Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Gifted
First book in the Hundered Oaks series
"Whoever said football and girls don't mix hasn't read Catching Jordan. I couldn't put it down " -- Simone Elkeles, New York Times bestselling author of the Perfect Chemistry series
ONE OF THE BOYS
What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.
But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?

Review
I was really excited to read this. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. There wasn't enough cute for me! I hate having to wait till the end. But, the story made up for the lack of cuteness. I loved the storyline. I thought it was awesome and crazy unique. I also loved the characters. They were wonderful! This book can't be compared to anything I've ever read.

I loved Jordan. She was such a strong character. I liked that she didn't care what people thought of her. She was doing what she loved and that's what mattered most to her. I liked how close she was with her team. It really showed that boys can be better for some people than girls. I loved Henry with all my heart. He was the most spectacular character. He was the best bestfriend ever! I loved how close he was with Jordan. He really cared about her. They had an amazing relationship. I hated Ty from the moment he came into the story. I didn't think he was right for Jordan at all and he was beyond too clingy. I think what was best about the characters was how much they grew throughout the story. Jordan and Henry were a great example of that. Jordan's team was such a great addition to the book. I loved her team. I loved that they all had their own little parts in the story. And, I loved how protective they were over her!

Football was never my favorite thing. But, since I cheer I've learned to love it. I really liked how factual this story was. I learned a lot more about football. This one was pretty hard to put down. The story never slowed down. I read this in about a day and loved it very much. But, it also frustrated me at times. That and the lack of cuteness is why this only got 4 stars. I will say the way the relationships were done was nice. I just need to get used to the lack of cuteness. Overall I really enjoyed this one. This was my first Miranda Kenneally book. Now, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. If you like football or want to learn to love it this one is for you!

Waiting on Wednesday: Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington

****"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at the Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.****

 

My pick this week is:

Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington
Expected publication: March 19th 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire

Once again Violet Eden faces an impossible choice ... and the consequences are unimaginable.
Violet has come to terms with the fact that being part angel, part human, means her life will never be as it was.
Now Violet has something Phoenix - the exiled angel who betrayed her - will do anything for, and she has no intention of letting it fall into his hands. The only problem is that he has something she needs too.
Not afraid to raise the stakes, Phoenix seemingly holds all the power, always one step ahead. And when he puts the final pieces of the prophecy together, it doesn't take him long to realise exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.
With the help of surprising new allies, ancient prophecies are deciphered, a destination set and, after a shattering confrontation with her father, Violet leaves for the islands of Greece without knowing if she will have a home to return to...

Alright I picked this bad boy because I am dying of excitement. I was a little late joining the fans of this series because I wasn't in the mood for another angel book. But I risked it because of all the amazing things I heard. Boy, am I glad I did. This series is so amazing. I would say its addicting. The concept is very unique and the characters are the bomb.com! I cannot wait for Emblaze. I'm ready to throw myself back into the world. If you haven't read this series you are missing out and you should get on that ASAP!

Top Ten Tuesday (4)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of us will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All that's asked is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers

 

This weeks topic is Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters. This list is probably gonna be all about characters being part of a love triangle. You have been warned!

 

1. Seth from the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The reason Seth frustrates me is because he is the other part of the love triangle. I know there are some Team Seth in the world but he just isn't for me.
2. Christian from the Unearlthy series by Cynthia Hand. The reason Christan frustrates me is because he is also the other part of the love triangle. But, I also don't enjoy him because he is very you belong with me and I'm gonna prove it to you. And pushy is just annoying.
3. Kaiden from the Sweet series by Wendy Higgins. I actually really like him the only reason he frustrates me is because he is so amazing and Anna wont let herself be with him.
4. Elder from the Across the Universe series by Beth Revis. Elder is an amazing character and he has my heart. But the fact that he doesn't stand up for himself has bothered me throughout the whole series. It's gotten better but it still is frustrating.
5. Zenn from the Possession series by Elana Johnson. Zenn is another one of those you not that bad but you tend to make things more complicated characters.
6. Jem from the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. I love Jem with all my heart. But I know he is going to break it piece by piece.
7. Warner from the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi. Now I know that after Unravel Me everyone is going gaga for Warner. Maybe he frustrates me because I don't understand him. But, I really don't want to like him. I think Adam is enough for me.
8. Cadan from the Angelfire series by Courtney Alison Moulton. Cadan frustrates me because I don't really know him. And I feel bad for him.
9. Jillian from the Pandemonium series by Lauren Oliver. Okay he is not a bad character at all but he has me worried for Requeim and I don't think he is right for Lena.
10. Sebastian/Johnathan from the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Okay he's evil why else would I pick him.

