REVIEW: How to Rid Your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirsty Mermaid (Slug Pie Story #2)

How to Rid Your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirsty Mermaid (Slug Pie Story #2) by Mick Bogerman

Publication Date: July 24, 2014

Publisher: Slug Pie Stories, LLC
Source: Received from Publisher 

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

*This book was received from the publisher, but it did not influence this review in any way *

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

All Mick Bogerman wanted to do was teach his little brother how to swim in the coolest swimming pool in town. He didn't ask to take care of a bunch of Sea-Monkeys while he was there. He certainly didn't mean to morph one of them into a mermaid by feeding it genetically enhanced super food. No one is more surprised than Mick when the creature starts luring unsuspecting adults into the deep end of the pool. Adults who don't resurface. Join Mick as he battles a powerful adversary: a bloodthirsty mermaid who hypnotizes with a golden gaze, shatters glass with a piercing shriek, and reveals her true menacing self by the light of a full moon.

Here we are again with the coolest kid i've ever met, Mick Bogerman. I mean seriously guys, this kid gets into the craziest adventures i've ever seen. This time we meet Mick and his little brother Finley as Mick wants to teach him how to swim. After the whole debacle that was Zombie Cave Mick is worried his brother not being able to swim will eventually spell doom, as it almost did in Zombie Cave! I won't give you any details of that book without you reading the book first, but I will say that it's so much fun and kind of scary. See my review here.

The mermaid swimming in PJ's pool used to be just a sea monkey, until Mick accidentally gave her some super food when PJ asked him to feed the sea monkeys. Yes, that means there was more than one in the bowl. I'm sure you can use your imagination to figure out what happened to the other sea monkeys after they ate the super food and ended up with only one mermaid in the pool. The events that ensue are pretty crazy and I have to say that I think this is the "darkest" Bogerman story so far. I wish I could give you more information on the book but since they are so short anything I say will give away the story.

Just know that overall, it was so much fun to read and I highly recommend it to everyone who loves middle grade books.

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday~ Never Tear Us Apart by Monica Murphy (#51)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Morning Swooners :-)

This week my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication selections are:

Never Tear Us Apart by Monica Murphy

Expected release date: January 5, 2016

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

Crazy how eight years can disappear in an instant. One look at Katie Watts, and I’m a fifteen-year-old again—the one who risked everything to save a terrified girl from her twisted kidnapper. She’s grown-up now—beautiful, quiet, composed—and telling her story to the world. A story that involves me in more ways than you can imagine. She used to call me her guardian angel. Sure, I risked my life, but she was worth dying for.

I need to make contact with her. Just to ensure that she’s safe.

Somehow we reconnect. We become friends . . . but I want more. I want to make her mine. And she wants me too. Does she know who I am? Has she figured me out? Not yet. But she will. In the meantime, I need to make sure that whatever hold that animal had on her is gone.

So, yeah, I’m stealing these moments with her. Savoring them. Knowing, dreading, that she’ll soon find out who I really am. And everything will fall apart. All because of that twisted, perverted monster sitting on death row. Her kidnapper. A convicted serial killer.

My father.

Why I'm waiting:

I absolutely loved her Fowler Sisters series and the synopsis for this book sounds just as good as the other ones. I mean come on, his father kidnapped her! This sounds so good!!

What are you anxiously waiting for?

REVIEW: Toxic by Kim Karr

Toxic by Kim Karr

Publication Date: July 7, 2015

Publisher: NAL Trade
Source: Received from Publisher 

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

*This book was received from the publisher, but it did not influence this review in any way *

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not...

New York Times bestselling author Kim Karr turns up the heat in a smoking hot, emotionally compelling new novel that takes you into the world of Manhattan’s elite.

In Toxic, Jeremy McQueen, a sexy, intense, sometimes brooding entrepreneur goes after what he wants—the woman he left behind years ago. Phoebe St. Claire, a put together, in control socialite-turned-CEO has been drifting through life searching for something she thought she'd never find again—the right man to share her future.

Our passion was boundless. Our lust untamed. And our desire endless. He was the only man who ever made me feel alive. Then, I betrayed him.

When he reappeared, I didn’t question it. Trust rarely survives the wrecking ball, so when he let me in back in—I didn’t hesitate.

Maybe I should have.

What began as a bid to save my family business, turned into a second chance at love. It felt so romantic. Working together, side by side, with the man I loved. My dream come true.

Nothing is as good as it seems.

We had our issues, but then again, every couple does. It wasn’t jealousy, or our too-hot sex life that I should have been worried about.

It was his darkside.

I never saw the end coming, until it slammed me in the face. The question is—did he?

Was revenge his plan all along?b

****

Sometimes you have to wonder if your life is too good to be true.
Is it real or just an illusion?
Does the man lying beside you really love you like he says he does?
If the answer is yes, you’re meant to live happily ever after.
If the answer is no, you’re living my life, and nothing will ever be the same.

What you do about it—that’s up to you.

Me, I’m in too deep and there’s no getting out.

I’ll take whatever I can get for as long as I can because I know when it’s over…

I’ll never find another man like him.

Ever!

Jeremy McQueen and Phoebe St. Claire have more in common than anyone could ever realize. They meet in their early twenties and begin a relationship that completely intoxicates them from the moment they meet. After a misunderstanding, a jealous reaction, and a huge secret they break up and Jeremy moves away. After a few years pass and both Jeremy and Paige have matured and moved up in their careers, they run into each other and things start to heat up again.

What I love about this book is that the characters are so great to read. I'm not normally a jealous person but I find it easy to understand everything that these characters say to each other when certain things get discovered and jealousy rears its very ugly head. The backstory about how they are connected seemed a bit far off, but overall I think it added to the drama. 

I have to say that I loved reading this book so much!! Mainly because Jeremy McQueen is one of the swooniest guy i've ever read and I literally can't stand that he isn't real! I mean seriously, how can we live in a world where he doesn't exist?!?! Jeremy is strong and brave and brute, but also shows his softer side when he is charming and caring and oh so swoony. Everything he says seeps with sexuality. 

Phoebe St. Claire is strong in her own ways but her insecurities lead her to conclusions that are often inaccurate and can leave her broken down. She seems to have difficulty establishing herself and relies too much on validation from others, particularly Jeremy. While reading this book I noticed that she was the one that had the most insecurities and distrust for Jeremy. At times I thought it was uncalled for and unnecessary. Their love seems toxic because all they do is keep hurting each other but in the end they prove that their love is stronger than anything that comes their way and they are always willing to fight to keep what they have. 

Overall, I really loved reading this book and found it really difficult to put down. The swoons were real my friends. So go forth and grab your copy today!

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday~ Riders (Riders #1) by Veronica Rossi (#50)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Morning Swooners :-)

This week my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication selections are:

Riders (Riders #1) by Veronica Rossi

Expected release date: February 16, 2016

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

For eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake, nothing but death can keep him from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does.

Recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can't remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen--Conquest, Famine, and Death--are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence.

They fail.

Now--bound, bloodied, and drugged--Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he's fallen for--not to mention all of humankind--he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger.

But will anyone believe him?

Why I'm waiting:

I pretty much LOOOOOVVEEE the earth Veronica Rossi walks on. I adored her Under the Never Sky series and loved the Boomerang books she co-authored and just basically love her as a person. So yea, she writes it and I will always read it!!

What are you anxiously waiting for?

In Their Footsteps; A Parisian Tour of Anna and the French Kiss

Hi Swooners,

So after a whole two months of being back in the U.S. I'm finally able to share with you the details of my Anna and the French Kiss Tour I embarked on in August.

For those of you wondering what I'm talking about, Anna and the French Kiss is a book by Stephanie Perkins and it's basically a beautifully written story about a boy and a girl that fall in love in Paris.

