My True Love Gave To Me by Stephanie Perkins | Book Review

Book Review:
My True Love Gave To Me by Stephanie Perkins

Spoilers?

No.

Title - My True Love Gave To Me  
Edited by - Stephanie Perkins
Authors - Holly Black, Ally Carter, Matt de la Pena, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor, Kiersten White

Publication - October 14th 2014 by St. Martin’s Press
Format - Hardcover, 321 pages
Genre - Young Adult, Short Stories, Contemporary, Romance

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins. Whether you enjoy celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or New Year's there's something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have twelve reasons this season to stay indoors and fall in love. 

The Rating :

My Review:

My review in a gif. Which equals 4 stars.

via GIPHY

The Cover:

Although they say never judge a book by it's cover I believe the cover should represent what the book is going to be like or at least some aspect of it.

With this cover it’s easy to love it and just buy it because it's beautiful. Well, that and the fact that's it's by a group of very talented writers. You could also see the couples of each short story skating in the frozen lake.

The Short Stories:

I prefer to do separate reviews of each short story then an overall review.

"Midnights" by Rainbow Rowell > 5 stars.

I was so in love with Midnights that I legit cried more than once. I identified so much with the main character without knowing it. It was so fluffy and adorable.

"The Lady and the Fox" by Kelly Link > 2 stars.

Although I did like this story I found it hard to finish and it was confusing  in some parts. And after reading Midnights which was really good it just didn't fit.

"Angels in the Snow" by Matt de la Peña > 4 stars.

I really liked it! it was so adorable and there were kitties and the guys name was Shy. I enjoyed this story.

"It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown" by Stephanie Perkins > 5 stars

One of my favorites from this book. I adored the connection the characters had. Loved their names, Marigold and North. Beautiful!

"Polaris is where you'll find me" by Jenny Han > 5 stars

I really, really loved this one. I kinda want this to be a book on its own with more to it.

"Your Temporary Santa" by David Levithan > 3 stars

It was cute and I could tell they really liked each other but for some reason I didn't quite like it. There were parts that just didn't get to me like they should have, I don't know.

"Krampuslauf" by Holly Black > 3.5 stars

Very interesting but I got lost a few times and the ending confused me. Still it was fun to read.

"What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?" by Gayle Forman >  2 stars

 I couldn't connect with the characters. The writing was beautiful, but I just didn't like Sophie.

"Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus" by Myra Mcentire > 4.5 stars

I love this story! It was so cute and funny. The characters were adorable. It felt like something that I would gladly watch on tv or something similar.

"Welcome to Christmas, CA" by Kiersten White > 4 stars

Just like Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus this one felt like it could be a movie, but this one gave me a Hallmark movie type of feel. The guy was perfect partly because he could make good food. 

"Star of Bethlehem" by Ally Carter > 4 stars

I wish this story was longer because I actually liked it. It was heart warming and the family in this was loving. I liked this one too.

"The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor > 3 stars.

This one kinda didn't fit in with the others but I liked it. It was a bit weird in someparts but yeah. It was magical and the ending was something different. Okay, so I'm still confused about the whole thing.

Overall Review:

It was a fun book to read. I took my time reading each story. Like some took me longer than others but with homework and stuff it made sense. The cover was adorable depicting all the couples skating.I loved it.

I would like to say that my favorite stories were:

"Midnights" by Rainbow Rowell

"It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown" by Stephanie Perkins

"Polaris is where you'll find me" by Jenny Han

"Star of Bethlehem" by Ally Carter

"Welcome to Christmas, CA" by Kiersten White

Get a copy at:
Barnes&Noble  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  Book Depository Affiliate Link

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Stacking The Shelves - 2

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!

So this week I only got one book in the mail. I've also been busy wit exams and my blog, but I've managed to fit in some reading tie. I've started giving myself an hour just to read. Like, I actually use a timer and everything and it's been helping me a lot.

For Review:

This week I got a book from the lovely publishers over at St Martins Press. It is a Christmas book called Oliver, the Cat Who Saved Christmas by Sheila Norton. It is from the point of view of Oliver himself. I mean, if that doesn't sound cute then what does, right? Here are the links to the photo I took of the book on my instagram.

As for Update:

This week, much like last week is homework and studying for test, driven. But by giving myself an hour just to read I've managed to get a bit of reading done.
I have just the other night finished reading Santorini Sunset by Anita Hughes. Which was sent to me for review. I will definitely do a review of it in the near future.

I've also read a bit more of The New Guy (and Other Senior Year Distractions) by Amy Spalding. I’m on page 154.
And also All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. With 70 pages.

Then as soon as I finished Santorini Sunset I decided to pick Kindred Spirit by Rainbow Rowell up and finished it an hour or so later. I will also review this in the future.  Because it was a short book and I managed to finished it in one sitting. I was quite proud of myself for finishing two books in one night. This is also one of those books my friend has lend me.

(Click on the covers to visit their individual goodreads)

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Blog Tour | We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun & Susan Mullen -Excerpt-

Today I have the honor to be a part of We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun & Susan Mullen Blog Tour. Which will be on the shelves on the November 1st.
So please read this, and I hope it gets you excited for the release of this book as I am honestly.

We Are Still Tornadoes
by Michael Kun & Susan Mullen

Expected publication: November 1st 2016 by St. Martin's Griffin
352 pages
Click to get more info + extras >> Griffin Teen

Growing up across the street from each other, Scott and Cath have been best friends their entire lives. Cath would help Scott with his English homework, he would make her mix tapes (it's the 80's after all), and any fight they had would be forgotten over TV and cookies. But now they've graduated high school and Cath is off to college while Scott is at home pursuing his musical dreams.

During their first year apart, Scott and Cath's letters help them understand heartache, annoying roommates, family drama and the pressure to figure out what to do with the rest of their lives. And through it all, they realize that the only person they want to turn to is each other. But does that mean they should be more than friends? The only thing that's clear is that change is an inescapable part of growing up. And the friends who help us navigate it share an unshakable bond.

This funny yet deeply moving book--set to an awesome 80's soundtrack--captures all the beautiful confusion and emotional intensity we find on the verge of adulthood...and first love.

-Authors Info-

MICHAEL KUN lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife Amy and their daughter Paige. He is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University and the University Of Virginia School Of Law. He is a partner in Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., specializing in labor and employment law. He is the author of The Locklear Letters and You Poor Monster, among other works of fiction and non-fiction.

Website  |  Goodreads  

We Are Still Tornadoes is SUSAN MULLEN’S first novel and first collaboration with Michael.  She is a graduate of Duke University, where she studied English literature, and the University Of Virginia School Of Law.  She practices law and lives in Northern Virginia.  Sue has been married to her law school classmate Kevin Mullen for 25 years, and they have two daughters.

 Goodreads

-Excerpt-

SEPTEMBER



AGEE’S MEN’S CLOTHING

Where Men and Boys Shop

EAST BLOOMFIELD, MARYLAND

September 2, 1982

Dear Cath,

I’m appauled that you would accuse me of going through your panties when I left that heartwarming note in your suitcase. Appauled, I tell you. (Did I spell “appauled” correctly? If not, please correct it for me.) Just so we’re clear, are you talking about the yellow bikini ones with the stars on the hip that were packed right beneath your running shoes? Or the light blue bikini ones with the white polka dots? Or the hot pink ones? Or the orange-and-red ones? Or that really big beige pair that you must have stolen from your grandmother?

Seriously, though, your stupid dog knocked over the entire suitcase when I was trying to stick the note inside. I had to scramble to put everything back into the suitcase. And that’s the story I’ll tell the police!

Stacking The Shelves - 1

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!

Okay, so I follow this really cool girl, Jessica from Peace Love Books, and she has been doing these weekly posts where she talks about the books she has gotten during that week and some update on her reading and I wanted to do something like that. I found out that it's some meme that a book blog created, Tynga's Reviews. And decided why not try it out and share my somewhat weekly book hauls and update you on my readings and stuff. It will be fun.

For Review:

I first got How to Keep A Boy From Kissing You in the mail a couple of days back and when I saw it I was so excited. I wanted to just forget everything and read it but of course I have two exams to study for and lots of homework to go through to I couldn't read it this week. Then I got We Are Still Tornadoes like three or so days ago and quickly posted a photo of the unopened packages on my instagram and  as soon as I got home I opened it to see the beautiful blue and yellow cover. And Again I wanted to read it but that'll wait until next week, preferably on tuesday.

As for Update:

This week, even though it has been jam packed with homework, I have managed to sneak in tiny slivers of book reading. I’ve managed to update my reading in Santorini Sunsets by Anita Hughes. Which was sent to me for review. I'm in page 69 which is really good for just starting it three days ago and the fact that I've only managed a few minutes of reading.

I’ve also read some of the book I borrowed from a friend; The New Guy (and Other Senior Year Distractions) by Amy Spalding. I’m on page 142. And I have to say I'm really liking this book, yeah there are some boring bits and it's predictable but I like it.

(Click on the covers to visit their individual goodreads)

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What Happens Now by Jennifer Castle | Book Review

Book Review:
What Happens Now by Jennifer Castle 

Spoilers?

Yes!!

Title - What Happens Now 
Authors - Jennifer Castle

Publication - June 7th 2016 by HarperTeen
Format - Hardcover, 384 pages
Genre - Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Mental Illness Source - borrowed

"I know what it is to want something so badly, you feel like your cells aren’t properly bonded together without it. I also know what it’s like to get that something. And honestly, I’m still not sure which is worse..." Ari Logan is battling to win her war against depression and the dark night she hurt herself on purpose. It’s not easy: her best friend is drifting away, her mom’s emotionally checked out, and she spends her days playing caregiver to her handful of a half-sister, Danielle. But it’s summer, and anything is possible... That’s when Camden Armstrong steps onto the beach of Ari’s local swimming lake. At first, Ari quietly longs for Camden from afar, seeing in him everything she wants to be. When the two discover a true connection the following summer, Ari lets herself fall not just for the quirky and self-assured Camden but also his friends, tumbling into their world of independence, adventure, and shared sci-fi fandom. As Ari’s romantic dreams come true, she must unlock the mysteries of the very real and troubled boy behind her infatuation, while also struggling with her own demons, obligations, and loyalties.

The Rating :

My Review:

My review in a gif. Which equals 4 stars.

via GIPHY

The Cover:

I want to start reviewing the covers as well. Because although they say never judge a book by its cover I believe the cover should represent what the bool is going to be like or at least some aspect of it.

As for this particular cover, I think it was perfect. It's a scene that looks like it was made out of clay and it is of the lake and Ari and Camden on the dock. I love it.

The Story:

The first half of this book, the half  were Ari is infatuated with Camden, this half was perfect.

The way she talked about her feelings for him, and how she just described how she felt was so relatable. How to her, he wasn't just a crush, he was Camden. He was the Possible.

After they did get together as a couple it didn't have the same flame. Yes, I was happy for her but then it was just all too boring, too normal.

Relationships:

This book had a bunch of relationships both in family and in couples.

Like Ari x Camden. Eliza x Max. Kendall x James (though they didn't get together, it did hint at something). Then the families. Like Ari and her family. And how her little sister was more of a daughter. And how Camden could never say no to his mom. Then there was the way the  friendship between Camden, Eliza and Max was a sort of mess. They were friends, but also Eliza used to date Camden, and now she's with Max.

Family Dynamics:

Ari's Family. The whole problem with Ari's family was that her mother was always away working. And even if Ari had an awesome step dad, Richard, who was kind to them both. She still had to take care of thing around the house and be a big sister/mom to her little sis, Danielle (Dani), who was so adorable and cute and smart. 

During the whole book I was so hoping that they would just sit down and settle things. Tell each other what they feel and figure things out because the lack of communication between them was ruining their family. I was glad they settled things in the end.

As for Camden and his family. Well, he never knew his dad, and I don't think even his mom knew who he was. His mom was always traveling, moving them around. Even if this created a unique bond between them of understanding and love, it also made it hard for Camden to feel like he belonged anywhere. Which made him think of Eliza and Max as his family. And that later on in the story created a conflict between them and Ari.

Settings:

I adored the lake. During the time when I was reading this I just wished there was a place like that in my town because the heat was so unbearable. Sadly there is no such thing. But I still, imagined what it would be like and that was fun. And then there was the hidden waterfall place that was also awesome.

I also liked Millie's. I just wanted it to exist near me so I could visit and shop for materials and such.

I think another place that I liked, and this is weird, but I secretly wanted to go to Camden's house, and go to is room to see the skylight, because I thought that was just so cool. 

Overall:

I liked it! I truly liked how real the characters were. Specially Ari and her family because those things actually happen. How raw it was too. Because it did talk about depression and self-harm, and tough stuff that happen in families that could scar you for the rest of your life.

I want to say that I liked the ending and even though I didn't want it to happen, the way it did happen was lovely and adorable. And also just before that was way adorable and made me feel happy for the family.

I also liked the whole Silver Arrow ting. how they got together and got dressed up to go to the con and take photos in costume. Viva la Nerd!

The weird thing was that if you're a fan of something for so long how do you not look them up on your computer or sneak out to the library and search for all things Silver Arrow and know about conventions and cosplaying or even fangirling. That to me was weird because the first thing I do when I like something is to find out more about it.

Get a copy at:
 Amazon US  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository Affiliate Link

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Insanity by Cameron Jace | Book Review

Book Review:
Insanity by Cameron Jace

I haven't been writing much here on this blog or on my social media because I took a book reading break, I didn't read much, and recently my classes started again, or I didn't have much time or energy to talk about books. But in between I would read a few pages here, and there of this wonderful book about a retelling of Alice in Wonderland and I have just finished it and thought I should start blogging again wit this review.

Title - Insanity  
Author - Cameron Jace

Publication - December 19th 2013 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Format - Paperback, 254 pages
Genre - Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Retelling, Mystery
Source - Borrowed

After accidentally killing everyone in her class, Alice Wonder is now a patient in the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum. No one doubts her insanity. Only a hookah-smoking professor believes otherwise; that he can prove her sanity by decoding Lewis Carroll's paintings, photographs, and find Wonderland's real whereabouts. Professor Caterpillar persuades the asylum that Alice can save lives and catch the wonderland monsters now reincarnated in modern day criminals. In order to do so, Alice leads a double life: an Oxford university student by day, a mad girl in an asylum by night. The line between sanity and insanity thins when she meets Jack Diamond, an arrogant college student who believes that nonsense is an actual science.

My Review:

First of all, the whole reason I started reading this book was because I was looking at it and telling my friend I had read Alice in Wonderland and hours later when I left it got throw it at me, so I took it home with me. 

from tumblr

Reading it I did got confusing at the beginning but I got back on track immediately. I quickly knew who was supposed to be who and started getting the references. Like Alice’s flower is supposed to represent the talking flowers like in the movies and Pillar and his hookah addiction. It was really fun reading it.
I think that I hadn't been on a break from book reading I would have read it all in under a week but it took me months because I didn't want to get stressed of the headaches I was getting because I felt like I was obligated to finish the books I was reading fast and that wasn't healthy. So I would read this book five of ten pages at a time, which was much better.

I loved the characters, especially this version of Alice. She was very interesting because she was going tough the trauma of thinking she killed her classmates, and boyfriend and being in an Asylum, going through electroshock and stuff. 
I think I would have loved to be able to keep it but sadly it was not mine. But my friend said they might give me the second one to borrow, since this is a series.

All in all, I think I would keep reading the other books in the series and maybe someday I would like to have them in my collection but for now I'll just borrow them.

Get a copy at:

 Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

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Rating

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News on Park Row Books New Imprint MIRA Books

I would love to share the news that have been given to me that Park Row Books has launched a new imprint called, MIRA Books. They will come out with new and thought provoking books by new and celebrated authors.

Sounds interesting? Then go ahead and give them a visit to see what they have in store. MIRA Books.

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Waiting on Wednesday #12 - The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

Updated: July 4, 2017

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases.

Here is another Waiting on Wednesday for the book The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

It's 400+ pages of young adult, futuristic, dystopia, mystery. It sounds so cool and it's all set in a really tall building with different classes. Read below and you'll see how awesome it is.

The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

New York City as you’ve never seen it before. A thousand-story tower stretching into the sky. A glittering vision of the future, where anything is possible—if you want it enough.

Welcome to Manhattan, 2118.

A hundred years in the future, New York is a city of innovation and dreams. But people never change: everyone here wants something…and everyone has something to lose.

Leda Cole’s flawless exterior belies a secret addiction—to a drug she never should have tried and a boy she never should have touched.

Eris Dodd-Radson’s beautiful, carefree life falls to pieces when a heartbreaking betrayal tears her family apart.

Rylin Myers’s job on one of the highest floors sweeps her into a world—and a romance—she never imagined…but will her new life cost Rylin her old one?

Watt Bakradi is a tech genius with a secret: he knows everything about everyone. But when he’s hired to spy by an upper-floor girl, he finds himself caught up in a complicated web of lies.

And living above everyone else on the thousandth floor is Avery Fuller, the girl genetically designed to be perfect. The girl who seems to have it all—yet is tormented by the one thing she can never have.

Debut author Katharine McGee has created a breathtakingly original series filled with high-tech luxury and futuristic glamour, where the impossible feels just within reach. But in this world, the higher you go, the farther there is to fall….

Published by: HarperCollins

The Release Date for the book is:
August 30th 2016

Pre-Order:

Barnes&Noble  |  Amazon US

Or pre-order it from Book Depository using my Affiliate link:

Book Depository

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