Teaser Tuesday: THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE by Jennifer E. Smith

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading. Here are the rules:

• Grab your current read
• Open it to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO REVEAL SPOILERS! (Be sure not to spoil the book for others!
• Make sure your sentences don't reveal something important!)
• Include the title and author to, so that other participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser:

"'Hey,' he said, glancing up at her and then away again.  For some reason he was having trouble looking at her directly, though it was all he wanted to do at the moment."--pg. 127

...and a little more b/c I just loved this paragraph :-).

"Everything around them was gray--the trees, the rocks, the sky, even the slate-colored water--and in the midst of it all, there was Ellie, with her red hair and white T-shirt, her jean skirt and rubber flip-flops.  It should have been the most ordinary thing in the world--this girl on the beach--but somehow, it felt to Graham like he was staring at the sun."--pg. 127

I am loving this book right now, everything about it.  I've never read Jennifer E. Smith before, but my introduction to her work couldn't be better :).

Happy reading,

Ninja Girl

TUNE IN TUESDAY: SKELETONS

Hi there! Tune in Tuesday is a GReads meme currently hosted over at Kate's Tales of Books and Bands.  Today's songs are by two of my favorite artists and an awesome cover I found on the Youtube :).  Hope you enjoy!

1. Skeleton Song by Kate Nash 
 

2. Skeletons by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

3. Skeletons (Yeah Yeah Yeahs Cello Cover) by Andrew Carter

Hope everyone had a great day!

Ninja Girl

THE DUFF by Kody Keplinger

The DUFF: Designated. Ugly. Fat. Friend.

This book contains foul language, pitch-perfect teen voice, and one very sexy male lead.  You've been warned :).

The hook is right there in the title, and it rocks!  Kody Keplinger wrote this book when she was a teenager, and good God, I am so glad that she did.  The book reads authentically "teen" from page one.  I couldn't stop turning the pages.  In fact, it was so addictive that I read The DUFF in one day.

Cynical, sharp-tounged, Bianca Piper is flat-out told she's the Duff by school man-slut, Wesley. Fucking. Rush. (Bianca's words not mine)  He attempts to chat her up at the local teen club in hopes of getting to her hot friends.

Yes, it's just as awful as it sounds.

"What I'm saying is girls--like your friends--find it sexy when guys show some sensitivity to the Duff.  So by talking to you right now I am doubling my chances of getting laid tonight.  Please assist me here, and just pretend to enjoy the conversation."--pg. 6, The DUFF

But do you think Bianca cooperates?  Heck no.  She throws her drink in his face, tells him off and trucks it out of there.  But the exchange leaves her wondering: Is she the Duff?  And how does she feel about that?

This is one of those books where it's hard for me to explain just how much/why I loved it.  But here we go:

1)  Like I said, there was SO much voice.  Bianca was a real person telling me her story--which I think is something all first person narratives strive for.

2)  The Snark.  I enjoyed every snarky thought, every insult passed between Bianca and Wesley.  Hil-ar-ious!

3)  The Enemies-With-Benifits Romance.  Despite herself, Bianca finds herself falling for the playboy--and he falls for her as well.  Sigh, gotta love it <3

4)  Wesley Rush went from jerk-who-I'd-like-to-punch-in-the-face to the perfect book boyfriend in only 277 pages.

Number 4 is the hardest to pull off imo.  Keplinger worked some kind of magic b/c I should've hated Wesley after some of the things he said--and I did.  But in the end, he turned that corner between love and hate, and I ended up as into him as Bianca was.

In conclusion, Wesley Rush doesn't chase girls...but I would chase a guy like him any day :-).

Great book, great message (NOT at all preachy), so happy I finally read it, definitely recommended!!

Happy reading,

Ninja Girl

STACKING THE SHELVES (18)

Hi there! Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  Got some awesome books this week! Check it out :).

List of Books: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

                        Sealed with a Curse by Cecy Robson

                        These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

                        Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally

                        The Devil Wears Kilts by Suzanne Enoch

I'm really excited to read These Broken Stars b/c so many people put it on their "Best of 2013" lists.  Also, I have a great mix of contemporary YA, sci-fi, urban fantasy, and historical!

Did you get any great books this week?  If so, I'd love to hear about them :).

Ninja Girl



Cover Reveal + Giveaway: AS YOU TURN AWAY by Molli Moran

Okay, can we take sec to admire that amazing cover???  The cover designer, Marie, did a great job of matching the book summary imo.  I've been following Molli Moran for a while, and I'm so excited to be a part of her cover reveal!!  The fact that the book sounds great was just icing on the cake ;-).

Goodreads Summary: When Quinnlan Reynolds left home at 18, she escaped her small, Georgia town and her suffocating upbringing. She started a new life as a ballerina, and tasted freedom for the first time. But four years later, her first visit home turns tragic. Reeling, Quinn tries to piece her life back together again. But doing so is easier said than done when sexy Jonah Walker saunters back into her life.

Quinn shattered Jonah’s heart once, so getting involved with her isn’t something he’s sure he’s ready to do again. He became someone he didn’t recognize when he left home. He’s spent the last years burying his pain by keeping everyone in his life at arm’s length. Now he needs to get to know his family again, and finally become who he wants to be.

But neither Quinn or Jonah can stay away from each other, especially when old feelings resurface. Something is pulling them back together, and they can’t deny their chemistry for long. One Georgia summer could change both their lives forever, if they can work through their past to have a future together.

