Review: Touch by Jus Accardo

Touch by Jus Accardo

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


I was able to read Touch thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing.



Touch was enjoyable. The author created an interesting world. The idea of a corporation controlling the Sixes was unique and intriguing. However, I found myself confused sometimes when information was being thrown at me so fast that I couldn't keep up. I had to re-read some passages to figure out what I had missed the first time around. A little more background information on Denizen and the Sixes would have helped. I want to know how it all started.



I liked the characters. Deznee is an adrenaline junkie. She was strong and fearless and never backed down. Although I would have liked to see a little more vulnerability from her. Kale was innocent, yet strong and protective, especially when it came to Deznee. He was also cute, but totally clueless! I enjoyed watching Kale experience a lot of 'firsts'. The secondary characters are quite varied - from best friend to very bad men, everyone played an important role in the story.



Touch is fast paced, exciting, and sick and twisted. I will definitely be reading the next in this series.









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Review: Die for Me (Revenants #1) by Amy Plum

Warning: This Review is Spoilerific!!
Die for Me (Revenants #1) by Amy Plum
Library copy read by me on August 7, 2011

First, let me say how much I liked this book. Secondly, let me tell you just how much this book reminds me of Twilight. Okay, to be fair, it doesn't 'remind' me of Twilight. It almost IS Twilight. (And I like Twilight.) Just like Twilight, Die For Me is not literary genius, but it is very entertaining for the most part.

Die For Me follows almost all of the same plot points from Twilight. It's eerily similar. But not so eerie if you read the author's blog and realize how much she loves Twilight. So she wrote her own version of Twilight, but instead of a family of vampires she uses the term 'zombie' - which is just to say that they are undead.

Off the top of my head, here are the ways that Die For Me is like Twilight:
Teenage Kate moves to a new city - Paris to be precise.
Kate meets boy, Vincent, under mysterious circumstances and is attracted to him instantly.
Vincent falls for Kate for no reason.
Kate obsesses over Vincent's good looks while not believing herself pretty enough to be worthy of him.
Vincent stalks Kate.
Vincent doesn't sleep.
Vincent is a 100 year old virgin who has never been in love before Kate.
Vincent wants he and Kate to stay pure.
Vincent thinks Kate should stay away from him for her own good, but he is miserable without her.
Vincent's Family has been around for centuries undetected. But they immediately take a liking to Kate and let her in their family unit.
Kate has a special power that no other human has.
Bad guys go after Kate to get to Vincent's family.
There's more, but I'll stop the comparison here.

I still can't believe that I like this book. It's total ripoff! But I gave it 3 stars anyway. And honestly, if I had never read Twilight, I would think that Die For Me was so original and different.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Hopefully Amy Plum can come up with the rest of this story without copying Twilight. Who knows, maybe she CAN have an original thought.

Review - There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Wonderfully written with diverse characters, There You'll Find Me is very heartfelt. I am not a religious person, so I was leery about reading this, but I am glad I did. While there were a few Bible verses, it wasn't overly preachy. Although I did find it odd that ALL of the secondary characters in this story had such firm religious beliefs. It was with the help and guidance of these characters that the protagonist, Finley, found her way through a difficult time.



Finley has lost touch with God after the death of her brother. Reading her brother's travel journal, Finley decides to follow in his footsteps and spend her senior year as an exchange student in Ireland. She believes that visiting the places that brought her brother closer to God will do the same for her.



On the plane to Ireland, Finley meets Beckett Rush, an actor and heartthrob who is a tabloid favorite. Because of Beckett's well publicized exploits, Finley wants nothing to do with him. Of course Beckett likes Finley due to her lack of interest in him. Beckett finds a way to spend time with Finley - by helping her locate and visit the places from her brother's journal.



I liked the slow build to the Finley/Beckett romance. They were able to let go and be themselves around each other, which lets the reader get to know them also.



While this is a serious book with lots of issues going on, it still had cute, fun, and entertaining moments throughout.



Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the eARC.



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What I Am Reading

I just finished There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones on NetGalley. It was an easy read. A little bit sweet, a little sad at times, but ultimately heartwarming.

I am also reading Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard from the library. This one is sort of difficult to follow. It is not written in a typical fashion and it jumps around a lot. I haven't given up on it yet.

Cayman Summer by Angela Morrison is on her blog. I find myself not wanting to finish reading this because I don't want to be disappointed after the first 2 books were pretty good.

