Review: The Art of Saying Goodbye by Ellyn Bache

Title: The Art of Saying Goodbye
Author: Ellyn Bache
Genre/Age: Contemporary, women's fiction, adult
Publication: 2011
Source: For review, TLC Tours

Summary: Paisley is a gorgeous, magnetic, and energetic woman that captures everyone's attention with her charm and inner goodness. She lives in an affluent neighborhood, along with five other women friends who are all very different, including Iona, the woman in her 60's who is quite older than the others, and is a bit mean-spirited, and Julianne, a nurse who has a psychic ability to feel her patient's pain. Also included are Ginger, a business owner, and Andrea, Paisley's best friend and mother of a cancer survivor. Because of their differences, the women aren't as close as you'd think, but Paisley binds them all together in some ways.

Then they are hit with tragedy. Paisley, the strong, lovable, and popular woman, has cancer and it has begun to travel through her body. All the women cope differently with this news, and the story alternates between the women's different viewpoints so that we learn each of their stories, and find out how they are coping as well.

My Thoughts: When I first heard about this book through TLC tours, I knew right away I would need to read it. I loved the sound of it: a group of female friends dealing with their leader having cancer. Right up my alley. I'm having a little bit of a hard time, though, gathering my thoughts about this one. I would say I liked it, but it was much different than I'd expected so I was slightly let down because I went into it thinking I would LOVE it.

What I can say is that this is the kind of story that just begs to be read slowly in order to take it all in. The writing is eloquent and not to be rushed through at all, full of minute details and beautiful language. I appreciate words and language, of course, but I feel that the eloquence sometimes downplayed the actual story at times.

What I do love is that all the women have their own story, their own past and that the novel focuses on all of the women equally. The novel shifts POV from one character to the next throughout. I wanted to know each character, and often found myself flipping back to remember all of the details of their own stories. It was a little bit difficult to keep track of everything at times, like who was married to who, and which kids were theirs, etc. but they all had pretty interesting stories.

The friendship between the women wasn't really what I expected. Andrea was the only one that was actually close with Paisley. Most of the other women were more like acquaintances to her, with some sort of a tie to Paisley from the past. This was kind of disappointing too.

All in all, I did like the story. It was written in a unique manner, with Paisley having flashbacks in her chapters, and the other women alternating narration in the other chapters. The plot could have been more centrally focused rather then jumping around all over the place, and I feel that the author could have focused more on the actual story than her writing style. I did want to keep reading though to see how it would all end and would recommend this to those of you who really appreciate beautiful writing above all else in a story, and enjoy very character driven books.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Review: No One to Hear You Scream by Julie Madeleine + Giveaway!

Title: No One to Hear You Scream

Author: Julie Madeleine
Genre/Age: Suspense, thriller, adult
Publication: 2011
Source: For review, Pump Up Your Book

Summary: Brett and Pamela Jameson, hoping to get a fresh start for themselves and their 17-year-old daughter, Justine, and her baby, buy a beautiful house out in the country. Unfortunately, the house was previously owned by Rory Madden, a violent drug dealer, who was in jail and is now out. He is determined to get the house back and will stop at nothing. He digs up all the family's secrets and manages to get close to Justine and will use everything he can to split up this family and reclaim his house.

My Thoughts: This book was especially interesting to me because the setting is near where I live, so actually knowing the geographic locations she was referring to was pretty cool. Also Rory Madden is a former terrorist from Belfast and I have a "sister" in Belfast, who started coming here during the summer, starting when she was 11 years old, and I was 10, to escape from the "troubles," so having firsthand knowledge of that situation was also pretty cool. My "sister" is now 23 years old and we are still close. She has come to visit almost every summer and is even going to be a bridesmaid in my brother's wedding next year.

Anyways, this was a very suspenseful story. The first half of the book did not have a lot of action, but was more of a set-up of the characters and situations before getting into the meat of the story. Once the action was set in motion, I was really nervous reading the rest of the book, wondering who was going to end up hurt or getting killed. I tore through probably the last twenty pages, just dying to see what happens.

If you are looking for an edge of your seat thriller, then pick this up!

My Rating: 3.5/5

*GIVEAWAY* I have one brand new copy of this book to give away to one lucky follower! Please leave a comment with your e-mail address below for your chance to win.

U.S. only/13 and up/Followers only/Ends July 8th/Winner picked via random.org

Review: Breaking Even by Kathleen Kole

Title: Breaking Even

Author: Kathleen Kole
Genre/Age: Romance, chick lit, adult
Publication: 2011
Source: For review, Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours

Summary: Penelope, a smart and sensible accountant, is engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Ben. Things seem to be going well until she meets Scott, a gorgeous single dad, while dropping her nephews off at school. After hitting it off with Scott, she starts questioning her engagement, and starts feeling like they are in a rut, or are an "old married couple," as she says. She begins to get a makeover, and fights with Ben nonstop, all the while daydreaming about Scott. Alongside her are the wives of Ben's two brothers, Kris and Renee, who are also having some issues of their own, and together, they talk, gossip and share secrets about their relationships.

My Thoughts: This was a really fun, fast read. I think that most women can relate to feeling like they are in that rut, and wanting to spice things up in their lives and relationships. Because of this, Penelope and her future sisters in law are very relatable characters with realistic drama.

At the same time, I couldn't help but feeling somewhat upset and frustrated with Penelope. She has a really good guy who loves her, yet she keeps picking fights with him, and daydreaming about someone else. Maybe it just means he's not the one for her? Or maybe they just need to work on their relationship?

I really liked Kris and Renee. The dynamic between the three females was great! They support each other, help each other out (dropping off each other's kids to school, helping with Renee's cake business), and even fight. They seem to be true best friends, not just sisters in law. They both had little story lines of their own which was a great extra to the story.

All in all, this was a fun little romance/chick lit read. If you're in the market for something light, fresh, and true to life, this is the book for you! It could have used a bit more polishing and editing, but overall I think this was a nice debut from Kathleen Kole. I will definitely read her upcoming novel Dollars to Donuts.

This story is also appropriate for readers 14+, in my opinion. Nothing too graphic or inappropriate.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Review: Starring in the Movie of My Life by Laurel Osterkamp

Title: Starring in the Movie of My Life
Author: Laurel Osterkamp
Genre/Age: Contemporary fiction, adult
Publication: 2011
Source: For Review, Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours

Summary: This story centers around two women. Samantha is a 35 year old with a good heart, but next to no ambition, and a lot of hang ups. She's never had a career, has had a disastrous on-off relationship with her ex, Collin, for many years, and still seems to be hung up on him, despite her growing denial that she's not. She doesn't want to be a mother but is newly pregnant... as a surrogate for her best friend about which she is making her first film.

Melody is a cold manipulative 18 year old high school senior with a careless mother and a lot of hang ups of her own. What Sam and Melody have in common is Nathan, Sam's new 25 year old husband, and Melody's English teacher. Melody has become oddly attached and obsessed with Nate after he saves her from being raped at a dance at the high school, and schemes to get him to leave Sam for him. While Sam loves Nate, there is still that lingering doubt about Collin, who also happens to manage their apartment building.

The story is told in alternating chapters between Melody and Samantha. Both of these women are deeply flawed but striving for love, redemption, and acceptance... it just happens to be from the same man.

My Thoughts: I'm not one for giving out 5 stars all willy-nilly. I am deadly serious about my 5 star rating and have only given out two so far this year. Pretend you can see my serious face. Okay? Well, I am giving my third 5 star rating for this incredible and surprising novel by a new favorite author, Laurel Osterkamp.

This story was so unexpected. I thought it was going to be light and fluffy, which is totally a good thing, but it was dark and serious, an even better thing in the right circumstances. These were the right circumstances.

These characters and their issues were so... I don't even know... wild? Intense? Fascinating? Yes, let's go with fascinating. I was sucked into their stories from the very first page in which Melody is nearly raped then rescued by Nate. For me, Melody was a difficult character, in that she was a total jerk and a master manipulator, and I didn't like her, yet, my heart went out for her... sometimes. Even though I didn't like her, I was captivated by her nonsense, total disregard for other people, and sense of entitlement.

Sam was also frustrating in the sense that she has no idea what she wants, acts on total impulse, and lacks ambition. But I liked her. She was a good person and I felt a lot of sympathy for her. Her chapters are interesting because they flash a lot from past to present so that we end up getting the back story on her and her ex, Collin, while also seeing her present life with Nate.

What's funny is that while I was reading Melody's chapters, I couldn't wait to get back to Sam's story, and when I was reading Sam's chapters, I couldn't wait to get back to Melody's story. That's how great this book was; I was totally captivated by both characters and raced through the pages to get to the next chapter.

Not only was the story line SO. GOOD. The writing was, too. Laurel writes in a slow, subtle, quiet way. It's hard to explain, but it's excellent and realistic, from both viewpoints.

I loved this book and I am now dying to read Laurel's first novel, Following My Toes. I've been really lucky lately, in that my last few reads have been amazing (especially this one, and Exposure by Therese Fowler). Don't let the female protags scare you off if you're not into women's lit or chick lit. In fact, I would say this book is not chick lit. This book has wide appeal, and is a great read for all fans of contemporary fiction and drama. I highly recommend it. Read it now, please and thank you. :)

My Rating: 5/5

Author, Laurel Osterkamp, on Movies and 'Starring in the Movie of My Life'

Today, I am so pleased to have the very talented Laurel Osterkamp here to talk about movies and her new novel, Starring in the Movie of My Life. Please stop by tomorrow for my review of the book and a giveaway! Welcome, Laurel!

Sometimes when I get a rare afternoon to myself I’ll go see a movie. I like going by myself. Sitting in a darkened theater, taking a vacation from my own life while getting lost in someone else’s; nothing is better. My favorite movies are stories about redemption. I love when a character begins at the point of no return, and somehow emotionally travels to a place better than he or she had ever imagined.

You see, characters in movies have an advantage over us real people because their stories have a clear point. More than once I’ve found myself wishing that the senselessness of reality could be translated into a movie plot. It would give random events a purpose.

What would be even better is if we could hire screenwriters for our own lives. So many times I’ve wished to be clever and glib in moments of conflict, or proud, brave and noble when I feel I’m being tested. But the words fail me.

If I can’t exercise these powers in real life, I at least wanted to have that power as an author, and writing Starring in the Movie of My Life was my stab at it.

I created two characters, Melody and Samantha, who live ordinary lives but are also in desperate need of redemption. Samantha is generous and loving, and Melody is strong and young. So it was a challenge to give each of them a past where they did something bad enough that they needed to be redeemed. Yet, haven’t we all made mistakes we wish we could take back?

The only other tie Melody and Samantha share is their love for the same man, Nathan Linden, and their mutual desire to be saved by him. Parts take place at fictional Shannon High, where Nathan is a teacher and Melody is a student. Both characters are entirely made up, but the halls of the school are the same as Columbia Heights, where I have taught for the last eleven years.

In order to craft something genuine, parts of my own life were inevitably going to sneak in. Without consciously deciding to, I focused on motherhood. I also began to recognize some of my students in Melody: the ones who come from terrible situations and rise above, the ones whose strength inspires me. Issues like love and marriage and the choices we make are central to the story as well. In the years that I wrote Starring in the Movie of My Life I got married, had kids, and settled into my career as a high school teacher. This novel is as much about me as it is about anything, but only in a very indirect way.

Ultimately, the story belongs to Samantha and Melody. It is about two women who want to be saved by the same man, so they must figure out how to save themselves. That’s where the redemption part comes in.

Oh yeah; Starring in the Movie of My Life is also about movies.

Author, Melissa Foster, on Writing

I am delighted to have the awesome and super sweet Melissa Foster here on StephTheBookworm today. I just reviewed her novel, Megan's Way, so check it out. In a few weeks, I'll be reviewing her new novel, Chasing Amanda, and I can't wait! Today, Melissa is talking about writing! Welcome, Melissa!

Making Writing a Daily Habit, by Melissa Foster

As with anything in which you hope to succeed, whether it’s sports, parenting, or practicing law, writing takes practice, and practice takes time.

Making time for writing is not always easy. I have six children, and I had a heck of a time fitting writing into my daily schedule. Even while the children were in school, it seemed other obligations stole the time away. There came a time when I had to make a decision and make writing a priority—to hone my craft as much as save my sanity.

There are things in life that must get done in a timely fashion, like grocery shopping and preparing meals, but there are other things that can be done at odd hours without causing even a ripple in one’s day, such as laundry and cleaning. Reorganizing my mindset helped me to reprioritize my days, allowing for several hours that could be solely dedicated to writing.

I wrote Megan’s Way, in its entirety, while sitting in my kitchen at a makeshift desk with a new puppy at my feet. There were days when I had several hours to write, and days when I had only half an hour, squeezed between picking up children from school and going over homework. While writing Chasing Amanda, I was able to write for five hours each day while the kids were at school, and I simply reprioritized what time of day household chores and exercise took place.

Our lives might be driven by family and other commitments, but as writers, we owe it to ourselves, and to our readers, to find the time to write, and to recognize the value in accomplishing what we set out to achieve. Just as we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, writing time must be scheduled and seen as a necessary part of our days.

I love to chat with book clubs and readers. If you’d like to chat, drop me an email; thinkhappygirl (at) yahoo (dot) com

Review: Megan's Way by Melissa Foster

Title: Megan's Way

Author: Melissa Foster
Genre/Age: Contemporary fiction, adult
Publication: 2009
Source: For review, WOW Tours

Summary: Megan, a single mother, has just found out that her cancer has returned, and her prognosis is not good. She'll die soon, but she's afraid to leave behind her 14 year old daughter, Olivia, and best friends Peter, Holly, and Holly's husband, Jack. While the bond between these four friends is strong and undeniable, they all have secrets that could potentially tear them apart. However, Megan dies before anyone can reveal their secrets. Though Megan is physically gone now, her spirit is still around, watching her friends and family, reassuring them with whispers and touches. There are some big unanswered questions though: What will become of Olivia? Are the bonds of these friends strong enough to withstand betrayals, secrets, and even death?

My Thoughts: I like emotional books such as this one, and enjoyed the bond between mother and daughter. I also enjoyed the friendship aspect, and the closeness of the group. But, boy, did these friends have some skeletons in their closets! You won't believe the secrets from their pasts, which will all affect one another greatly.

I thought Olivia was a really realistic teenage girl, but she was frustrating nonetheless. It seems she was always mad at Megan for one reason or another, even though she knew she wouldn't be alive much longer. I get that teenage girls are like that, though, but I'd still like to think some kids would have more compassion for their dying parents.

I really liked Megan's friends and their shared histories, the way their lives entwined. My favorite was probably Peter, who had a tough childhood and as a result, had a hard time with commitment as an adult. I liked him because he was realistic and had a good heart. All of her friends were true, and completely devoted, despite the past and the lies that went along with it.

Another cool aspect of this book was that Megan was still around even after death. Her friends and Olivia could feel her presence, and smell her Lavendar and coconut fragrance whenever they needed her the most. They sometimes heard her voice and felt her touch too. I really liked seeing things from Megan's perspective as a spirit. It reminded me a bit of my favorite novel, The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold.

There was one thing that was a bit off-putting for me and it was that there was a lot of spirituality in this book. For example, the friends had a yearly ritual in which they listened to a chant, prayed, and tried to release their negativity to reconnect their minds and souls. While I know many people participate in these kinds of things, it's just not for me.

