By the Time You Read This by lola jaye

Touching , adorable and sweet.

As a young women, who lost her father, I can really connect with the character and Jaye's writing articulates the love and bond between a father and his daughter.

Nearly, impossible to put down.

Well developed characters, beautiful storyline and bit predictable.

A debut novel that stays with you long after you've finished the book.

Grade: A-

Synopsis

When he discovered that he had only six months to live, thirty-year-old Kevin Bates picked up his pen and wrote The Manual—advice for his five-year-old daughter, Lois, to live by, laugh at, and follow from twelve until thirty. Seven years later, when Lois is given The Manual, she can barely bring herself to read her father's words, the pain of his loss is still so raw. Yet soon Kevin's advice is guiding her through every stage of life from teen angst to career arcs, to knowing when she's at long last met "the one." While The Manual can never be a substitute for having Kevin back, the words left behind become Lois's steady support through all of life's ups and downs, and prove invaluable to unlocking the key to happiness.

You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore

Decent but not great. The plot was predictable, there were way too many characters and not enough character development. The story at times was boring and the multiple plots never quite come together, leaving you with a what did I just read feeling. Over all I was a bit frustrated and felt like I was missing something. There are quirky, humorous moments but nothing to make you want to re-read this book. 

 P.s The synopsis is the best part! 

Grade: C- 

 Synopsis (B&N) "You bitch, you killed me. You suck!" Being dead sucks. Make that being undead sucks. Literally. Just ask Thomas C. Flood. Waking up after a fantastic night unlike anything he's ever experienced, he discovers that his girlfriend, Jody—the woman of his dreams—is a vampire. And surprise! Now he's one, too. For some couples, the whole biting-and-blood thing would have been a deal breaker. But Tommy and Jody are in love, and they vow to work through their issues. Like how much Jody should teach Tommy about his new superpowers (and how much he needs to learn on his own). Plus there's Tommy's cute new minion, sixteen-year-old goth girl Abby Normal. (Well, someone has to run errands during daylight hours!) Making the relationship work, however, is the least of Jody and Tommy's problems. Word has it that the vampire who nibbled on Jody wasn't supposed to be recruiting any new members into the club. Even worse, Tommy's erstwhile turkey-bowling pals are out to get him...

Hope in a Jar by Elizabeth M. Harbison

A perfect summer read. Wonderful and easy to relate to characters. The best book by, Harbison, yet! You will laugh and reminisce about your old friendships. A degree of predictability but don't let the sway you because the book is still enjoyable, light and entertaining. 

Grade: A 

From the Publisher Twenty years ago, Allie Denty was the pretty one and her best friend Olivia Pelham was the smart one. Throughout high school, they were inseparable…until a vicious rumor about Olivia— a rumor too close to the truth—ended their friendship. Now, on the eve of their twentieth high school reunion, Allie, a temp worker, finds herself suddenly single, a little chubby, and feeling old. Olivia, a cool and successful magazine beauty editor in New York, realizes she’s lonely, and is finally ready to face her demons. Sometimes hope lives in the future; sometimes it comes from the past; and sometimes, when every stupid thing goes wrong, it comes from a prettily packaged jar filled with scented cream and promises. Beth Harbison has done it again. A hilarious and touching novel about friendship, Love’s Baby Soft perfume, Watermelon Lip Smackers, bad run-ins with Sun-In, and the healing power of “Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific.” Hope in a Jar: we all need it.

Fallen by Lauren Kate

The beautiful cover caught my attention and the story kept me enthralled.

The characters are well developed, the story line is well written and the unexpected occurs.

The mystery that surrounds the characters is intriguing. You get suspense, romance, adventure and mystery in this book.

The end leaves you craving more and you have to wait until the fall of this year to find out more.


Grade: A


Synopsis (B&N)
Seventeen-Year-Old Luce is a new student at Sword & Cross, an unwelcoming boarding/reform school in Savannah, Georgia. Luce’s boyfriend died under suspicious circumstances, and now she carries the guilt over his death with her as she navigates the unfriendly halls at Sword & Cross, WHERE every student seems to have an unpleasant—even evil—history.

It’s only when she sees Daniel, a gorgeous fellow student, that Luce feels there’s a reason to be here—though she doesn’t know what it is. And Daniel’s frosty cold demeanor toward her? It’s really a protective device that he’s used again . . . and again. For Daniel is a fallen angel, doomed to fall in love with the same girl every 17 years . . . and watch her die. And Luce is a fellow immortal, cursed to be reincarnated again and again as a mortal girl who has no idea of who she really is.

Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog: The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman by Lisa Scottoline

Expect to finish this in one sitting. It is hilarious and the brief essays keep you interested. Some parts will make you laugh so hard, tears will roll down your face.

Scottoline is witty and her repetition on subjects, doesn't get to you the way it might with other authors.

You don't have to be a mother or over 35 to get the humor and enjoy this little book.


