Review: When You Were Here by: Daisy Whitney

Goodreads Summary: 

Filled with humor, raw emotion, a strong voice, and a brilliant dog named Sandy Koufax, When You Were Here explores the two most powerful forces known to man-death and love. Daisy Whitney brings her characters to life with a deft touch and resonating authenticity.

Danny's mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before his graduation-the one day that she was hanging on to see.

Now Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn't know how to figure out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore.

When he gets a letter from his mom's property manager in Tokyo, where she had been going for treatment, it shows a side of his mother he never knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to connect with his mother's memory and make sense of her final months, which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There, among the cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an almost-but-definitely-not Harajuku girl, he begins to see how it may not have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died.




My Review:

 ReadingNook Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I was lucky enough to win a signed copy of When you Were Here by: Daisy Whitney and I was so happy to read something by her. I'm going to be honest and say that the whole way through the book I was thinking it was going to probably be a three star read, not because the story was bad at all by any means but because I was waiting for something to really hit home for me, and HOLY GOD the last 80 pages freaking broke my heart, that was exactly what I needed to bring it right up to a 5-star rating, and to become one of my favorite reads of the summer.

Losing a parent is always a sad and emotional subject esp. when the character losing the parent is a teenager, but I loved how real this book felt, and I loved the air of mystery it had with Danny trying to figure out his mom's other life she led in Tokoyo. I didn't know if I was going to love the setting of the story either, but I found that I loved Whitney's writing and the setting could have been anywhere and I think the story still would have packed the same punch.

I'm thankful that Daisy Whitney also sent me a signed copy of The Mockingbirds, which was just an extra gift from her (because she's awesome, not because I actually won it.) But I can't wait to read more from her!! I loved her writing, and loved how I felt one way through the whole book, and within the last 80 pages totally changed my perspective on the whole story, I don't know about ya'll, but that dosen't happen very often for me. If the Mockingbird is anything like book as far as writing style goes, i'm sure I will love it.

Waiting on Wednesday (32): Not a Drop to Drink by: Mindy McGinnis

Goodreads Summary: 

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water. 

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.



Expected Publication Date: Sept. 24th, 2013 by: Katherine Teagan Books


Why I Can't Wait for This Book: First of all, COVER FREAKIN LOVE!!! I love how the left side of the book is sephia tones, while the right side is a greenish yellow, and the book of teal with the title!! I love it!! Secondly, This book sounds amazing!!! The concept of no water, and what people have to do to survive fasinates me!! 

Review: Nothing More, Nothing Less By: Ashley Dukart

Goodreads Summary: 

When Brandon finds that his mother committed suicide, he blames himself for her decision. His guilt drives his young life into a downward spiral of drugs, drug dealing, and violent repercussions when his "business partners" don't get what they want. Haunted by the past memories he often relives. His Brothers, who don't always seem to understand him and what he's going through, desperately try to help, but as life becomes further entangled, will Brandon find the escape he so desperately needs before it's too late?













My Review: 

ReadingNook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I'm going to be completely honest and say that about 80 pages into this book, I was feeling very "meh" about it. I didn't have any emotional investment into any of the characters, and I was struggling to get through it. That being said as soon as Kristine's character came into the book, I started to feel more investment into the story. She made me care for her as well as care for the main character of Brandon, because of her and how he was towards her, it made me find a newfound respect for Brandon.

Drug addiction happens to the best of people, and the worst of people, but ultimately addiction can bring the best of people to the lowest of the low places, and this book certaintly shows that!! This book broke my heart many times over. I'm sure everyone has someone they know that has struggled with drugs or addiction of some sort, and because of that I feel like many people would be able to relate to the pain and suffering that addiction causes to not only the people doing drugs but also for everyone around them.

This book has SOOO many emotional hard hits for a 200 page book. With saying that at first I felt like it felt a bit forced, but by the end it showed me that thats ultimately what addiction does, it takes EVERYTHING for someone, and only until Brandon hit rock bottom did he see that he needed to break free from his addiction. The characters that made this book for me were definitely Kristine and Cole. Cole was Brandon's older brother and his unwavering love and support for Brandon was what made me connect with his character, and I think through them I grew to like Brandon's character more as well. They showed his potentional for who he was underneath the addiction.

If your a fan of addiction books, then this is definitely one you need to check out, this was hands down one of the most emotional addiction books i've read, nothing was sugar-coated, and it showed the pain and suffering of not only the addict but the people around them as well. This was Ashley Dukarts debut novel, and that being said I think this was very strong, and I almost wish It didn't end when it did.