All in all, though, this was an enjoyable book, albeit a bit sad, but still always hopeful. It provides a fresh and interesting perspective on death and the afterlife.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Review: Exposure by Therese Fowler

Title: Exposure

Author: Therese Fowler

Genre/Age: Contemporary fiction, drama, adult

Publication: 2011

Source: For review, Pump Up Your Book

Summary: Anthony, 18, and Amelia, 17, two high school seniors, are deeply in love. They have big plans for the future that all include each other. However, their world comes crashing down when Harlan Wilkes, Amerlia's overprotective and wealthy father, discovers nude "sexting" photos of Anthony on Amelia's computer, and immediately contacts the authorities. Within days, Anthony has been arrested and accused of being a sexual predator. He has become a pariah to everyone around him, except for Amelia, who remains faithful and loving. Then, things take a turn for the worse when photos of Amelia are discovered as well, and she too is arrested. Life has become a disaster for both teens and their families, and nothing will be the same ever again. Desperate to be together, and afraid to spend life in prison, Amelia and Anthony take drastic measures to escape what their lives have become.

My Thoughts: This book is breathtaking, heart-pounding, and gripping - impossible to put down. It is raw, shocking, scandalous, and unforgettable. I became immediately entranced by this story, and delved into the characters lives as if they were my own.

At the core of this story is the true and intimate love between Amelia and Anthony. Their love is real, palpable, and heartbreaking when they are forbidden, by both law and Amelia's parents, to see, or even contact, each other. Despite how out of control their lives have become, they are desperate for each other and never once relinquished their love. Even though this book is about the scandal that envelopes their lives, the love makes this story real and enchanting. So touching and true is their love that I, as a mere reader and spectator, became all the more invested in their story.

The story fascinated me and the writing was exceptional, almost poetic and lyrical, despite the dark and troubling aspects. Fowler managed to make beautiful a story that seems nothing but controversial and desolate. An interesting aspect of the book is that the perspective shifts between the characters, giving us glimpses and insights into the thoughts of all the main players, including Amelia, Anthony, Harlan Wilkes, and Kim Winter, Anthony's mother, who also becomes deeply entwined in the trouble, despite her lack of involvement or prior knowledge of the photos.

This story is shocking and unforgettable. Truly. This is by far one of my favorite books of 2011 and one of only two 5 star ratings for the year thus far. I will be reading Fowler's two previous books, Souvenir and Reunion just as soon as I can get my hot little hands on some copies. I promise you will love this book! It is explosive!

My Rating: 5/5

Review: Sharing Sam by Katherine Applegate

Title: Sharing Sam

Author: Katherine Applegate
Genre/Age: Romance, YA
Publication: 1995
Source: Library

Summary: Alison has always wanted to fall in love, and now she has, with Sam Cody. Just as their romance begins to blossom, she discovers that her best friend, Isaballa, likes him too. She also finds out that Izzy is dying of cancer. To make Izzy's last days her happiest, Alison decides she and Sam must hide their love, and convinces Sam to date Izzy instead, for the time being. Sam reluctantly agrees, and all seems well until he tells Alison he is falling in love with Izzy too. This was never the plan, and now Alison may lose everything: her best friend, and the guy she loves.

My Thoughts: This book was originally published in 1995 by Katherine Applegate (of Animorphs fame) and had one of those cheesy 90's teen romance covers. Luckily, it was reprinted a few years ago, and the striking new cover caught my eye when I was doing returns at my library. All in all, I'm glad I decided to pick it up. This was a really quick read that I read in one day, and quite short, at 156 pages. Mostly, I thought it was a really sweet story about friendship and the lengths to which we would go for those we love the most in life. This really appealed to me as I am a total sucker for books about female friendships. And while I thought Alison was noble and compassionate, sometimes I was just plain frustrated: one, because she was lying to her best friend and two, because she loved Sam, he loved her, and it was sad to watch that forced into disintegration. While I felt heartbroken for Izzy and her terminal illness, it was kind of upsetting when he told Alison he was now in love with Izzy. I did not want Izzy to die, but you know it's going to happen, so it seems that a lot of the story is waiting for the death in order to see what would become of Sam and Alison, once he can stop "pretending" to love Izzy.

I did like this story, despite being frustrated by it at times (which I think is only natural and possibly intended), and only wish it had been longer so that it could have been developed even further. For instance, I would have liked to see the relationship through Izzy and Sam's perspective, instead of solely through Alison's, so that we could have seen what their "pretend" relationship was really like.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Author Jane George: Into the Past + Giveaway!

Please welcome author and illustrator, Jane George, to StephTheBookworm today! Her novel, The Mumbo Jumbo Circus, which I reviewed yesterday, just came out, and is filled with magic and mystery! I finished it yesterday, and already miss the magical world in which it was set! In honor of Jane's appearance on the blog today, she is giving away a Mumbo Jumbo Circus t-shirt to one lucky follower! If you'd like to win it, please leave a comment below with your e-mail address. This will be open to U.S. followers and ends 6/19/2011. Winner will be selected via random.org.

Without further ado, here is Jane, talking about books from her past:

Age 5: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

I love the monsters and how Max’s room grows trees and he gets to go off in a boat on waves that look like blue frosting. The book makes me mad too. I want Max to be a girl. And why does Max get in trouble for running and making noise? I don’t get in trouble for that. Mom doesn’t even get mad when my sister and I take the washcloths so that Barbie & G.I Joe have sleeping bags when they go camping. We don’t have a Ken. He doesn’t go camping.

Age 11: The Black Stallion by Walter Farley

I want a horse more than anything. I want to be Alec and befriend a wild horse and then be the only one who can ride the horse in the race. I want to grow up to be a jockey.

