HOBBITSIES -

Posted by Tara on May 17, 2013

Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton Review of Fifteenth Summer Title & Author: Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton Publisher: Simon Pulse Publication Date: May 07, 2013 Pages: 272 Source: Publisher via Edelweiss Chelsea isn’t looking forward to her summer at the lake. It’s the first time her family has been there since her grandmother died, and she can’t break out of her funk. But her summer takes a...

Posted by Tara on May 15, 2013

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler Review of The Book of Broken Hearts Title & Author: The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler Publisher: Simon Pulse Publication Date: May 21, 2013 Pages: 352 Source: Publisher via Edelweiss When all signs point to heartbreak, can love still be a rule of the road? A poignant and romantic novel from the author of Bittersweet and Twenty Boy Summer. Jude has...

Posted by Tara on May 14, 2013

Blog Tour: Impostor by Susanne Winnacker + Giveaway

I’m very excited to have Susanne Winnacker on my blog today as part of the blog tour for Impostor – which sounds awesome, FYI. I can’t wait to read Impostor soon! So be sure to check out my interview with Susanne and enter to win a copy of Impostor below! Goodreads | Amazon | Indiebound Can Tessa pose as Madison . . . and stop a killer before it’s too late? Tessa is a Variant, able to...

Posted by Tara on May 13, 2013

The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke – Interview + Giveaway

Today I have an interview with Polly Holyoke, author of the upcoming The Neptune Project! I’m super excited to get my hands on this book next week, you guys. I’m a huge fan of middle-grade and The Neptune Project sounds like a great futuristic story with an environmental twist. So yes – check out my interview with the lovely Polly Holyoke and enter to win some really great The Neptune...

Posted by Tara on May 12, 2013

Bout of Books 7.0

It’s Bout of Books time again! I love doing Bout of Books – this is my fourth time doing it. I aced it the first time and failed miserably the second and third, hah. Hopefully fourth time is the charm :) My book list is totally playing off of my Books Before BEA post. I’ve read some of the ones listed there and now it’s time to knock out the rest! When You Were Here by Daisy...

Posted by Tara on May 11, 2013

In My Mailbox (119)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren which allows bloggers to share what books they bought/received each week. Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. Lots of unexpected books this week! But I’m very excited to dive into all of them. And man, I’m excited for Sunday. I think I’m finally going to take the day to get my blog together and get...

Posted by Tara on May 9, 2013

Criminal by Terra Elan McVoy + Giveaway

Criminal by Terra Elan McVoy Review of Criminal Title & Author: Criminal by Terra Elan McVoy Publisher: Simon Pulse Publication Date: May 07, 2013 Pages: 288 Source: Publisher via Edelweiss Nikki’s life is far from perfect, but at least she has Dee. Her friends tell her that Dee is no good, but Nikki can’t imagine herself without him. He’s hot, he’s dangerous, he has her initials tattooed over his...

Posted by Tara on May 7, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Pick-Me-Ups

Each week, The Broke and Bookish host a Top Ten Tuesday based on a certain bookish topic. Other bloggers are able to participate and post their own top ten list based on the topic. This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is Books When You Need Something Light & Fun. But I’m changing it up, you guys. Because light and fun to me implies pick me ups. And my pick-me-ups aren’t always light...

Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

Posted by Tara on May 17, 2013 in Book, Reviews | 0 comments

Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

Review of Fifteenth Summer

Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

Title & Author:
Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton
Publisher:
Simon Pulse
Publication Date:
May 07, 2013
Pages:
272
Source:
Publisher via Edelweiss

Chelsea isn’t looking forward to her summer at the lake. It’s the first time her family has been there since her grandmother died, and she can’t break out of her funk. But her summer takes a turn for the better when she meets a boy who works in the bookstore. Josh is cute, sweet, funny…and best of all, seems to like her as much as she likes him. As the days pass by in a blur of boat rides, picnics, and stolen kisses, she can’t believe how lucky she is. No one has ever made her feel so special, or so beautiful.

But Chelsea knows her days with Josh are numbered. She’ll be heading home at the end of the summer—and he’ll be staying behind. Will this be Chelsea’s summer of love? Or will it be the summer of her broken heart?

I loved Michelle Dalton’s Sixteeenth Summer, so I was very excited to read Fifteenth Summer. And it’s the perfect time, for it too! I’m in a total beachy summery mood lately.

Fifteenth Summer was really cute and fun. There were so many aspects of this story that had me giddy and giggling at first love and all the awkwardness that comes along with it.

And yet, Fifteenth Summer actually made me cry, a little which I didn’t expect. From the blurb I knew that her grandmother died, but I didn’t expect such moving story about grief and moving on. I loved that aspect of this story – that even as the family drifted apart and one daughter went off to college, etc. there was still this big monumental loss in their life they all shared and had to deal with it together. I just love reading stories about grief and all the different grieving processes – because it’s never the same.

I was totally nerding out over the independent bookstore that Josh worked at it and all the descriptions that come along with it. There are some really great scenes that had me cracking up – but I don’t want to mention any specifically in case it ruins it for anyone who hasn’t read Fifteenth Summer yet.

Basically, if you enjoy sweet and summery contemporary romance, I definitely recommend picking up Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton! I think Sixteenth Summer will always be my favourite, but Fifteenth Summer is definitely going to be a re-read in the future for me. It’s sweet and adorable and oh-so-awkward, yet still has a deeper underlying theme that I loved.

More Information	Other Reviews
View on Indie Bound View at Malaprop’s View on Amazon View on Goodreads	Jenuine Cupcakes Literally Jen Danica Page

Other Books by Michelle Dalton

Sixteenth Summer

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The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

Posted by Tara on May 15, 2013 in Book, Reviews | 4 comments

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

Review of The Book of Broken Hearts

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

Title & Author:
The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
Publisher:
Simon Pulse
Publication Date:
May 21, 2013
Pages:
352
Source:
Publisher via Edelweiss

When all signs point to heartbreak, can love still be a rule of the road? A poignant and romantic novel from the author of Bittersweet and Twenty Boy Summer.

Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have anything to do with one.

Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?

Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong?

Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.

Sarah Ockler has been on my auto-buy list since her debut, Twenty Boy Summer, several years ago. I have loved every book she’s ever written and The Book of Broken Hearts is absolutely no exception.

Once again, Sarah Ockler has given us a fabulous protagonist in The Book of Broken Hearts. I’ve loved each and every one of her protagonists for different reasons, but Jude is my favourite…I think. She was fiercely protective and loyal of her family, but she was also a teenager. She was mortified by her parents and her sisters, even while she loved them.

I loved Emilio, and his obvious chemistry with Jude. Sarah Ockler always writes really awesome love interests, so my love for Emilio isn’t a surprise to me. I thought Jude and Emilio worked really well together and I loved every second of their developing relationship. Plus, a lot of swoon factor there.

The Book of Broken Hearts deals with deeper issues than romance – and I thought Sarah Ockler did an amazing job portraying Alzheimer’s and how it affects a family. It’s brutal and slow and can tear people apart or bring them closer together.

And still – there’s moments of humor and happiness in The Book of Broken Hearts. Even when dealing with something like Alzheimer’s, Jude and her family still found moments to laugh and I loved that. And I loved that Jude’s sister was a literary agent and that it really played a role in Jude’s relationship with her. Things like that really rounded out the secondary characters for me.

I think a lot of readers will connect with The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler. It’s truly an amazing contemporary, one had me crying at several different points throughout the story. Sarah Ockler writes like no one else – she’s a master at putting together words in just the right way. The Book of Broken Hearts is an emotional and realistic portrayal of a family dealing with a terrible disease and I highly recommend picking it up.

