tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28962944275261212212024-02-19T05:53:38.014-06:00Digitally Dog-earedDeborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778988689776528563noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896294427526121221.post-76087245556710320742013-07-16T20:32:00.000-05:002013-07-16T20:32:31.631-05:00Heir to the Lamp by Michelle Lowery Combs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>A Goodreads Summary:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUALlJsG0zvWDTcdkNTn7D9UtNiQXo91c6jxPGiMEVi-1TlqUsD3dL3wdtH4hrpW2XNn0AEiOVJb4jvVQwief-lswFU-Tqcoe6LzbP_tXTlXBDikChc8HIgFTxvZVgeB7d2g0Ba0MKkUyo/s1600/httl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUALlJsG0zvWDTcdkNTn7D9UtNiQXo91c6jxPGiMEVi-1TlqUsD3dL3wdtH4hrpW2XNn0AEiOVJb4jvVQwief-lswFU-Tqcoe6LzbP_tXTlXBDikChc8HIgFTxvZVgeB7d2g0Ba0MKkUyo/s320/httl.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><em>A family secret, a mysterious lamp, a dangerous Order with the mad desire to possess both.</em> </strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Ginn used to think she knew all there was to know about how she became adopted by parents whose #1 priority is to embarrass her with public displays of affection, but that changes when a single wish starts a never-ending parade of weirdness marching through her door the day she turns thirteen.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Gifted with a mysterious lamp and the missing pieces from her adoption story, Ginn tries to discover who…or </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">what</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">…she really is. That should be strange enough, but to top it off Ginn’s being hunted by the Order of the Grimoire, a secret society who’ll stop at nothing to harness the power of a real genie. Ginn struggles to stay one step ahead of the Grimms with the help of Rashmere, Guardian of the lamp and the most loyal friend a girl never knew she had. The Grimms are being helped, too—but by whom? As much as she doesn’t want to, Ginn’s beginning to question the motives of her long-time crush Caleb Scott and his connection to her newest, most dangerous enemy.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">~ ~ ~ ~ ~</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My Thoughts...</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I was first asked to read and review this book, I was
afraid that I would have a hard time being completely honest. I know the author personally and consider her
a good friend of mine. Needless to say,
I have no problem with telling you how much I enjoyed this novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We start out with a story of Virginia, aka Ginn, and her
misfit, chaotic family. She seems normal
and as happy as a 13-year-old girl can be.
She has normal struggles with her mother’s cooking, her brothers and larger-than-normal
bullies. She’s witty, independent and
sporty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And she just so happens to be one of a few children in her
family that is adopted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When Ginn discovers that things around her are changing due
to silent wishes, her Grandmother unveils the story of her birth family and
unlocks a world she had only heard about in books. While trying to grasp the reality of the
person she really is, she’s introduced to a new friend and protector that takes
many shapes and forms over the course of the book, Rashmere. He becomes Ginn’s guide in this new world she
has involuntarily become a part of, teaching her the ropes and educating her
about the enemies of her kind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Together with help from her Gran, her brother CJ, CJ’s cute
friend, Caleb, and Rashmere, Ginn learns how to navigate her new world and
discovers that her enemies will stop at nothing to get their hands on her and
her lamp.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Typically, I would think this novel would be more geared
toward the younger YA group. However,
that being said, I’m in my early 30’s and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was really fond of Ginn’s independent
nature and ability to adjust quickly to the overload of information thrown at
her. She was strong when she needed to
be, but I also loved that I could still see the snarky teenager creeping
through her brave façade. I found myself
silently rooting for Ginn and her newly-discovered abilities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I adored precious Rashmere and his loyal nature. Ginn’s family made me laugh a lot throughout
the book and reminded me a good bit of my own chaotic life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This book was an easy read but I still felt challenged in a
good way. It kept my brain occupied
trying to remember stories and connections without overwhelming the plot of the
story. The pace was quick without
feeling rushed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think any fan of YA paranormal books would really enjoy
this one. For Michelle’s debut novel, I
am beyond impressed (and more than a little proud of my friend). I cannot wait to read more of Ginn’s adventures
in the sequels!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l87/harobed520/blogsignature_zps5a514731.png" style="width: NaN%;" /><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778988689776528563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896294427526121221.post-34794064491148979282013-01-17T21:07:00.001-06:002013-01-17T21:07:58.469-06:00"Em Says..." Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"Em Says..." will be a new addition to my blog. Emily is a very good friend of mine and will be periodically contributing as a guest reviewer. She's smart, witty, funny, pretty and a fantastic wife, mom and friend. She and I share a lot of the same tastes in literature, and I trust her to be brutally honest about what she reads and reviews.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>A Goodreads Summary:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MoOVnWNM2OCRXnD7jwARRvwcplRbZcfml70fNwjSk-Sj59pA2TLlqWPJsJNdgl93cKOUY19cok2xHoe6OE8zh0zczBlFodFGLxGU-3I-6pVxx4QuyIgXgXvY8jpEeh1faXKNIcdqiZ7a/s1600/pushing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MoOVnWNM2OCRXnD7jwARRvwcplRbZcfml70fNwjSk-Sj59pA2TLlqWPJsJNdgl93cKOUY19cok2xHoe6OE8zh0zczBlFodFGLxGU-3I-6pVxx4QuyIgXgXvY8jpEeh1faXKNIcdqiZ7a/s320/pushing.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from
popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with
"freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth
of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back
to normal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in
the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and
surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have
imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both
keep, being together is pretty much <i>impossible.</i><br />
<br />
Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask
herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one
guy who might teach her how to love again.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>My Thoughts:</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The first thing I noticed about <i>Pushing the Limits</i> was that there were 58! chapters. Not to worry,
with the point of view change that came with each chapter this was an easy read
and I found myself finishing the book in a day. Getting inside both our lead
characters’ heads was important and enjoyable. Echo and Noah are two very
different people and it was lovely to see both perspectives as their
relationship developed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Echo Emerson has been through hell and back but has no
recollection of the day that completely changed her life. We meet Echo as she
begins the last half of her senior year in high school by attending an
appointment with the school’s new clinical social worker, Mrs. Collins. As she struggles to reclaim her “normal” by
reconnecting with friends, she begins a journey that leads her to places she
hadn’t intended – one of those places being in the sights of Noah Hutchins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Speaking of our hero, Noah has had a rough life as well.
