Jenuine Cupcakes

Author: Lauren Oliver Publication: February 28, 2012 By: HarperTeen 5 Stars!   The old Lena is gone. The new Lena, the one born in the Wilds knows grief, pain, and the struggle to merely survive.  This new Lena is stronger and has joined the resistance' fight to live in a world where love is not considered a disease.  Outwardly, she fights alongside others while inwardly, she wages her own battle to keep from drowning in her grief for Alex.  He's everywhere and she doubts she'll ever truly live again. As the work of the resistance intensifies, so does Lena's role. When she finds herself at the center of a full-blown rebellion, she'll discover not everyone is who they claim to be.  Just like the fake marks of the cured that most members bare, she'll have to decide who she can trust.  Then there's her heart.  Could she really be falling in love again?  What about Alex?  Isn't she betraying him and the love they shared?...

  Author: Brian James Publication: March 27, 2012 By: Feiwel & Friends 3 Stars! I am sucker for a pretty cover and this one is no exception! It's also very fitting for the storyline.     "Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream... " Set within the walls of a psychiatric ward, Life is But a Dream is a story of love and hope that follows the journey of Sabrina, a young schizophrenic who struggles with finding normalcy amidst the noise and colors the threaten to swallow up her life.  (Author Brian James' prose is so beautiful in it's imagery that you feel as if your reading a song instead of a book.)  Sabrina's parents send her to the Wellness Center after her "episodes" reach a breaking point and she's suspended from school as a result.  It's there that she meets Alec, a boy dealing with his own anger issues and whose convinced that everyone else is the problem and they're the ones who are normal.  (Tha...

Last week I was working on a top seekrit project that may or may not have involved the following things, dancing in public, books, singing, a certain boy band and my overall humiliation. I could tell you now but then I'd have to killz you and I don't like blood so... when that project is complete and ready to share I will.  I couldn't do my part of the project without the help of my little people, one of which is a camera hog so I had to bribe him with his own video time.  Here is the result... (I'm relegated to backup dancer which is where I'm most happy to be.)  Enjoy!

Never take yourself so seriously that you aren't willing to do things that will make your kids happy even if you look and feel like a complete (you know what) in the process.   None of us knows how many days we're allowed so make 'em count!  Besides, life is too short not to have fun, be silly, and acta fool. (Not all the time because that just draws the wrong kind of attention - the kind requiring long white coats.) Btw, I figure my kids will most likely need therapy for something in the future so it might as well be because I put my book, Nook, Kindle, iPhone, laptop, etc. down and made silly dance videos with them. (I'm kidding about the therapy part...I think.)

DEFIANCE by C.J. Redwine Cover Reveal!   I think I sucked all the air out of the room when I saw this. SO.VERY.SPARKLY!! YABC had the EXCLUSIVE Cover Reveal for DEFIANCE (coming in August)! For more info and to read a note from C.J.  click here. Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and wha...

Sophie Jordan revealed the cover to "Hidden", the final book in her "Firelight" trilogy and my first thought was... Oh.My.Jacinda! How *SPARKLY* is THIS cover?!  *squeals* Here's the scoop on "Hidden" according to Sophie's website Coming September 11, 2012 ... The final book in the Firelight trilogy: HIDDEN!   At last all will be revealed...   A dangerous journey. Shattered bonds. Undying passion. Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory. The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assu...

Author: A.C.E. Bauer Publication: February 28, 2012 By: Random House Books for Young Readers 1 Star *It's always a struggle for me whenever I have to write a less than favorable review because I know the author has poured their heart into their work and I don't like to be the one to say I didn't like it.  However, I do believe in giving my honest opinion and I will do my best to share it while being respectful of both the author and their work. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the chance to read this book.   The cover is what originally caught my attention and made me want to read this story but unfortunately, that's where my interest ended.   This is a modern day retelling of the story of Gilgamesh, the Sumerian King from 3000 BC. Gil Marsh the reinging "top dog" at school quickly befriends the new kid, Enko after realizing being rivals with him is a waste of time.  The speed at which they become BFF's is almost unbelievable (w...

Here's what's in my book basket thanks to YABookscentral, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson.  I still have my fingers (and toes, eyes, etc.) crossed that the "Insurgent" fairy might drop off a copy before it hits shelves in May. I did read the excerpt yesterday, along with the rest of the Four hungry nation which upped my drool factor by a bazillion percent! I still think HarperCollins should've capitalized on the popularity of the book by holding some sort of fearscape competition but who knows, maybe for an ARC of the final book in the series. ;D           

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout Publication: February 21, 2012 (Kindle) By: Entangled Publishing 4 Stars! SHADOWS is kinda like eating chocolate...as it melts from a fountain. No spoon required. :) (My tweet today) This book is more than just a pretty cover and OH.MY.DAWSON, is it ever a purdy cover?!  *stares*   Wait, what was I saying?  Oh yeah, there's more to this story than meets those beautiful, sparkly eyes and I do *hearts* sparkly things. You have your good versus evil in which case the light has to battle the darkness (literally), there's a swoon worthy romance *fans face* but it's also about not being afraid to show who you really are. Dawson, his siblings and their friends spend so much time hiding their true selves because it's dangerous for everyone, and yeah, they're aliens but they're unlike any I've ever seen on the big screen.  Shoot, if E.T. looked like Dawson or Daemon, there would've been no need for him to ...

Author: Christine Hinwood Publication: April 14, 2011 (Read Feb 2012) By: Penguin Young Readers Group 3 Stars Pretty Cover I'm rarely at a loss for words but that's where I find myself with this book.  I liked it but I also had a few issues with it.    The summary made it sound like the story is about Cam Attling, a soldier returning from war, the only one in fact, from his town of Kayforl to survive.  He returns with only one arm, on a horse from the enemy.  He has to face questions and accusations from family and friends like... What happened to the other men?  Why was he the only one to survive?  How did he end up with one of the new Lord's horses?  He's called, "Traitor" and "Crippled" behind his back and to top it off his betrothal to Graceful Fenister is called off by her father even though she doesn't agree with the decision.  No one is quite sure what to do with him now that he's home which leaves a battered and broken ...

Look at the *sparkly* that came in the mail...    They'll be part of a Giveaway soon so be sure to check back. :)

Author: Stephanie Rowe Publication: October 31, 2011 (Read Feb. 2012) By: TKA Distribution 3 Stars Thank you to Netgalley and TKA Distribution! Blueberry Waller, or "Blue" as she's known to her family and friends, is your average 14 year old freshman whose life is consumed with boys.  She tries out for her school's musical and ends up crushing on Heath Cavendish, a popular senior who also happens to be the lead in the play.  Never in a million years would a guy like Heath be interested in a girl like Blue...right?  But he is! With the help of her girlfriends and her newest friend, Colin, Blue sets out to keep Heath's attention and win his heart by putting him on the Ledge.  (The Ledge is where a girl puts the boy she really likes after getting his attention but only takes him off once she knows for sure that he's really into her and only her.)  Through a series of sweet, humorous, and complete AWKWARDSAUCE moments, Blue learns that the boy isn...

Author: Jennifer Echols Publication: February 7, 2012 By: Simon Pulse 2 Stars I read this in one sitting and wanted to love this book, I really did but the magic just wasn't there for me.  I always enjoy Echols easy style of writing which flows nicely and makes for both enjoyable as well as fast reading. Her characters have depth even if I don't always like them (Addison) and I like that she doesn't stick to generic boys.  Max is Japanese and he.is.hawt. *swoon*  It's nice to have culturally diverse hot book boys who aren't some sort of vampire, werewolf or demon AND who aren't the stereotypical blond hair, blue-eyed type.  (There's nothing wrong with the All-American boy, I *hearts* them too, in fact, I married one and gave life to one but it's nice to have a good representation of what society is really like.)   Gemma is willing to stand up for herself to a certain extent but the constant emphasis on her weight and body shape made me...

Author: Megan Miranda Publication: January 17, 2012 By: Walker Children's 4 STARS! (read this book ASAP) I love this cover! Delaney Maxwell should be dead. By all accounts no one survives a fall through ice, spends eleven minutes in freezing cold water without dying or at least sustaining major brain damage, but Delaney does.  What happens in those eleven minutes not only changes Delaney's life, but the lives of everyone around her.    Fracture is an intense story about life and death, love and loss and the discovery that there is in fact a difference between being alive and truly living. Delaney and Decker, the boy she's been BFF's with since forever, were on their way to meet up with friends when he decided they should take the shortcut across the lake.  She protested, he scoffed and then he left her to join the others. What happened in the next instant changed both of their lives forever. Decker and Delaney are always together but they aren't "t...

All you fans of "The Iron Fey" series will want to check out this Valentine's Day Exclusive!  Warning : It does take place after "The Iron Knight" so it might be a little spoilery but it's soooo worth reading.  I loved it SO.HARD.  It's Cupcake Boy after all! ;D *sighs* (Don't be mad Ash, you know I *hearts* you! Mwah!)  Besides, this sure beats the way hubby and I started our Valentine's Day off which involved catching a mouse that was still alive and screeching. http://www.theironfey.com/Exclusives

Author: Jenny Hubbard Publication: June 14, 2011 (Read February 2012) By: Delacorte Press for Young Readers 3 Stars All games in life require strategy and involve some sort of risk.  Each player must make their next move based on the information at hand but what if they don't have all the pieces to the puzzle?  Who do you trust?  Well, then it becomes a game of chance. For Alex, Glenn and Thomas, what began as an afternoon of relaxation, including a childish game of Rock, Paper, Scissors ends in death and sets in motion a real life game of Truth or Dare. Click here to read more...  

Author: Allison Rushby Publication: February 28, 2012 By: Bloomsbury Children's Books 3 Stars Cute cover! Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for this book. This was a fun contemporary read that holds a lot of relevancy in today's celeb hungry society.   Zo Jo is a sixteen year old member of the paparazzi and is used to doing whatever it takes to get that "perfect shot".  When she's presented with an opportunity that will provide her with enough money to get out of the bizz for good and enable her to do what she really loves, she should jump at the chance but instead she's torn.  She's known for using her small size and young appearance to her advantage and it helps her get the job the done but with this one, she'll have to target the only celebrity whose ever shown her kindness - teen heartthrob, Ned Hartnett.   Jo expects the job to tough but what she doesn't count on is falling for Ned or discovering things about him that set hi...

Author: Jennifer E. Smith Publication: January 2, 2012 By: Poppy 4 Stars! Can four minutes really make that much difference?  If you're Hadley Sullivan, four minutes can change your life. At first glance, I was expecting this to be a light, easy read but I was wrong.  While this story does have it's pleasantly romantic moments, it's overall theme of heartfelt love runs throughout the whole book. When Hadley misses her flight to London she's both relieved and frustrated.  She doesn't really want to go to across the pond to begin with but the thought of waiting around in a crowded airport for a few hours waiting to catch the next flight out isn't all that appealing either.   Hadley struggles with claustrophobia and even the ceiling of the airport starts to feel as if it's closing in on her.  She tries to focus on staying calm but nothing seems to work and just as she's reached her point of major freak out, a cute boy with an English accent ...

Author: Kristin Hannah Publication: January 31, 2012 By: St. Martin's Press 4 Stars! Feel like going on an endless crying jag or ripping your heart out, throwing it on the ground and driving your car over it like a million times?  Yeah?!  Then this is the book for you! Oh.My.WORD was this a tough read!  *sobs* It's a story about duty, honor, love and commitment that's equal parts heartwarming and gut wrenching. *cries*  The main focus is the war in Iraq and more importantly, women serving in combat.  It also deals heavily with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the devastating effects PTSD  has on both the returning soldier and their family.  *looks for tissues* Jolene and Michael, like most married couples, used to dream of living "happily ever after" while raising their daughters, twelve year old Betsy and 4 year old Lulu together but are now just going through the motions.  He's on the verge of a mid-life crisis, itching to "find him...

You might be a bully if: You make fun of the new girl because she shares the same name as the girl who moved during the summer but she isn't as pretty. You might be a bully if: You give the girl with the glasses and braces nicknames like four eyes, metal mouth, train tracks and tell her she's an ugly duckling but maybe one day she'll turn into a swan.  The thing is?  She'll only remember the "ugly" part and that you said these things in front of your clique and the boy she had a crush on...while they all laughed. You might be a bully if: You follow that girl home and throw handfuls of gravel at she and her friend.  The frosting on the cupcake?  You don't even live in the same neighborhood.   You might be a bully if: You mock her every time he turns to chat with her and she flushes pink.  She can't help her reaction or the fact that he's the one boy all the girls like, including you.   You might be a bully if: When she finally work...