An Italian Obsession

"An Italian Obsession" by Kfir Luzzatto was not at all what I expected and earned an overall 3/5 star rating.  The content seemed a little mature for a young adult genre, and more along the lines of new adult.  As one quote from the epilogue so eloquently sums up, it is a cautionary tale to today's youth of what not to do.

"You are undoubtedly asking yourself what purpose it may serve to

bare my secrets before one and all, both as the recipient and 

the administrator of bad luck and misery... Maybe, and so I 

hope, learning from my mistakes and those of others will help

generations come do the right thing." - Epilogue

The writing was well done and featured interesting and believable characters. All together, it is a good book with surprises at every turn of the plot.

Excerpt:

The dormitory resembled a noisy beehive when I got there. Almost everybody had already returned from vacation and the boys exchanged pleasant memories and jokes. It surprised me that I was happy to see them; but, somehow, it felt like home and they had become a much closer family to me than my own flesh and blood. At least, they shared my predicament.

I dropped my bags on the bed and stood still to watch the commotion in the dormitory, trying to gather pieces of information from snatched bits of conversation shouted across the room or whispered privately. Everybody seemed to know what was going on but me, and I felt excluded.




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Blog Tours

I am so excited to have the opportunity to participate in several upcoming blog tours!  There are currently three scheduled for the next month, and more to be announced soon.

So head over to the "Blog Tours" page, and check back to see when new tours are announced.

"An Italian Obsession" by Kfir Luzzatto

Virtual Book Tour February 1 - March 10

February 1 - Reading Addiction Blog Tours - Meet and Greet

February 2 - Pink Fluffy Hearts - PROMO

February 3 - Lovely Reads - Guest Post/PROMO

February 6 - Lust For Stories - Review/Interview

February 7 - Mom With a Kindle - PROMO

February 9 - The Stuff of Success - PROMO

February 11 - Lauries Thoughts and Reviews - Interview/PROMO

February 12 - Emily's Bookshelf - PROMO

February 13 - Love in a Book - Guest Post/PROMO

February 14 - My Reading Addiction -PROMO

February 15 - Boundless Booklist - Review/Interview

February 16 - Crazy For Books - Review

February 18 - YA Reviews and News - Interview/PROMO

February 19 - Fictional Reality - Review

February 23 - Books, Books, the Magical Fruit- Guest Post/PROMO

February 24 - Andi's YA Books - Interview/PROMO

February 27 - Author Ever Leigh - Review

March 1 - Books For Me - Review

March 2 - Lov Liv Life Reviews - Guest Post/PROMO

March 4 -Debbie Jean's Blog - Review

March 5 - Tiramisu Mom - Review/Interview

March 7 - Book Marks the Spot - PROMO

March 8 - RABT Reviews - Review

March 9 - I Know That Book - Guest Post/PROMO

March 10 - My Cozie Corner - Review

Arson

"Arson" by Estevan Vega was addictive, surprising, and at times a little bit confusing.  Overall, I would give it a 4/5 star rating.  The last third or so of the book has a completely different feeling than the first part, which is where the confusing part comes in.  You can tell that Vega is setting the story up for the sequel, but it makes the story seem a little disjointed.

But do not let this dissuade you from reading it.  The sudden twist draws you further into the pages and makes you fell the confusion just as the characters are experiencing it.  So once you step back from the last page, you are dying to know what happens next and can appreciate the brilliance of the confusion.  It is a good young adult paranormal read!

"The stories didn't seem to care who he was or what he could do;
it didn't matter.  In their world, he wasn't alone.  In their world,
a freak like him - like him - could become a hero."

Goodreads Synopsis:

Before now, three things were true: he both loved and despised his grandmother; his life was going nowhere; and he was alone.  But when a strange girl-who feels more normal behind a mask than inside her own skin-moves in next door, Arson hopes to find something he's never had: purpose.  After years of living in fear, he will be forced to confront his haunting past and embrace the unknown as he walks the fine line between boy and monster.

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Come back on March 9th for the Ashes (Arson Book 2) blog tour!

Shatter Me

"Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi had some pretty scathing reviews, but I am happy to say that I disagree with them.  I've mentioned before that dystopians are, by far, my favorite reads, so I was really interested in this one.