I received my FREE signed copy of Overprotected from Jennifer Laurens. Now I just have to find time to read it.

Waiting at the library for me to pick up is Bargains and Betrayals by Shannon Delaney. And I have Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles, and The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin on reserve.

I also have The Juliet Spell by Doulas Rees waiting for me on NetGalley. It's not getting good reviews on Goodreads, which makes me leery of starting it, but I may give it a go tomorrow.

What are you reading?

New Book and DVD Releases

Today is the release of Chain Reaction, the third book of the Perfect Chemistry Series by Simone Elkeles. Which Fuentes brother is your favorite?



You can also check out Simone Elkeles YouTube Channel for more trailers and behind the scenes videos.



Today is also the release of Bargains and Betrayals, the third book in the 13 to Life series by Shannon Delaney. I love Pietr Rusakova so I can't wait to read this.



Check out the 13 To Life YouTube Channel for more trailers.



AND, if that's not enough for one day, the new Jane Eyre comes out on DVD today. I love, love, love the 2006 Masterpiece Theatre version of Jane Eyre with Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson. But I am willing to give this new version a chance.

Maggie Stiefvater

Author Maggie Stiefvater recently made an appearance nearby. I loved Shiver and Linger. I was halfway through reading Forever when we went to this book signing, or I would have had a hard time hiding my disappointment. (My Forever review is coming soon. It's taken me 10 days to chill and form coherent sentences.)

Maggie is a freaking hilarious storyteller. She is very animated and has no difficulty poking fun at herself. My husband commented to me that if the writing thing doesn't work out for her, she would make a great stand up comedian.

Maggie shared a story about 'Forever'. She finished the book and sent it off to her agent. She wasn't pleased with what she wrote, so she scrapped the entire book and started over. She mentioned knowing what her readers want, what readers expect to happen with Grace and Sam. And making readers laugh and making readers cry (she forgot to mention making readers pull their freaking hair out in frustration!!)

It was a nice opportunity to meet an author that I enjoy. And to see her car. Seriously. See?

Books!!!

Sooooo many books I want to read!! I currently have 95 books in my To Read section on Goodreads. I've listed a few below that are coming soon that are definite must reads. See anything on there that you like?




Forever which I received today. The 3rd book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. First, Sam was a wolf and Grace was a girl. Then Sam became a boy and Grace became a wolf. Will Sam be able to save Grace before the wolves are hunted and killed?






Love Story on July 19. I've read a few of Jennifer Echols books. I loved Going Too Far. Major Crush was cute. Forget You was silly. I hope I like Love Story. There is also going to be an ebook released on Dec. 20 titled Double Date.







Nocturne on August 23. 2nd book in the Claire de Lune series. Female werewolves. 'Nuff said.









Chain Reaction on August 16. 3rd book in the Perfect Chemistry series. The youngest of the Fuentes boys falls for a bad girl.








Bargains and Betrayals on August 16. 3rd book in the 13 to Life series. I was looking forward to the end of this series so I could find out if Pietr and Jessie would just be with each other already, but there is to be a 4th book coming in Jan. 2012.







Eternal on August 2. 3rd book in the Immortal series. This book seems to be more of a companion book to the first and second books. I only want to read it to find out if Sebastian is really gone forever or if there is some hope of him coming back. This is a definite library loaner - I'm already on the reserve list. There's no way I would buy it - especially with no Sebastian.




Juliet Immortal on August 9. I love Romeo & Juliet so I thought I would give this a try.










Lola and the Boy Next Door on Sept. 29. Companion to Anna and the French Kiss (which I adored.)









Silence on October 4. 3rd book in the Hush, Hush series. Patch. People either love him or hate him. I'm somewhere in the middle.

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

I have been reading a lot this summer. Actually, I have been reading a lot for the past few years, but I guess I've just noticed recently how many books I am getting a chance to read. And there are still so many books that I want to read. I keep getting caught up in series. I tell myself not to read the first book in a new series because I hate waiting a year for the next book to find out what happens. There are plenty of books out there that are stand alone or series that are farther along that I can get caught up in. And I have been. Good thing the library is right around the corner. I send my husband there - he is in and out in a hurry. I would end up coming home with more books than I could read in a reasonable time frame.