Cover Crazy (1)

Cover Crazy is a meme created by The Book Worms that features a cover that you are crazy about! The point of this meme is to admire the art and beauty of a book’s design. Find more information about creating your own here.

We decided we wanted to do vlogs for this meme because their fun! Here it is and I hope you enjoy!

 

 

Blog Tour + Giveaway: Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons

Today on the blog we're going to tell you 5 reasons to read Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons.


1. It's the sequel to this book:



















2. This lovely lady wrote it:


















Here's some stuff about her:
Kristen Simmons has a master’s degree in social work and is an advocate for mental health. She lives with her husband Jason and their precious greyhound Rudy in Tampa, Florida.

Places to stalk:

Website

3. The book looks like this:

4. This is what it's about:
The second installment in Kristen Simmons's fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series.
 After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.
 Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….
 Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself. Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.
 With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?

5. Here's a little excerpt for you:
I knew what he meant by terrorist. He meant people like my mother. People like me. Anyone that stood between him and his perfect, compliant world. He’d reduced our country to obedient house pets and unwanted strays, and I had a bad feeling things were about to get a lot worse.
-Breaking Point, Pg. 35

You want to read it now, don't you?

Well, lucky for you, that's possible by clicking any of these:

Even luckier (not sure if that's a word but I'm going for it) you can enter to win it either right here

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Or at any of the other stops on the tour.
 

So there you go! That was 5 reasons to read the second book in the Article 5 trilogy.

Thank you (yes you) for stopping by and thank you Jean from Jean BookNerd for organizing this tour!

Discussion Post: Librarian Conferences

This is my first discussion post so I'm sorry if its bad! This is a topic that's on my mind a lot. Conferences are very popular with bloggers. Their amazing. But I feel like they cause some problems with librarians and bloggers. They are called librarian conferences and librarians are who they are for. But bloggers go to because bloggers and librarians are a lot alike.

I feel like bloggers might be resented by librarians. I'm not saying all librarians dislike bloggers or even any of them. But when bloggers go to librarian conferences, they are getting books meant for libraries. And yes, that is unfair to the librarians that have to work so hard to go. But, bloggers do a lot for books these days. Blogging is a huge community right now. It's very popular. I don't think its fair to say that all bloggers are getting a bad reputation for going to librarian conferences. If your a blogger that goes but does nothing for the books that you receive then yes that is bad. But, If you write reviews and feature the books then your helping a lot. And there are even some bloggers that share the books they receive with other bloggers and readers who weren't able to go.

I feel like if your a blogger that goes to things like that then you should be extremely careful what you do with the books you get. Be sure to always review them. If you get a book that you already have or get in the mail later then do something nice with it. Give it to another blogger or give it away. No one needs to copies of an ARC. Be extra careful not to ruin things like this for other people. No blogger wants to have a bad reputation or be resented for being a blogger. We're all the same really. We just want to share our love of reading with the world. Plus librarians are amazing people and personally I want librarians to like me being a blogger!

So those are my opinions on this subject. No offense is intended at all. I just wanted to put this out there and see what others have to say about this subject! Thanks for reading and be sure to leave a comment!

Waiting on Wednesday: Of Triton by Anna Banks

****"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at the Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.****

 

 

My pick this week is:



Of Triton by Anna Banks
Expected release date: May 28th 2013
         from Feiwel & Friends
In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?

I want this book so bad. I read Of Poseidon in one sitting because I wanted Galen and Emma to get together so bad that I read until they did. I'm hoping this one continues the cuteness. And can we just take a moment to appreciate that cover? *drools*




Top Ten Tuesday (3)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of us will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All that's asked is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers

This weeks topic is Top Ten Settings I'd Like To See More Of.

