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

Clean Sweep ARC Challenge: May 2013

Springtime, la la la la springtime. Mary and I are participating in Clean Sweep ARC Challenge hosted by Kimberly of The Windy Pages and Kimba  The Caffeinated Book Reviewer. (There should be a procrastinator challenge as I am late on posting this!)

Speaking of procrastination, we have some lovely ARCS on file and I've decided to read an armful of ARCS I've had on hand. By the end of May, I will challenge myself to read the ARCs pictured below as well as some choice ones from Netgalley and Edelweiss.

All in all, I think it'll be fun and it'll encourage me to broaden my scope. So far this year, I've been partial to contemporary novels and it'll be nice to get back into some fantasy, dystopian and paranormal.

We'll host some challenges and four winners will be able to choose some of the ARCS pictured above. There is still time to sign up, just click on Kimberly or Kimba's links.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Review - The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

The word amazing isn't enough to describe The Sea of Tranquility. The story unfolds and you just fall in love with these characters who are broken and in time mend themselves together, or try to at least. 

At first when I read the book, I thought it was going to be a good, light, love-hate read, but it was that and so much more. The Sea of Tranquility made me feel things, when Nastya hurt, I was hurt, when she was surprised, I was surprised, when she laughed, I laughed.

The end of third chapter threw me for a loop. I didn't get it at first, the story is written so well that it concealed something very important, which of course is revealed.

Natsya dropped hints of what demons she lives with day in and day out. It's terrible what has happened to her and by the middle of the book, we have enough to piece together some of the horrific details.

The story switches back and forth through Natsya and Josh's POV.

Josh lives a "hard life", he really does, without the Leighton family, he would pretty much be alone. Natsya basically  forces herself in this force field that he has created himself, which is difficult because they both have their guard on. They don't want to let the other one in, but they're so drawn to each other, that it's inevitable. Josh really transforms and he opens himself so much to her and doesn't know if he should regret the simple expectations that have implanted themselves into his everyday life.

Drew is a character that gets to you, I thought I had him pegged in the beginning book, I really did. I just didn't know how his role was going to play out or how significant he would be, but I fell in love with him too.

I don't want to give anymore away, but really, I just can't stop replaying scenes in my head. Remembering those special moments they shared make me smile, I'm really big on wishes.

I read the book at 11 PM last night, slept around 4:30 AM, woke up around 9:30 AM and didn't stop reading until I was finished which was around 11:30 AM. I absolutely love this book, I was not frustrated at all with the mystery surrounding both characters. The story was well paced and flowed incredibly well, even when situations were rocky, you read through them and experienced what the characters experienced. The Sea of Tranquility had everything you could hope for in a contemporary romance.

The last two words of dialogue are what get me. I went full circle and I cried happy tears. The Sea of Tranquility will stay long with you after you've read the last page. You'll want to go back, reread highlighted or dog-eared pages and fall in love all over again. Believe me, after I collected myself, I immediately went on Goodreads and starting "liking" all of my favorite quotes. You might also be itching to bake something or eat some ice cream.

I really can't wait to read more by Katja Millay.

Review by Jenn
5/5 Stars

Author: Katja Millay - follow her on Twitter.
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: September 5, 2012
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 362

Buy the book!

Ramblings and Book Giveaway Annoucement

Five seconds of intro and the video previews my wonky face. Le sigh.

Author Event - to fangirl or not to fangirl

If you love contemporary YA then you're no stranger to the magical Jennifer Echols and the amazing Simone Elkeles. I've read and loved every book they've published. They're not from the west coast, so when we found out that they were scheduled to be in Anaheim this week, we decided to go! I absolutely can't believe it!

Dark Days Tour - Huntington Beach

Mary and I are literally right here at Barnes & Noble in Long Beach. I know I say this a lot, but I seriously didn't think we'd ever get a chance to meet Veronica Roth! She's here, along with the awesome Aprilynne Pike (Wings), Dan Wells (Partials) and S. J. Kincaid (Insignia). Unfortunately, we had to drive like 80,000 miles to get here and sort of missed the beginning part of it, but at least we made it.

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.

Get to know Jenn and Mary, the YAbooktwins

Ten things about Jenn by Mary

Jenn was the first female altar server in our parish church.  She called our favorite priest herself to beg for permission.  She also sang in the choir.

She reads books to her husband because she knows he'll love it but would never read them himself.  Sometimes, she makes him wait before reading the sequels. "If we have to wait, he has to wait."

Jenn loves all things Disney, Hello Kitty, and pink (though her favorite color is baby blue).

Her maltipoo, Bella (who do you think she's named after? Hint: the love of her life is pale, cold, and drinks animal blood), was so excited to see me, she pee'd on me. Twice.

When Jenn finds something extremely funny, her laugh seems to get stuck in her throat and comes out like a whistle.  Those of us who are used to this (because we're so funny ;)), call it tea-kettling.

When we go out of town, Jenn is usually the first one to wake up, at around 5am; But she knows not to pull the curtains open and risk the wrath of her grumpy girlfriends recovering from a good night.  She's so considerate.

When I was sick, Jenn was at work so she made her husband bring me soup and he reported back to her how awful i looked.

At Chipotle, where Jenn is a frequent customer, she only ever gets rice with steak (no sauce) and squeezes about 10 lemon wedges in there.  She also hates spicy food, an unfortunate characteristic given her Mexican background.  Her favorite food is actually sushi.  She has too many Asian friends.

Jenn was so impatient for her bff, a hairstylist, to give her a trim, she chopped it off herself in a fit of rage.  Said bff was left to repair the damage.

Jenn married her best friend.  They've been together for a hundred years.  And if you ask her if the kind of love people write about is real, she'll say "yes" and use her relationship with her husband as an example.

Ten things about Mary by Jenn

Mary is super family oriented, she has three brothers who she is very close to. Whenever they’re in a room together it’s hard to tell who is talking because they are all so loud and laugh the same. (Her brothers like to read books too, as a family, they can all agree to add Ender’s Game as one of their top faves)

Our group of friends get together a lot, we’re a lot like family and we have these crazy potlucks. Mary makes the best spaghetti (her mother’s recipe) and most delicious crème brûlée. Mary knows crème brûlée is not my favorite, so one day she made chocolate soufflé specifically for me and now I request it all the time! It’s SO good.

Mary has the memory of an elephant; she remembers everything about movies, books, music, (cough) stuff I’ve said.

I am a picky eater, and where I lack in trying new things, Mary is the opposite. She will and has tried a lot of sushi. Her favorites are handrolls. There isn’t much Mary doesn’t like, the only thing that I could get her to admit is that she isn’t fond of Maraschino cherries. She likes olives, mushrooms, etc., stuff people generally are picky about.

Our circle of friends are all really talented and creative. Mary, who is really humble and shy is really good at creating things has made us all bracelets, cute earrings and works on her own halloween accessories. This past halloween, she was a Circus Ringmaster (she is OBSESSED with Britney Spears) and made her own halloween mask, which she glued to her face.

Not only is Mary creative with making things, she also is an excellent makeup artist. She does special events, proms and weddings. She also did my wedding in 2010 and was responsible for making me presentable for my special day. I was so lucky! Also, our friends go to Vegas, a lot, she’s usually on makeup duty and our other bff is on hair duty, pretty convenient for the rest of us.

Mary has a lot of best friends but it’s obvious that her main squeeze is her Yorkie, Unagi. He keeps her company on many late nights when she’s reading. His favorite book is Starcrossed by Josie Angelini.

You know, when you read books and there’s a girl who is confident, pretty and funny? Well, that’s Mary, just super klutzy to this list and that’s her. She can wear really high heels, but has stumbled and fallen so many times while wearing flats, wedges and chucks.

When she was in high school, she learned to love British Literature (Austen's Persuasion is her favorite) but could be found reading YA. Her friend let her borrow The Secret Circle...and almost ten years later, it became a short lived TV show. Sadly to say, she was heartbroken when I told her that it was cancelled.

Mary’s has a secret wish, only her bffs know about it, and every Christmas she asks for it, “Immortality.” She is the youngest of our group so we kid about who old she’s getting. What she would love nothing more is to be young forever. So if you um, know any vampires, warlocks or secret potions. You can just e-mail her at maryreadsfiction@gmail.com :)

Jenn is reading How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles
Mary is reading Dreamless by Josephine Angelini


Tell us about your booktwin and what you're reading!

Greek Week Review - Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.
Henry's first wife, Persephone. (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: Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for. (Summary as found on Amazon)