Tons of new books are coming out this summer and fall that I can't wait to read. Today the third Wolves of Mercy Falls book, Forever, by Maggie Stiefvater comes out. I have to wait a couple days to get my copy, but that's what I get for pre-ordering it.

Maggie is also heading out on a book tour and is coming to St. Louis, so I should be able to wrangle my husband into taking me. I want some of the cool swag she has going on.

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


While I enjoyed reading Hereafter, it was a little lacking. The writing didn't have enough depth, at least as far as the characters go. I would have loved to learn more of what Amelia and Joshua were thinking and feeling. Especially after Joshua saw Amelia for the first time. While I think their need for each other was a little quick, I can understand why they would be attracted to each other (even if this attraction and 'love' was never explained by the author). I am grateful that they didn't profess their love for each other over and over. It was just there, through looks and touches and actions, but not over the top excessive.



Then there were times when the story got too 'wordy' for me. How many times and how many paragraphs do you need to describe a sunset? How many times do you need to describe the tingles when Joshua touches Amelia? Or describe Amelia's 'nightmare'?



Overall, the story flowed nicely. There was enough happening that it kept my interest and kept me reading to find out what was going on. Throw in a Grandma who can also see spirits, a bad spirit named Eli, and a little sister who needs saving, and you have an entertaining read. And it turns out a lot of things were never explained, so that leaves me wanting to read the next book to find out what happens.



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Review: What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I just finished reading What Happened to Goodbye, and I must say it's typical Sarah Dessen. Only this time it's a little boring. Nothing exciting happened at all. It just sort of rolls along.



The protagonist, Mclean, while likable, wasn't very deep. Since her parent's divorce, she has lived with her father, which means moving to a new town every 6 months due to his work. Mclean manages to reinvent herself in every new town. She can be whatever and whoever she chooses - she even has a different name with every move. It seems like it would take a lot of work to pull off a new persona with every new town. Her dad doesn't even notice that Mclean is a different person in each new place. And she doesn't get along with her mother, and feels that she doesn't fit in with her mother's life since the divorce (she remarried and has a set of twins). Mclean seems to have no problem packing up and leaving everything behind - she doesn't even make a point of telling her current set of friends goodbye.



In the latest move, Mclean becomes known as Mclean before she has a chance to become a new persona. So she finally decides to just be herself. Dave, the boy next door (literally) was flat and uninteresting. Even though everyone told us how different he was, he didn't display any qualities that would make him likable as boyfriend material. Sadly, Dave and Mclean didn't have chemistry, and there were no 'wow' moments between them.



I liked the new friends that Mclean made. They were an interesting lot, even if they weren't fleshed out at all.



Towards the end of the book, Mclean's lifestyle catches up with her and she is forced to realize why she has been hiding behind the varied versions of herself. It's all resolved quite quickly and with only the very slightest amount of teenage angst.



Another reviewer, Joy Kim, summed this up perfectly: "The good thing about Sarah Dessen is that you always know exactly what you're getting when you pick up one of her books. The bad thing is that you always know exactly what you're getting when you pick up one of her books."



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Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


4.5 Stars



I really enjoyed If I Stay, and I was looking forward to reading Adam's POV in Where She Went. I started reading and could not stop. I was about 88% finished when I was just overwhelmed and had to stop. My heart was breaking for Adam. It has taken me several weeks to have enough courage to pick up this book and finish it. I went over possible endings in my head. Did I want them back together, or would I be satisfied if they had 'closure' and walked away from each other? I was quite scared that I wouldn't like the outcome. Now I am glad that I took the break before finishing. The ending was emotional and very satisfying. If I Stay and Where She Went are definite must-reads for everyone.



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Freebie Friday Winner

Congratulations Pat. Please send me an email with your shipping address to PinkLadyDesignsATcharter.net Thank you!!

I understand my reading tastes aren't for everyone. I have really been on a YA kick for the past 2 years. If anyone is interested, you can find me on
Goodreads to see what I have been reading. I am always up for new recommendations.

And in case any of you wondered, I didn't become Dorothy on Friday night. The closest tornado to us was less than 5 miles away, so we did spend a little time in the basement. The F4 tornado that also hit Lambert St. Louis Airport was very close to where my husband and I grew up, so we know the area well. It's actually a few miles away from my parent's house where we are going for Easter Sunday. We plan on driving down the highway so we can show the kids the damage. They don't remember much about the area even though we drive that way several times a year. I'll see if I can get some photos.

