Daisy's Review of Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Title/Author: Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, January 24th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned - to her old life, her family, her friends - before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back - this time as his queen.
As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's..."

Oh. My. Gosh. WOW!

Really, that is my first reaction upon finishing this book. And I cannot think of a better way for a book to leave me feeling. I mean, I fell in love with the cover before I even knew what the book would be about (LOOK AT THE PRETTY!!) and when I came to understand that it was a YA mythology I went all crazy-eyed and just felt the urge to HAVE IT. So to say that I was beyond ecstatic when I received the e-ARC is putting it mildly.

And this book did not disappoint in the least. I'd heard people rave about it before I had the chance to read it myself and you know what? THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!

Everneath by Brodi Ashton was SO amazing! I fell in love with the beautiful writing at the first page. Seriously, evidence is my tweeting of 'I'm only 12 pages in, but I already know I'm going to love it'. And it was so, SO good! It made my little bookloving heart very happy.

I really liked Nikki. I know she made a really stupid decision when she joined Cole in the Everneath, but really, I could get where she was coming from. I mean, she was really insecure about her relationship with Jack. And while from the first moment I read about it, I couldn't believe sweet, awesome Jack would ever do something like that, I can see how she would. And I liked that she wanted to make it right with her loved ones when she Returned and wasn't all accusatory towards them and only blamed herself. And maybe Cole. But that's totally justified.

And let's just say it: Jack is amazing. Seriously, that boy! He made me swoon and smile and cry... And I loved him. He was everything a boyfriend should be and I loved the moments he and Nikki were together. I loved how they awkwardly sat next to each other for hours and hours in class and didn't speak. I loved how he tried to get her to talk to him again and their history together.

Then there's Cole, the 'villain' in this story. I know he's the bad guy, but I really liked him as well. Don't get me wrong, I'm 100% Team Jack, but there's something about Cole that's got me not hating him even though he does some really bad things.

I loved it all: the story, the characters, the minor as well as the main characters, the writing, the romance, THE BOY, the mythology... I wish I had more words to do justice to the amazingness that is this book. I would have read this all in one go if my boyfriend hadn't insisted I needed sleep (which let's face it, he was right about).

It will be a long wait for the second book...

My rating: 5+ stars

Jessi Reviews Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Title/Author: Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Publisher/Year: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006
Where I Got It: My local public library
Why I Read It: It had been on my to-read list for quite a while


Synopsis:


Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.


Review:



Okay, so this book definitely freaked me out. I don't know if it's just because of the wacky weather we've had so far this year, but the events of this book seem completely and utterly possible.

The fact that this book is so realistic is what makes it so good. The after effects from the moon being knocked out of orbit are completely plausible, and it made me all too aware of how much we take for granted. Simple things like electricity and running water. Being able to go to the store if we need something. It freaked me out because, to put it plainly, I would suck at surviving.

Another thing that I found to be realistic was Miranda's voice. The diary thing worked for me, as a whole. There were a couple things I didn't buy, like who really writes dialogue in a diary? But I understand that things like that have to be taken with a grain of salt because they are necessary for the book to work. And to tell the truth, it didn't really bug me all that much. I was too busy being freaked out about how much food we have in our house. I thought Miranda was really authentic, though. What 16-year-old doesn't have their vulnerable or whiny or selfish points? What 16-year-old wouldn't rather be ice skating than sitting in a sunroom reading a history textbook? Especially when the world is ending! I also liked how even though I would have liked to know what was happening in the rest of the world, we couldn't know because Miranda herself couldn't know. Hopefully, we'll see more in subsequent books.

This was compulsively readable for me, and I probably would have read it all at once if I wouldn't have stopped myself. I had this utter need to know what was going to happen and how it was going to end. I will definitely be reading books 2 and 3 to find out!

Jamie's Top Ten Tips For New Book Bloggers

Top Ten Tips For New (Book) Bloggers

Learn more and check out the TTT schedule.

It's intimidating to step into the world of book blogging. I remember just trying to observe what other blogs did and figure out what I was "supposed" to do. The truth is..there aren't any set rules. It's your blog.  Sure, there are obvious etiquette types of things that have been developed and "suggested practices" but really..there are no black and white rules or formulas to blogging. I've learned that for sure. So here are my tips, which are similar to what I covered in my Letter To My Young Blogging Self.

1. Be Yourself. Ok that sounds like a no-brainer but the happiest I've been in my blogging life is when I stopped trying early on to replicate what I saw popular blogs doing and just DO ME. And I have to say that the thing I get most about my blog is not about writing the best reviews, or having the most followers -- it's that people get a clear sense of who I AM as a person and see my passion flow through everything. Just be yourself and your blog will be a lot more fun for YOU to keep on doing.

2.  Give yourself a chance to get ahead: The one thing I wish I would have done is read and reviewed a few books and drafted up some other posts so I had a month or so worth of content before I officially started. THAT way, I could have some in reserve for when I am reading slower  and I can just get a head. Also, it's nice to not start out trying to furiously read and review.  I'm STILL playing the catch up game 2 years later.

3. Choose a blogging platform carefully: Before you start your blog, create accounts on the two major platforms -- Wordpress and Blogger. There are pros and cons to each and you'll want to figure out which one you like to work with. Each platform is not for every person. But let yourself experiment and find that out before you have 1.5 years worth of content and comments and followers and decide that another platform would have suited you better.  I speak this out of experience after using WP for work for a year and realizing how much better I liked it than Blogger. BUT I do love aspects of Blogger. Best to test it yourself.

4. Create your own blogging manifesto: Whether you do this on your blog like I did or write it down in a journal or just think it in your head, do it.  It will help you keep focus always on what you want your blog to be. Your blog will change and grow along the way but having a blogging manifesto helps you keep perspective.

5. Find one really great blogging friend (or two or threeee or four) that you can trust: I don't know what I'd do without my very best blogging friends. It's nice to have people remind you that you rock, let you rant, support you and encourage you. I would have quit LONG ago without people I trust and that support me.

Just a few of my ladies <3 Photo credit goes to ANNA!!

6.  Don't get caught up in the numbers game: Easier said than done, I know. But honestly, the minute I stopped obsessing...I became happier. It's easier to look at other people's numbers and feel discouraged but it's not going to help you. Don't get me wrong, I do track my stats, but I don't let any number tell me the worth of my blog. I let the sweet comments, emails from readers who read books I recommended and thanks from others remind me of my blog's worth.

7. Comment, comment, comment:  I have been a slacker with commenting lately due to wedding planning stress but I cannot tell you how important this is. I met so many bloggers this way leaving GENUINE comments without saying HEY COME FOLLOW ME.  They appreciated my comment and came back to check out my blog on their own. It create community, it helps you meet others with similar taste and it just keeps the blogging community going. I'll say it again...comments are a book blogger's daily dose of affirmation!

8. Let yourself take breaks: I am not ashamed of the breaks I let myself take. Sometimes I just don't feel like stressing about a post so I don't for a day OR sometimes I take a few weeks off (ughh oops yes that was recently) and I don't let myself feel bad. My life gets in the way and my blog will still be here. It took me a LONG time to let my "blogging hair  down" and not get so uppity about not posting. Now everyone is different with how long they are ok with NOT posting so that's up to you..but if you need a break..dooooo it. I promise you you'll get burnt out if you keep fighting it.

9. Venture out from your blog: GO to book events, meet authors, hang out with other bloggers, find/start a book club! THOSE are the moments that make you realize that this community is about more than you sitting behind your computer and writing reviews. I can't even tell you how many book events I've been to and how many times I've hung out with bloggers and each time it just makes me love this all the more!

10.  Get a Twitter and use it: THAT is how I became a part of this community! It keeps me connected, I have amazing conversations, I meet new people, I get traffic from tweeting posts (not spamming...there's a difference!). It can be a time suck but you'll eventually learn how to balance your time...and sometimes you still won't after 2 years :P

For more advice, check out my Lessons My Mom Taught Me That Help Me With My Blog.

Julia Reviews The 7-Minute Back Pain Solution

Title/Author:The 7-Minute Back Pain Solution: 7 Simple Exercises to Heal Your Back Without Drugs or Surgery in Just Minutes a Day by Dr. Gerard Girasole, Cara Hartman
Publisher/Year Published: March 2012 by Harlequin Nonfiction
How I got this book: NetGalley
Why I read this book: I have significant back pain; I am the audience
Rating: 5 stars

Everything that you need to know about what is inside this book is in the title. Ah, organic pain solutions. I have been looking for you. But before we jump into my review, here is a little back-story. (Ha! A pun. We all know that I love those)

For the entirety of my collegiate career which spanned five years and now the two years since then I have had lower back issues. Disks bulging, a narrow spine, intense nerve pain, all fun stuff. I am still on pain meds and have had shots in my spine to numb the nerve in my leg, mostly to facilitate walking. For a while I have been looking for a mostly natural solution to the pain I live with. Then I saw this book.

