To Hear the Ocean Sigh by Bryant A. Loney

Many thanks to Verona Booksellers for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review! 

Jay Murchison believes he is a nobody at his high school in Oklahoma. Coming from a conservative family of affordable luxury, Jay has an overwhelming desire to become something great. After a mysterious girl named Saphnie in North Carolina mistakenly texts him, an unlikely relationship develops that affects Jay’s self-perception and influences the rest of his sophomore year. This correspondence leads him to a group of thrill-seekers who provide a grand departure from the quiet life Jay is familiar with and eye-opening experiences to witness first-hand the truth behind the loose morals his fellow classmates have come to know.

So school is starting to get the best of me...I'm embarrassed to say that this less than 300 page book took me almost 2 weeks to read. *wears cone of shame*

This book was so totally different from all the contemporaries I've been reading lately. It's no secret that summer is the season for girly romantic love stories and after a while I just start to associate that storyline with every contemporary book out there. And let me tell you, To Hear the Ocean Sigh does not at all fit that bill.

First of all, it's told from a male POV. This is both refreshing and slightly aggravating to read as a female as this is proof that boys and girls do NOT have the same thought processes at all. Jay is blunt, shy and socially challenged so this isn't the type of book where a lot of things are happening all at the same time. I usually prefer multiple things to be happening all at once and then it all comes together nicely (or not so nicely) in the end; but Jay, on the other hand, prefers to be more one speed. For instance, logging onto CoffeeFolder (the book's version of Facebook) is the beginning of most chapters. Honestly this book is essentially a re-telling of my middle school years in all their extreme awkwardness; I wish I had known that before going in because I was not prepared for all those scarring flashbacks.

Something else that bugged me initially but I grew to love was the text message style between Jay and Saphnie. At first I was totally frustrated because reading texts is not the most engaging, so it was hard to stay focused between the overuse of exclamation points and non-emojis. But eventually Saphnie's random knowledge of Latin proverbs became endearing and I really felt for her when she came to Jay for advice and they developed a budding friendship.  It nearly killed me to read the end of the book because when reading from Jay's POV it sounds like everything is going well, when it actually isn't.

The only real problem I had with this book was that it was supposed to take place in high school when personally it felt like middle school/junior high; the way relationships just started and stopped at the drop of a hat after being announced on CoffeeFolder, trying to be cool by going to parties and having first sips of alcohol, and not being able to really talk to any of the 'popular' kids. Just overall it felt like Jay was in his pre-teen/early teen years instead of being a sophomore in high school. But once I got past that aspect it was totally fine.

Overall this book was extremely realistic so I have to commend it on that front. About half of this book was dedicated to checking social media updates, entering contests to win books, and how to go about making friends. Sometimes it got too real, to the point where I was bored reading some of the fake status updates and Rudderless at Sea author tid bits, but other than that the characters were enjoyable, realistic and they faced legit school problems. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels the need to reconnect with their middle-school self or needs help getting through middle school/early high school the first time around, this book is for you!

3 stars

The Heir by Kiera Cass

Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible. But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests.

Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought.

I liked The Selection series, it was cute and moved at a good pace (I have no desire to re-read it, once was enough), but WHAT WAS THIS??? I cannot begin to describe how many hurtles there were in reading this book...but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try:  first of all, how do you even pronounce the princess's name? Adyln (silent E)? Eyadylin (extra E)? And Kile (yes, with the I) is annoying to read...the first book didn't have creatively named main characters and we got along just fine - so don't change that!

But once you get past that speed bump - trust me it takes a while - there's the next little issue:  princess whats-her-name is a total BITCH! There's no kind way to say it. She's used to having everything she wants whenever she wants it. What's even more frustrating is that she knows she's a spoiled brat, but she thinks she's entitled to it! Reading from her perspective waters down the whole story. America's POV was at least legitimately entertaining; Eady's POV is manipulative and shallow. She plays it off as being protective of her heart but literally no one else in her family has similar tendencies so it always comes off as mean. Her own people throw food at her in public but she doesn't understand why she's so hated!!

Even after all this book drama I kept reading *pats self on the back* and did manage to find some good in this weird spin-off series: Henri and Erik. These two (mostly Henri) kept me laughing every time they showed up no matter what they were doing. Henri only speaks broken English so he has Erik translate for him most of the time, but when he's alone with the princess it's both funny and adorable to watch them interact without much verbal communication.

