Love Overdue

Love Overdue by Pamela Morsi
Published August 17, 2013

About the Book:

Meet Dorothy Jarrow: devotedly unsexy librarian 

Buttoned-up book lover DJ is all sensible shoes, drab skirts and studious glasses. After an ill-advised spring-break-fueled fling left her mortified, she's committed to her prim and proper look. When she's hired by a rural library in middle-of-nowhere Kansas, she finally has the lifestyle to match-and she can't wait to get her admin on. 

But it's clear from day one that the small-town library is more interested in circulating rumors than books. DJ has to organize her unloved library, win over oddball employees and avoid her flamboyant landlady's attempts to set her up with the town pharmacist. Especially that last part-because it turns out handsome Scott Sanderson is her old vacation fling! She is not sure whether to be relieved or offended when he doesn't seem to recognize her. But with every meeting, DJ finds herself secretly wondering what it would be like to take off her glasses, unpin her bun and reveal the inner vixen she's been hiding from everyone-including herself.

My Thoughts:

I'm normally not a reader of romance novels, but this book caught my eye several times at my library.  The cute cover (isn't is adorable!!!)  and the title let on that a library probably played a part in it somehow.  Seeing as I'm going to school to a librarian, I was intrigued.  I finally checked it out this week after reading the back and finding out that it was definitely about a library/librarian.  It became a must read!

Though not normally my preferred genre of books, if all romance novels were like this one, I would be reading many more of them.  The few I've read in the past seem like the plot is just loosely arranged around all the sexual encounters that are the real purpose of the books.  This book has a real story to it, and it's a cute one.  There is actual character development, interesting supporting characters, and it even lightly touches on some complex issues such as suicide, homosexuality, gender biases, autism, and others.  The book has much more to it than the typical romance novel, and I really enjoyed it.  The Dewey Decimal chapter headings were a really fun/cute bonus, and I adored DJ's adorable dog, Dew, who plays a big role in the story.  There is also a really great moment with a character who is an adult with autism that I really loved.  Great book! 

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Published May 4, 2010

About the Book:

Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.

My Thoughts:

I loved it, like seriously L-O-V-E-D it!  There are so many things about this book that are perfect.  The characters, main and secondary, are all amazing.  The quotes to start each chapter are great, and that is something I don't always love.  The scrapbook pages and playlists are a very cool touch.  They helped make it seem like, as the reader, you are along for the ride with Amy and Roger.  The book was cute and sweet without being only cute and sweet.  Having just read Willow, which also deals with the death of a parent (parents actually in it), I liked this book soooo much better!  While Amy is struggling and dealing with issues of guilt over her father's death, you aren't beaten over the head with it page after page after page to the point you are exhausted by the main character.  You'll actually feel good after reading this book! 

Time Between Us

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
Published October 9, 2012

About the Book:

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett has the unique ability to travel through time and space, which brings him into Anna’s life, and with him a new world of adventure and possibility.

As their relationship deepens, the two face the reality that time may knock Bennett back to where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate, what consequences they can bear in order to stay together, and whether their love can stand the test of time.

Fresh, exciting, and deeply romantic, Time Between Us is a stunning, spellbinding debut from an extraordinary new voice in YA fiction.

My Thoughts:

I labeled this as contemporary despite the time travel aspect, as the book really reads like a contemporary YA novel rather than a fantasy YA type novel.  

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Time After Time, the sequel to it as well.  I got to meet the author at a local book event, and I knew from her description of the book that I had to read it.  I am happy to say that it did not disappoint at all.  It's a straightforward love story (no love triangles or drama like that) that is cute and sweet.  The time travel aspect is done really well and is never confusing.  I really liked all of the characters too, from Anna and Bennett to Anna's friends Emma and Justin, her parents, the Spanish teacher (a class Anna and Bennett share), etc.  Great book! 

Family Pictures

Family Pictures by Jane Green
Published March 19, 2013

About the Book:

New York Times bestseller Jane Green delivers a riveting novel about two women whose lives intersect when a shocking secret is revealed.

From the author of Another Piece of My Heart comes the gripping story of two women who live on opposite coasts but whose lives are connected in ways they never could have imagined. Both women are wives and mothers to children who are about to leave the nest for school. They're both in their forties and have husbands who travel more than either of them would like. They are both feeling an emptiness neither had expected. But when a shocking secret is exposed, their lives are blown apart. As dark truths from the past reveal themselves, will these two women be able to learn to forgive, for the sake of their children, if not for themselves?

