Review: Fangirl

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Publication Date: September 10th, 2013
Genre: Contemporary
Amazon/Barnes and Noble

In Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

I absolutely LOVED Fangirl. And, yes, the all-caps is a big pointer to how much I think my friends should read this wonderfully written book. *cough cough* Please? This may or may not be more of a short worshiping than a review, just warning you. I feel like I should also say sorry in advance for all the exclamation points. I'll tone 'em down for you... maybe.

Something about the book was just plain sweet. Was it the romance? Cath's love of Fan-fiction? Her growing friendship with her unique roommate? The sister bond between Cather and Wren? (Cathe-rine. Get it?)The answer is ALL of those things, and more.

Also, there are many heavier topics. What happens when your Mom just gets up and leaves? What happens to the daughters and husband? Well, Wren starts going out... and getting into trouble. Cath finds solace in her Fanfic and stays mostly in her room. Their Dad needs a little help. I LOVED (see the all caps again) how heartwarming/breaking the whole story was, I cried a little and smiled, a lot! I also read this book in only one night. I was completely pulled into Cath's world!

The romance also deserves a full fivestars. Cath and unnamed love interest have such awesome interactions! (I'm not telling who! hehehe) It was so darn sweet! And real, and meaningful, and all that jazz. Oh, darn, now I'm singing All That Jazz from the movie Chicago! Back to the topic Em. Oh yeah! One of my favorite characters in the book is, um, we'll call this love interest Smiley... okay? Well, Smiley was one of my favorite characters. Can I marry that guy? He is nice and funny and... loves energy bars! (Which is what I live on.)

Overall, um, READ THIS BOOK! (Or, at least read it if you think Fangirl may be up your alley) And also, Simon Snow is awesome, even though it isn't real, (I think) After reading this, I feel like it is! And the ending of the book was perfect. Wow, I need to stop raving, this was supposed to be a the concluding paragraph.

This about sums my thought up: Rainbow Rowell is amazing.

*Please note I received this book through Firstreads. That factor, however, did not influence this 100% honest review. (I have given out numero uno stars to books I have received from Firstreads before.)*

5 Stars

Bout of Books: Day One

Updates! (I read two books!)

Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Okay... wait for it... I read *doing math* .... I read 952 pages yesterday! That was way more than I was expecting. Thankfully, I read two amazing books!

Here is my review of Fangirl! (Fresh from this morning!)

I will read less on Tuesday, so it is good I am banking up pages!

If you are participating in the read-a-thon, how was your first day?

-Emily 

Witching Blog Tour

Witchling by Ari Harper

Series: Curse of Kin #1

Released: November 29th 2012

Publisher: Lycaon/Breathless Press

Purchase: Amazon

Nera is a normal teenage girl living in Ireland, or so she thought until she discovers the family secret.. now her world is forever changed.

Descended from a long line of witches, she discovers she is the one who has to stop the curse that has taken the life of every girl before her.

And if that isn't enough, she must learn to use magic from the man called Bones. He is the son of Mari, Queen of the Witches...and a god. It is Bones who has been entrusted to teach her the skills she needs to stay alive, which wouldn't be so bad if he didn't have an uncanny knack for pushing her buttons.

Can Nera succeed and resist the charms of the man who gets under her skin at every opportunity?

I'm here today with an excerpt and giveaway for this witchy novel. Enjoy!

Excerpt

"Nera, what are you doing?” Mr. Devon hurried toward me. I slumped to the floor, burned and struggling for breath. “Brie, get the headmistress!”

I pulled my body into a ball and opened my mouth in a half-hearted attempt to scream. Somehow I knew that the pain in my throat would only get worse if I tried, so I closed it again. The kids crowded around me, oblivious to the flames engulfing the room. Their voices faded away, and I sank deeper into my own little dark hole.

When I resurfaced from my inner retreat, I forced my eyelids open a crack. The voices in the room were loud after the silence of my own mind. I was in the headmistress’s office lying on my side on the old threadbare brown couch, its scratchy fabric prickling my cheek. Dad was kneeling down beside me.

“Nera, honey, are you okay?” he asked as he stroked my hair from my eyes.

“I don’t know,” I whispered, my voice cracking. 

Also, check out the rest of the schedule! Thanks to Itching for Books Tours for organizing this amazing tour. 

