Feature & Follow Friday (#4)

Hey guys! Today is Friday which means Feature & Follow Friday! FFF is hosted by Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read.  It is an opportunity to gain followers and find new blogs in the book blogging community! You can find more information about it here. This week's featured blogs are Counting in Bookcases & The NerdHerd.

Here is the question of the week:

Happy Mother's Day! Who is your favorite mom from fiction?

Wow, what a great question! I don't always pay a lot of attention to the moms in books so I'm going to have to flip through all my books on goodreads for this one...

...Okay, so after looking at all my books on goodreads, here are two awesome moms that stood out to me:

-Mrs. Weasley from Harry Potter. I'm sure she will be a popular pick today because who doesn't love Mrs Weasley!? She's a great mother and takes in Harry as her own. And when the time comes, she's a totally awesome! 

- Grandma Mazur from the Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich. Technically she's the main character's grandma, but being a grandma, means being a mom too so I'm counting it! She is probably my favorite secondary character in this book. This is how I imagine my grandma before she got sick. I love everything about her, she is such a badass grandma. She is fearless, and absolutely hysterical!

Who are your favorite book moms??

Review: Fallen Too Far

Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines

Book: Fallen Too Far (Too Far, #1) by Abbi Glines

Published: December 16th 2012 by Abbi Glines

My rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Genre: New Adult 

*this book does contain mature, adult content

Goodreads Summary:

"To want what you’re not supposed to have…

She is only nineteen.

She is his new stepfather’s daughter. 

She is still naïve and innocent due to spending the last three years taking care of her sick mother. 

But for twenty-four year old Rush Finlay, she is the only thing that has ever been off limits. His famous father’s guilt money, his mother’s desperation to win his love, and his charm are the three reasons he has never been told no.

Blaire Wynn left her small farmhouse in Alabama, after her mother passed away, to move in with her father and his new wife in their sprawling beach house along the Florida gulf coast. She isn’t prepared for the lifestyle change and she knows she’ll never fit into this world. Then there is her sexy stepbrother who her father leaves her with for the summer while he runs off to Paris with his wife. Rush is as spoiled as he is gorgeous. He is also getting under her skin. She knows he is anything but good for her and that he’ll never be faithful to anyone. He is jaded and has secrets Blaire knows she may never uncover but even knowing all of that…

Blaire just may have fallen too far."

When I first heard of this book, I was immediately hooked. I was also really curious to see how this step-sibling romance would play out. I was really worried it would cross the lines of okay and go right into creepy incest. Thankfully, I was completely wrong and had nothing to worry about! Although these two are technically step-siblings, they don't know each other. They have gone their entire lives with their respective parents, and have never even heard of each other until now.

Reasons why I enjoyed this book:

-NOT CREEPY. Seriously guys, I had seen so many reviews on this book and it's sequel, Never Too Far, and was really intrigued. My biggest fear was that it would be some gross book about these two siblings falling in love that was just too much to handle. But it wasn't. The characters ,Blaire who is 19 and Rush who is 24, are adults who have gone their entire lives without knowing each other. When Blaire's mother dies, she has to sell everything, including their house. Because it was just Blaire and her mother, she calls her dad who leads her to believe she will stay with him. When she shows up at his house, Rush is the only one home. Because she has nowhere else to go, she stays there and thats when the relationship starts. 

-This book is hot. This book is not all about sex, but its in there. And the tension leading up to their relationship is equally swoon-worthy. Here are a few samples of the steamy action in this book:

"I covered my mouth and took a step back. Rush was having sex. Outside, On his porch. I couldn't turn away from it." And then the next time Blair sees Rush, he tells her... "'Keep your distance from me, Blaire. You don't want to get too close. Last night.' He Swallowed loudly. 'Last night is haunting me. Knowing you were watching. It drives me crazy. So, stay away.'" 

"I pushed his chest with my finger and glared at him daring him to say one more word about my dress. Rush opened his eyes tightly and shook his head. 'Fuck!' he growled. Then his eyes flew open and his hands were suddenly in my hair and his mouth was on mine."

It gets even more intense and detailed, but I didn't really want to write an entire sex scene on my blog. Frist, that's just a little to awkward for me. Second,  I know some of you are probably younger readers and I don't want to make you guys too uncomfortable. Finally, and most importantly, I did not want to ruin any of the sexy-times for you guys who plan to read this book :)

-You see the transformation of sexy, bad boy Rush to sweet, caring Rush. I won't tell you too much about what happens later in the book but if you have ever read a book about a bad boy, you know there has to be some transformation. I really enjoyed getting to see how he changed for her and see how he tried to fix his mistakes, and believe me, he makes a lot of mistakes. 

-Nan. I cannot stand Nan, but she is a good villan. Someone we love to hate. Her drama gets you invested in this book. If you weren't already enjoying it, you will because you really want to know what is up with Nan and her big secret. (If you are thinking, "What the hell kind of name is Nan?" you are not alone, I was too. It's short for Nanette which makes it a little better).

Things I did not enjoy about this book:

-I loved the story, but I feel like it needed more. I'm not entirely sure what it needed more of, but it needed something else. It was so short, and at the end of the book I was left thinking, "That is it?? That's the book??" I felt like I had been given a book that was missing half of its pages. 


You remember this diagram from elementary school?? Yeah, it's not used in this book! Right where that orange line is, is where this book ended for me. I imagine someone playing some kind of cruel joke on me where they ripped the book in half right in the middle of the climax and then gave it to me. This really killed me. I liked this book, but because of this I couldn't love it as much as I want to. Which makes me sad :( 

Overall: I really enjoyed the story, and I am thinking this series as a whole will be a favorite for me, but this book as an individual was just ehhh. I really enjoyed so many things about this but because the end was such an abrupt stop, I have a hard time giving this book anything higher than 3.5 stars. 

Have you read Fallen Too Far? What did you think about it??

Summer Series Challenge

Hey guys! So I was wondering around different blogs from yesterday's Top Ten Tuesday list at The Broke and the Bookish and came across the Summer Series Challenge at Love is not a Triangle. I have so many series that I am super excited to read, so the second I saw this I started thinking of all the books I need to read this summer!


For those interested here are the rules:

1. The Summer Series Challenge begins June 1 and runs through August 31. Books must be read or listened to within that time. We will count audiobooks.
2. Anyone can join the challenge, but you need to have some place that you can publish reviews in English – blog, Goodreads, Amazon etc. - for your reading to be counted towards the giveaways.
3. Although there are no genre restrictions on the books you choose, they have to be part of a series. That means no standalones.
4. Companion books in a series will be counted. For instance Simone Elkeles Perfect Chemistry series or Miranda Kenneally's Hundred Oaks series are fine. 
5. The purpose of this challenge is to encourage readers to finish completed series.  That means the series you choose need to be fully published. You cannot count debut series that only have one book released.*  

*We will make an exception for unfinished series that have at least 3 books released.  For instance, Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief series has 4 books released though 6 are planned, so those books would count.

You MUST sign up with one of the hosts to participate in this awesome challenge! You can find out more information and register through them at their blogs. Here they are: Asheley @ Into the Hall of Books, Heather @ The Flyleaf Review and Lauren @ Love is not a triangle.

Here is my list, as of now. I just know I will be constantly updating it so when this challenge starts I will post a final update list of all the books I plan to read :)

1. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
2. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
3. Gallagher Girls Series by Ally Carter
4. Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout
5. Graceling Realm by Kristin Cashore
6. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins 
7. Eon by Alison Goodman
8. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
9. Fallen by Lauren Kate 
10. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpartick
11. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
12. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
13. Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich (books 12, 13, and 14)
14. Heist Society by Ally Carter

If you are looking at my list thinking, she must read ALL DAY to finish these books, I know.. I'm crazy. And I am fully aware this is an unrealistic goal, because this is almost 50 books. And I have standalones that I want to read as well. So, like I said before, I will revise this before I actually start the challenge. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Things to Read When You Need Something Light & Fun

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. 

This week's topic is Top Ten Things to Read When You Need Something Light & Fun. I am so excited for this topic! This list could not come at a better time, today was my last day of classes. I have a few exams over the next week, but I am picking out a lot of light summery reads. I plan to explore a bunch of new blogs and read about yalls books so I can add new ones to my TBR list :)

Often when I read, I like to read easy, breezy books that I do not have to think to hard in and can just enjoy! So for me this is almost like making a top ten list. I don't know how I'm only going to pick ten, but I am really going to enjoy this topic! 

Don't forget to comment and let me know what your favorites are, I love to find new blogs to follow and new books :)

Without further ado, my list:

-The Cinderella Rules by Donna Kauffman
-One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
-Love Undercover by Jo Edwards
-The Girl's Guide to (Man) Hunting by Jessica Clare
-Bass Ackwards and Belly Up by Elizabeth Craft
-The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter 
-Avalon High by Meg Cabot
-The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
-Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas 

Yes, I know this is only nine books. It looked better with 9 than 10 so, yeahhh...

What books are on your top ten list of things to read when you need something light and fun?

Bloglovin

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Feature & Follow Friday (#3)

Hey guys! Today is Friday which means Feature & Follow Friday! FFF is hosted by Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read.  It is an opportunity to gain followers and find new blogs in the book blogging community! You can find more information about it here. This week's featured blog is Boarding with Books. 