Age 16: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Those guys who threw the chocolate shake on me in the hall have no idea that I’m really from Lothlorien, the Golden Wood, the Dream Land. I am a being of transcendent light and beauty. My rightful home is in the trees. I am magical and speak a mysterious ancient tongue, unintelligible to morons.

Age 20: The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge

This book has it all. Love. Intrigue. Betrayal. A strong, multi-dimensional heroine. All set in worlds of wonder and amazement. The Snow Queen needs to be made into a film! (I still feel very strongly about this.)

More recent books I wish I’d had available:

Definitely Coraline and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman for my 11 year-old self. And of course the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. I’m jealous that my kids (19 & 14) got to grow up alongside Harry. My 20 year-old self would really have benefited from reading Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. Boy, that’s an old book by now. Darn, looks like I’d better go read more books. There’s nothing better than reading a book that takes over your world for a bit.

Review: The Mumbo Jumbo Circus by Jane George

Title: The Mumbo Jumbo Circus

Author: Jane George
Genre/Age: Fantasy, YA
Publication: 2011
Source: Teen Book Scene Tour

Summary: 15 year old Evanje Leane is approached by the mysterious and magical Ringmaster and asked to join his circus. She doesn't hesitate at all to run away with him, as she's been abused in many foster homes over the years. What she soon discovers, though, is this circus involves magic, and each teen in it has a donvrai, or true gift. Evan can read horses minds, even though she's been terrified of them since childhood. The Mumbo Jumbo Circus is at risk of losing everything though, because of the Ringmaster's uncle and his enemy circus, their big top burning down, and the lack of interest in circuses. However, the Ringmaster is convinced that Evan is the one who will save their circus. Is her gift and magic enough to save the crumbling circus, or will her fear and their enemies bring them down?

My Thoughts: What a magical and whimsical novel! I was completely captivated and spellbound by the magic of this tale. What's better is that the magic was never over the top; it blended in perfectly with the story and just seemed right. This story is so incredibly unique with a dark undertone, though always fun.

I love the circus world Jane George created. I was truly enchanted by the story and all the characters within, such as Solly, the talking elephant, and Daffy, the shrinking woman, who are both charming and funny. This book is imaginative and full of life. Also sprinkled throughout are illustrations which were really cool and only added to the story.

I think this is the ideal read for fans of Harry Potter, with the magical atmosphere and newly created world. If you suspend disbelief for a little while, and jump into this world, you won't want to leave. Be prepared for an adventure ride and one heck of a good time!

My Rating: 4.5/5

Review: Beaglemania by Linda O. Johnston

Title: Beaglemania

Author: Linda O. Johnston

Series: Pet Rescue Mysteries, No. 1

Genre/Age: Cozy mystery, adult

Publication: 2011

Source: Library

Summary: Lauren Vancouver, animal lover and rescuer, runs HotRescues, a no kill animal shelter. Lauren, a widow, is mother to two college age kids. She has found an enemy in Efram Kiley, an animal abuser who works at a puppy mill where she recently rescued four beagle pups who were tossed in a drain pipe. Efram feels the same about her, and threatens Lauren and the shelter. That same night, he is found stabbed to death at HotRescues, and Lauren quickly becomes the primary suspect after discovering the body. The detective on the case is certain it's her and all but refuses to look at anyone else. Lauren decides to do her own little detective work and take on the case herself to discover who really did Efram in.

My Thoughts: This is the first in the new Pet Rescue series, and I really enjoyed it! It's perfect for animal lovers who are fans of mysteries. I've recently started reading cozy mysteries and find them to be a lot of fun; this one was no exception. I was particularly interested in this cozy because of the animal aspect. I am a true animal lover, and thoroughly enjoyed reading about other like-minded people, particularly Lauren, who has dedicated her life to saving animals. I really liked Lauren as a character and thought she was feisty and full of sass. She was determined not only to rescue animals, but to find out who killed Efram. I thought the mystery aspect was strong as well. I kept speculating about possible killers throughout the whole story, and was not able to correctly guess. I was surprised to discover who the killer was at the end. The killer didn't really seem that likely and I'm still doing a little "hmm" about it, but hey, you never know what could push someone to murder. Though this is an adult series, since it is a cozy, and not at all graphic, I think this book could be appropriate for YA readers as well. I'm really looking forward to Lauren's adventures in the next installment, The More The Terrier, but was sad to find out it doesn't come out until October! :(

This series is a spin off of Linda's first cozy series, Kendra Ballantyne - Pet Sitter Mysteries. I haven't read that series yet, but I plan on it really soon! More animal mysteries - hurray!

My Rating: 4/5

Guest Review: Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott + Autographed Giveaway!

Please welcome my mom, Kim The House Mole, to my blog today! She has recently started her own book blog, so please stop by and check it out. Here she is:

One of the authors I was fortunate enough to meet at BEA this year was Elizabeth Scott. Her previous books include Perfect You and Bloom, among others. As I was waiting in line to get her autograph, I was watching her greet and chat with each person and then get up and give them a hug as they left. I thought to myself, "Wow, she sure has a lot of friends who came out to support her!" When it was my turn, however, she did exactly the same thing. She was so warm and gracious and it was such a pleasure to meet her, that I couldn't wait to read her latest YA book, Between Here and Forever. So without further ado, here is my review:

Summary:

Abby has always lived in the shadow of her perfect, beautiful older sister Tess, until Tess is involved in an accident and ends up in a coma. Now Abby's life is on hold until she comes up with a plan to bring Tess out of her coma with the help of the gorgeous and mysterious Eli. Along the way, Abby learns a shocking secret about Tess and finds out that the truth is not always what you think it is.

