Book Recommendation Friday #1: If you liked The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer...

My favorite part of my blog is my "If you liked... then read..." page. Therefore, I have decided to put a post up every other Friday with some new book recommendations instead of just posting them directly on that page of my blog, that way everyone can see them!

I will try to come up with different and unique reading suggestions for each post. I only recommend books that I have already read, so please post below if you have any other reading suggestions.

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.  

Here is my first post. Click on the book title to find out more about each one. Enjoy!

If you liked The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by: Michelle Hodkin...then you should read...

1. The Body Finder by: Kimberly Detring
2. Before I Fall by: Lauren Oliver
3. Immortal Beloved by: Cate Tiernan
4. When Lightning Strikes by: Meg Cabot
5. The Book of Blood and Shadow by: Robin Wasserman

What other reading recommendations would you like to hear for future posts? 

Review: Notorious Nineteen by: Janet Evanovich

Notorious Nineteen by: Janet Evanovich (2012)

Publisher: Bantam Books

302 pages

Genre: Fiction/Mystery/Romance/Comedy

Summary: Stephanie Plum,  who works as a bounty hunter for her creepy relative, is back once again trying to find a skip. This time she is on the search for Geoffrey Cubbin, the man who stole millions from an assisted living facility. In her plan to try and uncover where Cubbin is hiding, Stephanie takes on another job as Ranger’s date. Someone is after Ranger and now Stephanie is in the crossfire. 

Review: Every time I read a Stephanie Plum novel I laugh out loud, and this one wasn't any different.

This quote really made me laugh, and this is only one of many. I even shared it with my husband since he is a Game of Thrones fan...

“I want to be there when you get Cubbin. And I don’t want to be left out of the television show either. Little people are sexy now. Have you seen Game of Thrones? We’re hot."

Full of explosions, lots of eating, food poisoning, a horrible bridesmaid dress, two hot guys, and a Tiki, this one, even though not my favorite, was still hilarious and entertaining. Even though I love me some Evanovich I need to be truthful, so here is the sad part about this book...

Although I enjoyed Stephanie’s crazy antics and the goofball comedy in Notorious Nineteen, I hate to admit it, but I am starting to think this series is becoming slightly repetitive. There are some plot points that I expect in every book, and if I didn't get them I would be disappointed (if you read the series you know exactly what I'm talking about, car explosions anyone?), but sometimes I get too much deja vu when reading. Also, I think it is time that Stephanie finally chooses between Ranger and Morelli. I'm starting to not even care who she chooses, (Who am I kidding? I am still going to root for Ranger.) as long as she chooses. I don't want this series to end, but I'm starting to think that it might be time.  She did just finish book 19, plus there are several novellas that go along with this series.

If you are looking for a light read that will make you smile, then I suggest you check out this series. They may be getting a little repetitive, but if I'm being honest, I’m still going to read every one.

This series can be read out of order, Evanovich gives a little background information in each book. As a loyal reader this can be somewhat frustrating, but not bad since I usually need a refresher anyway. I’m not sure I would recommend reading it out of order though, because it is better when you read all of them from start to finish, and it's easier to follow. But, it is always good to have that option since 19 books is kind of daunting. 

FYI: There was a movie that came out a while ago based on the first book in this series called One for the Money. I am telling you right now, the movie didn't do this series justice. Plus, the first book isn't the best anyway. So don’t let the movie keep you from reading.

Rating: 3.5/5   BUY Notorious Nineteen

Waiting on Wednesday #1: The Storyteller by: Jodi Picoult

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Storyteller by: Jodi Picoult

Release Date: February 26

Goodreads Summary: Sage Singer befriends an old man who's particularly beloved in her community. Josef Weber is everyone's favorite retired teacher and Little League coach and they strike up a friendship at the bakery where Sage works. One day he asks Sage for a favor: to kill him. Shocked, Sage refuses…and then he confesses his darkest secret - he deserves to die, because he was a Nazi SS guard. Complicating the matter? Sage's grandmother is a Holocaust survivor.

What do you do when evil lives next door? Can someone who's committed a truly heinous act ever atone for it with subsequent good behavior? Should you offer forgiveness to someone if you aren't the party who was wronged? And most of all - if Sage even considers his request - is it murder, or justice?

I'm not an avid Jodi Picoult reader, but I have enjoyed several of her books. This one just sounds too good to pass up.

What books are you waiting for?

Teaser Tuesdays #2

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Make sure to share the title and the author too!

My Teasers

"Morelli looked like he'd had heartburn. If he had Briggs downtown, locked in a little room, he'd have run over him like a four-ton dump truck." (pg. 185)

"I got your granny, and I'm turning her over to the police if you don't get her out of my sight in the next ten minutes," the caller said." (pg. 62)

~ Notorious Nineteen by: Janet Evanovich

So far this Stephanie Plum novel is hilarious as always. I wouldn't call it my favorite, but it is still pretty good.

Review: Every Day by: David Levithan

Every Day by: David Levithan (2012)

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

322 pages

Genre: Young Adult

Summary: A is a teenager who wakes up every day in a different body. He does his best not to interfere in other people’s lives. Then one day he meets Rhiannon, and everything changes.

