*Review* We Were Liars – E. Lockhart

 We Were Liars

E. Lockhart

Read 1-24-14

Source: Netgalley

Add it on Goodreads!

 A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
 
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

I went into this book half blind and decided to request it from Netgalley since I had seen a few high star reviews, so I decided to give it a shot and I am certainly glad I did.  There was a lot I really enjoyed about this story and it has stayed with me since I finished it and I think it will stay with me for a while after.

The main character, Cadence, is part of a group of friends that call themselves the Liars.  I am not sure if I just didn’t pick up on something, but I’m still not sure why they call themselves the Liars, especially since the adults lied more than the group did.  But, anyway, Cadence we get to see before and after her accident and how it affects her.  Her friends are each very different from one another and have different personalities, so they stand out well from each other.

“Gat seemed spring-loaded.  Like he was searching for something.  He was contemplation and enthusiasm   Ambition and strong coffee.  I could have looked at him forever.”

Though there wasn’t a lot of action going on, I enjoyed the writing style, which felt lyrical and poetic.  It isn’t fast-paced, but it still keeps a hold on you and makes you want to read more.  For me, it is beautiful and honest writing.  One of my favorite things about this story was the ending.  Generally, it takes a lot to surprise me, and this story did it and it will tug at your heart strings in the process.  Also, there are some time jumps back and forth a few times, so if you are someone who gets confused by time jumps, just be warned because sometimes flashbacks just jump right in.

Definitely a book I recommend, especially if you are a contemporary fan or enjoy surprise endings.  Beautiful and tragic, one you won’t quickly forget.

Beautiful writing, surprise ending, enthralling, powerful.

Waiting on Wednesday (56)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week I am waiting on:

 White Space
Ilsa J. Bick

Release 2-11-14

 Ilsa Bick’s WHITE SPACE, pitched as The Matrix meets Inkheart, about a seventeen-year-old girl who jumps between the lines of books and into the white space where realities are created and destroyed – but who may herself be nothing more than a character written into being from an alternative universe, to Greg Ferguson at Egmont, in a two-book deal, by Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (NA).

Why I’m Waiting:

This just sounds really fascinating!  Imagine how cool it would be to be able to jump into books like that.  This is definitely one I am excited for!  What are you Waiting on this week?

Cover Crush (59)

 Cover Crush is my meme here at On The Shelf where beautiful and eye-catching covers are spotlighted!  Any cover can be showcased whether it be old or new, read or still sitting in your TBR stack.  Please join in, link up and enjoy some beautiful covers!

My Cover:

Donate Body to Science. Check.
When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she was.

Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome, brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and computer worlds.

Why I’m Crushing:

This is a really cool robotic kind of cover.  I like the way her body is mechanically sectioned and that you only see her back and leg, like she is afraid to show us herself because of what she now is.  I also love the color!  Teal is one of my favorite colors and I love how this pops with it.  I also really like the font and how crazy looking it is.  The cover is on the simpler side, so it is okay to have the fancier font.  What do you guys think of this cover?  Have one of your own?  Link up below and share your Cover Crushes 🙂

Truth or Dare (9)

 

Truth or Dare is a fun new meme hosted by Jenna over at Jenna Does Books that is a bookish challenge based on the game of the same name.  Chose truth for a discussion type question or prompt, or if you are feeling a bit more adventurous, chose dare!  You can even choose both tasks if you like.  So…Truth or Dare?

For this week’s ToD I picked:

DARE: Go into a bookstore and take three pictures of books that catch your eye. Talk about them!

For my three books, I picked one I haven’t read, one I did read and liked and one I did read but didn’t like.

 Each time I walk by the YA section at Barnes and Noble, this one is on the bestselling shelf just staring at me, asking me why haven’t I read it yet.  I actually recently bought the whole trilogy, but since the movie is right around the corner, I am going to wait until I see the movie before I start reading it.  It is hard, though, having to put off reading it for another two months.  But I am definitely not one of those people who likes to read a book right before they see the movie.  Did it once, haven’t done it since.   I can’t wait to finally start it, though.

 

 

 

 

 This was the first contemporary book I ever read.  It is also the book that made me fall in love with contemporaries in the first place.  As much as I liked the first cover, I love these new covers even more!  They are just so beautiful.  I love the Eiffel Tower in the background for this one and the colors make it look like a gorgeous French sunset.  When I went to YALLFest this past November, I was waiting in line to have my Lola book (old cover) signed and the person in front of me was the one who designed the new covers!  She was really cool and a bit bashful about it when I complimented the awesomeness of the new covers.  If I had the new cover, I would have gotten her to sign it, too.

 

 

 

 This is the book I read and didn’t like.  The cover is nice and eye-catching because there is just something about the way the girl on the cover stares out at you, like she is fully aware of your presence.  I even like the title, but I didn’t like the story.  It had potential to be a great story, but I think the characters is what really made it unenjoyable for me.  I don’t like snotty, stuck up, I’m-better-than-you high school mean girl type characters, and this story was full of them.  It didn’t really get to be okay until about the last 1/3 or the book.  It just wasn’t for me.

 

 

 

Waiting on Wednesday (55)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week I am waiting on:

 Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3)
Marissa Meyer

Release 2-4-14

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard. 

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

Why I’m Waiting:

Does this one really have to be explained why I’m waiting on it?? This series is definitely one of my absolute favorites (up there with Harry Potter kind of favorites) and I’m at the twitchy point waiting the last two weeks for this one.  This series is so amazing and creative!  I’ve been anticipating this one for a year, can’t wait to finally get it!!

*Review* Psycho Inside Me – Bonnie R. Paulson

 Psycho Inside Me

Bonnie R. Paulson

Read 1-17-14

Format: E-book

Add it on Goodreads!

 I killed my first victim at thirteen years old – my age, not his. He was going to rape me, him and a couple of his friends. And so, I killed him. And then… I killed again. And again. 
At seventeen, I’m killing four to six times a year – maybe more. Don’t stress out. I only go after the pedophiles and rapists. There are more out there than I could cover in a lifetime. 
Saying I did this on my own would be selfish. Enforcing justice holds a glory all its own. But now, my lifelong friend and backup, Deegan, has been arrested. I have to decide if I want to give myself up and take his place or leave him with all the damning evidence. I don’t want to stop killing. But if I let him take the fall, I can’t kill anymore. And I need to keep doing that. 
But the worst part of it all? I love him.

Well….what can I say here.  The synopsis sounds so interesting and promising, I mean – first victim at 13?  Definitely an attention grabber, but…sad to say that I was not a fan of this book.  For a few different reasons.  I really, really, REALLY wanted to like this book, I truly did, but it just didn’t happen for me.  And guys…I’m not trying to be mean, I’m really not, but I don’t understand how this story has gotten so many 4 and 5 star ratings because there is just SO MUCH missing here.  It may be because of my background working with law enforcement, but….there were a bunch of gaps, and wait…but what about this? and how did this not happen??  Etc.

So, I will start with Cassie.  I understand why she feels the need to do this (I see nasty people like her victims on a regular basis, so yeah, I get why she would want to), and she was a mostly strong female main character.  I say mostly because who wouldn’t panic when they are about to murder someone?  Deegan is  sweet person to Cassie when they do their thing and go hunting, but I don’t like how he treats her the other times.

The writing style wasn’t bad, but it could use some improvement.  Like in the description department.  I love descriptions, but they just weren’t there for me.  I didn’t “see” what was going on the way I should have, especially for a story that could be incredibly gory with the murders.  There were also lots of jumps and stuff skipped and a huge one that had me yelling at my Nook.  For those who want to know below I am going to make a list of venting spoilers as to why I was not a fan of this story.

SPOILERS!!!!!

Ok, so here is my rant on why this book just wasn’t for me.

First, I never saw anything about any investigations.  NONE.  Not even when she killed the pervy cop.  Never even questioned.  No mention of any kind of DNA or hair evidence in vehicles, even when the pervy cop bit her nipple and had blood in his mouth.  There is no way that any police force wouldn’t scour the car and not find some kind of evidence of her there.

Next, there are big scenes missing I would have liked to have read.  Like her mom dying.  She was there, next day she was in an accident and gone.  That’s it.  Another missing scene that bothered me – you see how it says Deegan was arrested?  Yeah, you never see that either.  End of chapter they are sleeping together first time, beginning of next chapter is like 6 months later and she is visiting him in jail.  O.O  What??

