Book Review: Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines

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Until Friday Night CoverBook: Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines

Published August 2015 by Simon Pulse|336 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: The Field Party #1

Genre: YA Contemporary

Blog Graphic-What It's About

To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.

Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.

As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.

West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I picked this one up on a whim one day, and I’m glad I did, because I end up really liking it!  And even though I really liked it, there are definitely some issues I have with the book.

Like, I felt like I needed more of Maggie’s backstory.  She mentions mentions staying before moving to Alabama, but we’re never told what their relationship to her was, or why she was staying with them.  Even though we’re told the basics of why she moved to Alabama and why she doesn’t talk, I still felt like something was missing from her story.

Honestly, though, what is with the trope of not talking after witnessing/going through through something very traumatic?  People deal with stuff in a lot of different ways, and clearly, this was her way of dealing with it, but it really bugged me for some reason.  It also sort of bugged me that she only talked to one person, but at the same time, I think they needed each other.  Maggie needed to talk to someone, and West needed to talk to someone who would just listen.

And West dealing with a sick parent, and no one picking up on anything?  I don’t blame him, and yet…how did his closest friends not pick up on something being wrong?  Still, I liked that Maggie saw something that no one else did, and I think having each other helped them get through everything that had happened and was happening in their lives.  She seemed to get him in a way no one else did.

I’ve only read one other Abbi Glines book, and that was a few years ago, so I was surprised by how much it leaned towards YA.  It’s not a bad thing, but I assumed it would be more towards the NA side of things, even though the characters are in high school.  And just based off of the title and cover, I expected football and Friday nights to be more of a thing, and it really wasn’t a big thing like I thought it would be.

I really liked Maggie and West as friends, and part of me wishes they had remained friends, because I felt like there wasn’t a lot of chemistry between them.  I didn’t feel the romance, even though I really wanted to.

Still, it’s a really cute story, and I couldn’t help but want everything to be okay for both of them.

Blog Graphic- My Rating

4 stars.  I really liked it, and even though I didn’t feel the romance between Maggie and West, I really liked how supportive they were of each other.

Book Review: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

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Glass Sword CoverBook: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Published February 2016 by HarperTeen|444  pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from library

Series: Red Queen #2

Genre: YA Fantasy

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

After reading The Red Queen earlier this year, I knew I had to read The Glass Sword, so when I saw it at the library, I knew I had to check it out!

I really liked it, and I feel like the more we learn, the more questions I have about what’s going on.  The ending to this book had me wondering what would happen next, and it makes me glad that I read the first two fairly close together. There’s going to be waiting for the next book, of course, but at the same time, that means plenty of time to read both Red Queen and Glass Sword again.

There is a lot going on, and we see quite a few new characters.  There were definitely times where I had trouble keeping up with who was who, and who had what ability, and what was going on, and so I found myself re-reading parts of it because I kept missing stuff.  It’s not Aveyard at all, it’s just me not paying a lot of attention. Maybe another read will help things sink in.

There’s a lot of action, and there weren’t any lulls, which kept me reading, because I wanted to know what would happen next.  I’d be really curious to see what this series would be like if it were adapted into a movie (or even a t.v. show) because there are definitely parts of it that seem made for being on screen.

I really wish Cal and Mare had more chemistry.  It’s nice to see a fantasy that’s light on romance- actually, it seems pretty rare- but at the same time, it seems like there might be something between them, and yet them together…something seemed off.  I did like Mare, who really is different than the Mare we see in the first book. She’s selfish and makes mistakes, and yet…she really has been through a lot, and became someone who wanted to protect the newbloods as much as she could.  We really see what this is doing to her, and how much it’s changing her…into a much different person, who seems less naive and a little bit more cruel.

And doing what she did at the end of the book…it’s definitely a cliff-hanger for sure, and it makes me wonder what’s in store for the books to come.  It’s sort of surprising, since this series is 4 books, and the way it ended is what you’d expect for the end of a 2nd book of a trilogy.

I didn’t mind it all that much, though, because it has me hooked.  And again, it really raises the stakes and makes you wonder what’s in store for the next 2 books.

