Currently Reading

Hello everyone it's Nicole Henderson here, and I'm back at it again currently reading another new book. I've had this book on my shelf for awhile now so, I thought it was time that I gave this book a read. I am more than halfway done at the moment and I could easily finish this book tonight, but since I am exhausted from a long day out, I think I'm going to finish it tomorrow. I might have a book review up, but so far I don't have a lot of opinions about this book so I'm not sure if it's going to happen; we'll see.

Anyways, the overall synopsis is about a girl named Rosie who has always been impulsive, angry and restless. It comes into full force when she accidentally blows up her ex-boyfriends car and he files a temporary restraining order against her. So to keep her out of trouble, her parent make go on this nine day trip to Arizona from New Jersey(where they live), with her neighbour/friend Matty and two of his friends Logan and Spencer. Now of course since she was 'forced' to go on this trip, all she wants to do is talk to her ex and win him back; but that urge slowly goes away with each mile along the way. And because of this she may spark a romance with someone new, and maybe get over her ex.

So, since I'm am almost done this book, I would like to add that this book is a pretty good book, but it's not one of the best road-trip books I've ever read. However, I still recommend it. I always love books that involve travelling and road-trips because I think it add a lot of fun to a book and it makes it entertaining. And this book is definitely entertaining so far.

Well, that is it for what I am currently reading right now and I hope you guys enjoyed reading my post and seeing what I had to write. I may or may not write a book review for this one just because (like I said before), I don't have a ton of opinions on this novel, however I do have some thoughts on it so I'll see for sure. But until my next post, goodbye for now.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Genre: Contemporary, romance, young-adult

Published: May 3rd 2016 

Pages: 519

Publisher: Simon and Schuster for Young Readers 

Synopsis 

Now since I'm writing this review with an ARC, I won't be writing the synopsis from the book jacket. Instead I will be writing out my own synopsis. 

The book is set in the town of Stanwich, Connecticut (which is where her books are mainly set in) and it focuses on a girl named Andie Walker, whose father is a big Congressmen in the U.S. So, because of this, her relationship with her farther has deteriorated; and it's now all awkward between them because he's always working. This results in Andie being left to her own devices. With Andie coming from a political family, she has always planned everything about her life. But with this summer, when things do not go according to plan, Andie has to learn how to live in the present and not worry about what the future holds. On top of this, she meets adorable and nerdy Clark (they have a romance), and she has her solid group of friends to help her out through her journey. Oh, and she takes on the job of being a dog walker for the summer!

Thoughts 

 There are so many things that I have to say about this book, and they are all positive. But before I get into my initial thoughts about the book, I just want to say that Morgan Matson is literally one of my favourite authors of all time, and in the contemporary genre. She write amazing books about summer romances and family, friendship and self-discovery. So if you have not yet read anything by her, I strongly suggest you do. 

I loved every single thing about this book, even going as far as saying that this is one of my favourite books so far this year. It was so amazing I could not put it down. Well actually, it was slow getting into the book, but once everything was set into motion, the pages flew by and I really could not put it down for a good few hours. I pretty much spent all of yesterday reading this book, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I adored the romance between Andie and Clark, the solid friendship between Andie, Palmer, Toby, and Bri, and even the family relationship/dynamic between Andie and her dad. All of this was so enjoyable to read and it was very relatable to read about. 

The first thing I want to talk about is Andie herself. She is the main protagonist in this novel (obviously) and it was interesting to read about her thoughts and feelings on everything that happened in the book. At first when your read her perspective you kind of don't understand her actions and why she did them; but once it is further explained, you can understand more of why she did a certain thing and it is clear that she did it for the right reason. I really liked Andie as a character a lot, and she didn't irritate me too much, as I felt like I could relate to her on a certain level (like I can with most of  the author's main characters). There was a strong character development with Andie and it was awesome to see her grow into a completely different person from the beginning of the book to the end. 

Another character that I want to mainly talk about more is Clark. He was the most adorable and loving character that I have ever read in a book. Clark was so nerdy and awkward, and he was super sweet towards Andie and her friends. To be honest, I think Clark is one of my favourite male love interests because of everything I just mentioned. He was just normal guy with an interesting back story (read the book and you'll know). But what was nice about Clark is that he must have felt included in Andie's group of friends as he never had a group of his own, so I felt that it was nice that he was included and everyone accepted him in the group. He was normal, and just overall a nice guy. I really loved him as the male love interest. 

Now briefly mentioning the romance, I loved their romance so much and how it developed a little slowly towards the beginning of the book. I just loved how it was just a normal type romance with all the awkward beginning stages of a relationship, then as the book continues they get more comfortable with each other. I think that is wonderful to read about because that's (I assume) how most romantic relationships start, and so in that sense it was very realistic. It was not 'insta-lovey' like in the some books. I also loved how this book was not so focused on the romance, but it also deals with other situations like Andie's group of friends and her farther; and those played a big role in the book as well. 

Speaking and Andie and her dad, I feel awful for saying this, but I kind of expected their relationship to be less prominent and less developed as it actually was in the book. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that it played a huge role in this book, and it was significant to Andie's character development and her growth throughout the novel. I loved how the dad got more involved in Andie's life and they both made the effort to spend time together after so long of not doing so. Their family dynamic was so amazing to read about, and throughout the novel it is shown that the dad really cares for his daughter despite his career. And it appears that he is a really good guy despite what people have said about him in the scandal. So this proves to not judge a book by its cover. 

The final thing I want to talk about is the friendship between the 4 girls Andie, Palmer, Toby, and Bri. I loved their friendship so much, that it actually reminds me of my 4 best friends. We all have different personalities but we balance each other out, and it's the same thing with the four friends in the book. Of course in most friendships, there is going to be some sort of falling out between all or some of the friends; but that's life, it happens (and it happens in the book as well). It was interesting to see how 2 girls were closer to each other than the other 2 girls, and I believe that's how it is with most friendships. For example Toby and Bri were closer to one another than they were with Andie and Palmer and vice versa. In some books the friendships is usually equal, so it was interesting to see a different approach on it in this book. 

And of course I knew that there was going to be drama between Toby and Bri, because they are really close to one another; almost like twins. I knew it was going to happen when I realized that Wyatt was rejecting Toby, and it showed that he was more interested in Bri; and of course that put a rift in their friendship. It kind of sucks how things don't really stay the same between them in the end. Hopefully there's a novel that focuses more on Toby and her relationships, and to see if "Tobri" will ever reconcile their friendship. 

This is the last time I will be saying this, but I would like to thank (once again) Simon and Schuster Canada for giving me an ARC copy for this book, in order for me give an honest review. I greatly appreciate it. Anyways, that is all I have to say on my thoughts about this book, I hope you guys enjoyed reading it (the post). So, (obviously based off my thoughts previously mentioned) I would HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend this book for you guys to read. If you want an amazing contemporary  with romance, family, friendships and heartbreak then this is the book for you. So until my next post, good bye for now. 

Rating 

5/5 

The Ultimate Book Tag (2)

Hello everyone it's Nicole Henderson here and I know I just blogged minutes ago, but I was very much in the mood to blog again. So, I thought I would do the the Ultimate Book Tag. I believe this tag was created by TheChapterChicks on Youtube; so I give full credit to them for making this tag.  It's been awhile since I have done one, so without further ado let's get into the tag.

Questions:

1. Do you get sick while reading in the car? 

Yes! I get very sick while reading in a car, on the bus or anything that's moving. I tend to get rather queasy when reading anything. I actually have tired reading on the bus one time and I couldn't even read one page; I had to put the book down right away. 

2. Which author's writing style is completely unique to you and why? 

I can't name a author off the top of my head right now. But I have read some books that had a unique writing style. 

3. Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga? Give 3 points to defend your answer. 

I know you guys are going to hate me for this, but I have never actually read the Harry Potter Series. So because of that, I am going to have to say the Twilight Saga. I have the read the first 2 books in the saga. It didn't like it very much, now looking back on it. I have seen the movies and they were okay. 

4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what's in it (beside books)

I do have a book bag and it's this white purse that I have, and it fits my books that I'm reading. Besides that, I have my glasses, my phone, headphones, and a notebook with a pen. 

5. Do you smell your books? 

No, I don't really smell my books. 

6. Books with or without little illustrations? 

Personally, I like both. I think that books with little illustrations brings something different and makes it unique. 

7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn't quality writing? 

I have this issue with many books I've read. But if I had to choose one I would say it were most books in the House of Night series. I know that's not one book in particular but I have felt this way with some of its books. I loved reading them, but then I realize later that the writing was not the greatest.

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? 

 I don't have any stories that I can think of at the moment. 

9. What is the thinnest book on your shelf? 

Some of the classic books I have on my shelf are pretty thin. Like Klee Wyck by Emily Carr, and Endgame by Samuel Beckett. 

10. What is the thickest book on your shelf? 

I believe it is Game by Barry Lyga or The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson. 

11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author? 

Yes, I do write and right now I am currently in the process of writing a book of my own. And I do see myself as being a best selling author in the future. 

12. When did you get into reading? 

I started reading when I was in grade six, but I was never fully into it like I am now. When I really started reading excessively was in 2012. I was going through a very difficult time in my life and books were the only way that I could escape all my problems. Now I read a lot and I love it. 

13. What is your favourite classical book? 

I haven't read any classic books that I would call a favourite. 

14. In school was your best subject English/Language Arts? 

I am currently in university and I'm actually planning on majoring in English, so yes I would say that I enjoy English. 

15. If you were given a book as a present that you have read before and hated...what would you do? 

I wouldn't say anything about hating the book, or say that I read the book already. I would politely say thank you for the gift, and than return the book for a new one that I would like. I know that sounds harsh, but it's the truth. 

16. What is a lesser known series that you know that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games? 

I know that a lot of people are going to say this, but Divergent. By now it is very well known with their movie franchise, and the books are widely popular. But at some point they were not well known,  so yes I am going to say the Divergent series. 

17. What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while filming? 

I don't actually film any videos. But if were talking about bad habits in general, then I would say that I bite my nails quite a lot. LOL :P 

18. What is your favourite word? 

I actually don't have a favourite word. 

19. Are you a nerd, dork, dweeb, or all the above? 

I'm mostly a nerd, but I guess I'm all the above. 

20. Vampires or Fairies?

100% Vampires. 

21. Shapeshifters or Angels? 

I can't decide which one is better. They both sound awesome. 

22. Spirits or Werewolves? 

Spirits. I love the paranormal, and reading supernatural horror books. 

23.  Zombies or Vampires?   

Do I need to answer this one? 

24. Love Triangle or Forbidden Love? 

I would say both. I enjoy both elements within a story. 

25. Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes in it? 

Doesn't matter to me I'm not very picky when it comes to books like that. But if I had to pick, I would say say a book that's action-packed with only a few love scenes. 

Anyways, that's it for The Ultimate Book Tag. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it and getting to know a bit more about me and my love for reading. So, until my next post, goodbye for now. 

May 2016 Book Wrap Up

Hello everyone it's Nicole Henderson here, and in this post I will be showing you guys the books I read this month. I only read 3 books which isn't too bad, but I wish I read a little more. Anyways, my initial thoughts on all of these books are pretty much the same. I really enjoyed all the books I read, some more than others but they were all very entertaining to read. These are the books that I read in order, from the beginning of the month to the end. 

The first book I finished this month is Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill. I technically started reading this in April but I finished it in May so that is why I'm adding it to this month's wrap up. I really enjoyed this book as it was a very entertaining and light-hearted read. There were so many elements of this book that I really loved like the romance, and the coming-of-age between the main characters. It was an amazing book which I strongly recommend.  For my full thoughts and details on this book, check out the review I posted below.  

The next book I read is A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro. I just read this recently, like maybe a week ago and it was an exciting read. This was a re-telling on the classic Sherlock Holmes, and I loved every bit of it. From the mystery, to the refreshing romance and even the characters. This book had the different elements from the classic books and it was mixed in with some modern twists to make a story of its own. And it was amazing, on so many levels!  This is the first book to the Charlotte Holmes trilogy, and I am very looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. For my full thoughts and more details on this book, I just posted a review in my last blog post. So go check it out. 

And the last book I read this month is The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson. As I am writing this, I am still currently finishing it; but I know I will finish it sometime tomorrow. Nonetheless, I can officially say that this is one of my favourite books of this year. This was an amazing book which I could not put down. It had everything that I looked for in a contemporary; like heartbreaking moments, romance, friendship and family, and self-discovery. This was a fantastic book, and I was so glad to receive an ARC for this book in courtesy of Simon and Schuster Canada. So, thank you so much to them for letting me have this copy, to write an honest review. I am still finishing it at the moment, but once I'm done I will definitely be posting a full review on all my thoughts and feeling on this book very soon. 

