This Weeks Wrap Up

Books I have finished

Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18166936-the-strange-and-beautiful-sorrows-of-ava-lavender
I really enjoyed this book. Gave this book 4 stars. This story is more character driven rather then plot driven and it is based on Ava Lavender recalling the life of her grandmother, then mother and then her life up until now. This book was beautifully written and I would have given it a 5 stars if it wasn't for the first chapter. I just did not enjoy the first chapter at all and was thinking about putting down the book but after the second chapter I was hooked. Loved this story.

Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17824638-keeping-her

This is a novella written after Losing It by Cora Carmack. I absolutely loved the love story in Losing it so when I found out there was a novella I just had to read it. This follows the two main characters as they go to London to visit Garricks Parents. I ended up giving this book a 3 stars. On goodreads it says the book is 175 pages but it is really just over 100 pages from memory I think 120 (sorry this was a library copy so I cant check it). The rest of the book was just chapters from other books in the series. Even though I did enjoy this novella I really did not think it was necessary. Nothing really happened in this story and if I had known this ahead of time I don't think I would have picked this book up.

Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15505346-on-the-island

 

This story follows TJ (student) and Anna (tutor) when their plane crashes and they get stuck on an island. I had heard on booktube that the two characters end up falling for each other and because of this I was not sure I wanted to read this book. I was however surprised that I really enjoyed this book and ended up giving it 4 stars. From the beginning I was totally engrossed in this book and could not put it down and ended up reading it in 2 sittings. It would have been one but I was just so tired that I could not continue. The love story was done in a realistic and believable way and because of the way it was done it did not irk me as it would have if it was an instalove scenario. I definitely recommend this book.

 

Books I put down for now

 

 

Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8490112-daughter-of-smoke-bone

 

I just could not get into the writing style of this book and was just not in the mood for the story so I put this book down to read something that is going to engross me. I may pick this up again in the future as I didn't hate it I was just not in the mood for it.



 



 

Currently reading

 

 

Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17455815-stone-cold-touch



Review: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Title: Amy and Rogers Epic Detour

Author: Morgan Matson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books

How I acquired a copy: Purchased it

Release Date: Already released

Goodreads summary:

Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.

Review:

I enjoyed this story I really did but there were parts that in my opinion could have been done better. I enjoyed the whole road trip aspect to the book and liked seeing the receipts, playlists Etc. I thought that was a cute touch and added to the story.

However there were parts that I had issues with. Everything during the trip seemed to work out perfectly for them and I just wish we saw more struggles. Most people when they are low on money don't get free accommodation and a free meal so I thought this part was a little unrealistic that everything always worked out for them.

I also would have liked to see the relationship with her mum explored more. We got to see what happened with her dad and got to see a resolution with her brother but I thought the relationship with her mum was not explored enough.

Overall though I did enjoy this book and thought it was a cute contemporary read.

Star rating: 3.5 Stars

Book Review: Confessions of a Once Fashionable Mum by Georgia Madden

Title: Confessions of a Once Fashionable Mum
Author: Georgia Madden
Publisher: Nero
How I acquired book: I purchased it
Release date: Already released

Goodreads summary:

Successful hubbie? Tick. Facebook-worthy baby? Tick. Bikini-body six weeks after giving birth? Um … not so much.

Fashion PR exec Ally Bloom got her happy ending. Okay, her marriage might be showing the odd crack, her battleaxe mother-in-law might have come to stay, and she might not be the yummy mummy she'd imagined, but it's nothing a decent night's sleep and a firm commitment to a no-carb diet won't fix.

But when Ally returns to work and finds she'll be reporting to a 22-year-old airhead, she decides to turn her back on life as a professional fashionista and embrace her inner earth mama instead.

So it's out with the Louboutins and champagne and in with the sensible flats and coffee mornings with the Mummy Mafia. From attending her first grown-up dinner party only to discover that placenta is top of the menu to controlling her monster crush on local playgroup hottie Cameron, Ally must find her feet in the brave new world of the stay-at-home mum.

Review:

This book is a light fun read all about marriage, the challenges of motherhood and forming friendships.

Ally gets replaced at her job by a 22 year old airhead and decides to join a playgroup and become an earth mum instead. Through this we get to see her relationships grow with these mothers and get to see a sneak peak into their lives as well.

I was surprised to find that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This book had been sitting on my TBR shelf for months and I was honestly thinking about donating it as I didn't have any inclination to read it. When I got into my reading slump I decided to try something different and picked up this book.

From the 1st page I was hooked and could not put this book down. Being an Australian mum myself and attending playgroups when my daughter was younger I could totally relate to that aspect of the book and how you just want to feel accepted by these people but you are feeling judged at the same time. I could also relate (and im sure most mums can) to the struggle of deciding what to do whether to return to work or stay home and all the guilt that comes with each decision. Which made me really relate to this character.

Though this book was a little over the top I felt this was its intention and is what made it such a fun and enjoyable read.  I loved Ally Blooms sarcasm and witty comebacks and just overall her as a character. I also loved seeing the relationship between her and her mother in law and how it grew throughout the book.

Overall I would recommend this to anyone looking a fun, enjoyable read that's not looking for anything to serious. Mums would be able to relate to relate to this book but I am sure other women will also enjoy it.

Rating: 5 stars

Book Mail

Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout arrived in the mail today which is the 2nd book in The Dark Elements series.

I cant wait to continue with this series and find out what happens next. Will do full review once I have read the book.

Goodreads Summary:

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…  

Review: I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Title: I'll Give You the Sun

Author: Jandy Nelson

Publisher: Dial Books

Release Date: Already Released

Goodreads Summary:

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

My Review:

I went into this story not really knowing much about it except that it was a story about two twins that have had a falling out and the story is told from both their perspectives one when they are younger the other when they are older.

This book follows two twins Noah and Jude and their life growing up. The book is told from both their point of views where Noah's point of view is told from when they are 13 years old and Jude's is told when they older at 16 years age and we see how these two stories come together.

I started out this book after the first chapter thinking I was going to DNF the book. The first chapter had all these crazy metaphors and I could not really get into the story. I however decided to continue with it because of all the great reviews I read and I am so glad I did.

By about page 116 I was totally in love with the story and the writing style. I was so invested in the story by this point that I could not put it down and just needed to know what was going to happen next. So if you start out thinking this story is weird and not wanting to continue with it I say at least give it a chance to around here as I thought it really picked up from this point.

I really enjoyed the dynamic and relationship between the two siblings and how their relationship changed throughout the book. I also really enjoyed the coming of age story of these two siblings and the struggles they went through as I think they were handled in a realistic way.

The only thing I did not like is there was instalove situations for both the characters.  I don't understand why young adult books do this. The characters see someone for the first time and all of the sudden they are in love with them. That just seems a little unrealistic. I did however enjoy the two relationships in this book.

Summing up I would recommend this book to anyone that's looking for a great coming of age story that will pull at your emotions. A beautifully written story that will leave you wanting more.

Star rating: 4.5 Stars

Bout of Books Day 6 Wrap up

Today being Saturday was a really busy day for me especially since I had a dinner party during the night. I normally do most of my reading at night once the children are in bed but the dinner party did not finish till late so I just went to bed once it was all over.

So yesterday I ended up reading a grand total of 28 pages of All the Bright Places. I was hoping to finish this book by the end of the week forgetting I had a christening to attend to tonight so once again not sure how much ill get read today.

Good luck to everyone that is participating in the readathon.

Bout of Books Day 5 Wrap up

Today I just continued reading All the Bright Places. Had a busy day today as I am having a dinner party tomorrow and needed to go buy everything I needed and get everything ready which took up a lot of my day.

I ended up reading 40 pages of it today and not sure how much more I will be able to read tomorrow but I am hoping to finish it by the end of the readathon and I will therefore have finished all the books in my tbr.

Don't know how I feel about this book so far. I am liking the story and enjoying it but I feel that I am not really connecting to the characters. This book is about suicide and because of that I thought it would be pulling at me a lot more but I am not really feeling anything.

Ill see how the rest of the book goes and do a full review once I am finished.

On that note I have a few reviews scheduled for this channel next week so keep an eye out for those.

#boutofbooks Day 4 Wrap up

Day 4 is finished and I finished up reading 220 pages.

I read the last 115 pages of Fairest by Marissa Meyer. Ended up giving this 4 stars.  Full review can be found here: http://ausbooklover.blogspot.com/2015/08/review-fairest-lunar-chronicles-35-by.html

The next book I started is All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. I read 105 pages of this book and am liking it so far.

Goodreads summary:

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!
 
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.