He’s an orphan who has been labeled a troublemaker by the foster care system.
It seems at first that his life goal is to live up to the labels assigned to
him by people who barely know anything about him and trust me when I say those
labels won’t help him aspire to be or do much. But underneath that initial
layer is a complex young man who wants his family back. Noah is also assigned
to work with Mrs. Collins and her relationship with both students was integral
to the growth of both characters that we get to witness throughout the story.
Noah and Echo are paired up for tutoring by Mrs. Collins and their relationship
begins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the things I think Katie McGarry does very well in
this book is develop a realistic high school environment. The characters, both
main and secondary, were well-developed and multi-dimensional. There are layers
to the story and the world that McGarry built. Echo has Lila, her BFF; her
father; and her babysitter turned step-mother Ashley, in addition to her
sometime friends who haven’t quite figured out how to treat Echo since the
unknown event two years prior. Noah has Beth and Isaiah. Both have Mrs. Collins
who quickly became my favorite secondary character. She seemed genuinely
interested in helping her students and, unlike so many in their lives, didn’t
give up at the first sign of push back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As Echo and Noah get to know each other, there were moments
I swooned, moments I cringed, and moments I was blown away by their perceptiveness.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Her eyes met mine
again. “So what does this mean for us?”</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
I lowered my forehead to hers. “It means you’re mine.”</span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes, really, every single time I read that line I squee a
little bit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Liar," she spat.
"Because the only way anyone will ever be okay with me is if they love me.
Really love me enought to not care that I'm damaged. You don't love people. You
have sex with them. So how could you want to be with me?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I loved that Echo really did stand up for herself to Noah
even though she wasn’t able to do that with everyone in her life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Normal. She wanted
normal and so did I.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I thought a major theme from the book was finding normal and
accepting that it may not be what you thought when you set out on your search.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The last thing I’ll say is Echo and Noah made me laugh quite
a bit with their thoughts. While there is some serious stuff going on
throughout the book, it was fun being inside their heads for a bit. I mean, how
awesome is it that Echo can compare a case of the butterflies she once had to
the now insane dinosaurs residing in her belly when she sees Noah?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Luke used to give me
butterflies. Noah spawned mutant pterodactyls.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I highly recommend <i>Pushing
the Limits</i>. It is, in my opinion, a perfect YA contemporary. I’m not big on
giving 5 stars but in this case, I can’t help it. (I think what pushed me over
is that Noah calls Echo <i>baby</i>, which
normally isn’t my favorite thing but in here was super cute.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Warning… Book contains language and adult situations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Note from Deborah:</b> I've read this book also and agree with everything above. I'll be posting a review for the sequel, Dare You To, in the next few days.</span></div>
Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778988689776528563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896294427526121221.post-16884792200229046062013-01-04T21:16:00.000-06:002013-01-16T20:01:28.710-06:00The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay<b>A Goodreads Summary:</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMY2-YJn0hRzI25vTMQQGU_LfPieakv29Af78DrodXa65Si4bcFV3fVLrvKoIqn7BRCttbKCDsg7Ba-D4XH5SLD4aNg9wi0HzkXtUjyaArgTInwlGMUaR3BcHjN-w0itIbB1_5PFZkDcw/s1600/the+sea+of+tranquility.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMY2-YJn0hRzI25vTMQQGU_LfPieakv29Af78DrodXa65Si4bcFV3fVLrvKoIqn7BRCttbKCDsg7Ba-D4XH5SLD4aNg9wi0HzkXtUjyaArgTInwlGMUaR3BcHjN-w0itIbB1_5PFZkDcw/s320/the+sea+of+tranquility.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">"I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.</em><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Josh Bennett’s story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" />
<em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The Sea of Tranquility</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">~ ~ ~ ~ ~</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My Thoughts...</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After a week of seeing several people on Twitter raving about this book, I decided to give it a try. Needless to say, at one point toward the end of the book, I was cooking dinner with one hand and holding my Kindle in the other. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.984848022460938px;">Nastya, the main character, seems like she's living a typical life of teenage rebellion. She has attitude, refuses to dress normally and spends her days loathing herself. However, her story is anything but normal for a teenage girl. As it unfolds, you start to feel a deep compassion for her and wonder how she will ever get over her past.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.984848022460938px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.984848022460938px;">Her therapy comes in the form of Josh Bennett, a reclusive, brooding, yet very swoony, teenager himself. The two begin to form a bond, </span><span style="line-height: 18.969696044921875px;">identifying</span><span style="line-height: 18.984848022460938px;"> with one another in a way others cannot. He shares his secrets and past with her, but even though he shows her the patience and understanding he can have, she can't bring herself to lay it all out for him. Ultimately, this leads them to a place of destruction.