Bang by Lisa McMann {review}

Title: Bang (Visions #2)
Author: Lisa McMann (website)(Twitter)
Pages: 256 / e-galley
Expected Publication Date: October 8, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Publisher for review 
Rating: It was ok.

If you haven't read the first book in this series, I would suggest reading my review of Crash instead.

I squealed with delight when I was approved to read the e-galley of Bang. Although Crash wasn't a 5 star read for me, I really enjoyed it and was looking forward to the next in the series. 

Once again, if you haven't read Crash, I would suggest you read that review instead as the review of Bang gives away parts of Crash.

Bang picks up where Crash left off. Julia has saved everyone and is recovered enough to finally go home. She and Sawyer are in a forbidden and therefore secret romance. Her father has sunk ever deeper into himself and is a mess. When Sawyer begins to see a vision, Julia feels responsible, that somehow she's "given" him some sort of disease.

They try to work their way through the newest vision but ultimately ask for the help of her brother, Trey. The family dynamics that I loved so much in the first book aren't as strong in this one. It's very superficial and focuses mostly on Julia and Sawyer trying to figure out the new vision. And her parents are messed up. Totally messed up.

It was interesting to see the vision through Sawyer's eyes since the story is told from Julia's perspective. She is trying to help him figure it all out and she knows first hand how horrible it is to see the vision over and over again.

I don't want to spoil anything by revealing where the vision is or how it is resolved but it drove me crazy. I was very interested in what was happening until I found out why it was happening. If I hadn't invested so much time already in the reading of the book (in other words, I was almost finished) I would have hurled it across the room - ok, probably not since I was reading it on my Kindle - but you get my point. I was highly annoyed because I felt like a couple of hot button topics were thrown together for the story. It wasn't completely unbelievable and there was a twist there but still. 

Overall the book isn't badly written though Julia does seem much younger this time around. I was just expecting way more. I know that there is one more book in the series but I am unsure if I will read it. 

Bang by Lisa McMann {review}

Title: Bang (Visions #2)
Author: Lisa McMann (website)(Twitter)
Pages: 256 / e-galley
Expected Publication Date: October 8, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Publisher for review 
Rating: It was ok.

If you haven't read the first book in this series, I would suggest reading my review of Crash instead.

I squealed with delight when I was approved to read the e-galley of Bang. Although Crash wasn't a 5 star read for me, I really enjoyed it and was looking forward to the next in the series. 

Once again, if you haven't read Crash, I would suggest you read that review instead as the review of Bang gives away parts of Crash.

Bang picks up where Crash left off. Julia has saved everyone and is recovered enough to finally go home. She and Sawyer are in a forbidden and therefore secret romance. Her father has sunk ever deeper into himself and is a mess. When Sawyer begins to see a vision, Julia feels responsible, that somehow she's "given" him some sort of disease.

They try to work their way through the newest vision but ultimately ask for the help of her brother, Trey. The family dynamics that I loved so much in the first book aren't as strong in this one. It's very superficial and focuses mostly on Julia and Sawyer trying to figure out the new vision. And her parents are messed up. Totally messed up.

It was interesting to see the vision through Sawyer's eyes since the story is told from Julia's perspective. She is trying to help him figure it all out and she knows first hand how horrible it is to see the vision over and over again.

I don't want to spoil anything by revealing where the vision is or how it is resolved but it drove me crazy. I was very interested in what was happening until I found out why it was happening. If I hadn't invested so much time already in the reading of the book (in other words, I was almost finished) I would have hurled it across the room - ok, probably not since I was reading it on my Kindle - but you get my point. I was highly annoyed because I felt like a couple of hot button topics were thrown together for the story. It wasn't completely unbelievable and there was a twist there but still. 

Overall the book isn't badly written though Julia does seem much younger this time around. I was just expecting way more. I know that there is one more book in the series but I am unsure if I will read it. 

Boy Meets Dog by Valerie Wyatt {Kids Book Review)

Title: Boy Meets Dog, a Word Game Adventure
Author: Valerie Wyatt 
Illustrator: Dave Whamond
Published August 1, 2013 by Kids Can Press 
Source/format: egalley received from publisher for review
Rating: cute but different

This little book shows how changing one letter in a word turns it into something else entirely. Changing the "t" in toy to a "b" makes a toy into a boy. 

It wasn't exactly what I was expecting because I thought it would be just one letter differences but it was bigger than that. Changing bus to car for example: bus to but to bat to bar to car. As the book went along, there were more and more words in between the original word and the new word.

Although the illustrations are really cute, they weren't enough to hold the attention of either of my boys. 

Boy Meets Dog by Valerie Wyatt {Kids Book Review)

Title: Boy Meets Dog, a Word Game Adventure
Author: Valerie Wyatt 
Illustrator: Dave Whamond
Published August 1, 2013 by Kids Can Press 
Source/format: egalley received from publisher for review
Rating: cute but different

This little book shows how changing one letter in a word turns it into something else entirely. Changing the "t" in toy to a "b" makes a toy into a boy. 

It wasn't exactly what I was expecting because I thought it would be just one letter differences but it was bigger than that. Changing bus to car for example: bus to but to bat to bar to car. As the book went along, there were more and more words in between the original word and the new word.

Although the illustrations are really cute, they weren't enough to hold the attention of either of my boys. 

ARC Envy #9 Vintage by Susan Gloss

Every week several of my favorite bloggers post vlogs or whatever of all the great book hauls they've received for the week. Since I'm a tiny little fish in the huge book blogging pond, my mailbox isn't stuffed with all the great ARCs that they get. Dana's ARC Envy is my way of highlighting an ARC that I *wish* had been sent to me too. 

Title: Vintage
Author: Susan Gloss (website)(Twitter)
Publisher: William Morrow / HarperCollins (website)(Twitter)
Expected Publication Date: March 25, 2014

Judging a book by its cover:  The cover is what caught my eye. Loves. I can have?

Know anything about the author?  Debut author. Yay for her!

Why do I want it?  The cover is all kinds of delightful. The title is one of my favorite words. The premise sounds awesome. A vintage resell shop. Yes, please! Sounds like such a sweet read. 

Summary from Goodreads:

A sparkling debut novel in the vein of The Friday Night Knitting Club, centered around a Midwestern vintage clothing shop and a group of women who eventually transform the store and each others' lives.

At Hourglass Vintage in Madison, Wisconsin, every item in the boutique has a story to tell . . . and so do the women who are drawn there.

Yellow Samsonite suitcase with ivory, quilted lining, 1950s...
Violet Turner had always dreamed of owning a shop like Hourglass Vintage. Though she knows the personal history behind each precious item she sells, Violet refuses to acknowledge her own past. When she is faced with the possibility of losing the store, she realizes that, as much as she wants to, she cannot save it alone.

Taffeta tea length wedding gown with scooped neckline and cap sleeves, 1952...
Eighteen-year-old April Morgan is nearly five months along in an unplanned pregnancy when her hasty engagement is broken. When she returns the perfect 1950s wedding dress, she discovers unexpected possibilities and friends who won't let her give up on her dreams.

Orange sari made from silk dupioni with gold paisley design, 1968...
Betrayed by her husband, Amithi Singh begins selling off her old clothes, remnants of her past life. After decades of housekeeping and parenting a daughter who rejects her traditional ways, she fears she has nothing more ahead for her.

An engaging story that beautifully captures the essence of women's friendship and love, Vintage is a charming tale of possibility, of finding renewal and hope when we least expect it

What ARC are you envying this week?

ARC Envy #9 Vintage by Susan Gloss

Every week several of my favorite bloggers post vlogs or whatever of all the great book hauls they've received for the week. Since I'm a tiny little fish in the huge book blogging pond, my mailbox isn't stuffed with all the great ARCs that they get. Dana's ARC Envy is my way of highlighting an ARC that I *wish* had been sent to me too. 

Title: Vintage
Author: Susan Gloss (website)(Twitter)
Publisher: William Morrow / HarperCollins (website)(Twitter)
Expected Publication Date: March 25, 2014

Judging a book by its cover:  The cover is what caught my eye. Loves. I can have?

Know anything about the author?  Debut author. Yay for her!

Why do I want it?  The cover is all kinds of delightful. The title is one of my favorite words. The premise sounds awesome. A vintage resell shop. Yes, please! Sounds like such a sweet read. 

Summary from Goodreads:

A sparkling debut novel in the vein of The Friday Night Knitting Club, centered around a Midwestern vintage clothing shop and a group of women who eventually transform the store and each others' lives.

At Hourglass Vintage in Madison, Wisconsin, every item in the boutique has a story to tell . . . and so do the women who are drawn there.

Yellow Samsonite suitcase with ivory, quilted lining, 1950s...
Violet Turner had always dreamed of owning a shop like Hourglass Vintage. Though she knows the personal history behind each precious item she sells, Violet refuses to acknowledge her own past. When she is faced with the possibility of losing the store, she realizes that, as much as she wants to, she cannot save it alone.

Taffeta tea length wedding gown with scooped neckline and cap sleeves, 1952...
Eighteen-year-old April Morgan is nearly five months along in an unplanned pregnancy when her hasty engagement is broken. When she returns the perfect 1950s wedding dress, she discovers unexpected possibilities and friends who won't let her give up on her dreams.

