WOW: Remembrance by: Meg Cabot

Waiting on Wednesday:Remembrance by: Meg Cabot

Release date: February 2, 2016
*Synopsis: In REMEMBRANCE, the seventh installment of the Mediator series, all Susannah Simon wants is to make a good impression at her first job since graduating from college (and becoming engaged to Dr. Jesse de Silva).

But when she stumbles across an ancient murder, old ghosts—and ex-boyfriends—aren’t all that come back to haunt her.

Thoughts: I have loved Meg Cabot for years! I am so glad to be able to visit the world of Susannah Simon again with a new installment. What will happen???

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

*synopsis courtesy of GoodReads 

Announcement: Bookish Bucketlists

I want to bring a new weekly feature to Reading the Blues Away and I need your help to do that. When I began my blog I did a couple posts with my bucket lists. I did one for authors I hope to meet and one for bookstores I want to visit. You can check them out here and here. Now I know they aren't really fancy but I was new to the blogging world, so I hope to make the new posts prettier. 

 

Now where YOU come in!

 

Bookish Bucklists can be the topics like mine,or anything relating to the book world. Classics you want to read. Characters you want to meet. Places you want to visit. Book adventures you want to take. 

I want to invite YOU to guest post on Reading the Blues Away with your bucket lists. You can be an author, a blogger, and I may consider my Twitter friends if I feel that you will follow through with a post. If you are interested in guest posting for Bookish Bucketlists just fill out the form below and I will get with you to talk about your topic and set up a date for your post.

Sign up HERE

Fangirl: Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl: Rainbow Rowell

 

I read Fangirl via Audible audio. I have saw this book floating around for awhile but it never struck me as something I had to read. Honestly I didn’t think I would like it at all, but one day it popped up in my Audible feed and I thought “why not give it a chance”. Boy am I ever glad I did!! Fangirl is amazing and the audio is spot on. 

Cath and Wren are twins who are in love with a book series about Simon and Baz. They grew up reading the books and writing fan fiction about the characters. Now that they are venturing into the college world Wren is ready to drop the fan fiction but Cath can’t let it go.  On top of the fan fiction Wren doesn’t want to room with Cath at college. She thinks it is time to separate a bit and make new friends. Cath is very uncomfortable with this but what is she to do, she can’t force Wren to be her roommate forever. 

I loved this book for many reasons but one of the main ones is how much I have in common with Cath. She has a lot of anxiety and confidence issues, just like I do. There is one scene at the start where she is only eating junk in her room because she doesn’t know how the cafeteria works. I went thru the same thing when I started college. I would keep snacks in my car or bring a lunch that wasn’t that great because I was scared to go to the student center alone.  Crazy I know but just like Cath there is a voice in our heads that keeps us from trying. 

Fangirl is also one of the most realistic college books I have ever read. Many books give unrealistic looks into the college world. Dorm life being great, classes being easy, social aspects just happening; that isn’t always the case though. In Fangirl we see that moving in the dorm and meeting your roommate the first time can be hard. You may not click right away, and being away from home to start with is hard. Surprise college classes actually take time and you have to attend and study to pass, Cath and Wren show this with their opposite personalities. Their college experiences are real and I love that we can see this. 

Just all around Cath’s growth is the greatest in this story. It is so real and relatable. You should give this one a try even if you don’t think you will like it. I didn’t and now I’m in love and can’t wait to reread a physical copy! Rainbow Rowell has a different style of writing but it is great in Fangirl. Also the narrator in audio version is spot on in what I would think the voices of Cath, Wren, and the other characters should be, even without having read it before. 

Have you read Fangirl? What did you think?

5/5

WOW: The Siren by: Kiera Cass

Waiting on Wednesday: The Siren by: Kiera Cass

Release: January 26, 2016
*Synopsis:  Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again.

Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude...until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of.

Falling in love with a human breaks the Ocean’s rules. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart

Thoughts: This isn't my usual type of book but I love Kiera Cass's writing so I want to give this one a try.


