To Meet You Again - Hayley Nelson

Hello Lovelies!

I know I have been slacking on book reviews lately but now I'm back with a brand new one. I just got this book recently and finished it last night.

Goodreads Summary...

A couple of years ago, Ruby Balbacois and Don Vernal shared a moment together. Sadly for Ruby there was no follow-through. But this Valentine’s Day she has the unique opportunity to fight for the relationship she never had the chance to explore, under very strange circumstances, and with the resistance of her best friend, Angelo de Laurentiis.

 4 out of 10.

Thoughts

This book was a let down for me. It sounds like a good concept in the summary and I was excited to read it but as I got further into it I realized that it was very poorly developed. Ruby is cynical about Valentine's Day in a way that is a little disheartening to say the least.

Her moment with Don was not electric enough for me to think the author should have based an entire book on it, especially not basing it two years later. Ruby does not have the qualities that a reader can fall in love with and the author does nothing to redeem her as the story goes on.

Don is a jerk. Not that it's surprising that he is but it needs to be said. He pretends to be with Ruby to make his ex-girlfriend jealous. It is also not a believable situation because one day he pretends to be with Ruby for the first time and the next day he and his ex are making out in the hallway. 

The only thing I found redeeming about this book was Angelo. He is sweet and caring and he's in love with Ruby. He has the wit and sense of humor that got me through this book. He and Ruby are great together and their relationship made me laugh.

The last nail in coffin however was at the end of the book Ruby can't and won't tell Angelo she has feelings for him even though she does. The book simply ends not resolving this situation and leaves the reader wondering with no hope for a sequel.

The book was very short. Too short to explain anything and really get a reader to fall in love with the characters. 

Overall I did not like this book and I don't think I will be reading any more books by Nelson.

Leave me a comment letting me know if you've read this book.

Thanks for reading!

C.

Music Monday 7.22.13

Hello Lovelies!

This week has been FULL of good music! I heard a bunch of new songs and I'm going to do something a little different and tell you all about something that didn't hit my top 5. I'm telling you about it because I love it but I can't listen to it 40 times in a row.

The Piano Guys on Youtube! 

I'm posting the video below because it is my favorite but they're all fabulous!

I was introduced to them by a friend of mine and am in love! Enjoy and head over to their page to hear more!

Now onto the countdown!

5. If I Had You - Adam Lambert

4. Beautiful Mess - Diamond Rio

3. I Drive Your Truck - Lee Brice

2. This Kiss - Carly Rae Jepson

1. Haven't Had Enough - Marianas Trench

Leave me a comment! I love reading them!

I'll leave you all with a video that is hilarious by The Piano Guys (I know, I'm obsessed!).

Thanks for reading!

C.

Amazon Book Haul! 4.20.13

Hello Lovelies!

So I went a little crazy on Amazon today looking for new books and found 5 new ones I can't wait to read.

I have a Kindle Touch and I love it! I have played around with a Kindle Fire but I like my Kindle Touch better to read with because you can still read it in the sun and the battery lasts for days of continual use.

On with the haul!

All these books are free (the Kindle edition) as of today (because I am broke!).

 

 

The only book I did not immediately want to get upon reading the tag was My Boyfriend Merlin. I had to read the first chapter before I was hooked. It didn't take long which is usually the sign of a good read.  

All of these books sound completely amazing and I have no idea which one I'm going to read first. I'm just glad I found some that I am really excited about reading even with my non budget.

I just want to put it out there that I was not gifted any of the items I talked about in this blog and I am not affiliated with Amazon.com in any way.

I hope you will take a look at these books and maybe read a few. Leave me a comment! I try to respond to every one.

Thanks for reading!

C.

Ready for the Weekend? 7.19.13

Hello Lovelies!

I skipped last week's Ready for the Weekend post because of my busy weekend but I am finally back and ready to show you all what my weekend has in store.

Book to Start

I am actually between books as I write this post so I am either going to start one of the books from my recent Amazon haul (which will be up tomorrow) or this!

Book Wish!

