French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Publisher: Listening Library
Source: Borrowed from the library
Format: Audio Cd
Discs: 8
Goodreads

Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, perfect, Étienne has it all ... including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

An unabridged recording on 8 CDs (10 hours, 29 minutes).

I think contemporaries were my very first love. I've been hearing such amazing things about this book for such a long time, and I even had a chance to meet Stephanie and get signed copies. When your a blogger, avid reader, or just a fan of literacy, your bookshelves always seem to be bursting at the seams. This sat on my bookshelf for 2 years. You know how it is, so many books, so little time!

I saw this audio at my local library and decided to give it a try. I recently switched jobs and while I'm used to a commute, thought what a fun way this would be to get through my work week. This was the perfect audio to get me through even the most tough days!

Anna and the French Kiss is such a wonderful story. I adored every minute of it and wished I'd read this long ago! For me, the narrator can either make or break an audio. And in Anna and the French Kiss, the narrator did a fantastic job! It was such a fun audio to listen to, and such a cute contemporary, that I couldn't help but fall in love with it!

Perfect story + perfect narrator = perfect audio! If your a fan of audio books, this is a must! It'll make your drive home after a tough day at work infinitely better!

Review: Tilt

Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
Release Date:  September 11, 2012
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderberry Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardback
Pages: 604
Buy the Book:  Amazon

 

Love—good and bad—forces three teens’ worlds to tilt in a riveting novel from New York Times bestselling author Ellen Hopkins.
Three teens, three stories—all interconnected through their parents’ family relationships. As the adults pull away, caught up in their own dilemmas, the lives of the teens begin to tilt….

Mikayla, almost eighteen, is over-the-top in love with Dylan, who loves her back jealously. But what happens to that love when Mikayla gets pregnant the summer before their senior year—and decides to keep the baby?

Shane turns sixteen that same summer and falls hard in love with his first boyfriend, Alex, who happens to be HIV positive. Shane has lived for four years with his little sister’s impending death. Can he accept Alex’s love, knowing that his life, too, will be shortened?

Harley is fourteen—a good girl searching for new experiences, especially love from an older boy. She never expects to hurdle toward self-destructive extremes in order to define who she is and who she wants to be.

Love, in all its forms, has crucial consequences in this standalone novel.

 You guys may remember my recent review of Triangles. Tilt takes the story in a totally  new direction, with the children of the ladies from Triangles. I purchased these 2 books together, thinking I needed to read them both in order, and that is so not the case! I assumed that Tilt would pick up where Triangles left off, and it doens't really. I'd say a good half of the book takes place durring the events of Triangles, but from the perspective of their children. I felt like this was interesting to see both sides of the story and how it impacted not just the parents, but the children too, and vice versa.

I utterly adore books told in verse, and there is no doubt as to Ellen Hopkins huge talent at telling vivid stories in a non conventional way. She also has a knack for tackeling difficult, and hard subjects to talk about, and turning them into a work of art. She is a brilliant author!

For me, having just finished Triangles and jumping into Tilt, this was not quite what I was hoping for. Triangles was so raw, dark, and it totally went there. I thought in Tilt maybe it would lighten up a little or get better for these characters. In that respect, I was disappointed. While Ellen's work and writting is amazing, I would like to see something a little different from her in the future.

I'm not asking for a fairytale, but maybe... a little less darkness and problematic lfiestyles. Just sayin! All in all the writting was brilliant as usual! Just felt a little repetative as to the MO of the story.

Review: Paper Valentine

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff
Release Date: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 304
Buy The Book: Amazon

The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

Paper Valentine is a hauntingly poetic tale of love and death by the New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement and The Space Between.

I'm not really sure how Brenna's work has always eluded me, but I'm so glad that this gorgeous haunting cover caught my attention! It was clear from the first few chapter's, that while her work is unusual, there is something so uniquely beautiful about it!

Paper Valentine is the story of Hannah, who is "haunted" by the ghost of her recently deceased friend Lillian. I love scary stories, and murder mysteries, but I shy away from ghost stories so I was reluctant to pick this one up. If you are too, let me reassure you, there are no crazy spirits or heebee geebee's going on here! Throughout the story, Hannah still see's Lillian, and hear's her, but no one else can. There are no weird posessions or excorcisms or anything that will make you feel uncomfortable. I promise!

There is a string of murder's going on in Hannah's town, and eventually, Lillian convinces her to investigate. This story had a little bit of everything, tales of life, loss, love, friendship, growing up and even tragedy. It was written so well that I don't think the any one part of the story detracted from the other. There was just enough love, but not too much to take away from the murder plot and vice versa.

As far as the murders go, I never was able to tell who was going to die, or why. Nor was I able to predict who the murderer was! I honestly couldn't even make a guess, which made the end that much more gripping.

There is something beautifully haunting about Brenna's ability to create a story and bring it to life and I highly recommend picking up a copy of Paper Valentine!

Review: Triangles

Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
Release Date: October 18. 2011
Publisher: Atria
Pages: 529
Buy The Book: Amazon

THREE FEMALE FRIENDS FACE MIDLIFE CRISES IN A NO-HOLDS-BARRED EXPLORATION OF SEX, MARRIAGE, AND THE FRAGILITY OF LIFE.

Holly: Filled with regret for being a stay-athome mom, she sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Will it bring the fulfillment she is searching for?Andrea: A single mom and avowed celibate, she watches her friend Holly’s meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt. Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for—a committed relationship with a decent guy. So what if Andrea picks up Holly’s castaway husband?Marissa: She has more than her fair share of challenges—a gay, rebellious teenage son, a terminally ill daughter, and a husband who buries himself in his work rather than face the facts.As one woman’s marriage unravels, another’s rekindles.

As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s reconfigures into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness.

Unflinchingly honest, emotionally powerful, surprisingly erotic,Triangles is the ultimate page-turner. Hopkins’s gorgeous, expertly honed poetic verse perfectly captures the inner lives of her characters. Sometimes it happens like that. Sometimes you just get lost.Get lost in the world of Triangles, where the lives of three unforgettable women intersect, and where there are no easy answers.

So first off, I don't usually read Adult books. Unless it's Sophie Kinsella or Nicholas Sparks I don't even bother to look at the cover. I know, I know, your probably thinking how prejudice! But Adult books just don't excite me the way YA does. Despite that, I was really curious about Ellen Hopkin's Adult novel debut. And let's be honest for a second here, I wanted to buy it just for that gorgeous cover! I've told you guys before, I'm a total cover whore!

When I learned that Tilt, was the story of the children of the ladies from Triangles, it was all the excuse I needed to buy them both! Both the goodreads and Amazon descriptions say that this is a "no holds barred, exploration of sex, love and marriage" and let me tell you, they ain't kidding!

This was a very graphic story, with absolutely no holds barred. It was very candid and honest, and at times sordid. There is sex galore, erotica, and more. Being that I am a YA reader who occasionally dabbles in the works of Nicholas Sparks and Sophie Kinsella, you can only imagine my face as I read my way through Triangles. I blushed, I turned beet red, and in between reading breaks I hid it under my pillow like it was contraband!

I can't really say that I enjoyed this book. Or rather, the character's.  I personally, could not identify with them at all, having never married, divorced, or birthed children. Hence, why I solely read YA titles. HOWEVER, as usual, Ellen Hopkins writing still amazes me, whether she's writing for a YA audience or an adult one.

Because of the content... I feel like this is a book I can't personally recommend. My readers range from teenagers, to girls in their first year of college, to young women, to mothers of teenagers and beyond. Therefore, there will be no cute little cupcake ratings this time. I will let you judge this one for yourself.

As I mentioned, this is definitely an adult book written with no reservations, as the description promised. I often found myself turning read, and even feeling uncomfortable even at my age. Again though, I would like to stress that Ellen Hopkin's writing is as briallant as ever! I definitely do not recommend this for teen's, but encourage anyone curious or interested in this to pick up a copy and check it out for themselves!

And if you have read it, leave me a comment because I'd love to know your thoughts and feelings on it. And keep an eye out for my review on Tilt!

Review: Every You, Every Me

Every You, Every Me
Release Date: September 13. 2011
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 245
Buy The Book: Amazon

In this high school-set psychological tale, a tormented teen named Evan starts to discover a series of unnerving photographs—some of which feature him. Someone is stalking him . . . messing with him . . . threatening him. Worse, ever since his best friend Ariel has been gone, he's been unable to sleep, spending night after night torturing himself for his role in her absence. And as crazy as it sounds, Evan's starting to believe it's Ariel that's behind all of this, punishing him. But the more Evan starts to unravel the mystery, the more his paranoia and insomnia amplify, and the more he starts to unravel himself. Creatively told with black-and-white photos interspersed between the text so the reader can see the photos that are so unnerving to Evan, Every You, Every Me is a one-of-a-kind departure from a one-of-a-kind author.

I have always heard such raving reviews for any of David Levithan's work. So on my first trip to the Austin Teen Book fest I was ecstatic to purchase this book and have it signed. I added it to the bookshelf with all my other pretties and never gave it another thought. After reading The Lover's Dictionary I was in awe of his work, and this year, I finally decided to dust this off and give it some much needed attention!

I hate to say it, but I was really disappointed in Every You, Every Me. I love the idea of a story unfolding not just on pages full of written word, but also through the use of photography. Some time back I read Chopsticks, and also Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and was swept away by the unique use of storytelling.

I'll start first with the photography. Photography is what should really set this book apart and make it unique. The pictures should be rich, whether they are in color or in black and white, after all, they are telling a story. Unfortunately, the pictures looked old and cheap. I know when you fill a book with photo's, it can get costly to transfer it to print, but this looked so cheaply done that it didn't stand out at all. It came across like a low budget film and it really detracted from the book.

The book itself, did not fare much better. I love intriguing tales, especially ones that have a physological twist. Call me a weirdo but those really excite me! Even though the book itself was on the short side, I found Every You, Every Me, to move very slowly. It didn't capture my attention and suck me in, the way I expected it to.

Then there was the use of strike-out in the writting. You know, like this.   I was never sure if I was supposed to omit those parts, or strain my eyes to read through all the black lines. WHAT DO I DO??? I felt like writing David Levithan to ask for a users manual on this. I finally realized there was so much of THIS  in the book that it must be intended to be read. After a while, it really, REALLY, got on my nerves. Can you imagine an entire book like this? I could go on about how annoying this was, but I'll stop myself there. 

All in all, for me both the photography and the writing were not up to snuff this time around. The books description made this seem much more interesting and exciting than the book itself actually was.

If your looking to try a story told through written word AND the use of photography, check out Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony, or Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. They will both blow your mind! While I really did not enjoy Every You, Every Me, I am not counting David Levithan out just yet!

Review: Smart Girls Get What They Want

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!