Winner!! Happy Saturday

Wow. I actually got last week's American Idol bottom 3 correct in my first try. I should have stopped overthinking on that one. I think it was past Paul's time to go.

I am sewing today. YAY!!! Both of my kids starting feeling like crap last Sunday evening. They ended up not going to school Monday thru Thursday. Both have strep, and my son has a terrible ear infection. By Friday I had my fill of 2 crabby, whiny kids, and a very cute puppy (dog?).

I didn't get any sewing done, but I did manage to read quite a lot since we were all laying about the house.

I finished All You Get Is Me by Yvonne Prinz.
I read The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta.
I also read This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen.
Then I reread my copy of If I Stay by Gayle Forman, because I received my copy of Where She Went and I had to refresh my memory before digging in. I am 3/4 done with Where She Went, and I am afraid to finish it. If they don't end up together after all this angst, I might have to strangle someone.

The winner of last Sunday's Freebie cute little Farmer's Market zipper pouch is Angela. Please email me with your shipping address and I will get that out to you. My son picked the winner. This is what he usually looks like - love the headset.

Jennifer Laurens Book and Tee Giveaway

Jennifer Laurens is having another giveaway. This time it is 2 sets of Books and Tees - Heavenly and A Season of Eden. Be sure to check out her blog and enter.

Also be sure to leave a comment on MY Friday Freebie post. I am giving away this cute wristlet:

'Overprotected' by Jennifer Laurens

Jennifer Laurens has a new book titled Overprotected that is currently available in e-reader format. You can watch the book trailer below.

Another Day of Snow and Another Giveaway

Yesterday (Monday) was just some sleet, freezing rain, and heavy (HEAVY) rain that was ahead of the gigantic storm that has arrived here this morning. We now have a blizzard warning and the state has called out the National Guard. According to officials this is supposed to be the worst storm in over 20 years. We are still on the border between receiving 8-12 inches of snow and 12-24 inches of snow. Gah.

I'm sitting here on my laptop, watching the endless weather coverage on TV, and chilling with my doggie Max. He's siting on my foot - he loves being close to us - and chewing on a chicken flavored rawhide. It still boggles me why they make chicken flavored COW rawhides. Wouldn't BEEF flavor make more sense?

Yesterday the kids had a half day of school, so we all kind of chilled around the house with the dog and cat. I managed to read a book. An entire book. Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta. Which I read in advance of The Piper's Son being released on March 8.

I read 32 books in 2010, and 5 so far in 2011. I have so many more still on my to read list, and I add more almost every day. I love using Goodreads to keep track of my books and to find more books to read.

Giveaway time again. The cute little zipper pouch pictured below. All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know what you are currently reading, or a book that is on your to read list. Winner will be chosen on Tuesday, February 8.

You can also find me here on Goodreads. (Not required to enter giveaway.)

Did you know there is only one PINK Kindle out there...

and that Stephen King has it? I just found out about this. Apparently Amazon asked Stephen King to write a short story for the launch of the new Kindle (in 2009). Stephen's story featured a Pink Kindle, so they made and presented him with his own Pink Kindle.

Gosh Darnit, I want a Pink Kindle. Seriously. I never wanted a Kindle until I saw his pink one. I think ereaders are a great idea, and I can see the appeal of having all of your books in one place. But so far I haven't felt the need to own an ereader. I still really like my books. I like holding books and turning pages, and looking at the thickness of a book, and where my bookmark is in relation to the end (or beginning) of a book. But I could really go for a Pink Kindle. HINT HINT

Etsy Treasury East

One of my items made it into a Treasury. This treasury was made by Christie from Fabric Flair, which is where I purchased the Laura Gunn fabric used on the zipper pouch.



After taking a week or so off after puppy passed away, I am trying to stay busy, so I am back to sewing up a storm. I have more zippered pouches to list, and I have 2 new bags that I just took photos of and need to list. As always, if you want anything custom made, just contact me and we'll set something up.

I have been listening to Civil Twilight a ton recently. I just downloaded their Live From SoHo recordings from ITunes. I love, love, love them.

