April 2015 - Booked J | in the Land of Stories

a message from your bookgirl

4:03 PM

Hi guys. For those of you who know me on a personal level, you know that my Grandpa has been in poor health for quite some time and has spent the majority of the year so far in/out of hospitals. Recently, we found out that his lungs are failing him among other health issues. He is certainly not a youngin', as they say....

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12:20 PM

City Love by Susane Colasanti | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5) "...the present will become powerful enough to erase the past." GUYS! Guys, guys, guys! I have news! Incredible news just in time for the warmer weather. You know that perfectly engaging, girl power infused, lovely and overall quotable contemporary romance novel you've been waiting for? It's here! Or, well, will be on April 21st....

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11:32 AM

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines | Rating:★☆☆☆☆ (1.5) "Trouble can be a lot of fun. It's the straight and narrow that makes life tedious and boring." From 2012. The Vincent Boys promises to be a delicious, steamy love story perfect for summer fantasy fueled days you spend inside from the rain. I was able to download a free copy of this eBook...

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1:12 PM

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski | Rating: ★★★★★ “Happiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous.” From 2014. The Winner's Curse is the first book in a planned trilogy by the wonderful Marie Rutkoski and all I can say, right now, is WOW. If there's only one word I can use to review this story it's, seriously, wow. Marie's...

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12:49 PM

Dangerous When Wet by Jamie Brickhouse | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5) As a note, this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. Dangerous When Wet is a laugh out loud, side splitting, piece of humour in literature that was desperately needed. The voice projected in the narration is...

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12:17 PM

The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5) As a note, this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. It's not that I hated The Paris Winter, or didn't like it. I quite liked it, but I think I expected much more from it than...

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3:34 PM

The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (2.5) As a note, this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. The thing about The Dream Lover is that it starts off incredibly slow; it was one of those books that took me days to get past...

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3:17 PM

Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Grechen Rubin | Rating: ★★☆☆☆ “How about this,” I suggested. “Instead of feeling that you’ve blown the day and thinking, ‘I’ll get back on track tomorrow,’ try thinking of each day as a set of four quarters: morning, midday, afternoon, evening. If you blow one quarter, you get back on track for...

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2:21 PM

Our Auntie Rosa: Remembering the Life and Lessons of the Real Rosa Parks by Sheila McCauley Keys | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5) “She was there, encouraging and helping us throughout our lives. To the world, she is Rosa Parks, but to us, she was simply and wonderfully ‘Auntie Rosa.’” As a note, this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for...

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a fifty year silence

1:59 PM

A Fifty Year Silence by Miranda Richmond Mouillot| Rating: ★★★☆☆ “The point of a fairy tale is never in the details. The point is that it's easy to remember, to carry, to tell. We'll continue telling until the stones fall down, and then we'll rebuild and start again.” As a note, this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for...

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1:10 PM

Look at this cute little gem of a package that arrived on Monday! Is it not the cutest thing you've ever seen? I can't stop starring at it. There's so much pretty pink my neighbors were all incredibly jealous of how cute it looked sitting outside. It's not everyday you see a hot pink package delivered! I, for one, was PUMPED before I...

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1:36 PM

The Marauders by Tom Cooper | Rating: ★★★☆☆ As a note, this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for a review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. It's hard to believe this is Tom Cooper's first published novel. Tom does an excellent job in his writing -- you can feel the effort he put into creating...

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1:10 PM

The Young Elites by Marie Lu | Rating: ★★★★☆ "I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside. It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt." Marie Lu brings us a thoroughly engaging novel, the first in a planned series, that is dark, unique and powerful. It's a thrilling and heart pounding story, the perfect addition to a young adults...

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4:39 PM

What Might Have Been by Matt Dunn | Rating: ★★☆☆☆ From 2014. This book was won via Goodreads First Read Program. This in no way effects my review or alters my opinions on the novel at hand. Where to begin, where to begin... What Might Have Been seemed interesting to me, based upon the plot summary and I had high hopes for it....

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4:22 PM

Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (2.5) From 2014. This book was won via Goodreads First Read Program. This in no way effects my review or alters my opinions on the novel at hand. Winter Street is an unfortunate example of a novel with a promising plot, penned by a very talented author, that went horribly wrong. No, maybe not horrible...

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4:05 PM

The Witch Narratives Reincarnation (Land of Enchantment Trilogy #1) by Belinda Vasquez Garcia | Rating: ★★★★☆ “I fear nothing. Neither you nor any of your kind can hurt me. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but humanity will never break me.” From 2014. This book was won via Goodreads First Read Program. This in no way effects my review or alters my...

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an interesting read though!

3:37 PM

Minerva Day by Christie Keele | Rating: ★★★☆☆ From 2014. This book was won via Goodreads First Read Program. This in no way effects my review or alters my opinions on the novel at hand. Minerva Day is the perfect example of a book that deserves more hype than it's given. It's a real page turner with many twists and turns that you...

