Saturday, June 29, 2013

Taking Chances - Molly McAdams

Hello Lovelies!

I'm trying to play catch up on reviews so let's just get started!


9 out of 10!

Goodreads Summary...

Eighteen-year-old Harper has grown up under the thumb of her career marine father. Ready to live life her own way and to experience things she's only ever heard of from the jarheads in her father's unit, she's on her way to college at San Diego State University.

Thanks to her new roommate, Harper is introduced to a world of parties, gorgeous guys, family, and emotions. She finds herself being torn in two as she quickly falls in love with both her new boyfriend, Brandon, and her roommate's brother, Chase. Despite their dangerous looks and histories, both men adore Harper and would do anything for her, including taking a step back if it would mean she'd be happy.


Okay so this book begins with a couple of pluses right out of the gate. 1.Harper is going off to college and 2. She is completely clueless in the world of boys (which is a roundabout way of saying this should be an interesting adventure). 

So her roommate, Bree, is funny right out of the gate. She pulls Harper into the college world. The story begins off and me as the reader expected it to go one way...it didn't. Enter Chase and Brandon, both of whom would get my vote. This book then goes into typical triangle story line except Harper likes them both. 

Chase is the bad boy who wears it well. Tattoos, alcohol and loose women. Harper stuns him with her distaste for him and he begins to fight to protect her. He does not, however, do this very well.

Brandon is the guy Harper immediately falls for. He is clean cut and sweet. His fighting for money gives him the edge that Harper can't help but find attractive.

That should be enough...

Enter Carter. 

And as Dawson Leery said best, "And the triangle becomes a square."     

And it doesn't end there. There are so many twists and turns in this book I can't count them all. It is sad through parts and happy through others. There is a huge twist that I literally had to stop and scream when I read it. 

It is a fabulous book that I read in a matter of hours. I couldn't put it down. The only reason that it is not getting a ten is that I don't think I could sit there and cry throughout the entire thing again. 

It's a must read if you crave a good romance with twists on every page. I would recommend it to anyone who loves to read.

Please leave me a comment letting me know how you like this book or telling me another book I should read and review. 

Thanks for reading!

C.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Book Haul!

Hello Lovelies!



Okay this book haul is extremely late because I went to my favorite used bookstore at least 2 weeks ago but here it is anyway. 

I wanted to show you all what part of the section I normally shop in looks like.




Yeah I said one part. That is no where near the entire young adult section.

I also looked for more John Green books.....and they were out!




Once I got past the shock of no John Green books, I looked around and found 5 books I'm really looking forward to reading.




Starting from the bottom of the stack.






The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

I am really looking forward to reading this book. As you all know Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite authors and I'm very excited that her new book is finally out. 








 


Torment by Lauren Kate

This is the sequel to Fallen and I've been looking for a copy for months and have not been able to find one. I can't wait to see what happens next with Luce and Daniel!












Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti

I picked this book up because of the title and bought it because of the summary. Classic tale of good and shy girl with an overbearing mother gets swept up in the whirlwind of a bad boy. Yay!














13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

I decided to get this book because Maureen Johnson and John Green are really good friends and Green raves about her books. It's an interesting concept and I can't wait to read it.












The Portable Dorothy Parker

This is not the type of thing I usually read but Dorothy Parker is a legend and I'm looking forward to reading her poetry and short stories.











As always leave me a comment on the haul and tell me what books you all have picked up lately. Let me know if you like having all the pictures in the post or if you would rather just have the names of the books. 

Thanks for reading!

C.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Music Moday...on Wednesday.

Hello Lovelies!

I honestly do not have very many songs this week because I have been obsessed with IHeartRadio lately. I do have a few songs however that has weathered the storm with me this week while I have been sick. And without further ado...

1. Collapsed by Aly and AJ

2. Lego House by Ed Sherran

3.Clarity by Zedd

4. Vegas Girl by Conor Maynard

5. Cups by Anna Kendrick

They are in no particular order this week because I honestly have not listened to one more than another. Leave me a comment telling me what songs you have been listening to this week.

Thanks for reading!

C.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Looking for Alaska - John Green




Hello Lovelies! 

Apologies for being away. Of course right after my last post I got sick. So Music Monday will be postponed this week until at least tomorrow if not Thursday. With that, onto the review!


Goodreads summary...

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.


I have mentioned John Green before especially if you follow me on Twitter. I love the videos he does with his brother Hank and I wanted to read the books his followers rave about. I decided to go in the order that he has published them so Looking for Alaska was my first read.   

When I first started this book, I noticed his language immediately. Some authors write the way most people talk, Green does not. He uses his English degree to his great advantage. I love reading books like this because they make you think about what you are reading and are not just giving you the basics of what happens.  

