Wednesday 31 July 2013

Cover reveal: Tone Deaf by Olivia Rivers

 
His world is music…
…Her world is silent.
Ali Blinde was a prodigy destined to become one of the greatest musicians of the 21st century.
Until the brain tumor struck.
Now seventeen, Ali lives in a soundless world where she gets by with ASL and lip-reading. So when she meets Jace Beckett, she thinks he’s her worst nightmare come true. Jace is the lead singer in the wildly-popular band, Tone Deaf, and he’s exactly the kind of success-story Ali hates and resents. 
Nineteen-year-old Jace has it all: fame, money, and any girl he wants. Every night on tour brings a new performance and a new girl, which is just what he needs to avoid the pain of relationships. 
 
But when Jace learns Ali is being abused, he reluctantly proposes a solution: Run away with him and his band as they tour the country. With freedom in sight, Ali takes the offer. Immediately, she’s swept into a world filled with wild punk music, wilder musicians, and maybe—just maybe—love.
Extra
Title: Tone Deaf
Author: Olivia Rivers
Genre: New Adult Romance
Age Group: 16+
Release Date: November 4th, 2013
Links:
Author bio
Olivia Rivers is the author of six novels, ranging in genres from Epic Fantasy to Contemporary Romance. Along with being a writer, she’s a freelance digital artist, a literary agent assistant, and a high school student.  She’s a nerd at heart, and is a hopeless fan-girl for Doctor Who and Arrested Development. Olivia lives in California with a dog who thinks he’s a cat, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and a kitten who is just generally confused.
 
 

El



Waiting on Wednesday #16: Landry Park by Bethany Hagen

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It spotlights books that have not yet been released, but ones that you should pre-order today! This week's book that I am anxiously awaiting is:

Landry Park
 
Madeline Landry is born into a world of influence and luxury, a world of estates and gardens fueled by nuclear power and maintained by a caste of people called the Rootless. When a Gentry girl is attacked, it is the Rootless who are blamed, even though Madeline knows better.

As she searches for the truth, she can't escape the rumors of revolution and retribution circulating through the ballrooms, and neither can she escape the city's new golden boy, Captain David Dana, who has secrets of his own. Soon, she finds herself forced to choose between her duty and her desires, her ancestral destiny and her conscience, and her choice will shake the very foundations of the world she was born to rule.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Why I can't wait: The synopsis sounds really intresting. And I want to know more about Madeline and her world. And the cover is amazing too, simpel but beautiful!
 
Publication date: February 4th 2014
 
What are you waiting for this week?
 

El

Sunday 28 July 2013

Stacking the Shelves #12

Showcase Sunday's/Stacking the Shelves aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders this week. This Sunday meme is hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea and Tynga's Reviews:

Netgalley:

The Returned


For review:

Night Road Grasping at Eternity (The Kindrily, #1) Taking Back Forever (The Kindrily, #2)


Night Road by Kristin Hannah (Thanks chicklit.nl)

The Devil Drinks Coffee (A Kate Saxee Mystery, #1)


Which books did you get this week? Link me up!

 

El






Friday 26 July 2013

Grasping at Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper

Synopsis
Grasping at Eternity (The Kindrily, #1)Leave it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never erase your emories.

Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she's supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.

Nathan is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah's memory is hopeless, but his love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her.

While Maryah’s hunter inches closer, she and Nathan make assumptions and hide secrets that rip them further apart. Maryah has to believe in the magic within her, Nathan must have faith in the power of their love, and both need to grasp onto the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely eternity can be.

X-MEN meets MY NAME IS MEMORY in Karen Amanda Hooper’s latest young adult release.


-Goodreads

Opinion
*Note I received this book in exchange for an honest review*

From the very first page of Grasping of Eternity I knew that I would love this book. And I was right. This book got me hooked till the very last page. At first I thought that it was going to be another angel book, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The whole idea of the book was very refreshing. And I’m dying to know more about the Kindrily. All characters were compelling I every chapter I wanted to find out more about them. I still feel like I don’t know them completely and I don’t think that they could possibly ever bore me. Maryah loses everything in the first chapter and her whole world gets turned upside down twice, but still she remains a positive girl. Nathaniel is just drop dead gorgeous and if he was a real life person than I would definitely want to know him. He’s a nice guy with his heart on the right place. Faith is the over happy girl in the group, she always sees everything on the bright side.
Throughout the story you could see Maryah grow and I think that she can achieve many things. I also loved that you got to know bit by bit pieces of her past, just like Maryah herself did. And I think that there are still many things to discover in the next book.
So I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!



Extra
Author: Karen Amanda Hooper
Series: Kindrily
Genre: YA
Publisher: Starry Sky Publishing
Publication date: May 25th 2012
Pages: 328
Other books:
  • Taking Back Forever (Kindirly #2)
  • Fighting for Infinity (Kindrily #3) (Release dat TBA)

El

Thursday 25 July 2013

Book Trailer Blitz: Copper Girl by Jennifer Allis Provost


Synopsis

 Sara had always been careful.

She never spoke of magic, never associated with those suspected of handling magic, never thought of magic, and never, ever, let anyone see her mark. After all, the last thing she wanted was to end up missing, like her father and brother.

Then, a silver elf pushed his way into Sara's dream, and her life became anything but ordinary.
Extra

Title: Copper Girl
Author: Jennifer Allis Provost
Series: Copper LegacyGenre: Urban FantasyPublisher: Spence CityRelease Date: June 25 2013
Book links:
Author links:
 

 About the author
Jennifer Allis Provost is a native New Englander who lives in a sprawling colonial along with her beautiful and precocious twins, a dog, a parrot, two cats, and a wonderful husband who never forgets to buy ice cream. As a child, she read anything and everything she could get her hands on, including a set of encyclopedias, but fantasy was always her favorite. She spends her days drinking vast amounts of coffee, arguing with her computer, and avoiding any and all domestic behavior.


Excerpt



CHAPTER ONE, Part I


 It seemed like a good idea at the time.

My office, like most modern offices, cranked the air conditioning down to Arctic proportions during the summer months. Consequently, we workers arrived in the morning dressed in sandals and sleeveless tops, donned heavy sweaters upon reaching our desks, and ended up shivering by noon. Ironically, when our workday ended we were hit by a wall of oppressive heat the moment we stepped outside the main doors. No, this wasn’t a flawed system in the slightest.

That day, I wasn’t having it. I had the grand idea of spending my lunch hour outside, away from the icy wind stiffening my fingers and chilling my neck. After I unwound myself from the afghan I kept in my desk (and only used in the summer months), I gathered up my lunch and my phone and headed out for an impromptu picnic in my car.

What I hadn’t considered was that the office runs the air conditioning so cold because it was, well, hot outside. Very hot, in fact. So hot that the cheese was melting in my sandwich and the lettuce looked like something that had washed ashore months, maybe even years, ago. I was parked in the shade and had taken down my car’s convertible top, but I still couldn’t manage to get comfortable. I’d already shed my sandals and cardigan, which left me wearing my sundress and…

Dare I?

I glanced around the parking lot of Real Estate Evaluation Services, the ‘go-to firm for all your commercial real estate needs’, according to the brochures. No one, human or drone, was taking a noontime stroll, and, by virtue of my being on the far side of the lot, no cars were near mine. Most of my coworkers didn’t even have cars, so the lot was rarely more than half-full. What was more, from where I sat, I couldn’t even see the office.

I dared.

I took a deep breath and channeled my inner wild woman, then leaned the seat back and slipped off my panties. Removing that small bit of cotton made an incredible difference, and the heat became somewhat bearable. Enjoyable, even. Was that a breeze?

Ignoring my decrepit sandwich, I fully reclined the seat, set the alarm on my phone, and closed my eyes. A nap. Now that would make today bearable.

***

Suddenly, he is there.

Here.

Kissing me, holding me.

