Teaser Tuesday (12)

 Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along. Just do the following:

-Grab your current read.
- Open to a random page.
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
 -BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
-Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser:

"Why would I say that? Why would I bring up the dreaded G word? It reverberates around us, like an echo."

pg. 72, Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

I'm loving this one so far! I was really surprised to find myself laughing so much. Look out for the review soon (:



And Pretty Little Liars premiers tonight, I'm soooo excited! Anyone else as excited as I am?

Daily Dose Monday (15)

Daily Dose Monday is hosted by Holly over at Good Golly Miss Holly and features inspiring/magical images that you would like to share with your readers :)

In My Mailbox (20)

In My Mailbox is a meme originally hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren (click for more information) that shares all the new books you've bought, borrowed, received, or traded for the week.

I had a good week! I love that feeling of getting a new book in the mail (:


Received/for review:

The Karma by Jessica Brody
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. It’s that mysterious, powerful force that brings harmony to the universe. You know—do good things and you will be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what’s coming to you. A sort of cosmic balancing act.

But when Mason Brooks, Maddy’s boyfriend of two years, gets caught tongue-wrestling with Miss Perfect Body Heather Campbell, and absolutely nothing happens to either of them—except that they wind up the hot new couple of Colonial High School, it seems like Karma has officially left Maddy in the lurch. That’s why Maddy and her best friends, Angie and Jade, decide to start the Karma Club—a secret, members-only organization whose sole purpose is to clean up the messes that the universe has been leaving behind. Whether they’re modifying Heather Campbell’s acne cream as part of “Operation Butterface,” or righting a few wrongs when it comes to Angie and Jade’s own slimy exes, they know they’re just doing what Karma should have done in the first place. They’re taking care of one another.

Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. Because it turns out, when you mess with Karma, Karma messes back. Now Maddy must find a way to balance her life for good, even as everything around her seems to be toppling to the ground. 

I won this from Goodreads first reads. I never win anything so I was really surprised. It's even signed! Oh and it came with two bookmarks. I already started reading it and it's good so far.

Sea Change by Aimee Friedman
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

16-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science...and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she's happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother's estate.

There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can't make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship...and reality.

Is Leo hiding something? Or is he something that she never could have imagined? 

A special thanks goes to Scholastic/Point for sending me this one! It sounds really good and the cover is gorgeous. And I also have two books to giveaway so look out for a contest coming soon! 

The Worst of Me by Kate Lee Vann
Summary: (taken from back of book) 

Cassidy has been feeling unsettled and adrift, but things look up when she meets an older boy called Jonah. She loves spending time with him and his friends, flattered to be included in their discussions. Jonah is sweet and sensitive and she’s never felt so happy.

But then Cassidy hears disturbing news about Jonah which shakes her trust in him and makes her question her own judgment. If you love someone, how far should you go to overlook their faults?

A sharply insightful story about the sometimes painful process of growing up and thinking for yourself.

Thank you SO much Kate for sending me this one! She even signed it and sent the nicest card ever. It definitely made my day. I can't wait to read it.

Library/for review:

Two Way Street by Lauren Bornhaldt
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

There are two sides to every breakup. This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They're even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation. Then Jordan dumps Courtney -- for a girl he met on the Internet. It's too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney's heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la -- this is Courtney pretending not to care. But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot. Turns out, he's got a secret or two that he's not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can't get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other. 

This sounds so so good! I love books with two POVs, especially with a male and female one.  

What's in your mailbox?

The Body Finder by Kimberley Darling

Book review #44
The Body Finder by Kimberley Darling
Rating: Five stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her “power” to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he’s claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay’s intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she’s falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself. 

I picked up The Body Finder not really expecting to like it. Imagine my surprise when I completely fell head over heels in love with it! The Body Finder easily became one of the best books I have read this year. I devoured it whole, loving every single second of it. With just the paranormal aspect it would have still been great. That topped with the heated chemistry between Violet and Jay it made this book amazing.