Honestly I'm not sure if I can continue with this 'new' series. I don't particularly like any of the main characters besides Henri, and I have a feeling he doesn't last much longer in the series, so there isn't even a side story I can look forward to reading. Eadyln treats everyone she meets with such disdain that it physically hurts to read; it took nearly 2 weeks to finish this book because I would look at it and just not want to read it. If it's that much of a problem starting this whole 'new selection' off I don't think the books to come will be worth my time or money.

In The Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers. Only Ruby has any power over him, and just one slip could lead to Clancy wreaking havoc on their minds. 

They are armed only with a volatile secret: proof of a government conspiracy to cover up the real cause of IAAN, the disease that has killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others like her with powers the government will kill to keep contained. But internal strife may destroy their only chance to free the "rehabilitation camps" housing thousands of other Psi kids.

Meanwhile, reunited with Liam, the boy she would-and did-sacrifice everything for to keep alive, Ruby must face the painful repercussions of having tampered with his memories of her. She turns to Cole, his older brother, to provide the intense training she knows she will need to take down Gray and the government. But Cole has demons of his own, and one fatal mistake may be the spark that sets the world on fire.

So this book. I read the first two installments over a year ago and in between that time I also read the first two installments of The 5th Wave series. For some reason whenever I pick up a book from either series I think it's the other. So for the first 20 pages or so I was wondering where Ben was and why we were spending so much time focusing on some guy named Liam...then it all came back.

Because I wasn't as mentally prepared to start this book as I thought I was the first half was difficult to get into. I didn't like how the book just jumped right in and assumed I remembered everything I needed to know about the characters and their place in the world. Especially with as little action as there was. Don't get me wrong, I still love the characters and the story, but I could have used just a few pages of recap before we got started.

But once we did get started...wow did things move. It is because of this kind of development that I love this series and the author. No character is safe but at the same time we don't have to wait 300 pages for the characters to explain why they're angry. There's a problem and we think about it then we solve it. Done and on to the next. The only thing I really didn't like was the ending. It felt rushed and everyone just accepted that Ruby had to face her demons. I get that the main character is supposed to be all heroic and fight everyone herself I just thought the rest of the series was building toward a much more climactic ending.

I'm glad that everyone lived a happily ever after (well almost everyone) but that just seemed too nice a way to conclude a book this dark. Ironically In The Afterlight was the darkest book of the trilogy, so to have it end all sunshine and roses seemed out of character for the writing style and ideas the book wanted to portray. After so many characters had donated their lives to 'the cause',  the ending seemed to ignore all that and just let everyone else move on with their lives. It felt like a piece of the puzzle was missing so we made our own and it didn't fit exactly, but it was good enough.

All that being said, this installment of the series created a satisfying ending to the trilogy. Not much was left unsolved and the overall ending was promising, even if it wasn't what I was expecting. I can't wait to read more of Ms. Bracken's writing in the future!!

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

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.

I've been in the mood for a cute contemporary book lately and this seemed to fit the bill. Also it was the 'booksplosion book of the month' so I had incentive to finish it before watching the discussion at the end of August. As random as it was to have this book cross my path I'm glad it did.

Finding Audrey is a book that will appeal to anyone willing to give it a chance. Supposedly Audrey's only 14, but that is surprisingly not an issue. She speaks and acts at least 16/17; sometimes I hear her voice as my own and I'm 22! Her family is also surprisingly very likable. Going into this I thought the fact that the setting was in England would be an issue or that her younger brothers would be annoying but it turned out that made the story better and more realistic. I did have to Google a few things to understand the references but the majority of the story circles around Audrey's family home and the local Starbucks. Who can't relate to that?

I was disappointed that the bullying part of the story was left out. The characters kept referring back to 'the incident' but all I could gather was that a group of similar-aged girls made fun of Audrey. I would have liked to explore the part of the story where she snapped, but on the flip-side, most mental illnesses don't have an explanation. One day you're fine and the next...you're not.

But anyway this book was a cute, quick read (I think I finished it in 2 sittings) and I felt fulfilled after finishing it. There aren't any loose ends left hanging and this book genuinely made me smile. It's not a book that I will continue to revisit in the future so I can't give it the full 5 stars, but it is definitely worthy of 4.5 stars in my book.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all. 

This book first peaked my interest because it is a topic that came up in one of my favorite shows ever, Leverage. One of the episodes featured a character who had to play the violin for a con and the piece he played was Scheherazade. It was explained in the episode that there was an evil king who would take a new wife each night and kill her at dawn, but Scheherazade was the only one to be kept alive because her stories were so enthralling that the king couldn't take a cliffhanger ending - so he just couldn't kill her. I thought it was a cool idea and then dismissed it.

Enter this book: the exact same premise but with more backstory and adventure...it was like my dream come true! It's like when you make something up in your head, want to buy/invent it, and then finding out it actually exists!! (I love when someone else does all the work for me!) So of course I had to get my hands on a copy asap; thank god for library funding because there it was, sitting on the shelf, waiting for me to take it home for FREE! And this book totally held up to my insane fangirl standards. It was suspenseful, energetic and romantic - what more can you ask for?

I will say I had a difficult time keeping up with the names and customs used in a lot of scenes. I know nothing about middle eastern culture (I don't know where exactly this story takes place) so that was difficult for me to comprehend. After the first 50 pages or so I caught on, but those are also crucial pages because that's when a reader decides whether or not to continue reading the book. Had I not seen that episode of Leverage I might be writing a very different review. *Being the over-excited reader that I am, I completely missed the glossary at the back of the book explaining everything I didn't understand...sometimes I wonder how I make it through the day...

For those who are interested but not sure if they should read it:  if you liked Aladdin then I would give this a try. It's a similar backdrop and there is some magic involved. In my opinion the tones of both pieces are comparable, but they do veer off story-wise about halfway through the book so don't go expecting Abu to jump out and say hi.

The Riches (2007-2008)

A family of crooks assume the identity of an upper-middle-class suburban clan in the Deep South.

This show was cancelled too soon. It's no secret that I love a good story about con-artists ripping people off and this show fed right into that slight obsession.

The Riches are a well-to-do family who meet an unfortunate end by way of the Malloys, a family of travelers (nomadic con-artists). The timing couldn't be better because the Malloys just happen to need a place to stay and where better than a big, fancy mansion free of charge? They decide to stay just long enough to get their act together but of course they get 'discovered' before high-tailing it out of there. They decide to stay and live the cushy lifestyle most people can only dream of, but of course, nothing is as easy as it seems.

I'm not entirely sure what the genre of this show is - it checks off every box on my list: it's funny, dramatic, dark and exciting. The first few episodes consisted of a family used to living off the grid in an RV trying to assimilate into a white picket fence household. It was hilarious! Minnie Driver plays the very definition of southern housewife but with enough sass to carry the initial episodes. Once the season arc sets in the show carries itself easily though.

I don't have many complaints other than it feels like the second season was forced. Wikipedia says season 2 was around the time of the writers' strike and I feel like that played a large role in the less-than-stellar quality of the story arc. As a viewer watching most episodes back-to-back this is hardly noticeable, but I know I would have been confused and frustrated with only watching one episode a week. It took way too long to get each episode going and old problems were just shoved aside to be forgotten.

Which brings me to the biggest flaw in the show...the finale. Instead of wrapping up the show even more questions were left unanswered and then the screen faded to black. I literally shouted when it ended because I couldn't believe that's what actually happened. I guess the writers thought they were getting a season 3 because we STILL don't know:

1. What's up with Dale (where was he? why is he all beat up? is he still a threat?)
2. If Hugh wins the election
3. How Hugh and Gigi got back together, if they actually did or if it's just for show
4. What's up with Cal and that Irish guy
5. The explanation behind Dahlia and her parole officer (literally that came out of nowhere)
6. If the Malloys get the $13 million or was this all for nothing???

Although the finale wasn't the best way to end the show, the acting is great in every episode and the characters are one-of-a-kind. This show will hold a special place in my heart because it was witty and different from just about every other show I've watched. I recommend The Riches to anyone with an Amazon Prime account, it's free, only 20 episodes, and worth the watch.

The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton

For Mab Prowd, blood magic is as natural as breathing. She spends her days on a secluded Kansas farm with other blood witches, practicing spells for healing and trying to avoid boring lessons like algebra and history. Wild and confident, Mab uses magic to understand her entire world. But when one of Mab's spells mistakenly taps into a powerful, long-dormant curse, she finds her magic spinning out of control - and crashing right into Will Sanger, a boy from town. Will has always relied on the logical, tangible things in his life, like his dogs, his soccer team, and even his complicated family. So he tries to dismiss all he sees and feels around Mab. Still, the strangeness and beauty of her magic draw him in. 

As Will and Mab grow closer, the unbound curse grows stronger. Hiding in the shadows of the forest, it seeks to manipulate Will and gain Mab's power - even if that means destroying everything they love.

