Book Review: "Catching Jordan" (Hundred Oaks #1), Miranda Kenneally

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Book summary:  What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though–she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.

But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?

I didn't expect a lot of this book. I picked it up because it was all over goodreads and had a cute cover. And I have to admit: I LOVE CUTE COVERS.

Catching Jordan tells the story of a girl called Jordan Woods who plays american football in her highschool. She's the captain. She's never dated or even kissed a guy. Now she's finding herself in a confusing world of love after the new guy came to her school. And her team.

I really liked Jordan. It was nice to see her journey changing from tough tomboy into a girl who knows what she wants. I loved her relationship with her teammates: Sam Henry, JJ and Carter. I also liked the family plot where her Dad, NFL player, struggled to accept that his daughter plays a dangerous sport.

What I really liked about this book is... dialogues. Thanks to them it was fast paced and realistic. The part I didn't quite get was Jordan's journal. And all the sex-hooking up drama because for me teenagers and sex don't and shouldn't really mix.

Overall I truly enjoyed the book and I'll for sure read some more of this series.

Book Review: 'Hung Up', Kristen Tracy

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Book summary: Can you fall in love with a voice? This witty romance, told entirely through phone calls, chronicles the tale of a wrong number gone right.

It all started with a wrong number. The voicemails Lucy left on James’s phone were meant for someone else—someone who used to have James’s digits. But then when James finally answers and the two start to talk, a unique bond forms between the two teens.

Gradually Lucy and James begin to understand each other on a deeper level than anyone else in their lives. But when James wants to meet in person, Lucy is strangely resistant. And when her secret is revealed, he’ll understand why…

Okay. So the concept of the book was interesting enough for me to pick it up. Also, I can relate. I've met my boyfriend online and we've had a lot of conversations over skype, so the idea of a couple meeting over the phone because of dialing the wrong number was appealing to me. So the whole thing is written in a  form of chronological transcript of phone talks or voice messages.

I don't remember disliking both main characters in the book. Now it happened. Bear in mind, these are the only characters in the whole story. Ok, maybe I liked them sometimes. But mostly their mood swings were very annoying. Also, their talks were a bit flat and nothing gripping had happened... until I've reached 80% of the book. There, we're finally talking a twist! But to be honest, I've expected much more after it occured.

The read itself is very relaxing and fast but a bit boring at times. For many readers the ending may be disappointing. And if you're counting on a sparkly romance I have to burst your bubble - the whole book is more about a process of getting to know each other and building a trust. And concealments. And lies. And being honest.

I'm not overly sure how to rate this book. I've had a few nice moments with it and overall it made a good nightly read when I couldn't sleep. I've also, having in mind my own experience, recognized a few patterns of a "phone call romance". Pick it up if you're looking for a very very very light read and if you have a spare time for a book which may not enchant you. But still it can be a pleasant read.

'We were Liars', E. Lockhart

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Book summary: A beautiful and distinguished family.

A private island.

A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.

A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.

A revolution. An accident. A secret.

Lies upon lies.

True love.

The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 

Read it.

And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Disclaimer: I've read the book in Polish translation. Translation can always affect my overall opinion of the book.

After closing this book I was like... did I really just read what I think I did? I have very mixed feelings about it. At first I was a bit sceptical after reading some unflattering reviews so I was surprised to discover I kind of like the author's writing style. It was my first Lockhart's book and I'm willing to give her another shot. It was a fast and pleasant read. What I didn't like were the attempts of making the text more dynamic and expressive by dividing it into short lines. The other thing that didn't really hit the mark for me was rough language used to describe Cadence's headaches.

If you don't have any idea what this book is about then... well. It's about a very rich family with a private Island and numerous of houses. Cadence, Johnny and Mirren are cousins who spend every summer there. The money and prestige talks don't really appeal to them. In the year fifteen Cadence had an accident - and she doesn't remember what had happened. After a short break she returns to an island to discover some things have changed and she promises herself she will discover what happened to her and why her cousins and boyfriend Gat haven't uttered a word to her since the tragedy.

