I know some of you were wondering.  After my 6 month hiatus, I somehow feel lost starting the blog back up.  I do exist, have existed, just haven't had the time to blog.  In short, life got complicated.  Over the past 6 months, I've taken two new jobs, both at different ends of the world (or so it feels like), have decided to get healthy (lost 60 lbs.), gained 10 back, haven't read as much, but also made more time for my family (the kids are getting big so fast), and pretty much got into a new daily rhythm.  It hasn't been easy.  But alas, I've made it out in one peace, sane of mind, and happy.  That's what matters right?!

Ok, so down to business.  I have no idea what's going on.  I mean, I've visited all my old daily blogs.  Some of you are there, some of you aren't.  I guess my life wasn't the only one to get complicated.  I updated all your cute blog buttons (check you out, on my sidebar).  But I was wondering what new blogs have popped up in the last 6 months that I should follow.  Suggestions...

Also, I see that so many of you are truly faithful followers and stuck around for those 6 months when there was complete and total silence on my end.  I can't tell you how grateful I am for that.  Some of you I never even got around to meeting.  Please introduce yourselves in a comment to this post with a link to your blog.  I would love to drop by and say hello.

I want to get the blog back up to snuff and will be reinstating the Bookcase of the Week feature.  Any of you interested in participating?  If so, please let me know.  I have to start somewhere, why not with your bookcases.

All in all, I'm glad to be back.  I was so happy to hear from some of you guys already.  I've missed blogging, missed book chatting, and missed you. 

Giveaways will also be reinstated soon.  I can't wait!! 

Unleashed by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

Title: Unleashed (Wolf Springs Chronicles)
Authors: Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
Pages: 382
Genre: YA / Paranormal Fiction
Source: Amazon Vie Program

Katelyn McBride’s life changed in an instant when her mother died. Uprooted from her California home, Katelyn was shipped to the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, to her only living relative, her grandfather. And now she has to start over in Wolf Springs, a tiny village in the Ozark Mountains. Like any small town, Wolf Springs has secrets. But the secrets hidden here are more sinister than Katelyn could ever imagine. It’s a town with a history that reaches back centuries, spans continents, and conceals terrifying truths. And Katelyn McBride is about to change everything.

Broken families, ageless grudges, forced alliances, and love that blooms in the darkest night—welcome to Wolf Springs. [via GoodReads]

Although I’m not a big fan of the werewolves (sorry Jacob lovers), I was a little intrigued by the synopsis and pretty cover of Unleashed. Unleashed is the first book in the Wolf Springs Chronicles and I’m happy to report that it was a great start to the series.

When an earthquake unexpectedly kills Katelyn’s mom, she is swept away from her life in San Francisco and shipped off to live with her grandfather in Arkansas. As if dealing with her untimely loss is not hard enough, she now basically also has to start a new life, with an unknown grandfather in an unknown school and town.

When she’s asked to do a local history project, she finds herself drawn to the idea of unraveling some of the town’s mystery and maybe finding a way to fit in.

I really liked Katelyn and the dynamics between her and Ed, her granddad. As sad as it is to bear the loss of a parent, I can’t imagine how hard it would also be to have to start a new life. I think the authors did a great job in capturing their budding relationship. I also enjoyed the friendship she forms with Cordelia – that while she felt she had found a friend she also wasn’t too trustworthy since she kept skimming around Katelyn’s questions about the town, her family, etc.. Then there is Justin… Cordelia’s cousin and hottie love interest. While Katelyn is attracted to him… almost stalkerish over him, she’s also interested in Trick… love triangle anyone?

I actually really enjoyed this book. I loved the mystery of it all. Like Katelyn I was weary and questioning of pretty much everything and everyone in the story. It felt tense and suspenseful and had me at the proverbial edge of my seat. I liked that the story was long enough to truly capture its characters and let you know them well enough to where you actually felt invested in them. My only problem (and this is just a small criticism) was its abrupt ending. I get that it’s a trilogy, but I felt that there would be some type of closure. Instead I was left with bated breath waiting for its next installment. Surprisingly very good.

My Rating:

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Pages: 338
Genre: Fiction
Source: Purchased

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door. [via GoodReads]

I shall start this review with a warning… this is a gush-fest. Fan girl sighing, squeeing and high-fiving will follow… enter at your own risk.

Stephanie Perkins is my hero. Yes, Anna and the French Kiss was phenomenal – still one of my favorites. And yes, I do gush about it to random strangers at book stores and have even forced one or two of them to grab the book and rush to the nearest cashier. I can’t always say its to buy the book or to call security, but whatevah. With that said, and, of course, needless to say, I was uber excited when I heard about Lola and the Boy Next Door. But even though I was convinced it would be just as wonderful as AatFK, I always have that little nagging at the back of my mind that maybe it won’t be as good as the awesomeness that its predecessor was. Well, let me tell y’all, you have nothing to fear!! It was AHHHH-mazing!

Lola was as quirky and endearing as they come. I loved everything about her. Her fathers, her wonderful sense of style (the dresses, the wigs, the stockings and shoes… le sigh), her rocker boyfriend and yes, especially, the boy next door, Cricket. Love the name *high-five, Stephanie Perkins.* Cricket was everything a girl dreams of… at least, a girl like me (when I was younger of course). He was awkward, sweet, funny, and so lovable. I loved them individually and together.

While AatFK had more of a fairtytale feel to it, Lola’s had a more “real” vibe going. These characters may sound perfect, but if anything, they are perfectly flawed. They’re not perfect, they don’t have all the answers, and while I did have a goofy grin on my face for the most part, there were some moments that had me at the brink of tears.

Lola and the Boy Next Door was everything that I could have asked for in a book. I have not one single complaint (well, maybe that it ended – le sigh). Oh, and did I mention the many cameos that Anna and Etienne make… yep, they’re there too (squee!). I loved it! I think you will too.

My Rating:

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

Title:  The Lover's Dictionary
Author: David Levithan
Pages: 211
Genre: Fiction
Source: Purchased

basis, n.

There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself. If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.

How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time. [via GoodReads]

This is Mr. Levithan’s foray into adult fiction and if you’ve read any of his young adult novels (Nick & Norah, Dash & Lily and even the Will Grayson’s) then you will recognize his sense of humor, witty-and-savvyness right from the start. With one word (each entry being a different letter of the alphabet) – you get a glimpse into these two individuals’ relationship their genders are unspecific – which is a nice touch, since you can read it and imagine them to be just about anyone. And you read of the moments that define their relationship - the joys and the sorrows – all told in an honest voice.

I really can’t say what I loved more – the story itself or the uniqueness of the way the story is told… but both make The Lover’s Dictionary a quick and lyrical read that will stay with you long after you are done with it (which in my case was just a few hours).

Maybe it was its simplicity... maybe it was the clues - becuase who doesn't love piecing together a story... it could have also been the wonderful wordplay - using a word to give you a glimpse of the love story between two unnamed individuals.  I can't precisely pinpoint exactly what I found so captivating about the Lover's Dictionary bu there were so many factors that seduced me that I found this oh-too-short story to be quite a treat.

My Rating:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Pages: 313
Genre: Fiction
Source: Purchased

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tether...moreDiagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind. [via GoodReads]

I’m always a sucker for a cancer book. Don’t really know why since I’m very much a hypochondriac and since my reading of The Fault in Our Stars have already scheduled myself for a physical… just in case, you know, I have cancer. Don’t judge.

The Fault in Our Stars was amazing. I read it in a few short hours. I was that engrossed and fell that in love with its characters. Sixteen year old Hazel is living with cancer and upon her mother’s request begins attending a youth cancer support group. There she meets Augustus Waters – cancer survivor and the type of guy who grabs life by the reins and just runs with it.

Yes, this is a cancer book. But don’t see that as a downer. Both Hazel and Augustus are such uplifting characters. They give the story a light tone and not make it as suffocating as some cancer books can be. Their witty sense of humors, the way that they deal with sickness, their friendship and budding romance as well as their obsession with An Imperial Affliction and its author make a fascinating read.

