Smart Girls Get What They Want Review

Amazon

TITLE: Smart Girls Get What They Want

AUTHOR: Sarah Strohmeyer

PUBLISHER: Balzer + Bray (Harper Collins)

PUBLICATION DATE: 6/26/2012

PAGES: 348

MY RATING:

BACK COVER BLURB: Gigi, Bea, and Neerja are best friends and total overachievers. Even if they aren't the most popular girls in school, they aren't too worried. They know their real lives will begin once they get to their Ivy League colleges. But when an unexpected event shows them they're missing out on the full high school experience, they decide to make a pact: They will each take on their greatest challenge -- and they will totally rock it.

Gigi decides to run for student rep, but she'll have to get over her fear of public speaking -- and go head-to-head with gorgeous California Will. Bea used to be one of the best skiers around, until she was derailed. It could be time for her to take the plunge again. And Neerja loves the drama club but has always stayed behind the scenes -- until now.

These friends are determined to show that smart girls get what they want -- but that could mean getting way more attention than they ever bargained for....

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This was just a really quick, fun read. It's a good "in-between" book to kind of cleanse your palate between reading two more intense books. The whole book was a cute, feel-good book. I enjoyed reading this one and I think that most people would also feel the same.

CHARACTERS: All of the characters in this book were the type of people that you would find in any high school. I don't want to go into much detail about any of the characters because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone.

COVER: The cover is cute. I love the font used for the title.

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book for my honest review.

Something Strange and Deadly Review

Amazon

TITLE: Something Strange and Deadly

AUTHOR: Susan Dennard

PUBLISHER: Harper Teen

PUBLICATION DATE: 7/24/2012

PAGES: 400

MY RATING:

BACK COVER BLURB: Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to anyone with a pulse. As if things couldn't get any worse, the Dead are rising in Philadelphia! Eleanor knows her brother is somehow involved, and she enlists the Spirit-Hunters to help find him. But her growing attraction to Daniel, one of the Spirit-Hunters, threatens to derail her efforts. With her reputation on the line and her life hanging in the balance, can Eleanor find her brother and manage to stay alive? Vividly imagined scenes and a perfectly proper Victorian setting create a wonderfully entertaining backdrop for horror and romance, making Susan Dennard's debut a great pick for fan of Clockwork Angel.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I had some trouble with this book. I went back and forth between really liking it and being bored. The beginning of the book had a slow start. I didn't really start getting into the story until about a third of the way into the book. I think one of the reasons why I didn't enjoy this book was because I was confused for a lot of the first half of it. I didn't really understand why everything was happening and what Eleanor was trying to accomplish.

I got about halfway through the book before I decided to take a break from it and read something else for a little while. When I picked it back up I enjoyed it so much more. I found myself rooting for the characters at the end.

The ending of the book left me satisfied. Things were cleared up, but definitely left open for a sequel. I'm not sure if I'll be picking it up if it does get published, so we'll have to see.

CHARACTERS: I didn't connect a whole lot to any of the characters. There just weren't many characters that stood out to me. The only exception to that is Jie. She is one of the spirit hunters. She has a lot of spunk and does what she wants. I feel like she is a strong woman and not afraid to go after what she believes in.

COVER: I'm in love with this cover. It's the main reason the book caught my attention in the first place. I love the colors, I love the creepy tree in the back, I love the girl's dress and her hair. I also really like the title font.

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book for my honest review.

Regine's Book Review

Amazon

TITLE: Regine's Book

AUTHOR: Regine Stokee

PUBLISHER: Zest Books (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

PUBLICATION DATE: 10/26/2012

PAGES: 336

MY RATING:

BACK COVER BLURB: Regine Stokke began to blog about her day-to-day life shortly after she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia in 2008. Her blog -- which began with the simple declaration that she would write about "what it's like to live with" the disease -- because an almost instant classic. From being the kind of teenager who sulks when she doesn't get a private room at the hospital, Regine gradually learns to face up to the terrifying implications of her disease, and develops a deep appreciation for life, for art, and for all of the people who surround and support her. Regine's Book is Regine's story as we encounter it on her blog, supplemented with previously unpublished texts, a selection of photos, comments from her readers, and remembrances from those closest to her. Regine's honesty, bravery, and uncompromising nature are an inspiration. Through her eyes, readers will discover a more vivid world -- and a new appreciation for life, art, and the power of the human spirit.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This book made me think about my life. It made me want to live more in the moment and to be happy with what I have. Tragic events can happen to anyone at anytime for no reason at all and we need to be thankful for each and every moment given to us. I learned things that I didn't know about before. Regine was very informative about how things were working within her body. She also went into great detail about what being a bone marrow donor entails.

My favorite quote from Regine:
     "The world is unfair. For those of you who go on to live a long and happy life, I want you to try and give something back to the world. Think of all those other people whose lives are spent in suffering. Give. It's unbelievably important." (p. 103)

There are also some links included throughout the book that feature projects of Regines. Feel free to check out the links. The first one is a youtube video that I found extremely creepy but well done. The second I would recommend to everyone. It links to photographs that Regine took and they are all beautiful.

Youtube Video

Regine's Photographs

*I received a copy of this book from Amazon for my honest review.

Jelly Bean Crisis Book Blast

The Jelly Bean Crisis by Jolene Stockman


A total meltdown. The whole school watching. Now Poppy’s an ex-straight-A with no Plan B.

When Poppy Johnson throws away a full scholarship to Columbia, she can only blame the jelly beans. The yucky green ones? Midnight cram sessions and Saturday’s spent studying. The delicious red? The family legacy: Columbia, and a future in finance. Except now it’s starting to look like Poppy’s jelly bean theory is wrong. School has been her life until, but maybe it’s time to start living now.

Poppy has thirty days to try a new life. No school, no studying. Just jumping into every possible world. Thirty days to find her passion, her path, and maybe even love.

The Jelly Bean Crisis is officially on.





*** Praise for The Jelly Bean Crisis***

"The Jelly Bean Crisis is a heart warming and thought provoking story, especially if you're in the process of figuring out your life!"  - Ajoop On Books!

"This book had me riveted. Completely riveted the entire time. The Jelly Bean Crisis was instant love for me."  - Book Briefs.

"It's a beautifully told story that you'll be thinking about long after you finish reading."  - A Pocket Full of Books.

If you're looking for a smart contemporary YA read, then The Jelly Bean Crisis is for you!

Purchase

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Amazon Kindle

***Book Blast Special***
Get your Kindle copy of The Jelly Bean Crisis for 99 cents!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Jelly-Bean-Crisis-ebook/dp/B008PODAAK

Author Jolene Stockman

Jolene Stockman is an award winning writer, speaker, and an expert for Girlfriend Magazine Australia. She is a Master of Neuro Linguistic Programming, and one of the youngest in the world to achieve the Distinguished Toastmaster Award. Jolene lives in New Zealand, and is the author of Total Blueprint for World Domination. The Jelly Bean Crisis is her debut fiction.

Website * Goodreads * Twitter 

Facebook * Blog

$100 Book Blast Giveaway
Ends 12/21/12
*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it when you follow Jolene and leave the others blank.

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Eve Hallows Book Blast

EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS (BOOK 1)

For fourteen-year-old Eve Hallows, life can be summed up in one word—horrible.  She has the most horrible friends.  She lives in a horrible old castle.  Even her family is a bunch of horrible monsters.

However, in the monster-inhabited world of Gravesville—a world where messages are sent through Ouija boards, jack-o’-lanterns get facials to suit their moods, and the worst thing Eve has to deal with are those annoying zombie tourists who overrun her favorite graveyard during the Halloween season—horrible means wonderful.  And everything for Eve is perfectly horrible.

But her life is about to go head over heels when a mysterious group known as The Source starts terrorizing Gravesville.  Now she must move to the human world—where everything is opposite ... and for Eve, that's absolutely adorable!

Praise for Eve Hallows and the Book of Shrieks:

"Move over, Neil Gaiman’s CORALINE and THE GRAVEYARD BOOK … make room, Lemony Snicket’s A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS … you’ve got company and competition for shelf space!" -- THE HORROR FICTION REVIEW

"WOW! What an absolutely horrible book (horrible meaning fantastic!) ... This book was laugh out loud funny.  I loved when Mom accidentally turned people to stone.  Dad's crazy attempts at running a pizza store were just hysterical." -- KIDS 'N' BOOKS

"This is the perfect book to be read aloud, read at night under the covers or simply devoured in one sitting. Robert Gray’s Eve Hallows and the Book of Shrieks simply shines with all of its fun creepiness, compelling characters and stellar writing. A MUST read for any MG fan!" -- WORD SPELUNKING

 "Eve Hallows is highly imaginative without being too complex for its target audience. Fall in love with Eve, her friends and her family of adorable monsters. Lose yourself in a light read that will remind you of those days when your English teacher just want you to read something, anything. This book is it. The one that you wish you read when you were in grade school." -- JOYOUS READS

"Overall, this book was fantastic. It presents an admirable role model as well as a strong family unit which will benefit young readers. When so many books right now have presented teens in a not-so-flattering light, it is so wonderful to find a book like this one." -- BOOK COVER JUSTICE

Purchase

Kindle * Amazon

EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHADOWS (BOOK 2)

Ever since encountering The Source and its minions on Halloween, Eve Hallows has found life surprisingly quiet … not to mention adorably boring!  So when Dad receives a Ouija message that she must return to Gravesville, Eve couldn't be happier—at least until she discovers the Director of URNS, also known as the Grim Reaper, has a special job for Eve … one that will lead her to New York City and to the true identity of The Source.


With The Book of Shrieks offering zero help and a new URNS agent driving the school boys—and Eve!—crazy, Eve's beginning to realize this whole saving-the-world nonsense isn't what it's cracked up to be.

All this and she still has to find The Book of Shadows....

Praise for Eve Hallows and the Book of Shadows:

"This book was perfectly horrible! Horrible meaning amazingly awesome, of course. Eve's world once again sucked me in and would not let go until this part of Eve's story was finished" -- LILI LOST IN A BOOK

"This is a perfect combination of YA, Horror, Paranormal and Fun!" -- BOOK LOVERS PARADISE

Purchase

Kindle * Amazon

Blog Tour: December 10th to 23rd

Tour Schedule

Author Robert Gray

Robert Gray is a writer.  If that job description doesn't impress you, how about fantasy writer? Too general? Well, he doesn't get insulted if you call him a horror writer. If horror's not your thing, then scratch out horror and replace it with suspense. And for the kiddies, you can slap on a YA or MG in front of that title.

Gray lives in Bushkill, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.



Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

Book Blast $50 Giveaway
Ends 12/23/12

*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it when you follow Robert and leave the others blank.

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Surrender Book Blast

Surrender by Rhiannon Paille

How far would you go to save everything you ever loved?

Kaliel was warned about her love for the Ferryman. One day he will marry the land and leave Avristar forever. She doesn't listen, and because of what she is-- a Flame-- one of nine apocalyptic weapons, she sparks a war. In a desperate attempt to save her home and her love, Kaliel tries to awaken Avred, not knowing she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Purchase

Goodreads * Amazon 
Amazon Kindle

Praise for Surrender

"My head is still spinning a bit about the plot though because I can't believe it. It's better than ice cream for a break up. The plot was original, the characters were relatable and down to earth despite not living on Earth." - Courtney at Readable Charper

"Surrender is definitely full of emotion and will take you on an incredible journey through the eyes of these two incredible characters."
- Lucy at Moonlight Gleam

"Reading this book felt like reading a classic, but with everything I love in a book: romance, heartbreak, and lots of action! I would recommend this book to EVERYONE and then dare them not to fall in love with it!"
- Sammie Spencer, Author of Amaretto Flame

"Rhiannon Paille creates a unique and beautiful world that will draw you in and make you remember what it was like to be young, innocent, and full of wonder."
- Cory Putman Oakes, Author of The Veil

"Surrender is hands down one of my favorite fantasy books ever. YA or not, this is just pure awesomeness and every fantasy fan should read it. It's a delectable, rich in detail, numbingly brilliant and swoon-worthy read that you can't afford to miss out on."
- Evie at Bookish Evie

Author Rhiannon Paille:

Rhi was never a normal girl. Her life was an urban fantasy wrapped in a paranormal romance and served with a side of horror. To escape her everyday weirdness she began writing fantasy. She studied at U of Sedona and MIMT, obtaining a PhD in Metaphysical Science and Parapsychology. She's married to a chef/comic book shop owner and has a fondness for architecture.

Links:

Facebook * Twitter * Website

Book Blast Giveaway:
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 12/12/12
*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it for the first person you follow and leave the others blank.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.