Book BFF Melissa: January 2013

Waiting On Wednesday #18

Jill from Breaking The Spine hosts this awesome meme where bloggers feature books they are eagerly anticipating to be published.

Seventeen-year-old Zoe and her cousin Jess eagerly start summer jobs at New Jersey's Fairyland theme park, but Jess does not get her dream role and Zoe is assigned to be personal assistant to the park's "Queen," winning her no friends.

April 23, 2013

That summary is kinda short and vague, but I love the cover and it's by the author of Smart Girls Get What They Want (which I hear is really good!). Oh and it also take place in Jersey which is where I'm from...although I've never heard of a Fairyland theme park. I'm lovin contemp lately!

While you're here:
I'm cohosting my first read along ever! Click the banner below to find out how to participate! Oh and did I mention there's a GIVEAWAY!?!

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The Carrie Diaries Read Along

Read Along

Welcome to Queen Ella Bee Reads and Harley Bear Book Blog's first ever read-along!

How did this all come about, you might ask? Well, both of us were talking about the new Carrie Diaries show on Twitter the other day. We quickly discovered that we both wanted to read the book since the show's pretty cute. As such, we decided to do a read-along.

Here's the sitch:

- The Carrie Diaries Read-along begins at Monday, February 4th, 2013, 12:00am EST and ends on February 12th, 2013, 12:00am EST. The goal is to read 5 chapters a day. At the end of each day, updates will go up on our blogs. But here's the tricky bit: we're taking turns with posting our daily mini updates. Meaning, on day one, the update will apear on Harley Bear Book Blog, on day two, the update will appear on Queen Ella Bee Reads and so on and so forth. At the end of it all, we'll both we posting reviews on our blog AND we'll be doing a guest post on Story Crush (!!!!)

- You don't have to be a blogger to join us, but IF you are, you should do some kind of post for the read-along and link up. If you aren't a blogger, just leave some comment love so we know you're reading with us! Sharing is caring, you know.

- WHY should you draft a post to tack onto the linky, you ask? Because at the end of it all, there will be a GIVEAWAY! Anyone can enter, but if you link up you'll be able to enter for MORE chances to win a book that's been turned into a TV show of your choice (ex: The Carrie Diaries, Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, etc.).

- The linky closes down on February 12th, 2013, 12:00am EST so make sure to link up before that.

- If you make up your own post for this readalong, whether in a kick off post, update post or review-of-the-book post, feel free to grab the button from the top of the page, just make sure to link back to Harley Bear Book Blog (the artist in residence). Also feel free to use the little blurb a above but please, please, PLEASE make sure to link back to both of our blogs/give credit. There's a lot of plagiarism going around. Don't be apart of it.

So if you think The Carrie Diaries TV show is AH-freaking-dorable and have been meaning to dig into the book, we'd love for you to come read with us!

Happy Reading!

Gaby and Melissa

Examples of books you could win!

(Yes that's right...Delirium is gonna be a tv show!!)

WINNER: Entry# 5 Judith @paperiot

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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{Cover Reveal} The Only Exception by: Megan Vernon

Cover Reveal

Fiercely liberal Monica Remy prefers to blend in. Despite her tattoos, piercings, and outspoken personality, she transferred to Central to escape—before she finds out that her next door neighbor is the uber conservative governor son, Trey Chapman.

No matter how hard she tries to avoid Trey, he still finds a way to get under her skin. Monica can’t stand his crisp white shirts or his staunch views on women. But she can’t help counting every freckle on his face and wondering what it would feel like to have him stop talking politics and kiss her.

A class debate project forces the unlikely pair to work together, and the political lines are blurred in late-night make out sessions. But despite their fiery chemistry, Trey’s politics threatens to smother their relationship for good.

April 9th, 2013

AUTHOR BIO

Magan Vernon

Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. She is in a very serious, fake relationship with Adam Lambert and constantly asks her husband to wear guyliner. He still refuses. She also believes her husband is secretly an alien, disguised as a southern gentleman.

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Stacking the Shelves/Sunday Post #23

Stacking the Shelves

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Both are a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and talk about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Boundless

I LOVE putting books on hold at the library before they are released. I always get the best books first! I'm nervous to read this one because I hear it makes you question Team Tucker. Anyone who has read it...what do you think?

