Heist Society by Ally Carter (Book Review)

Title: Heist Society
Author: Ally Carter
Series: This is the first book in the Heist Society trilogy.
Release Date: February 9, 2010
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Format: eBook
Source: Bought from Amazon.
Buy It: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

I don't come across many YA mysteries or adventure stories that sound good very often, but after reading Heist Society's synopsis and so many wonderful reviews, I pretty much knew I would enjoy this one! As always, my main points are bolded. :) 

1. I really like Kat. She tried so hard to leave the family business, but re-entered the crime world because of her family. I love her devotion to her dad. She is confident, but not to the point of cockiness. She understands her limits, but has no trouble pushing those limits as far as possible. She also has this constant battle going on in her head between her conscience and her mission. She's pretty awesome.

2. Kat's friends and family, Hale, Simon, Hamich, Angus, and Gabrielle are all amazing and fill the spots in Kat's heist society. Each of them has a special talent, and when put together, they form this amazing band of criminals. I absolutely love the strength of their relationships, and the lengths they will go to for one another. These people are willing to put everything on the line to protect Kat's father. I love that. Talk about pure devotion. I have never read a book with such strong familial relationships, and I loved it so much more than I thought I would.

3. I loved Hale so much. He's rich and classy, and is always looking out for Kat. His previous life goes to show how unlikely a candidate he is for Kat's crew, but he fits in so well because you can tell how much he cares for her.

4. In the midst of all the hard things they have to go through, these characters say some of the funniest things! Here are a few of my favorite quotes and excerpts from the story:

“Can I see you outside for a second?" Kat glared at Hale, then walked to the patio doors and out onto the veranda. As Hale closed the door behind him, Kat heard Angus say, "Ooh, Mom and Dad are going to fight now.”

“Thanks to you, Gabs, we just figured out a half dozen ways not to rob the Henley.”

 “If you die of pneumonia, I'm pretty sure there are at least a dozen guys who'll try to kill me and make it look like an accident.”

“Do you understand any of this?" he said, pointing to the lines and symbols that covered the massive screens.
"Some people understand the value of an education."
Hale stretched and crossed his legs, the settled his arm around Kat's shoulders. "That's sweet, Kat. Maybe later I'll buy you a university. And an ice cream."
"I'd settle for the ice cream."
"Deal.” 

SO fun! I love their interactions and silliness. They are all so mature and worldly, but their dialogue helps remind us that they are just a bunch of extraordinary teenagers.

5. Heist Society travels to so many awesome places in the USA and Europe. We get to visit New York, Las Vegas, Sabina Valley, Naples, Vienna, Warsaw, London, Paris, and Rome. I loved all the jumping around the globe we got to do!

6. I read so many YA contemporaries, that it was rather refreshing to have so little romance this time. There's a little tension, and a little sweetness... but, for the most part there's no romance. I have a feeling there will be more in the next book, and I'm SO excited about that because I just love the characters so much. 

7. The writing style was so perfect that I barely noticed it. Does that sound strange? It just fit the story so perfectly that I forgot I was reading. So often, I focus on a writing style because it is SO bad. And yes, there are other times when I focus on it because it's so beautiful. This time, though, not noticing it is the best compliment I can give.

This was my first Ally Carter book, and I absolutely loved it! I need to go check out her Gallagher Girls series now, because I love Ally's strong characters and her storytelling. I'd definitely recommend this to people who are looking for something outside of the normal romance, vampires and werewolves, heavy issues kind of YA books.

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill (Book Review)

Title: Meant to Be
Author: Lauren Morrill
Series: Standalone
Release Date: November 13, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Format: eBook ARC
Source: The publisher through Netgalley (thanks!)
Buy It: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

First of all, look at that cover! I love it, and it's actually what prompted me to investigate the book. Then I read the synopsis, and I was sold all over again! A heroine who sounds quirky like me, London, breaking rules, and mysterious suitors? Yessssssss! I'm only sorry it took me so long to read it. As always, my main points are bolded. :) 

1. Lauren Morrill paints an absolutely lovely picture of London for us. I've never been, but I could still picture the quaint streets and the exciting buzz of such an amazing city.

2. I always wanted to go on a class trip to a far off place and make amazing memories with my friends, fall in love, and look back on it fondly forever. This book was my class trip. Well, it's as close as I can get to one now. I felt like I was there, wandering the museums, running in the rain, and soaking in an old fashioned bath tub after a long day of walking.

3. Book Licker. Oh my. This is Julia's nickname (given to her by Jason), and I just adore her for her bookishness, her nerdiness, her obsessive compulsiveness, and her hilarious personality. She's always reading, spouting off random factoids about everything, tripping over her words, following the rules to a tee, struggling to be perfect at everything, and failing at flirting. And she is deathly afraid of geese. I identified so much with her... and I'm not sure what that says about me! Haha.

4. And then we have Jason, her partner (buddy) on this class trip. He is her polar opposite, her arch nemesis, and the thorn in her side. But he's funny and suave and cute, and he's getting her to do all these new things and experience London in a way that she never predicted. And he can be so sweet and concerned sometimes. And boy, does he pick on her! I loved watching him burrow his way into the little soft spot she formed for him.

5. Meant to Be is charmingly hilarious. Jason gets drunk, and I could not contain my laughter during this scene. And remember when I said Julia is scared of geese? You have NO idea. And then there's a street performer... and a pond incident, not to mention the witty dialogue.

6. It's SO romantic. There's mud kissing, sightseeing off the beaten path, deep conversations, and a slow burn. I love this kind of romance. It's a 180 from insta-love. It's so realistic and believable.

7. Even though these are high-schoolers, I never felt like they were! Julia and Jason are so mature, smart, and well-spoken. They make some very teen-like decisions, but their outlook on the world, and their insights on those decisions make them relatable. Honestly, these two are any age you want them to be. I loved that this is a YA book that adults and kids can enjoy and pull different things from. I just know I will be reading this with my future daughter someday.

8. I loved the smattering of Jane Austen, Shakespeare, and Winston Churchill quotes. They just added a little something special!

9. The ending was really something special, and I could not have seen that coming. This is definitely not a predictable book. 

I think I might have found my new favorite YA contemporary romance, and that's really saying something! I love Julia and Jason, and am quite sad that my time with them is over. I'm also sad I had to leave London and fly back to the USA with them. Meant to Be is such a fun journey, and I loved every single word. Finally, I love that the cover matches the content! Both are absolutely beautiful. If you loved Anna and the French Kiss, Just One Day, and Instructions for a Broken Heart, you will love this! And if you've never read any of these, you'll still love it. It's full of heart, travel, young love, and humor.

Top Ten Favorite Book Covers (on Books I've Read)

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at the other blog I write for, The Broke and the Bookish.

I LOVE book covers, so I've been really excited to participate in today's topic. These covers all adorn books I've read. Some of them, I absolutely loved. Others, I hated. Either way, the covers are lovely! 

Books Featured:

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (My Review)

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson (My Review)

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (My Review)

Welcome to My World by Miranda Dickinson

Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black (My Review)

Black City by Elizabeth Richards (My Review)

Paris, My Sweet by Amy Thomas (My Review)

Someday My Prince Will Come by Jerramy Fine (My Review)

So, what do you think? Have you read any of these books? Do you hate/love any of the covers I chose? Link me to your post, and I'll go see your choices! Thanks for stopping by!

I'm Back from Vacation!!!

Hello, all my beloved blogger friends! Wondering where I've been over the last two weeks? Well, I've been cruising the Caribbean aboard the Carnival Freedom. When the ship was not in port, I sat on deck reading to the sound of the waves. I ate a lot of food, slept a lot, swam, read, and had an amazing time with my family. I also got to see some amazing places... and have some interesting experiences (a man came up to me on the street in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and whispered in my ear, asking if I wanted to buy some marijuana... scared the crap out of me. BUT I did see a dolphin jumping in the open ocean, right at my stateroom window while we were cruising!!! Another life goal accomplished.). I also visited Key West, Florida; Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos; La Romana, Dominican Republic; Aruba; Curaçao; and Grand Cayman. It was amazing! I plan to post some kind of trip recap here soon, but I wanted to make sure you all knew where I was! 

I read a TON of books while I was gone, so keep your eyes open for lots of reviews coming up! I've got lots of catching up to do, but hopefully I'll be back in full swing soon! And I have some other exciting news I'll be announcing soon! I missed you all, and am so glad to be back to my bookish friends!

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo {Book Review}

Title: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: This is the first book in The Grisha trilogy.
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Format: Hardcover
Source: I bought it!
Buy It: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him? 

PEOPLE. I have no idea why I took so long to read Shadow and Bone. Maybe it's because I'm not a huge fan of fantasy, but I AM NOW! This book was chock full of awesomeness and excitement and mystery. I just can't contain my love for this book, and for Leigh Bardugo, who I am now a fan of for life. As always, my main points are bolded. :) 

1. This WORLD. Oh wow. My absolute favorite thing about Shadow and Bone is the world Leigh created for us. I love all of it, from its setting in futuristic Russia, to the elaborate keftas, to the mysterious Shadow Fold (a dark and barren wasteland filled with volcra, which I swear are some kind of dragon on steroids), and all the awesome talents of the Grisha. This world is complicated and complex with its own language. It's amazing.

2. Leigh's writing is out of this world. OH man. Have you seen that episode of Friends with Ross's wedding in London, and Joey is having a hard time figuring out how to read his map, so he puts it on the ground and stands on it, putting himself INTO the map so it made more sense? That's what Leigh did to me! I was IN the book, and I could picture and see everything. It all made so much sense, and I absolutely loved everything. Had the writing not been so amazing, this book would have flopped.

3. Alina. Oh, Alina. Talk about an amazingly bad-a heroine. I love her! She's just a run of the mill girl one day, and then all of a sudden she's Ravka's everything. She gets swept up into the magic and excitement of the lavish castle, and gets to wear fancy clothes, dine on yummy foods, and be the topic of every conversation. But through it all, she stays humble, really just wanting to become a part of the wall or the floor rather than shine. She's timid and scared and confused, and she feels inadequate. But as the story progresses, she grows into this brave, confident young woman who will sacrifice and cause problems and fight for herself. 

4. Oh, the Darkling. MAN. I'd heard stories about him floating around the blogosphere, and now finally understand what everyone has been talking about! He's dark and sexy and charming and dangerous, and people are just drawn to him for some mysterious reason. Reading about him was rather intoxicating. I was drawn to him too! But like I said, he's dangerous... and I swear, I always love the dangerous character!

5. MAL. Can I have Mal for myself? Mal is Alina's childhood friend, who she has never really been able to live without. But when she is taken to the castle, and he is made a tracker for the kingdom, they lose each other. What a beautiful friendship they have. He's brave and protective and SO full of secrets and depth. 

6. The romance is perfection. There's not too much, not too little, nothing really insta-love... it all makes sense for the circumstances. I loved it. And that's all I will say, because it's too good to even come close to spoiling. 

7. I feel like everything happens! Shadow and Bone is chock full of adventure, mystery, action, emotion, romance, opulence, relationships, and questions. The ending is just... urg.se.rgusheg;sghus.ergisjherg! 

Clearly, I loved Shadow and Bone. I have nothing bad to say about it, and can't stop thinking about it at ALL. I read this one really fast, and when I was not reading I was thinking about it. If you love fantastic world-building, strong characters, mystery, intrigue, romance of extreme proportions, and beautiful writing, you will love Shadow and Bone.

Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson {Book Review}

Title: Instructions for a Broken Heart
Author: Kim Culbertson
Series: Standalone.
Release Date: May 1, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Format: Paperback
Source: My mom gave it to me for Christmas.
Buy It: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads

Top Twenty Reasons He’s A Slimy Jerk Bastard

"Jessa:
To help you get over your trainwreck of an EX, I’ve enclosed 20 envelopes. Each one has a reason why Sean is a jerk and not worth the dirt on your shoes. And each one has an instruction for you to do one un-Jessa-like thing a day.  NO CHEATING!
Ciao! -- C"

When Jessa catches her boyfriend, Sean, making out with Natalie "The Boob Job" Stone three days before her drama club’s departure to Italy, she completely freaks.

