If I Stay by Gayle Forman

IF I Stay is ... is about a 17 year old girl, named Mia. She has been in a tragic car accident and is in "suspended state". She hears and sees things, including her own body and struggles with trying to decide it it is up to hear to "stay" or go.

There are flashback memories, some entertaining and some rather ordinary. This book is a easy read but it isn't memorable.

The character's don't really stand out and while the plot has the potential to be really good, it falls short.

Check it our or borrow it.

Grade: C

Synopsis [B&N]
In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.

Brady, Brady, Brady: The Complete Story of The Brady Bunch as Told by the Father/Son Team who Really Know by Sherwood Schwartz and Lloyd J. Schwartz

Brady, Brady, Brady is a quick, fun read.

If you're a fan of The Brady Bunch, you will find this book enjoyable. It is broken down into three sections and Sherwood and Llyod each tell their own stories.

This, book is a little "history" lesson on the show and how it came to be.

Grade: A

Synopsis [B&N]

The Brady Bunch is one of the most beloved series to ever grace American television screens. Whether you’ve been a devoted fan since its inception in the late 1960s, or are a more recent Brady buff thanks to its steady airing in syndication, there is an undeniable shared delight that comes from the simple-natured, humor-filled world of that picture-perfect family.

Now, for the first time, the show’s famous creator, writer, and producer Sherwood Schwartz and his son, writer and producer Lloyd Schwartz, share with their loyal audience the complete first-hand behind-the-scenes story of The Brady Bunch. From how the show was developed, pitched, greenlighted, cast, produced, and embraced, to ultimately how it changed the TV and cultural landscape of America—this book really has it all.

Sherwood and Lloyd Schwartz carefully and nostalgically recall all the details—great, small, funny, frustrating, and everything in between—that came with the show. Taking an exclusive tour of everything Brady, you’ll marvel at the stories, take pleasure in more than 50 rare photographs, and transport yourself into the show you love with the insider details you never knew.

Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love by Larry Levin

Absolutely wonderful and heartwarming!

A perfect book for true animal lovers. Oogy isn't a book just about this special dog but also about his extraordinary family. Levin captures the energy, love and antics of Oggy in a way that touches your heart and reminds you to pet that special creature sitting right next to you.

The relationship between his sons is also highlighted in this book, which makes you feel a part of this family.

Levin is a man with a big heart and passion for animals which is reflected in his writing. This quick, fast, enjoyable read will become a favorite among the books you read this year. It's that memorable.

Grade: A+


Synopsis [B&N]

There was something about Oogy that made him special. Perhaps it was the missing ear, or the asymmetrical face, or the hapless look of a rescued pup who not long before had been used as bait for pit bull warriors. Whatever the qualities, it convinced Larry Levin and his twin sons to adopt this hapless, ugly pooch and make him part of their household. A heart-tugging saga for anyone who can't resist the plaintive, upturned eyes.

Awakened (House of Night, book # 8) by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Awakened -- if full of changes!

A lot of major events take place , many life altering. Expect new developments between characters but not necessarily major character developments.

There is yet again a major cliff hanger and this one leaves you extremely anxious to find out what will happen next!

I can't quite tell you how good this particular book is without giving away major details, so you going to have to just trust me and read it.

The next installment comes out later this year and the wait will be torturous.

Grade: A+

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Usby Tanya Lee Stone

As a child I had several Barbies, her clothing and accessories, no Ken, as I wasn't allowed one.

This book cover grabbed my attention and I had to pick it up, mainly because I've never quite understood why so many people insist that she is a "bad" role model. I don't have a low self - esteem because of her, I played hours on end (alone, I was an only child) developing story lines and clothing which, I feel has helped, made me a more creative person.

This book details her history. I learned so many things and was left with nostalgia. If i still had my Barbies, I might just have pulled them out, combed their hair and changed all their clothing!

I feel that this book gives a fair and balanced view on, Barbie. You read accounts of both positive and negative experience and the changes this little 11inch doll has gone though.

If you loved, Barbie and much as, I did, you will enjoy this book.

Grade: A


Synopsis [B&N]
During her unparalleled fifty-year history, Barbie has been the doll that some people love and some people love to hate. There'no question she's influenced generations, but to what end? Acclaimed nonfiction author Tanya Lee Stone takes an unbiased look at how Barbie became the icon that she is, and at the impact that she's had on our culture (and vice versa). Featuring passionate anecdotes and memories from a range of girls and women, a foreword by Meg Cabot, and original color photographs, this book explores the Barbie phenomenon in a brand-new light.

White Is for Magic (Stolarz Series) by Laurie Faria Stolarz

White for Magic is the second book in this series. It is cute but repetitive which made it a bit boring. The formulaic writing process makes it difficult to enjoy since you can pretty much figure out what is going to happen. I am unsure if I will continue with this series, for now I am going to have to put it aside and contemplative coming back go it at a later date, as it makes for a very frustrating read.

