March 26, 2014

Library Loot #17

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.



My Library Loot


The Sequels

       

The Ones I Found On My Friends' Blogs

     

Because I'm a Fan of Survival Books

10 comments
March 25, 2014

Mini Review: The Time Tutor by: Bee Ridgway & The River of No Return is Now Available in Paperback!

The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway is now out in paperback! I loved this novel when I first read it last year and I plan to read it again soon. You can find my five star review here. If you have yet to check out The River of No Return I strongly suggest that you give it a chance.

In the mean time, I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of The Time Tutor novella, a prequel to The River of No Return, in celebration of the paperback release. I am excited to share with you what I thought of the novella below.



The Time Tutor by: Bee Ridgway (2014)
90 pages
Genre: Fiction/Time Travel
Source: I received a free ARC from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Thanks!
Purchase: Barnes and Noble | Amazon
Goodreads Summary: When Alva receives an invitation from a man offering his services as a Time Tutor, she doesn’t know what to think: Is he a time traveler or a charlatan? And does it really matter, when he is so devilishly attractive? The Time Tutor is a fast-paced romantic prequel to Bee Ridgway’s acclaimed novel, The River of No Return.
My Review:  I'm going to be completely honest, I don't usually read novellas. I'm not sure why exactly, but they just don't usually appeal to me. I decided to give this one a try since I enjoyed the novel it is based off of so much, and it didn't disappoint. I think it may have even stirred up a future desire in me to start reading novellas. It's not like they would take away a lot of my time, and if I'm a fan of the books the novella is about then I'm not sure why I wouldn't enjoy the them. Okay, now lets focus specifically on The Time Tutor. It added more history and background to Ridgway's world in The River of No Return that I think fans will really enjoy. The Time Tutor was a lot of fun. The characters were interesting and the fast-paced plot line was perfect for a novella. The Time Tutor is worth checking out if you liked The River of No Return. The only thing I would warn you about is that when I first started reading The Time Tutor it was a tad confusing at first because I had trouble remember everything from The River of No Return since I hadn't read it in a while, but once I did a quick refresher I had no problems.




6 comments

TTT #19: Top Ten Things On My Bookish Bucket List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish.

My Bookish Bucket List (In No Particular Order)

1. I would love to meet a few more authors since I've only met Veronica Roth so far, and hopefully next time I won't make a complete fool of myself. Some authors I would like to meet: J.K. Rowling, Deborah Harkness, Sarah J. Maas, and Rick Riordan.

2. I hope to write more books. (I've written one not so great novel that I am currently editing, but I would like to write more.)

3. I WILL GO TO BEA AT LEAST ONCE. BEA will be in Chicago in 2016 and I will 100% be attending that one at least. I want to meet some of my blogger friends... and getting some books wouldn't be the worse thing!

4. I want my very own library. That's right, I currently own only two bookcases, but I also only live in a one bedroom apartment. My husband promises me that when we get a house (hopefully next year) I can turn one of the bedrooms into my office/library, which means a lot more than two bookcases. I would prefer a Belle library.



5. I will visit Hemingway's House. I live in Illinois and my senior project/class in college was all about Hemingway and I loved it. What am I waiting for?

6. One of my dreams is to stay at a hotel for literary fans. Any of these will do.

7. I want to visit a famous library. The New York Public Library or Gladstone's Library would be perfect.

8. I would love to see my blog grow and prosper over the next few years. 

9. I want my dream bookish job. I work part-time at a library now and I really enjoy it, but my dream is to become a book editor or maybe a librarian if I can find the means to get a library science degree, or I would just love to be a full time writer. 

10. I want to visit and enjoy a lovely dinner at a bookish restaurant. Poe's Tavern or BookBar would be excellent choices.

**I would have added that I also want to read all the books, but I figured that was a given. :D
13 comments
March 24, 2014

Review: No One Else Can Have You by: Kathleen Hale

No One Else Can Have You by: Kathleen Hale (Jan. 2014)
380 pages
Genre: YA/Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: The Library
Goodreads Summary: Small towns are nothing if not friendly. Friendship, Wisconsin (population: 689 688) is no different. Around here, everyone wears a smile. And no one ever locks their doors. Until, that is, high school sweetheart Ruth Fried is found murdered. Strung up like a scarecrow in the middle of a cornfield.

