"I Survived" series by Lauren Tarshis

I cannot gush about this series enough. I love when a book gets a kid excited about reading, and when that love grows when I can inform the kid "but wait, there's more!" On top of that, I love when a series has appeal for both boys and girls. And I really love when a book can inspire kids to want to learn more outside of the book they have just read. And the I Survived series does this! All of it!

Throughout her series, Lauren Tarshis has captured snapshots of various times in history and recounted them from the perspective a kid living through that event. Every kid ends up right in the middle of the action. Even though it's often terrifying, you know that character is going to be okay, otherwise they wouldn't be the star of a book titled I Survived. I appreciate that Tarshis is able to put a fair amount of information into her stories, without it being overloading or boring. In addition, each book has informational text at the end to give the reader a bit more knowledge of the event itself. As an adult I have learned quite a bit.  Prior to reading this series I knew nothing of the shark attacks in New Jersey or the Children's Blizzard in the Dakotas. In each book, I learn something new and almost always do a little bit more research on my own after finishing the book.

I have read most of the books and have also listened to some of the audio versions. I think my favorite part of the audio versions is the interviews with Lauren Tarshis. It's very interesting to hear in her own voice how she does her research and how she goes about writing her books. I'm not sure if this is something that will be of interest to young readers, but I find it fascinating.

This series is great for reader's that aren't super confident in their reading skills, but are still ready for chapter books. The writing is simple enough that even beginning readers will be able to read the material, but interesting enough that more mature readers won't be bored. I highly recommend this books for teachers, librarians, and parents. They also make a great gift for that young reader in your life!

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"The Last Present" by Wendy Mass

Amanda and Leo have a history with birthdays. Now their friend's little sister, Grace, has fallen into a strange frozen state on her birthday, and Amanda and Leo must travel in time in order to fix whatever's wrong. As they journey back to each of Grace's birthdays, they start seeing all sorts of patterns . . . which raise all sorts of questions.

Amanda and Leo are going to have to unravel the threads of the past and present - and travel much further than they ever imagined - if they're going to save Grace. Luckily, a little birthday magic always helps in the charming and funny Willow Falls series by Wendy Mass, where everything is possible and there are no coincidences.

*Note, don't read this book if you haven't read 11 Birthday, Finally, and 13 Gifts.

Things are never what you'd expect in Willow Falls, especially when it comes to Angelina and birthdays. We find out in this book, that Angelina has been the one keeping each of Willow Falls' children from getting horribly sick. But she was interrupted when she tried to protect Grace, and even though she tried to fix it each year, something foiled her every time. Now, Grace is horribly ill, no doctor can figure out what is wrong and it is up to Amanda and Leo to put things right. Angelina gives them the ability to travel back in time to each of Grace's birthdays. They have to fix three parties in order to save Grace. It seems daunting, but if anyone can do it, it's a kid from Willow Falls.

I felt that out of all the books in the series, The Last Present was (so far) the most compelling. The first three were interesting and often fun, but this time around, there was really something at stake- Grace's health. I was almost desperate to find out if she was going to be okay. I also enjoyed getting to spend time with Leo and Amanda again. I had assumed that each book in the series would be from yet another character's point of view, so it was nice to once again be with some old friends. This book picked up where 13 Gifts left off, so it was nice to listen to them back to back (I highly recommend the audio version, by the way). There were plenty of laugh out loud moments, especially with Amanda and Leo disappearances and reappearances through time. I also felt that this plot handled time travel well, which is no easy feat. I'm anxious to read the next book by Wendy Mass, Graceful, to find out what happens next!

Anyone who has started the series is going to enjoy this book. I love that it touches upon magic, but even so, that isn't the focus of the story (I'm personally not the biggest fan of fantasy and magic stories). The kids in these books work so hard and they work together, which I think are great values to instill in young readers.  I also love that even though the covers present the novels as somewhat girly, I think that this is a set of books that can be enjoyed by either boys or girls. I could see this being a series that would be very agreeable to listen to on trips in the car- there's something for every member of the family.

Happy Reading!

-Melly

Book Promo: "Forget Me Know" by Ruth Silver

Forget Me Knot (Royal Reaper 2)

by Ruth Silver

Publisher: Booktrope

Published: June 23, 2015

  Don’t mess with death. When Wynter explores his newly developed dark angel powers, regret soon fills his heart and mind. Saving a soul isn’t what he imagined it to be, and it puts the grim reaper he loves in grave danger. Obligated to take the throne as Queen, Mara must face the truth and unravel secrets she may not be ready to accept. The second book in the Royal Reaper saga takes you on a paranormal fantasy adventure into a world of grim reapers, dark angels, and undead trucidators.

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Also available on Barnes & Noble and iBooks

Excerpt

Death crept into the castle. Mara could feel its darkness pressing her down. As she walked to her father's bedchamber, the thought of marrying a man she did not love weighed heavily on her. All the invitations had been sent out months ago. Just as her life was beginning to almost feel normal, her father, King Philip, had fallen ill along with the court of Casmerelda and much of the kingdom. The second wave of the plague violently spread, leaving a trail of death and burning corpses for the living to clean up.

Her father had been bedridden for three days. His fever spiked and his skin glistened. He grew delirious, falling in and out of consciousness. As much as she despised him for what he’d done to her sister’s boyfriend, he was still her father. She didn’t want to be left alone.

“You must marry Astin at once.”

Mara cringed. “I can’t.” Her lips hidden as she wore a piece of ivory cloth against her nose and mouth, the slightest bit of protection from the disease that had taken over the kingdom. “I don’t love him. Please don’t do this to me.”

“Don’t be selfish.” The words struggled to reach his lips. He coughed and heaved, his chest rising and falling quickly as his pulse raced. “I’ll be with your mother soon…”

“You’ll be dead.”

Taking in several deep breaths, he opened his mouth, his words coming out as a whisper. “You will be reigning queen. Mara, you must act the part. Marry Astin and forge an alliance with the country of Morro, for the sake of Casmerelda. Your people need you.”

“I need you,” Mara said, gripping her father’s hand. She frowned, studying the tips of his fingers, a blackened hue lacing his skin.

“You shouldn’t touch me.” He tried to pull away, unsuccessfully. Her grip remained tight, but more significantly, he’d grown weak from the disease ravaging his body.

“I haven’t been infected, and I’ve been at your bedside every night.” Mara ordered the servants to bring more water and rags. It had done little good to break his fever or alleviate the discomfort he must have been experiencing, but it was all she could think of to help.

“Marry Astin.” His words were rough slipping past his lips. He wheezed, trying to speak, but Mara rested a hand upon his chest.

“Don’t.” She didn’t want to have this conversation again.

“For the sake of the kingdom,” he said, pleading with her.

Mara refused to answer. Marrying Astin wasn’t what she wanted. “I have no desire to be queen so young. You will pull through, do you hear me?”

He’d fallen into a deep slumber, unable to answer her.

About the Author

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of the Aberrant trilogy. With a passion for writing and a love of story-telling, Ruth is actively writing two series: Royal Reaper and Orenda. She also writes The Federal Agent Chronicles and Palace Secrets, both of which are adult romance under the name Ravyn Rayne for Blushing Books. Her interests include traveling, reading, and photography. Her favorite vacation destination is Australia. Ruth currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois. 



 Follow Ruth here: Blog- http://writeawaybliss.com Facebook- http://facebook.com/writeawaybliss Twitter- http://twitter.com/writeawaybliss  


Looking for a steamier read? Check her out here: Blog- http://ravynrayne.com Facebook- http://facebook.com/ravynraynereads Twitter- http://twitter.com/blushingravyn

"Plan B" by Charnan Simon

This book needed more plot! The story in Plan B takes place over just a couple of weeks and there just wasn't enough to keep me fully engaged. While I get that this is the kind of book that is purposefully short, I wanted so much more out of the story.

Lucy has been dating Luke for about six months. When they find out that Luke's getting a scholarship opportunity, she decides they should celebrate and one thing (and a little alcohol) leads to another and as this book is about a teenage pregnancy, you can probably figure out what that thing is. Before long, Lucy figures out that she is pregnant and soon she and Luke have to figure out what they will do with their lives and the baby's.

I read this book mostly because my NaNoWriMo novel is about a pregnant teen and I was looking for some more perspective and inspiration. I have read an awful lot of books that focus on teenage pregnancy and lately have been focusing on what elements I need to include in my own work (as this is a topic I haven't personally gone through, a little help goes a long ways). Sadly I don't think I got much out of this read. I felt that the characters weren't very fleshed out and while the ending was bold, I felt that it was a lot of build-up with no result. At the very least, I would have appreciated an epilogue. I try to be well read and since I work in a library, I try to be aware of as many books as possible. I plan on reading at least one more book in the Surviving Southside series so as to get a better idea of how the series is formatted, but if the rest of the books fall as flat, I won't be likely to recommend them.

Happy Reading!

-Melly

"Home for the Holidays" by Heather Vogel Frederick

First off, I don't get the title of this book. Megan and Becca go on a cruise, Emma and Jess go to a winter resort and Cassidy goes to California.While Christmas isn't the only holiday covered in this book, it is the biggest one and so I found it interesting that Home for the Holidays mainly focuses on plots that do not take place at home. But aside from that, I liked this book. The Mother-Daughter Book Club is currently reading the Betsy-Tacy books though some of the girls aren't as excited for this series as the others. Each girl has a lot going on in their lives and it seems like life might be getting in the way of their friendships. On top of that, when the girls exchange Secret Santa gifts no one gets gifts they would actually wants and this puts further strain on their friendships. Could this be the end of the club?

In some ways, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the earlier ones in the series. I don't know if it was because it has been awhile since I have visited this literary universe so some of the previous plots were fuzzy (this is common with my reading experiences) or if the story just wasn't quite as good (I plan on reading Wish You Were Eyre soon, so that will likely answer this for me). I think part of it came from getting so frustrated with the girls because of how they were acting. I didn't feel that they were being good friends and all of them seemed a little too self-absorbed. I did enjoy getting to go on their various holiday adventures and it is very interesting to see how the girls have grown up. And having read this book, I am interested in finally giving the Betsy-Tacy books a read (I am so behind with all of the books I want to read). Fans of the series will definitely want to add this to their collection.

*Special thanks to Catharine A. Ward for sending me this book as part of the Bookies Secret Santa last year!*

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"How I Survived Middle School #1: Can You Get an F in Lunch?" by Nancy Krulik

Remember the first day of middle school?  Remember hoping you would come across as cool or at the very least you wouldn't be left sitting alone at lunch?  Didn't you wish there was some sort of guidebook to help you navigate this new environment?  Well thank you, Nancy Krulik!  How I Survived Middle School #1: Can You Get an F in Lunch? opens on Jenny McAfee's first day of middle school.  She is very excited to show off her t-shirt from sleep away camp- she did spend a whole eight weeks there after all!  However, she doesn't realize that camp t-shirts are not considered cool.  She also doesn't expect that her best friend has made new friends over the summer.  When Jenny tries to join Addie and her new friends at lunch, she is more or less kicked to the curb and ends up eating alone in a phone book (remember those?).  It takes Jenny some time to figure out that middle school is quite different from elementary school and she has a lot to learn.

I thought this novel could be quite useful for girls getting ready to make the transition from elementary to middle school (or junior high, depending on how your school system works).  Sure, switching from one school to another doesn't always mean that things will be bad, but it probably means that things are going to change.  Old friends may drift apart due to different class schedules and after school activities, but new friendships will blossom as well.  Krulik did a great job showing how things are going to change as you advance in school, but how you can still have a positive experience.  I really liked this book and hope I have time to read more in the series.

Happy Reading!

-Melly

"Pretty Little Liars" by Sara Shepard

I have heard great things about the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard.  However, I'm not sure if they are quite for me.  I plan on giving the next one or two a shot, but based on how I felt about the first book, I may not see this series out.

The first book opens with a sleepover that goes horribly wrong.  Alison leaves the sleepover and never returns- anywhere.  The novel then picks up three years later. Hanna, Spencer, Aria and Emily have grown apart since Alison's disappearance.  The majority of the novel focuses on each girl individually and they only reconnect at the end of the novel when they find out that all are receiving messages from someone identified only as "A" and that someone knows all of their secrets.  I thought that the idea for the novel was kind of interesting.  However, I felt like there wasn't quite enough character development for each of the girls.  I found myself referring to the summary several times just to keep straight who was who (granted, I am used to stories that have multiple points of view having both male and female characters- maybe having four female leads was just too much for me).  They each had unique storylines, but I couldn't help but feel like they were just one person split into four separate stories.  And each of them had a little bit too much drama for my taste.

I am a little intrigued and would like to see this story out- and find out who "A" is, but I get the feeling that these books may be a little too soap opera like for my tastes.  It was nice to see that Shepard is not afraid to tackle difficult topics- missing persons, bulimia, underage drinking, are just a few things included in the first novel.  I certainly see the appeal of these novels and am really going to try to keep reading them, but we shall see.

Happy Reading!
-Melly

I Need More Time Thursday: "Private" by Kate Brian

Fifteen-year-old Reed Brennan wins a scholarship to Easton Academy—the golden ticket away from her pill-popping mother and run-of-the-mill suburban life. But when she arrives on the beautiful, tradition-steeped campus of Easton, everyone is just a bit more sophisticated, a bit more gorgeous, and a lot wealthier than she ever thought possible. Reed realizes that even though she has been accepted to Easton, Easton has not accepted her. She feels like she’s on the outside, looking in.

Until she meets the Billings Girls.

They are the most beautiful, intelligent, and intensely confident girls on campus. And they know it. They hold all the power in a world where power is fleeting but means everything. Reed vows to do whatever it takes to be accepted into their inner circle.

Reed uses every part of herself—the good, the bad, the beautiful—to get closer to the Billings Girls. She quickly discovers that inside their secret parties and mountains of attitude, hanging in their designer clothing-packed closets the Billings Girls have skeletons. And they’ll do anything to keep their secrets private.

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever" by Jeff Kinney

Was anyone else über excited for the newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book?  I expected to read the book as soon as I got home from work, but I didn't quite expect to hurry and read it so that my boyfriend's brother could get his hands on it (not complaining, though I might have picked up an extra copy from the library had I known).


Jeff Kinney hit another home run in my opinion with Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever.  As usual, Greg Heffley has a scheme up his sleeve; this time he's trying to get the best possible present for Christmas and spend as little on presents for his family so that he can buy something for himself- particularly tokens for Net Kritterz, an online pet site.  As can be expected, Greg and best friend Rowley have a plan to make it rich that ends in a way they never expected, only this time the police are involved!  But that's just a tiny bit of what happens to Greg.  You'll have to read the book to find out all of shenanigans Greg get himself into.

If you haven't read this series yet, I highly recommend it.  And if you know an elementary or middle school boy that hasn't read it, now is the perfect time to get off the computer and take them to the nearest library or bookstore!

Happy Reading!
-Melly

“Ten Rules for Living with My Sister” by Ann M. Martin

Picture it: I’m walking into the post office, dreading checking the box because I figure there will be nothing more than junk and bills. So imagine my surprise when I find no bills and an ARC of Ann M. Martin’s Ten Rules for Living with My Sister. Then imagine the looks of random strangers as a half run, half dance back out to my truck (what can I say, I love Martin’s books more than just about anything).

Fans of Martin’s Baby-Sitter Little Sister series will likely enjoy this book. It follows Pearl, a fourth-grade girl growing up in Manhattan. Pearl’s only real friends are her cat Bitey and her first grade neighbor. She enjoys making crafts and (though not always intentionally) annoying her older sister Lexie. Pearl keeps an ongoing list comparing herself to her sister, for instance, Lexie has a boyfriend and she doesn’t. The girls must learn to get along when their grandfather moves from his home in New Jersey to their New York apartment- meaning the sisters now have to share bedrooms! This book is just what I expected; lighthearted, but with many lessons for young readers. I would recommend it for girls around 1-4 grades and if readers like this book, it is likely they will enjoy Martin’s The Doll People series, Main Street series, Belle Teal, and A Corner of the Universe. In addition, readers who just can’t get enough of Ann M. Martin’s books should check out The Baby-Sitters Club series (check out used bookstores for books that haven’t been reprinted yet).













Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Chain Reaction" by Simone Elkeles

I'm sad that the Perfect Chemistry series has come to a close, but very pleased with how it ended.  I waited a few weeks before reading this book (partially because I wasn't quite ready for the series to end and partially because I couldn't find a copy locally-turns out it was not in the Teen section, but instead in the Fiction section under 'S'...but I digress) so my only complaint is that I put off reading such a great book!

Chain Reaction is the third novel in Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry series and follows the youngest Fuentes brother, Luis.  Told in alternating chapters from the point of view of Luis and his love interest Nikki and just like in the first two books, an unlikely relationship forms between the two teens (but we already knew that was going to happen, right?).  But nothing in life is ever easy and Luis, like his brothers, gets caught up in circumstances beyond his control that threatens his relationship with Nikki and his family.  I don't want to give too much away, but this book is wonderful!  It is clear that Simone Elkeles does her research and does everything to write the best book possible.  I am always glued to my seat and can barely stop reading down until I have finished.  I am so glad that I've come across Elkeles' books and feel that they are a must read for YA lovers!

Perfect Chemistry Book Trailer


Rules of Attraction Book Trailer


Chain Reaction Book Trailer


Happy Reading!
-Melly

“Lust” by Mike Wells

Lust, Money & Murder

a Series by

Mike Wells

Book 1

Lust

This book was a surprising treat.  I read it straight through in one night and was left slightly frustrated at the end, only for the reason that it ends on a cliffhanger and I currently don't have home internet access nor is anywhere with free wi-fi open at the moment.  Because of this, I am stuck waiting to find out what will happen, something I hate doing.

The story follows Elaine Brogan, a young girl beloved by her father.  As she is growing up, her father Patrick does everything he possibly can to provide for his daughter- including stealing from his construction sites to pay for Elaine's school tuition.  The plot progresses and we witness Elaine's interest in a modeling career, her father's arrest and suicide, and her attempts to join the Secret Service. 

While reading, I had no clue where the plot was going to take me.  However, I was anxious to get there.  I was on the edge of my seat (figuratively of course as the majority of my reading took place while I was laying on the floor) and was quite frustrated that the book ends with no closure but instead a note telling readers: “(End of Book 1 – to be continued).”  Naturally I am dying to get my hands on a copy of Book 2, Money and find out what will happen next.  This book has a little something for everyone, murder, conspiracy, romance, suspense.  I can only recommend, that if you read it, you make sure you have the capability to download book 2 immediately if you liked Lust.  

And check out Mike Wells on Twitter!