Book Review: Together We Caught Fire by Eva B. Gibson

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publish Date: February 4th, 2020

Series: Stand Along

Source: E-galley from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Synopsis:

A forbidden attraction grows even more complicated when the guy Lane Jamison has crushed on for years suddenly becomes her step-brother in this sexy and gorgeously written debut novel about the lines between love, desire, and obsession.

What happens when the boy you want most becomes the one person you can’t have?

Lane Jamison's life is turned upside down the week before her senior year when her father introduces her to his new fiancée: mother of Grey McIntyre, Lane’s secret, longtime crush. Now with Grey living in Lane’s house, there’s only a thin wall separating their rooms, making it harder and harder to deny their growing mutual attraction—an attraction made all the more forbidden by Grey’s long-term girlfriend Sadie Hall, who also happens to be Lane’s friend

Torn between her feelings for Grey and her friendship with Sadie—not to mention her desire to keep the peace at home—Lane befriends Sadie’s older brother, Connor, the black sheep of the strict, evangelical Hall family. Connor, a metal working artist who is all sharp edges, challenges Lane in ways no one else ever has. As the two become closer and start to open up about the traumas in their respective pasts, Lane begins to question her conviction that Connor is just a distraction.

Tensions come to a head after a tragic incident at a party, forcing Lane to untangle her feelings for both boys and face the truth of what—and who—she wants, in this gripping and stunningly romantic debut novel.

My Review:

Lane, Conner, Grey and Sadie are the main characters in Together We Caught Fire, a book about forbidden romance, teen angst, and a lot of other issues that may not be okay for everyone to read. There is definitely a need for trigger warnings with this book - suicide and drug use, among others.

The beginning of this book was extremely confusing, I wasn't sure what was going on. It got better but to be honest, the overall book fell a little flat for me. There were some great parts, I'll give you that. At first I enjoyed the playful friendship between Conner and Lane, and the time they spent together. But then things changed and their relationship changed to this weird back and forth. Sadie was an interesting character that felt out of place to me.

Overall, this just wasn't the book I was expecting. I think people are going to fall into 2 categories with this one, you're either going to love it, or not and it looks like I fall into the latter.

Book Review: Find Your Pleasure: The Art of Living A More Joyful Life by Cynthia Loyst

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publish Date: January 7th, 2020
Series: None
Source: E-Galley from publisher in exchange for honest review

Goodreads Synopsis:

Find Your Pleasure is a pleasure revolution: where society has told women to feel guilty or ashamed for embracing pleasures, Cynthia Loyst shows you how to get to the heart of what you need and want, in every aspect of life.

Live: Uncover the beauty of everyday moments, celebrate family and friends, find fun and satisfaction in your workdays, and enjoy the immense rewards parenting has to offer—all while being mindful of taking care of yourself.

Love: Cynthia reveals everything from learning to enjoy your body more, ways to feel intimate and communicate effectively with your partner, and the keys to having better sex.
Inspire: Find out how to let your creative self bloom, seek out exciting new pathways in life, and let kindness guide you with Cynthia’s tips and tricks for mastering mindfulness and meditation.

Through her insightful anecdotes, Cynthia empowers women to revel in all of life’s joys, even the messy ones. Filled with beautiful color photographs, Find Your Pleasure is a treat for the soul that you can devour in one go or savor in tiny bites.

My Review:

What a simple thought this is...do what brings you pleasure in life, and don't feel bad about it. But like most people, I find this hard. I don't have time, I don't have the energy, I should do something else instead...etc. But Cynthia Loyst writes that it doesn't need to be super difficult or time consuming (if we choose), and we don't need to feel guilty for taking time to do what we love. I love these movements that have taken over - find a more joyful life, kon-mari your space - I'm not usually one to jump on these so-called "bandwagons", but there's something about simplicity and joyfulness that resonates with me this time around, which is why I wanted to read this book - I also really like Cynthia on The Social! And trust me when I say I'm working on this and decluttering my home, and man it feels great!

While Cynthia is first and foremost a relationship/sexual health columnist/writer, Find Your Pleasure doesn't only focus on those aspects. In this book she talks about finding pleasure with family, friends, in your work life, and home life. Plants make you feel happy? Fill your home with them! Want to lay in a hot bath for hours? Do it and lock the door so no one can bother you!

She writes about how women feel guilty taking time for themselves and how we stop doing the things we love for us becuase we've been engrained to feel this way from society. On Instagram I follow a lot of advocates (body positivity, equality, etc) and I'd say it's people like them and Cynthia Loyst that are paving way for a more accepting world a little each day, and I applaud them. Now excuse me while I go drink my coffee, and listen to Justin Bieber, because right now that's what brings me pleasure!

