All 4 Alabama

Hey guys,

I just wanted to post a few links that deal with this project I'm helping with to raise money for people who lost everything in the tornadoes that ripped through Alabama last week.

You can read about on my blog here and check out the auctions/donations site Courtney and I have at All 4 Alabama.

Thanks.

Bumped - Megan McCafferty

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from. 
When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common. 

Megan Mccafferty's Bumped has been a long awaited book, by me and many others and it marks her first official YA novel. When I found out that it was available for request on NetGalley I was one of many who immediately went to the website to try and get my grubby little hands on this sucker. If you didn't know, this was one of two big books that just became available and practically shut down NetGalley's website. I seriously could not log in until the next day and stalked my email until the golden goose delivered a beautiful, glowing (seriously, doesn't the title look like it's glowing? LOVE IT) egg to my inbox.

The verdict? I only liked it when I wanted to love it. I liked the names of Harmony and Melody because they related to each other without being match-y and I really liked how it alternated between POV. I didn't, however, connect with either of them as much as I would have liked.

Melody: I definitely liked her best. Her relationship with Zen reminded me a bit of one of my relationships at sixteen and it was probably the biggest thing that made me feel connected to either of the girls. I did find it a bit ironic that the girl who dreamed of getting an awesome bump through contract was quite prudish.

Harmony: I felt sorry for her at first but the more into the story I got, the less I liked her. The whole mistaken identity thing was totally her fault and and that whole situation just really irked me about her. I even had a "well, that's what you get" moment when I probably should have been feeling sorry for her (again).

As for the lingo I find myself middle of the road on it. On one hand, I loved that it was stuff that could totally be the norm for future generations. I did feel that some of it was over-used and some of it even took me out of the story and I had to remember that it was being used in a different context than what we use it as. It also felt like it ended too quickly and that emotions changed too fast.

It probably sounds like I disliked Bumped more than I liked it but keep in mind that things you find bothersome or don't like are always more memorable than things you do. That's usually the case for me anyway. 

In all honesty, I devoured this book and it was definitely different. Megan's writing was great and even though there was no dread-locked-Backstreet Boys-T Shirt-wearing-hottie, I DO recommend reading it and I look forward to reading the next book because I have some questions I'd like answered and I really hope they're addressed.

I know I've said it before, but here I am saying it again: I was way too hyped up over this book and expected something that could only be delivered if Megan resided in my head. Will you be reading Bumped when it comes out in a few weeks?


An eGalley of Bumped was provided by NetGalley 

Delirium - Lauren Oliver

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

I read this book back in November and I started this blog post when I finished it but it has just been sitting there waiting for me to decide what to say. Then a couple days ago I tried going back to finish this and STILL wasn't sure what I wanted to say.

I wanted to LOVE this book like I loved Before I Fall. The writing was beautiful and amazing and the premise was intriguing and I really liked seeing Lena go good girl gone rebel. Then there's the "but." There always is, isn't there? 

Then earlier this morning I logged onto Twitter and as I was catching up on my feed, I saw Carolina Valdez Miller's link to her Bookanista's Review of Delirium. When I started reading it all I wanted to do was shout "YES, THIS IS EXACTLY HOW I FELT!" So instead of sitting here struggling to find the perfect words to describe what I thought, I'll just link you to her blog because she says it much more eloquently and coherently than I probably could.

Have you read Delirium? Is there a book that you've read recently that you liked but it wasn't quite what you expected?

XP: Peanut Butter Jelly Time

Hey guys, sorry for the non-book related post, but I wanted to get as many people to see this as possible so I'm posting an entry from my other blog, here.

One of my internet friends, Jenny, has had a tough go of things. From dealing with infertility to giving birth to preemie triplets, I can't help but think of her as Wonder Woman.

When I found out that she was going to be participating in the March of Dimes walk held on April 30th, I wanted to help. Not only did I want to help by donating money to sponsor her, I wanted to do something more.

In the last few months I have taken up a hobby of jewelry making and even opened an ETSY Shop (FunkyPineapple Designs) so I decided I would make a special bracelet in honor of the nickname she gave her babies while they were still in the oven, PB&J.