1. Underwater- Come on, we all wished we could switch lives with Ariel just for that underwater castle.
2. Greece- I eat up books about greek mythology like an injured soldier eats ambrosia, but not very many of them are set in Greece for some reason. It seems like a beautiful place and I would love to read a book set there.
3. 1920s America- Yes, this is a setting and a time period but they go together very well. I don't think I've ever read a book set here and I would love to because I think it's fascinating.
4. Texas- I may be a little biased because it's where I live but I would love to see more books set here. It's a big state so there's plenty of possibilities and who doesn't want more cowboys in YA?
5. Asia- India, China, Russia-I could go on. They would all be interesting to read about. The culture, the myths, the places, people. All of it.
6. Prague- Anyone who has read Daughter of Smoke and Bone knows what I'm talking about. This place sounds gorgeous.
7. Historical Europe- This is kind of a continuation of 6 but I mean anywhere in Europe. Think Grave Mercy or The Infernal Devices-more books like that.
8. London- More modern day London. Maybe with a Doctor Who feel. Hmmm, aliens in London don't think I've ever read something like that before.
9. Beach- I know there's plenty of beach books but I'm thinking less The Summer I Turned Pretty and more like The Scorpio Races.
10. New York City- Maybe I'm not reading the right books but I can't think of more than a few books set in NY that I've read. 

Those are my picks for this week! Sorry this is a little late. As I type this I'm sitting in a back seat almost 800 miles from home. You can thank two of my younger siblings for the spelling and grammar checks :).

While He Was Away by Karen Shreck Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Source: Bought
Stand Alone
One year--he'll be gone for one year and then we'll be together again and everything will be back to the way it should be.
The day David left, I felt like my heart was breaking. Sure, any long-distance relationship is tough, but David was going to war--to fight, to protect, to put his life in danger. We can get through this, though. We'll talk, we'll email, we won't let anything come between us.
I can be an army girlfriend for one year. But will my sweet, soulful, funny David be the same person when he comes home? Will I? And what if he doesn't come home at all?...
"A tender and honest examination of love, longing, and loyalty in the face of modern war."--Laura Ruby, author of Bad Apple
"While He Was Away is a wonderful love story with writing that is skillful and true."--Amy Timberlake, author of That Girl Lucy Moon

Review
This was quite an interesting read. I've never really read something like this. It wasn't really what I was expecting. I expected it to be about David's life in the military and not so much Renna's life while coping. I was mistaken though. I did learn a lot from it though and it was a pretty good read.

Renna really grew throughout the story. She was vastly different at the end. I really enjoyed her character. I liked how devoted she was to David. But, I'm glad she learned to live her life without him. She kept herself nice and busy and you could really see the results. One thing I didn't like was how David's story didn't get included. Who knows what happened to him. I wished we would have gotten like a 5 years later or something. Just to satisfy my curiosity. I can't imagine what it would be like to have a loved one in the military. A lot of people due though. This helped me realize what those people go through. That wasn't something I ever took the time to think about but I should have.

I really loved the storyline in this. I liked watching Renna grow. I enjoyed her story. I thought it was cool how she picked up the pieces of her family. For me I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what was going to happen with David. Because of that I don't think I fully enjoyed the story. I was too focused on David. I honestly think that's the reason I didn't enjoy this as much as I could have. It was a very nice read though. I think it's a book that everyone could take something from. I'm glad I read it and I highly recommend.

Jasmine: To Read Vlog #6

Hey guys! I know we just posted a vlog but I recently finished my to read stack and started another one. Sorry I kinda breezed through these I didn't want to make the video super long :). Hope you guys like! Be sure to leave a comment with your to read vlogs or posts.

 

 

The Foresaken by Lisa M. Stasse Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Source: Conference
First book in The Foresaken series
As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.
The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.

Review
I hadn't heard much about this before reading. I noticed it didn't have the best reviews so I was a little worried. I really enjoyed this book. I don't understand some of the negative reviews. I thought it was great. I loved the storyline. The characters were great. And, the story was pretty fast paced.

I loved Alenna. More than I thought I would. She grew into a very great character. She was strong, she never have up, and she got pretty well into the world she was placed. I liked how she wanted to in among the Wheel. I like show she always wanted to help. I liked how careful she was about her feelings for Liam because she didn't want to hurt her friend. I doing really like David. He confused me. But, I know he has a part to play and I hope to learn more about him. Now Liam, I adored. He was a sweetheart. I definitely hope Alenna and Liam get to continue their relationship. This has some pretty amazing secondary characters. I'm excited to see who returns in the sequel.

I really loved this ones storyline. It was so insanely unique. I had no idea where the story was going. It kept me on my toes so I couldn't put it down! I was dying to know how everything was going to unravel. There was lots of twists and turns. The characters were amazing. When I finished this I was dying to know how the story was going to continue. I can't wait for the sequel and I highly recommend.