Stuck with a front-row view of Sean and Natalie making out against the backdrop of a country that oozes romance, Jessa promises to follow all of the outrageous instructions in her best friend's care package and open her heart to new experiences. Enter cute Italian boy stage left.

Jessa had prepared to play the role of humiliated ex-girlfriend, but with Carissa directing her life from afar, it’s finally time to take a shot at being a star.

I was sold when I found out about Jessa's coming-of-age journey through Italy! And that cover! I think I did what this cover girl is doing a lot while I was sightseeing across Europe. I just knew this was a book for me, and Kim Culbertson took me right back to Italy with this one! I loved it! As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. Poor Jessa. I loved her because she was normal. She was cheated on, and she griped and complained and mourned the loss of what she had with her boyfriend. And who wouldn't? I've seen reviewers complain that Jessa whines to much, and I say to you: "Have you ever been cheated on?" I have. By an idiot. And you get mad and sad, and yes--you whine. And you flip flop. "I love him, I hate him, I want him to die, I wonder how he's doing, I miss him, I'm better off without him, Let's see if I can run into him somewhere while looking hot, I never want to see him again..." I know you know what I mean. Jessa was human, and seriously... I've had weepy friends whine more than Jessa did. I loved watching her get through all these emotions! I'm not sure I could handle a trip to Italy after a bad break-up. I admired her for not letting her boyfriend ruin the opportunity to see Italy. And I loved watching her discover herself. I think that when we feel strong emotions, we come out with a better understanding of who we are and how we want to be. Jessa learned a lot, and she matured SO much during this 10-day trip. 

2. Carissa, Jessa's best friend, is... unique. I can't say I liked her because I did not get to know much about her at all. And honestly, I don't think she's a very good friend all things considered. She wrote up 20 envelopes for Jessa to open during her trip. Each envelope had something sucky about Sean in it, followed by something totally out-of-character that Jessa had to do. I liked that Carissa pushed Jessa a bit, but I also felt like some of her instructions were way too catty and immature. As Jessa got further along through the healing process and came to grips with her situation, I felt more and more like Carissa's silly envelopes needed to be thrown in the river.

3. Tyler and Dylan Thomas (named after the poet) were Jessa's two male compatriots throughout the trip. They helped her cope, talked some sense into her when she needed it, and sat with her when she just needed to listen to her show tunes on her iPod. I liked them a lot. Both are just nice, nice guys. 

4. Oh, Italy, my love. You can tell the author actually WENT to Italy. I get so annoyed when authors write about a place, and you can just TELL that they have never set foot even close to it. I've been to many of the places in this book, and Kim wrote them right. It made me really miss Italy, and want to go back and visit the places I didn't make it to!

5. Obviously, the romance is minimal, but there's a little glimmer of possibility that was sweet. 

6. This book had so many pretty quotes! I'm going to paste a part of my favorite quote below. It's actually a huge quote, but I don't want to ruin things by posting it all. So here's my favorite piece. I love it because traveling does do this to a person. Traveling fills holes, heals you in so many ways, and sends you home with a much better understanding of yourself.

I get to take Italy home with me, the Italy that showed me you and the Italy that showed me—me—the Italy that wrote me my very own instructions for a broken heart. And I get to leave the other heart in a hole. We are over. I know this. But we are not blank. We were a beautiful building made of stone, crumbled now and covered in vines. But not blank. Not forgotten. We are a history. We are beauty out of ruins.

Really, there's not a ton I can say about this book. It's about a teenage girl who gets hurt, and then has to go on a dream trip to Italy with the person who hurt her. It's about healing, forgiveness, self-discovery, and growing up. There's a lot of scenery, a lot of theater references, a lot of introspection, and a lot of emotions. The plot was predictable in places, and some might feel like this subject matter has been done and overdone, but I ended up really enjoying it! The ending made the book for me, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves traveling, coming of age stories, and light contemporary, summery reads!

Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristina McMorris (Book Review)

Title: Bridge Of Scarlet Leaves

Author: Kristina McMorris

Series: Standalone

Release Date: February 28, 2012

Publisher: Kensington Publishing

Format: ARC

Source: Author (Thanks!)

Buy It: Amazon

Add It: Goodreads

A skilled violinist sacrifices her career aspirations and family's approval to secretly elope with her Japanese American boyfriend -- the night before Pearl Harbor is bombed. Torn between sides, she will make choices few people in history dared. 

Los Angeles, 1941. Violinist Maddie Kern's life seemed destined to unfold with the predictable elegance of a Bach concerto. Then she fell in love with Lane Moritomo. Her brother's best friend, Lane is the handsome, ambitious son of Japanese immigrants. Maddie was prepared for disapproval from their families, but when Pearl Harbor is bombed the day after she and Lane elope, the full force of their decision becomes apparent. In the eyes of a fearful nation, Lane is no longer just an outsider, but an enemy.

When her husband is interned at a war relocation camp, Maddie follows, sacrificing her Juilliard ambitions. Behind barbed wire, tension simmers and the line between patriot and traitor blurs. As Maddie strives for the hard-won acceptance of her new family, Lane risks everything to prove his allegiance to America, at tremendous cost.  

I was born in Japan, on an air force base. My mom has told me stories of the amazing people and the friends she had while we were there. A school of boys from Japan came to my junior high school in September of 2001, and I got to host one of them. He shadowed me for a week. It was an amazing experience, especially since they were here on the day of the September 11th terrorist attacks. They got to share in our tragedy, and I saw legitimate sorrow and concern for us in their eyes. I heard their condolences through their broken English. Japan is filled with amazing people, and I can't imagine the prejudices they have dealt with, especially during the time period of this story. As always, my main points are bolded! :)

1. I really felt for Maddie and Lane throughout the entire book. Their relationship was kept a secret, they never showed any signs of affection in public, they had to elope last-minute because Lane's father had already picked out his wife, and then the war and accompanying tragedies split them apart and made their lives so much harder than anyone deserves. Lane's parents were against the marriage, and Maddie's brother (TJ) demanded she get a divorce, even though Lane was his best friend. Actually, TJ was so mad about it that it helped fuel his decision to join the Army to fight against the Japanese, often picturing Lane in his mind as he shot the enemy. 

2. Before I read this book, I had not understood the magnitude of the racism and segregation the Japanese-Americans dealt with. I admire both Maddie and Lane for their strength, for following their hearts, for looking past the opinions of others, and for sticking with each other, no matter the hardships involved. They were both so young, yet they had a more realistic picture of how life should be than the majority of the people they came across.

3. I learned a lot from this book. I was not aware of the camps the Japanese-Americans had to stay in once Pearl Harbor was bombed. The entire west coast pushed them away, out of their homes and businesses, searched and ravaged their homes for signs of treason, and forced them into dirty camps like prisoners. This internment lasted the duration of World War II. You only had to be 1/16th Japanese to receive this kind of punishment. Children were ripped away from their families. Spouses were split up. The Japanese-Americans who were visiting/vacationing in Japan during the attack, were not allowed to return to the USA. In fact, they were forced into the Japanese Army and had to fight against their own friends and family back home. Brothers, on opposite sides of the war, were forced to fight one another. And it happened. In the author's note at the end of the book, she mentions a brother shooting down an enemy plane, only to find out his brother was on it. My heart broke. Some of the Japanese-Americans were forced to enlist in the US Army and spy on the Japanese, translating documents and sneaking into the fields at night to eavesdrop on their plans of ambush or attack. The ones who were not forced to enlist marked the reluctant soldiers as traitors, and put their families on "death lists". These are not the things we're taught in school, or at least I wasn't. I'm grateful to Kristina for educating me with her extremely well-researched facts--heartbreaking as they may be.

4. Kristina's writing style is gorgeous. She intertwines subtle symbolic messages and melodies with a sweet Romeo and Juliet kind of romance, and a cold, unfeeling war. Her lovely, descriptive passages soften the blow of the poignant sequences of war and loss.

5. This is the kind of book that one experiences, rather than reads. I felt so many different emotions throughout. The romance was heartwarming, the ever-present glimmers of opposing hearts softening made me hopeful that love knows no bounds, the tortures and deaths were devastating. It was quite an emotional roller coaster that didn't end until the final page.

6. This book is much heavier than I had expected, and I don't usually venture into such deeply emotional reads. I'm glad I read it, though. It's a versatile read, and has a little bit of everything: romance, action, suspense, loss, coming of age, history, symbolism, and growth. Did everything end up the way I wanted? No. But I respect the author for not tying everything up into a perfect bow. If she had, it would have been insulting to the survivors and their families, not to mention those that perished. She painted the war as it really was without sugarcoating it. I think it's good to be reminded of what humans are capable of. 

Maddie and Lane, along with countless numbers of other inter-racial couples and friendships, crossed over the barrier, and formed relationships that helped unite the races. Years later (and a long time coming), in 1988 President Reagan officially apologized to the Japanese-Americans for their internment during WW2. Kristina ends her author's note with a quote that I loved: "Indeed, history has much to teach us, if only we are willing to learn." I think that is so true, and beautifully sums up the entire message of this book. I'd recommend this to pretty much anyone, but if you love historical fiction with a hint of romance, I bet you'll like this. :)

April Showers Bring My Favorite Rainy Day Reads (Giveaway)

I don't know about you, but my April has been filled with showers... and blizzards. And when the weather is like that, I want to curl up with a light, warm fuzzies kind of book and escape the yucky weather. I love reading books set at the beach, on vacation, or during the summer or springtime.

I've put together a collage of some of my favorite springtime books and beach reads to beat those rainy day blues! And don't worry! I see sunshine in your future. :)

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks (My Review)

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard (My Review)

The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland (My Review)

Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson

On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves (My Review)

Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson (My Review)

My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions by Becca Wilhite (My Review)

Anna and the French Kiss by Steaphnie Perkins

The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen (My Review)

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (My Review)

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

How My Summer Went Up In Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

I'm hoping to brighten your day with a book of your choice ($12 USD or less) from Amazon (USA) or The Book Depository (Int). Because let's face it: my rainy day reads might not be your cup of tea. So I'm not choosing for you. All you need to do is fill out the Rafflecopter below and cross your fingers! Please note, the Amazon prices for these titles are less than $12. I can't guarantee that The Book Depository will have the same prices. Make sure you check before you select. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, and I hope you win! 

Make sure you hop along to the other participating blogs for more chances to win!

Can I Have that Book Yesterday?

You know how sometimes you're lollygagging on the Internet, and all of a sudden come across a review, or an ad, or a fangirl tweet, or some peer pressure from a fellow book lover and you eyes light up and you think, "I NEED THAT BOOK NOW." But of course, it's midnight and the book stores are closed, and you have to work the next day so you can't go shopping early, plus Amazon takes forever... and you're not into the idea of buying it on your ereader because the cover is sparkly and would look awesome on your bookshelf, and why can't you just HAVE IT NOW. Am I right? I can't tell you how many times that this has happened to me, and in this day and age... with all the technology and cool things like instant mashed potatoes... well, you know what I mean. When I saw this hilarious video, I could not help myself. I started dreaming.

So tell me. What books out there have had you so terribly excited that there was no earthly way it could get to you fast enough? Have you ever gone to extraordinary measures to get your hands on a book?

I think the worst I've done is drag my mom to the midnight release of Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. Haha! The line was a couple hours long, and it was a school night! :P Oh, I did pay $30 for an out of print mass market paperback that I just HAD to have! Too bad I didn't even end up liking the book, and only finished it because I spent so much on it!

My Top Ten Favorite Book Quotes

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at the other blog I write for, The Broke and the Bookish.

I am so excited that this week is a freebie, because that means we get to choose anything we want! I decided to highlight some of my favorite quotes from my favorite books!

 _

Have you read any of these books? Do any of these quotes speak to you like they do me? Leave me a link, and I'll come stop by your TTT! I'm super excited to visit, and see what you chose for today!