Blog Tour Review and Interview: Imperfect Spiral by: Debbie Levy

Goodreads Summary: 

Danielle Snyder's summer job as a babysitter takes a tragic turn when Humphrey, the five-year-old boy she's watching, runs in front of oncoming traffic to chase down his football. Immediately Danielle is caught up in the machinery of tragedy: police investigations, neighborhood squabbling, and, when the driver of the car that struck Humphrey turns out to be an undocumented alien, outsiders use the accident to further a politically charged immigration debate. Wanting only to mourn Humphrey, the sweet kid she had a surprisingly strong friendship with, Danielle tries to avoid the world around her. Through a new relationship with Justin, a boy she meets at the park, she begins to work through her grief, but as details of the accident emerge, much is not as it seems. It's time for Danielle to face reality, but when the truth brings so much pain, can she find a way to do right by Humphrey's memory and forgive herself for his death?



My Review: 

ReadingNook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Danielle Samuelson's life gets ripped out from under her when Humphrey the five year old boy she babysits, dies in a tragic accident, that happens on her watch. The scrunity that arises from the accident makes Danielle grow up quickly, as she not only has to deal with the guilt, but also the loss as well. Everyone that reads my blog and my reviews knows that tough issue books always grab my attention, for whatever reason they always suck me in and I tend to devour them despite the storylines being emotional and sometimes draining. 

Danielle was relatible in a way that I think lacks for me in many issue books, many times the main character dealing with the issue has a "woe is me" attitude, and either isn't upset enough, or is on the opposite end of the spectrum to where the emotions feel forced. Debbie Levy did an excellent job depicting the feelings of loss. grief, and guilt, in a real and honest way. 

To makes this story have even more depth, the topic of illegal immigration is also a main theme in this book, which apart from Lie by Caroline Bock, I don't think i've read another book in the YA world that dealt with that issue. I felt like that brought something fresh and unique to the story, which I greatly appreciate as a voracious reader. 

If your a fan of contemporary YA, or books that deal with tougher issues, that I definitely recommend you check out this book. Debbie Levy's writing is real, honest, and heart-felt. 

*Note:I recieved this book for free from the publisher for review, in no way did that influence my thoughts on the book. My thoughts regarding this book are my own and not influenced by anything other then the story itself.

Interview with Debbie Levy: 

-What was your inspiration behind this book, did the idea just come to you, or is based on personal events?

There were multiple inspirations.  And the idea just came to me.  And it is based on personal events.  

The inspirations:  When I look back at my little writing notebook from 2008-9, it’s clear I was thinking about outsider-ness.  About otherness.  I wasn’t thinking about this in the abstract, but rather in the context of a character who presented herself, who turned out to be Imperfect Spiral’s Danielle Snyder.  I was interested in a character, a teenager, who just feels like she’s lagging behind, not special, undirected, and awkward.  You know.  Like lots of us have felt.  (Or maybe I should just speak for myself!)  And then I thought, what if something happened to her that compounded her otherness, but also contained the seeds of change?  That’s where the terrible and terribly sad accident comes in.  While Danielle is babysitting Humphrey Danker, he is fatally struck by a car.  As a result, she becomes, in some ways, even more of an outsider, even more different, and not in a good way.  But she is also eventually moved by what happened to Humphrey take control of her life and to effect change in it. 

Since I can’t really discern why these ideas—what I’m calling the inspirations—occurred to me, however, the answer to your question is also that the idea for the book just came to me out of the blue. . . .

And since I have certainly in my life—and definitely as a teenager—shared Danielle’s uncomfortable self-appraisal, the answer to your question is also that the book is based on personal events.  Okay, maybe not so much specific personal events (although some are in there!), but personal familiarity with some of the traits I’ve given my protagonist.  And my interest in “otherness”—which led me to want to weave in the illegal immigration thread that runs through the story—probably has roots in the fact that I’m the daughter of a refugee.  

Humphrey is a really unique character name, is there a particular method you use to name characters? Or do you just go with the creative flow?

Go with the flow.  Humphrey’s name was always Humphrey.  Always Humphrey P. Danker.  I have no idea why, but it fits him.  

As for other names, Danielle’s was Danielle very early on, but I played with other names—Ruth, Aimee, Cherie, Taniqua—when I was thinking about her character in different ways.  But as soon as she became who she became, her first name was clear to me.  

Then there’s her friend Marissa.  Ah, Marissa.  Marissa went through multiple first names, mostly because my editor didn’t favor the name I gave Marissa initially, maybe because. . . it happened to be, by pure coincidence, my editor’s name, too?  I wasn’t wedded to that first name—it wasn’t an important creative choice—so I tried out other names and settled on Marissa.  Which turned out to be just right, as names usually are.  (Except, I was recently reminded while watching one of my favorite Bette Davis movies, the character of her love interest in Now, Voyager.  He’s played by Paul Henreid, and his name is “Jerry.”  Jerry is a perfectly fine name.  My brother-in-law is named Jerry.  But Paul Henreid is no Jerry.)

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing? 

Professionally:  I’d love to be a children’s book editor.

Playing:  I’d like to be a fishing guide.  I’m not claiming to be qualified to do this.

What is your favorite genre to read, and what are some of your favorite books or books that inspired you yourself to start writing?