Unfortunately, Friendship’s police are more adept at looking for lost pets than catching killers. So Ruth’s best friend, Kippy Bushman, armed with only her tenacious Midwestern spirit and Ruth’s secret diary (which Ruth’s mother had asked her to read in order to redact any, you know, sex parts), sets out to find the murderer. But in a quiet town like Friendship—where no one is a suspect—anyone could be the killer.

My Review

No One Else Can Have You has been seen a lot around the blogosphere and with its unique cover I had to read it even though the reviews have been all over the place. This novel wasn’t really like anything else I've read before, and I enjoyed it a great deal.

No One Else Can Have You may not handle mental illness well, and it may depict small towns in a bad light, (Therefore, if you have a problem with these and aren’t ready for some gross things, it’s probably best that you skip this book) BUT I honestly believe this book was meant to be a satire, and by reading it that way I enjoyed it immensely.

All of the characters in the book bring a little something unique to the table, each one is different and are kind of crazy in their own right. The main character, Kippy, is snarky and always has something to say about pretty much everything, always making me laugh, even when I probably shouldn’t. Here is an example:
“Anyway, I’ve never really understood the whole candlelit-vigil thing. Some of the seniors put a few together after the school shootings down south, and from what I can gather it’s usually just a bunch of girls crying with all their might on purpose. The whole idea of people, like, weeping while holding fire seems irresponsible to me. Whenever I imagine vigils, I think of a hundred ponytails bursting into flames.” – Kippy pg. 111
The small town setting had me nodding in agreement. I lived in a small town for four years of my life and I can see where the snide remarks about living there came from. Not to mention my family is originally from Minnesota, so the Wisconsin setting and their phrases rang true to me. (Although some phrases were over used, which did get a little annoying.) I also want to point out that I know some people had problems with how dumb/irritating the cops are in this book, but there does turn out to be a reason for this, and well like I said, the book is poking fun at the whole "small town doesn’t know how to handle something big that happens routine."

The mystery of the murder and Kippy’s journey to discover who killed her friend was a laugh-out-loud adventure. I did end up guessing who the murderer was before the big reveal, which was a little sad because I like to be surprised, but it didn’t bother me too much. There are instances where the plot seems overly crazy/unbelievable and there was some predictability, but considering the type of book it is, a satire, it mostly just added to its charm.

Obviously I am in the group that favors No One Else Can Have You and would recommend it to others, but if I were you I would maybe read a few reviews from others that both love and hate this book to see if it is a good fit for you before giving it a try. This is one of those books that you are either going to enjoy or not, there really isn’t an in-between.




4 comments
March 23, 2014

The Bookish Report

Here are all of the top bookish stories, blog posts, pictures, and videos I found this past week. I put this post up every Sunday so come back again next week for more bookish awesomeness.

Click away and enjoy your Sunday!



News

To get a feel for what millions of books would look like, check out this inforgraphic.

If you are looking for a laugh, these funny but wrong student test answers will do the trick.

These literary brooches are wonderful.

Blog Post

Parajunkee's The Fool's Challenge sounds like it will be a lot of fun and I think I'm going to participate, at least as much as I can.

Trailers


6 comments
March 21, 2014

The Weather & My Reading Preferences

The weather makes a crater sized impact on what I'm in the mood to read. This winter has been especially harsh with the freezing cold and the numerous snowy days. Everyone has their own reading moods and habits. I'm going to to share my somewhat weird weather reading habits with you in hopes that you will please share yours with me. Do we have similar tastes or not even close? Don't be shy and tell me in the comments!

**Of course I don't only read books strictly to the outline below, but it does give you some idea about what books I gravitate towards during certain types of weather/seasons. 



It's Snowing...Again - I seriously have a weird problem reading about warm places when it is snowing outside, or really if there is any speck of snow on the ground. You would think that I would want to read about the beach and the sun to escape into a fictional warm place, but I just don't. Instead those warm books do the opposite... make me super depressed that I don't have the sun.


Baby It's Cold Outside - I love reading under a blanket with a coffee, hot tea, or hot chocolate (preferably by a fireplace, but I don't have one of those) with a romance or a mystery/thriller. It's also the perfect time to read some rom-com, simply because a few laughs always puts me in a better mood.




It's Raining Cats & Dogs - I want to stay inside curled up on the coach reading any kind of book with action in it. I love a good dystopian, fantasy, or paranormal novel, Throne of Glass would be perfection for a day like this.

Cloudy (With A Chance of Reading) - This specific type of weather doesn't really prompt any certain type of reading mood. However, I'll obviously still read, no weather will keep me from reading.




70-80 Degree Weather - Oh warm weather, I can't wait for you to show yourself, not only so I can finally feel warm again, but so I can read the kinds of books that involve...the beach, the sun, road trips, vacations, or romance. Longer books and some TBR pile catch up reading is also ideal.


The Sun Came Out Today - When the sun comes out I just want to sit outside with any and every book. If it is nice outside and I can comfortably sit outside and read, it doesn't really matter what type of book I'm reading, whether it is for review, or just for fun.




There is a Chill in The Air - When summer is ending and it starts to get a little cold outside, there are specific books that come to mind. Historical fiction is one that I don't read a lot of except when it's chilly out, same with non-fiction. Horror books are another great choice. I don't know if it's because Halloween is just around the corner, but this is when I like to get my scare on. I also enjoy a good Fantasy novel.
4 comments
March 18, 2014

ARC Review: The Rich and The Dead by: Liv Spector

The Rich and The Dead by: Liv Spector (Today: March 18, 2014)
320 pages
Genre: Fiction/Mystery/Time Travel
Publisher: William morrow & Company
Source: I received a free ARC from The Publisher for an honest review. Thanks!
Goodreads Summary: In exclusive Star Island, Miami, money and power can't protect you... In collaboration with branding powerhouse Alloy Entertainment comes a thrilling new series featuring a former Miami PD detective on the hunt for a mass murderer, who must face the past she thought she left behind.

On New Year's Day 2015, twelve powerful, wealthy people were found dead—shot in a lavish Star Island estate. In 2018, the murderer remains at large.

As a detective and lead investigator on the case of the century, Lila Day was consumed by her hunt for the Star Island Killer. But that was before she was pushed out from the force, and her life unraveled.

Years later, down on her luck and no longer a police officer, Lila is approached by mysterious billionaire Teddy Hawkins. He has a job for her, he says—solving the Star Island murders. Lila laughs. After all, how do you solve a crime when all the leads have long grown cold? The answer, Teddy tells her, is to be there before it happened. He is going to send her back in time.

With nothing left to lose, Lila travels back in time to 2014, determined to stop the Star Island killer once and for all. There's one catch: she must gather the evidence to bring the murderer to justice in her own time, without trying to save anyone. Easy enough, until she starts to care for the people who are destined to die. Now Lila must be willing to say good-bye—or risk setting into motion events that could change the future forever.

My Review

Filled with the rich, the deadly, the powerful, the smart, and the tough, this distinctive novel, The Rich and The Dead, enchanted me from beginning to end. The best way for me to organize and tackle everything I want to say about this novel is for me to just make a list. So here we go.

What I Loved

  • The Secret Society: I love secret societies in my novels and this one’s secrets turned out to be perfectly surprising.
  • The Characters: The main character, Lila, is a tough woman that I automatically wanted to keep reading about. All of the minor characters from the society and the ones that aren’t from the society all bring the right amount of mystery to the story. I thought it would get annoying to read about rich people, (since I am anything but and mostly they are portrayed as snotty/annoying) but it turned out to be interesting.
  • The Writing: The author, Spector, did a great job at telling the story in a simple way at a quick pace, making it easy to follow along and an enjoyable way to relax. (I don't know if this made a difference but for full disclosure, the last book I read was way more complex which may be why I enjoyed that this book was more simple and straight forward in its story telling.)
  • The Fast Paced Ending: Although I have a love/hate relationship with the ending of this book, it managed to keep me on the edge of my seat, wasn’t completely predictable, and  managed to bring out a lot of feelings in me. I could feel the clock ticking down to the murders and Lila's race against time.