This week's question is:

Give us a sneak! What are you reading? Tell us about a fun or fail scene in your current read.

I am reading Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines (This is NOT a YA book, there is mature content). I just started it, so I am not too far in. For those of you who have not heard of this book yet, it is about a girl who has to move in with her father who left her when she was younger. When she shows up to the house and only her  uber hot step-brother is home, they are trying to fight the attraction to each other. He is your stereotypical rich bad boy and she is a country girl who has very little experience with boys. 

I was really nervous about the step-sibling relationship here, but in all honesty the main character, Blaire, and the hot bad-boy, Rush, are total strangers who met because of their parents. And since they are both adults and Blaire has no relationship with her father, it makes it less strange. 

Here is a part of the book that really caught my attention. It's more steamy than fun or fail, but it's definitely the most memorable line of the book so far:

"I covered my mouth and took a step back. Rush was having sex. Outside, On his porch. I couldn't turn away from it." And then the next time Blair sees Rush, he tells her... "'Keep your distance from me, Blaire. You don't want to get too close. Last night.' He Swallowed loudly. 'Last night is haunting me. Knowing you were watching. It drives me crazy. So, stay away.'" 

Speechless, I am speechless. 

What book are you reading?

Review: The Elite (The Selection #2)

The Elite by Kiera Cass

Book: The Elite by Kiera Cass (The Selection #2)

Published: April 23rd 2013 by Harper Teen

My rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: YA Dystopian Romance

*DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVE NOT COMPLETED THE FIRST BOOK, THE SELECTION* If you would like to read my review for The Selection here.

Goodreads Summary:

"Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending"

So just after finishing this book, I looked at the publication date... I am so sad this book just came out because that means I have to wait a really long time for the last one in this trilogy, The One. I had a few small issues with this book, but all in all the story was great so I did my best to ignore my annoyance for the greater good of the story :) Here are the more specific reasons I enjoyed/got annoyed with this book:

Reasons I enjoyed it:

-I really enjoy the overall concept for this series. If you read my review of The Selection, then you know I fell in love with it. It is a dystopian romance, with more emphasis on the romance than the government. Usually in dystopians the main focus is the government, so I was really excited about this. The second book, The Elite has more about the government in it, but not to the point where I feel like we lost the original story. 

-We got to know a lot of the characters better in this book. In the first one, there were 35 girls, the maids, the royal family, and a bunch of other random people like Aspen and America's family. Too many people! In this book there were only 6 girls and we really got to know the main characters more than before. After reading this book I feel like I know the king and queen so much better. I know which girls I like and who I want to see fall in a puddle of mud on national television. *cough* Celeste *cough*. 

-The other thing I am really happy the author did when writing this, is she didn't leave some crazy huge cliff-hanger that leaves me feeling lost at the end of the book. There is enough suspense that I will definitely buy the last book because I really need to know what happens next, and waiting will be torture, but I don't feel so distressed about not having the book I can't function. I HATE that feeling. 

-There's more action in this book! This is what I felt the first book was lacking. And even though some of it is about the government, not all of it is so I really like it! I definitely feel like the first book was setting up this series, but it was really enjoyable so I am okay with it. And now that its picking up more, I love it even more!

Things that annoyed me:

-The characters. I know, I know.. above I mentioned how happy was I was that I got to get to know them all better. And in doing this, it kind of made me dislike some of them. It also made me love some of them, but this is not the point. I kept having to remind myself that most of them are 17 year olds who have no experience with relationships. (Which is totally cool, I didn't have my first boyfriend until I was 19). But now that I am in my mid-twenties, I think a little differently than them and I had to constantly remind myself. So back to the annoying characters.. I just want to smack them! 

--First, America. Make up your mind! You don't get to choose who you want forever, and you don't get both Aspen and Maxon so pick one! One moment she wants to marry him and the next she wants to go home with Aspen. Get you s*** together and decide already. I was constantly confused on who she loved. Indecisive temper-mental girl. 

--Maxon. If you say you want to marry a girl, don't go slut around with all the others. I understand spending time with them, and trying to pick a back up because America can't make up her mind. But if you already know who you want to marry, theres no reason to make out with all of them. Man whore. I get that the rules are a little different when you are basically dating 6 different girls, but still. UGH. 

--Aspen. GO AWAY. I still can't stand Aspen. He makes America join the Selection "for him," then breaks up with her, then tries to get her back and gets upset when she has a hard time choosing. YOU. BROKE. HER. HEART. Don't try to force her to be with you. And definitely don't do it by talking crap about the other guy. At least play fair. 

Overall: I really did enjoy this book and I can't wait for the final book, The One, to come out! Although I really can't stand the characters sometimes, the story is so great that I can overlook it. I just want America and Maxon to end up together!! :)

Did you read this book? What were your thoughts??