I just finished reading 'Fallen' by Lauren Kate. It was really good. I can't wait until book #2, 'Torment', comes out in September. Since reading 'Shiver' by Maggie Stiefvater last summer, I have been anxiously awaiting the release of the next book in the trilogy, 'Linger', which comes out July 20. My other plans for summer reading include Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, only because pretty boy Robert Pattinson is currently filming the movie. But next up for me to read is 'Immortal' by Gillian Shields.

I also tend to watch a lot of movies during the summer. Last night I re-watched 'Wanted' with James McAvoy. I'm not a big fan of the blood and guts, but damn that boy sure is hot.

Recently I have watched: Leap Year, Whip It, Amelia, The Blind Side, Dear John, An Education, The Young Victoria, and Up In The Air.

Sing Me To Sleep...

Sing Me To Sleep by Angela Morrison

In Sing Me To Sleep we meet Beth, who is nicknamed the Beast at school since she is very tall and not attractive. Even her own father called her "damn ugly" when she was born. Beth has a childhood friend, Scott, who you can tell right away really likes her, unattractive or not. Beth's one bright spot in her life is singing. Not just in the school choir, but in a competitive girls choir. And Beth can really SING.

The girls choir gets invited to a competition in Switzerland, where Beth meets handsome and mysterious Derek, who is part of the famous Amabile Choir.

Derek is elusive - he is with Beth for a day or two, and then disappears for days or weeks at a time, and gives no explanation to Beth. This makes Beth wonder if he loves her as much as she loves him. Derek insists he does love Beth, but is still not willing to divulge his secrets. This made me want to keep reading and find out what this gorgeous, confidant boy was hiding.

Portions of the storyline take place in the form of song lyrics. Beth wrote lyrics to help her get through life. Sometimes she wrote down the lyrics, but sometimes they were just in her head. This was a really interesting way to show what Beth was thinking and feeling throughout the book.

Overall, this was a good read for me. It was entertaining and a little mysterious and kept my interest until the very end. Yes, there are things that bothered me. Derek's actions made him appear selfish and manipulative, but by the end of the book I understood why he did what he did. The character of Beth came off as a little too needy and clingy - and always wanting to kiss Derek to show her love - no matter the circumstance (which were sometimes weird). I don't think the author intended Beth to come over this way, that's just how I interpreted her actions.

On a side note, this is a completely beautiful cover. I think it captures the innocence of first love.

Be sure to check out the Sing Me To Sleep page to watch the trailer for the book and to hear the Amabile choir sing "Beth's Song". If you watch the trailer you also learn how to pronounce 'Amabile', which I totally screwed up for most of the book.

Then, AFTER you have read Sing Me To Sleep, be sure to read The Epilogue.


Waiting at my library for me to pick up are
Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison
and
The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Hush, Hush Review

***SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!***

I received Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick for Christmas. I was really looking forward to reading it. I had read some reviews that were favorable, so I thought I would give it a chance. I have to say that the cover just blew me away. It's very intriguing. So imagine my surprise when I finally started reading it and was less than enthused.

The prologue introduces the concept of the Nephilim, which is the offspring of a normal human and a fallen angel. Other than that brief mention, Nephilim isn't mentioned again until 2/3rds of the way through the book. Hush, Hush starts with Nora being thrown together with a new Biology partner, Patch. Nora then blunders around trying to find information on Patch and his past. Why? Does she like him? Is she attracted to him? Who knows. He's a jerk, he's rude and uncooperative, but Nora is just determined to find out about him, so she attempts to dig up whatever she can on him. We get to read along while she is clueless. Weird things happen. Nora is afraid Patch means to harm her, but she attempts to spend time with him anyway.

Nora happens to get of glimpse of Patch's back, where he has a V shaped scar. Of course this sets her on the path to discovering what the scar means. She puts the scar together with the carnival ride called The Archangel that she and Patch rode together. Nora types 'angel wing scars' into Google and is rewarded with the answer - Fallen Angel. Wow. How lame.

Hush, Hush really picks up the pace and action towards the end. I wish the entire book had been this good. Nora's life IS in danger - and not just from Patch. There's a twist at the end, and Patch ends up giving her life back - literally. Happy ending.

Since Twilight, every supernatural YA book is compared to it. However, there are too many similarities in Hush, Hush to write off as coincidental.

The sequel, Crescendo, comes out in November 2010. Nora digs into her own past, her father's disappearance, and her own relation to the Nephilim. Let's hope Becca Fitzpatrick has learned how to write a more compelling story from beginning to end.