Welcome to my stop of the 2015 Debut Authors Bash, hosted by YaReads! I have the privlege of hosting debut author Maggie Hall, who has written The Conspiracy of Us (Penguin 2015), and the upcoming Map of Fates (Penguin, 2016). … Continue reading
Synopsis
It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey...With her trusty baton and six insanely organized clipboards, drum major Liza Sanders is about to take Destiny by storm—the boat, that is. When Liza discovered that her beloved band was losing funding, she found Destiny, a luxury cruise ship complete with pools, midnight chocolate buffets, and a $25,000 spring break talent show prize.
Liza can’t imagine senior year without the band, and nothing will distract her from achieving victory. She’s therefore not interested when her old camp crush, Lenny, shows up on board, looking shockingly hipster-hot. And she’s especially not interested in Russ, the probably-as-dumb-as-he-is-cute prankster jock whose ex, Demi, happens be Liza’s ex–best friend and leader of the Athenas, a show choir that’s the band’s greatest competition.
But it’s not going to be smooth sailing. After the Destiny breaks down, all of Liza’s best-laid plans start to go awry. Liza likes to think of herself as an expert at almost everything, but when it comes to love, she’s about to find herself lost at sea.
My Review
The Trouble with Destiny definitely had a cute romance, a pretty decent plot, and a lot of the characters were interesting…but something about this book just stopped me from really, truly enjoying it. I’m pretty sure it just had something … Continue reading
Synopsis
Lose yourself in a riot of beauty and mindful drawing with bestselling adult coloring book author Millie Marotta—whose books have sold 1.5 million copies!!Created by the bestselling author of Animal Kingdom, this is one of the most gorgeous adult coloring books out there. Millie Marotta's intricately designed tropical world beckons would-be artists to enter and make their mark. Add bright and brilliant colors to exotic blooms or a parrot's feathers. Complete a rainforest scene, add fine lines to palm trees, create new patterns, or use your creativity to personalize the illustrations. It's a wonderful way to fire up your imagination and relieve stress—and the high-quality paper makes it perfect for color pencils.
My Review
When I first heard about this book, I fell in love with the cover and the fact that it was focused on being tropical. While I haven’t seen Millie Marotta’s first coloring book – Animal Kingdom, I thought this one … Continue reading
Synopsis
Misfit teen Lola Lundy has every right to her anger and her misery. She's failing in school, living in a group home, and social workers keep watching her like hawks, waiting for her to show signs of the horrible mental illness that cost Lola's mother her life. Then, one night, she falls asleep in a storage room in her high school library, where she's seen an old yearbook--from the days when the place was an upscale academy for young scholars instead of a dump. When Lola wakes, it's to a scene that is nothing short of impossible. Lola quickly determines that she's gone back to the past--eighty years in the past, to be exact. The Fall Frolic dance is going full blast in the gym, where Lola meets the brainy and provocative Peter Hemmings, class of '24. His face is familiar, because she's seen his senior portrait in the yearbook. By night's end, Lola thinks she sees hope for her disastrous present: She'll make a new future for herself in the past. But is it real? Or has the major mental illness in Lola's family background finally claimed her? Has she slipped through a crack in time, or into a romantic hallucination she created in her own mind, wishing on the ragged pages of a yearbook from a more graceful time long ago?My Review
Imagine cleaning out a small room in the library in your school…then falling asleep looking through an old yearbook you found…and waking up in a completely different year. You wander out of the library to find a school dance going … Continue reading
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. The Forbidden Orchid Author: Sharon Biggs Waller Publication Date: February 2nd, 2016 Publisher: Viking Summary from Goodreads: Staid, … Continue reading
Synopsis
The Kinsey sisters live in an unconventional world. Their parents are former flower-children who still don't believe in rules. Their small, Northern California town is filled with free spirits and damaged souls seeking refuge from the real world. Without the anchor of authority, the three girls are adrift and have only each other to rely on.Rachel is wild. Asha is lost. Sarah, the good sister, is the glue that holds them together. But the forces of a mysterious fate have taken Sarah's life in a sudden and puzzling accident, sending her already fractured family into a tailspin of grief and confusion. Asha has questions. Rachel has secrets. And Sarah, waking up in the afterlife, must piece together how she got there.
Jamie Kain brings us The Good Sister, a stunning debut young adult novel about love in all its joyful, painful, exhilarating manifestations, and about the ties that bind us together, in life and beyond.
My Review
This is one of those books that is written so beautifully and thoughtfully that by the time you finish it, you wonder how this could possibly be Jamie Kain’s debut novel. This book provides the reader with a powerful, thought-provoking … Continue reading
Synopsis
his delightful book offers a wide and enticing range of gorgeous designs and scenes for you to color in and make your own. The images and patterns of flora and fauna provide a relaxing way to explore the artist inside you. By following your creative instincts, you will de-stress your mind and body and be rewarded with a portfolio of beautiful finished artworks.My Review
The cover of this coloring book, along with the title, which claims to have nice, calming images within, is what drew me to this book. The cover image features cute little birds perched on a branch, with some flowers and … Continue reading
Synopsis
From the author of The Good Sister comes a gripping novel about two sisters who learn that there are things in life—love, loss, and self-discovery—that you simply can't prepare for.He prepared their family for every natural disaster known to man—except for the one that struck.
When Nicole Reed’s father forces her family to move to a remote area of the Sierra Foothills, one without any modern conveniences, it's too much too handle for her mother, who abandons them in the middle of the night. Heading out to track her down, Nicole’s father leaves her in charge of taking care of the house and her younger sister, Izzy. For a while, Nicole is doing just fine running things on her own. But then the food begins to run out, the pipes crack, and forest fires start slowly inching their way closer every day. Wolf, a handsome boy from the neighboring community, offers to help her when she needs it most, but when she starts to develop feelings for him, feelings she knows she will never be allowed to act on once her father returns, she must make a decision. With her family falling apart, will she choose to continue preparing for tomorrow’s disasters, or will she take a chance and really start living for today?
Instructions for the End of the World is a gripping, young adult novel that explores family, friendship, and love in the midst of the most difficult and dangerous circumstances.
My Review
I had a bit of a hard time with this book. It isn’t that I didn’t like it, because I did. But when it comes down to it, I think the problem I had with this book was that nothing … Continue reading
Did I Mention I Love You? Author: Estelle Maskame Series: DIMILY, #1 Publication Date: December 1st, 2015 Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire Summary: Love is everything but expected. Eden Munro came to California for a summer of sun, sand, and celebrities- what … Continue reading
Synopsis
In this heart-wrenching tale of love and loss, a young Marine and his best friend’s sister plunge into a forbidden love affair while he’s home on leave.When a Marine Chaplain knocks on her door, Jessa’s heart breaks—someone she loves is dead. Killed in action, but is it Riley or Kit? Her brother or her boyfriend…
Three months earlier, Marine Kit Ryan finds himself back home on leave and dangerously drawn to his best friend Riley’s sister, Jessa—the one girl he can’t have. Exhausted from fighting his feelings, Kit finally gives in, and Jessa isn’t strong enough to resist diving headfirst into a passionate relationship.
But what was just supposed to be a summer romance develops into something far greater than either of them expected. Jessa’s finally found the man of her dreams and Kit’s finally discovered there’s someone he’d sacrifice everything for.
When it’s time for Kit to redeploy, neither one is ready to say goodbye. Jessa vows to wait for him and Kit promises to come home to her. No matter what.
But as Jessa stands waiting for the Marine Chaplain to break her heart, she can’t help but feel that Kit has broken his promise…
Riley or Kit? Kit or Riley? Her brother or her boyfriend? Who’s coming home to her?
My Review
Every now and again you come across a heartbreaking story that is also beautiful in just about every way – it makes you laugh, it makes you cry, and it awakens all kinds of feelings in you that make the … Continue reading
