Jenuine Cupcakes

This is a captivating book that tells three stories at once.  Ben's story is told only in words, while Rose's is told only in pictures.  The third story is what unfolds when the first two converge through a unique turn of events that really did leave me Wonderstruck (and reaching for the tissues) when it was over. Click here to read more

Does This Book Make My Butt Look Big?  (The art of the negative review.) I'm not a writer so I have no idea what's it's like to spend months or years on a book.  I don't know the blood, sweat and tears of pouring my heart and soul into a story, watching as the characters move from my imagination and onto paper.  Being able to see/touch/feel what was once just an idea turn into something solid with a pretty cover that now sits atop a shelf in my local bookstore is beyond my comprehension because again, I'm not a writer.   I don't know what it feels like to have this work, this creation, this "baby" if you will, out there for people to read and OH MY CUPCAKE! voice their opinion about it.  Then those people tweetblogfacebookmyspacegoodreads EVERYONE.THEY.KNOW!  *chews nails*  What if they hate it?!  What if nobody buys it?!   The only thing I can equate it to is...  Giving birth and people telling you, "That is o...

What's Coming in 2012  Here's a list of some pretty awesome books that are coming out in 2012.  A few I've had the privilege to read already but the others I'm having to be patient and wait for, unless, of course, I can figure out who I can bribe with cupcakes for ARC's.  ;)        #1 Insurgent by Veronica Roth     I.CAN'T.EVEN... If there was a fear scape I needed to go through in order to receive an ARC of this book I would do it.  Even if that meant eating meatloaf, making a phone call or dealing with spiders, clowns or Heaven forbid...owls.   #2  Timepiece (An Hourglass Novel) by Myra McEntire This is a cover worth going to the bookstore just to pet it's so purdy and it's from Kaleb's POV!  #3  Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi Publication date is January 2 (according to goodreads) Read my review http://jenuinecupcak...

Homeschool Rewind For those who aren't too familiar with homeschool life or whose only point of reference are the ones that have their own show on TLC and a few more kids than I do (quite a few more) well, here's a peak at what our homeschool life is like. Before I begin, I should warn you - what you see may not always be pretty, neat, tidy, orderly or even look like learning at all, but I assure you, we're constantly learning (even if it's how to make a fool of oneself).  Oh yeah, there will be dancing too, so prepare yourself. Why do we homeschool?  The easiest answer is because we feel led to at this stage of our lives.  It's a good fit for our family and creates endless learning opportunities for the boys but it's not for everyone and I'm cool with that. One of the BEST things about homeschooling?  The field trips!  I am all about the field trips!  We get to take a lot of them when everyone else is IN school w...

As the close of 2011 creeps up and it becomes glaringly obvious that it is, in fact, the end of the year and not still the middle of the summer, which found me sitting in the sun with a book in hand, I thought making a "Best of" list would be fun.  The irony of this whole situation being, this time last year I didn't have this blog, wasn't into reading for fun and wouldn't have known what an ARC or a galley was if it hit me in the face and made me cry, "CUPCAKE!" In no particular order except for #1... Best of 2011~ Books #1 "Divergent" by Vernoica Roth ~ this is my FAVORITE book of the year! I have given this book as a gift numerous times and even went as "Tris" for Halloween. Click below to read my review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/176307852  #2  "The Uncbecoming of Mara Dyer" by Michelle Hodkin ~ Read my review  http://jenuinecupcakes.blogspot.com/2011/10/unbecoming-of-mara-dyer-michell...

Senior Year is supposed to be the best year of High School but for Hannah, all she can think about is surviving the first day without all Hades breaking loose.  Why? Well, for starters, she'll have to come face to face with Sebastian, the guy who broke her heart on the last day of Junior Year and Noah, the guy she's spent all summer with and who she thinks might just be the love of her life.  Then there's Ava, her longtime BFF whose just gotten back from her summer job in Maine and from whom Hannah's keeping a secret; one she knows could destroy their friendship.  Btw, did I mention that Noah happens to be Ava's boyfriend?  Yeah...so, now you can see how her first day has "recipe for disaster" written all over it. Will she make it through or will she lose everyone she loves before the final bell rings?       Author, Barnholdt opens the book with Hannah's first day of school and uses alternating chapters to explain what happened during the summer s...

I've just finished some great new reads thanks to YA Books Central, Netgalley & Thomas Nelson (see my reviews below).  My "To Read" list continues to grow...here's a peak at what's in my Book Basket now... 

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.  This was an interesting story about young love, loss and learning to move on after a senseless tragedy.  There was a definite Columbine feel to this and anyone who remembers where they were when that story broke will no doubt appreciate the similarities. "At 7:45 a.m. on the day before Thanksgiving break, a bomb goes off at Edison High. Nine people die instantly. Fifteen are critically injured. Twenty-two suffer less severe injuries. And one is blinded."  Life as these students know it is forever changed and they must now figure out how to go on living. We get a glimpse of their lives before the bombing and we see the usual high school social landscape with Student Council President Morgan, her jock boyfriend Trent, and the rest of their popular friends. Then there are the outsiders like inked up Roth, the guy with the troubled past who can't seem to stay on the straight and narrow and his long time friend "with benefits"...