Needless to say, it IS a cancer book, so there were tears shed on my end, but I would not trade those moments for laughter. I was enthralled by this story and was very impressed by the way Mr. Green tackled some heavy subjects in a tender yet masterful way.

Hands down The Fault in Our Stars is one of the best books I’ve read in a while… and that’s not a “cancer perk.”

My Rating:

2011 Reading List

[via WeHeartIt]

1- Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz (completed 1/02/11)
2- Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King (completed 1/05/11)
3- Beauty's Punishment by A.N. Roquelaure (completed 1/06/11)
4- Timeless by Alexandra Monir (completed 1/09/11)
5- Trickster's Girl by Hilari Bell (completed 1/10/11)
6- The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher (completed 1/11/11)
7- Switched by Amanda Hocking (completed 1/12/11)
8- The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard (completed 1/13/11)
9- The Poison Eaters & Other Short Stories by Holly Black (completed 1/17/11)
10- Stay by Deb Caletti (completed 1/19/11)
11- Rock Hard by Olivia Cunning (completed 1/21/11)
12- The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge (completed 1/23/11)
13- Rosebush by Michele Jaffe (completed 1/25/11)
14- These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf (completed 1/26/11)
15- Vesper by Jeff Samspon (completed 1/26/11)
16- Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? by Max Brallier (completed 1/27/11)
17- Divergent by Veronica Roth (completed 1/29/11)
18- Starstruck by Cyn Balog (completed 1/31/11)
19- Vixen by Jillian Larkin (completed 2/01/11)
20- Feed by Mira Grant (completed 2/03/11)
21- Shine by Lauren Myracle (completed 2/04/11)
22- Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole (completed 2/7/11)
23- It Happened One Season by Various Authors (completed 2/8/11)
24- On the Hunt by Various Authors (completed 2/10/11)
25- Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris (completed 2/10/11)
26- The Princess in His Bed by Lila DiPasqua (completed 2/12/11)
27- The Countess by Lynsay Sands (completed 2/14/11)
28- Shimmer by Alyson Noel (completed 2/15/11)
29- Numbers 2: The Chaos by Rachel Ward (completed 2/17/11)
30- Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach (completed 2/17/11)
31- I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson (completed 2/20/11)
32- Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting (completed 2/21/11)
33- The Girl Who Was on Fire by Various Authors (completed 2/23/11)
34- With This Ring, I Thee Bed by Various Authors (completed 2/23/11)
35- The Heiress by Lynsay Sands (completed 2/24/11)
36- The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (completed 2/25/11)
37- Enclave by Ann Aguirre (completed 2/27/11)
38- Girl, Stolen by April Henry (completed 2/28/11)
39- Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal (completed 3/01/11)
40- Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley (completed 3/02/11)
41- Die for Me by Amy Plum (completed 3/02/11)
42- Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley (completed 3/04/11)
43- So Shelly by Ty Roth (completed 3/06/11)
44- Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey (completed 3/07/11)
45- Tighter by Adele Griffin (completed 3/10/11)
46- Cloaked by Alex Flinn (completed 3/12/11)
47- A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick (completed 3/15/11)
48- Where She Went by Gayle Forman (completed 3/16/11)
49- Beauty's Release by A.N. Roquelaure (completed 3/18/11)
50- The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch (completed 3/20/11)
51- Hereafter by Tara Hudson (completed 3/21/11)
52- The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan (completed 3/22/11)
53- The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan (completed 3/24/11)
54- Trapped by Michael Winthrop (completed 3/25/11)
55- Torn by Amanda Hocking (completed 3/25/11)
56- Ascend by Amanda Hocking (completed 3/26/11)
57- The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen (completed 3/28/11)
58- Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks (completed 3/30/11)
59- Entwined by Heather Dixon (completed 3/31/11)
60- Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon (completed 4/02/11)
61- The Darkest Secret by Gena Showalter (completed 4/05/11)
62- Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams (completed 4/06/11)
63- The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen (completed 4/07/11)
64- Seduce Me in Dreams by Jacquelyn Frank (completed 4/10/11)
65- Possession by Elana Johnson (completed 4/13/11)
66- Semi-Sweet: A Novel of Love and Cupcakes by Roisin Meaney (completed 4/14/11)
67- A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (completed 4/15/11)
68- Drought by Pam Bachorz (completed 4/17/11)
69- Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account by Miklos Nyiszli (completed 4/18/11)
70- Beauty Queens by Libba Bray (completed 4/20/11)
71- Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz (completed 5/01/11)
72- Savage Nature by Christine Feehan (completed 5/18/11)
73- Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (completed 5/26/11)
74- Graveminder by Melissa Marr (completed 6/07/11)
75- The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan (completed 6/09/11)
76- Moonglass by Jessi Kirby (completed 6/18/11)
77- Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner (completed 6/22/11)
78- Love Story by Jennifer Echols (completed 6/27/11)
79- Summers Crossing - Julie Kagawa (completed 7/05/11)
80- The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross (completed 7/06/11)
81- Imaginary Girls by Nove Ren Suma (completed 7/11/11)
82- The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross (completed 7/11/11)
83- The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson (completed 7/12/11)
84- Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter (completed 7/13/11)
85- In the Arms of a Marquess by Katharine Ashe (completed 7/14/11)
86- The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa (completed 7/14/11)
87- Captured by a Rogue Lord by Katharine Ashe (completed 7/18/11)
88- Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn (completed 7/19/11)
89- A Lady's Wish by Katharine Ashe (completed 7/21/11)
90- Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe (completed 7/25/11)
91- Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Andersen (completed 7/28/11)
92- Seduce me in Flames by Jacquelyn Frank (completed 8/01/11)
93- Wicked in Your Arms by Sophie Jordan (completed 8/03/11)
94- Confessions of an Improper Bride by Jennifer Haymore (completed 8/05/11)
95- The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley (completed 8/09/11)
96- The Help by Kathryn Stockett (completed 9/05/11)
97- Dreamland by Alyson Noel (completed 9/27/11)
98- Fever: 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (completed 9/28/11)
99- The Darkest Surrender by Gena Showalter (completed 9/30/11)
100- Remedial Magic by Jenna Black (completed 10/03/11)
101- Glimmer Glass by Jenna Black (completed 10/03/11)
102- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (completed 10/17/11)
103- Dark Predator by Christine Feehan (completed 10/20/11)
104- Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh (completed 10/25/11)
105- Damned by Chuck Palahniuk (completed 10/26/11)
106 - The Pledge by Kimberly Derting (completed 11/04/11)
107- The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore (completed 11/06/11)
108- Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (completed 11/07/11)
109- Legacy by Molly Cochran (completed 11/07/11)
110- The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks (completed 11/13/11)
111- Adam by Jacquelyn Frank (completed 11/13/11)
112- Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry (completed 11/20/11)
113- The Future of Us by Jay Asher (completed 12/03/11)
114- Hourglass by Myra McEntire (completed 12/06/11)
115- Cordina's Royal Family: Gabriella & Alexander by Nora Roberts (completed 12/07/11)
116- A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man by Celeste Bradley & Susan Donovan (completed 12/08/11)
117- If You Dare by Kresley Cole (completed 12/12/11)
118- If You Desire by Kresley Cole (completed 12/12/11)
119 - If You Deceive by Kresley Cole (completed 12/13/11)
120- The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols (completed 12/15/11)
121- The Captain of All Pleasures by Kresley Cole (completed 12/19/11)
122- The Price of Pleasure by Kresley Cole (completed 12/20/11)
123- Heart of the Dragon by Gena Showalter (completed 12/22/11)
124- Jewel of Atlantis by Gena Showalter (completed 12/28/11)
125- Spirit Bound by Chritine Feehan (completed 12/30/11)

Books read this year: 125

# of pages read this year: 36,333

2010 reading list
2009 reading list
2008 reading list