Blog Tour Special: Veer by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Only when you let go can you learn to live.

Between the death of her mother and pushing through law school without her best friend, it's been a tough year for Becca. Needing a break from Boston, she moves to a tiny coastal North Carolina town for a relaxing summer. After bumping heads repeatedly with a local cop, she realizes her summer will be anything but quiet.

Three years after a career ending injury ruins his chance to play Major League Baseball, Gavin has a distrust of northerners and lately girls in general. He wants nothing to do with a girl who is only in town for the summer.

When the two give in to their impossible attraction, they realize that they may just have found the key to freeing themselves from the ghosts of their pasts.


**Review copy provided by author for an honest review**

I love romance. I love it. It makes me so happy and I absolutely love reading it. However, when I say that I love romance, I also should mention that I don't expect great things from it. So when I had the chance to read Veer by Alyssa Rose Ivy I was pretty excited. Initially I thought Veer was just your typical adult romance novel. However, I later discovered that it fell into the new adult category. I was a bit shy of this at first because I have had fairly bad experiences with the new adult Phenomena.

In saying that, 

I really enjoyed Veer. I thought it was a pretty good novel. I will say I think it's more adult romance than new adult but that's just my opinion. I was surprised with how much I did like Veer, because a few weeks ago I read Derailed by Ivy and I was not impressed. 

The story begins with the meeting of the two protagonists, Becca and Gavin. This is where I chuckle because these two DID not get along! At all. It was down right hostile. And as a reader you can't help but laugh at this, because you know it has to work out. These two are meant for each other. Things slowly move along and before you know it the two are in love and living happily ever after. 

The things that I liked the most about Veer were the characters and the relationships they had with one another. I really liked the relationship between Becca and Jake. They were just friends and could hang out and that was it. What kind of annoyed me was that sometimes Becca was a total jerk to Jake. She would say things to him and I would be like, "where did that come from?" It was vaguely suggested in the book that Jake wasn't a good guy or he had a shady past, but we saw none of that in Veer. He seemed like a sweet caring friend. So when Becca would treat him badly, I got annoyed. Becca and Gavin's relationship was sweet. That's basically all I can say about it. They were so darn cute. They hit some rough patches (which has to happen in most romance novels), but they worked through them. I liked seeing their relationship evolve. 

While the writing in Veer wasn't stellar, it also wasn't bad. As I mentioned before I read another of Alyssa Rose Ivy's novels, one that was written before this one and I thought it was terrible. So bad I thought I was going to hate this one as well. But I was surprised to see how much her writing had matured from book one to book two. I think that with every book that Ivy writes her skills as an author are going to get better, and I think that's very exciting. 

Overall, I enjoyed Veer for it's romance and the characters. I really liked seeing the author grow as a writer and I look forward to future books from her.  

~Happy Reading Everyone!! 

Top Ten Tuesday- Most Annoying Characters

It has been a couple of weeks (ok- maybe even before the new year) that I have given you a list. I apologize. But I am back, and I hope you like this week's topic.

**Posting this super late and I could only come up with five- oh well**

Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters Ever

1) Alaska in Looking for Alaska by John Green- This may come as a shock for you all, seeing as I love John Green to the point of almost worshiping him. But When I first read this book I really really did not like Alaska's character. She drove me absolutely insane, and I hated how she was able to get everyone to do what she wanted. I have yet to reread the book, and I plan to- I would like to see if my opinions have changed. 

2) Gabriel in Fever by Lauren DeStefano- Although I wasn't a huge fan of Gabriel throughout the whole series, her really irritated me in Fever. I thought he was a little bit of a pansy in this book in particular. I felt like he really didn't step up to the plate when he could have. Oh well. 

3) Lila in Red Glove by Holly Black- I think that I didn't like about Lila was how much Cassel loved her. That really annoyed me. There was absolutely no reason for him to adore her as much as he did. I think what frustrated me about her was the same thing that irritated me about Alaska. I can't really put my finger on it. 

