Lola Goes to the Doctor by Marcia Goldman | Children’s Book Review

Item: Dangerous Girls
Rating: 4
Author: Jana

Posted August 13, 2014 by Jana in Children's Book Review, Inner Child / 5 Comments

Lola Goes to the Doctor by Marcia Goldman
Published by: Creston Books on July 29, 2014
Pages: 32
Source: From the publisher
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Children will identify with Lola as she nervously waits to be called into the doctor’s office. Lola feels a little bit brave when the doctor looks into her ears, a little braver when he examines her teeth, and bravest of all when she gets a shot.

Lola Goes to the Doctor tackles a very scary subject in the minds of young children. When my sister was young, she would cry and cry for days when she found out she had to go to the doctor. She was deathly afraid of needles, to the point she had to be put on Valium just to handle a blood test! I remember my mom reading multiple books to my little sister about Cabbage Patch Kids visiting the doctor, the Berenstein Bears and their visit, Arthur’s doctor visit, and I’m sure that we would have had Lola’s book in our collection if it had been around 15-20 years ago. Who wouldn’t be comforted by that sweet puppy’s face as she sits patiently in the waiting room with other animal friends, meets the nice doctor, gets weighed, has her teeth and ears checked, has her temperature taken, and even gets a shot? I’ll admit, her face does get a bit sad when she sees the needle, but it’s an adorable sad face that is encouraging. She presents the message that it’s ok to be scared, but that everything will be ok.

I had the pleasure of meeting sweet little Lola and her owner, Marcia Goldman, at ALA Annual in Las Vegas in June. She is adorable and so well behaved! I am not the least bit surprised that she was able to pose for all of these pictures. There are no illustrations in this book, just photos of Lola’s visit to the doctor. I feel like this is actually a huge selling point because it gives children the opportunity to see what a doctor’s office is like. It’s not scary. It’s clean, has fun toys in the waiting room, and smiling doctors roam the halls. The pictures are clear, colorful, and tell the story on their own. This is another huge selling point because children can flip through the book and understand its message without needing to know how to read. Lola talks about being brave like a big dog, and mentions her future visits to the doctor with a little bit of excitement. It’s no big deal at all!

While I certainly can’t guarantee that this book will solve all problems with the hard task of getting a child to the doctor (I still hate it myself!), I am sure it will aide in calming the child’s fears a bit. It presents information in a clear manner and encourages children to be big and brave like Lola. I’d definitely recommend it to elementary and public libraries, as well as to parents and/or caregivers who would like some help in presenting the concept of doctor visits in a delicate manner.

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas | Book Review

Posted August 11, 2014 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 4 Comments

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
Published by Simon Pulse on May 6, 2014
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
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Paradise in Aruba quickly gets gruesome in this "ripped-from-the-headlines thriller (Kirkus Reviews)" with a twist that defies the imagination.

It's Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives.

But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations. As Anna sets out to find her friend's killer, she discovers harsh revelations about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.

Awaiting the judge's decree, it becomes clear to Anna that everyone around her thinks she is not only guilty, but also dangerous. And when the whole story comes out, reality is more shocking than anyone could ever imagine...

Ok, so I could not hold off on reading Dangerous Girls any longer after continually reading how insane it made my friends! Dangerous Girls came with a lot of dangerous hype, and I hoped so much that it would live up to the masterpiece I had assumed it would be in my own mind. it DID. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. I think it goes without saying that my mind was completely shredded. I was flipping pages and staying up until all hours of the night, holding my eyelids open to try and figure out what was going on! My first thoughts upon finishing were (according to my Goodreads status after finishing the book at o’dark thirty):

What the HECK? What planet did this book come from? If I weren’t such a lady, I’d be swearing right now. What just happened?