My Thoughts:

I started this book with the expectation that it would be a tear jerker, but it really wasn't. Of course it was sad that this beautiful young girl was in a coma, but it was more Abby's story and how she progresses to find out that she is also a wonderful human being and not just second best to her sister. I genuinely felt bad that Abby had such a low opinion of herself and it seemed like no one in her life had ever tried to convince her otherwise. You will be rooting for Abby to figure out that she is also a valuable person and not just an extension of her sister.

I absolutely loved this book!!

My rating: 5/5


GIVEAWAY: My mom and I were lucky enough to pick up an extra SIGNED copy of this book at BEA. If you'd like to win it, please comment below with your e-mail address. I ask that you please be a follower to enter. Old AND new followers are welcome. US/Canada only. Sorry. :(

Giveaway will end June 14th, and winner will be selected via Random.org. Good luck!

I hope you will also stop by my mom's blog at Kim The House Mole, if you liked this review. :)

Review: The Loving Dead by Amelia Beamer

Title: The Loving Dead
Author: Amelia Beamer
Genre: Zombie, horror, adult
Publication: 2010
Source: Library

Well, I hate having to do this, but this will be a (mostly) bad review. I was expecting so much from this book, because I really love zombies, and this seemed to be a unique twist on the zombie tale, but it was not executed well at all.

So, Kate and Michael are two 20-something roommates and coworkers at Trader Joe's. During a house party of theirs, there is an outbreak of zombie-ism, that soon spreads throughout the area. Separately, they fight to stay alive and meet up where they believe they will be safeguarded from the zombies: Alcatraz.

First off, in this story, zombie-ism is spread like an STD, through sexual contact. Okay, whatever, kind of weird, but that's fine. However, this didn't seem consistent. I read about people randomly turning into zombies left and right without explanation half the time.

A lot of this story was just plain ridiculous. When Kate and Michael first discover that their friends have turned into zombies, they lock them up upstairs, and head downstairs where they put on a zombie movie and fondle each other under a blanket. Ummm.... okay then. Who would be watching a zombie movie while there are zombies upstairs? Wouldn't you be running away or trying to do something? Apparently not.

Also, the zombies obey commands if you swish a whip in the air... OR, as Kate discovers, if you download an Indiana Jones app to your iPhone that makes a whip sound. They also respond to that. Well... okay... if you say so.

Listen, I for one, am ready for the zombie apocalypse. And guess what I WOULDN'T be doing right in the middle of it? Watching The Night of the Living Dead/caressing my roommate while zombies are upstairs, or downloading apps to my phone and swishing whips all about the place.

Not only was the story absurd and underdeveloped, the writing was quite amateur as well. I can understand that though, as this was the author's debut novel. I felt this story could have been improved by some better editing.

I will say there were a couple of positive things about this book. I believe that no book is ever completely bad, so I will say that the idea was unique, and she could have gone far with it if she hadn't made much of the rest of the story just plain absurd. I was interested enough to keep reading and find out what would happen to everyone in the end. I also thought the epilogue was quite intriguing, and very, very unique. So, if you decide to read this book, be sure and read the epilogue!

So, I can't really recommend this one, unless you are a hardcore zombie fan and don't mind absurdities as described above, but don't say I didn't warn you. :P

My Rating: 2/5

The Bea Post.

It's taken me awhile to get this up, I know, but I needed time to reel from and digest the insanity that is/was BEA and BBC. It was a crazy whirlwind of an adventure, flew by way too fast, and also at times, way too slow (like when I was lugging books around on aching feet), and was the experience of a lifetime... except that it happens every year, which is the best part!

I know there have been hundreds of BEA posts already, so I won't regale any of you with information that you already know, but will just highlight some of my personal experiences.

My mom attended with me, and together, we divided and conquered the shit out of BEA! Seriously, we were running around like crazy women, each attending different signings at different times, to get all the autographs we (read: I) wanted. We got most of the ones I wanted, but had to miss out on a few. Ah, well. We did what we could and met so many awesome authors! Holla!

We went to one of the adult author breakfasts. I was envisioning an intimate breakfast of around 100 or so, and was in for a big surprise. It was huge with an even HUGER line to get in. However, Mindy Kalling was hilarious, and Charlaine Harris was sweet as heck. Jeffrey Eugenides and Diane Keaton were there as well. So, all in all, it was a cool experience, but I was hoping we would get to meet and mingle with them. WRONG. After the breakfast (in which we had no breakfast), we hit the floor and went on an author meeting spree.

BEA Author Highlights

*CHUCK PALAHNIUK!!!! Um yes, this was one of those moments in life where you wish you could stop time for a little while and stay in that moment a little longer. Epic, epic, epic. He is one of my absolute favorites and was so delightful and sweet. It was a total mob scene. I, as well as about 20 others, showed up to his signing area about 45 minutes early (what can I say? I'm hardcore) and got yelled at by... the publisher... (not naming any names). They said we could not line up until 3:00 (signing started at 3:30), so instead, we just stood around in clumps. Wouldn't a line have been better? Ah, well. So, I was about 20th in line to meet the man, and I told him that Invisible Monsters is my favorite. He personalized my ARC of Damned and wrote "look out for the Monsters movie." Then we took a picture together. It was fab, fab, fab. I love him even more now.

