Jenuine Cupcakes

Author: Susane Colasanti Publication: May 31, 2012 By: Viking 3 STARS "What's in front of you, is not necessarily the entire story." This book may be small but it has the potential to make a big impact. It affected me personally because the subject matter is something I could identify with. The summary and the cover leads the reader to believe it's a book about teenage romance with a few difficult issues thrown in but it isn't. The romance aspect is minor compared to the overall message of the book which is epic. Noelle has endured a life of neglect both at home and at school. She's so beaten down she can't even see that her boyfriend, Matt might not be the best choice for her. Julian, (the best part of the story in my opinion) is the boy she really wants to be with is beginning to show serious interest in her but he can't possibly like someone like her, can he? Click here to read my full review...  

Waiting on Wednesday  "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Reached (Matched #3) by Ally Condie Publication: November 13, 2012 By: Dutton Children's Books From Goodreads: Cassia faces the ultimate choices in the long-anticipated conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again. In this gripping conclusion to the #1 New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking ...

Author: Josephine Angelini Publication: May 29th By: HarperTeen 3 Stars Beautiful Cover! In the second installment of the "Starcrossed" trilogy, we find Helen Hamilton spending every night in Hades, in search of the Furies, those pesky little sisters who make the Delos' family members want to rip each others heads off constantly.  She's the only Scion able to descend and with the weight of both the mortal and the ancient Greek worlds weighing heavily on her shoulders, Helen begins to crack.     Frustrated and angry, Helen can't even confide in Lucas, the one person she feels most connected to because they're supposed to forget the other even exists.  Just when things couldn't get any more complicated, a new guy shows up bringing with him danger and risk, not only to her mission but to her heart as well.   Time begins to run out with an unseen enemy who seeks to destroy them all.  Chaos breaks out in both worlds leaving Helen ...

Waiting on Wednesday  "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. What A Boy Needs by Nyrae Dawn Publication: June 12, 2012   From Goodreads: A companion novel to WHAT A BOY WANTS. Jaden Sinclair knows he'll never amount to anything...so why would he deserve a girl like Priscilla Mendoza? Since last summer, things have been screwed up between Jaden and Pris. He knows it's his fault, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting to go a few rounds with her new boyfriend. He also knows he’s the loser his dad calls him, but it doesn’t stop him from wanting her. After getting a huge bomb dropped on him, Jaden lashes out and lands himself in jail.  Everything in his chaotic life is turned upside down and to make it worse, his mom kicks him out in order to side with his dad. Yeah, he’s totally a prize for a girl like Pris. Sebastian, Aspen, and...

Author: Shannon Dittemore Publication: May 29, 2012 By: Thomas Nelson 2 Stars Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson. I thought this book sounded really interesting from the description and while there were some cool elements, the story fell flat for me.   Brielle, an eighteen year old former ballerina has returned home after being away at a prestigious boarding school for the past few years.  She's come back broken and scarred after suffering a recent, tragic loss.  All she wants is to fade into the background of her old life but the new guy in town won't allow her to do that.  There's something about Jake that draws Brielle to him but she can't quite put her finger on it.  He's hot for one, like physically hot, to the touch, and there's the light in his eyes that draws Brielle in every time she looks at him. The more she gets to know Jake, the more she realizes he could be one to help heal her brokenness and if he can't, he might be a...

GIVEAWAY (US Only): THE TEMPTATION (A KINDRED NOVEL) by ALISA VALDES   Publication: April 24, 2012 by: HarperTeen   His touch was electric. His eyes were magnetic. His lips were a temptation.... But was he real? After crashing her car on an empty highway, Shane is miraculously saved by Travis, a mysterious cowboy who walks out of nowhere. She is instantly attracted to him, and for the first time, she believes in “soul mates.” But Shane soon discovers that Travis is dead and that strict rules from the Underworld govern kindred spirits of different dimensions. Breaking these rules could destroy both their souls. And while Travis is almost impossible to resist, temptation proves to be the kindest enemy they encounter. Can true love surpass the power of pure evil? Part love story, part supernatural thriller, this first book in the Kindred trilogy will leave readers lusting for more!     I know I said I was going to wait until I hit 70 fo...

Author: Jordan Deen Publication: May 24, 2012 By: Black Rose Writing 5 Stars! Seventeen-year-old Danny Cummings' life is far from a fairytale, but that's okay since he doesn't believe in happy endings. After spending a year in juvenile hall for maliciously beating his sister's boyfriend, Danny embraces his badass image. Spending most nights drinking, fighting and collecting gambling debts for his Uncle, Danny's life is out of control. His addiction to the bad boy lifestyle won't let him do anything about it, even with his family begging him to go straight. But, when fifteen-year-old Lauren McIntosh stumbles into one of his nightly escapades, the self-proclaimed anti-romantic can't concentrate on anything except Lauren and the fact that she's on the same path his sister was on. Danny knows true love happening for the villain is as common as gamblers paying their debt on time, but he's never backed away from a challenge before and h...