These are not the same characters as book 1!!! Clearly I didn't know this going into it because I spent the first 20 pages confused and annoyed. When I finally looked up the summary of book 1 (to be sure I wasn't completely crazy) I figured it out and that's when I put this book down...never to be picked up again.

It's no secret that I liked the first book, wasn't thrilled with it, but it was solid. I genuinely liked the characters and the story they had to share. So when the next installment totally threw all that to the curb and made me start fresh, that was enough for me to be like, 'ok I'm officially done with this'; another series* crossed off my list. 

*In my eyes a series is not a series if we don't get to check in with the same characters over and over again. It's just a cop out for authors who like the world they've been writing in.

So long story short, if you're into essentially starting a sequel without any information, direction or expectations then this book is for you. But if you're like me and this will only frustrate you, then take this as a heads up and move on to the next book on your TBR shelf.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive -- alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth.

This book was not for me. I've heard it described as Titanic in space...it's not. Titanic had action scenes and an epic love story. These Broken Stars had the crash scene shoved between a bunch of space-jargon and a semi-attraction between two teens from different worlds. It was cliche at best and the mystery was so underwhelming that I didn't really care to find out what the truth was.

I stopped reading this book around page 50 because reading is supposed to be exciting and engaging. Usually if a book is decent I can sit and read 50 pages in one sitting no problem. Every time I picked up this book and finished a couple of pages I found an excuse to go do something else. Summer is fleeting and I don't have the time to waste on books I really can't get involved in.

I don't recommend this book, period.

Tease by Amanda Maciel

Emma Putnam is dead, and it's all Sara Wharton's fault. At least, that's what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma's shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who's ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media. In the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment—and ultimately consider her own role in an undeniable tragedy. And she'll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over.

I had a hard time reviewing this book because my opinion on bullying is not a popular one: the victim has to stand up for themselves and learn to grow a thick skin. Most of these situations can get nipped in the butt right in the beginning before they escalate to personal attacks or unfortunately suicide. Should things get more severe, then sure, bring others into the mix, but just standing by and taking it is ridiculous - no one was killing themselves 30 years ago because someone called them a bad name; today's kids have to learn to pick themselves up, dust off and move on. *gets off soap box*

So supposedly this is based on true events, which isn't too far of a stretch because I have experienced almost every situation in this book personally (being a girl who has successfully made it through the public school system). I don't mean that I was bullied, but I was usually a witness to these types of things.

Emma is the new girl in town and Sara hates her because she was texting her boyfriend, Dylan...at least that's what I gathered from the first few chapters. Later on in the story things heat up between Emma nd Dylan so I can understand Sara's emotional distress. On top of that, Sara's best friend, Brielle, is no help because she's egging her on to do things Sara didn't really want to do in the first place (push Emma, repeatedly call her names, etc.)

In my opinion Brielle is the problem here. Emma should clearly explain what she's doing with Sara's man instead of just avoiding the situation, but Brielle is the one who always takes things to the next level.

I found myself sympathizing with Sara a lot of the time because no one really understood her. Her own boyfriend couldn't explain his relationship with Emma even after being asked about it point blank multiple times, her family has too many kids for Sara to be a priority and best friend Brielle was always one step ahead of her so she was constantly trying to keep up. Bullying Emma was the only way Sara was able to keep her life together and honestly it didn't even start off that bad. I don't know one girl who hasn't been called a slut or whore in her life; it's like girl-code for venting. If Emma couldn't take it, that's her problem. I'm not excusing what Sara did in any way, but I can see how she justifies it as being ok. Also, the court scene at the very end showed that Sara did regret her actions. She explains how she didn't realize that other people were not as good at handling pain as she expected. That doesn't make up for what she did, but I believe it shows she's truly sorry and has grown from this experience (unlike anyone else on trial).

I don't have very many things I specifically liked or disliked, besides the cover:  GORGEOUS! But I do think a lot of people should read this book because it puts a whole new spin on bullying. Tease shows how quickly things can escalate without the bully even realizing she's the bully until it's too late.

How to be Popular by Meg Cabot

Do you want to be popular? Everyone wants to be popular or at least, Stephanie Landry does. Steph's been the least popular girl in her class since a certain cherry Super Big Gulp catastrophe five years earlier. Does being popular matter? It matters very much to Steph. That's why this year, she has a plan to get in with the It Crowd in no time flat. She's got a secret weapon: an old book called what else? How to Be Popular. What does it take to be popular? All Steph has to do is follow the instructions in The Book, and soon she'll be partying with the It Crowd (including school quarterback Mark Finley) instead of sitting on The Hill Saturday nights, stargazing with her nerdy best pal Becca, and even nerdier Jason (now kind of hot, but still), whose passion for astronomy Steph once shared. Who needs red dwarves when you're invited to the hottest parties in town? But don't forget the most important thing about popularity! It's easy to become popular. What isn't so easy? Staying that way.

This book was a perfect summer read. I think I finished it in two days flat (between working and hitting the beach that's pretty good for me!). This isn't my first Meg Cabot read so I already had high expectations and this book met them. I'm not sure what it is about her writing, but it just connects with me; making her books super easy to read without getting bored or sidetracked.

All the characters are solid. Even the side characters are intriguing, so when it wasn't focused all on Steph I was still entertained. I liked the idea of a girl standing up for herself, especially after she was bullied for 5 years for essentially no reason. It is a bit of a stretch for me to believe that after 5 years someone is finally done taking everyone else's crap and ready to fight back just because she found a book on how to be popular, but I guess anything is possible.

The overall plot is not newsworthy. The 'twist' at the end is what you're expecting as the reader so it is satisfactory but predictable. Overall, I really liked this book. It was fun to read about instant messaging like it was a 'hot new thing' and the fashion described was such a throwback that I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into Steph's everyday life.

Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS**

Sixteen-year-old Delilah is finally united with Oliver—a prince literally taken from the pages of a fairy tale. There are, however, complications now that Oliver has been able to enter the real world. To exist in Delilah’s world, Oliver must take the place of a regular boy. Enter Edgar, who agrees to take Oliver’s role in Delilah’s favorite book. In this multi-layered universe, the line between what is on the page and what is possible is blurred, but all must be resolved for the characters to live happily ever after. Includes twelve full-color illustrations, and black-and-white decorations throughout.
 
Full of humor and witty commentary about life, OFF THE PAGE is a stand-alone novel as well as a companion to the authors’ bestseller Between the Lines, and is perfect for readers looking for a fairy tale ending. Fans of Sarah Dessen and Meg Cabot are sure to appreciate this novel about love, romance, and relationships.

First, Off the Page is NOT a stand-alone novel. As much as I am indifferent about the first book (Between the Lines) you need those chapters to help understand the characters in Off the Page. Like every other sequel out there this book recaps what happened before and how all the characters are related but those one-liners are not enough to keep up with the ever-changing POVs in this book. Second, I am a HUGE Meg Cabot fan and I don't hate this book but I don't really 'appreciate' it either. I strongly disagree with whoever wrote this summary blurb.

Moving on, Off the Page starts where we left our characters at the end of Between the Lines: there was a happy ending and apparently that wasn't good enough. About halfway through Off the Page I started to wonder why this book even exists. Oliver and Delilah couldn't just live happily ever after? Especially considering nothing happens in the first 200-ish pages of this book. Oliver has to assimilate to high school (cue cliche of instant popularity because he's different yet so interesting) and Edgar is struggling with his choice of being the fairy tale's new main character/action hero. All of this has been done before (in one way or another) so I don't understand why we wasted half the book before getting to the actual conflict: the book wants Oliver back...which is again, predictable.

On top of the one-note-ness that is this sequel, Delilah is still her annoying loner self, feeling super insecure about everything while Oliver is just hanging out, doing a horrible job of convincing his author (Edgar's mother) that he IS Edgar. But I guess she is a bit preoccupied because of her *spoiler alert* CANCER!! I swear this book is just creating problems to solve instead of having an original, organic storyline.

So after a whole lot more of plot-fluffing our characters finally all get what they wanted...except Jules. Literally everyone gets a happy ending except the girl who is the loyal best friend and helps out whenever she can - no questions asked - yep, she gets screwed in the end. And the best part is, they all just accept that. Delilah understands more than anyone what fresh level of hell Jules is experiencing but does NOTHING ABOUT IT. SHE IS A HORRIBLE FRIEND! And as far as I know there isn't another spin off where Jules and Edgar can finally be together, so that's it. Apparently the only characters that matter are Delilah and Oliver. If those two could have been more accepting of the hand they were each dealt in life then everyone could have been spared additional and unnecessary suffering.

Also, the amount of plot holes is astounding! When the book ends, it seems like Edgar can be happy because his mom is totally healthy and they can live together forever. Literally forever - the book will NOT let them die. This seems ridiculous to me because obviously no one wants their mom to die of cancer, but life happens. Had there been no book-switch, Edgar would have had Jules to console him and help him move on with his life and they could have lived happily ever after...but nope! Edgar decides to live with his mom in a world he repeatedly said he didn't like when he was stuck in there the first time and this is just suddenly ok??

It also seems strange to me that the one real-life couple doesn't get to end up together...Jules and Edgar are both real people in the real world, but they have to spend the rest of their lives connecting through a fairy tale.

The blatantly obvious holes in this story frustrate me so for the sake of sanity I will stop pointing out all the flaws and just say one last thing: clearly I was never into fairy tales, but if they peak your interest then this is the book for you - it was NOT the book for me.

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

This book peaked my interest after the companion book (Off the Page) was recently released. I had never heard of either but once the new installment starting popping up on shelves everywhere I had to know what I was missing.

Between the Lines, in my opinion, is a parody of a book. It actually makes fun of  readers keeping their heads poked in between the pages (which then made me feel self-conscious) but in an endearing way. I will say I hated the colored text. It was helpful in reminding me who was narrating but other than that it made my eyes hurt (who picks lime green and lilac as text colors?!!?) And the little pictures on the side were cheesy. I can imagine a girl blowing a kiss by myself thank you. It distracted me from actually reading and that was just annoying.

The book as a whole was cute. Even if the whole idea of pulling things out of the pages was a little abstract it was still different from what I'm used to reading. That being said I don't think I would re-read this again...ever. It was too heavily based on the fairy tale that we don't get to read! I almost wish the whole fairy tale was a prequel or excerpt at the end of the actual book. There would be a chapter of fairy tale, one of Oliver (where he explains all about what's going to happen in the fairy tale), and one of Delilah (where she foreshadows what's going to happen in the fairy tale). Why should I bother reading the chunks of fake book when you've already told me what was going to happen and I don't get to read the whole thing anyway?

Other than that, no major complaints...except I can never seem to read more than 30 pages at a time without putting the book down and doing something else. I don't know what it is but it just won't hold my attention. And it doesn't help that Delilah seems to act a lot younger than she supposedly is: a high school freshman. I don't know how old Samantha van Leer was when she helped co-write this book but if it was 12 that would explain so much.

I can comfortably give this book 3 stars; it wasn't great but it wasn't terrible either. This book is written for 13-year-old girls, so if that's you then, GREAT!, give this book a try. If not, then maybe pass on this one.

The Princess Bride (1987)

While home sick in bed, a young boy's grandfather reads him a story called The Princess Bride.

So I totally missed the boat on this one, apparently everyone and their cat has already seen this movie. To be honest I've maybe heard of this movie once or twice and literally just the title. Before actually watching this movie I didn't even know it was about a grandfather reading to his grandson (I just assumed it was some sort of pre-inspiration for Shakespeare in Love - I have yet to sit through a whole showing of that too).

But ultimately this movie was totally worth watching. The grandpa/grandson interactions were adorable *cute little boy telling grandpa that he was too manly to listen to a fairytale about a princess* and the characters were lovable; my favorite being Inigo Montoya (partially because I first loved him in Criminal Minds so watching him play some revenge-driven Spaniard was everything I could have ever wanted).

This movie encompassed for me what a classic 80's movie should have: fuzzy pictures, an easy-to-follow plot and memorable characters. There isn't a lot of extra stuff thrown into this movie and I appreciate that. Nowadays if there isn't some surprise twist at the end of the movie audiences and critics just dismiss it altogether.

I can't recall too many details about the plot, I did get a little bored in the middle (and I was watching it on tv WITH commercials *ick*), but when the credits rolled I felt satisfied (and a little disappointed that I wouldn't hear any more from Inigo).

So to that handful of people who have yet to see this movie I definitely recommend it. Rent it from the library and watch it on a rainy day when you need a pick-me-up, it's totally worth it.

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, and drugs with excruciating side effects, Tessa compiles a list. It's her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is Sex. Released from the constraints of "normal" life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa's feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, and her new boyfriend, are all painfully crystallized in the precious weeks before Tessa's time runs out.

I didn't know I could feel so many emotions while reading a single book. Tessa is funny, annoying, sarcastic and heartbreaking. This is what I imagine living with a terminal illness is like, though I've been fortunate enough to not have had that experience. This book is real, it doesn't sugarcoat the medical process - all the doctor visits, drug therapies and tests but it also doesn't race things along either. Half way through the author could have chosen for Tessa to find what she was looking for and move on but about half this book is dedicated to a 15-year-old girl just trying to find where she fits in the world before she has to leave it.