My Thoughts:

I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it either.  I used to love all of Jane Green's books, but some of her more recent ones haven't been favorites.  This was pretty predictable; I assumed what was going to happen in it just from the blurb on the back of the book.  Many of the characters in the book seemed molded from stereotypes, and I didn't find myself identifying with or rooting for any of them really.  The book is still plenty readable.  It's a quick, easy read, and it does draw you in and keep you reading despite being predictable.  I wouldn't say for anyone to rush out and buy it, but I won't suggest avoiding it either.  

Willow

Willow by Julia Hoban
Published April 2, 2009

About the Book:

Seven months ago on a rainy March night, Willow's parents drank too much wine at dinner and asked her to drive them home. But they never made it--Willow lost control of the car, and both of her parents were killed.

Now seventeen, Willow is living with her older brother, who can barely speak to her. She has left behind her old home, friends, and school. But Willow has found a way to survive, to numb the new reality of her life: She is secretly cutting herself.

And then she meets Guy, a boy as sensitive and complicated as she is. When Guy discovers Willow's secret, he pulls her out of the solitary world she's created for herself, and into a difficult, intense, and potentially life-changing relationship.

Julia Hoban has created an unflinching story about cutting, grieving, and starting anew. But above all, she has written an unforgettable tale of first love.

My Thoughts:

This was a re-read for me actually.  I picked the book up at Half Price Books forgetting that I had read it back when it first came out.  As I got a little ways into it, I realized how familiar it was seeming.  I decided I would go ahead and read it again, though, since I had already started in on it.  I also couldn't remember exactly what happened, since it had been around 5 years since reading it.  

This book tackles a difficult subject, and I really appreciate that there are books out there for teens that do this.  That being said, I have mixed views on this book.  The writing itself isn't bad, but the handling of the subject matter is lacking in ways.  I don't want to say too much and give too much of the book away, but I just felt like the subject wasn't handled completely realistically.  The main character, Willow, is also not completely sympathetic, which feels terrible to say all things considered.  She's just very frustrating and written in a way that makes it difficult to completely feel sorry for her.  I loved the character, Guy, but there are things about the relationship between him and Willow that bugged me as well.  In several ways, it is just not a very healthy relationship in my opinion.  Despite all of this, it's not a terrible book.  I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.  

Perfect Chemistry

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Published December 23, 2008

About the Book:

A fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers.

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created 'perfect' life is about to unravel before her eyes. She's forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for: her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. 

Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.

In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

My Thoughts:

Though much of the book was pretty predictable, it wasn't a bad read.  The story isn't very original, but the book is still cute and a fairly good and quick read.  I did like Brittany and Alex both a lot, which helped make the predictability and lack of originality easier to bear.  Elkeles gets bonus points for doing a good job with the alternating point of view chapter thing.  The chapters alternate from being about Brittany, to being about Alex, and back and forth.  Sometimes that doesn't work well, but I felt she did a nice job with it.  The epilogue is pretty cheesy, though. 

10 Books Down, 90 More to Go!

So, I've read 10 books so far in the 18 days of my challenge that have passed so far.  I had hoped I would have hit the 10 book mark sooner than now, but my schedule has been a little crazy.  I have graduated from college and taken a trip to Las Vegas within those 18 days, so I guess I have a good excuse for being behind schedule!  It is now time to get down to business, though.

Next up is reading The Fault in Our Stars again.  I first read the book right after it was released, so it has been over 2 years since I read it.  I wanted to read it again before the release of the movie on June 6th.  Thanks to my awesome friend Sarah (http://www.storyboundgirl.com/), I get to see the movie early!!  We are going to special early showing of it tomorrow (cue fangirl excitement), so I need to read it tonight!  I will also be seeing it at least two other times for the early release the night before opening night (June 5th) and opening night (June 6th) for my twin girls' 14th birthday celebration with a couple of their friends, my Mom, and my sister.  I plan to see it MANY times while out in theaters, and I fully expect that it will be one of my favorite movies of all time.  Bring on the feels!

Edited to Add:  I decided to wait and read The Fault in Our Stars again after seeing the movie the first time but before seeing it June 5th.  Thought I would update on that in case anyone wonders why I reviewed a different book instead as my next book. 

The Distance Between Us

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
Published July 2, 2013

About the Book:

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

My Thoughts:

Funny, cute, quick read!  This book fit the bill for what I was needing.  My schedule has been a little busy since I started my reading challenge, and I'm a bit behind on what I would have liked to have read by now.  I am trying to read some fun, quick reads to get back on track, and this was exactly what I needed.  This was a pretty good book overall.  I really liked the main character, Cayman and her sarcastic sense of humor.  I am pretty sarcastic myself, and I feel that West wrote the character really well.  My one complaint with the book would be that the ending felt rushed.  It just seemed like West got to a point where she was tired of writing and rushed to put together an ending for the book.  Up until that point, I really liked it, so that was disappointing.  I still gave it 4 stars on Goodreads, as I did like the majority of the book a lot.

13 Little Blue Envelopes

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Published December 21, 2010

About the Book:

Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.

In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.

The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.

Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke–about–town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous–though utterly romantic–results. But will she ever see him again?

Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.

My Thoughts:

Cute book!  I really enjoyed the story, and I loved reading about all of the places the 13 little blue envelopes took her on her journey.  Having been to London, I recognized much of where she visited there.  It made me want to hop on a plane to go back NOW!  The book also gave me many new places I would love to visit as well.  While the book wasn't perfect in every way, it satisfied my need for something fun after the heart-wrenching (but truly wonderful) We Were Liars. 

We Were Liars

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Published May 13, 2014

About the Book:

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
 
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

My Thoughts:

I absolutely loved this book.  It may be the most beautifully written book I've read in a long time.  I'm really kind with my star ratings on Goodreads generally, and I give many books 4-5 stars as long as they keep me interested and I enjoy reading them.  This is one that truly deserves the highest accolades available.  

There are a couple lines from it that describe well what this book did to me:

"My head and shoulders melted first, followed by my hips and knees.  Before long I was a puddle...I was pure liquid loss..."

I was a bit of a wreck after finishing this book, and I was stuck on an airplane where I had to silently sob over it.  My crying, despite my efforts, wasn't quiet enough to avoid waking my sleeping husband in the seat next to me.  I can't say much more as I don't want to give anything away about it, but this is a must read, so get to it! 

What I Thought Was True

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Published April 15, 2014

About the Book:

From the author of My Life Next Door comes a swoony summertime romance full of expectation and regret, humor and hard questions.

Gwen Castle's Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, is slumming it as a yard boy on her Nantucket-esque island this summer. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners who keep the island's summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will be her fate too, but just when it looks like she'll never escape her past—or the island—Gwen's dad gives her some shocking advice. Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to resolve what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—with what really is.

A magnetic, push-me-pull-me romance with depth, this is for fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Deb Caletti.

My Thoughts:

On Goodreads, I gave the book a solid 4 out of 5 stars.  Overall, I liked the book, but there were a few issues.  It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, I really enjoyed the rest of it.  Some of the early chapters bounce around in time a bit, and this isn't written very clearly.  I had to stop and try and figure out if things were taking place now or if it was something that had previously happened.  That tends to take you out of groove of reading the story, and it frustrated me a bit.  It also took a long time to reveal some important aspects to the story, which was frustrating as well.  I think that Fitzpatrick did so many others things right, though, and that redeemed the book for me.  If not, it would have been given a 2 or 3 rather than a 4.  The characters are complex and interesting, and the book handles some delicate subject matter really.  I would recommend the book, but with the warning that you have to push yourself past the first bit of the book that is frustrating and confusing. 

God-Shaped Hole

God-Shaped Hole by Tiffanie DeBartolo
Published May 1, 2002

About the Book:

When I was twelve, a fortune teller told me that my one true love would die young and leave me all alone. 
Everyone said she was a fraud, that she was just making it up. 
I'd really like to know why the hell a person would make up a thing like that.

Written with the snap, glitter and wit of The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing, God-Shaped Hole is a memorable, poignant love story that will leave you weeping with laughter. It is told in the wry, vulnerable voice of Beatrice "Trixie" Jordan who replies to a personal ad, "If your intentions are pure I am seeking a friend for the end of the world." 