I know I'm dreaming, because he's perfect. His lips are soft but insistent, his hands gentle. I glide my fingers across his back, feeling thick cords of muscle, before sinking my fingers into his hair. It’s superfine, like cobwebs, and when I crack an eyelid, I learn that it’s silver. Not gray or white, but the elegant hue of antique candlesticks and fine flatware. Cool.

I squeeze my eyes shut again, not wanting the dream to end any sooner than it has to. He kisses me once more, and I can’t help melting against him. His hand travels up my leg, up past my hip… shit! No panties!

I try twisting away, but he already knows. I feel his mouth stretch into a smile, and he moves to nuzzle my neck. "What’s your name?" he murmurs.

"Sara," I reply. "Yours?"

"Micah." By now, his hands have traveled to my waist, and he slides one around to stroke the small of my back. "Why did you summon me, Sara?"

"I didn’t," I protest. "I don’t know how." I would say more, but he nibbles a trail from my neck to my shoulder, and pushes my dress to the side. As for me, I let him.

Micah raises his head, and I get a good look at him for the first time. His eyes are large and dark gray, like thunderheads, his features chiseled into warm caramel skin, and his unruly mop of silver hair seems to float around his head. He wears an odd, buff-colored leather shirt, made all the odder in this heat, and matching leather pants and boots. Boots?

"You did summon me," he insists. "My Sara, you must tell me why."

"Does it matter?" I ask. I pull him back to me, kissing him with all the passion I’ve never felt with anyone during my waking hours. Micah kisses me back, fingers deftly unbuttoning my dress while his other hand rubs my lower back. I’ve never felt so free, so alive as I do in Micah’s embrace, and I have no intention of rushing this. None at all.

The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Elite (The Selection, #2)Synopsis

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.


-Goodreads

Opinion

This book got me really torn up. I loved it, but at the same time I wanted to throw it at a wall at my home. Just as in The Selection I loved the idea of the book and it was a real page turner. We got to see a bit more about the rebels and know I definitely want to find out what they are after. And there was also more inside about how the country is ruled. But the characters in this book developed a nasty side. America went back and forth between Aspen and Maxon, she just couldn’t make up her mind. I was ok with that, because for some reason or another I could understand her. And like she said with Maxon comes also the crown and that’s a huge responsibility so I wouldn’t know either if were in her shoes. Aspen was just Aspen, but he tried to persuade America in a wrong way to pick him. And I don’t know where to begin with Maxon. In the first book he was a kind, sweet guy. At the beginning of this book he was still the same, but near the end he was a lying bastard. Yet in some ways I could understand him, but still. It will depend on the last book if I forgive him. The only character that was amazing as ever was Marlee. She stayed true to herself and she never disappointed me, I hope to see more of her in the next book. So at some point in the book I really wanted to shake the characters up to get some sense in them. But still long after finishing the book I couldn’t stop thinking about it and it held me awake at night. Like I said at the beginning this one got me really torn up and I hope that the last one won’t disappoint me.
 
Extra
Author: Kiera Cass
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: April 23rd 2013
Pages: 323 (Hardcover)
Other books:
  • The Prince (The Selection #0.5)
  • The Selection (The Selection #1)
  • The Guard (The Selection #2.5) (Publications date: February 4th 2014)
  • The One (The Selection #3) (Publication date: May 6th 2014)

El

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #15: The Falconer by Elizabeth May

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It spotlights books that have not yet been released, but ones that you should pre-order today! This week's book that I am anxiously awaiting is:

The Falconer (The Falconer, #1)
 
Heiress. Debutant. Murderer. A new generation of heroines has arrived.

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844

Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery killed her mother.

Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.

But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose – and just how far will Aileana go for revenge?
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why I can't wait: Heiress, debutant, murderer and set in the past. Four things that I like combined in one book!
 
Publication date: September 26th 2013
 
What are you waiting for this week? Link me up.
 

El

Tuesday 23 July 2013

Top Ten Tuesday #5


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Broke and Bookish. This weeks is : Top Ten Words/Topics That Make Me NOT Pick Up A Book:


Crime books: I’ve tried a couple of detective books, but it’s just not for me. Mostly I can’t relate to the characters and the whole mystery is mostly boring.