So, that is it for this months book wrap up. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this. Like I said before, I loved all these books so much, and they all had their own unique stories that were all amazing. And each book has/will have their own reviews posted here on this blog. So, until my next post, good bye for now. 

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Genre: mystery, young adult, contemporary, retellings, fiction

Published: March 1st 2016

Pages: 312

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Synopsis(book jacket)

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that's not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detectives great-great-great granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock's genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar. 

From the moment they meet, there's a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear they names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe--and the only people they can trust are each other. 

Equal parts tender, thrilling, and hilarious, A Study in Charlotte is the first in a trilogy brimming with wit and edge-of-the-seat-suspense. 

Thoughts 

Since there are always modern re-tellings on fairy tales and other classic books, I always found myself wondering if there were ever going to be any re-tellings on Sherlock Holmes. Now personally, I was never a huge follower on the original series or T.V show (apparently there was a television series long ago) because it was not in my generation but more so my parents (they have more knowledge on this topic than I do). Despite that, I would like to get to know this classic tale. So, I thought I would give a story like this a chance.

Overall, I thought this book did an amazing job at re-telling a classic story. This is because the author was able to corporate all the original elements that made the classic what it is and turn it into a modern story of its own. There were some of the same aspects from the classic, and it was mixed in with some modern twists, and the right amount of all this was added and that's what made it so amazing. I loved everything about this book from the mysteries, to the characters, to the setting, and even the little bit of romance featured. 

There were many unexpected plot twists that I didn't see coming. The different twists just came out of nowhere, but they all correlated to what was going on, instead of random parts that makes no sense like some plot twists that I read. In this story, they were all unpredictable and unique. 

Now moving on to the characters, I loved them all equally (as I normally do with most books I read), and both Charlotte and Jamie had their own issues to overcome (specifically with Charlotte, read the book and you'll know). The one thing about the narrating was that, I wished there were dual perspectives between Jamie and Charlotte because I wanted to know more about Charlotte on what she thought about, and the certain feelings she had. I liked Jamie's narration, but he just seemed kind of naive sometimes, nonetheless I still loved him as a main character. The thing with Charlotte was that she was a very cynical character. Throughout the novel, I didn't really like her too much, but all the qualities she had are what made her interesting and it kept me reading. She is basically one of those characters that we all love to hate, like on T.V and movies. This was my only issue with the book, which is why I did not give it a full 5 stars. 

The last thing I do have plenty to say on is the romance. THIS WAS THE BEST PART OUT OF THE BOOK! I say this because, with most contemporaries the romance is right in your face, it's obvious to everyone who's reading it. But what was interesting about this, was that there were hints of it going around, but there was never any obvious sexual/romance chemistry. And this was definitely a breath of fresh air to read because this is not seen in most contemporaries, and I just felt like that is what stood out to me the most while reading this book. I personally think they make a cute couple. :) 

Well those are pretty much my thoughts on this book. I do hope you enjoy this review and I understand that you may have a different take on this book, but please don't hate me for having my own opinion. I genuinely recommend this novel if you are looking for any good modern re-tellings, with a hint a romance, and a suspenseful mystery. 

Rating 

4.5/5 

Currently Reading

Hello everyone it's Nicole Henderson here, and since my last blog post I have started reading 2 books. 

This first book I am currently reading at the moment is "A Study in Charlotte" by Brittany Cavallaro. I am halfway done this book, and so far I am quite enjoying it. This is the first book in a trilogy. I have come to the conclusion that I will definitely be reading the rest of this book as well as the whole trilogy. I really like the characters more so than others, but they intrigued me to read on. 

The summary of "A Study in Charlotte" is that, it revolves around Jamie Watson who goes to a private school in Connecticut, meets Charlotte Holmes and when one student gets murdered both of them are framed and they have to clear their names. And on top of that both of them are the descendants of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson (who are real people in this story), and Sir Arthur Conan Dolye is the literary agent that wrote all their adventures. 

This is a really interesting modern twist on Sherlock Holmes and I look forward to finishing the rest of this book. And there might be a book review being posted soon about this, who knows? 