*Tricia Rayburn, the author of Siren, which I LOVED! I got a signed ARC of the sequel, Undercurrent, and am STOKED to read it! Ahhhh! And Tricia was so sweet. I tweeted her that morning and told her that her name on my signing spreadsheet (nerd) had exclamation points next to it (nerdier), and she remember me. Holla! Tricia is AWESOMESAUCE.

*Sarah Mlynowski, Sara Shepard, Ellen Hopkins, Susan Mallery, Kristan Higgins, and tons of debut authors! Oh my goodness, everyone was SO SWEET. I loved the set up for HQN, because they had different signings where you would go down a line and meet like... 5 authors-ish at a time. I went to the romance session and "fresh fiction."

*My mom got to meet Harlen Coben, who is her favorite author and she said he was super nice.

Bloggers/People I Met

*I was lucky enough to get to hang out with Michelle from Red Headed Book Child! We had a blast together and she is even funnier and cooler in person! She is one of my oldest blog friends... I have known her pretty much since I started my blog almost two years ago! Michelle pretty much took me under her wing and I will always be grateful. I adore the girl and hope to be lifelong friends.

*Other bloggers I met include: Jennifer from Reading With Tequila (pictured below), Sheila from Book Journey, Mandy from The Well Read Wife, Rhiannon from The Diary of a Bookworm, SenoraG from Reading, Reading and Life, Natalie from Coffee and A Book Chick, Stacy from A Novel Source... it was so awesome meeting you ladies! Hope to see you again next year! I met some other great bloggers too, sorry if I forgot to list you!

*I saw Otis Chandler from Goodreads (the founder) just standing around and I totally creeped on him (pictured to the left). I went up to him and was like "Hi Otis, can I have a picture with you? IloveGoodreadsalot." He looked startled but was very nice and asked me what I liked about Goodreads. Bahahaha. I was so awkward. Sorry to Otis, you celebrity, you!

Wish I would have been able to spend actual time with more bloggers instead of just a quick hello. I am really shy though, so I blame that. Maybe next year?

Simon and Schuster Atria Books Event

I attended a fabulous event for S&S Atria books for bloggers with my mom, Michelle and Stacy. It. was. AMAZING. This was one of the highlights of my BEA experience. It was held at S&S and was cozy and intimate. There weren't too many people there which was a nice respite from the craziness of the day. There were a few publishers, a few bloggers, and a few AUTHORS! They gave away copies of the author's books, who were mingling and eating with us. Ellen Hopkins (pictured with me to the right) sat next to me when we were eating! She told my mom and I about her new adult book, Triangles, and took a picture with me. I also got her book Perfect signed while at BEA. Sweet! We also met Spencer Quinn and had him sign our copies of his dog mystery series. We also met Lisa Tucker, and saw Sarah Pekkanen and MJ Rose. Holy moly! Cool stuff! The authors were all amazing and great to talk to.

Book Blogger Con

*At the BBC reception the day before, I met some cool authors and publishers, including Kristine Gasbarre, (pictured with me to the left) whose upcoming memoir, How To Love an American Man, I am actually on tour for, so needless to say, I was delighted to meet her, and let me tell you, she was a DOLL! I adore her and loved hearing about her book. I also met Alice Ozma, author of The Reading Promise, which I've been dying to read! She was too sweet. Lastly, I met upcoming author Hilary Graham, whose young adult novel, Reunited, is due to be released next June. We had a nice long chat about books, blogging and blog tours, and I can't wait to read her book!

*My favorite panel was Ask A Publisher. This was really insightful and informative. Basically, I learned that publishers really do love bloggers and not to be afraid to contact them! They are super nice!

*The best part of the day was the author speed dating event! So. much. fun! The bad thing was they made you pick between YA and adult, and you would only meet those authors. I read both so I had a hard time choosing, but went with adult because that's what my mom reads. We ended up sitting at a table with just us and Sheila from Book Journey, and had a blast! I was super excited to meet Sarah Pekkanen and Diana Spechler, who were SO lovely, and was also honored to meet a lot of new-to-me authors. It was really casual and fun and I loved hearing about all their books. I won't list them here because I'll be reviewing many of them in the near future.

*Awesome build your own swag bags! I got a lot of books that I am super stoked about, especially The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.

Things That Sucked

*Jane Lynch was there and somehow my mom and I DIDN'T KNOW. Gahhh! Can't believe we missed it.

*Diane Chamberlain running out of The Midwife's Confession three people ahead of me in line. This was one of the books I wanted the most and I didn't even get to meet her. :(

*Not meeting as many of my blogger friends as I wanted to.

*Being in constant pain from my shoulders to my feet, from all the walking and book lugging, but it was WORTH IT!

But, that is all for the letdowns. The experience was just wonderful. So many authors and book lovers all in one place. Woowee!

All in All?

BEA/BBC was the best experience of my life. I wouldn't have changed a thing (well, except for maybe missing Jane Lynch... ahem.. moving on). The feeling of being surrounded by so many books and so many booklovers was just incredible. I can't even describe it. Gah, it sucked coming home where I won't be constantly surrounded by so many kindred spirits. BUT, I do get to look at all of my pretty new books (all 135 of them (yes, as I said, my mom and I divided and conquered)).