Grade: B+



Synopsis (B&N)


A hilarious collection of stories from the life of the New York Times bestselling author of Look Again


At last, together in one collection, are Lisa Scottoline’s wildly popular Philadelphia Inquirer columns. In her column, Lisa lets her hair down, roots and all, to show the humorous side of life from a woman’s perspective. The Sunday column debuted in 2007 and on the day it started, Lisa wrote, “I write novels, so I usually have 100,000 words to tell a story. In a column there’s only 700 words. I can barely say hello in 700 words. I’m Italian.” The column gained momentum and popularity. Word of mouth spread, and readers demanded a collection. Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog is that collection. Seventy vignettes. Vintage Scottoline.

In this collection, you’ll laugh about:

• Being caught braless in the emergency room

• Betty and Veronica’s Life Lessons for Girls

• A man’s most important body part

• Interrupting as an art form

• A religion men and women can worship

• Real estate ads as porn

• Spanx are public enemy number one

• And so much more about life, love, family, pets, and the pursuit of jeans that actually fit!

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

The Last Song is much better than I expected.

It is an easy, entertaining read. It is an emotional story about love and coming of age.

I grew attached to the father-daughter relationship aspect of this novel because it is beautifully written.

There is a degree to predictability but it somehow works for this novel.


Grade: B+

Synopsis (B&N)

In the tradition of A Walk to Remember, this is a story of a teenage girl and her first encounter with heartbreak ?? and love.


Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside?down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alientated from her parents, especially her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church.


The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels??first love, love between parents and children ?? that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them.

Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler

Hilarious! Totally funny, I stayed up late, until I finished this book.

Chelsea's family antics will make you laugh aloud and be happy that, they aren't your family. She is honest and holds nothing back, including her DUI and her father's racist comments.

A fast, easy ready. You will be amused and entertained.

Grade: A


Synopsis
THE EAGERLY AWAITED COLLECTION OF PERSONAL ESSAYS FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF MY HORIZONTAL LIFE

When Chelsea Handler needs to get a few things off her chest, she appeals to a higher power -- vodka. You would too if you found out that your boyfriend was having an affair with a Peekapoo or if you had to pretend to be honeymooning with your father in order to upgrade to first class. Welcome to Chelsea's world -- a place where absurdity reigns supreme and a quick wit is the best line of defense.

In this hilarious, deliciously skewed collection, Chelsea mines her past for stories about her family, relationships, and career that are at once singular and ridiculous. Whether she's convincing her third-grade class that she has been tapped to play Goldie Hawn's daughter in the sequel to Private Benjamin, deciding to be more egalitarian by dating a redhead, or looking out for a foulmouthed, rum-swilling little person who looks just like her...only smaller, Chelsea has a knack for getting herself into the most outrageous situations. Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea showcases the candor and irresistible turns of phrase that have made her one of the freshest voices in comedy today.

Caught by Harlan Coben

Caught is Coben's newest novel. It is enthralling and will keep you on the edge of your seat. He keeps you guessing and the twists and turns, make you dizzy with excitement. This thriller is one of Coben's best. Nothing and I mean, Nothing, is what it seems. The story moves quickly and the characters are vivid and memorable. I don't' want to give anything away... but you will be "caught" up in this book. 

Grade: A+ 

Synopsis (B&N) Seventeen-year-old Haley McWaid is a good girl, the pride of her suburban New Jersey family, headed off to college next year with all the hopes and dreams her doting parents can pin on her. Which is why, when her mother wakes one morning to find that Haley never came home the night before and three months quickly pass without word from the girl, the community assumes the worst. Wendy Tynes is a reporter on a mission: to bring down sexual predators via elaborate—and nationally televised—sting operations. Wendy and her team have shamed dozens of men by the time she encounters her latest target. Dan Mercer is a social worker known as a friend to troubled teens, but his story soon becomes more complicated than Wendy could have imagined. Caught tells the story of a missing girl, the predator who may have taken her, and the reporter who suddenly realizes she can’t trust her own instincts about this story—or the motives of the people around her.

Rebel Angels (Gemma Doyle Series #2) by Libba Bray

Rebel Angels lacks imagination and is predictable. The characters are still well developed but the storyline lacks entertainment value and borders are boring. If I didn't have the third novel in this series, I wouldn't continue with this particular series. I will be putting off reading the third novel for a bit. This second installment just doesn't live up to the first. Check it out or borrow it. I'm just glad this series was a gift and that my hard earned dollars didn't go to this purchase. 

Grade: D-

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

Hold Still is LaCour's debut novel. It is a beautiful and sad look into teen suicide and what it does to those left behind, in this instance a best friend, who's world crumbles around her.

This book is a gem and quite different from most books you read concerning suicide. It is filled with adolescent turmoil, love, pain and the challenges with moving on.

It centers around photography and the emotional response that it can provoke , whether being taken of being viewed.

Great characters. A story that will want others to read.

Grade: A


Synopsis (B&N)
An arresting story about starting over after a friend's suicide, froma breakthrough new voice in YA fiction

dear caitlin, there are so many things that i want so badly to tell you but i just can't.

Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend's suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn't die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid's descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself