Review: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord (2014)
352 pages
Genres: Young Adult/Contemporary/Romance/Friendship
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Source: The library.
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own.

Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence.

This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking.

A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

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My Review

Open Road Summer is exactly what the title leads you to believe, it's a perfect summer read.

"Either way, Matt Finch has thrown me off my game within a minute of his arrival. At this rate-with heat still flooding my cheeks-it's going to be a long summer." pg. 63

This book made me want to go on a road trip. It made me want to laugh. It made me want to sing at the top of my lungs. Most importantly, it reminded me of when I was younger and went to concerts during the summer with my best friend. I just really liked all the feels and emotions this story made me feel, like I was young and free again.

Dee is an adorable teenage country star who you can't help but love. Reagan is hard to crack, but I love her summer of figuring herself out. What about Matt Finch? Well, he is beyond cute and I heart him. I loved reading about these three and their summer of a lifetime. The friendship, the romance, the celebrityness, there was nothing I didn't enjoy.

Open Road Summer is a book that everyone should read this summer if they haven't yet so they can get the chance to step into a crazy and fun world and spend some time with three teenagers on the road to discovery. It's a road worth traveling. I will be reading more books by this author. That is for sure.

Review: The Invasion of the Tearling

The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (June 2015)
515 pages
Genre: Adult/Fantasy
Publisher: Harper
Source: The library.
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: With each passing day, Kelsea Glynn is growing into her new responsibilities as Queen of the Tearling. By stopping the shipments of slaves to the neighboring kingdom of Mortmesne, she crossed the Red Queen, a brutal ruler whose power derives from dark magic, who is sending her fearsome army into the Tearling to take what is hers. And nothing can stop the invasion.

But as the Mort army draws ever closer, Kelsea develops a mysterious connection to a time before the Crossing, and she finds herself relying on a strange and possibly dangerous ally: a woman named Lily, fighting for her life in a world where being female can feel like a crime. The fate of the Tearling —and that of Kelsea’s own soul—may rest with Lily and her story, but Kelsea may not have enough time to find out.

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My Review

I am going to be straight with you right up front. This review probably won't be very comprehensive and will probably be all over the place. 

The Invasion of the Tearling wasn't exactly what I was expecting. It had a very strong beginning that pulled me in, but in all of the 500 pages I found that not a lot happened. It wasn't a waste of time per say, but I do think it needed a little more action in it. Once I finished the book I just had this feeling that not a lot actually happened. It may have just been me.

I liked Kelsea's story and learning about Lily, but I had the hardest time feeling the connection between the two. I just felt like I was reading two different stories, and I get that this was part of the book or what have you, but it was kind of weird. Basically I had a really hard time connecting with this book in general. It just had a whole different feel to it than the first one. 

With that being said, I still enjoyed The Invasion of the Tearling. Even without a lot of action I was intrigued by what was going on with Kelsea and the kingdom. I also enjoyed spending time with Pen and Mace. This book is full of darkness and I could feel it through the pages thanks to the wonderful writing.

I am certain that I will be reading the last book in this trilogy. I have no doubt about that. I am thinking it will be more epic and more along the lines of the first book. We shall see. Fingers crossed.

TTT #43: Fairytale Retelings

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I love this week's topic, but I had a hard time just making a list with so many fairy tale retelling topic options! So I ended up kind of making a list and kind of just rambling, but I do mention 10 books/stories. Enjoy!

My all time favorite fairytale retelling is Cress by Marissa Meyer (Rapunzel). I can't wait for Winter to come out! I also have to mention Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, but since it was very loosely based off of Cinderella I don't really count it as a retelling.

My favorite fairytale retelling type book (I think it is more of a fable) when I was younger had to be The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith.

      

Some Fairytale Retellings I Want to Read But Haven't Yet 

Princess of  Thorns by Stacey Jay (Sleeping Beauty)

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff (Rumpelstiltskin)

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge (Beauty and the Beast)

 

While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell (Sleeping Beauty)

Strands of Bronze and Gold y Jane Nickerson (Bluebeard)

The Stepsister's Tale by Tracy Barrett (Cinderella)

 

I wish someone would write a YA retelling of The Princess and the Pea. I feel like someone could remix that into something interesting. I don't know. 

What are some of your favorite fairytale retellings? What fairytales do you want to see more of?

Hello! I'm Back!

