Evermore by Alyson Noel

Here’s a blurb from Ms. Noel’s site: Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, Ever can see auras, hear people's thoughts, and know a person's entire life story by touch. Going out of her way to avoid human contact and suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen.


Damen Auguste is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy. He's the only one who can silence the noise and random energy in her head—wielding a magic so intense, it's as though he can see straight into her soul. As Ever is drawn deeper into his enticing world of secrets and mystery, she's left with more questions than answers. She has no idea just who he really is—or what he is. The only thing she knows to be true is she's falling deeply and helplessly in love with him.

Okay, I have to admit, I’m a total sucker for books like this. Being taken on the whole story of girl meets hot boy, girl falls for said boy, wait…then there’s some issue, will it all work out in the end? The only thing that bummed me a bit was it took awhile for their relationship to get going.  I did really enjoy this book though. So much in fact, that now I’m hooked on the series and am going to read the rest. Ssshh, don’t tell anyone but one day I stopped in to have lunch and was reading during lunch, I just decided to play hooky and finish reading the book right there in Tokoyo Joe’s. I love Ever’s friends, especially Miles. He’s just so honest, blunt, and that’s a good quality in a friend. The cover (even my son remarked) looks like the same girl on North of Beautiful. A lovely cover all the same. I could totally see this being a movie. I got swept up in this and am going to give it 4 roses!

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Okay for some reason I couldn’t get the excerpt part of Ms. Anderson’s gorgeous website to work correctly (the site is worth a look see to be sure. I’ve linked to it here.) Here’s a blurb about the book: Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in fragile bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the thinnest. But then Cassie suffers the ultimate loss-her life-and Lia is left behind, haunted by her friend's memory and racked with guilt for not being able to help save her. In her most powerfully moving novel since Speak, award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia's struggle, her painful path to recovery, and her desperate attempts to hold on to the most important thing of all-hope.

Whew, deep breath…okay. Ms. Anderson has the most vivid images painted with words that I believe I’ve read in a long, long time. You can imagine with a mc locked in battle with an eating disorder and a cutting tendency, the images were not always pretty. They were kinda’ scary sometimes, as a matter of fact. I thought this book portrayed the issues surrounding teens fighting for acceptance and struggling with body issues in a brutally honest fashion. It’s at times heart breaking, frustrating and downright depressing, but you’re pulling for Lia to win the battle and triumph over anorexia. I would recommend this book for teens aged 15 and up. The cover is interesting and lovely. I give it 3 roses!

Awesome Sauce Award

I have been thinking about all the awards that we pass around and share with our fellow bloggers. I love them! They’re great and give me a little boost for the day. I thought of how inspiring many of my fellow bloggers are to me. I’ve learned so much from so many of you. We’ve shared laughs, frustrations, and deep ponderings. So, I created my own new, bright shiny award for you guys. I hope you like it.

For Cate Wood of Words from the Woods you always make me smile, generally even laugh out loud and oftentimes manage to inspire me.

For TK Richardson of My Writing Masquerade you touch my heart and are one of the most giving people I know, selfless and your writing is lovely. I can’t wait to read your book.

Jemi Fraser of Just Jemi you are so uplifting and so encouraging. I also think you’re a bit magic because I do not know how you manage to do all that you do in the 24 hours that we mere mortals are given.

Elana Johnson, well everyone knows Elana right. If you don’t, you should. I linked her name to her blog. I always learn something whenever I visit your blog, and you’re so encouraging. You inspired me to create the Awesome Sauce Award.

Lisa and Laura Roecker of Lisa and Laura Write. You girls have made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. I learn from you and laugh alongside you.

I could probably go on and on giving out these awards to so many wonderful people I’ve met through my adventures in the world of a writer. But then, who would you have to pass the award on to. So, I will stop now and allow everyone to pass this around.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Here’s a bit about Elsewhere from the Macmillan site: Welcome to Elsewhere. It is warm, with a breeze, and the beaches are marvelous. It’s quiet and peaceful. You can’t get sick or any older. Curious to see new paintings by Picasso? Swing by one of Elsewhere’s museums. Need to talk to someone about your problems? Stop by Marilyn Monroe’s psychiatric practice.


Elsewhere is where fifteen-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. But Liz wants to turn sixteen, not fourteen again. She wants to get her driver’s license. She wants to graduate from high school and go to college. And now that she’s dead, Liz is being forced to live a life she doesn’t want with a grandmother she has only just met. And it is not going well. How can Liz let go of the only life she has ever known and embrace a new one? Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?