Review: Have you read this book yet? If not, go read it. I’m serious. I finally did and I shouldn't have waited so long. I don’t think it is a five star book, I’m giving it four, but it is a notable and can be life altering novel. I know it made me stop and think about my life.

This is a young adult book that every, and I mean every, teenager should read. This book is and has everything. Thought provoking, check. Full of life lessons, check. Interesting, check. Romance, check. Adventure, check. I could go on and on.

So you may be wondering why I am only giving this book four starts instead of five after my last few sentences of nothing but praise. Here is my reasoning. I felt like I would have gotten even more emotionally involved in this book if the relationship between A and Rhiannon didn't grow into love so quickly. I felt like it came a little bit out of left field. Also, I think it could have been a little bit longer, giving us more information on who A is. I’m not saying Levithan didn't give us any answers, he gave us enough, but I would have liked just a few more. In general I wanted a little more depth. Therefore I am only giving it a 4/5, but I still technically think it is a must read.

Now, I have two amazingly awesome things I want to share about this novel. One, the blurring of genders lines in this novel is fabulous. It really makes you pause and think about what really does matter in a person and what makes them who they are. Second, I loved seeing how A reacted when he woke up in different people’s bodies and how he had to adapt. I won’t go into more detail because I don’t want to ruin any of the surprises, but it is very interesting.

This book will make you stop and think about your life, about love, and how you spend every day. I give a round of applause to Levithan and his amazingly unique well written novel. This one will stay with me for a long time.

Rating: 4/5   BUY Every Day

Top Bookish News of the Past Week

Almost every day I read interesting stories, see funny pictures, read great blog posts, and more that deal with the publishing industry and books in general. I've decided to post anything book related that I find interesting for the week on a weekly Sunday post. So here is my first post! All the titles are linked up to their respective articles/blog posts.

ARTICLES

New Year's Resolutions for the Book Publishing Industry

• This was actually a pretty interesting article. Although I don't agree with everything on the list, the author makes some pretty good points.

Lousy Book Cover Tumblr

• I just discovered this site and it is beyond funny. Not to be mean, but some of these book covers are really bad.

Six Things I learned about Publishing a Book that Very Few Books will Tell You

• If you want to write a book, have already written a book, or are in the process of writing a book, you should check out this article. 

VIDEO

• I couldn't believe it, even though I am fascinated by this library robot, and the amount of books that are stored there, I also am a little sad. I like to see the actual book on the shelf when I go to pick it up at the library. What does this mean for the future?

BLOG POSTS

The Numbers Game @ Bookshelvers Anonymous

• Shelver created a thought provoking post about Bloggers and their need/want for good stats.

Delirium Short Stories in One Book in Print @ Buckling Bookshelves

• When I found out they they were publishing the Delirium stories in print, all in one book, and that it includes a sneak peak at Requiem, I got overly excited. 

Wordless Wednesday @ Midnight Book Girl

• I'm not going to completely give away what this picture is...it is awesome!

Super Kindle Deals in January 2013 @ The Redingista

• I don't have a Kindle, but if you do you should really check out this blog post. There are a lot of good books for cheap!

OMG News! @ YA Fanatic

• They picked someone to play Tris in the Divergent movie!

Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by: Michelle Hodkin

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by: Michelle Hodkin (Mara Dyer #2) (2012)

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

537 pages

Genre: Young Adult

Summary: The book jacket: “Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past. She can’t. She used to think her problems were all in her head. They aren't  She couldn't imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets. She’s wrong. In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?”

Review: WOW! Just WOW. Who is Mara Dyer?

I couldn't read this book fast enough, my eyes can only read so fast and I can only turn the pages so quickly without ripping them. It was one of those novels, the kind where you read so fast to get to the ending only to remember that there is another one coming out that you will have to wait for and once you reach the ending it will heartbreakingly be over.

This was just as good as the first novel in the trilogy, if not better. We finally start to get some real answers, but don’t get your hopes up too high; we still have a long way to go before we find out the whole truth. I will however warn you: You will beyond a doubt get frustrated. At times I wanted to not so nicely throw this book across the room, and not because it was bad, but because it was so good and I was so into it that I wanted answers just as much as Mara and Noah, I felt for them. It got so intense near the end that I’m pretty sure I was having a panic attack while reading. I can’t even mention the ending, not only because I don’t want to give anything away, but because I am at a loss for words.

Okay, now it is time for a little Noah Shaw love. One of the things I love most about this novel is that the reader gets to find out more about the complex character that is Noah. With every new piece of information that I received, I fell more in love with him, if that is even possible. Sure he has his faults, but his awesomeness outweighs everything else. I’ve had some issues with teen romances in past young adult books, but there is just something about Mara and Noah that make me root for them, for better or for worse. I also want to remind everyone of Mara’s brother Daniel, who is still beyond a doubt one of my most favorite characters ever. His relationship with Mara is amazing, heartwarming, and comical.

I don’t want to give anything away so I’m going to go ahead and wrap this up.

If you liked the first book you will definitely like this one. Heck, even if you were not a huge fan of the first one you will probably like this one.

The only downside, we have to wait a while longer for the last novel in this gripping trilogy to be released.

Rating: 5/5   BUY The Evolution of Mara Dyer

My review for the first novel in this trilogy The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer