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Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Book Review: Inseparable by Siobhan Davis

Well...Christmas has come and gone and New Years is right around the corner and I have been pretty much MIA for a little while.  I read lots of great books this year and one of my favorites and really at the top, top (can't decide yet of my #1-which could be this one, you just have to wait for that list and my head to make up it's mind lol) well...it's this book.  And probably, this is the book that has given me the biggest book hangover this year too.  Thank God, it was at the very end of the year and after I made my Reading Challenge goal too...hahaha.  Geez...this book, let's get to the review?  Yeah, let's do this.

Inseparable by Siobhan Davis

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The book is about three childhood best friends, Angelina, Ayden and Devin.  They have been friends since they were littles, they grew up next to each other and went to the same school too.  Things have always been about the three of them, they have done everything together, they were they inseparable trio.  But of course once they became teenagers things started to change, feelings started to change and their relationship started to change. 

Angelina tried so hard to maintain their friendship to last, to make the boys stay together and friends but the more time passed the more apart they all became.  During their senior year of high school is went all went downhill.  Angelina's feelings for one of them became too much to hid and when she found out he had the same feelings, she acted on it and of course things went much worse after that. 

I don't want to give the story away and tell you what happened to Angelina, Ayden and Devin, but what I can tell you is to be prepared for everything you can imagine and be prepare to laugh, cry (and Oh Man, will you cry a lot, trust me) and be shocked because so many imaginable things will happen.  This is not your typical love story, there are some triggers, so be prepared because it will hurt you and your heart, but as ususal, Siobhan does an amazing job with them.

This is Siobhan's first standalone novel and I wasn't so sure how it was going to be, because I'm so used to read more than one book for her stories, but Holly Molly, did she do an amazing job with this book.  I am in love with this book, I cannot wait to get a physical copy to add to my book collection!  And I cannot recommend this book enough, please, PLEASE, go and read it, because trust me, you will LOVE it.

Ah, duh...5 out of 5 stars (would give 100 if I could :) )

XOXO,

Nelia

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Book Review: Saving Brad by Siobhan Davis

I cannot believe that this is book 5 in the Kennedy Boys series...and the more I read of the series the more I want, that's how good this series keeps on getting.  So, I'm not going to talk to much before hand because I have quite a few to say about this book :)...let's get to the review.

But first, I want to say that I got an eARC from the author for my honest opinion and it is so my honest opinion... eheheh.  Okay, let's jump to the review now.


Saving Brad by Siobhan Davis

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From GoodReads:
Brad 
I’m in love with my best friend’s girl.
She knows it. He knows it. Everyone knows it.
Faye will never be mine, but try telling that to my stupid heart. 
An endless rotation of girls streams in and out of my bedroom in a desperate attempt to forget her, but nothing eases the horrid ache in my chest. Rejection isn’t anything new for me, but it hasn’t gotten any easier.
Until she reappears in my life. Like an out-of-control tornado. Storming in, all fierce and angry, ready to steamroll everything in her path. Rachel is trouble with a capital T bundled in a gorgeous, sexy, Irish package.
She pushes all the wrong buttons, and I can’t decide if I want to yell at her or kiss her.
I should steer clear.
But I’ve never been very good at taking my own advice. Especially when it comes to girls I can’t have and shouldn’t want.

Rachel 
I need to escape.
To put as much distance between me and that monster so I can start living my life.
Yet, even the vast Atlantic Ocean isn’t enough to sever the connection. To allow me to forget how he’s ruined me. His hold is more than just physical. He has a vise grip on my head and my heart, and I can’t breathe, can’t think, can’t function.
So, I do everything to blot it out.
Until he reappears in my life.
Brad McConaughey. So hot. So infuriating. So in love with my best friend.
Every word out of Brad’s mouth makes me want to throat punch him or kick him in the nuts. 
But he makes me feel, and I hate him for it. A part of me might actually love him for it.
I should keep my distance, but like destructive magnets, we are drawn together.
This isn’t going to end well.
I know it. He knows it.
But we’re powerless to resist.

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Brad has been Kyler's best friend since they were little kids, but these two have been through a few rough patches and the latest been Brad falling head over heels for Faye.   Even though Faye was up front with him and told him that Ky was the love of her life and that he couldn't ruin his friendship over something that could never exist, hard head Brad couldn't stop thinking about her the wrong way.  He was messed up, and let's be honest here, I freaking started to hate him and couldn't stand him in the last couple books.  Every time he would come up and start with the crap that he was still in love with Faye, I just wanted to shake him up or maybe slap him a couple times and tell him to grow up and move on.  

Now, let's talk about Rachel, I know there may be some people that may have not liked her before, but me?  I loved the girl and all that drinking and not caring?  I knew something was up and I couldn't wait for the day that Siobhan would write about about her.  But when she wrote one for her and Brad?  Uh, I wasn't so sure these two would be a match, he was such and ass and for me Rachel needed someone that would take care of her.  But of course Siobhan proved me wrong and outdid herself a million times.  I freaking loved this book, I didn't fly through it, I devoured it.  

Let's talk a little about what the actual book was about, no spoilers because you will appreciate not knowing too much going to it.  We all know that Brad has been on a bad place on the last couple books, but on this book we can really see how bad he really is.  He literally doesn't care about what people think about him, he just throws himself into alcohol and women, it gets so bad that even his football coach starts to notice.  But then Rachel comes to town and we get to know her a little bit and then a little more, and the more you get to know her the more you want to know, because Rachel is a mystery and she has secrets, secrets from many years, secrets that she has kept from her friends and family.  And those secrets are the reason that she decided to move to America to be away from it.  But, she can't keep running away from it forever, especially when those secrets don't want her to run away.  (be aware that in the book there is trigger warning but the way Siobhan writes it?  I seriously think it was well done and makes us realize that life is not always perfect but we always have to be there for our friends and have our eyes and ears open for them).  Rachel is a fighter and proved it until the very end of the book, did I say how much I love Rachel?  She is one of my new favorite characters in the Kennedy books!!!!  She isn't afraid to speak up and Oh Man, did she put Brad in his place a bunch of times lol.  Which in my opinion showed how much chemistry those two had.  

Brad and Rachel find in each other what they couldn't find alone, a way to find themselves, a way to find love again, to live life again and be happy.  This is not a typical love story but it's one that will touch your heart the same or more.  I could stay here writing about this book all day and all night, but I'm just going to finish it by saying you need to read it period and you will loved it.  

One more thing, 5 out of 5 stars.

XOXO,

Nelia

Friday, September 29, 2017

Book Review: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

It's Fall...if you know me already, you know that my favorite season is Summer so...I'm pretty sad that my favorite season is over :(  But at least it's not Winter yet, right?  I'll take Fall, there are still great days ahead (it's low 70s today, so pretty happy today).

But I still have lots of summer reads to review so let's do this:

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

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From GoodReads:
Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.


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Dimple and Rishi are definitely your typical couple and their love story will not be your typical one either.  Both their parents are from India and they belief on arranged marriage.  Rishi is okay with the idea of it and he grew up been the perfect son, respecting his parents and doing everything they told him to do.  So when they told him to attend a summer program to meet his future wife, he doesn't even think twice about it.  He is all over it, even though it's a program that he is not interested in it and has nothing to do with what he is going to study.  He is just looking forward to meet Dimple and hopefully fall in love with her.

Dimple?  She is totally the opposite of Rishi, yes her parents are from India too and they believe on arranged marriage but that's where the similarities end.  Dimple wants to be a web developer, she doesn't believe on arranged marriage at all, she doesn't even believe marrying young, she just wants to go away to college, have a career and eventually far, far away in the future get married.  So, when she asks her parents to attend a summer program away from home and they accept?  She is beyond happy, it's the beginning of her dreams, a start to her college experience.  What she never expected was when she got there a boy would be there expecting her and telling her a bunch of nonsense about a future and stuff like that.  But soon she got what he was saying and she didn't know who she should be more mad at, her parents or at this guy?  She explains to Rishi what she wants in life and why she was really there and in return Rishi explains why he really agreed to go there.

He decides to leave but stuff happens and he ends up staying for the summer and together they end up forming a friendship first and of course the more time they spend together...you just have to read until the end to find out what really happens.  Because Rishi and Dimple want different things for their future and will they be able to compromise?

I loved it, Dimple and Rishi are so different from each other but opposites do attract, right?  And towards the end we get to see how we each have to fight for what we want in life and somethings we have to change things around in order to get them.

It was a lovely summer reading that I totally recommend.  5 out of 5 stars.

XOXO,

Nelia

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Book Review: Invictus by Ryan Graudin

Ah, this book was a ride and half!!!  Let start by Thanking NetGalley and for me being able to get an eARC of this amazing book and telling you guys all about it and making sure you guys get your hands on it when it comes out because it is that good.  Okay, let's just get to the review now :)

Publication Date:  September 26th

Invictus by Ryan Graudin

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From GoodReads
Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD, Far's birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he's ever wanted, and after failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past. 

But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with knowledge that will bring Far's very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems.
In this heart-stopping adventure, Ryan Graudin has created a fast-paced world that defies time and space.


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I really enjoy reading SciFy and Fantasy, especially for the last couple years and I feel like the more I read them the more I enjoy and this book is a great example of how amazing these kinds of books are.  
Farway is the son of a time traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD and he was born outside of time.  Exploring history is everything he has ever wanted to do his entire life, so when he fails his final test for time traveling, Far is devastated.  But his life change when Far takes a position commanding a ship with his friends as his crew members as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past.

Almost a year goes by and during a heist on the sinking Titanic (freaking cool, right? AH...this book is amazing), Far meets a mysterious girl that is there before him with the object that he needs and he jumps to his ship before him too.  She makes Far take her as part of her crew because she has more knowledge than him but Far and the crew find out the truth from her later on.  That History is not as steady as it seems and she needs they help to protect history and their future.  And together they go into one adventure that turns into more adventures that you won't want to miss.

Seriously?  Time traveling, going back to the past to crazy amazing places and stealing objects that is worth so much before tragedies happens?  Yeah...pretty amazing.

The end?  Left me wanting more and I really hope we get more of this world, because one book sure wasn't enough.

5 out of 5 stars and totally recommend.

XOXO,

Nelia

Book Review: Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak

First of all, Thank You for NetGalley for this eARC of this book.  Once I saw the cover, I was intrigue and then I read what it was about and the more intrigued I was and I knew that I wanted to read it.  And I am so glad that I got to read this book in July, perfect contemporary.

Let's get to the review...

Publication Date: October 17th

Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak

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From GoodReads:
It’s Christmas, and for the first time in years the entire Birch family will be under one roof. Even Emma and Andrew’s elder daughter—who is usually off saving the world—will be joining them at Weyfield Hall, their aging country estate. But Olivia, a doctor, is only coming home because she has to. Having just returned from treating an epidemic abroad, she’s been told she must stay in quarantine for a week…and so too should her family.

For the next seven days, the Birches are locked down, cut off from the rest of humanity—and even decent Wi-Fi—and forced into each other’s orbits. Younger, unabashedly frivolous daughter Phoebe is fixated on her upcoming wedding, while Olivia deals with the culture shock of being immersed in first-world problems. 

As Andrew sequesters himself in his study writing scathing restaurant reviews and remembering his glory days as a war correspondent, Emma hides a secret that will turn the whole family upside down. 

In close proximity, not much can stay hidden for long, and as revelations and long-held tensions come to light, nothing is more shocking than the unexpected guest who’s about to arrive…

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The Birch family is not your typical family, Andrew, the father is a writer and has a column on a newspaper.  He spends his days going to restaurants and testing their foods and then writing reviews about them.  Emma may be the most normal of them all, she is a stay at home mom, staying home after having the two daughters and dedicating her life to them, and after they were grown?  She just stayed home and dedicated her life to take care of the house and husband.  Olivia is the oldest of their daughters and she is a doctor, she loves to volunteer to third world countries whenever she can.  Phoebe is the youngest and still kind of lives at home, she is spoiled and is currently engaged to a very wealthy guy and family and she cannot wait to plan her wedding.

With all their busy lives, the Birch family don't spend that much time together at all, so when Olivia is coming back from treating an epidemic abroad and tells them that she needs to stay in quarantine for a whole week and that includes her whole family too...well, things get a little interesting.  Emma is all happy about it, because for the first time in years they all going to spend Christmas together even if that means staying in quarantine and keeping a huge secret from her family.  Andrew doesn't know what to think of it, but he goes along, that is until he gets an email that can change their whole entire lives.  Phoebe is so into planning her wedding that she doesn't care where she is for a week.

Things are a little weird and tense for the first few days but things start to get interesting and wild as the days go by because as much as they want to keep things in secret?  Well, the secrets start to come out and Oh My, do things get interesting.

I loved the writing, I love the multiple POVs.  I'm not usually one to read books with so many POVs, and this book had 5 POVs and there wasn't one point in the book where I was confused to who was narrating the book.  I loved how the secrets linked one person to another and another and another, it was so freaking amazing.  I'm not going to give spoilers at all, because it is best going blind into the book and finding out things for yourself and trust me you will appreciate it more.  So much drama and be prepare to laugh and cry and everything else in between.

5 out of 5 stars for sure and totally recommend it.

XOXO,

Nelia

Book Review: And I Darken by Kiersten White

Summer is literally ending people and I am not ready for this...sometimes I wish I could just pack up and go somewhere where Summer is just beginning again.  But, then I may end up getting tired of Summer, right?  So, I will stay where I am an endure the Fall and Winter...well, Fall is actually a really good season, Winter is the killer here lol.  Anyways, let me stop complaining...

And let's get to today's review, shall we?

And I Darken by Keirsten White

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From GoodReads
No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.
But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.


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Princess Lada grew up in a land far from home, not because she wanted too, but because her father gave her and her fragile brother Radu abandoned them in the Ottoman courts and never came back for them.  She still remembers her homeland of Wallachia and since the day of her abandonment she plans her vengeance for the day when she can return and claim her birthright.  

Radu in the order hand only wants a place where he can feel safe and that happens when they meet Mehmed, the lonely son of the sultan.  Radu feels like he finally has a true friend in Mehmed and he will do anything to be with him and to protect him.  Lada isn't so easy to win at first, but with time and as the years go by she finally lets Mehmed in and she starts to think that Mehmed is someone worth of her passion.

In this book we get to see Lada, Radu and Mehmed grow up from little kids all the way to adulthood and see how friendships and relationships change and how ruling an empire can destroy everything.

I was really into this book at the beginning of it and it had lots of promises but the more I read the more I felt like it was dragging and it took longer than I wanted for things to happen.  And I was not a fan of Mehmed.  I loved the ending so maybe I will give the next book a try and see where it goes.

3 out of 5 stars.

XOXO,


Nelia

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Book Review: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Wow, I can't believe that I still haven't reviewed this book yet, I feel like I read this book months ago...wait, I did lol.  Eheheh, I read this the beginning of summer and look at us, it's almost at the end of it...sad.

But not sad to review this beauty of a book, let's go:

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

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From GoodReads:
On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery,” a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

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Safi and Iseult are best friends and as best friends are they are inseparable and ready to protect one another.  Safi is a Truthwitch and it's a power that is best to kept secret because if people find out she has it they would kill to have her on their side as a pawn.

Iseult, is Safi's best friend and a Threadwitch, a Threadwich, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her, but she cannot see the ones that touch her own heart.  

Both girls think they have it easy until one day a Bloodwitch finds out that Safi is a Truthwitch and the battle for survival begins.   The Bloodwitch will go to no ends to find Safi for revenge and the girls end up fighting emperors, princes and mercenaries in order to stay alive and especially to keep them from getting their hands on Safi.  

Be prepared for lots of action, some romance, family issues, but lots of friendship scenes.  This book will give all this and more.  I totally enjoyed myself reading this book and cannot wait to read the next one.

4 out of 5 books.

XOXO,


Nelia

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Book Review: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

Catching up on book reviews...do you do a review for every book you read or just for the ones you really love?  I do a review for all the books that I read, I feel like if my GoodReads doesn't have a review it doesn't feel complete, maybe that's just another OCD that I have...lol.  Oh well...at least I hope I help someone out there with one of my reviews :)

Let's get to today's, right?  Let's go...

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman (Illustrations)

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From GoodReads:
I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.


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First of all, I'm going to confess that I bought this book because of it's cover first and for most, let's admit, it's a beautiful cover.  And then I read the back and I just had to get it because it sounded interesting too, so there you go.  Back to the review lol.

Min broke up with her boyfriend Ed and she is ready to move on, but before that happens, she needs to give back a box.  Inside the box is all the things that he gave her, but also all the things that reminds her of him.  Together with the box, she is giving him a letter, a letter that will explain what each and every thing is and what they mean to her and why they remind her of him and why they should go back to him.  

Min is still writing the letter while we are reading the book, because she is writing the letter on the way to drop the box and letter to her ex's house.  While her friend is driving her there.   Each chapter is an item and we get to know what that item is and what they represented on their relationship and most importantly, we get to know if that item contributed to their break out or not.

This book was such a quick read, why?  Because every time you finished an time/chapter you wanted to read the next one to find out more about.  But once you started to get towards the end?  You end up realizing that this is not a love story with a happy ending book, but still a story that we all need to read and learn from it.

4 out of 5 stars...great writing and loved the illustrations.  The story?  Everyone will get to learn something from somewhere in the book for sure.


XOXO,

Nelia

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Book Review: Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

Can you believe that we are in the middle of August?  I can't...not only Summer flew by (which makes me wicked sad) but this year is flying by too quickly.  Who's with me?

By anyways, let's get back to today's topic and review another book, because with Summer I get really behind on review books...don't blame me, wait, blame me, I just get really lazy during summer.  I just want to suck up the sun and read. lol

Let's do this:

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

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From GoodReads:
A wunderkind young set designer, Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world.
 Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. She’s enigmatic…. She’s beautiful. And she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

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This book, first of all it was like nothing I had read before but at the same time just like another contemporary, you know what I mean?  

Emi, she is out going, friendly, works in the film industry designing movie sets and she has an ex-girlfriend that plays with her heart too many times and she is just done with her.  She is ready to move on from her and find her way to better things.

One day, Emi finds a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend that leads her to Ava.  Ava is a mystery that Emi wants to uncover and she just head over heels to find out everything about her.  She wants to find her and once she finds her, she decides that she wants to help Ava find out about her past.  While she sets her mind to find help Ava find out about her past, the two find themselves growing closer and closer.  

Emi also finds herself in charge by herself, for the first time, of a movie set.  It's her dream and she is ready to prove herself to everyone, including herself that she can do this one project before she goes off to college.  

Ah, I don't want to give out any more, but read so you will know if Emi proved herself on the set of this new movie.  And of course, find out what happens between Emi and Ava, because quite a few things happen between those two.

I loved reading this book, it was surprisingly, a light read but with quite a few twists and that was the kind of book I really enjoy. 

Do I recommend it, of course and I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars so I really recommend it, right?

XOXO,


Nelia

Book Review: Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Why did it take me so long to read this book?  Can someone explain it to me?  I have no freaking clue.  And the best part?  This book has been on my bookshelf for years...just there looking at me and saying: Read Me!!!  Read ME, PLEASE!  And I would take it down and put it back up after a few days.  But, I finally read it, mostly because I knew there was a movie coming out this year (don't blame me lol) but I read it, right?  Right...let's get to it:


Wonder by R. J. Palacio

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From GoodReads:
August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.



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So, Auggie is ready to start 5th grade, it's the first time is going to be around kids, because he has been homeschooled his whole life, but he is ready...or so he thinks.  His has a facial deformity and he has have multiple surgeries his entire life, but he really wants to just be a regular kid who is in school studying like everyone else, but can he be?

Of course not, not only is Auggie the new kid, he is also the new kid with a face that is deformed, which causes most of the kids to make fun of him or to not even acknowledge him at all.  Life has never been easier for Auggie and he has made himself a hard shell for these types of things but been a big school with dozens and dozens of kids looking at you the way they do and talking about him?  It is hard.

Luckily for Auggie he ends up make just a couple friends and from there things get a tiny bit easier but something else happens and then something else happens...Auggie's year at Beecher Prep is nothing like he planned it to be but he also teached Auggie and all its students there a few life lessons.

I really recommend reading this book, yourself, your kids and everyone in between.  Why? Because it will make you laugh, it will make you cry but I really think the main thing that will teach you, is to be kind to one another.

5 out 5 stars and I cannot wait to watch the movie too!

XOXO,


Nelia

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Book Review: Fallen Heir by Erin Watt

Eheheh...So, I was one of the lucky ones to get an early copy of this book and I just want to start to say THANK YOU to the authors for send it to me and allowing me to be totally ruined by the Royals again :)

If you haven't started to read The Royals...you are totally missing you.  If you are like me and love some romance with some lots of drama, then The Royals are the series for you.  I started reading them last year, by reading book 1 as a buddy read right before book 2 came out and OMG, once I was done?  I needed that 2nd book right away, Thank God, book 2 was coming out in only two afters after I finished.  Needless to say I devoured that book and then was book hangover for a while. lol  Book three come out a few months later and now book four is here and I was so ready for it, more than ready.  So, let's get to the review.  But first let me leave your with the link for the review of the first book: Paper Princess

This will be a spoiler free review...let's do it.


Fallen Heir by Erin Watt

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From GoodReads
These Royals will ruin you.

Easton Royal has it all: looks, money, intelligence. His goal in life is to have as much fun as possible. He never thinks about the consequences because he doesn’t have to.

Until Hartley Wright appears, shaking up his easy life. She’s the one girl who’s said no, despite being attracted to him. Easton can’t figure her out and that makes her all the more irresistible.

Hartley doesn’t want him. She says he needs to grow up.

She might be right.

Rivals. Rules. Regrets. For the first time in Easton’s life, wearing a Royal crown isn’t enough. He’s about to learn that the higher you start, the harder you fall.
 

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How do you feeling being inside Easton's head?  This is the book that we have all wanted and desired, right?  But seriously, how do you feel?  I'm speechless, that's for sure.  We all knew that Easton had some demons and needed some help, but damn, I never thought that he was this dark and so...I don't even know if I have the right word to describe him yet.  

Let me back up, Easton is on his Senior year of high school and he cannot wait to be done with it, literally.  He doesn't think he should waste that much time studying, so he just gives enough effort to get a passing grade.  The only thing he wants out of his Senior year is to have fun and be with as many girls as he can, he is a Royal, right?

What he didn't imagine was meeting a new face at school this year, Hartley Wright and for her to ignore him and not wanting anything to do with him.  Ah, but he is not one to give up, so he makes it a challenge to win her over and make her fall for him.  But, he never thought during that process he was going to be the one falling for a simple girl with hidden secrets, someone who he is willing to do so much more than he realizes.  

But is Hartley ready to let Easton in?  And is Easton ready to really grow up and face life?

And be ready for another cliffhanger as only Erin Watt knows how to do...but be prepared because this one is like nothing you have ever imaged and I'm still speechless and don't know what to do with myself.  WHAT am I going to do?  I need the next book NOW.. ;( 

5 out of 5 stars for sure...Royals have ruined me and I won't have it any other way.

Easton...Hartley...my heart is aching.

XOXO,

Nelia

Monday, August 14, 2017

Book Review: The Irish Getaway by Siobhan Davis

I'm pretty sure by know you have heard me talking about the Kennedy Boys series, but if you haven't yet, please do me and yourself a favor and start this series, because it's all the drama and yummiest you need in your life, trust me!  It's the contemporary series of the moment and Siobhan doesn't disappoint you with all the drama, romance, hot guys and twists after twist in these books.  I can't get enough of this family and I hope she doesn't stop writing books about all of them and maybe a more :)

Of course, this is a novella, so it's book 3.5 of the series so don't spoil yourself and start from the beginning, here is my review to the first three books; Finding Kyler, Losing Kyler and Keeping Kyler and now let's jump to this one.

The Irish Getaway by Siobhan Davis

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From GoodReads:
It’s the summer before they start college, and Faye and Ky are visiting her home turf together—it’s Ky’s first time in Ireland, and her first trip home since her parent’s tragic death. 

After a blissful three weeks on their own, they welcome the rest of the Kennedy clan when they arrive on Irish soil for the vacation of a lifetime. 
Watch the sparks fly as family emotions run high and the Kennedy boys’ party up a storm, creating mayhem and madness wherever they go.


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So, Faye and Ky go to Ireland a few weeks ahead of the whole family just to spend some alone time and it's just what they need.  They get just the right amount of time alone they needed to get to know Faye's home land and her friends.  They visit just a few places together, because they leave the most touristy ones for the whole family.  And they spend lots of time together with her friends, getting to know them.  But they also get to spend lots of down time alone doing nothing, which brings them together even more.

Then, the Kennedys' arrive, the whole entire gang and things go from been nice and quiet to Kennedy crazy.  The first few days go alright, they go sightseeing and do lots of touristy things together, but the moment all the young ones go out at night by themselves things go wild and out of hand.  Well, they go Kennedy wild crazy and you just love how those kids behave and somehow things always work out in the end.  As the days go by, things get more wild and crazy and somewhat dangerous and as always, Kennedy's stick together and help each other.

We get to see the oldest Kennedy brothers more in this novella and get to know them a little more, (THANK YOU SIOBHAN), I freaking loved it so much.  Some crazy and more mysterious stuff happened and I'm dying to find out what it was all about. AHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Kal, if you have had the opportunity to read book 4 and read this one know, you see how Kal got to be Kal in book 4.  But if you haven't read book 4 yet and this one if out, read this one and it will easy you in into book 4 and you won't regret.

Am I the only one that is madly in love with Keaton?  I love that boy, he is soft, sincere, lovely and he needs epic story.  :)

The triplets, Kent...he is the one that worries me the most, the other two?  They aren't so bad and they actually were pretty open to everything in this book, even Keanu opened up a little to Faye, progress, right?

This novella was one word: Perfect.  Crave for the Kennedy boys satified?  Yes.  Drama? Yes.  Hot guys? Of Course?  Mystery? Yes.   

And at the end of it we got so more content than we asked for, I personally couldn't be more happy.

5 out of 5 stars.

XOXO,

Nelia

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Book Review: Saven Deliverance by Siobhan Davis

Time for another book review and this is the last book of the Saven series, if you love Aliens and romance and lots of political intrigue and everything in between?  This series is for you...

As always this will contain spoilers if you haven't read the first four books so don't read it if you haven't.  And here are my reviews: Saven Deception, Saven Disclosure, Saven Denial, Saven Defiance.

Let's get to it:

Saven Deliverance by Siobhan Davis


From GoodReads:
I’ve been lied to and betrayed my whole life.
Revealing the truth is the only thing that matters.
The truth truly will set us free.


With the political landscape shifting in the galaxy, and the tenuous situation on Earth growing more fraught by the day, Sadie knows time is running out to save mankind. Torn between conflicting agendas, she is forced to make difficult choices that lead to bloody battles and situations she’s not entirely comfortable with. 

But this is war, and war means sacrifice.

Ax’s betrayal weighs heavy on her heart and her mind, but it doesn’t override her concern for his welfare. Her desire to protect both the boys she loves is as strong as ever. 

Logan has been inaugurated as the new Saven king, but he’s struggling to cope with the pressure of responsibility and the revelation about who Axton is. His people are strongly opposed to Sadie, but she is his forever love and he won’t do anything without her by his side. Faced with impossible obstacles, he is preparing to make the ultimate sacrifice in the name of love.

When the final battle draws near, and it’s time to fight the enemy head on, who will be left standing? And will there be anything left to fight for?


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Sadie and Logan are together and ready to fight and save the mankind, but they know it won't be easy, especially who they have to fight in order to save the rest.

Sadie still cannot believe what Ax did and his betrayal hurts even when she doesn't want it to.  But she is willing to prove both boys that she loves them both, each in a different way and she is going to make them understand how important they are to her.

Logan is the new Saven king, but it's not an easy task, things in Saven is not easy and some of his people are strongly against Sadie, but he is not giving up in proving that she is the right person to be by his side.  He will do anything to prove it, even if he has to make a sacrifice.

Be prepared for lots and lots of actions, but also lots of romance and friendship moments.  And the end will not disappoint you at all. 

Loved how this book wrapped up the whole series, once I was done?  I wanted more and ended up reading another one of it's novellas :)

5 out of 5 stars and I totally recommend this series to anyone who loves some aliens with romance and war and action in it.

What are you waiting for, go read it!!!!

XOXO,

Nelia


Thursday, August 3, 2017

August 2017 TBR

August is here and it's time to decide which books to read, and it's getting harder...why?  Because I have so many books that I want to finish and new books that I want to read and I don't which ones to read first.  AH...this is really a life dilemma, right?  LOL

Let's see which books I have so far on my TBR...

