Stacking the Shelves 06/15/13

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I've been home convalescing from the hospital (I'm OK now), so what does that mean? Not only do I have a massive hospital bill, but a HUGE online bookstore bill!

What I Bought

 

The Keep by Veronica Wolff

This Is What Happy Looks Like

Flicker by Kaye Thornbrugh

The Trouble With Flirting by Claire LaZebnik

The Year My Sister Got Lucky by Aimee Friedman

ACID by Emma Pass (UK edition)

The Mayfair Moon by J.A. Redmerski

Demon Chick by Marilyn Kaye

How My Summer Went Up In Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

 

 

Have you read any of these? Did you get any good books this week? Leave me a link in the comments so I can check out your haul!

My Side by Tara Brown

Title: My Side
Author: Tara Brown
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Length: 439 KB
Format: ebook


Description from Goodreads:

Erin Benson felt like she'd won the lottery when she arrived all the way from North Dakota with the keys to her first home in hand.
Crisp white walls: Check.
Breathtaking view of downtown Boston: Check.
Minutes from Northeastern School of Law: Check.

But home is not always where the heart is. Sometimes it’s where you find Mr. Random shacked up and sprawled out on what was supposed to be your new bed.
Between the bear spray and the handcuffs, she discovers a terrible mistake has been made.
Lochlan hasn't broken into her new home to sleep with a seedy barmaid...he owns half.

With emotions running on high, Erin is determined to tough it out until a solution can be found.
The tight quarters seem smaller with his accumulated clutter and bizarre sleeping schedule. It also doesn't help that he's the new lead singer for Thin Ice, an indie band on its rise to fame.
What happens when a quiet bookworm gets stuck with a relentless rocker?
What happens when the things you see are not the things you get?

My Thoughts:

      I can't help it...I judge books by their covers. From this cover I assumed I was going to read a fun and light battle between boy and girl. Then to further my expectations the synopsis kind of backed up my assumptions. Well, you know what assuming does? It makes me WRONG. My Side by Tara Brown is one emotional roller coaster filled with overly dramatic characters and an unhealthy relationship. Erin and Lochlan are perfect on the outside. Both characters are beautiful, smart, and talented. On the other hand, they are both truly messed up.

      Erin moves to Boston to go to law school and meets Lochlan. She first sees him in her newly rented apartment rolling in the hay with a fake boobed bimbo and maces him (by far best part of the book). Chaos and sexual innuendo ensues as they fight their obvious sexual attraction. Once they give in it is constant drama! The entire book basically consists of Erin's life revolving around Lochlan. Throughout the entire book she doesn't have one friend that is not connected to him or the band. The closest is a girl she meets at one of his concerts. Erin is constantly jealous and leaving Lochlan over something he or one of his groupies did. I kept thinking "Come on! Grow some lady balls!" And now to the leading man himself. Lochlan would get so "crazy" angry over the littlest thing that I kept expecting that he would just break and hit her any moment. He gets so angry he shuts down, eyes go black, shakes, and feels he has to destroy whatever room he is in. After every break up and anger episode he would go into stalker mode to try and win her back. How is this explained/resolved/made OK? He has ADHD and saw his father take care of his disabled mother from a young age. Seriously? This is not an excuse. How do the other characters and even Erin's own family handle the on again off again breakup crazy anger bouts? They blame Erin! They blame her for his crazy anger actions and plead with her to appease him so he can keep singing! By the end of the book hardly anything is resolved. They just decide to be a little more grown up and not act like two year olds.

      My ranting and raving is over. My Side wasn't completely terrible. If you like alpha-crazy men and hot sex, by all means read this book! My main gripe is that he relationship in this book isn't far fetched. It's crazy and goes on all the time. And my problem is that it is unhealthy and my girl power is just saying NO! I give this book a 2 1/2 Star rating.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

 

 

I am going to be completely honest...I failed at the Top Ten topic this week. What topic could I possibly fail at? Well, the Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Stuff. This should be an easy topic right? I really don't like books that deal with "tough stuff" that much. I may have a close minded philosophy, but everyday life around the world is depressing enough. Why buy books that just depress me when I could turn on the news? Anyways, I tried my best. These are a few books that I have read in the "tough stuff" category that I really liked.