Pudge and his misadventures in boarding school pull you in automatically. I love boarding school settings to begin with but Green gives this school and its students an edge that makes the reader stop and take notice. Once Pudge meets Alaska, you know that he is going to be forever changed just by the way Green describes her.

Even though the book is called Looking for Alaska, the book has very little to do with Alaska directly. Pudge's journey while with Alaska however is the focal point of the book. She makes Pudge different without even trying and he does not realize it until later. 

Green has a fascination with different types of religion and it shows in this book. He is very detailed about them and they play a big part of Pudge's journey through the semester even though Pudge himself is not religious. This is another reason I love this book. Green as the author teaches you something throughout this story. 

I love this book. I have to be in the mood to read an author like Green, which is why it took me longer to read this book than most books I read, but it is worth the read. I am looking forward to reading more books by Green because of the resounding success of his first.

If you noticed there is no rating at the beginning of this review, that is because I honestly do not know how to rate this book. When I finish a book, I try to write something about the book on a post-it and put it in the book so I can remember exactly how I felt about when I do a review. The only thing I could find to write minutes after finishing this book was one word - mesmerizing. I have not read it again and do not have the will to do so anytime soon but I will more than likely come back to it later in life and see the exact beauty in it that I saw the first time I read it. So I'm going to give it a 9.5 out of 10 because of this fact. 

As always, leave me a comment telling me how you liked this book and what other books you would like me to review. 

Thanks for reading!

C.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Music Monday!

Hello Lovelies!

I know I have been MIA this week but I was studying for and then taking the certification test to become a full fledged teacher! So I'm back now and I will try to put a review up sometime today as well.

Okay so this week with my studying so hard, I've listened to a lot of music so here we go! I'm back to my countdown because I DEFINITELY have a favorite this week! :)





5. Wagon Wheel - Darius Rucker

4. Angel - Cody Simpson

3. Highway Don't Care - Tim McGraw ft. Taylor Swift and Keith Urban

2. Superman - Moi

1. Titanium - David Guetta ft. Sia - cover by Madilyn Bailey

So as always leave me a comment telling me what songs you listened to this week! I will try my hardest to have a review up before the night is out.

Thanks for reading!

C.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Music Monday Delayed!

Hello Lovelies!

Since I had such amazing news for you all yesterday I am going to go into my Music Monday today even though it is not Monday anymore.

If you have no idea what Music Monday is, click the music notes and read my last post about it. 




Okay now on to the music of the week!

The past week I have been trying to get back into rhythm of school which is not easy after 3 weeks off. To help with this I have been listening to older songs that I sing by heart and at the top of my lungs.

There is no particular order this week because I honestly cannot choose an absolute favorite. 

1. Just the Girl by The Click Five

2. Hey Juliet by LMNT

3. I Like to Dance by Hot Chelle Rae

4. Accidentally in Love by Counting Crows

5. Between the Raindrops by Lifehouse ft. Natasha Bedingfield 

Those are the songs that have gotten me through the first week back to school and without them I might have just gone stir crazy.

I would also like to thank Brotherhood 2.0 for getting me through this week as well by giving me videos to watch so I can take a break from Statistics before my brain explodes.

Thanks for reading! Leave me a comment on what you all have been listening to.

C.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Cover Reveal! A French Star in New York by Anna Adams

Hello Lovelies!

It is a big day for me! This is my very first cover reveal! I am so excited to be working with Anna Adams again and have the opportunity to reveal the cover to her next book!



A French Star in New York (The French Girl series #2)

"Maude thought her life couldn’t get any better: her first music album is a hit, she’s about to meet her extended family and she’s looking forward to her first date with teen pop star, Matt.
 
But when scandal strikes Maude must part ways with Matt, and watch Soulville Records fall into the hands of an ambitious Alan Lewis, who will stop at nothing to turn Maude into an unparalleled star.

Between glamorous parties, an unauthorized tell-all book, a web of lies, new revelations about her French past and her rivalry with Lindsey Linton attaining a whole new level, Maude must fight for her voice to be heard and decide if being a star is more important than her love for music."

Anna has also been awesome enough to have a giveaway to go with the cover reveal of her new book. She will be giving away 3 ebook copies of her new book. It opens today and will close July 31st when the book is released.

Use the the link below to enter the giveaway and get your chance to win a free copy of the book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Anna's information


http://annaadamsya.wordpress.com/

Thanks again to Anna for letting Caroline's Book Corner be apart of the reveal!

Leave me a comment and check out Anna's other books and stories!

Thanks always for reading!

C.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Dreamland - Sarah Dessen

Hello Lovelies!