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.984848022460938px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.984848022460938px;">There are several sweet, cute or thought-provoking tidbits interwoven into their dialog:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.984848022460938px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.984848022460938px;">"Just so you know," he mimics me, "I would chop that table up and use it for firewood before I would ever choose anything over you." - Josh Bennett</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.984848022460938px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">“I wished my mother was here tonight, which is stupid, because it’s an impossible wish.” He shrugs and turns to me, drowning the smile that cracks me every time. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">“It’s not stupid to want to see her again.” </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">“It wasn’t so much that I wanted to see her again,” he says, looking at me with the depth of more than seventeen years in his eyes. “I wanted her to see you.” </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Do real boys actually call girls baby? I don't have enough experience to know. I do know that if a guy ever called me baby, I'd probably laugh in his face. Or choke him.” </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Daylight won’t protect you from anything. Bad things happen all the time; they don’t wait until after dinner."</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">I cannot tell you how much of a book hangover I had when I finished. These characters made me feel so, so much. When they loved, I loved. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">When they broke, I broke.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"> When they healed, I healed with them. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">I recommended the story to a good friend of mine, not knowing how she might receive it. I anxiously awaited her reaction. Not too long after she starting reading, my phone started pinging with notifications of direct messages on twitter. In the end, I believe we exchanged about fifty flaily direct messages yesterday. Needless to say, I believe she loved it.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ultimately, this is a story of forgiveness and second chances. I encourage you to give it a try. It earned 5 stars from me on Goodreads. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Happy Reading!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">P.S. Warning: This book contains some language and adult situations. </span></span>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778988689776528563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896294427526121221.post-79320356312280245202012-06-18T23:04:00.000-05:002012-06-18T23:04:49.336-05:00Aricle 5 by Kristen Simmons<h4>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A Goodreads Summary...</span></h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFE2snQ9kVqhSJWIKseX2vs3xFOU3y3dA6mqGiL-uTPqmIuEOethlvp-CxUfXCncWQMeOjyrFRcs17EYyXP8pkQjjNf5a8JEKxicLXb6izEfdZtY6ZsvnBkzsiCTKT7ZqT7EPds8svS01/s1600/10677277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFE2snQ9kVqhSJWIKseX2vs3xFOU3y3dA6mqGiL-uTPqmIuEOethlvp-CxUfXCncWQMeOjyrFRcs17EYyXP8pkQjjNf5a8JEKxicLXb6izEfdZtY6ZsvnBkzsiCTKT7ZqT7EPds8svS01/s320/10677277.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">My Summary and Thoughts...</span></span></h4>
<div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Seeing as how I am going through a hardcore dystopian phase right now, this book definitely fit the bill. (If you are unfamiliar with the dystopian genre, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopia">here is an explanation.</a>) </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I was fooled by the summary into thinking the entire story would be based on the small description but was happily surprised to find that it only covered the first few chapters of the book. Unfortunately, because of that, I don't want to elaborate too much on the rest of the story for fear I might ruin it for someone. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The heroine of the story, Ember Miller, seems like a normal teenage girl living in what she believes is a normal (by her standards) world. She shoulders the burden of caring for her mother and herself while nursing the broken heart she suffered at the hands of Chase Jennings when he left her to become a soldier. After her mother's arrest, she and Chase meet again unexpectedly.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">With the perfect combination of romance, action and suspense, the tale of Ember and Chase kept me on the edge of my seat...and kept me up until 1am this morning until I made myself turn off my Kindle. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">This book is a fantastic read for those of you looking for something interesting with a hint of backstory and love. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads but really would rather have given it 4.5 out of 5. </span></span></div>Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778988689776528563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896294427526121221.post-70821976587094900462012-06-07T22:09:00.000-05:002012-06-07T22:09:56.297-05:00Welcome!Blogging is relatively new to me so bear with me while I learn the tricks of this trade. I hope to have some book recommendations with reviews for those of you looking for something good to read. I love to read YA fiction but read basically anything entertaining. Thanks for stopping by!Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778988689776528563noreply@blogger.com0