I want this book so badly!!

I can't wait to start my next John Green book!

Blog of the Week

I have already mentioned this blog in an earlier post this week but I had to tell you all about it again! I love this blog. 

Top 5!

5. Met some amazing new people last weekend and saw some old friends!

4. I passed my state test and am officially a certified teacher!

3. Hearing some new music! (I'll tell you all about it on Music Monday)

2. Only one more week of summer classes!

1. Spending the weekend with my grandparents!

That is my week and weekend in a nutshell! Leave me a comment letting me know what you're going to read this weekend.

Thanks for reading!

C.

Read Across America Challenge: Nevada

Hello Lovelies!

This is my second review for my Read Across America Challenge!

Nevada is the state in which the book Crank by Ellen Hopkins is set.

9 out of 10!

Goodreads summary:

In Crank, Ellen Hopkins chronicles the turbulent and often disturbing relationship between Kristina, a character based on her own daughter, and the "monster," the highly addictive drug crystal meth, or "crank." Kristina is introduced to the drug while visiting her largely absent and ne'er-do-well father. While under the influence of the monster, Kristina discovers her sexy alter-ego, Bree: "there is no perfect daughter, / no gifted high school junior, / no Kristina Georgia Snow. / There is only Bree." Bree will do all the things good girl Kristina won't, including attracting the attention of dangerous boys who can provide her with a steady flow of crank.

Thoughts:

I loved this book. Kristina is a timid character that reminded me of myself when I read this book. It is a scary concept but Hopkins writes it in a way that the reader sees the change in Kristina happen steadily. 

Kristina comes back home from visiting her dad with an addiction to crank and begins to become a different person because of it. She does whatever she has to do to get this drug and begins to see herself on this drug as a completely different person. Bree, her alter-ego, takes over her narrative when she is on the drug. It is told as if she is no longer Kristina.  

The storyline is good by itself but the real reason I love this book is the style in which Hopkins writes it. It is an ever-changing poem that makes the story come to life in a way that a regularly written book cannot. The stanzas are not set up in a way that is consistent from page to page. I love her style of writing.

 

This book is based on Hopkin's daughter who went through a similar situation with drugs and you can tell while reading that Hopkins can relate very closely to the character she is writing about. 

It has been a while since I have read this book but it is thrilling and a book to get emotionally wrapped up in. 

I know this is a rather short review since it has been a while since I have read this book but I do highly recommend it to anyone who likes the main character to struggle through something of this magnitude. It is an excellent read and I couldn't put it down.

I will try to do a review for this challenge every week but once I run out of the books I have it may take me a while to find the others on the list so please be patient with me. 

Leave me a comment! I love them!

Thanks for reading!

C.

Read Across America Challenge: South Carolina

Hello Lovelies!

This first day of my new challenge I'm actually cheating a little. I have already read a few of the books on this list but I've already reviewed one of them. I want to have a link for every review in this challenge so I made this post so I could check South Carolina off my list.

Beautiful Creatures is set in South Carolina. Click on the book cover for the review I did a while back on this book.

I will be back later today with a true new review for the next book on my Read Across America Challenge. 

Thanks for reading!

C.

Book Review Challenge?

Hello Lovelies!

I have decided to give a book challenge a try and you are all welcome to join me! I found this on Pinterest and I love this idea!

This was done by epicreads.com and I absolutely love it! Basically there is one book that is set in each of the 50 states of the the United States of America. I am challenging myself to read and review each of these books for you all. I am not giving myself a time limit like I would normally do because I am a poor college student and do not have the funds to buy almost 50 books. 

I have already read a few of these books and the reviews for these will be coming up very soon so I can start on more books. 

If you want to do this challenge with me, feel free! At the end of each review I do for this challenge I will tell you all what book I am going to read/review next so everyone can keep track of where I am. I may start going in some sort of order once I finish reviewing the books I have already read but I'm not sure yet.

Leave me a comment letting me know if you like this idea and if you will do it with me. :] 

Thanks for reading!

C. 

This or That? Tag!

Hello Lovelies!

I took this tag from Lauren at Lauren Reads YA. Go check out her blog, I’m addicted. :] I did take off her last question cause it doesn't really go with the flow of the other questions.

Let's get started!

Physical book or e-book?

Physical book. I do like e-books but there’s just something about holding a book in your hands that makes the story feel more real to me.

Audio or book in hand?

Book in hand. I've only been able to stay focused on one book on tape before. I usually get distracted before a chapter is over and most of the time I don’t like how the person reads it.

Paperback or hardcover? 

Hardcover. They feel more prestigious to me, if that make any sense. :] 

Adult or Young Adult?

Young Adult. I do have some adult books that I love but for the most part I like young adult.

Series or standalone?

Series. I hate not knowing what happens to characters I really love as long as the series doesn’t get ridiculous along the way.

Dog ears or bookmarks?

BOOKMARKS! I hate when people dog ear books. Take care of the pages people!

Breaking the spine or barely opening the book?

Break the spine. I want the book to stay open while I’m reading. It annoys me if it closes on me.

Borrow or buy?

Buy. I hate not having the book to read again if I love it.

Bookstore or online?

Bookstore. I love the feeling I get walking 

through the stacks.  Especially these...

Fiction or non-fiction?

Fiction but I do have a few non-fiction books I like. They are all education books that I love .

Fantasy world or real life issues?

Both. It depends on what mood I’m in.

Kindle, iPad, or other?

Kindle. Just because I love Amazon.

Monster read or short & sweet?

Depends on the mood I’m in. I like short and sweet in the summer but I love a monster read if it’s really good.

Starry-eyed romance or full of action?

Romance. No question. I love books that are so romantic they give me butterflies.

Curl up in a Snuggie or bathe in the sun?

Curl up. I love snuggling in bed and reading a good book.

Read the review or decide for yourself?

Decide. I love reviews but I don’t always listen to them because every person has a different taste in books and no ones is exactly the same.

TAG YOU'RE IT!

If you like this post, send me a comment with your responses to these questions!

That's it for today! Sorry the format's weird. I did the post in Word before I brought to Blogger to post and I can't get it to conform. Oh well.

I love comments! Leave me one! :]

Thanks for reading!

C.

Music Monday 7.15.13

Hello Lovelies!

I am finally back! I had such a fabulous weekend that I didn't want it to end but I am officially back in the real world and it is Monday so I owe you guys some music!

I have listened to a LOT of music this week. I don't know why but it's been more than normal, not that I've had that much more time. So here is the countdown!

5. I Want Crazy - Hunter Hayes (Love this song and the new video. It's so cute!)

4. Better Than You - Connor Maynard ft. Rita Ora

3. Glass Girl - Connor Maynard

2. Just in Case - Connor Maynard (In a Connor Maynard mood if you all can't tell [: ) 

1. Cruise - Florida Georgia Line ft. Nelly (Love rockin' out to this song in the car!)

Well that's it for this week! 

Be looking for a bunch of posts this week because I had to slack off so much last week. 

Thanks for reading!

C.

Crazy Weekend!

Hello Lovelies!

Okay so quick post to let you all know why I haven't posted anything since Monday. We are having a huge meeting at our church this weekend and I will be there for the majority of my waking hours until Sunday and have been there or at least planning for it heavily since last Sunday. 

I am going to keep posting on Twitter and Instagram so if you want to know how my weekend is going, head over there and chat with me!

I will be back to blogging either Sunday night or Monday!

Thanks for Reading!

C.

Music Monday! 7.8.12

Hello Lovelies!

It's time for my weekly music fix and I have been listening to a lot of music this week. 

I have a correction from last week. I completely forgot about a song I was listening to (and I have no idea how I did) but I meant to tell you guys about The Other Side by Jason Derulo. I am addicted to this song!

Okay now on to this week - let the countdown begin!

5. Everything has Changed by Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran 

(This video is ADORABLE!)

