Month: May 2014

Item: Open Road Summer
Rating: 5
Author: Jana

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord | Book Review

Posted May 9, 2014 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 5 Comments

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
Published by Walker Children's on April 15, 2014
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 342
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

When I think of this book, my heart soars and flutters a little. I was SO in the mood for a light, sweet little romance and Emery Lord gave it to me. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. What a fun idea for a book! I love that the book takes place on a tour bus and in hotels along a 24-city country music tour! It’s such a unique and fresh idea, and I enjoyed listening in on the characters’ discussions as they drove along the open road.

2. I adore the deep and protective friendship that exists between Reagan and Lilah/Dee, and I love the friendship between Dee and Matt. Even though there was a bit of romance to the story, the focus was mostly on friendship and I found that to be extremely refreshing. Everyone was so concerned for each other.

3. I liked seeing the non-glitzy, non-perfect side of celebrity life, and I loved that it did not ruin Lilah. You would think her life was perfect, but she has a lot of pain and sadness built up inside that the world of pop culture doesn’t get. The are pushing on her for information about her break-up, and they are trying to ruin her life with lies. She has to put up this front and come off as America’s little sweetheart, while she cries behind closed doors like any normal teenager would. She is real, and I felt for her.

4. I love how protective Reagan is over Dee. When Matt shows up, Reagan pretty much wants to punt him in to the next universe. But his sweetness and sincerity melts through Reagan’s reservations. The three form a really cute trio.

5. I am SO a fan of swoony Matt Finch. He’s sensitive and charming and a little broody. He seems to be very clean cut and gentlemanly. Totally the boy next door. Plus, he can sing in a melt-your-heart melodic way, rather than a I’m-going-to-scream-obscenities-until-I-bust-a-vocal-chord way.

6. I kind of skimmed over the romance aspect before, but it needs to be addressed. I LOVE THE SWOONS. Matt just knows how to say all the right things. And the way he picks Reagan up and puts her back together melted me.

7. I absolutely loved the writing style. Emery is really good at writing about teen angst, emotion, love, and friendship. I hung on her every word.

Basically, if you’re looking for a sweet summer romance with a little meat to it then this is your book! I will always look back on this fun summer road trip fondly. Open Road Summer is a new favorite, and I highly suggest you go grab yourself a copy.

Goals for My Second Trip to Italy – Wish You Were Italian Release Event

Posted May 8, 2014 by Jana in About Me / 8 Comments

Wish You Were Italian is my favorite book of 2014 so far! I loved it so unbelievably much. In honor of the book’s release on May 6th, Kristin Rae, the author, has asked us early readers of the book to share our goals for Italy, just like Pippa (the main character in the book) did before she began her Italian adventure.

I’ve already been to Italy once, and saw a TON of cities and towns and art… but one can never do everything in only one trip! So, these are my goals for the NEXT time I go. Because, honestly, I will be back. The coin I threw on the Trevi Fountain proves it. :)

1. Not be sick this time.
I got to Italy by transatlantic cruise, and contracted a bad case of pneumonia on the ship. My doctor says it’s because I was in such close quarters with a bunch of people from all over the world and pretty much made my own sickness. I was gone for six weeks, and was sick for the entire thing. :'( I actually broke my rib coughing in Florence. SO painful, and so disappointing. I did not let it get me down too much, though. Although when I got home and went to the doctor, he told me I should have been in the hospital. He did a chest x-ray (probably looking for tuberculosis) and could not see my heart through the pneumonia. I was SO sick.

2. Eat more gelato.
Gelato is pretty expensive, and I did not eat nearly enough. I keep thinking back to this gelateria in Florence that sold a “cookies” gelato. It was vanilla with some kind of bakery cookie covered in chocolate mixed in. It was to DIE for, and I swear three cups of it was not enough.

3. Walk the Bridge of Sighs and go into the Dodges Palace in Venice.
Seriously. I looked at this bridge and I looked at this palace but did not go in. WHY? It’s like it did not occur to me! I was so enchanted by Venice that I wanted to be outside the whole time, I guess.

4. Spend more time in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.
My mom and I are the art history buffs, but my dad and sister couldn’t care less. I had been wanting to see this lovely little chapel forEVER, but my mom and I felt pressured to leave sooner than we wanted because the rest of the family was bored. We should have just told them to go out without us. I could have sat there for at least another hour.

5. Visit Cinque Terre
I wanted to go to Cinque Terre before I read Wish You Were Italian, but after reading so much about it, I want to go even more, especially to Riomaggiore!

6. Actually go to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
I just sat at the bottom of it and looked up at it. There were SO MANY STAIRS to get to the top, and sickly me would just not have made it!

7. Visit the Galleria Borghese in Rome.
I’m an ART person and I did not get the chance to see this museum! There was just not enough time!

8. Stay at the Hotel Metropole in Bellagio even longer.
This hotel is the most beautiful, with the most exquisite views I’ve ever seen. We had a corner room with double balconies. My mom and I splurged on this hotel, but it was so worth it. Seriously, click on the link above and go see pictures. Bellagio is the most magical little town, and I loved exploring it.

9. Break the law more.
Haha. I know, this sounds weird. But so many of the places I went to had men yelling at tourists to not take pictures. And at first I complied. But when they tried to take my memories away of the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo’s David in the Academia in Florence, that was where I drew the line. I got one amazing photo in the Sistine Chapel, which was pure luck. I was in the middle of a huge crowd and just went for it because I knew the guards could not get to me. David was another experience. I held my camera against my stomach and tried to take pictures without being noticed. There was this really scary woman Nazi guard type who was going around making people delete their pictures! I took a risk, and she glared at me and wiggled her finger at me, but I came home with one picture of David as well. I just wish I had more!

10. Stay longer.
There were so many things I wanted to see and do, but there was just not enough time! Next time, I just need to stay in Italy longer. Or move there. *sigh*

Well, I hope you liked my list of goals! If you’re wanting to go to Italy, but just can’t afford it or make the time, grab yourself a copy of Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae! It’s the next best thing. :)

Have you heard about Camp Payback by J.K. Rock? + a Giveaway!

Posted May 7, 2014 by Jana in Blog Tour, Book Spotlight, Giveaway / 1 Comment

Welcome to my stop along the Camp Payback blog tour, hosted by AToMR Promotions! Last summer I read the first book of the series, Camp Boyfriend, and ADORED it. It is such a fun, summery romance that had me itching to go to summer camp, even though I hate bugs and dirt and campfire smoke. Check out my review of Camp Boyfriend here (the authors even wrote a fun guest post to go along with my review)! Anyway, I have been eagerly anticipating Camp Payback’s release, and you should be too! Here’s everything you need to know about it! My review will come later, as some crazy school/life stuff happened and I fell into a major reading slump that left me liking nothing I read. :)

Camp Payback by J.K. Rock
Series: Camp Boyfriend #2
Published by: Spencer Hill Contemporary on April 29, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, contemporary romance, romance
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Alex has big plans for camp this year, starting with making it the best summer ever. Having fun and breaking some rules will get her the payback she wants against her parents and her ex-boyfriend. Because of his disgusting texts, she’s headed to a super strict all-girls school in the fall.

Then she meets Javier and revenge doesn’t seem nearly as important as getting to know the troubled loner determined to keep a low profile at camp. But Alex’s trouble-magnet personality and Javier’s need to stay in the background don’t mix nearly as well as their irresistible chemistry.

With her home life eroding under her feet and her last year of summer camp speeding to a close, Alex wants to make her mark on the world and squeeze every bit of fun out of her time with Javier. Too bad her old plans for revenge turn back on her just in time to ruin everything. Will she lose Javier too?

All the Links:

International Giveaway!

WOW. What an awesome giveaway J.K. Rock has for you! Good luck! I hope you win. :)

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Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor | Mini Book Review

Posted May 5, 2014 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 6 Comments

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1
Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers on September 27, 2011
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance
Pages: 418
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
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Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Guys, this book is WEIRD! Haha. It took me a little while to get into it because of its strangeness, but then I was hooked on the story. Laini Taylor is an amazing author, and I feel kind of weird for not having read this book sooner! I am so glad my book club decided to read it for April, because I finally had an excuse to read it.

Karou is the most interesting character I’ve read about in a while. She has blue hair, she is an art student in Prague, and she is not entirely human. She was raised by a demon who lives on the other side of random doors throughout the world. He gives her languages for her birthday, and gives her wishes (hence the blue hair and the fact that her ex-boyfriend itched terribly while he was nude modeling for her art class). Karou runs errands for this demon, and when he needs her he sends a tiny little demon bird to get her. She comes across Akiva on one of her errands, barely escapes with her life, and her world kind of spirals out of control from that point on. Karou is not quite sure who she is, and there are many people who hope things stay that way.

Seriously, Laini Taylor’s imagination is CRAZY. Maybe it’s the bright pink hair? I don’t know. But she is masterful at creating a dynamic and HUGE world that I am convinced exists somewhere. I usually hate stories with angles and demons (haha. No, not talking about Dan Brown here), but I really enjoyed this one! And the mystery of who Karou is, who Akiva is, and what’s GOING ON just kept me on the edge of my seat. The language is beautiful, and can I PLEASE go to Prague!? One of my book club members, Karin, was actually in Prague when she read this and I am SO JEALOUS. From what she told me, though, Laini paints an amazingly accurate Prague… so maybe I’ve been there already? Give this book a shot if you’re in the mood for a little bit of strange and a hugely weird world.