Sometimes It Happens

Sometimes It Happens
Author: Lauren Barnholdt
Pages: 307
publication date: July 12 2011






Summary:
On the last day of her junior year, Hannah's boyfriend Sebastian dumped her. Facing a summer of loneliness, Hannah turns to her best friend Ava for comfort. Ava does what BFFs do: she stays by Hannah's side...until it's time for Ava to head up to Maine for the summer. Also left behind is Ava's boyfriend, Noah, who's such a great guy he gets Hannah a job at the diner he waits tables at. Slowly, Hannah comes out of her funk thanks to Noah's good conversation and their fun times at the diner. But things get complicated when their friendship turns into attraction--and one night, into a passionate kiss.

The novel opens on the first day of senior year; the day Hannah is going to see Ava, Sebastian, and Noah all in one place. Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and reformed. In the end, everyone is paired up once again, but not the way you might think...




Review:
Lauren never lets me down; I have never NOT liked one of her books. Every time I read her books, I always finish reading them with a smile on my face.

Although this plot reminds me a lot of “Something like Fate” by Susane Colasanti I loved every second of it. There’s lots of drama, backstabbing friends, secrets, friendships, relationships and love. What’s not to love?
Hannah character was so innocent, she doesn’t want to hurt or planning revenge on others no matter how much they deserve it. She is one of those people that everyone loves. Well not apparently for some people. Hannah’s boyfriend cheated on her and then wanted her back. Her best friend Ava left her for the summer to be a camp counselor in Maine. Ava’s boyfriend Noah works at a diner where he forced Hannah to get a job, but then learned to love.

Over the summer Hannah and Noah got to know each other better. Hannah soon fell in love even though it was wrong to like her best friend’s boyfriend, even though Ava and Noah are having relationship problems. On the last day that Ava is away Hannah and Noah do something terrible, Hannah feels terrible about it but doesn’t regret it. She tells Ava about it and their friendship was put to the test.

Although every chapter switched from the past to the present I could easily switch without any confusion, I was tranced all the way from the first word to the last word. I read this all in one sitting and I was glad to read another one of her amazing books.

I loved every part of this; Lauren has a way with her characters that you can’t help but love. Although I wish Noah would have broken up with Ava way sooner I did like the outcome of the book. There was no cliffhanger; it’s just a standalone book.

If you haven’t read any of Lauren’s other book I definitely suggest going and picking one of, each one of her books is different and you can’t help but fall in love every time you start reading them.

5/5 stars

In My Mailbox #8

Thank you scholastic!!

The Last Archangel Blog Tour

The Last Archangel
Author: Michael D. Young
Pages: 288
publication date: July 14 2011







Summary:
Xandir has been exiled to earth until the end of time. But when his cherub trainee disappears, Xandir makes a deal with rogue angels and giants that could restore life to the mortal woman he loves and end his assignment as a destroying angel in exchange for helping them bring about the end of the world and all of mankind.

read more about "The Last Archangel" here



Review:
The Last Archangel is one of those books where I liked the plot and reading it but there was something that I just didn’t like.

I loved the plot, the story was great, Michael was very detailed in his descriptions of everything and I felt like I was looking at a picture of the actual story instead of just reading it. But there was something missing. Something just didn’t satisfy me.

I started this story off not expecting very much; first off it wasn’t a YA book. I’m pretty sure this was an adult novel and for some reason I get this idea in my mind where all adult books are boring and not interesting for me. But I did enjoy reading this and read through this book pretty fast.

The last Archangel is action packed, suspenseful and had me wondering what comes next. I have never read a novel quite like this one. Angel stories aren’t usually a popular genre, but I noticed that more and more Angel books are being published. Michael has created a creative and interesting plot that had me entranced from the beginning.

I really liked Xandir’s character. He was so brave, and when first reading the book I was confused as to what his story is. I didn’t quite get why he was cast out of heaven (I then got why later on) I loved his sarcastic and witty humor. He is on a mission to steal a seed from a death tree in the depths of hell. Which come on surviving that is most likely not going to happen, but he made it work. Luck was on his side. He is one brave soul. I loved the characters he got to meet in the book, like the yeti and how he loved his chocolate. It made me laugh.

One thing I would have liked was more scenes with Eden and Judy. Reading there scenes was my favorite part of the novel. I felt kind of connected to their characters. Some of the things that happened were just unreal.

Although I only rated this book 3 stars I didn’t hate it. But I didn’t love it. It was a hard decision for me to rate it. I definitely recommend “The last Archangel” to those of you who love the angel genre of books. I’m glad the author contacted me, thanks for letting me review this!





Bio:

Michael is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in German Teaching and a minor in Music. He puts his German to good use by working to build online German courses for High School students. Though he grew up traveling the world with his military father, he now lives in Utah with his wife, Jen, and his two sons. Michael enjoys acting in community theater, playing and writing music and spending time with his family. He played for several years with the handbell choir Bells on Temple Square and is now a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

His first book, "The Canticle Kingdom", was released in Feb 2010 through Bonneville Books. He is also the author of the inspirational pamphlet "Portrait of a Mother". He has also had work featured in various online and print magazines such as Mindflights, The New Era, Allegory, and Ensign.