Author: Phoebe Kitanidis Publication: April 17, 2012 By: Balzer & Bray 3 Stars I am a sucker for a pretty cover and this one is no exception! *stares at the pretty* Every summary I've read for this book alluded to "zombies" and just to clear up any rumors, there are no zombies in Glimmer. (Not the brain eating kind anyway) I will say that this story is nothing like I expected and I'm still trying to decide if I enjoyed it or not. I did like the alternating POV's.  It opens with the characters, Elyse and Marshall, waking up naked in bed together, neither having any memory of how they got there, each other or themselves.  Awkward much? Um, yeah!  They decide to trust each other to figure out what's going on and why everyone in town seems to know them but can't give them much information. (Because that's what you do when you wake up next to a nekid hot guy you have no memory of, right?  You hold hands, jump out a window and run off together. ...

Waiting on Wednesday  "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2) by Moira Young by: Margaret K. McElderry Expected Publication: October 30, 2012   From Goodreads:  The Tonton have been defeated. Lugh has been rescued. The heartstone has brought Saba and Jack together. Now, Saba and her family head west to meet him and start a new life. All should be well. But shadows of the dead are stalking Saba. And another kind of shadow is creeping over the dustlands. Then a messenger shows up. With news of Jack. "Blood Red Road" (Dust Lands #1) was a surprisingly good read for me! If you haven't read it yet, you should definitely check it out - Saba gives Katniss a run for her money and I LOVE Katniss! To read my review, click here . I'm excited to see that this cover has Jack on it because, well, he is...

Authors: Stacy Kramer & Valerie Thomas Publication: May 15, 2012 By: Hyperion 4.5 Stars! "Sometimes the best things in life begin as the worst ideas..." "The Hangover" for teens with a touch of "Will & Grace". Thank you to Netgalley for this book. It made me laugh, cry and swoon; sometimes all at once. Each chapter opens with a line from a movie which is awesome in and of itself.  Kylie and Will are BFF"s and school outcasts, she being the high strung overachieving Valedictorian, and he the gay best friend whose always good for a laugh. (He's downright hysterical most of the time.) Max and Lily, the school's "beautiful couple" are polar opposites of Kylie and Will and have their futures all laid out. (not to mention planned out for them) but all that's about to change.  When Kylie and Max are forced to work together on a final Senior project, a split second decision thrusts them into the adventure of thei...

Author: Lisa Burnstein Publication: May 15th By: Entangled Publishing 3 STARS! Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read this prior to publication. Pretty Amy should be required reading for all incoming High School freshman girls!    Amy is raw and real; a roller coaster of emotions from snarky and bold to heartbreaking and sad to laugh out loud funny.  Amy is part of a BFF trio with Lila - the pretty one and Cassie - the tough one.  She knows she's the back up friend, the wing girl, the leftover and she's okay with that.  It's better than being a complete nobody, right?  When the girls are stood up for their Senior Prom and end up crowned Jailhouse Queens instead of Prom Queens, Amy faces a summer of work and community service that gives her plenty of time to consider the choices she's made.   Things at home have been strained and her arrest certainly doesn't help.  Amy's relationship with her ...

Author: Keary Taylor Publication: May 1, 2012 By: CreateSpace 4 STARS! Say what you need to say...today, now, don't wait! Thank you to Netgalley and Keary Taylor for this heartwarming read! OK, so I'm having trouble putting into words just how much I enjoyed this book so I'm just gonna keep it simple. (I know what you're thinking...when has Jen EVER kept anything "simple" *sticks tongue out*.) Read it, you'll enjoy it too. Pinky promise!  Jake's story made me laugh, it made me cry and it broke my heart. (in a good way) What makes this so good?  Well, it's not only a story that shows the consequences of bad choices, however devastating those might be, but it also shows that something good can come out of a tragedy.   When Jake's choice to drink the night of the Homecoming game ends in a horrible accident resulting in his never being able to speak again, he'll be faced with all the things he didn't get the chance to say.  Li...

Author: Lisa Papa Publication: May 1, 2012 By: Scholastic In this new series, life for seventh grader Hayley, is not as sweet as the cupcakes she bakes. Her parents are newly divorced, Mom is out of a job, her BFF is pulling away from her and her 8 year old sister is a few sprinkles shy of a funfetti cupcake. To top it all off, one of the parents at school wants to ban cupcakes, forever! (clearly, this woman is an alien). Together with an unexpected ally, Hayley will fight with all the fondant she can roll out to "Save the Cupcake!".  She'll discover that life may not always happen the way we expect it too but that doesn't mean it's wrong, sometimes it's the angle we're seeing it from.  Click here to read my full review...

Author: Cassandra Clare  Publication: May 8, 2012 By: Margaret K. McElderry 3.75 Stars* The cover is beautiful and very close to how I imagine Jace and Clary to look. *OK, I will attempt to explain my "star" rating but before I do, please remember that this is MY blog and MY opinion. I don't expect everyone who visits here to agree with me but I do ask that you be mature (code for "kind") in any and all responses that you leave. Readers will notice there are no hoops to jump through in order to leave your opinions here BUT nasty or profanity laden comments will be deleted. :) From Goodreads: The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shad...

Waiting on Wednesday  "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. "The Evolution of Mara Dyer" (Mara Dyer #2)  by Michelle Hodkin by: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Expected Publication: October 23, 2012     From Goodreads... Two days after Mara walks into a police station in Miami at the close of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, she is committed for psychiatric treatment for what her parents believe is a mental breakdown. But what seems like a hallucination to everyone else is a chilling reality for Mara. Someone from her past has discovered her strange, disturbing secret and that someone wants her to pay. But she's about to discover that the price is more than she can bear. Dark and thrilling, suspenseful and passionate, The Evolution of Mara Dyer will have readers breathlessly turning pages to find out what will beco...

Author: Andrew Fukuda Publication: May 8, 2012 by: St. Matin's Press 3 Stars Gene is different from everyone else he knows.  He has to be.  His survival depends on it.  He knows there's a short list of "don'ts" in order to maintain that survival, things like, don't sweat, don't show emotion and don't ever fall in love with one of them. Every day is a battle to keep his secret but when he's picked to participate in a hunt that involves taking out what's left of the humans, his real battle begins.  Gene's not only in for the fight of his life, but his heart too, as he's forced to compete with the one girl who makes him feel things he knows he shouldn't. Click here to read my full review...

Author: Suzanne Young Publication: June 26, 2012 By: Balzer & Bray 5 STARS! Beautiful Cover! I sat down to read this not knowing what to expect because the end of "A Need So Beautiful" did not sit well with me, however, I did like the concept and I was curious to see what would happen next. (I do think it's important to have read the first book to understand what's going on.) I DEVOURED this book in just a few short hours!  When I finished, I wanted my review to be this... Harlin. THAT IS ALL! ;) What I need to say... The Shadows are coming and seventeen year old Elise will have to face them, whether she's prepared or not.  The problem?  She doesn't know who she is or what the Shadows are.   When Elise moves with her older sister, Lucy and their Dad to Thistle, Arizona, her focus is on making friends, getting her first job and starting a new school. Things don't go so smoothly, especially when she begins to have visions, ones that inv...

Author: Dani Pettrey Publication: April 15, 2012 By: Bethany House 3.5 Stars Awesome Cover! A sabotaged plane. Two dead deep-water divers. Yancey, Alaska was a quiet town . . . until the truth of what was hidden in the depths off the coast began to appear. Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey again. She has a past, and a reputation--and Yancey's a small town. She's returned to bury a loved one killed in the plane crash and is determined not to stay even an hour more than necessary. But then dark evidence emerges and Bailey's own expertise becomes invaluable for the case. Cole McKenna can handle the deep-sea dives and helping the police recover evidence. He can even handle the fact that a murderer has settled in his town and doesn't appear to be moving on. But dealing with the reality of Bailey's reappearance is a tougher challenge.  She broke his heart, but she is not the same girl who left Yancey. He let her down, but he's not the sam...

My Book Basket  I haven't done one of these posts in awhile but in case you're wondering here's what's in my Book Basket right now. (Yes, I have a black basket sitting next to my Red Reading Chair because I am a book nerd.)  Some of these are for review from Young Adult Books Central , NetGalley and a few independent authors.  The rest are ones I hope to get too soon. *crosses all the things*   

Waiting on Wednesday  "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Hidden (Firelight #3) by Sophie Jordan Publication: September 11, 2012 By: Harper Teen From Goodreads... 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 assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their ...

Author: Veronica Roth Publication: May 1, 2012 By: Harper Teen HOLY FOUR THAT WAS GOOD!! "Grief is not as heavy as guilt, but it takes more away from you." I have been anxiously awaiting this sequel since I finished reading all 487 pages of Divergent in less than 24 hours last May!  I was NOT disappointed! In fact, I treated this like the opening of a midnight movie and began reading as soon as the digital copy was released around 1:00a.m. and finished 15 hours later. Insurgent picks up right where Divergent leaves off and is full of action, intensity, lies, betrayal, romance and heartbreak. It had me feeling all the emotions!  I laughed, I cried, and I wanted to punch, kick and jump off stuff.  *puts on Dauntless t-shirt* Tris and Four/Tobias are trying to navigate their way through the war that has begun between what's left of the factions. He has ideas about which side they should choose but Tris is conflicted about who to trust especially after secrets...