BMB Giveaway #4: The Lover's Dictionary: a novel by David Levithan

Next I'm giving away a hardcover copy of David Levithan's book, The Lover's Dictionary. Click on the link below to enter. Ends February 9. US mailing addresses only. Good luck!

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blurb from goodreads:

A sweet and touching modern love story, told through dictionary entriesbasis, n. There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself. If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face. How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

review: Clarity by Kim Harrington

pub date: March 1, 2011
publisher: Scholastic Point
pgs: 256
source: ALA Midwinter
appeals: mystery, contemporary, romance, supernatural
challenge: Debut Challenge

blurb from goodreads:
Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?


me:
I didn't know much about this book when I started reading it. I picked it up because I thought the cover was awesome. Once I began, I thought the story was awesome, too. Though it's a murder that Clare is helping to investigate, it was really fun. It wasn't too heavy or dark.  

The very first chaper is just one page, a flash forward to near the end of the book. A boy has been shot and is bleeding next to Clarity, while other person (who I just assumed was a boy) has a gun pointed at her head. Chapter two begins nine days before this event. So it's kind of a countdown to the Big Reveal. And the whole countdown I'm keeping track of all the boys that Clarity comes into contact with. The list kept growing...and growing...and growing. Wow, she knows a lot of boys. So I'm guessing which boy was shot and which boy was the one with the gun...and I don't know. It was fun trying to guess.

I liked the different characters, especially Clare. There is a boy that I'm totally rooting for her to get with...but it'll have to wait until the next book. I'm crossing my fingers. 

I also liked the supernatural abilities Clare and her family have. How they play off each other and use their skills in different ways. Clare helping out the police...super cool. Really, I'm glad this is going to be a series. I want to read more.

I did think that Clare was rather stupid at one point in the story. So much so that I almost stopped reading, but I'm glad I didn't. And I really, really did not like her brother. He was a pig. And I'm just glad Clare recognized that. She still loved him and wanted to help him, but she knew he was a pig. I'll be okay if he isn't in the next book. But maybe he'll clean up his act by then?

Anyway, a fun, quick, quirky, murder mystery. I look forward to the rest of the series!

BMB Giveaway #3: Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr

Next up, Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr. For a chance to win, click on the link below. US mailing address only, ends February 9th.

ENTER HERE

Darkest Mercy blurb from goodreads:

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.

The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr's New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless. 

review: Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin

pub date: Feb 1, 2011
publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
pages: 240
source: ALA midwinter

blurb from goodreads:
Fans of romance don't need to look any further than the fauxmance brewing between teen idols Charlie Tracker and Fielding Withers—known on their hit TV show as Jenna and Jonah, next-door neighbors flush with the excitement of first love. But it's their off-screen relationship that has helped cement their fame, as passionate fans follow their every PDA. They grace the covers of magazines week after week. Their fan club has chapters all over the country. The only problem is their off-screen romance is one big publicity stunt, and Charlie and Fielding can't stand to be in the same room. Still, it's a great gig, so even when the cameras stop rolling, the show must go on, and on, and on. . . . Until the pesky paparazzi blow their cover, and Charlie and Fielding must disappear to weather the media storm. It's not until they're far off the grid of the Hollywood circuit that they realize that there's more to each of them than shiny hair and a winning smile.

me:
I was kind of expecting a sweet, innocent romance. I got the sweet part, but the innocent not so much. Which I should not have been surprised about...this is Hollywood. Or, you know, a book version of it.

I'm a sucker for romantic stories. And that is what Charlie and Fielding have...a romantic story. Sure, to begin with they hate each other. But that was what made the book so fun. I loved reading about how that hate changed to doubt. And then love. And then then way they come together. Though I wish them coming together had happened sooner. The tension was there...but the actual romance itself took a while to arrive.

This is a fun book. I especially liked Charlie and Fielding's banter. They really knew how to push each others buttons. Charlie was, at (most) times, annoyingly uptight, but Fielding's carefree attitude about (most) everything made up for it.

BMB Giveaway #2: Blood and Flowers by Penny Blubaugh

Today's giveaway is Penny Blubaugh's Blood and Flowers. I think the covers really cool and it sounds interesting. If you'd like to enter, just click on the link below. Ends February 9. US mailing addresses only.

ENTER HERE

blurb from goodreads:

Three years ago, Persia ran away from her drug-addict parents and found a home with the Outlaws, an underground theater troupe. With time, this motley band of mortals and fey, puppeteers and actors, becomes the loving family Persia never had, and soon Persia not only discovers a passion for theater but also falls in love with one of the other Outlaws. Life could not be more perfect.

Until an enemy makes an unfair accusation against the group and forces them to flee their world and hide in the neighboring realm of Faerie. But in Faerie, all is not flowers and rainbows. With bloodthirsty trolls, a hostile monarchy, and a dangerous code of magic, the fey world is far from the safe haven the Outlaws had hoped for....

Following up her critically acclaimed Serendipity Market, Penny Blubaugh has created a beautiful and mysterious world where anything can happen—especially what you least expect

review: Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

pub date: February 1, 2011
publisher: Harlequin
pages: 208
source: netgalley
challenge: ebook

blurb from goodreads:
Heroine, Bridget Duke, rules her high school, but when she crashes her car and ends up in limbo, she must confront the people she has wronged, all of whom want her to go to hell. The outcome of these meetings will decide her final destination.

me:
I had a hard time with this book in the beginning, for two reasons.

The first reason is because we begin the story with the car crash, then rewind a few weeks and get the rundown of what had happened before Bridget hits a tree. It isn't until at least half way through that we're back to the crash again. It took longer to get to this point in the story than I was expecting, so the beginning seemed rather long to me though it probably wasn't. I liked it, it just wasn't what I was expecting.

Second, Bridget isn't a very likable character. She understands that she isn't as nice as she could be, but she's so wrapped up in herself she doesn't do anything about it. I didn't get why anyone would want to be her friend even if she was the most popular girl.

So put the two together and I'm reading a longer beginning than I expected about a character I didn't like for longer than I wanted...you get the idea.

However, I really enjoyed the second half of the book. Once we get to limbo and Bridget has to face what a creep she is, the pace picks up. And I bought into Bridget understanding what a jerk she was and that she would really change.
Here Lies Bridget reminded me a lot of Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, but even more so 7 Souls by Barnabas Miller and Jordan Orlando. Though Here Lies Bridget is much more lighthearted and humorous. And has a happier ending.

So overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a fast read with a memorable main character and a happy ending and even a kiss. And I really do like that cover. 

help!

I just finished Divergent by Veronica Roth. I really liked it. Intense, original, exciting, funny, romantic...but also confusing. There is one plot element that just doesn't make sense to me. Anyone else read it? Will you email me at resugoo[at]gmail[dot]com so I can ask you to explain this one plot point to me? Just one question. Pleeeease? I really want to understand.