I did only give this book 3 stars because Tessa finding herself wasn't always interesting. Following everyone around while being moody and sarcastic wasn't appealing to me as a reader but I did appreciate it later on when her condition finally started to progress.

Also, the parts I thought would be a big deal (like the sex mentioned in the excerpt) were just brushed aside. That part was over in the first 15 pages or so. The stuff that was a big deal was honestly really boring to read: her best friend was moody and distant, the boy next door was ignoring her and her parents fought all the time. The real-ness of this book just smacks you in the face and lets the burn set in for a while and I don't think I was ready for that.

But lastly, this book has integrity and if you're into that and can give up the fairy tale ending then I recommend reading it.

Legend by Marie Lu

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. 

Now I finally know what all the hype is about; Legend is a just an all around good book. June and Day are solid characters and they actually have different voices, which is refreshing to read. Most authors, when writing from two points of view, usually mush up both characters and I end up forgetting who's who because they SOUND THE SAME (which is understandable considering it's only one person writing and all) but that doesn't mean it's not frustrating! *Rant over, back to the book...

Usually I'm not a huge fan of dystopians in general - the future always seems bleak and we have all the youth fighting for their lives against the big bad government. The plot always seems to end up in the same place no matter how you get there. Since I haven't read the rest of the series I can't say that won't happen but at least book 1 was different. I really liked the fact that Day was a rebel and June was a government golden child. Of course they fall in love and whatnot, it is YA, but there was no shortage of action along the way. I found myself wanting to know more about June's family history and Day's backstory as well. Even though this book generally follows all the conventional rules of a YA dystopian it was still interesting - which I think is the main reason I liked it so much. Within all the usual hullabaloo I was intrigued, and that is the mark of a good author.

I did read this a couple months ago so I forgot most of the specifics but I do remember distinctly disliking the fact that, like many books I seem to pick up these days, the two POVs are in different colors. I like the fact that I can easily remember who's narrating but it still hurts my eyes and is a pain to read. I don't understand the gold-theme so much either so I might be missing out on the bigger picture, but personally I believe the book would still be worth reading if all the text was black.

But other than that, no real complaints. I was satisfied from beginning to end and I didn't even really want to read this book to begin with. It just happened to be on my desk at the right time :)

4 stars

Bloodlines Series by Richelle Mead

Sydney's blood is special. That's because she's an alchemist - one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiences in question, her future is on the line.

When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside - and within - the school grounds. Now that they're in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

I should start with this:  Vampire Academy is currently my favorite series of books I've EVER read and that's why it took me so long to actually read the Bloodlines series.  Nothing against the author (obviously I love her work) but it came out too soon after VA ended and I was still mourning the fact that the series finally came to a close. But I guess 5+ years is enough time to wait and I'm actually glad I ended up re-immersing myself in the world of Moroi and Alchemists.

It also took me a while to pick these books up because Sydney never struck me as a character who could lead an entire series, but she has a lot of help from the side characters to distract from her initial dullness...which turned out to be the first half of book 1. I didn't agree with her views on life/vampires/magic so it was difficult for me to read most of the time. It was hard to even sympathize with her point of view because we don't know that much about Alchemist culture and how they work. Maybe if that was explained better I would have at least tolerated the early chapters and had a more enjoyable reading experience. Once the action got going and she became a real person however, the book picked up the pace and held that pace for the next 2 books.

Once I hit book 4 though, that was when I ran into a speed bump:  double POV. Once you see the story from 2 angles that raises some red flags (a death, a lull or a fight). And on top of that it usually means that we get the plot twice which takes double the time to read and you get half as far along *cue reader frustration*

Did I mention this continues through the rest of the series as well?

But after the snooze-fest that was book 4 (The Fiery Heart, aptly named because all we did was delve into the steamy love lives of Sydney and Adrian) the action/adventure picks right back up again because yet another problem arises for our teenage heroes! Who saw that coming??...yeah we all did. And on that note, why does no one of real caliber come to help them? They keep sending kid guardians and baby Alchemists instead of someone who has been in the field for years. I understand the high school cover for immediate protection but what about an aunt or uncle who happens to live nearby? When Dimitri and Sonya were around things just seemed to get resolved so much faster.

