Review: Spies and Prejudice

Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance

Book: Spies & Prejudice by Talia Vance 

Expected Publication Date: June 11th 2013 by Egmont

My rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: YA
Source: Netgalley

*This ebook was provided to me by the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Goodreads Summary:

"Fields’ Rule #1: Don’t fall for the enemy.

Berry Fields is not looking for a boyfriend. She’s busy trailing cheaters and liars in her job as a private investigator, collecting evidence of the affairs she’s sure all men commit. And thanks to a pepper spray incident during an eighth grade game of spin the bottle, the guys at her school are not exactly lining up to date her, either. 

So when arrogant—and gorgeous—Tanner Halston rolls into town and calls her “nothing amazing,” it’s no loss for Berry. She’ll forget him in no time. She’s more concerned with the questions surfacing about her mother’s death. 

But why does Tanner seem to pop up everywhere in her investigation, always getting in her way? Is he trying to stop her from discovering the truth, or protecting her from an unknown threat? And why can’t Berry remember to hate him when he looks into her eyes?

With a playful nod to Jane Austen, Spies and Prejudice will captivate readers as love and espionage collide."

My thoughts:

What a fun book! This was my first ARC to read and I was super excited about it. I discovered netgalley recently and requested A TON of books thinking I might get one or two of them... I got twelve. TWELVE. As escited as I am to have all these books, there is no way I will be reading them all right away because I already have other books to read as well! But anyway, this was at the top of my list of my netgalley books so as soon as I finished the Slammed series by Colleen Hoover, I picked this up! And I am so glad I did! This book is the perfect mix of cheese and suspense which, in my opinion, makes it the perfect summery read :)

Things I enjoyed about this book:

-Such a fun read! I enjoyed this book so much. Especially because the series I just finished, although great, was a very heavy, emotional series. I was in need of a fun pick me up book and this was just it! It had its serious moments, for sure, but every time I was forced to had to put the book down, I was left with a smile while I tried to figure out what would happen next.

-Veronica Mars :)  For those of you who have not heard of Veronica Mars, go look it up now. Awesome TV show starring Kristen Bell (my girl crush) as a teen PI. Anyway, when looking into this book, somebody compared it to Veronica Mars which instantly made me request it on netgalley. I was afraid nothing could live up to the awesomeness of Veronica Mars, and while this is not quite it, it is probably the closest I will find. So for all you Veronica Mars fans out there, please read this! 

-A little bit of everything! I really love when authors include a lot of different elements in their books. Some are just light and fluffy and some are just dark and depressing. This book is a good light summery spy mystery with just the perfect mix of emotion. The light, fun part, all the boy drama, the gay best friend, and cool spy stuff, mix in with Berry, the main character, trying to solve her mother's death and give us the perfect beach book!

Things I didn't like about this book:

-The names, these poor girls. The main character's name is Strawberry Fields and her best (girl) friend is Mary Chris Moss. Clearly these were intentional, and part of me finds it funny, but the other part of me just can't get passed the names. Every time I would read over their full names and not just their nick names (Berry & Mare) my mind was drawn away from the book and to their crazy names. It's really the only problem I had with the book. 

-I kind of lost track of what was happening during the ending action scene. I am thinking this is more of a personal issue, because it happens in all action packed books for me, but I couldn't follow exactly what was happening in the "final battle" as I like to think of it. You know, that scene at the end of all actiony-spy-mystery books where all hell breaks loose and some kind of action packed scene happens? I just lose track of what is happening, and then I get lost and just push through hoping it is all explained at the end. Like I said, probably a personal issue, but it still bothers me! If this happens to anyone else, please let me know so I know I am not alone!

Overall: With the exception of their names and my personal issues, I really enjoyed this book and give it 5 out of 5 stars! If you are looking for a good summer mystery type of book, or if you loved Veronica Mars, please read this. You will love it! It was great and took me no time to breeze through. The only times I put it down were for work and sleep. 

Have you read this book? What did you think about it?

Review: Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Slammed (Slammed, #1) by Colleen Hoover

Book: Slammed (Slammed, #1) by Colleen Hoover

Published: January 5th 2012 by Colleen Hoover

My rating: 5 (big bright shiny stars)/5 Stars

Genre: New Adult 

Goodreads Summary:

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart."

