The Wicked King by Holly Black Giveaway!!!

I am having an awesome giveaway on my Twitter for the next couple of days. 

I am giving away a copy of Holly Black’s latest book, The Wicked King along with an XL Read Like a Girl Book Beau!! 

U.S. Residents only.

The contest ends 1/16/2019, so make sure to enter ASAP!!

To enter, just visit my Twitter account, follow me AND Retweet my giveaway post!

https://twitter.com/BookAddict4Life/status/1083766241498550272

The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

Publication: September 17, 2013

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after...

“His eyes were frighteningly alive, the curve of his mouth savage and pleased. It suddenly didn't seem at all surprising that he should be able to pull things from his dreams.
In that moment, Blue was a little in love with all of them. Their magic. Their quest. Their awfulness and strangeness. Her raven boys.”
- Maggie Stiefvater, The Dream Thieves

The Dream Thieves pretty much picks up right where The Raven Boys left off. Whereas The Raven Boys focused more on Blue Sargent; The Dream Thieves focuses heavily on Ronan Lynch, who in essence is a dream thief.

Ronan being a Greywaren (aka: dream thief)  is in more danger than he realizes, when other people such as the Gray Man, come to town looking for the Greywaren, not knowing at first that it is actually Ronan.

I have to admit that even though I liked all of the characters in The Raven Boys, I was not a big fan of Ronan’s. That is until I read The Dream Thieves. I really enjoyed seeing things through his perspective. And by the end of the book, I liked him almost as much as I liked Gansey. Almost. Ronan is such a unique and complex character. And his mind/dreams are one scary as heck place to be.

Thanks to the deal Adam made with Cabeswater, ley lines have been awakened and the power that comes along with that is unexpected and unimaginable.

Blue is still struggling with her feelings for Gansey and the weight of knowing that her true love will die if/when she kisses him. Tired of enhancing others supernatural gifts, she is also trying to figure out what she wants out of life. What her ‘something more’ is.

And Gansey, well he of course has not given up his search for the sleeping Welsh King Glendower.

I don’t want to say too much. You’ll just have to read it for yourself, because I don’t want to spoil any part of the story for you.

I have to admit though that even though I was excited to read this book, I was a little hesitant as well. Sometimes the second book in a series is not as good as the first book. I was happy to discover that this is not the case with The Dream Thieves.

 I thought that the writing was a little dark, and very well done. I hadn’t thought about a book this much after I read it like I have with this one. The Dream Thieves will suck you in, expand your imagination, and possibly make you cry by tugging on your heartstrings like it did with me.

 I thoroughly enjoyed the unique storyline and I am eagerly awaiting the third installment of The Raven Cycle Series!

RATING: 4½  out of 5.

**I received this book on behalf of the Publisher in exchange for nothing but my honest opinion. Thank you**

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Book Review: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Synopsis: A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying anotherOne thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.” The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself? A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

I adored Samantha. She lives at home with her mom and older sister. Her life appears perfect from the outside, but inside things aren’t always what they seem. Her mom expects her to be prim and perfect, but that isn’t what she wants. Her mom who has a high profile/high stress job in politics is a bit of a perfectionist and a little OCD.

Soon Samantha’s world begins to slowly change when the Garrets move next door. Her mom did not like their ‘type’ from the get go. They aren’t your standard family with two kids and a dog. Instead the Garrets have 8 kids. I know that is a lot of children, but to each his own right? Samantha’s mom never saw it that way. All she saw were their toys strewn about the yard, their loudness, and the parents being too affectionate on their own front porch. All of which would make the neighborhood look bad and the property values go down.

But Samantha saw something completely different. She sees a normal, loving, affectionate family.  And from her little bedroom balcony, she watches the family from next door, even trying to figure out which kid is which. Then one day to her surprise Jase Garret climbs up her balcony as if he has done it a million times before and engages her in conversation like they have already been friends. Samantha is both intrigued and confused by this.