Giveaway

Here is an AWESOME giveaway for the tour and scavenger hunt:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What did you think of the excerpt? 

I really liked it!

-Emily

Bout of Books 8.0

Read. Read. Read More. Oh, yeah!

  It is about time for me to participate in a Read-a-thon! So, when I saw Bout of Books 8.0 was just around the corner, I decided to sign up! (albeit at the last minute)

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I am so excited! The low-pressure read-a-thon sounds like a great way to begin my first EVER week of read-a-thon-ing!

The Books I plan to Read:

I will be adding more books along the way!

The Books I plan to Review:

TO COME

Also, next Read-a-thon I plan to do a lot social things. However, I am easing myself in... for now.


Monday
Books: Grave Mercy, Fangirl
Pages: 952 

Tuesday
Books: Shadowland
Pages: 172

Wednesday
Books: Shadowland
Pages: 156

Thursday
Books: Unravel Me, Atone
Pages: 561

Friday
Books: Six Months Later 
Pages: 325

So, have you participated in a Read-a-thon before? What did you think? Also, any tips are GREATLY appreciated. 

-Emily 

Review: Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend

I really enjoyed this second book in the Confessions series. Have you read the series? Do you want to? What do you think? Yeah, I am full of questions. Sorry!

Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend by Louise Rozett

Series: Confessions #2
Genre: Contemporary
Source: Firstreads, this is still a 100% honest review
Amazon/Barnes and Noble

Rose Zarelli 2.0 here--2.0, as in, innovative...superior...improved. 
Improved how? Glad you asked. This year, I will not: 

1. Do things just because other people want me to. 
2. Randomly shoot off my mouth. 
3. Worry about whether I'm someone's girlfriend--or not. 

So, what will I do this year? 


1. Find my thing and be who I want to be. 
2. Learn when to speak up--and when to shut up. 
3. Tell off Jamie Forta and move on. 

I'm older and smarter now--I can totally pull this off. How hard can it be? 

Review

Wow...I just... wow. I think I liked this book in the series even more than the first. The characters just keep getting more and more dimensional through the pages! By the end I was amazed at the story and people Rozett created.

Let's start with Rose. She is a complex character that I couldn't help but root for in the end. However, there were times when I wanted to smack her. In anger or frustration, she often shoots off her mouth, and ends up severely hurting other's feelings. And along with the times I wanted to shoot off my own mouth at her, I wanted to just hug her. Overall, Rose is one of the most realistic contemporary heroines I have come across.

The one character I am very curious to find out more about is Jamie. What will his part be in the next book? I am very conflicted in what I feel for him now, but I think he is overall a good guy. He just needs a little bit of help. Also, I am pretty sure the Rose/Jamie thing won't work out. There are just to many secrets that got in the way. (If you read the first or this book, where do think about where the relationship is headed?) I still kind of want them together though, after all the drama in the first two books. As long as they are happy, I am happy, I guess. 

The end of the book... the very last page basically, really touched my heart. Angelo, Jamie's friend, is one of my favorite characters and I love the way he gave Rose confidence through out the book, and at the end. He never fails to be there for her. I won't say more... no spoilers. Maybe they will get together? That would be pretty awesome!

Also, there are those family problems presented between Rose and her mother, and her brother. Everything is quite strained in her household. Thankfully, I think things might be healing a bit. Who knows? We are also presented with some problems with the family Jamie grew up with, I'm not saying anymore. However, these parts made me a little depressed and sad. They were done so well though! Rozett knows how to handle heavy ideas.

Overall, this was an amazing installment in the Confessions series. I can't wait to read more about Rose and company whenever the next book comes out!

4/5 Stars

Sorry about the missing graphic... there is a new one in progress!

Thanks for reading!

Felicite Found: Excerpt + Giveaway

Félicité Found by Julia King

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Release Date: August 12th, 2013

Seventeen-year-old Pierre Rousseaux witnesses a young girl take a near fatal plunge off Pont Neuf Bridge into the freezing water of the River Seine in Paris, France. After diving into the racing river himself, he is able to rescue her from a watery death, but only after her head is bashed into the river wall. Upon reviving her from unconsciousness, Pierre realizes she doesn’t remember her past at all.

The girl struggles to recall anything from before she may have tried to commit suicide, not only once but possibly twice. The few glimpses into her life are discovered through dreams that can only suggest her past was horrific and jaded by intense anger.

Her memories may force her to lose everything she has grown to adore, especially the boy she loves more than anything in the world: Pierre.

The girl, Félicité Moreau, must decide if the life she desires is enough to make things from her past right. Pierre struggles to resolve if Félicité means enough to him that he will fight for her, regardless of her past and despite his own personal demons.

With a paranormal twist, Félicité Found is Julia King’s debut Young Adult novel—a horrific love story.

The Excerpt:

“A rush of sweet warmth flooded Félicité for having remembered something about her past. The heaviness in her mind and heart seeped free from her as though it pushed itself from all of her pores. She knew that eventually everything—her memories and knowledge—would come back.

She ached for Pierre and Hélène to know her name. As fast as her legs could carry her, she sped into the living room. Pierre was sound asleep, chest rising and falling in a rhythm that followed his thunderous snores. He was so loud she found it difficult to remember why she had come to see him. However, she couldn’t bear to wake him.

She observed that the light shining through the gap of the curtains came from only the moon. It must be the middle of the night. It was difficult for her to believe that she had slept all day and into the night.

Gazing at Pierre, she noted how handsome he was even in his thunderous slumber. She wanted to touch his skin and the rough stubble of hair growth on his face. His hand that fell from the couch beckoned her to him. She resisted the urge to take it into hers, feel it, relish its rough texture, and press it to her face. Again, she felt as if she had known him for a long time.

Should she wake him to hear his welcoming, deep and vibrating voice?

No, she thought as her euphoria faded. All that was left was a lump in her throat.

Her happy news would have to wait until morning. With one last look at the most kind- natured and loving person in the world, she shuffled her feet back to bed. However, before she fell asleep, she distinctly heard her father’s voice in the room telling her, “Félicité, my daughter, I love you. I love you so much.”

She bounded out of bed like an animal pouncing on its prey and flipped the light switch. Scanning the room, she saw no one in there. She was alone.”

About Julia King

Julia King grew up in a town in the happiest county in Utah. She enjoys reading, music (especially U2), the outdoors, and traveling. She appreciates a good television show. She has quite the sweet tooth. It is common for her to squeal up a storm when she sees a dog. Her favorite breed is beagles, and she longs for the day when she can have one of these furry, adorable friends of her own. And she loves conjuring up stories that swirl sweetly in her mind. Well, until they come to life on the page.

Author Links:

  

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz organized by:

What did you think of the excerpt?

-Emily

Waiting on Wednesday #20

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

This Week I am Waiting On...

Burn Out by Kristi Helvig

Publication Date: April 8th, 2014
Genre: Science Fiction
Amazon/Barnes and Noble

A futuristic blend of Beth Revis's Across the Universe and Lenore Appelhans's Level 2, Burn Out will satisfy the growing desire for science fiction with a thrilling story of survival, intrigue, and adventure. 

Most people want to save the world; seventeen-year-old Tora Reynolds just wants to get the hell off of it. One of the last survivors in Earth's final years, Tora yearns to escape the wasteland her planet has become after the sun turns "red giant," but discovers her fellow survivors are even more deadly than the hostile environment.

Holed up in an underground shelter, Tora is alone--her brilliant scientist father murdered, her mother and sister burned to death. She dreams of living on a planet with oceans, plants, and animals. Unfortunately, the oceans dried out ages ago, the only plants are giant cacti with deadly spines, and her pet, Trigger, is a gun--one of the bio-energetic weapons her father created for the government before his conscience kicked in. 

When family friend, Markus, arrives with mercenaries to take the weapons by force, Tora's fury turns to fear when government ships descend in an attempt to kill them all. She forges an unlikely alliance with Markus and his rag-tag group of raiders, including a smart but quiet soldier named James. 

She is shocked when James accidentally fires one of her father's bio-weapons--weapons designed to work only for her. She'd felt a strange pull to James from the start, but the odds of someone sharing her energy vibration are statistically miniscule. Tora must quickly figure out who she can trust, as she must choose between saving herself by giving up the guns or honoring her father's request to save humanity from the most lethal weapons in existence.

Two words: Me. Want.

Okay, seriously, doesn't this sound amazing? I love the science fiction and survival aspects!

What are you Waiting On?