This moving, often funny book about grief, death, and loss will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.

I really enjoyed this book. The fact that it is in third person, tends to leave the writing somewhat stilted sometimes. A lot of “Lizzie did this” and “Lizzie did that” which made for choppy reading. I did love thinking about the whole concept of aging in reverse and returning to live out subsequent lifetimes. I think there’s something to be said for fearlessly opening one’s heart and moving forward (or backward) through life, embracing whatever comes your way. Like Don Henley sings “There’s just so many summers babe, just so many springs.” Heavy stuff for a 15 year old to ponder. I find myself thinking over this book long after I’ve finished with it. The cover is pretty decent. I’ll give this one 3 ½ flowers but list it below as 4. After all, who wants to chop a flower in two.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

I would say this book is geared toward younger teens, 13 and up. Here’s a bit about Hush, Hush from Ms. Fitzpatrick’s site: Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.


But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those who have fallen -- and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

I know that probably most of the free world has read this book already. I always tend to be lag a little on these things. I liked hush, hush, despite the fact that some of the characters grated on me a touch. I do realize that I’m an adult and am reading it from my adult perspective; in other words, teen girls can grate on my nerves at times.

I thought the storyline was interesting. And what girl (yes, even women) don’t like a guy with a bit of the bad boy in him. We can’t help it, we’re somehow drawn to this whole scenario. Vee drove me a touch crazy with all her funky antics, but we all know someone like this, don't we. I liked this book and actually read it in two days. I just couldn’t seem to put it down. The cover is lovely and I'm looking forward to Crescendo. I give it 3 1/2 roses.

Fat Cat by Robin Brande

Here’s a brief snippet about the book Fat Cat that I shamelessly pulled from a Amazon page: Cat smart, sassy, and funny—but thin, she’s not. Until her class science project. That’s when she winds up doing an experiment—on herself. Before she knows it, Cat is living—and eating—like the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. True, no chips or TV is a bummer and no car is a pain, but healthful eating and walking everywhere do have their benefits.

As the pounds drop off, the guys pile on. All this newfound male attention is enough to drive a girl crazy! If only she weren’t too busy hating Matt McKinney to notice. . . .

This funny and thoughtful novel explores how girls feel about their bodies, and the ways they can best take care of their most precious resource: themselves.

I liked this book a lot. Cat is smart and realizes by the end that the changes she has made were for herself. I think that’s a valuable lesson for teen girls. All too often this is where the framework is laid for women to become pleasers, side-lining our own desires and needs. She re-discovers some of her interests that she had given up long ago. Her parents were involved, present and had a healthy outlook. (It seems as soon I started to remark on the lack of presence of parents in YA books, I bombarded with books of parents very involved. Lol) She approaches her diet changes in a healthy manner also. She consults a dietician and monitors all aspects of her experiment. The only thing that frustrated me at times were Cat’s ability to hold a grudge. I’m not the grudge bearing type of person, so I was shocked by her tenacity in that manner. Her devotion to her family and friends was exemplary. The cover was unique and beautiful (you had to know I’d love that purple). I would say this is a read for 15 and up. I gave this a 3 out of 4 flower rating.

"Impossible" by Nancy Werlin

I recently finished reading Impossible by Nancy Werlin.  It was my first faery story.  :)  Here's a bit about the book:

Lucy is seventeen when she discovers that the women of her family have been cursed through the generations, forced to attempt three seemingly impossible tasks or to fall into madness upon their child's birth. But Lucy is the first girl who won't be alone as she tackles the list. She has her fiercely protective foster parents beside her. And she has Zach, whose strength amazes her more each day. Do they have enough love and resolve to overcome an age-old evil?

Inspired by the ballad "Scarborough Fair," Impossible combines suspense, fantasy, and romance.

I've always loved the song Scarborough Fair and thought it an interesting thing to base a curse around it.  I really enjoyed this book.  It was a great read that thankfully showed a healthy relationship between Lucy and the adults involved in her life.  Her adoptive parents were supportive, helpful, and very involved.  So often in YA novels the adults are either MIA or so deeply embroiled in their own problems they're non-existant.  It was nice to see a book that included adults in a healthy and perfectly acceptable way. The love story between Zach and Lucy moved at a great pace and sucked you in to their feelings for one another.  The characters were believeable and warm.  Oh and the cover is lovely.  I'll have to read more faery tales.