 

My passion for Paris grew exponentially once I read Anna and the French Kiss. So of course once I realized that my dream of going to Paris was actually coming true I knew that I had to make it Anna related. So here are the details of Anna and the French Kiss Parisian Tour :)

I had to stop by the Rodin Museum and take a picture of "The Thinker"

Love Lock Bridge (they removed all of locks on the actual bridge but left the part of the bridge that was on the sidewalk <3

Locks on Love lock bridge 

My favorite picture of the ferris wheel

Remember when Etienne and Anna went on the ferris wheel ride :) 

Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge

Just a regular girl watching her dreams come true <3

Pointe Zero Notre Dame

I learned that there are actually other Pointe Zero locations in Paris but only went to this one for obvious Anna reasons :)

Notre Dame

Pantheon and The Louvre

Cinema Le Champo

The view from my hotel. Hotel du Louvre right across the street from the Louvre

Shakespeare and Company Book Store

  

My attempt to get pictures inside of Shakespeare and Co. (no photos allowed) 

The beautiful tote bag and books I bought from Shakespeare and Co. :)

Arc du Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees and The Luxemberg Gardens 

So this is just a small recap of my trip to Paris. I have so many more pictures that I would love to post but since those aren't really Anna related I thought i'd spare you. Plus I have waaaaaayyyyy too many to share. Overall I had such an amazing time and I am so thankful that I was able to fulfill this dream of mine. 

Thank you to everyone that enjoys looking at these pictures just as much as I enjoyed taking them. Books are my life and my inspiration for everything!

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday~ Soundless by Richelle Mead (#49)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Morning Swooners :-)

This week my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication selections are:

Soundless by Richelle Mead

Expected release date: November 10, 2015

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

From Richelle Mead, the #1 internationally bestselling author of Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, comes a breathtaking new fantasy steeped in Chinese folklore. 

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever...

Why I'm waiting:

I'v heard so many great things about Richelle Mead and her Vampire Academy series. I even have a copy on my bookshelf. I haven't actually read it yet but i'm working my way there lol this book actually sounds really good too so now I feel like I need to inhale VA so I can start this one when it comes out! Thoughts?

What are you anxiously waiting for?

BOOK BLITZ: Fierce Reads at Books and Books: Leila Sales

Hi Swooners! So Lexi Swoons has teamed up with a group of South Florida bloggers to bring you exclusive interviews from the authors on the 2015 Fierce Reads Tour. Today we have Leila Sales, author of Tonight the Streets Are Ours.

Tonight the Streets Are Ours

Author: Leila Sales

Release Date: September 15, 2015

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Recklessly loyal.

That’s how seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley has always thought of herself. Caring for her loved ones is what gives Arden purpose in her life and makes her feel like she matters. But lately she’s grown resentful of everyone—including her needy best friend and her absent mom—taking her loyalty for granted.

Then Arden stumbles upon a website called Tonight the Streets Are Ours, the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter, who gives voice to feelings that Arden has never known how to express. He seems to get her in a way that no one else does, and he hasn’t even met her.

Until Arden sets out on a road trip to find him.

During one crazy night out in New York City filled with parties, dancing, and music—the type of night when anything can happen, and nearly everything does—Arden discovers that Peter isn’t exactly who she thought he was. And maybe she isn’t exactly who she thought she was, either.

INTERVIEW

1. What are 5 random facts about yourself?

1 – I type using only two fingers.

2 – My middle name is a boy’s name.

3 – I can recite the name of every student in my high school class in alphabetical order.

4 – I own more than 100 original My Little Ponies.

5 – For five years I received so many text messages from strangers that I started a blog about them: theleilatexts.blogspot.com

2. If you were hosting a literary dinner party, which six authors or characters would you invite?

I’d invite my closes author friends: Rebecca Serle, Lauren Oliver, Jocelyn Davies, Courtney Sheinmel, Lexa Hillyer, and Jess Rothenberg. Whenever we hang out together, we always have a blast and laugh so hard and inspire each other. What more could I want out of a dinner party?

