Review: Hold Still by Nina LaCour

I had heard quite a few things about this book and decided I really wanted to read it and I am so glad that I did. I checked Hold Still by Nina LaCour out of the library and read it in two days. It was incredible.

Summary: This is the story of Caitlin, a high school student whose best friend Ingrid has just killed herself. The story is broken down by the four seasons, and chronicles Caitlin's first year without Ingrid. She wonders if she should have seen signs that Ingrid was suicidal, and has mostly secluded herself from others. She sits in her car most nights just thinking about what happened and seems unable to move on. Then she finds Ingrid's journal under her bed that she left behind for her. The letters, journal entries, and drawings that were in the journal are peppered throughout the book and reveal Ingrid's downfall to severe depression and eventual suicide. Caitlin's story is supported by an interesting cast of characters, including Dylan, a new transfer student who befriends Caitlin, and Taylor, who Caitlin may be falling in love with.

My Thoughts: Wow, I absolutely adored this book. It was incredible, realistic, honest and emotional. These kinds of books aren't always easy to digest, but it was so beautifully written that I devoured it extremely quickly. The story was dark yet hopeful and Caitlin was so realistic to me. Her reaction was painful but true, and her growth was inspiring. Oftentimes these tragedies are unimaginable to us, but I feel as though this was about as real as a story could get on the matter. This story will stay with me forever, I'm sure. It really touched my heart, as cheesy as that sounds. There are just not enough words to express my love for this book. It was simply amazing.

The Bottom Line: Incredible, heartbreaking, and highly recommended. I loved it.

Rating: 5/5

Currently Reading: Unlikely Angels by Michael O'Doran, received for review.

Review: Knit, Purl, Die by Anne Canadeo

I read Knit, Purl, Die by Anne Canadeo for a blog tour, and just finished it last night, though the tour was last week. I haven't been able to get as much reading time in as I'd like to since I just started back at college this week and am taking five upper division English classes, on top of working four days a week. Woohoo, college kids. Anyways, this book appealed to me because it would be classified as a cozy mystery, a genre which I enjoy. This is the second book in Black Sheep Knitting Mystery series.

Summary: The Black Sheep Knitters are a group of five women knitters, headed up by Maggie, the owner of the local Black Sheep knitting shop. The women love to get together for knitting, drinks, food, gossip, and fun. Gloria, a fellow knitter, often drops by to these gatherings as well, and is somewhat of an unofficial member of the Black Sheep Knitters - a sixth member, sort of. Gloria is a fun, vivacious, wealthy woman married to a much younger man, Jamie. While Jamie is out of town, one of the knitters, Suzanne, drops by to find Gloria facedown and dead in her pool. The death is ruled as accidental, but as the women dig deeper, they start having doubts, and begin thinking it may have been murder . . .

My Thoughts: Overall, a fun read! I liked the characters and the small town setting. The mystery was fun and surprising, and I really enjoyed the whole element of close friendship and ties. Was it exciting and thrilling? No, but it was cute and homey. I'd like to read the first book in this series now, While My Pretty One Knits.

The Bottom Line: A good read for fans of cozy mysteries, knitting, or friendship.

Rating: 3.5/5

Currently Reading: Hold Still by Nina LaCour

Winners

Just wanted to announce the winners for my 6 book giveaway. They have already been notified and selected their books, but I forgot to announce it on here.

Debbie from Debbie's Book Bag won first place. She got three books.

Robin Titan won second place and got two books.

I am mailing your books out on Friday! Congratulations. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Over The Top Award

Lots of thanks to BrandyLee at The Book Chubi and Jessica at Book Bound for passing this award along to me this week! I have to answer these questions with all one word answers! This should be tough but fun.

• Your Cell Phone? Here
  
• Your Hair? Brown
• Your Mother? Love
  
• Your Father? Supportive
  
• Your Favorite Food? Pasta
  
• Your Dream Last Night? Weird
  
• Your Favorite Drink? Sprite
  
• Your Dream/Goal? Librarian
  
• What Room Are You In? Family
  
• Your Hobby? Books
• Your Fear? Unhappy
  
• Where Do You Want To Be In Six Years? Married
  
• Where Were You Last Night? Work
  
• Something That You Aren't? Outgoing
  
• Muffins? Yum
  
• Wish List Item? Books
  
• Where Did You Grow Up? NY
  
• Last Thing You Did? Dinner
  
• What Are You Wearing? Pajamas
  
• Your TV? DVR!
  