City of Ashes

I'm almost done with this one. My cousin and I decided to read it at the same time and discuss it. Chapter 9 broke our hearts lol.

Madman's Daughter

I did a big book shimmy when this arrived in the mail! Thanks again to Epic Reads for the present! I'm going to start it tomorrow and hopefully have a review up soon since it comes out this week.

The Carrie Diaries

I have some exciting news!!! A new bloggie friend and I are hosting a Read Along for this next week. Stop back tomorrow for information on the read-a-long, giveaway, and guest post...and how you can sign up to join us.

I have never been so excited about blogging! I have so much fun stuff coming up this year and I can't wait to share. I'm co-hosting my first ever read along (stop back tomorrow for information), I've got a few new features running, I've won some giveaways, I'm going to host my first giveaway, and I've been reading like crazy! 2013 is gonna be a good year you guys. I can just feel it!

I did a little happy dance yesterday. Why you ask? Because after a few hours of staring at the screen and scratching my head I FINALLY figured out how to make that beautious drop down menu for my blog! This week I gave my blog a makeover (because I'm obsessed with teal all of a sudden) and Idk about you, but I love it! What do you think?

Got a busy week next week!

Reviews to come:

*The Madman's Daughter
*Boundless
*Dance of Shadows

Posts:

* Read Along Announcement

*Top Ten Tuesday:Most Frustrating Characters

*Teaser: Madman's Daughter

*WOW

*Review & Recipe (Feb 1st)

*Passion for Bookish Fashion (Feb 2nd)

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{Review} My Life Next Door by: Huntley Fitzpatrick

3 Stars

Number of Pgs. 394 (Hardcover)

Publication date: June 14, 2012
Publisher: Dial Books For Young Readers
Genre: YA, Contemporary

How I got the copy: Library

Rating: 3 Stars

A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another

One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

I've been using a new way of reviewing that I saw over at Making the Grade. It breaks the book down and makes it easier to rate. The way it works is each category gets a score out of ten points. Then you add them all up + 50 (50% automatically for each book) and that's your score out of 100.

4/10: I wanted to like this book as much as everyone else did, but I had so many problems with it. In fact, I think the only reason I finished it is because Jase is awesome. I'm not sure if it's because I had such high expectations from all the hype, but I was expecting something more...exciting. Nothing really happens until the very end of the book. And the romance isn't funny or unusual. It's just two people that live next to each other and meet. Yes they have to sneak around, but that's part of what bothered me. The main character was annoying.

5/10: Samantha was infuriating to me. I'm thinking this may be because I just read such strong female leads like Alex in the Covenant Series, that when I got to Samantha's doormat personality I just couldn't take it. She eventually grows a backbone, but not until the end of the book and even then she still is way too nice in my opinion.

But the one reason I couldn't DNF the book was because of Jase. He's the family guy that fixes everyone's problems. He got that carefree and easy going vibe even though he is the glue that holds his hectic family together.

Jase's family was also pretty great. One of my best friends from high school had a family just like him. She had a big family and her house was always chaos, but I loved it. Their family was always welcoming and I pictured them when I was reading about the Garretts. I love when books remind me of real life. Oh and Geore, Jase's brother, was freakin' adorable!

6/10: Sometimes contemporary books can have a really boring setting because the characters often don't leave their hometown. This was one of those books. Samantha goes to work and home and that's pretty much it. But I did enjoy the scenes on the roof with Jase!

6/10: This was soooo slow in the beginning. It wasn't until about page 300 or so where stuff started actually happening.

8/10: I liked the author's actual writing. The dialogue was very realistic to teens conversing. The romantic scenes portrayed how teens really feel during their first love.

I'm not sure if I'll read anything else by this author. I think maybe if I do I need to not go in with such high expectations. I wanted to like this one. I really did!!!

79/100

“The Garretts were my bedtime story, long before I ever thought I’d be part of the story myself.”
― Huntley Fitzpatrick, My Life Next Door

"He's so easy to forgive. No sins at all. Not like my mom. Not like me. When our lips meet, I don't feel the familiar warmth and ease. I feel like Judas."
― Huntley Fitzpatrick, My Life Next Door