Tuesday, November 29, 2016

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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Wednesday, November 23, 2016

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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Tuesday, November 15, 2016

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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Tuesday, November 8, 2016

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman | Book Review

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman



Reading Group: 4th Grade+

Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: In this Newbery Medal-winning novel, Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place—he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their ghostly teachings—such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him.
Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? And then there are being such as ghouls that aren't really one thing or the other.
The Graveyard Book won the Newbery Medal and the Carnegie Medal and is a Hugo Award Winner for Best Novel.
Supports the Common Core State Standards

Cover: This cover actually isn't the one that is on my copy of the book.  This one has some type of gravestone on it with a blue background.  My edition is all gray with a gravestone of an angel.  What I like about this book is that there are actually illustrations throughout the whole thing and it makes it a little more fun to read.

My Review:  My brother gave me this book to read a long time ago and it just kept getting put at the bottom of the pile.  So I finally got a chance to read it and it was really good.  It reminds me of Harry Potter in the way that it's a children's book, but anyone could read it.  It was a really interesting story and beautifully written.  I didn't know if I would like it when my brother handed it to me because we have similar tastes, but also very different tastes at the same time.  However, I was pleasantly surprised.  As I was reading it I kept thinking it was more a book of short stories about Bod rather than one, but by the end, all of the little adventures he got into when he was little came together and helped him fight against the Jacks.  As some of you may have guessed, I was a little sad when Silas took away Scarlett's memory and she forgot about Bod.  When she came back I was so excited because this was their time.  They were both older and I wanted them to have a cute little romance.  I mean they were only fifteen so I didn't need it to be some great love story, but a little something would have been nice.  I was also sad that Bod started to lose his powers that let him see the ghosts at the end of the story.  But I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone and I think I even saw it on a "Books Every Middle Schoolers Should Read" list at one point.  Neil Gaiman knows how to write so even if you don't think the storyline sounds that interesting, try it, because the way a story is told makes or breaks it and this one is told beautifully.


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Tuesday, November 1, 2016

The Cabin by Natasha Preston | Book Review

The Cabin by Natasha Preston


Reading Group: High School+

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: There may only be one killer, but no one is innocent in this new young adult thriller from Natasha Preston, author of The Cellar, a New York Times Bestseller, and Awake


They think they're invincible.
They think they can do and say whatever they want.
They think there are no consequences.
They've left me no choice.
It's time for them to pay for their sins.


A weekend partying at a remote cabin is just what Mackenzie needs. She can't wait to let loose with her friends. But a crazy night of fun leaves two of them dead-murdered.

With no signs of a forced entry or struggle, suspicion turns to the five survivors. Someone isn't telling the truth. And Mackenzie's first mistake? Assuming the killing is over...

Cover: This book has a cabin and a rose on its cover.  The cabin is obviously the cabin that the characters stayed in that weekend Josh and Courtney were murdered.  The rose has a cobweb on it that gives it a pretty creepy effect.  Dark covers with a flower seem to be Natasha Preston's 'thing' and I really like it.  I think it really goes well with her books because they all seem to be a little creepy, but they always have some type of happiness.   

My Review:  It seems to be a theme that every time I finish a Natasha Preston novel I hope there's a sequel on its way.  The way this book ended made me so sad.  I just need there to be a sequel that tells me Aaron confesses the truth and Blake comes back to Mackenzie.  I'll even settle for a three chapter book on Wattpad.  
This book was really good and if you liked any of the other two Natasha Preston books I've reviewed, you'll like this one too.  It was so interesting to imagine what it would be like to be in that situation.  Your friends end up dead and you know one of your other friends is the killer, but you don't know which one.  How do you know who to trust?  The way this book ended too was just crazy.  And so thought out.  I mean, Megan really covered her tracks and had her alibi ready to go.  It made her so much more dangerous knowing just how much she was capable of.  She drugged her 'girlfriend,' killed two of her other friends, blackmailed a friend because she knew he would protect her and take the blame, and then framed Blake so that everyone would think he was the actual killer.  I did think it was interesting that she was so mad at Josh and Courtney for Gigi and Tilly's death, but if she had never drugged Gigi the car accident probably wouldn't have happened.  But even then, it was a car accident that wasn't meant to happen.  I mean, she  definitely had something mentally wrong with her that made her thinking not accurate, but she said at one point that she thought it was her fault.  
And of course (and if you've read a lot of my reviews you'll know this), I loved the Mackenzie and Blake love story.  I thought it was so cute and he was everything Mackenzie needed.  She needed someone to trust and Blake, the stranger really, was that person.  They were simply adorable and that's what made me so sad to read the ending.  
If you haven't read this book I would definitely recommend you check it out and let me know what you think in the comments below!!

Smile!  I'll talk to you soon!xxx


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