Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Influenced Vacations

This week's topic is book that made you want to visit their setting.

Love, Lucy 
for Florence. I 've been there once, but would love to spend more time there.  Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss, #3) 
Paris! I need to explore this city so much more

A Blind Spot for Boys 
for Machu Picchu - I would love to see it

Lucky Me
 Ireland - I would love to visit Dublin and the countryside

Embers & Ash (Cold Fury, #3)  
Chicago and the hidden doors of Capone

Sleigh Bells in the Snow (O'Neil Brothers, #1) 
Vermont - a resort in the winter in front of a fire and lots of snow on the ground
The Apple Orchard (Bella Vista Chronicles, #1)
 Spending a week on an artisan farm

Wish You Were Italian (If Only . . . #2)  
Italian countryside

The Geography of You and Me
 Scotland - I've always wanted to go there, since I was a kid. 

Lost in London 
London - I've never been and need to go - one day!

Bonus:
The Maze of Bones (The 39 Clues Series #1) 
The entire series forces the siblings to see amazing place (I'd go without all the danger)


Where do books make you want to travel?

Tween Tuesday Review: All Access Sports

Tagline: A behind the scenes look at the coolest things in sports

Set-Up:
The book's divided into three categories: Athletes, Places, and Gear.
Athletes: Facts about your favorites: from their pre-game rituals to what they like to do with their downtime to their favorite sneakers.
Cool Places: building monsters trucks and cool baseball fields
Gear: What does a hockey goalie really wear - plus cool history from Cooperstown and the making of a football

The Good:
The lift and look pages are awesome
Lots of facts
Great pictures
I like how it covers a variety of sports - from conventional to non conventional

The Bad: 
There's nothing bad about this book
Overall:Perfect - Get this for the young sports fans in your life!

* Sent for review

Monday, October 13, 2014

Famous In Love Blog Tour


The Book on Tour

Title: FAMOUS IN LOVE
Author: Rebecca Serle
Pub. Date: October 21, 2014
Publisher: Poppy
Pages: 336
Formats: Hardcover, eBook

The romantic story of a girl who gets plucked from obscurity to star in the next major feature film franchise based on a book and the ensuing love triangles she gets entangled in on—-and off screen. 

Meet Paige Townsen, Rainer Devon, and Jordan Wilder…

When Paige Townsen, a young unknown, gets cast in the movie adaptation of a blockbuster book series, her life changes practically overnight. Within a month, Paige has traded the quiet streets of her hometown for a crowded movie set on the shores of Maui, and is spending quality time with her co-star Rainer Devon, one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive. But when troubled star Jordan Wilder lands the role of the other point in the movie’s famous love triangle, Paige’s crazy new life gets even crazier.

In this coming-of-age romance inspired by the kind of celeb hookups that get clever nicknames and a million page views, Paige must figure out who she is – and who she wants – while the whole world watches.

Fun Fact:  LOCKED which is the story/movie script the characters are cast for inside FAMOUS IN LOVE is a real book! Written by Rebecca Serle writing as Parker Witter, who is also the reclusive author character in her Famous in Love series! Read the article in Publishers Weekly HERE!

About Rebecca:
Rebecca Serle is the author of When You Were Mine, The Edge of Falling, and Famous in Love and is an obsessive lover of all things pop culture. She blogs about The Vampire Diaries for New York magazine’s Vulture and can be found on Twitter: @RebeccaASerle. She, like Caggie, lives in Manhattan—just far from the Upper East Side.

Photo by Tara Kelly

Find Rebecca Online:


Hey guys! Rebecca Serle here, author of the upcoming series FAMOUS IN LOVE. It’s a novel where fiction meets reality When Paige Townsen, a totally normal girl-next-door, is plucked from obscurity to star in the next major film franchise based on a book. When she relocates from her hometown of Portland to Maui (as in, Hawaii!) to film the movie, she falls for the two lead actors she meets on set: Rainer Devon, and Jordan Wilder

       Would you ever want to star in a movie?
I don’t think so, no. I’m much better behind the scenes. Public speaking makes me incredibly nervous. I don’t think I’d last five minutes on a set.

       What book did you base the movie off from? (I love that the blockbuster movie is based off a book)
The movie is based off a novel Locked by Parker Witter. You can read that novel. It’s available online everywhere.

       Do you have a favorite book to movie adaptation?
Yep—Harry Potter. That’s not to say I don’t love others. Twilight, The Huger Games, Divergent—I’m fans of them all. But I grew up with Harry Potter and those adaptations were nothing short of magic. Being a part of the Harry Potter generation is something I will treasure forever.

       Do have a favorite movie love triangle? And literary love triangle?
My favorite current love triangle is probably Damon-Stefan-Elena on The Vampire Diaries. The love triangles I love the most are the ones where the boys have a lot of love for one another. Damon and Stefan are brothers. They’re probably my favorite pairing. Defan for the win!

Literary love triangles—hmm. Clary-Jace-Simon I think. I am a huge TM fan.
       If you were going to a Hollywood Premiere - what dress would you wear?
Something red by Prada because red is my favorite color and Prada is my favorite designer.

       What's up next for you?
I’m working on the sequel to Famous in Love, which should be in your hands next fall. Stay tuned and check www.rebeccaserle.com for updates! 


 See where Rebecca's headed next in week one of the blog tour:

10/14/2014- WhoRuBlogReview
10/15/2014- Bewitched BookwormsGuest Post
10/16/2014- Fiction fareInterview
10/17/2014- Wishful EndingsReview

I really loved this book: read my review  and if you think it sounds good, then you're in luck

Giveaway Details:
Five winners will receive a finished copy of FAMOUS IN LOVE as well as an eBook of Parker Witter's LOCKED! ?(US Only)

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Review: Swan Point

* Book 11 in the sweet Magnolia series *
Adelia's still a little shaken up from the break-up of her marriage. She's happy to be rid of her unfaithful husband Ernesto, but starting over is hard with four children.  Plus she feels guilt from her Catholic upbringing and her sisters aren't happy with her choice.  Still, she's moving forward. Adelia bought a new house on Swan Point, which needs a little fixing up.

Gabe has come home to Swan Point. He wants to change his life around and become something other than a trouble maker in the eyes of the town.  Yes, he had a rough time of it as a teen and left town vowing never to come back. His cousin gives him a job at his construction site.  

When Gabe and Adelia meet, neither of them is looking for love, but the sparks fly anyway. Could it be something or just a rush of chemistry?
My Thoughts: I love Sherryl Woods' books, especially this series. I love the strong women characters who band together and look out for each other. I felt bad for Adelia and how her family wasn't always supportive and behind her. I really liked Adelia's kids and how they tried to understand their new life. They were sweet, smart, and resilient.  I love their interactions with Gabe. I liked watching Gabe struggle to overcome his past and fight for his future and for himself. I really hope that the next book features Carolina because I'm worried about her. Sheryl Woods has a way of writing that gets under your skin.

Cover Thoughts: Pretty

Source: My Library

Friday, October 10, 2014

Mini Review: Children's Activity Atlas

The Set-Up:
* includes how to use the atlas page
13 illustrated maps
postcards
passport
stickers to place on the maps (including flags, animals, objects, and architecture.

The Good:
A great learning tool for young readers
Great Facts * Great Illustrations * Great Maps
Very colorful, easy way to learn about the world and different cultures.

The Bad:
With the interactive parts, this book is harder for libraries - but still a great read.
Overall:
This book is perfect for kids wanting to learn more about the world in an easy, but informative matter. The stickers and facts will keep them entertained while learning about the world. I can't wait to share it with my niece.
Book Sent for Review.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Holiday Review Thursday: Heart of Christmas


* Book 7 in the Whiskey Creek series * 
Eve had her heart broken and recently all her friends have found their happily ever afters. Now as she's turning 35, Eve's starting to feel depressed.

On her birthday, her friends are busy, so she decides to go to a bar for her own celebration. There she meets a stranger. When she wakes up the next morning, she discovers that she's not alone.

He's just traveling through the area and isn't interested in sharing details. The more Eve sees him, the more curious she gets.  Can she find her own happy evening or will she end up looking outside Whiskey Creek?
My Thoughts: I love this series and I'm happy to be reading about Eve - she's had a hard couple of years. I liked learning more about the B and B and especially more about the ghost who haunts it. I liked the moments between Ted and Eve and how they're working on their friendship after what happened. I liked Rex and how Eve learns more about this past. I like how she attempts to take care of him. I love how this town supports each other and leans on each other. I think Baxter needs a book soon. A great addition to the series and a book that shows the true meaning of Christmas. 

Cover Thoughts: Love it - but it doesn't exactly match the book
Source: ARC sent for review 

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

What's On My Hold List (92)


My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea.  It's to highlight the books on hold at the library. I usually have 20-40 items checked out at the library and another 20 items on hold. 

I love food - reading about food in fiction or looking for new recipes to test out or laughing about eating habits (mine are the worst).


Food: A love story - I love Jim Gaffigan - his stand-up routines always talk about food and he always makes me laugh.

The Taste of Home Cookbook: I really love Taste of Homes cookbooks, excited to see what new recipes this one has. 

Picked to Die: Cozy mystery series set in an apple orchard and winter is coming (couldn't resist)

What are you waiting to read?