The second book that I am currently reading at the moment is "The Unexpected Everything" by Morgan Matson. The copy that I am reading is actually an advance reader's copy that I received in order to give an honest review. So, I just want to say thank you to Simon and Schuster for giving me a free copy. Now we all know that Morgan Matson is one of my favourite authors, so every book of hers is amazing and this one is no exception! I love all of the characters introduced so far, and there all very realistic which is what I look for in any contemporary. 

The overall summary is that, a girl named Andie is the daughter of a congressmen so her life is very publicized. But when a scandal involving her farther arises and her summer plans do not turn out the way she wants them too, she ends up getting a summer job of being a dog walker. And everything turns around 'unexpectedly' for the better. A romance is introduced (as with all contemporaries), and she ends up finding out more about herself than ever before. 

I am really enjoying this book so far, and I can't wait to finish it. Now since it is a long book, I'm not sure when I am actually going to be done (I take my time with long books like this) but I will definitely post my review soon. 

So those are the books I am currently reading right now. I may or may not be posting book reviews on these soon. But until then, bye for now! 

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Genre: young adult, contemporary, romance, sports

Published: January 7th 2014

Pages: 352

Publisher: Delacorte

Synopsis (from book jacket)

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure skater who choked during junior nationals and isn't sure she's ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she'd give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life. 

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice-hockey player who's been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she's playing the worst she's ever played. If she messes up? Her whole life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she's the lucky one. But it didn't occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and and axels she might meet a hockey hottie--and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar(and very good looking) face from home. It's not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people your someone else might be more difficult than being yourself. 

Thoughts

Before I start on my actual thoughts on this book. I just wanted to address that I've been gone a while even though I said I was going to start blogging again. I know I have. It's just that school and other personal issues have gotten in the way of my blogging and since I am now off for four months from school, I have decided to blog my reviews, wrap ups etc.. as much as I can during these next months before I start again in September. Once September starts, I know for a fact that I will not be blogging as much. However, I will still making an effort to blog as often as I can during the school year. I would also like to address that I will not be doing a book review on every single book I read because most of the times, I don't really have a lot of opinions on these books. But I will be posting ones for sure if I am passionate about the book whether I love it or hate it, or if I have a lot to say about a particular book. So anyways, that is all on my rant about blogging in general. Now onto my actual review.

Being Sloane Jacobs was an overall entertaining, and light-hearted read which I absolutely enjoyed!  The plot was inspired from the movie The Parent Trap with Lindsey Lohan, and I love that movie so much; so I knew I was going to enjoy this novel the moment I picked it up. Both characters switch places for the summer to avoid their own family troubles and their both not sure whether or not they want to continue their own individual sports (figure skating and hockey). I personally loved how realistic the character's voices were and how the romance developed slowly with each of the Sloanes love interests. However, with the romances I found them to be slightly 'insta-lovey.' This book gave me so much feels from start to finish, and I enjoyed it way more than the author's first book Meant to Be (which I previously reviewed on my blog).

Both Sloane Jacob's had their own individual personalities that made me love them both equally. Throughout reading this book, I never had any problems with them as both of their different issues were truthful and they each dealt with them in a realistic manner. Sloane Emily had to deal with an issue that I could relate to personally as I had to go through this myself recently. (If you read the book already, you would know). Sloane Devon's character touches on a certain subject that affects many people in today's day as well.

Now touching onto the romance in this book, I loved each of the male characters Matt and Nando. But my main issue with their romances was that it felt to 'insta-lovey' (as previously mentioned).  This is solely because both Sloanes fell for them way to fast even though they barely knew anything about their own personal lives like family, other personal relationships etc... Even though this occurred, I still appreciated how the romances slowly developed.

 I know that running away from your problems is not ideal, but it definitely worked out in their favour because they met new friends, and had romances of their own (of course). But they also got to discover themselves in the process, which is probably my favourite part out of this whole book.  I very much enjoy coming of age stories, and seeing characters develop as their stories progress as they become better and stronger people.

Anyways with that being said, I enjoyed this book so much. It was a very fast-paced and easy book to read. I hope to read more of Lauren Morrill's work, and see what her other books have to offer. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a light-hearted, cute romance, with some elements of coming or age.

Rating 

5/5