HOSTED by The Broke and the Bookish
This week’s topic is…
Top Ten Best Books Of 2016
Monthly Archives: December 2016
Review: Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse
Title: Seven Days of You
Author: Cecilia Vinesse
Publication date: March 7, 2017
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Format: ARC
Source: Won in NOVL’s February NOVLBox curated by Poppy
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Sophia has seven days left in Tokyo before she moves back to the States. Seven days to say good-bye to the electric city, her wild best friend, and the boy she’s harbored a semi-secret crush on for years. Seven perfect days…until Jamie Foster-Collins moves back to Japan and ruins everything.
Jamie and Sophia have a history of heartbreak, and the last thing Sophia wants is for him to steal her leaving thunder with his stupid arriving thunder. Yet as the week counts down, the relationships she thought were stable begin to explode around her. And Jamie is the one who helps her pick up the pieces. Sophia is forced to admit she may have misjudged Jamie, but can their seven short days of Tokyo adventures end in anything but good-bye?
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository
MY RANTS AND RAVES OF SEVEN DAYS OF YOU
As a mood reader, winter always leaves me in a reading funk. I wasn’t too sure if I was in the mood for a contemporary book, but I am so glad I picked up Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse. You guys, I read this book in less than one day; I just could not put it down! The storyline is quick-paced, realistic, and so adorable.
I loved how Seven Days of You took me out of the routine of contemporary books. Instead of basing this love-story in America, England, or even France, this book inserts you in a Japanese setting, building on a culture that I’m not too familiar with. The author does a great job of touring her readers around a city and culture that loves amazing food, parks, monuments, and karaoke bars (who knew?!). Vinesse doesn’t overwhelm you with descriptions, but she provides enough details that makes you yearn to visit Japan and learn more about the Japanese culture. This book will consume you with wanderlust, and a great thrill and hunger to visit Japan.
Additionally, I liked how the main character, Sofia, is portrayed in the novel. She is not set up as a cute, angsty teen girl. In one week, Sofia is thrown in a whirlwind of emotions and change. I really enjoyed her perspective and thoughts on her inevitable move. I was too wrapped up in Sofia’s concerns and troubles to even step away from this book. I liked that she owns up to her own flaws and insecurities; more importantly, Sofia portrays a mindset of wanting to grow and understand the world around her. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she tries to use her last week in Japan as a means to create new memories, while also cherishing the memories and friendships she has already made. Sofia is not only saying goodbye to a country she loves, but she is also saying goodbye to her best friends, and a potential relationship with someone she likes, Jamie. Although Sofia and Jamie have a past of misunderstandings and heartbreak, I was really immersed in how honest, sweet, and patient they were to each other.
Seven Days of You is very emotion driven. As Sofia is wrapping up her life in Japan, I was very invested in every fight, fear, tear, and flashback that she encounters before her departure. I loved how quick-paced the book read, and even though there is more drama invested in this book than I have ever encountered in my own life, the story wraps up in the most realistic and sentimental way. At times I thought the story portrayed some typical Young Adult literature cliches, but overall I liked how different Sofia’s life was compared to most people her age. Her life is complex but her story is rich with lasting friendships, strong female role models, swoony moments, and opportunities to grow.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
NOTE: Thank you to NOVL for providing me an advance reader’s copy of this book in their February 2016 NOVL Box curated by Poppy. I was not asked or compensated to review this book. I read this book at my own discretion. All statements and opinions are my own.
Book Blitz & Giveaway: Seasons Within by Lele Iturroiz
Seasons Within
Lele Iturrioz
(Acorn Publishing)
Publication date: December 15th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Most teenage girls know their name, where they came from, who they are. Not G, a beautiful redhead with unusual markings on her wrist. She gets her name from a silver locket she keeps around her neck, unaware the engraved letter “G” on its front holds the secret to her past.
G’s life before the age of six has been a mystery to her. Each night for the last twelve years she’s been haunted by the same nightmare—a war. Horrendous beasts, warriors able to wield the four elements, and a boy who saves her by means of blue fire taunt her memory. But on her eighteenth birthday, G’s life begins to unravel. When she meets her new Chemistry professor, a man with an uncanny resemblance to the boy who saves her, she knows there must be more to her dreams.
It’s dangerous not knowing who you are, what you’re capable of, and what future awaits you. Especially when the darkness that slaughtered your entire world, just found you.
—
EXCERPT:
DUST. Everything was covered in dust and ashes.
Nádúr Noc, the main city of Terra was once beautiful and full of life. Not like that night, the night the darkness descended from the far land of Ifreann.
Now, the round city of Nádúr Noc was dark, burned, and destroyed.
Trees were no longer big and full of different green and golden, bright colors. The river Enosi, a river that surrounded the city with its peaceful crystalline water was now a rapid of blood and death. As for the sky, once bright and blue, it was now filled with dark smoke so thick, it made it nearly impossible to see the remains of the Zansèt Palace; a magnificent castle in the middle of the city made of pearls, flowers, rocks, and vines.
On that night, there was no music and laughter. The only thing anybody could hear were screams and the desolate pleas of the in-habitants. Fear, pain, and unimaginable loss.
This city wasn’t the ruins of any ordinary war, it was the ruins between the light side of nature and the darkest of evils. Beasts and other horrendous creatures destroyed everything that they came across. Killed everyone in their sight. Soulless creatures who lived to torture. Answering to no one, no one except Him, the one who owned the darkness. The one who hell itself was afraid of.
Author Bio:
Major geek by day, hermit writer by night! Love books, sugar gliders and everything that comes in a delicious taco.
I’m the author of the YA fantasy series, Seasons Within
I spend my time writing, planning on writing, reading, drinking coffee like there was no tomorrow, MMA and chilling with my friends and loved ones.
GIVEAWAY!
W…W…W…Wednesday: 12/21/2016
W…W…W…Wednesday
W…W…W…Wednesday is hosted by Taking on a World of Words and includes Three Ws:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?
♥ What does your own W…W…W…Wednesday look like? ♥
Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree
HOSTED by The Broke and the Bookish
This week’s topic is…
Ten Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree
(Click the Book Cover to be linked to its Goodreads page)
What are some books you are hoping to find under your Christmas tree?
Cover Reveal: Reach for You by Pat Esden
Reach for You
Pat Esden
(The Dark Heart #3)
Published by: Kensington
Publication date: June 27th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Her passion is her greatest weakness.
His legacy is his prison.
To reunite, both must fight the demons within.
A world of deception and danger separates Annie Fremont from her mother—and from Chase, the enigmatic groundskeeper with whom Annie’s fallen in love. But she vows to find her way back to them, before Chase succumbs to the madness that threatens his freedom. The only person who can help is the magical seductress, Lotli, a beautiful, manipulative woman . . . a woman who has disappeared.
Annie must stay strong, even as the future she imagined is slipping away. With the help of family and friends, she discovers that Lotli is being held against her will, by those who want to exploit her powers. But though weakened, Lotli remains a powerful ally and adversary. A bargain is struck. And now Annie’s only chance to rescue Chase could also tear them apart . . .
Loyalties will be tested, walls will be breached, and enemies will be fought, yet Annie’s greatest battle lies within her own heart—to trust her love for Chase to overcome its greatest enemy, and to save those she holds most dear from the terrifying realm of the djinn. For all of their lives depend on it.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
Previous books in the series:
Author Bio:
PAT ESDEN would love to say she spent her childhood in intellectual pursuits. The truth is she was fonder of exploring abandoned houses and old cemeteries. When not out on her own adventures, she can be found in her northern Vermont home writing stories about brave, smart women and the men who capture their hearts. An antique-dealing florist by trade, she’s also a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and the League of Vermont Writers. Her short stories have appeared in a number of publications, including Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, the Mythopoeic Society’s Mythic Circle literary magazine, and George H. Scither’s anthology Cat Tales.
W…W…W…Wednesday: 12/14/2016
W…W…W…Wednesday
W…W…W…Wednesday is hosted by Taking on a World of Words and includes Three Ws:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?
♥ What does your own W…W…W…Wednesday look like? ♥
Top Ten Tuesday: First Half of 2017 Books
HOSTED by The Broke and the Bookish
This week’s topic is…
Top Ten Books I’m Looking Forward to Read In the First Half of 2017
Long Way Home by Katie McGarry. Release date: January 31, 2017.
