Yes Please - Amy Poehler

 

 

I started this book on the 3 hour drive up north, to see our family for Christmas. I got most of the way finished by the time we got to our destination. I finished it this morning. I've read a few celebrity books and I'm usually disappointed. Not with this one.

 

This is not a "funny" book. There are definitely parts of this book that will make you laugh out loud! What I really like about this book is how brutally honest she is. She opens up about things in her life, not to be funny, but to be honest. She doesn't sugar coat anything. There's a lot in this book for everyone.

 

I read a few people that had issues with her jumping around with her chapters. She would start one story and then start telling another story, within that story. There are some books that I've been completely lost when they try the same technique. I understand that one memory will bring up others, that relate to what they are trying to say. I think that Amy does a great job going in and out of these other stories. There's some that I've read that will have several stories and then by the time you get back to the original story, you are completely lost.

 

I love Amy Poehler. I really love her character on Parks and Recreation, Leslie Knope. I felt like when I was reading this book, I kept seeing/hearing Leslie Knope. I think she brings a lot of herself to that character and it makes me appreciate her character more. I loved the insights and tidbits that she shared form SNL and Parks and Recreation. I learned things that I never knew. I really liked her writing style and how she would try to sarcastically make valid points. She didn't become too preachy. There are times when she can take a while to get to her point. She really adds a lot of detail to her stories. So sometimes you can get a little lost in the details.

 

Overall, I really enjoyed this and I would recommend it to others! She did a great job, even though, she really hated writing this book! haha. Like I said, she's brutally honest.  

 

W.W.W #11 + Waiting on Wednesday #5

 

This is a weekly meme hosted by http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you'll read next?


  What I'm currently reading: 

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 

In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book is full of words to live by.  

 

-I'm almost finished with this and I have really enjoyed it. I've heard so many good things about it from patrons at the library. They were right. It's not really a "funny" book. She talks about a lot of things that are real and personal. Yeah, she makes you LOL at times but that's not what this book is about. She gets brutally honest in this book.

 

 

What I'm currently reading & reading next:

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 

There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.
Mothers can disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel.

 

--Okay, there's a few things I need to come clean about. First, I've been reading this book for a few months now. I got more than half way and put it aside. For a GOOD reason though. We recently purchased a home and with that comes a lot of work. Packing, moving, unpacking and getting settled. I have also been working extra hours at work the past 4 months. SOO I have had no time to read a book! A reason, I'm also not doing a "recently finished" section. It's been a while. Secondly, I read the first book and could not get a hold of the second book in this series. I was on the waitlist for months and then just gave up. I read about it in a summary and plunged into this book. I don't really feel lost at all though. I really like this book and all the characters so far. My next mission, is to finish this book!!!

 

 

Waiting on Wednesday #5

 

 

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on.

 

 

Confess by Colleen Hoover

 

Expected Publication Date: March 10, 2015 by Atria Books

Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Goodreads Blurb:

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

 

 

-- I am so excited about this! I will read ANYTHING that Colleen Hoover writes. Her books are so powerful and she's one of my favorite authors. She's really one of the few "romance"authors that I'll read.



 

Release Launch: Until Midnight by Melissa Landers + Giveaway! @Melissa_Landers

UNTIL MIDNIGHT is here…and it’s FREE!

 

Happy Holidays, everyone! I’m Melissa Landers, author of the Alienated series, and I have a present for you—a brand new e-short from Disney Hyperion!

 

UNTIL MIDNIGHT takes place onboard an intergalactic transport, soon after ALIENATED ends and before the sequel INVADED begins. The story details Aelyx and Cara’s last day together before he returns to Earth to mend the alliance and she continues to his home planet. It’s sweet and romantic, and as a bonus, it includes a four-chapter preview of the sequel, which releases February 3^rd.

Oh, and did I mention the best part? IT’S FREE!

You can download UNTIL MIDNIGHT from the following e-tailers:

Kindle: http://amzn.to/1walSLX

Nook: http://bit.ly/1zshdpx

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1sT4CnM

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1AIb45a

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1v06kVd

*If you live outside the USA, no worries. I’ve uploaded the story to Scribd for you. (The only downside is it doesn’t include the bonus preview chapters, due to technical reasons from the publisher.) Link: http://www.scribd.com/AuthorMelissaLanders

 

To celebrate this new release, I’m offering TWO lucky winners an autographed swag pack complete with a personalized bookplate, mini-poster, bookmarks, and stickers—open internationally! Just fill out the rafflecopter form below.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Best of luck, and happy reading!

