Review - The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Smart, funny, touching, and completely unforgettable, Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project, had me rooting for genetics professor Don Tillman, whose life is based on logic and control, as he searches for a life partner with The Wife Project.  Along the way, Don meets Rosie, looking for her biological father, and he puts the Wife Project on the side to help her find her dad (The Father Project).  While Rosie is pretty much the epitome of what Don is not looking for, the reader knows she's perfect for him, breaking Don out of his logic-ridden shell.  Around Rosie, Don finds himself breaking his own rules and discovers moments of pure joy- "Another world, another life, proximate but inaccessible.  The elusive… Sat-is-fac-tion."  My heart broke for emotionally-crippled Don as he realized the emptiness of his routined life, and it soared for him when he began to slowly alter his over-regimented life.  Filled with thoughtful insights and complete with proven statistics, The Rosie Project taught me a lot about human nature and their ability to love.  I am in love with this unique and quirky book and the realistically vulnerable characters that it brought to life.

Side note: 

In my head, I pictured Don as the logic-inclined Ewan McGregor in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Review by: Mary

Author: Graeme Simsion - follow him on Twitter.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Series: No
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 304 pages 

There are two chances to win a copy of The Rosie Project. Click on the links below.

Goodreads

Simon & Schuster Book Site

Review: Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it. (Goodreads)

Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Heartbreaking romance and heart-stopping action, Sarah J. Maas's stunning sophomore installment in the Throne of Glass series held nothing back as more secrets are uncovered, loyalties are tested, and betrayals abound.  This was definitely not a filler book.  Maas has written a breathtaking sequel that doesn't just live up to the first book, it rivals it.  I LOVED book one, but this… THIS!! I was in lurve!! It satisfied so many of my questions and fulfilled seeds planted in the debut.  I was a riveted, wide-eyed, sweaty-palmed, gasp-induced reader glued to every word, clinging to every sentence, repeating the paragraphs of the scenes I wanted to linger in (you'll want to stay in them too. Trust!).  I was obviously a very satisfied little girl.  And that's what this book reduced me to- a hope-filled, teary-eyed little girl (tears for all sorts of feels- happiness, grief, frustration, intense humor, anger, all of it!).  I love books with lots of feels and this one has them in abundance.  I tip my hat to you Sarah J. Maas! You've done it again!  I am literally shaking my head in awe and appreciation.  Please continue to steal my heart, shatter it, and rearrange the pieces to accommodate more feels. Rinse. Repeat.

The reader returns to find Celaena Sardothien (love this girl!!), now the King's Champion, coming back from one of several missions that the King of Adarlan has sent her on to eliminate his enemies.  While pretending to be loyal to the King, Celaena hides her true agenda.  But now the King has ordered her to kill a rebel leader, someone Celaena knows from the past, and this mission tests her true loyalties and who she can really trust.  Let me just tell you that while this book is not lacking in action (super thrilling, suspenseful action), Crown of Midnight did not fail to deliver some heavy romance!! Steamy, blush-inducing romance. Thank you for that, Sarah Maas!! I knew I could count on you.  But don't for one second think that that was all this book had to keep me fascinated, even though it definitely would've been enough.  Nope! The plot thickens and secrets unravel.  Storylines are expanded on and the character growth was a pleasure to read.  It's hard to say why I loved this book without giving anything away.  Just trust me when I say you will not be disappointed.  I definitely wasn't.  It more than lived up to my high expectations.  I am so happy to take part in this series as a reader and I can't wait to devour more installments.  Love, love, loved!

Review by Mary Munar.

Side note from Jenn. I am 70% into Crown of Midnight and my heart! It's so good, I can't even handle it. The story, the CHARACTERS everything is amazing so far. I don't ever want this series to end.  

Picture taken by Jose Valencia on
August 18, 2012,
at Vroman's for the Throne of Glass Event.