Samantha is invited into the Garrets crazy world and she and Jase begin to spend a lot of time with each other. And from then on Samantha’s world is never the same…

As far as book boyfriends go, I think that Jase is pretty swoon-worthy. He is crazy sweet, funny, and drives a motorcycle! What is not to love?

I don’t really know what else to say about My Life Next Door that will do it justice….except that it ended up being more than what I expected. I really liked it. It was the perfect story to get into on my vacation and one that will permanently stay on my bookshelf. The characters felt and their lives felt real and I easily connected to them. And Huntley Fitzpatricks writing was great.

If you are searching for a good young adult contemporary romance story to read this summer, you might want to check out My Life Next Door.

Rating: 4 ½ out of 5. 

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Dancing in the Dark by Robyn Bavati

Synopsis:

North American debut of the Australian award-winning drama. Ditty Cohen is passionate about ballet--she loves how it feels to stand

en-pointe, to rise and spin across the room. But her Orthodox Jewish parents want Ditty to focus on the teachings of the Torah and to marry at a young age according to their religious tradition. Although her parents forbid her to take dance lessons, Ditty secretly signs up for ballet and becomes entangled in a web of deceit. As one lie leads to another and another, Ditty knows she must stop dancing, but she can't abandon the one thing that gives her freedom. She begins to question her faith and everything her parents have taught her, realizing just how much is at stake as her two worlds collide.

****************************************************************

First I have to say that I absolutely love the cover of this book. That and the title was enough to pique my interest about it.

Ditty first falls in love with ballet, when she and her friend Sara watch it on television in secret (watching TV isn‘t allowed for them). From that very first moment she becomes mesmerized by ballet. Because of this she decides to ask her parents if she can take ballet classes a couple of times during the week and also on Saturdays. They say no due to the fact that they are Orthodox Jewish and are against dancing and Saturdays are considered the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbos).  Ditty is disappointed, but she does not let that stop her. She practices in secret and she begins to take classes without her parents knowledge.

Ditty has real promise when it comes to ballet. She shows true talent, and the classes help her to grow and improve as a dancer. She falls in love with ballet even more.  The big downside is that she is lying to her parents about what she is doing. Then before she knows it, one lie turns into another and another, until things start to spiral out of control and her lies catch up with her.

This is not the same run of the mill story about a girl who loves dancing and has to choose between a hot guy and her passion for ballet.  Dancing in the Dark is about a girl who loves her family and embraces her religious upbringing, but one day discovers something that she not only has a passion for, but is good at. And that makes her question everything, even her faith. She realizes that her dancing comes at a price. The close relationship she used to share with her family becomes strained and she has to decide if she has made the right choice. Her struggle with doing what she feels is right and living out her dream versus what her family expects her to do felt realistic and well done. The Prologue pulled me in, but the author’s fluid writing and real characters kept me reading.

Rating: 4 out of 5.  

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Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Synopsis:

Finally, the highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Can you love someone too much?
Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.
In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.
Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.

*************************************************

“One of these days you’re going to fall in love, son. Don’t settle for just anyone. Choose the girl that doesn’t come easy, the one you have to fight for, and then never stop fighting. Never”— she took a deep breath—“ stop fighting for what you want.
-Jamie McGuire, Walking Disaster: A Novel

When I heard that Jamie McGuire was writing Walking Disaster, I was so ecstatic because I absolutely loved reading Beautiful Disaster.
For those of you thinking or hoping that Walking Disaster is a continuation from Beautiful Disaster, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but sadly it is not. This one is a companion book to BD. The same story told from Travis Maddox’s POV. If you have yet to read Beautiful Disaster I would definitely read it before tackling WD. My review of BD can be found here: BD Review.

You might think what is the point of reading Walking Disaster if you have already read BD? Well for me, WD enhanced Abby and Travis’s story. Walking Disaster felt more like a book that complimented BD.  Combined, the reader, i.e., me get the full experience.