 

 

~ If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

 

You know this book is sad just by looking at the cover and you know it is sad by reading the back of the book. Despite all of this you start reading, it gives you hope, and crushes you in the end. The Tough Stuff factor- death of a young person and one or two surprise issues

 

 

~The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

 

I received this a review book and started reading it between class breaks at college. By the time I was through with the book I had to go to my mother's office (who works at my college) and sit in her office behind closed doors as I cried my eyes out. The Tough Stuff factor- Cancer

 

 

~Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

 

Military books will get me every time. I absolutely love Something Like Normal by Trish Doller. This is a book about a young soldier who comes home from war and has to learn to deal and accept what happened during his time of service and how his old life has changed as well. The Tough Stuff factor- War, PTSD, Divorce, & Death

 

 

~The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

 

This looks like a happy, fun, summer book and in most ways it is. That's not the whole story. This book is mostly about growing up and realizing things don't always turn out like you plan. The Tough Stuff factor- Growing Up and Disillusionment

 

 

 

****That's all I have folks! Leave me a link or comment so I can check out your Top Ten!

 

 

 

 

From My Mama's Kitchen by Johnny Tan

Title: From My Mama's Kitchen
Author: Johnny Tan
Publisher: THC Investments (January 19, 2009)
Length: 150 pages
Format: paperback

Description:

Endorsed by the National Association of Mothers’ Centers and a gold award winner in the category of Inspirational/Motivational from the Mom Choice Awards®, this book is about the power of unconditional love, women empowerment, and potent leadership. Through nurturing motherly love, moms have the ability to make a positive difference in the lives of their loved ones in the roles of teacher, coach, and counselor. The book offers a wealth of wisdom for good parenting skills and communicating more effectively. Adopted at birth in Malaysia, Johnny Tan later arrived in the United States at 18 to attend college. His life’s journey led him to cross paths with several women whom he affectionately refers to as moms. His 9 moms’ insightful parenting skills and motivational words of wisdom helped him overcome the challenges of everyday living. The book pays tribute to moms all over the world in an entertaining, inspiring, and educational way. The kitchen is used as a wonderful backdrop because it is the heart of every home, and where Johnny and his moms enjoyed their many conversations. This book is designed as a keepsake for all occasions, meant to last and inspire forever. It includes a blank dedication page for readers to inscribe their own loved one’s name, and a space where readers can record their recipes for living. At the very end of the book, Johnny incorporates nine of his favorite food recipes.
 

 

My Thoughts:


From My Mama's Kitchen by Johnny Tan is a heart touching journey that show readers that a woman does not have to a blood relation to impact and impart wisdom and love. In this short book, Mr. Tan shares the philosophies of 9 women who greatly impacted his life. As I was reading and each bit of "wisdom" was revealed I kept thinking to myself," I know this" or "I always do this." These philosophies are simple, but it made me realize where I learned them from...my mother, my grandmother, and a very special lady who treated me as her own. Mr. Tan's 9 moms provided him with the universal wisdom of mothers and he in turn is passing it along through this book. From My Mama's Kitchen is sweet, insightful, and personal all at the same time. This would be the perfect gift for a child to share with the various mothers in their lives! I highly recommend From My Mama's Kitchen by Johnny Tan.


For More Information:

Learn more about From My Mama's Kitchen in this YouTube video

Spring Fling Giveaway! May 1-7

It's time for a giveaway! Eve's Fan Garden & I Am A Reader, Not A Writer are hosting an awesome giveaway hop. Two winners will receive MP3 CD copies of Shut Out by Kody Keplinger and narrated by Kate Reinders. This contest is open to ages 13 & up and you must have a US mailing address. Winners will be emailed and have 48hrs to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention

Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling...


To enter just fill out the Rafflecopter for below. Don't forget to check out all of the other sites participating!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Ten Tuesday 04/30/2013

 Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

 

 

I cannot tell you how excited I am for this weeks topic! Today's Top Ten Tuesday is...Top Ten Words/Topics That Instantly Make Me Buy/Pick Up A Book! So, this is going to be like blogger confessions. Don't judge my by my guilty pleasures!

 

 

10.) Girl-Falls-For-BFF's-Brother: I love the idea of this semi forbidden romance

09.) Boarding School: Whether rich kid boarding school or paranormal boarding school...it doesn't matter. I used to wish I went to a boarding school and they have just always stuck with me.

08.) Famous-Athlete-Falls-For-Regular-Girl: I just recently finished a book where a NFL quarterback falls for a publishing house intern. I am in love!