2. Some people say Dangerous Girls is predictable, by I had NO IDEA who did it. None. I thought I had an idea, though, but my thoughts kept jumping around to everyone. And my lack of coherent thinking had nothing to do with the author’s writing style or her choices in the details she revealed. We were given so many clues, but I could not put them together until the book was over and I went, “WHAT THAT MAKES SENSE WHY DIDN’T I KNOW!!!??”. It was just so twisted and crazy! And the ending just iofhaergstgdrjtkgnsrgiaefiajefraorejfaerg.

3. I was so fascinated by Anna and Elise’s super weird relationship. These girls were TOXIC when mixed together. Were they friends? Enemies? Lovers? All three? None of the above? They brought out the worst in each other, and their intense obsession with being best friends forEVER was just creepy. These girls are not your typical best friends, allowing drugs, alcohol, parties, and shifty men to dull their senses and fuel their obsessions. So many lines were crossed that I honestly had no idea whether I should be ok with it or not.

4. I found myself not really liking anyone in the book, which I find very rare in books I actually liked. It’s hard to read books where you don’t like anyone. I felt extremely bad for Anna, and I wanted her to get out of prison SO BAD. But I didn’t like her. I’m not really sure why. And her “friends” became enemies very quickly after Anna was arrested, so I didn’t like any of them. I think I was so engrossed in the whodunit and the little details that the characters slipped through the cracks. I had absolutely no problems with this, though. I was actually happy it worked out this way.

5. EVERYONE is shady. The prosecutor, Anna, the boyfriend Tate, every friend, the men Elise meets before her death, the judge. Reporters kept digging up all kinds of information about everyone, which gave me more layers to think through. Everyone seemed to be hiding something. I just loved that I kept questioning everyone and everything.

6. The reader is witness to Anna’s interrogations, preliminary hearings, prison time, trial, TV interviews, etc. We also get to jump into her head and feel her thoughts and see her memories of happier times. She feels so much anger and frustration, betrayal, grief, and fear. She has flashbacks of her healthy relationships with Elise and Tate. We get to know Anna so well, even though people reveal details that make you question whether or not you know her at all. I loved being with her throughout the entire process.

7. The ending. WHAT. THE. CRAP. I still have so many questions and so many thoughts. Abigail Haas is brilliant.

Basically, you need to get yourself a copy of one of the best mysteries I’ve ever read. It has every creepy element you could think of, plus everything else you didn’t realize you wanted. I can’t get over how I just didn’t see it. I’m thinking a re-read is in my future because I’ve just got to see what I missed! And I can’t wait to read more from Abigail Haas. She has a crazy imagination/mind, and I want LOTS more from her.

Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore | Book Review

Posted July 31, 2014 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 4 Comments

Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore
Published by Walker Children's on July 22, 2014
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 300
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (Mail)
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Pretty and popular track star Marijke Monti is confident about almost everything – she’s got great friends, a great family, and she’s on her way to the State Track Championship. In fact, the only thing Marijke isn’t confident about is her relationship with Tommy Lawson.

Lily Spencer has spent her entire high school career preparing for the future – she’s participated in every extracurricular activity and volunteer committee she could. But, at home, she watches her mother go on date after date with dud-dudes, still searching for “the one.” Lily realizes that she’s about to graduate and still hasn’t even had a boyfriend.

While they live on each other’s periphery at school, Lily and Marijke never seemed to have much in common; but, after a coincidental meeting at the movie theater, Lily gets an idea – why can’t life be like a movie? Why can’t they set up their perfect romantic situations, just in time for their senior prom, using movie techniques?

Once the girls come up with the perfect plans, they commit themselves to being secret cohorts and, just like in the movies, drama ensues.

Just Like the Movies is a darling breath of fresh summer air, and it could not have come into my life at a better time! I’ve always been a hopeless romantic, and I spend the months leading up to my birthday and Christmas scouring the Internet for any and all romantical movies that have not been added to my collection. I knew from the get-go that this was a book for me, and it was. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. Right off the bat, I loved all the mentions of some of my favorite romantic comedies. Kelly has great taste in swoony movies, and I even got some recommendations for my Christmas list! After reading Kelly’s take on a particularly romantic boombox scene from Say Anything, I know I need to go watch that movie!

2. I SO identify with Lily, to the point where I almost forgot I was reading about someone other than myself! Lily is high school me. She’s a bookish, organized, intellectual wallflower with a long list of things she wants to accomplish and her future all planned out. She wants a love story like the movies, but doesn’t think anyone even notices her. She’s crushing on a guy she thinks is WAY out of her league. On the flip side, she has this snarky sarcasm thing going on that I just loved. She is so me. I was a studious, shy, choir girl who was actually told by one of her best friends that she should be a bank robber because nobody would notice her come and go.I wasn’t weird, I was pretty, and I had a lot to offer. And I always wondered why I was overlooked the popular guys (side note – Now that I am old and wise, I’m actually glad I was overlooked). I wish I’d had a friend like Lily to commiserate with.

3. Marijke is the popular girl that’s actually likeable, and it was so refreshing to read about her. The star athletes in high school are almost never nice (and if you were a nice star athlete in highschool, high five!), but Marijke really proves herself. She’s got her insecurities and her frustrations and her home drama. She’s a normal girl. I liked her a lot, even though I probably would have avoided her in high school.

4. I have a huge crush on Joe Lombardi.

5. I loved the focus on friendship. Lily and Marijke have the most amazing friendship that spans high school social groups in a way that feels so real. And I loved watching them bond over their love of romance and their desires to have it in their own lives.

6. Probably my favorite thing about Just Like the Movies is the focus on growth and coming of age. Kelly and I touched on this in our interview last week. As the story moves on, these girls both get stronger and stronger. They figure out who they are, what they want, and that they deserve more than they are getting. I loved watching them both discover their individuality and their amazingness. And what I loved even more is that things work out for these girls once they discover themselves. There’s a huge message of loving yourself enough to demand a certain kind of respect from others. If only we could all learn to do this.

All in all, Just Like the Movies is a very sweet romance with tons of references to well-loved romantic movies, a beautiful friendship, swoony boys, girl power, and an important message to readers young and old. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves romantic contemporary stories with a little meat on their bones,.

Author Kelly Fiore on Just Like the Movies | Interview + Giveaway

Posted July 25, 2014 by Jana in Author Interview, Giveaway / 7 Comments

I’m so excited to have Kelly on the blog today to talk about her new book, Just Like the Movies, as part of the official blog tour hosted by Bloomsbury Children’s! This book is absolutely adorable (keep an eye out for my raving review next week!), and so is the author. I had so much fun learning more about her and her book. Before we jump in to the interview, let me give you some info on the book. And make sure you get to the very bottom of the post so you can enter the giveaway for a finished copy of Just Like the Movies!

Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore
Published by Walker Books for young Readers on July 22, 2014
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance
Pages: 300
Format: ARC
Source: From the Publisher
Buy the Book • Add to Goodreads

Pretty and popular track star Marijke Monti is confident about almost everything – she’s got great friends, a great family, and she’s on her way to the State Track Championship. In fact, the only thing Marijke isn’t confident about is her relationship with Tommy Lawson.

Lily Spencer has spent her entire high school career preparing for the future – she’s participated in every extracurricular activity and volunteer committee she could. But, at home, she watches her mother go on date after date with dud-dudes, still searching for “the one.” Lily realizes that she’s about to graduate and still hasn’t even had a boyfriend.

While they live on each other’s periphery at school, Lily and Marijke never seemed to have much in common; but, after a coincidental meeting at the movie theater, Lily gets an idea – why can’t life be like a movie? Why can’t they set up their perfect romantic situations, just in time for their senior prom, using movie techniques?

Once the girls come up with the perfect plans, they commit themselves to being secret cohorts and, just like in the movies, drama ensues.

Author Interview

TARG: Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions today, Kelly!

