Book Review: True Love Way By: Nancy Scrofano

Goodreads Summary: 

Marlo Spencer relishes all things retro. Old TV shows, classic movies, and even the collectible lunch boxes to go with them. In fact, she's quite cozy in her Malibu apartment, surrounded by her treasured knick-knacks and vintage memorabilia. It's her best friend, Nik, who doesn't get her fascination with all that "old junk," as he calls it. He especially doesn't understand why she's so keen to get back to their hometown of Napa when her high school sweetheart, Josh, suddenly returns after twelve years in Paris and nary a single phone call, eager to reunite with her. So, when Marlo heads up north to wine country to rekindle her relationship with Josh, Nik tags along, claiming he was already planning to visit his sister, Savannah, Marlo's gal pal. Once they reach Napa, however, dreams of a blissful reunion are shattered as old secrets and past betrayals are revealed, leaving an unsuspecting Marlo to pick up the pieces. Can she forgive and forget, or will true love find a different path to her heart?


My Review: 

ReadingNook Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I have to be completely honest when I say that i've always had a soft-spot for self-published authors, or authors that publish through smaller, lesser known publishing houses, because I feel like every book deserves readers and attention esp. when an authors put their blood, sweat, and tears into it, and books like this always remind me why I will never lose this way of thinking. Sure, i've read quite a few self-pubbed books that completely flopped and did nothing for me, but for the past two years a few have made it into my top 10 books of the year list (and I have a few that I know will make it this year as well). Chick-Lit mainstream authors have let me down as of late, due to many of stories feeling cookie-cutter and dull, but have found a lot of refreshing self-published Chick-Lit's that have made me fall in love with the genre all over again. I would be lying if I said that this book wasen't a bit predictable and within the first fifty pages I knew without a shadow of a doubt who Marlo would end up with in the end, BUT that being said the means in which she gets there, and the circumstances surrounding her decision I would never have seen coming in a million years!! I loved the romance in this book, and I loved the characters, they all had a real quality to them that made them likely and relatable. Although I have little to no interest in old classic movies or tv shows I loved the references in the book, and felt like that was something you don't see very often. Nancy Scrofano created a great piece of fiction. I never lost interest in the characters and I found myself completely engrossed in the book (even in a noisey train). If your hesistant to read a self-published book, or a book from a lesser known publishing house, do yourself a favor and read this one, because It will change your outlook on the judgement that is constantly thrown in their direction.

Book Review: Butter by: Erin Jade Lange

Goodreads Summary: 


A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death-live on the Internet-and everyone is invited to watch. When he first makes the announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. And that feels good. But what happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn't go through with his plans? With a deft hand, E.J. Lange allows readers to identify with both the bullies and the bullied in this all-consuming look at one teen's battle with himself. 




My Review: 

ReadingNook Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Butter tells the story of an obese teenage boy who's nicknamed Butter not only because of his size, but because he was hazed and forced to eat a stick of butter by a group of fellow classmates, and unfortunatley the name kinda stuck. I knew this was sure to be an emotional read, I myself am overweight and have dealt with it my entire life. I understand the self-loathing and the comfort that can be found in food. The well "i'm already big, what can this really do to me" mentality. 

I felt horrible for him, but probably related to him in a way that not everyone could. I was never teased the way Butter was in High School, I was friends with everyone, and was outgoing so I was always the "friend" while everyone swooned over my best friends. I felt his pain and his need to be accepted, and when he finds solice in Anna after she falls for his faux-persona via the internet, I understood his motive and his hope that she had fell for the person and could see past his size. Erin Jade Lange made Butter's character come to life, and honestly I think he's the most well-developed character i've read all year. My heart broke for Butter, and the devastating turn his live took in this book. This book is unique and powerful, and if your looking for a book to open your mind and your heart, give butter a try!!

Goddess Fish Blog Tours: Excuse Me my Brains Have Stepped Out By: Pandora Poikilos

Goodreads Summary: 

Anya Michaels is having the time of her life. She has the man of her dreams by her side. She has graduated at the top of her class. She has the job others were lining up for. Between late night drinks at her favourite bar and fancy dinners at the most expensive restaurants, she has a string of adoring friends.

