Book Blast: Boy Swap

Boy Swap by Kristina Springer
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: October 16, 2013
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Boy Swap: The secret to sisterly love and scholarly bliss.

Research shows that seven out of ten girl fights are over a guy. The Boy Swap Club fixes all that. In an effort to spread around male cuteness and minimize fights and backstabbing, they just share boyfriends. 

And Brooke Thomas, consummate band member, has been asked to join the super secret club because the president of the club has the hots for her guy.

Brooke doesn’t want to share her boyfriend. I mean, who does? But how can she say no? She, a second chair flutist in the school band, finds herself sitting between the Varsity Cheerleader Captain and the Homecoming Queen at the first meeting. Her friends will never believe this in a million years. 

 Too bad she can’t tell them. But she knows. This one event can change her entire life. What if she becomes actual friends with one of these girls? It might be worth sharing her boyfriend.

Besides, he'll always love her best, right?

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

Chapter 1: Tap, tap

Raise your right hand and repeat after me: We, the members of the Boy Swap Club, being of totally sound minds and rockin’ bodies, do here forth promise to be true to the following rules:

1) Never hog your boyfriend all to yourself.
2) Never get mad at a sister member for dating your guy.
3) Don’t go all the way with any of the swapped guys.
4) And never, ever, fall in love with any guys involved in the swap.

I put down my hand and smile at the group of girls I’ve just joined. I can’t believe that I’m really here. I don’t totally understand what it is that I just agreed to but who cares? I’m hanging out with the “it” girls. Cassie Deegan and Caitlyn Ray, the two most popular girls in our entire school, run this club and I about died when Cassie invited me to attend. She slipped me a note after Biology this afternoon that said, “4 p.m., Bookends Bookstore, Travel section. Be there.”

Blog Hop: Books to Movies Giveaway Hop

Books to Movies Giveaway Hop
Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Bookhounds
August 27th to September 3rd

I love books and I love movies and while hollywood doesn't always capture our books the way they should, I do enjoy seeing most plots acted out and getting to see the books I love so much come to life!

Review: Letters To Nowhere

Letters To Nowhere by Julie Cross
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Mature Young Adult Contemporary
Release Date: August 1^st 2013
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ Barnes&Noble

Book Description:

Her family may be shattered, but her dreams aren't...

From the International Bestselling Author of the Tempest series A Mature YA contemporary set in the tough world of Elite Gymnastics. Grief, love and pursuing dreams are at the forefront of this emotionally powerful coming-of-age story.

Seventeen year old Karen Campbell has just lost both her parents in a tragic car accident. Grief stricken and alone, her gymnastics coach opens his home to Karen, providing her a place to live while she continues to train, working toward a spot on the world championship team.

Coach Bentley’s only child, seventeen year old Jordan is good-looking and charming enough to scare away a girl like Karen—someone who has spent ten times more hours on balance beams and uneven bars than talking or even thinking about boys. But the two teens share a special connection almost immediately. It turns out Jordan has a tragic past of his own, grief buried for years.

As Karen’s gymnastics career soars, her nightmares and visions of the horrible accident grow in strength. She can only avoid facing her grief for so long before it begins to surface and ultimately spin out of control in a very dangerous way. Can discovering love and lust (simultaneously) help with the grieving process or will it only provide a temporary distraction while waiting for reality to hit full force.

♥ ♥ ♥

Executed with impressive precision, Letters To Nowhere is my new favourite YA contemporary novel. Not only did it inspire me as an individual to treasure every moment - it also left me raw from all the emotions I experienced while reading this book. The story takes place after Karen’s parents are killed in a car accident leaving Karen, a young talented gymnast, an orphan.

What makes this tale so special is Karen’s coping mechanism. When faced with what is likely a life time of questions, she writes letters to her deceased parents - and sometimes quick letters to those around her that are never posted. My heart bled for her throughout the entire book, as I’m sure others will also if you’ve ever lost someone.

Promotional Event: Letters To Nowhere

Letters To Nowhere by Julie Cross
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Mature Young Adult Contemporary
Release Date: August 1^st 2013
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ Barnes&Noble

Book Description:

Her family may be shattered, but her dreams aren't...

From the International Bestselling Author of the Tempest series A Mature YA contemporary set in the tough world of Elite Gymnastics. Grief, love and pursuing dreams are at the forefront of this emotionally powerful coming-of-age story.

Seventeen year old Karen Campbell has just lost both her parents in a tragic car accident. Grief stricken and alone, her gymnastics coach opens his home to Karen, providing her a place to live while she continues to train, working toward a spot on the world championship team.

Coach Bentley’s only child, seventeen year old Jordan is good-looking and charming enough to scare away a girl like Karen—someone who has spent ten times more hours on balance beams and uneven bars than talking or even thinking about boys. But the two teens share a special connection almost immediately. It turns out Jordan has a tragic past of his own, grief buried for years.

As Karen’s gymnastics career soars, her nightmares and visions of the horrible accident grow in strength. She can only avoid facing her grief for so long before it begins to surface and ultimately spin out of control in a very dangerous way. Can discovering love and lust (simultaneously) help with the grieving process or will it only provide a temporary distraction while waiting for reality to hit full force.

♥ ♥ ♥

Excerpt

“Just don’t tell your dad,” I pleaded with him, wiping my nose on my sleeve.

“Don’t tell him that your pink leotard is now purple?” he asked tentatively. “Or that your balance beam routine would score higher than your laundry skills?”

I balled the leotard up in one hand and wiped the tears from my cheeks with the back of my other hand. “Don’t tell him I cried about something stupid. Or anything for that matter. The last thing he needs is some emotionally distressed teenage girl to deal with twenty-four seven.”

Oh God did I just say that out loud?

Book Blast: The Tale of Mally Biddle

The Tale of Mally Biddle by M.L. LeGette
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: November 21, 2012
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

When Mally Biddle agreed to spy upon the King of Lenzar and his overbearing knights she knew she was heading into danger. She didn’t know she’d find a family unlike any other.

Posing as a servant in Bosc Castle, Mally serves tea and tends fires for the most dangerous men in the kingdom. Her goal is to learn the truth of what happened sixteen years ago, when the infant princess met her death … a death that is surrounded by more questions than answers.

Along her search for the truth, Mally meets the energized Lita Stump, the strict and matriarchal Meriyal Boyd, and the opinionated Archibald Diggleby. Then of course there are the knights: Leon Gibbs who is slicker than a greased hog, Adrian Bayard, hot tempered and violent, and the worst of the lot: Sir Illius Molick, Captain of the Knights. And then there is Maud, a mysterious woman who just might know everything…

♥ ♥ ♥
Praise
“To say I loved this book is an understatement. Mally is a wonderful character and she encounters so many