August TBR


1. City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson: Reading this one for Diversity Challenge

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2. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon: Contemporary

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3. Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown: I'm kind in the mood this month for mysteries and thrillers so...

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4. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch: I have been wanting to read this one forever and this is the month for sure.

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5. Invictus by Ryan Graudin: Got this one from NetGalley and the synopsis is SOOO promising. I cannot wait to read it.

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6. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty: I mean there is a TV series and I haven't watch it because I haven't read this book so...I'm going to read it so I can watch, period. :)


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7. Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak: Got this one from NetGalley and love the intriguing synopsis too. Family secrets...yeah.

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8. Loving Kalvin by Siobhan Davis (read and LOVED IT-I even have a review up already lol)

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9-The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson (currently reading-didn't finish this one last month so I'm getting to it now)

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These are the 9 books that I have so far on my TBR for August, 1 I have already finished and I'm already on my second one...I really want to read all of these and read more books too :)

What are you reading this month?  Have you read any of the above?

XOXO,

Nelia

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Book Review: Loving Kalvin by Siobhan Davis

Guess what? It's time for another book review and not just another book review, it's book 4 of The Kennedy Boys and probably one of the favorites of the Kennedy boys too.  Have you started reading this series yet?  If not, what are you waiting for?  Here are my reviews for the first three books which is the trilogy about Fay and Ky and be prepared for a holler coaster, because it is nothing like you have read before. Finding Kyler, Losing Kyler, Keeping Kyler.  You may think it is while you are reading the first book, but stick around and grab that second book because the twists and surprises are there and you will love it...and I'm going to shut the heck up and get to this review because OH MY...this book was everything!!!!


Loving Kalvin by Siobhan Davis

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From GoodReads:
Lana I knew it would end in disaster, but I didn’t listen to reason. I didn’t care. Because I loved him so much. Kalvin Kennedy ruled my heart. Until he destroyed it. Shattered it so completely that I became someone else. Someone I loathed. Someone who repeatedly lied to her loved ones.So, I ran. From him. From myself. Desperate to hide my new reality.But I could only run so far. When he reappears in my life, I’m terrified. Unbelievably scared of facing the consequences of my actions.Never mind that I still love him and want him so badly—there’s too much at stake now.How can I trust him with the biggest secret of all when he’s likely to rip my world apart again?
Kalvin Lana was always far too good for me. Everyone knew it but her. I tried to stay away, but I was weak. And I hurt her. Crushed her until she barely resembled herself. Forced her to follow a path she would never have willingly chosen. And then she was gone.And my world has never felt as empty, as lonely.She begged me to stay away. Not to find her. To forget she ever existed.But that’s like asking me to slice my heart in two and toss half aside. I’ve never believed in fate, but when I rock up to the University of Florida, I’m ready to eat my words.Because she’s here. Like I hoped she would be. And I’m determined to prove I deserve a second chance.


SPOILERS...

Lana and Kalvin's story is the love story that we all wanted and Siobhan didn't disappointed us at all.  She actually gave us more than we asked for.  

Lana, I'm not going to lie, you may start the book not liking her too much after what she did to Kalvin, but slowly and very slowly you warm up to her and start to understand and start to forgive to her.  

Kalvin, he is the same and not the same at the same time.  Am I even making sense?  He has changed on some expects, he is not the playboy that he was before, but he is the same caring Kalvin that we fell in love with.  

Kalvin had to work hard to win Lana back as she blamed herself over and over again for what she did to herself and to Kalvin the most and she just couldn't forgive herself at all and it took forever for her to realize that it was okay to let it go and to give their love and their relationship another change.  And not only that, she had to believe in Kalvin again and believe that he had changed and that he truly loved her and wanted to be with her.  

Not only these two have to work out old issues and secrets and old wounds, they also will have to work out new secrets too.  And also face together their families and friends and everyone in between.

This books gave me so many feelings, good feelings, really good feelings.  Once I started reading I couldn't stop and I now that I'm done I want more of these two.  Thank Go there will be more of the Kennedys and hopefully we will get to see more these lovely characters :)

How many stars?  I would give a million, but the max is 5 and 5 it is!!!!!!  I TOTALLY, TOTALLY recommend this book and all the ones that are out right one.  You will  not regret, be prepared because you will get sucked in and hocked on the Kennedys!  Can't wait for the next one!

XOXO,

Nelia


Tuesday, August 1, 2017

July 2017 Wrap Up

Guys today is the last day of July...HOW did this happen?  This month flew by and this summer is definitely flying way too fast :(

July was an amazing month, there were many sunny days that we enjoyed at the boat, boating, at the beach and when the weather was so so, we took the car and drove to find more hidden beautiful places.  We ate a lot, enjoyed friends and family and I read, I read lots of books, really amazing books.  So, let's talk about those books a little?  Yeah, let's do that :)

July Wrap Up


1. History is all you left Me by Adam Silvera: 4 Stars- This is my first Adam Silvera's book and it was a ride that's for sure. Griffin drove me crazy at times and broken my heart at others, overall?  I really, really enjoyed it.

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2. Night by Elie Wiesel: 5 Stars- I love me some WW2 stories and this one is...no words, just read it.

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3. Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han 5 Stars-I read it and loved how Jenny Han wrapped this trilogy up.  And then the end of this month I found out that are making this trilogy into a movie?  What?  YEAH!!!!!! I cannot wait :)

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4. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple 4 Stars-It was a good story, different point of views and very interesting.

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5. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare 5 Stars-Now I know why it took me so long to read this book, I didn't want it to end.  I LOVE it, I flew  through this huge book and when I was done?  I wanted more and I couldn't get it out of my head for days and days after it.

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6. We Are The Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson-3.5 Stars-I had heard so many things about this book, but I didn't think it was that amazing, sorry.  It was okay, but that's just my opionion.

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7.  A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 5 Stars-Now this one? It was funny, sad and sooo good.  Totally recommend it.

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8. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire 5 Stars-I don't know how it was possible to write such a great story in such a small book, but Seanan McGuire did and I love it.  I cannot wait to read the next book.

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9.  Saga Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan 5 Stars-SO GOOD

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10. Saga Volume 7 by Brian K. Vaughan 5 Stars-It just keeps getting better :)

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11. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo 5 Stars- I will admit, I went into this book thinking that it was too hyped and that I will probably not like it.  WRONG, WRONG and WRONG!  I'm SO in love with this book and story line, I cannot wait to read the next book and I don't know why I didn't read it earlier.  Did I mention how obsessed I am with this book? SO OBSESSED :)

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12. The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Person (Currently Reading)- I cannot wait to finish this one, another one of my favorite trilogies that I started a while ago and took forever to continue.  What is wrong with me?  Too many books that is what is wrong with me lol

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13. Loving Kalvin by Siobhan Davis (currently reading) OMG this book is SOOO amazing.  I usually don't like to read two books at once, but once Siobhan sent me this book yesterday I just couldn't put it down.  I read a quarter of it in one siting and would have read the whole entire book if I didn't have to work today lol.

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And that is all the books I read in July, SO MANY GREAT BOOKS, how many?  Definitely 11 and then two quarters of the new ones I read so 11 and half books?  It sound about right, right?  Right!  And I wish I read more, lots of more because the year is going by so quick and I want to read lots of more books :(

What books did you read this month?  Any of your favorites here?

XOXO,

Nelia

Monday, July 31, 2017

Book Review: The Circle by Dave Eggers

It has been while since I have done a book review and there isn't a really good excuse besides that I have just been busy enjoying summer lol.  And been lazy too...but my laziness consists of reading and reading lots of it and that means that I'm really behind on book reviews. So, let's start by reviewing this one:

The Circle by Dave Eggers

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From goodreads:
When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world's most powerful internet company, she feels she's been give the opportunity of a lifetime.  The Circle, run out of a sprawling California campus, links users' personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency.  As Mae tours the open-plan office spaces, the towering glass dining facilities, the cozy dorms for those who spend nights at work, she is thrilled with the company's modernity and activity.  There are parties that lasts through the night, there are famous musicians playing on the lawn, there are athletic activities and clubs and brunches, and even an aquarium of rare fish retrieved from the Marianas Trench by the CEO.  Mae can't believe her luck, her great fortune to work for the most influential company in the world-even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public.  What begins as a captivating story of one woman's ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.


Okay, I knew that I wanted to read this book first and for most because there is a movie out based on it and I really like to read the books first before watching the movies.  So, I got the book and started reading and I really don't know what I was expecting but the more I read...the more weird it got.  That's the best I can describe it.  It definitely took me by surprise, that's for sure, it is like nothing I have read before, I will give that.  But, I still can't get how weird it was.

Alright, let's back up a little, Mae is our main character and she isn't happy with her life so she asks her best friend who is a big shot at the Circle to help her get a job there and the friend does just that.  Mae gets a job working at customer service, because everybody should start at the bottom and work their way up, that's the way the Circle works.  Mae isn't really sure how everything works at the Circle either so when she starts to find out she isn't too sure how she feels about it, and when the CEOs come up with their new invention which is more clarity and more transparency, which basically means your life becomes public, Mae is iffy about it but when something happens to her and she ends up wearing one of the cameras and becomes one of the first people to become transparent.  She ends up liking it and loves how everyone knows her and how when she is helping a customer, they end up knowing who she is and they end up having a conversation and become more engaged.  Here life goes from been an unknown person to one of the most popular person.

Her parents are not so onboard with this and she ends up losing someone really close to her...her social life goes sky high but she does lose some close people in the end too.  But, the public loves this kind of thing and we see how this kind of thing can become popular and could work...so for me it's kind of scary.  How about you?

Read it and let me know.  And if you have read it, what do you think?  Will you like the world to be like The Circle?

I ended up giving 3.5 stars.

XOXO,

Nelia