 

BIO: Melissa Landers writes romantic science fiction for teens and the young at heart. To learn more, or just to say hello, visit her at www.melissa-landers.com

 

 

Queen of Tomorrow Cover Reveal by Sherry D. Ficklin @SherryFicklin @cleanteenpublishing

THE OFFICIAL COVER REVEAL FOR:

QUEEN OF TOMORROW by Sherry D. Ficklin

 

QUEEN OF TOMORROW by Sherry D. Ficklin

A Stolen Empire Novel, Book 2

The Queen Arrives on July 14, 2015

Sophie—now Catherine, Grand Duchess of Russia—had a tough first year at Imperial Court. Married at sixteen to Grand Duke Peter, heir to the throne, and settled in their own palace, things start to look up. As a new day dawns, Catherine thinks only of securing her future, and the future of their country, during one of the greatest political upheavals of her time. Fighting desperately against forces that try to depose the Empress Elizabeth and put the young Prince Ivan on her throne, Catherine soon finds herself in the middle of a war brewing between her beloved Prussia and her new empire. While navigating the fragile political landscape, she quickly realizes that she has only begun to discover the tangled web of deceit and infidelity woven over the lavish court of Oranienbaum Palace.

When a strange and delicate alliance forms between the young couple, Catherine glimpses a future of happiness, only to see it vanish at the hands of those who still seek to end her life—and prevent her reign. Out of favor with the empress and running out of options, Catherine must sacrifice her own innocence on the altar of Russia if she is to save the nation and herself. To survive, she will have to do the unthinkable, betray those closest to her and become something greater and more dangerous than she ever imagined she could be… a queen.

ADD QUEEN OF TOMORROW TO YOUR TBR LIST!

READ THE FIRST BOOK TODAY:

Before she can become the greatest empress in history, fifteen-year-old Sophia will have to survive her social-climbing mother’s quest to put her on the throne of Russia—at any cost.

Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophie has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family—and herself—Sophie vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans.

Alone in a new and dangerous world, learning who to trust and who to charm may mean the difference between becoming queen and being sent home in shame to marry her lecherous uncle. With traitors and murderers lurking around every corner, her very life hangs in the balance. Betrothed to one man but falling in love with another, Sophie will need to decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to become the empress she is destined to be.

In a battle for the soul of a nation, will love or destiny reign supreme?

 

PURCHASE QUEEN OF SOMEDAY TODAY!

WATCH THE OFFICIAL BOOK TRAILER:

ABOUT SHERRY D. FICKLIN

Sherry D. Ficklin is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her husband, four kids, two dogs, and a fluctuating number of chickens and house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel and meet new people. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she’s on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.

 

She is the author of The Gods of Fate Trilogy now available from Dragonfly Publishing. Her previously self-published novel After Burn: Military Brats has been acquired by Harlequin and will be released in 2015 with a second book in that series to follow. Her newest YA steampunk novel, EXTRACTED: The Lost Imperials book 1, co-written with Tyler H. Jolley is now available everywhere books are sold and her newest YA novel, Losing Logan, is due for release in 2014 from Clean Teen Publishing.

Want to READ MORE from Clean Teen Publishing? Check out our huge selection of amazing reads! There's sure to be something for every reader!

BE THE FIRST TO KNOW about our GIVEAWAYS, NEW RELEASES, COVER REVEALS and MORE! JOIN OUR VIP MAILING LIST! WWW.CLEANTEENPUBLISHING.COM

 

 

Monday Musings #5

Musing Mondays hosted by MizB asks you to muse about one of the following each week…

• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!


Today, I want to talk about what the next teen series made to movie should be. I know, most of them tank. It's so hard to get good movies from books. Although, they did do a great job with the following: Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Twilight. Mostly, Twilight because of the fan base. The actual movies were just okay. On the other hand, there are so many more that were not good at all. It would take me all day to list those! We were talking about this at work and thought that a good one would be, The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Myer. 

            

I LOVE this series. It's so entertaining and I absolutely adore the fairy tale spin. I'm a huge Disney fan. Actually, I love most kid animated films. I really love the fairy tales and I think it's the new trend over the next couple years. There's many new live-action fairy tale movies coming out soon. I can't wait to see! There's already been a couple in the last year, ex: Maleficent, which was great! So, I think this would be perfect timing to cover a whole new spin on the fairy tales. 

What do you think would be the a great series for them to make into movies?!

Waiting on Wednesday #4

Waiting On Wednesday! #4

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on.

The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead

Expected Publication Date: February 10, 2015

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Goodreads Blurb:

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

After their secret romance is exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead’s New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.

- So excited for the ending!!! I really love this series. I just like Sydney and Adrian's relationship. I really enjoyed the Vampire Academy series when I was in college. I like this series much better. 

Coral & Bone by Tiffany Daune book blitz

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/6904400.Tiffany_Daune

Amazon (Free copy: Nov 18-22) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LG0SUE6

Coral & Bone Blurb

Halen knows the sparks igniting under her fingertips are dangerous. She has spent her entire life trying to quell the tingly feelings that make her destroy things, but now that she is back in Rockaway Beach, where she watched her father drown, the flames have become impossible to tame.

Halen is trying to hold on, but when she is thrust into a mysterious new world, the underwater realm of Elosia, she unravels the secrets of her past and can't help but ignite. As she explores Elosia, she realizes her life has been a lie. And when those who have deceived her come to her for help, Halen must choose—walk away or unleash the magick that could destroy them all.

Excerpt #1

"Yes, I'm scared! What's wrong with being scared? You make me sound strong. Well, I'm not. You've seen how well I handle magick." Sparks ignited at the tips of her fingers as she almost shouted at him, not giving him a chance to respond. Her voice rang loudly, echoing throughout the cavern. "I'm angry. I'm hurt. I've taken an overdose of confused, and you want me to defeat some demon?" She pumped her fist, trying to shake the static energy now flowing under her skin. "Right now I'm my own worst enemy." She couldn't hold back any longer. With a flick of her finger, she summoned the river to rise up into a towering wave. She clenched her fist, and the water crashed on the rocks, spraying them with a cold mist. "I'm not what you think I am."

Excerpt #2

"See who you are," the mermaid whispered.

Halen's eyes clouded over and when the smoke cleared she found herself standing in an open field. She was dressed in a cotton dress which fell around her ankles. Soft grass tickled her toes. She took a step forward and a flower sprung from the ground beside her. She leaned down to pick the red poppy. As she took another step a flower sprang up from between the blades of grass. Halen smiled. She walked a little farther and with each step a new poppy sprouted and bloomed. She ran faster and the field blossomed under her feet, and when she waved her hand, the entire valley filled with red poppies. She inhaled their sweet scent and when she exhaled, the birds glided in the breeze of her breath through an endless blue sky.

Halen laughed when the wind caught her skirt and swept the fabric up over her head, but when she pushed it down, dark clouds rolled overhead. She took one step forward and the grass beneath her feet sizzled to a crisp. Taking another step, the poppies burst into flames. The fire licked the hem of her skirt and she gathered it up over her knees. Scanning the field, she spotted a boulder; if she could make it there, remove her feet from the ground, she could save the rest of the field.

She ran in long strides, and with each step, she scorched the ground with her fiery feet. Suddenly, she tripped. Her hands touched down and the ground combusted with a brilliant light. The fire raced through the field, spreading to the trees. The flames reached up, lassoing the birds from the sky, dragging them to the ground. Halen crawled to the rock and hoisted herself up. She stared out to the barren land. "No, no. What have I done?" She clawed the air and the clouds rumbled with thunder. The fire burned hotter and hotter under her flesh. The only way to extinguish the flames was to release them. Tilting her head back, she opened her mouth wide and screamed. What birds had not been burned turned now to black beasts swirling in the torrid sky.

Author Bio

I write stories about magick, love and dark creatures lurking in the shadows. When I'm not lost in Edit Land you can find me reading a book from my towering TBR pile or at the movie theater nibbling licorice. I don't have a lucky number, but my favorite time is 11:11. I completely believe that the fortunes found inside cookies will come true and that you must be careful when wishing on stars. I live on an island, so if you want to visit you'll need a boat, and if you want to survive the passage, be sure to bring candy for the mermaids.  

Website: http:// www.tiffanydaune.com
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Not That Kind of Girl - Lena Dunham

 

 

 

This book was definitely interesting. I requested it at work and had it sitting on my table for weeks. It was due in 3 days and had a lot of holds. Did I want to read this or just return it to avoid the fines? I had heard a little bit of the controversy about her sister before I started reading it. I know how people can misconstrue and take things out of context, so it made me curious.

 

So.. I read this book in one day, had to block a goodreads user, and was surprised at the "controversy."

 

I LOVE the show Girls. It's weird, sometimes goes too far, but really addicting. After reading this book, I really want to binge watch the show from the beginning. I feel like SO much of the show makes sense now.

Lena is really about her self. She is so self-involved and so blunt. She constantly makes up lies, puts herself in the worst situations, and sometimes just doesn't care about things. Although, it really shines a light on the things I really found odd about the show. She really has been through some weird things but that's because she's had a weird life. She's got some major OCD, which is hard to live with. It really shines through this book and makes you understand some things about her.

 

Now, the controversy.. Yes, some of the things are strange BUT I don't think I would call it sexual abuse. All kids are really confused and curious about their reproductive parts. They want to look at each other and figure out what's going on. How many times have you seen this thing on tv? Yet, you don't here people freaking out about that! There's a part in the book where she is talking about having to pursue her sister for a kiss. When you read the couple paragraphs that go with it, it's really taken out of context. She is talking about how her sister is really closed off and not affectionate. She wriggles away from hugs and doesn't really need any contact. She is trying to get her sister to show her affection. Give her a hug or a kiss. Yeah, she explains it with the wrong words. When I heard about the controversy before I read it, they were saying she was talking about all kinds of incest that she forced on her sister. Not the case.