BEA, be ready for Steph the Bookworm in 2012... and 2013... and 2014...

Books I Want Real Bad!

I have a pretty long wishlist of books (don't we all?) but there are a few that I am simply DYING to have. Here they are:

Don't Breathe A Word by Jennifer McMahon

Friendship Bread by Darien Gee

Arranged by Catherine McKenzie (I cannot seem to find this anywhere. I think it's from Canada.)

The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry

The Atlas of Love by Laurie Frankel

The Bake Off by Beth Kendrick

The Summer I Died by Ryan C. Thomas

Twilight, Texas Series by Lori Wilde
-The Sweetheart's Knitting Club
-The True Love Quilting Club
-The First Love Cookie Club
-The Welcome Home Garden Club


Alright, now I'm practically drooling on my keyboard over all of these books. :-P How about you? What books are you currently coveting? Have you read any of the ones from my wishlist above?

Dinner with Beth Hoffman

So tonight starts my BEA posts. I'm starting with Tuesday, the night I arrived in NYC, and the night of my dinner with the lovely and talented Beth Hoffman, author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt (If you have not read it yet, you must! I will give away one brand new copy to the first person who leaves a comment requesting it, and that hasn't read it yet. Just leave me your e-mail addy too. This can be international, as I will order from the Book Depository. That's how much I love this book!).

Ahem. Moving on.

When I gave CeeCee a rave review last year, I got the kindest, sweetest e-mail from Beth. It made my day, and made me feel appreciated and important as a book blogger. She was extremely grateful and this is when I first started to realize what kind of a person she was - incredible!

Shortly after, I found Beth on Twitter and immediately began following her. I felt like I was chatting with an old friend, not a New York Times Bestselling author (though I always proudly state that she is indeed a NYT bestseller!). We started by talking about her book, then we grew to be friends. She asked me about my dog when he was sick, and was always concerned about him. This was further proof that Beth was a special person. She also made me feel special by caring about me as a person, and not solely as a book blogger.

When Beth asked me to a blogger dinner during BEA week, I was delighted. I knew this would be the highlight of my trip and I told anyone who would listen. An author, asking me to dinner, and a bestseller at that?! How would I even act? What would I say? But Beth put all of us at ease.

Tuesday arrived and I headed down to Soho to a nice restaurant called Mercer Kitchen. I joined Beth and about a dozen other women bloggers for an amazing night! Beth gifted us each with a big long hug, a beautiful handmade bookmark and an adorable "What Would Oletta do?" notepad. She told us about her new novel. She thanked us all profusely. She made us all feel special and important.

I made new friends in Sheila from Book Journey and Mandy from The Well-Read Wife, who were sitting next to and across from me. This proved to be huge for me, as I ran into both of them again during BEA, and got to sit with Sheila at the author speed dating event at BBC. I am painfully shy, so it was awesome to meet some bloggers on my first night in town. Now, I have two great new blogger friends who I can't wait to see again next year.

Beth made her way around the table and spent time talking with each of us individually. The woman is a JOY, I tell you. And while I was shy, not saying much, I had a wonderful time with wonderful people.

Beth, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for writing an amazing story, my favorite of 2010. Thank you for being grateful, gracious, and just all around lovely. Thank you for caring and having a heart of pure gold. Thank you for giving me a night I will never forget. But mostly, thank you for being my friend.

I am truly honored, humbled, and delighted (adjectives, adjectives!) to be able to call Beth Hoffman a friend.

Review: Skinny by Diana Spechler

Title: Skinny
Author: Diana Spechler
Genre: Women's fiction, adult
Publication: 2011
Source: For review, TLC

Well, I must preface this with an exciting little story.

When I was at BEA last week (YAY!), I happily attended the author speed dating event at Book Blogger Con, where different authors would come to your table and tell you about their book and you could ask them questions. Every fifteen minutes or so, they switched, so you would get a chance to talk to a bunch of different authors. It was really a lot of fun.

The first set of authors came to my table, and when Diana Spechler introduced herself, I was so surprised and excited! I told her I was on her book tour and would be reviewing Skinny the following week. She surprisingly knew nothing about the tour (she was pleasantly surprised I hope)! She was super sweet and I don't think we even talked about the book much, just chatted like a bunch of long-lost girlfriends. My mom and I told her about how exciting it is when an author comments on your blog after doing a review of their book and she said she always wondered about that, because she sends out thank you notes and wasn't sure if people really cared or not, which I assured her they do. I feel like I've been in touch with a rock star when I hear from an author and Diana was just amazing! But anyways, onto the story:

When Gray Lachmann's father dies, she is left to carry out his will. In the course of doing so, she discovers a half-sister she never knew about. Curious to find out about his secret life, she finds out that her half-sister, Eden, is signed up to go a weight loss camp for the summer. Desperate to meet this mysterious girl, Gray manages to get a job as a counselor at the camp in an effort to unravel her father's lies and take control of her body and her life.

I found the characters in this book very interesting. They were all very quirky and strange with a dark, secret center. There's not a lot of action in this story, but rather a discovery of how each of the characters deals with their weight and self-image issues. If you like a lot of character details and getting inside of people's heads, then you will really like this book. I love having that sense of really knowing a character and what they are all about. While it slowed the pace of the book down somewhat, I enjoyed knowing the characters. If you're looking for lots of action, this book isn't for you, but if you're looking for characterization, it is.

My rating: 3.5/5