07.) Girl-Falls-For-Older-Brother's-BFF: see # 10

06.) Movie-Star/Rock-Star-Falls-For-Regular-Girl : I just finished Sinners on Tour: Double Time and am currently obsessed with watching Hollywood Heights...don't judge.

05.) Main-Characters-"Hate"-Each-Other: A la The Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. There is just something about the sexual tension of supposed enemies.

04.) Let-Me-Teach-You-How-To-Be-A-Player/Seducer/Lessons-In-Love : You know the books where the girl is in love with some guy but doesn't know how to approach him so she gets the bad boy player to teach her how to lure the other guy in and they wind up falling in love.

03.) Best-Friends-Fall-in-Love : I think the idea of best friends falling in love is just so sweet!

02.) Kick Ass Heroines!: I love me some Rose Hathaway, Riley Blackthorn, and Tris type girls. Women who are vulnerable, but can still handle themselves are an empowering read for me.

01.) LOVE TRIANGLES! Yes, I am one of those dreaded uber fans of all things love triangle! If
 the summary/description of the book says anything to this effect I am more than likely to pick it up on that alone.

                                                                                (one of my fav love triangles of all time)

Leave me a comment and a link to your Top Ten so I can check it out!

Connected by Kim Karr

Title: Connected
Author: Kim Karr
Series: Connections #1
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 20, 2013)
Length: 364 pages
Format: paperback


Description from Goodreads:

What if a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ could happen twice?

Suffering from a past full of tragedy, Dahlia London's soul has been left completely shattered. Happily ever after is a far cry from reality in her world. But, when she is reconnected with her past, the bonds that form are irrefutable.

When River Wilde, lead singer of The Wilde Ones, comes back into Dahlia’s life, the intensity that fires their relationship combined with underlying feelings that have never died lead her to believe she has met her soulmate.

Struggling with confusion as old connections fade and new ones begin, Dahlia's grief begins to lift--but guilt remains. River wants to be the one to mend all that is torn within her.

But with a past that is never really gone, can their future survive?

My Thoughs:

Connected by Kim Karr is a new asset to the world of romance writing. Her first novel Connected stole my heart. Dahlia London has had tragedy strike many times in her young life. Everything horrible that can happen seems to happen when it comes to her loved ones. After a tragedy that has left her reeling for years Dahlia realizes it is time to start joining the world of the living again. On her first outing she meets with a man from her past, someone who she felt an instant connection to, someone she could easily lose her heart to…River Wilde. River is no longer the unknown performing at the university student center, but an up and coming rock star. He has never forgotten his one brief encounter with Dahlia and sees this new meeting as fate. He just needs to convince her that to give them a shot. And in one of my favorite tag lines ever, “What if a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ could happen twice?”

This story has everything; a damaged heroine, the hottest and sweetest guy ever, danger, heartbreak, love, and healing. Dahlia has had life hand her one lemon after another, but eventually with the help from Rider life starts to get a little sweeter. She has a hard time letting go of her past and it constantly shows throughout the book. Heartbreak and the death of loved ones is always going to be difficult to move on from so it was understandable that she was the way she was. Now, to my favorite topic… River Wilde. River has to be one of my favorite book boyfriends ever and is the complete package having everything a girl could want. He is moderately rich, successful, can sing like a rock god bird, is caring, patient, and has to be one of the most loving book boyfriends I have ever read about. If every man was like him there would be no breakups and no divorces. You can’t get much better than River Wilde. My only complaint about these two characters and relationship in general was that River’s patience and devotion to Dahlia was somewhat unrealistic. He has held a torch for a woman he met five years ago and for only a couple of minutes? This and the fact that he is seemingly flawless were a little hard to believe. There are a few supporting characters in the book, but none of them have a major role. I wish I/readers had gotten to know a couple of them a little more. Their friends and family sound awesome and could have fluffed out what is almost a two character book.

As far as the rest of the book is concerned it was awesome. The pacing is perfect, the emotions are raw, and the love and sex are a wonderful mixture of passion, love, lust, and general sexiness. The fact that there is a small amount of mystery involved really takes the plot to a whole other level and ushers in an ending that left me with my mouth hanging open and “googling” for how I could get my hands on the sequel. If you love romance, heartbreak, and learning how to heal this is definitely the book for you. I give this book a 4 ½ STAR rating. 

***According to Goodreads the sequel Torn should be available on October 1, 2013.