[Book #Review] Popular by Lauren Urasek

Popular
by Lauren Urasek

With more than 15,000 4- and 5-star ratings, an average of 35 messages per day, and hundreds of thousands of profile views from interested suitors, Lauren Urasek was dubbed "the most popular girl on OKCupid" byNew York magazine. She then started a popular Tumblr detailing her experiences with Prince Charmings (and Not-So-Charmings), and now tells all in a series of frank, funny essays about the ups and downs of dating in the city that never sleeps. She's run the gamut of the nominally "single and ready to mingle" males of New York City, from dudes who went in for a kiss within the first ten minutes to one who conducted an impromptu “girlfriend job interview.” And in between the horror stories and dating disasters, Lauren shares some real talk about what works—and what doesn't. Her tales of wooing and woe will leave anyone who's ever tried online dating rolling in the aisles.
 
Lauren's 19 essays are punctuated by cheeky yet informative sidebars on:
- 10 male accessories or clothing items that'll turn a girl right off
- Red flags you should NEVER ignore
- Quirky/weird/offbeat ways to find out whether a guy's not right for you
- The 15 WORST usernames
- A comparison between different online dating services (OKCupid, Tinder, Match, etc.)
- And much more!

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

Popular by Lauren Urasek could be viewed as an open window to single woman's life in NYC where all she's trying to do is date and find someone who gets her. But add the personality of the author itself into what should be a simple novel, and you get an awesome book worth checking out! Starting out as an introduction and an honest note that she doesn't know why in the hell would anyone choose her as the most popular women on online dating websites, this book also continues into short stories of past experiences and advice on what to do and not to do on those awful blind dates. 

Urasek really touched me with the honesty that the book was written. All of the embarrasing stories, everything that women are afraid to say, she said it. Going from trying to get over a long-term relationship to daily dates could be tough, specially when you have creepy guys messaging you day and night. 

"Insecurities can get the best of us when meeting someone new - or even when we're in an already established relationship. I've been known to fuck up both dates and relationships because of baggage stemming from the bullshit self-esteem issues I grew up".

Urasek really touched me with the honesty that the book was written. All of the embarrasing stories, everything that women are afraid to say, she said it. Going from trying to get over a long-term relationship to daily dates could be tough, specially when you have creepy guys messaging you day and night. But from the insecurities and some of the past that she had to deal with, I related to her. I do wish that the book stayed the same pace as it was from the beginning but this is a solid 4 star rating for me. Just because she swears. ALOT. And has a pretty badass sense of humor ;)

[Book Review] Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

Royal Wedding
by Meg Cabot

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first adult installment, which follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding--but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.

For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community center, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements. Mia's gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn't need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal oui.

But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother's leaked "fake" wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia's father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch. Can Mia prove to everyone--especially herself--that she's not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

“Michael and I are an anomaly. Hardly anyone stays together forever with their first significant other, except maybe in YA novels. And usually when they do, it’s because he’s a vampire or a werewolf or owns a beautiful estate called Pemberley or something.”

Michael and Mia are definitely an anomaly and this is no longer a YA novel. Princess has grown up and is in a relationship that is a lot more serious with some really interesting details that should not rated at least PG-13. 

The story itself was great! I loved all of the Princess Diaries and it will always be one of my favorite movies so I was a little surprised at first to read about her relationship and all the "sex games" that her and Michael enjoy. I guess it's normal to feel weird about your younger characters growing up, it happened with Miley, it happened to many other Disney stars that became either a wreck or role models of young teens. 

But it was so good to see her care about her country and plan on getting married! I still disliked her grandmother as I always did but I still love the whole family and so glad for her parents. Really liked the book, think it is the perfect summer read!

About Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her adult contemporary fiction, she is the author of the bestselling young adult fiction series, The Princess Diaries. More than 25 million copies of her novels for children and adults have sold worldwide. Meg lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband.

Find out more about Meg at her website, follow her blog, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

[Book Review] The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

The Invasion of the Tearling
by Erika Johansen

With each passing day, Kelsea Glynn is growing into her new responsibilities as Queen of the Tearling. By stopping the shipments of slaves to the neighboring kingdom of Mortmesne, she crossed the Red Queen, a brutal ruler whose power derives from dark magic, who is sending her fearsome army into the Tearling to take what is hers. And nothing can stop the invasion.

But as the Mort army draws ever closer, Kelsea develops a mysterious connection to a time before the Crossing, and she finds herself relying on a strange and possibly dangerous ally: a woman named Lily, fighting for her life in a world where being female can feel like a crime. The fate of the Tearling —and that of Kelsea’s own soul—may rest with Lily and her story, but Kelsea may not have enough time to find out.

GOODREADS  | AMAZON

“Even small gestures of kindness have the potential to reap enormous rewards. Only the shortsighted man believes otherwise.” 

The Invasion of the Tearling was an incredible follow up with the first book. What I really liked is that it provided more details on the world building since the first book wasn't as detailed. The writing and the pace of the book was incredible as always and everything about it was more realistic. 

The POV in the story goes back and forth  between Queen Kelsea preparing for the invasion of her country, and Lily, a  woman living in Pre-Crossing Connecticut. It's interesting to see the timeline between those and actually read about the Crossing. I appreciated the author incorporated this into the book and making me feel a lot more connected to the story. 

I did feel like the story itself came out a lot more dark than it was before. The vivid images of rape, sexual assault/harassment, and self-harm did come up but they weren't presented in romantic stage and were more dark than anything. No matter how much I do like the clean stories, these made my pulse race and turn the pages even more. Although I did really like the book, it bothered me that every single issue that was brought up could be solved by the necklace. I don't mind Kelsea's character but at times think it could have used more depth. Otherwise, highly recommended! 

About Erika Johansen

Erika Johansen grew up and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She went to Swarthmore College, earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and eventually became an attorney, but she never stopped writing.

[Book Review + Giveaway] The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons

The Glass Arrow 
by Kristen Simmons 

The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder.

In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide. With a ragtag bunch of other women and girls, she has successfully avoided capture and eked out a nomadic but free existence in the mountains. But when Aya’s luck runs out and she’s caught by a group of businessmen on a hunting expedition, fighting to survive takes on a whole new meaning.

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

The Glass Arrow was an incredible read and really shocked me. The summary from Goodreads says that it is a mix between The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road but since I've never read either of them, I was coming into this story with a fresh start, without any expectations. I have heard that Simmons is an incredible author and I was definitely not disappointed. 

The story starts out when Aya, our main character, is being captured. Because all women are captured and being sold for population control purposes, she has been hiding in the woods with some of her family and have grown up to be more wild. Once she's captured, she's put into the Garden - a place where all girls get prepared to be sold at the auction and have given another name to go by - Aya's being Clover, a weed. Not wanting to be sold off, she tries to get into more fights so she can go into solitary where she can see Brax, her wild wolf who she came to love. And that's when she meets Kiran. A mute Driver who never hurt her and was not taken back that Aya was Unpromised. 

I loved this book. The world building was incredible and very much made sense. I did find it offensive that women were viewed as "baby makers" of the society but that was the world that they lived in and I really sympathized with them. Aya was really incredible. I loved how wild and determined she was, there are not a lot of YA novels where we find the female be so strong and mature for her age that she could take on guys bigger than her. Just simple things like working out and trying to get stronger for her escape made me love her even more. Definitely packed with action, although slow at times to explain about the world building and other characters, I really enjoyed this book. 

Kristen Simmons is the author of the ARTICLE 5 series and THE GLASS ARROW (Tor Teen). She loves her family, Jazzercise, and chocolate cupcakes. She currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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[Book Review + Giveaway] Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

Seeker
by Arwen Elys Dayton

Their Legacy is…A calling. An Honor. A lie.

#SeekerSeries

The night Quin Kincaid takes her Oath, she will become what she has trained to be her entire life. She will become a Seeker. This is her legacy, and it is an honor.

As a Seeker, Quin will fight beside her two closest companions, Shinobu and John, to protect the weak and the wronged. Together they will stand for light in a shadowy world.

And she’ll be with the boy she loves—who is also her best friend.

But the night Quin takes her Oath, everything changes.

Being a Seeker is not what she thought. Her family is not what she thought. Even the boy she loves is not who she thought.

And now it’s too late to walk away.

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

Seeker was definitely one of the novels that made me lose time & engage in the story of Quin, Shinobu, and John. Although with starting out somewhat slow, I loved the history that was held behind it & the great research that author did in order to tell us the story that went on in Scotland and Hong Kong. I'm pretty curious about how the author chose these two places because I cannot think of any other places that could have been more different. 

Story begins when Quin, her cousin Shinobu, and childhood friend John are in the middle of a fight. They have been training to take their oath as Seekers since young age and their whole life have been leading up to that moment. When John freezes up during training, Quin's dad sends him back. But one thing that he didn't know if that Quin and John have been in love for years and tried to keep their relationship away from the family. With following events, Shinobu takes Quin to Hong Kong & with her memory loss, she tried to remember everything that happened. 

This was interesting. One thing that I really wish was established in the book more is the explanation of what the Seeker really is. It slightly grazes over it but I really wish it would tell us more about it. Third-person POV was good to read because we could see the different sides of the story and I really liked the characters. There was also some love-triangle going on. At some point you think that every one of character is a "villain" of the story and Quin goes between John and Shinobu. I understand how John could be in this but Shinobu was her cousin and I just thought that was a little weird. 

Overall, this novel really turned out to be intense. I loved the story and cannot wait to see what happens next! Oh & YES! There will be a movie coming out based on this book! #fangirling

About Arwen:

Arwen Elys Dayton spends months doing research for her stories. Her explorations have taken her around the world to places like the Great Pyramid (which she explored by a single fading flashlight when researching Resurrection), Hong Kong and its many islands, and lots of ruined castles in Scotland. She enjoys creating complete worlds inhabited by characters who charm, frustrate or inspire.

Arwen lives with her husband and their three children on the West Coast of the United States. You can follow her @arwenelysdayton on Twitter and Instagram.

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[Book Review] The Girl with a Clock For a Heart by Peter Swanson

The Girl with a Clock For a Heart 
by Peter Swanson 

Already optioned for film, The Girl with a Clock for a Heart is Peter Swanson’s electrifying tale of romantic noir, with shades of Hitchcock and reminiscent of the classic movie Body Heat. It is the story of a man swept into a vortex of irresistible passion and murder when an old love mysteriously reappears.

On an ordinary Friday evening at his favorite Boston tavern, George Foss’s comfortable, predictable life is shattered when a beautiful woman sits down at the bar, a woman who vanished without a trace twenty years ago.

Liana Dector isn’t just an ex-girlfriend, the first love George couldn’t quite forget. She’s also a dangerous enigma and quite possibly a cold-blooded killer wanted by the police. Suddenly, she’s back—and she needs George’s help. Ruthless men believe she stole some money . . . and they will do whatever it takes to get it back.

George knows Liana is trouble. But he can’t say no—he never could—so he makes a choice that will plunge him into a terrifying whirlpool of lies, secrets, betrayal, and murder from which there is no sure escape.

Bold and masterful, full of malicious foreboding and subtle surprises, The Girl with a Clock for a Heart is an addictive, nonstop thriller—an ever-tightening coil of suspense that grips you right up to its electrifying end.

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

When you first read the summary of the book, you don't really know what to expect since even though it is a psychological thriller, it doesn't sound like a lot might go on. Girl coming back to guy's life, he helping her out, some crazy stuff is involved. & that's it, right? SO, SO VERY WRONG!!!

First of all. You have one very psycho woman, Liana. You don't really see her as a crazy B(word) at first since she is a woman that every man dreams about. But with the book continuing on, you start to see that the sweet and very charming girl is actually a criminal who's main power is her innocence. 

Then there's George Foss. Really sweet guy, pretty mellow. But really stupid with absolutely no back bone. I mean seriously? Don't go after the crazy chick who made your past hell to give money to her ex even after you get beat up by a thug. Oh poor sweet George. Nice guys always finish last, am I right?

Final thought? I actually really enjoyed it. And that's the thing about psychological thrillers is that you can't really prepare yourself for what happens in the book and think Swanson did an incredible job with this one.

About Peter Swanson

Peter Swanson’s stories and poems have appeared in The Atlantic, Measure, Mysterical-E, Soundings East, The Vocabula Review, and Yankee Magazine. He has degrees in Creative Writing, Education, and Literature from Trinity College, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Emerson College. He lives with his wife and cat in Somerville, Massachusetts. This is his first novel. His second novel, The Kind Worth Killing, will be available in hardcover from William Morrow on February 3, 2015.

Find out more about Peter on his website and follow him on Twitter.