KF: Thanks so much for having me, Jana.

TARG: If you only had five words (or less) to sell your book to a potential reader, how would you describe it to them?

KF: Friendship’s it’s own happy ending.

TARG: Oh, I absolutely love that! I love books with a strong friendship element, and Just Like the Movies definitely has that.

One can only assume you had specific movies in mind while you were writing. You mention quite a few throughout the book itself, but which movie(s) made you go: “I’ve got to write this book.”

KF: I think Say Anything is the biggest reason – that boombox scene is iconic – but also a lot of movies that didn’t make the cut were movies I loved and wanted to “live” in. Movies like French Kiss or Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion were movies that I saw during high school and thought, “Oh, that could never happen.” Adult Kelly thought, “Wait… what if it could…?”

TARG: I’ve actually never seen Say Anything, but you’ve got me wanting to! It sounds super sweet and romantic.

Just Like the Movies features two girls who are very different from one another, but bond over their love of romantic movies. You’ve got Marijke, an outgoing track star with a sexy boyfriend and Lily, a shy, studious wallflower. Which one of these girls do you see yourself in?

KF: Lily. So much of Lily is me. Which is funny, because I wasn’t exactly quiet or anything in high school. But the sarcastic snark, the biting wit – that’s me to a fault. Like Lily, I’ve used that to keep people entertained, but at a distance.

TARG: I also identified a lot with Lily as I was reading. I’ve always been the quiet, organized type, but I can whip out a little one-liner or a sarcastic comment every now and then and make people laugh. I was also the girl in school people looked over, or even through. I loved Lily a lot because I saw her living my life.

Anyone who follows your blog knows you’re a total foodie (and your debut novel, Taste Test, definitely confirms it.) Lily mentions that she loves the Saturday morning tradition of peanut butter pancakes with bananas for breakfast. Does a recipe for these exist? She also says she loves to cook for her family. What other kinds of things does Lily cook?

KF: I’m sure a recipe exists! I don’t have one, but they sound way too delicious not to be a real thing. ☺ I don’t know if Lily is much of a cook besides the basics – she’s pretty great at ordering pizza, though! (Joe Lombardi, on the other hand? He’s one of those guys I can imagine has some great date night staple recipes under his belt to impress the ladies – like Pasta Carbonara or Shrimp Scampi.)

TARG: Ahh, Joe. I love Joe a lot! And I can totally see him whipping up some yummy Italian.

Which Just Like the Movies scene was your favorite one to write? Why?

KF: I love writing climactic scenes in most cases, although I really loved writing the preface/beginning part of JLTM when the girls are in Tommy’s yard. It was the very first thing I wrote for the book and I felt their friendship starting to root in that section. Oh, and I loved writing Marijke’s running scenes. Chapter One specifically.

TARG: What’s your favorite quote from Just Like the Movies? Why?

KF: From page 269 – the last Marijke section:
“And there it is – the last aspect of the perfect movie romance: chemistry. It’s the one thing that the movies capture that real life has in common. It’s the one thing you can’t fake, because it’s as certain as science.”

TARG: I highlighted that quote! It’s definitely one of my favorites as well.

Just Like the Movies comes off as being a light contemporary romance, but there are some heavier issues and a lot of feelings. What do you hope readers take away from this story?

KF: This is a great question. In the end, this story is about relationships with other people and how we value ourselves in our relationships – romantic and friend-oriented. Marjike and Lily both make choices based on what other people – boys, in particular – might think of them. By the end of the book, both of them have learned that their opinions of themselves are the ones that matter the most. If I could hope for anything of my readers, it would be that they recognize and appreciate that growth.

TARG: Mission accomplished, Kelly! I loved watching these girls grow in their relationships with each other, as well as with the boys. And I particularly loved watching them stand up for themselves, because that’s something high school girls (and even adult women!) just don’t do enough of.

By nature, writers are extremely passionate about their craft. What has becoming an author done for you as a person?