Everything changes when she hears the dreaded words, "You are sick." Being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder, her world starts to fall apart, one piece at a time. Now dumped, her four year relationship is nothing but a memory filled with pictures, thoughts and a very broken heart. Her job becomes an even further challenge as she tries to hide her condition. Her friends suddenly have more important things to do, what is a party without a party girl? Perfect could not crumble any faster. Soon, caught between situations, people and pieces of life that she never dreamed of planning for herself, Anya begins to wonder if her brain condition is all that bad. As she absorbs the changes in her life and realization sets in, she begins to wonder if she is the only one saying: Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out.


My Review: 

ReadingNook Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Anya is living a normal life, that is until she finds out she has a rare neurological disorder, that affects not only her vision but her life, with painful spinal taps, and the critisism she recieves from those around her.

This book reads more like an inspirational, memoir, or a "be a better you" self help type book. It was not at all what I thought it was going to be from the description and going into the book, I thought it would be more about Anya's daily struggles with this disease, and about her life, when really it wasn't. I felt like the topics jumped all over the place to from chapter to chapter which left me feeling a bit confused.

That being said I felt like there were a lot of good messages in this book, and I did like some of the advice it give. A lot of it was insightful and good advice for everyone. I was just left confused by the subject matter in the book, and wish it had been more about Anya and her daily struggles, vs. her wanting to point out everything wrong with the world. I didn't get what I had expected from reading this book, but at the same time, I got a lot of good advice and outlooks from this book instead.

Pandora will be issueing a $10 Amazon Giftcard to one random commentor during this tour!! So be sure to leave a comment on this post and the other posts during the tour.

Connect with Pandora:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

International best-selling author, Pandora Poikilos has been writing for more than 10 years for various media which include newspapers, radio, television and various websites.

Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/PandoraPoikilos

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/peacefrompieces

Blog http://peacefrompieces.blogspot.com/

Website http://moonstarluxury.com/

Book Review: The Long Way Home by: Karen McQuestion

Goodreads Summary: 

Four women bound by chance take the trip of a lifetime in Karen McQuestion's fifth novel The Long Way Home. For Wisconsinites Marnie, Laverne and Rita, life isn?t working out so well. Each is biding time, waiting for something better, something to transport them out of what their lives have recently become. And then there's Jazzy: bubbly, positive, and happy even though she hears voices of the departed. Brought together by a chance meeting, the women decide to join Marnie on a road trip from Wisconsin to Las Vegas where she intends to reunite with Troy, the boy she raised as her own ? and who she's been separated from since her boyfriend's death. Little do they know that as the road trip unfolds, so will their lives ? in directions they never anticipated. Humorous, heartwarming, and bittersweet, the journey has something special in store for each woman.



My Review: 

ReadingNook Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Although I have a ton of "Road Trip" type books on my bookshelves I haven't read any of them. This was a mix between a chick-lit type book/womens fiction/mystery novel. It had a little of something for "almost" everyone in it, and because the 4 women that go on the road trip are so varied in age, I think anyone can relate to at least one of the women on some sort of level.

There's Marnie whose long-term boyfriend died of a heart-attack, and his son gets ripped from her life and shipped back to his mother leaving her devasted, Laverene who's Marnie's landlord, who Marnie has never met because she dosen't EVER leave her apartment, and then theres Jazzy the Psychic who runs the grief meetings that Marnie decides to attend after her life takes a downward spiral, and last but not least is Rita, who's been grieving ever since her daughter was murdered.

This book deals with grief, life, and just about everything in between. I could have done without the psychic foreseeings that happen through-out this book, and think thats the only thing that kinda put a downer on the story for me, because I felt it was a bit hokey, but other then that this book held my interest, and overall was a great read.

Blog Tour Review: Freaks like Us by: Susan Vaught

Goodreads Summary: 

When Jason Milwaukee’s best friend, Sunshine, disappears from the face of the earth, the whole town, including Jason, starts searching for her. But the insistent voices in Jason’s head won’t let him get to the heart of the mystery—he’s schizophrenic, and the voices make it hard to know what is real and what is not. As the chase becomes more panicked, Jason’s meds start wearing off, and he is looking more and more guilty. But of what, exactly?