4. Live to Party by the Jonas Brothers

3. Russian Roulette by Rhianna

2. Rehab by Rhianna ft. Justin Timberlake

1. Red by Taylor Swift

Let me know what you all think of these songs and if you have any favorites by any of these artists. Also let me know in a comment if you all would rather me put the actual video in these posts instead of just the links.

I have a full week ahead of me so I may not be able to post as often as I would like through Sunday but if that happens I will be back in action on Monday the 15th. 

Thanks for reading!

C.

Ready for the Weekend? - Intro and 1!

Hello Lovelies! 

So I have decided to start a new weekly feature here in my book corner. It will be called Ready for the Weekend and will give you all an inside look at what my weekend is looking like and what stood out during the week.

Book to Finish

Book to Finish will be the book I am currently reading with the goal of finishing it over the weekend. I may not always have this section depending on how busy my weekend will be.

Book to Start

Book to Start will be the next book I plan on starting if I have the time over the weekend.

Book Wish 

Book Wish will be the book I wish I had so I could read it this very minute. I can get very excited about books so this section will always be in the post.

Blog of the Week

Blog of the Week. I am a huge blog fan and I'm always looking for new ones to read. This section will be the blog I am loving most through the week.

Top 5 Things!

Top 5 Things! This list will be the five things that have stood out in my small world during the week.

1. 4th of July and the festival my town puts on every year! Love it!

2. The Lone Ranger - My parents and I went and saw the Lone Ranger with Johnny Depp after the festival yesterday and it was great!

3. Baby Daddy -  If you have not seen this show, you need to it's hilarious and so sweet!

4. Rain! - It has rained all week here. I'm kind of sick of it.

5. Being sick :( I have been sick for almost 3 weeks now and thankfully I think I'm finally getting over it. 

Leave me a comment letting me know how you all like this new feature and if there is anything you want me to add to this!

Thanks for reading!

C.

Apologies!

Hello Lovelies!

Okay so I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the many background changes to my site. I can't find one I love and I'm trying to find one that works for my blog. 

It may change a few more times before I find the one I want to stick with. Please bare with me while I try to figure this out. 

Thanks!

C.

Update! - Summer Reading List 2013

Hello Lovelies!

First of all if you live in the United States, Happy 4th of July!

So since we are about half way through summer (well mine at least), I thought I'd give you all an update on how my reading list is coming along. I'll be honest, it's not going as well as I would have liked it to go but with school and being sick, it has dramatically cut my reading time.

Beautiful Creatures

The Elite

Bloodlines

Beautiful Darkness

After the Kiss

Crescendo

Silence

Finale

Matched

City of Bones

Peter Pan

Looking for Alaska

The Book Thief

Blue Bloods

The Haunted

Haven

The Maze Runner

The Next Always

Darklight

You Against Me

The Happiness Project

Blood Brothers

The Hollow

The Pagan Stone

Taking Chances

Pushing the Limit

From Ashes

I have crossed out the ones I have finished and linked the post on the title if I have done a review on that particular book.

If you think any books should be added to this list or just my "to be read" list (which is always growing so I could never list them all, check my Goodreads if you want to see this list ) just leave me a comment telling me the title and author of the book. 

Subscribe to this blog if you want to see more summer reading updates and reviews! 

Thanks for reading!

C.

 

Measuring Up - Nyrae Dawn

Hello Lovelies!

My 4 day weekend has officially begun and to celebrate I'm sharing one of my favorite books with you all.

Measuring Up by Nyrae Dawn

10 out of 10! 

Goodreads summary...

Seventeen-year-old Annabel Conway is tired of the Hillcrest High School elite making her life miserable because she’s not a size two. This summer, she's hiring a personal trainer to help her lose weight.

Annabel doesn’t expect her trainer to be a gorgeous guy around her age. Boys like Tegan are jerks. They pretend to like girls like her so they can make an idiot out of them. Been there, done that. Totally not going there again. She kind of hates him on principal. Blond. Muscular. Funny. It doesn’t help that he knows her measurements!

Soon, Tegan's so much more than that. He’s the boy who teaches her to box when she has a bad day. Who jogs with her and lets her set the pace. Who kisses her until she melts. He makes her feel beautiful regardless of what the scale says. Unlike her mom, he doesn’t expect perfection, and he doesn't try to shield her from the world like her dad and best friend. Tegan likes her the way she is.

But what happens when he’s not there? He can’t always be there…

Will Annabel be able to stand on her own and learn that she already measures up? That her worth doesn’t lie in what the world thinks, the scale says, or even what Tegan tells her—but in herself?

Thoughts

I love this book. As a whole the book sends an amazing message about self esteem and being happy with yourself. Annabel goes from being pushed around by everyone, including people who think they are helping her, to being a strong person who is comfortable in her own skin. 

Tegan. He is truly remarkable. He starts out with this tough exterior that is a complete turn off to me as a reader but Annabel soon discovers the pain and hardened guy underneath. He sees Annabel for who she is and not what size she is. 

I love Tegans nickname for Annabel, Annabel-Lee, because it is from my favorite poem by Edgar Allen Poe. This also gives Tegan major points for being the perfect guy. Annabel-Lee is one of the sweetest things I have ever read and the fact that Tegan thinks of that when he thinks of Annabel is completely swoon worthy!

Annabel shows strength that I truly admire towards the end of this book. Tegan is gone and she has to be the strong person that Tegan made her without him. She struggles and her realization is that for her to truly be strong and confident with herself, she has to do it on her own. She finds strength that most people would kill for and becomes happy with who she is without anyone's help.

The love story part of this book is amazing. It's a true first love story with the awkwardness and butterflies that, if done right, can make me giggle. Tegan and Annabel together are funny and caring not just to each other but to everyone they come in contact with. 

I have read this book about 4 times and every time I have the same feelings toward it as I did the first time I read it.     

As always leave me a comment letting me know if you have read the book and if you agree with my thoughts (it's okay if you don't (: ). Also leave me suggestions of other books you would like for me to review. 

Thanks for reading!

C.   

Reading Habits Tag!

Hello Lovelies!

So I wanted to do something different for this post so I looked up book tags and I found this one. So without further ado...

The Reading Habits Tag

1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?
       I like to read in bed. I don't like to read sitting up because it makes my neck hurt so I lay in bed the majority of the time I read.

2. Bookmark or random piece of paper?
      Both. Most of the time I use an index card so I can write what I think of the book in order to review it later.
 
3. Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter/a certain amount of pages?
     I can just stop reading unless I'm really into the book and then I usually wait until I'm at the end of the chapter. 
 
4. Do you eat or drink while reading?
    Yes but eating is harder because I have to hold the book and eat at the same time - not easy. I don't mind drinking because I can sit for hours and read.  

5. Multitasking: Music or TV while reading?
    Both. You all know that I can multitask fairly easily. I hate for it to be quiet while I'm reading so I always listen to music.

6. One book at a time or several at once?
    I can flip between two books but I usually get into one and finish it before I really get into the other one so it doesn't happen often. 

7. Reading at home or everywhere?
     EVERYWHERE. The only place I can't read is in the car because I get carsick. Anywhere else is fair game. I try not to be rude and read when people are trying to talk to me but if I'm bored, I pull out my book.

8. Reading out loud or silently in your head?
    Both. If I get really into the book I'll read some of it out loud especially the dialogue between characters. 

9. Do you read ahead or even skip pages?
    I'm bad about skipping to dialogue on the page if I want to know what happens but I don't want to spoil the entire book by skipping to the end. 

10. Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?
   I break the spine because I can't stand for the book to close on me if I lay it down. That is the only bad thing about getting a brand new book. 

11. Do you write in your books?
   I see no need to write in books but I don't have a problem with it. If I felt the need I would definitely write in them. 

12. Who do you tag?
    Anyone who wants to leave me a comment doing this tag or give me a link to your blog if you do this tag.

Leave me a comment letting me know if you like this post and if you want me to do more.


Thanks for reading!

C.