Somewhere in Between - Katie Li

Goodreads summary:

Two friends find a portal to another dimension and use this “in-between place” to avoid the stress of their everyday lives. What they don’t realize is that every time they enter, they alter reality. 

Pseudo-punk Magnolia and underachieving gamer-geek Rom are two unlikely friends who only hang out during their walks home together after school. When they find the a portal that leads to different worlds, they use the “in-between place” as an escape from their lives in high school, then later, after college. 

Their visits through the portal bring them teetering along a tight-rope of fantasy and reality, where they don't always believe what is in front of them, not even their feelings for each other. 

The book is about changes—the ones that you can control, and the ones that you can’t. It’s about commitment and friendship. It’s about the stages in between where you have nothing but the unknown ahead of you.

Inspired by the work of Haruki Murakami and films like Eternal Sunshine of A Spotless Mind, Somewhere In Between is metaphysical coming-of-age story about defining love and finding yourself.

My review:

3/5

There were parts that I loved, but I'm not sure I understood much of the story, which isn't that good.

I started this book loving the chemistry between the main characters. I loved their interactions and the moment when they found the "in-between" place was just perfect. It was a mixture of simple YA and fantasy that I loved and I was really excited to continue reading. It became fine when it was a few years later, but I found there weren't many details about their lives or their past, so the story was harder to understand. Then came the ending, which I'm still not sure about.

I think I would have loved this story a whole lot better if it had been longer. It's an incredibly short book, but since it lacked details, in my opinion, I think it could've used a couple more pages.

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Another Day (Every Day #2) - David Levithan

Goodreads summary:

Every day is the same for Rhiannon. She has accepted her life, convinced herself that she deserves her distant, temperamental boyfriend, Justin, even established guidelines by which to live: Don’t be too needy. Avoid upsetting him. Never get your hopes up.

Until the morning everything changes. Justin seems to see her, to want to be with her for the first time, and they share a perfect day—a perfect day Justin doesn’t remember the next morning. Confused, depressed, and desperate for another day as great as that one, Rhiannon starts questioning everything. Then, one day, a stranger tells her that the Justin she spent that day with, the one who made her feel like a real person…wasn’t Justin at all.

In this enthralling companion to his New York Times bestseller Every Day, David Levithan tells Rhiannon’s side of the story as she seeks to discover the truth about love and how it can change you.


My review:

4/5

Such a great companion (or twin, as Levithan would say)!

I loved the idea behind Every Day and Another Day. While you might think these books are about what it's like to change bodies every day, it's actually much more about how it is to love someone for who they really are, and how hard it is to forget about what you see. It's something I've always thought about, because our society is becoming more and more open about homosexuality and transgenders - and much more people who simply can't fit into any category we have. Because this is how we live. We see someone and we immediately have to put tags on them: boy or girl? good-looking or not? straight or not? smart or not? nice or not? cool or not? Once you've grown up living like this, it's incredibly hard to get over this habit, which is what Rhiannon's going through in this book. In reality, you can't always fit into one category, and as fine as we can be about it, there'll always be difficulties when you're trying to live that way, as stupid as they can be. I really liked how these novels made me think about issues like this and how I would react if it were happening to me, because I truly got a life lesson out of reading them. 

I am really glad I could read this book. While I didn't expect a companion novel, I can now see how necessary it was to completely grasp the meaning of the story. There's so much difference in how you and another person can see a single event, so the full story can have much more meaning from one perspective than another. I read Every Day a very long time ago, so I remember the biggest part of the story, but not the specific details. However, there were many things I remembered from A's perspective that weren't mentionned in Another Day, which is why I would recommend reading both books in the order they came out, because I really liked comparing both and knowing some details unknown by Rhiannon in this book. 

In this book, we can find the same characters there are in Every Day, only slightly more centered around Rhiannon's life. I loved many of her friends, because I thought they were honest and very kind to her, no matter how lost she is at some points in this book. They are true friends and I was happy to discover more details about them than I had in Every Day. I also really enjoyed getting to know A from Rhiannon's perspective, because without the explanations given in the original novel, his actions can be seen very differently. My only complain is that this way, A sometimes seemed more annoying and persistent then loving and determined, but in the end I could see why he would act this way. If someone were to act like this because of their feelings for me, I would be very touched, because A's actions speak more loudly than his words most of the time. Rhiannon is a great character, with all her strenght and her capacity to see things as they really are. The way she handles everything impressed me, because she never wants to lie to herself and she allows herself to see things positively, even though it can be hard sometimes. I definitely started to like her even more in this book, because her reasons for acting like she did are pretty much all really good and she's a good person, all this while being a simple teenager. 

I adored the way this novel was written. It's fluent and clear, but it's also beautiful and it made me think, analyse and feel everything, just as it should. I don't remember much of Every Day's writing, but I know for a fact that I loved Another Day's. I think Levithan did a wonderful job of telling another side of his story and it couldn't have been done any better. There had to have been a lot of thought behind every action and it's clearly been done, because everything fits so perfectly with what remembrance I had of Every Day. By this point, I don't know if I have convinced you to read this novel, after having read the first one, but let me tell you this: you need it, wether you know it or not. It will make your previous read a whole lot better. 

However, there's something about the ending that makes me wonder a lot about what happens afterwards, so if you have read Another Day, I need to know what you think about it. Please!

Overall, I would recommend this novel a billion times. I know it can be read before the first one, or even on its own, but I seriously think it's better to read it the way it was published. 

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Ghostboy, Chameleon & the Duke of Graffiti - Olivia Wildenstein

Goodreads summary:

Some endings are inevitable, but so are some stories.

Cora Matthews, the principal’s gloomy goth daughter, is not exactly popular Duke Meyer’s type. Still, Duke finds himself inexplicably drawn to her dark eyes and mysterious manner. She makes it clear she doesn’t return his admiration, but when a burst appendix lands Duke in the hospital, he and Cora will be forced to come together by the most unlikely intermediary: her eight-year-old brother, Jaime. 

Duke learns Jaime has brain cancer and little chance of long-term survival. He admires the kid’s plucky positivity and wild imagination and offers to write a story about Jaime’s make-believe superheroes. So begins an epic tale—that of Ghostboy, Chameleon, and the Duke of Graffiti—and a deep friendship between Duke and Jaime. 

Despite their outward differences, Cora and Duke bond over their affection for Jaime, but unintended betrayal and Jaime’s advancing disease threaten to derail their blossoming romance before it can truly take root. 

Ghostboy, Chameleon & the Duke of Graffiti is a gorgeous debut novel that will resonate with the thoughtful fans of John Green’s blockbuster The Fault in Our Stars.


My review:

4/5

*SORRY FOR THE CRAPPY REVIEW* 
I'm just unable to write something okay right now, but I need to post my review, so here it is. 

I feel like I'm heartless because I didn't cry... Oh well, it doesn't mean I didn't like the book! 

There's something really funny about this book. I think it has to do with the fact that it's told in Duke's perspective, which makes the story a whole lot different than it would have been if it had been told in Cora's. Duke can have quite stupid thoughts, which made me want to slap him or just face-palm, but most of the things he said were actually quite funny, which I liked. The fact that it's told in his words also make him seem more compassionate and nice, and it made Cora seem more mysterious and intriguing. I wasn't sure about the narrator at first, but I ended up really liking it! 

The story is pretty sad, even though most of the story isn't about the sadness. Jaime is an incredible little guy who has a difficult life but never gives up or stops smiling, so if that doesn't give you hope, then I don't know what would. I loved how everyone tried to make his life better and how most of their time together was spent laughing, which made me forget about cancer and death. 

There's a bit of everything in this book, from romance to sadness, which makes it great for everyone. I really enjoyed the time I spent reading it, so I'd definitely recommend it. It's different from most books I've read before, which is even better. 

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

A Window Opens - Elizabeth Egan

Goodreads summary:

For fans of I Don’t Know How She Does It and Where’d You Go, Bernadette?.

In A Window Opens, beloved books editor at Glamour magazine, Elisabeth Egan, brings us Alice Pearse, a compulsively honest, longing-to-have-it-all, sandwich generation heroine for our social-media-obsessed, lean in (or opt out) age. 

Like her fictional forebears Kate Reddy and Bridget Jones, Alice plays many roles (which she never refers to as “wearing many hats” and wishes you wouldn’t, either). She is a mostly-happily married mother of three, an attentive daughter, an ambivalent dog-owner, a part-time editor, a loyal neighbor and a Zen commuter. She is not: a cook, a craftswoman, a decorator, an active PTA member, a natural caretaker or the breadwinner. But when her husband makes a radical career change, Alice is ready to lean in—and she knows exactly how lucky she is to land a job at Scroll, a hip young start-up which promises to be the future of reading, with its chain of chic literary lounges and dedication to beloved classics. The Holy Grail of working mothers―an intellectually satisfying job and a happy personal life―seems suddenly within reach.

Despite the disapproval of her best friend, who owns the local bookstore, Alice is proud of her new “balancing act” (which is more like a three-ring circus) until her dad gets sick, her marriage flounders, her babysitter gets fed up, her kids start to grow up and her work takes an unexpected turn. Readers will cheer as Alice realizes the question is not whether it’s possible to have it all, but what does she―Alice Pearse―really want?


My review:

4/5

I REALLY liked this book.

For some reason, I seem to be reading more books like this one, even though I'm pretty much always young enough to be the main characters' daughter. I don't even care about that fact, because there are so many life lessons in them and I can still find ways to relate to their lives, which always makes my reading experience amazing. 

From the very first page, I loved this book. It mentions a book from my favourite author in its very first page, so I knew the main character and I would get along very well. Then, I discovered so many things about Alice's love for books, bookshops and publishing companies that I felt like I was reading an encyclopedia about my passion... In a good way. Sharing such an important part of my life, my love for books, with a MC is an amazing thing!

When I continued reading, I started falling in love with Alice's family, from her adorable kids to her incredible husband. She has one of the best relationships I've read about in a long time, because she and Nicholas are (at least initially) honest, loving and patient with each other. I loved how supportive they are for each other and how their love is still so strong, even after all these years and three kids. I started to fear for their relationship in the middle of the story, but deep down, I always knew that they'd find a way to get through everything life throws at them, because they're just that kind of a couple (the OTP kind, to be honest). Alice's relationship with her parents made me smile and broke my heart, too, because this is the part where I could relate a lot. I think her feelings are very well described and I have to admit I cried more than once while I was reading (which always happened to be in public, of course). 

I think everyone would enjoy this lovely novel, because it's bittersweet and full of life lessons that we should all remember.

(Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.)

The One Thing - Marci Lyn Curtis

Goodreads summary:

Maggie Sanders might be blind, but she won't invite anyone to her pity party. Ever since losing her sight six months ago, Maggie's rebellious streak has taken on a life of its own, culminating with an elaborate school prank. Maggie called it genius. The judge called it illegal.

Now Maggie has a probation officer. But she isn't interested in rehabilitation, not when she's still mourning the loss of her professional-soccer dreams, and furious at her so-called friends, who lost interest in her as soon as she could no longer lead the team to victory.