I prefer realistic fiction.  It can be contemporary or historical.  On the other hand, I *love* The Wind in the Willows, which we really can’t call realistic fiction, can we?   Oh, Ratty!  Oh, Mole!  Oh, I am inconsistent in my likes!

I also like nonfiction that reads like a story, but without playing fast and loose with facts.

Okay, some favorite books:  My favorite book of this century is Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout.  You can read about my ardent fandom in this blog post.  My favorite book of the previous century is probably Crossing To Safety, by Wallace Stegner.  These are both novels I re-read periodically.  They quicken my pulse—not because they are action-packed, but because they are packed with intelligence, insight, and writing that makes me stop in my tracks.

My favorite YA book is To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.

Audiobook Review: Walking Disaster by: Jamie McGuire

Goodreads Summary: 

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.




My Review: 

ReadingNook Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I listened to both of these books on audiobook, and the first book Perfect Disaster was one of my favorite books of last year, unfortantly as much as I loved the first one this one fell a bit flat to me. I liked Travis's character in the first book, and I agree with most of the other people that reviewed this book that I liked Travis even more after hearing his side of the story, but I guess I wanted Jamie to push the envelope a little farther, and changed the storyline a bit to make it more refreshing and new.

It felt like I was listening to the same story all over again, but with minor details changed and with a man's voice versus Abby's in Beautiful Disaster. Jamie McGuire does have a way of writing that is completly entrancing and addictive. I know people either love or hate this series, and i'm definitly one that loves it. I didn't dislike Walking Disaster, I just wish it added more to the story then it did in the end. I wanted much more from the story.

I can see how people could not like the story, Travis can be a bit stalkerish and creepy, but if you can try to look past that, Travis is pretty hunky, and what girl wouldn't want to be loved with an all-consuming love like Travis has for Abby?

If you haven't read any New Adult books as of yet, then you need to start here with Perfect Disaster. This series is fun, addictive, and fabulous. I can't wait to read more from Jamie McGuire and see what else she has in store for us.

Audiobook Review: Red Rain by: R.L. Stine

Goodreads Summary:

Travel writer Lea Sutter finds herself on a small island off the coast of South Carolina, the wrong place at the wrong time. A merciless, unanticipated hurricane cuts a path of destruction and Lea barely escapes with her life. In the storm’s aftermath, she discovers orphaned twin boys and impulsively decides to adopt them. The boys, Samuel and Daniel, seem amiable and immensely grateful; Lea’s family back on Long Island—husband Mark and their two children, Ira and Elena—aren’t quite so pleased. But even they can’t anticipate the twins’ true nature—or predict that, within a few weeks’ time, Mark will wind up implicated in two brutal murders, with the police narrowing in.






My Review: 

ReadingNook Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This is going to be a really hard review to write, because it was such a bizarre story. I grew up reading R.L. Stine's Goosebump series, which I think most children who grew up in the early 90's would relate too. Obviously I was a HUGE fan, and they were a big part of what got me into reading to begin with, so when I saw that he was writing his first adult novel I knew I wanted to read it.

I don't know if the narrator made me lose focus of the story, or if parts of story dragged on a bit, but I had to go back quite a few times, because i'd realize that my mind had wandered and i'd have zero clue as to what was going on. The story follows a travel blogger named Lea who goes to this small island off of North Carolina, that most people are afraid to travel too due to the creepy history of the island. A strong hurricane hits the island while Lea is visitng and she meets two young twin boys who are left orphaned by the storm and she decides that she wants to adopt them.

Once the twins are home, weird situations start to ensue including murders that frame Lea's husband, Mark. The twists and turns in this book are bizarre and twisted, but in a good way. I just don't think I connected with the story. It was a bit too weird and macabre for me. I still enjoyed it though, and if your a fan of horror, then I definitely recommend checking this one out, but beware, it's very dark and gruesome. 

Book Review: Speechless by: Hannah Harrington

Goodreads Summary: 

Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.



My Review: 

ReadingNook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Let me start off this review by saying that I love the simplicity of the cover, and I think it's fitting that the cover represents the tone of the story so well. I love Hannah Harrington's writing style, she has a way with words that draws me in everytime. After reading Saving June last year, I couldn't wait to get more of her writing, and I loved this book just as much. I think this story is so important for teenagers, to know how devastating spreading rumors and bullying can be.

I loved that she pushed the envelope with this story, in the respect that she made the situation super intense, but in a very realistic and tasteful way. I really grew to like Chelsea's character, and liked watching her grow and transform throughout the story. There are so many important topics that this book touches on; bullying, abuse, hate crimes, forgiveness, etc. I think certain books should have to be read during high school years, and If I was a teacher I would make sure this one made it on my reading list, yes it's gritty, but I can't stress how important I think this story is, esp. at an age when your vunerable, and think that what others think of you is most important.

Hannah Harrington is quickly making her way into my favorite authors. This being her second book, I cannot wait to read more from her. Both of her books grasped me in such a strong way, If you haven't read anything from her yet, you need to go out and get books literally right now!!