**Review** "Someone Like You" by Sarah Dessen

I am not one to normally read a young adult novel. But this one was really good. It was recommended to me for my MOMS Club book club that I coordinate. My friend is not one who normally recommends books. She, like many other people, gets nervous about recommending books for fear that what she liked will not be the same as what other people like to read. She rented this on her kindle ereader and recommended it to me. I checked it out from the library, as my Kindle Fire is on the way, assuming that it is either being built or built and awaiting shipping. I really enjoyed it.


"Someone Like You" is about a pair of teen girls, 15 and 16, who are best friends. Halley, the 15yr old, goes to camp for two weeks of the summer and her friend Scarlett, is home working at the market and spending time with her boyfriend. When tragedy strikes and Scarlett's boyfriend is killed in a motorcycle accident, Halley comes home from camp early to comfort her best friend. The girls start school again and things start changing. Halley befriends the school bad boy which is also Scarlett's deceased boyfriend best friend.  At the same time Halley and Scarlett discover that Scarlett is pregnant with her boyfriends' baby. The girls have hurdles to jump and decisions to make. Will Halley become a "bad girl" herself or stay the good girl that she is. Will Scarlett keep the baby or have an abortion like her mother wants her to do.

I really enjoyed the book. I must admit there were times that I was thinking "oh come on... really??" But then I had to remember, I am much older than the typical reading age for this type of book. It was a good story, good plot, captivating characters, and good intentions for the book. There were a few tiny stories that were started that I would have like to see where those had gone. But doesn't every book have those. :) I certainly will pick up another book my Sarah Dessen! It was a nice book to read that wasn't my typical Tudor style, or "who done it" style, or sappy romance style.

Ahhh as of tomorrow 16 days till my Kindle Fire! Just saying.

WWW Wednesday October 19, 2011

Oh my... it has been FOREVER since I last posted my book fun. I have read so many books within that time too. Some really great ones. I will be getting to those reviews soon. But to get me into the swing of things, I will start off my reborn blogging my books with this weeks WWW Wednesdays from the blog Should Be Reading
• What are you currently reading?
I am currently reading Alice Hoffman's "The Third Angel". It is my first read of hers. I have heard some very good reviews about her books. So far it is an "Eh OK" read. I am not overly impressed but not utterly bored that I would put it down.

I am also reading (since I have usually two or more books going on at the same time) "Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley. Ok I was so so excited to read this book. My sister-in-law told me that this series was great. Oh my... I can not get into this book at all!!! I am about half way through and it is so easy for me to put down. But I can never abandon a book that I have started so I will plow through and hopefully get it done. You could see this same book on my "currently reading" next week too.

• What did you recently finish reading?
I just finished Ree Drummond's "The Pioneer Women: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels". I got this book recommendation off of another "mommy blog" that I follow. It was really good. Ree Drummond has since started a show on Food Network. She also has a blog "The Pioneer Woman" which has great food ideas, gardening ideas, and stories about her life with her family.

• What do you think you’ll read next?
Next on my list and I just picked up from the library today, is a book recommendation from a friend of mine. It is "The Story of a Beautiful Girl" by Rachel Simon. It sounds good and I'll let you know how it is.

And to wrap things up, I think I will start a countdown to when my new Kindle Fire gets here! Ugh the waiting. Come on November 15th. Get here soon. :)

THE WINNER IS...

The winner is....

quixoticdreamer

They won the book, "The Chocolate Diaries" and my first giveaway!

quixoticdreamer, I have emailed you, and congratulations! Another giveaway is on the way.

**Review** "Big Girl" by Danielle Steel

Ahh "Big Girl" by Danielle Steel. Victoria Dawson was always referred to as "big girl" by her father. He refereed to her also as the "tester cake", after her sister was born, perfect little Gracie. All though her school years she consumed herself with her sister. Her parents were self absorbed in their own lives. Victoria's own mother lived for her father, to do what made him happy, and to under mind and intimidate her oldest daughter with comments and remarks about Victoria's weight. All though school, high school and college, Victoria was a weight yo-yo. And even after landing her dream job teaching at a prestigious private school in New York, it didn't satisfy her parents. Sadly her dating life was slim to none. And then the shocking blow, her perfect sister, wants to marry the first boy she meets in college, whom is a copy image of their father.

Will Victoria convince her sister not to marry? Will she ever tackle her weight problem? Will she ever marry herself?

Sadly this book was a big flop for me. I couldn't wait for it to end. It seemed as though all Victoria talked about was her weight, over and over and over. Made issues out of nothing. And when she could change, she didn't or fell off the wagon. And the descriptions of her weight went on for pages and pages on end. Gracie seemed a little too perfect. Her parents were really mean.  It was not one of the best novels that I have read by Danielle Steel. Sorry Danielle Steel, not a fan of this one!

Good Morning "Monday Mingle Blog Hop"!!

Hope you all have a great day. Thank you for checking out my blog. I have several reviews in the works ready to be posted. Also I have a giveaway going on that ends June 15th! I hope you sign up. ENTER HERE or over on the giveaway page!

Happy Monday!

"Book Blogger Hop" and "Finding New Friends" Blog hops

“Who is the ONE author that you are DYING to meet?"

Ahh there can't only be one!!! I read too much and love too many authors to only be one. But IF I could only have one, then it would be... Jodi Picoult. I am reading alot of her books right now. Kind of going through a "Picoult" fetish. She is such a good writer and has such a interesting way of telling a story and then throwing you little shockers in the middle of what YOU thought would be the ending. It makes me want to read another book of hers just to she how she twisted that book, and then another and then another. But... I would also like to meet Debbie Macomber, Dean Koontz, J. K. Rowling, and Cecelia Ahern.

Also, Please don't forget to enter my very first giveaway for the book "The Chocolate Diaries". If that interests you, please ENTER HERE or go to the giveaway page to enter.


 Welcome everyone!

Have a great weekend everyone and let's get to blog hopping :)

Monday Mingle Blog Hop-

This is a new little blog hop that I joined this afternoon. Hope to meet some new people and new friends. Please feel free to join up or comment. I always follow back.

I also have my first giveaway! Please ENTER HERE... or go to the giveaway page and enter to win a free book. It was just released recently. I recieved a free copy to review and thought I would pass on this bit of goodness to someone else.

Have a great monday!!!

Crazy-for-books.com Book Blog hop

“Share your favorite post from the last month and tell us why it’s close to your heart!”

My answer would have to be... my review for "Between Friends". It was such a great book and it got some favorable comments in return. It was just a fantastic book. The kind that warms your heart and makes you feel connected to the characters. I am a fan of Debbie Macomber anyway, but this book has to be one of my favorites. If you are looking for a good, feel good kind of book, I might suggest looking into this one. And you could probably find it available at most libraries. It came out years ago. :)

Thanks for stopping by. Follow me and I follow back. Don't forget to enter my book giveaway. It ends June 15th, 2011.

Enjoy and have a great weekend.

The Chocolate Diaries" by Karen Scalf Linamen Book Giveaway

I recently did a book review for this book. It was a great read, very refreshing, and loaded with fun things that makes you think. It gave me alot to reflect on. I really enjoyed it!!

I recieved this book from "Blogging for Books" and now my newest and very first giveaway. I recieved it for free and so can you. Giveaway will end on June 15, 2011 at midnight. I will use the randomizer to pick the lucky winner. All you need to do is become a new follower of my blog and leave a comment under "Giveaways" or HERE. Good luck to everyone...

WWW Wednesdays via Should Be Reading's Blog

Ahhh it has been awhile and I have a few books to review. But first I wanted to do a WWW Wednesday via http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/. It is a great blog that has daily inspirations or prompts to help you share your books and your blog with everyone. And for my WWW Wednesday....