Both brilliantly witty and intensely honest, this poignant novel draws upon the author’s many years as an adolescent psychologist, but it’s Vaught’s powerful voice and expertly crafted mystery that will keep the pages turning.





My Review: 

ReadingNook Rating: 3 out 5 stars

Freak, Drip, and Sunshine are best friends, there also alphabets; meaning they all suffer from some sort of psychological disorder. When Sunshine disappears, Freak; aka Jason is thought to be behind it, but Freak would never hurt Sunshine, he cares for her deeply and wouldn't want anything to do with hurting her, but the voices in Freak's head are trying to convince him otherwise.

I enjoyed this book for its realistic writing into the head of a schizophrenic. While I personally don't know anyone who suffers from this disorder, I felt like the characters voice rang true with how the disease would consume a persons life and every waking moment. This book in all honesty gave me anxiety (I do suffer from anxiety) but this book made it worse. I'm not saying thats a bad thing, and i'm not quite sure why it did in all honesty, but the voices in Freaks head made me anxious and I really did feel for him.

I wish there had been some more character development in the story, I didn't really feel like you got to know any of the characters really well, I wanted more in that respect, but other that that I did enjoy this book. It was different then any other book i've read dealing with psychological issues, and it was refreshing to find a book that had a different "voice".

Waiting on Wednesday (26) The Infects by: Sean Beaudoin

Goodreads Summary: 

A feast for the brain, this gory and genuinely hilarious take on zombie culture simultaneously skewers, pays tribute to, and elevates the horror genre.

Seventeen-year-old Nero is stuck in the wilderness with a bunch of other juvenile delinquents on an “Inward Trek.” As if that weren’t bad enough, his counselors have turned into flesh-eating maniacs overnight and are now chowing down on his fellow miscreants. As in any classic monster flick worth its salted popcorn, plentiful carnage sends survivors rabbiting into the woods while the mindless horde of “infects” shambles, moans, and drools behind. Of course, these kids have seen zombie movies. They generate “Zombie Rules” almost as quickly as cheeky remarks, but attitude alone can’t keep the biters back.

Serving up a cast of irreverent, slightly twisted characters, an unexpected villain, and an ending you won’t see coming, here is a savvy tale that that’s a delight to read—whether you’re a rabid zombie fan or freshly bitten—and an incisive commentary on the evil that lurks within each of us.



Expected Publication Date: Sept. 25th, 2012 from Candlewick
Preorder: Here!!


Why I'm Waiting on This Book: ummm hello??!! ZOMBIES!! enough said..... lol no  but really I love all things zombie, and this one sounds bad ass and I love this cover!!  

Audiobook Review: Beautiful Disaster by: Jaime McGuire

Goodreads Summary: 

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand. 

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.




My Review: 

ReadingNook Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I know a lot of people had mixed feelings about this book, and people either loved it or hated it, but I was definitely one of the one's who loved this story!! Yes the love was a bit crazy and dramatic but I found myself so invested in the story and the characters that I couldn't get enough of it, in fact I listened to the audiobook on my commute to and from work, and found myself sitting in my car a half an hour after I got home because I wanted to know what would happen next.

The thing I loved the most about this book was most definitely the characters, I found myself invested in all the characters not just one. Abby and Travis were both super-loveable characters although Travis took a while to warm up too. America and Shepley were charming as well and I even loved The Maddox Boys, and not to mention Finch. The characters made this story so enthralling, and I found myself wanting more and more from the story.

The storyline moved along quickly and I never felt bored with the story, I also thought the girl who narratted the book brought a lot to the story, and didn't take away from it as sometimes a bad narrator in my opinion can do. I could see how people could have issues with the romance in this book, it moves incredibly fast, and while it's not the typical YA insta-love scenerio, it still progressed extremely quick, but for me it worked because I was so invested into the characters.

I know Jamie McGuire is writing a second book in this series from the point of view of Travis, and I almost wish it was a sequel in the respect that It continued on the story vs. retelling the story, I feel like we got Travis' point of view a lot in this story, and have mixed feelings what else the second book can bring to the table, but I am excited for it non-the-less.

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