Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

New Girl
by Paige Harbison
Published by Harlequin Teen
Expected Release January 31st 2012
NetGalley

From Goodreads:


They call me 'New Girl'... 

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her. 

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault. 

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be. 

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this novel. Although I had to pretend this was college and not boarding school. I hate thinking about  teens drinking and having sex. Probably because my sister is a teen and I want to think it's not really happening. But I digress.

This novel was full of drama in the style of CW or ABCFamily. I kept waiting to see what really happened to Becca. There was a lot of tension in the novel, I felt like I was holding my breath a lot. I had so many different suspicions while I was reading! Was Becca alive? Did one of the boys kill her? Did Dana have something to do the her untimely disappearance? The writer really allows your mind to explore all kinds of possibillities before we find the answers.

This is the kind of book that I would love to talk about with someone who has read it. My favorite part is at the end of the book when the main character finally comes into her own. I don't want to spoil anything and there was a definite, "oh my gosh" moment at the end when I realize that the writer did something incredibly difficult throughout the book and I didn't even notice!

I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys the high-drama of a good YA novel.

Review: By Fire, By Water

By Fire, By Water
by James Mitchell Kaplan
Published by Other Press
May 2010
Review Copy provided by Publisher

From Goodreads:


Within the dramatic story lies a subtle, insightful examination of the crisis of faith at the heart of the Spanish Inquisition. Irresolvable conflict rages within the conversos in By Fire, By Water, torn between the religion they left behind and the conversion meant to ensure their safety. In this story of love, God, faith, and torture, fifteenth-century Spain comes to dazzling, engrossing life. 

My Thoughts:

This was a beautifully crafted novel. It exceeded my expectations in every way. Kaplan clearly did his research well and thoroughly before weaving this story of the Spanish Inquisition.

I do enjoy historical fiction, but I've never enjoyed one as much as I enjoyed this one. Kaplan tells two parallel stories. One of a high official in King Fernando's court, and another of a young single Jewish woman. By the time the stories begin to intertwine with one another you are completely immersed in the drama of the war, and fully aware of the abuse of power among those in charge of the Inquisition.

I personally loved the story of Judith, a young Jewish woman working as a silversmith to support her nephew and the father-in-law of her deceased brother. Her dedication to her family was touching. Even as they lived in an area where they weren't truly "free" but rather kept separate because of their religious beliefs, they seemed content and somewhat unaffected by the turmoil in their own region. Her actions when that all changes, and the hard decisions she must make, are heartbreaking.

This novel has drama, suspense, a little romance, and a lot of theological insight into the connected-ness of the Jews and the Christians. If you only ever read one historical fiction novel, I would recommend it be By Fire, By Water.

Loving some Friday!

Feature & Follow is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

This Week's Feature Blogs:

This Week's Question:

What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get your hands on any particular book?

I don't think I've ever done anything crazy. If I have a can't recall. I enter giveaways like crazy before the release date, but if I want it bad enough I'll buy is as soon as it's out. I'm like that. I'm impulsive and forgetful. I'm horrible with library books. I always forget to turn them in, so I go shopping in used book stores, or I bargain shop at bigger stores for new releases :)

Review: If You See Her by Shiloh Walker

** SPOILER ALERT **

This trilogy is meant to be read in order! If you don't read the first one, don't be surprised if you have trouble following the second. Also, if you haven't read If You Hear Her, stop reading now. You can find that review HERE. You definitely need to start there. 

If You See Her
by Shiloh Walker
Published by Ballentine Books
Expected Release January 25th, 2012
ARC provided by Author for Review

From Goodreads:


A FACE IN THE MIRROR. 

Hope Carson may not look like a survivor, but she has escaped an abusive ex-husband and recovered from a vicious assault. Now she endures the painful memories and suspicious rumors surrounding her involvement in the attack. Her ex is a cop, so the last people she trusts are law enforcement officials—and she certainly doesn’t trust how the local DA makes her feel inside. 

Remy Jennings should know better. He has no business falling for a woman who he suspects may have a deeply troubled mind. And even if he did make a move, she’d bolt like a frightened rabbit. But how can he deny a burning desire that threatens to consume him? As Hope’s past catches up with her in the worst way, Remy is determined to break through her defenses, earn her trust, and keep her safe in his arms—before it’s too late.


My Thoughts:

I am loving this series by Shiloh Walker. I knew with the first book that Hope would be my favorite character in this series and, unless I'm proved wrong with the next one, I hold that opinion.

If You Hear Her picks up right where If You See Her left off. Hope and Law are still in the hospital and Law is still unconscious from the attack at the end of the first book. Hope is the prime suspect because of her "mental history" that has been set in place by her bastard ex-husband.

Through the suspicion and ultimate exoneration of Hope's involvement in the attack, Remy finds himself even more fascinated with Hope (if that is even possible). Hope, of course, is suffocating with everyone trying to protect her, even as she becomes more and more aware that perhaps she needs that protection after all. We see a lot of growth in Hope as she realizes how much she has changed, and how strong she has become as an individual.

This book is a real page turner as we now see into the warped minds of two cold-blooded criminals instead of one. We learn some pretty interesting stuff about the killer from the first book. He has a fascination with Hope, but not like you would expect.

I had a few thoughts in the first book as to who the killer might be, and I narrowed my options some in this book, but there are still a handful people I think it could be. One person I think we are supposed to suspect, and that probably means it isn't him. I could be wrong though! Anyway, I'm bad about trying to figure it all out before the end. I can't wait to read the third and final book in this series. It really is a great story and I think that everyone should read it. I give it five cups!

Follow Friday (7)

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.
This week's featured blogs:

This week's question:
Many readers/bloggers are also big music fans. Tell us about a few of your favorite bands/singers that we should listen to in 2012.

I am a big fan of Brantley Gilbert. I really love his music. I'm also a big fan of Dave Barnes and I think that not enough people know who he is. So definitely check those guys out!

Review: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
by Aimee Bender
Published by Anchor Books (April 2011)
Originally Published in May 2010 by Knopf Publishing Group
Purchased for Book Club

From Goodreads:


On the eve of her ninth birthday, unassuming Rose Edelstein bites into her mother's homemade lemon-chocolate cake and discovers she has a magical gift: she can taste her mother’s emotions in the slice. To her horror, she finds that her cheerful mother tastes of despair. Soon, she’s  privy to the secret knowledge that most families keep hidden: her father’s detachment, her mother’s transgression, her brother’s increasing retreat from the world. But there are some family secrets that even her cursed taste buds can’t discern.


My Thoughts:

This was yet another step outside of my normal reading habits. I enjoyed it though. Rose is a sweet spirited girl until she discovers that she can taste feelings in food. From that point on her life is dramatically different. I wanted to cry for the little girl who knew so much more than any child should know about her mother. The idea that she couldn't enjoy food anymore because the majority of the world around her was so unhappy! I imagine it would be awful.

One of the things that makes this book so different is the detachment of the characters. You have Paul, the dad, who likes to have his normal organized family, and goes through the motions even when things aren't so great. You have Joseph who prefers to be alone all of the time and very rarely engages with the family. You have Rose who, before long, avoids cooked foods because there is too much emotion there. She sticks to processed snack food so that all she tastes are the methodical factories that produce the food. Then there is Lane, the mom. She is so sad and so empty. We know more of her emotions than any other character because it is the one thing that Rose can't avoid. She tastes it in every meal. She is so sad, and lonely.

The book was well written and definitely creative, but it left me feeling empty as I read it. The emotions are conveyed beautifully by the author.

I will be honest, there is a secondary plot line involving Joseph that is kind of out there. For most of the book he goes through these spells where he disappears. We don't know why, and we don't know where he goes, but we know that something is off. When this begins to resolve it gets a little different. It was actually the part of the book that we spent the most time talking about at book club. The majority could only use the word 'weird'. I leaned more towards 'interesting'. This book is in the genre of magical realism so you have to be willing to accept that a lot of it isn't really explained in concrete satisfactory terms. It's about the emotion conveyed through the story.

This was a story of loss innocence for a young girl. Once she grows up she realizes that by avoiding the emotions in food, she has avoided emotion all together. When she sees what that detachment has done to her brother she sets out to find herself, and really live her life for her. The book ends in the middle of Rose's new beginning and I was left with the feeling that she was going to be ok, even if the path that brought her there was a little bumpy.

I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it for people who like something a little different and aren't bothered by the unexplained mystical elements. If you don't really like books where there is not a clear concrete explanation it may not be for you.

Lesson #1

So I am still new to the world of book blogging, and while I really enjoy finding new authors and getting to try books I might not have found otherwise, I've also learned some valuable lessons. I figured I'd share them here for two reasons. 1) Others may benefit from it. 2) Others may have even better advice as to how I can put these lessons to good use!

Lesson #1: Stick to my preferred genres

I like to venture out of my comfort zone from time to time, but I started to make a habit of excepting books for review when the blurb wouldn't have jumped out at me at all had I been browsing in a bookstore. The result has been me dragging through short novels because I simply don't enjoy them. I don't want that, and my readers don't want a constant deluge of mediocre reviews and stretches of time where I don't highly recommend anything at all. I've stopped powering through books that I don't like. I will e-mail the author to apologize for accepting the book when it wasn't something from one of my listed genres and cancel the review altogether.

In this same vein, when I have a dozen books that I have purchased that I know I want to read, I'm not going to keep moving review books in front of them just because they were free and the author wants a review. I'm still going to ensure that ARCs are reviewed before the release date, but others will likely get mixed in with my purchased books or others that I've received as gifts.

For me, this was a major decision. I'm one of those people who is always feeling bad about things I have no business feeling bad about. I started this blog because I enjoy reading. I love that I can often receive free books to review. But I am not going to allow reviewing books to stifle my love of reading.

Am I the only one who made this mistake? How about some of your veteran bloggers, did you go through a period like this?

Bout of Books Read-a-Thon: Starting Line

I was kinda out of it yesterday and missed the start! I did read last night but I'm not sure how many pages. I'll have to look it up and edit the post later.

My goals for the week are to finish By Fire, By Water (already started) and The Next Always and hopefully start on New Girl

Monday

Pages Read: 20 pages

Currently Reading: By Fire, By Water

Tuesday

Pages Read: 0 - I listened to about an hour of Then came You! Does that count? Lol

Currently Reading: By Fire, By Water

Wednesday

Pages Read: 37, and listened to 30 min of Then Came You

Currently Reading: By Fire, By Water

Thursday

Pages Read: 90

Currently Reading: By Fire, By Water 

Friday

Pages Read: 40

Currently Reading: By Fire, By Water

Saturday

Pages Read: 119

Currently Reading: The Next Always

Sunday

Pages Read: 25? (I fell asleep reading and started again the next morning. Not quite sure.)

Currently Reading: The Next Always

FINISH LINE:

Pages Read: 331

Books Completed: By Fire, By Water

Here's to next time!

Saturday Morning Cup: Keurig Special Edition Brewer

Saturday Morning Cup is a (somewhat) weekly feature where I share my experienced opinions on coffee!

I got a Keurig for Christmas! So instead of coffee I'm going to share my thoughts on my new toy :)

Image from keurig.com

Keurig B60 Special Edition Brewer

Received as a Christmas Gift
All thoughts are my own, no compensation for post

From keurig.com:

Blending luxury with convenience, this single cup home brewing system offers upscale style and convenient features. Includes a bonus 12 count K-Cup® variety box.

My Thoughts:

I absolutely LOVE this machine. I really enjoy different kinds of coffee so at any given point there are more than half a dozen open bags of coffee in my freezer. With the Keurig I don't have to worry about the freshness of my coffee! the individual cups are perfect. The machine is so fast that I can make a cup as I'm running out the door and it's so easy to use! Granted, I had been using my mom's for a while so I already knew how it works, but it is so easy!

This machine has an LCD display that shows the time and the brewing status. There are three cup sizes to choose from, 6oz, 8oz, and 10oz.

The 10oz wasn't quite enough to fill my 16oz travel mug and I like to make my drinks last. A friend has one and says that she uses her K-cups twice because she doesn't mind the 2nd cup being a little weaker. I didn't love that idea, but in the mornings I will run one K-cup through the 8oz brewing twice and it fills my mug without sacrificing on the taste! I love it.

