Ghosting by Edith Pattou {FRC Book Review}

This post is sponsored by BookSparksPR in honor of their 

annual Fall Reading Challenge. Check out all the details here.

Title : Ghosting

Author: Edith Patton

Publisher: Skyscape

Release Date: August 19, 2014

Summary from GoodReads:

On a hot summer night in a Midwestern town, a high school teenage prank goes horrifically awry. Alcohol, guns, and a dare. Within minutes, as events collide, innocents become victims—with tragic outcomes altering lives forever, a grisly and unfortunate scenario all too familiar from current real-life headlines. But victims can also become survivors, and as we come to know each character through his/her own distinctive voice and their interactions with one another, we see how, despite pain and guilt, they can reach out to one another, find a new equilibrium, and survive.

Told through multiple points of view in naturalistic free verse and stream of consciousness, this is an unforgettable, haunting tale.

Quotes:

"But a ghost. What a rush that would be, to see something from another world, something that most people never get to see." 

"I watch as Brendan collides with Emma, knocking her off her feet. And at the very same second that their bodies meet, one last shot rings out, splitting the night wide open." 

"It suddenly is imperative that I find the beginning. Because that would be the moment I could have stopped all this from happening" 

My Take: I've never read anything like this book ever. And let me tell you Edith Pattou kept me wanting to read more and more. The way that each section is written is really amazing and creative. The whole book is told in different points of view of the same event that changes everything in these kids lives. The way that each story is written reflects the uniqueness of the characters. 
The book follows a group of teenagers, some old friends and some completely new. The first day of school is fast approaching and the group of teens wanted to end the summer with a bang. So when they go out looking for "ghosts", a childhood game, the night does end with a bang, and their lives change forever. 
I do like how after a horrible night, with strangers, they become friends and come together. I enjoyed reading, I could not put it down. It is a book that will keep you in suspense, will break your heart, but will make you happy at the end. 

My other Fall Reading Challenge reviews: Mating For Life by Marissa Stapley
Find my other reviews here: Book Thoughts

Gravel on the Side of the Road by Kris Radish {Summer Reading Challenge}

Hello Lovelies, 

I'm back.... to give you some awesome book reviews that I have been just lagging on. But before today's book review, just wanted to quickly update you about my life. My life is still hectic and chaotic, have not completely gotten used to having a full time job. But I'm totally loving it. I actually enjoy going to work. :) As for my bloggy, I feel bad that I haven't visited it much, and definitely want to get back on to it. I truly missed it. Until then go ahead and follow me on my INSTA!!! :)

But now I bring you a book review from the Summer Reading Challenge. It's almost over, so I will be posting some of the reviews of the books I have left. :) 

This post is sponsored by BookSparksPR in honor of their 

4th annual Summer Reading Challenge. Check out all the details here.

Title : Gravel on the Side of the Road: True Stories from a Broad Who Has Been There

Author : Kris Radish

Publisher: SparkPress

Release Date: July 22nd, 2014

Summary from GoodReads:

A woman who worries about carrying a .38 special in her purse, nearly drowns in a desert canyon, flies into the war in Bosnia, dances with the FBI, tells Geraldo he shouldn’t put guests in hotel rooms with rats and spends time with murderers, has more than a few stories to tell.

Gravel on the Side of the Road-True Stories From a Broad Who Has Been There is a daring and revealing adventure itself.

Beloved novelist Kris Radish returns to her non-fiction beginnings with her first, but not last, book of autobiographical essays. Her writing career has spanned four decades and has included award winning newspaper work, magazine features, a national syndicated column, eleven books and enough stories and adventures to fill up many more.

Radish’s talent for telling it like it is, sharing the wit and wisdom of a life lived mostly on her own terms and her keen sense of humor are highlighted in these stories- some of them old- some of them new, but all of them a glimpse into worlds many never dare to enter. This author always lives in a world where nothing is sacred but the sweet emotions of the heart.

Kris is definitely a broad who has been there.

Quotes:

"My job as a newspaper reporter took me everywhere, at any tie, almost all the time. I was always on call, always ready for the next tragedy - or so I thought." - pg. 11

My Take:
Let me just begin by saying that I rarely pick up an autobiography or like a memoir-ish style books. But I really want to thank BookSparks for introducing this book to me and for letting me review it. It was great!!!

I loved the way that is was written. I loved Kris Radish's voice and tone, and I want to meet her. Her stories were amazing. They were funny, they were sad, they were unbelievable. I really enjoyed glimpsing into her life.

This book is a collection of stories and experiences that Kris Radish has lived through, throughout her life as a journalist and traveler. She tells stories that cover a huge range of topics. It definitely kept me wanting to continue reading and learning about all the experiences that she had.

Once I finished the book, my first thought was "This lady is bad-ass." Like I mentioned I don't read much, but I really enjoyed reading through this collection of essays. If want to get a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes of the life of a journalist, or of a woman who has definitely "been there" this is a book for you.

My other Summer Reading Challenge reviews:

Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan

Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick

The One and Only by Emily Giffin

The Witch of Belladonna Bay by Suzanne Palmeiri

The Revealed by Jessica Hickman

The Walk-In Closet by Abdi Nazemian

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Elly in Love by Colleen Oakes

Find my other reviews here: Book Thoughts

Elly in Love by Colleen Oakes {Summer Reading Challenge Review}

This post is sponsored by BookSparksPR in honor of their 

4th annual Summer Reading Challenge. Check out all the details here.

Title : Elly in Love 

Author: Colleen Oakes

Publisher: SparkPress

Release Date: June 22, 2014

Summary from GoodReads:

The much anticipated sequel to the bestselling novel, Elly in Bloom, is finally here!

Curvy wedding florist Elly Jordan has had quite a year. First, she had to design her ex-husband’s wedding to the mistress who split them up, and then she broke up with the hottest musician this side of St. Louis. Three months have passed since then, and now Elly is primed for what promises to be the best wedding season of her life.

Helped by her loyal friends, Elly is on the verge of opening a chic flower boutique uptown when BlissBride, a popular wedding reality show, asks her to design the wedding of a famous—make that infamous--celebrity. Elly is about to get everything she’s ever wanted, when a stranger shows up at her store with a request that changes every aspect of her life--including her budding relationship with deli owner Keith. As she struggles to stay calm in the midst of growing chaos, Elly will learn the true meaning of love and sacrifice. 

Filled with the heart, humor, and horticulture that made Elly in Bloom a bestseller, Elly in Love welcomes readers back to Elly’s big, beautiful, and messy life

Quotes:

"She couldn't remember a time in her life when she was so simply and perfectly content. Happy."

My Take: I was so excited about reading just because of the cover!!! Isn't it so pretty!! 
Elly in Love is the second book in the Elly in Bloom series. I've never read the first book and while I was reading this book I didn't feel lost in the plot. I felt like the book was complete and I felt like I was getting to know all the characters as if it was a stand alone book. But after reading Elly in Love I would love to read Elly in Bloom and eventually the next book in the series. 
I felt like I could relate to Elly from the beginning. Elly is one of those characters you root for. She is funny, and clueless, and smart, seems to have a good heart. Just when everything is turning out great in Elly's life, her life takes a plunge. She is stressing out about family issues. She is stressing out because she has a huge Celebrity Wedding to do. And she is stressing out because she's having issues with her boyfriend. 
It was fun read. I liked it. And I am definitely willing to read the first book and eventually read what else happens in Elly's life in the next books. 
My other Summer Reading Challenge reviews: Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick The One and Only by Emily Giffin The Witch of Belladonna Bay by Suzanne Palmeiri The Revealed by Jessica Hickman The Walk-In Closet by Abdi Nazemian After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Find my other reviews here: Book Thoughts

The Revealed by Jessica Hickman {Summer Reading Challenge Review}

Hi everyone!!! Happy Friday!! Woooo!! I've been looking forward to this day since 5:45 am on Monday. For those of you that don't know, I started a new job this week, and its been a crazy, hectic, but somewhat fun week. I'm sorry I haven't been posting on here lately, but everything will go back to normal on here next week. :) But now I give you  a book review. Also don't forget to enter the giveaway I'm co-hosting for a chance to win money for your favorite charity.

This post is sponsored by BookSparksPR in honor of their 

4th annual Summer Reading Challenge. Check out all the details here.

Title : The Revealed

Author:  Jessica Hickam

Publisher: Spark Press

Release Date: June 17th, 2014

Summary from GoodReads:

Lily Atwood lives in what used to be called Washington, D.C. Her father is one of the most powerful men in the world, having been a vital part of rebuilding and reuniting humanity after the war that killed over five billion people. Now he’s running to be one of its leaders.

But in the rediscovered peace on Earth, a new enemy has risen. They call themselves the Revealed – a powerful underground organization that has been kidnapping 18 year olds across the globe without reservation. No one knows why they are kidnapping these teens, but it’s clear something is different about these people. They can set fires with a snap of their fingers and create a wind strong enough to barrel over a tree with a flick of their wrist. No one has been able to stop them, and they have targeted Lily as their next victim.

But Lily has waited too long to break free from her father’s shadow to let some rebel organization just ruin everything. Not without a fight

My Take: Don't you just love the summary?! When I read the summary I got so excited to read it. Although I'm not completely done with it, I'm loving it right now. 
I'm a huge dystopian reader. I like a book to take me to those dystopian worlds, where it seems to be so far away from the world we live in. And this one is no exception. 
A couple of reviewers on GoodReads have mentioned that it has a bit of X-men feel to it. And I must agree!! So if you love dystopias, mutants/x-men I think you will like this book. :) 
Any body read this book?? What do you think?
My other Summer Reading Challenge reviews: Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick The One and Only by Emily Giffin The Witch of Belladonna Bay by Suzanne Palmieri
Find my other reviews here: Book Thoughts

The Witch of Belladonna Bay by Suzanne Palmieri {Summer Reading Challenge Review}

This post is sponsored by BookSparksPR in honor of their 

4th annual Summer Reading Challenge. Check out all the details here.

Title : The Witch of Belladonna Bay

Author: Suzanne Palmieri Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Release Date: May 13, 2014

Summary from GoodReads:

It’s the trouble you aren’t expecting that gets you. And it’s all around you, Bronwyn, it’s all around you like the air.…

Bronwyn "BitsyWyn" Whalen hasn’t set eyes on the red dirt of Magnolia Creek, Alabama, for fourteen years—not since her mama died. But with her brother, Patrick, imprisoned for the murder of her childhood best friend, and her eccentric father, Jackson, at his wits’ end while her eleven-year-old niece, Byrd, runs wild, Bronwyn finds herself once again surrounded by ancient magnolia trees and the troubled family she left behind. She becomes immersed in a whirlwind of mystery and magic as she tries to figure out what really happened that fateful night her friend died. And as her bond with Byrd deepens, Bronwyn must face the demons of her past in order to unravel her family’s uncertain future.In Suzanne Palmieri's thrilling new novel, The Witch of Belladonna Bay, readers will learn if love and magic are enough to bring a broken family back together

Quotes:

"Why do you suppose we do that push ourselves away from those we love right when we need them the most." - Wyn

My Take: First, let me say that although I'm a scary cat on the surface, deep, reallly really deep down I love everything about witches, spells, magic, all the mysterious things. And this book had that and more. 
This book was magical. It pulled me in every time I read it. I felt the magic that the characters had. But the book was more than just magic, it was about finding forgiveness, finding oneself, it was about not hiding who you really were. 
The book was told in the perspective of three very powerful and unique "witches." The story started when Naomi was outcasted by her family for having powerful "strange ways." Out of fear they put Naomi in an asylum, until her aunt and a handsome man saved her from it all. But while in there, Naomi decided to run away from her strange ways, she hid her powers and turned to drugs to block them. 
While on opium, Naomi pushed everyone away including her children. Her daughter Bronwyn, needed her mother the most, and when Naomi pushed them away she was hurt the most. When Naomi overdosed, thinking it was her fault, Bronwyn ran away and never looked back. Until now.
The town is struck with a murder. And Patrick, Bronwyn's brother is in prison. Bronwyn's goes back home and is surrounded with magic and mystery and an eleven-year-old niece, Byrd, who has "strange ways" like her mother. 
While at home, Bronwyn's learns and uncovers a lot of her past that she kept buried for the fourteen years she was away. But with the help of the immense love she has for her niece Byrd, she was able to forgive her mom, and herself, and her father for everything that happened in the past. 
If you like mystery and magic, I highly recommend it. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

My other Summer Reading Challenge reviews: Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick The One and Only by Emily Giffin
Find my other reviews here: Book Thoughts

If you had a super power, what would it be and why?

The One & Only by Emily Giffin {Review + Photos}

This post is sponsored by BookSparksPR in honor of their 

4th annual Summer Reading Challenge. Check out all the details here.