"Hate looks just like everybody else until it smiles.
Until it spins around and lies with lips and teeth carved into
the semblance of something too passive to punch."

When you open the book, your first thought is that this is an unedited copy since the pages have sections that are crossed out.  But don't worry, you do not have an unedited copy... it is supposed to be this way.  It is Mafi's way of showing you Juliette (the main character)'s conflicting thoughts.  Once you get a few pages into it, you start to feel the rhythm and purpose of these crossed out ideas.

Mafi has moments that are nothing short of pure literary brilliance, especially in her descriptions.  However, there are also parts that seem to be moving at a snail's pace.  It can be a frustrating book to start, but keep pushing through, and it will grow on you.

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Catching You

"Catching You" by Katie Gallagher is a very interesting read since it's not your typical "who-done-it."  Confession... I judged this book by its cover, and I was right!  I knew as soon as I saw the cover that it was going to be different, but good. Overall rating... 5 stars!

Here is why I fell in love with it.  First, it is well-written.  I'm not just talking about having good grammar here either.  The characters have substance to them, and there is not an overwhelming amount of teen drama.  Don't get it twisted, there is teen drama, but it is actually there for a reason, so it works!  Second, I actually could not guess who the murder was (bonus points for Gallagher)!  There are great twists that keep you guessing throughout the book.  Third, the "creep level" was perfect for the young adult genre.  As a reader, you aren't sure which characters to trust, but you won't be with nightmares either.  And finally, it was a quick read.  I plan on taking this one to the beach with me to read it again.

Synopsis:

This was supposed to be the best summer of Lauren’s life. It turns out to be the worst.

After Lauren wakes up in the hospital and learns that her boyfriend Ryan has died, her life slowly begins to unravel. She soon begins receiving mysterious text messages that make her wonder if his death was even an accident like everyone is saying. She finds herself leaning on Nick, her boyfriend’s best friend, for support. He tells her tidbits about Ryan’s life that make her wonder if she even knew her own boyfriend at all. Now, she’s even more determined to learn the truth about Ryan’s death and she wonders who she’s able to trust. She starts confiding in her best friend, Bryn, until she remembers something about the accident that makes her wonder if she’s trusted the wrong person the entire time. She’s determined to get justice for Ryan, but can she do it without losing her best friends?

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Fake Pastor / Widows Indeed

"Fake Pastor"  by Fran Touchette

Rose Jackson is a single mother of two, struggling to make ends meet.  Suddenly, what seems to be the perfect job opens up as the pastor of the neighborhood church.  The only problem is that Rose has no education, experience, or even strong convictions of faith, but she takes the position just the same.  As members of the church are killed one-by-one, Rose begins to have visions about these murders.  But where are these visions coming from?

A griping mystery with various and unexpected twists along the way.  The characters are well developed and the story itself is extremely well written.  This should be on the reading list of every southern ladies' book club since this short tale has all the intensity of other mysteries, just without the content that would make you blush.

"Widows Indeed" by Fran Touchette

While being relatively short, Widows Indeed is full of mystery and intrigue while being presented from several viewpoints.  It is perfectly balanced, and you will not be able to put it down.  So if you are looking for a good book to read on the beach or just in an afternoon, then grab some sweet tea and get Widows Indeed.  You will love it!

When the widows of small-town Elmsdale are suddenly being murdered one-by-one, the town is shocked beyond belief.  Calling in the county police for help in solving these murders, one of the visiting officers believes that a local man with Downs Syndrome is the culprit, but the officer's partner has another suspect in mind.  Who is the real murderer, and what is his motive for killing these elderly women?

Click the titles for links to purchase these on Amazon!

More

More, by T.M. Franklin, is a fresh and original YA paranormal story that you will not be able to put down.

Ava had long forgotten her childhood belief of being something special.  While away at college, she is constantly haunted by a recurring nightmare; but is there something more to these dreams?  Could there be some truth or even a warning hidden there?  Not only will Ava discover her own strength, but she will also uncover some shocking information about the world she lives in and the people surrounding her.

More is filled with strong characters and great writing.  The plot is complex and sprinkled with just the right amount of twists and turns along the way, thus leaving you guessing until the final page.

If you liked The Mortal Instruments, then you will probably like More as well.  It has the same feel of two worlds living alongside each other, just without the cliche angel vs. demon characters.