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3:19 PM

Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5) “When a bone breaks, it heals stronger in the cracks. I realize this is what is happening to her heart.” From 2014. As a note, this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for a review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. Island of a...

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2:49 PM

Flawless (PLL #2) by Sara Shepard | Rating: ★★★★☆ "Sometimes I feel kind of wrong here. I used to be normal, but now... I don't know. I feel like I should be one way, but I'm not." Toby stared at her. "I hear that." He sighed. "There are all these perfect people here. And... it's like, if you're not one of the,. then...

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2:11 PM

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn | Rating: ★★★★☆ "There’s something disturbing about recalling a warm memory and feeling utterly cold.” You've heard all the buzz, haven't you? If you haven't, you're clearly just not listening. Gone Girl is one of the books in recent years that everyone is talking about. It's dishy. It's twisted. It's over the top. It's creepy. It's crazy. It's...

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1:01 PM

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins | Rating: ★★★★★ “I’m…getting there. I’m beginning to think that maybe it’s okay to be a blank canvas. Maybe it’s okay that my future is unknown. And maybe,” I say with another smile, “it’s okay to be inspired by the people who do know their future.” Isla's story is the final installment in the...

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12:20 PM

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins | Rating: ★★★★★ He couldn't bring the girl with him, so he brought the stars. When he'd look out his window at night, he would start with one. One star. And the boy would make a wish on it, and the wish would be her name. At the sound of her name, a second...

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anna and the french kiss

8:55 PM

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins | Rating: ★★★★★ "I wish friends held hands more often, like the children I see on the streets sometimes. I'm not sure why we have to grow up and get embarrassed about it." STEPS TO ENJOYING THIS NOVEL: 1.) Grab yourself a hot beverage 2.) Hunt down some yummy French macarons (I'd go for the...

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8:00 PM

'89 Walls by Katie Pierson | Rating: ★★★☆☆ As a disclaimer, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley. My review remains completely unaffected by receiving this novel. All opinions are real and of my own. '89 Walls is a throwback to, well, the 1980s. And it's a good one, at that. There are so...

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2:55 PM

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, Sarah Rees Brennan | Rating: ★★★★☆ "Trust. It is like placing a blade in someone's hand and setting the very point to your heart." I may be biased in this -- because I'm such a fan of this world -- but this is the perfect collection of short stories on Magnus Bane. I'm always, always...

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2:28 PM

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien | Rating: ★★★★★ "There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after." My father has always been a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien's works and, because of this, he has been on my case to read this since...

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11:52 AM

The Hunger Games (The Hungers Games #1) by Suzanne Collins | Rating: ★★★★★ "I can feel Peeta press his forehead into my temple and he asks, ‘So now that you’ve got me, what are you going to do with me?’ I turn into him. ‘Put you somewhere you can’t get hurt.” As tender as it is terrifying, The Hunger Games tells us the...

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11:48 AM

Bared to You (Crossfire #1) by Sylvia Day | Rating: ★★★★☆ “Sex that’s planned like a business transaction is a turnoff for me….. Listen to yourself. Why even call it a fuck? Why not be clear and call it a seminal emission in a pre-approved orifice?” With the popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey, which is admittedly n o t my cup of...

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11:44 AM

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard | Rating: ★★★★☆ “When someone covets something they desire and lust over it. Usually it’s something they can’t have. You’ve always had that problem…” Before the hit television series graced our screens, Pretty Little Liars was a wildly popular novel hailed as Desperate Housewives for the younger crowd, much like the Gossip Girl novels were referred to...

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11:40 AM

Where She Went by Gayle Forman | Rating: ★★★★★ “It would’ve been easier to die. It’s not that I want to be dead now. I don’t. I have a lot in my life that I get satisfaction from, that I love. But some days, especially in the beginning, it was so hard. And I couldn’t help but think that it would’ve been so...

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11:37 AM

Ensnared by A.G Howard | Rating: ★★★★★ I am wind. I am fury. I am pandemonium. In this vivid conclusion to one of my favorite series, Ensnared captures the brilliance of the two previous books and wraps up the dark fantasy in a way that is sure to satisfy fans of the trilogy. I, for one, don’t have much to complain about except...

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3:09 PM

Day 21 (The Hundred #2) by Kass Morgan | Rating: ★★★☆☆ The sequel to The 100 is nearly here (out September 16th!) and I’ve had the privilege of reading it already, an eGalley provided by NetGalley. Thanks, guys! And guess what? It is MUCH better than the first of the series. I’ll tell you guys one thing: I think this book series is...

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3:05 PM

Allegiant by Veronica Roth | Rating: ★★★★★ "There are so many ways to be brave in this world. Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else. Sometimes it involves giving up everything you have ever known, everyone you have ever loved, for the sake of something greater." Allegiant, the final book in the Divergent trilogy,...

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3:01 PM

Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini | Rating: ★★★★☆ Trial by Fire is an unique, descriptive, magical, intriguing and intelligent creation amongst young adult stories of witchcraft. It takes familiar themes, and worlds, tying them together neatly with fresh twists and turns all in the form of parallel universes and more. Trial by Fire certainly treats its readers to a fantastic trip through...

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2:56 PM

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry | Rating: ★★★☆☆ “I saw the world in black and white instead of the vibrant colours and shades I knew existed.” This series has been on my to-read list for ages and I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews. And even though I’ve heard such great things about it, I didn’t expect to like it half as much...

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2:50 PM

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin | Rating: ★★★★★Noah matched my pace. “Don’t you mean ‘assclown’?” He looked amused. "No," I said, louder this time. "I mean asscrown. The crown on top of the asshat that covers the asshole of the assclown. The very zenith in the hierarchy of asses," I said, as though I was reading from a dictionary of...

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2:47 PM

Empire Girls by Suzanne Hayes & Loretta Nyhan | Rating: Rating: ★★★★☆ Empire Girls was a breath of fresh air in terms of the books that I’ve read this year. I didn’t expect to like it half as much as I did, but the fact of the matter is you can’t help but to adore the two main characters, these two Empire Girls....

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2:44 PM

The Giver by Lois Lowry | Rating: ★★★★☆ “The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.” Revised review. It’s safe to say that The Giver has been part of many of our childhoods. Whether you read this on your own growing up or in school, it’s likely that you’ve had...

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2:40 PM

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper | Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Surely by now my followers realize that my number one literature weakness always, always has involved witches. And that is what sparked my desire to read Salt & Storm, a historical fiction novel that centers around, well, a witch. See, my problem with this novel is it felt lackluster compared to others that I...

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2 a.m. at the cat's pajamas

2:38 PM

2 A.M at the Cat’s Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino | Rating: ★★★★★ When I think of this book, the first word that comes to mind is: delightful. Because, to be clear, it is a delightful read with many quirks and darkened edges to the plot. With colorful characters, fun dialogue and interesting backstories I just knew I’d love it within the first few...

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2:34 PM

Starry Night by Isabel Gillies | Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Starry Night initially captured my attention based on the cover art which, I know, isn’t what you are meant to judge a book on. But isn’t it just so pretty? It was difficult not to want to snag a copy and I was very thrilled to see an ARC waiting on my doorstep one day....

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2:30 PM

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender | Rating: ★★★★☆ As a note, a finished copy of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. In what would seem to be a fast track to terrible literature: Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer proves us wrong in its unique...

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2:27 PM

Landline by Rainbow Rowell | Rating: ★★★★★ "I think I can live without you," he said, like it was something he’d spent twenty-seven hours think about, "but it won’t be any kind of life." I really, really wish that Landline had been my first Rainbow Rowell novel. I loved it so, so much — I honestly did. There’s something charming about the entire...

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2:23 PM

Can’t Look Away by Donna Cooner | Rating: ★★★☆☆ As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. Donna Cooner is back with a story of loss and growing up in the digital aged spotlight. She manages to smoothly transform a...

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2:19 PM

If I Stay by Gayle Forman | Rating: ★★★★★ "It's okay,' he tells me. 'If you want to go. Everyone wants you to stay. I want you to stay more than I've ever wanted anything in my life.' His voice cracks with emotion. He stops, clears his throat, takes a breath, and continues. 'But that's what I want and I could see why...

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2:16 PM

Famous Last Words by Katie Alender | Rating: ★★★★☆ As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. Katie Alender has fast become my latest go-to author when I want to read something quick, slightly shallow and a bit thrilling. I...

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2:10 PM

Where Rainbows End (“Love, Rosie”) by Cecelia Ahern | Rating: ★★★★★ "Our life is made up of time; our days are measured in hours, our pay measured by those hours, our knowledge is measured by years. We grab a quick few minutes in our busy day to have a coffee break. We rush back to our desks, we watch the clock, we live...

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2:05 PM

It Comes In Waves by Erika Marks | Rating: ★★★★★ "I know your father broke your heart, Claire. Most days, he broke mine too. But we all make the choices that suit us at that moment in time, and eventually our hearts heal. And after enough excuses for why you can’t make your life the way you want it, maybe it stops being...

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2:01 PM

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs | Rating: ★★★★☆ “I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was.” // “We cling to our fairy tales until the price for believing in them becomes too high.” Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children is quite the...

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1:55 PM

The 100 by Kass Morgan | Rating: ★★★☆☆ "You couldn’t expect anyone else to share your suffering. You had to carry your pain alone." The 100 promises us thrilling and unique plots sprinkled with teen angst when looking at the stories summary and centers around a group of young adults in the distant future. Many of which have their own POV throughout this...

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