Review: The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Published by: Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: January 24th, 2012

Number of Pages: 309

How I got this book: e-ARC from Netgalley

My rating: 3.5/5

Goodreads Summary:

"It starts with an itch you just can’t shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you’ll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

And then you’re dead.

When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.

Because how will she go on if there isn’t?"

My review:

First, a big thank you to Disney-Hyperion and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I will be honest, I'm having trouble coming up with something to say about this book...did I like it? Yes. Did I love it? Eh, not really. Don't get me wrong - it was an entertaining read. It held my attention, the characters were mostly likeable...but honestly, I think it's one of those books that I will forget about a month from now. It had a lot of potential, but seemed to fall a little flat for me.

There were some things in the story that really bothered me. First, the fact that Kaelyn's brother Drew was such a big part of the story in the beginning, and then he just up and left, and we know nothing about him the rest of the book. Maybe this is for a future book? I just didn't like how it was done. I also felt like the author took a lot of major issues and just sprinkled them through out the book in random places like she just wanted to be sure to cover everything: Homosexuality, racism, many different environmental issues, vaccinations, religion, ethics...It's fine to cover any of these topics. But it was the way some of them were done. It's obvious by reading the synopsis that you are going to come across topics of environmental issues and probably ethics and the vaccination issues. But the way the other topics were thrown in seemed gratuitous to me. I hope I'm making sense. I love it when the author wants to make a point with a particular message, for example - acceptance and tolerance. But just dropping things in there (and in the first 25 pages or so no less, like "oh, I'd better be sure to include this) - just rubs me the wrong way. Maybe I'm taking it completely wrong...but that's my opinion. *shrugs*

Anyway, I do really like how Kaelyn is willing to fight for her family and community. There is a moment at the end of the book, where she almost gives up, and I was about to get really, really mad...but she pulled it together. :) I also really liked Gav, the "love interest" in the story, although to be honest, the romance was not a really strong part of the book. He was a good guy though, who stuck by Kaelyn through everything.

If there is a sequel, I probably will read it because I would like to know what happens with Kaelyn's brother, Drew, and how Gav and Kaelyn's relationship develops. I would also like to know what happens with Kaelyn's little cousin, Meredith, who develops the virus at the very end of the book. Overall, despite its flaws (again, my opinion), it is an interesting, entertaining read with a good plot line.



Review: A Healing Heart by Melissa A. Hanson

Published by: the author
Release date: February 14th, 2012
Number of pages: 260
How I got this book: sent to me by author in exchange for honest review
My rating: 3.5/5

Goodreads Summary:

"On a bitter cold winter night Bailey Walsh’s family was killed in a traffic accident. Two years later as she lives with her aunt and uncle in Southern California, Bailey is still plagued by the nightmares of that terrible night. Everywhere around her are reminders of what she lost. Even her aunt, in a cruel twist of fate, is not just her mom’s sister, but her identical twin. Babysitting Riley, a spunky two-year old, is a sweet distraction and one constant light in her life. One day as she takes Riley to the park she meets Collin McKenna, a senior at her high school and her life is changed forever as he helps her find herself and realize her life is worth living. As the romance between them grows her broken heart begins to heal. However, still nagging in the back of her conscious is the fear that her new found happiness could come crashing down and she could lose everything she loves, yet again. Outside forces begin to tear them apart and Bailey must learn to trust in herself and realize that she is worthy of happiness. That sometimes love and healing comes in unexpected forms."

My review:

First, a big thank you to Ms. Hanson for the opportunity to read and review her book!

Bailey has been through a lot in her young life - losing all of her immediate family. Many young people would not be able to cope with that at all. With the help of her aunt and uncle who take her in, and little Riley whom she babysits and gives her the unconditional love that she craves, she is slowly starting to come out of the dark place that she has been inhabititing for the last two years. And then she meets Collin - the sweet, romantic blue-eyed senior boy at school with a little sister who has experienced a similar loss. They quickly fall in love with each other and Bailey's nightmares which plagued her every night since her family's deaths completely went away. Things finally seemed perfect for her. But then, several events, including Collin's obsessed childhood sweetheart, Savannah, coming into town put their love to the test.

Many events in this book really reminded me of my own high school dating life. It was kind of nostalgic - it brought back all those exciting feelings that go with new love and first dates. Bailey and Collin's relationship was very sweet and innocent. I liked Bailey - she was easy to relate to. I liked how wonderful she was with little Riley. Now, there were a few times that I wanted to slap Collin. He was a bit clueless about the Savannah situation, and it annoyed me.