Travis is a dog plain and simple. He is far from perfect. He practically goes after any hot female with pulse. And he drinks, and is involved in cage fighting. But something happens to him once Abby Abernathy enters his world.

“I decided a long time ago I would feed on the vultures until a dove came along. A pigeon. The kind of soul that didn't impede on anyone; just walked around worrying about its own business, trying to get through life without pulling everyone else down with its own needs and selfish habits. Brave. A communicator. Intelligent. Beautiful. Soft-spoken. A creature that mates for life. Unattainable until she has a reason to trust you.”
-Jamie McGuire, Walking Disaster: A Novel

He doesn't magically do a 180 and change his destructive ways, but he does see something different in her. He knows right away that she is someone special and he treats her that way. From then on he is determined to have a friendship with her even though at first Abby, is not really convinced they should even have one.


Reading it made me smile, and reminded me of all the reasons why I loved BD so much, plus it reinforced my love for Travis. Seeing everything through his eyes was awesome. It helped me understand his thought process and reasoning behind his actions better. And the Epilogue was the perfect conclusion. I have three words that describe how I felt: I LOVED IT!!! 


Rating: 4½ out of 5.


**I received this book from Simon & Schuster / Atria Books in exchange for nothing but my honest opinion.Thank you.**

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Dear Cassie by Lisa Burstein

Synopsis:

What if the last place you should fall in love is the first place that you do?
You’d think getting sent to Turning Pines Wilderness Camp for a month-long rehabilitation “retreat” and being forced to re-live it in this journal would be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.
You’d be wrong.
There’s the reason I was sent to Turning Pines in the first place: I got arrested. On prom night. With my two best friends, who I haven’t talked to since and probably never will again. And then there’s the real reason I was sent here. The thing I can’t talk about with the guy I can’t even think about.
What if the moment you’ve closed yourself off is the moment you start to break open?
But there’s this guy here. Ben. And the more I swear he won’t—he can’t—the deeper under my skin he’s getting. After the thing that happened, I promised I’d never fall for another boy’s lies.
And yet I can’t help but wonder…what if?

*****************************************************


Dear Cassie is Lisa Burstein’s follow-up/companion novel to Pretty Amy.
After the whole prom night incident Cassie ends up getting arrested. She is given a choice to either go to jail or to a rehabilitation camp. Rehabilitation it is. She learns the hard way that there are consequences and that every action as a reaction.

I liked Cassie. She has a tough exterior, but inside she is completely different. Her big bad attitude is just a way to keep people at bay. Inside she is scared, lonely, and filled with guilt over the choices she has made.
She is given a journal at Turning Pines that she must write in daily. And it is through the journal that I was able to see the pieces of her past more clearly and discover what is really tormenting Cassie.

Cassie meets Ben at the camp even though he is intrigued by her, she could not care less about him. The way she blows him off only makes him all the more curious and he does not give up so easily. Being burned before I could totally understand why Cassie is not interested at first in Ben. It is so hard learning how to trust someone again. Especially when she is also hiding a secret of her own.

Dear Cassie is an emotional story about a girl who is scared, confused, and unsure of the right choice to make. I think that Cassie being sent to Turning Pines Wilderness Camp helped her to work through some of her problems, learn to forgive herself, and grow. I would recommend this book to fans of Realistic Fiction/YA Contemporary.



Rating 4 out of 5.


** I received this book courtesy of Entangled Publishing / Entangled Teen in exchange for nothing but my honest review. Thank you**

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Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

Synopsis:

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

************************************************

I have to admit that I went into this story not knowing very much about the fairy tale of Bluebeard. Except that he was a mean, creepy, and a pirate. Who doesn’t love pirates? I was sold. 

After the death of Sophie’s father, she receives a letter from her ‘godfather’ Bernard de Cressac; requesting that she come and live with him at his home. I was a little surprised that since Sophie had other siblings, he only requested her.

