Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Publisher: Balzar + Bray
Pages: 352
Buy The Book: Amazon

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. There will be ivy, and there will be cute guys in the libraries (hopefully with English accents)! But when an unexpected event shows them they're missing out on the full high school experience, it's time to come out of the honors lounge and into the spotlight. They 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 the world that smart girls really can get what they want--but that could mean getting way more attention than they ever bargained for. . . .
 

 I had read and devoured Sarahh's Bubble's series and the Penny Pencher's book and loved them all. I was so stoked about this one, and was thrilled when it showed up at my door step. I always worry when authors cross over into YA. What if I don't like them? What if the spark is gone? Well there was absolutely nothing to be worried about here. Sarah proved to be an amazing author, whether it be adult fiction or young adult fiction.

I absolutely adored this book! It had everything going for it, a fantastic and entertaining plot, a cute boy to drool over, hillarious laughs, and character's that you will fall in love with! I loved that the character's had depth and they weren't just superficial. They felt very realistic and there was nothing over the top, unbelieveable here.

I loved her best friends, they were every bit as smart as she was and together they made this story! The supporting character's in the story were phenominal and some of my favorites! I honestly can't say enough about how suprisingly wonderful this book was!

I honestly wasn't expecting much when I picked it up, but I couldn't put it down. I loved it and I hope that Sarah Strohmeyer has many more YA adventures planned!

Nail Your Books (6)

 

Nail Your Books is an original feature that I created to show off off some awesome book related nail ideas! It can be anything from a book inspired design to a really cute matching nail polish. This feature combines my love of both books and nail polish. Some people match their nails to their outfit, I match mine to my books!

Hello Fellow Book Nerds!

This week's edition of Nail Your Books was inspired by Smart Girl's Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer. Spring is nearly here and it is my favorite time of the year! The birds are singing, the sky is gorgeous and all those beautiful spring colors come out to play! I was so ready to switch gear from all those dark nail polish to trendy spring colors. This book cover really spoke to me and I instantly knew what I was going to do! I just had to create a special look for this fun and cute read!

The Supplies

• Finger Paints in Paper Mache or any white polish that is opaque.
• Essie in Mint Candy Apple
• Essie in Turqoise and Caicos
• A sponge or eyeshadow sponge for blending
• A brush or q-tips and nail polish remover for clean up
• A good top coat such as Seche Vite to seal your mani

For this mani we will be using the gradient or ombre method, which is one of my personal favorites! It's super easy, fun and the results are breathtaking! You may remember this method from my last nail your books mani, if so then your all set! I'll be doing it a little differntly this time but it's still easy as pie!

Now your ready for a really fun and super cute mani! I always make sure to start off by using a great clear base coat so my nails don't get stained. My personal favorite is Seche Vite Clear but you can use anything you have. I also applied a nail strengthener to my nails by Chi before the base coat.

Once you get your base coat on and it's dried, the fun begins! Start with Paper Mache by Finger Paints or any opaque white polish of your choice. Paint your nails white, so that we have a fresh canvas to work on. It's okay if the tips aren't perfect. As you'll see in mine, we're going to cover them up anyways!

See that mess at the tips? haha No worries, we're about to cover it all and no one will ever know! ;) Once your white polish dries, you'll go back over it using the gradient method. You can use the traditional sponging method, but this time around I painted mine in solid blocks and then went back after and sponged over it. It came out fine but I think the all sponging method is best! It gives a more gradual ombre look, which I prefer!

 

Next I added a layer of the lighter green, Mint Candy Apple, about 2/3 of the way down the nail.  And then let it dry. About 3 minutes.

 

Lastly, add the darkest color, Tuqoise and Caicos onto the nail about 2/3 of the way down. And let dry about 3 minutes or so.

 

I then went back in to blend it out so it wasn't so blocky looking. I placed small dots of polish on a piece of paper and dipped an eyeshadow sponge into it and then sponged it on my nails where the colors met to give it a more blended look.

Then lastly, grab a q-tip dipped in polish remover or an eyeshadow brush and clean up the edges. Seal with your favorite top coat, mine is Seche vite Clear!

 

Voila! A really fun, cute spring mani that is perfect for spring! You can also go back and add red stripes to the ring finger if you want to match the book even more! I wanted to add this but...I was exhausted and my bed was calling my name. Haha

So what do you think of my book inspired mani? Will you be trying this one out? I'd love to know! So make sure you leave me some comment love and don't forget to stop back by tomorrow for my review of Smart Girls Get What They Want.

 

Happy Reading!

In My Mailbox

Hello All!

I hope your all having a great weekend! Mine was crazy busy, but fun! I had a booth at a craft show, selling all of our crafty goodness hehe And now I get to relax tonight and have a slumber part with one of my bff's. Eeek! I never get to do this nearly enough.

 

So as you already know, my blog will be changing a bit as far as format goes. You'll start to see beauty and nail polish reviews pop in, in addition to more Nail Your Book posts and book reviews. And I'm working on a Dinner and a Book feature that I have floating around in my head. Due to that, I am going back to IMM posts that way I can feature more than just my week in books. I'm so excited to share all the fun goodies with you guys! And this week is a good one! :)

 

 

For review: Tidal by Amanda Hocking

I did not request this one so it was a very pleasant surprise! This releases in June.

 

 

For Reviewe: Also Known As by Robin Benway

Hysteria by Megan Miranda

 

I am a total Megan Miranda fangirl so I was thrilled when these showed up in the mail. Eeek!!!

 

 

When this box of awesome showed up un announced I literally gasped for air. Could it be? Could it really be???

 

 

Squeeeee!!!! Is there a book faery out there sending me surprises from my wishlist? haha Whatever it is I won't complain! This was a very unexpected surprise and really awesome press pack for Linked by Imogen Howson. This is one of my most anticipated books of 2013 and you have no idea how excited I was to see it at my doorstep.

 

 

And last but not least, you guys know how much I love polish. My favorites are all indie polish brands, with Lynnderella being my absolute favorite indie polish in the whole world! That being said, a wonderful fellow Lynnderella lover sent me an awesome surprise package with the help of the Lynnderella team. It was a total surprise and I nearly peed in my pants! Mon Petit Chou Chou from the V-day collection, and Limited Edition Magic Fairy Stars. Eeek!!! Stay tuned for swatches and a review of these beauties.

 

A huge thank you to St. Martin's, Bloomsbury, Simon and Schuster and the ever sweet Chen and the wonderful Lynnderella. Every package was unexpected and a wonderful surprise. It's been a phenominal week and I can't wait to get to all my goodies!

 

What lovely things filled your mail box this week? I'd love to know so leave me a comment or link me to your own post!

 

Have a great weekend!

 

XOXO

Health Update

Hi Lovelies!

I just realized I haven't updated my blog since January. I have had every intention to do it, and I have lots to catch up on. Life has just gotten insanely crazy for me. Many of you know I have quite a few health problems, and that seemed to kick into high gear this year.

For quite some time I have been battling chronic fatigue which seemed to hit an all time low this year. I have to be shaken awake and reminded to eat! That being said, I have also been dealing with never ending migraines, which are not easy to treat with my other conditions. I woke up one day in February with a swollen thyroid, the next day I had a pain at the base of my skull, and the next a sore neck which was full of fluid. After many doctors visits, and tests, my doctor informed me that I have a nodule on my thyroid. I kinda knew the prognosis when I saw the spot on my ultrasound.

On top of that, I was just diagnosed with psoriasis this past week as well. It's covering my scalp, my lips, the palms of my hands, my nails, etc. It's taken all of my energy to just go to work, and take care of my sweet little bunny.

I am desperately trying to develop some sort of a routine or normalacy but ... it seems like life is just too hectic at the moment. I have not forgotten all of you dear readers, nor abandoned my passion for books. I just have to find my footing.

Before I wrap this up, I will be making some changes to my blog. I have many loves and intrests besides YA books, and I've struggled for quite some time now on how to combine it all without having multiple blogs. Hence, Nail Your Books was born. I will be soon adding beauty, makeup, etc and maybe even some gluten free cooking to my blog as well. I plan on still making this a fun place to stop by and visit, but also a place where you can get great book recommendations, quick dinner recipes and super cute nail art ideas. So what do you think? Are you excited to see the coming changes?

Waiting on Wednesday (30)

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

Hello and Happy Wednesday everyone!!! :)

I am so excited about my pick this week. I am dying to read it and so happy to share my obsession over it with YOU! haha

Sky on Fire ( Monument 14 #2) by Emmy Laybourne

 

 

The world hasn't ended...yet.

In this sequel to MONUMENT 14, the group of survivors, originally trapped together in a superstore by a series of escalating disasters, has split in two. Most of the kids are making a desperate run on their recently repaired school bus for the Denver airport where they hope to reunite with their parents, be evacuated to safety, and save their dying friend.

But the world outside is dark and filled with dangerous chemicals that turn people into bloodthirsty monsters, and not all the kids were willing to get on the bus. Left behind in a sanctuary that has already been disturbed once, the remaining kids try to rebuild the community they lost. But when the issues are life and death, love and hate, who can you really trust?

 

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I absolutely loved Monument 14, in fact, I'm a fan girl at heart! I am beyond ecstatic that this is a series and I am absolutely pining away for Sky on Fire. Did you enjoy Monument 14? Will you be reading Sky on Fire?

 

Look for it to hit stores on May 28th from Fiewel and Friends!

 

 

Review: The Deadly Sister

The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer
Release Date: May 1, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 352
Buy The Book: Amazon

From the author of School for Dangerous Girls, another suspenseful stunner about a girl who helps her sister escape from a murder charge - and then falls for the murder victim's brother.

Abby Goodwin is sure her sister Maya isn't a murderer. But her parents don't agree. Her friends don't agree. And the cops definitely don't agree. Maya is a drop-out, a stoner, a girl who's obsessed with her tutor, Jefferson Andrews...until he ends up dead. Maya runs away, and leaves Abby following the trail of clues. Each piece of evidence points to Maya, but it also appears that Jefferson had secrets of his own. And enemies. Like his brother, who Abby becomes involved with...until he falls under suspicion.
Is Abby getting closer to finding the true murderer? Or is someone leading her down a twisted false path?

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I love a good murder mystery! Especially one that challenges me and keeps me guessing. That is exactly what The Deadly Sister did! Seeing as how this book was dedicated to the author's editor, David Levithan, I shouldn't be surprised!

 

I'm not sure what it is about a murder mystery that has always kept me so fascinated. Maybe it's the race againt time. Or delving into the psychological mind. Whatever it is, this book has it in spades!

 

The main character, Abby, is determined to prove her sister's innocence, despite all the evidence stacked against her. Being a part of a dynamic sisterly duo, I really identified with this part of the story. There is nothing I wouldn't do for my sister, and vice versa.

 

I enjoyed the characteres, and the plot blew me away! I literally sat speechless with my jaw hanging open when I finally closed the book. This was so masterfully written that I think even the grand dam of murder mystery, Agatha Christie, herself would approve.

 

This was a fast paced thrilling read that will make you question just how far you are willing to go for family!

 

 

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Have you read this book? I'd love to know your thoughts so don't forget to leave a comment below!

Review: Monument 14

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 294
Buy The Book: Amazon


Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.