Check out Michael's new book "The Last Archangel" on netgalley



check out Michael's blog here
Buy "The Last Archangel" here

The Teashop Girls

The Teashop Girls
Author:Laura Shaefer
Pages: 250
Publication date: December 30 2008







Summary:
The Official Rules of the Teashop Girls

1. Teashop girls are best friends forever.

2. Tea is held every week, no matter what.

3. All tea and scones must be split equally at all times.

Annie, Genna, and Zoe have been hanging out at the Steeping Leaf since elementary school. The Teashop Girls do everything together — at least they used to. With the end of eighth grade approaching, Genna's too busy with theater, Zoe's always at tennis, and Annie feels totally left out. What happened to tea every week, no matter what?

When Annie convinces her grandmother to give her a job as a barista at the Leaf, things begin to look up. In between whipping up chai lattes for customers, and attempting to catch the attention of her Barista Boy crush, Annie is finally beginning to feel as grown-up as her best friends. But an eviction notice spells trouble for the Leaf and unless they can turn the business around, the teashop will have to close its doors forever.

Fresh, honest, and sweet, Laura Schaefer's debut novel is sure to resonate with readers everywhere.





Review:
Every once in awhile I read the younger teens books, the teashop girls is a book for younger readers, and while reading it I couldn’t help but cringe at how childish it was at times.

Annie and her two best friends Genna and Zoe have loved the teashop ever since they were little girls. Their grandmother owns a tea café called the steeping leaf in town. Annie and her best friends are always there. As they grew up Genna and Zoe have become busier and busier. Annie is the only one dedication to tea.

Annie asked her grandmother if she could work at the steeping leaf in her spare time. Her grandmother agrees and Annie immediately starts working there. But she had no idea about the cute intern that works there, except he’s only got eyes for her sister.

Soon after starting their Annie receives devastating news, the steeping leaf is losing money and there’s not enough for the monthly rent. The Steeping leaf is going out of business.

Annie gets her friends to help and with their help they try anything in their power to save the Steeping leaf. They create flyers they advertise as much as they can but they just can’t compete with the new coffee shop across the street. There are some dedicated customers that come to the steeping leaf but it’s not enough. While trying to save the shop all three girls are growing further apart. They aren’t spending as much time together and now they’re all in a fight.

“The Teashop Girls” was a quick read and I was happy to read it but it was just lacking something. I don’t know if it’s just that I’m used to all these young adult novels but I felt like the story was lacking. Although I didn’t like it as much as I thought I was I was happy to start reading the second book which has just come out.


2/5 stars

The Secret Ingredient

The Secret Ingredient
Author:Laura Schaefer
pages: 230
publication date: June 28 2011





Summary:
It’s nearing the end of summer before ninth grade and Annie has been busy working as a barista at her grandmother's teashop, Th Steeping Leaf. In between serving up chai lattes and matcha frappes, Annie has gotten involved in a scone bakeoff with one of Louisa's tea suppliers. The winner gets an all-expenses paid trip to London for a tea vacation! Annie The competition is tough and sabatoge is in the air when suddenly Annie's food blog begins attracting mean comments. Then there's the whole matter of a stolen kiss with Zach Anderson in the Steeping Leaf stockroom. Could Annie's former sworn enemy become her current love interest? With the help of her two best friends, Genna and Zoe, can Annie come up with an awesome contest entry and sort out her love life before the end of the summer?





Review:
The secret Ingredient was one hundred times better than the first one. I was glad that I enjoyed this one as much as I would. It was fast paced and enjoyable.

Anna and the teashop girls along with all her friends and family have saved the tea leaf, her grandmother’s tea café. Ever since they saved it the business has been booming, there was customers always there and Anna had a blast working there.

I loved the way Anna and Zach (the most annoying boy on the planet, according to her) had a love/hate relationship. One day Zach slipped a kiss with Anna then he ignored her, then they went back to throwing insults at each other. Anna’s friend has just come back from actress camp and she comes home with a little appetite, an appetite that’s barely there. Her friend starts eating less and less and exercising more and more. Thankfully her friends and family were there to show her some healthier ways of eating instead of barely eating anything.

Throughout the whole book Anna is trying to find the perfect scone recipe. She tries again and again to find the perfect recipe and finally she figures it out. She goes to the competition in Chicago where she would compete with other bakers and bake the perfect scone. Whoever won first place got an all expense trip to London.

The only thing that bothered me was the book didn’t really share any of Anna’s life outside of the tea leaf café. Sure she was there pretty much all the time but the book made it sound like she was there 24/7.
I’m glad I got to read this on the galley grab. I had heard nothing of this book or the first before this. It’s good to read other genre’s and younger teen’s book every now and often.


4/5 stars

Forgotten

Forgotten
Author: Cat Patrick
Pages: 288
publication date: June 7 2011







Summary:
Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't seem to recall any easier. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.

Part psychological drama, part romance, and part mystery, this thought-provoking novel will inspire readers to consider the what-if's in their own lives and recognize the power they have to control their destinies.






Review:
Oh My God. I loved this book so much, how could you not. I haven’t read a book that was anything like this. It was great. Forgotten is one of those books you won’t be able to forget. Cat better be writing a sequel ;)

Every night at the same time London loses her memory of the day before, she can’t remember any of her past but she can see into the future. She can’t remember any important dates; she can’t remember the cute boy at school that she just may like. She has to write everything down each night before she goes to sleep; otherwise those memories are gone forever.

Every once in awhile she would start seeing little glimpses into the past, little tidbits of information. She tries to piece together what she sees but she doesn’t remember anything and she thinks they are from the future.

When she was 5 years old, her and her dad were in the car in the grocery store parking lot while her dad was returning the cart. A lady came up to them and told them they were family friends and they wanted her to unlock the car. She did but it was too late to lock them, a guy came out from nowhere and stole her little brother.

Ever since then she wanted to find the killer, and then each time she would remember another tidbit of information the past would come back in little pieces. As they look for her brother she learns more and more.

As I was reading forgotten I realized that memory is so important. We usually don’t think about what would happen if we lost our memory or a part of ourselves. It makes me think about what would happen if I were in London’s situation. I felt really bad for her, not remembering anything. But I felt worse for Luke and her mom. Luke had to look at her everyday and act like they just met because London never remembers him. And her mom had to live through all those memories while London didn’t even remember, then when the truth came out London wrote it down and had to look at her notes and go through her past over and over again.

The ending really left me wanting more. I really wanted to know what happened with her whole family and what their life was like after London regained her memory. I was very shocked at the ending and didn’t want it to end. I got a little teary eyed throughout the book and each page was a new mystery.

Forgotten is a book about romance, guilt, hurt. And whole lot of lost memories. The mysteriousness of the book had me hanging on to every page wanting more. Definitely a must read!



5/5 stars

Moonglass

Moonglass
Author:Jessi Kirby
Pages: 232
Publication date: May 3 2011





Summary:
I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.




Review:

I read the synopsis awhile ago and really wanted to read it. I finally got to read the book and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. I saw the couple on the cover and thought that this was going to be a great romantic story. I was wrong; Moonglass didn’t really that much romance in it. It was about Anna trying getting over the guilt of her mom and running away from the memories of her mom. But even without the romance it was still a beautiful heartwarming read.

I see a little bit of Anna in myself. Anna has a certain outlook on life where she judges before she finds out what things are really like. Take Ashley, by looking at her Anna thought she was a spoiled rich girl and that the whole school was like Ashley. But once she got to know Ashley she saw her true personality, the caring, sweet side of Ashley. Yes she was rich but not all girls are like what you see in movies.

My favorite character was Jillian, for some reason I really loved her character. At first I thought of her as a shallow, sporty girl who just wanted to show off with her running skills but once I saw her through Anna’s eyes I really felt compassion for her.

Some parts of Moonglass were boring but it all led up to the climax of the story. The whole book is at a beach and I have only ever been to a beach before and I know how beautiful it is I loved how much detail was put into this book, I could picture the empty cottages, the bottom of the ocean, the whole aspect of the story.

I thought the parts where they said that the sea glass was mermaids tears, crying for their human loved ones was really cool. Everything came together and all the pieces fit together, Anna certainly was a strong character.

Moonglass was all about Anna finding her true self and finally finding out about her mom. I admit the ending made me tear up a little bit. Moonglass is a great summer read and Jessi created such a wonderful emotional book about love and guilt.


4/5 stars

Abandon

Abandon
Author: Meg Cabot
Pages: 304
publicatin date: April 26 2011





Summary:
Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.





Review:
Like Sarah Dessen, Meg Cabot creates captivating stories that leave you breathless.
Abandon was nothing like what I thought it was going to be.
I had my doubts about reading “Abandon” mainly because I heard it was about mythology. I do not like learning or reading about anything mythology and when I heard what this book was about I was disappointed. I read and loved every single Meg Cabot book and I didn’t want to be disappointed with this one.

Thankfully I wasn’t, I wanted more and more of Peirce and John.
Abandon was a retelling of the old story of Persephone and Hades, I never read or heard of that story before so reading this wasn’t familiar to me but I loved every second of it. The characters that Meg created were so real and full of love and mystery. Peirce was sweet and caring; she cared for everything, animals, and people and always put others before herself, trying to save animals that are drowning or hurt.

John was mysterious, sexy and has a full temper. He was what kept the story going for me. He really did care for Peirce and his loving side was just so tempting I had to keep reading. I devoured Abandon in a few hours, now I must wait a long and agonizing year for the next one.

I really liked Richard Smith and Alex. Richard seemed like he was an evil character but he wasn’t, in fact he was very helpful to Peirce. I am so glad that he found the necklace and not someone else. As soon as John threw the necklace in the cemetery it made me so mad, if she wouldn’t have gotten I would have had to put the book down for awhile.

Meg Cabot created a great start for her trilogy and I can’t wait for the second book to come out!




5/5 stars