Landline by Rainbow Rowell

(source)

Title: Landline

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Length: 308 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Classification: Adult, Contemporary, Chick-Lit

Release Date: July 8, 2014

Source: ARC (Won from GoodReads First-Reads. Thank you St. Martin's Press and GoodReads!)

Read: May 2014

GoodReads

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now. Maybe that was always besides the point. Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her. When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything. That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . . Is that what she’s supposed to do? Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?(From GoodReads)

***I received an ARC of this book from a giveaway that was part of GoodReads First-Reads. This does not change the way I view this book.***

My Rating:

This was my first Rainbow Rowell book, and I just love her writing. I can’t believe I haven’t read any of her other books before this. I love it so much, I am anxious to read more of her books. (And for her to publish more!)

I really enjoyed reading Landline. In fact I read it in one day. I could not put it down. The story and characters really appealed to me and I was hooked.

The Story:

I really feel that I was able to empathize with both Georgie and Neal's issues. 

I really connected with the story. I am not exactly Georgie. But I definitely could see (and feel) her point of view. And I was really able to connect with Neal and how he was feeling in the book. And I just LOVE books that make me feel an emotional connection with. One that makes me think about my life in relation to the story. I felt that this story (for the most part) was very realistic.

Maybe not “talking” to someone in the past, but I definitely think that the book relates well to real life.

And there were several parts of the story that made me stop and think about my own life.

Even though I know that using a phone to talk with someone in the past isn't real, I really liked those parts of the story too. They were interesting and I loved when it would happen.

I really loved the flashbacks, when Georgie was remembering what happened in the past. I loved seeing their relationship develop and unfold. I think it was my favorite part of the story.

I love the references that Rowell has throughout the story. They make me laugh and smile.

There were also parts that brought tears to my eyes.

The Characters:

I think that the characters were very well developed. Each character was likable but also had their flaws, which made them feel real. I liked that I was able to emotionally connect to both Georgie and Neal and care about what would happen to them and their marriage.

I liked and enjoyed the other relationships in the story. Including Georgie's friendship with Seth (the guy that is not only a friend, but they work together) and her developing relationship with her sister. I really enjoyed the parts with her family. They were interesting characters as well.

My Recommendation:

I love the story. I love the characters. So I highly recommend this one. Especially if you like other Rainbow Rowell books. I found it to be intriguing, funny, serious, and entertaining. 

The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes

(source)

Title: The Art of Lainey

Author: Paula Stokes

Length: 384 pages

Publisher: HarperTeen

Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary

Release Date: May 20, 2014

Source: ARC- Won From GoodReads FirstReads Giveaway. (Thank you GoodReads and HarperTeen!)

Read: May 2014
GoodReads

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.
 And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they're sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few "dates", it looks like her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.
 What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be? (From GoodReads)

**I received this book from a giveaway that was part of GoodReads First-Reads.**


My Rating:

Oh my goodness! This book!
I could not put this book down!
I kept telling myself "Just one more chapter then I'll pick it back up tomorrow and read some more."
That did not happen. I kept telling myself, yet I could not tear myself away from the book to put it down.
Then the next thing I knew I was almost finished and it was 3 am! I stayed up anyways and finished the book.
I lost some sleep over the book, which I do not regret, because I loved the book very much!
The Art of Lainey also gave me a book hangover. I think I am going to get some non-contemporary books on my TBR list read.

The Art of Lainey is one of my favorite YA contemporary books that I have read so far!
I am looking forward to the next book that Paula Stokes writes, and I know that after this I will be watching to read her future books.

The Story:

I love the story. Teenage girl gets her heart broken by her first boyfriend. (In a mean way...in front of so many people!) At first she is upset and sad. Which is completely understandable. After some grieving, with the help of her best friend, they come up with a plan to get her boyfriend back based on The Art of War.
I really think this concept of the story is original. I don't think I have read anything quite like it.
The whole fake boyfriend/girlfriend is entertaining and funny. And I really enjoyed the situations (dates) that occurred.
I liked the pacing and the story as a whole. I think that the story was well written and the characters are well-developed.
I especially loved the friendships and the back and forth between characters.
I love that there isn't insta-love.
And I especially love that this isn't just a love story, but also a self-realization story.


The Characters:

I feel that I could connect with the characters in this book.

Lainey: She is popular, athletic and confident. Which is different from a lot of main characters I have read from before. My favorite thing about Lainey is the realization (and personal growth) that she achieves in this story.
Micah: *Swoon* Micah is awesome. He is the type of boy I would be crushing on/dating if he was real and I was 16. I love the mohawk. Definitely a sweet bad-boy. I liked seeing Micah challenge Lainey.
Bee: The award for best friend ever goes to Bee. I LOVE the friendship between Lainey and Bee. So realistic. Bee is so sweet. I really think they are the perfect fit. They have things in common, but they also are different.
Leo: He is such a sweet character. I liked that he became a friend to both Micah and Lainey.

I also enjoyed the scenes that involved Lainey's family and Micah's family.
I had a like/hate relationship with Jason and Kendall.

My Recommendation:

If you enjoy reading YA contemporary, I think you should read this book. I enjoyed it very much and it is a book that I will end up re-reading in the future.

My Title Acrostic: 

Tactical: Since Lainey is using concepts from The Art of War to win back Jason, I'd say it is safe to say she has to be tactical in her execution.
Heart-breaking: There were some parts of the story that felt a bit heart-breaking for me. Including Lainey becoming a bit heart-broken because of Jason.
Entertaining: This book was very entertaining for me. There were parts that made me laugh and smile. I wasn't able to put the book down.

All-Star: Lainey is a wonderful soccer player.
Realistic: I found the characters to be realistic and relatable.
Tattooed: Micah is tattooed. (Enough said, right?!)

Opposite: I love that Lainey and Micah are opposites.
Friendship: One of my favorite things about this book is the friendship between Lainey and Bee.

Lovable: Most of the characters are very lovable! The story is also lovable.
Adorable: So adorable. I found many things in this story adorable.
Interesting: Very interesting. The book reminded me of parts of a couple movies, but overall I think the entire story was very interesting. It hooked me quickly.
Nice: Micah is very nice. (A lot of the characters are nice!)
Envy: There is some envy in this book.
Yummy: Micah bakes some yummy treats.


I mentioned above that the story reminded me of a couple movies. (Not because they have the same story or anything, it was just passing thoughts I had while reading). So I thought I would share the two movies with you really quickly.

The first movie is Drive Me Crazy. It is a movie from the late 90's with Melissa Joan Hart.
And the second movie that popped into my head was She's The Man with Amanda Bynes. Simply because there is soccer in both the movie and The Art of Lainey. 

I hope that you all like my title acrostic! And if you haven't read The Art of Lainey, I highly recommend it!

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

(source)

Title: Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2)
Author: Laini Taylor
Length: 513 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Source: Paperback *won a copy from GoodReads First Reads giveaway*
Read: March 2014

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.
This is not that world.
Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is--and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.
In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.
While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.
But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream? (From GoodReads)

***This is the second book in a series. There will be spoilers of things that happened in the first book, so if you haven't read it and don't want to know things that happened, please stop reading now.***

And if you have read Daughter of Smoke & Bone and liked it but haven't read this one yet...what are you waiting for? Go read it! 


My Rating: 5+ 

Laini Taylor is amazing! She did not disappoint me with the sequel to Daughter of Smoke & Bone. There are times where I am worried to read the second (and even third) books in series that start out so strong, because they can sometimes be a little bit of a let down.
But that was not the case for me and Days of Blood & Starlight. I found this book to be outstanding.
The author does an excellent job of continuing to build on this interestingly unique world she has created. I feel that everything was well developed!

And the cover. Oh my goodness, I love the picture on the cover a lot! So pretty.

The Story:

Let me start by saying: I had so many emotions!
Seriously, while reading this book I felt like I was on a roller coaster of feelings.
I was happy, sad, angry, frustrated, a bit heartbroken, so many different emotions.

But I love this book. I love the story and I think it was a wonderful continuation of where book one left off.

There were surprises that I didn't see coming and they shocked me! But there were a couple that I did figure out while reading, but they in no way took away from the story or my love of this book.

Finishing this book left me making "grabby hands" at my computer screen for Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Released April 8th) And I was so glad that I didn't have a long wait before I would be able to get it. (I am currently reading it now.)

The Characters:

I am not even sure how to fully explain or put into words my love for these characters!
Zuzana continues to be one of my favorite characters. She is just so awesome. She is a wonderful friend and a kick-butt character! And Zuzana is just downright funny. I love her humor.
And I love that we see more of Zuzana and Mik in this book. I love the parts that include them in the story and I was so happy to see that they had a bigger role in the story!
We have more Karou and the new challenges she faces after finding out about what Akiva did.
And Akiva trying to deal with the guilt that he feels for hurting Karou.
Other characters from the first book make appearances in this book.
And we meet a few new characters.
Most notably Ziri. He is a chimaera and even knew Madrigal when he was a little boy. (They are the same chimaera). I like him and enjoyed learning more about this character throughout the story.


I love this book. I love this series. And I think it is just awesome. I hope you all liked the book as much as I do!

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

(source)

Title: Confessions of a Murder                        Suspect

Author: James Patterson and Maxine                 Paetro

Length: 387 pages

Publisher: Little, Brown and                                  Company

Classification: Young Adult, Mystery,                           Thriller

Release Date: September 24, 2012

My Rating:

I found it interesting and enjoyable. 


I received this book as part of the Good Reads First Reads program.


This was the first James Patterson book I have ever read. So I didn't go into the book having any real expectations other than expecting it to be pretty good since he is a best selling author.

And I must say I found this book enjoyable. I really love the style of writing.
The story is told from the point of view of Tandy Angel. But it is written as if the character is currently sitting down with us telling us the story.
One of my favorite things about the book is that the author includes CONFESSIONS in the book. They are in between chapters and I find them to be quite interesting.

In the beginning of the story we find that Tandy's parents have been murdered and the four Angel children are the prime suspects.

I think the mystery was good, I changed suspects a few times while reading along. Although I didn't ever really think that Tandy committed the murder. I think it was because we were hearing everything from her perspective, although she didn't really ever rule herself out, she kept herself in the pool of suspects along with the others.

And I definitely did not see the ending coming. I was surprised to find out who did it.
I was a little let down by the ending. I really was expecting something different, but I accept the ending and understand why it ended the way it did.

I do plan on reading the next book in the series Confessions The Private School Murders that came out last year.

I found this book to be a fun read, there were times where I didn't want to put it down.

Midnight City by J. Barton Mitchell

(source)

Title: Midnight City-A Conquered Earth Novel

Author: J. Barton Mitchell

Length: 384 pages

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Classification: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

Release Date: Reprint- October 30, 2012


My Rating: 

I really enjoyed reading it and I am looking forward to reading the next book.


Midnight City is the first book in the Conquered Earth Series by J. Barton Mitchell. I found out about this book through Goodreads. There was a drawing to win a copy of this book and a drawing to win an ARC of  his second Conquered Earth book, The Severed Tower. I entered both drawings and won a copy of the second book.
So of course I bought the first book. I will not read and review a book out of order!

So I bought a copy of Midnight City on my Kindle, so I would have a good introduction to the world before reading and reviewing my First Reads book.


I REALLY enjoyed this book! It was action packed! Just starting reading the book, and there was already an action scene.

I really like how well Mr. Mitchell developed his characters. I was able to feel like I could relate to them in some way and I empathized with them.

I read this book in a few days, but it wasn't because I wanted to drag out reading it. In fact there were many places where I didn't want to put it down. But due to other parts of life I couldn't devour the entire book in one sitting.

This story is about an alien invasion that pretty much takes over Earth. The aliens land and release The Tone onto the citizens. The Tone seems to immediately take effect on most of the people. Now there are not really many adults over the age of twenty or twenty-one left.

I'm going to be honest and at the beginning I was getting a little confused by all of the different terms that he used to describe people and everything.


I really don't think I am giving too much of the story away, but here it is in case I am.


***The following part of the review may contain spoilers. If you don't want to risk the possibility of this book being ruined by spoilers, then stop reading.***

*
*
*
*
*
*
In the first chapter we learn about the Tone, Heedless, Adjutant, the Menagerie, the Assembly. And these are just some of the things we learn about in this world.

But honestly, I did get everything sorted out and it does make a lot of sense to me. And I love the interesting world that Mr. Mitchell has created. (Sure it would be nicer without the Assembly getting control and attacking everyone, but then it would be less action packed and less interesting.)

So the Tone is the thing that the aliens have infected the people with. The Tone either will make a person become a Succumbed, meaning the Tone took full affect on the person, and that person is now under alien/assembly control. Once becoming Succumbed, the person will stop being themselves and walk in a slow uncontrolled motion towards the Presidium (which are Assembly bases).

People that are not affected by the Tone are called Heedless.

And we learn that the Forsaken, are the people that end up going crazy by the Tone.

We follow Heedless Holt and his best (and pretty much only) friend through his journey. He is being hunted by a group called the Menagerie. And he in turn is a bounty hunter, hunting a girl named Mira, that is wanted by a group in Midnight City.

We learn that Mira is a Freebooter, she collects artifacts that have basically magical powers from the Strange Lands.

They also come across a young girl Zoey. They take her with them on their journey to Midnight City, and find out that she is very special.

My favorite part and the thing that I find the most interesting is all the stuff that Mr. Mitchell has written about the Artifacts and all the stuff they can do. I find it enchanting. I think it is unique and I have really enjoyed reading about the different creations that Mira has made using the different artifacts. Love it!

And I find the Assembly to be interesting. I think something is definitely going on with them, since there appears to be three different groups of them.

And I am curious to find out what has happened to all the adults. Are they all dead? Are they just working and living in the Presidium with the Assembly telling them what to do?


*
*
*
*
*
*

***END OF POSSIBLE SPOILERS***

This book is packed with action.

The ending did feel a little rushed, and I still had a lot of questions. So I am glad that I am able to go ahead and start reading The Severed Tower today!


I do recommend reading this book. I enjoyed it.

Inhuman by Kat Falls

(source)

Title: Inhuman

Author: Kat Falls

Length: 384 pages

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Classification: Young Adult, Science Fiction and Fantasy  (I also believe that this book is a Dystopian type book, so fans of different dystopian books might like this book.)

Release Date: September 24, 2013



My Rating: 

Loved It! (I Would re-read it and would highly recommend to a friend!)



I received a copy of this book for free from the GoodReads First Reads program. I got the book in the mail and read it in less than 24 hours. I loved this book.

Inhuman takes place after a deadly virus called "The Ferae Naturae virus" plagued the United States of America. The virus killed forty-percent of the population. There is now a huge wall (serving as a quarantine line) that separates the West from what is now known as the Feral Zone. No one in the west is supposed to go past the wall for any reason.

Main character Delaney "Lane" McEvoy, a sixteen (almost seventeen) year old girl who has never seen the other side of the wall. All she knows is what she is taught. After finding out shocking news she goes on her own adventure across the quarantine line and into the Feral Zone.

**The following part of the review will contain spoilers, so if you don't want to know more details about the book, please stop reading**

I really liked this book because I found the concept new and interesting. After some time the virus no longer causes death right away, but instead it turns the infected into a mutated animal. There fifty different strands of the virus now. And there is still no cure or vaccination.

Shortly after starting the book we meet the main character Lane. She is taken from a party and brought to the Head of the Biohazard Defense. She is told that her father is in fact not an art dealer, but a fetcher (a person that goes out into the Feral Zone to get items for others). She is told by the Head of Biohazard, that if she gets her dad to do a fetch for her, then her father will not be arrested. So Lane goes into the Feral Zone.

Her father used to tell her all kinds of bedtime stories that he made up. When she was outside of the wall she was able to make the connection that the stories her father told her were true. She was able to use these stories to help keep her (sorta) out of danger and they gave her information that she would have not otherwise known. I really liked that the author did this. I found it interesting.

She first meets Everson Cruz (a love interest) who is a guard. Instead of arresting her and turning her in, he helps her get to the Dr. who knows her father. She finds out her father isn't there and that he has moved on after warning him that the Biohazard defense is after him.

We are then introduced to Rafe. He has snuck onto the island to steal things from the arsenal (like medicine). Lane happens upon him and he grabs her as leverage when Everson later walks in. Rafe cuts her arm and then makes her and Everson get in the closet and locks them in there so he can escape.

Lane has also had a glimpse at her first Feral, which is a human that has been infected with the virus.

Lane eventually leaves the arsenal alone and once again happens upon bad boy Rafe. They get into a bunch of different dangerous situations together.

This is only the first part of the book. There are a lot of action packed scenes. Different characters to meet. There are a lot of discoveries that Lane makes. There are some twists that I didn't see coming. And there were some reveals, where I thought to myself, "I should have picked up on that!" And we do learn some more things about her father, including where he is.

Now I have been getting tired of love triangles. Especially when they fill like they are forced upon us the readers. And when you hate the other person in the triangle and you keep saying "there is no choice, why do you keep making there be a love triangle!" There is a love triangle between Lane, Everson and Rafe. I happen to like both of the guys for different reasons. And both of the guys are complete opposites of each other. I am looking forward to see what happens. I also feel like this love triangle isn't forced. And I can see why Lane likes both of the boys (and it is besides the point of her finding them attractive).

Why did I like this book so much? 

I liked it because it is set in a future different from what we live in. (I enjoy reading books that take me do a different place). I think the author did an outstanding job creating this fairy tale type place for us to venture into with our Main Character. I liked the action. I liked that the book kept me interested. Even now that I am done reading the book, I am still thinking about it and how I wish it didn't end.

I cannot wait to read the next one, but since the book hasn't even been released yet, means that I have a while to wait for book #2. But trust me, I am looking forward to it, and I will be excited to get it when it does come out!

I DO recommend this book!