Dare You To.....read this book without loving it!

Book:  Dare You To

Author:  Katie McGarry

Publisher:  Harlequin Teen

Date:  Now available

Source:  Publisher via Netgalley

My grade:  A+

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....(cover and description from www.goodreads.com)

Initial reaction

Oh. My. God.

Cover Story

These damn kissing covers are starting to really tick me off!  I mean, I know there’s more sexual tension in this book than in a lot of YA, but this cover makes it look like it should be shelved over in the Romance section with all the shirtless firemen, cowboys and Highlanders!  This book has substance!  Give me a cover with substance!  ::steps down from soapbox::

What’s the Story?

I avoided reading Pushing the Limits last year.  Even when I saw that all the bloggers in the universe were loving it.  I just thought to myself, “Self, it can’t be that good.  And look at that raunchy cover.  This is really bad smut romance disguised as YA.”  Then, I saw this one on Netgalley and thought “Oh, what the heck!  A little smut never hurt anyone and besides, I’m going to order these for my library, so I should probably check them out.”

If myself could beat up myself, I would totally be doing that.  This book was NOT a raunchy YA smut-fest.  This book made me laugh and cry and feel something.  It’s true that there was more sexual tension than in the average YA book and there is the actual deed, but it was not like a bad romance novel.  Of course, this book also deals with drug and alcohol abuse, crimes, domestic violence, bad marriages, families torn apart by views on homosexuality, etc.  So one sex scene doesn’t hurt this book.  It is definitely a book for older teens, but wow!  What a book!

I loved Beth.  I mean, even when I hated her and wanted to strangle her, I also wanted to just hug her.  She broke my heart.  She’s the kind of kid that I see in my classroom and I just want to take her home and try to fix her.  Of course, Beth is the only one who can fix Beth and that’s where the novel takes us.

I loved Ryan also.  In fact, I found that I became deeply invested in both Beth and Ryan’s lives and well-being.  Now, I have seen a lot of people express their dismay about Beth and Isaiah, but I’m not feeling that one.  Probably because I didn’t read the first novel (a mistake I plan to rectify soon), but I never felt the connection with Isaiah.  I really didn’t even like him that much.  Gasp!

Even though there’s a lot of drama and action surrounding Beth and the situation with her mother, this is really a very character-driven novel.  These characters are so STRONG.  I developed strong emotions regarding most of them as well.  Katie McGarry wrote this novel in a way that made me feel as if I personally knew these characters and I became completely invested in what would happen to them.  I developed strong feelings of love and hate toward them.  Which makes it hard to read the story at times, but oh so worth it!

I loved this book.  It was so raw, both emotionally and plot-wise.  It made me really FEEL something.  I couldn’t put it down and I can’t wait to pick up the first one and the next one.

The Soundtrack

Imaginary by Evanescence

She Talks to Angels by The Black Crowes

The Only Exception by Paramore

Last Leaves of Autumn by Beth Orton

In My Veins by Andrew Belle

Gone, Gone, Gone by Philip Phillips

The Final Grade

My final grade for this one is an A+.  This book was crazy good.  As soon as I can, I plan to go back and read Pushing the Limits as well.  Don’t be dumb like me and miss out on this goodness!

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  I received no compensation, financial or otherwise, for my review.  Not even a cute as hell baseball player.

The Book of Broken Hearts

Book:  The Book of Broken Hearts

Author:  Sarah Ockler

Publisher:  Simon Pulse

Date:  Available now

Source:  Publisher via Edelweiss

My grade:  A+

When all signs point to heartbreak, can love still be a rule of the road? A poignant and romantic novel from the author of Bittersweet and Twenty Boy Summer.

Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have anything to do with one.

Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?

Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong?

Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.

Initial Reaction

The Book of Broken Hearts broke my heart……and it hurts so good!!

Cover Story

Even though this cover screams “teen romance”, I really like it.  I don’t think it manages to capture the depth of this book though.  It made me think this was going to be a cute, fun little romance book and it was SO MUCH BETTER than that!  I guess they were going for a visual that captures the title and this one does.  And there are no people kissing!

What’s the Story?

I thought The Book of Broken Hearts was going to be about the little sister going for the little brother in the family of heartbreakers and of course, many things would happen and in the end, they would live happily ever after.

It is NOTHING like that.  Because it is so much more.  The romance part of this book is actually just a small part of the wonderfulness that is found in this story.  This book is about family, relationships, friends, finding oneself and looking for joy in the midst of tragedy.

Here’s the real deal:  Jude’s father has been diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s.  It is the summer after her senior year and she is caring for him during the summer.  She finds an old motorcycle and he starts telling her stories about when he was young and used to ride it.  They decide to restore it.  She finds a mechanic who is pretty inexpensive but who also happens to be a Vargas.  The 2 older brothers in the Vargas family broke the hearts of 2 of the Hernandez sisters.  Jude swore a blood oath with her sisters that they would all stay away from the Vargas boys.  Herein lies the problem.

It would have been easy to write the novel with this problem being the focus.  But instead, Sarah Ockler has written a gem of a novel where the focus is on the more important things:  Jude’s relationship with her father, her mother and her sisters. The progression of her father’s disease and all its implications.  Jude’s place in the household and among her sisters.  Finding one’s voice.  The many different ways that someone’s heart can be broken.

Honestly, the relationship with Emilio could almost be seen as a subplot.  But it is really more than that as well.  Emilio is a wonderful character and he sticks by Jude, helping with her father and being someone she can lean on when things get tough.  But the real focus of this novel is on Jude and how she grows and changes as a result of dealing with her father and his illness. 

One thing I loved about this novel was the beautiful portrait that Sarah Ockler painted of a father and his daughter.  Just thinking about it now has my eyes tearing up and I have to say that I cried a good deal while reading this novel.  Some of it was sad crying but much of it was a bittersweet emotional crying because I was so touched by the beautiful moments between Jude and Papi and I knew that soon he wouldn’t remember any of them. 

In many ways, this is also a coming of age novel.  Jude has to grow up quickly in order to deal with her father and what he is going through.  This means she has to re-examine her place as the baby sister in the family and it was thrilling to see her work through everything and finally assert herself and find her own voice.

This novel was so, so many things, but more than anything, it was a beautiful story.  I’m not sure how Sarah Ockler managed to squeeze so many wonderful stories into this one novel and actually do justice to each one, but somehow she did. This novel touched me in so many ways and it made me think a lot about my own family relationships.  And the best part is that, as the reader, I came out on the other side of this novel as a changed person.

The Soundtrack

Songbird by Eva Cassidy

The next 2 songs are especially for Papi.  I love you, Papi!!

Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf

Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf

I’ll Remember by Madonna

I Will Remember You by Sarah McLachlan

Our Lives by The Calling

Runaway by Mat Kearney

Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield

The Final Grade

My final grade for this book is A+.  This book was so full of wonderfulness that I don’t think this review did it justice.  This is one of those books that just touches you so deeply that years from now, you will find yourself thinking about moments from it.  Go read it.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  I did not receive any compensation, financial or otherwise, for this review.  Not even a restored motorcycle for an awesome road trip.

Towering

Book:  Towering

Author:  Alex Flinn

Publisher: Harper Teen

Date:  Available now

Source:  Publisher via Edelweiss

My grade:  C+

At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.

Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.

Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her.

Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.

Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until now.

A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Alex Flinn knows her fairy tales, and Towering is her most mind-bending interpretation yet. Dark and mysterious, this reimagining of Rapunzel will have readers on the edge of their seats wondering where Alex will take them next! (cover and description from www.goodreads.com)

Initial reaction

I think I’m completely underwhelmed by this book……

Cover Story

I love this cover.  It’s gorgeous.  Too bad the cover was better than the book……

What’s the Story?

I’m not gonna lie.  I was really excited when I saw that Alex Flinn had written a modern re-telling of Rapunzel.  I have a 5 year old daughter, and we may have watched Tangled just a few times.  I probably should never admit this in public, but Flynn Rider is totally my cartoon crush now.  (Sorry Aladdin!)  So I thought it would be really cool to see what she could do with Rapunzel in the modern day.  I mean, I really liked Beastly.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy Towering as much as I enjoyed Beastly.  I had a hard time caring for these characters.  I liked Wyatt more than Rachel, but even so, I didn’t care for him the way I came to care for Kyle in Beastly.  This story felt more superficial and surface level.  One of the things that I loved about Beastly is how Alex Flinn gave the story more depth.  This one just felt like a longer version of the original fairy tale. 

Let’s talk about insta-love.  If you like it, you’ll find it in abundance here.  Both Rachel and her mother seem to fall victim to this insidious disease.  Even Wyatt admits that he has fallen in love instantly.  I think he needs to just admit that his hormones have gotten the best of him!  I can understand instant infatuation, but declaring your love about a day after you meet someone is a bit much.  Even Edward and Bella didn’t do that!

Now, there were parts of the story that I really liked.  Figuring out the mystery of what had happened was pretty fun.  I also like Alex Flinn’s take on the original rampion storyline from the fairy tale.  Her story line regarding that little salad that caused the whole fiasco to begin with was ingenious!  I have to give her kudos for that.  Unfortunately, the supernatural element of that was not fully brought to fruition.  I’m still uncertain exactly what the deal was with that stuff and the people who grew it.

I think this book had a lot of potential, but it fell short.  The supernatural story line needed to be expanded and I would have liked to see Rachel and Wyatt develop a relationship instead of an insta-love bond.  I guess for now, I’ll just watch Tangled again.  At least there it takes Rapunzel and Flynn almost half the movie to decide that they’re in love.  And then there’s that great song that all the thugs sing as well……

The Soundtrack

Towers by Bon Iver

Rapunzel by Dave Matthews Band

Rapunzel by Emilie Autumn

I’m In by Amy Stroup

Rescue Me by Buckcherry

Forget Me Not by The Civil Wars

The Final Grade

My final grade for this one is a C+.  It was about average…..a lackluster interpretation of a story that had some high points and lots of okay ones.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.  I received no compensation, financial or otherwise, for this review.  Not even a tower where I can hide from my kids...drat!

September Girls.....NOT a sexist novel!

Book:  September Girls

Author:  Bennett Madison

Publisher:  Harper Teen

Date:  Now available

Source:  Publisher via Edelweiss

My grade:  A+

When Sam's dad whisks him and his brother off to a remote beach town for the summer, he's all for it-- at first. Sam soon realizes, though, that this place is anything but ordinary. Time seems to slow down around here, and everywhere he looks, there are beautiful blond girls. Girls who seem inexplicably drawn to him.

Then Sam meets DeeDee, one of the Girls, and she's different from the others. Just as he starts to fall for her, she pulls away, leaving him more confused than ever. He knows that if he's going to get her back, he'll have to uncover the secret of this beach and the girls who live here. (Cover and description from www.goodreads.com)

Initial Reaction

Dammit!  I still don’t really understand the mystery of the Girls!!!

Cover Story

Gorgeous!  Except for…….let’s say it all together…..the kissing!!!  Why do they have to do this on books?  Oh well.  This is not the worst kissing cover.  I like the title.  It’s interesting and it’s subtle in the way it relates to the story.

What’s the Story?

Ok, if you have been to Goodreads, you will see that this book has a LOT of negative reviews.  There’s all sorts of talk about slut shaming, misogyny and basically how this book is probably about to cause the fall of Western civilization as we know it.

Seriously?  I think that a lot of people are completely overreacting and not understanding the sarcasm of this book.  So I feel the need to address some of the things that have people all up in arms over this book.

1. Jeff, who is Sam’s older brother, really is a slut shaming douche bag at the beginning of the novel.  Yes, he is a loser who has some antiquated ideas about girls, but his brother recognizes this!!  And Sam’s inner monologue makes fun of it!  Sam knows that the way his brother treats women is not the way they should be treated.  Honestly, I don’t think Jeff even believes what he says.  He’s just trying to figure out what it means to be a man and he’s not getting a lot of guidance.
2. Jeff actually improves by the end of the novel.  Yes, he grows as a person and by the end of the novel he is no longer talking about “getting his brother laid” and other sexist and raunchy things.
3. A lot of people are very concerned about the way Sam talks about his penis.  I wonder how many 17 year old boys these people have been around.  In my experience (20 years as a teacher of adolescents), teenage boys think about penises all the time.  They talk about them a lot.  For heaven’s sake, they draw them on everything!  They are obsessed with their penises! 
4. Most of the offensive language happens between the two brothers.  They don’t talk this way to the girls.  In other words, between the boys, they speak Locker Room.  In my opinion, this is completely normal.  Now, if they used this language to the actual girls they spoke to, that would be bad.  But, like it or not, boys talk this way to one another. ::shrugs::  I think in real life, it’s a lot of bravado and that’s how it comes across in this novel.

I felt like this was a very realistic coming of age story for Sam, even though it was a paranormal story line.  I think that Sam was dealing with lots of things.  His mother has left home and he doesn’t really know why.  His father is floundering and doesn’t know what to do.  He has a brother who still hasn’t found his way either.  Here are 2 brothers trying to figure out what it means to be a man and a father who is so lost that he can’t help them.  Sam is not sure what to do, but he knows enough to not follow his brother’s example and he just doesn’t get much from his dad.  But, by the end of the novel, Sam has a made a lot of progress toward becoming not just a man, but a better man.