I <3 stories like this!  The romance sounds so sweet, and I'm curious to see how Quinn and Jonah will overcome their past history together.  Want a little taste of the writing?

Excerpt: "Quinn?” Jonah stalled when he got within a few feet of her, and Quinn’s heart kicked into a faster rhythm. He was wearing sunglasses, so she couldn’t see if his smile extended to his eyes, but his gaze held steady on hers. “What are you - I mean hi." 

“H-hey.” Clearing her throat, Quinn glanced between him and Ethan; Ethan still looked completely at ease, but Jonah seemed…different. She focused on him, noticing the tense set to his broad shoulders as he crossed his arms, then dropped them. “We were looking for uh…” Jonah’s eyes were on her again, and anything else she’d meant to say vanished as he finally took off his shades.

His eyes were smiling. At her. A slow, all-too-familiar flutter tickled at her stomach.

*Sigh* You've gotta love a man who can smile with his eyes :-).  This book sounds right up my alley.  Molli is such a sweet person (and an excellent book blogger herself), and I think her NA is going to be fantastic.  You can learn more about Molli here, here, and here :).  She's even doing a giveaway, which you can enter using the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As You Turn Away will be released on March 1, 2014.  Can't wait to get my copy!!

Hope you have a great weekend,

Ninja Girl

THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson

The cover says: One boy helps her remember.  The other lets her forget.  And while those are both accurate statements, I'd argue that the heart of this book is not about the "boys" but about one girl.  A girl named Lennie Walker, who has just lost her older sister and feels that loss acutely.  She doesn't think anyone understands--not even her Gram or her best friend, Sarah--although each tries to get Lennie to open up and talk about her grief.

Returning to school, things are even worse.

 

"My sister dies over and over again, all day long."

 

The only person she feels like might get it is Toby, her sister's boyfriend.  He's in that same dark place, and when they're together, it feels as if Bailey's spirit is with them, alive again.  But when their shared grief takes an unexpected turn, Lennie's as confused as ever.  How can she be attracted to her dead sister's boyfriend?

 

And then, of course, there's Joe Fontaine.  He's new in town, a virtuoso musician, and so full of life it practically jumps off of him.  When Joe smiles, his infectious personality slowly breaks through Lennie's sadness.  He makes her feel things she's never felt before--but again, how can life move on without her sister?  How can Lennie?

 

The Sky Is Everywhere was such a vivid novel.  I could hear Joe's music through Lennie's lyrical descriptions.  I felt what she felt.  Every time Lennie was happy about something--only to be devastated when she remembers her sister is gone, every time she learned another one of the secrets Bailey was keeping from her, I felt her sorrow.  Every time Joe called her "John Lennon," my heart fluttered along with Lennie's.  *sigh*

 

What really gets me though is how Nelson is able to mix in so much humor with the heartbreak.  Big and Gram were two of the best side characters I've ever read.  Both of them were out of their tree--Gram with her aphrodisiacal roses and Big with his endless string of marriages--but they were such a hoot.  I couldn't help but love them as much as Lennie did :-).

 

And again, JOE FONTAINE!  This guy was amazing, truly amazing.  I loved how he didn't give up on Lennie, how he just kind of steamrolled into her life and made everything in it brighter.  While Lennie was falling in love for the first time, Joe was right there beside her.

 

Possibly my favorite line from the book: "Our tongues have fallen madly in love and gotten married and moved to Paris." <3

 

The notes/letters before each chapter were absolutely perfect.  The little glimpses we got of Lennie's soul on the scrap pieces of paper/wall/wrapper were heartbreaking but beautiful.  Which is exactly how I would describe this standout YA contemporary: Heartbreaking but beautiful.  I'd highly recommend it!

 

Happy reading,

Ninja Girl

STACKING THE SHELVES (17)

 

Hi there! Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  Treated myself to one book this week :).  I'm hoping it will be a good one!

 

List of Books: Real by Katy Evans

Sometimes New Adult books get me based on plot alone, and I read the first few pages of Real and was hooked.  Hopefully, it will deliver :).

Happy Sunday,

Ninja Girl

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

Hi there!  Happy New Year everyone, so excited to see what 2014 will bring :-).  Since this is a brand new start, and I have some goals I'd like to achieve in the coming year (with blogging and other things), here are my resolutions for 2014:

1.  Review more! -- I read so many great books; it's time I started reviewing the majority of them :).

2.  WRITE like there's no tomorrow. -- Finish a book...heck, finish 2 books by the end of the year.  I'm shooting for the stars blogging peeps!

3.  Get involved in social media. --  Even if you follow the blog regularly, I bet you didn't know that: I've had a twitter account since 2011!!  I joined to try and win a book (didn't get it, grrrr) and literally have 1 tweet.  I actually found my favorite read (Eleanor & Park) on someone's twitter.  I'm more of a lurker than an actual tweeter.  Ninjas prefer to stay in the shadows lol.  Still, must at least attempt to join the conversation :-).

4.  Stress less, get healthy. -- This is a no brainer.

5.  Be a better person. -- My overall goal in 2014 (in life) is to be a better, kinder, more thoughtful person.  I want to be a positive influence and somehow enrich the lives of every person I come into contact with.  A tall order, but again, shooting for the stars people.  And also, it never hurts to try!

So, there they are, my goals for 2014 :).  Did you have any goals for the new year?  If so, I'd love to hear them.  *deep breath*  I'm off to try the Twitter, hoping my ninja skills will hold up ;).  Wish me luck!

Ninja Girl