Summer Reading

Now that it's officially summer, it brings back some reading nostalgia. I would stay up all night long just reading in my room, listening to the peepers and looking at the moon. I would still be awake at 4:30 in the morning when my parents got up for work!!! 

I have vivid memories of reading the Harry Potter series in a couple nights a piece each summer. It seemed like one was always released during summer vacation.

Go ahead and tell me...

What's your favorite summer read??

Review: Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Synopsis: Oliver grew up in a family of explorers - but his biggest adventure is about to begin!

Along with his new friends, a grumpy old albatross, a short-sighted mermaid and a friendly island called Cliff, Oliver goes off in search of his missing parents. But before he can put his rescue plan into action there's the evil Stacey de Lacey and an army of greasy, green sea monkeys to contend with . . .

Review: This book was so adorable!!! I am not one to read many children's books but I am so glad I was asked to review this one.

This is a fantasy story about a boy named Oliver whose parents go missing. When he goes to find them, he lands himself on a rambling island which then begins to move away taking Oliver with him. Cliff, as the island is affectionately named, is in search of objects for his seawig. With new friends including a cranky albatross named Mr. Culpepper and a mermaid named Iris, they set out to help Cliff win the Seawigs Contest. Oh, did I mention they come across sarcastic talking seaweed and crazy green fluffy sea monkeys?!

Apart from being a great fantasy novel, this book teaches a great lesson to children. The cast of characters reminded me of the Island of Misfit Toys in a way. Cliff is a small island that can't make a good seawig, Oliver is a boy that has never socialized with anyone but his parents, Iris is a nearsighted mermaid that cannot sing, and Mr. Culpepper is a bird who doesn't like to fly around. Each of them are made fun of by their peers, made to feel bad about themselves because they are different. But in the end, they all rein victors and have a happy ending all together. Oliver and his friends are great examples of overcoming bullying and succeeding by being themselves.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to be on all elementary school bookshelves!

Recommended For: Elementary school teachers, Children 9-12 who enjoy fantasy. Underlying message of overcoming bullying.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Hexed by Michelle Krys

Publish Date: June 10, 2014
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Synopsis: A stolen book. A deadly plan. A destiny discovered.

If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won't stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn't want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie's world, she learns that her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn't get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that's seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she's a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie is about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid. (from goodreads.com)

Review: This book was essentially just as described. I have been seeing a lot of mixed reviews since its' release and it seems that the reasons that some people love this book are the same reasons that other people dislike it. For me, it took some looking past the high school drama occurring throughout the story to like the book.

The main characters of this book are teenagers. The main character, Indigo, is a senior in high school. Like a typical teenage girl, she is self-absorbed and a little whiny. Her biggest concerns, before the whole witch/sorcerer thing starts, are cheerleading and her social status. Will bringing a nerd to a party be social suicide?! Yeah...no. Bishop, though also an 18 year old, was less annoying to me. He seemed wiser beyond his years. Maybe it is because of his family situation, maybe because he's been doing this warlock thing for a while and understands the implications of being chased around by sorcerers. But either way, he didn't get under my skin too much. The third main character, Paige, is a nerdy girl who just wants to be friends with Indigo. She doesn't care about social status or what anyone thinks of her. I found myself relating with her throughout the story.

Indigo's mother owns an occult shop and has always wanted to be a witch. Though it seems that Indigo thinks it a bit strange, she goes with it. And she knows about the secret book that is stashed in the shop. Then Bishop comes along and says "Hey, you might be a witch. You will find out in a few days at the stroke of midnight." And everyone is cool with that. Indigo's mom arranges a seance type thing, Paige brings candles, and the three of them sit around waiting until midnight to see if she comes into her powers. This part of the book seemed to move fast for me- it was a matter of days until she found out and after she did, nobody seemed to think it was a big deal. That is, until the sorcerers start showing up more and more frequently. Indigo's teenage girl attitude really bugged me throughout this course. Who cares what you are wearing?! You are being chased, girl! By people that can kill you literally with the blink of an eye. Just shut up and run! 

The end of this book seemed to be wrapping up nicely. Knowing it was the first book in a series, it was wrapping up too nicely. I was thinking to myself "How is this going to continue on? Where's the cliffhanger?" And then...boom. There is was. Everyone breathing a sigh of relief that the situation is over until omg what happened to so-and-so? I can't get a hold of them on the phone, that's strange. Oh crap...*End of book* 

I will be picking up the second book when it is released to see what happens!

Recommended For: Fans of paranormal books, witch books. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

*Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Coin Heist by Elisa Ludwig

Publish Date: June 10, 2014
Publisher: Adaptive Books

Synopsis: The last place you’d expect to find a team of criminals is at a prestigious Philadelphia prep school. But on a class trip to the U.S. Mint – which prints a million new coins every 30 minutes – an overlooked security flaw becomes far too tempting for a small group of students to ignore.

United by dire circumstances, these unlikely allies – the slacker, the nerd, the athlete, and the "perfect" student – band together to attempt the impossible: rob the U.S. Mint. The diverse crew is forced to confront their true beliefs about each other and themselves as they do the wrong thing for the right reasons.

Elisa Ludwig's Coin Heist is a fun, suspenseful, and compelling thriller, told from the revolving perspectives of four teens, each with their own motive for committing a crime that could change all of their lives for the better—if they can pull it off.

Review: **Some spoilers may be present** When I first heard the synopsis of this book, I was instantly intrigued. 4 teenagers devising a plan to rob the U.S. Mint?! That sounds awesome! I couldn't wait to read it. But once I did, it fell a bit flat for me. Now, don't get me wrong. I read this book in 2 sittings. I really did want to know what happened next and if they pull off the heist. But that's where I had the problem.

First off, let me say that I really did enjoy the 4 separate points of view and how it rotated through each one in a row. However, I found that they all sounded very similar. I would be halfway through a chapter and have to flip back to the beginning to see which character was narrating. You would think that for such diverse characters, they would have different attitudes. The diversity of the characters is why I had heard this reminded some of "The Breakfast Club"- there was the princess, the nerd, the jock, and the class clown. Together they cause a ruckus. Flashback to the 80s!

Now, moving onto the main plot of this book- a heist at this federal building in order to get enough money to save their school. Now they are high schoolers, not to say that high schoolers are not intelligent. But it is a little far-fetched that they could flawlessly plan this down to the minute and it goes pretty much exactly the way they planned. Minimal to no bumps in the road, the plan just works. I would have enjoyed this story more if they were challenged more. If there was more suspense over the outcome of their plan. What I was most taken aback by is that they pull off this heist, get caught, get turned over to an administrator of the school and nothing happens!! They saved the school, their original goal. Yay!

All in all, this book was just okay for me. I imagine that if I had read this during my middle school years, I would have been a bigger fan. 

Recommended For: Fans of middle grade/early young adult

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Stupid Girl by Cindy Miles

Publish Date: May 13, 2014
Publisher: TKA Distribution

Synopsis: Only fools fall in love...

After her senior year of high school leaves behind nothing but heartache, Olivia Beaumont is sure of this: She’s no stupid girl. She sets out for Winston College, promising herself that she will remain focused on her first and only love – astronomy. But all it takes is cocky sophomore Brax Jenkins and an accidental collision with a football, to throw her entire year off course. 

A quick-tempered Southie who escaped the inner city streets of Boston to pitch for Winston, Brax is known to play way more fields than just the baseball diamond. So, when his name is drawn to take part in his fraternity’s hazing dare, Brax eagerly accepts the mission to take Olivia’s virginity. But he doesn’t plan on falling hard for the sweet and sassy Texas girl who sees right through his bad-boy persona. 

As Olivia and Brax battle their feelings for each other, echoes of the past year begin to surface. A boy who once turned Olivia’s whole world upside down reappears, and “harmless” pranks wreak havoc. Pretty soon the aspiring astronomer is on the verge of revealing her most difficult, heartbreaking secret. All the while, Brax must wrestle with the irrevocable dare, and Olivia struggles against all logic as she does the one thing only a stupid girl would do: fall in love. (From goodreads.com)

Review: First thoughts- what a beautiful cover!! And it focuses on the sky which is a key theme throughout this book.

The premise of this book is so classic- bad boy goes after innocent good girl and chaos ensues. What fun, what drama! The author wrote this book in such a way that allowed you to connect with both main characters. I won't say I was a fan of Olivia the whole book, she really annoyed me at certain parts. Though she has been through a major stressor/absolutely horrible situation, she seemed whiny at times. Now, I haven't gone through what she has (thank goodness), so I don't completely understand the psychological effects this event has. This just adds another layer to the complexity of Olivia and Brax's situation. The ending of this book is pretty much a given however I was okay with that. You know why? Because it is exactly what I wanted to happen!

Cindy Miles did a nice job at writing this story. It was descriptive but not overly so and allowed you to make connections with the main characters. You know that the characters are well developed when the events that happen to them make you shed some tears. Even though Brax was the bad boy and did a lot of horrible things in this book, I found myself rooting for him the whole time and wanting a happy ending.

Recommended For: Fans of contemporary, romance, or new adult. Fans of YA contemporary may also enjoy.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Check it out!!!

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Art of Arranging Flowers by Lynne Branard

Publish Date: June 3, 2014
Publisher: Berkley Trade

Synopsis: Ruby Jewell knows flowers. In her twenty years as a florist she has stood behind the counter at the Flower Shoppe with her faithful dog, Clementine, resting at her feet. A customer can walk in, and with just a glance or a few words, Ruby can throw together the perfect arrangement for any occasion.
 
Whether intended to rekindle a romance, mark a celebration, offer sympathy, or heal a broken heart, her expressive floral designs mark the moments and milestones in the lives of her neighbors. It’s as though she knows just what they want to say, just what they need.
 
Yet Ruby’s own heart’s desires have gone ignored since the death of her beloved sister. It will take an invitation from a man who’s flown to the moon, the arrival of a unique little boy, and concern from a charming veterinarian to reawaken her wounded spirit. Any life can be derailed, but the healing power of community can put it right again. - from goodreads.com

Review: I would be lying if I said that I was hooked on this book from the start. The truth is, I started reading this a few times, each time getting through the first chapter and putting it down. But once I got past the first few chapters and the plot really got going, I was hooked. I could NOT put this down! Throughout the story, Ruby is prim and proper to the point that she was making me crazy. I wanted to yell into the book "Take a chance!!! Live a little!!!" But it turns out that's what most of this book is about. Taking a chance. Learning to let your guard down and let things or people in.

The cast of characters were all different but each lent their own wisdom, experiences, and advice. Ruby touches so many lives through her flowers that it's nice to see how many people touch hers as well. Though she is still grieving the loss of her sister 20 years prior, she has such a family with the people of Creekside, Washington. It made me yearn for small town life.

One of my favorite parts of this story was learning about the flowers themselves. Ruby knows which flowers are good for healing different ailments, which ones improve different moods, even which ones can give people a boost to fall in love. I found this extremely fascinating.

Overall, the moral of this story is to let people in because as they say..."All you need is love and lilies."

Recommended For: Fans of contemporary, women's fiction. Debbie Macomber fans.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.