KF: Becoming an author, specifically, has made me far more thick-skinned. And a little more patient. It’s given me the opportunity to leave something behind and it’s made me stronger. It’s made me both exceedingly happy and extremely miserable – sometimes at the same time.

TARG: I love that. I know I’ve done things in my life that have made me a strong version of who I was, and they are some of my most rewarding experiences.

Finally, do you have a love story worthy of the movies?

KF: I think every love story is worthy of a movie – it’s love, man. It’s the exception. It’s the reason to get out of bed. I met my husband when we were basically kids. Thirteen years later, he still makes me laugh until I snort coffee and makes me so mad that I want to punch holes in everything we own. He’s given me the most beautiful little boy and the most beautiful life. And almost none of our story would fit within the parameters of a romantic comedy. But, you know what? Every single second of it has been love. We are the lucky ones. And I wish everyone – everyone – that kind of imperfect, infuriating, frustrating, intoxicating, endless love. It’s why those movies are made in the first place.

TARG: *swoon* I don’t even know how to respond to that statement! I hope I find your kind of love one day for myself.

Thanks so much, again, Kelly! It has been a lot of fun getting to know you today. I absolutely adored Just Like the Movies, and can’t wait for your next book, The People vs. Cecelia Price!

Meet the Author

Kelly Fiore has a BA in English from Salisbury University and an MFA in Poetry from West Virginia University. She received an Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council in 2005 and 2009. Kelly’s poetry has appeared in Small Spiral Notebook, Samzidada, Mid Atlantic Review, Connotation Press, and the Grolier Annual Review. Her first young adult novel, Taste Test, was released in August 2013 from Bloomsbury USA. Forthcoming books include Just Like the Movies, again from Bloomsbury, in 2014 and The People Vs. Cecelia Price from HarperTeen in 2015.

Kelly teaches college composition in Maryland, where she lives with her husband and son.

Connect with Kelly!
Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway

The wonderful people of Bloomsbury Children’s have a great giveaway for you! Enter below for a chance to win a finished copy of Just Like the Movies! USA only, please.
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Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for more awesome content!

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Top Ten Characters I’d Enjoy Being Stranded With

Posted July 21, 2014 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 10 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at the other blog I write for, The Broke and the Bookish.

I feel like it has been forever since I participated in a Top Ten Tuesday! This is a list of characters that I would be just fine being stranded on a deserted island with. Some are for friendship, some for protection, some for romance, and some for comedic relief!

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
I would not go hungry if Katniss were around to hunt!

Bennett from the Time Between Us duology by Tamara Ireland Stone
Bennett is a time traveler, plus he can travel AYWHERE. So I would have him around for when I needed a break from the island and wanted to go to a concert in Chicago in 1970.

Mal from the Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
Mal is SO swoony, not to mention devoted to those he cares about. He’s a great tracker, navigator, and friend. I know he would keep me alive.

Cinder from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
Cinder would be my island sister! We’d talk boys and she’d fix my Kindle every time it broke so I would never be without reading material.

Ethan Vance from Boomerang by Noelle August
Because seriously. This guy is sexy and athletic, plus he’s tender and caring. He’d be my island boyfriend.

St. Claire from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
I love this guy, plus he’d teach me French in our spare time.

Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
This guy is hilariously cocky and snarky, plus his one-liners are amazing. I’d love to sit and talk with him forever.

Four from Divergent by Veronica Roth
He’s sweet, plus eye candy. Come on.

Celaena Sardothien from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas
I’m pretty sure she could strangle a shark. So I need her to protect me. Plus, she’s girly and loves sweets and books. So we’d be besties.

Sean O’Neil from Suddenly Last Summer by Sarah Morgan
He’s a sexy doctor! Everyone needs one of these on a deserted island, right? Think Jack from LOST, only better. Much better, because I loved Sawyer a lot more. Anyway.

So! Who would you want on a deserted island with you? Do you agree with my choices? Am I missing someone?