Waiting on Wednesday (#1)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, where bloggers post about books they can not WAIT to be released!

This week's OMG IS OUT NOW!!!! book is...

Deceiving Lies by Molly McAdams

 

Unfortunately, I do not have a cover to show you, because while this is a sequel, the first book hasn't been released yet, either! The first book, Forgiving Lies, will be released October 29th. I was fortunate enough to recieve a copy of this book from the publisher at ALA this past summer.

 

 

 

Forgving Lies was a great book, and the ending kept me up all night! In fact, I was two pages from the end when my husband complained about the lights being on and trying to sleep! Whopos! However, *mild spoiler here* the ending will make you angry the sequel is not released!

 

So go check out Forgiving Lies when it is released, and be ready to pre-order Decieving Lies which comes out in March, 2014!

 

Jenni

 

Teaser Tuesday (#5!)

Happy Tuesday, folks!

 This year, I created a book challenge for my students. One of their goals is to read a book that I have read this year. This is also challenging me to read books I normally wouldn't, so that I can give a greater area of interest to my students.

Because of that, here's a teaser of a book I am currently reading! This is a middle-grade book, but I absolutely LOVE IT.

Teaser Tuesday is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading, in which we post a little *non-spoiler* teaser of the book we are currently reading.

"His beautifully sharpened book knife would have been the preferred insturment, but the interior of ther Titanic was quite simply too white. the splatter of blood resulting from a fatal stab or slice would be terrible- it would torture him to see those clean halls stained. No, the knife would not suffice."

 

Dangerous Waters: An Adventure on the Titanic

This is the perfect book for some of my reluctant readers, especially for the historical fiction aspect!

--Jenni

Don't Push the Button

Bill Cotter - Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

The Facts: This book will be released in November 2013. I received this Advanced Readers Copy through Sourcebooks at ALA Annual 2013

32 pages - paperback (I believe will be released hardcover) - 20 minutes

Summary from Goodreads: Where have all the bedtime stories gone? A delightful addition to the picture book canon about the love of reading

One dark, dark night in Burrow Down, a rabbit named Eliza Brown found a book and settled down...when a Snatchabook flew into town.

It's bedtime in the woods of Burrow Down, and all the animals are ready for their bedtime story. But books are mysteriously disappearing. Eliza Brown decides to to stay awake and catch the book thief. It turns out to be a little creature called the Snatchabook who has no one to read him a bedtime story. All turns out well when the books are returned and the animals take turns reading bedtime stories to the Snatchabook.

My Review: Oh my goodness! This book is one of my favorites, and I am already reading it often to Taylor. The story is quite simple, and very cute. Everyone's bedtime books are being stolen in the blink of an eye, and Eliza wants to stop it from going on. When she finds out why the books are being stolen by the Snatchabook, she befriends the creature. All books are returned and the rest of the town takes turns nightly including Snatchabook in their bedtime reading routines.

As you can see, this book cam easily demonstrate the power of sharing. Sometimes when people are left out, they will do bad things. Sometimes when people share, people will do nice things. While that is a very simple meaning that can be drawn from the book, it is still a powerful one. The rhyme and rhythm of this book does nothing but justice, creating an easy free-flowing read that helps younger readers to sound out unknown words. The illustrations are beautiful by themselves, creating an adorable animal world, with plenty of visual details that entertained my 6 month old as well as myself.

This is not your run-of-the-mill children's picture book. This one teaches morals, has wonderful illustrations and rhyme, and really remind readers the power and love of a bedtime story.

My Rating: 5 stars, hands down. Go buy this book for your kids or grandkids. It's absolutely wonderful.

Jenni

Hot Shot

Julie Garwood- Dutton Adult

 

The Facts: 368 pages - hardcover or 10 hour audio book. (1 LOOONG car ride to the mother-in-law’s. My dear husband also listened along.)

Summary from Goodreads: Peyton Lockhart and her sisters have inherited Bishop's Cove, a small, luxurious oceanfront resort, but it comes with a condition: The girls must run the resort for one year and show a profit - only then will they own it. A graduate of a prestigious French culinary school, Peyton has just lost her job as a food critic. Out of work and in a bad place personally, a year doing something completely different sounds wonderful. There are countless challenges and too many people who want to stop the sisters from succeeding. Among them are Peyton's contentious cousins, who are outraged that they didn't inherit the resort, as well as a powerful group of land developers who have been eyeing the coveted beachfront property. It's soon apparent to Peyton that their efforts are being sabotaged, but she refuses to let the threats scare her - until she's nearly killed. She calls on her childhood friend and protector, Finn MacBain, now with the FBI, and asks for his help. He saved her life once; he can do it again. Julie's previous two titles, The Ideal Man and Sweet Talk, both debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list.

My Review: I am extremely unimpressed with Julie Garwood's newest addition. I used to be a HUGE fan of hers, and her historical novels always work as the perfect pick me up. However this novel lacks everything that makes a Julie Garwood novel great. In fact, her fans will be left wondering if this book was even written by her.

This book features cliche upon cliche, perfect characters meeting perfect characters, and highly unbelievable situations. We start with the swimmer who catches up with his innocent (ahem. VERY innocent) childhood neighbor. Or, should I say Olympic gold medalist? No? How about Record-Breaking Gold medalist. Not enough? He’s also turned into the PERFECT FBI agent who just happens to save the day from crazy men with guns like it is nothing, and who just happens to fall in love becoming the super protector to the one whom he saved once before.

How "perfect" can one character be? As I’ve said before, this book read like an amateur novel, and not Julie Garwood.

Fans of Julie Garwood would recognize she always features a female character who runs, and has freckles. (Green eyes are also common.) None of these are present in this novel.

Beyond the SUPER PERFECT characters, we have the unbelievable situations that seem to be written in the book just to add as filler. These situations do nothing but show off the perfectness of the characters. (OMG! The entire bar recognizes the FBI agent because he stopped a man with a gun! Oh look, he gets to stop a bar fight! MUSCLES!)

Usually I would go more in depth as to why this book fell short, but doing so would just make me even more suspicious of the true author. Save your money, save your time. Don’t read this book. If you want a romance, read her FIRST books in the Buchanan series, or stick with her historical novels. Once upon a time I would say “You can’t go wrong with a Julie Garwood novel.” Unfortunately that is no longer the case.

Dear Julie: Please re-read your novels from the 80's and help us to fall in love with you again.

My Rating: 2 stars. I really REALLY wanted to like this book. I own all of Julie Garwood’s novels, but this was something I just couldn’t and cannot recommend to anyone. Hopefully this is NOT the book that introduces someone to the romance genre- as it is a fail.

Jenni

 

Teaser Tuesday (#4!)

Happy Tuesday, folks!

Welcome back, folks! There will be reviews up this week as school is finally 'in swing', so keep your eyes peeled!  I'm so excited to be back, talking to students, and adding books to me to-read list.

 

Because of that, here's a teaser of a book that came out today! I received this ARC through Hyperion Teens at ALA Annual. All reviews, comments or critiques are my own and are completely honest and truthful.)

Rose Under Fire is a companion novel to Code Named Verity, which I recommend reading first.

Teaser Tuesday is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading, in which we post a little *non-spoiler* teaser of the book we are currently reading.

 

 

"It had never occurred to me that simply being with a fellow prisoner would make me feel like I was still in prison."

I am still reading Code Named Verity (I know, I know!) but I can't wait to pick this book up!

-Jenni