Then Maggie's whole world is turned upside down. Somehow, incredibly, she can see again. But only one person: Ben, a precocious ten-year-old unlike anyone she's ever met.Ben's life isn't easy, but he doesn't see limits, only possibilities. After awhile, Maggie starts to realize that losing her sight doesn't have to mean losing everything she dreamed of. Even if what she's currently dreaming of is Mason Milton, the infuriatingly attractive lead singer of Maggie's new favorite band, who just happens to be Ben's brother.

But when she learns the real reason she can see Ben, Maggie must find the courage to face a once-unimaginable future... before she loses everything she has grown to love.


My review:

5/5

I LOVED IT SO MUCH! Seriously, read this book.

I was intrigued by the description of this novel, especially since I wasn't sure what it would be about. I didn't know what to expect, but it made me want to read it even more. I'm so glad I did! 

I absolutely loved Ben and Maggie's friendship. Ben is the most adorable kid ever and I just want him for myself (which sounds weird, but it's okay. You'll understand if you read this book). I loved how he reacted to Maggie's news about her seeing him even though she's blind and I adored the way he kept trying to kiss her and saying that she's his girlfriend, even though he's way too young for her. I thought he was simply incredible. I know Maggie feels bad because she thinks she's using him to see, but in my head, it has always been clear that from the beginning, Maggie loved this kid and wanted to spend time with him because of how happy he makes her. It touched me more than I would've expected and I cried more than once.

I wasn't really expecting a love story in this novel, but I was happy to discover there is one. Although it's really not what I'll remember the most about this book, it's sweet and cute and I loved it. Also, I really enjoyed seeing Maggie angry and passionate, since she's an incredibly funny character. I wish I could be more like her, except without all the trouble she gets into. 

Maggie's story made me sad, because it must be incredibly hard to lose your sight so suddenly. I understand why she pushed her friends away, but I can't imagine being her friend and seeing her get through all of that while being excluded from her life. They must have been really sad, too. I was glad to see her embrace her handicap and become happy again, even trying to make other friends. It's a great character development. 

I can't think of anything that I disliked in this novel. It's something that I would recommend to anyone. 


(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

'89 Walls - Katie Pearson

Goodreads summary:

College is not in the cards for Seth. He spends his minimum wage on groceries and fakes happiness to distract his mom from the MS they both know will kill her. It’s agony to carry around a frayed love note for a girl who’s both out of his league and beneath his dignity.

Quinn’s finishing high school on top. But that cynical, liberal guy in her social studies class makes her doubt her old assumptions. Challenging the rules now, though, would a) squander her last summer at home, b) antagonize her conservative dad, and c) make her a hypocrite.

Seth and Quinn’s passionate new romance takes them both by surprise. They keep it a secret: it’s too early to make plans and too late not to care. But it’s 1989. As politics suddenly get personal, they find themselves fighting bare-fisted for their beliefs—and each other—in the clear light of day.


My review:

3.5/5

I have very mixed feelings towards this book. I could relate a lot to Quinn, yet sometimes I couldn't understand her at all. I thought the classes and the discussions were amazing and if there's one thing I learned from this book, it's that I love politics and that I would really enjoy being in a debate club - even if Quinn despised it.

However, I didn't really care about the characters' relationship. I can't really point out what is lacking in this book, but I couldn't get in the story at some times and it really felt like what it was: me, reading a book. I love to immerge myself completly in a storyline and care for the characters, but there's something about the way it's written that made it impossible for me. This is my main negative point about this book, because it was a recurrent one. Also, not everything made sense, in the way that some actions felt precipitated and unrealistic.

I still enjoyed reading this book, but I think there is some work to do related to the way actions are described.

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

I also did an interview with the author, which you can find here.

The Summer of Good Intentions - Wendy Francis

Goodreads summary:

Cape Cod summers are supposed to remain reassuringly the same, but everything falls apart when three sisters and their families come together for their annual summer vacation—and they are carrying more secrets than suitcases.

Maggie is the oldest. She feels responsible for managing the summer house and making sure everything is as it always has been. But she’s hurt that her parents’ recent divorce has destroyed the family’s comfortable summer routines, and her own kids seem to be growing up at high speed. Is it too late to have another baby?

Jess is the middle sister. She loves her job but isn’t as passionate about her marriage. She’s not sure she can find the courage to tell Maggie what she’s done—much less talk to her husband about it.

Virgie is the youngest, her dad’s favorite. She’s always been the career girl, but now there’s a man in her life. Her television job on the west coast is beyond stressful, and it’s taking its toll on her—emotionally and physically. She’s counting on this vacation to erase the symptoms she’s not talking about.

The Herington girls are together again, with their husbands and kids, for another summer in the family’s old Cape Cod house. When their mother, Gloria, announces she’s coming for an unscheduled visit—with her new boyfriend—no one is more surprised than their father, Arthur, who has not quite gotten over his divorce. Still, everyone manages to navigate the challenges of living grown-up lives in close quarters, until an accident reveals a new secret that brings everyone together in heartbreak… and then healing.


My review:

4/5

Awww, this book leaves me with such a contented feeling. I love it.

Although I'm convinced these types of books are written for people way older than me, I absolutely love reading them. When there's a nice ending, they give me hope for my future, concerning my career and love life when I'm older. This one, although it was quite depressing and sad at some point, really did the trick! 

I loved how each chapter focuses on alternated characters. It helped me vizualize them in a more complete way than I would've it the story had been focused on one of them, because I could see what image the characters have of themselves as well as how the others see them. It doesn't happen often, but I love it.

