Books and Swoons: Friendships

Showing posts with label Friendships. Show all posts

Second Chance Read: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Sisterhood #1)
Author: Ann Brashares
Release Date: December 10, 2002
Publisher: Books on Tape Childrens
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library/Overdrive
Review by: Jenn

Some friends just fit together.

Once there was a pair of pants. Just an ordinary pair of jeans. But these pants, the Traveling Pants, went on to do great things. This is the story of the four friends—Lena, Tibby, Bridget, and Carmen—who made it possible.

4 stars out of 5 stars

I first read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of high school. Which is basically the same timeline as the girls in the book. I refuse to say how long that was but it’s been ages. So when I saw the book as an audiobook on my library, I snatched it up.

First off, I loved the narrator. Angela Goethals made the girls come alive for me. She did a wonderful job and made the girls’ voice and friendship all the more real and authentic. Secondly, this it had been a while since I read this series, it was like I was reading/hearing the story for the first time so I appreciated Angela all the more for a job well done.

I will admit that some of the girls’ actions, specifically Carmen and Bridget, kind of bothered or annoyed me. When they would act naively or wrong, since they’re so young and inexperienced, I wanted to step in and inform them not to do what they were about to do or act the way they were going to. However, this is me speaking with experienced and as an adult. I know that while I would have never done what Carmen or Bridget had done/acted at that age, I too was a teenager and things always felt dire and like the end of the world was coming. So while the story of Carmen and Bridget weren’t my favorite, I loved how they, in the end, learned and grew up a little. And like before, Lena was my favorite girl and Tibby’s story bought me to tears.

Time for The Second Summer of Sisterhood.

Review: Throwing My Life Away by Liz Czukas

Throwing My Life Away
Author: Liz Czukas
Release Date: December 20, 2016
Publisher: Liz Czukas
Format: eARC
Source: Liz Czukas
Review by: Jenn

7 photographs, 2 weeks, an entire life to get back. No problem, right?

After her stepfather accidentally throws away her high school mementos, sentimental Mariska is pretty sure the world is over. That is, until she comes up with a plan. She’s going to recreate her past, with a little help from her friends. It’s not easy to rally everyone into helping, especially Caine, who couldn’t be less sentimental about anything if he were a park bench. But from a guerilla kite festival to convincing her ex-boyfriend to recreate her lost prom picture, Mariska is willing to do what it takes.

With a little nudging from Caine, Mariska starts to realize she can’t actually get her past back. And maybe that’s okay. Because while she’s so focused on the past, she’s missing out on the present, where her friends are busy having the summer of their lives. And where funny, quiet Caine might just be the future she never knew she wanted.

3.5 stars out of 5 stars

*I received an early copy of this book from the author. However, this review is in no way influenced by that.*

Reading Throwing My Life Away was like going back *cough ten years ago cough* to high school. It was filled with nostalgia for the old days and with hopeful feelings for the future. And Mariska is for sure feeling all the emotions as she prepares to depart her childhood for college. Here are some of my favorite part of the book.

I loved all the recreated pictures moments. While they didn't come out exactly like the original that Mariska took, they are unique and will give Mariska two memories instead of one. The old one and the new one. I especially love the ninja recreation. It was definitely a turning point between Mariska and her love interest, Caine.
I also loved Mariska's best friend Sun and Caine. Sun is hilarious and unique. I loved how she was up to anything for Mariska and gave it the project a special touch. Caine is the perfect compliment for Mariska. The book has some awesome banter between Mariska and Sun and Mariska and Caine but I especially loved Mariska and Caine's back and forth quips. There is this whole yearbook drop off between the two that I found absolutely adorable.

Throwing My Life Away was filled with nostalgia and hope and it was so cute. I loved that I got another YA book from Liz Czukas and I can't wait to see what else she's working on.

Review: This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills

This Adventure Ends
Author: Emma Mills
Release Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Review by: Jenn

Sloane isn't expecting to fall in with a group of friends when she moves from New York to Florida—especially not a group of friends so intense, so in love, so all-consuming. Yet that's exactly what happens.

Sloane becomes closest to Vera, a social-media star who lights up any room, and Gabe, Vera's twin brother and the most serious person Sloane's ever met. When a beloved painting by the twins' late mother goes missing, Sloane takes on the responsibility of tracking it down, a journey that takes her across state lines—and ever deeper into the twins' lives.

Filled with intense and important friendships, a wonderful warts-and-all family, shiveringly good romantic developments, and sharp, witty dialogue, this story is about finding the people you never knew you needed.

5 stars out of 5 stars

*I received an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*

I LOVED this book. I loved the relationships that Emma Mills explored, the witty banter, the drama, the characters themselves, EVERYTHING. I thoroughly enjoyed Emma Mills' First & Then but this book made her an author to look for. I need to see more people talking about this book!

Sloane is super sarcastic, always has a smart retort in hand, loyal to a fault and I loved being in her head. I love her relationship with her family but more specifically with her father. I love how they seem to share this special bond and shared interests with the other and how easily she can depend on him.
The secondary characters! I love each and every one of them. Vera, Gabe, and Remy were some of the most interesting and awesome friends and I actually wanted more story time from them. I love their relationship with each other and how loyal they are to one another and to Sloane.
The actual story has this sort of slow, quiet feel to it but I think it works so well for Sloane and the characters. Since it kind of slow and tentative, the love story developed just like that as well. However, what I also loved about this book, it's that it is not just a love story, it's a story about friendships and family and how far you're willing to go for them.

I can't wait to see what Emma Mills writes next because I have definitely become a fan of hers. I am going to go around recommending her books to everyone I know because, gosh, they're just so good! Go pick up This Adventure Ends already!

Mini Review: The Best Possible Answer by E. Katherine Kottaras

The Best Possible Answer
Author: E. Katherine Kottaras
Release Date: November 1, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley/St. Martin's Griffin
Review by: Jenn

AP Exams – check

SAT test – check

College Application – check

Date the wrong guy and ruin everything you’ve spent your whole life working for– check Ultra-high-achiever Viviana Rabinovich-Lowe has always had a plan—and no room to be anything less than perfect. But her quest for perfection comes to a screeching halt when her boyfriend leaks racy pictures of her to the entire school. Making matters worse, her parents might be getting divorced and now her perfect family is falling apart. For the first time, Viviana feels like a complete and utter failure.

Then she gets a job working at the community pool, where she meets a new group of friends who know nothing about her past. That includes Evan, a gorgeous (and really nice!) guy who makes her want to do something she never thought she’d do again: trust. For the first time in her life, Viviana realizes she can finally be whoever she wants. But who is that? While she tries to figure it out, she learns something they never covered in her AP courses: that it’s okay to be less than perfect, because it’s our imperfections that make us who we are.

2.5 stars out of 5 stars

*I received an eARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this book, you guys. It started off strong and I found myself sucked into the story but then, I don't know. I started to not really care about Viv, I guess. Her back and forth nonsense with her best friend, Sammi, and their crush on Evan, it got irritating after a while. Also, there just seems to be a lot going on that after a while I didn't care about most of them. There was the dad issue, the eccentric professor, the nude picture, the college applications, and the trust issues. There was so much going on and I feel like it could have picked a few issues, like the dad and the nude pictures, and it would have made the book so much stronger.
What I did love about the book was Viv's relationship with Sammi, and her sister, Milla.
I will look into the author's other book. I did like how each chapter had a SAT prep questions in the beginning. Very cute but feels like a younger YA novel.

Review: The Trouble with Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis

The Trouble with Mistletoe (Heartbreaker Bay #2)
Author: Jill Shalvis
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Publisher: Avon Books
Format: eARC
Source: Sullivan and Partners, LLC
Review by: Jenn

If she has her way…

Willa Davis is wrangling puppies when Keane Winters stalks into her pet shop with frustration in his chocolate-brown eyes and a pink bedazzled cat carrier in his hand. He needs a kitty sitter, stat. But the last thing Willa needs is to rescue a guy who doesn’t even remember her… …He’ll get nothing but coal in his stocking.

Saddled with his great-aunt’s Feline from Hell, Keane is desperate to leave her in someone else’s capable hands. But in spite of the fact that he’s sure he’s never seen the drop-dead gorgeous pet shop owner before, she seems to be mad at him…

Unless he tempers “naughty” with a special kind of nice…

Willa can’t deny that Keane’s changed since high school: he’s less arrogant, for one thing—but he doesn’t even remember her. How can she trust him not to break her heart again? It’s time to throw a coin in the fountain, make a Christmas wish–and let the mistletoe do its work…

4 stars out of 5 stars

*I received an eARC of this title from the publicist, however, my review is not influenced in any way by it.*

Jill has got me hooked with her newest book, The Trouble with Mistletoe. I fell for Willa within the first few pages with her sense of humor and the way she is with the animals and with her employee, Rory. Within the first few pages, I saw how good of a boss she is. When we meet Keane, he's carrying a bedazzled pink carrier and I was a goner. It was hilarious that his big, strong, alpha male was being dominated by a cat and needed help. These are the things that make Jill one of the best contemporary romance author. She takes these hot men and makes them even hotter by putting a cute and vulnerable cat/dog/baby in their hands. With Keane, he comes into Willa's shop for help with his aunt's cat and he is unaware that he shares history with Willa and that hurts her even more. However, their sexual attraction to each other cannot be ignored and neither can the fact that they certainly have their banter down pat. And since Willa has some very nosy friends, they won't let her ignore it either.

I loved seeing these two grow closer and closer and how they started making an impact on each other. Willa is hilarious and always keeps Keane on his toes. And I love how easy Keane just goes along with Willa's friends and their shenanigans. Also, their sexual chemistry is off the charts so when they finally got together, I was more than ready for it. And it was HOT!

I thought Willa and Keane's friendship/relationship was realistically done up to a point. Right from the beginning, we know Willa has sworn off men because she's been burned before and when she goes into a relationship she goes all in. With Keane, we know he has a hard time expressing himself because his family has never been one to show emotions. So I didn't understand why Willa kept saying he wasn't up to commitment and that she was. Her big epiphany of realizing that it was the other way around was a bit "are you being serious?" moment for me.