• Your Pets? Four
  
• Friends? Best
  
• Your Life? Stressful
  
• Your Mood? Tired
  
• Missing Someone? Yes
  
• Vehicle? SUV
  
• Something Your Aren't Wearing? Coat
  
• Your Favorite Store? Target
  
• Your Favorite Color? Brown
  
• When Was The Last Time Your Laughed? Today
  
• Last Time You Cried? Yesterday
  
• Your Best Friend? Forever
  
• One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Work
  
• Facebook? Yes
  
• Favorite Place to Eat? Mexican
  

Knit, Purl, Die Blog Tour

Meet the Black Sheep knitters -- five smart, funny

women who love to knit, gossip, and solve crimes.

Gloria Sterling had it all -- money, looks, and a new sexy young husband. So when she's found floating face down in her own swimming pool, shock waves ripple through tiny Plum Harbor. At the Black Sheep Knitting Shop, Maggie Messina and her circle are devastated to lose their dear friend -- a woman as colorful as her fabulous yarn creations.

The police are quick to call it an accident, but sorting out Gloria's final hours leaves too many loose ends to satisfy her friends. The vivacious, fiftysomething cougar had her French manicured tips in more than a few pots, and the threads of some inside deals stashed in her chic knitting tote.

Who was the last person to see Gloria alive on that quiet summer night? Two empty wine glasses suggest she wasn't home alone knitting the entire evening.... The Black Sheep need to know the truth and set out to unravel -- stitch by stitch -- the weighty secrets that pulled poor Gloria under.

---Book description from Amazon.com

I think I jumped onto this tour a little late, and just received the book about a week ago, so I haven't gotten to completely finish it yet. I have been reading it though, and really enjoying it so far! It's a fun mystery and I like the aspect of friendship that is really prevalent in the book so far. I will have a full review up in the next couple of days!

Review: A Black Tie Affair by Sherrill Bodine (Blog Tour)

I just finished reading A Black Tie Affair by Sherrill Bodine for my very first blog tour. It is part mystery, part romance.

Summary: Athena Smith is a fashion curator, and is dying to get four Bertha Palmer vintage couture dresses for her museum exhibit. The Clayworth family own these dresses which presents a problem: Drew Clayworth broke her heart 18 years ago. When she is allowed to see the dresses, she becomes infected by "truth serum" like toxins that were released from the dresses, and winds up in the hospital. Then, the four dresses go missing. Athena and Drew must work together to get these valuable dresses back, and to stop others from being infected by the toxins too. Will love find them again in the process, or will the past keep getting in the way?

My Thoughts: The premise of this story is unique and focuses a lot on fashion and vintage couture, which was neat. It made for a different kind of story, not the same old, same old. However, the story was somewhat lacking for me. I just could not get very interested in it for whatever reason. The romance really does not come into play until later in the story which was kind of disappointing, but the story did get somewhat better when the romance did appear. I like how the two characters were reconnecting after many years. Some of the story was confusing and I don't feel like I really got to know the characters well, and that they were quite unrealistic. It was sort of a cute story though, and like I said, pretty unique. If you love fashion this might be the book for you.

The Bottom Line: Not the most romantic romance I've ever read, with somewhat unrealistic characters. A good read for people interested in the fashion industry, though.

Rating: 1.5/5

Currently Reading: Knit, Purl, Die by Anne Canadeo, a light mystery. This is for a blog tour on January 20th.

Happy 101 Award

Thanks to Michele at Southern City Mysteries and Kari at A Good Addiction for passing this new award along to me. It makes me smile! Here are ten things that make me happy:

1. Reading a good book.
2. Buying books.
3. Getting mail.
4. Dancing like crazy in the music videos I make with my two best friends, Taylor and Chris. Yes, we are 21 and make movies and videos still, like we've been doing since 6th grade. Some things never get old.
5. Playing games, especially Skip-bo, Apples to Apples, Monopoly Deal, Balderdash, Taboo, and Singstar!
6. Coldstone Creamery! Cookie Doughn't You Want Some -- woohoo!
7. Desperate Housewives.
8. Laughing and making my friends laugh.
9. Making stupid faces in pictures.
10. My brother's naughty puppies, Sadie and Sherman (see below).

Review: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

I decided I'd like to read Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles after hearing all the buzz about it. I have to say, the buzz is true and well deserved. I loved this book!

Summary: Alex Fuentes is from the South Side of town. He's in the Latino Blood gang, and lives a dangerous life. When he gets paired up with North Sider, the rich and popular cheerleader, Brittany Ellis, as his chemistry lab partner, neither of them are too happy. They decidedly hate each other almost immediately. Then, Alex places a bet with his buddies that he can get Brittany to sleep with him by Thanksgiving. Soon, a romance ensues and each discovers that the other one is not who they thought they were. Each of them has problems the other one may be able to help with. They have secrets and emotions that surprise each other. Could they be falling in love, despite the world being against them?