What Wasn’t My Favorite

  • The Time Travel: I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. It was simple and basic, which was nice because it was easy to follow, but lost some points because it wasn’t really unique and I would have liked for it to pop up a little more throughout the story. I didn’t mind that the story was basically a mystery about a detective trying to find evidence of who killed the members of this very secret society, but I would have liked the idea of time travel to pop up just a little bit more. It was basically just at the beginning and the end of the novel.
  • The Cover: Even though I like the cover, I feel like the colors are off.

Bottom Line: Read It

Take a chance on The Rich and The Dead. Go in expecting more of a mystery than a time travel novel and enjoy the romance, the complex characters, and the quick fun read that The Rich and The Dead delivers. When it comes down to it, this novel is perfect for those who like murder among the rich and how everyone is full of secrets. It’s a darn good book.


9 comments
March 17, 2014

ARC Review: The Divorce Papers by: Susan Rieger

The Divorce Papers: A Novel by: Susan Rieger (Tomorrow: March 18, 2014)
480 pages
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Crown
Source: I received a free ARC from Netgalley and The Publisher for an honest review. Thanks!
Goodreads Summary: Twenty-nine-year-old Sophie Diehl is happy toiling away as a criminal law associate at an old line New England firm where she very much appreciates that most of her clients are behind bars. Everyone at Traynor, Hand knows she abhors face-to-face contact, but one weekend, with all the big partners away, Sophie must handle the intake interview for the daughter of the firm’s most important client. After eighteen years of marriage, Mayflower descendant Mia Meiklejohn Durkheim has just been served divorce papers in a humiliating scene at the popular local restaurant, Golightly’s. She is locked and loaded to fight her eminent and ambitious husband, Dr. Daniel Durkheim, Chief of the Department of Pediatric Oncology, for custody of their ten-year-old daughter Jane—and she also burns to take him down a peg. Sophie warns Mia that she’s never handled a divorce case before, but Mia can’t be put off. As she so disarmingly puts it: It’s her first divorce, too.

My Review

The Divorce Papers is on the longer side at 480 pages and takes a sort of determination to read it all the way through. It wasn’t a bad read; it was just a long one.

This book is full of dynamic characters, but keeping track of who is who is a challenge during the first handful of pages. I love that this book is told completely through letters, memos, emails, legal papers, and articles, but this aspect also makes it harder for readers to connect and get to know the characters at first and tell them apart. The main character, Sophie, is a complicated young woman whose rambling emails always gave me a chuckle. The divorce she is handling becomes intense, Sophie is handling the wife’s affairs. Sophie’s family, friends, and co-workers all make fun appearances. My favorite is when we finally get an insight on how the child involved in the divorce is feeling near the end of the novel through a psychiatrist report, bringing out all kinds of emotions in me.

Like I mentioned earlier The Divorce Papers’ main source of storytelling is through legal documents. I did enjoy getting an inside peek at the legal side of a divorce, (it is intense), but I also found that after a while the documents became a little repetitive and sometimes just a little over my head with all the legal jargon. The beginning of the book starts out very strong and had my interest, but my attention started to wean about half way through and I wasn't fully engaged again until I was nearing the end. The middle was just a little slow and a little rough to read with all of those legal documents. I enjoyed the emails and handwritten letters more.

Overall, The Divorces Papers was a fun read that pulled on my heart strings and made me realize that I never want a divorce. (Not that I thought I wanted one before, but you know what I mean.) This book probably isn’t for everyone, especially considering its length, but I know there are people out there that would enjoy reading Sophie’s story and the emotional and legal ramifications of not only the couple divorcing, but the person handling their account, the firm, and the couple’s child, among others. The Divorce Papers is a unique novel, to say the least.



4 comments
March 16, 2014

The Bookish Report

Here are all of the top bookish stories, blog posts, pictures, and videos I found this past week. I put this post up every Sunday so come back again next week for more bookish awesomeness.

Click away and enjoy your Sunday!


News

This article about research done on library use is quite lengthy, but if you just focus on page two you can discover all kinds of interesting things about people who don't and do use the library. Are you a library lover, information omnivore, young and restless, or a different kind of user all together? I'm a library lover.

Have you heard about Amtrak Residency yet? Read the article. I actually am very much intrigued. 