Author Love #18: Jodi Meadows

Author Love is a meme we came up with. There are so many authors and books out there that we love so much and want the world to know about them. If you want to play along all you have to do is pick one of your favorite authors. Write what you like about them and/or their books. You can also include an author bio and synopsis of their book if you want.

My pick for this week is: Jodi Meadows

Author Bio from website-
 

Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut

 

I picked Jodi Meadows not only for my love of Incarnate but also because of how social she is as an author. If I went and tweeted something to her she would most likely reply and I love when authors do that. I've also met her(picture at the end of the post) and she is so nice. She had little crocheted butterflies that she made for us. She is always doing fun little teasers on Twitter. For all the Incarnate lovers there is Team Incarnate. To me it seems like her fans are important to her. Not all authors show how important their fans are so I love it when I find and author that does. Plus Incarnate is amazing and I know Asunder will be to! So that explains why I picked Jodi Meadows this week. If you haven't read Incarnate, I highly recommend it.

 

This picture is from the Pitch Dark event. It was earlier in 2012. Jodi is the third from the left! Me and Marissa are the second and third from the right!

 

Series `Love #18: Unearthly

Series Love is a meme we came up with. There are so many amazing book series out there. We love to share the love and help spread the word. If you want to play along all you have to do is pick a series. It doesn’t matter if it only has one book or a million. Include authors name and the covers of the books.
 
My pick for this week is the Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand!





So Boundless comes out at the end of this month. I'm so excited and also a tad bit sad. I'm excited to see how the series wraps up but I really don't want it to end. The Unearthly series really is such an amazing series. The characters are absolutely amazing. They are very well done. The story lines are always different and unique. The covers are so beautiful it's insane.  I've already preordered Boundless so keep an eye out for a review next month. If you haven't checked out this series, what could you possibly be waiting for? Read it, then we can all fangirl and love Tucker together. Unless you end up team Christian, you will have to find someone else to fangirl with if your team Christian!

Secrets and Shadows by Shannon Delany Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin           
Source: Library
Second book in the 13 to Life series
Nothing's simple when you run with werewolves. Jess Gillmansen thinks she's seen it all but her eyes are about to be opened to even more danger and a reality far more paranormal than she's suspected. With Jess's realization that the Rusakovas' mother is still alive and imprisoned, the group's choices become harder and trust more important. Lines are drawn and relationships change as the broken Rusakova family struggles to reunite long enough to free their mother and people who Jess always just took to be normal people show themselves to be much, much more.

Review
This book was so addicting. I couldn't put it down it was that good. The storyline as epic. I loved the tension between characters. About halfway through I started going crazy because I wanted cuteness. Then by the end I had officially lost my mind. I wish you guys could have heard me screaming. Let's just say I will be getting the third book as soon as possible.

Jessica became a pretty amazing character. She really surprised me. I loved how strong she was. I loved how well she fit in among the Rushkova family. I liked how she stood up to Pietr. She wasn't about to let anyone walk over her. Even if Pietr was the most frustrating person ever, I still loved him. He eventually became the sweetheart he was hiding. I feel like I really understood his reasoning for doing the things he did even if they were stupid! That's why he didn't bother me. Jessica and Pietr ended up being so adorable. I threw a party when they finally got together. This had an amazing set of secondary characters. I loved the good and the bad. Everyone was very well done. I can't wait to read more about these characters.

For me this has everything I felt the first book lacked. The plot never slowed down. There was a ton of action throughout the whole book. The characters were very well developed. The suspense was great. I couldn't put it down. Overall this was a great sequel. It made me so excited to continue the series. If you've read 13 to Life and weren't sure about it, you should definitely read this one. It made up for it in my opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

****"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at the Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.****

My pick this week is:

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins
Expected publication: April 30th 2013 by HarperTeen
Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things.
Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.
When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

So I can honestly say Sweet Evil was the bomb.com. Guys it was so good. No fangirling Jasmine you did enough of that in your review. I'm so excited to continue the Sweet series. I can't wait to dive back into the world and I can't wait to read more about those amazing characters. Plus look at the prettiness of that cover. Who wouldn't be waiting for this one. If you haven't checked out Sweet Evil you should definitely get on that and then we can fangirl together while we wait! Sounds like a nice plan so be sure and read Sweet Evil. Also be sure to leave a comment and tell me what your waiting on this week :).