Book Review: The Littlest Bigfoot by Jennifer Weiner

Publish Date: September 13th, 2016
Publisher: Aladdin
ISBN: 9781481470742
Pages: 304
Series: Book #1
Source: ARC from publisher for honest review

Goodreads Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling of Hungry Heart Jennifer Weiner comes a laugh-out-loud funny and painstakingly real tale of friendship, furry creatures, and finding the place where you belong.

Alice Mayfair, twelve years old, slips through the world unseen and unnoticed. Ignored by her family and shipped off to her eighth boarding school, Alice would like a friend. And when she rescues Millie Maximus from drowning in a lake one day, she finds one.

But Millie is a Bigfoot, part of a clan who dwells deep in the woods. Most Bigfoots believe that people—NoFurs, as they call them—are dangerous, yet Millie is fascinated with the No-Fur world. She is convinced that humans will appreciate all the things about her that her Bigfoot tribe does not: her fearless nature, her lovely singing voice, and her desire to be a star.

Alice swears to protect Millie’s secret. But a league of Bigfoot hunters is on their trail, led by a lonely kid named Jeremy. And in order to survive, Alice and Millie have to put their trust in each other—and have faith in themselves—above all else. 

My Review:

What a refreshing read this was! In many ways, it reminded me of how I felt reading Jason Segels Nightmares. It truly made me happy to read such a wonderful book. 

Alice is a young girl just trying to get by in life. But she's different. She's clumsy, has big messy hair, doesn't look at all like the other girls and is just plain awkward. She's been to many many schools and can't find one that suits her eccentric learning style. And honestly, reading the beginning and her troubles and turmoils at the different schools made me laugh out loud!

I love that The Littlest Bigfoot touches on the serious subjects that need to be talked about nowadays. Bullying and acceptance are huge in this novel along with friendship and how it's ok to be friends with someone who isn't exactly like you. Take Millie for example. She's curious, adventurous and not even human and the friendship that Alice and Millie create will be that of a lifetime. These are the books I wish I read in middle school. Books to teach me how to find the place where I belong, and how it's ok to be different.

I liked how the book was separated into the chapters each focusing on either Millie, Alice and Jeremy (who just really wants to catch a Bigfoot!) I enjoyed that we got to dig a little deeper into each character and see their personalities shine through a little more. This is the kind of book that all kids should read and appreciate and I myself am looking forward to sinking into the sequel that's promised at the end of Jennifer Weiners debut middle-grade fiction, The Littlest Bigfoot.

Book Review: Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publish Date: April 1st, 2005
ISBN: 9780312321192
Pages: Paperback, 322
Series: Darcy & Rachel, #1
Source: Bought 

Goodreads Synopsis:
Meet Rachel White, a young attorney living and working in Manhattan. Rachel has always been the consummate good girl--until her thirtieth birthday, when her best friend Darcy throws her a party. That night, after too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed with Darcy's fiance'. Although she wakes up determined to put the one-night fling behind her, Rachel is horrified to discover that she has genuine feelings for the one guy she should run from. In her wildest dreams (or worst nightmare?) this is the last thing on earth Rachel could ever have imagined happening. As the September wedding date nears, Rachel knows she has to make a choice. In doing so, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat and sometimes you have to risk all to win true happiness. 'Something Borrowed' is a phenomenal debut novel that will have you laughing, crying, and calling your best friend.

My Review:
I love this book, and keep coming back to read it again and again. Everything about it screams perfection and excellence. 
Giffin is such a creative writer and the humor and the dialogue is so spot on that you'll read Something Borrowed in no time at all and be begging for more. You want more? Well lucky for you, there is Something Blue, book # 2, and if you're up for it you can re-live Something Borrowed in the form of a movie! And trust me, while the movie is, well you know, an adaptation of the book, it's still totally worth the watch.
Something Borrowed is best read on a beach during summer or on vacation. Or curled up under a blanket on a cold winters evening. While the book focuses on the terrible acts of infidelity, you'll laugh, cry and picks sides. It's an easy book to fly through and you'll be glad you did. Rachel, Darcy, Dex and Ethan are characters that you can easily relate to some way or another and you'll find yourself picking them out in your own group of friends. 
I can't say enough good things about Something Borrowed, and after reading this for the first time ages ago, Emily Giffin has become one of my favourite authors. Her chick-lit is a blast to read!

Book Review: I Take You By Eliza Kennedy

Publish Date: May 5th, 2015
Publisher: HarperAvenue
ISBN: 9781443434232
Pages: 304
Series: None
Source: ARC from publisher to participate in HCC First Look Program

Goodreads Synopsis:
Meet Lily Wilder: New Yorker, lawyer and the luckiest woman in the world. She has a dream job, friends who adore her, a family full of charismatic and loving women, and a total catch of a fiance. Also, she has no business getting married.

Lily’s fiance, Will, is a brilliant, handsome archaeologist. Lily is sassy, impulsive, fond of a good drink (or five) and completely incapable of being faithful to just one man. Lily likes Will, but does she love him? Will loves Lily, but does he really know her? As the wedding approaches, Lily’s nights—and mornings, and afternoons—of booze, laughter and questionable decisions become a growing reminder that the happiest day of her life might turn out to be her worst mistake yet.

Bridget Jones’s Diary meets Where’d You Go, Bernadette in this joyous and ribald debut that introduces a fabulously self-assured protagonist whose choices raise fresh questions about gender politics, monogamy and the true meaning of fidelity. 

My Review:
I Take You - a funny debut by Eliza Kennedy was a fresh read. It was way different from my last two reads, and just what I needed after them. It was sultry, sexy, and down right dirty at times, but it was fun! 

Lily, the reckless New Yorker, the hard working lawyer is getting married. No one can believe it, including herself sometimes. But here she is, planning her wedding and going to Florida to make it official. Her parents (all of them!) try to talk her out of the marriage. The reason? Lily cannot be faithful to just one man. The man she should be faithful to, her fiance Will is a loveable, smart, good-looking archaeologist who fell quickly for Lily. With just a few dates under their belts, do they really know each other? Are they truly ready for marriage? What will become of Lily and Will in the end?

Lily loves booze, it consumes her mornings, afternoons and evenings and sometimes has her making questionable decisions. With the wedding just days away Lily cannot fight her urge to be with other men. At times Lily will resolve that she really does love Will and she promises that never again will she stray. But a few drinks later, enter a good looking guy at a bar, a groomsman perhaps, maybe even her boss and Lily cannot refuse a good time.

Filled with humor, Star Wars references and a whole lot of gender politics and surrounding issues, it's a book that will have you laughing out loud and talking about with your girlfriends. A fun summer read.

Book Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Publication Date: August 30, 2011
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 978-1-442-40201-0
Pages: Paperback, 543
Series: Nevermore, #1
Source: Bought

Goodreads Synopsis:
Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.
Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.
As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it.

My Review:

I've never been a huge fan of poetry. Not because I don't enjoy it, but because I've never been able to decipher and find the real and intended meaning in the words. I've been intrigued by the works of Edgar Allen Poe but never took it upon myself  to read any of his works, so I guess this was my first dip into his works.

Isobel, the main character is a popular teenage, beautiful cheerleader whose life is normal as she knows it. She's dating the football star, her friends are all popular like her. This is the life that other teenagers envy until she is paired up in English class with "the freak". The Gothic looking guy who is kind of creepy and keeps to himself always. With his long black hair, black eyeliner and chains everywhere Isobel is a little worried (not only for her grade but also for her life.)

I couldn't really relate on a personal level with Isobel but I did like her. She was easy to like, just your typical teenager trying to fit in and be cool. Varen is the guy she is paired up with. He's quiet, keeps to himself. He;s never been bothered with people at school or the rumors, or anything else really. Varen has a few friends, and like him, are fully clad in black so he's said to be a vampire and Isobel's friends make jokes about that during their time spent working on their English project. I liked Varen to be honest, he had an attitude that was really fun to read. He was so straight to the point, obvious and blunt that just made him a memorable character in Nevermore.

The English project that Varen and Isobel are working on is about Edgar Allen Poe and Varen is very knowledgeable about him and his works (Isobel not so much!) Isobel is left with Varen's copy of Poe's work, and once she has that in her possession, things start to happen that she can't explain. From this point on we are no longer reading about high school projects, friendships and drama. We're reading of paranormal events, dreams and nightmares that can actually become reality.

Kelly Creagh had a talent for writing and story telling, as Nevermore is her first book and it's as well-known and popular as it is. The description that Kelly writes in the pages is great and adds to the overall picture. The characters are developed and the book flows together nicely.

I'm definitely looking forward to book two. I want to see where Isobel and Varen's relationship takes them. I want to know what separates the dream world from the real world.

Wanderlove

Today, Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard is released.

I haven't had to chance to read Like Mandarin, Hubbard's debut novel, but it's been on my list to read for sometime now (my local bookstores never have it in stock and I do keep forgetting to order it) But one of these fine days, I will read both of these books.

I do go to Kirsten's blog regularly, and read her posts and throughly enjoy them all. Right now, she's holding an awesome contest on the YA Highway blog. You should enter, the prizes are amazing. If you've read her books, I hope you enjoyed them as much as I hope to and if you haven't read them, then we need to!

Book Review: Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

Publish Date: November 1st, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 330
Series:
ISBN: 9781442423510
Source: From publisher for review

Goodreads Synopsis:

Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs…Now it’s our turn. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening. An ancient evil has been unleashed, turning everyday people into hunters, killers, crazies.
Mason's mother is dying after a terrible car accident. As he endures a last vigil at her hospital bed, his school is bombed and razed to the ground, and everyone he knows is killed. Aries survives an earthquake aftershock on a bus, and thinks the worst is over when a mysterious stranger pulls her out of the wreckage, but she’s about to discover a world changed forever. Clementine, the only survivor of an emergency town hall meeting that descends into murderous chaos, is on the run from savage strangers who used to be her friends and neighbors. And Michael witnesses a brutal road rage incident that is made much worse by the arrival of the police--who gun down the guilty party and then turn on the bystanding crowd.
Where do you go for justice when even the lawmakers have turned bad? These four teens are on the same road in a world gone mad. Struggling to survive, clinging on to love and meaning wherever it can be found, this is a journey into the heart of darkness – but also a journey to find each other and a place of safety.

My Review:

Why oh why did I wait so long to read this one? Simon & Schuster were nice enough to send me a review copy back some time and I never got around to it until now and I'm kicking myself wondering why I didn't read it sooner!
There are a few keys words that stuck out to me on the back cover of the ARC - "Society has fallen apart. No one can be trusted." Sounds great, huh? But those words are nothing compared to what actually transpires in the novel. Dark Inside is a creepy book, even scary at times. I'd even go as far as saying that Jeyn Roberts has a twisted mind! The detail she puts into her writing (the death's of the people, the killing scenes, etc) is absolutely wild (and twisted and crazy and it will have your stomach in knots and your nose wrinkled). Yes, the detail is that vivid. But more than that, the story has a great plot. An earthquake that rattles and shakes more than just the ground. People are turning on one another, killing each other and few that are left to survive are being hunted down. You'll be on the edge of your seat the whole time it takes you to read Dark Inside, and trust me it wont take that long because you'll be so engrossed and have that need to find out what happens next.
The novel goes between narrators and Jeyn makes it easy to follow. We're taken on adventures of basically the survival of the fittest and each character has their own way of dealing with the almost apocalypse type thing that some say is happening. Each character has the common goal of surviving and outrunning what is out there but yet each character couldn't be more different. We get so many emotions running through the characters and pages of Dark Inside but it never feels overwhelming. The cowardice, the bravery, the sadness, the adrenaline, everything the characters (and the reader) feel ties in so well and makes for a great book. And the ending!? Wow!
Jeyn Roberts debut novel is awesome, truly truly awesome, and definitely worth the read! Just be prepared, at times Dark Inside is gruesome and paints a clear, sometimes unwanted picture in your head that may keep you up at night!

Enjoy!

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Publish Date: May 3, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 489
ISBN: 978-0-0620-2402-2
Series: Divergent #1
Source: Won from book store

Goodreads Synopsis:

Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

My Review:

Veronica Roth's debut novel, Divergent was a phenomenal read! I don't know why I waited so long to read it. I loved it more than I thought I would, not that I didn't think I'd love it, I just wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did!
I knew from the first page that it was going to be something magical (and not magical in the Harry Potter magical way), it was magical in the sense that Veronica Roth creates a world unlike no other. A world in which we immerse ourselves in the original and realistic factions of Candor, Dauntless, Amity, Abnegation and Erudite. I haven't read a lot of dystopian books, but this one was fantastic, well-written and all in all, epic!
Tris, the main character, is probably one of the strongest female leads I've read in a while. Even with growing up in Abnegation, and being told to think and act a certain way, she was strong willed, didn't take anybody's crap and could dish out a solid right hook if she needed. I loved everything about Tris and what she stood for. Then there's Four, a mysterious and intriguing character. There seems to be so much we don't know about Four, but Tris (and me for that matter) still wanted to befriend him. There was something about Four that stood out, I don't think Roth tried to play up on Fours good looks or give him much sex appeal, I think he had it naturally.
The story is so unique and Veronica Roth's idea of her dystopian world is exciting! I could picture everything - the Abnegation with their grey clothes and everything in an orderly fashion, the Candors in their blue clothes, the dauntless and their "bad ass" looks - and the writing excels. Roth's way of writing seems effortless, as if she's been writing best sellers for years upon years, yet Divergent was the 22 year olds debut novel! There is not one negative thing I can say about Divergent.
It's an exciting and engaging ride with twists and turns and Divergent will have your mind racing as you flip the pages and continue the one choice you made - the choice to read Divergent!