More Information	Other Reviews
View on Indie Bound View at Malaprop’s View on Amazon View on Goodreads	Pure Imagination Love is Not a Triangle Flyleaf Review The Reading Nook Reviews

Other Books by Sarah Ockler

Twenty Boy Summer
Fixing Delilah
Bittersweet

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Blog Tour: Impostor by Susanne Winnacker + Giveaway

Posted by Tara on May 14, 2013 in Blog Tour, Book, Giveaways, Interviews | 3 comments

I’m very excited to have Susanne Winnacker on my blog today as part of the blog tour for Impostor – which sounds awesome, FYI. I can’t wait to read Impostor soon!

So be sure to check out my interview with Susanne and enter to win a copy of Impostor below!

Impostor by Susane Winnacker

Goodreads | Amazon | Indiebound

Can Tessa pose as Madison . . . and stop a killer before it’s too late?

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself. – Goodreads

Susanne Winnacker, the author of Impostor

What is one piece of advice you would give to upcoming debut authors?

Never give up. Rejections are part of the business and they never stop. And don’t believe everything you hear. Just focus on what you really want.

If you could have an extraordinary ability, what would it be and why?

I think I would choose a healing power. One of my biggest fears is that someone I love (or I) gets really sick and there’s nothing anyone can do to make it better.

What interests you about mysteries and sleuthing teens?

I like to be surprised when reading and if a mystery writer manages to keep me in the dark about a killer until the very end, then that’s just wonderful. Mysteries always make me, as a reader, feel like I’m involved in the plot because I along with the main character want to figure out who did it. As for why I’m interested in sleuthing teens: as a teen I often felt like I couldn’t do as much as I wanted to. There were so many things I wanted to change, but it’s sometimes difficult to be taken seriously by adults. If a teen takes action, hunts a killer, tries to solve a mystery that always gives me a feeling of delayed satisfaction. And what I particularly like about sleuthing teens is that they aren’t afraid to take risks and try new things. That’s sometimes the only way to catch a killer!

If you could be the author of any previously published work, which would it be and why?

The first thing that comes to my mind is Harry Potter. I admire J.K. Rowling. The world she created is wonderful and her books manage to unite people of every age and nationality simply by their love for her books. But then I feel like a cheat for even considering it. That’s her world and not mine. And I’m not sure if I could have handled all the pressure and fame as well as she did. Especially when I remind myself of the times when paparazzi search J.K.’s garbage cans for stuff. I don’t even know what they were looking for, maybe dirty secrets, but it made me sick to my stomach. I prefer my anonymous life, so I guess my answer is in theory “Harry Potter”, but really I’m not sure.

What are you working on next? Any info you can share?

I’m editing the sequel to Impostor and I’m also working on a middle grade novel. I’m always working on more than one project. It keeps things interesting!

About Susanne Winnacker

Susanne Winnacker studied law before she became a full-time writer. She lives with her husband, a dog that looks like a sheep and three bunnies that have destroyed every piece of furniture she’s ever owned in Germany. She loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals. When she isn’t writing, you can usually find her in the kitchen, experimenting with new vegan dishes.

Visit Susanne at her website or on Twitter.

Giveaway of Impostor

Want to win a copy of Impostor? Fill out the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

While you’re here, you can subscribe to my feed :)

The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke – Interview + Giveaway

Posted by Tara on May 13, 2013 in Book, Giveaways, Interviews | 6 comments

Today I have an interview with Polly Holyoke, author of the upcoming The Neptune Project! I’m super excited to get my hands on this book next week, you guys. I’m a huge fan of middle-grade and The Neptune Project sounds like a great futuristic story with an environmental twist.

So yes – check out my interview with the lovely Polly Holyoke and enter to win some really great The Neptune Project swag! She sent me several dolphin charms that double as both a necklace or a bookmark – I think they’re super awesome!