My Thoughts: I completely loved this book. It drew me in the entire time. The characters were extrmely realistic, well developed, and highly likeable. The chapters were told in alternating narratives between the two characters which I really liked. It was so interesting to see the story told from both perspectives. This story was also full of heart. Alex would do anything for his family and those he cares for. Meanwhile, Brittany diligently cares for and defends her sister with severe physical and mental disabilities. Deep down, each of them was so different than the image they portrayed, and they finally learned to be real . . . with each other, the unlikeliest candidate for each of them. I love the way their romance developed. It was both funny and touching. All in all, I can't say enough about this book. If you haven't yet, I'd urge you to read it!

The Bottom Line: Fantastic! Wonderful! A must read for any YA or romance fan. A new favorite of mine.

Rating: 5/5

Currently Reading: A Black Tie Affair by Sherril Bodine, for my first blog tour (January 18th)!

Review: Urban Gothic by Brian Keene

I finished reading Brian Keene's horror novel, Urban Gothic last night. It was . . . interesting, to say the least. I don't read many horror novels, but thought it might be fun to read one.

Summary: Kerri and her 5 other friends are recent high school graduates, and have just driven to Philly for a hip hop concert. After it ends, they get lost in a very dangerous, urban neighborhood where their car breaks down. While trying to fix it, they get approached by a group of young men who appear to be possible gang members. Kerri's friends get scared, and start running. They enter an old abandoned house on the end of the street for protection. Turns out, this house is much scarier then the "gang" members, who actually meant well. Inside this house lurks cannibalistic mutants, who are ready for their next feast, and there is no way out. All the doors and windows are boarded up, and the group of friends are soon being pursued by many monsters . . .

My Thoughts: This book reads just like a horror movie; think, "The Hills Have Eyes." On the one hand, I thought it was fast paced from start to finish, and action packed. It certainly kept my attention, though I have to say it did not really scare me. I'm more frightened by ghosts than human "mutants" . . . but it was an exciting read nonetheless. The writing was good, descriptive, and detailed. I could really imagine all of the things he was describing. It sometimes made me feel like I was there myself.

On the other hand, this book was repulsive. It was gory, graphic, and full of disgusting sexually explicit scenes and descriptions. Now, luckily I don't have a weak stomach, and can handle these types of things, but I think that many people wouldn't be able to handle reading this. The characters and dialogue were quite unrealistic at times, but the alternate world he created was fascinating, so I was able to overlook that. If you love horror movies, you might like this book, and that is pretty much the only group of people I can recommend this to. Beware that is is pretty brutal at times. I'll probably give this author another try, as he appears to be quite popular in the horror genre. I'm hoping that the next one I read of his won't be quite as gross.

The Bottom Line: Disgusting! Action packed! Not really scary (to me, at least).

Rating: 3/5

Currently Reading: Perfect Chemistry by Simon Elkeles.

Guest Post: Author Michael Baron

I am very happy to have Michal Baron here today for a guest blog post! He is the author of three novels: When You Went Away, Crossing the Bridge, and The Journey Home. Check out his website for further information about him and his books. I recently reviewed Crossing the Bridge, a beautiful and engaging story. You can read my review here. Without further ado, here is Michael:

"My new novel, Crossing the Bridge, is in some ways about an event that affected the life of my protagonist Hugh so completely that ten years later he still hasn’t been able to move on from it. The event -- the death of his brother in a car accident -- was a deeply traumatic one. However, the real impact of the event came from how he dealt with it. Choosing to run from the pain, he took to an itinerant life, never staying in one town or in one relationship for more than a year. As the years of rootlessness added up, Hugh found himself less and less able to connect with his life, virtually resigned to living an untethered existence -- at least until he found the other person as dramatically shifted by his brother’s death as Hugh had been.

I chose to make Hugh twenty when the accident happened because I think this is one of the true nexus ages in one’s life. At twenty, you are well on the way to becoming the person you will be, but you are still rich with possibility. At this point, the introduction of a tremendously positive event, say meeting a mentor, starting a powerful relationship, or discovering a passion, can catapult you forward in your life with great velocity. It’s as though all of the promise that has been building inside of you ignites. At the same time, though, the introduction of a traumatic event can be particularly devastating. At twenty, one tends to feel especially invulnerable because you’re old enough to do nearly everything for yourself but young enough to feel that you have a limitless amount left to do. If something terrible happens at this stage, it tends to teach you how dangerous, random, and merciless the world can be, snuffing out the possibility that was so ripe before the event. While traumatic events are, by definition, difficult to endure at all ages, I think they are especially difficult at this age. When you’re younger, your sense of fullness isn’t as completely developed. When you’re older, you’re better equipped to understand that life can be horribly difficult at times.

In Crossing the Bridge, my goal was to chart the journey of recovery from such an event. As would be the case with any of us, Hugh needs help to make this journey. At twenty, he had his vision of life altered dramatically. But, as I believe is true for all of us, the promise of twenty didn’t die. Twenty is a remarkable age of possibility, and I think we can all benefit from learning to access it throughout our lives."

A big thanks to Michael for being here today and sharing this with us!

Review: Crossing the Bridge by Michael Baron

Today I finished reading Michael Baron's new novel, Crossing the Bridge. This was a captivating story.

Summary: Hugh Penders is a drifter, moving from state to state, job to job, and woman to woman. Since his brother Chase died in an automobile accident ten years ago, while Hugh was in college, he has avoided his small hometown, Amber, as much as possible. When his father has a heart attack, he must return home to his dismay. While there, he runs his father's stationary store and hates it, and feels like an outsider amongst his own family. One day, he spots Iris outside of the store and immediately feels drawn to her, much like he did ten years ago while Chase was dating her. He has always loved Iris, and wants to reconnect with her so they begin building up a great friendship again. He is falling in love with her for the second time, and she may feel the same way, but it is far too difficult for both of them, as Chase seems to haunt their every thought and action.

My Thoughts: Wow, this book was excellent. It completely drew me in, and captured my attention from start to finish. The first notable feature about this novel is the writing: it is beautifully written and so full of heart that I was able to understand and almost feel myself, the emotional rollercoaster ride that is Hugh's life. This is also really not a plot driven book, but is based more around character development. I enjoy reading this type of fiction sometimes, as it enables the reader to really delve into the character's minds, and allows us to begin to care about them and the outcome of the story.

While this novel has many romantic elements, I would not consider it to be a romance book. To me, it is more about life, the past, and learning to let go. I really enjoy reading books that explore deep issues such as this one, and appreciate when a novel is written well enough to evoke emotion in the reader. For me, this was that kind of book. I also enjoyed reading about the romantic entanglement and aftermath of a tragic death from a male perspective. In most of the novels I read, the story is told from a female perspective, so this was something new and unique to me. I finished this book earlier this afternoon, and am still thinking about it.

If you are looking for a great contemporary fiction novel to read, check this one out. Michael Baron is really going places with this one and I am definitely planning on reading his other novels now.

Rating: 4.5/5

A big thanks to The Story Plant for sending me this book for review. This is my honest and personal review.

Currently Reading: Urban Gothic by Brian Keene, a horror novel. As you can see, I have a very eclectic taste in books. This should be fun to read!

Review: Bliss by Lauren Myracle

Okay, so I finished Lauren Myracle's new-ish YA novel Bliss last night and I am sort of at a loss for words at the moment because it was basically . . . freaking weird. I know, so eloquent, right? Well, I don't know what else to say at the moment. I loved Lauren's TTYL trilogy so I was really excited for this book. It definitley wasn't bad - I read the entire thing (450 pages) in almost one day, but it was just so bizarre and not what I was expecting!

Summary: It's 1969. Bliss is a 14 year old who has jaust been left at her rich grandmother's home by her hippie parents, after growing up in a commune. She is enrolled in the prestigious Crestview Academy and soon begins making friends. One of her new friends is Sandy, a loner who has always been picked on. Around this time, Bliss starts hearing a frightening "blood voice" every time she nears the building Hamilton Hall. Someone seems to be speaking to her. Sandy is also growing increasingly stranger and making Bliss grow very uncomfortable. Bliss soon realizes the voice is likely connected to the suicide that occurred in Hamilton Hall many years before (no, this is not a spoiler, this is revealed very early on). Bliss realizes she has a special "power," and though fascinated by the occult, she is beginning to grow very scared.

The book is also interspliced by really creepy journal entries by another character, also interested in the occult and the "blood voice." The story also references the Vietnam War and the Charles Manson case quite a bit, as both were occurring at the time this story took place.