3. What can you tell us about your new book, Tonight the Streets Are Ours and what do you hope readers take from it?

TONIGHT THE STREETS ARE OURS is about a teen girl who becomes fascinated with a blogger from afar. Based on what he writes about his life, he seems perfect—he seems to get her in a way that nobody who knows her in real life does. So she sets out on a road trip with her best friend to track him down in person. Over the course of one epic night in New York City, she comes to realize that he’s not exactly who she expected him to be based on his online persona. There’s a lot that I’d like readers to take away from this book, but one of the main ideas is that everyone lies by omission online. The way people present themselves online is a curated version of themselves, and you should try to understand that whatever you’re seeing there is only one part of their whole life story. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Leila Sales was born in 1984 and grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in psychology in 2006. Now she lives in Brooklyn, New York, and works in the mostly glamorous world of children's book publishing. Leila spends most of her time thinking about sleeping, kittens, dance parties, and stories that she wants to write.

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday~ This Song Is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin (#48)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Morning Swooners :-)

This week my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication selections are:

This Song Is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin

Expected release date: January 5, 2016

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

Bandmate, best friend or boyfriend? For Ramona, one choice could mean losing them all.

Ramona and Sam are best friends. She fell for him the moment they met, but their friendship is just too important for her to mess up. Sam loves April, but he would never expect her to feel the same way--she's too quirky and cool for someone like him. Together, they have a band, and put all of their feelings for each other into music.

Then Ramona and Sam meet Tom. He's their band's missing piece, and before Ramona knows it, she's falling for him. But she hasn't fallen out of love with Sam either.

How can she be true to her feelings without breaking up the band?

Why I'm waiting:

I loved the authors previous book and I seriously can not wait for this one to come out. I think Laura Nowlin is a great author and even though I did not like the ending of her last book, If He Had Been With Me, I firmly believe that she will not disappoint me with this one!

What are you anxiously waiting for?

REVIEW: How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete (Slug Pie Story #1) by Mick Bogerman

How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete (Slug Pie Story #1) by Mick Bogerman

Publication Date: July 24, 2014

Publisher: Slug Pie Stories, LLC
Source: Received from Publisher 

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

*This book was received from the publisher, but it did not influence this review in any way *

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Armed with a pitchfork, miner's hat, and map, Mick Bogerman dares to hunt for pirate treasure in Zombie Cave. His little brother Finley is tied up at the beach. Literally--Mick tied him up. No one needs a little brother tagging along when you're going to slay the undead. But Mick soon wishes he;d taken some human company with him, because lurking in every corner, reaching from every crevice, is another hungry corpse. No wonder the place is named Zombie Cave! And finding treasure in the twisty tunnels is a lot harder when your map disintegrates. And man-oh-man the cold, dark tide chases fast. But the worst part about fighting off ravenous flesh-eaters is the one monster deadlier than a regular zombie...the worst of the worst...Pirate Pete.

Mick Bogerman is a cool kid. At his age I was still playing with Barbie's and discovering boy bands. Not Mick and his little brother Finley though, they go on adventures everyday! In this adventure Mick finds his way to Zombie Cave to find Pirate Pete's treasure. He thinks Finley can't handle himself, so he tricks him and leaves him somewhere else so he can conquer Zombie Cave alone. But Mick completely underestimates the zombies and their strength. Turns out, his little brother is his best friend and savior in this book.

Mick is such a great character because he's headstrong and determined. For Mick, it doesn't matter what anyone says or does, he knows what he wants and he knows how to get it...well sort of! He is still a kid after all and his ideas are a bit crazy and dramatic. Which of course I love because that's exactly what makes the book so much fun to read and live in. Finley, on the other hand is one smart kid. He figures out how to escape and find his brother just in time. Finley is such a lovable character because he is smart and headstrong just like his brother, but he has such a go-with-the-flow attitude.

Overall I really loved this book. The story line was fun and believable (if you're a child at heart like me hehe) and it's really catchy for all kinds of people that read it. Children and adults alike :)