As soon as I was approved for this galley, I laid down on the floor and tried the basic stretches. I was cautiously optimistic and assuming it wouldn't give me too much relief the first go round. I was surprised when after gently pulling and stretching my muscles with exercises I vaguely remembered from physical therapy I felt a small amount of relief.

I read on and tried over a course of a few months the exercises in this book. I am still surprised how much they helped me, especially the stretches. I'd wake up in the morning too stiff to move, do the stretches I could, and then be able to get out of bed. It's pretty awesome.

This book isn't all stretches and exercises though. My favorite part was the different sections on life experiences. For instance, there was a whole section on how best to deal with your back during airplane travel, or driving, or working, or bathing! I liked being able to flip to the relevant section for me and check out the suggestions. There were some helpful tips.

I really enjoyed this book and plan on buying it to have as a reference guide for whenever I may need to look something up. The stretches in this book I have already incorporated into my every day life and I don't see those leaving anytime soon.

Though this may not apply directly to you, I figured our readers here would probably know someone with some back issues. Or even if you just wanted to learn some great back stretches, check this book out. It's a great resource for how to live life with the least amount of stress to your back, and that can be addabtalbe for anyone.

Tahleen reviews: "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" by Jesse Andrews

Title: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Author: Jesse Andrews
Publisher: Amulet, 2012


Rating: 3.5 stars

Greg Gaines has managed to perfect the near impossibility of being voluntarily invisible in high school, being generally friendly with everyone and never overly friendly with anyone. Except Earl, which is a different story since Earl generally wants to windmill kick everyone in the head and swear a lot, and except for Rachel, who gets leukemia in their senior year of high school. Greg's mom, who likes to insert herself into Greg's life in as many ways as she possibly can, decides Greg needs to be friends with Rachel, since when they were like 12 he sort of accidentally dated her when they were in Hebrew school.

Basically, this is the story of Greg's senior year, told by him, and how Rachel got mixed up in it, and how his life got completely screwed up as a result.

I'll warn you straight up: this book is full of curse words and disgusting language. Earl has the dirtiest mouth, and Greg's isn't pure as snow either. But that said, I started to enjoy it after a while. At first I was kind of turned off by it, but it has this rhythm, and plus it's just hilarious. I mean, I started thinking in Earl-speak toward the end, which is awesome and just ridiculous if you know me.

The situations in this book might seem like they're going to be heartfelt and eye-opening for our main character, but as he'll tell you at least once a chapter, this book is anything but sentimental. Greg wants nothing to do with this from the start—he hasn't talked to Rachel in years, and it ended on really awkward terms back then anyway. He really has no idea how to act around other people that aren't Earl except to try to make them laugh, and though he succeeds sometimes, a lot of the time he'll put his foot in his mouth and just say completely idiotic things that blow up in his face.

And honestly, it was kind of nice. This is not a coming-of-age story. Greg does not really grow up here. He realizes stuff about himself, but he's still kind of a jerk throughout most of it.

Earl is pretty awesome, but no miracles happen to him either. Earl is a tough kid who'll beat you down if he feels like you deserve it, but he's got a good heart and knows the right thing to do, and won't be afraid to do it. He'll cuss like a sailor all the while, but whatever. People aren't perfect.

This is a bizarre little book, but I liked it. Even though Greg doesn't seem to think he learned much from the experience, if anything he learned how to avoid these situations in the future, it doesn't really matter. We see what unfolds, and that's what counts.

And did I mention this book is mainly funny? How often do you find a book about a dying girl that's so full of humor, and gross humor at that. Like, you don't even want me to tell you. I don't even want to tell you. Just... just go read it. If you're curious.

Disclosure: I got this e-book from NetGalley.

Daisy's Review of The International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams

Title/Author: The International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams
Publisher/Date published: Walker Books for Young Readers, January 17th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Piper, Cassidy, Mei, and Izzy have been best friends their whole lives. And they've always agreed on one goal: to get out of tiny Paris, Texas, and see the world. The school's foreign exchange program seems like the perfect escape: Piper will go to the original Paris; Mei will go to China; Cassidy will go to Australia; and Izzy, unable to afford the program, will stay at home. To add spice to their semester away, and to stay connected to their best friends, the girls start The International Kissing Club, a Facebook page where they can anonymously update one another and brag about all the amazing guys they're meeting. After all, these girls are traveling abroad: amazing guys abound at every turn! But sometimes fun, flirty vacation flings turn into more serious romances, and sometimes you don't return from abroad the same person you were. Will the girls' relationships - and their friendships - be able to survive?"

Did you know Ivy Adams is a pseudonym for the writing team Emily McKay, Shellee Roberts and Tracy Deebs? Cause it is. And these 3 lovely ladies have written an absolutely cute novel together!

I was SO ready to read a fun book after reading some disappointing ones and The International Kissing Club had me smiling while reading it! And really, how could I not, the title alone gets me in a good mood! I was expecting something light and cute and that was exactly what I got!

I LOVED the dynamics in the group and the friendship these four girls had going on. Each of the girls has a well defined personality and I was never once confused by the POV I was reading from cause their voices are very clear and I knew exactly who was talking. Major props to the authors for that, cause it's definitely not always the case!

Of course there were some obvious things happening and I could see some mistakes the girls made coming from miles away, but that didn't stop me from having a good time reading The International Kissing Club! All four of the girls have their own sweet lovestory and it was wonderful just delving into it. The only thing I can complain about is that with 4 different POVs, 400 pages isn't a lot and I would have liked it to be a little longer so the storylines could have been somewhat longer cause I just loved spending time with these characters so much!

I'm REALLY hoping for a sequel cause I'm dying to find out what happens with all these budding romances! And just what is happening with these girls in general!
It was such a cute read and definitely something to read on a nice spring or summer day!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Julia's Top Ten Books That Were Totally Deceiving

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Future Top Ten Tuesday topics can be found here!

Hey everyone! Julia here with this week's top ten list:

Top Ten Books that were Totally Deceiving

1. Three Nights of Sin by Anne Mallory
Why: The summary had NOTHING to do with the actual story
This was so true, that in my review I called it out. It wasn't a bad story, just not the story they were selling.

2. Bossypants by Tina Fey
Why: Creepiest Cover Ever
Seriously, I still can't look at this thing. If I didn't get it on audiobook, I would have avoided this forever. The book was really funny despite the unfortunate cover.

3. The Lady Most Likely...: A Novel in Three Parts
Why: Premise Deception
Three romance novel authors got together to write a novel. I was stoked. In high school, my friends and I used to pass around a notebook where each of us would write a page or so and the next would just pick it up. It was quite fun. I pictured this as something of that sort. But it really was just an anthology loosely held together by a houseparty theme. I was disappointed.

4. Cycler by Lauren McLaughlin
Why: Premise Deception
A girl who turns into a boy 4 days a month? Yes please. But then you read a story filled with stereotypes? No thank you.

5. The Spymaster's Lady by Joanna Bourne
Why: Chesty Cover
Oh this cover. It put me off the book once, and I missed out.

6. This One Time with Julia by David Lampson
Why: Cover and Summary Deception
It pulls m in with the nice cover and the interesting premise, but I could not read it. The unnatural prose and dialogue was what did me in.

7. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Why: Fantasy-esque Description
Well it was fantasy and I knew that, but the description made me keep putting it off. Finally, I gave in and was amazed at what I was missing

8.The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
Why: Cover and Summary of Win
Man this cover was soooo cool. Lots of hidden clocks. Steampunk fun times all through the description too. I couldn't get three chapters through. I fell asleep every time I tried. Sad day.

9.The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Why: Fantasy Cover + YA slant
This book is awesome, but that was almost overshadowed by the marketing to the younger girls. I thought that it couldn't be for me too... well I was wrong. It is awesome.

10. Lots and lots of romance novels
Why: Almost all romance novel covers a cheesy
Thus it is hard to judge a book by it's cover in this genre. Good thing or not, it makes things a bit rough when at the checkout counter. Usually the stuff inside is not bad at all.