My Thoughts: Well, this is certainly unlike any other book I have ever read. It's creepy and disturbing without going too far. I really didn't like the book at first, but at the same time I was completely hooked as I sped right through the book in a single day. The characters were well developed, particularly Bliss, who I really liked. The writing was unique. The story line was interesting and certainly one-of-a-kind. Yet, I still don't entirely know how I felt about it. I was expecting something less creepy (though don't get me wrong - I love scary books), especially coming from this particular author. At first, I was sure this book was going to get a 2/5 from me, yet there was just something about it that kept me intrigued, so with that said, the score will be much highter, to my own surprise.

The Bottom Line: Recommended if you're looking for a creepy, quick YA read.

Rating: 4/5

Currently Reading: Crossing the Bridge by Michael Baron.

Review: Heat Wave by Richard Castle

I just read Heat Wave, which is a mystery novel based off the ABC dramedy "Castle," one of my favorite shows. The main character of the show is Richard Castle (played by Nathan Fillion, who is fantastic and hilarious), a bestselling crime mystery novelist. The whole premise of the show is that he gets to follow Kate Beckett, an NYPD detective, on her cases in order to gain inspiration and information for his new series. The new series he is writing is about a female detective, Nikki Heat, who is based on Detective Beckett. Heat Wave is supposed to be his first novel in that series.

Summary: In this novel, Detective Heat (based on Beckett) is working on solving a murder involving a very wealthy real estate agent who was pushed off of his balcony from six stories up. Rook (based on Richard Castle) is a journalist who is working on a piece about the NYPD detectives and is following along. As in the show, there is a lot of chemistry between the two characters, and he is constantly disobeying the detective, adding lots of comic relief.

My Thoughts: The story was somewhat enjoyable because I could completely imagine Beckett and Castle in these roles, and it was fun. It was almost like watching an episode of the show. The story line was also not too bad. However, the writing itself was only mediocre. This is understandable though, because it is mainly just a companion to the show. It is really not a standalone novel. What I mean is, if you don't watch the show, you would probably not enjoy this book a whole lot. I would recommend it to the fans of the show, but it is definitely not a must read. It was only okay. I wonder who the real writer was, since it was obviously not Richard Castle. I do think this was a fun premise though, to have one of "Richard Castle's" books out. Heat Wave was even shown in an episode, during its release party on the show.

Anyways, I LOVE the show "Castle," despite this mediocre book. Does anyone else watch it? I think it's a riot. I loved when, in the first season, Beckett is wearing a bulletproof vest with "Police" written on the back. In walks Castle with his own bulletproof vest, emblazoned with the word "Writer" on the back. This show is fantastic.

Rating: 3/5

Currently Reading: Bliss by Lauren Myracle, the author of the TTYL series, which I love. This is supposed to be a spooky sort of book.

Review Policy

I am very happy and honored to receive books for review. I will also do author interviews and author guest blogs for those that are interested. I will accept both ARCs and books that have already been released. At this time, I unfortunately cannot accept e-books, only physical books. For ARCs, I will typically post a review during the month the book is released, unless another date is requested. For books that are already released, I will try my best to have them reviewed within four weeks of receiving them. I can promise you to have it reviewed as quickly as possible, if desired.

My reviews consist of:

• A picture of the book's cover
• A summary of the book written in my own words. I can use one from the publisher or sites such as Barnes and Noble upon request. Otherwise, they are all written by me.
  
• My thoughts on the book
• A rating on a scale of 5, including half scores, with a 5 being the best score. My descriptions of the ratings can be seen on my sidebar.

I read many genres, and am very open to reading a variety of books. Below are the genres I read:

• Contemporary fiction
  
• Women's fiction
  
• Chick lit
  
• Romance
  
• Young Adult
  
• Suspense/thrillers
• Mystery
• Urban Fantasy
  
• Paranormal
• Memoirs
• Horror
  
• True crime

I usually don't read historical romance, historical fiction in general, or political/legal fiction, and that's about it as far as my "don't read" category goes. However, I am quite open to all books, so please feel free to inquire about these types of books anyways if you'd like, and based on the book's description, I might be interested.

My reviews are honest but rarely ever harsh. I try to see the good in all books, and even if I do not like a book, I will always try to find something good about it. If I don't like a book, I will say why, and I will also discuss who I think might like that particular book. I will give a low rating if I did not enjoy it, but I will always say why. I rarely ever come across a book I truly dislike though. The majority of the books I read get a 3 or higher as I can usually tell by the book's description if it is something I will like before I decide to read it. However, my reviews are always honest.

If you would like to get in touch, please feel free to e-mail me. I am happy to hear from publishers and authors alike! Thank you for your consideration.

stephaniet117(at)yahoo(dot)com