Author: Sarah J. Maas - follow her on Twitter.
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Series: Yes
Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 432 pages 

Read our Review!

Review: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

The Bone Season is a fantastic original.  Samantha Shannon has written an impressive first book and I look forward to reading more from this debut author.  Her writing was captivating and the world she created was complex and fascinating.  It was like learning a new language (don't worry, there's a glossary!), but once I understood what was going on, I was completely engrossed with the story, which was fresh and exciting.  It pushed all the right buttons and pulled all the right heartstrings.

Paige Mahoney is a clairvoyant in a world where clairvoyance is a crime.  Working for the syndicate, the criminal underworld, Paige uses her gift as a dreamwalker to spy for her boss Jaxon Hall.  When an accident leads to her arrest, Paige is taken to Sheol I only to find out that instead of a government prison, Sheol I is actually a city ruled by a race called the Rephaim who have been around for centuries and use voyants as soldiers.  Paige is assigned to Warden, her Rephaite keeper who will be responsible for housing and training her.  But as Paige realizes that Nashira, the Rephaim blood-sovereign (super scary lady), wants something more from her, she plots to escape back home to her syndicate gang and her life of crime that she feels so safe in. 

I loved Paige as a heroine.  She's proud but caring.  She's loyal and clever and incredibly strong.  I felt like I got along really well with her personality.  Her actions and dialogue never frustrated me and I trusted her instincts and motives.   Her vulnerability only endeared me to her more.  Paige is someone I could definitely connect with and I enjoyed spending time with and getting to know her.  I also really liked Warden's character.  He was definitely a difficult puzzle to solve and his calm exterior made it difficult for me to read him, but with each act of kindness and new piece of information that I found out about him, the more invested I became.  I began rooting for both characters who seemed to want opposite things.  Their dynamic was interesting and the way they progressed was intriguing.  Two words - tension and knife.

With all the hype going around about this book, I had high expectations and I am pleased to reveal that I was not disappointed.  It wasn't a fast read but I was very happy taking my time with it.  The Bone Season is an inventive story that reminded me what I love about fantasy - exploring new worlds and embracing other people's imaginations - the closest I'll ever come to dreamwalking.  

 

Review by @MaryMunar

 

Add The Bone Season on Goodreads and enter their giveaway, it ends in a couple of days.

Author: Samantha Shannon - follow her on Twitter.
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: August 20, 2013
Series: Yes
Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 480 pages 

Review: Brooklyn Girls by Gemma Burgess

 If you're looking for a fun book about best friends and trying to survive life after college in a big city, then you're in for a treat! And it's set in New York! What's not to love? Brooklyn girls is about a young woman, Pia, who moves into a house with four friends and begins her adult life.  Along the way, there are boys, job-hunting, parties, pranks, and just about everything that goes along with being in your early twenties in a big city.  I immediately loved the five girls who share the house.  Their bonds with each other are something I treasure with my own set of girls.  They're different in so many ways and each one of them brings something to the table.  I know this book is the beginning of a series and I am so excited to keep reading them and follow these women as they grow into their adult lives.  Reading this book was like listening to a good friend.  I felt like I knew Pia and I connected to her and all of her struggles.  It shows how well Gemma Burgess knows what it's like to be young and finding your own way. I caught myself thinking plenty of times that these girls could easily fit into my own social group.  The things that they say and do reminded me a lot of how my friends and I are. The funny anecdotes and situations were very relatable and I felt like I could have lived them and have already lived some of them.  
 The characters are written really well, too.  Burgess writes amazing characters. They're so likable and interesting.  I fell in love with all of them, independently and as a whole.  I can't wait for the series to continue so that I can get to know all of them even more.  Loved it!

Review by @marymunar 

5/5 Stars

Add Brooklyn Girls on Goodreads.  