I hate going back to school! I have to set aside my books that I actually want to read and read things that I have no desire to read. I love teaching and I can't wait to become a teacher but reading articles about teaching is sometimes very boring. 

Now that I have ranted about a problem that many of us probably have, let's move on!

9 out of 10!

Dreamland

Goodreads Summary: 

Wake up, Caitlin

Ever since she started going out with Rogerson Biscoe, Caitlin seems to have fallen into a semiconscious dreamland where nothing is quite real. Rogerson is different from anyone Caitlin has ever known. He's magnetic. He's compelling. He's dangerous. Being with him makes Caitlin forget about everything else--her missing sister, her withdrawn mother, her lackluster life. But what happens when being with Rogerson becomes a larger problem than being without him?


I love this book. It is tragically good. Caitlin's story is not a happy one but is gripping and heartbreaking. I love Sarah Dessen and she is one of my favorite authors. I've read almost every one of her books and they always live up to my expectations. 

Caitlin's boyfriend Rogerson starts out seeming like a close to perfect person. He is sweet with the hint of bad boy-ness that every girl seems to crave. It turns ugly with him as he becomes possessive and abusive. Caitlin has to come to terms with the fact that he is not making her life better or any easier, he is simply making her fade into this dreamland and not giving her a way out.

This book is sad but it does have a joyous ending. I have read it more than once but it's not quite up to other books I've read that have received a 10 so I have rated it a 9.  

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a sad story with a happy ending. And for if no other reason than the fact that Sarah Dessen wrote it (that should be enough(: ).

In the next few days, I will be going to a much loved book store of mine and I will do my best to take pictures and give a list of everything I get. I'm very excited about this trip because 1) I haven't been in a while and 2) I have been watching a LOT of Vlogbrothers videos in the last couple of days and I have many new books on my list to see if I can find. If you have any books suggestions, let me know by Sunday so I can add them to my list. I am very excited to be going!


Question for you all: Is anyone on LibraryThing.com? I'm thinking about signing up but is it worth the $25 life membership?

Next week will also be a little off schedule. I have a surprise for everyone on Monday and therefore, Music Monday will be pushed to Tuesday. 

As always leave me a comment below letting me know how you liked the review and what other books you think I should read and review.  

Thanks for reading!

C.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

From Ashes by Molly McAdams



Hello Lovelies!

Before I start this review, I would love for you all to leave me a comment telling me what other types of posts you all would like to see. I'm getting tired of doing reviews for every post and I'd love to mix it up. Okay now to the review!

10 out of 10!



Goodreads summary:

 When Cassidy Jameson's best friend Tyler took her to Texas with him when he left for college, she was expecting his cousin, their new roommate, to be a Stetson-wearing cowboy since his family owned a ranch; not this incredibly gorgeous guy with a husky Southern drawl that seemed to make the world stop whenever she looked at him. Because of her past, she's only ever trusted two men in her life, Tyler and her dad whom passed away when she was six. But there's something about Gage that draws her to him in a way she can't explain, only problem? He's always telling Tyler that he doesn't want Cassidy living there and sees her as nothing more than his little sister.

Gage Carson was excited his cousin Tyler was coming to live with, and go to college with him. When he'd called to ask if he could bring his friend Cassi with him, Gage didn't care. Gage had heard about this mysterious friend since they were kids and felt like he already knew her. Nothing would prepare him for watching her jump out of Ty's Jeep though. Not only was Cassi the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, but there was something about her that within seconds of meeting her, made Gage want to protect her, and make her his. Too bad Tyler made it a point to remind Gage on a daily basis that he was dating her and she was completely off limits.

For a year and a half, Gage and Cassidy dance around their feelings for each other as Tyler continues to keep them apart; until one day Tyler unknowingly pushes her right into Gage's arms. With Tyler unable to keep lying to them, they finally start a relationship both have been craving since their first meeting. But when an accident and disaster sends her back to Tyler and California, will Cassidy be able to come face to face with the demons from her past to live a life she and Gage deserve; or will the fact that she once again ran to Tyler be the final push that ends Cassidy and Gage for good? (17+)


(Yes the summary is EXTREMELY long but the book is long too so...)

This has SPOILERS. You've been warned.
 

Okay I will tell you the first time I read this I didn't like it enough to give it a 10 but there were certain things I love about it. The book Wanted by Kelly Elliot (which I loved) gave me a love for boys from Texas. Gage is from Texas, including the boots and the cowboy hat, so that is an automatic plus for the book. I also loved the instant connection between Cassidy and Gage because I am a hopeless romantic. So I gave the book another try on those principles alone. I am so glad I did.