Also, Willa's friend were a bit too nosy. When they interrupted Keane and Willa during a big conversation just because they weren't aware of the topic was a little annoying. I know they mean well but at that point, it was like seriously, mind your business. You'll get all the deets later.

All in all, I really enjoyed The Trouble with Mistletoe. Jill has me waiting on Elle and Archer's book and wanting to go back and read Pru and Finn's story.

Review: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Open Road Summer
Author: Emery Lord
Release Date: April 14, 2014
Publisher: Walker Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Personal Copy
Review by: Jenn

After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

3 stars out of 5 stars

Here's the thing, I really want to like Emery Lord's book because I feel like everybody loves her and her books. But when I read When We Collided, it wasn't love at first chapter. I decided to forget about it because it happen sometimes. So I went in with high hopes to fall in love with Open Road Summer. And I did. For certain parts.

For the first few chapters, I was hooked on the story line and on Reagan and Dee's friendship. But then I started to dislike Reagan. She's mean and bitchy and judgmental. I excused it when I first saw a glimpse of her personality and once I learned about her mother abandoning by her dealing with high school bullies. She hates other girls for dressing with low cut tops and flirting over top with boys, all the while she did the same thing. I figured it would be addressed later on and/or she would come around and realized how she was acting. But I didn't see any growth from her. Even towards the end, I didn't feel like there was any character growth. As much as I didn't like When We Collided, Emery did write Vivi in a way that she realized that she screwed and that she needed to fix things. In Open Road Summer, I didn't get that from Reagan.

Aside from my dislike of Reagan, I really enjoyed the friendship she shares with Dee. I love that Emery wrote such strong female friendship and that Dee isn't on the back burner, only to come out to give her friend perspective or be in a filler chapter. I honestly haven't seen such friendship like his since the sisterhood of the traveling pants books. Also, I really loved the music portion of the book. I thought it was really creative and unique.

With this being my second Emery Lord book, and still not falling in love with her work, I have to admit I'm a little hesitant to pick up another of her books. I think I'll give her one more try and if it doesn't work, then that'll have to be it.

Blog Tour Stop: Review: Rebel Bully Geek Pariah by Erin Jade Lange

Rebel Bully Geek Pariah
Author: Erin Jade Lange
Release Date: February 16, 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: NetGalley/ARC provided for blog tour
Review by: Jenn

"The Breakfast Club" gets a modern, high-stakes reboot in this story of four very different teens and a night that changes them forever.

The Rebel: Once popular, Andi is now a dreadlocked, tattooed wild child.
The Bully: York torments everyone who crosses his path, especially his younger brother.
The Geek: Tired of being bullied, Boston is obsessed with getting into an Ivy League college.
The Pariah: Choosing to be invisible has always worked for Sam . . . until tonight.

When Andi, York, Boston, and Sam find themselves hiding in the woods after a party gets busted by the cops, they hop into the nearest car they see and take off—the first decision of many in a night that will change their lives forever. By the light of day, these four would never be caught dead together, but when their getaway takes a dangerously unpredictable turn, sticking together could be the only way to survive.

With cinematic storytelling and compelling emotional depth, critically acclaimed author Erin Jade Lange takes readers on literary thrill ride.

3 stars out of 5 stars

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. But it did not influence this review in any way.*

I was super excited about starting Rebel Bully Geek Pariah, especially because of the comparison to John Hughes' The Breakfast Club. The book starts off nicely, with Sam, our narrator and pariah, getting fired from her job. It follows her as she meets our rebel, Andi. From there on, we are thrust into the story and meet the rest of the characters.

Once I started reading, I realized that this book nothing like the John Hughes' movie. I had to put the comparison away and read the book on it own.The only real comparison between the book and the movie is the characterization of the characters. They are group of different people with different backgrounds and upbringings and they come together in a night no one will forget.

Rebel Bully Geek Pariah had some twists that I was not expecting and made it an entertaining read. I so was not expecting the ending and I like how Ms. Lange managed to do that twist. However, I had some trouble connecting with the Sam and the rest of the characters. Maybe it was because there was a lot going on and I just wanted to see how they were going to get themselves out of mess they had gotten into. Also, I didn't believe or see the flirtation and romance that bloomed between two of the characters. It didn't make sense to me, at all.

All in all, I enjoyed Rebel Bully Geek Pariah. It not The Breakfast Club but it a quick and easy read.

About the author:

author, journalist, obsessive-compulsive list maker.
AWKWARD 3RD-PERSON OFFICIAL BIO:
Erin writes facts by day and fiction by night. As a journalist, she is inspired by current events and real-world issues and uses her writing to explore how those issues impact teenagers.
She is an only child, so she spent a lot of time entertaining herself as a kid. This required her to rely heavily on her own imagination, which is probably why she became a writer.
Erin grew up in the cornfields of northern Illinois, along the Mississippi River in one of the few places it flows east to west. She now lives in the sunshine of Arizona and will forever be torn between her love of rivers and her love of the desert.