4) Jace in City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare- Normally I really like Jace. I find his sarcasm hysterical and I think he's pretty witty and well written. In City of Fallen Angels he was SO moody and woe is me. This drove me insane and I was so frustrated with him. I couldn't really get into the book because of this. 

5) Eva in Reflected in You by Sylvia Day- Reflected in You is the second book in the Crossfire series, and whoa, did I ever despise Gideon Cross. But more than my hatred for Gideon Cross was how frustrating and annoying Eva was. She was such a push over. I wanted so badly for her to grow some and walk away from the bastard guy. In the beginning I felt sorry for, but by the end I just wanted to smack her. 

I guess I don't really get annoyed with characters that often. Go me!

Happy Reading Everyone! 

My Thoughts: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

**Arc received from Raincoast books for my honest review**

When Marissa Meyer's Scarlet first came to me I was nervous. Mostly because I wasn't sure what to expect. While I had read Cinder and really enjoyed, the novel was absolutely out of my comfort zone. I don't generally read sci fi and Cinder was sci fi completely. But I loved the book (you can see how much here).  So, while I was excited for Scarlet I was unsure I would like it as much as Cinder.

Let me tell you now, I LOVED Scarlet. It was absolutely fantastic. I am completely enthralled with this series.

What I liked the most about Scarlet was the new story. Don't get me wrong, Scarlet picks up right where Cinder left off, but it adds a new piece to the story and that piece was well done. I don't want to give to much away about the story. However I will say that the telling of the two stories, both Scarlet and Cinder's were seamless. The dual point of views was perfect and never confusing. I found that it made the story that much more fun to read. It was also really entertaining trying to figure out where everything connected.

What I also really liked about Scarlet, which I also really liked about Cinder were the characters. Meyer introduces us to a slew of new characters in Scarlet. The most obvious being Scarlet herself- I really liked her character. She was feisty, determined and strong. She is exactly the kind of female protagonist I like to see in young adult novels. Her love interest, Wolf was an interesting character and I could never fully understand what he was up to. He was very mysterious and it was lot of fun trying to figure him out. Than there was Throne, Cinder's travelling companion. He is easily the funniest character of the whole novel. The majority of the characters in Scarlet are pretty serious and Throne was definitely the comic relief. I am looking forward to reading more about him and I have read that he as a more prevalent role in Cress.

There were a number of other new characters in Scarlet and they were all really fantastic. And it was really a pleasure to read about them all.

Marissa Meyer is a wonderful writer and both of her novels were absolute gems. If you think that sci fi isn't your thing I would suggest giving the Cinder and Scarlet a try. They are futuristic re-tellings of your favourite fairy tales and they are done so well all I can do is gush about how much I loved them. I can't wait until I get to read Cress and find out what's in store for the girls and their friends.

Scarlet hits shelves February 5th- so don't miss out.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

From Book to Movie- Silver Linings Playbook

Meet Pat Peoples. Pat has a theory: his life is a movie produced by God. And his God-given mission is to become physically fit and emotionally literate, whereupon God will ensure him a happy ending—the return of his estranged wife, Nikki. (It might not come as a surprise to learn that Pat has spent several years in a mental health facility.)

The problem is, Pat’s now home, and everything feels off. No one will talk to him about Nikki; his beloved Philadelphia Eagles keep losing; he’s being pursued by the deeply odd Tiffany; his new therapist seems to recommend adultery as a form of therapy. Plus, he’s being haunted by Kenny G!

When I first saw the trailer for The Silver Linings Playbook- months and months ago- I was totally enthralled. It looked like my kind of movie. A super quirky romantic comedy. At the time I had no idea that it was a book written by Matthew Quick. It wasn't until I saw it at my university bookstore that I realized that a movie I had been dying to see was in fact a film adaptation of a book. I immediately knew that I wanted to read it.

Although I have yet to read the book (I'm on the waiting list at my local library), I have seen the movie and I will be the first to tell you it is worth all the hype that it's been getting. The Silver Linings Playbook is not just a quirky rom com. It's an incredibly insightful look into mental illness and the affects it can have on families and friends. I really enjoyed the movie and I am very curious about the book.

I think both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence did a fantastic job with the characters (now remember, this is me saying this having not read the book). I haven't seen to many reactions of those who have read the book and not enjoyed the film. But I am looking forward to reading it and seeing how it compares to the movie.

Have you read the book and seen the movie? What are your thoughts?

~Happy Reading Everyone! 

My Thoughts: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Well, welcome to the first of what hopefully will be a number of audiobook reviews.  I have never specifically reviewed an audiobook before so I hope you bare with me. 

__

I wasn't sure I was going to read The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater when I first began hearing about it. I had read her Wolves of Mercy Falls series (Shiver, Linger and Forever), and I wasn't terribly impressed with them. When I say I wasn't all that impressed with them, what I really mean was that I didn't like the story. I thought it was a tad boring. However I absolutely appreciated Stiefvater's writing. I thought it was eloquent and it read smoothly. So although I didn't think I was going to read the first in her new series, this decision wasn't absolute. It was many bloggers (Pam) who really convinced me to give it a try.  So when I saw the audiobook at the library I thought, why not.

It took me a little while to get into this novel and this time I don't think it was the story. I think it was the narrator. A fellow by the name of Will Patton narrates The Raven Boys and although he doesn't have a bad reading voice it was just very one dimensional. He read the book to me, that was it. There was little else to it. I am not sure exactly how to say this. But some of the best audiobooks were really great experiences for me were Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Will Grayson, Will Grayson which was largely because of the amazing narrators. I think what was missing from this specific audiobook was a second reader. I think that would have broken it up it a bit it would have been better. I think if you have one narrator they need to be able to change their voice and embody every character in some small manner.

 In terms of Will Patten I think he would be better suited for novels with less mystery or less of a paranormal edge. He is no stranger to audiobook narration though. He's got a number of novels under his belt. I won't not listen to a novel because he is narrating it. I will just be better prepared for it.

The Raven Boys was a wonderful story and I loved it. I was floored that this was the same woman who had written The Wolves of Mercy Falls. This story was full of mystery and suspense. It was flirty and charming. I really enjoyed it. The writing was flawless- Maggie knows what she's doing there. I really adored Blue and her friendship with the Aglionby boys. I am very much looking forward to reading more of the series.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

Stacking the Shelves (7)

Welcome to the very first Stacking the Shelves of 2013. This is so very exciting for me. I hope you enjoy. 

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews. 

Books Mentioned

Library:

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Gifted/Schoolish:

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah 

From Goodreads: 

Sever by Lauren DeStefano

Won: 

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

**Thanks to Garage and Simon and Schuster Canada**

For Review:

Unremembered by Jessica Brody- I totally said Jennifer in my video-- whoops

**Thanks to Rain Coast**

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff 

**Thanks for Penguin Canada and Razorbill**

That's it for me this week- leave links below so I can check out your hauls. 

~Happy Reading Everyone! 

2012 End of the Year Book Survey

I love reflecting back to the books that I have read and my bookish experiences. Which is why I love the end of the year book survey that Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner hosts. I think I've participated since the beginning. And I am glad to bring it to you today.

1. Best Book You Read In 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want)

How on earth is it possible to answer this question? Pick a single book? Yeah right. I'm picking from genres. 

Young Adult: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpartick- The characters in this book were awesome.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green- Talk about a cry fest and a book I still think about often. 

Adult: All Fall Down by Megan Hart- This was a pretty intense novel. I am a huge Hart fan.
The Host by Stephenie Meyer- Wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did. But I have to say it was one of my favourites. 

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

There are a few novels that I read this year that I was SO excited for was sure I would love but didn't. 

Fracture by Megan Miranda- I wasn't all that impressed with this novel. I wanted more. 

Tempest by Julie Cross- Again, I wanted more. There was just SO much hype regarding this novel and I totally fell for it. 

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?

This was probably one of the easiest questions so far. 

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks- I really liked this novel and I wasn't thinking that I would. I really enjoyed the characters. They were well rounded and complex. It was really good. 

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky- was one that I recommended a lot. 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green- I recommended a lot. I'm sorry if you've noticed me talk about it a lot. I'm sorry. But it was a beautiful book. 

 5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

I read a lot of firsts in a series this year, a lot. But none that I have read two or more of. SO I will list the book series that I plan on continuing with. 

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows- I loved this book. I thought it was SO good and I am very excited for Asunder. 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo- I really liked this story and I am excited to see where it goes. 

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

Huntley Fitzpatrick (My Life Next Door)- I loved this book and I think that Fitzpatrick is going to be one of those authors that I will read no matter what the story is about. That;s how wonderful it was. 

Gayle Foreman (If I Stay and Where She Went)- Both books contained such beautiful writing. Overall I really loved reading both books. 

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

Cinder by Marissa Meyer- This book I would consider pretty sci fi. and I don't read sci fi. Not at all. But I read this one and it was absolutely one of the best books I have read in 2012. It was so good. I am reading Scarlet now and I am really enjoying it. 

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake- I loved this book. I thought it was so much fun to read and super creepy. I wanted to know what was going on and how it was going to end. So for me this was for sure the most thrilling. 

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

If I had time to reread books:

If I Stay by Gayle Foreman- I loved that books (as I am sure you noticed). And I am sure I'll sit down one day and want to reread it. 

Lover Reborn by JR Ward- I always find myself rereading the Black Dagger Brotherhood novels. Whether I realize it or not. I love them and I'll sit down to skim it and all of a sudden I've read half the book and by then I think I might as well finish it. 

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

 I love the cover of this novel. I think it is absolutely beautiful! I love the bold colours, and I love how the cover capture the mystery of the novel. It is fantastic. 

11. Most memorable character in 2012?

I am totally going to sound like a broken record, and I am sort of sorry, but not really. But...

George Garett from My Life Next Door- At four George Garett is a star. He was hysterical and irrational and so full of wit and charm. I loved him. I smile just thinking about him. He really added to the novel and I wonder if  I would have liked the book as much if he hadn't been in it. 

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

I should just stop now. 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

If I Stay by Gayle Foreman

All Fall Down by Megan Hart 

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?

I really should stop now...

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green- This novel kept me up at night for weeks after I read it. There were things that were discussed that really stayed with me and made me thing about life and death and family and taking things for granted, and loving life. How could it not stay with me and have a huge impact on my life. 

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?

Catching Fire and Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins- Yes I only finished The Hunger Games series this year (I only started reading it last). But why? I have no idea. 

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan- Laughed SO hard throughout this book. But don't get me wrong. Will Grayson, Will Grayson is more than just comedic contemporary novel. It has depth to it. 

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012?

"I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.”

John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

                                                                                                    

“Peeing is like a good book in that it is very, very hard to stop once you start.”

John Green, Paper Towns

Now you can see why I am obsessed with John Green. 

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012?

Longest: Lover Reborn by JR Ward at 572 pages- This one was HUGE, but I flew through it. 

Shortest: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald- Itty bitty baby book that I read in a day. It was an interesting read. 

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

I feel like there were a bunch of those in The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. The whole book was one huge WTF? Especially the end. 

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Romantic: Noah and Echo from Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry- Loved their relationship SO much. It was beautiful.

and yes...

Hazel and Augustus from The Fault in Our Stars

Platonic: Samantha/Jase and Tim from My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick- Time really needed a friend in this book and I think both Sam and Jase are that to him. Which was beautiful. It was also wonderful to see how much of a friend Tim was able to be to both of them as well. Totally heartwarming. 

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously

Broken record...

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan- I'm sorry. But I read three books written by John Green this year and they've-all three- been incredible experiences. 

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake- There were a number of people who told me I needed to read this book. I don't think I would have without the push. I am very glad that I finally caved and read it.

That is my 2012 End of the Year Book Survey. I only do the first part, so as not to bore you. Also I have some resolutions I want to share later with you all.

~Happy Reading Everyone.