"I Love Spring" Book Tag

"I Love Spring" Book Tag

1. How is spring where you live?

Well currently it's 50 and rainy, but during the spring/summer it can easily get up to the 80s and 90s.

2. Most anticipated spring book release?

I have a really long list. Click down below to check out my list on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/9320358-sydney?shelf=2014

3. Show us a book cover that makes you think of spring?

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han



4. Where are you going to read this spring?

Usually I read on my bed (boring, I know). I want to try reading outside in the shade if it's not too hot.

5. What are your favorite spring reads?

Typically I enjoy reading contemporary books during the spring to get me in a springy mood. Though I am currently going through a fantasy phase!


*Tell me your thoughts on this tag, any other tags you would like me to do, or tags you have done before. I would love to check them out, thanks!

My Life Next Door Review

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Published June 14th 2012 by Dial Books for Young Readers
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 394
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 4.5/5




Description:

"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A transporting debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.

My Thoughts:

At first I expected a cliché, predictable love story about a girl falling in love with the boy next door. I was very surprised that there were other elements involved. I fell in love with the characters in this story and I couldn't really relate to the main female character, Sam. I still loved the story, characters, plot, and the ambiance of the book. This book is definitely getting my into a spring, contemporary mood!

Quotes:

"It's as though I don't make a ripple as I drop off the face of the earth." 

"The Garretts were my bedtime story, long before I ever thought I'd be part of the story myself."

About the Author:

Huntley Fitzpatrick grew up dreamy and distracted in coastal Connecticut. She flourished in a family of bookworms where everyone always had their nose in a book. She kept an exhaustively thorough journal which frightened her boyfriends but has proved very useful in her career as a writer. Her debut contemporary Romance, MY LIFE NEXT DOOR, was published in June of 2012 by Penguin-Dial for Young Readers. Now she laughs with and eavesdrops on her six children who provide her with perspective and material. She is represented by the amazing Christina Hogrebe of the Jane Rotrosen Agency.

http://www.huntleyfitzpatrick.com/

Obsidian Review

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Published May 8th 2012 by Entangled Teen
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance
Pages: 335
Format: Paperback
Rating: 5/5




Description:

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

My Thoughts:

My friend has been urging my to read this series and once I picked this book up I couldn't put it down. The main character Katy was very relatable seeing as she has her own book blog. I loved the teasing between Katy and Daemon. I am already currently reading the second book, Onyx. The first book was really fast-paced and entertaining. I don't want to give much away, but I highly recommend this series so far!

Quotes:

"I've always found that the most beautiful people, truly beautiful inside and out, are the ones who quietly unaware of their effect."

"Kat, say something insulting. Come on."

About the Author:

Hey Guys! Please note: I don't send out ARCs for review. If you're interested in reviewing a book of mine before release date, please contact the appropriate publisher. I also do NOT check my Goodreads email.

To email me, please use the below addy.
jenniferlarmentrout@live.com

# 1 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout Lives in West Virginia.

All the rumors you heard about her state aren’t true.

Well, mostly. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write.

She is the author of the Covenant Series (Spencer Hill Press), the Lux Series (Entangled Teen), Don't Look Back (Disney/Hyperion) and a yet untitled novel (Disney/Hyperion), and new YA paranormal series with Harlequin Teen.

Jennifer also writes New Adult and Adult romance under the pen name J. Lynn. The Gamble Brothers Series (Tempting the Best Man/Tempting the Player) and Wait for You. Under her pen name, she is published with Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/

Beauty Queens Review

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Published: May 24th 2011 by Scholastic Press
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Humor
Pages: 396
Format: Hardcover
Rating 4/5

Description:

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.

My Thoughts:

At first I was skeptical about this book because it was compared to Lord of the Flies, which I had to read this year for English and hated. I finally decided to pick it up. At first I found it hard to keep all of the characters straight, because of the constant alternating perspectives. As I finally got used to Libba Bray's writing, I found myself laughing out loud. She has hilarious jokes in the footnotes of this book! I read this with the actual book, but I have heard there is an audiobook read by Libba Bray herself, which is also really good. Overall, I enjoyed this book and the messages dealing with media and feminism. This book turned to be a much deeper reader than I had originally thought.

Quote:

"I love you for who you are, not who the world thinks you should be."

About the Author:

What is it about writing an author bio that gives me that deer-in-headlights feeling? It's not exactly like I'm going to say "I was born in Alabama…" and somebody's going to jump up and snarl, "Oh yeah? Prove it!" At least I hope not.

I think what gets me feeling itchy is all that emphasis on the facts of a life, while all the juicy, relevant, human oddity stuff gets left on the cutting room floor. I could tell you the facts–I lived in Texas for most of my life; I live in New York City with my husband and six-year-old son now; I have freckles and a lopsided smile; I'm allergic to penicillin.

But that doesn't really give you much insight into me. That doesn't tell you that I stuck a bead up my nose while watching TV when I was four and thought I'd have to go to the ER and have it cut out. Or that I once sang a punk version of "Que Sera Sera" onstage in New York City. Or that I made everyone call me "Bert" in ninth grade for no reason that I can think of. See what I mean?

God is in the details. So with that in mind, here is my bio. Sort of.


TEN THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME by Libba Bray

1. I lived in Texas until I was 26 years old, then I moved to New York City with $600.00 in my shoe ('cause muggers won't take it out of your shoe, y'know . . . riiiiight . . .) and a punchbowl (my grandmother's gift) under my arm. I ended up using the punchbowl box as an end table for two years.

2. My dad was a Presbyterian minister. Yes, I am one of those dreaded P.K.s–Preacher's Kids. Be afraid. Be very afraid . . .

3. The first story I ever wrote, in Mrs. McBee's 6th grade English class, was about a girl whose family is kidnapped and held hostage by a murderous lot of bank robbers who intend to kill the whole family–including the dog–until the 12-year-old heroine foils the plot and saves the day. It included colored pencil illustrations of manly-looking, bearded criminals smoking, and, oblivious to the fact that The Beatles had already sort of laid claim to the title, I called my novel, HELP. My mom still has a copy. And when I do something she doesn't like, she threatens to find it.

4. My favorite word is "redemption." I like both its meaning and the sound. My least favorite word is "maybe." "Maybe" is almost always a "no" drawn out in cruel fashion.

5. My three worst habits are overeating, self-doubt, and the frequent use of the "f" word.

6. The three things I like best about myself are my sense of humor, my ability to listen, and my imagination.

7. I have an artificial left eye. I lost my real eye in a car accident when I was eighteen. In fact, I had to have my entire face rebuilt because I smashed it up pretty good. It took six years and thirteen surgeries. However, I did have the pleasure of freezing a plastic eyeball in an ice cube, putting it in a friend's drink, ("Eyeball in your highball?") and watching him freak completely. Okay, so maybe that's not going down on my good karma record. But it sure was fun.

8. In 7th grade, my three best friends and I dressed up as KISS and walked around our neighborhood on Halloween. Man, we were such dorks.

9. I once spent New Year's Eve in a wetsuit. I'd gone to the party in a black dress that was a little too tight (too many holiday cookies) and when I went to sit down, the dress ripped up the back completely. Can we all say, mortified? The problem was, my friends were moving out of their house–everything was packed and on a truck–and there was nothing I could put on . . . but a wetsuit that they still had tacked to the wall. I spent the rest of the party maneuvering through throngs of people feeling like a giant squid.

10. I got married in Florence, Italy. My husband and I were in love but totally broke, so we eloped and got married in Italy, where he was going on a business trip. We had to pull a guy off the street to be our witness. It was incredibly romantic.

http://libbabray.com/

Cress Review

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3)
by Marissa Meyer

Published: February 4th by Feiwel & Friends
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Pages: 550
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5/5
 
Description:

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

My Thoughts:

This book! This series is just such a clever idea. I love how all of the characters end up together and meet each other. Once I got my hands on this book I finished within two days, even if it's a pretty large book. I read Cinder first when it came out and really enjoyed it. Then once Scarlet came out, and I loved it even more then Cinder. Marissa Meyer continues to keep her readers on the edge of their seats. Even though I was heartbroken that Wolf and Scarlet where separated for the majority of the book, this series remains one of my favorite. Now we must all wait till winter of 2015 till Winter the last book comes out!!!!

Quotes:

"Maybe there isn't such a thing as fate. Maybe it's just the opportunities we're given, and what we do with them. I'm beginning to think that maybe great, epic romances don't just happen. We have to make them ourselves."

About the Author:

I live in Tacoma, Washington, with my fiancé and our two cats. In addition to my slight obsession with books and writing, I'm big on road-tripping, wine-tasting, and hunting for antiques. I'm represented by Jill Grinberg.

http://www.marissameyer.com/

The List Review

The List by Siobhan Vivian



Published: April 1st 2012 by Push
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Pages: 332
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 4/5


Description:

An intense look at the rules of high school attraction -- and the price that's paid for them.

It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn't matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly." And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.

My Thoughts:

This is my very first book I have read by Siobhan Vivian and it is very well written. It was a quick read for me that once I started I couldn't put down. This book wasn't a fluffy contemporary read, it would make for a great book club book. Due to its topics; eating disorders, physical appearance, relationships and more!

Quotes:

"Sometimes, when you get something new, you trick yourself into believing it has the power to change absolutely everything about you."

About the Author:

Siobhan Vivian is the author of THE LIST, NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL, SAME DIFFERENCE, and A LITTLE FRIENDLY ADVICE. She also co-wrote BURN FOR BURN, the first novel in a planned trilogy, with her best friend JENNY HAN. She currently lives in Pittsburgh.

http://www.siobhanvivian.com/

Top 5 Wednesday: Book Quotes

#T5W

This was very difficult I basically read through my goodreads list of quotes and tried to narrow it down. Please know I have many more quotes than this. Feel free to look on my goodreads account, which is on my profile page, to see more. Only the first quote has a spoiler if you have not finished the Summer Trilogy by Jenny Han don't read it!!!!

1. "But just because you bury something, that doesn't mean it stops existing. Those feelings, they'd been there all along. All that time. I had to face it. He was part of my DNA. I had brown hair and I had freckles and I would always have Conrad in my heart."

-Jenny Han, We'll Always Have Summer

2. "As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once."

-John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

3. "I love you, and I will love you until you die, and if there is life after that, I'll love you then."

-Cassandra Clare, City of Bones

4. Fear doesn't shut you down; it wakes you up."

-Veronica Roth, Divergent

5. "'I hate you," I muttered.

      Noah smiled wider. "I know'"

-Michelle Hodkin, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Top 5 Wednesday: Genres

#T5WFamily

1. YA Dystopian

Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, The Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu, and Divergent by Veronica Roth all made me fall in love will dystopian series!

2. Fantasy

Lately I have been obsessing over fantasy. The Pledge trilogy by Kimberly Derting has really gotten me into this genre.

3. Contemporary Romance

One of my all time favorite authors, Sarah Dessen has written beautiful contemporary novels dealing with relatable situations for any girls in high school.

4. Science Fiction

This genre has definitely grown on me. After reading the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer I was hooked.

5. Classics

This year I plan to read more classics, besides the books I will read for class!