Graphic novels: When I read a book I want to imagine my own world, characters… and in a graphic novel there’s just too little information. But I like comic books.

Biographies: If I want to know something about a person I’ll just Google it. But to read a whole novella about one person, no but thanks.

Insta-love: It’s impossible to fall in love in just a couple of days. You might be attracted to someone. But lust and love are two very different things.

Non-fiction: It’s just not my thing. I want to lose myself in a world that doesn’t exist.

Erotica: I read Fifty shades and no thanks never again! I really can’t believe that these books sell so well.

Hyped books: If a book is a real hype at the moment I don’t pick it up most of the time. Maybe I read it later, when the whole hype thing is over.

Horror: I’ve a pretty weak stomach and a good imaginations, so these books just freak me out.

The next…: Every book/author is unique, so why should you call it the next? And a good author should be able to make a name for himself.

Fan fiction: If you want to write a book why not use your own imagination instead of using someone else’s?

El

Monday 22 July 2013

The Selection - Kiera Cass

Synopsis
The Selection (The Selection, #1)For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.


Opinion
I put of reading The Selection for quite a while, because I had read some very mixed reviews about it. But after the first couple of chapters the book it totally got me hooked. I loved the idea of the selection itself, one common girl that could become the next queen, to give the people some hope. Of course the system of the selection was corrupt, but it was still good for most people moral.
The characters were easy to like. America is a strong, independent girl with her two feet on the ground. And I liked how her friendship with prince Maxon developed. Prince Maxon was a nice guy with his hart in the right place and if he really wants something then he’s very determined to get it. Maxon also tries to get rid of the flaws of his country in a subtle way. And then there’s Aspen. I know many readers are team Maxon, but I don’t get why. Sure Maxon is sweet, kind, beautiful… and rich, but Aspen is those things too, except for the rich part. Yes he’s maybe a bit old-fashioned in some ways, that the boy needs to make money for the girl. But still everything he said and did was because he loved America and he wanted for her to have a better future. So I can’t determine on which team I’m yet, I hope to get more clarity in the next book. The last character I love is Marlee. She’s America’s only real friend in the palace. They can confide in each other, but they also give each other space. Marlee was easygoing and it’s impossible not to like her.
Lastly I’m intrigued by the rebels. If there are two groups than why don’t they combine their powers to reach their goal. And what exactly is there goal.


I’m definitely going to read the next book and I hope to get to know Maxon, America and the others better. And I hope to see more of the rebels.
 
Extra
Author: Kiera Cass
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: April 24th 2012
Pages: 327 (Hardcover)
Other books:
  • The Prince (The Selection #0.5)
  • The Elite (The Selection #2)
  • The Guard (The Selection #2.5) (Publications date: February 4th 2014)
  • The One (The Selection #3) (Publication date: May 6th 2014)

El

Sunday 21 July 2013

Stacking The Shelves #11

Showcase Sunday's/Stacking the Shelves aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders this week. This Sunday meme is hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea and Tynga's Reviews:

Netgalley:

The Edge of Never (The Edge of Never, #1) Facade (Games, #2)



For review:
The Keeper and the Alabaster Chalice (The Black Ledge Series, #2) The Emblazoned Red

The Emblazoned Red - Dawn Mc Cullough-White (Thank you Kismet Book Touring!)

Which books did you get this week? Link me up :)

El


Saturday 20 July 2013

Review tour: Barbie World - Heidi Acosta + Giveaway


Synopsis
Barbie World (Baby Doll, #2)“One Night is all it took to change everything between Barbie and me. One night to potentially lose the girl of my dreams forever. How do I prove to her that she can trust me? That all I want to do is protect her carefully guarded heart. I need to prove to her that I want to be a part of her world. But How? ”

Dylan lost Barbie once before, now he is determined more than ever to win her heart and trust back. Easier said than done, especially with the new hot guy in town who is in a rock band and is the complete opposite of Dylan.

