Review: Ten Things We Did

Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by: Sarah Mlynowski
Series: N/A
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pub Date: June 7th 2011
E-Book
368 pgs

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house - parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have. 

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year , April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart... on thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time. 

 This was a perfect quick read. It was extremely entertaining and hard to put down. I finished it in just two short days!! I found myself giggling out loud, fighting back tears and cheering April on as she found herself. The story is constantly bouncing between was is currently happening and some event in her life that she is referencing at that point. At first I found this slightly confusing but soon I relished it. It made the book sound like a story I would tell about my life, in which I would pause to explain something then jump back in. It made the story fresh and different and kept my attention. It is also a very good story about a girl finding herself and dealing with parental issues. As a child of divorced parents, and of parents who at times were very self centered, I really related to the book and felt like it was very realistic.

This is a stand alone novel. Yet another reason it may have been so refreshing. I have loads of series that I want to start or are in the midst of. Sarah Mlynowski does have several other novels including a series that may be very cute called Magic in Manhattan. I may try them someday but they are not moving to the top of this girls expansive TBR.

Happy Reading!

Review: City of Heavenly Fire

City of Heavenly Fire by: Cassandra Clare
Series: Mortal Instruments #6
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Pub Date: May 27th 2014
Audiobook
20 Hours 38 Minutes

In this dazzling and long awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary's own brother. 
Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell. 

I read/listened the rest of this series back to back over a year ago. I was super hooked! The Nephilim was a new concept to me and I fell in love immediately. I rooted for Clary and Jace from the first few chapters! Finding out after reading the fifth book that I would have to wait almost a year and a half for the next novel almost put in into tears. I remember breathlessly ranting about this to my husband, whom doesn't read so didn't get why I was upset at all!! Anyway so I bought City of Heavenly Fire the day it came out!! Immediately my life became super hectic and I am just now reading it!! Shameful, I KNOW!!

I just need to note first of all that I loved the conclusion to this series. It was everything I could have wanted from a finale and honestly more than I expected!

The characters, le sigh, the characters. I know over the course of the series there has been a ton of progression but it is helped by leaps and bounds in this book! Something about the world coming to an end makes all the characters pull their heads out of the clouds. I am trying to find the words to explain. Part of me has just considered throwing a spoiler sign and just say all I want to. I may do that later ;)

I am combining the story progression, plot, and resolution here cause I would just find myself repeating. I am not a literary critic, I know many a person that could pick this book a part and find all its faults but personally I think it was perfect. I didnt find any parts dragging or lacking. I love the plot build up and the resolution. What I really want to say here is I was super impressed at the tying up of all the characters left that Cassandra Clare did after the conflict resolution!!! I was really concerned that after everything was said and done it would just be over but she has several chapters showing how life is going post war and all the cleaning up. Beautifully done!!

This series is complete! While I am sad to see if go, I prefer a conclusion versus more books in this instance. Cassandra Clare does have many other books and series most or all of them having to do with this world she has created. I found that City of Heavenly Fire more so then other books hints at stuff that makes you wanna read the other series to see if they hold more information!! Sneaky she-devil!!

Review: Eve and Adam

Eve and Adam by: Michael Grant
Series: Eve and Adam #1
Genre: YA, Sci Fi, Romance
Pub Date: October 1, 2012
Audiobook
6 hrs 50 Minutes

In the beginning, there was an apple-
And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker's head clears a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother's research facility. There, under the best care available, she is left alone to heal.
Just when Eve thinks she will die- not from her injuries, but from boredom- her mother givers her a special project: Create the perfect boy. Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts creating Adam.

I enjoyed this book for several reasons. First, it was a quick read in both length and in effort. It moved at a good pace and kept my attention. I am trying now at this really odd hour to remember if I have read a book with a similar premise before. I really don't think I have. I feel like I have read something about cloning once, or was that a movie? Anyway I digress. From the first time I heard about this book I have wanted to read it. I, like several other reviewers, was expecting something a little different then what you ended up with. However! I don't mind and actually prefer the direction this story lead. 

Characters. You don't see a lot of character progression in this book. I saw a bit in the two main characters but nothing in the rest. Especially none in a very stubborn Aislin which made me GRR a bit by the way. The story is told from three points of view at some point in the novel. I don't have an issue with this. Also I listened to this book and the readers did an amazing job giving the characters a voice and sounded so real. 

My only real reason for not giving this a 5-star type rating and review is a lack of WOW factor. It was all the thing I mentioned above and I would recommend the book to anyone. I just felt like it didn't have that moment that just made me stop and think that this book had something above anyone else. Do you understand what I mean? Of Course you do! I feel like the writing style was very simplistic. Which made it a great easy read but didn't give the imagination a lot to work with. It didn't explain a lot outside of what it took to get the point across.

I am pretty sure this is a single novel, Though for alot of the book I wondered cause I wasn't quite sure how we would get to a resolution in the amount of time I had left! hehe. Michael Grant has alot of other novels. I have his Gone Series in my TBR pile.

Teaser Tuesday #5

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB @Shouldbereading. Anyone can play along, just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. 
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS
• Share the title and author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers. 

----------

My Teaser: 

"I say lightly, because what else am I going to do when the most beautiful boy in the world is seated beside me and several inches of him are pressed against me and I swear the taste of his breathe is sweet in my mouth. Choke."

- Eve and Adam by: Michael Grant

25 Days of Book Boyfriends : Ridge Lawson

Day Two of the 25 Days of Book Boyfriends. I want to invite you to get to know a little about Ridge Lawson. He is the sweet and sexy book boyfriend I met earlier this year while reading Maybe Someday by: Colleen Hoover. He is a bit different then most Lead Male characters out there. He is deaf, a musician, and everyone's saving grace. What more could you ask for. While he tries his best to do right by all those around him and keep himself in control, I love seeing when the shield slips down just a bit :) Ridge feels very real to me, he does things in moments of anger then feels bad and tries to make up for it as best he can.

Maybe Someday by: Colleen Hoover
Series: N/A
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Pub Date: Mar. 18th 2014


"At twenty-two years old, Sydney has a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter's cheating on her-- and she is left trying to decide what to do next. 

Sydney becomes captivated by Ridge, her mysterious neighbor. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there;s something about Sydney that Ridge can't ignore either. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one. "

Ridge Lawson:

"His dark eyes lock with mine..."
"He runs a free hand through the hair hanging loosely over his forehead..."













Love Me:

1. Ridge is gentle and caring.
2. Ridge will knock out your ex for cheating on you with your best friend
3. He writes amazing music!!
4. He just has a way with words, and actions
5. Putting the needs of others before himself
6. He is subtly funny and heartwarming
I could go on forever.... Do you feel the love I have for this man yet?

I have to admit that while trying to browse back through the book for quotes of what he looks like or even parts that made my heart sputter, I was immediately sucked in and almost read the whole book over again. I can promise this one is really hard to put down!!

I am so sure that you will fall like I have fallen I will be giving this book away on Christmas Day!! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment with your email and your favorite book boyfriend. If you have a blog as well leave a link and I will be sure to stop by!!

Follow along and meet more amazing and scruptious book crushes in the days to come. Check the link to see the schedule! http://lovinloslibros.blogspot.com/2014/11/25-days-of-book-boyfriends-tour-schedule.html