Review: Diagon Alley

It's the day where everyone (except all the muggles) heads off to Hogwarts for another school year. But first we have a stop at Diagon Alley to pick up our school supplies:

Diagon Alley is our (and Harry's) first look into the Wizarding World. As soon as Hagrid touches the bricks, the magic begins. It's a place of wonder and a place to explore. This book allows for such exploration - readers can learn secrets from the movie set, knowledge about the different shops, how the set was designed, and more. Working on this set design would have been a dream come true - it sounds perfect!

This book covers all the time spent in Diagon Alley - just the first glimpse of it we see in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. While it's a small book at 48 pages, it's full of information and pictures that made my heart happy. 

If you're a Harry Potter fan, this is an amazing book to read. 

And welcome back to Hogwarts!

* book sent for review

Review: Rebel Dossier

Emails sent back and forth about the plans for the Alliance, including misgivings, thoughts on personal, and how they might change the mind of people. 

My Thoughts: A really fun read for Star Wars fans but don't read this if you haven't seen the movie yet. Funny. Smart. Entertaining. Great photos and blueprints. An enjoyable political read.

Cover Thoughts: Fun
Source: Book sent for Review

Library Recommendation: A must have for your Star Wars fans!

Upcoming Book Review: Famous in Love

Paige loves acting. When auditions are being held for her BFFs favorite book series about to turn blockbuster movie, she decides to go for it.

She's blown away that she wins the role of the lead actress. Paige has no idea how much her life is about to change. She flies to Hawaii for filming.

Her hard work isn't paying off. The Director's unhappy with her performances and yells at her most of the time. The more she tires, the harder she fails.

Plus as Paige starts getting to know her co-stars, she realizes there's clearly a past between them. Rainer's been trying to smooth things over with the director for her. When Jordan arrives on set, Paige realizes she acts better opposite him. How will she choose between them when they both help her?

My Thoughts: I can't imagine having the whole world watching your acting debut, catching you in moments where you have to explain what really happened to your friends and family, or trying to figure out who you love while the world weighs in. Paige seems to handle all this pretty well - aside from a few mistakes. She's strong and feisty. I love the book turned blockbuster movie and I liked learning more about the movie business. The love triangle was interesting - I know that many readers seem to be over the triangle, but if it's done right (and in this case, it is) than it works for the story. A fantastic fun book that I devoured on the train and almost panicked when I thought I might not have time to finish it.

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: ARC for review
Publication Date: October 22nd

Upcoming Book Review: Just Like the Movies

Prom season's coming up and the boys are starting to get creative with asking their dates. Marijke can't wait to see how her boyfriend will ask her. She's also still waiting for him to use the L word - his action speaks volumes, but she wants to hear him say it.

Lily's mother is always looking for romance and it sours Lily's view. Not to mention the one guy Lily's crushing over doesn't know she's alive. After her mother bails on their girl night for a guy, she spots a movie theater showing Titanic.

After a fight with her boyfriend, Marijke also ends up at the theater - crying. They end up ditching the movie and going for coffee where they talk for the first time, confiding in each other. A plan is born - one worthy of Hollywood. They will use Hollywood scenes to help them achieve their goals. 

My Thoughts: I love this book - for the Hollywood angle and the movie references. I love that they watched movies to try to figure out the best tricks/tips to use. I loved how Marijke took a long hard look at her relationship to see why things weren't the way she wanted and why she was insecure in it. I loved the paintball scene. I really liked Lily and how she wanted something better for her mother, but at the same time, she's so mad at her mother. I loved how Lily and Marijke became friends. Kelly Fiore is an author to watch - her debut novel Taste Test was one of my favorite reads last year and her sophomore book hit it out of the park. I love her books and can't wait to read what she comes up with next.

Cover Thoughts: Loved it
Source: Won an ARC
Publication Date: July 22nd