The Peanut Butter Jelly Time bracelet (seen below) can be purchased through my ETSY shop with $10 of each purchase being donated to help Jenny and her family reach their goal of raising (at least) $1,000 for their walk.

Help me help Jenny reach her goal and maybe even surpass it. You'll not only help future families that need the assistance, but you'll have a nice little thank you on your wrist from all the people that are touched each day by March of Dimes.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time bracelets can be purchased here.
Jenny's blog post talking about what March of Dimes meant to her can be found here.

Freefall - Mindi Scott

How do you come back from the point of no return?

Seth McCoy was the last person to see his best friend, Isaac, alive, and the first to find him dead. It was just another night, just another party, just another time when Isaac drank too much and passed out on the lawn. Only this time, Isaac didn't wake up.

Convinced that his own actions led to his friend's death, Seth is torn between turning his life around . . . or losing himself completely.
Then he meets Rosetta: so beautiful and so different from everything and everyone he's ever known. But Rosetta has secrets of her own, and Seth soon realizes he isn't the only one who needs saving.

I loved Mindi Scott's debut novel Freefall. I read this back in November so my memory is a little fuzzy so you'll have to excuse me. I thought this was going to be a bit of a depressing book based on the synopsis so I was a bit surprised to find that it really wasn't. Sure, a lot of Seth's issues come from Issac's death, but he's thrown in a Communications class at school and it seems to really help him.

I LOVED the teacher because she was so quirky and weird and I couldn't wait for Seth to get to class to see what she was going to do next. I thought it showed growth when Seth took what he learned in class and applied them in the outside world.

I was also pretty amused with Seth and Rosetta's initial meeting and knew she'd be "the girl" and couldn't help but think "that's just Seth's luck." I didn't really understand why Seth continued to be friends with his friends because they were more into the whole musician (sex, drugs, and rock & roll)  thing. I guess they would be the typical teen boys though.

This book was probably one of my favorite contemporary YA books of the year. Mindi did a great job with Seth's voice and I think she accurately portrayed how a boy in Seth's situation might act. A great debut my Mindi Scott and I can't wait to read more from her!

Have you read Freefall?

Girl Stolen - April Henry

Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen—with her inside!

Griffin hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne’s father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes—now there’s a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn’t know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price?

A few months ago my friend Julie came over for my husband's birthday party and brought a book she wanted me to read with her. It took me longer than I wanted to actually sit down and read April Henry's Girl Stolen but when I finally did last week, I flew through it.

I'm not really sure what to say about this book. I really enjoyed it while I was reading it but the more I think about what I want to blog about, the more questions I have. This is a hard post because everything I want to say is SO spoilery!

I think I'm just going to leave this one at I read it, I enjoyed it for what it was, I liked the concept of accidentally kidnapping a blind girl, and I would read more from April Henry. 

Have you read Girl Stolen? What did you think?

The Darlings Are Forever - Melissa Kantor

Jane, Victoria, and Natalya. Together, they are the Darlings. Best friends forever. They have matching necklaces, their own table at Ga Ga Noodle, and even a shared motto: May you always do what you’re afraid of doing.

When the friends begin freshman year at three different high schools in distant corners of New York City, they promise to live by their motto and stay as close as ever. The Darlings know they can get through anything as long as they have each other. But doing scary new things is a lot easier with your friends beside you. And now that the girls aren’t spending all their time together, everything they took for granted about their friendship starts to feel less certain. They can’t help but wonder, will they really be the Darlings forever?

To be honest, I hadn't heard about this Melissa Kantor's The Darlings Are Forever prior to being asked by the publisher if I'd be interested in reviewing it. I'm glad I got that email because I REALLY liked this book. Plus, anything that references Harry Potter is a win in my book.

I read this book in two nights and would have read it in one if I didn't have an early morning (which if you know me, it's TOUGH to get me out of bed when the first digit is a 6 on my clock). I kept thinking "one more chapter" and continued that thought from about 10:30pm to about 12:30am.

The chapters are alternating between Victoria, Jane, and Natalya and I really felt like I got to know them better this way. My favorite girl was Victoria but there were things I liked about each girl.

Victoria: I thought she was the one who grew the most from beginning to end. By the time I was done reading, I had more than one "you go girl" moments from her portion of the book and I just wanted to see her bloom into a confident young woman. Victoria also got the hot photographer guy so that's a bonus. I literally laughed out loud (and almost woke my husband up) during a scene with her, Jack, a banana, and a condom.

Jane: Jane was the cool thespian. I was surprised that Jane seemed to be the one that had less going on compared to the others. She had her story but I guess Victoria and Natalya's just seemed busier. I liked Jane a lot though because she wasn't afraid to speak her mind and call out Natalya when it called for it.

Natalya: My least favorite of the three girls. A BIG part of this has to do with her conforming to what the rich, popular girls wanted her to be and she just wasn't true to herself. I liked the fact that she played chess and liked the Biology teacher that everyone hated but I wanted to slap her at times.

I really enjoyed this book because it was more about the friendship between the girls instead of anything else. Yes, there were the parties, boys, school, and more in the book but it focused on how they dealt with all the new stuff being thrown at them and how there were still there for each other and were able to put aside their differences when it came down to it.

It was a fun book that showed the sister-like bond between three best friends and it did it well.

The writing was good and left me wanting more. I was expecting another chapter when it ended but it turned out to be a sneak peak of the next book, The Darlings in Love and I can't wait to read that when the time comes.

Thank you Disney-Hyperion for turning me on to a book I might not have known about otherwise.

Have you heard of The Darlings Are Forever? Do you think it would be something you might enjoy?

Losing Faith - Denise Jaden

A terrible secret. A terrible fate.

When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don’t know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but.


As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith’s final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger.

I wanted to read Losing Faith by Denise Jaden for a few different reasons and they are as follows: 

Reason 1: Losing Faith is part of the Contemps Challenge and this is something I'm really happy about participating in. This was my fifth book read for the challenge and so far I have loved all five of them. 

Reason 2: The cover and title. You HAD to know this was coming. There are so many aspects of this cover that I love. The girl holding the flowers is just so subtle and I didn't even notice what was going on with it before I actually LOOKED at it. I love the flowers because they are representing death and mourning but the butterflies make me think of Brie's quest to find out what what happened and free her sister's name. I also really loved how the title had double meaning. I can be such a dork when it comes to stuff like that, I just think it's neat. 

Reason 3: My friend Shana is friends with Denise and I'm just all about support. I love supporting authors and all the ones I have come in contact with (in real life or through Twitter) are just people I genuinely want to see do well. They make it so easy though because their work, Denise's include, is just fantastic. 

Going into this book, I wasn't really sure what it was about. All I knew about it was what was printed on the back and that Shana's friend was the author. I started reading one night before bed (which is when I get most of my reading done nowadays) and didn't want to put it down. I didn't get much read for a few days but once I did, I stayed up til after 3am reading. The only reason I stopped? My eyes were burning so bad and it actually hurt to keep them open. 

I was worried that the religion aspect might get too preachy* but was happy it didn't. I had my ideas of what was going to happen but that just made me want to read faster to see if my theories were valid; they weren't. I found myself invested in these characters, especially Brie and her parents. Denise really showed the grief well and it was heartbreaking. 

The writing was beautiful and I really liked Brie. She was relentless in trying to find out the truth and she made a few great friends in the process. I liked that Brie, Tessa, and Alis all had the same common bond and that they were able to open up to each other when they felt they couldn't talk about it with anyone. 

Tessa was my favorite character because she was supposed to be this hard gothy person but she wasn't any of that. Well, ok. Maybe she was a little but she is the perfect example of why you shouldn't be quick to judge people. She was a great friend and was there when Brie needed her the most. Also, I loved Brie's poem about her at the end. Alis was cool but I had a hard time pushing Alistair from Supernatural out of my head. Somehow, I don't think this was who I was supposed to be imagining.

Great debut by Denise and I look forward to reading quite a bit more from her.

Have you read Losing Faith? Will you? 

*I have nothing against religion. I grew up in a Christian household and have the utmost respect for it. The last book I read that contained religion was way preachy and I felt like things were being shoved down my throat. Not cool.