The family in this book is such a nice one. Everyone has their flaw, but in the end, they love each other and so did I. My favorite character was probably Maggie, because she's incredible. Basically, everyone worships her, which is why it's weird that she's my favorite character, but the fact is that they have a good reason to do so. She's so kind, organized and nice to everyone that she inspired me a lot. Sure, she goes through hell while doing so, which sucks for her, but in the end she's loved and appreciated by her friends and family. I loved her relationship with Mac. 

This book approaches many touchy subjects, which I'm not going to mention to keep this spoiler-free. However, I'm going to say how well described and explained they are, which I really liked. I cried more than once towards the end, because the family goes through hard times, but I loved the ending. There's no question left, there's no sadness, there's only happiness and contentment. 

I highlt recommend this book. It's amazing and definitely one of my favorite summery novels. 


(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

The Lake Season - Hannah Roberts McKinnon

Goodreads summary:

Set in the weeks leading up to an idyllic New England wedding, this “enticing and refreshing” (Nancy Thayer, New York Times bestselling author) novel sparkles with wry wit, sweet romance, and long-kept family secrets.

Iris Standish has always been the responsible sister: the one who studied hard, settled down, and always made the right choices—even when they came at the expense of her passions. Meanwhile, her sister Leah dropped out of college to “find herself” by hiking through Yellowstone and switches jobs nearly as often as she switches lovers, leaving Iris to pick up the pieces in her wake.

But now Iris’s life is coming apart at the seams, and when Leah calls her back to their childhood home with a desperate cry for help, she is thrust headfirst into preparations for her sister’s wedding to a man their New Hampshire clan has never met…with her own marriage and family on the brink.

Still, despite the rush of dress fittings, floral arrangements, and rehearsal dinners, Iris is learning to put herself first. And amid a backdrop of late-night swims and a soul-restoring barn renovation comes Cooper Woods, a high school crush who beckons with the promise of a new start.

While Leah faces a past that has finally caught up to her, Iris prepares to say goodbye to a future that is suddenly far from certain. As Hampstead Lake shimmers in the background, Iris must decide when to wade in cautiously and when to dive—and, ultimately, how to ferry herself to safe harbors in this “glittering…memorable” novel of second chances and the ties that bind (Michelle Gable, nationally bestselling author of A Paris Apartment).


My review:

4/5

This is your perfect summer novel. If you're going anywhere near a lake or any kind of beach, this novel is what you need.

I liked how this novel made me feel. Going to her parents' house is a way to take a break from her life for Iris, and I felt like I was on a break, too. This novel made me escape from my life and if that doesn't mean it's a good novel, then I don't know what does.

I found it hard to like all of the characters in this novel, first because I didn't feel very invested in the story (but that might be because the main character is my mother's age, so it's not exactly a book for someone my age), but also because I found some characters pretty annoying. Sometimes, I wished I could shake some of the characters, because I hated what they were doing. Also, since the novel starts when Paul has just told Iris that he wants them to get a divorce, I didn't understand what she could see in him, because I felt like I didn't know a thing about their relationship, except from their fallout. It made it hard for me to understand her feelings. However, I really liked many other characters, like Trish, Iris's best friend, Bill, Iris's father, Cooper and Iris's children. I loved the relationships between all of those characters, because their love is clear and deep.

I really liked how selfless Iris is. It also bugged me a little, because I wished she would do something for herself, but mostly, I was impressed. I thought it was very brave of her and I wished I could be more like that. I was really happy to see her grow and to realize how much of a difference this summer has on her, because there is a lot of character development in this book, as well as relationship development.

I read this book outside, on my patio on sunbathing, and it was exactly what I needed. I recommend it.

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon - Linda Ballou

Goodreads summary:

Gemcie and her Irish Hunter, Marshal, are about to capture the World Cup when a nasty fall dashes their chances. While she is mending, her arch rival seizes this opportunity to catch a ride on Marshal, and to seduce her young husband. Confused and dazed by her new circumstances, Gemcie heads for the high Sierras hoping the majestic spires that captured the heart of the father she never met will provide the answers she seeks. She finds strength and solace riding solo on the John Muir Trail, but a bear attack ends her time of introspection and places her in the care of a solitary cowboy manning a fire lookout. Brady, who seems to love animals more than people, shows her love and gives her the courage to get back in the saddle. Haunted by images of Marshal being abused by his owners, Gemcie returns to rescue him and fly high with him once more. Ballou’s prose gallops ahead at breakneck speed as she takes you along on this wild ride.


My review:

4/5

Horse-related books make me feel so alive... Especially when I'm away from my horses and I desperately want to ride them. This one was no exception and I truly enjoyed my time reading.

I found the beginning of the book rushed and hard to keep up with, which is why I feared it wouldn't be as good as I expected it to be. However, as soon as I started reading it again, the story hooked me and I couldn't stop reading. The landscape descriptions, the feelings of freedom, the calmness of the mountains... Everything made me relax and want to know what would happen next. I didn't expect the story to develop this way, but I'm glad it did, because I didn't experience once more the lack of interest I had at the beginning.

I loved how passionate Gemcie is. All she has ever known is a world of horses and her only hopes are to get to the World's Cup. I admired her for her courage and her determination and her love for Marshal reminded me of my own for my horse, making me wish I could've raised her, too. I wish Gemcie had realized how lucky she was to be supported that much by her mother, because it took her a lot of money and hard work to allow her daughter to pursue her dreams.

Part of the reason why I wasn't interested in the story at the beginning was the fact that I couldn't care less about Jorge, Gemcie's husband. Since the story begins when they're already married, I didn't get much details about their love, the only ones not really helping me believe they were right to marry so young. I was surprised to learn that Gemcie was already someone's wife, especially since I didn't think it was wise of her with all her dreams, so not believing in their love made it hard for me to be interested in the story.

I loved how realistic the story is and how much Gemcie grows from the beginning to the end, because everything that she went through changed her forever, and for the better. All of her friendships and relationships created during her hard times made me smile and happy for her. The story shows how hard it actually is to ride, which I know very well, and how much support from the people around you you need to get to such a high level of competition. I think even readers who don't ride would enjoy getting to know more about this sport, although it might be hard for them to understand all of the terms.

I would recommend this novel, especially to my horse lover friends here.

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

 

I also did an interview with the author, which you can read here.

Books, Blogs, & Reality - Ryan Ringbloom

Goodreads summary:

Life can suck…

When reality becomes overwhelming, seeking comfort in fictional fantasies keeps hope alive. And while this escape may be a little delusional, it’s also therapeutic.

Sharing secrets is daunting, but virtual friends don’t often judge and they are always ready to share a glass of wine…or three…while typing out life’s latest endeavors.

Brooke believes obstacles only add to romance, not detract. Rachael longs for a more intense relationship, or so she thinks. Lizzie misses the excitement in her life, but sometimes new situations find you when you’re not even looking. And Jess believes a tiger can change his stripes. It can’t.

Bound by a shared passion for blogging about happily ever afters, these four young women use keyboard therapy to work through their expectations, anxieties, and inadequacies, all with the hopes of achieving the perfection found in romance novels.

Completely blinded by what they think life should be, they navigate their unique paths in search of what they envision is right. But when reality taunts them with persistent curve balls, will they be strong enough to choose wisely? Or will their happy endings escape them?


My review:

4/5

Short and sweet, this story truly made me smile. I do wish it had been longer, especially since it's about more than one life, but I think it ended nicely.

I really liked the girls' friendship and how they tell each other everything. I completely understand how easy it can be to confide to someone when you're typing, instead of when you're face to face. Their love for romance made me smile, especially when they get into explicit conversations about fictional characters (and sometime not so fictional). I liked how different they are, because they live for away from each other and they live completely different lives.

Lizzie's story is the one that made me want to finish the book as soon as possible, because her life is more serious than the others' and her story is more complicated, too. I liked what she got out of everything, just like the other girls did, because they're still young and they have a lot to learn, even though it was hard to believe it with Lizzie, who has experienced much more things.

I liked this story and I think people who love making friends on the internet and romance novels would enjoy reading this book.

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

A History of Glitter and Blood - Hannah Moskowitz

Goodreads summary

Sixteen-year-old Beckan and her friends are the only fairies brave enough to stay in Ferrum when war breaks out. Now there is tension between the immortal fairies, the subterranean gnomes, and the mysterious tightropers who arrived to liberate the fairies.

But when Beckan's clan is forced to venture into the gnome underworld to survive, they find themselves tentatively forming unlikely friendships and making sacrifices they couldn't have imagined. As danger mounts, Beckan finds herself caught between her loyalty to her friends, her desire for peace, and a love she never expected.

This stunning, lyrical fantasy is a powerful exploration of what makes a family, what justifies a war, and what it means to truly love.


My review:

3/5

It's definitely a weird book, but I still liked it! It wasn't what I was expecting, but that isn't always bad.

I was confused when I started reading because of the narrator. There are parts like "this sucks, to change in the final draft" that took my interest off, because it was out of place and confusing. I realized later that this book is actually an attempt at a novel from a fictional character - I know, confusing - and that those are the fictional narrator's words. While I didn't get it at first, I came to love this part of the novel, because it makes the narrator unreliable and it had me questionning everything that happened when he wasn't there, since it could be complete bullsh*t.

I had trouble understanding the characters, because there is a lack of background for some of them. Also, since they're young, there's a lot of swearing, which I found weird sometimes. It felt out of place, especially when they were out of Beckan's mouth. I think the characters I liked the most were Rig and Tier, because of their relationship issues and how realistic they are, but, for them as well as for the other characters, I hated the fact that the narrator is unreliable, since it made me wonder which part of what's written is true and which one isn't. It was fun to wonder, but when you're trying to get to know characters and everything you read about them might be completely false, it's confusing and irritating.

One part of this book that I liked was understanding the relationships between fairies, tightropers and gnomes. I liked how interesting fairies are and how rare it is for them to be whole, as weird as it sounds, because I found that to be very peculiar. The way they start to accept each other in Ferrum is amazing and I liked how they used each other's abilities. I wish the ending was better for the population in general though, but I gess you can't always get what you want.

I found it really weird how everyone seems obsessed with the idea of love in this book. I know part of it is because of the unreliable narrator, but I felt like the l-word is pronounced a billion times in this book, in platonic or non-platonic ways, although it's almost never clear. I was always confused by who is in love with who because of that. Also, sex is a big part of this book, since Cricket, Beckan and Scrap are prostitutes, which is something I was really not expecting when I picked this book up. There's a lot of mentions about sex, although they're not really explicit.

The story itself is good, but it's a bit slow. I liked how the war changed aspects of their lives and how the main characters reacted to them, but sometimes Josha and Scrap seemed to react too much.
Beckan is strong and she leads her pack very well, which I liked to see. I was suprised by plot twists towards the end of the book, because I was absolutely not expecting them. The story's interesting and it kept me wanting to know what would happen, but I feel like a big part of it is about the past and not much actually happens. I liked the pictures and excerpts included in the pages, but some of them were unnecessary, in my opinion.

I enjoyed reading this book, my only problem with it is that I have a long list of "but" sentences to add to this.

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)



Sugar - Deirdre Riordan Hall

Goodreads summary:

I’m the fat Puerto Rican–Polish girl who doesn’t feel like she belongs in her skin, or anywhere else for that matter. I’ve always been too much and yet not enough.

Sugar Legowski-Gracia wasn’t always fat, but fat is what she is now at age seventeen. Not as fat as her mama, who is so big she hasn’t gotten out of bed in months. Not as heavy as her brother, Skunk, who has more meanness in him than fat, which is saying something. But she’s large enough to be the object of ridicule wherever she is: at the grocery store, walking down the street, at school. Sugar’s life is dictated by taking care of Mama in their run-down home—cooking, shopping, and, well, eating. A lot of eating, which Sugar hates as much as she loves.

When Sugar meets Even (not Evan—his nearly illiterate father misspelled his name on the birth certificate), she has the new experience of someone seeing her and not her body. As their unlikely friendship builds, Sugar allows herself to think about the future for the first time, a future not weighed down by her body or her mother.

Soon Sugar will have to decide whether to become the girl that Even helps her see within herself or to sink into the darkness of the skin-deep role her family and her life have created for her.


My review:

4.5/5

I LOVED this book. I expected to read this in a couple of days, but once I started, I simply couldn't stop myself.

This book made me so, so , so sad. I hated how Sugar's family treats her, except for Fat Henry. They don't even give her time to breathe, they just shoot her without interruption. I was so angry that I wanted to cry and I had to stop reading for a couple of seconds once in a while to digest all of this. The worst part is probably the fact that Skunk and Sugar's mother don't even seem to realize how badly they treat a family member and they're completely guiltless. I would've punched them repeatedly. Also, the way Sugar sees herself made me really sad. I'm no stranger to confidence issues, even though I might not be fat, but her thoughts made me ache for her. The way her family members treat her doesn't help, which is another reason why I was so angry while reading this book.

All the anger and sadness I experienced made Even perfect to me when he arrived. I loved how he treated and how much better he made her feel. I was really happy when he realized how bad Sugar's life was and tried to make her realize it, too. He made a great difference in her life and I'm really thankful for him. He acted so sweet towards her that he made my heart melt and I would've cried at things he said or did sometimes. He's a great character and I loved how he and Sugar bonded.

I think this book is good at dealing with eating disorders because Sugar tried to change the way she eats, looks and lives for herself. She realized that always being breathless wasn't good for her and that there are other ways for her to feel better than to eat. I'm glad she didn't do it to please someone, because it would've been such a fragile change in her life.
I wish Sugar had realized that she isn't the only one with confidence issues. She always talks about people who aren't fat as confident and fat people as insecure, but weight isn't the only problem. It bugged me a little, because it's as if she's judging, too. I understood her point of view, though, I just wish she had realized people around her have insecurities, no matter how beautiful or confident they can seem.

There's an event that surprised me and that I wish didn't happen, especially since it seemed an odd moment for it to happen. However, things got better after and I liked how the story ended, so it wasn't too bad.

I highly recommend this book. It made me feel so much more emotions than any other book I read recently and I'm convinced I'm not the only one who experienced that.

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Interview: Mara Dabrishus

Today, I've got an interview for you! It's with the author of the Stay the Distance series, which I read and adored. Here's my review of it, if you haven't read it yet!

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Mara and thank you for being here today! I have a few questions for you about you novel, Stay the Distance, and yourself, so let's get started! Can you explain what your novel is about?

Sure! Stay the Distance is a coming of age story about July Carter, her horse racing family, and a summer full of changes. July’s world is perfect from the back of a horse. From the ground, everything is a complete mess: her jockey mom ran off for California years ago and her dad always seems more interested in the horses than in her. Unsure of what she wants to do in her summer after high school, July starts riding horses for her dad on the New York racing circuit, while her best friend wants her to move into the city, go to college, and maybe live a real life for a change.

July isn’t sure that real life isn’t all horses all the time, especially when she can’t help connecting with Kali, a hopeless filly that refuses to run when it counts. When bankruptcy rumors start swirling around the barn, the future is murkier than ever. July can’t stand losing one more thing, and Beck, the barn owner’s son, knows more about the rumors than anyone else. July will get the truth, even if she has to pry it out of him, for Kali’s sake and her own.

 

What inspired you to write this story?

I read a lot of horse books when I was a kid. Of those, I adored the Thoroughbred series and the Black Stallion, which introduced me to horse racing. After I grew up with those books I did the first thing you’d think to do: go searching for more horse books. The pickings were pretty slim, especially for young adults. Part of my aim with Stay the Distance, Whirlaway, and my upcoming Finding Daylight was to write more of the kinds of books I wanted to read, particularly for young adults. People who love horses don’t just stop loving horses when we’re teenagers and pick it back up again when we suddenly like romance and mysteries as adults. We’re horse people, period. That’s what inspires me to write. 



There's also a short story, Whirlaway, related to your novel, which we can download for free on your website. Do you plan on writing more novels in this series?

Yes, I’m working on the outline details for a sequel, and I’m already threading a loose plot for a third book. My goal is to get July to a point where I feel comfortable leaving her, even though contemplating that makes me sad!



How did you choose your stories' titles?

Titles sometimes pop out of nowhere and stay, like Whirlaway. Incidentally, I set the story during the Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct, and I liked the name Whirlaway as it applied to July’s mother, who seems tantalizingly within reach yet so far away. For Stay the Distance, horse racing commentators always love asking whether or not a horse can win at a certain distance—whether or not they’re bred for it, even. I chose Stay the Distance because of those racing roots, and because it connects back to July’s struggles throughout the novel in terms of her family, her mom, and what on earth she wants to do with herself. 



When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

This is such a good question. Writing is something that I always played with, but also something I didn’t know how to realistically pursue when I was younger. All through college I wrote while getting a bachelor’s degree in Classics, and I kept writing through grad school to get my master’s in Library Science. I’m a librarian by day, but always I was writing.

Then I wrote Whirlaway and sent it off to the Thoroughbred Times, which they loved and published. That was my wake-up call, that moment where I thought that writing could be more than something I do in my spare time. So now I’m this mixed breed of indie and traditionally published author. Stay the Distance has been out since March, I’m editing my next book, and a very different short story will be appearing in an anthology in April 2016. Most importantly, I’m having a lot of fun!



Your novel is a lot about horses. When and why did you start being around them?

I have absolutely no memory of the why when it comes to horses. I think I just saw them in a field one day as a toddler and a switch flicked somewhere, as I believe happens with most horse people. Since I didn’t have a horse crazy family to grow up in, I begged for and received riding lessons when I could get them, but barns sold and people moved, and eventually I stopped riding until I was in my late twenties and decided out of nowhere that not riding was unacceptable. So I found a dressage barn and learned my little heart out.



What is your favorite equestrian discipline? Why?

So I have two. Bear with me. Horse racing is my first love. It’s thrilling to watch horses in motion like that. Dressage is the first discipline I really felt that rider-horse connection, which is thrilling on a whole other level. I love it for all the tiny details that go into it, and how much of a difference those tiny details make.



Is there a rider that you admire particularly?

This might seem like a cop out, but I want to say every female jockey that has ever lived. The horse world always seems dominated by women, but that is not the case with horse racing. People still second guess a woman’s ability to ride a race horse, so I admire all women who put on silks and do that job.



Describe your dream horse in terms of personality, breed, looks, etc.

I’m a sucker for Thoroughbreds. They’re phenomenal work horses that just try and try, and I know without a doubt that if I ever find myself in possession of a horse it’s going to be an OTTB. I’m also a sucker for bays with white feet, and some white on the face. It gets me every time.



If you could bring any of your characters (including horses) to life, which one would it be and why?

I thought this would be a difficult question at first glance, but after a couple of seconds the answer became obvious: July’s trusty pony, Maggie. She’s a sweetheart and I would definitely keep her in my backyard.



If you could make a movie of your novel, who would you cast as your main characters?

So my confession is this: I based a lot of Beck on Jensen Ackles circa Dark Angel. If time travel is possible in this hypothetical, it would be really difficult for anyone to dissuade me from plucking Jensen out of 2001. As for July, I am going to aim high and say Jennifer Lawrence. My movie is now Oscar worthy!



Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Hopefully I’ll have ten published books to my name. Cross your fingers for me!



If you could give one tip to aspiring writers, what would it be?

Start! I like to say that you have to get the words on the page. Writing is personal, and everyone goes about it differently, but the words have to be on the page before you can revise, rewrite, and ultimately become a better writer.



Are you a fan of social medias? Where can your readers find you?

Absolutely I’m a fan of social media. You can find me in several places, so take your pick:
TWITTER: marawrites
FACEBOOK: maradabrishusauthor
Instagram: maradabrishus
Tumblr: marawrites

You can also find me at my website, www.maradabrishus.com, where you can read the occasional blog post, sign up for my newsletter regarding new books, or just e-mail to say hi.


There's a giveaway of Stay the Distance on my blog, which will be open until September 20th. You can participate here!


Stay the Distance - Mara Dabrishus

Goodreads summary:

July Carter’s world is perfect from the back of a horse. From the ground, everything is a complete mess: her jockey mom ran off for California years ago, her dad always seems more interested in the horses than in her, and the horse July wants for herself will never be hers.

Even though the New York racing circuit has taught her not to get attached, July can’t help connecting with Kali, a hopeless filly that refuses to run when it counts. When bankruptcy rumors start swirling around the barn, the future is murkier than ever. July can’t stand losing one more thing, and Beck, the barn owner’s son, knows more about the rumors than anyone else. July will get the truth, even if she has to pry it out of him, for Kali’s sake and her own.


My review:

4.5/5

If you're a horse lover, then you need to pick this book up. You won't regret it.

From the beginning, I was hooked. I loved the descriptions about the horses' personalities, looks and performances, as well as all the actions taking place near horses. As a horse lover, being around horses makes me relax, which is why I was happy and calm while reading this novel. It just made me feel like I was truly around horses, which is always a good feeling.

I didn't know much about this novel before I started reading, except that it's about horses. I wasn't expecting it to be about races, but I'm happy it is, because I learned a lot about them and I've always been interested in horse related things, especially races. It's a whole new universe for me, because there aren't any where I live. I didn't expect it to be so serious and demanding, but it showed me how different it can be when you're on the inside. The only thing I wish had been different is the fact that there are many words I didn't know the meaning to, partly because I don't know much about horse races, partly because all I've heard about them was in French. It would make it harder for a reader that doesn't know much about horses to understand the story, because there aren't definitions or explanations. I understood more or less what the words meant when I continued reading, but the beginning was tiring for me.

Since I was just expecting a horse book, I was surprised to find that it's also a lot about family. July's mother has left them a couple of years ago to be a jockey on the west coat, which her daughters are still not over. July's obsessed with her at the beginning of the novel, but she starts to let go of her, deciding to care about her life instead of her mother's. I was happy to see everything change during the story, because I was angry at her mother, too. Also, I liked how much I got to understand her father's character, because I feel like a lot of the story is based around him, even if he doesn't appear that frequently in the novel.