And my final major complaint about this story…she killed 8 people while she was between 13 and 17, which yeah, is a minor, but they only gave her 4 years.  She calmly confessed to every single one of them, making it seem as if Deegan was not around and she did it herself and she got 4 years.  FOR KILLING 8 PEOPLE!  There was just so much that didn’t sit well or feel very realistic for me.

END SPOILER!!!!

So yeah, that’s my rant.  I’m not trying to be mean or nasty in any way, but this book just really bothered me with it’s holes.  I wanted to DNF, but I am still having a problem bringing myself to actually doing that.

Had a lot of potential, not enough description, missing a lot, wasn’t realistic for me.

Cover Crush (58)

 Cover Crush is my meme here at On The Shelf where beautiful and eye-catching covers are spotlighted!  Any cover can be showcased whether it be old or new, read or still sitting in your TBR stack.  Please join in, link up and enjoy some beautiful covers!

My Cover:

Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can’t just pretend nothing happened. But “complicated” doesn’t even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back.

See, Sabine isn’t just an ordinary girl. She’s a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people’s fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives.

And Sabine isn’t above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants.

Why I’m Crushing:

This cover was the first animated cover I had ever seen, and it is just sooo beautiful!  I wish I could have made it even bigger, but then it would be fuzzy.  It was originally about half the size it is now when I first put it up, even though the one I saved was larger than this.  Isn’t it just so lovely, though?  I love the butterfly and how the only color on here is the blue.  Color splash covers are definitely among my favorites!  What do yo guys think of this one?  If you have a Cover Crush of your own, feel free to link up and share those beautiful covers!

Psycho Inside Me Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway!

 Psycho Inside Me
Bonnie R. Paulson
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook |Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

 I killed my first victim at thirteen years old – my age, not his. He was going to rape me, him and a couple of his friends. And so, I killed him. And then… I killed again. And again. 
At seventeen, I’m killing four to six times a year – maybe more. Don’t stress out. I only go after the pedophiles and rapists. There are more out there than I could cover in a lifetime. 
Saying I did this on my own would be selfish. Enforcing justice holds a glory all its own. But now, my lifelong friend and backup, Deegan, has been arrested. I have to decide if I want to give myself up and take his place or leave him with all the damning evidence. I don’t want to stop killing. But if I let him take the fall, I can’t kill anymore. And I need to keep doing that. 
But the worst part of it all? I love him.

Excerpt

We stopped beside my bike.  I ran my fingers through my loose hair.  “Thanks for the flower.”

“Of course.  Together, right?”  He leaned with one arm above his head on the wall beside the bike rack.  “I don’t think the two crimes will be linked.  The techniques and circumstances were too different.  We should be in the clear.”  The late springs sun already worked on kissing his blond hair lighter in spots.  I couldn’t stop staring.

“I wanted to talk to you about that.”  I folded my arms and titles my head.

He brushed his bangs from his eyes. “Oh?”

“Yeah.  I was thinking it’d be good to, I don’t know, continue?”  I bit my lip and looked down.  How was I supposed to propose we find other sickos?  He’d never shown anything other than guilt regarding our actions.  While I had more complex emotions surrounding the circumstances, I didn’t doubt the sincerity or weight of the feelings he had.

The silence drew my gaze.  We stared into each other’s eyes.  He spoke first, his voice soft.  “Do you really want to do this?”

I shook my head no while saying, “Yes.”  Pressing my fingers to my forehead, I stopped moving.  “I’m sorry.  It’s not that I want to do this, like I want to?  It’s more like I almost feel like I need to.  Two people who no longer can hurt anyone else.”  Despair welled inside me.  “You think I can sleep afterwards?  I feel sick, can’t eat.  But then I saw Kari’s face when she heard he was gone and I… I felt a sense of accomplishment, like I’d done a good thing.”  I covered my face, breathing deep – the hot air recycling back to warm my skin.  Sliding my fingers onto my eyelids, I pressed up onto the upper curve of my eye sockets.  “But how can what I’ve done be good, right?  It’s wrong to kill.  It’s wrong to feel good about it.  It’s wrong to think about a possible next one.”  I dropped my hands.

Deegan watched me, his eyes sad and his lips curved in a side smile that held no humor.  “I don’t know how much of what we’ve done is necessary, you now?”  He shoved his hands into his jean pockets and hunched his shoulders.  “Do you know how many of these guys get off everyday?  Or they get such light sentences and then they’re released to go hurt more kids again.”

I spun from him, raising my hands and beseeching the sky.  “What are we doing?  Murder is wrong.”  And to so bluntly use the word slapped me across the face.  Murder.

Make sure you click the link below for a chance to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!!!  You can find the other tour stops here.

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About the Author

 

There are people who know a lot about a little, we’ll call them experts. Then there are people, like Bonnie, who don’t specialize, but rather gather information like pebbles in their pockets and drop them like Hansel & Gretel in the stories they write.

The question is, do you want to follow them back?

 

Certified as a Radiologic Technologist, Bonnie prefers a touch of medical in her storylines. Don’t be surprised if romance somehow runs through a hospital or comes in contact with a paramedic. It’s just how she rolls. And you know there’s nothing more romantic than an 18 gauge needle poking your vein!

 

 

She and her Hubs delight in dirt biking, snowboarding, fishing, cooking, eating, spending time together and more with their adorable children.

My 2014 Reading Challenges

So this year, I am doing 4 challenges.  I didn’t do so hot in last year’s challenges, but I did have my own IRL challenges I had to deal with, so it’s ok.  This year though, I am not going to try to over exert myself and I’m definitely wanting to finish all of these and surpass my goals if I can.  We will see how it goes this year 🙂

I definitely think I can outdo myself this year since last year I read a whopping 35 books.  I see people reading 200 books and I just shake my head at myself, lol.  I am going to stay safe with the level Breaking a Sweat, which is 11-15 more books.  My goal for this year is 50, which seems so tiny in comparison to these super readers out there (seriously, how do some of y’all do it?!).  Hopefully I won’t have anything too crazy this year to keep me from my goal.

 

My shelves have so many books on them that I have bought, but still haven’t read yet, so this challenge is a necessity!  I really should be ashamed that I had to grab up all those books I just had to have, but then..there they are…staring at me…still unread.  So, TBR Pile Challenge, here I come!  I am going to commit to A Firm Handshake and try to read between 1-10 of my stack, which doesn’t seem like much, but there are so many books coming out I want to read too!

 

This one is always one of my favorite challenges because I love finding new favorite authors.  I will be including known and debuting authors for this challenge and I hope to find plenty of new favorites!  I am going to commit to 15 for this year.

 

I LOVE to compare between movies and books, though I am a watcher then reader, so when I found this challenge I knew I wanted to participate.  I think I will start off with Movie Devotee, which is 6 books, and see how it goes.  Maybe I’ll get more in than I hoped 

Waiting on Wednesday (54)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week I am waiting on:

 Infinite (Newsoul #3)
Jodi Meadows

Release 1-28-14

 DESTRUCTION
The Year of Souls begins with an earthquake—an alarming rumble from deep within the earth—and it’s only the first of greater dangers to come. The Range caldera is preparing to erupt. Ana knows that as Soul Night approaches, everything near Heart will be at risk.

FLIGHT
Ana’s exile is frightening, but it may also be fortuitous, especially if she can convince her friends to flee Heart and Range with her. They’ll go north, seeking answers and allies to stop Janan’s ascension. And with any luck, the newsouls will be safe from harm’s reach.

CHOICE
The oldsouls might have forgotten the choice they made to give themselves limitless lifetimes, but Ana knows the true cost of reincarnation. What she doesn’t know is whether she’ll have the chance to finish this one sweet life with Sam, especially if she returns to Heart to stop Janan once and for all.

With gorgeous romance and thrilling action, the final book in the Incarnate trilogy offers a brilliant conclusion to the compelling questions of this fascinating world, where one new girl is the key to the lives of millions.

Why I’m Waiting:

This is one of my favorite series!  I love the writing style and the beautiful scenes and the story is awesome, too.  This will be one of the trilogy enders I am waiting for and I can’t wait to see how everything will be wrapping up.  Thankfully, I don’t have to wait much longer and I’m starting to gt antsy for it.  What are you guys Waiting on this week?