Month: July 2012

Flirting in Italian by Lauren Henderson (Mini Book Review)

Posted July 17, 2012 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 9 Comments

Flirting in Italian by Lauren Henderson (Mini Book Review)Flirting in Italian by Lauren Henderson
Series: Flirting in Italian #1
Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers on June 12, 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 336
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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Four girls. One magical, and possibly dangerous Italian summer. Family mysteries, ancient castles, long hot nights of dancing under the stars . . . and, of course, plenty of gorgeous Italian boys!

Ok, guys… This just might be the biggest disappointment of the summer. I was SO excited when I found out about this book, and even more excited when I found out I was approved for it on Netgalley. Seriously. I was in a local creperie, and I might have made a smallish scene when I checked my e-mail and saw that I could download it. At that time, I was about to leave for Italy myself, and I love themed reads! I never got around to it while on my trip, though, but I still thought it would be fun to read it as I reminisced.

The summary on the back of the book tells very little about what happens in the story. Violet is our main girl, and she finds out about a centuries old painting that looks just like her. It’s in Italy, so she figures out a way to get herself there as part of a program that is basically finishing school for Italian girls. Her neurotic, overbearing, and borderline insane mother about has a flip-out session, but lets her go. She gets to spend the summer at a house in Tuscany with 3 really stuck up girls (another English person, and two Americans) and some rude Italian girls… and gets in too deep with a playboy, all while searching to find out whether or not she was adopted, and who this doppelganger was.

So… within the first 50 pages of the book, I almost gave up. I love art history so much, so I was really excited with the mystery posed at the beginning of the book, about the heroine’s doppelganger in a centuries old painting. And I love Italy, and was enjoying reading all about the scenery, and the Tuscan countryside. I’ve been to Pisa, so I know what it looks like in that area. It was fun to reminisce. And then the girls showed up. First off, the American girls are made out to be materialistic valley girls, and I was embarrassed. They act so dumb, snobby, rich, and entitled. I hope the author does not believe we’re really like that.

And then the high school mentality set in. These four girls are terrible (well, one of them was not so bad, but it was only because she was so insecure that she couldn’t be cocky)! They constantly think about how someone is fat, or that shade of green makes her skin look putrid, or “thank goodness I have been self tanning for a while”, or how the blonde has nothing between her ears, etc. The bullying and rude thoughts are so annoying! And Violet, our main character is exactly the person who made my life miserable in school. She’s rude, cocky, gossipy, and downright mean! I mean, come ON. I thought we were supposed to like the main character. Why should we stick with the book if we don’t? I had no interest in reading such rude thoughts and mindless gossip and backbiting. The mystery at the beginning of the book fades away, and it turns into one big mess of rude, unintelligent girls partying and hanging out with the guys you’re, as a general rule of thumb, supposed to avoid. The main love interest, Luca, looks down his nose at Violet, and comes off as being a bit of a lunatic. Violet realizes this, but goes back and forth from loving him and hating him. It was just weird. There’s no real character development, and I cared about nobody.

The book is all partying. It’s like spring break in Cancun in book form. Violet’s mission to go to Italy to find out about herself is completely forgotten. Towards the end of the book, another mystery (which ends up being very unrealistic) surfaces, but honestly, it’s too little too late. The book was already unsalvageable at that point, so trying to make up for that by adding in a mystery that is seriously hard to believe, does more harm than good.

AND… there’s a companion novel. So… crud! Haha. The ending was just a mess! I suffered through it only to be told that I have to read another book if I want to know what happens. I put the book down wondering why I wasted the time on it, and I have no interest to read the next book.

I loved the idea. LOVED it. And I know that it could have been done so much better. I’m so disappointed in it! I’d heard it was in the vein of Anna in the French Kiss. Heck. No. To be honest, I feel a little deceived with that marketing statement. I’m going to tell you right now to not bother with this one. There are many better choices out there.

Cecilia Gray’s Writing Do’s (Author Guest Post)

Posted July 16, 2012 by Jana in Blog Tour, Guest Post / 1 Comment

Cecilia Gray lives in Oakland where she reads, writes and breaks for food. She has written 7 books, the most recent of which (Fall for You) is the beginning of the young adult contemporary romance series, Jane Austen Academy. Two of her other novels: A Delightful Arrangement (The Gentlemen Next Door #1) and An Illicit Engagement (The Gentlemen Next Door #2) have spent time on several romance bestsellers lists in Spain, Italy, the UK, and the USA.

I’m delighted to have Cecilia here today to discuss some writing tips as part of the AToMR tour celebrating her newest book, Fall for You.

 

Dieting has never worked for me. The second you tell me what I can’t eat, it’s all I can think about is eating it. No carbs? I’ll eat a pizza. No fat? I want bacon.

The same is true of writing. Don’t tell me what I can’t do. I’ll want to do it. No starting a story with a dream? I’ll give my heroine a 300-page nightmare.

Instead, I’d rather focus on should I should be doing.

I should be eating more vegetables and lentils. I should be going organic. I should be eating nonfat yogurt.

Here are my writing “you-shoulds”:

  • You should draw the reader in by posing a question.

    I don’t mean an obvious question-with-a-question mark. I mean a sentence that begs a question, any question.I was listening to the new Maroon 5 song and the first line is, “I’m at a payphone trying to call home all of the change I spent on you.” The sentence brings up all kinds of questions. Who is he trying to call? Why is he trying to call them? Where in sweet hell did he find a payphone? Even though I know nothing about the situation in the song, I sympathize with the singer, because he’s desperately trying to reach someone and I know the feeling.Your first sentence should engage the reader to question what is happening, and more improtantly, to care about what is happening.

  • You should force the reader to set their own stage.

This is a fancy way of saying show don’t tell, and the reason it works because it switches the reader from reading passively to reading actively, and if a reader is more actively drawn into a story, they have more stakes in the outcome.

“She was sad” says less than “She fought the sting of tears at the corners of her eyes.” (Apologies for both sentences being pretty lame….)

Both beg the question, why is she crying. But the second also makes you realize she doesn’t want to be crying, that she is desperate not to cry, which adds depth and dimension to her emotional state.

  • You should invite the reader to complete their own story.

Consider the following endings (my apologies for any spoilers):

–    Life of Pi when the veracity of Pi’s story is thrown into doubt and you must decide whether he was really in a boat with a tiger or a man who murders his mother
–    The ending of Inception when you must decide whether the hero has found happiness with his family or is trapped in a coma
–    Before Sunrise or Before Sunset when you have to decide whether the couple will stay together – and whether it’s the right decision
–    The Giver when you must decide what journey the hero takes
These stories have powerful endings precisely because their resolution depends on the reader.

This doesn’t absolve you of telling a satisfying story, but consider whether the satisfaction really comes from  tying up every loose end. Is there a thread better left untold? Is there a question you want to leave for your reader?

All three Do’s have one thing in common: reader engagement. Each Do is a way of waking up your reader, forcing your reader to read deeper, asking your reader to care more, think more, do more.
Getting your reader to do more is more work for you, but if you’re stressing about it – you could always eat a pizza.

Thanks, Cecilia! Stop by the tour schedule and visit the other tour stops to read reviews of Fall for You, more guest posts, book excerpts, and other cool things!

Showcase Sunday (#2)

Posted July 15, 2012 by Jana in Uncategorized / 7 Comments

 

Showcase Sunday is hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits, and Tea. We get to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received, borrowed, bought, and downloaded!

 

Books Received:
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
(From Julia’s 2-year blogoversary giveaway)

Insignia by S.J. Kincaid
(Because Kimberly accidentally got an extra for the SLC Dark Days signing, and was sweet to give it to me!)

Every Day by David Levithan
(From Netgalley)

Why I Didn’t Finish It… #1

Posted July 12, 2012 by Jana in Uncategorized / 3 Comments

 

Hi! So… this is my least favorite feature here at That Artsy Reader Girl. It’s where I discuss why certain books just weren’t for me. I don’t feel right reviewing a book if I have not read every single page of it. At the same time, though, I want to be able to justify why I chose to leave it behind. I do my very best to never do this, but sometimes I end up deciding that it would be more fair to myself, as well as the author, if I just quit trying! So here are my two cents!

Q: A Novel by Evan Mandery
I love a quirky novel, but this one was just too quirky. I mean, about 3 whole pages were spent describing a game of miniature golf. It just didn’t grab me, and I really didn’t care what happened. I loved the idea of the book. The publisher’s blurb made it sound much more up my alley. When I received it and read the summary, it sounded like a completely different book. If I had read this summary, I would not have accepted it because I would have known immediately that it was not my cup of tea. I gave it an honest try anyway, but in the end I just couldn’t stay with it.

Candle in the Window by Christina Dodd
Very shortly into this book I realized I had accidentally come across a book that could be classified as erotica. The summary on the back of the book sounded like a nice historical romance, but there was nothing to the story except for sexytimes. Nothing. It was just all about some big, tough macho man raping this blind woman everyday and then she fell in love with him and they got married. I got that out of the first two chapters. I guess I learned a valuable lesson with this one: never buy a book on a cruise ship!

Pure by Julianna Baggott
I know… So many people love this one! I felt extremely guilty about not finishing this one. I was going through some rough things in my life when I started this one, and it depressed me. It’s probably the most disturbing dystopian I’ve read. The world has been demolished by atomic bombs, and when those bombs went off the items people were holding became a part of their body. So the main girl has a doll face for a hand. Now, everyone is required to either join the militia or sign up to be a live target if they are too damaged from the bombs. It was upsetting!

How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donahue
I loved the idea of this book… two estranged friends get together to open a cupcakery. It sounded adorable! I just couldn’t climb on board. The book hardly had any dialogue and was full of entire page-length paragraphs of details.

Lockdown: Escape from Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith
So… I don’t have problems with dark reads, but this one was TOO dark. I guess I’m just really sensitive, or extremely squeamish. The idea sounded amazing, and I know that many many people love Alexander’s series. I just could not finish it! I did give it to my dad, who enjoyed it, but further confirmed that I made the right decision. Haha!

Ok, so those are my DNFs as of yet. Have you read any of these? Do you agree? Should I try again? Let me know your thoughts! What does it take for you to DNF a book? How much time do you give it before you throw in the towel?

Tempest Unleashed by Tracy Deebs (Book Review)

Posted July 11, 2012 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 2 Comments

Tempest Unleashed by Tracy Deebs (Book Review)Tempest Unleashed by Tracy Deebs
Series: Tempest #2
Also in this series: Tempest Rising, Tempest Revealed
Published by Walker Children's on June 5, 2012
Genres: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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Tempest Maguire is happy with her decision to embrace her mermaid nature and live among her mother’s clan within the ocean’s depths. Even though training to one day ascend the throne for the aging mermaid queen is rigorous, she finds refuge in the arms of Kona, the selkie who first opened her up to her mermaid side. But when word comes that one of her brothers has been gravely injured on land, Tempest immediately rushes to his side—which also brings her back to her old flame, Mark. And in her absence, a deadly battle begins raging at the hands of Tempest’s old nemesis, the sea witch Tiamat. As the dangerous war erupts, Tempest’s two loves—Kona and Mark, sea and land—will collide for the first time, both to protect her and to force her to choose.

So… I have ranted numerous times about how the middle book of a trilogy is usually pointless, boring, and frustrating. OH MAN. This is not so with Tempest Unleashed. The book lives up to its name, as Tracy unleashes the insanity. I mean, I was on the edge of my proverbial seat, flipping through this book as quickly as I possibly could. To be honest, it’s better than the first one. SO much better. And I’ll warn you right now, if you have not read Tempest Rising, the first book in this trilogy, this review will spoil that book for you. If you’re interested in an exciting mermaid story, definitely go check out my review of book one, and see if it sounds like something you would enjoy. Anyway, onto my review of book two! As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. Like I said, this book is much better than the first one. That’s so rare! It was more exiting, though, and the bulk of the book took place under the water this time. We got to learn more about Tempest, her family, and her gifts.

2. I love mermaid books because I really enjoy reading about underwater scenes and worlds. The descriptions were glorious.

3. The writing was very pretty, and I can see major growth and development in Tracey’s writing since the first book.

4. Tracy’s imagination is amazing! She came up with the craziest looking creatures. I’m not sure if she did a ton of mythological research, or if she made these up on their own. Regardless, they were fascinating. Also, the descriptions of Tempest’s powers were enormous, and so detailed! I found myself flying through these smoothly-written passages, eager to devour every single word faster than my brain wanted me to.

5. Tempest has grown up a little, and has this sense of responsibility and duty. She’s so much more mature now, and I liked her a lot more. She wasn’t selfish at all this time, thought through every decision carefully, and was so brave. I’m so happy to see this new change in her. And I really love how she treats her family. She’s so motherly and caring. I really like Tempest.

6. Kona got much less likeable. He’s not this sweet, swoon-worthy guy in my eyes anymore. He’s grumpy, controlling, pushy, lacks compassion and sensitivity, and has major anger management issues. I’d be scared of him if I were Tempest. Every once in a while, the old Kona would shine through, but I’m thinking his true colors are opposite of what I thought about him from the first book. I don’t like him anymore!

7. Mark is still sweet, but now he’s passionate and giving as well. He’s amazing, and I found myself switching my loyalties from one male in the love triangle to the other, which I almost never do. Mark is willing to give anything, do anything, sacrifice anything for Tempest. She’s a mermaid, and he’s not, but he’s willing to commit to her anyway. Kona has never said anything like that. And the passion with him is so much more fiery than what Tempest has with Kona. I actually love that Tracy did this. I love that she changed my mind. I mean, I loved Kona. LOVED him. And now I love Mark instead. Tracey had me feeling the way Tempest was feeling, which is the sign of a truly wonderful author.

8. That ending was pure insanity! I loved it! There was so much build up to an amazing climax that had me staying up so much later than I had planned. I can’t wait for the next book.

Really, you just need to read this. I have never had such a change of heart from book one to book two in a trilogy like this. I wasn’t even fully excited to read this after reading the first one, but I am SO glad that I did. The writing, the characters, the flow, the plot… all of it was SO much better! And if you loved the first one, just think of how much you’ll love this one! If mermaids are your thing, I think you’ll really like Tempest’s journey.