Orange sari made from silk dupioni with gold paisley design, 1968...
Betrayed by her husband, Amithi Singh begins selling off her old clothes, remnants of her past life. After decades of housekeeping and parenting a daughter who rejects her traditional ways, she fears she has nothing more ahead for her.

An engaging story that beautifully captures the essence of women's friendship and love, Vintage is a charming tale of possibility, of finding renewal and hope when we least expect it

What ARC are you envying this week?

Maybe Tonight? by Bridie Clark {review}

Title: Maybe Tonight? (Snap Decision #1)
Author: Bridie Clark
Pages: 224 pages
Expected Publication Date: August 6, 2013
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press / Macmillian (website)
Source: Publisher for review
Rating: was ok

I'm not sure how to review a choose your own adventure book since I didn't read every single possible scenario. I fondly remember these types of books from my childhood so I was excited to try this new series. 

The basic premise is that you are a not very rich girl from a tiny little town that gets a scholarship to a very elite boarding school. Once there, you are lucky enough to room with 3 popular girls who really like you. It's the night of the Midwinter's Night Dream, the most exciting party of the year.

Each choice you make takes you in a different direction, of course. Honestly my choices in the book were the opposite of what I'd do in real life. I'm a by-the-book, play-by-the-rules kind of person so it was interesting to see how the choices played out in the book when I went against my personality.

It seemed that it was super short. Like I said, I didn't do every scenario but the things I chose made the book quite quickly over. I'm not sure if it was the storyline, the writing or my age but I wasn't all that interested in it. Overall I was really disappointed. The premise is super cute, the cover is super cute and the memories of previous choose your own adventure books are wonderful, but this one didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Maybe Tonight? by Bridie Clark {review}

Title: Maybe Tonight? (Snap Decision #1)
Author: Bridie Clark
Pages: 224 pages
Expected Publication Date: August 6, 2013
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press / Macmillian (website)
Source: Publisher for review
Rating: was ok

I'm not sure how to review a choose your own adventure book since I didn't read every single possible scenario. I fondly remember these types of books from my childhood so I was excited to try this new series. 

The basic premise is that you are a not very rich girl from a tiny little town that gets a scholarship to a very elite boarding school. Once there, you are lucky enough to room with 3 popular girls who really like you. It's the night of the Midwinter's Night Dream, the most exciting party of the year.

Each choice you make takes you in a different direction, of course. Honestly my choices in the book were the opposite of what I'd do in real life. I'm a by-the-book, play-by-the-rules kind of person so it was interesting to see how the choices played out in the book when I went against my personality.

It seemed that it was super short. Like I said, I didn't do every scenario but the things I chose made the book quite quickly over. I'm not sure if it was the storyline, the writing or my age but I wasn't all that interested in it. Overall I was really disappointed. The premise is super cute, the cover is super cute and the memories of previous choose your own adventure books are wonderful, but this one didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Adding to the Stacks #3

Thankfully last week was a slow book week for me. I say "thankfully" because I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the great books I've received in the past couple of months. Will be glad to have a chance to catch up without getting any new ones.

For Review:

Who Asked You? by Terry McMillan - reading this one now. I've enjoyed every McMillan that I've read so I'm might have squealed a bit when I opened up this one.

Purchased:

 

Pretties (Uglies #2) by Scott Westerfeld

Harm's Way (Alan Gregory #4) by Stephen White

Unfit to Practice (Nina Reilly #8) by Perri O'Shaughnessy

Fade Away (Myron Bolitar #3) by Harlan Coben

Do I have the others in these series? Umm, no. You see, there is this little thrift store in my city that sometimes has books and I threw these in the bag. They were practically free. I couldn't NOT take them. Will they end up at a yard sale or back to a thrift store? Umm, yeah, probably. I can't read books out of order. Will look for more of these the next time we go. 

What did you get recently?

Adding to the Stacks #3

Thankfully last week was a slow book week for me. I say "thankfully" because I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the great books I've received in the past couple of months. Will be glad to have a chance to catch up without getting any new ones.

For Review:

Who Asked You? by Terry McMillan - reading this one now. I've enjoyed every McMillan that I've read so I'm might have squealed a bit when I opened up this one.

Purchased:

 

Pretties (Uglies #2) by Scott Westerfeld

Harm's Way (Alan Gregory #4) by Stephen White

Unfit to Practice (Nina Reilly #8) by Perri O'Shaughnessy

Fade Away (Myron Bolitar #3) by Harlan Coben

Do I have the others in these series? Umm, no. You see, there is this little thrift store in my city that sometimes has books and I threw these in the bag. They were practically free. I couldn't NOT take them. Will they end up at a yard sale or back to a thrift store? Umm, yeah, probably. I can't read books out of order. Will look for more of these the next time we go. 

What did you get recently?