Review: The One That I Want

The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols

Format: Trade Paperback (signed)
Pages: 258
Published: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Young Adult

My Rating: 4.5/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

Gemma can't believe her luck when the star football player starts flirting with her. Max is totally swoon-worthy, and even gets her quirky sense of humor. So when he asks out her so-called best friend Addison, Gemma's heartbroken.

Then Addison pressures Gemma to join the date with one of Max's friends. But the more time they all spend together, the harder Gemma falls for Max. She can't help thinking that Max likes her back - it's just too bad he's already dating Addison. How can Gemma get the guy she wants without going after her best friend's boyfriend?

Soundtrack

I don't normally add in any extra's like book trailers or soundtracks but I just couldn't help myself this time. Driving to work on Monday, the Taylor Swift song 'You Belong With Me' came on the radio and I couldn't help but think how amazingly well it fit with the book!! So, for your viewing pleasure, here is the video...

Review:

**NOTE: A copy of this book was provided by the author. However, no compensations were made and this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings.**

This was the first book of Jennifer Echol's that I read and WOW, what an amazing introduction to her writing style!

The One That I Want is told from Gemma's perspective. Gemma is an only child of divorced millionaires and has spent much of her childhood hiding behind food. When her so-called best friend persuades her into trying out for the Majorettes, her life seems to turn a corner and the important things in life become that much clearer.

I fell in love with the character of Gemma. Not only is she someone who has had struggles in her life - from weight, to boys, to social standing - she finds herself fighting with her best friend for the affection of one particular boy. In all of this, she handles herself with grace and dignity and in the end becomes the perfect role model for teen girls. I want to applaud Jennifer Echol's for creating such a wonderful character for young girls... someone they can read about and realize that you don't have to be 'Top Dog' in school to survive (and more importantly, have fun).

The supporting cast in The One That I Want were also very well developed. While I could not stand Addison, Gemma's BFF, and found myself wanting to slap her through the pages, I appreciated what she added to the story. The dynamic between Gemma and Addison being mirrored in Max and Carter's relationship brought home the point that there are people in your life that make you a better person and there are people in your life that don't. In the end, my favourite character, aside from Gemma, had to be Max. His humor and his kindness really worked with the storyline and I thoroughly enjoyed all of his scenes.

Jennifer Echol's writing style is perfect for the genre is which she has chosen to write. A fun, free-flowing storyline mixed in with the troubles of teen life adds the perfect balance for everyone.

Overall, a new fan has been created. Before I even finished reading, I was online ordering up more of Jennifer's books.

Review: Amber Eyes

March has been a month full of book tours and I am happy to end the month with another novel for CLP Blog Tours. Today I am featuring a debut novel by Jolyn Palliata, Amber Eyes (Entwined Souls Trilogy – Book One).

 

Amber Eyes by Jolyn Palliata

Format: ebook
Pages/Size: 276/401 KB
Published: January 19, 2012
Publisher: CreateSpace (self)
Genre: Paranormal, Fiction

My Rating: 3.5/5

Summary (from amazon.com):

After an accident, one she shouldn’t have walked away from, Lexi’s life finally begins. She meets Dez, a new student with the most beautiful eyes she’s ever seen. And since gazing into them, Lexi has had vivid waking dreams that pull her back through time, and into the warm embrace of a mysterious stranger—a stranger who becomes all too familiar. When offering an explanation for her detailed visions, Dez changes her world forever with two simple words: Soul mates. For the first time in her life, Lexi feels safe and complete. But lingering in the shadows is the embodiment of evil, coveting the light within her. He’s a threat to Lexi’s very existence, and to a love that has transcended time 

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Review:

**NOTE: A copy of this book was provided by the author.  However, no compensations were made and this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings.**

What a wonderful concept for a novel... Entwined souls. It is definitely one that I have not read before and for that reason alone, I was very excited to read Amber Eyes.