"What are you currently reading?" - I have just cracked the book (literally minutes ago) to a Danielle Steel novel "Big Girl". Per the first paragraph of the inside cover... "In this heartfelt and incisive new novel, Danielle Steel celebrates the virtues of unconventional beauty while exploring deeply resonant issues of weight, self-image, sisterhood, and family." I can not wait to dive in and enjoy this book!



"What did you recently finish reading?" - I just finished, again maybe an hour ago, a FANTASTIC book by Brenda Youngerman, "Public Lies". I finished it in about a day and a half, and that is saying something since I have a almost 3 yr old with a busy schedule. It is the sequel to "Private Scars". It was an amazing book that I will be doing a review on shortly. Certainly two books you might think about putting on the "to be read" list. Suzanne, the main character, must decide if she can to return to her old life and face her drug addicting, alcoholic husband but yet protect their precious kids.  



"What do you think you’ll read next?" - Up next on the reading stack is a new book that I just got from "Blogging for Books" for a review, "The Corruptible" by Mark Mynheir. I am excited to get into this suspense thriller. The main character, Ray Quinn, is a retired ex-homicide detective, who takes on a new job that find him looking at the fine line between good guys and bad guys.

Weekend bbok blog hop via Crazy-for-books.com

 "If you were given the chance to spend one day in a fictional world (from a book), which book would it be from and what would that place be?" 

Oh this is a hard question... and a good one. I have a few that I could spend the day with.

 

First would be in the book of "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follet. I find that time frame interesting with all the royalness (no this has nothing to do with all the hype of the royal wedding, sorry). I find all the primitive stuff interesting. The building of the church, the interaction of the people of the town and the royal families and priors. I loved that book and I think that it would just be fun, for one day, to experience that life, the simplicity.

 

Second would be a more recent book, "Private Scars" by Brenda Youngerman. I just recently reviewed this book and I would love to spend the day with the main character, Nancy. She seem to just need a HUG! She needs someone to just whisk her away for a few day into a safe haven and give her a break from her life.

I also would love to be in the Debbie Macomber book "The Good Yarn". I am a huge and passionate person for crocheting. It is so very relaxing to sit and create something with a needle and yarn for someone special. To go and sit and listen to the store "The Good Yarn", listen to all the beautiful characters in the book, to see a store filled with yarn and not be just in a section in Michaels or Joann's. To learn from other lovely ladies about their live or their crafty projects would be fun.


Thanks for stopping by everyone! I will follow back if you are so kind to follow me. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Crazy-for-books.com Book Blog Hop

"Are you going to Book Expo America (BEA) and/or the Book Blogger Convention (BBC) this year?"

 

No I will not be going this year. To be honest, I will have to look up what these are although they sound like fun. I am very new to this whole blogging fun but I have not heard of this book blogging convention. Hmmm

 

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

WWW Wednesdays vis Should Be Reading blog

• What are you currently reading? I am currently reading (and just about finished) "Harvesting the Heart" by Jodi Picoult. Sadly I can not wait for the book to finish. It has taken a little too long to read. Review to come.







 • What did you recently finish reading? I just finished a fantastic book called "Private Scars" by Brenda Youngerman. It tackles the issues of family with domestic violence, love, and loss. It was a wonderful read.


• What do you think you’ll read next? Next up on my pile of books is "Sisters" by Danielle Steel. Four sisters abandon their separate lives and come together every year for 4th of July. But this 4th of July will change them all...

Thanks for checking out my WWW Wednesday. It is the first one I have done. It is fun and I love the blogging world. :) If you want to follow, please do and I will return the favor. Have a great hump day everyone!

Tuesday Teaser

"Harvesting the Heart" by Jodi Picoult
Pg 304

" "I eat everything," I told her. I chopped cucumber, thinking how ridiculous it was that I did not know what vegetables my own mother would eat in a tossed salad. I couln't prepare her coffee, either, or conjure her shoe size, or tell a stranger which side of the bed she slept on. "You know, " I said, "if your lives had been a little different, I wouldn't have to be asking these things."