Time flies. I can't believe it has already been a full two weeks since I went on hiatus! Time flies when you are exhausted. Let me tell you my friends, I needed the break. Moving into your first house is very time consuming and still working while doing so is even more of a challenge, but I live to tell the tale.

Pictures to come at a later time. I don't have any nice (non-embarrassing) enough pictures yet to share with you all since I am currently living out of boxes and don't have any furniture. I have discovered however that furniture shopping is fun! It's just too bad that it is also very expensive. 

What happens now that I'm back? It will probably take me all week to catch up on comments and visit all of my friends' blogs, but it will be worth it. I missed blogging, but I really just didn't have time for it. I will probably still be really busy here for a while since I have two jobs and there is still so much to do around the new house, but I promise to be as active as I can be, probably right back to how I was before the hiatus. :) I'm ready for my comeback.

What did I read while I was gone? Nothing. I hate to admit it, but I didn't read a single thing. I did start reading The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, but I haven't read any more pages for a whole week because of the move. I am loving the book though and hope to finish it soon. I miss reading more than anything. 

I am excited to be back! Let's rock and roll. I am ready to get my read on and my blogging groove back. I missed you all!

Books I Didn't Blog About

It's that time again when I want to do a clean sweep of the books I read but have yet to review. I will hopefully be in the process of moving when this post goes up and instead of dragging my notes about these books with me to my very first house I wanted a clean slate. Therefore, I decided to compile some super short mini reviews into a list like I did before at the beginning of the year when I wanted a fresh start in 2015. Without further ado, here are the books I read so far in 2015 that I had yet to write reviews for. They are organized by their star ratings.

4.5 Stars

The Eye of Zoltar (#3) by Jasper Fforde

Goodreads

This was a very strong third book in a four book series. It was hilarious, fun, exciting, had interesting new characters, and I loved every second of it. It even had a lot of good surprises and twists. I can't wait for the last book to come out!

4 Stars

The Song of the Quarkbeast (#2) by Jasper Fforde

Goodreads

This may be my least favorite book in this series, but I obviously still enjoyed it a great deal since I am giving it four stars. It was still silly and fun, and I still loved the main character, Jennifer Strange. I guess the story line just wasn't as interesting to me as the first one was.

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Goodreads

This was an adorable book full of emotions and hope. It had a slow start for me but did pick up. It was unique and had strong characters. I would recommend it. 

3.5 Stars

Zombies Vs. Unicorns by Many Authors

Goodreads

Some of the stories in this anthology I loved and some I really didn't like, but mostly I enjoyed these stories of zombies and unicorns. Some were dark and some were funny, but all were interesting.

3 Stars

Miss Mayhem (#2) by Rachel Hawkins 

Goodreads

I hate to report it but this sequel to Rebel Belle was kind of a disappointment. It lost some of its charm from the first novel, but I did still like it. I wanted more butt-kicking scenes. Maybe in the next book.

2.5 Stars

H2O (#1) by Virginia Bergin

Goodreads

I had a hard time rating this book. I loved the premise, the survival aspects of the book, and the killer rain, but I didn't love the characters. The main character, Ruby, seems to be really dumb and doesn't really grow all that much. She was frustrating.

A Straight to the Point Review: Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella (June 2015)
288 pages
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source: The library.
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Shopaholic series comes a terrific blend of comedy, romance, and psychological recovery in a contemporary YA novel sure to inspire and entertain.

An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

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My Review

I loved Finding Audrey. Loved it. You should read it. You should read it right now. 

Here is why...

Finding Audrey has a cast of wonderful, creative, crazy, sweet, and memorable characters. I loved adorable Audrey and her whole family. Her mom may have been a little tiny bit annoying at times, but I still loved the whole family drama. 

First love is always sweet. 

I think teens and adults should give this book a chance simply because it deals with social anxiety disorder and how hard it can be for someone who has it. I don't think mental illnesses are taken as seriously as they should be still today and this book shines a light on that. It also talks about the important subject matter of bullying. Even though Kinsella tackles those tough subject matters in this book, she still manages to fit in humor (many LOL moments) in what I thought to be a respectful way. 

I closed this book with a smile on my face.

I Try Some Graphic Novels

Besides reading Through the Woods by Emily Carroll I never really read any graphic novels before. I finally decided it was time to give them a try. Here are some quick reviews on the ones I have read so far. I'm hoping this post will get you to try some graphic novels, or perhaps you can see what ones I have read so far and recommend more for me to try out. Either way, I am excited to hear what you think about graphic novels in the comments below! (Sorry if some of my reviews get a little repetitive. I could only think of so many ways to say how I felt about the illustrations.)