In doing so, she meets Jacob Grace, a charming, effervescent thirty-something writer, a free spirit who is a passionate seeker of life. He possesses his own turn of phrase and ways of thinking and feeling that dissonantly harmonize with Trixie's off-center vision as they roller coaster through the joys and furies of their wrenching romance. Along the way they try to come to terms with the hurt brought about by their distant fathers who, in different ways, forsook them.

This story will prove so touching you will rush to share it with a friend or loved one or even a stranger.

My Review:

The complete review will have to wait until I can get another copy of the book.  I got to page 316 of 329 and discovered that the pages in between 316 and 329 were missing!  If my thoughts change when I get a hold of those missing pages, I will update. 

I will go ahead and say that I didn't love this book, though.  I struggled a bit to get through it.  Part of the reason is that I was just not loving the characters, and I'm okay with that as long as they are complex and interesting (such as in Gone Girl).  I just really did not find them all that interesting in the case of this book.  The characters were flawed in ways that made me just want to scream at them and tell them to get it together and stop being so annoying.  If I had read this book in my 20s, I would have probably enjoyed it a lot more.  I think it might be one of those books where you have to be in a certain stage of life to appreciate it.  

The Geography of You and Me

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith
Published April 15, 2014

About the Book:

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.

My Review:

Jennifer E. Smith's books have the best cover art!  I really love the cute covers that all of her books have had, how they are each similar, but they still have their own personality that fits with their story.  Like her other books, the story in this one is a cute romance with characters you will root for.  If you are looking for a fairly light, fun read, this or either of Smith's other books are a great pick!

Love Letters to the Dead

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
Published April 1, 2014

About the Book:

It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

My Review:

This is such a beautiful book.  I was shocked by some of the scathing reviews for it on Goodreads, but I can understand the subject matter of much of it may be more than some can handle.  This book delves into some really heavy subject matter (almost everything heavy that a teen could face), and parents who are even slightly uptight about what their kids read should definitely not buy this one for them.  As an adult, I feel the author did a great job of tapping into the raw emotions many teens grapple with on their journey of discovering themselves and learning to cope with the crap the world hurls at them.  

Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Unremembered by Jessica Brody
Published March 5, 2013

About this Book:

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.

Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

From popular young adult author Jessica Brody comes a compelling and suspenseful new sci-fi series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.

My Review:

I was excited to read this book after hearing the author speak at two book events recently.  My daughter read it and was immediately begging for me to hurry and buy the next book in the series, Unforgotten, so I knew it was going to be good.  It did not disappoint.  The book has been optioned for a film, and I am anxious to see it happen.  

Just One Year by Gayle Foreman

Just One Year by Gayle Foreman

Published October 10, 2013

About the Book:

Just One Day. Just One Year. Just One Read.

Before you find out how their story ends, remember how it began....

When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought. . . .

The romantic, emotional companion to Just One Day, this is a story of the choices we make and the accidents that happen—and the happiness we can find when the two intersect.

My Review:

It was worth rushing to Barnes & Noble and paying full price!  I highly recommended purchasing both books at once, as you will not be able to wait to read Willem's account of his and Allyson's story (a.k.a. Lulu) and his story of their time apart.  I loved both of these books, and I cannot wait for Foreman's Just One Night (coming May 29th as an enovella) to read the rest of their story. 

Just One Day by Gayle Foreman

Just One Day by Gayle Foreman
Published August 20, 2013

About the Book:

Allyson Healey's life is exactly like her suitcase—packed, planned, ordered. Then on the last day of her three-week post-graduation European tour, she meets Willem. A free-spirited, roving actor, Willem is everything she’s not, and when he invites her to abandon her plans and come to Paris with him, Allyson says yes. This uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: 24 hours that will transform Allyson’s life.

A book about love, heartbreak, travel, identity, and the “accidents” of fate, Just One Day shows us how sometimes in order to get found, you first have to get lost. . . and how often the people we are seeking are much closer than we know.

The first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

My review:

I loved this book so much that I had to rush to Barnes & Noble the next day and pay full price for Just One Year.  I couldn't bear to wait another day to read more about Allyson and Willem's story.

100 Books of Summer Challenge

I have challenged myself to read 100 books by Labor Day, and this will chronicle my literary journey.  I'm a little behind on starting this blog, so there will be a few posts coming with the books I have read so far.  I started my challenge on Sunday, May 4th and have 4 books down, 96 to go.

Testing 1, 2, 3, . . .

This is a test. A what? A test. Oh, a test.