May 2015 - Booked J | in the Land of Stories

10:58 AM

The Corridor by A.N. Willis | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5) As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. THE CORRIDOR by A.N. Willis has been on my most anticipated list for quite a while now and thankfully, it didn’t disappoint...

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annabelle vestry

3:30 PM

Take A Chance On Me (GG: The Carlyles #3) created by Cecily von Ziegesar and written by Annabelle Vestry | Rating: ★★★★★ In the third installment of Gossip Girl: The Carlyles, things continue heating up on the Upper East Side and these new scandalous teenagers just won’t quit. Everything has been up in flames since the arrival of The Carlyle triplets and Take...

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2:57 PM

Girls on Film (The A-List #2) by Zoey Dean | Rating: ★★★★★ The A-List crew is back for seconds in this installment of the best selling series. It’s hard for me to believe it’s as old as it is, but in spit of its age it is still hilarious and oozes shallow rich-kid-plots goodness. Zoey Dean ups her game for this number and...

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all i want is everything

2:22 PM

All I Want Is Everything (GG #3) by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★ Following the events of You Know You Love Me, everyone’s favorite group of partying, reckless, intriguing teenagers are still the hot topic on the infamous Gossip Girl blog. Which is not at all shocking, given their lives are as entertaining and stressful as your favorite handy dandy soap opera....

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alloy entertainment

3:51 PM

You Just Can’t Get Enough (G.G: The Carlyles #2) created by Cecily von Ziegesar, written by Annabelle Vestry | Rating: ★★★★☆ In You Just Can’t Get Enough, the second book of the Gossip Girl spin off, Gossip Girl: The Carlyles, readers see things heating up once more in the lives of this batch of wealthy teenage Upper East Siders. And it’s oh-so-obvious that...

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2:08 PM

About a Girl by Sarah McCarry | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5) As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. If there is one thing you must know before picking up a novel written by Sarah McCarry: it’s that her writing...

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1:45 PM

You Know You Love Me (GG #2) by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★ You Know You Love Me serves as the second installment of the original Gossip Girl series and comes with the return of fan favorites Blair, Serena, Nate, Dan, Jenny, Vanessa and Chuck. After the excellent start to the series, one can tell instantly that these scandalous teenagers and their...

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3:26 PM

Mireille by Molly Cochran | Rating: ★★★★★ As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. There’s just something about the leading lady in Molly Cochran’s unique, scandalous and intriguing new novel Mireille. I’m fairly certain that it is my...

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2:22 PM

Those Girls by Lauren Saft | Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. For years, the Poppy imprint over at Little Brown has provided us with many a shallow and fluffy rich-kids-go-wild novels and series. Typically,...

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12:52 PM

Beautiful Surrender by Priscilla West | Rating: ★★★★☆ As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. After a killer cliffhanger and a relationship in turmoil, to say that Kristen and Vincent’s romance is intense and thrilling would be an...

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12:06 PM

Secret Surrender by Priscilla West | Rating: ★★★★☆ As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. Just as steamy as the previous installment, Secret Surrender dishes out the sex and the drama in a way that is very soapy...

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1:45 PM

Forbidden Surrender by Priscilla West | Rating: ★★★★☆ As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. Forbidden Surrender is yet another take on a stereotypical erotic romance (instalust!) and is quick, steamy and to the point. It’s the perfect...

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5:42 PM

Gossip Girl: The Carlyles created by Cecily von Ziegesar and written by Annabelle Vestry | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5) I'll be honest here, guys. I am complete and utter Gossip Girl trash and always will be, but it took me years to actually pick up this spinoff and give it a go. The Carlyles came out not too long after the television adaption of...

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ali's pretty little lies

4:52 PM

Ali's Pretty Little Lies (PLL prequel) by Sara Shepard | Rating: ★★★★☆ "Sometimes, a family is like an ear of summer corn: It might look perfect on the outside, but when you peel the husk away. every kernel is rotten.” I'm the first to admit that I'm very, very skeptical about prequels. They can often be wonderful and informative and keep the same...

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4:14 PM

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien | Rating: ★★★★★ "Advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill.” It took me quite a while to see it, but in recent months I’ve finally seen the light when it comes to this delightful adventure that J.R.R. Tolkien provided for us. The middle-earth is...

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3:33 PM

Play With Me (Grover Beach Team #1) by Anna Katmore | Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1.5) After reading a small blurb on a friends book blog, I was excited to see that Play With Me was free on Amazon. It seemed like the perfect freebee for a day spent sitting outside in the sunshine and reading a book filled with fluffy goodness. Nothing says Jessica’s...

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3:11 PM

The A-List by Zoey Dean | Rating: ★★★★★ Just a little over ten years ago, when readers where left in wait for the next installment of Gossip Girl they searched high and low for something equally as juicy to read in their spare time. Fortunately for them, Little Brown already had a selection in the Zoey Dean penned series called The A-List. Many...

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1:56 PM

Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar | Rating: ★★★★★ Gossip Girl was, and always will be, one of my favorite trashy young adult book series. I love that the novels are short and easy to devour and that they sound like actual conversations with teenagers. You get a glimpse into the lives of a group of shallow rich teenagers and the so-called-glamor of...

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11:41 AM

From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion | Rating: ★★★★☆ As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. From a Distant Star, from the looks of things, is gearing up to be one of the next great young adult...

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10:46 AM

Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan | Rating: ★★★★☆ "It's only by facing things that you ever put them behind you." The thing about losing a loved one, for me, is that I seem to want to dive into the past in any way possible. Grab that old sweater I loved when I was a teen, snuggle a stuffed animal I haven’t brought...

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Welcome, Welcome

BOOKED J was created by a group of friends who wanted nothing more than to discuss literature with the world. In the time since, Booked J has gone through a number of changes in name and content.

Presently run by Jessica, a freelance writer, singer, Goodreads Librarian and avid reader, Booked J is--somehow--still going strong. With several years of book blogging under her belt, and a desire to work with the literary community in making it more diverse, she is always open to collaborations.

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