The way the novel is written is part of its success.  Even though the novel is full of raunchy “boy talk”, it still has this ephemeral quality to it.  Now, I know some of you are thinking “Tammy, how can boys talk about their penises in a way that is ephemeral?”, but I’m not kidding when I tell you that.  It’s the way that the language and the story work together that make the whole paranormal aspect of the novel even plausible.  Somehow, the author has ingeniously put together a poetic prose story that is still true to the hormonally charged thoughts and speech of teen boys.  Amazing!!

Now, this is not to say that I don’t have some issues with this novel.  I do.  I never really understood exactly where the Girls came from.  What the hell does it mean that “our mother is the Deepness and our father is the Endlessness”?  Huh??  I wanted the mystery solved, not some sort of vague explanation!

I also think that the novel started out slow.  Of course, once I became involved with Sam, I really latched on to the story.  I really think that Sam is a very sympathetic character.  I just wanted to jump in the novel and be his mother.  I wanted to hit his real mom for abandoning him at this critical juncture in his life, even though he eventually reconciles himself to the whole situation.  Another nitpicky problem I had was with the names that the girls chose.  They were cheesy. 

All in all though (nitpicking aside), I think that this book was wonderful.  I loved the main character and I was interested in the story.  It’s not a book that I will read over and over again, but it’s a book that I’m still thinking about 2 weeks after I read it. It is definitely NOT offensive or misogynist.  In the end, it was really a poetically written story about how to become a man and what that means.  I really think it’s worth reading and I think that this book is in the vein of those classic coming of age novels that tend to polarize and offend people.  I mean, parents are still fighting Catcher in the Rye and Mark Twain’s boy stories are still offending people after all these years.  So, Bennett Madison?  Good job!!  You know you've written something worthwhile when you can offend lots of people. : )

The Soundtrack

Hard Candy by Counting Crows

Walk Unafraid by R.E.M.

100 Years by Five for Fighting

Twilight by U2

The Last Song by The All-American Rejects

Simple Man by Shinedown

The Final Grade

My final grade for this book was an A+.  I waited to write this review and I’m still savoring this story and what it meant.  Sam was a wonderfully sympathetic character who will, no doubt, become a wonderful man.  I think that everyone should read this book and judge for him or herself the validity of the novel.

For an even more beautifully written review of this book, check out this one from The Book Smugglers.  They manage to say all the things that I have struggled to say in my own review.  Also check out the glowing review from Forever Young Adult.  I loved reading it!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  I received no compensation, financial or otherwise, for this review.  Especially not a more expressive way of sharing my love for this story.  

Thorn Abbey

Book:  Thorn Abbey

Author:  Nancy Ohlin

Publisher:  Simon Pulse

Date:  Now available

Source:  Publisher via Edelweiss

My grade:  B-

Nothing is as it seems in this darkly romantic tale of infatuation and possession, inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca.

Becca was the perfect girlfriend: smart, gorgeous, and loved by everyone at New England’s premier boarding school, Thorn Abbey. But Becca’s dead. And her boyfriend, Max, can’t get over his loss.

Then Tess transfers to Thorn Abbey. She’s shy, insecure, and ordinary—everything that Becca wasn’t. And despite her roommate’s warnings, she falls for brooding Max.

Now Max finally has a reason to move on. Except it won’t be easy. Because Becca may be gone, but she’s not quite ready to let him go…

Initial reaction

Dude!  That ending!!

Cover story

Two thumbs up!  This cover captures the mystery of the novel and it gives a nod to the time period of the original Rebecca.  I like it!  And as a bonus, there are no people kissing!!!!!

What’s the Story?

This book is apparently a re-telling of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca.  I have not read the original and maybe that is why I enjoyed this novel when others did not.  Not sure.  But I thought it was pretty good.  It was creepy and had me turning pages to figure out the mystery.

Now, the beginning is slow.  It took a while for me to get into it, but when the story really got started, it took off!  I couldn’t wait to try and figure out exactly what was going on.  And there were some twists and turns that totally bowled me over!  And the ending!  Gah!  The ending!  What a surprise and a cliffhanger!  I’m hoping that there’s a sequel because I was just shocked in the creepiest way ever!

I do have to say that Tess got on my nerves a good bit.  She was fairly whiny.  I mean, I get it that she’s the scholarship student at a rich kid boarding school, but come on!  That means that life is looking up, right?  Max was broody and on again/off again, but that was his role to play, I suppose.  Honestly, I never really saw what Tess saw in him, but whatever.  I really felt sort of lukewarm about these characters.

I just keep coming back to the fact that this story could hit me with awesome plot twists and completely surprise me.  I’m really glad that I stuck with this book even though the beginning was a little slow.  As the action picked up, this book blew me away!  This is a book that you read for the mystery and build of the story, not for the characters.  Most of the people were sort of “meh”, but I couldn’t wait to figure out what the heck was going on.

The Soundtrack

The Ghost in You by Counting Crows

Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush

Haunted by Evanescence

I Can’t Make You Love Me by Bon Iver

Sleep to Dream by Fiona Apple

Came Back Haunted by Nine Inch Nails

The Final Grade

My final grade for this one is a B-.  The main character got on my nerves somewhat and it was slow to start, but by the end, I couldn’t wait to see how it was going to end. If the author had been able to find a way to make me care about these characters, this book would have been phenomenal. 

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  I received no compensation, financial or otherwise, for this review.  Not even a scholarship to a mysterious boarding school.

The Last Academy

Book:  The Last Academy

Author:  Anne Applegate

Publisher:  Scholastic Point

Date:  Available now

Source:  Publisher via Netgalley

My grade:  B

What is this prep school preparing them for?

Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? The answer will leave Cam—and readers—stunned and breathless, in this thrilling debut novel.

Initial reaction

This was a really COOL idea! I didn't even figure it out until almost the end. What a concept!!!

Cover Story

There are no people kissing, so that immediately moves it up, IMHO.  But I really do like this cover.  I’m a sucker for dark and mysterious covers anyway.  And the title, oh the title!  It’s so clever!  And that is all I plan to say on that subject.

What’s the Story

Camden is a 14 year old girl who is starting her freshman year of high school.  Only, she’s starting it far from home in a boarding school, Last Academy.  Before you roll your eyes and say “Tammy, another paranormal boarding school novel?”, let me assure you that this is not your mother’s paranormal boarding school novel. : )

First, I think I need to address something that I’ve seen in other reviews.  Some people talk about the story being boring and not complex enough, etc, etc.  I feel that I should point out that this book is published by Point, an imprint of Scholastic.  I think that Scholastic YA is really targeted to the younger end of YA.  I read this book in nothing flat and it didn’t have the sort of complex plot and character development that you might find in other YA novels, but it works for the target audience, which is probably 11-15.  You know, early adolescence.  So don’t expect lots of depth going in and you won’t be disappointed.

Why not?  Because this book has a really cool concept.  First, there are lots of mysterious things going on.  Some of it is just downright weird.  Until you get to the end of the book and realize why it all made sense.  I kept racking my brain until the end trying to figure out what was going on and then it just smacks you upside the head at the end like the big dummy you are for not figuring it out to begin with!

Like any novel for adolescents, there is a love interest, but it’s not the main focus of the story, which is nice.  But I did like Mark Elliott.  I thought he was a real decent guy.  The girl characters were fun, even though some of them tended to lean toward the stereotype characters of YA books.  You know, mean girls, popular girls, shy girls etc.  Again, I attribute this to the younger audience.

I just keep going back to the concept behind the story.  It is going to blow your mind.  And even though there are places where the story might drag a bit, just stick with it because that ending makes everything worthwhile.

The Soundtrack

Fields of Gold by Eva Cassidy

Shadow of the Day by Linkin Park

Sweet Afton by Nickel Creek

If Today Was Your Last Day by Nickelback

It’s Not My Time by 3 Doors Down

The Final Grade

My final grade for this novel is a B.  I really enjoyed the concept and the story, but it was a little on the youngish side, in my opinion.  I think this would be a great book for middle school students.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?  is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  It's designed to let readers know what books you have just finished reading and what books are next on your TBR pile.

I've really been trying hard to get back to these regular posts, people.  My kids are driving me crazy!  Every time I try to sit at the computer to write a review or put up a post, they either a) start fighting b) take the computer away c) need me to fix them ___________ (food, drink, dvd, etc.) or d) whine for me to ____________(take them to the pool, play a game, play the Wii, read them a book, etc.)  I'm really trying here,  I promise.

So, on to our feature!  Right now I'm reading:

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

I'm REALLY enjoying this book.  I could probably sit down and finish it in a day if, you guessed it, my kids would leave me alone!!!






These are the books that I just finished.  I"ll post reviews this week.

Towering by Alex Flinn

This was a Rapunzel re-tellling that I have mixed feelings about.

September Girls by Bennett Madison

This is a much maligned title that I actually enjoyed a lot.  I think some people are totally overreacting to this one.  They just didn't "get" it.







These books are next in line for me to read:

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen








Any thoughts or opinions on my Monday book round-up?  I'd love to hear from some of you!