Okay so this post is going to be a long one.. The first part will be all about the book review, which I highly recommend. The second part will be photos of the Book Signing I went to with Emily Giffin. Ahhhhh.. Sooo excited. And someone very special and sexy made an appearance. :)

Title : The One & Only

Author: Emily Giffin

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Release Date: May 20th, 2014

Summary from GoodReads:

Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas—a small college town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares. Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker’s legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she has remained for more than a decade.

But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea’s comfortable world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she’s chosen is really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most—and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.

Thoughtful, funny, and brilliantly observed, The One & Only is a luminous novel about finding your passion, following your heart, and, most of all, believing in something bigger than yourself . . . the one and only thing that truly makes life worth living

My Take: I'm loving it. I'm about 80% done with the book. And I really liked it. Yesterday at the book signing they described the book "a mix between Friday Night Lights and When Harry Met Sally". And I think it is a perfect combination. The book takes place in Texas, the capital of football. 
The book follows the life of Shea, a 33 year old, who still lives in her small hometown, where she grew up, went to college, and works. She is OBSESSED with the game of football. She lives, eats and breathes football. She grew up alongside her best friend Lucy. Lucy is the daughter of football coach Clive Carr.  But when a tragic event shakes her close-knit small town, she begins to question her relationships with men, love and even her job. 
Coach Carr has become Shea's role model and "all-time favorite person. " When Coach helps Shea get her dream job working as a sport reporter to Coach's team, she is ecstatic. But soon she realizes that she has to look deep within herself to admit things that  she never admitted before.  I love how Emily Giffin, makes her characters so relatable. Although this is slightly different than her other books like "Something Borrowed" I highly recommend it. And don't worry, if you know nothing about football. It think Emily Giffin does a good way to mesh romance with sports. :) 

Rating: 4 out of  5
My other Summer Reading Challenge reviews: Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick
Find my other reviews here: Book Thoughts

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I was so excited to go to the book signing. Although I went by myself, I did make new friends, which was really cool. Emily Giffin is so down to earth, and so sweet and hilarious. She talked about how The One & Only came about and how she thought it would be a good idea to make football a part of the story. She answered questions about all her books. She talked about how she likes the way she ends her book, "they aren't tied up in a perfect bow" but the characters are in a good place.  She did confirmed that there will be a movie adaptation for Where We Belong. And then talking about movie adaptations this cutie pops in. 

Yes that is Colin Egglesfield aka Dex from the movie Something Borrowed. He is so gorgeous. He even read an excerpt from The One & Only. And yes it was one of the sexy scenes in the book, his favorite. Also, Something Blue will be made into a movie.. Ahhh.. She didn't say when... but it will be done.

It was my first author book sign, and I had so much fun. :) 

What's your favorite Emily Giffin book?

Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick {Summer Reading Challenge Review}

This post is sponsored by BookSparksPR in honor of their 

4th annual Summer Reading Challenge. Check out all the details here.

Hi everyone. I'm bringing you another awesome book today. I hope you enjoy the review. 

Title : Cure for the Common Breakup

Author: Beth Kendrick

Publisher: NAL Trade

Release Date: May 6, 2014

Summary from GoodReads:

Welcome to Black Dog Bay, a tiny seaside town in Delaware known as "the best place in America to bounce back from your breakup." Home to Better Off Bed-and-Breakfast, the Eat Your Heart Out bakery, and the Whinery bar, Black Dog Bay offers a haven for the suddenly single.

Flight attendant Summer Benson lives by two rules: Don’t stay with the same man for too long and never stay in one place. She’s about to break rule number one by considering accepting her boyfriend’s proposal—then disaster strikes and her world is shattered in an instant.

Summer heads to Black Dog Bay, where the locals welcome her. Even Hattie Huntington, the town’s oldest, richest, and meanest resident, likes her enough to give her a job. Then there’s Dutch Jansen, the rugged, stoic mayor, who’s the opposite of her type. She probably shouldn't be kissing him. She definitely shouldn't be falling in love.

After a lifetime of globe-trotting, Summer has finally found a home. But Hattie has old scores to settle and a hidden agenda for her newest employee. Summer finds herself faced with an impossible choice: Leave Black Dog Bay behind forever, or stay with the ones she loves and cost them everything

Quotes:

"You know how everyone around here is always saying, 'Don't be bitter - be better'?" "Well, when I first got here, I thought that was bull. I wanted to be bitter. I aspired to it. Because I thought that would protect me. I'd never get my heart broken again, because I'd never be stupid enough to get close to anyone again."