Right from page one of the story, I was hooked. The pace of the opening chapter had me flipping the pages so quickly that I had to stop myself from scanning to the bottom of the page to see what was going to happen. However, that pacing didn't stay beyond the first few pages of chapter two. What was once a wonderfully paced story suddenly became a slower, hard to swallow pace and I found myself wanting to skip pages to further the story along.

The characters in Amber Eyes were well developed. I really enjoyed Lexi's character and found her to be very relatable. Dez and I had a very love/hate relationship in that I loved to hate him and also hated that I sort of loved him. All of the supporting cast, while playing minor roles in the story, seemed well placed with my favorite of course being Neeko, Lexi's furry companion.

Overall, I enjoyed Amber Eyes and will be looking forward the the second book in the series.

Author Bio:

Jolyn’s writing career began in 2009 when she looked across the sea of cubicles at work, and thought, “I was meant for something more than this.” That thought was immediately followed by, “I wonder if I can write a novel.” Four novels and one novella later, that question has been answered. She started with Amber Eyes (Entwined Souls Trilogy – Book One), a young adult paranormal romance. They always say, with the first book, you write about what you know. And she certainly did! Drawing off her teenage years in Oshkosh, WI, Jolyn incorporated her high school and favorite haunts. She even pulled out her favorite music from back then to help recapture the teenager within.

Jolyn has absolutely no qualifications whatsoever to be a writer, other than a knack and a passion.  The knack she worked hard for through betas, critique partners, writer sites, editors, etc, but the passion she’s had since she was in middle school.

Being married, and mother to one very precocious six-year-old, doesn’t leave her with a whole heckofalot of time to write – not to mention working full-time – but that is where lack of sleep comes in very handy. Jolyn has a gift of functioning on minimal sleep when totally absorbed by a writing project…although she crashes like dead weight when it’s fully completed/edited (usually 2-3 months later).

If you want to learn more about Jolyn ~ Website/Twitter/Facebook

Review: Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

Format: Trade Paperback, ARC
Pages: 309
Published: April 17, 2012
Publisher: Penguin Books
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, Humour

My Rating: 3.5/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

Jenny Lawson realized that the most mortifying moments of our lives - the ones we'd like to pretend never happened - are in fact the ones that define us. In Let's Pretend This Never Happened, Lawson takes readers on a hilarious journey recalling her bizarre upbringing in rural Texas, her devastatingly awkward high school years, and her relationship with her long-suffering husband, Victor. Chapters include: "Stanley the Magical, Talking Squirrel"; "A Series of Angry Post-It Notes to My Husband"; "My Vagina Is Fine. Thanks for Asking"; "And Then I Snuck a Dead Cuban Alligator on an Airplane." Pictures with captions (no one would believe these things without proof) accompany the text.

Review:

**NOTE: A copy of this book was WON from the publisher. However, no compensations were made and this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings.**

You can read and excerpt of Let's Pretend This Never Happened HERE

Let's Pretend This Never Happened made it onto the Top 10 List of Most Anticipated Books of 2012 and as the fourth book read off that list, I am sad to say that I am a little disappointed.

Being a HUGE fan of Jenny Lawson's blog (The Bloggess), I went into this book knowing that I would appreciate and understand her comedic humour. She has bang on timing and a sarcastic personality that leaves me laughing out loud on many occasions. Her post 'And Then I Saw A Sasquatch' had me laughing so hard that my husband was about to call 9-1-1 thinking I was having a seizure.

Having won a copy of Let's Pretend, I dove into it as soon as it arrived and yes, it had some laugh-out-loud moments but in all, I think it felt like too much, too soon. When you are a fan of someone's blog, you generally read one or two stories a week and find yourself eagerly anticipating the next one. Having them all bound together in 300+ pages was a bit of overkill.

Overall, a enjoyable memoir that gives great insight into the genius behind The Bloggess. She really is that crazy, dead-animal collecting lady and comes by it very naturally. If you enjoy her blog, I recommend giving Let's Pretend This Never Happened a whirl.

Cover Crazy #38

Cover Crazy was created by The Bookworms but is now hosted here at Turning the Pages. It's a great way to share a book cover that took your breath away!

To me, there is NOTHING better than a cover of a book. One of my favourite places, in the world, is a book store. I can walk around them for hours just looking at covers of books. I am well aware of the saying "You can't judge a book by its cover", I just don't believe it!

When I find a book cover that I love, I will always read the back and then make my purchasing decision, but... WOW... there is just something amazing about a gorgeous cover! So, moving forward, I am going to share those covers that just made me want to escape and read a book instantly!

Without further adieu, here is the cover I am crazy about this week:

Wake by Amanda Hocking

What this cover says to me:

This is the last cover in my month long love-fest with Amanda Hocking's covers.

From the colours, to the softness (I seem to have a love of soft covers) to the mystery... Wake seems to appeal to check all of the boxes for what makes a great looking cover.

The blue that dominates the cover is so crisp and so pretty, I just love the shade. I also love the girl floating in the water. I can't tell if she is supposed to be there or if she is in pain. It's just stunning.

Overall, this cover leaves me with a feeling of want... as in I WANT to read it!

What cover took your breath away this week?

TBR Tuesday

TBR Tuesdays was created by Dana at Let's Book It. It's a place to share books that have been on our to-be-read (TBR) list for a while and also to possibly add yet another book to the list by visiting participating blogs!

Face it, we all have lists of books that we would love to read and if you are anything like me, you likely have the pile of books to prove it. There are so many ways to track book lists, whether you choose to use an online library like Goodreads or LibraryThing or perhaps even an Excel spreadsheet or notebook in your purse, having books to buy is the biggest part of being a book lover.

Together with my Book of the Month (where I am attempting to shorten the TBR list, one book at a time), TBR Tuesdays will be a place that I am going to share one book from my list. It may be a new book, it may be an old book, it may even be a book that isn't out yet... either way, a book will be shared.

If you would like to get in on the action, please add your name to the linky below and link up your TBR Tuesday post. Also make sure you head on over to Let's Book It to see others who are also sharing this week!

Without further adieu, here is this week's book:

Size 12 and Ready to Rock by Meg Cabot

Not available until this summer, the fourth edition in the Heather Wells series is SO high on my TBR list that it actually made the Top 10 MOST Anticipated Reads of 2012 list! It is THAT awesome.

If you haven't read any of the Heather Wells books, it's not too late to get caught up on the series. Pick up Size 12 is Not Fat and sink in... you will NOT regret it!

Summary (from chapters.ca):

It doesn't seem to matter where I look, I cannot find a description of this book... as soon as I do, I will link it up here! ~ Sorry!! :(



What book in on your TBR list this week?

Spotlight: Your Eight O'Clock is Dead

It's a special day at Turning the Pages... not only am I participating in another CLP Blog Tour, but today I get to spotlight the author of Your Eight O'Clock is Dead, Kat Jorgensen.

After a spotlight of her newest novel and debut into fiction, Kat will be talking about 'What Doesn’t Kill You, Does Make You Stronger and May Have Unexpected Benefits'.


Your Eight O'Clock is Dead by Kat Jorgensen

Summary (from amazon.com):

A dead body.

An innocent accused.

A mysterious Russian and a hunky ex-cop turned accountant - both with deep secrets and hidden agendas.

A lovable screw-up who wants to save her job, solve the murder and increase her love life in the process.

Purchase: Amazon/Smashwords/Barnes & Noble

What Doesn’t Kill You, Does Make You Stronger and May Have Unexpected Benefits

I’ve heard the old “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” saying most of my life. But until 2006, I really didn’t believe it. That was the year my husband was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. He had six surgeries and a lengthy recovery - and I added a few gray hairs to my previously all brown ones. But we made it through it.

However, I was really dragging by early 2008. I made the doctor rounds and after some tests, it was determined that I had cancer. Talk about your double whammy. But we made it through that too. We were both lucky. Very lucky.

Then in the spring of 2009, after getting a one-year clean bill of health, we decided to go on vacation. Just get away from everything and everybody and celebrate our good news and good health. But as I was packing for our trip late one night, I found a lump in my breast.

Early the next morning, I called my doctor. He told me that most of these lumps are nothing and not to worry about it. But to be on the safe side, he asked me to come in before we left town, and he’d check it out. Then we could be on our way.

Well, once I saw the look on his face as he examined me, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. And I was right. My doctor sent me for an immediate mammogram and a biopsy followed. The next day we learned I had breast cancer and needed surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

We could not believe that we were back in cancer hell. But we were. By then we were both feeling a bit of battle fatigue.

In quick succession, I had two surgeries and all of the post-surgical treatment. 2009 was not my finest hour. Basically I spent the time curled up in a ball on our sofa sick as a dog. The chemo dropped my blood pressure too low, and I ended up passing out a lot. The voices that usually chatted away happily in my head were gone. It was a lonely, dark time.

I can remember after one particularly bad day during that year thinking to myself that when this was over, I was going to have a good time, no - a GREAT time. I was going to stop writing dark, scary suspense stories. I was going to have FUN and write to amuse myself.

And out of those four years of horrible times, my River City Mystery series was born. I had a lot of down time as I regained my strength to think about the characters, the setting and the plot for the first book. I started writing and having fun. And obviously what I did worked, because I’ve received so much positive feedback from readers on the first book, Your Eight O’Clock Is Dead.

Will I keep writing humorous mysteries? You bet! I’m having a ball. Light is where it’s at. At least for me. I’ve had enough dark and scary times to last me a lifetime. When I go to work each day at my writing, it is truly like going off to play. Yes, it’s still hard work, but it’s fun.

Going through the life experiences that we had has definitely made me a stronger, more compassionate person. We are survivors and happy to be in that category. Without the challenges we’ve faced, I probably never would have written a funny mystery novel. Unexpected benefits for sure.



Want to learn more about Kat and her books? Check out her Website/Facebook/Twitter

In My Mailbox #41

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren. The general idea is to share the books that you have purchased, that you have borrowed, or that you have found.

Another awesome week in books over at Turning the Pages... and also another week of NO BOOK BUYING! You will note that there are two books below that are under the purchased section but those were bought before the book-buying ban!

Don't forget, In My Mailbox is now available in vlog format (video) over at the Turning the Pages YouTube channel.

Without further adieu, here is this week's edition of 'In My Mailbox':

Review copies from St. Martin's Press, Random House Canada, Ebury Books, Harlequin Teen, Hachette Book Group, and Rachel Burke (Book Tour):














Some signed books ordered from One More Page Books in Arlington, VA (thanks to Jenn @ Jenn's Bookshelves for the heads up on the signing!):













Twitter WINs:













What was in your mailbox this week?

Review: Life on the Refrigerator Door

Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers

Format: Hardcover (Library)
Pages: 228
Published: August 16, 2007
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Fiction

My Rating: 2.5/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

Life on the Refrigerator Door is a poignant and deeply moving first novel about the bonds of love and frustration that tie mothers and daughters together. Told entirely in a series of notes left on the kitchen fridge - some casual, some intimate, some funny, some angry - it is the story of nine months in the life of 15-year-old Claire and her single mother. Preoccupied with their busy separate lives, rarely in the same room at the same time, they talk to each other in a series of short snippets that reflect the daily drama of school, boyfriends, work and chores that make up their days. Yet the mundane soon becomes extraordinary when a crisis overtakes their lives - a momentous change that will redefine their relationship and unfold in their exchanges on the refrigerator door.

Review:

Short on time, Claire and her mom find it easier to communicate via the refrigerator door... this book is a series of notes left between a single working mother and her teenage daughter.

I originally saw this book on a book haul video blog and it sounded so cute but also so short that I placed a hold on it at the library. Am I ever glad I did because the price on it shows $19.99 USD and it took me 20 minutes to read.

While I thought that the premise of the book was cute and the idea of using Post-It Notes to communicate intriguing, I couldn't help but wonder why this wasn't more in text messages/emails - more up-to-date, if you will. Yes, Claire's mom (whom I don't think is ever named) doesn't have a cell phone, but really... she's a doctor and this book was written in 2007... it's not a possibility that she didn't have one. That being said, I don't think the method of communication would have changed the outcome of the book or really the flow.

At first, I was really enjoying the notes between the two characters and could actually see many of them being passed from myself to my mother and back. A typical mother-daughter relationship - fights about allowance, curfew, boys, etc. As time moved on, I felt that many of the notes were just not practical.

Spoiler:

Telling your daughter that you have Cancer via a note on the refrigerator door is NOT realistic... at all. You just wouldn't do it. Claire is only 15-years old, you would be telling her to stay home/cancel her date and be available.

Overall, a quick read that I would recommend picking up when you are at the library next.

Review: Favorable Conditions

It's another tour day at Turning the Pages.

As part of the CLP Blog Tour for Kathleen Kole's newest novel, Favorable Conditions, I have signed up to do a spotlight on her book.



Favorable Conditions by Kathleen Kole

Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 296
Published: December 24, 2011
Publisher: Sublime Coyote Media
Genre: Fiction

My Rating: 4/5

Summary (from amazon.com):

Can you imagine being forty-five, your last child has moved on to college and the time is ripe for you to blaze a new trail into your future?

Pat Keegan can.

Well, except for the tiny detail that all her preconceived notions about how that future was going to shape up are completely out the window. Pat was under the impression that once her child rearing years were complete she and her husband would walk hand in hand toward a rose colored future.

Fat chance.

Before their daughter had even been accepted by a College, he was blathering about needing space to rediscover himself and made quick strides to the nearest exit. Suddenly, Pat is divorced, rattling around her large house and asking the empty rooms, “What now?” She knows she has to carve out new dreams - after all, forty-five is a far cry from the end of the line - But how?

Join Pat as she jumps feet first back into the world outside her door, takes on a new business venture, is pursued by a much younger man and has to muddle her way through more emotions that she knew she had - all to finally attain her goal of rediscovering who she is and what she wants from the next phase of her life.

Review:

**NOTE: A copy of this novel was provided by the author. However, no compensations were made and this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings.**

When life hands you lemons... do you make lemonade or are you stuck with a sour look on your face?

For some reason when the story first starts out and we are introduced to Pat, that is the saying that kept running through my head. A story that could have quickly turning into a 'woe is me' tale ended up being more of a rise above it tale.

This being my first novel by Kathleen Kole, I found that her character development was so well crafted. While I couldn't immediately relate to Pat, I felt as though she could be a close friend and, to me, she was very real. It takes great talent to be able to have characters come to life and seamlessly find their ways into your mind... even when you aren't reading! You can't really help but route for Pat as she sets out on all of her new ventures both in her personal and professional life.

One of my favourite parts (other than the fact that the Canadian author spells Favorable WRONG) is that the book takes place in Canada... and in a gorgeous province which I lived for 12 years. It was so awesome to read about a place that I was very familiar with!!

Overall, I found this a wonderful start to what I hope is a great relationship with Kathleen Kole and her novels.



Born in Edmonton AB, Kathleen began storytelling in grade school. She has many fond memories of passing summer afternoons, out on the swings in her backyard, creating tales that entertained her neighborhood friends.

When she finally decided to venture from her backyard, Kathleen pursued a career in storytelling. She graduated from college with a Diploma in Radio and Television Arts and traveled the path of freelance writing for numerous local newspapers.

Many years later, too many to talk about without seeming rude and nosey, Kathleen has channeled her imagination to the pages of her novels. She hopes that you enjoy her tales and encourages you to feel free to read her stories on the swing set in your own backyard.

Kathleen has traveled from Edmonton, to a new backyard with a lovely mountain view. She spends time there with her beloved husband, adored son and silly dog. They let her tell them stories and always laugh in all of the correct places. She’s lucky, and she knows it.

Website/Twitter/Facebook