Worth Fighting For by Kirsty Moseley | Book Review

Worth Fighting For by Kirsty Moseley

Reading Group: Anyone who has read Fighting to be Free

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: Sometimes in life you have to walk away . . .

Leaving Jamie Cole was the hardest thing Ellie Pearce ever had to do. Somehow, she moved on. She made a new life in a new city with a new man. So when a family tragedy calls Ellie back home, she believes all her old feelings for Jamie-the hunger, the heat, the heartbreak-are safely behind her. But the second she lays eyes on him, the intensity of their connection is as strong as ever.

Sometimes you stay and fight . . .

Jamie knows pain. He's felt it fighting in the streets, and he felt it fighting to survive in prison. Yet nothing he's experienced has been as painful as the day Ellie left-until the moment she came back. This time Jamie is determined to hold on to Ellie forever. But as much as she still loves him, she can't ignore the dark world he's now a part of. Jamie has enemies. Dangerous ones. And after seeing Jamie with Ellie, they know exactly how to take him out . . .

Cover: The cover of this book is very similar to Fighting to be Free, but instead of Jamie on the cover, it's Ellie, which I think is fitting because this time around the story is really about her and her family.  

My Review: This is the last book review of 2016 and somehow I managed to review a book every single week this year!  Lats year I didn't make it, but this year I put out a review every week!  I wasn't perfect and they weren't all out on Tuesdays, but I am super proud of myself.  I am excited that this is the last book of the year because I absolutely loved it.  Jamie and Ellie were so cute in FTBF and the ending to that story was so heartbreaking that the second I found out there was going to be a sequel I knew it would be great because how could a second chance come and they not end up together?  In this story Ellie realizes that she ran away from her past and even though she thought she was happy and could have a life in England, it didn't change anything that she left behind and refused to deal with.  Forced to come home because of the car accident her parents were involved in, Ellie discovers that she can't hide anymore, and, after figuring out the entire truth behind Jamie's disappearance, she doesn't want to anymore.  The two of them are linked together through so many things and not all of them are good things, but they are able to overcome it all.  This is definitely a "if you love someone let them go and if they come back it was meant to be" kind of stories and I can understand if you think that's corny, but I loved every word of it and Ellie is always calling out Jamie on his corniness so it just fits.  I think this book is a good one to end the year on as well because it's a nice reminder to go into a new year knowing what you're willing to fight for.  For Jamie, it was Ellie.  For you, it may be someone or it may be something or it may be yourself, but whatever it is I hope you fight your very hardest because sight unseen I believe it's worth fighting for.  Here's to 2016!xxx

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Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan | Book Review

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Reading Group: Middle School+

Personal Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: “I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”
 
16-year-old Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on her favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. Dash, in a bad mood during the holidays, happens to be the first guy to pick up the notebook and rise to its challenges. 

What follows is a whirlwind romance as Dash and Lily trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations all across New York City. But can their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions, or will their scavenger hunt end in a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Cover: The cover of this book shows a street corner with the title as the street name, the authors names on a one way sign, the cross/don't cross sign has a heart in it, and the out of focus snow looks like hearts.  In all honestly, for me it's all a bit much.  I like the paperback version's cover, it's simple and cute, but this one just seems a little over the top for me.

My Review: Personally, I couldn't really get into this book.  I thought it would be perfect because it takes place at christmastime and christmas is on Sunday, but I was slightly disappointed.  I loved the dares, I thought they were super cute, and I loved the whole concept of passing the notebook back and forth and getting to know someone in such a peculiar way before actually meeting them.  I just didn't like the characters themselves.  Dash was kind of pretentious, which I found to be super annoying.  He (and some other characters too) threw around big words just because he could and I just got irritated with it.  And Lily was a little too woe-is-me for my liking.  I get that she was disappointed that her christmas wasn't going the way she wanted and I think we would all feel that way, but she was going on these crazy dares and having the best time of her life, which she wouldn't be doing if her family was home.  Also, they were supposed to be sixteen-years-old, but they didn't seem it to me.  They honestly could have been twelve and I think the story would have been the same.  Maybe this book just has a younger audience and if I read it as a freshman in high school I would have liked it better.  I loved the concept, but I wish it was better executed I guess.  All that being said, this book was definitely not the worst book I've ever read and it was a quick read that did put me slightly more into the holiday spirit.  I did like how they referenced Franny and Zooey and  The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler because I just read Franny and Zooey a couple of weeks ago in class and The Mixed-up Files was one of my favorites as a kid.  It was nice to know those books because I knew what they were talking about when they were referenced.  Dash and Lily did sort of remind me of Franny and Zooey and maybe that's another reason I didn't really like this book was because I didn't really like that one.  I don't know maybe one of you can give me better insight and try o change my opinion.

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Nothing Less by Anna Todd | Book Review

Nothing Less by Anna Todd

Reading Group: Anyone who has read Nothing More

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: Old School Manners
The hectic pace and noise of New York City don't stay on the surface: they get into you, affect you.  Landon Gibson has always been the nice guy, the one who would do anything for anyone -- selfless to a fault.  And while he's not on some mission to lose his innate kindness, he's realizing he needs to stick up for himself more, to figure out what he wants and not be shy about it.

Especially when dealing with an ex-girlfriend who runs hot and cold -- treating him badly one day, then proclaiming her need for him the next.  And maybe even more especially when faced with the mysterious Nora -- a girl with at least two names and  a thousand sides to her, some of which really want to jump him, some of which keep pulling her away.  

If there's a mystery at the core of these relationships, Landon also knows it's the mystery of finding a great life.  He just wants someone to call his own.  So here's to hoping that the battleground that is dating in New York isn't just a little too advanced to him. 

Cover: I really like how this cover has out of focus lights on it.  I think it gives it a great dimension and also shows off the yellow text nicely.

My Review: (Disclaimer before I get started on this review: I am writing this on Saturday, but my finals start on Monday (so yesterday for anyone reading this the day it goes live) and my brain is very preoccupied with the New Testament.  So I apologize if this review isn't very good, but to be fair I didn't even think I would get this posted this week) 
Oh my Landon!  He's just such a sweet guy, which we knew from all of the After books, but he lives up to it in his own stories as well.  However, he isn't quite as innocent has he was made out to be, and it's really not a bad thing.  I was so happy with the ending because Dakota was so annoying.  Some of the times I felt bad for her because her past wasn't the greatest, but most of the time she just did things that were mean for no reason.  Landon is one of those characters that everyone just loves and no one wants to see bad things happen to him.  So when bad or confusing things do happen to him, it's always interesting to see how it all pans out.  I thought this book was a great addition Anna Todd's novels.  I don't know if this is the last we'll read of these characters (I hope not.  I need Anna to release a bunch of shorts about what happens in the two years between Hardin visiting New York and Landon's wedding.  Even if it's just on Wattpad), but if it is I think it is a very nice ending to everything.  Stories like this remind us that everything really does work out in the end. 
A lot of this book is on Wattpad and even though I got super excited whenever I saw that it was updated, now that I've read the whole thing I wish more of it was left as a surprise for the paperback version.  I think if the Wattpad version ended before you found out Nora was married it would have made it better because that was the big plot twist.  Also it made the book feel shorter because once you got to the part that was new there was only about thirty pages left.  So yes, I loved that it was on Wattpad, but I wish less of it was revealed online.   

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Girl Online: Going Solo by Zoe Sugg | Book Review

Girl Online: Going Solo by Zoe Sugg

Reading Group: High School+

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: Penny’s life is back to normal.

As Penny starts the school year she’s ready to face the world—alone. Noah has gone off the radar after ending his world tour early, and no one, including Penny, knows where he is. So when she accepts Megan’s invitation to visit her performing arts school, it seems like an opportunity to make some new friends.

Helping everyone else seems to be the right remedy—Elliot needs her friendship more than ever, and she meets Posey, who she can really help with her stage fright. But is charming Scottish boy Callum the right kind of distraction? And can Penny truly move on when Noah’s shadow seems to haunt her around every corner?

Cover: All of the Girl Online books have similar covers, so it is very clear that they are in a series.  On the cover of this novel, there is a masquerade mask, sparklers that make a heart, a camera, and tickets to a "West Side Story" play.  There also seems to be a picture of some type of plant, which may represent the speech about the tree Leah Brown gives Posey.  All of the images on the cover have meaning within the book, and it's always been fun when you get the book to see how they all relate to the storyline.      