I liked the romance in this novel, because I think it was necessary to the storyline. Yes, it's adorable and it made me swoon, but it also changed July's thoughs about Lighter, which she couldn't help but dislike, and it made her more courageous and open. I enjoyed seeing her grow like that and I definitely think the story couldn't have been so good without such a good romance. Also, it didn't feel rushed or fake, it just felt natural and romantic. It was perfectly done.

Finally, I think the way it's written made the book perfect. Everything is fluent, well described and perfectly said, which made me enjoy my time reading. The only thing I didn't enjoy as much was how little the races were described, because since I was passionate about them, I would've wanted them to be described from the first second to the last. I understand that they don't take such a long time and that some readers would dislike long descriptions, but I wish they had been at least a bit longer, because then I could've really felt the anxiety and passion.

I highly recommend this to all my horse lover friends. It's a great book and I'm not surprised to see all the high ratings it gets.

(Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

I did an interview with the author, Mara Dabrishus, which you can find here! Also, check out this post to participate in a giveaway to win this book.

BookTube-A-Thon 2015!

This year, I was able to take part in the amazing read-a-thon that is BookTube-A-Thon. I wanted to last year, but since I was new to this BookTube thing, I didn't really understand what it was and it was too late when I finally realized it's a read-a-thon. This year, I was prepared! I have to admit I only do it as a regular read-a-thon, with the reading challenges, but not the video ones, since I'm not a BookTuber.

This year's challenges:

1// Read a book with blue on the cover
2// Read a book by an author who shares the same first letter of your last name
3// Read someone else's favourite book
4// Read the last book you acquired
5// Finish a book without letting go of it
6// Read a book you really want to read
7// Read seven books
I changed my original reading list, but I still (kinda) managed to complete all the challenges. Here's what I did:

The second Sunday turned to Monday, the first day of the read-a-thon, I started reading The Death Cure, by James Dashner, to complete challenge number 1, which is to read a book with blue on the cover. It was quite easy for me, since I've owned the book for over a year and I really wanted to read it. I read half of it in about two hours before I went to bed, which was a great start. When I woke up, I started reading Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler, which is the last book I acquired. It was so good and short that I finished it on the same day! It made me tear up a lot, but I liked how it was more about grief than about love. I rated it 4/5.

On Tuesday, I was starting a new job, so I knew I wouldn't have much time to read that day. It's actually why I tried to read so much on Monday. I didn't bring any book to work, but I had my phone with me during lunch break, so I decided to start a book I had on my phone that was on my reading list for BookTube-A-Thon, Sugar, by Deirdre Riordan Hall. I cheated a bit, because I read this book to complete challenge number 2, even though Riordan is probably the author's middle name and this is the only first letter we share. I really wanted to read a book that I received to review during the read-a-thon and I couldn't find any book I own written by an author whose last name starts with a R, so I decided to let it count. I actually REALLY liked Sugar and I wanted to read it as fast as possible, because it made me feel so much anger and love at the same time (but not towards the same people). I finished The Death Cure when I got home. I liked it, but I didn't love it, which is why I gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars. However, I'm glad I finished the series! I can't wait for The Scorch Trials movie now, because it was actually my favorite book of the series.

On Wednesday, I was working again, so I had to read after work and during lunch break. I loved Sugar so much I finished it as soon as I could when I got back home. I highly recommend it, it was awesome! I made me feel sad when I was reading it though, but it was alright in the end. I ended up giving it 4.5/5, because there's one thing I didn't really like in the story. Afterwards, I started reading The Martian, by Andy Weir, and I loved every page I read that day. I realized it was quite long to read it, so I decided to read a bit of it every day while reading other books to complete the challenges. This is the book I chose to complete challenge number 6, because I had been wanting to read it for such a long time and I had just gotten it.

Surprisingly, I didn't read a single page on Thursday. I had a big shift at work and I came home wanting to Watch TV and sleep instead of reading, which is rare for me. I had a one-day reading slump, which wasn't exactly a good thing during this read-a-thon, since it made me late.

I continued reading on Friday, since I had a day off. I completed challenge number 5, which is to read a book without letting go of it. I was really excited by this challenge and wanted to read a relatively short book, but since I was late by this point, I realized a novella would be the way to go. I read Destroy Me by Tahereh outside in the sun (which got hidden by clouds towards the end of the book and made me shiver). I really liked it! I gave it 4.5/5, because there was a tiny missing spark for me. However, I really enjoyed it, especially the last scene. I started reading Choose Us by Caylie Marcoe to complete the seventh challenge, because I just wanted a simple seventh book to read.

In the early hours of Saturday, I finished Choose Us, which I unfortunately didn't enjoy as much as I expected. It saddened me a bit, because I thought it would be the kind of nice fluffy novel that'd make me swoon, but I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. I was really busy on that day, so I knew I wouldn't be reading much. Before I went to a wedding, I started reading Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella, because someone told me it was her new favorite book and I need to complete the third challenge. I read about 40% of it that day.

On Sunday morning, I read as much as I could of The Martian, because I really wanted to complete this year's challenges. I was working at 3 PM, but before that, I managed to get to page 209, which I was happy about. I read Finding Audrey during lunch break and I got to a couple of pages before the end, so I couldn't wait to get home and finish it. I did within minutes and I really liked it! I rated it 4/5. Then, I concentrated on The Martian, even though I realized I couldn't finish it before midnight. I stayed up until 2:30 AM, but I finished it, so I think I pretty much completed the challenges. I wish I had finished it before the read-a-thon officially ended, but I think a few hours delay is okay.

Overall, I (kinda) completed all the reading challenges! I'm really proud of it, even though I wish I didn't have such a busy week. I also watched many video challenges and updates from BookTubers and I have to say that ABookUtopia's videos were my favorite ones!

So that was my experience! Did any you participate?