Source: flickr
R.L. Stine didn't only just receive a lifetime achievement award by the Horror Writers Association, but he announced he will be writing more Fear Street novels, and a Goosebumps project for the big screen starring Jack Black is in the works. I used to read a lot of R.L. Stine books when I was younger.

J.K. Rowling added some new information on Pottermore regarding the Quidditch World Cup.

I don't, I won't, read like this just to read faster. No thank you. How could you really enjoy a book? I guess maybe if it was reading a textbook for school this would be an okay idea, but even then what about graphs, and other photos that are in textbooks to help people learn?

See which is the most downloadable book in your state! Mine is American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I think this is yet another sign that I really do need to start reading his books.

Blog Posts

She Has Left The Room looks at race and civil rights in young adult books that are't historical, actually they aren't even really of this world.

Are you a movie and a book fan? I am! Foil The Plot has an amazing new great feature "Page & Screen Pairings" that recommends books based on movies you love and vice versa for your reading/viewing pleasure.

If you have yet to read any Stephen King because you are not a fan of the horror genre then you should take a minute to look over My Novel Opinion's post that features King's books that won't scare the crap out of you.

How do you choose your next read? I'm a mix of both a free spirit and a planner.

I can enjoy books that don't have romance in them, but I have noticed lately that I really almost prefer for a book to have a little bit of romance in it (I'm talking about books that aren't in the romance genre), IF it isn't the main focus and is done nicely. If this topic interests you I suggest you read Writer of Wrongs's post Ship Shape: All I Need is Love.

Comic

Source: comics.com
8 comments
March 13, 2014

Review: Cress by: Marissa Meyer

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by: Marissa Meyer (Feb. 2014)
550 pages
Genre: YA/Sci-Fi/Fairy Tale Retelling
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: The Library
Goodreads Summary: Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

My Review

Cress is by far the best book in the Lunar Chronicles series. Cinder was just a nice read, Scarlet was a great read, and Cress was an amazing read. Each book just keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait to see what Winter brings to the table.

My very short review: SO MANY FEELS and the BEST SHIP EVER! (Obviously this review is going to be a big mash-up of praise and love and swoons.)

If you haven’t read this series I have no idea what you are waiting for. Cress will make you swoon, shock you, make you laugh, give you even more answers to what is going on, introduce you to new characters and bring back the best, and give you so many intense feels. You know what is even better? Cress is pretty long at over 500 pages. Sadly, it doesn't even feel that long because it just flies by, but it was nice to get a lot of fantastic time with the lovely characters. 

Cress is adorable. She made me laugh and smile and I want her to be my friend. Cinder is really starting to grow on me. I heart Wolf so hard, and I wish I could go into the pages and hug him for so many reasons. The readers also get a little more face time with Kai, which is never a bad thing, and more of the amusing Iko. Now let’s talk about the most important, best ship ever, the one that has me salivating, the one that kills me when I can’t continue reading about them, Cress and Thorne. I loved getting to find out even more about the people who are Thorne and Cress. I really hope they play a huge role in Winter, because I need more. I think Thorne is my new drug.

I don’t know if this even makes sense, but Meyer manages to be an even better story teller the third time around. I was completely immersed in the world she created, there are twists and turns I didn’t expect, (she is sneaky) and most importantly, she makes the characters come alive. I’m not going to go into the plot any further because I refuse to spoil it for you if you have yet to read it.

After reading this review I’m sure you know who I would recommend this book to…EVERYONE. After all of the books in the series are published I plan to buy a gorgeous set of them and put them proudly on my shelf.


9 comments
March 10, 2014

ARC Review: Don't Even Think About It by: Sarah Mlynowski

Don’t Even Think About It  by: Sarah Mlynowski (Tomorrow: March 11, 2014)
336 pages
Genre: YA/Contemporary/Paranormal
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: I received a free ARC from Netgalley and The Publisher for my honest review. Thanks!
Goodreads Summary: Contemporary teen fiction with romance, secrets, scandals, and ESP from the author of Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have).

We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.
So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening.

My Review

Don’t Even Think About It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but I certainly don’t regret reading it. This book turned out to be a fun read that got a few big hearty laughs out of me and managed to hold my attention from start to finish.