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.
*courtesy of GoodReads.

ARC Review: I See Reality Twelve Stories About Real Life

 I See Reality is expected to publish January 26, 2016

** I was given an E-ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

I See Reality includes short stories written by Heather Demetrios, Kristin Elizabeth Clark, Stephen Edmonds, Patrick Flores-Scott, Faith Erin Hicks, Trisha Leaver, Kekla Magoon, Marcella Pixley, James Preller, Jason Schmidt, Jay Clark, and Jordan Sonnenblick. Grace Kendal is the editor. 

With compilation books sometimes it is hit or miss with the stories and who likes them. This collection is a wonderful one overall. Yes there were a few I liked more than the others and a couple that I’d read again but just didn’t mesh with but that is to be expected. All of these stories are meant to be about real life events, not ones that necessarily happened to the author but that could happen to anyone.  Topics include abusive relationships, drugs, coming out, school shootings, mental problems, family stuff, and love.

 Stories 1, 2, and 9 are my favorites.

1: takes a look at a girl trying to find the courage to get out of an emotionally abusive relationship. I have been in this situation so it was comforting to me reading about someone else in the same situation. It is never easy to get out of any kind of abusive relationship. Many times it is more terrifying to think about getting out than it is to stay.

2: takes a look at coming out.  A guy that no one suspects to be homosexual decides to use a class project to come out and possible land a date with his crush. Unfortunately when he convinces his best friend he really is gay, she tries to help in all the wrong ways.

9: I loved this one just because it was the first graphic novel style story I have ever read. It is just perfect all the way around.

Didn’t care much for 3 and 6, they weren’t bad I just don’t think I understood them.  I really don’t know what to say about them other than I was just confused when I finished. I’ll look at them again one day and maybe I will see the light. 

I wouldn’t recommend reading this book if you have triggers because most of the stories you don’t know the topic until it is too late. If you don’t have triggers then I highly recommend this book. I cannot wait until it is published so I can get a physical copy and read it again. 

4.5/5

ARC Review: This Song is (Not) for You: Laura Nowlin

 

** I was given an e-arc of this book by Sourcebooks for an honest opinion.

I am not usually a fan of books written from multiple points of view but this one I think it worked well for. This Song Is (Not) For You is the story of Ramona, Sam, and Tom and their journey into friendship, senior year, and the future.

Ramona: odd girl, drummer, pianist, knows she wants to be a musician, secretly loves Sam…

Sam: guitarist, torn between music and chemistry, secretly in love with Ramona….

Tom: artist, glitter bomber, confused over love, unknowingly looking for his people.....

 Ramona and Sam have been friends for years. Together they are April and the Rain, a band made of a drummer and a guitarist. They meet Tom when they audition for Artibus; the music/art school all three want to attend. Tom joins the band as the “chaos maker” and a wonderful if unusual friendship is born. 

I can relate to Ramona and Sam being the “outsiders” at school but being ok with it. They don’t really fit in at their school because they don’t care as much about appearances, or labels, and they are a little nerdy. Thankfully they have each other and their music. Tom goes to a different school; where he is also kind of an outsider, but he can fit with a few different “groups”.  Once the three find each other they discover how friendships can grow/change, new ways to love, and that plans don’t always work out like one wants.

This Song is (Not) for You was a very quick read but was also extremely enjoyable. When I started I didn’t think I would like it but the more I read the more I got invested in the story. There were a couple things that surprised me when I read them but just made the story deeper. I wish I had Ramona’s confidence, Tom’s artistic eye, and a friend like Sam. I am so glad I was given the chance to read this book. It really shows how senior year and life decisions can come easy to some but not as easy to others. Also how important friendships are in the journey of people’s lives. 

I know some people will be turned off from this book because the love triangle aspect, but the triangle isn’t a major part of the story. It is more about life and friends so don’t let that stop you from giving it  a chance.

4/5