Now that I think about it, something about Mare reminds me of Tris from the Divergent trilogy.  Going through the things that both Tris and Mare go through, it changes them.  It’s been a while since I’ve read Divergent, and I don’t really know why I was suddenly reminded of Tris, but they both had to make some tough decisions.  I don’t really know where I’m going with this, so I’ll leave it at that.

Blog Graphic- My Rating

4 stars.  There are definitely some twists and turns, and there’s quite the cliffhanger at the end!  I can’t wait to see what happens next!

ARC Book Review: False Illusions by A. Cramton

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False Illusions CoverBook: False Illusions by A. Cramton

Self-Published in April 2015|222 pages

Where I Got It: I received an e-ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Series: False Illusions #1

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Blog Graphic-What It's About

Madison had it all: the wealth, the amazing condo and engaged to the boxing Heavy Weight Champion of the World.
But in reality all she had was loneliness.
Until he showed up.

Yoel’s plan was bulletproof.
Get in and get out, win the title.
He did his homework but not well enough.
He wasn’t prepared for her.

One night changes everything.
One lie blurs the lines.

When the lust and smoke clears will everything just be a false illusion?
Or will it be the biggest fight of all?

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I absolutely loved this book!  I made the awesome mistake of starting it during my lunch break, and I was not happy when lunch was over because it meant I had to stop reading and go back to work!

I just loved the characters, and more than that, I loved Yoel and Madison together.  I love the chemistry they had, and when I was finished, I was really sad that I was finished, because I wanted to live in their world more.  I understood why Madison stayed with Marcus, but I was so glad when she broke things off with him and went to New York to do her own thing.  And her going to New York was even better once Yoel was involved!  I just love them together, and how they gave each other space, but also seemed to support each other.  They definitely had their ups and downs, but I loved that they worked it out.

Oh, Marcus!  I wasn’t a big fan of Marcus, but I also want to know what his deal is!  And Madison’s mom…even when she was being nice, I had a hard time liking her.  I definitely got the impression Madison’s happiness wasn’t important to her at all, but I’m glad Madison did what was right for her!  And that she and Yoel had such awesome friends (and that Yoel had a pretty cool family, from what I could tell).

Blog Graphic- My Rating

5 stars.  False Illusions really made me wish I read more contemporary romance.  I think I might have to after reading it!  The characters were amazing, and False Illusions was such a hard book to put down.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Teens I’d Love To Revisit As Adults

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers share their own bookish top ten lists based on the topic of the week.  You can check out Ten Tuesdays here.

Blog Graphic- Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Teens I’d Love To Revisit As Adults

A lot of times, when I finish a book, I want to know what happens to the characters!  Here are some characters I’d love to see as adults, plus one I’d love to see as a teen!

  1. Pretty much every Harry Potter character!  I’d love to them as adults (like an actual story, and not the random bits and pieces we get from Pottermore and stuff), and I’d even love to see the adults as teens!  At least we’re getting to read the script for HP & The Cursed Child this summer!
  2. I’d love see more of Valek from the Study/Soulfinders series as a kid.  The flashbacks we’ve been getting aren’t enough!
  3. Samantha from Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone.  I just want to know how she’s doing!
  4. Gabi from Gabi, A Girl In Pieces by Isabel Quintero.  Gabi is such a unique character, and has such an interesting voice that I really want to see what she’d be up to, like, 10 years from now to see how her life is going.
  5. Sami and Fatimah from The Secret Sky by Atia Abawi.  I just want to know if they’re still together.  That’s all I want to know.
  6. Madeline from Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon.  I really felt for Maddie, particularly at the end of the book, and I sort of wonder how her relationship with her mom is now, and how she’s doing physically and mentally after the end of the book.
  7. Kristin from None Of The Above by I.W. Gregorio.  I just want to check in with Kristin and see how she’s doing.
  8. Quinn from All-American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brandon Kiely.  I just want to know if the events of the book have really stuck with Quinn, and how much it changed his life.
  9. Carly from Joyride by Anna Banks.  I just want to know what happened with her parents, and if she and her brother ever got reunited with their parents.
  10. Sierra from Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older.  After everything that happens in the book…and with how great of a character Sierra is, I’d love a novella or something showing what’s going on in her adult life.