I want to warn you that when you first start reading Don’t Even Think About It the writing may seem a little weird and a little off, but don’t let that discourage you. This book is told from the point of view of the group of kids who have telepathic powers, a collective voice of “we” is primarily used. They are telling us their story together. There are about 20 students who are a part of this group. I know that seems like a crazy large number and you may be worried that you will get confused while reading, but that won’t be case. At first it was a little rocky for me, but then the author mostly just focuses on a small handful of these 20ish students and all of the students are pretty extinguishable form each other. I give Mlynowski props for attempting, and I believe succeeding, in writing this unique point of view.

Don’t Even Think About It does lean towards the younger teen audience, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying it. If you go into this book knowing that it is going to be a light read that isn’t overly deep or complex, then you will be able to sit back and enjoy what this book has to offer. The characters can be immature at times and I’m not sure they are the kindest or brightest, but they were interesting and they made me laugh. Some I liked more than others but that is the case for every book I read. The telepathic powers were fun to read about, but there wasn’t even a lot of complexity or explanation going along with them. Like I said, this book is pretty simple. (I’m not saying its simplicity is a bad thing but something that people should know about before starting the book in case that isn’t what they are looking for.)

A quick opinion on the cover: I’m not a fan of this one, it just doesn’t seem to fit (compared to the story), isn’t unique and doesn’t stand out in any big way.

Don’t Even Think About It is short, sweet, simple, and entertaining.  Give this one a try when you get the chance. It’s a great choice for teenagers on the younger end of the spectrum or for older people who are looking for a light read. I had trouble deciding between a 3 and 4 stars rating for Don't Even Think About It. In the end I decided to give the book a very solid 3.5 well earned stars. I'm thinking I may even need to check out this author's other books now. :)



4 comments
March 7, 2014

March Book Prescriptions: If You Liked The Archived...


Book Recommendation Friday is back with a new name and a new look! I plan on posting this feature on the first Friday of every month.

Each month I will come up with at least five different and unique reading suggestions for each post. I only recommend books I have already read unless noted.

The Books I suggest aren't always necessarily the same genre/plot so much as they have the same feel... and are great reads of course.

Click on the book title to found out more about each one. Enjoy!

If you liked The Archived by: Victoria Schwab then you should read...



                                              






**Please share your book recommendations below and any other ways you think I could make this feature even better! If you have a specific book you want me to highlight in the upcoming months please feel free to share them with me. For other reading suggestions that I have completed in the past check out my If you liked...Then read... page. 
8 comments
March 6, 2014

Review: The Distance Between Us by: Kasie West

The Distance Between Us by: Kasie West (2013)
320 pages
Genre: YA/Contemporary/Romance
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: The Library
Goodreads Summary: Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

My Review

YES. YES. YES. The Distance Between Us was a beyond words can describe delightful read. I thought it would be a typical teen romance drama, but luckily for me it wasn’t.

From the very first page I automatically loved the characters. Caymen is a sarcastic delight that had me laughing throughout the entire novel. Her sarcastic comments about the rich, the creepy dolls at the store her mother owns, and everything else had me smiling. Xander is beyond adorable and although troubled, (but what teenager isn’t?) a wonderfully awesome guy. Caymen’s best friend is kind of eccentric but cool, and Caymen’s mother is ever present and a huge part of the novel, not to mention pretty darn great. I could keep going on and on about how wonderful all of the many characters are in this novel, but I won’t, because I want you to discover them on your own.

This story has a pretty much perfectly written romance, I loved Xander and Caymen and all of their interactions, but it also has so much more. I felt like it really showed what it meant to be a teenager among different classes. It also emphasized the importance of family and how you love them but they can also be a pain. West did a great job at writing a young adult novel that was a light fun read but touched on important issues that teens struggle with as well.

If you are a young adult contemporary fan then I’m sure you will enjoy The Distance Between Us, heck, even if you aren't you will probably most definitely still like the book. If you want a relationship that will have you smiling or if you want a cute fun read where you will sigh with content while reading, then the The Distance Between Us should be your first pick. Therefore, I think you may as well just go ahead and read this one. I'm so glad Nicole from The Quiet Concert recommended this one!

4 comments
Copyright © 2015 It's a Book Life All Rights Reserved · All Logos & Trademark Belongs To Their Respective Owners | Template by These Paper Hearts
Back to Top