Five Stars

El Deafo by CeCe Bell (2014)
Goodreads

The Cover: Perfect.
The Illustrations: I love that instead of humans the characters are all rabbits. The pictures do what they should, make the story even better. They were just right.
The Story: It was heartbreaking, adorable, and educational. This is a graphic novel that every person young and old would enjoy and should read. I loved every page.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (May 2015)
Goodreads

The Cover: Just looking at the cover will clue you in on how awesome this book is.
The Illustrations: Love them! I knew I would since I loved the author's illisturations for the cover of Fangirl. Yup, that is the same person!
The Story: It's unique, hilarious, and everything I could want in a hero/villain story. I love the relationships between all the main characters, the evil plots, and how spunky Nimona is.

The Babysitters Club (#1): Kristy's Great Idea by Raina Telgemeier and Ann M. Martin (2006)
Goodreads

The Cover: It matches the mood of the book and it is cute. What more could I ask for?
The Illustrations: I really enjoy all of Raina Telgemeir's illustrations.
The Story: It was a wonderful and super cute graphic novel. I reminisced about when I was young and a babysitter, and of the original babysitter books. I had a fun time reading it.

Four Stars

Amulet by Kazi Kibuishi (2008)
Goodreads

The Cover: I must know about this bunny, and this monster behind the door!
The Illustrations: Pretty freaking cool. The use of color is awesome.
The Story: This was darker and creepier than I thought it would be, but it was still really good. I think kids will love the adventures this book holds inside its pages. The next book in the series looks good too!

Smile by Raina Telgemeier (2010)
Goodreads

The Cover: Simple and perfect. I love the shiny braces on the smile.
The Illustrations: They were cute and fun.
The Story: I loved this story. Not only did it send a great message to its readers, but I related to it on a personal level. I too had braces when I was younger and pretty much went through everything Raina did. I think both kids and adults will like this one.

Lumberjanes Vol 1 (#1-4) by Noelle Stevenson (2015)
Goodreads

The Cover: This cover didn't do a whole lot for me for whatever reason. I still like it though.
The Illustrations: I am running out words to describe the illustrations in graphic novels. They are all unique and so far I have enjoyed them all, including this one.
The Story: This was a humorous story about a group of girls from camp who just so happen to come across some crazy creatures on their adventures. It was a lot of fun!

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley (2013)
Goodreads

The Cover: Fits with the title and the story. I like it. Although a picture of delicious food would have been just as good.
The Illustrations: They worked for me. I loved the pictures of all the food.
The Story: Although at times I struggled to follow the story since it isn't necessarily told chronologically, I really enjoyed Lucy's adventures with food. It made me hungry and the recipes she provides sound delicious. I will have to try some.

Primates by Jim Ottaviani & Maris Wicksm (2013)
Goodreads

The Cover: I love everything about this cover! All three girls and the types of primates they studied along with a lush green leafy background is flawless.
The Illustrations: They are just as good as the cover, adorable and fun!
The Story: What a fun way to learn about Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas! This was a cute and informative read. Female scientists for the win!

Three Stars

Ms. Marvel Vol. 1 No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona (2014)

Goodreads

The Cover: Simple. I love it!

The Illustrations: They have the perfect comic book and super hero vibe for the story.

The Story: I love the diversity happening in this book, but the story wasn't really for me. I think many will enjoy it and that I am just one of the few that only liked it and didn't love it.

Exquisite Corpse by Penelope Bagieu (May 5, 2015)
Goodreads

The Cover: I like it, but there isn't really anything to write home about.
The Illustrations: They fit really well with the story.
The Story: I enjoyed the idea of a girl stumbling upon a writer that had faked his own death. It was entertaining and the ending was fabulous. I just wasn't a fan of any of the characters.

The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act (The Wicked + The Divine #1-5) by Gillen, McKelvie, Wilson, Cowles (2014)
Goodreads

The Cover: Eh, I like it but it is kind of boring.
The Illustrations: The drawings of these intense characters were amazingly well done. They just fit.
The Story: Although it was a little hard to follow at first, I did enjoy the story. The idea of these famous pop stars actually being Gods that are reincarnated every ninety years was interesting. My favorite character was Lucifer.