The action continues through the end of book 5 and once again there's a small lull in the story. As a reader who is completing the series one after the other I don't need a refresher of what just happened. I literally read it the day before so the first few chapters of each installment are always lack luster for me personally. 

Then finally the series wraps up with book 6. And the one thing that really annoyed me was that the plot was so forced. We were constantly being told what was happening instead of it ACTUALLY happening. There was a lot of 'we have to find Jill, she's the priority' and then we would mope about Adrian missing Sydney for a while. Then again, 'we should really find a lead on where Jill's at, it's super important' but we get side-tracked looking for Nina's sister. [insert subplot here about strange pregnancy and how it could change the world as we know it] - 'oh wait!! we found a lead on Jill! let's go everybody' - [completely ignore life-altering subplot for the rest of the book].

And it went on and on like that through the whole book. I guess Richelle realized halfway through writing the last installment that it was in fact the last time these characters would be interacting. I appreciate that she tried to bring everything together in the end and put a nice big bow on it, but there were so many side plots that I kept getting lost in everything except the main story line. Every time someone would bring up Jill I was like, 'oh yeah...I forgot she was missing' which was probably not the intention of the author.

Lastly I just want to add that for all its faults, this series was still pretty darn good. It kept me entertained and looking forward to reading the next chapter (except book 4...that one you should really skip). Sydney and Adrian are a cute couple so I'm glad things ended the way they did, albeit not creatively but it was still cute!

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers. To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change. Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the center of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

First I need to get this out there:  Mare Barrow = Bone Marrow. I'm not sure whether or not that was intentional but that's how I read this girl's name from day 1, especially because the focus of the entire book was blood color.

But other than the awkward naming situation I really enjoyed this book. It sounds cliche in the summary but there were some twists in there that I didn't see coming and wow was I impressed! Mare is a girl of action so there's a lot going on from the beginning. The only thing I didn't like was the forced love triangle between her and the brothers. It didn't feel natural but it ended up playing a large role in the end so I couldn't just skip it like I normally do in other books.

The world building was really descriptive so I never felt lost or confused as to where we were; when is another story but that's not as important to me so I got over that pretty easily.

I really don't want to give too much away about the plot. As with most 'royal' books there's a lot of time spent in the castle and there's only so much a girl can do in there so a few chapters were redundant.

Other than that I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read the next installment. February 2016 cannot come soon enough!!

Stitchers (2015-present)

A young woman is recruited into a secret government agency to be "stitched" into the minds of the recently deceased, using their memories to investigate murders.

So I watched the preview for this show about a hundred times and still had no idea what this show was about. Even the blurb is vague. After watching the pilot here's what I've gathered:

-Kirsten is a PhD student
-Kirsten has temporal dysplasia
-Kirsten doesn't get along with her roommate
-Kirsten has temporal dysplasia
-The government hires college students to do underground research based on the memories of murder victims
-Kirsten has temporal dysplasia
-Only someone with temporal dysplasia can be successfully 'stitched' into the memories of a dead person... because temporal dysplasia

So in short, WTF?!? The episode wasn't bad action-wise and all the actors seemed to be really into it but I still have no idea what's really going on. And for God's sake, what is temporal dysplasia!?!?!?

After some extensive Googling this is what I've found:  temporal dysplasia is NOT real but it is a condition where a person cannot judge the passage of time, so minutes feel as long as hours which feel as long as days and years, etc. And because of this Kirsten doesn't have any emotions...which I don't understand. Sure maybe she doesn't feel sunshine and lollipops all the time but still NO emotions?? I feel like that has more to do with her upbringing than anything else. The pilot alludes to-or may bring up point blank (I was too focused on temporal dysplasia)-dead parents, or at least a dead father which can mess any girl up emotionally.

Overall, I'll probably give this show a few episodes to get on its feet before totally ditching it for good. The jury's still out on this one.

UPDATE:  I'm officially done with this show. The plot didn't thicken, even after 4 episodes. The secrets that were exposed were not at all earth shattering like they were set up to be. *spoiler* the roommate was a part of the agency all along!!

And Kirsten definitely has emotions now but no one will acknowledge them. She clearly felt sad when one of the victims was murdered and happy when the guy from the agency's lab wanted to hang out with her. I understand it's hard for the actress to be completely indifferent but they could have re-shot a few scenes where it was clear she was emotional.

On top of everything I can't even remember any of the character names besides Kirsten. So that makes everything confusing and uninteresting. Try harder ABC Family, I expected more than this.