Gallagher Girl books 1-4 by Ally Carter

By Amy Carter

1. I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You 
2. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
3. Don't Judge a Girly by Her Cover
4. Only the good Spy Young

MiniReview

I am doing a mini review of books 1-4 of the Gallagher Girls series, because they are the ones I have read so far in this series and I read them last Summer. They were amazing, and I feel like I needed to review them first before I eventually finish the series! This is also a mini review, because I don't want to give ANYTHING away!

Five words - MYSTERY, UNDERCOVER, SPY, ACTION, ZACH,! I mean just those five words should make you want to read the Gallagher Girls series!
First of all, I love mysteries and anything spy related. I think it would be so cool to be a spy,  and this series makes being a spy look even more awesome. Not only do they go to the Gallagher Academy an elite spy school, but they have special gadgets, classes, and assignments! Everyone seems to be hiding a secret, from Cammie's mom and aunt to her favorite teacher to the very mysterious Zach and the boys academy. There are secrets everywhere and it's up to Cammie and her friends to uncover everything including the secret and deadly, ancient terrorist society.

I really liked how Cammie and her friends worked together no matter how undercover and under pressure they were. It was like nothing could stop them. Well. Except maybe, just maybe, the people in the organization that are out to KIDNAP them. All of their personalities are unique and they all "specialize" in different things, which makes each of them crucially important when working as a team.

Zach. The banter between Zach and Cammie is funny and very entertaining. Plus, what is better in a mystery book than a mysterious guy with secrets?! There are so many twists and turns in this series, you might see some coming, but don't worry you won't figure out everything!

Who can Cammie trust? Why can't anyone tell her the truth and why and is everyone hiding everything from her?
There is so much more that I would like to say about books 1-4 of this series, but I refuse say anything else for fear of giving something away. This series will not be spoiled, it would just take to much away from the emotions and twists of the series!

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Fangirl
Goodreads Summary
A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My review:
Oh my goodness! I can't believe I waited so long to read this book! I'm going to fangirl over Fangirl now!
First of all, I loved the characters, they were all unique and relateable. I honestly imagine myself being a lot like Cath at the beginning of the book when I go to College a year and a half from now. She was so shy, didn't talk much, didn't even know where the cafeteria was, and I love how she barely talked to her room mate - Reagan - for weeks and wouldn't let Levi (Reagan's friend or boyfriend - can't tell you which) into the room while Reagan wasn't there at first (very humorous)! Family was very important to her, and she was always there for her dad and twin sister Wren which I admired. She was very smart and responsible, and so into Simon Snow and her fan fiction writing.

I really liked how the whole twin thing was done, and how there were times when Cath would think about her relationship with Wren in the past. It showed how close they had been, and made it even sadder that Wren was drifting away from her. Wren had changed and Cath really missed her. There were times when I didn't really like Wren very much. Would Wren ever overcome her problems, and let Cath back into her life?

Finally Cath started talking to Reagan and they became friends which was kind of funny at first, because they were so different.

Levi! I really liked Levi! He was such a great guy, and always there for Cather (Cath) when she needed him. He went out of his way and made every effort to talk to her, even when he was always being ignored or brushed away. I loved how he was so nice to everyone and was always smiling. Doesn't every girl want a guy like that? I must say that this book made me swoon! There were many times during this book when I just couldn't stop smiling.

Fangirl was also humorous. There were many funny conversations and moments that made me laugh out loud. For one thing, The relationship between Levi and Reagan, and it was kind of obvious to the reader that he liked Cath, but she didn't see it.

The character growth was really good, especially Cath's. Throughout the book she basically went on a journey of self discovery. Living without her more outgoing twin, making her own friends, having her own balance of life, figuring out what SHE wanted, and discovering herself. She discovered that while Simon Snow and writing her fan fiction were important, they might not be the most important, and that she could be there for her dad and Wren without being around them every minute of every day. She also went from being uncomfortable around Levi to having a great relationship with him!

While the situation with her mom was really sad, I understand why she reacted the way she did. I mean Laura didn't really do anything to help the situation, and I was really disappointed in her.

I thought, and this is probably just me, that Fangirl ended a bit abruptly. I just wasn't expecting it to be completely over, and when I turned the page, it was. Nothing was left out or incomplete or anything, I just hadn't expected that it would end there.

This was a really good book, that will make you laugh, smile, swoon, think, and much more!



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Top Ten Tuesday: Love being a Blogger/Reader

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun meme posted by the Broke and the Bookish.

Topic: Top Ten Reasons I Love Being A Blogger/Reader

I just started blogging a month and four days ago (yes, exactly), but there are already so many things I love about it! I've been a reader of books since I was a baby - my parents say I always wanted to be read to-, and a reader of book blogs for at least three years.

I love to read - Reading is just such an amazing way to go places you have never been, explore new worlds, have adventures and experiences, and yes I will admit it (crazy as it may sound)  - make friends! Swooning over a character in a books so much more fun than swooning over one on TV! And I love getting to know the characters in books.

Takes me to a whole new place - Reading can take me anywhere, whether it's to a country I want to travel to, a time in the past, a time in the future, or a whole new world. 

Share my love of books with others - Okay. It's not like I don't have ANY friends that read, but I don't have very MANY that share my quirk. The other thing is that I have very different taste in books than the two friends I have that read the most. On my blog, I can share what I feel and think about the books I read. I'ts such a great feeling to share a new book with other people and make them want to read it!

Find new books - Reading a post on a blog is honestly how I discovered many of the books I have read or plan on reading, and definitely a huge help in deciding whether or not I wanted to read a certain book. Thank you to all of you amazing persuasive reviewers and your interesting and honest reviews!

Write - Not only do I love to read, but I also love to write. It's feels so nice to let out all of my thoughts and feelings about books into words, letting them flow onto my blog and into the brain of whoever wants to read them! Even if no one reads it, I still get a chance to write!

Meet new people - Maybe not literally, but still I meet new people that share my love for reading. I get to know quite a bit about their personalities by reading their blog posts/reviews, and any comments that they leave.

Which brings me to...

Getting Comments! - You know? Those wonderful gold stars that you used to get when you were little for doing a good job? When you're having a bad day and a friend makes you laugh or someone unexpectedly says something nice to you? Well, that's one of the great things about getting comments on my blog! They let me know that other people are reading and actually enjoying my reviews/posts, and that I might have done a good job on that post or said something that other bloggers/readers can interact with. It's such a great feeling! Plus it's a great way to talk about books, and make reading friends.

The memes - I love memes! They're just so fun to participate in and read! Some like Top Ten Tuesday I try to participate in every week, and some only occur once or twice a year, some are really unique, and they are all entertaining. Before I started blogging, I always wanted to participate in memes, but never did. I would think about what I would say in my mind, but that was it, so it has been really nice to participate.

Interviews - I love reading author interviews. Learning more about my favorite authors or reading answers from a characters point of view. I also love to give interviews (Okay, so, maybe I've only done one, and it won't even be published until Feb. 24, but I still enjoyed it)! 

Free books and getting to interact with authors - Before I started blogging, I didn't think I would get any free books, but I have (thanks to Netgalley, publishers, and authors)! I'ts so nice to get books to review for free. So much of my -and my dad's- money has been spent on books (I've been reading diligently since I was at least seven or eight). I love getting to interact with authors, whether they want to me read and review as book or do an interview!

What do you love about being a blogger/reader?

Thanks and Book Spine Poetry

I want to say a HUGE thank you to my four followers! I started this blog about a month ago (Jan. 14,2014), because I thought it would be fun, and because I love books. I never thought that I would get very many page views let alone any followers. So I was extremely excited when I got my first follower, then got three more! To all of you experienced and popular bloggers that probably doesn't sound like a lot, but to me it really is! THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOU ARE AMAZING!

I also want to let you all know how much I love and appreciate everyone's comments! They are amazing, and brighten my day (especially if it hasn't been the best day). Getting a comment lets me know that I did a good job, and makes me feel like I have blogging friends! If you have commented on my blog THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Yesterday, my blog hit 1,000 page views! To everyone that has viewed my blog THANK YOU SO MUCH! 

