Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Well.. I somewhat expected that. This is exactly what everyone is saying it is, an amazing mystery that is best left with no preview or synopsis of any kind. Just read it. Though I have to say it was difficult with the amount of characters but the story itself was so beautifully written and I really don't read many mysteries but this one will probably change my outlook on it.
Overall a very short and well done book, it deserves the praise and recommendations it has received.

“Someone once wrote that a novel should deliver a series of small astonishments. I get the same thing spending an hour with you.” 
― E. Lockhart, We Were Liars

Review: Losing It by Cora Carmack

So HOT. Student/Teacher relationship was just bursting with sexual tension but the falling it love part was so sweet.
Basically this is about a soon to be college graduate for theater and after telling one of her best friends that at 22 she is still a virgin her friend takes matters into her own hands dragging Bliss to a bar to pick up a guy. And that is where she meets Garrick an extremely attractive brit reading Shakespeare. This is the guy. Taking him back to her place to finally give up her V card she ends up panicking and leaving him in her apartment (and trust me you will be laughing you ass off at her so phony excuse).
Next day at school her class is introduced to their new teacher...Garrick Taylor.
There is so much tension between them after what happened that they can't stay away. Despite the rules they have many moments where they give in. Especially when Bliss' friend professes his love for her. Jealousy causes many issues despite the fact that she doesn't want to be with her friend and now leading partner in their play.
After Bliss overreacts to their situation she breaks it off with him. And in a bad case of mono that gets around to most of the cast for the play. He ends up rescuing her and taking care of her even though he ends up sick himself. Finally after being confined to her apartment they talk things out. Finally admitting that it will never be just a one night stand, they've fallen for eachother.

Overall a very sweet story, made me laugh so hard at her excuse. A great short read.

Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

This is one of those books that I'm now kicking myself for not reading the minute it came out. I read If I Stay when I was younger and again toward the beginning of this year and I still adore it. If you don't know about these books or this author you must be living under a rock especially since If I Stay is now a movie. And now that I've read this book (finally) I cannot wait for it to become a movie too.

Basically this follows the aftermath of the car accident and Mia waking up (sorry spoiler alert). But this time it's from Adam's point of view, showing his life after Mia left for Julliard and broke up with him.
I love those magical coincidences that only ever happen in books but somehow they find eachother again. Both now famous in their own musical worlds things have definitely changed. The goes back and forth between this one night they are together again and Adam's life leading up to that night. He's falling apart under the pressure of Shooting Stars fame, and now with Mia, seeing her again just is the final crack. With his heartbreak still seemingly fresh he needs to know what went wrong, and he gets his answer.

“I needed to hate someone and you’re the one I love the most, so it fell on you.” 
― Gayle Forman, Where She Went

Like I said though, things have changed, she stayed for him and no matter the pain it brought her, she's also found happiness in her music and now that he's back neither of them are going anywhere. They're staying, together.

I am so happy. It's written exactly like If I Stay, jumping from past to present, and the mix of quotes from Adam's album he wrote after she left fit perfectly. And you know me, I'm a happily ever after kind of girl, and this ending is so simple yet it brought me to tears because it made you feel how much Adam loves Mia and despite his promise he's never letting her go again.

Thanks for reading this review but please go read these books! They're beautiful and Gayle Forman's writing is flawless! Cannot wait to see the movie :)

Review: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

The wait is over! I bought it, I read it, and I fell in love with another one of Colleen Hoover's books.
In this story you read from both POV's between Miles Archer and Tate Collins.
In Miles story you learn about his past, how 6 years prior to meeting Tate he had everything he could ever ask for. And after losing everything Miles gave up on love, he didn't want anything of the happiness that comes with love if he also got the ugly.
His attraction to Tate is undeniable, and when he explains to her that it will never be more than sex she agrees, somewhat hopeful that she may change his mind.
3 simple rules:
Miles' rules: Don't ask about my past, and don't expect a future
Tate's rule: Don't give me hope for a future.

And they break all those rules.

Firstly I'd like to say that I have read or heard of books like this before, even just the slight similarities when a girl falls for the bad boy and fixes him. I want everyone to forget about those other books. Because yes, they are corny typical stories, but THIS is no ordinary story. In Colleen Hoover's own review of her book she said that none of her other characters stories made her cry, not nearly as much as Miles did. His story is one that will break your heart as much as it did his, and the fact that he manages to find everything he lost with Tate and actually find the happiness that comes with love again is absolutely beautiful.

Thanks for reading!

Colleen Hoover Book Tour (with Jamie McGuire and Abbi Glines): http://pages.simonandschuster.com/fallinlovetour2014

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

“He’s like a song she can’t get out of her head. Hard as she tries, the melody of their meeting runs through her mind on an endless loop, each time as surprisingly sweet as the last, like a lullaby, like a hymn, and she doesn't think she could ever get tired of hearing it.” 
― Jennifer E. Smith, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Such a short and sweet book.
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is about Hadley, a highschool sophomore who is on her way to London for her Fathers wedding, to a woman that Hadley has never met and already hates. Her lack of understanding to the reasons for the divorce left her hurt and feeling abandoned by her Father.
Despite her lack of interest in attending the wedding, she is forced to go, and by a string of fate she misses her first flight, and ends up on the next one. Waiting in the airport she meets Oliver, a freshman at Yale and a sexy Brit going back home for what she assumes is a wedding as well. Through the hours spent together and fates intervention leaving them seated together the whole 7 hour flight, they develop a connection. Unable to sever that after landing and departing at the London Airport, Hadley leaves after her fathers ceremony to find him, only knowing the town he's in and that there is a statue out front. When she arrives, she realizes that it wasn't a wedding, it was his Fathers funeral. His Father who he hated, yet still loved. She leaves him again to get back to the reception, and with her renewed outlook on family and how Oliver lost his father before they could repair their relationship leaves her with a growing acceptance of her Father's new life, and the fact that she now wants to be a part of it no matter the distance.
As easily as Hadley found Oliver, he tracks her down. With there past kisses at the airport and at his father's funeral felt like goodbyes- endings- the kiss as they walk hand in hand back to her Father's wedding is the start of their own beginning.
SO cute!

