Review: If I Tell

If I Tell
By Janet Gurtler
Release Date: October 1, 2011

Description:
Jasmine Evans knows one thing for sure... people make mistakes. After all, she is one. Jaz is the result of a one night stand between a black football player and a blond princess. Having a young mother who didn't raise her, a father who wants nothing to do with her and living in a small-minded town where she's never fit in hasn't been easy. But she's been surviving. Until she sees her mom's new boyfriend making out with her own best friend. When do you forgive people for being human or give up on them forever?

Review:
Jasmine is the only biracial person in her entire town and automatically feels left out and knows how to push people away, never letting them get close to her.  She has dealt with this her entire life, especially in fourth grade when she had a really bad experience in the pool with the entire fourth grade class.  Ever since then she has made it a point to stay away from people as much as possible.  She does have friends outside of school, such as Lacey, someone who is very outgoing and tends to drink and blackout a lot.  Not to mention hook up with many guys while she is drunk.  But one day Jasmine catches Lacey making out with the one person she never wanted her to be with, her mother's boyfriend Simon.  The only Black person in her life that she used to look up to until she caught him kissing her best friend.  This is where the story begins. 

Jasmine already had really bad trust issues and Simon ruined that, and she had every intention of telling her mother what she saw.  That is, until her mother announces that she is pregnant.  This changes everything.  There is a new guy in school and he starts working at the coffee shop that Jasmine and Lacey work at, Jackson.  He tries and tries to break through Jasmine's wall to get closer to her.  You experience her struggle with her race throughout the whole book along with her struggles between all the relationships in her life. 

She grows and learns to trust people but that's not with out the occasional argument.  The book was good I finished it rather quickly and enjoyed it very much.  I wish she wasn't such a hard head and that everything wasn't based solely on race but overall good quick read.

Musing Monday

MUSING MONDAYS… is a weekly event where MizB at Should be Reading will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic.

This week’s musing asks…
What devices –if any– do you read books on? Do you find it enjoyable, or still somewhat bothersome? Or: If you only read the print books, why haven’t you chosen to read on any devices?


I have the Kindle Fire and I absolutely love it.  But sometimes I pick up a regular book sometimes to read.  Especially if I really really like it I will always get the actual book.  But I love my Kindle I can have a million books at my disposal, that's a beautiful thing!

How about you?

Don't forget to check out Beswitched Blog Tour and Giveaway, ends on Friday.  Thanks and good luck.

Review: The Clockwork Prince

The Clockwork Prince
By Cassandra Clare
Release Date: December 6, 2011
Series: The Infernal Devices

Description:
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.


With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Review:
So I literally just finished the book moments ago and I could not wait to put my thoughts down as quickly as possible.  I have loved everything I have read by Cassandra Clare and this book did not disappoint.

We are back in the magical under wold of Victorian London where the London Institute now continues their search for the Magister.  If you've read the last book you know that Nate, Tessa's brother was deep in cahoots (yes I said cahoots) with the Magister and they all got away last time.  In comes the Lightwoods who question Charlotte's authority and demand that the Magister be found within two weeks or the institute should be deemed his.  In starts the adventure...

Here's a quick synopsis of each character I will try not to give too much away because you should really read the book and see what you think, but it was fabulous.  I'll start with minor characters and work my way up.

Henry - still as absentminded as always but in this book he seems to be a little more on the emotional side, with expressing his true feelings for Charlotte and they have a really cute moment together in the book towards the end.

Sophie - she is the maidservant and seems to play a slightly bigger role in this book, she falls for someone but I won't say who.  She does help in the Institutes success in depriving the Lightwoods of the honor of taking over the institute.

Nate - continues to be a selfish bastard and in the end he tries to redeem himself but really it's always just about himself.

Charlotte - stressed and running around trying to keep everything under control but everything is all over the place in her world.  She feels betrayed and just dumbfounded at how blind she could have been. 

Jesse - she continues to be a sad girl with desires that do not work out well for her.

Jem - Oh Sweet Jem, if you think about it he really did win out in the end but we shall see how he fares in the next book, for some reason I just don't see him lasting much longer with his illness but who knows maybe everything will turn around for him.

Tessa - She is still on the search to find out what she is.  She seems to be doing much easier with her powers but still there are so many unanswered questions for her that she just doesn't know what to believe anymore.  She just wants to know what she is.  Rumors have it that her mother was shadowhunter and her father is a demon but that cannot be as one has never been alive to prove it.  She is still torn between Will and Jem.  A decision was made but it was not something that she can fully go into wholeheartedly but I think she is doing it for the right reasons.  At least I'd like to think she is.

Will - Dear Will I heart you so!  Will ever with his tough facade, it begins to crumble more and more as the book continues.  He is so in love with Tessa but he's afraid of a curse that was put on him when he was 12 years old, that if someone loved him they in turn would pay with death, because of this he is cruel to everyone.  Magnus helps him find the demon to see exactly what can be done about this.  All I can say is my heart breaks for him - literally I feel it every time he looks at Tessa.  It's tragic and ironic and just heartbreaking. 
 
The Magister aka Mortmain - little more is discovered about him but he always seems to be just a step ahead of everyone.  He is still a mystery and still has yet to have been found ... where is he???
 
My thoughts - You should check out this series, it really does tie in with the Mortal Instruments, kind of like a back story.  Every time I read more and more of this series I can't help but think back to Mortal Instruments and what has played out in that series (and what is still playing out in that series).  Jace really is a Herondale! You must read it to get all the details and I cannot wait for the next book to come out.
 
So I did this review a little different then I've done in the past, please let me know if you like this fashion with updates on all the characters.  Thanks and everyone Happy Reading!! On to the next book.

BeSwitched Blog Tour + Giveaway

 Today we have a very sepcial guest blog post from author of Beswitched and Beswitched Witch, Molly Snow!   First let's take a look at her great books:

After spending hundreds of years under the boot-heel of Idis, a frenzied witch, Surla (a magical black cat) decides to run away to find freedom, but there's one catch-- The Black Cats' Rule states it will switch bodies with a lonesome soul.



Cathy, an extremely shy teenage girl, can't muster the guts to ask her crush on a date or stand up to the three biggest snobs at school. What's a girl to do? Could being BeSwitched be the answer to her wishes?

Idis, a hot-tempered witch, was pronounced dead Halloween night. Her runaway cat, Surla, has a horrific premonition-come-true, when Idis escapes the morgue and then a mental hospital. These two enemies unexpectedly cross paths in the woods, triggering the curse of being BeSwitched.

A powerful opportunity comes with Surla switching bodies with her witch. She can dominate the now little black furball, giving her an education, teaching her patience and taking the shrew to the salon for a fun makeover.

The two go to high school together, when Surla passes as a teenage girl with a little help from magic. When Surla is magnetically drawn to the curious new guy, Jax Morreau, she is infatuated. Could ravens, coffins or a cursed ring keep Surla away from her invitation to the Morreau Family Reunion at Lake Sequoia? An ancient mystery will be revealed, but at what cost?

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I just have to make a side note and say how cool it is that the main character in the first book is named Cathy just like me heheh.  *smiles*

And now ... Molly Snow!

I would like to start by thanking you, Cathy, for inviting me to your blog for The BeSwitched Blog Tour.

Top 5, Who I Would Switch With

Singer: Adele. Her voice is rich, she is at the top of the charts right now and she has her own style. There is nothing gimmicky about her. I don’t expect she’ll come to an awards show in a dress made out of fake meat, like someone... ;)

Actress: Natalie Portman. She plays a range role of characters and does not have a bad reputation! And she’s around my age. There’s 3 reasons I would choose her!

Author: JK Rowling. This may be surprising--I have never read any of her books, but I actually don’t read fiction hardly at all. I love to write fiction, so this is why I would love to be inside her head. I would love to see how she comes up with her ideas. My mom is a very obsessive Harry Potter fan, so I would do it for her, too.

Animal: It has to be a cat. I know, that seems like an obvious answer, since my books star a magical black cat. I don’t want to be an animal that lives in the wild--too risky for me. The whole predator-prey thing freaks me out. I like the idea that I could take naps, eat, play and then eat again


Guy: My husband. It would be good to see inside his head more, go to his work, take his classes... just to gain a better perspective of living a parallel life with me and my twins. I kept thinking of historical men, but none of them appealed to me. I considered switching with someone like Zac Efron, just because he’s hot, but that didn’t seem like a good enough reason! :)


Who would you switch lives with if you could?


Thank you,


Molly Snow

If you'd like to win an ebook copy of both books please make sure to leave your name and email in the comments section (must be a follower to win).  The winner will be randomly selected and announced on January 20th.  Make sure to click on the link below for a chance to win the Blog Tour Grand Prize of a Kindle!  Good Luck everyone and make sure you check out the books!

BeSwitched Blog Tour Grand Prize Giveaway

Booking Through Thursday: About ME

A weekly meme about (mostly) books and reading. Hosted at Booking Through Thursday.

Today's question is:
But enough about interviewing other people. It’s time I interviewed YOU.


1. What’s your favorite time of day to read?
At night when the kids are asleep and all is quiet.  That and during lunch so I can escape the work craziness that has been going on lately.

2. Do you read during breakfast? (Assuming you eat breakfast.)
I don't have time in the morning I'm up at 5ish and out the door by 6am. 

3. What’s your favorite breakfast food? (Noting that breakfast foods can be eaten any time of day.)
I love some good old pancakes with eggs and bacon.  We usually do big Sunday breakfasts at my house. I love Sunday mornings.

4. How many hours a day would you say you read?
Not enough lately - depends on the book I'm reading and how into it I am, sometimes I can finish a book in a day sometimes it will take me two weeks.

5. Do you read more or less now than you did, say, 10 years ago?
Much much more than I did 10 years ago that's for sure.  Now I read for the pleasure of it.  Previously it was just for school.

6. Do you consider yourself a speed reader?
Not at all - I wish.  I see how people read books in less than a day and I'm just like did you even enjoy it?

7. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
To snap my fingers and be wherever my heart desired.  Could you imagine just a snap away and during lunch you could be lounging at the beach in the sun, or in China walking the Great Wall.  That would be awesome!

8. Do you carry a book with you everywhere you go?
Yes I have a Kindle so all my books go wherever I go, can't trust to leave it at home someone might break it lol.

9. What KIND of book?
Kindle! Any book and every book my heart desires.  Sometimes I'll carry an actual book if I have it and have to read it.

10. How old were you when you got your first library card?
Ha - I think 17 maybe.  I don't remember but either way at that time I wasn't old enough so I had to use my mother's card.  But I finally got one not too long ago actually maybe three or four years back that is my very own.

11. What’s the oldest book you have in your collection? (Oldest physical copy? Longest in the collection? Oldest copyright?)
That's hard I don't even know.

12. Do you read in bed?
Yes all the time.

13. Do you write in your books?
No - I don't like damaging them.  All though I like getting books with notes in the margin just so I could read other people's thoughts lol.  I just won't let them read mine.

14. If you had one piece of advice to a new reader, what would it be?
Escape into books - there is no better feeling than the wheels of your imagination turning inside a really good book.  And the books is always better than the movie.
15. What question have I NOT asked at BTT that you’d love me to ask? (Actually, leave the answer to this one in the comments on this post, huh? So I can find them when I need inspiration!)
I don't know all the questions you have asked.  But what about ... If you could write a book what would it be about and why?

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm "Waiting on":

Stealing Parker
By Miranda Kenneally
Ship Date: October 2012
Series: Companion Book to Crossing Jordan

Description:
About a 17-year-old girl named Parker who falls for the new 23-year-old coach of the baseball team.



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I know there is not much in the description but let's just say I CANNOT WAIT!! for this book to come out.  I thought the first book was great.  What are you waiting on?

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: •Grab your current read •Open to a random page •Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page •BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) •Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser for the week:

And then I was flying down the slalom course, staying tight and tucking in, dodging around the gates as fast as possible.  I knew my time would be good because I was in the zone.  My body went on automatic, feeling exactly what to do when.  I enjoyed the bright sparkling day, the white snow, the spectators in crazy-colored gear lining both sides of the course, the too-blue sky.  There was no feeling in world like this, having a body that worked.

Winter's Kiss (The Ex Games and The Twelve Dates of Christmas)
By Jennifer Echols and Catherine Hapka
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Page 37