and her scientist mother, who kidnapped her when she was found to have human emotions.

Why I can’t wait:

How awesome does this book sound??  “Bourne Identity”?  I LOVED those movies!  I hope we’ll get a better summary soon, but even this little teaser is enough to get me excited about it!!

What book are you counting down the days for?

“WoW” – Starling

“Waiting on” Wednesday is an event created and hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  That’s putting it nicely!  This is going to be a book I’m drooling over, waiting for it to be released.

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Title: Starling

Author: Lesley Livingston

Publication date: August 28th, 2012

Summary (by Goodreads):

“Love is just the beginning… of the end.”

Mason Starling is a champion fencer for Gosforth Academy, but she’s never had to fight for her life. Until now. When a ferocious storm rips through Manhattan and unleashes terrifying creatures onto Gosforth’s campus, Mason barely escapes alive. Without help from the mysterious stranger who appeared in the midst of the storm, she might not have made it at all. But now, in the aftermath, Mason’s life begins to spin dramatically, mystically out of control, and the only one who seems able to help her is the stranger who can remember nothing but his name: Fennrys Wolf.

As Mason and Fenn uncover more about Fenn’s past and the strange events that surround them, they realize that Mason’s family — and its dark allegiance to the ancient Norse gods — is at the center of everything. A predetermined fate seems to be closing in on Mason, but is it possible to change one’s destiny?

Why I can’t wait:

Since this book came out yesterday…technically speaking, I don’t have to wait!  Haha!  Norse gods…I was so excited to read those two little words!  I haven’t read any books that talk about Norse gods and I got myself excited about it!  🙂

What book are you counting down the days for?

Happy Birthday…to everyone else!

Since yesterday was my birthday…I feel the need to make sure that everyone gets a party favor!  In order to make sure everyone (at least book lovers) have a smile on their face today, I’ve got a few free Kindle deals for you!  🙂

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY everyone!

Free Books on Amazon.com!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s My Birthday…I’ll Post if I Want to!

Yup…

Guess who’s birthday it is today!!!

I’m happy that I’m still happy about a birthday.  I don’t ever want to be the person who gets more and more bitter with every year that passes.

My co-workers were so awesome yesterday! They gave me cards, got me a bundt cake, made a peach cobbler, bought me flowers, and a couple of them are taking me out next Monday for lunch!

So I want everyone to do one or all of the following:

1) Dance a little

2) Laugh and smile

3) Act your shoe size!  (Example: If you were a size 7 shoe…act 7 years old!  …Seen pictured below)

I hope everyone has an awesome day!!

Myst~

“WoW” – Shades of Earth

“Waiting on” Wednesday is an event created and hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  That’s putting it nicely!  This is going to be a book I’m drooling over, waiting for it to be released.

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Title: Shades of Earth (Across The Universe #3)

Author: Beth Revis

Publication date: January 15, 2013

Summary (by Goodreads):

The final book in the trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis!

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They’re ready to start life afresh–to build a home–on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience. But this new Earth isn’t the paradise that Amy had been hoping for. Amy and Elder must race to uncover who–or what–else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. But as each new discovery brings more danger, Amy and Elder will have to look inward to the very fabric of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed–friends, family, life on Earth–will have been meaningless.

Why I can’t wait:

I cannot wait for this book to come out!!!  I’m DYING for this third book!!  I really do love this series.  The adventure, the imagination, the story…I can’t wait to see how the series concludes!  🙂