The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Goodreads | Amazon | Indiebound

With her weak eyes and useless lungs that often leave her gasping for air, Nere feels more at home swimming with the dolphins her mother studies than she does hanging out with her classmates. Nere has never understood why she is so much more comfortable and confident in the water than on land until the day she learns the shocking truth—she is one of a group of kids who have been genetically altered to survive in the ocean. These products of the “Neptune Project” are supposed to build a better future under the waves, safe from the terrible famines and wars and that rock the surface world.

But there are some big challenges ahead of her: no one ever asked Nere if she wanted to be part of a science experiment; the other Neptune kids aren’t exactly the friendliest bunch, and in order to reach the safe haven of the new Neptune colony, Nere and her fellow mutates must swim across hundreds of miles of dangerous ocean, relying on their wits, their loyal dolphins and one another to evade terrifying undersea creatures and a government that will stop at nothing to capture the Neptune kids … dead or alive.

Fierce battle and daring escapes abound as Nere and her friend race to safety in this action-packed marine adventure. – Goodreads

Polly Holyoke, the author of The Neptune Project

Why do you write middle grade? What draws you to the age group?

I love the fact that middle grade readers are willing to believe. They haven’t become cynical yet. They will accept and like even the wildest stories as long as the writer sets up the world and the plot of his or her book well.

What inspired the world you created in The Neptune Project?

I’ve always enjoyed scuba diving, and I wanted to give kids a chance to experience the world under the waves. My generation had the undersea adventures of Jacques Cousteau to watch each week on television, but the main source of information today for kids about the sea seems to Shark Week. That collection of programs is enough to keep anyone from ever swimming the ocean again!

How did you go about researching The Neptune Project?

Okay, so now I have to admit I spent some time watching Shark Week. But I spent a great deal more time reading up on oceanography and visiting scuba diving sites. I also went snorkeling with wild spinner dolphins in Hawaii, which was incredible. Spinner dolphins are amazingly acrobatic and leap out of the water in high, spinning leaps. They also travel in large schools and constantly squeak and whistle to each other. Swimming along with 200 of them is an experience I’ll never forget.

If you could be the author of any already published work, which would it be and why?

I absolutely love Archangel by Sharon Shinn. I think that book has a clever premise, a wonderful love story and terrific world building.

Are you working on anything next? Any details you can share?

I’ve completed a second Neptune book that explains the origins of mysterious Dai and his friends. My British publisher, Puffin UK, has already bought that sequel, and I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that Disney Hyperion buys it as well.

About Polly Holyoke

Polly Holyoke grew up in Colorado, where she spent her childhood skiing, camping, reading, and dreaming up fantastical stories. Polly went on to graduate from Middlebury College and become a middle school social studies teacher. She lives in Plano, Texas with her husband and their two daughters, as well as two cats, two Chihuahuas, and a Beagle.

Visit Polly at her website or on Twitter.

Giveaway of The Neptune Project swag

Polly Holyoke sent me really adorable dolphin charms that double as both bookmarks and necklaces. And you could win one! All you have to do is leave a comment below – I’ll be giving out three, open internationally.

While you’re here, you can subscribe to my feed :)

Bout of Books 7.0

Posted by Tara on May 12, 2013 in Book, Bookish Event | 6 comments

My book list is totally playing off of my Books Before BEA post. I’ve read some of the ones listed there and now it’s time to knock out the rest!

When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney
The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston
Parallel by Lauren Miller
Transparent by Natalie Whipple
Loki’s Wolves by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr
Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith
Linked by Imogen Howson
You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle
Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood
Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Goals

Read at least seven books out of the ten listed
Comment on at least fifteen blogs
Respond to all comments left on my blog
Write a review for every book read on the day I read it

Pretty simple, huh? I’m hoping for a book a day and maybe I can squeeze in a bit more! These books are a combination of debuts, ARCs, and e-galleys, so I’m pretty happy to knock some off of each list with these books :) I’ve also got a few manuscripts I need to read for my internship, so I’ll be cheating and including those in my total! It kind of counts, right?