My Take: This book was such a great book. I recommend it to anyone who loves chick lit,  fun summer reads, anyone who loves a good, funny story. Basically everyone. I could not put it down. 
I fell in love with Dutch the moment that Summer ran over his roses. I loved the little sister, Ingrid. I wished I could be friends with the whole town of Black Dog Bay. And as for Summer, I wish that she was my best friend, or that I could be her. 
Summer is a sassy, gorgeous, outspoken, and stubborn. She gets what she wants. For the most part I loved her outspoken personality. But at other times I just wanted to slap her out of her bitterness and make her realize that love does exist. 
Call me naive, but I'm a hopeless romantic at heart, and Summer is anything but that. This beautiful, world traveling flight attendant, has not been able to keep a boyfriend for too long. And she admits to being bitter as a way to protect not only herself but her heart. She has been hurt in the past and she will do anything to protect her self from "real" love. 
But when the last flight she worked on, has to make an emergency landing and catches on fire, it scars her for life. She heads to Black Dog Bay, known as best place to recuperate from a breakup, not really knowing what to expect from the tiny town. She never expected that she would fall in love with the town, the residents and Dutch. Summer taught Dutch to have fun  and to let go and Dutch taught her to believe in love. Will he be the one that actually makes her settle down. 
The book was a fun, light read. Perfect for a summer read. I highly recommend it. :)

Rating: 4 out of 5

My other Summer Reading Challenge reviews: Thank you BookSparks for letting me a part of this Summer Reading Challenge Book tour. Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan
Find my other reviews here: Book Thoughts

Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan {A Book Review - Summer Reading Challenge}

This post is sponsored by BookSparksPR in honor of their 

4th annual Summer Reading Challenge. Check out all the details here.

Hi okay. So I'm really excited to bring you this post. So summer is coming. And I get most of my reading during the summer. So when I heard about BookSparksPR Summer Reading Challenge I knew I had to join in. I will be participating as a reviewer of 13 amazing books, from today all the way to August. So excited, it's my first time. And you know me, I love books, and I especially love to recommend books. So here is the first one up. 

Title : Love and Other Foreign Words

Author: Erin McCahan

Publisher: Dial

Release Date: May 1, 2014

Summary from GoodReads:

Perfect for fans of John Green and Rainbow Rowell, Love and Other Foreign Words is equal parts comedy and coming of age--a whip-smart, big-hearted, laugh-out-loud love story about sisters, friends, and what it means to love at all.

Can anyone be truly herself--or truly in love--in a language that's not her own?

Sixteen-year-old Josie lives her life in translation. She speaks High School, College, Friends, Boyfriends, Break-ups, and even the language of Beautiful Girls. But none of these is her native tongue--the only people who speak that are her best friend Stu and her sister Kate. So when Kate gets engaged to an epically insufferable guy, how can Josie see it as anything but the mistake of a lifetime? Kate is determined to bend Josie to her will for the wedding; Josie is determined to break Kate and her fiancé up. As battles are waged over secrets and semantics, Josie is forced to examine her feelings for the boyfriend who says he loves her, the sister she loves but doesn't always like, and the best friend who hasn't said a word--at least not in a language Josie understands

Quotes:

So what is love...? It is a connection, almost like a private language between two people, or an invisible dance. It is an invincible force that binds us to one another and can never be broken.  Stretched and tested, even worried about, but never temporary, never fleeting, never broken.

My Take: I really enjoyed the book. And I think it was mostly because of Josie. Josie is funny, witty, smart, sarcastic and she had me giggling throughout the book. 
The book follows a very smart high school student who is also a sophomore in college. Her family calls her the "gifted" because she is very smart, and pretty much questions everything about life, and knows everything about life, well almost everything. Except about one thing.. Love. 
When her closest sister, falls in love and gets engaged, Josie freaks out and sets out a plan to break her sisters engagement apart. She didn't understand that her sister was really in love, all she saw was that her sisters fiancee, a guy names Geoff, whom Josie cannot stand, was taking her confidante away from her. 
When her sister tells her she knows nothing about love, Josie sets out to try to find out what love is. She goes out with a boy named Stefan but fails to fall in love with him and ends up breaking his heart. She then has this out of body connection with Ethan, which she claims was love at first sight, but realizes that it is not so.    Josie realizes that everyone has their own language. And she has become a pro at translating different modes of speaking when she is with different groups of people, from her Volleyball friends, to her best friend Stu, to the language of high school and college, to her home's language. She has been able to translate all of them to her own language, Josie. But the one language she fails to translate is that of Love. She has a hard time grasping it. But who doesn't, I know I have had and still have a hard time grasping the idea of Love and I'm 24. 
At the end, this over-thinking, witty, sarcastic teenager, realizes that Love is a language on its own. Love has multiple meanings. But most of all it is a language between two people. She admits, which by reading the books you will know that Josie will hardly admit that she is wrong, that she doesn't understand what love is, but is open to explore it. 
I liked  the book. Like I said it was witty and smart, and funny. Sometimes Josie frustrated me by being a little selfish, and other times I sided with Josie and agreed with everything she said. I think this book would be a great for Summer Reading. 

4 out of 5

Find my other reviews here: Book Thoughts Thank you again to BookSparks for letting me be a part of this Book Blog Tour for amazing books. 

What does love mean to you?

Wild {A Book Review}

Title : Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Author: Cheryl Strayed

Publisher: Knopf

Release Date: March 20th, 2012

Summary from GoodReads:

A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again.

At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone. 

Strayed faces down rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls, and both the beauty and loneliness of the trail. Told with great suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild vividly captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

Quotes:

“I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me.”

My Take: Ever since the book was on Oprah's Book Club and then when it won an award on GoodReads this year, I was so antsy to read it. It had been on my TBR list for a while, but I never picked it up. When I got chosen to give this book for World Book Night I knew it was meant to be. 
I read it and loved it. It came at a perfect time, with my quarter-life crisis, and after reading Cheryl's story I knew it was going to be okay. There has been mixed reviews about it, but I think it was so good. It was inspirational. 
Cheryl's life turned upside down when she found out her mother was dying. And when her mother passed, Cheryl's life spiraled down, along with her marriage and what was left of her family (her brother and sister). She got into drugs, she got into unhealthy relationships, she missed her mom, and wished to have her family back, she divorced her husband. 
Four years after she felt she lost everything when her mom passed, she decides to go on a three month trail. It was her first hiking experience, and who on Earth decided to hike two states without experience is beyond me. But Cheryl went in confident, not really knowing what was it she was supposed to reveal about herself at the beginning. But soon she realized that she was not prepared at all, she saw numerous snakes, and bears, and a fox. She hiked through the scorching desert, and one of the harshest cold and snow,  and even hiked through the rain.  
This woman was a trooper. I felt the cold when she was freezing. And felt hopeless when she ran out of water and money. Was happy when she found the water, and when she got her new boots. This book was about Cheryl's adventure to find some part of her that was lost. She was the true Queen of the Trail. And after reading this, it made me want to have the courage to go on a soul searching, three month, 1,100 mile hike or to, just have a slight thought about doing something like this.  

4 out of  5 pendants

Find my other reviews here: Book Thoughts Have you ever wished to go out into the world to find the piece you think is missing? Or to just explore the world?

Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea {A Book Review}

Title : Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Author: April Genevieve Tucholke

Publisher: Dial Books

Release Date: August 15th, 2013

Summary from GoodReads:

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. 

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back. 

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch

Quotes:

“Freddie often told me that you've got to be happy when you can, because life won't wait for you to take the time. And she was right.” 

My Take: Gothic, dark, suspenseful, mysterious, edgy, are all perfect adjectives to describe this book.  From the first page you read you sense something a bad is going to happen, but the title does that to you, and just the word devil does that to you.
River West, is evil, close to what you expect the devil to be. At least that is what Violet thinks of him, when she finds out the bad things that he has done around her quite town. Yes River is evil, but deep inside he is a good guy. We find ourselves, along with Violet justifying the things that River does. The people River hurt, had it coming, they were bad people. But you just couldn't help but like him. But at the same time, I found myself screaming at Violet and sometimes at myself for falling for River even after his evil-ish actions. 
But the book is more than River and evil, its about history, control, love and family. After her grandmother dies and her parents leave for Europe, Violet feels the need to hang on to anything that reminds her of her grandmother and her family. She fights with her brother all the time, but he is the most important person in her life. River struggles with his evil power and is losing control of it. But when an unexpected visitor comes, their idea of evil that is River is nothing compared to what they encounter. This new evil is seems to be stronger and madder (crazy) and does causes more destruction that River ever did.
It was great suspenseful book, and I can't wait to read the second book of the series Between the Spark and the Burn

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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