I recommend it completely. If you're shopping for one you can find great deals at wholesale retailers. This model sells for $149.95 on the company's website. My mom found it at Sam's Club for $119.00 and it was a bonus pack that came with 36 K-cups, a My K-Cup (so I can still buy ground coffee), and a water filter. It was a great deal!

Review: Shadow's Stand by Sarah McCarty (Hell's Eight #5)

Shadow's Stand (Hells Eight #5)
by Sarah McCarty
Published by HQN
Expected Release January 31st, 2012
Acquired through Net Galley

From Goodreads:

Shadow Ochoa is lying low in the western Kansas Territory, waiting for his fellow Texas Rangers—the Hell's Eight brotherhood—to clear his name. That is, until he's unjustly strung up for horse thieving…and pretty Fei Yen intervenes. Invoking a seldom-used law, the exotic lady prospector claims Shadow as her husband and rides off with the bridegroom shackled to her buckboard.

Savvy, fearless Fei is single-mindedly devoted to her hidden claim and all it promises: wealth, security and freedom. A husband is just a necessary inconvenience and a name on paper to hold the claim she cannot.

Shadow isn't a man to take orders from anyone, especially from lovely Fei—except that the daily friction between them ignites into nightly blazes of all-consuming passion. Soon Shadow is dreaming a little himself: of the life they could have if only Fei could see past the lure of independence. If only bounty hunters weren't closing in on him. If only he's left standing when the impending showdown has ended….

My Thoughts:

I read the first four books in this series when they first came out. Due to contracts and such, I had to wait a whole year for this book! I thought I might die waiting! So when I saw it on Net Galley I simply had to request it!

A little background on the series; Hell's Eight are a band of Outlaws turned Texas Rangers. The eight men survived an attack of Mexican Army as young boys and once they grew into mean they hunted down the mean who killed their families. Rather than waste energy and men trying to arrest these skilled killers, the government offered them jobs as Texas Rangers. Together they have worked hard to establish their ranch and work to keep peace in Texas. No longer outlaws, they still aren't above using necessary force. Once by one the men of Hell's Eight encounter women who turn their worlds upside down and change their way of thinking.

The first four books of the series were Caine's Reckoning, Sam's Creed, Tucker's Claim, and Tracker's Sin.

Tracker's Sin ended with Shadow Ochoa shooting a man in front of the US Army. Now a wanted man, Shadow is on the run after escaping his captors. He has cut himself off from his brother and the rest of Hell's Eight. Along the way trouble continues to find him as does Fei Yen, a young Chinese American woman who is looking for a quick husband that can help her with her current predicament.

There are a few slow spots in the book but I really enjoyed it on the whole. Shadow has already been portrayed throughout the series as the most dangerous of Hell's Eight but he has always been on the fringes. We finally get to know him and learn that he may also be the most damaged of the group. Fei Yen is also a very interesting character. She isn't necessarily my favorite heroine in the series, but she is very likable. Her culture is different and that is always fascinating. This series is full of diversity as far as the heritage and backgrounds of the characters.

My copy had a lot of typos and errors but it was an advanced copy so hopefully most of those will be taken care of before the final print.

A point worth making for those who have read the previous book in this series is that this book was published under the HQN imprint as opposed to the SPICE imprint. The first four books, published under Harlequin's SPICE Imprint, were real sheet scorchers and I loved them! Now all of the 'SPICE' books are being published under the HQN imprint. Does that mean they will be tamer on the whole? Time will tell, but this one definitely had a lot less steamy sex scenes than it's predecessors. That's not to say I didn't still like it! But fans of the series will notice the change.

Overall impression? I really liked it, and I will continue to read this series, and I have a feeling that Fei's cousin Lin will be making another appearance. Maybe? Who knows. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a sexy cowboy book. Because if it's place in the series you could read this book without having read the others before it, but I recommend starting with Caine's Reckoning and working your way through.

** Due to explicit sex scenes this book isn't recommended for those under the age of 18 ;) **