Currently Obsessed With: April 2016

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Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month (but sometimes more) feature where I talk about about my favorite things from the last month!

Currently Obsessed With

It’s May!  I can’t believe it’s May already!  I found a dress for my cousin’s wedding this month- I’m glad I found one, because I kept putting it off, and if I hadn’t found one…I think I would have been scrambling!  And I’ve been feeling a little sick for the last week or so, but I think I’m mostly over it, so that’s good.  Other then dress-shopping and and feeling a little sick, April was pretty boring, but at least this month will be really fun!  Plus, my birthday’s this month too, so that makes it even better!

Crochet:

I’ve been crocheting a lot this month!  I’ve made slippers (that ended up being a little too big, but whatever), a soap saver, and I’ve finished a couple of blankets.  I’m still working on one for me (using this pattern, it seems to be my go-to pattern for blankets), and I’ll be adding yellow next, then blue, and after that, I’m not sure.

Crochet- April 2016 Collage

I really like the idea of granny square blankets.  For one thing, it’s really easy, and after about 3 or so rows, I don’t have to think about it, because it’s so repetitive- in a good way, though.  Two, it’s easy to make it as big or as small as you need it to be.  I’ve used the same pattern for 3 finished blankets, and one currently in progress, and it’s easy to customize the size to what you want/need it to be.  And three, you don’t need to worry about the sides getting all crooked, or stitch count or anything.  Which is partly why it’s such an easy pattern.

I really wish I thought to get a picture of the soap saver before I starting using it.  This pattern is pretty awesome, but I don’t know that it’s best if you’re using the last little bits of the soap bar. They keep coming out, so if I make another one, I might try going down a hook size or two to see how that works.

I have a few projects in mind, so I might start on one of those.  Especially since it’s going to start getting a lot warmer, and working on a blanket won’t be very practical.  It’s big enough to cover me up when I’m working on it, and it’s pretty warm, so I might have to set aside once it gets too warm to work on it.

Books:

Not a lot of book buying happened last month.  I got Naughts & Crosses from Audible, and I have a bunch of e-books on hold for the library- I’m hoping I get at least some of them in time for my trip up to Oregon, but even if I don’t, I still have plenty of reading material!

T.V./Movies:

I finished re-watching Grey’s Anatomy, and I’ve since picked up my re-watch of NCIS!  That’s really it, other than my random assortment of shows I watch.  Plus the stuff on my Netflix queue that I’ve been putting off in favor of re-watching Grey’s and NCIS.

As for movies, I’m excited about seeing Captain America!  Really, really excited!  I never did make it to see Allegiant, but I know there’s another one coming out next year, so I’ll just have to catch up before then.

Around The Internet:

This post about criticizing characters with mental illness very accurately describes my struggle with reviewing diverse characters in general.  It’s very interesting to think about!

I love, love, love this post at The Perpetual Page Turner about reading Harry Potter at the age of 30.  All experiences with Harry Potter are magical!

And reading as a blogger vs reading as a reader…this post is worth checking out!  How I read now is very, very different, but I think it’s still possible to read as a reader/for pleasure instead of reading critically.

I’ve been on an enchilada kick lately, and these chicken and spinach enchiladas look really, really good!  Having I don’t know how many things of chicken in the freezer because of 50% off sales on chicken at the grocery store almost every single time I go means I need a lot of chicken recipes. Good thing I have some shredded chicken in the freezer!

I don’t usually make pancakes, and when I do, I definitely reach for the box of Bisquick, but these Funfetti pancakes look really good.

I do tend to eat oatmeal for breakfast during the week, and this DIY oatmeal packet seems like a far easier and cheaper option than buying the pre-made packets!

Music:

I haven’t been listening to much music, but there are a few songs I’ve been listening to a lot!  I’m feeling lazy, so no spotify this time, but maybe next month, I’ll have more new music!