My Review: For anyone who has been here for a while knows that I hold a special place in my heart for the Girl Online series because it was one of the first book reviews I ever did, so it's a little sad for me to see the series come to an end.  I did really like this book, though.  I was so sad that Penny and Noah weren't together at the beginning because it was unclear to me how they ended things in On Tour and I got nervous when Callum came into the picture.  However, I was so glad when Noah came back, and there wasn't some big decision Penny had to make.  She took Noah back pretty quickly which I was glad for because obviously, they belong together.  I probably would have been more upset then Penny was if I found out my ex-boyfriend was living in my town and not an ocean away, even if he did have a good reason.  I think this book included a lot of learning for Penny.  She discovered that sometimes friendships fall apart, but other relationships come back stronger than ever.  She also learned that although she loves photography and is really good at it, she also realized that she liked to help people.  The fact that Penny has anxiety has always been such a big part of this series because it's something Zoe Sugg knows a lot about and, although it's beginning to become a common topic in books, it's still not something that is fully understood.  Plus, anxiety is different for everyone and Penny is a great character for someone who suffers from anxiety because she doesn't let it stop her from doing what she loves, but she doesn't ignore it either.  This series was so fun to read, and I'm excited to see what Zoe comes out with next.

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Everyday Magic by Emily Albright | Book Review

Everyday Magic by Emily Albright

Reading Group: High School+

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: From the critically acclaimed author of The Heir and the Spare comes another enchanting tale of love and fame set in England, among the privileges and pressures of the red-carpet life. Maggie's dad is a Hollywood director, and he has her whole life planned: Not only will she grow up to be an entertainment lawyer and work for him, he literally blackmails her to date the boy who's starring in his new movie. But Maggie loves Preston, the British boy who stole her heart, and despite the risk that her dad will make her mother miserable if she doesn't give in, Maggie decides to go for it, designing a red-carpet gown for a young duchess that puts her and the duchess in the limelight. Once there, she turns to Preston and issues a challenge: Can a girl who has given up the glamorous life any other girl would want...be the girl for him?

Cover: The cover of this book shows palm trees and bright lights.  It's very 'Hollywood, ' but no part of this story takes place in Hollywood, so I get it because Maggie's dad is a director, but I wish it were something that had more to do with the story.

My Review: I really liked this book.  I loved The Heir and the Spare, and I still like it a little bit more, but I really loved Maggie and Preston's characters.  I loved that Maggie was a fashion designer because it's just something so interesting and something I don't know how to do so I'm in awe of the people who can sew actual pieces of clothing.  I thought her situation was also a really good story because she's trying to balance school and family and boys, and it really shouldn't have been too difficult for her, but throw in a blackmailing dad and two boys and it becomes a crazy balancing act.  I was really sad when Preston broke up with Maggie, but I couldn't blame him.  It was hard for him to explain why the girl he was seeing was also seeing a movie star, so he cut ties with her.  Of course, once everyone knew what was going on they knew the two of them had to work it out and thankfully they did.  You guys know I love a happy ending!  Also, the fact that Edmond was going to propose to Evie was said in fewer words in the ending, and that just made me all the happier, because like I said, I loved them so much.  This was a great story and a quick read.  I would recommend this to anyone who read The Heir and the Spare, and I would recommend The Heir and the Spare to anyone who loves a sweet love story, or anyone who loves Will and Kate.

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Last Train to Babylon by Charlee Fam | Book Review

Last Train to Babylon by Charlee Fam 

Reading Group: High School+

Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: Fans of Alice Sebold and John Green will be transfixed by this sophisticated, edgy debut novel packing dark humor, biting wit, and a lot of Jack Daniels.

Who put the word fun in funeral? I can’t think of anything fun about Rachel’s funeral, except for the fact that she won’t be there.

Aubrey Glass has a collection of potential suicide notes—just in case. And now, five years—and five notes—after leaving her hometown, Rachel’s the one who goes and kills herself. Aubrey can’t believe her luck.

But Rachel’s death doesn’t leave Aubrey in peace. There’s a voicemail from her former friend, left only days before her death, that Aubrey can’t bring herself to listen to—and worse, a macabre memorial-turned-high-school reunion that promises the opportunity to catch up with everyone . . . including the man responsible for everything that went wrong between Aubrey and Rachel.

In the days leading up to the funeral and infamous after party, Aubrey slips seamlessly between her past and present. Memories of friendship tangle with painful new encounters while underneath it all Aubrey feels the rush of something closing in, something she can no longer run from. And when the past and present collide in one devastating night, nothing will be the same again.

But facing the future means confronting herself and a shattering truth. Now, Aubrey must decide what will define her: what lies behind . . . or what waits ahead.

Cover: The cover of this novel is dark, but you can see that it's an aerial view of a girl.  

My Review: This book was another one that I got in the Barnes&Noble sales bin, but I ended up enjoying it.  I liked how the chapters went from the past to present so that you could figure out all the reasons why Aubrey didn't want to go to Rachel's funeral and why they had such a big falling out after being friends for ten years.  I thought it was interesting how the girl that may or may not have been assaulted by Max was Tonya and she had the ring that Aubrey gave her.  I thought it made the book kind of come together in a full circle, showing that we really aren't that different from the people around us and we all go through traumatic events.  I also thought that Aubrey's reaction to her rape was very real.  She was struggling to put the night back together and see if she could hold any of the blame for what happened and even though I don't think anything that happened was her fault I think she responded the way most people would.  What she went through was very complicated, and it affected her for the rest of her life.  It was sad that what happened with her friend and boyfriend after that went the way it did because Aubrey was going to tell Adam everything, but Rachel got to him first.  Rachel was never a good friend, but I understand why Aubrey didn't cut her off sooner.  When your friends with someone for so long, it is harder to cut them out of your life.  The most frustrating thing about this book was that we never heard the voicemail, but at the same time I liked that we didn't.  It was something that was just between Rachel and Aubrey, so from a literary aspect I respect that the reader didn't get to know what Rachel said, but from a reader's point of view, I am super curious.    

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Gemini by Carol Cassella | Book Review

Gemini by Carol Cassella  

Reading Group: High School+

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: “Gemini is an unforgettable novel—a morality tale, a mystery, and a love story that will leave readers breathless” (Maria Semple, New York Times bestselling author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette).

As should be the case with any memorable love story, the first time Raney Remington saw Bo she hated him. 

When the skinny kid from the city first arrives in her Pacific Northwest hometown, Raney doesn’t quite know what to make of him. Yet her intense dislike of the know-it-all bookworm softens as Bo latches on to Raney, eager to learn about the Washington island he’s been sent for the summer. 

Decades later Dr. Charlotte Reese finds herself fighting to keep an unconscious ICU patient stable while also unwrapping the mystery of the unconscious woman, the victim of a hit-and-run. Consumed by questions about the woman’s identity, Charlotte enlists Eric, her journalist boyfriend, to investigate. Their search for answers brings them to heartrending truths about Jane Doe―and themselves.

In beautiful interwoven storytelling, master of medical drama Carol Cassella presents two women—lifetimes apart—who face the inescapable forces shaping their lives. Filled with stunning medical detail and set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, Gemini is a vivid novel of moral complexity and emotional depth that “is just what the doctor ordered” (People).

Cover: The cover of this book shows two women looking at each other with the forest overlayed on their faces.  It looks like the woman looking down has her eyes open and the woman facing up has her eyes closed.  This could represent Charlottle looking over Raney in the hospital and trying to figure out what was best for her.

My Review:  I bought this book because it was less than $5 at Barnes&Noble, but let me tell you this book was great.  It was unlike most books I've read before because it was so medical, but not confusingly so and it didn't sound like a research paper either.  Charlotte was Raney's doctor so she had to deal with all of the things that came with that and, of course, that means medical terminology that I don't know very well, but through the context of the book I could figure out enough to not have to look it up online.  
This book was crazy in the way it all worked out and how all of the characters were connected to each other.  Eric was in love with Raney, but the timing was never right for them and he was sick and never called her back so she got married.  It was interesting because breaking up with someone can be good, bad, or neutral and it's so different for everyone.  Eric was able to move on and he found Charlotte, but it took him some time to fully commit to her because he knew his future was uncertain.  Raney married Cleet and then David and her life seemed to go downhill after Eric left for good.  Except for Jake, who was her entire world.  I liked Charlotte and Eric together, but it made me a little sad to think of what could have been.
And then the whole Chimera thing that totally blew my mind and made me automatically think of Teen Wolf.  So I guess that means Jake was 50% Raney, 25% Cleet, and 25% Eric (?) or something like that.  It was amazing because I knew Eric had to be Jake's father because of his disease and physical resemblances, but his dark skin tone threw me for a loop and I was trying to figure out how they were all connected.  Who knew that something like this could happen outside of a laboratory?!
I definitely recommend this book, and I also encourage you to look through the sales bin at whatever bookstore you shop at and find something new! 

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