I love this book. There are MANY twists and turns in this book and it makes my head hurt a little but it all comes together in the end. It is told in both Cassidy and Gages' perspective which I love because that is how you find out that Tyler is a jerk for the majority of the book. I cannot stand this guy and it doesn't stop when they finally settle everything (they always do). 

Another thing I love about this book is that the main story doesn't stop when they get married. It goes into what their life is like and I love when a story continues and it's not just a summary in the epilogue. 

I will tell you that there is some descriptive language when it comes to what Cassidys' parents did to her. I could handle it just fine and I have a fairly weak stomach so just be aware.

This is an amazing book and it's earned a permanent spot in my kindle and on my phone app (the app is harder to earn a place on) and I would most definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a love story with some drama.

Again leave me a comment letting me know what other posts you would like to see.

There are also some awesome things coming up next week so stay tuned!
 
Thanks for reading!

C.     

Monday, June 3, 2013

Music Monday!

Hello Lovelies!

Alright I'll let you in on a secret about myself, I hate the silence. I can't stand no noise. Therefore I always have music playing and I do mean always, I can't even sleep in the quiet. I listen to music so much I listen to it when I read. Some people find this very distracting but it helps me focus.

So to make Mondays more fun I thought I'd give you some insight into what I'm listening to from week to week. I would also love to hear what you all are listening to so I can expand my music collection.

5. Mama's Broken Heart by Miranda Lambert
        I love this song. It is great to crank up in the car and all but scream-sing to.

4. Come & Get It by Selena Gomez
       This song is hilarious to me. I love blasting this song and dancing around to it.

3. A Drop in the Ocean by Ron Pope
       This song is amazing! I listen to this song and just bawl! It's such a good love song.

2. Heart Vacancy by The Wanted
     I cannot find words for this song, it's wonderfully sad and gentle.

1. Mirrors (Radio Edit) by Justin Timberlake
     I listen to this song on repeat. It's incredible. I want to find this person for me and if you know the song you understand what I'm talking about. Even if you don't like pop or JT you have to give this song a chance and really listen to the words. AMAZING!

Well those are my songs for this week, each title has a link to the song. Let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading!

C.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Let's Connect!

 
Hello Lovelies!


Since it's my last day of freedom until school starts, I wanted to let you know how to get in touch with me.

1. As always, you can comment on a post.

2. I'm on Goodreads!

3. I'm on Twitter!

4. I'm on Instagram! @careteach

5. If you have a book that you wrote that you would like for me to review, please email me at carenoble@hotmail.com

Thank you all for reading and I hope to hear from you soon!

C.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

The Boy Who Sneaks in My Bedroom Window by Kirsty Moseley


The Boy Who Sneaks in My Bedroom Window

Hello Lovelies!

I have no clue why but it has taken me forever to do a review on this book. It is a book that has not gotten the best ratings on Goodreads but I disagree completely.

10 out of 10!


Goodreads summary:

Amber Walker and her older brother, Jake, have an abusive father. One night her brother's best friend, Liam, sees her crying and climbs through her bedroom window to comfort her. That one action sparks a love/hate relationship that spans over the next eight years.

Liam is now a confident, flirty player who has never had a girlfriend before. Amber is still emotionally scarred from the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father. Together they make an unlikely pair.

Their relationship has always been a rocky one, but what happens when Amber starts to view her brother's best friend a little differently? And how will her brother, who has always been a little overprotective, react when he finds out that the pair are growing closer?


I read this book in one night and not because it's short. It pulled me in from the first page and didn't let up until the last. I have read this book countless times and have no problem picking it up again the next day. I love Amber and Liam together. Their relationship is sweet and cautious but with the wit that won't leave you bored. 

Some people are saying it is insane that she could trust Liam being so close to her all the time because of her past but the author clearly shows that she is drawn to Liam and can trust him above anyone. He is sweet and caring and wants nothing more than for his Angel to be happy. 

Can I just say the reason he calls her Angel is corny and would never really happen but it is so adorably sweet that it's cute. I love that he calls her Angel even when she hates it. I love that she is completely clueless with the whole situation. 

The first half of the book is a typical love story type sequence; the second half however is a twist and turn of events that made my head hurt. Of course her dad comes back into her life and of course the cycle almost repeats itself but there's more at stake and more people are involved.

I also love a story that is told in two or more points of view. It does not go back and forth throughout the book but there is enough from Liam's side that the reader gets a sense who he truly is and how he feels about Amber and is not just feeding her lies. 

I love this book and would highly recommend it. It is a little rough but if you overlook that it is phenominal!

Leave me a comment telling me how you liked the book and what books you want me to review next.

Thanks for reading!

C.