Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'm Not Sure I Want to Read

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

So there are several books I'm not sure I want to read.  They've been on my TBR list forever and some I've even checked out of the library and returned unread (like I did multiple times with Divergent).  Should I give any of these a chance?

1. Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

I didn't like Plus One, plus mermaid books are usually hit-or-miss for me.

2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

This is one of the books I keep putting off.  I've checked it out from the library twice.  I even renewed it once, in hopes that doing so would motivate me to actually read it.

3. Venom by Fiona Paul

Although I liked The Art of Lainey, I've heard mixed things about this one.  Hopefully I'll have time to give it a chance soon.

4. Bramblestar's Storm by Erin Hunter

The Warriors series progressively got worse and worse (the first is still the best, although the prequel series they're writing now is good), as have the super editions.  I do want to see how ThunderClan is doing after the fourth series ended, but I'm not sure how great this'll be.

5. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

The House of Hades was only so-so for me (Rick's been doing a lot of short chapters since The Mark of Athena), and I'm a little reluctant to say goodbye to Percy & Co.

6. Legend by Marie Lu

All the hype scares me.

Wow, okay, so only 6 books.  Could be worse, I suppose.

DNF Reviews: The Swap and The Young World

The Swap by Megan Shull
Grade: DNF
Release date: August 26, 2014
This ARC was provided by Read Between the Lynes in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: ELLIE spent the summer before seventh grade getting dropped by her best friend since forever. JACK spent it training in “The Cage” with his tough-as-nails brothers and hard-to-please dad. By the time middle school starts, they’re both ready for a change. And just as Jack’s thinking girls have it so easy, Ellie’s wishing she could be anyone but herself.

Then, BAM! They swap lives—and bodies!

Now Jack’s fending off mean girls at sleepover parties while Ellie’s reigning as the Prince of Thatcher Middle School. As their crazy weekend races on—and their feelings for each other grow—Ellie and Jack begin to realize that maybe the best way to learn how to be yourself is to spend a little time being someone else.

When did I stop reading?: I gave up after chapter 23 and stopped reading at page 118.
The Short Review (why I did not finish): All of the excessive, really weird slang from both genders.  I know these characters are middle schoolers, but I don't know any middle schoolers who talk like these caricatures. (And, yes, I mean caricatures.)

The Longer Review: Like I said above, the slang really grated on my nerves.  Jack and his brothers threw around words and phrases that I never use, nor have I heard guys use them.  I don't have any brothers or a lot of guyfriends, but it was still excessive.  The slang in the girl chapters wasn't as bad, but it was still unnecessary and unrealistic.  There were also way too many exclamation marks, and the swap took forever to happen.  When it finally occurred, it just felt really strange to me, like something out of a wacky Disney Channel movie.

The Verdict: I know I read primarily YA, but I do enjoy middle grade (particularly ones I read while I was still in middle school), so it's not like my review of The Swap is characteristic of my thoughts on all middle grade.  Overall, though, this book was just too juvenile, unrealistic, and weird.


The Young World by Chris Weitz
Grade: DNF
Release date: July 29, 2014
This e-galley was provided by Little, Brown for Young Readers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Welcome to New York, a city ruled by teens.
After a mysterious Sickness wipes out the rest of the population, the young survivors assemble into tightly run tribes. Jefferson, the reluctant leader of the Washington Square tribe, and Donna, the girl he's secretly in love with, have carved out a precarious existence among the chaos. But when another tribe member discovers a clue that may hold the cure to the Sickness, five teens set out on a life-altering road trip to save humankind.
The tribe exchanges gunfire with enemy gangs, escapes cults and militias, braves the wilds of the subway and Central Park...and discovers truths they could never have imagined.

When did I stop reading?: at about 11% into the book
Why I did not finish: The premise of the book (and its cover) interested me, but ultimately, it didn't play out well.  The dialogue and narration didn't flow well.  I found the book too crass for my tastes.

The Verdict: I've heard some people did enjoy this book, so it may be up to your personal taste.  The Young World was not for me, though.

Book Spine Poetry

I'm no poet.  But I've seen others in the blogging and publishing community create poems from book titles, and I decided to try my hand at it.  So these poems will, by no means, be perfect, but I hope you like them.

[I'm a] princess of glass,

[On a] throne of glass,

Shatter me

[So I'm] free to fall.

Just one day

[Now I'm] out of sight, out of time

Torn away

Across a star-swept sea,

The chaos of stars,

Deep blue.

(If you couldn't tell, those last two lines describe the previous title.)

So hopefully you like my book spine poetry, and it wasn't too terrible!

Review: Let's Get Lost

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
Grade: B
This e-galley was provided by Edelweiss and Harlequin Teen in exchange for an honest review.  A physical ARC was provided by Read Between the Lynes.
Summary: Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost. 

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most. 

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love. 

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Usually, I write my reviews right away.  This time, I gave myself 12 or so hours to mull over Let's Get Lost and what I thought of it.  I didn't find this book to be spectacular, but it was an interesting read that I'm still contemplating.  My primary problem with the various stories is that the 5 teens did a lot of illegal things (shoplifting, underage drinking, trying to sneak across the U.S.-Canada border), and overall, their stories felt very disjointed.  I expected there to be more connection between them all because of Leila, but there was very little.  However, I did find this book to be good, in a quiet sort of way.  (You know, I'm not overwhelmed with feels like in the case of the Throne of Glass series, but I still liked Let's Get Lost.)  Leila's back story is probably the saddest, but it's easily my favorite.  I liked her, Hudson, and Sonia best.  My heart went out to Sonia; she's been through a lot, too, and needed a good hug.  The timelines (and sometimes the locations) of the stories confused me a bit, as well.  If they'd been a bit clearer, perhaps I would've connected with all the stories.
There's foul language and talk of sleeping together, but I think that's as bad as it got.

The Verdict: A thought-provoking story that I definitely want to reread.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Blog Tour: One Smart Cookie by Kym Brunner

Hi, y'all!  I'm on the blog tour for One Smart Cookie by Kym Brunner.  Here's a link to the other tour stops, and at the bottom of this post, there's a giveaway to win an e-copy of the book.


One Smart Cookie by Kym Brunner
Grade: C
A review copy was provided by Omnific Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Sixteen year old Sophie Dumbrowski, is an adorably inept teen living above her family-owned Polish bakery with her man-hungry mother and her spirit-conjuring grandmother, who together, are determined to find Sophie the perfect boyfriend. 

But when Sophie meets two hot guys on the same day, she wonders if this a blessing or a curse. And is Sophie's inability to choose part of the reason the bakery business is failing miserably? The three generations of women need to use their heads, along with their hearts, to figure things out...before it's too late.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: The good news?  I actually finished this book and enjoyed it more than what I read of Wanted: Dead or In Love.  The bad news?  I still had a lot of problems with One Smart Cookie but it was good enough to merit three stars. (Also, I just need to mention Sophie's eyebrows on the cover. They're seriously creepy!)  The Polish influences were cool and very fun.  I thought the idea of the "Ratnificent Mile" at the pet store was hilarious.  Sophie wasn't a bad protagonist; she sounded a bit too juvenile at times, but she wasn't terrible.  I wasn't a fan of either of the love interests and obviously, y'all know I would dislike all the sexual innuendo and references.  Sophie's mother drove me batty - not only because of her personality but because the way she talked sometimes didn't flow well.  One thing I noticed that I hope will be corrected in the final copy is that Snickers's gender seemed to switch a lot.  Sometimes the kitten was referred to as a he and sometimes a she.
There's also some foul language and drug use.

The Verdict: A fun read that you might want to give a try.

Buy: Barnes & Noble

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Top Ten Tuesday: Emma's Guide to Contemporary Romance

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I challenged myself to raid my physical shelves for the 10 books for this post, instead of just drawing from my Goodreads shelves.  So that means this may not be my top 10 recommendations per say, but they're all still a great place to start if you don't read much contemporary romance.

1. The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes

This one is a bit polarizing, so you may not want to start directly with it.  But it's cute, there's a cute boy, and there's soccer, a coffee house, and a super cool pancake house.

2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

TFIOS is, at its core, a love story.  Of course, it's also a cancer book, so if that's something you try to avoid, then this may not be a great one for you to read (hence why I've included a bonus pick that you'll read about momentarily.)

3. The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Bonus pick: On the Fence by Kasie West

When you say Kasie West, the first thing that comes to mind is squeeworthy romance.  The Distance Between Us and On the Fence are adorable, fairly lighthearted, and contain awesome characters.

4. My Faire Lady by Laura Wettersten

Ok, so there's a bit of a love triangle, and it's kind of typical.  But the Renaissance Faire stuff is AWESOME, and I think everyone will find themselves rooting for one couple and one couple only.

5. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Is love at first sight real?  This book really delves into that trope.

6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Ask a book blogger for a YA romance rec and chances are high that they'll recommend Anna.  There's a boy you'll want to swoon over, plus it's set in Paris.

7. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

I can say, without a doubt, this is the best contemporary romance of 2014 so far.  Not only is there a cute boy (Matt Finch is my top book boyfriend), but there's country music and a strong friendship.

8. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Cute, fun, cookies, love letters, and boys.  That's all I'll say. (But if you need a little more to win you over, this book is a diverse read between the POC author and the Korean-American protagonist.)

9. Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

This was one of the first contemporary romances I read, and I still adore it.  It's sweet, fun, perhaps a little cheesy and stereotypical, but perfect for a poolside or beach read.

10. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

A little more angsty than my previous recs, but still a solid romance that isn't only that (I will warn you that there is a hint of insta-love).

Honorable Mentions: Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn, Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae, The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel, and The Things You Kiss Goodbye by Leslie Connor.

So what contemporary romances would you recommend to someone new to the genre?

Clearing Out My Shelves

If you've been following me for a few months, you'll know I've graduated high school and will be moving on to college in just about a week (in fact, orientation starts one week from today).  I've been packing up the things that I want to take with (including more books than I probably should), but I won't have room for everything!  So this is a giveaway post.  It's going to be a short giveaway (only 2 days so I have time to mail the package before I leave), but the winner will get a box of mystery ARCs (as many as I can fit).  That way, my ARC shelf will have room for any more I receive, and I'll have more room for finished copies in my tiny dorm room.  So enter below, and good luck!

**A few quick rules**

~The winner must respond within 24 hours so I have time to mail off the package before I leave.

~This giveaway is for US only (unless you have a US address, besides your Canadian one, your European one, whatever).  Sorry, y'all!  I'm a college student, and money is tight.

~Please, no cheating.  I will be checking entries.

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Rewind & Review #19

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room.

We are down into the single digits before I leave for Asbury!  This is scary crazy and also really exciting.  I have posts scheduled for the next few weeks, but I might be a little slow publishing comments once I'm down in Kentucky.  I'm not sure how much Internet time I'll get (hopefully enough to write the Random Friday post for the 15th...) and I'm also giving myself 3 weeks until the next Rewind & Review (partially since I likely won't acquire too many books).
I got to go to an unexpected author event on the 25th, which was loads of fun.  I got to see Erica O'Rourke, Joelle Charbonneau, and Stacey Kade - all of whom I've met before - and I got to meet Liz Czukas.  They're all fun authors, who give great hugs.
I've been packing up my room, which is very bittersweet and nerve-wracking.  I packed a ton of my books (and other things) and then instantly regretted it because I packed an ARC I'm suddenly dying to read.  Oops...

Books I Received

Don't Touch by Rachel M. Wilson (Thanks to Rachel and the On the Same Page ARC tour!)
Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins
The Elite by Kiera Cass (Traded for this one and Rebel Belle through the YA Book Exchange, so thank you to Allie!)
Unforgettable Summer by Catherine Clark (Swapped books with Meredith from Pandora's Books. Thank you!)
In a Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis
Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid (Thank you to Read Between the Lynes for this ARC and the one above!)
Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Thank you so much, Disney-Hyperion!  I actually squealed when I pulled it out of the envelope.)
Finding Ruby Starling by Karen Rivers (via NetGalley and Arthur A. Levine Books)
Being Audrey Hepburn by Mitchell Kriegman (via NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin)

Books I Won

Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn (I won a Broken Hearts prize pack during the readathon back in June.  So now I have a signed hardcover of the book, plus some awesome book swag - lip balm!)
Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas (Won this at the author event last Friday, and I think I may have literally book shimmied, squealed, and petted the ARC.  I swear I'm not a huge dork.)
This stack of books:

from Books With Bite (from her blogoversary giveaway).

Books I Bought

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones (e-book)
Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas
Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau
Dissonance by Erica O'Rourke
Like No Other by Una LaMarche
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (My preorder and all the goodies arrived super early, so I'm over the moon!)

Books I Read

The First Battle by Erin Hunter (4.5 stars)
The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien
Heist Society by Ally Carter (reread for RRSS14)
There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones (3.5 stars)
Nil by Lynne Matson (4 stars)
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally (3 stars)
Don't Touch by Rachel M. Wilson
Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter (reread for RRSS14)
Like No Other by Una LaMarche (4.5 stars)
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks (2 stars)
Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter (reread for RRSS14)
Sway by Kat Spears (DNF)
Dissonance by Erica O'Rourke (5 stars)
Landry Park by Bethany Hagen (reread for RRSS14)
Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas (4 stars)
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (4 stars)
Finding Ruby Starling by Karen Rivers (DNF)
Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally (2 stars)

Blog Posts You Might've Missed

   (From 7/21-7/26)

• I'm a Book Shover
• Reading "Girly" Books: An Interview with a Bookish Guy
• Preparing for Isla
• My Bookshelves

   (From 7/27-8/2)

• Review: The Jewel by Amy Ewing (2 stars)
• Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I Own the Most Books From
• So You Like... #4
• Beautiful Covers
• ReReadathon Thoughts and Final Tally
• Random Friday: Back to School Thoughts

Upcoming Posts in the Next Few Weeks (subject to change)

• Clearing Out My Shelves
• TTT: Emma's Guide to Contemporary Romance
• Review: One Smart Cookie by Kym Brunner
• Review: Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
• Book Spine Poetry
• DNF Reviews: The Swap by Megan Shull and The Young World by Chris Weitz
• TTT: Books I'm Not Sure I Want to Read
• Adapt These Books
• DNF Review: Finding Ruby Starling by Karen Rivers
• Random Friday: A Whole New World
• Review: A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall
• DNFing Books
• Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
• Christianity in YA
• What Every Bookworm Needs
• From the Bookshelf to the Kitchen: First Post!
• Review: Starry Night by Isabel Gillies
• Review: In a Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis
• Random Friday: Fall 2014 Reads
• Review: Don't Touch by Rachel M. Wilson

Random Friday: Back to School Thoughts

Want to participate in Random Fridays? Just do the following: 

• Include the above image in your post and link back to my post.
• Blog about this week's topic.
• Add the link to your Random Friday at the bottom of this post.

I know, I know.  It's a little early to be thinking about school for most of you.  I, on the other hand, have been thinking about school all summer.  Orientation at my university starts on August 12th, and classes start August 18th.  So I've been preparing all summer (ordering textbooks, finishing up forms for financial aid, waiting anxiously for the roommate email, buying and packing things for my room...).

I don't have many "first day of school" memories.  For fifth grade, it was a weird year.  It was my first year being homeschooled, and I wasn't attending a co-op at that point.  My mom just picked a day and I started my assignments then.  For the past few years, I've started my at-home subjects super early so I'd have about a month off for Christmas.  The first day of school was the first day back at co-op.  It was always great to see my friends and classmates again and to check out the newbies.

This year is going to be a very different experience.  As opposed to balancing my workload over the week and going to classes on Friday, I'll have classes every single day of the week.  On Mondays and Fridays, I'll have Understanding Old Testament, Cultural Influence (a 100-level required communications class), and chapel.  On Wednesdays, I'll have the aforementioned classes, as well as PE in the afternoon.  On Tuesdays, my schedule will consist of Intro to Business, Concepts of Math and Technology, and Engaging Liberal Arts.  On Thursdays, I'll only have the first two classes.  Plus, I'll have a job on campus, and I'll need to work studying, blogging, and reading into that schedule.  

My dad is utterly convinced I'll have no time for blogging and reading for fun.  I disagree.  I obviously know I won't have as much time as I do now, but I'm good at scheduling posts months in advance and I'm a quick reader.  Plus, studying for most subjects has always been pretty easy for me, and I took two college classes this last year, so I do know what to expect to some extent.  And most importantly, I can't let my life be consumed with studying, classes, and work.  I'd get depressed if I let that happen.  Blogging and especially reading, while are they are partially my job, are also something I thoroughly enjoy and they bring a certain light to my life.  I will get stressed out and, like I said, depressed if there's no fun in my schedule.

So I have to ask - for those who have blogged during college, how did you balance everything on your plate?  And for those who aren't at that stage of their life yet, what are your back to school thoughts?

ReReadathon Thoughts and Final Tally

It's the last day of July, which means the last day of RRSS14!  I've pretty much finished all my books, although I've purposely saved two for next weekend and I didn't get to Free to Fall.  They'll still be a part of my Summer of Rereads, but since I leave for Asbury on the 10th, I wanted to leave Fangirl and Roomies for the drive down.

What I've Read Since July 14:
The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White
I haven't reread this in months, so RRSS14 (and my Summer of Rereads) was the perfect opportunity to make time for it.  It was still snarky fun, a bit fluffy and it wrapped up a bit too quickly, but I still want a finished copy.

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
This book is not like the Throne of Glass series, which makes me want to thrash about and cry because of the feels.  But The Winner's Curse is still amazing.  It's a quiet good until the last few chapters and then I'm overwhelmed with how amazing it is and how shrewd Kestrel is and how much I want to be her.

Heist Society by Ally Carter
*flails because Hale*

Nil by Lynne Matson
This is my sole title for the Shelf Sweeper portion of RRSS14.  A friend gifted me this book several weeks ago, and I meant to read it before MMBB.  However, I never had the time, so I knew once I had a signed copy, I needed to read it!  A bit too much language for my taste, but it was an interesting book that I couldn't put down.

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
It's been several months since I reread any of the Heist Society books, so I decided to binge-read the whole trilogy.

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter
All the Hale.  Also, I'm hoping since this is my 4th or 5th reread, I'll finally fully comprehend the heist.  Because I'm still confused about everything that happened after Niagara Falls in this book.

The Espressologist by Kristina Springer
I really wanted to reread this one, so I chose it for RRSS14 because of its length.  It's only 184 pages, which means I could easily finish it in a day and move onto my next book.

Landry Park by Bethany Hagen
This is a book I've been meaning to reread for quite awhile, especially so it would be one less book I had to bring to Asbury.

The Final Tally: 14

Overall, I really enjoyed participating in RRSS14, especially since I wasn't originally planning on it.  It was a good way to further convince me to reread some old favorites before I leave for college (so I don't have to bring as many books with), and I loved squealing over cute relationships, gasping over plotlines, and just generally feeling happy because I don't reread books I didn't like.  Rereads like these are nice, especially when read at the same time as books I DNFed or couldn't enjoy.