Maybe I was clueless enough not to see little tips throughout the book but I was completely startled by the ending of this book. If you'll guess what's going on there then you probably won't like this book as much as people as baffled as I was. Although the idea itself wasn't necessarily original (I've seen an American movie with similar ending long time ago - won't reveal the titlte to not spoil you the fun) it was definitely a strong point of We were Liars.

I would totally recommend this book for those who like a twisted mystery, astonishing endings and are willing to cope with rich and wealthy environment. If you let this seemingly plain story talk to your sensitivity you may also find some universal truths lying beneath. 

- with a minus

'Girl Online', Zoe Sugg

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Book summary: I had no idea GirlOnline would take off the way it has - I can't believe I now have 5432 followers, thanks so much! - and the thought of opening up to you all about this is terrifying, but here goes...

Penny has a secret.

Under the alias GirlOnline, she blogs about school dramas, boys, her mad, whirlwind family - and the panic attacks she's suffered from lately. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets the gorgeous, guitar-strumming Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog.

But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever.

Disclaimer: I've read the book in Polish translation as an Advanced Readers Copy. Translation can always affect my overall opinion of the book.

I was very curious about Zoella's book. Everyone was talking about it everywhere: goodreads, blogs, youtube... I don't like to read popular books when everyone else does but I've decided to pick it up and check what the fuss is all about.

The story itself is really sweet but a bit typical. Shy and lacking confidence teenager from Europe has a chance to live an adventure of her life going to New York and meets a handsome musician. She experiences the taste of first love, gain self-confidence, finds the strength to stand up to her frenemies. All that with a leitmotiv of writing a blog.

The book was advertised as written by a blogger about a blogger. If I'm honest - personally I think there was too little about the whole blogging thing. I was expecting more chapters in style of blog posts, more descriptions of the whole online life... To get only that what is in Girl Online was a bit disappointing.

I can say that I liked Penny and her best friend Elliot, but other characters seemed a bit like a background to me (even Noah was a bit flat). 

The thing that didn't quite please me was the typical storyline. Other than that the book was nicely written and sweet. It was a relaxing and fast read. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone not interested in YouTube life or not being a teenage girl though. It's a bit too naive for older readers - but you should totally pick it up when you're tired of reading more demanding books.

+

'Dunaway's Crossing', Nancy Brandon

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Book summary: Bea Dot Ferguson has a life many in Savannah envy: a wealthy husband, a luxurious house, a baby on the way. But appearances are deceiving. To hide a terrible secret, Bea Dot married a man she didn’t love—only to suffer his brutality later on. When her cousin Netta invites her for a visit in rural Pineview, Georgia, Bea Dot jumps at the chance to escape. But she soon learns she’s traded one perilous situation for another—Pineview has been infected with deadly Spanish influenza. As the epidemic escalates, Bea Dot and Netta must fight for survival. With the help of Will Dunaway, a recently returned Great War veteran, Bea Dot draws upon strength she never knew she had. As she and Will desperately try to avoid contagion, their mutual attraction grows, making them both the target of her husband’s wrath.

A sweeping Southern tale of hope and betrayal, love and loss, Dunaway’s Crossing is a moving testament to the strength of the human spirit.

I couldn't put this book down, seriously! It's anything I expected it to be. It's much deeper and darker but still beautiful and full of hope. Bea Dot bears a dark secret of her past and has to deal with the only man that knows it - her abusive and violent husband Ben. She has a strong spirit that her spouse didn't break yet. Her character got a chance to develop while staying in Pineview.

Nancy Brandon has a natural gift of writing about feelings and relationships between people - I totally adored the short moments when Ralph and Netta were sharing their joy of having their baby on the way after so many failed attempts. She perfectly portrayed the quarrels between Netta and Bea Dot and their touching reunion. All good characters in the book were beautifully built and saying goodbye to them was very hard.