My thoughts:

This is the second Bout of Books read-a-thon book I have completed :)

When I first heard of this book, it was in a booktube review. I cannot remember who it was, or what they said exactly but I remember thinking I had to read this book. Since then, about a month ago, this book has been on my TBR list. Every time I went to pick out a new book, and I read the goodreads synopsis on this one. Every time I thought, "Eh, I'll read it next week."

I'm not really sure what it is about this synopsis, but I just assumed it would be another insta-love gone wrong book. I was trying to think of all kind of "shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt." I think I had probably come up with a million scary different things that all ended in this being a silly overrated book. I will be the fist to admit it guys, I WAS WRONG. So terribly, incredibly wrong. 

This book is amazing. There is nothing silly or overrated about it. This book tells the story of a love, that even though it seemed like insta-love at first really is not.(Even if it was insta-love, the reader would know exactly what they were getting themselves into with the synopsis. It clearly states "Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection" You have been warned). Will and Layken go out on a date and have a wonderful time, they come home and they are both so happy. Then shortly after, they are forced to end their relationship. Just in this short section of the book, you will laugh, cry, and everything in between. This book brought out emotions I have not felt in a long time due to reading. It was incredibly refreshing.

Things I enjoyed about this book:

- It was a genuinely good book. Not the cheesy, cute but fluffy book that we all enjoy or the super intense type of book that we all love, but a real honest book that reminds us that life happens. It does not stop for us, it keeps moving every day, and to appreciate what we have. If you have read this book, you should recognize these themes, they are clearly stated in the book. It was such a nice change to read a book that was not some crazy paranormal or unrealistic book. It just showed an honest relationship. And not just a romantic relationship  it show a relationship between mother and daughter, siblings, friendship, and so much more. 

-In this book, the character's went to poetry slams. This exposed me to something new that I have not done but would really like to. It was also something I have not read about before. It was cool to read this book and feel like I was experiencing something completely new.

-I didn't see any of this happening. There is so much more to this book, than just a relationship  And I could never have predicted any of it. Everything that happened was unexpected, but not in a "The author did that to trick me" kind of way, but more in a "life happens" kind of way. 

Things I didn't like about this book:

-That I didn't read it sooner. Seriously guys, thats the only bad thing I've got and its my fault, no one elses. It was that good pure genius. 

Overall: Colleen Hoover did a wonderful job with this book, it is a new all time favorite. If anyone ever asks me to recommend a book, this will be it. Hands down, no questions asked. I love this book. If you have not read it yet, drop what your doing, put you other books aside, and read this. NOW. Kay, thanks :)

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Topics

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new top ten list is posted for us bloggers to share the books we love and discuss anything book related! To see more details about Top Ten Tuesday click HERE. 

I am so behind on all of my posts, and I apologize guys! I had my last final this morning, and have been celebrating that its summer ever since. So now I have come in for the night, and am ready to bang out some new posts, prepare yourselves :)

This week's TTT is top ten books dealing with tough topics. As mentioned by The Broke and the Bookish, this can be anything from abuse, suicide, grief, to whatever speaks to you personally. This week is the opposite of last week's light and fluffy books we discussed (You can find mine HERE). Here is my line-up:

1) Still Alice by Lisa Genova: This book deals with a family member who has been diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease. The main character in Still Alice tells her story of her life with Alzheimers.

2) Fifty Shades Series by E.L. James: Alright guys, don't laugh at me. If you usually read my posts, you probably noticed that this pops up in almost all of my top ten Tuesdays. I really do love this book. In this book the characters are dealing with a rough childhood. I do not want to go into detail for those who have not read it, but those of you that have should know what I am talking about. 

3) The Help by Kathryn Stockett: I am sure most of you know what this book is about, even if you have not read it or seen the movie. Just in case you do not or you want a refresher, this is a book about life as a black maid in 1962. I absolutely love this book, if you have not read it I highly recommend it. 

4) Wait for You by J. Lynn: I actually just did a review on this book! You can see it HERE. In this book, the main character is trying to run away from her past where she was raped. This book was an amazing story. The rape is hinted at a lot in the first part of the book so we, as readers, are able to figure out the basic story of what happened to our leading lady, Avery, pretty quickly but as the story develops it tells you more about what happend to her in her past and what made her run.

5) Slammed by Colleen Hoover: I am actually still reading this book, but I can tell you that it has already made its way up to an all time favorite. I started this book just wanting to read about a love story but got so much more. This book has me going on a crazy emotional roller coaster. I am not sure about everything, even if I was I would not want to ruin it for you, but the main characters in this book have had and are going through a lot of loss in their lives. Their stories are heartbreaking. I can't wait to finish this book and give you a review :)

6) The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks: Really any of his books are devastating, bu this one is my favorite. I always end up crying like a baby with his books, in this one especially. This is a story about a girl and her little brother who go to live with their Dad for a summer. At the end of the summer... Eh, that is too much of a spoiler. Just be prepared to cry if you have not read this one yet. 

7) My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult: This is a book about a young girl who has been conceived and raised to donate blood (and whatever else is needed) for her sister with cancer. In this book the young girl is fighting her parents for the rights to her own body so her parents can no longer force her to donate for her sister. This book had me crying constantly. It is such a touching, yet heartbreaking story about this young girl. If you have not read this, I highly recommend it. 

8) Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer: This book is the story of a boy who lost his dad in the 9/11 attacks in New York. The main character is on a journey to find lock a key fits into, with the belief that it will help him accept his father's death.

9) Broken by William Cope Moyers: This book is a true story about Cope's drug addiction and recovery. It has been so long since I have read it, that I cannot remember much else unfortunately. I had to read this book for an addictions class I took my freshman year of college, and it was definitely an intense read. 

10) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling: The main character in this book is 11 years old. Both of his parents were murdered when he was a baby. Now he is stuck living with his horrible Aunt and Uncle and their bratty, spoiled son. Every day his life is miserable, the poor kid even has to sleep in a closet under the stairs. Then he gets his Hogwarts letter :) 

Sorry guys, but I had to put that last one on there. I was getting really depressed by my list and thought some Harry Potter would make it better :) Anyway I hope you enjoyed this and it didn't make you too sad. There is a lot of death and loss mentioned here. This was actually a pretty hard topic for me. As much as I love the books with tough topics, I usually go for the light, fluffy reads because they make a good happy escape. 

What books are on your list this week??

*UPDATED* Bout of Books 7.0 Read-A-Thon

Hey guys! I am participating in the Bout of Books Read-A-Thon :) I could not be more excited!! I won't be able to read the whole time, I have to work and finish up my finals. But I am planning on using this to destress after my last final on Tuesday.

For those of you who do not know bout the Bout of Books readathon, It is a week long read a thon that is about to start! (literally in 3 minuets). It is a week long and starts at midnight May 13! You can clink HERE for more information!

I do not have any goals yet, because I want to get this posted quick!! I will update this post soon with my official goals :)

Happy reading :)

*UPDATED GOALS LIST*
Time I plan to devote to reading: Since I will be working and finishing up my finals, it will vary each day.  Overall, I want to read a minimum of 3 or 4 hours a day.

My goals: 
-Read at least 4 books. I usually knock out 2 a week. I am a bit of a slow reader and tend to get distracted easily. On top of that I will be working somet this week also, so I can't get too in over my head!
-Comment on 5 blogs participating each day
-Read at least 3 hours each day
-Update daily on sidebar
-Post a review for each book I finish
-Update twitter as often as I want :) (At least a few times a day)

Just in case you aren't following me on twitter and want to!
Follow @NalasBookCorner

Books I plan to Choose from: 
-Wait for You by J. Lynn (finish)
-Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 
-The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot
-Crash by Nicole Williams 
-Slammed by Colleen Hoover
-On the Island by Tracey Gravis-Graves
-Captive in the Dark by CJ Roberts 
-Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
-Swoon by Nina Malkin

I know I will not finish all of these books, but there is no way I can determine what I will read when the time comes to pick a new book. It really just depends on my mood at the time. So this is the list I will (try my hardest) to choose my books from! I will update daily and keep you guys posted on how my read-a-thon is going :) 

Please feel free to comment and update me on your read-a-thon as well :)