Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern
4 Stars

Described as The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor & Park, this story is about a bond between 2 people who feel rejected by society. Amy has cerebral palsy and can't walk without a walker or talk without an electronic voice box. Matthew is a shy boy who has OCD. The two come together when Amy decides she wants her aides to be fellow students her senior year of high school. The two quickly become close and form a bond that perhaps only they understand.

This was a really cute, heartwarming read. It was easy to feel the feelings that the characters were. I haven't read Eleanor & Park, so I can't compare it to that one, but I think in the aspect of the 2 teens with issues can relate to The Fault in Our Stars.

It Had to Be You: Gossip Girl Prequel by Cecily von Ziegesar

The prequel goes back before all of the gossip girl drama and introduces Nate, Serena, and Blair. Serena and Blair both claim to be in love with Nate, thus creating a love triangle. The story throws in Dan and Jenny Humphries as well as Vanessa. So we're introduced to most of the main characters in the rest of the books.

I've read the rest of the series and it was pretty decent, but I have to say this was one of the worst books I've read in a long time. I kept reading hoping it would get better and by the time I realized it wasn't going to, I was too far in to stop. The storyline with Dan, Jenny, and Vanessa had nothing to do with the rest of the characters and seemed like it was just in there for filler. It's a good thing that I read the other ones first because if I had read this first, I wouldn't have read any of the others in the series.

Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates

Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates
4 Stars

Katie is unhappy with her Ohio bakery job. When she finds out her aunt and uncle are opening a bakery in Savannah, Georgia, she jumps at the chance to assist them. Her aunt Lucy quickly takes her under her wing and Katie notices aunt Lucy adding mysterious herbs to her baking. When a murder happens in front of the bakery, Katie's uncle Ben becomes the main suspect. Katie soon takes on the mission of clearing his name and finding out who the real killer is. Katie soon learns more about herself than she thought she ever would.

This was a really cute cozy mystery. It was light and an easy read. I'll definitely be reading the next one in the series. If you enjoy witchcraft and cozies, I would recommend this one.

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

Riley is just a baby when her older sister commits suicide. Riley and her brother grow up in a family devastated by this loss. But now, years later, while sorting through her father's affairs after he passes away, Riley learns that Lisa is still alive. But why does everyone think she committed suicide? And what secrets are still out there? Riley will soon find her life upside down when long kept secrets are revealed.

I loved this book. It is told through Riley's viewpoint as well as Lisa's. It does flash back between present and past, but the story is woven together very well to where you don't get confused. I found myself wanting to keep reading and reading to find out what was going to happen next. I did figure out one of the twists, but still, over all it was an excellent read.

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

Cecilia accidentally finds a letter her husband wrote to her only to be opened in the event of his death. Cecilia now has the decision of opening it and possibly revealing a deep dark secret, or leaving the letter alone. What Cecilia doesn't know is that this secret affects more than just her and their family. What will the consequences be if she opens the letter?

This is the 2nd book I've read by Moriarty and I actually preferred Big Little Lies over this one. While the story line was good, I felt like it really didn't get going until about 3/4 of the way through the book. I was really expecting more of a shocker towards the end, so I was a bit disappointed.

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Lakshmi is a 13 year old girl living with her mother and step father in Nepal. They are very poor, but Lakshmi enjoys life. When a hurricane washes away the rest of their crops, she must get a job to help the family. Under the impression that she is going to be a maid in the big city, Lakshmi finds herself the victim of a sex trade ring. She has been sold in to prostitution.

This was a sad story but all too often a reality. I was disappointed that there were some errors in the book as far as misused or missing punctuation and some misspelled words. I don't know if it just happened to be my library kindle copy or what. I also thought that the chapters could have been better organized. But over all, it was a decent story.

Enchanted, Inc by Shanna Swendson

Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson
4 Stars

Katie Chandler has been living in New York City for a while now and beginning to think the weird things she sees are normal for NYC. She is, after all, from small town Texas, where things like people with wings just aren't the norm. Katie is fed up with her job and her evil boss when she gets a job offer from a magical company. Katie soon finds out that all those weird things are actually real. She finds out that she is an asset to the company since she cannot be influenced by magic. But Katie soon finds she is a target when she is asked to help prevent an old employee from developing evil spells.

This was a fun, fluffy read. The story flowed really well and kept me interested. I'll be interested to see what other types of magical mischief Katie gets in to in the rest of the series.

The Submission by Amy Waldman

The Submission by Amy Waldman
4 Stars

With the 9/11 terrorist attacks still fresh in everyone's mind, a jury is formed to vote on memorial designs. Among the jury members is Claire, who lost her husband during the attack, finds herself at the center of the controversy. When it is revealed that the winner of the design contest is a man named Mohammad, an American born citizen, the jury quickly changes their mind. What follows is an outpouring of not only disgust but support as well. The jury finds itself trying to decide if they keep the design or choose another one. The story follows several view points to include Mohammad, Claire, one of the jury leaders, and a Muslim woman who lost her husband during the attack.

This was a good, thought provoking book. I enjoyed the different view points throughout the story.

Unsouled by Neal Shusterman

Picking up where the 2nd book left off, Connor and Lev are AWOLs that are on the run from those who want to Unwind them. But this time they are searching for the woman who started it all and the one person that can help them bring down those who are in favor of unwinding. Cam, the rewound boy, is also out to destroy those who created him. On the run from parts pirates and the government, Connor and Lev cross paths with unexpected people and wonder if they will ever bring down Proactive Citizenry.

I rounded this one up to 4 stars, although there were a few spots where I struggled with wanting to finish. The ending did leave you hanging, though, so I will probably pick up the next in the series.

Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich

In the 10th installment of the Stephanie Plum series, Stephanie is getting herself in to predicaments once again. After having her car blown up by a criminal who is robbing local delis, Stephanie finds herself on a hit list of one of the local gangsters. She must now hide out until the coast is clear and it is safe for her to be out in public again. But does Stephanie stay hidden? Of course not! So now she is dodging the hit man while trying to round up her bounties.

I really enjoyed this installment of the series. There's more tension between Stephanie and Ranger in this one and it makes for an interesting story line. Looking forward to number 11.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

The book starts off letting you know right away that someone has died. But who and how is left until the end. The story follows 3 kindergarten moms in Australia. Madeline the feisty but passionate friend. Celeste is the beauty with the perfect marriage. Jane is the new to town mom just trying to fit in. While Madeline and Celeste are already friends, they welcome Jane as if she has been a lifelong friend. The three stick together through the plot of the book.

I thought this was a fun read. The author did a good job of making you want to read "just one more chapter". The good thing was that the chapters were short. LOL!

You Are Not Alone by Jermaine Jackson

This is Michael Jackson's life as told by his brother, Jermaine. The book spans from Michael's birth through his death. Jermaine tells the story of life in the tiny Jackson home growing up, the time as the Jackson 5 and of his brother's rise to fame. While I did enjoy the book I often found that Jermaine was telling more of his story than that of Michael's. There were things that could have been left out that didn't really pertain to Michael. I also found it a bit discouraging that the editor didn't do a better job. I ran across a few misspelled words as well as several misplaced commas. It was still an interesting read and I may one day pick up Michael's autobiography.

The A-List: Hollywood Royalty #1 by Zoey Dean

The story follows the lives of 5 young starlets in Hollywood. Jojo, the outsider who moves to Hollywood to finally meet her birth parents; Amelie, the young star who is not as innocent as she seems; Jacob, the geek turned hottie; and Myla and Ash, the hottest couple around.
Jojo, adopted by a gay couple finds out that her birth parents are 2 of the hottest stars around and is invited to go stay with them and meet the rest of the family.
Myla, one of the most popular girls in school happens to be Jojo's adopted sister, and Myla is not to happy to have to share the lime light.
Ash is the hot boyfriend of Myla.
Amelie has been a star since her younger years. She's portrayed at the good girl in Hollywood. But not for long.
And Jacob, who has buffed up over the summer and is now attracting the attention of girls.

The story was your typical teen in Hollywood chick lit type but it was still a fun, fluffy read.

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

Set in a tiny town in the Ozarks, Lucy's mother disappeared when she was just a baby. When Lucy's friend Cheri disappears and is found dead years later, Lucy starts to investigate what happened to both women. Lucy soon finds that she is closer to the disappearances than she thinks and will discover how blood ties can be quite powerful.

Although well written, I found the story not to be as exciting as I expected. Classified as a thriller, I didn't find it that suspenseful. I was expecting a twist at the end or something to give it that extra umph. But for me it just fell flat.