Cover Reveal: The Taming of the Tights by Louise Rennison

I simply adore this series. It is, in a sense, a guilty pleasure of mine, or a way to relive younger days. I think everyone should definitely give this series a try; it's guaranteed to make you chuckle and grin like an idiot.

Without further ado, here is the wonderful cover.

Gadzooks! It's another term at Dother Hall for Tallulah and her mates. But can they keep their minds on the arts with all those boys about...After the thing-that-will-never-be-mentioned last term, Tallulah is keen to put all thoughts of Cain behind her. But that seems like that the last thing he wants. Their performing arts college may have been saved by Honey's mystery benefactor, but for how long is anyone's guess. So will Tallulah finally get to wear those golden slippers of applause or will Dr Lightowler swoop down on her glory days? And with Seth and Flossie forever snogging, Vaisey and Jack loved-up and Phil and Jo fondly biffing each other can Tallulah resist the call of her wild boy? Don your craziest tights and Irish dance your way to some surprising and hilariously unexpected answers...

Hardcover, 256 pages

Expected publication: August 13th 2013 by Harper Teen

Doesn't it look great? I love the amusing covers.

Well, I suppose I shall have to anxiously wait for this. Sigh...

Cover Reveal: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Yes, the first book is still sitting in my TBR pile. But I felt the need to go ahead and put this baby on display! It's just too awesome-looking not to do it. Plus, since I just heard about it today, I am far too ecstatic not to tell at least someone about it.

Obviously I chose you guys.

The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after... 

Can you guys just look at this cover a moment? Just gaze at it as I am doing at this exact moment. Ponder the amazingness that has been made. Also, can I just mention that I am so relieved there is not a sudden cover change? It really grates on my nerves when publishers do that, because none of my books would match anymore!

Putting that aside, I love how the ravens just seem to fly from him, his very being. He is the raven.

Okay, sorry. I was on a little fan craze at that moment.

Anyway, I cannot tell you how excited I am for this. There are no words. If you're excited for it as well, comment below and tell me what specifically you can't wait to see more of in this series!

Until later,
Sam

Review: A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

Description: This is the remarkable story of one endearing dog’s search for his purpose over the course of several lives. More than just another charming dog story, A Dog’s Purpose touches on the universal quest for an answer to life's most basic question: Why are we here?

Surprised to find himself reborn as a rambunctious golden-haired puppy after a tragically short life as a stray mutt, Bailey’s search for his new life’s meaning leads him into the loving arms of 8-year-old Ethan. During their countless adventures Bailey joyously discovers how to be a good dog.

But this life as a beloved family pet is not the end of Bailey’s journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey wonders—will he ever find his purpose?

Language: Mild (hardly any)

Violence: Moderate

Sexual: Mild (From the dog’s view, it says that he sees a couple “wrestling” on the couch and thinks nothing of it, but the dog falls asleep after mentioning that. Also, it says something about a “new game” that the dog discovered, which he soon lost interest in after being fixed)

There is a reason this novel was on the top list of 2o1o on GoodReads! I just cannot get enough of this story, with its interesting and fresh premise and lovable dog as the narrator.

The reason I picked up this book was because I was hoping this would make me smile. You see, I find it difficult these days, with stress and drama, to find a reason to smile, especially since fairly recently one of my best friends, who had been with me since I was a baby, died (my dearest dog). I was also hoping I would get some closure. But this book did so much more than make me smile; it made me laugh, grin even, and feel close to tears a few times. People were right to say that this is a story you will not forget.

Never once have I had mixed feelings about this novel: it was all love for it. Considering I’ve never read a book with the dog as the heroine, I wasn’t exactly certain what to expect. It was a little out of my comfort zone, but I am so relieved I took the plunge and dove right into this incredible story. Although it is quite short (at roughly three hundred and twenty pages), you will fly through the pages, and I am not sure whether it is the story itself or the amusing writing style that makes it so addicting. It did not take me long at all to complete this novel.

Whether you are quite familiar with Mr. Cameron’s works or you just love dogs, I can guarantee that this will move you and leave you with a comforting and settling feeling.

Cover: I love the simplicity of it. Refreshing.

Setting: Whether it’s the Yard, the loving home, or anywhere else, this dog faces new excitement and troubles along the way.

Characters: The dog. I love that dog. The owners were unique as well.

Storyline: Several adventures from the eyes of a dog.

Writing: The loose and easy-going writing style purposely tells us that dogs truly are simple creatures.

Surprises: I was impressed that there were a few surprises in this novel.

Overall: 4.5 stars. This is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2013 so far, and I won’t hesitate to pick up the second book.

Recommended: I would recommend this book to all dog lovers out there, along with the loyal fans of this author.

Review: Fly Away by Kristin Hannah

Description: Once, a long time ago, I walked down a night-darkened road called Firefly Lane, all alone, on the worst night of my life, and I found a kindred spirit. That was our beginning. More than thirty years ago. TullyandKate. You and me against the world. Best friends forever. But stories end, don’t they? You lose the people you love and you have to find a way to go on. . . .

Language: Moderate/Heavy

Violence: Moderate (deaths, drugs, comas, etc.)

Sexual: Moderate (mention of sex and molesting, but never specifically shown)

We all know those books; the ones of which you cannot help but fall in love with because of the enchanting, yet far from complex, writing style and the lovely characters that surround the pages and twist the story until it is completely its own, and not about the past story of Firefly Lane. I can tell you, without a doubt, that this is certainly one of those books.

This isn’t one of those stories that you can easily place on the shelf or toss aside and just forget with a shake of your head. It is an emotional roller coaster that you will not want to escape from. It pulls out your heart straight from your chest and shakes it up before returning it to its rightful place, with a dull ache and warmth of memories to flood your soul.

I was reading some reviews recently, and quite a bit of people stated rather unfairly that the pacing was slow, the plot was reused so much that it was a tangled and shredded mess, and there were more than a few still parts of flashbacks. Yes, the pacing was incredibly slow at some parts, but that brought forth character growth and brought me up to speed with the previous book, which I have not had the privilege to read yet. Sure, the plot may have been used before, but I do not believe that it was written exactly like this—how could something be written with such emotional triumph to the soul as this one? How could there be such original and relatable characters, as this one has? And perhaps there were flashbacks; in fact, it took up the majority of the book. But like I previously stated, it caught me up to the charming storyline and I did not mind reading about their past lives at all.

So, is this story for everyone? No. Why, then, should you bother giving it a try? Because I believe that this is a beautiful story told through the crumbled lives that is uplifting and overall satisfying, that you will never know you can enjoy or not unless you pick up the book and open to the first page.

Cover: The cover appears to be very nice beside the first novel, simple but captivating.

Setting: The story is set in several occasions, but I’d prefer to just put the original location: Firefly Lane.

Characters: All of the characters in this story are original and have their own personalities and backgrounds. You may assume dreadful facts about many of these characters, but as the story progresses you will learn their reasoning and suddenly be unable to judge them on their pasts. The author purposely does this before telling you the full story, letting you see the world through their broken gazes.

Storyline: A family and best friend learn to cope with the death of their precious relative.

Writing: The writing style of Kristin Hannah is unlike any that I have read before. It is not the most intellectually stimulating, but it is rather addicting and flowed so nicely and wonderfully that it in itself was beautiful in its own way. People tell me that her other books are better, but if it is, then I will be both astonished and pleased with this new discovery.

Surprises: This story is not one that will completely shock you, although there are some surprising moments. I did not find a large quantity of it; however, the surprises could have been wavered from trying to catch up with the different sides of everyone.

Overall: 4.5 stars. The only reason I did not give it a full five stars is because of the characters’ unique stories that seemed to pop back and force sporadically.

Recommended: I would recommend this to all fans of Firefly Lane (not to mention Kristin Hannah) and anyone who wants a refreshing and emotional read that will leave you satisfied with the ending and scanning the shelves for more pieces by this bright author.