The Summer I Became A Nerd by Leah Rae Miller Cover Reveal

Happy Friday!

Cannot believe that the year is almost over. Just one more month till 2013. Wow

Today, I am please to share with you the cover reveal of ...

The Summer I Became A Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

My oh my!

This girl is rocking! I adore the bracelets the model is wearing because they are so authentic to being a teenage girl. Everything the model is wearing is perfect! The puffy paint looking font for the title is also incredible. All in all, a fabulous cover. I would love to sit on that rock because it looks pretty comfy.

What is this book about?

On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn’t just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever.

(Synopsis provided by Entangled Publishing)  

A romantic comedy with a girl who will probably learn the important lesson to live for herself and not to care about other people's judgments. Sounds like the perfect book for me!  

More news!

A fun contest is going to be happening in April for this book on Goodreads.

 Check out Leah's website to find out more information. Specific information is coming up soon.

Thanks for reading!

Entrances and Exits by Paul Ruditis Review

Hi lovely readers!

Today I am reviewing a book that I read many times and enjoyed every second of the book each time!

Welcome to...

Entrances and Exits by Paul Ruditis

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: August 28th, 2008

Souce: Bought!

Rating: 4/5 DAZZLING STARS!

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In short:

By far the best ending of a series I ever read. 

In long:

Where do I even start? This is the book that anyone who loves theater and relaxing lighthearted books should read. It may not be a perfect book, but the enjoyable break from reality it provides is everlasting!

Entrances and Exits is the last book in the Drama series by Paul Ruditis. I find it marvelous how each book can easily standalone. Though I feel it is best to read the whole series in order to obtain a full picture of the characters. This book centers on our witty and garrulous protagonist Bryan directing his first play and the drama that ensues. The play is a romance that every person who auditioned wants to act in, not because they wanted to be directed by an amateur, but because Achromantic is a brilliant play written by Bryan's best friend Hope. So it is no wonder Bryan is nervous. Who wants to disappoint their best friend and ruin their chances for their dream job?

This book is an entertaining portrait of directing a high school show. The writing is smooth as it narrates humorously the process of the play transforming from a script to a masterpiece that everyone enjoys. The process is of course not easy and there are many wonderful surprises along away. The story of why Bryan and lousy soccer-playing Drew stopped being best friends was perfectly placed. The sub-plot of Hope being mad at Bryan was entertaining. Discovering Drew's true passion was amazingly set. I could easily connect to Drew's stress of applying to college and moving back into his old hobby of painting.  

Best of the best was Belinda. I was so surprised how much I grew to adore Belinda. In the first three books, I simply paid her no heed. After reading this book for the first time, I re-read her scenes from the earlier books and am still amazed that I forgotten to care about such a wonderful character. I relished the scenes between Belle and Bryan. Seeing her grow from perceiving her as an antagonistic stepsister of Hope to a friend of Bryan who is sweet and fierce. I wish that she could have taken a larger role in the earlier books or that there were more scenes between her and Bryan in this book. Belle was brilliant in this book as she shined as a spirited actress who will never again be a background player.

Entrances and Exits is a vivacious book encompassed by embarrassing mistakes, directorial errors, friendship problems, awkward romance moments and sharp drama references. It is a book that I will always appreciate when I just want to sit back and appreciate a semi-honest portrayal of drama geeks. 

Thanks for reading!

Waiting On Wednesday 19! And Series Recommendation!

Hi Everyone!!!!!!

How are you? 

Its almost Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for? 

I am thankful for the successful opening weekend last weekend for the play I am acting in, my wonderful blogging friends, Richelle Mead deciding to have Adrain and Sydney both have points of view in The Fiery Heart and brilliant books.

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

It is the perfect way to spread camaraderie to fellow book lovers. 

Today I am waiting on:

Scandal by Lauren Kunze (Book 4!)

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: Feburary 26, 2013

Add To Goodreads now!

Synopsis! 

ACCUSATIONS, ACCUSATIONS . . .

You know you're not the author of the "Ivy Insider" articles.
But how are you going to prove it?

Callie Andrews returns from spring break to find herself facing expulsion. Someone has framed her as the author of a series of anonymous articles vilifying an elite social club and now, unless she can prove her innocence, she can kiss her college education good-bye. So who is the Ivy Insider?

ALEXIS
the girl who has had it out for Callie since day one

GREGORY
the guy who told her he loved her (at least she thought she heard that) but then he vanished in the middle of the night

MATT
his friendship supersedes his hatred for social clubs—right?

or VANESSA
Callie's best frenemy

. . . or is it someone else entirely? Callie's made more than a few enemies during her freshman year, but can she count on her true friends—and the (missing, just-maybe-meant-to-be) love of her life—to pull through?

(Synopsis and cover photo graciously provided by Goodreads!)

Why oh why?

First, Thy Ivy by Lauren Kunze is available for free on Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook till November 16st!!!!!! Just click the blue words and you can start this delightful series immediately! 

There are few times in my life where I completely escape from my reality (busy life) and live vicariously in another person's life for awhile. One is when I act on stage and the other is whenever I read the first three books in the Ivy Series. Others unforgettable books have come close to the Ivy Series's esteem but not completely. 

Is it because of the series marvelous story? 

Yes! 

Is it because of Lauren Kunze's stylish and sophisticated writing style? 

Yes!

Is it because of its captivating character interactions and miscommunications? 

Yes!

Is it because its surprising story directions into financial difficulties?

Yes!

Is it because of Gregory Bolton, Mimi, Vanessa, Matt, Grace, Callie, Clint and OK?

Yes!!!!!

There is no series I would recommend higher then the Ivy Series. It is one of the many reasons I started blogging after all. I was eagerly anticipating the third book, Rivals, so much last January (thinking about it everyday) that I figured blogging would be a good way to distract myself from the painful days awaiting the book. Blogging accomplished that need and more!

 I am proud that my first review ever was written about Secrets, the second book in the series and my favorite book of 2011 because I began my blogging experience with a meaningful and life-loving book. I still re-read the Limerick scene wherever I have a chance, laugh at the hilarious one liners and marvel at Kunze use of literary techniques. The prisoner dilemma chapter in Secrets is also not one to miss!   

So, I cannot recommend the Ivy Series enough. Read it! 

I would love to chatter about its marvelousness with you!

My predictions for Scandal!

Sweet, beautiful and heartbroken Alessandra is the Ivy insider. 

Gregory and Callie are finally going to be together.

I am going to fall even more in love with Gregory Bolton then I already am.

Evil Lexi is going to finally show her benevolent side. 

Scandal is going to be as unforgettable as the first three books in the series. 

I believe Scandal's green cover matching my blog design so well must be a sign!

Thanks for reading!

Pieces Cover Reveal!

Hi Everyone!

Today I am pleased to share with you the cover of Pieces by Michelle Davidson Argyle. This cover reveal is hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. Today tour sign up's for a blog tour of this book will be open on Xpresso Book Tours.  

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Two years after watching her kidnappers go to prison, Naomi Jensen is still in love with one of them. Jesse will be released in a few years, and Naomi knows college is the perfect distraction while she waits. But when her new friend Finn makes her question what is right and what is wrong, she begins to wonder if Jesse is the one for her … until she discovers he's out on parole. Naomi must sort through her confusion to figure out where love and freedom truly lie—in Finn, who has no connections to her past, or Jesse, who has just asked her to run away with him.

I just adore covers that conjure emotions of characters and are pleasing to my eyes. This cover, to me, evokes Naomi feelings of lost and apprehension. The photo of a train in the distance (my favorite form of public transportation) is absolutely startling and wonderful. The model for Noami's clothes is perfectly geniune. In all, I love this cover. 

This book also appears, from its synopsis, like a book I would enjoy reading. I love stories with romance filled to the brim with challenges and growth, and the struggle to adjust to a new life. 

Thanks for reading!

Blog Tour: Reaping Me Softly by Kate Evangelista

Good Morning!

I hope everyone had a delightful and haunted Halloween!

Today I am happy to participate in the Reaping Me Softly by Kate Evangelista blog tour! This tour is hosted by AToMR Tours. You can visit the entire schedule of this fantastic tour here. 

My Review:
Rating: 3.5/5 SWEET SIZZLING STARS!
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"To live is to choose. 

But to choose well, 

you must know who you are 

and what you stand for, 

where you want to go and 

why you want to get there." 

- Kofi Annan

Prepare to become lost in a sweet story of love, death, sacrifice and most of all - living for a reason! 

Love!

Reaping Me Softly is a sweet, gentle love story between two likable characters. Arianne and Niko are inherently caring characters that provoked my instant appreciation. While their love connection was a bit too instant for my taste, I adored the overarching chemistry between the two. 

Darla was a character that at first seems a stereotypical hateful girl. As the story progresses, Darla progresses. I find her nasty attitude reason - unrequited love - helped give her depth. She was not a good person and her bulling to Arianne and other characters are unredeemable but I do understand the predicament that lead to her cruelty. 

Death!

My favorite character of this book is indeed Death. I was throughly delighted how Death was not the evil and terrorizing monster I usually envision for Death. Instead Death was the merciful Death. A being of compassion, confidence and respect. A true leader. I feel sorry for Death too because, as you find out through the story, he never really lived. 

As a person unused to the world of reapers, I am thankful for the splendid world-building in this story. I liked the meetings and interactions between the reapers in this story. Especially the fights between the villainous Janika and Niko and the private meeting between lead reapers Travis and Tomas, and Death. The friendship of respect between Travis, Tomas and Death was evident through their delightful banter. 

Sacrifice!

A certain character in this book commits a sacrifice that was brilliantly written in this book. I re-read that scene many times and feel heartbrokenness each time. It is a sacrifice to be remembered. 

Living for a reason!

Most of all, this book is about the motif of the above Kofi Annan quote that Arianne says to Niko in the book. Its a book about living for a reason and struggling to find a place in the world. The book's message in my mind is 'Do not live with hatred and loneliness, live with love.' 

Thanks for reading!