Unbreak My Heart by Melissa C. Walker
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 240
Buy The Book: Amazon

Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life. Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now. Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart? Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem’s heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock to.

From looking at the cover of this book, I thought it was going to be the perfect summer read. And that's exactly what it is! Unbreak My Heart is the perfect combination of heartbreak, coming of age, family, love and friendships.

I really liked the main character, Clem. My heart went out to her for the way everyone is treating her. I always hate when something like this goes down, no one ever puts equal blame on the parties involved. It's always the girl's fault and the guy gets off scott free! Why is that? WHY??? Okay, back to Clem! I totally felt for her and sympathized with those periods in your life that seem to go on forever, when nothing you do seems to be right. Nothing you can do will please or make anyone happy.

I really, really LOVED Clem's family and their relationships with one another. Her parents were so sweet and understanding. More so than I think a lot of parents would've been. Her sister, although quite a bit younger, really identified with Clem's situation and she rallied around her big sis.

James *sighs*. He wasn't drop dead gorgeous, but he was just amazing! I would take a "James" any day! haha He was sweet, understanding and everything Clem needed. He understood her in ways no one else could. And I will never look at red headed guys the same!

I think a summer sailing up the coast with her family is just what Clem needed! This was a beautifully done summer tale of love, romance, coming of age, family and friendships! This book made me want to slide into a pair of boat shoes and grab my favorite iPod playlist and set sail!

Waiting On Wednesday (22)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

The Forsaken ( The Forsaken #1) by Lisa M. Stasse

A thought-provoking and exciting start to a riveting new dystopian trilogy.

As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up. The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.

I LOVE dystopians! I am seriously hooked on this genre! I am so excited for this new trilogy, that I can hardly stand it! I am dying to read this and will stalking the book store on July 10 to make sure I get a copy!

What books are you looking forward to?

Nail Your Books (1)

Hello Lovelies~

I've been brainstorming for a while with an idea for a new blog feature that I wanted to do. And I am excited that it's finally here!

I am a nail polish aholic! I love painting my nails and trying all kinds of new and fun designs. Most recently I've noticed how much books affect our lives, from fashion right down to our nails! Hunger Games inspired nail polish anyone?

Some people match their nails to their outfit, I happen to match mine to the book I'm reading! Does anyone else do that? Or maybe you just get really inspired by a book and before you know it, your nails have gotten a make over!

This week I was really inspired by Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker. It's a super cute summer read, so make sure you check it out!

Today is the kick off day for the Unbreak My Heart blog tour, and what a better way to start if off, then with a book inspired manicure!

Cute right?!?!

Here's what you'll need for this design:

Essence nail polish in You Belong To Me

Finger Paints in Soul Mate

Finger Paints in Paper Mache

Top Coat of your choice

To start with make sure your nails are clean and dry. Then start off with a good base coat. Next paint each nail with Essence nail polish in You Belong To Me. I did 2 coats for mine, although one would be just fine too! Next just have fun with it! Create little designs. You can make a big heart on your thumb like I did. Add in an anchor, wheel, nautical stripes. And don't forget some fun and flirty polka dots! Finish it off with a good top coat. And voila! You are ready for your very own summer sea voyage!

So what do you think? Would Clem approve? I have to say I am in love with this and will be sporting it often during the summer!

Don't forget to stop back by on Thursday, May 10th to see what my thoughts on Unbreak My Heart were, and while your at it don't forget to check out some of the other stops on the tour!

Happy Reading!

XOXO

Review: Keep Holding On

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti
Release Date: May 31, 2012
Publisher: Viking
Pages: 224
Buy The Book: Amazon


A romantic and empowering book about bullying 

Noelle's life is all about survival. Even her best friend doesn't know how much she gets bullied, or the ways her mom neglects her. Noelle's kept so much about her life a secret for so long that when her longtime crush Julian Porter starts paying attention to her, she's terrified. Surely it's safer to stay hidden than to risk the pain of a broken heart. But when the antagonism of her classmates takes a dramatic turn, Noelle realizes it's time to stand up for herself--and for the love that keeps her holding on.

I am a huge fan of Susane Colasanti and was really eager to read this one. Although the cover looks really cute, there was more to this book than just a cute cover and a love story. I am a big fan of books that tackle serious topics and have a message for teens. Keep Holding On tackled the harsh reality of bullying.

I've read quite a few YA books that deal with bullying. While this one wasn't quite so in your face, I really enjoyed it. It was a more mild approach to it, but I felt like this made it something everyone could identify with! The main character, Noelle, is bullied  because she isn't wealthy. Let's be honest, most of us aren't! Very few of us wore $100 designer jeans, and the latest fashions. Maybe we didn't sport the latest hair style or expensive highlights. That's what makes this character, and this story, so easy to identify with!

Noelle was strong, and independent. She didn't let the bullying take over her life, or stop her from living. There were times when I cried at the injustice she faced, and others when I cheered for her and how she stood up for herself. She is exactly the girl I would hope to be if I were in her shoes!

This book was simple, yet beautifully well written, and its a story I think each and every one of us can identify with! It has a great message for teens and adults alike. It moved me and touched me in a way that I won't soon forget!

Didn't Like/ Didn't Finish Friday (1)

It happens to all of us from time to time. For whatever reason, we didn't like or finish a book. Rather than post a negative review, from now on I will be doing a Didn't Like/Didn't Finish Friday. This way I can still highlight the book.  Perfect! :)

This week's pick is. . . 

Small Damages by Beth Kephart
Release Date: July 19, 2012
Publisher: Philomel
Pages: 304
Buy The Book: Amazon

It’s senior year, and while Kenzie should be looking forward to prom and starting college in the fall, she is mourning the loss of her father. She finds solace in the one person she trusts, her boyfriend, and she soon finds herself pregnant. Kenzie’s boyfriend and mother do not understand her determination to keep the baby. She is sent to southern Spain for the summer, where she will live out her pregnancy as a cook’s assistant on a bull ranch, and her baby will be adopted by a Spanish couple.

Alone and resentful in a foreign country, Kenzie is at first sullen and difficult. She begins to open her eyes and her heart to the beauty that is all around her and inside of her.

I love travel books and books set in other countries. I have always loved to travel, but don't get to nearly as much as I would like. So I tend to live vicariously through the character's that do! Set in Spain, the home of bull fights and latin lovers, Small Damages looked like a book right up my alley!

This book sounded like a book of self discovery, and I am all for that! Sadly, this one just wasn't for me. The story is told in a mix of present tense and numerous flashbacks. I was pretty confused at times. Flashbacks aren't a pet peeve of mine or anything, but in this setting it really confused me.

The main character's story and background is revealed throughout the flashbacks, in which you get glimpses and peaks at here and there. I had a hard time piecing everything together and just sort of lost interest at some point. While this book wasn't for me, I'm sure there are many people out there who will love it!

Check this one out if your a fan of international travel, self discovery, and coming of age novels!

Waiting On Wednesday (21)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Blind Spot by Laura Ellen

Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared. The night Roz Hart had a fight with her. The night Roz can’t remember. Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer. This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else.

I am so excited about this book! The story sounds fast paced, and totally original. And I am in love with this cover! Look for this one to come to a store near you on October 23, 2012!

What books are you looking forward to?

Review: Gilt

Gilt ( The Royal Circle #1) by Katherine Longshore
Release Date: May 15, 2012
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 398
Format: ARC
Source: DAC Arc Tour
Challenges: 2012 Goodreads Reading Challenge, 2012 Debut Author Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon

In the Tudor age, ambition, power and charismatic allure are essential and Catherine Howard has plenty of all three. Not to mention her loyal best friend, Kitty Tylney, to help cover her tracks. Kitty, the abandoned youngest daughter of minor aristocracy, owes everything to Cat – where she is, what she is, even who she is. Friend, flirt, and self-proclaimed Queen of Misrule, Cat reigns supreme in a loyal court of girls under the none-too-watchful eye of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk.

When Cat worms her way into the heart of Henry VIII and becomes Queen of England, Kitty is thrown into the intoxicating Tudor Court. It’s a world of glittering jewels and elegant costumes, of gossip and deception. As the Queen’s right-hand-woman, Kitty goes from the girl nobody noticed to being caught between two men – the object of her affection and the object of her desire.

But the atmosphere of the court turns from dazzling to deadly, and Kitty is forced to learn the difference between trust and loyalty, love and lust, secrets and treason. And to accept the consequences when some lessons are learned too late.

I absolutely ADORE historical fiction. In fact, I own a collection of historical romance fiction. Didn't know that, did you? So I literally squee'd for a week over Gilt. A story set in the tudor ages full of passion, lies, betrayal, torrid love affairs, gowns, and glittering jewels! Be still my beating heart!

For some reason ( I blame it on a two day brain fart) I didn't realize until I read the author's note that this book was based on the live's of Henry VIII and Catherine Howard. Duh! I was very impressed by how many actual people the author was able to fit into the story. And I thought she did a brilliant job with it!

I really enjoyed reading about the political aspect of things, and how everything worked. Since there are no royal families or King and Queen's here that has always intrigued me. I loved reading about the royal life, the ceremonies, their day to lives and everything in between.

I really enjoyed the main character Kitty, who was the very definition of loyalty! Although at times I wanted her to wake up and smell the royal rose garden! Her best friend, Catherine, was the polar opposite. She was selfish and only cared about her own interests. I didn't identify with her, but I could see why she made the choices she did and what motivated her to do so. I really felt for these young women, who had to marry because their parents couldn't support them. I'm not quite sure what I'd do if I were in their position, but hopefully not behave as badly as some of these ladies!

Overall I enjoyed reading about the gowns, the elaborate lengths the royals went to to entertain themselves as well as their day to day lives. You'd think there'd be plenty to be entertained by, but for me it was lacking in the drama department. I guess maybe because I've read so much historical fiction, I was really looking for some jaw dropping drama that would set this apart from other historical fiction. Even though I didn't quite find that with Gilt it was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the next book in this series!