The characters are well developed but the story just doesn't "grab" you. The ending is rather anti-climatic and quick. I am rather dissapointed since I wanted to enjoy and learn more about the characters in this series.


Grade: C-


Synopsis

A year has passed since Stacey Brown saved her best friend from a horrible death. Now she's having nightmares again, haunted by ghosts of the brutally murdered . . . and by a crazed stalker. As she desperately casts healing spells, a new student named Jacob enters her world. Beautiful and mysterious, he reveals that he is also having dreams. To stop a killer, they must join together. But can Jacob be trusted? Or will this new love cause her darkest dreams to come true?

Blue is for Nightmares (Stolarz Series) by Laurie Faria Stolarz

A wonderful, witchy suspenseful book. It's nearly impossible to figure out the "bad" guy until the very end, when is is revealed.

The story revolves around 16 year old, Stacy and her friends. Stacy's dreams are prophetic and her best friends life is at risk. It's up to her to solve the mystery and save her life.

The characters are believable and like able which makes for one great story. I cant' wait to read the rest of this series. I enjoyed this YA book and hope that you will too.

Grade: A-




Synopsis [B&N]

"I Know Your Secret . . ."

It started with weird e-mails and freaky phone calls. Now someone's leaving Drea white lilies—the same death lilies that have been showing up in Stacy's dreams. Everybody thinks it's just a twisted game . . . until another girl at school is brutally murdered.

There are no witnesses. Worst of all, no one has a perfect alibi. With everyone as a potential suspect, Stacy turns to the one secret weapon she can trust-the folk magic taught to her by her grandmother. Will Stacy's magic be strong enough to expose the true killer, or will the killer make her darkest nightmares come true?

Bloody Valentine ( Blue Bloods Series #6) by Melissa de la Cruz

Bloody Valentine is a mere 160 pages. It is a sweet, short, novella. It is full of romance and beautifully written. A lot of questions will be answered and it sets up for the next book, which I am anxiously awaiting. This sweet, little novella is about Oliver, Allergra, Schulyer and Jack . Their stories are told in three sections. Good things come in small packages and you will find yourself enjoying this one. 

Grade: A

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Dead Beautiful is another paranormal book but this one has a unique twist. The storyline is engrossing and the characters are well developed and enjoyable. The paranormal element in this book is quite a mystery and I'd rather not given anything away other than to say while there is a degree of predictability you will still find this book engrossing. I can't say the plot is completely unique but if you loved Alyson Noel's, Immortals series and Jesssica Verday's, Hallow trilogy you will love this one too! This novel is an unexpected little treasure and I can only hope that there is a sequel, so that I can revisit some memorable characters.

Grade: A 

Synopsis [B&N} On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she'd ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder. After the funeral Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.” It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renée can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems. Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life. Dead Beautiful is both a compelling romance and thought-provoking read, bringing shocking new meaning to life, death, love, and the nature of the soul.

Unraveled (Harlequin Teen) by Gena Showalter

Unraveled is -- unfocused. A lot happens but because so much is happening, you can't really absorb the story lines.

Things are a bit jumbled around and I had a hard time staying fully invested. The plot had the potential to be rather fascinating but because there were so many characters and their powers to keep track of you lose the plot line.

I really wanted to like this book but I couldn't.


Grade: C


Synopsis [B&Mn]

Since coming to Crossroads, Oklahoma, former outcast Aden Stone has been living the good life. Never mind that one of his best friends is a werewolf, his girlfriend is a vampire princess who hungers for his blood, and he's supposed to be crowned Vampire King—while still a human! Well, kind of.

With four—oops, three now—human souls living inside his head, Aden has always been "different" himself. These souls can time-travel, raise the dead, possess another's mind and, his least favorite these days, tell the future.

The forecast for Aden? A knife through the heart.

Because a war is brewing between the creatures of the dark, and Aden is somehow at the center of it all. But he isn't about to lie down and accept his destiny without a fight. Not when his new friends have his back, not when Victoria has risked her own future to be with him, and not when he has a reason to live for the first time in his life….

Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy, Book 6) by Richelle Mead

The Last Sacrifice is the FINAL book in the Vampire Academy Installment. It does not disappoint. Be prepared to set some time aside, because this is one THICK, detailed book.

A lot of exciting things happen to Rose and her friends, each more exciting than the previous. A few expected and unexpected things occur.

Mead crafts her characters with beauty and stays true to them and her story lines. Mead ends her series wonderfully. An author seldom ends a series leaving a reader completely content, not with just the final installment but with the entire series.

This is one series, you won't want to miss out on. All the book are out, so start reading.

It is usually a bit saddening when a series this great ends but Mead will be writing a spin-off series. I hope it's just as good or better than this one.


Grade: A



Synopsis [B&N]

The astonishing final novel in Richelle Mead's epic series!

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.