I thought some of the dialogue in the book was a little bit unrealistic. It seemed forced in places. Also, there were alot of places where it was just kind of slow to me. However, a young teen who has not yet experienced a romantic relationship may not agree that it was slow. Honestly, I think that my 14 year old daughter will love it, and I plan on passing it on to her next.

One of the things I LOVED about this book is that there was absolutely NO vulgarity in this book - no bad language and no sexuality. There was kissing, but that was it. It was very innocent - a perfect choice for a first romance book for a young teen. This is something that is hard to find nowadays, and something that I appreciate greatly! It's a great example of how these things are not needed to make a great romantic story!

I definitely recommend this book to young adults looking for a sweet, heartwarming romance! Great story!

Stocking the Shelves #18

In my mailbox this week, I received for review:

Katrina and Winter: Partners in Courage by Nancy Stewart (sent by author)
Wholesome Hopes: Becky's Prayers by Karen Mallory (won on FreeBook Friday)
Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer (sent by SparkPoint Studios)
After the Fog by Kathleen Shoop (sent by SparkPoint Studios)

From Netgalley, I received:


That's all I got this week! Did you get any goodies this week?

Follow Friday - The one where I play casting director!

This week's Follow Friday is actually an activity rather than a question and it is a fun one! First, a reminder of the rules....if you're a new follower, be sure to leave me a comment letting me know that you are a new follower and leave a link to your blog so I can follow you back! Now on to the fun activity:

Q: Activity! Dream cast your current read.

Well, I barely started a new book, so I am going to use the book I just finished last night: Hourglass by Myra McEntire! Fabulous book by the way, and I will be posting a review soon...

Ok, first, as Emerson, I think I would cast Ashley Benson from Pretty Little Liars, because of her reddish blonde hair and blue/green eyes. This photo looks like I pictured Emerson in my mind...she has kind of a haunted look on her face...like I imagine Em with her troubled past.


For Michael, her hot, handsome, olive skinned love interest, I pictured someone like James Caviezel. Yes, I know he played Jesus in Passion of the Christ. But....just look at this photo and tell me the man is not good lookin':


I could probably go on and on casting the whole book, but I'll stop here. :) What do you think of my casting skills? How would you cast the book your reading? Don't forget to leave me linkies! Have a great Memorial Day weekend and stay safe!

Top Ten Tuesday - Favorite Non Book Websites

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hoted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's list is dedicated to those websites that I visit that are actually NOT book related! Hmmm, tough one, lol...Well, when I'm reading book blogs, I tend to like to look at sites that are dedicated to recipes, home organization, couponing, and stuff like that. So, here are my top 10 non book websites:

1.) Facebook - I spend WAY too much time here, as I know tons of people do. What can I say? I like to keep up with my friends...it's the antisocial way to be social...

2.) Mommy Hates Cooking - a great website/blog with great recipes that are not too hard or expensive.

3.) Money Saving Queen - a great website where I can get tips on deals and sales that are going on to get the best deals and how to best use my coupons.

4.) A Bowl Full of Lemons - I LOOOOOOVE this blog and anytime I need a little motivational push on getting my house organized, I visit this website - she is awesome!

5.) The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking - same thing - more motivation. I love getting ideas for better ways to clean and organize my home.

6.) Flylady - If you have not discovered the Flylady's way of cleaning house, you really need to check her out - she changed my life!

7.) Pinterest - I put off going to this website for as long as possible because I was so afraid of getting sucked in. But I am trying to redo my kids rooms and needed a place to organize my ideas...this really is a great place to do that!

8.) Allrecipes - I always love finding new recipes to try on my family!

9.) The Frugal Family Life - I use this website quite a bit to match up local grocery store ads to coupons to maximize savings.

10.) Tulsa World - I like to see what's going on locally and often go here to check out the movie listings as well as what free entertainment is available for my family.

What NON-book web-sites do you frequent?

Review: Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

Published by: Lerner Publishing Group

Release Date: February 1st, 2012

Number of Pages: 352

How I got this book: e-ARC from Netgalley

My rating: 5/5

Goodreads Summary:

"There are stories where the girl gets her prince, and they live happily ever after. (This is not one of those stories.)