My blog wouldn't be the same without all of you guys! You are all so AWESOME and AMAZING! 

So today I wanted to do something different, and I've been seeing a lot of book spine poetry lately, and thought that it looked really fun. I'm going to warn you now that it probably won't be very good, but I had a lot of fun doing it (even more than I thought I would) so here it is!

Destination Unknown

Glamorous Illusions

Cinders and Saphires

Ruby Red

Sapphire Blue

Emerald Green

Diamond Secret

The Selection

The Sweetest Spell 

Unearthly 

A Charmed Life

Waterfall

Cascade 

Torrent 

Trouble in Store

Where Courage Calls 

Sweeter than Birdsong

Week of Wonder

I think I am going to start calling my Weekend Wrap-up Week of Wonder (like wonderous in the blog title)! Week of Wonder will be where I put everything that happened on my blog that week as well as anything special that will Be coming up, and I will try to post one every Sunday. I am working on a button for this, I want it to look nice so I promise it will get there eventually!, (hopefully by next Sunday).

I Reviewed

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Don't even Think About it by Sarah Mlynowski

Bobby Ether and the Academy by R. Scott Boyer

I also Posted

Top Ten Tuesday - Swoonworthy

Waiting on Wednesday - Wish You were Italian by Kristin Rae

Stacking the Shelves

On February 24, I will be participating in the Anna was Here blog tour with an author interview with Jane Kurtz and a review of Anna was Here!

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. I have made a button for my Stacking the Shelves, so let me know what you think.

What I received from authors and publishers

Anna was Here by Jane Kurtz (participating in blog tour 23-28)

Man of God by Gregg Bell

What I borrowed from my local Library 

Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth

What I bought

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

What did you stack your shelves with this week?

Bobby Ether and the Academy by R. Scott Boyer

Bobby Ether and the Academy by R. Scott Boyer
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Bobby Ether and the AcademyGoodreads Summary:
"There is no such thing as magic." That's what the mysterious stranger named Cassandra tells Bobby after helping him escape from the small army of secret agents who surround his house. The elegantly dressed older woman with the fancy car takes him someplace that appears safe, but can she be...

This was an interesting book of adventure. After Bobby discovers his ability he is never really sure who he can really trust. This book had a lot of action and some suspense, as well as unique abilities. I found the concept of the abilities of using energy to be very interesting. At the Academy Bobby makes both friends and enemies, he learns, he discovers things that the people in charge of the Academy didn't want him to learn. He also has trouble using his abilities, especially in the beginning, which is very r. Will he be able to get past his emotions and connect with the ability that is inside him?

I liked how Bobby wasn't afraid to be friends with who he wanted to be friends with. The other character were also very interesting and likable. I wish I was as smart as Jinx and Master Jong's determination to fulfill his purpose through all the odds was a very nice characteristic. Some of the characters (I can't say who) were very cruel and power hungry, and some were just plain creepy.

Something I didn't like as much, was how Bobby believed all of the lies was told. I can't say that I wouldn't have done the same thing, but it was kind of annoying at times.

Throughout the book discoveries were made, many of which I saw coming. Overall this was a quick and interesting read, one I liked but didn't love. The ending was a cliff hanger, and I hope there will be another book.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review, but was not required to give one.


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Don't Even Think About it by Sarah Mlynowski

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Don't Even Think About ItGoodreads Summary
Publication: March 11, 2014
We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper.

Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.
So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening.

My Review
Have you ever wished that you could read people's thoughts? Ever thought of what it would be like to be telepathic? Read this book, and I'm not so sure you would want to have telepathy for very long! During certain circumstances? Yes! All the time? Noooo, it would drive me nuts, and I really wouldn't want to know what most of the people at school are thinking!

It was kind of like watching a train. It starts moving, then it goes faster, and it's almost impossible to stop. Well, turned out that, cool as it sounds, telepathy was kind of like that. Definitely not all sunshine and roses. Everyone found out each others secrets, thoughts were heard of things that hopefully no one would ever say out loud, and lives were changed. Some things were funny. Some were annoying. Some were just downright mean and not right. It was kind of crazy.

It was nice how, through it all, they were a united front. Meetings were held to make decisions, and they had each others back - well sort of. I felt really bad for Cooper. His whole world was turned upside down, from his family to his friends to his girlfriend. He never got a break!

Overall, this book was okay. I liked it, but I didn't love it.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


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Waiting On Wednesday - Wish You were Italian

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine
Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae


Wish You Were Italian Pippa is in Italy for the summer and, despite her parents’ wishes, she has no intention of just studying the local art! She has a list of things of her own to do: from swimming in the Mediterranean Sea to getting a makeover – and falling for an Italian boy! As Pippa explores the dramatic ruins of Rome and Pompeii, she is swept into her own drama with two guys: an irresistible local she knows is nothing but trouble and a cute American archaeology student . . . Will she find her true love?

The perfect reckless romance to enjoy whether you are home or abroad.(


Why I am waiting for this book
Wish you were Italian? I wish I could go to Italy! As the title says, this book takes place in Italy! Need I say more? It also sounds very interesting and funny. I love books that take place in other countries. Descriptions of the culture and sights, experiencing new things, locals, Italian, traveling? Yes please! Must. Read. Now. Okay, so I can't read it now (only because I don't have it), but as soon as it comes out!



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Top Ten Tuesday: Swoon Worthy

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun meme hosted by the Broke and the Bookish.
This weeks topic: Top Ten Books That Will Make You Swoon. This will be a fun one! I also must say that I love books that make me smile and not be able to stop, and that literally make me say awwww at times!

Warning - Warining - Warining - These books are completely clean and totally swoon worthy! Prepare for nonstop smiles, laughs, and uncontrollable swooning! 

     

The River of Time Series by Lisa Tawn Bergren - How can you read this series and not swoon at least once? I mean come on! Marcello is amazing, and I love the relationship between him and Gabriella - it was so sweet. The adventure and trials they went through, the perfect conversations and moments, were just such a great combination. Then Luca and Lia's relationship. I said aw quite a few times while reading this series!

The Tigers Curse Series by Colleen Houck - Ren - sigh. I must say that I was team Ren all the way! He was just so amazing! I loved Ren and Kelsey's conversations, sweet moments, how they worked together, and his actions spoke so much. This is a totally swoon worthy series!

The Grand Tour series by Lisa Tawn Bergren - Yes, she has a talent for writing swoon worthy male characters. Will was great, he was so kind and caring, but his strong faith in God was probably his best characteristic.

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson - This is another book that made gave me a smile that I just couldn't hide! It was just so sweet, and had such great conversation and descriptions of scenery!

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson - While Blackmoore broke my heart and made me cry, it also made me swoon. It was just so sad and sweet! He would do anything for her, but circumstances will pull them apart. Kind of a forbidden love, and the circumstances - you have to read it to understand.

Melanie Dickerson's books - All of Melanie Dickerson's fairy retellings - The Merchants daughter, The Healers Apprentice, The Fairest Beauty, and The Captive Maiden - have all made me swoon! The lead male characters are just so wonderful, have a strong faith in God, and their ability to rescue when needed most (not that the female characters need rescuing) and they all have their moments and great characteristics! Melanie Dickerson definitely has a talent!

          

The Season by Sarah McLean - The Season took place during the 1800s when they still had balls and wore pretty dresses, and rode in carriages. I loved how Alex and Gavin had history, their witty conversations and personalities were very entertaining and made me laugh out loud and smile! And the mystery was great!

Cress by Marissa Meyer - Between the relationships, Kai, Thorne, and Wolf definitely made me swoon at times with their clever remarks and sweet moments!

The Selection by Kiera Cassie - This book had some sweet moments, and I loved how the prince was so understanding. 

Violet Eyes by Debbie Viguie - This was a great retellings and I loved the relationship between the two main character! This was one if my favorites of the Once Upon A Time Series!