Hope you enjoyed my little Tuesday teaser. I hope it inspires you to read her books. I am almost done with the book so the review is coming shortly. For all my Tuesday Teaser friends, please feel free to follow me and I will return the favor. I love finding new blogs and books to read.

Take care... Until next time.

**BOOK REVIEW** "Private Scars" by Brenda Youngerman

Private Scarsby Brenda Youngerman
iUniverse, 2006, 172 pages
Paperback, $13.95
ISBN: 978-0-595-40292-5
E-Book also available

My Rating - 4 Stars! Fantastic!


Private Scars... What a great read it was! Nancy is one of the strongest characters I have come across in all my reading. The story takes place when Nancy was younger with her best friend, Sara. They are basically attached at the hip. But Nancy is the smart one in the pair and get accepted into college in Oregon and has to leave Sara behind to attend a community college. College for Nancy becomes extremely hard after hearing devastating news and becomes even worse when she is attacked on campus. After one semester, she returns home to the town of Greenbrair.

Nancy makes a new life for herself in, attending community college, working at Rite Aid, and making a few friends. Then she meets him... Vince... a man she falls in love with. Their dates were a little awkward, she had to pay for their dinner on the first date, he either didn't show or didn't call, but she was in love. There was always a good reason... right? He wooed her and won over her parents. Although she occasionally had doubts, but those doubts vanished when he was kind, loving, and caring. Within a short amount of time they were married and starting a life together.  Nancy had no idea that Vince had a different side of him. Through out her marriage, kids, jobs, would she be able to survive?

What I liked most about the book was the short yet descriptive chapters. Not the kind that take up three chapters to tell the scene. Brenda has a unique way of telling you everything you needed to know and more but in a direct route. I have a complete picture of what Nancy looks like, acts like, and yet it didn't take long. Same with Vince. I can completely picture him. And I am completely amazed that Brenda was able to tell this fantastic, heart wrenching story in so few pages. And I don't feel like I am missing anything. I was connected to the characters. There were times that I could have smacked Nancy if I could only reach into the book. And times I wanted to smacked Vince, again if i could only get in the book.

I can not wait to see what happens in the sequel, "Public Lies". I am anxious to to jump into reading it, but I want to wait and let the freshness of "Private Scars" set in some more. Thank you, Brenda Youngerman, for sharing your books with me to review. I was excited to review them and I was not disappointed!

Crazy-for-books.com Book Blog Hop

"Which book blogger would you most like to meet in real life?"

In all honesty this is a little hard for me. I just started this blogging business and still learning the in's and outs. But there are a few blogger that I see I share the same book interest with. I always think it is fun and exciting to come across another blogger and person that has the same interest in books that I do. But I have not talked to them, only commented on their fabulous blog.

Have a great weekend everyone. Thanks for stopping by. I always follow back :)

Teaser Tuesday

Hello to all the Teaser Tuesday friends. My teaser comes from the book I am currently reading, "Private Scars" by Brenda Youngerman.

"As far as Phillip and Emily were concerned, the "incident," as they reffered to it, was not to be mentioned again. In fact, they suggested that everyone just act as if it had never happened."  pg 30

So far this is a really good book. I will be doing a review of it when I am finished.

For the Tuesday Teasers, if you follow me, I will most definately follow the follow back.

Thanks for stopping by...

Friday Book blog hop via Crazy-for-Books.com

 "Summer is coming quickly - what 2011 summer release are you are most looking forward to?"

 

I have to say, I really don't know what is coming out this summer. My avenues for reading are whatever is at Costco, the library, or a recommendation from friends and fellow bloggers. I do have a few series that I read but sadly nothing is coming out till 2012~~~ Oh the waiting. Although I have noticed now that I have a book blog and have been poking around, checking things out, there are a few titles that are of interest that are coming out. I believe there is one from Debbie Macomber coming out. Yippee... Jodi Picoult is another favorite, but she just had a book come out so I doubt she has another back to back.

 

Have a fantastic weekend. Thanks for seeing my answer fellow bloggers. If you follow me I follow back.

 

Oh and if you can take a look, I did a review of "The Chocolate Diaries" that is coming out in May 2011. It was an enjoyable book.

"The Chocolate Diaries" Review

Right out the gate, I will say this was a really refreshing and enjoyable book to read. It is a terrific, easy to read self-help book that covers a lot of areas and had great recipes for chocolate! And who doesn’t like a little chocolate. Every chapter was creatively written. Funny and witty. Each chapter ends with “Food for Thought” that covers main points in that chapter. I particularly enjoyed hearing the little story about the Starbuck drive thru and paying for the coffee for the person behind you. A fantastic way to pay it forward and brighten someone else’s day. I also really enjoyed the Seven Sweet Pick Me Ups to cover the seven days of the week. I belong to a moms group and I want to add it to our newsletter so others can enjoy the pick me ups, because we know all moms could use a little pick me up!

The only negative thing I have to say about the book is the author tends to reference a few “stories” from her other books. After reading a sentence that she referred to a previous book, I felt like I was jumping into the middle of a series. Although I am sure the author didn’t mean for that, it still felt that way. I have not read any previous books from this author, so I then felt like I missed a little morsel of something. But that is my only negative. Again, loved the book and great tips in all sorts of places. I have my little sticky notes stuck to a bunch of pages for reference in the future.

A special thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah for the free copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion. It was a great first book to get!

"Between Friends" Review and Book Blog hop

Within a week I finished reading "Between Friends" by Debbie Macomber. What an excellent book! It had me from the very beginning. I just happened to pick up the book at the library without reading anything about it. I then took it with me to the gym to read on the elliptical. An hour later, I was totally into the book and ready to exercise away for another hour just to keep reading.  It is about two friends and the trials and tribulations that they endure throughout their life and friendship. They encounter financial difficulty, loss of loved ones, children, husbands, lovers, health issues. It was also dealing with things in history. Women's movement, Vietnam war, 9/11, volcanic eruptions, and other historical dates. It was also wrote in a creative way. The story was told in letters. Letters between friends, between husband and wives, mother and daughter, daughter and fathers, loved ones and family. I am happy to say that I passed it on to a good friend of mine and she is half way through it within one day! If you are looking for a great book, this is the one. I am pretty sure I am going to recommend this book to my moms club for a future book club pick.

With all of that being said... this is a great lead to my blog hop question for the week. "If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?"

YES!!! I happen to love Debbie Macomber. I have read all of the Blossom Street series books. Psst... highly recommend "Twenty Wishes". That book makes you want to create a wish list. Its not particularly the same as a bucket list, but close. It was my first book that I read of hers and I was hooked after that! Macomber has such a great style of writing. I have never been bored with any of her books. What's hard is when you find a book and fall in love with the writer and that book was the first book they wrote! The waiting is hard.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Im off to start reading a new book "The Chocolate Diaries".

My new blog hop... via Crazy-for-books.com

*** Moved this from my other blog. http://jeannasboutique.blogspot.com/***

Being such an avid reader along with everything else on my plate, this is such a good find. Crazy-for-books.com has a book blog hop. What a fantastic way to meet and see what others are reading. I am always in the hunt for a good book. I was just poking around on the net and googling books and blogging for books, etc., and up popped raves about Crazy-for-books.com. So I am excited to experience this new blog and hopefully get some good reads out of it. So I am off to do some hopping. IF you are from that blog hop and ventured over to my site, below are some books that I have reviewed and posted that I am currently reading. Sadly I read several books at once. But I do finish them.

Take care.

Currently reading.... Between Friends by Debbie Macomber. So far it is a great book. I am half way through and I started Monday of this week.

Moved my books

Hi all,

I decided after several posts on my other blog that maybe I should separate my two passions. Art and crafts and reading. I do alot of both and I think they both deserve their own blogs. So this is my bookshelf for all the books that I am reading, going to read, or have read. I am really excited to start this blog as reading is such a big part of what I do all the time. I hope you all enjoy.

Have a great day!

Jeanna