Apart from engaging story and unexpected plot twists the strong point of this book is it's historical background and the way it had been illustrated: the tough time of spanish flu pandemic, fear and pain of loss. Also the time when women had no rights and were supposed to be obedient wives and mothers, when divorce was considered a huge scandal.

I love historical fiction and romance plots that are not too invasive. The Dunaway's Crossing hads everything that a good historical novel should have: well written story, solid background, realistic and lovable characters and a deeper message.

'Bad Romeo'', Leisa Rayven

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Book Summary: When Cassie Taylor met Ethan Holt at acting school, sparks flew. She was the good girl actress. He was the bad boy about campus. But one fated casting choice for Romeo and Juliet changed it all. Like the characters they were playing, Cassie and Ethan's romance seemed destined. Until he broke her heart and betrayed her trust. Now the A-list heartthrob is back in her life and turning her world around. One touch at a time. 

Cast as romantic leads once again, they're forced to confront raw memories of the heartbreaking lows and pulse-pounding highs of their secret college affair. But they'll also discover that people who rub each other the wrong way often make the best sparks

This book just doesn't sit right with me. Just... doesn't. I was hoping for something really good looking at how people were excited about it. At least for something bearable... And first pages of the book got me hooked but then... like a huge SLAM of the door on my face... what's going on here?

I disliked both main characters. They were irritating, self and sex obsessed. Ethan had hurt Cassie in the past (erm... will I ever know what happened, in details, please?) and she still chases after him... because her body wants him. But he treats her horribly all the time... and she still chases him. Enough.for.me.

Also, I've found the way of narration a bit confusing when we were jumping from past to present tense... and from present to past again... 

This book was so frustrating I had to put it down. Twice. I had to force myself to finish it.

To be honest, I think that Leisa Rayven missed her chance to write a very good and beautiful book. Her writing style is nice and I hope one day I'll read her again, but not in this series.

The story around this toxic relationship filled with poor sexual "tension" just made me angry, sad and a bit disgusted.

and a *half*

received via NetGalley for an honest review

Versatile Blogger Award :)

Recently I've been nominated to a lot of Blogger Awards and Tags, so I want to thank all of you for it! I've  had a lot of concerns how my blog will go on with my not perfect English skills, but here am I know, with almost 50 subscribers on GFC and bloglovin' and support of other bloggers from all around the world. Without you I wouldn't make it that far (it's just a few months since I've launched this blog but for me it's already some kind of an achievement!).

To Versatile Blogger Award I was nominated by:

Amanda @TheDarlingBookworm

Kariny @karinysteenbooxfrenz

Thank you so much <3

Rules
1. Nominate 15 other bloggers relatively new to blogging.
2. Let the bloggers know that you've nominated them.
3. Share 10 random facts about yourself.
4. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog.
5. Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your post and/or sidebar.

I'd like to nominate:
@eclecticintrospections

@angreads

@booksbyj 

@karatheredhead

@cucie-reads

(nominating only 5 bloggers to this Award, because other kind-of-new-to-blogging bloggers I wanted to nominate were already nominated by someone else :))

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME

1) I'm scared of taking my Kindle Paperwhite 2 with me to classes when the temperature is below 0 Celsius...

2) I suffer from melissophobia (fear of bees) and spheksophobia (fear of wasps)... severely!

3) I'm Polish but my boyfriend is Scottish - long distance is not ideal but what can you do when love is in the air ;)

4) I love learning new languages and English is my favourite so far :) I've been learning Latin, French, German and a bit of Finnish as well.

5) I am addicted to lipsticks and lipglosses - light colours, no reds! ;)

6) I don't watch movies or tv series with any form of violence (only occasionaly - if it's a historic movie). This seems weird considering the next fact...

7) I love watching documentaries about serial killers or programs like 20/20 or 48 hours mystery ...

8) I've seen Braveheart when I was 12 and I couldn't stop crying for 2 hours...

9) I travelled a lot with my parents when I was younger - I've been to a lot of countries in Europe, but never outside of it.

10) I have a fear of falling out of balcony or a bridge ... is that a phobia? :O