Author: Gemma Burgess - follow her on Twitter.
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: July 2, 2013
Series: Yes
Genre: New Adult

Review & Giveaway - Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

After reading/inhaling Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, which I loved, I had very high expectations for the author's upcoming young adult release Eleanor & Park; and, sure enough, I was far from disappointed.  Rowell has a special talent for putting realistic and seemingly ordinary characters in a new light where they can shine and grow without changing who they really are or what they stand for.

Review & Giveaway - Throne of Glass.

Mary and I inhale fantasy reads but oh wow, we couldn't get enough of Throne of Glass. I highlighted so many lines from the book just so I could go back and reread them. We were so excited when one of our favorite bookish friend told us Sarah Maas was going to be at Vroman's in Pasadena. Check out our pics from the event, read Mary's gush-worthy review and don't forget to enter our giveaway.

Review - A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young

This review is for A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young, it is the sequel to A Need So Beautiful, so if for some crazy reason you haven't read A Need So Beautiful go and read it! Then read my review of A Want So Wicked.

Greek Week Review - The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.


Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess. (Summary found on Amazon)

Greek Week Review ~ Pure (Covenant 2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

There is need. And then there is Fate... 

Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her. 

When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her. 

When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

Greek Week Review ~ Half-Blood (Covenant 1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck. (Summary found on Amazon)

Review: The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

In the violent country of Ludania, the language you speak determines what class you are, and there are harsh punishments if you forget your place—looking a member of a higher class in the eye can result in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina (Charlie for short) can understand all languages, a dangerous ability she’s been hiding her whole life. Her only place of release is the drug-filled underground club scene, where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. There, she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy who speaks a language she’s never heard, and her secret is almost exposed. Through a series of violent upheavals, it becomes clear that Charlie herself is the key to forcing out the oppressive power structure of her kingdom…. (Summary as found on Amazon)

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A. 

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

     Since she’d been on the outside, she’d survived an Aether storm, she’d had a knife held to her throat, and she’d seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild—a savage—and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile—everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

     In her enthralling debut, Veronica Rossi sends readers on an unforgettable adventure set in a world brimming with harshness and beauty.

Review - LEGEND by Marie X. Lu

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills. (Book Description as listed on Amazon.com)

Review - The Iron Knight (Book 4 in the Iron Fey Series) by Julie Kagawa

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her
irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can  survive.

Possession Review

Book Info (Amazon)

Published June 7, 2011

416 Pages

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.


This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.


Reviewed by @MaryMunar

Books I've read and NEED to review...ASAP!

Divergent by Veronica Roth (cannot wait for Insurgent!)
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (cannot wait for Dreamless!)
Matched Ally Condie (cannot wait for Crossed!)
Paranormalcy by Keirsten White (eh, I can wait for Supernaturally...it comes out next month, 7/26, haha)

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

First of all, how short/long was this book? I started reading it about 5 hours ago on my kindle and with just two breaks, I finished it. Tears and all.

I got teary-eyed a few times and cried twice, again. The first book was written from Mia's point of view and Where She Went was written from Adam's point of view. It takes place a few years after the accident.

I think I enjoyed reading it more from his perspective. Of course, I didn't anticipate that the story would have begun the way it did. I thought Mia and  Adam would be figuring each other out in their long distance relationship. I thought that the hardest struggle would be making time see each other since they she would be at Juilliard and he would be touring. I'm glad it did though. I love happy endings, sometimes I need them. But they didn't have their happy ending; I don't think it would made the impact it did.

Reading the book was a little difficult for me, anyone who has been dumped remembers what it feels like.

I'm neither here nor there...but I'm usually reading

When I'm at work I want to read, blog, and write. When I'm home, I want to sleep and watch TV. I'd rather be doing something else, at all times. So weird. During work, I kept thinking about what I wanted to say about "If I stay." First of all, I think that I read it too fast. So fast that I couldn't even tell you some of the characters names. The truth is, I've learned so many names in the last couple of books (thank you Mortal Instruments) that the books are bleeding together.