She was too enamored with him and all of the gifts and trinkets she was given by him. 

There were times where I wanted to tell Sophie to get the heck out of there and run as far as her legs would take her. 

When she does try to leave however, her efforts appear futile. And de Cressac creates even more boundaries for her. All too quickly her seemingly wonderful home starts to feel more and more like a prison. 

What I liked:

Bernard de Cressac was such an interesting character. He could be sweet and charming one moment, then angry and evil the next. He is a fun villain to read about.

What I did not:

I thought that there could have been more suspense and the pacing of the story was a little too slow for me. It seemed to take a while for something really attention grabbing to happen. 

Final thoughts:

Strands of Bronze and Gold is an intriguing story with a nice Gothic feel to it. Even though it was slow going at first for me, the story was in no way boring. It was a fun and delightfully creepy tale. Fans of dark historical fiction stories /fairy tales might be interested in this one.

Rating: 3 ½ out of 5.

** I received this book from Random House / Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for nothing, but my honest review. Thank you!** 

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The Murmurings by Carly Anne West

Synopsis:

Everyone thinks Sophie’s sister, Nell, went crazy. After all, she heard strange voices that drove her to commit suicide. But Sophie doesn't believe that Nell would take her own life, and she’s convinced that Nell’s doctor knows more than he’s letting on.

As Sophie starts to piece together Nell’s last days, every lead ends in a web of lies. And the deeper Sophie digs, the more danger she’s in—because now she’s hearing the same haunting whispers. Sophie’s starting to think she’s going crazy too. Or worse, that maybe she’s not….

******************************************

Sophie’s sister Nell was committed to a mental institution because she kept hearing voices in her head.  She later escaped and was found dead. Now Sophie is determined to find out what the voices were saying to Nell and why she ended up dead.  If of course the voices do not get to Sophie first and drive her crazy.

What I did not like:

I was not completely into the romance in the book. It felt kind of so-so to me. Like there could have been more to it or left out of the story completely.   

My Thoughts:

I have to admit that by solely looking at the cover, I thought I was in for a creepy story that would keep me up at night.

The story got off to a good start, but the further I ventured into the story the more I began to realize that it was not as scary as I had hoped that it would be.

But, it was a good story and there were some definite creepy moments that had me glued to my seat. The writer did a good job of making the reader guess what was going on while adding a bit of spookiness to the story.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

**I received this book from Simon and Schuster / Simon Pulse in exchange for nothing, but my honest review. Thank you!** 

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Pantomime by Laura Lam

Synopsis:

R.H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass – remnants of a mysterious civilization long gone – are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimeras is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star. But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.

***********************************************

****As a warning, this review does contain a spoiler!****

  

When I first began reading Pantomime, I was expecting a possible love story involving both Gene and Micah Grey or that somehow they would stumble upon a great secret/world involving them.

Turns out I was wrong. There was no love story or two people being joined together by the circus.

Gene and Micah are in fact the same person. Gene/Micah is an intersex character who was tired of trying to live up to the expectations of his/her parents, wearing dresses and living the life of a girl, she decides that she wants a change. She then decides to dress up as a boy and become Micah Grey who will later join the circus. Micah is not welcomed into the group immediately, and it takes time for that to happen.

The story alternates back and forth between the past and the present until Gene/Micah’s past finally catches up to the current times. The flashbacks reveal Gene’s life before Gene ran away from home. It is then the reader has a better glimpse into Gene/Micah’s struggle with their self-identity and soon the past collides with the present.

Final thoughts: 

This story was not what I thought it was going to be. However the author does a good job with the subject matter. The world building and the details of the circus were so clear. I love the circus and that air of mystery, the unknown, and magic that it holds.  

Pantomime is a coming of age story about identity and acceptance. It takes the reader on an interesting journey that is filled with emotional struggle.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

** I received this book from Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry in exchange for nothing, but my honest review. Thank you.** 

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