My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters

TITLE: My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters (ARC)

AUTHOR: Sydney Salter

PUBLISHER: Graphia

PAGES: 345

MY RATING: (3 out of 5)

BACK COVER BLURB: For Jory Michaels, it all comes down to her nose. The big, bumpy monstrosity she calls the Super Schnozz makes her feel different from everyone--her classically good-looking family, her cute-as-a-button best friends, and her gorgeous crush. Jory wants nothing more than the join the "Nice Nose Club" before the start of her senior year. So she gets a job delivering wedding cakes to save up for a nose job at the end of the summer. She even keeps a notebook filled with magazine cutouts of perfect noses to show the doctor. But Jory's quest for cosmetic perfection is unexpectedly derailed when she discovers the people she longs to be like are not as perfect as they seem; and she finally finds a place--and a person--that make her feel like she fits in.

In her hilarious and heartbreaking debut novel, Sydney Salter delivers a story about broadening your horizons, accepting yourself, and finding love right under your nose.

MY REVIEW: This book was so much fun to read. The main character, Jory, is awkward, clumsy, and unconfident--basically a normal girl for her age. These characteristics caused Jory to create some happenings in the book that almost made me feel like I was on a ride at an amusement park because of all of the emotions that went along with the events. I enjoyed the fact that Jory isn't perfect, it allowed me to relate to the story in a way that does not usually happen for me.


I won this book in a contest at Writer Musings.

Book Review Wednesdays

The Vampire Watcher's Handbook

TITLE: The Vampire Watcher's Handbook

AUTHOR: Constantine Gregory

PUBLISHER: Piatkus Books

PAGES: 160

MY RATING: (3 out of 5)

GOODREADS SUMMARY: The Vampire Watcher's Handbook presents a wealth of information on the lore and history of vampires, covers all the various major traditions of this much-discussed revenant. From how to dis-tinquish a 'real' vampire from a 'wannabee' (which helps avoid those embarrassing staking mistakes), to effective means of escap-ing unscathed the clutches of a ravenous creature of the night, this is a comprehensive look at the ways and means of the Undead. The Vampire Watcher's Handbook is 'reprinted' from a turn-of-the-century compendium of the craft, complete with the annota-tions of the book's original owner (whose name and fate remain unknown). For those who wish to pursue a career path as the scourge of the vampires, it includes lists of necessary equipment and essential knowledge for hunting and retiring all the various types of bloodsucking fiends (stakes and holy water not pro-vided). But it also includes many useful tips for those for whom bird watching and trainspotting have lost their charm and who now wish to observe in their natural habitat this most compelling of unnatural creatures, without ending up on the dinner menu.

MY REVIEW: This was a really fun book to read. The pages were filled with handwritten notes throughout the margins, making it look as if this book was someone's personal journal. It was really interesting to learn about the history of vampires and the differences in vampires throughout different countries.

Book Review Wednesdays