  • Piece by Piece by Kelly Clarkson.  For some reason, this song makes me cry.  A lot.  But I love it anyway!
  • Also: 7 Years by Lukas Graham.  A couple lines make no sense (and one sort of bothers me), but overall, I really like this song!
  • And New Romantics by Taylor Swift.  I’ve been listening to it a lot lately.

Have an awesome week!

Book Review: Night Study by Maria V. Snyder

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Night Study CoverBook: Night Study by Maria V. Snyder, Narrated by Gabra Zackman

Published January 2016 by Harlequin|Length: 11 hours, 33 minutes

Where I Got It: I got the audio book from audible.com

Series: Soulfinders #2

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Blog Graphic-What It's About

Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana’s has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear.

Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he’s quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he’s been keeping secrets from Valek…secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander’s mysterious plans, they realize it’s far more sinister that they could have ever imagined.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I really liked Shadow Study.  Even though I really like this series so far, I’m finding that I don’t like it as much as her Study series (which I want to re-read now, because it’s been a while, but that’s besides the point).

There’s a lot going on, and a lot of things are happening that I never expected.  Like, we get to spend a lot of time with Valek, and we learn so much about him…I’m not sure why I was surprised by one particular revelation, but yet, I didn’t expect it or how it came about.  Part of me wondered if maybe it has to do with the loss of Yelena’s magic, and why she lost it.  I still want to know more about what’s going on with her magic, since it’s definitely different…and it may or may not have to do with some stuff going on.  Yelena without magic is just weird, but you also get to see her adapt to life without it, and how much she really relied on it.  And you don’t realize how much her magic is needed until we need her to use it.

I can’t wait to see how the new characters fit in and how they change things, because I’m sure that will happen.  The changing things, I mean, not the fitting in thing, though I’m sure we’ll see that in the next book.

Speaking of the next book, I need to know what happens!  Will Sitia and Ixia go to war, or can they stop it? There are so many things that I never saw coming, and I’m really curious as to how it will all work out.  If you look up one more chapter in the dictionary, I swear you will see this book next to it, because every chapter ended on a cliffhanger, but it wasn’t annoying because I wanted to keep going.

And everything with Fisk and the Helper’s Guild…I liked getting more with them, and now I want more with them. Maybe, one day, there will be a book focused on Fisk, because he really is an interesting character.

Reviewing this book while not giving anything away is a lot harder then I thought!  Just believe me when I say that there’s a lot at stake, and I’m mostly looking forward to (but also dreading a little) the last book.

And since I listened to the audio book, we can’t forget about Gabra Zackman as the narrator.  She’s done such a great job narrating this series (and the Study series as well), and I can’t picture anyone else narrating these books.  Which reminds me, I really should take a look at what else she’s narrated…

Blog Graphic- My Rating

4 stars.  I really liked Night Study!  I don’t know how Snyder is going to tie everything together, but Night Study has me wanting to know what’s going to happen next!

Book Review: Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

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Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda CoverBook: Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Published April 2015 by Balzar + Bray|303 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

Blog Graphic-What It's About

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I liked Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda!  It was cute, fun, funny, and there was a lot of heart to this book.

I really liked Simon, and I liked watching him and Blue fall in love even more.  I loved seeing their emails back and forth, and when they met in person…I was so happy that they finally got to meet each other.  Their romance is definitely cute, and it’s a good cute.  I really do think it’s because they’re emailing each other, and you get to see it unfold.

It just made me happy to see Simon surrounded by people who support him.  I really liked his relationships with his friends and his family, and yes, there are people who aren’t so supportive, and seem to be generally stupid, it was also nice to see that people have his back, and won’t put up with homophobia.  It’s (overall) a happy book, and I liked reading something so happy.

I will say, Martin…not a good guy.  Especially with how he blackmailed Simon.  And that other thing he did?  Not cool.  Not cool at all.  You don’t do what he did…it really wasn’t for him to tell, just because he didn’t get the girl. He really did take something away from Simon.  I get why Martin did what he did, and he did seem to feel bad about it, in the end, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it one bit.

And while I’m not a big quote person, I loved this quote a lot.

“Why is straight the default? Everyone should have to declare one way or another, and it shouldn’t be this big awkward thing whether you’re straight, gay, bi, or whatever. I’m just saying.”

And also this one:

“White shouldn’t be the default any more than straight should be the default. There shouldn’t even be a default.”

It really got me thinking (for a few minutes) about how there are defaults, especially with sexuality, and how there’s a certain default until proven otherwise.  Those two quotes are part of why I like Simon so much.  And he references Harry Potter a lot, which was also pretty awesome.  It’s just cute and funny, and that’s really all I have to say.

Actually, I really like the title.  It makes a lot more sense after reading the book, and when it clicked, I actually liked the title a lot more.  I’m not a big fan of the cover, but it fits with the book pretty well, and honestly, I’m not sure what would make a better cover.

Blog Graphic- My Rating

4 stars.  I didn’t like the whole thing with Martin (hence 4 stars, instead of 5), but overall, Simon is a great book for everyone who likes cute, sweet, light books.

Book Review: Rogue by Julie Kagawa

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Rogue CoverBook: Rogue by Julie Kagawa

Published April 2015 by Harlequin Teen|457 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Talon #2

Genre: YA Paranormal/Dragons

Blog Graphic-What It's About

From the limitless imagination of bestselling author Julie Kagawa comes the next fantastic adventure in the Talon Saga.

Deserter. Traitor. Rogue.

Ember Hill left the dragon organization Talon to take her chances with rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues. But Ember can’t forget the sacrifice made for her by the human boy who could have killed her—Garret Xavier Sebastian, a soldier of the dragonslaying Order of St. George, the boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, knowing that by doing so, he’d signed his own death warrant.

Determined to save Garret from execution, Ember must convince Cobalt to help her break into the Order’s headquarters. With assassins after them and Ember’s own brother helping Talon with the hunt, the rogues find an unexpected ally in Garret and a new perspective on the underground battle between Talon and St. George.

A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day…or start an all-out war?

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I randomly picked up Talon when I was at the library, being really about what happened in this book.  I thought the first book in the series, Talon, was okay, and definitely my least favorite Julie Kagawa book, but she’s one of my favorite authors, and I knew I wanted to read this one.  Surprisingly, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would, and it makes me want to re-read the first book to see if maybe I just read it at the wrong time.

We pick up a while after where we left off in Talon, and there’s a lot going on in this book!  Like, we learn more about Cobalt, and why he left Talon, which I really liked, because I felt like he was really mysterious, and his chapters reveal a lot more about him than I expected.  I also liked his chapters (and Dante’s to an extent) because they show the lengths Talon will go to in order to eliminate those who aren’t with the program.

And everything with Ember’s brother hunting her down!  It’s not that surprising, and I totally get why Talon would want to test his loyalty.  Ember is important to him, but he’s in too deep with Talon, and I don’t think anything will change that.  Even though I want him to change his mind so badly!

I think what I liked the most was how Garret realized that not all dragons were bad, and that St. George really wasn’t everything it was cracked up to be.  And while it was never outright said, somehow I got the impression that there’s something either Talon and/or St. George is hiding.  Maybe it’s because we see Garret change, and I want someone to be hiding something, but I feel like there’s more going on than what we see in the book. There’s something about this book that’s very big picture.

Maybe it’s because we see different narrators- it worked really well in this book, and you see how big this world really is.  That might be why it seems like there’s something else going on with St. George and Talon.  You really do see a little bit of everything in this book!

We also have a love triangle, and I quite like this one!  Yes, Garret and Cobalt represent two different sides of Ember, and she is torn between balancing human and dragon, but you see how torn she is and how hard of a choice it is for her. It’s not clear who she would pick and in a weird way, I’m rooting for both.  It’s not the main focus of the book, since there’s so much going on, but it’s still a pretty important part of the book.

Blog Graphic- My Rating

4 stars.  I didn’t love it, but it was everything I wanted Talon to be.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Bookworm Delights

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers share their own bookish top ten lists based on the topic of the week.  You can check out Ten Tuesdays here.

Blog Graphic- Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Bookworm Delights

There are so many bookish things that make me happy, and here are ten things that make me happy!

  1. Walking into a bookstore.  This is one of my favorite things in the entire world, and it makes me really happy!
  2. Reading in bed with some coffee and snacks and Netflix in the background.  Especially if it’s raining, which isn’t often, and even more if it’s raining and I’m home.  For some reason, rain almost always seems to happen when I’m at work, and it just makes me want to go home and crawl into bed and read.
  3. When I find a new favorite book.  I’m sure this will be really popular, but I just love it when I read a book that’s my new favorite.
  4. All of the book-related stuff on Etsy.  There are way too many things for me to actually mention here, but I want all of the cool bookish things on Etsy.
  5. When I actually read a book that’s been on my TBR for the longest time.  It feels like such an accomplishment when I read something that I’ve wanted to read for a long time.
  6. Finding out when a favorite author has a new book coming out.  It makes me really excited to find out when I get to read a new book by one of my favorite authors.
  7. When the bookish community does something awesome, like donating books to students in a particular area because it was banned from a school or when people donated money to keep the library in Ferguson open.  I love hearing stories like that!
  8. Movie adaptations!  I love seeing how books end up on the big screen.
  9. When the cover or title of a book is mentioned in the book!  It’s just fun when it comes up in the book.
  10. When authors include playlists at the end of their books.  I just love seeing what music they listened to while writing the book.

Book Review: Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

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Life After Theft CoverBook: Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

Published April 2013 by HarperCollins|226 pages

Where I Got It: I own the e-book

Series: Life After Theft #1

Genre: YA Paranormal/Ghosts

Blog Graphic-What It's AboutAprilynne Pike, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Wings series, shines in this stand-alone novel that offers a humorous twist on ghosts and is perfect for fans of Ally Carter, Rachel Hawkins, and Kiersten White.

Kimberlee Schaffer may be drop-dead gorgeous…but she also dropped dead last year. Now she needs Jeff’s help with her unfinished business, and she’s not taking no for an answer. When she was alive, Kimberlee wasn’t just a mean girl; she was also a complete kleptomaniac. So if Jeff wants to avoid being haunted until graduation, he’ll have to help her return all of the stolen items. But Jeff soon discovers that it’s much easier to steal something than it is to bring it back.

Paying for your mistakes takes on a whole new meaning in this hauntingly clever twist on The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I’ve been a huge fan of Aprilynne Pike ever since I read her Wings series, and I knew it was finally time to pick up Life After Theft!

I liked it, and Kimberlee is definitely sarcastic, which I thought added some really interesting but funny moments between her and Jeff.  I really liked Jeff, and Kimberlee was pretty unlikeable, especially in contrast to Sera. Especially once we start learning more about Kimberlee when she was alive, and that made me like her even less. I didn’t mind not liking her, though, with Sera, we see how much Sera tried to change, while Kimberlee seemed to be stuck and unable to move past anything…not just in death, but in life too.  Kimberlee is pretty selfish, and I think she does start to realize how wrong her past actions were, but it was a little too late.

Jeff really was the perfect person to see Kimberlee, though.  He’s new in town, and he doesn’t know Kimberlee, and he’s such a good guy that he was willing to help return all of the stuff she stole.  It is interesting that he’s the only one who would see her, and it does sort of make me wonder why he could see her when no one else could.  Him being new probably has a lot to do with, but now that I think about it, I wonder if there are other reasons for it was him, and no one else.

I also kind of wish we saw more of Kimberlee’s perspective.  I’m not the biggest fan of dual narration, but I think it could have worked really well in this book.  Still, even though Kimberlee was a character I didn’t like, and even though she did some pretty horrible things, she was still an interesting character, and maybe seeing at least a chapter or two from her perspective would have changed how I saw her.  Or maybe not, but either way, I wouldn’t have minded that at all.

As a re-telling of The Scarlet Pimpernel…I’ve never read it, and I have no idea what it’s about, but I have heard of it. So, I don’t know if that’s why I liked it, and didn’t love it, and if it would have made a difference in how I felt about the characters, or if I still would have felt the same way about the book.  And I obviously can’t speak to how it is as a re-telling.

Blog Graphic- My Rating

3 stars.  I liked it, especially the characters and how witty some of them were.