By Your Side by Kasie West. Release date: January 31, 2017
Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas. Release date: February 21, 2017.
Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton. Release date: March 7, 2017
Hunted by Meagan Spoon. Release date: March 14, 2017.
Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza. Release date: February 7, 2016.
Starfall by Melissa Landers. Release date: February 7, 2017.
Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh. Release date: May 2, 2017.
A Million Junes by Emily Henry. Release date: May 16, 2017.
The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord. Release date: May 16, 2016.
Woo…that was hard to narrow down to 10 books. BUT OMG, I cannot wait to read these books.
What are some of your top books coming out the first half of 2017?
ARC Review: The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy
Format: ARC
Source: Author
Source: Author
About the Book:
An evocative novel about a teen aroma expert who uses her extrasensitive sense of smell to mix perfumes that help others fall in love while protecting her own heart at all costs
Sometimes love is right under your nose. As one of only two aromateurs left on the planet, sixteen-year-old Mimosa knows what her future holds: a lifetime of weeding, mixing love elixirs, and matchmaking—all while remaining incurably alone. For Mim, the rules are clear: falling in love would render her nose useless, taking away her one great talent. Still, Mimosa doesn’t want to spend her life elbow-deep in soil and begonias. She dreams of a normal high school experience with friends, sports practices, debate club, and even a boyfriend. But when she accidentally gives an elixir to the wrong woman and has to rely on the lovesick woman’s son, the school soccer star, to help fix the situation, Mim quickly begins to realize that falling in love isn’t always a choice you can make.
At once hopeful, funny, and romantic, Stacey Lee’s The Secret of a Heart Note is a richly evocative coming-of-age story that gives a fresh perspective on falling in love and finding one’s place in the world.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository
My Rants and Raves of The Secret of a Heart Note
The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee is one of those books that you just want to hold against your chest and sigh after reading it. I loved how perfectly Lee grinds in elements of contemporary and romance with a dash of fantasy and magical realism. More importantly, I enjoyed how Lee beautifully writes scenes filled with unforgettable aromas, heartfelt moments, and playful banter.
Formerly homesechooled, Mimosa (“Mim”), the main character, consumes this book with her daily routine of keeping up with her family job as an aromateur, a love witch creating matchmaking elixirs with her mom, while also balancing a “normal” high school life. Mim is a character that does not hide her concerns and worries from the reader; instead, she struggles with self-doubt, encounters self-discovery, and tries to minimize and control her attraction towards a classmate named Court. And I loved Court! Court forms a camaraderie with Mim based on their personal anxieties and broken promises that life throws at them. The pages containing the banter and conversations between Mim and Court are honest, humorous, swoony, and very heartfelt. If you love cute and very awkward flirtation, you will love these two characters.
Another component that I enjoyed in this book is the familial bonds rooted in the story. The mother-daughter relationship and the generational divide between Mim and her mom is so passionate but also strenuous. Mim’s mom places a lot of expectations, particularly ancestral expectations, on Mim’s shoulders throughout the novel. Mim carries on an important gift of matchmaking with her heightened sense of smell, which restricts her to enjoy very little pleasures in life. She is limited to tasteless foods and a strict declaration to avoid falling in love. The scenes that unfold between Mim and her mother adds a dash of excitation to the novel itself, and I love how their relationship unfolds in the end.
Stacey Lee’s writing captures more than a romance brewing between two teenagers in this book. She has created a novel that heightens our senses on all levels. The Secret of a Heart Note is a young adult story that will fiddle with your heart, while tickling fragrances under your nose. It is a story of diversity, generational gaps, strict parental expectations, adolescent anxieties, and the understanding that love comes in all forms. This novel is refreshing and sweet–it reads as the perfect blend of crisp air with the comforting undertones of butterscotch.
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
NOTE: Thank you to Stacey Lee for providing me an advance reader’s copy. I was not provided any compensation for reading this book. I read this book at my own discretion. All statements and opinions are my own.
W…W…W…Wednesday: 12/7/2016
W…W…W…Wednesday
W…W…W…Wednesday is hosted by Taking on a World of Words and includes Three Ws:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?
♥ What does your own W…W…W…Wednesday look like? ♥
rants and raves of a bibliophile 