 

The loss of a goodreads member: She made a review without reading the book. She was just outraged about the controversy and didn't even take the time to read it. I commented on the review and told her to not judge it without reading it. Those sentences were taken out of context. What does she do? Throw a fit at me and tell me to write my own review while reading the book and not spam. Um, since when is a public review comment spam? I'm pretty sure it's for people to share their opinions. Also, how can I review a book when I'm still reading it?!?! Some people just don't think and that makes me mad. It's so unjust to authors these days. They don't take the time to form their own opinions. Just follow the pack. The sad part is that this person is supposed to be an author. YIKES! If you have a problem with an author, don't write a comment in the reviews when you haven't taken the time to read the book.  

 

 

Anyways, the book wasn't great but it wasn't bad. It had it's interesting parts and it's weird/boring parts. I feel like I understand her a lot better than before. I think she has a lot of issues that she's had to deal with but this book kind of felt redundant. I felt like I was reading bits of  her show, more than essays about her life. I kind of felt like there was some things that were drawn out and just a bit boring to read. After reading the whole thing, I feel like she was trying to hard. It felt a little forced and not really authentic. I just didn't like this as much as I thought I would.  She has a lot to say and sometimes it's entertaining.  

Waiting on Wednesday #3

Waiting On Wednesday! #3

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on.

Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier, translated by Anthea Bell

Expected Publication Date: April 14th 2015 by Henry Holt and Co.

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance

Goodreads Blurb:

Mysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yep, Liv’s dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially this one where she’s in a graveyard at night, watching four boys perform dark magic rituals. The really weird thing is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream. They’re classmates from her new school in London, the school where’s she’s starting over because her mom has moved them to a new country (again). But they seem to know things about her in real life that they couldn’t possibly know, which is mystifying. Then again, Liv could never resist a good mystery. . . .
Coming January, 2015.

- I read the Ruby Trilogy and really enjoyed it. So I'm looking forward to this. I hope it's as good as the last one. Regardless, it has a beautiful cover! 

NEW HOME!!

Hey everyone~

 Just wanted to do an update. I have taken a break from posting for about two weeks now. We just bought our first home and moved in over the weekend! With packing, moving, working extra hours and unpacking, I've had no time to read.. or anything else. I should be able to read with a vengeance in about a week or two. I've got my stack of ARC's just begging to be read!


Happy Reading!!! :)

W.W.W #10 + Waiting on Wednesday #2

This is a weekly meme hosted by http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you'll read next?


  What I'm currently reading: 

Blurb from Goodreads:

The spellbinding eleventh and penultimate installment in the #1 New York Times bestselling vampyre series

Drastically altered after her fall at the end of Hidden, Neferet is now more dangerous than ever—and her quest for vengeance will wreak havoc on humans, as well as Zoey and her friends. Chaos is loosed in Tulsa and the House of Night is blamed. Can Zoey stop Neferet in time to keep her anger from escalating to full-on war? Or will someone else have to step in to take the fall?

The House of Night series is an international phenomenon, reaching #1 on U.S., German, and UK bestseller lists, and remaining a fixture on The New York Times Children’s Series bestseller list for nearly 150 weeks and counting. With more than 12 million copies in print, rights sold in thirty–eight countries to date, and relatable, addictive characters, this series is unstoppable. Now, in the eleventh and penultimate installment of the series, the action is more intense and the stakes even higher as Zoey and her friends battle to protect their school and home from devastating evil—all while balancing romances, precarious friendships and the daily drama of the House of Night's halls.

-I'm finally getting back into this! I was waiting for the last book to be released before I read anymore. I have the last book and now I'm no my way! It's been a long time. 12 books takes many years of waiting.. So far, so good!

What I recently Finsihed: 

Blurb from Goodreads:

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

---This was not what I expected. It was still a decent story but I felt misled. Here's my review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

What I'll Read Next:

Blurb from Goodreads:

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. 

Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. 

Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after...

---I have the 3rd book to review. I love when this happens because then it forced me to read a series that I've been wanting to read. I hope this one is better than the first! :)

Waiting On Wednesday! #2

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on.

Never Never by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher

Expected Publication Date: January 31st 2015 by Hoover Ink 

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Goodreads Blurb:

Best friends since they could walk. In love by the age of fourteen. Dating for over four years. 
She’ll do everything she can to never forget. 
He’ll do everything he can to never remember. 
Too bad it’s not up to them. 

Coming January, 2015.

--I'll read ANYTHING by Colleen Hoover. She is one of my favorite authors! I can't wait for this!!