Jenna Lord’s first sixteen years were not exactly a fairytale. Her father is a controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother—until he shipped off to Afghanistan. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire.

There are stories where the monster gets the girl, and we all shed tears for his innocent victim. (This is not one of those stories either.)

Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A caring husband. A man with a certain... magnetism.

And there are stories where it’s hard to be sure who’s a prince and who’s a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after. (These are the most interesting stories of all.)

Drowning Instinct is a novel of pain, deception, desperation, and love against the odds—and the rules."

My review:

Wow. Just wow. I was sucked into this book from page 1. I was reading another book at the same time (which was also very good) and meant to alternate chapters - but this one was soooooooo good, I could not put it down. There were twists to the story all over the place and it just kept me wanting to keep reading to find out more...

Jenna comes from a highly dysfunctional family. Her dad is a workaholic plastic surgeon who is sleeping with his nurse, and has a very bad temper, her mom is a drunk who is having an affair with one of her clients, her brother was deployed to Afghanistan, and her grandfather molested her. Jenna experienced severe burns in a horrible fire and almost died. And she has recently been released from psychiatric care because she she cut herself as a way of coping with all the stress in her life.

Jenna's parents put her in a new school where they feel that Jenna will better "fit in." It is here that Jenna meets Mr. Anderson - chemistry teacher and track coach. Mr. Anderson is there for her when her own parents are not - like when one of her father's partners attempts to rape her - her own father tries to deny it even happened. Things between Jenna and Mr. Anderson, or Mitch, quickly develop into something much more than what a teacher/student relationship should be. But, exactly who is Mitch Anderson? How much of what he has told Jenna is truth? What are his motives? Is he a predator?

The way things unravelled throughout the book kept me riveted. And I have to point out that I found it really interesting the way the book opened and ended - Jenna is recording her story on cassette to a detective. I kind of found this to be similar to how Holden recorded his story in a kind of journal form in Catcher in the Rye (not to mention that he was in a mental institution at the end), and how Charlie recorded his story in letter format in Perks of Being a Wallflower (and he also had mental issues as well).

I thought Bick did a fabulous job with this book, and I would definitely recommend this book - I will also be on the lookout for more from her!!!

Stocking the Shelves #17

This week's Stocking the Shelves actually covers the last 2 weeks because I just don't have that much to show. I haven't bought anything, haven't gotten much in the mail, and haven't even been to the library! Yeah, it's been a sad couple of weeks! :( I did get some netgalleys though, and one book in the mail, so that is what I am featuring here...



I received this book: Grace by T. Greenwood from a LibraryThing win. It sounds really good!

The following are all from Netgalley:



Ok, so that ended up being more than I thought, lol...Yay for Netgalley!!!!

I am sooooo happy to be done with my classes for the semester and be off work for the summer! That means more time for reading! I have lots of home projects I'm working on, but I am also planning on catching up on my galleys and trying to clear some books off my own shelves! What all did you get this week? And have you read any of these books yet?

Review: H2O by Austin Boyd and Brannon Hollingsworth

Publisher: Living Ink Books, an imprint of AMG Publishers
Release Date: November 2nd, 2011
Number of Pages: 266
How I got this book: sent to me by author for honest review
My rating: 4.5/5

Goodreads Summary:

"H2O is a contemporary crossover women’s novel that tells the story of Kate Pepper, a successful young business woman in Seattle whose life is suddenly—and strangely—turned upside down. Unexplainable visions torment her every time she gets wet. Sinking into despair, frantic to avoid water at any cost, Kate ultimately finds romance and redemption through the advice of simple people who love her for who she is, not what she was.
Kate Pepper has it all . . . a razor-sharp intellect, perfect health, stunning beauty, a wildly successful career, and all the money she can spend. Or rather, she thinks she has it all.
Despite the perfect shell, there’s something dark inside Kate. Terrible visions send her into a deep depression and her world crumbles. All her business savvy and elite connections don’t make a difference; she has lost control.
Who will save her? Xavier, her predatory boyfriend? Or Candice, the Down syndrome waitress at her favorite coffee shop? At the bottom of her dark well, desperate to get out of the water, there’s nowhere to reach but up.
H2O—a fascinating allegorical look at success, sanity and spiritual redemption in a young woman’s relationship with water."

My review:

First, a big thank you to Brannon Hollingsworth who contacted me on Goodreads and offered me a copy of this book in exchange for a review! He also personalized a message and autographed the book which I greatly appreciated!! :)

I am always intrigued by a good "thriller" type plot from the Christian fiction genre. This is a market that is still somewhat sparse, so I'm always on the lookout. This book definitely fit the bill!  Kate is a character that many, many women can relate to - Christian or not. In fact, Kate is not a believer, at all. Her parents were very strong Catholics, but she was raised in such a way that religion has left nothing but a bad taste in her mouth. She is running as far as she can from God. The more "visions" she has, the more people try to tell her that perhaps God is trying to capture her attention. Kate does not want to hear this.

Kate starts looking everywhere she can for answers. She finds help in a new online friend "WRKRJC", who turns out to be a plumber named John Connor (I found it interesting that the initials were the same as for Jesus Christ). Through their online conversations, he gently leads her to look again to where she didn't want to look before. He helps her to remove the scales from her eyes, so to speak.

There were a host of interesting characters in this book that were involved in Kate's life. Xavier, who was her boyfriend and boss in the first part of the book - oooooh, I couldn't stand him. He was slime. But, he was an important stop on her journey, I think. Hiram, the coffee shop owner, and Candice the waitress, who become her friends, and also  help to bring to Kate God's message of love and acceptance. My favorite character in the book is John. After her horrid relationship with Xavier, I just wanted Kate to be in a good, healthy relationship. John was obviously sent by God for her. She blossomed with him and it was because of him that she began to open herself up to the Word of God.

The only reason I did not give this book a full 5 star rating is because it was a bit slow through the first half of the book. It was not boring by any means, but it was just not as quick paced as I had expected. However, the last half of the book, especially once John came into the picture, really made up for it. And the ending was wonderful! The overall message of the book was fabulous and one that I would love to share with everyone!

Review: Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Published by: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux BYR
Release Date: May 8th, 2012
Number of Pages: 373
How I got this book: e-ARC from Netgalley
My rating: 5/5

Goodreads Summary:

"Mia Price is a lightning addict. She's survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn't who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything."

My review:

Wowzers! What an electrifying debut from Bosworth!! I see big things in her future! I have been looking forward to reading this book for a long time, and I was not disappointed.

This book takes place is a dystopian Los Angeles setting. Mia and her brother and her mom have moved there after an "unfortunate accident" involving Mia causes them to flee their home in Arizona. A recent devastating storm/earthquake that almost killed their mother and almost destroyed the entire city has turned their world upside down. Their mom is experiencing PTSD and only seems to respond to the televangelist, Rance Ridley Prophet, who claims that the world will be ending in just a few days and only those who follow him will be spared.

At Mia's school, the students seem to be divided into two groups: the Followers (those who follow the Prophet) and the Seekers (those who directly and actively oppose the Prophet). Representatives from each side seem very interested in recruiting Mia, and she is not so sure why - at first. She doesn't realize how very powerful she is. She must choose how to use her power, and how she can use this power in a way to save her mom and the city of Los Angeles, and to prevent the Prophet from taking over.

This was AMAZING!! I absolutely loved the combination of the cult and weather aspects - very unusual and interesting!!! Bosworth's writing style was very easy to read and follow. Everything flowed well - VERY well written.When she described the storms, I could literally hear the thunder and see the lightning strikes in my head! I love Mia's character, even if it was a bit disturbing how she was "addicted" to being struck by lightning, lol. I really liked Jeremy too, and am anxious to see how their relationship plays out!

Seriously, this is a MUST read!

Musing Monday: Stopping points

Musing Monday is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. This week's question:

Do you tend to read to the end of a chapter or can you stop anywhere?


I prefer to read to the end of a chapter before stopping. I have a few OCD(ish) tendencies and it makes me feel a bit more...I don't know...complete, I guess, if I can stop at a new chapter. However, sometimes that is hard, because as we ALL know, chapters tend to end on cliffhangers, so then I want to keep going!! I really dislike stopping in the middle of a chapter, but I do have to sometimes, especially at night, as I often fall asleep while reading, lol.

So, how about you? Which do you tend to do?



Review: I Couldn't Love You More By Jason Ingram and Matt Hammitt and GIVEAWAY

Published by Tyndale Kids

Release Date: April 2012

Number of Pages: 32

How I Got This Book: ARC from Tyndale

My Rating: 5/5

Amazon Summary:

"In the same manner as touching picture books like bestsellers Let Me Hold You Longer and Love You Forever, I Couldn't Love You More tells a sweet, loving, yet powerful message: I couldn’t love you more, but there is someone who does. Through the unique relationship of adorable animals, the book shares that Christ is always with you and he loves you more than you can imagine. This engaging picture book combines lovable and irresistible images with the lyrics from the song (co-written by Jason Ingram and Matt Hammitt). Matt is lead vocalist for Sanctus Real, a Grammy-nominated Christian rock band. The song is on Hammitt’s latest album, Every Fallen Tear. When Matt and his wife, Sarah, were halfway through her pregnancy, they discovered their son would be born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a rare congenital defect. Matt and Sarah’s son, Bowen, was born on 9/9/10 and received a huge following through the Hammitt’s blog (bowensheart.com), K-LOVE, and ABC News. A portion of the proceeds from the book goes to the foundation the Hammitts’ have started to help parents with children who have this heart condition."

My review:

My kids are ages 14, 11, and 9, so they are past the picture book age, unfortunately. But, this book made me long to pull them into my lap at bedtime and snuggle up with this precious story. First, let's talk about the illustrations by the very talented Polona Lovsin...they are absolutely heartwarming!Bright colors, and happy, cuddly looking animals just invite little eyes to linger on the pages. Next, Ingram and Hammit's words, which are also song lyrics tell the child that their parents could not love them any more...but there is someone who does - Jesus! What a wonderful bedtime story for a young child - a wonderful way to wrap up a day - letting them know how very much they are loved, by their parents, and by their Heavenly Father!

Initially, when Tyndale sent this book to me for review, I had planned on passing it on to my baby niece when I was done since my children are older...weeeeellll, I love it SO much, that I am saving it for my future grandchildren! I would definitely recommend this as an addition to any child's bookshelf. And it is PERFECT for Mother's Day!

Speaking of which...Tyndale is graciously allowing me to give my readers the opportunity to win a copy of this precious book! The winner will receive one certificate that can be redeemed at any Christian bookstore (or can be mailed directly to Tyndale for redemption) in exchange for one free hardback copy of I Couldn't Love You More by Jason Ingram and Matt Hammitt.

This book was provided to me for free by Tyndale in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.



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Follow Friday - Mother's Day Edition!

Happy Follow Friday! I've been neglecting the memes lately  because school has been kicking my butt, but guess what -- school's out for the summer - yeehaw! So, I hope to be back in the swing of things very soon! So, here we go...

If you don't know the rules...basically, follow me, and I will follow you back! :) Just leave me a linky in the comments telling me you are a new follower! It's really that simple! I love checking out new blogs and I hope that you will like mine too. I hope to be posting tons of reviews soon, and will have some giveaways and fun stuff up this summer! :)

Now for this Friday's question:

Q: This Sunday in the U.S. is Mother’s Day, in celebration, what are some of your favorite books with strong mother/child relationships?

There are lots of great ones out there. But the first one that came to mind for me is actually a very new picture book that I recently got for review. In fact, I will be posting a review and giveaway for it this weekend for Mother's Day, so keep an eye out ;)

I Couldn't Love You More by Jason Ingram and Matt Hammitt. Hammitt is the lead singer of the Christian band Sanctus Real and wrote a song by the same name for his infant son who was born with a heart defect. It is the most precious story about the great love a parent has for their child and how God's love is even greater.



Review: Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson

Published by: Nancy Paulsen Books
Released date: February 2nd, 2012
Number of Pages: 182
How I got this book: library
My rating: 4.5/5

Goodreads Summary:

"A stunning new novel from threetime Newbery Honor–winning
author Jacqueline Woodson.

Laurel Daneau has moved on to a new life, in a new town, but inside she’s still reeling from the loss of her beloved mother and grandmother after Hurricane Katrina washed away their home. Laurel’s new life is going well, with a new best friend, a place on the cheerleading squad and T-Boom, co-captain of the basketball team, for a boyfriend. Yet Laurel is haunted by voices and memories from her past.

When T-Boom introduces Laurel to meth, she immediately falls under its spell, loving the way it erases, even if only briefly, her past. But as she becomes alienated from her friends and family, she becomes a shell of her former self, and longs to be whole again. With help from an artist named Moses and her friend Kaylee, she’s able to begin to rewrite her story and start to move on from her addiction.

Incorporating Laurel’s bittersweet memories of life before and during the hurricane, this is a stunning novel by one of our finest writers. Jacqueline Woodson’s haunting—but ultimately hopeful—story is beautifully told and one readers will not
want to miss."

Review:

This was another work of art by the very talented Woodson (whom I am so excited to get to meet in August when she visits my local library!!)

Laurel falls into drugs like many teens do - quite on "accident." She falls for the handsome, charming basketball jock, after being the "new girl" in town. She had a need to feel accepted, and T-Boom fit the bill. He gives her a taste of the moon, and of course, after that first taste, there is no going back.

It was sad to see how quickly her life went downhill after that - but I felt it was quite an accurate portrayal. It also showed the misery her father, little brother and best friend were going through as they tried to pull her away from her addiction.

Ultimately, it was a streetwise older kid named Moses who saved her life. I really, really loved his character. At first I thought he was a much older man, but he was actually only about 18 years old - just a kid with an old soul. 

This was a wonderful book portraying the evils of drug addiction and how difficult it is to reclaim your life once you are in its clutches. Once again, Woodson has created engaging characters, and a beautifully written story. I highly recommend this book!

Stocking the Shelves(aka In My Mailbox #16)

Welcome to my new version of In my Mailbox, which I shall call "Stocking the Shelves", in keeping with my library theme. I am still linking up to Story Siren's In My Mailbox, and as time permits I may link up to others linkys as well. I'll have to play it by ear.

I'm a bit behind...This is my last week of college for the semester and the last 3 weeks have really kicked my boo-tay. So, this is 3 WEEKS worth of books that have piled up!

First, here are the books I received in the mail for review:



Here's Lily by Nancy LaRue (thanks, Thomas Nelson Publishing!)
Spirit Fighter by Jerel Law (thanks, Thomas Nelson Publishing!)
Angels, Chimps, & Tater Mitts by Mike Ball (thanks, Westwind Communications!)

Next are the books I purchased over the past 3 weeks:

The Selection by Kiera Cass
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman (only $3.97 at Walmart!)
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Stewart (only 2.97 at Walmart!)
Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult (only .25 at library book sale!!!)
Mercy by Jodi Picoult (only .25 at library book sale!!!)
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult (only .25 at library book sale!!!)

And here are my library books:

My Beating Teenage Heart by C.K. Kelly Martin
A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
Starters by Lissa Price
Slide by Jill Hathaway
Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga
The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

And here are the e-books I've gotten for review:



So...pretty good haul to kick off summer break, don't you think? :) What did you get? And have you read any of these? Can you give me any hints of what to read first?

Top 10 Tuesday - Books Into Movies

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week we're listing the top books we'd like to see hit the big screen. I know there are many, many times I'm reading a book and I think, "Man, this would make an AWESOME movie!" I'm just always afraid it's going to disappoint me!! But, assuming it's done right, here's what I'd like to see make it to the theatre...

1.)  Can you imagine how the cyborgs would look on the big screen? And a dystopian Beijing? I think this could be fabulous!!

2.)  I can just see the special effects of the aether sky and all the technology of the futuristic world. Then of the course, the romantic relationship between Aria and Perry...

3.) I just really liked this book. You think it's going to be more of a contemporary realistic book, but it has a supernatural twist to it that could really play out well on screen. It's definitely an edge of your seat thriller.

4.)  Who DOESN'T want to see this on screen? I mean, come on? Rhine, Gabriel and Linden...the creepy Vaughn...a futuristic polygamist society with romance and action...it just screams blockbuster!

5.)  I have been dying for this to be made into a movie!!! I would SO go to a midnight premiere for this!!! And zombies are all the rage right now,right?

6.)  This was a total nail biter psychological thriller!

7.)  I don't even know what to say about this one...just think about the premise - love is a disease that needs to be cured. And which is worse - conforming to a government that outlaws love, or being in love but being basically a fugitive?

8.)  Oh this would be so fabulous! The setting would be beautiful - Paris! It would be full of action, and ahh - the romance. I mean, c'mon - Vincent is just hot! Revenants are way hotter than vampires any ol' day!

9.)  Again, a very action packed movie - probably appealing to Hunger Games fans. I think it would play out awesomely on screen! I would love to see how the different factions are portrayed!

10.)  I just think this would be great! Xander and Ky? Yummy! :)

What books would you like to see in the theater this summer?