Barbie has been hurt beyond repair or so she thinks. It would be easier for heart to decide if she didn’t have to protect her little brother. And if Dylan would just put on a shirt! Dylan is not making this easy on her. It helps to have the distraction of the new guy in town cute bad boy Kai. But even though her heart is damaged it still knows what it wants. 

When Barbie learns she has a family and with the help of Roxie and Kai, oh and Third and Dylan. They embark on a journey to help bring Barbie closer to a past she never knew existed. 

Heidi Acosta brings you the heart felt story of friendship, love and heartbreak in the second book in of the Baby doll series Barbie World.

Opinion

After reading Barbie Girl I had high expectations for this book. And some points it did disappoint me, but in others it didn’t. So I ended up liking Barbie World as much as Barbie Girl.

This book held way more drama than Barbie Girl did, which I liked. Barbie is trying to deal with her past and tries to uncover her mother’s past. In the mean time she also tries to stay away from Dylan, which turns out to be rather difficult. While Barbie tries to move on for her own sake and for her little brother Everett , Dylan can’t let her go. And that’s what bothered me about this book. In the first one Dylan was a sweet kid and now he turned into a douchebag. He uses people to get what he want, what in the end hurts more than one person. In some way I could understand why he did it, but still it was wrong. And then there was the hot and cold reaction Barbie and Dylan got towards each other. In the beginning of the book I didn’t mind because I knew why they did have this feelings towards each other. But till the end of the book it really got on my nerves. How hard can it be to just say yes or no? But other than that Barbie World was as amazing as the first book. Barbie grew a lot throughout this book and stayed true to herself. After the first one she was broken, but at the end of this book she was even stronger than she was at the start of the first one with the help of her friends.  And third was as amazing as ever! Roxie also got her fair share of amazingness. But I wouldn’t have minded to know more about Kai, I got the feeling that there was more to tell about him than the author did. The ending of the book was very satisfying, ‘cause it had an epilogue set in the future. Which is great because it stops me from wondering what will happen after the book ended.

So I liked Barbie World and I’m definitely going to read more books by this author. 



Author bio
Heidi Acosta was born on Long Island, New York. Moving around a lot when she was younger, she has lived in New York, Arizona, New York (again), Washington, Georgia, and Florida, in that order. Each place offered her something special, but she will always consider New York her home.

Heidi started writing as soon as she could spell. When she was three, Heidi’s mother gave her a copy of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods; thus beginning her lifelong love affair with literature.

Writing soon also became a form of therapy for Heidi, when she realized that no matter what was happening in her life, she could find emotional escape while writing. Some of her earliest stories featured her as a princess who explored new worlds with her horse Buttercup. If it sounds romantic, it wasn’t, there was no prince charming in those fairy lands (boys where yucky).

Heidi now resides in Florida with her husband, very active daughter, one hyper Chihuahua, two sweet cats, and one very fat moody cat.



Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Extra
Author: Heidi Acosta
Series: Barbie Girl, #2
Publication date:  Summer 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Links:

El

Review tour: Barbie Girl - Heidi Acosta



Synopsis
Barbie Girl (Baby Doll, #1)The only thing that 17 year old Barbie Starr wants to do is graduate high school so she and her little brother, Everett, can get out of Alabama. She doesn’t care about the rumors that are spread around about her like wild fire. Rumors are nothing new to her. Sure, maybe she could change her reputation, but why bother. She is leaving Alabama as soon as she can. That is, if she can pass algebra and graduate.

The only thing Dylan Knight would like to do is go through high school unnoticed; he has had enough of the drama that is high school. He took the whole of last summer to bulk-up: finally he is not being called names or being shoved into lockers. He wants to remain on the outside of the circle of constant rumors that surround the so-called popular kids who get all the attention. He would not, however, mind if his long time crush Katie took notice of him.

But it is Barbie who notices Dylan and she offers him a deal he can’t pass up: if he helps her pass algebra, she’ll help him get the girl of his dreams. Dylan agrees, but, as it turns out, nothing is simple when it comes to Barbie. Somehow, she can’t help but draw attention to herself — and to him. Soon Dylan finds himself tossed into the whirlwind of rumors that seem to follow Barbie everywhere. Can he save his reputation and still get the girl of his dreams? Or will Barbie be the one to break through his carefully-built facade?


Opinion
Barbie girl was a quick read that I enjoyed from the very first till the last page. This book was different from most other contemporary YA-books. Most of the time the guy is the player, the trouble maker while the girl is the nerd, the lovely kid. But not this time, Barbie is trouble while Dylan is the good kid. At first you would think that they got nothing in common and it’s true, but at the same time you can’t deny the chemistry that sparks between them. And it’s impossible the characters they are all unique in their own way. Barbie doesn’t give a damn about what other people think about her. She knows what she is and which of all those rumors are true and that’s all that matters. Dylan on the other hand is very aware of what people might think of him so he tries to get through school unnoticed. Dylan’s best friend Third has always been bullied because he’s the fat kid, but he’s not afraid to tell people what he’s thinking. So if you put these three together you can imagine the fireworks that will explode which often leads to funny conversations between the three of them.  And of course there’s enough drama in the book, which is why you won’t be able to put the book down because you want to know if everything is going to work out. Sometimes I was screaming at them ‘cause they did something stupid. But that’s what makes this book so great, the characters are not perfect they have flaws like every normal people. And sometimes you are blind to things that are obvious to other people.
The only thing that bothered me about this book was the ending. I really got me wondering about what would happen afterwards. (Luckily I also got the second book :))



So this book was amazing, and I’m definitely going to read other books by this author.

 

Extra
Author: Heidi Acosta
Publishing Date: November 1st 2012
Pages: 191
Other books:
  • Barbie World (Baby Doll #2)
Links:

El


Thursday 18 July 2013

Second Impact - David & Perri Klass

Synopsis
Second ImpactKendall is a football town, and Jerry Downing is the high school’s star quarterback, working to redeem himself after he nearly killed a girl in a drunk driving accident last year. Carla Jenson, lead reporter for the school newspaper’s sports section, has recruited Jerry to co-author a blog chronicling the season from each of their perspectives. When Jerry’s best friend on the team takes a hit too hard and gets hurt, Carla wonders publicly if injury in the game comes at too high a cost in a player’s life—but not everyone in Kendall wants to hear it..

- Netgalley

Opinion
Second impact was very different from any book I’ve read before. The entire book is written in blog format with a few e-mails. You got two bloggers Jerry Downing, the high school Quarterback, and Carla Jenson, a former soccer girl. The two students blog about Kendall High’s football season from their own perspectives and also about their personal live. Both Jerry and Carla had a rough year and all they want to do is look at the future and leave the past behind. You might think that a book written in blog post might get boring, but let me tell you it didn’t. There were enough plots twist in this book that kept me reading. While the book was about a football player it also focused on its negative elements, like players who play with injuries. There was a lot of discussion about it in this book that I think also is a topic in real life. Sometimes I did find it hard to understand the book with all the football terms they threw at my head. You see where I live (Belgium) there is no such thing as American Football, so I did find it quiet hard to understand all that they were saying. But that wasn’t enough for me to put this book aside.
I really liked Jerry and Carla as narrators, especially Carla. She has a strong voice and opinion on everything. And I loved hearing what she had to say. And maybe she made some mistakes but at least she stayed true to herself. Jerry  was also great and you could tell that he had changed since the year before. And I’m curious how their friendship developed after they graduated high school.


So if you like American football than this is definitely a book that you should read.
 

Extra
Authors: David & Perri Klass
Publication date: August 6th 2013
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Pages: 288 (Hardback)

El

 

 
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Wednesday 17 July 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #14: The Promise of Amazing - Robin Constantine

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It spotlights books that have not yet been released, but ones that you should pre-order today! This week's book that I am anxiously awaiting is:

The Promise of Amazing

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how.

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.
 
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Why I can't wait: The synopsis of this book looks amazing and the cover is so cute!
 
Publication date: December 31st 2013
 
What are you waiting for this week?

El