Violet has an extraordinary gift, she has the power to sense dead bodies, not just any dead bodies, but only bodies that have been murdered. Lately her "gift" was the last thing on her mind. Jay, her best friend since forever, is the only thing on her mind. He definitely changed over the summer, but he's not the only thing that changed.  Violet finds herself falling in love. A couple of weeks after school starts, it has been reported that several girls have been missing. When Violet finds a an actual human dead body, she has a strange feeling that there is one person responsible for all the murders. It becomes her main priority to use her gift to find the killer, no matter how dangerous it becomes...with Jay's help of course.

Violet is such an awesome person. She's the type of person I could see myself being friends with. She's one of those girls that are amazing, but they don't really know it. She can be stubborn at times, but in a good way if that's possible. Her friendship with Jay was super cute. You don't usually see boy and girl best friends. Now the romance aspect with Jay was hot! Their love for each other was amazing. And oh Jay! He became another one of my character crushes. Not only was he extremely handsome and sweet, but he didn't fall for all the attention he got.

I also loved the thrill and suspense parts of The Body Finder. I was grateful to see the little tidbits of what was going on in the murderer's head. It was really interesting, even though it was really creepy! Even though there were moments with not much going on, something always happens. The mystery wasn't the hardest thing to solve, but it was still great.

The Body Finder is the type of book you cancel your plans for. I'm so happy that it actually lived up to the hype. And there is a sequel coming out! I'm definitely ready for some more Jay and Violet. If you have this one in your TBR pile, move it up to the top. What could you be waiting for?

Book Blogger Hop (6) + Introducing New Affiliates!

 Hey! It's Friday and you know what  that means-it's time for the book blogger hop! I absolutely love this, I've found so many great blogs over the process. Hop on over to Crazy for Books and join in!

Have an awesome weekend everyone! :D

Oh and if you're visiting make sure to let me know, so I can return the favor! 

Now for my lovely new affiliates: 

I'm very happy to introduce Aly (Blueicegal) from I Have a Dream! I absolutely adore the name of her blog this is the reasoning behind it:

"Yes my blog is called "I Have A Dream".. the reason for the name, is because i am a dreamer it fits with who i am, i am big on imagination, of what i would like in the world, what i feel the world should be like, and so I Have A Dream... was born, i feel the name says so much, it screams, i love to dream!i am full of dreams and fantasies, i want impossible things to be real i want them to come true, and i feel it shows ambition, i have a dream to be something, to do the imaginable to help others, so if you were wondering, when i see my blog and its name that is what comes to mind."

That is so inspiring! This is actually her second book review blog. Her first blog is called and Fantasy 4 Eva and it's awesome, so check that one out too! Anyways I Have a Dream features a super cool feature called Put A Ribbon on it that is held every Sunday. She also has the best reviews, she definitely shows her personality and voice through them. 

I'm so glad I found Aly's first blog! She leaves the nicest comments on everyone's blogs and overall she's just a fun really sweet person. Her blog is awesome, so please make sure to head on over there! (:

My other awesome affiliate is Jami from YA Addict! Her blog name is really true- if your looking for anything YA, YA Addict is definitely the place to go. She updates and posts for regularly and she has really awesome reviews! They give just the right amount of details without giving away any spoilers. 

Jami also very generously does ARC tours, so be sure to check that out! She also participates in memes, such as In My Mailbox, Teaser Tuesday, and Waiting on Wednesday.  

Here's a little bit more about her:

"Alright, it's time to admit it.

My name is Jami, and I am a YA book addict.

My home is crammed with so many books that my family bought me a Kindle in hopes of preserving space. It didn't work. I still buy books. If you see a woman in your bookstore, blocking up the YA section with her double stroller, camped out on the floor, that might be me.

YA Addict is my place to rave about the newest book I loved so much I can't get it out of my head. (since my family is ready to vote me out if I don't stop talking about it.) I will be reviewing mostly YA, but some adult will be thrown in there as well. If you are a fellow YA addict, feel free to join me on my journey through this wonderful world of literacy."

So all you fellow addicts please make sure to run on over to Jami's blog! You definitely won't regret it. I've followed Jami's since I first started blogging, and I'm so happy I did. Jami is awesome, go see for yourself :)

Borderline by Allan Stratton

Book review #43
Borderline by Allan Stratton
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Life's not easy for Sami Sabiri since his dad stuck him at a private school where he's the only Muslim kid. But it's about to get a lot worse.

When Sami catches his father in a lie, he gets suspicious. . . . He's not the only one. In a whirlwind, the FBI descends on his home, and Sami's family becomes the center of an international terrorist investigation. Now Sami must fight to keep his world from unraveling.

An explosive thriller ripped from today's headlines, borderline is the story of a funny, gutsy Muslim-American teen determined to save his father, his family, and his life.  

Whoa. What an intense read! Being a Muslim girl, I have to say that Borderline was the closest representation of Islam that I've read about. It wasn't perfect, but it was close to it.  It was nice having so much in common with the main character. I haven't read anything about this subject and I'm sure not many have you either.

Sami is forced to attend an all boy academy after having some trouble at his old school. Although he keeps his two buddies with him, everyone else makes fun of him. He sticks out like a sore thumb. Sami is really confused about his identity and who he is. He never had a really close relationship with his dad. Everything is going pretty normal, aside from his dad's sneaky behavior. After the blink of an eye he witnesses his dad being dragged out of the house for being accused of being a terrorist. Sami doesn't know what to believe. The family is flipped upside down.

Sami was such a strong character. I loved seeing things through his eyes. I was so proud of him, he was a great son and friend. I was very glad to see his transformation throughout the book. He went from being lost to being proud of who he was. I mean imagine having a father being watched and accused of being a terrible person by about the whole country. Along with everyone else, I even automatically assumed he was guilty. But there is always more parts to the story. It was crazy to watch how the family was treated. The mother lost her job and Sami was even asked if he wanted to drop out of the academy. Cameras were everywhere and everything was bugged within reach of their house.

There were a couple of complaints that I had. The beginning was kind of slow, but it definitely picked up during the second half when more of the action begin. Boy did I love the action parts, it was very intense. And I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing.

Those little complaints didn't take away from the story at all.  I thought that this was a very important book and it was quite enjoyable. It taught me not to judge anyone and that there is always more to a story. You usually don't get to see what really happens during these situations, but now you can. Mystery, thrill, a life lesson- it's all there. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone (:

New Button!

Hey everyone!

I finally made myself a blog button. What do you guys think of it? All suggestions/comments are appreciated (:

Waiting on Wednesday (15)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we "can't-wait-to-read".

Heart to Heart by Lurlene McDaniel
Release date: June 8th 2010 
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Elowyn Eden and Kassey Messechek are best friends. They share every aspect of their lives. But one thing Elowyn has not yet shared with Kassey is that she checked the organ donor box on her newly acquired driver's license. Kassey only learns of this in a startling and devastating way—when Elowyn's life-giving donor wishes are about to be honored.

Arabeth St. Clair has not had the luck to have a best friend. Due to her diseased heart, she's led a sheltered life. When Arabeth is sixteen, she and her mother receive the call that will change their lives—but they don't know to whom they should be forever grateful.

When the worlds of these three girls and their families intersect, lives are changed in ways never imagined. Most especially, it is Kassey who sees things differently, for she can keep alive the memory of her dear friend by sharing the renewed life of another teenage girl, while helping to ease the pain of the two families involved and coming to terms with her own.
 
I think this has potential to be amazing! I love books that have strong best friend relationships. And luckily the release date isn't too far away :D

And on a side note: I just discovered that there is going to be a sequel to If I Stay by Gayle Forman!  I fell in love with If I Stay so I'm SO excited. It's going to be called Where She Went and it's going to be from Adam's point of view 3 years later. Oh and it's going to be released sometime in 2011.

Teaser Tuesday (11)

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along. Just do the following:

-Grab your current read.
- Open to a random page.
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
 -BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
-Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser:

"It wasn't until she felt a hand close around her wrist that she realized someone was standing right behind her. A strong arm pulled her backward before she even had a chance to react. Her eyes widened, and she tried to remember how to scream, but her voice was frozen, and for a moment, she thought she might have forgotten to breathe as well."



pg. 130, The Body Finder by Kimberley Derting

Oh gosh! I loved this book so much! Reading this teaser makes me want to re-read it again. Expect the review later on this week :D