As much as I want to give this book a high rating it feels like one of those where yes it was adorable, but I think of what a real 5 star or even 4 star book looks like and this isn't it. But I'm looking forward to reading the two other books I have of hers on my bookshelf, This is What Happy Looks Like and The Geography of You and Me.

Review: Sweet Thing by Renee Carlino

“You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together... then you'll hear the sound of your soul” 
― Renée Carlino, Sweet Thing

Sweet Thing is a story following Mia Kelly, a 27 year old who grew up with her Mother and step Father in Ann Arbor, occasionally seeing her musical Father in New York. When her Father passes away from a heart attack, Mia travels to New York to pick up the pieces of his life. Despite amazing schooling in business, Mia has always been attached to music, despite believing it leads you no where and would rather it just be a hobby.
On her plane ride over to New York she meets Will Ryan, and is immediately attracted to him, but her brain only sees the guitar and "starving artist" persona. In her search for a roomate in her fathers apartment Will asks if he could be it. She agrees, and it all seems to spiral out of control. Constantly being flirty with Will yet dating the hot shot banker divorcee. After breaking it off with him, she holds back from telling Will until she finds out he's dating someone.
All their friends are trying to get them together, and after their best friends get married, Mia walks in on Will's girlfriend and one of his friends together. After that things start to heat up between Mia and Will, but with a potential music career for Will, Mia is afraid to commit just to be left behind.
While Will is in LA working things out with his new manager and opening for some pop princess, Mia's dog Jackson dies :(
Will comes back to New York the second he finds out, and they end up sleeping together. They both travel to LA for Will to sign or not sign his recording contract. Spoiler alert, he doesn't sign it. When he comes back to the Hotel to meet up with Mia she's curious as to what happened but he just keeps talking about marriage and Babies.....Mia freaks out, and then finds out he didn't sign the contract. Seeing her Mothers life flashing before he eyes, they break things off after a terrible fight. Mia falls apart, losing her Father, Dog, and boyfriend/bestfriends (as well as most of her friends) has damaged her severely. She stops eating, starts drinking, and is sleeping all day, her friends finally stage a sort of intervention.
Now with her life back on track (sort of) she continues her attempts at contacted Will, but he is determined to stay away from her.
After accepting that life does go on, Mia gets closure by scattering both her Father's and Jackson's ashes, she starts playing music again, little does she know that this is what Will and her friends have been waiting for. She needed to find herself and accept the life she has now. And most importantly - to be Happy with this life. When Will is told that she is moving forward and after receiving recordings of her music, he comes back to her.
Now back together, she realizes that's all he's been waiting for, as he shows her their new home and a recording studio for them to use, as well as the diamond rings he has for her.

I'm disappointed to say that I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. It had so much potential, the cover was beautiful, and it seemed like my kind of book. But truthfully I found Mia's character kind of irritating and selfish. I realize she was going through a lot, but she just needed to get her head out of her ass and realize that he loved her, and she loved him, and that's all that matters.

Thanks for reading!

Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

“It's easier not to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip, can it. All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say.” 
― Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak


So I've had this book on my shelf forever. And I feel so ashamed for watching the movie before the book, it sort of destroys the experience of reading it when you know everything that's going to happen. But I have to say I loved both equally. L.H. Anderson's writing was flawless, which totally drew me in despite knowing what was coming.
I'm sure, since this is not only a classic, but an award winning book, that many know the story. L.H.A never holds back (so I'm told) on the deep and dark parts in her book. This story was about a 9th grader who was shunned by everyone after calling the cops at her best friends end of summer party. She is the outcast, and in discovering that no one cares what she has to say, she doesn't say anything. Grades slipping, no friends, nothing to say, and no one asks why?
It's a hearbreakingly real story, no one wants to know, and you're afraid to tell, blaming yourself. If anyone bothered to ask why she called the cops, she may have shared. She was raped, by a senior who happens to be dating her ex-bestfriend Rachel. Art is Melinda's salvation, her teacher giving her the task of drawing trees from her soul. Throughout the book you see how Melinda begins to grow, making friends with her lab partner, and finally talking to Rachel...hoping to protect her friend from the boy she knows is under the charming exterior. After the other students find out of what happened the night of the party Melinda has a sense of freedom, she's happier, accepts to go out with her new friend. Until IT finds her...again. This time she fights back, and gets away.
Since I saw the movie first, I will say the book was very similar, the only thing I HATED was the in the movie he raped her in his car, but in the book it was in the forest under the trees. Considering the symbolism and importance of trees throughout this entire story, you'd think they'd atleast get that right..this is why you always read the book first.

“I have never heard a more eloquent silence.” 
― Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak