Friday, March 31, 2017

Blog Tour: The Whole Thing Together



ABOUT THE BOOK:
Summer for Sasha and Ray means the sprawling old house on Long Island. Since they were children, they’ve shared almost everything—reading the same books, running down the same sandy footpaths to the beach, eating peaches from the same market, laughing around the same sun-soaked dining table. Even sleeping in the same bed, on the very same worn cotton sheets. But they’ve never met.

Sasha’s dad was once married to Ray’s mom, and together they had three daughters: Emma, the perfectionist; Mattie, the beauty; and Quinn, the favorite. But the marriage crumbled and the bitterness lingered. Now there are two new families—and neither one will give up the beach house that holds the memories, happy and sad, of summers past.

The choices we make come back to haunt us; the effect on our destinies ripples out of our control…or does it? This summer, the lives of Sasha, Ray, and their siblings intersect in ways none of them ever dreamed, in a novel about family relationships, keeping secrets, and most of all, love
MY THOUGHTS:
I really enjoyed this book. I thought it would be a light summer read, but instead, I found myself reading multiple perspectives (for some reason, I thought there would just be two) and re-reading bits to make sure I understood what actually just happened (I misunderstood a key moment in the book). I felt myself surprised by the opening but once I felt I understood all the siblings and their places, I devoured it. 

This book is ALL about family - the strangeness of these two families and how they revolve around each other. I loved learning more about Sasha and Ray and the room (and other things) they shared. I liked how this summer changed everyone in both families. It's a book about grief, growing up, finding yourself, understanding your role, finding happiness, and healing. The Whole Thing Together didn't leave me after I closed the book, the characters are still with me and I'm still thinking about them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ann Brashares is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, The Here and Now,3 Willows, The Last Summer (of You and Me), and My Name Is Memory. She lives in New York City with her family. Visit Ann’s website at AnnBrashares.com and follow on Twitter @AnnBrashares.

FOLLOW THE TOUR:
March 20: Bookhounds YA
March 21: Butter My Books
March 23: Fiction Fare
March 28: In Wonderland
March 29: The Reader Bee
March 31: YA Book Nerd
April 3: Peace Love Books
April 6: Novel Ink
April 7: Fangirlish
April 10: The Fandom
                Page Turners 
April 11: Liz and Lisa 
April 14: Leslie Lindsay
April 19: YA Wednesdays
April 26: Lost in Literature

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Nasty Women's Nonfiction Books


This is by no means an extensive list, only a list of books that have stuck with me and recent reads. But if you're looking for feminist middle grade books (and who isn't?) this list is a good jumping off point.
You might also like my feminist picture books post and my Fierce Female YA books post and my Middle Grade books.

Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a TimeLet Me Play: The Story of Title IX: The Law That Changed the Future of Girls in America33 Things Every Girl Should Know About Women's History: From Suffragettes to Skirt Lengths to the E.R.A
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to DreamYankee Doodle Gals: Women Pilots Of World War IICount on Us: American Women in the Military
Our Eleanor: A Scrapbook Look at Eleanor Roosevelt's Remarkable LifeThe Book of Heroines: Tales of History's Gutsiest GalsWith Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman's Right to Vote
Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina Young Readers EditionAmelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia EarhartWomen in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World
Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Blog Tour: Vigilante


ABOUT VIGILANTE:
A brutally honest, uncompromising story about a teen girl who decides to take matters into her own hands. 

It's senior year, and Hadley and her best friend, Magda, should be starting the year together. Instead, Magda is dead and Hadley is alone. Raped at a party the year before and humiliated, Magda was driven to take her own life and Hadley is forced to see her friend's attackers in the classroom every day. Devastated, enraged and needing an outlet for her grief, Hadley decides to get a little justice of her own. 

Donning a pink ski mask and fueled by anger, Hadley goes after each of the guys one by one, planning to strip them of their dignity and social status the way they did to Magda. As the legend of the pink-masked Vigilante begins to take on a life of its own, Hadley's revenge takes a turn for the dangerous. Could her need for vengeance lead her down a path she can't turn back from?

LINKS: Amazon | BN | Indiebound

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I think it's the perfect book to start a conversation about women and how they can help other women, how they can learn to protect themselves, and how shaming other women isn't right. I felt terrible for Magda and how the world turned on her. I love the idea of Hadley and her new sisterhood. I love how they helped each other out, on several occasions. I liked the idea of the Pink Vigilante, going after guys the law couldn't - but at the same time, I didn't always agree with her decisions. I know that I don't have those fighting skills - but this book makes me want to change that. I loved the romance of this book. I loved the friendship between Hadley and Zoe. I love how this book made girls feel powerful, in control of their lives, able to help others, and fight back. I really loved the addition of Detective Diane, she was powerful and yet her hands were tied at times. I love how she taught the classes and how she spoke at the school. The ending threw me, I wasn't expecting that! Vigilante is a powerful read about friendship, grief, death, healing, and getting a little of your own back. 


ABOUT KADY CROSS:
Kady Cross is a pseudonym for USA Today bestselling author Kathryn Smith. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and a pride of cats. She likes singing with Rock Band on the 360, British guys, Vietnamese food, and makeup (she’s hopelessly addicted to YouTube makeup tutorials!). When she’s not writing Kady likes to catch up on her favorite TV shows, read a good book or make her own cosmetics.




Tour Schedule:
Week 1:

Week 2:

Giveaway:
3 Finished Copies of VIGILANTE (US Only)

Picture Book Review: My Hometown


This book displays one town's Main Street history from 1860s to present day.

My Thoughts: A great read with very little words, this book is perfect for this year's Summer Reading theme. It illustrates how the town stays the same through the year, but more importantly how it changes with the building and the people. Great for one on one reading where you can pour over the amazing illustrations. 

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday: Author I'd Love to Meet

This week's topic is authors I'd LOVE to meet. I've had the good fortune to meet so many wonderful authors. Here are a few I haven't met yet. 
meme from The Broke and the Bookish 


JK Rowling (Hey, I dream BIG)

Jill Shalvis
Lost and Found Sisters (Wildstone, #1)

Sarah Morgan
New York, Actually (From Manhattan with Love, #4)

Miranda Kenneally 
Coming Up for Air

Jennifer L Holm
Lights, Camera, Middle School! (Babymouse Tales from the Locker)

Shannon Messenger
Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities #6)

Jennifer E. Smith
Windfall

Emery Lord
The Names They Gave Us

Jenny Han
Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #3)

Stephanie Burgis
The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart

And so many more!

Bonus:
Jane Austen

Glittering Court Release Day Blitz

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Big and sweeping, spanning from the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court.

Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear destined for powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. Adelaide naturally excels in her training, and even makes a few friends: the fiery former laundress Tamsin and the beautiful Sirminican refugee Mira. She manages to keep her true identity hidden from all but one: the intriguing Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy proprietor of the Glittering Court.

When Adelaide discovers that Cedric is hiding a dangerous secret of his own, together they hatch a scheme to make the best of Adelaide’s deception. Complications soon arise—first as they cross the treacherous seas from Osfrid to Adoria, and then when Adelaide catches the attention of a powerful governor.

But no complication will prove quite as daunting as the potent attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. An attraction that, if acted on, would scandalize the Glittering Court and make them both outcasts in wild, vastly uncharted lands…

I really Enjoyed this book, check out my review here

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
RICHELLE MEAD is the #1 New York TimesUSA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Vampire Academy series and its spin-off series, Bloodlines. Originally from Michigan, she now lives in Seattle, Washington.

ENTER TO WIN A COPY:
Enter for a chance to win one (1) of ten (10) copies of The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead (ARV: $10.99 each).
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on March 28, 2017 and 12:00 AM on April 5, 2017.  Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about April 7, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Monday, March 27, 2017

Review: Girl Rising

From Goodreads:
Girl Rising, a global campaign for girls’ education, created a film that chronicled the stories of nine girls in the developing world, allowing viewers the opportunity to witness how education can break the cycle of poverty.

Now, award-winning author Tanya Lee Stone uses new research to illuminate the dramatic facts behind the film, focusing both on the girls captured on camera and many others. She examines barriers to education in depth—early child marriage and childbearing, slavery, sexual trafficking, gender discrimination, and poverty—and shows how removing these barriers means not only a better life for girls, but safer, healthier, and more prosperous communities.
My Thoughts: I haven't seen this film (yet) but man was this book ever powerful. First - the pictures were great and very vibrant. I love how the book had details about the girls after the movie ended. I also loved the back of the book for the How to Help section because after reading this, you DO want to help. I loved this book because these girls were strong, determined, intelligent, brave, and inspiring. A heartbreaking reading but so inspiring at the same time. 

Cover Thoughts: Powerful
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: Purchase for ALL libraries. Share this book and talk about it - with everyone! 

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Blog Tour: Windfall

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Alice doesn't believe in luck— at least not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for the last few years, she's been pining for her best friend Teddy. She and he are alike: both are outsiders, both know tragedy. She lost both her parents when she was 9 and lives with her cousin now. Teddy's father abandoned the family, leaving his mother to grapple with the weight of his gambling debts and barely able to hold it all together. 

Then, on Teddy's 18th birthday, Alice buys him a lottery ticket, and to their astonishment, he wins 145 million dollars. In an instant, their lives are completely upended. But what at first seemed to be a blessing, soon starts to feel like a curse. As Alice and Teddy deal with the ripple effects caused by that one little ticket, they learn more about themselves than they ever could have imagined, and about the unexpected ways that luck
and love sometimes intersect. Now, if only Teddy can see through his windfall and back to the ones who love him.

WINDFALL is a story about luck, love and fate, and what the world owes us. Jennifer E. Smith’s unique voice is one to watch and you are in for a for a treat!

RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2017
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
JENNIFER E. SMITH (@JenESmith) is the author of seven novels for young adults, including The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. She earned a master's degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and spent years working as an editor on a number of bestselling books, including Ballantine's New York Times bestseller Tell the Wolves I'm Home. Her work has been translated into thirty-three languages, and four of her novels are currently in development for film. She lives in New York City.

MY THOUGHTS: I adored this book as expected. I'm a huge fan of the authors, so I was very happy to be asked to be part of this tour! I love the relationships in this book from Alice and Teddy and Alice and Leo. I love Alice bought Teddy the ticket for his birthday and it changed his entire life. I like how he and his mom needed the money. There were times when I wasn't Teddy's biggest fan, but I grew to like him again in the end. I like how Leo and Alice tired to help keep him grounded and not go crazy spending money left and right. I adore love how he tried to make all their childhood dreams comes true. I loved Max and Leo and their relationship.  I felt terrible for Alice and her past. I admired her determination. I admired her desire to help people - the way her parents helped people. But I also loved how she started to lean on her friends more and become part of something for herself. I love the romances and the friendships in this book. I love the idea of paying it forward and helping to change the world with a ripple effect of kindness - what a beautiful sentiment! 

I've often thought about what I would do if my husband and I won a huge lottery like this. There are so many options. Paying off debt would be first. Then traveling. I have lots of places I'd love to visit. Of course charities would be involved. And taking classes about all the things I still want to learn. 

How would you spend your money if you won the lottery?

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Book Display Ideas: April

Spring is here! Flowers are starting to pop out. Rain is upon us. Soon the grass will green up and leaves will appear. Here are a few book display suggestions for the month.

Check out last year's post for more topical ideas.

Other Dates:
Week 2: Garden Week
Flowers

Book Display Idea: Books with Flowers on the cover


Movie Dates:
April 7th: Going In Style
Book Display Idea: Heist Books

Book Display Idea: Books with Cars on the cover

Book Display Idea: Survival Books

Friday, March 24, 2017

Nasty Women's Middle Grade Books


This is by no means an extensive list, only a list of books that have stuck with me and recent reads. But if you're looking for feminist middle grade books (and who isn't?) this list is a good jumping off point.
You might also like my feminist picture books post and my Fierce Female YA books post. 

The Great Shelby Holmes (The Great Shelby Holmes, #1)Partners in Crime (Sleuth or Dare, #1)The Football Girl
Kat, Incorrigible (Kat, Incorrigible, #1)Fairest of All (Whatever After, #1)Wonder Woman at Super Hero High (DC Super Hero Girls)
The Red PencilCapture the Flag (Silver Jaguar Society Mysteries #1)Shadows of Sherwood (Robyn Hoodlum, #1)Moving Target
Dealing with Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #1)The Case of the Missing Marquess (Enola Holmes, #1)Keeper of the Lost Cities (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #1)Tuesdays at the Castle (Castle Glower, #1)
The Case of the Missing Moonstone (The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, #1)The Detective's AssistantThe Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit (Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective, #1)The Wig in the Window (Young and Yang, #1)
Princeless #1Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten HolyTarget Practice (Cleopatra in Space, #1)Goldie Vance Vol. 1