Books Read-2013 – Cindy's Love Of Books

Review/ Altered

Posted on September 17, 2014September 19, 2014 by Cindy

Altered by Jennifer Rush
Format: Paperback
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on 2013-01-01
Pages: 336
Goodreads
Genres: Action & Adventure, General, Love & Romance, Science & Technology, Young Adult

They were made to forget. But they'll never forgive.Everything about Anna's life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch, at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There's Nick, solemn and brooding; Cas, light-hearted and playful; Trev, smart and caring; and Sam . . . who's stolen Anna's heart.When the Branch decides it's time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape. Anna's father pushes her to go with them, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. On the run, with her father's warning in her head, Anna begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about herself. She soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they're both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

As I was cleaning up my blog over the weekend I noticed several posts that were in draft mode and it was mainly a bunch of ideas that I wanted to work on for posts and several reviews of books. Does anyone else do that?

One of the reviews was for Altered by Jennifer Rush. This was her debut novel and for some reason I never posted the review and it wasn’t a complete review so I went to the library to see if I could borrow the book and re-read it since my copy of the book has been either given away or its packed in a box in the basement. I know I did read it all because I have it documented in my note book and its noted review to come so I am sure real life must have gotten in the way or I just thought I had posted it.

Anyways back to Altered. I really enjoyed it. The next book in the series is Erased and it will be released in paper back in December 2014 and the third book is Reborn and its coming out in hardcover in January 2015. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

I really enjoyed the book and I think I read it rather quickly this time around. I was sucked in right away and had a hard time to put it down at times which for me makes a book that more enjoyable. I love books like that. There is alot going on and it kept you on your toes throughout the book.

One of the things I loved about this book is that Jennifer told the story beautifully. She created a world that wasn’t far fetched if that makes sense and it made you think that this could literally happen next door to you. She didn’t give alot of nonsense to the story and provided just the right of information when you need it, if that makes sense. For me I love a story that has a little back ground to it because you want to know but when it becomes to much information I find it takes away from the book so Jennifer bravo for doing it right. You have earned a fan from me.

I also loved how at every turn you knew something would happen but not quite sure what it would be. I love the element of surprise and Altered has just that. Alot of questions were answered as the story went along and she did leave you with a cliff hanger that left you wanting to read more. I will have to check to see if book two is available.

If your a young adult who loves action, mystery and suspense then this is the book for you. There isn’t much romance happening and you would think there would be some with some hot guys (Nick, Trev, Cas and Sam) running around with you but there isn’t although at times I thought there might be. I do have to say that I did secretly crush and hoped Anna would fall for Trev. Trev would be my dream guy because not only was he tall, dark and handsome but he was a reader and he loved to read. How can you not fall in love with someone like that?

Growing up Anna always knew her dad was up to something but wasn’t completely sure until she was old enough when her father would allow her to come and help him in his secret lab. I always thought it was a little weird that she didn’t fully know what was going on just feet away from her. I guess maybe she thought that was normal but I know I would have been like wow four hot guys being held in my basement, I need to do something.

It was nice to see Anna grow into her character as the book progressed. She started out as the shy awkward kid and then grew into a force to be reckoned with.

I can’t wait to read Erased and dig more into the storyline and characters.

What you read this series? What did you think of it?

Review/ The Boy Project

Posted on September 10, 2014September 19, 2014 by Cindy

The Boy Project by Kami Kinard
Format: Hardcover
Published by Scholastic Inc. on 2012-01-01
Pages: 272
Goodreads
Genres: Friendship, General, Humorous Stories, Social Issues, Young Adult

For anyone who's ever felt that boys were a different species.... Wildly creative seventh grader Kara McAllister just had her best idea yet. She's going to take notes on all of the boys in her grade (and a few elsewhere) in order to answer a seemingly simple question: How can she get a boyfriend? But Kara's project turns out to be a lot more complicated than she imagined. Soon there are secrets, lies, and an embarrassing incident in the boy's bathroom. Plus, Kara has to deal with mean girls, her slightly spacey BFF, and some surprising uses for duct tape. Still, if Kara's research leads her to the right boy, everything may just be worth it. . . . Full of charts and graphs, heart and humor, this hilarious debut will resonate with tweens everywhere.

This has been a book that has been on my wishlist since it first came out so I was happy to see it sitting on the shelf at my library. The library is a great place to find books that you have sitting on your wishlist to read and I am making more of an effort to use the library for that purpose.

Kara was a character I could totally have related to if I was her age. I remember being in school and feeling like the only girl who didn’t/never have/had a boyfriend. The only difference between the both of us was that Kara decided to take matters into her own hands where I would have been a complete chicken.

Kara decides that in order to get anywhere you need to observe and that she does. She takes notes of the guys in her class, school and around here. Then she also observes the girls and makes notes. I loved the cute little names she would use such as Maybelline and this was in reference to the girls who wore to much make up and the Vines were the girls who were always hanging around the guys. You remember those girls right?

Reading this book I wondered where was this book when I needed it. I think so many younger girls would appreciate this book because Kami doesn’t make it to be this one big happy ever after thing where Kara gets what she wants she shows the reader that we all make mistakes and face embarrassing things but its okay because thats what makes us who we are.

I love books like this because it makes you realize that everyone is human and that we all make mistakes or get into embarrassing situations. I think we learn from those moments in time. I know in school I did a lot of embarrassing things (and at the time I wanted to die and run away) but I think it made me who I am today and the friends I still have in my life due to that says alot and those ones are truly friends. (You know who you are)

I also loved how Kami included notes, charts and graphs to the book because I feel as though it added to the book. It was sort of like reading a diary at times and I honestly like those kind of books.

I should also let you know that book 2 is out and its called The Boy Problem and its Kara’s BFF Tara’s story and its sort of the same idea. I will need to check this one out too.

Have you read this book?

Review/ The Limit

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Cindy

The Limit by Kristen Landon
Format: Paperback
Published by Simon and Schuster on 2011-12-06
Pages: 291
Goodreads
Genres: Action & Adventure, Family, General, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Science Fiction, Young Adult

An eighth grade girl was taken today . . .

With this first sentence, readers are immediately thrust into a fast-paced thriller that doesn't let up for a moment.

In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonders if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. As long as his parents remain within their limit, the government will be satisfied and leave them alone.

But all it takes is one fatal visit to the store to push Matt’s family over their limit—and to change his reality forever.

I have been doing some major cleaning up around my desk, on my desk, under my desk and my book shelves to get ready for the summer and I thought since I had a stack of quite a few books that I read last year and never got to review that I would do just little mini reviews of them.

I have to say first off that the cover is very different from the one I own. For some reason I like the original one much better then the newer version.

The Limit is set way in the future where every family has a set spending allowance that the government has imposed. If the family goes over that limit their children over the age of 13 are taken away to special workhouses and they are suppose to work of the debit to bring it down.

The main character Matt who is 13 years old is feeling pretty good that he won’t be take because he assumes his family is very good with their spending and is shocked when one day they come for him. Matt has no idea what to expect from these workhouses and is pretty shocked when it goes.

The work house is almost like a tiered system where the smartest kids get the most out of the system. Matt falls in to this category. The rooms on the top floor are pretty posh, they have a pool, all the food you can eat and the freedom to buy anything their little hearts desire.

I have to say when I was reading this I was like WTH….how can they have all this access if their families are in debt? It doesn’t make sense so with that you want to read to find out more about this.

Will Matt figure out what is going on? What will he do when he finds out the truth?

The one thing I find fault with is, why do the children have to suffer for what their parents have done with the money? Its not like the children forced their parents to over spend. I think as the parents and adults we need to teach our children good spending habits and explain to them that their are consequences to their spending money when they don’t have it to spend.

I really enjoyed the book and it was pretty fast paced which I really enjoy.

Review/ Hidden

Posted on January 19, 2014April 14, 2014 by Cindy

Title: Hidden
Author: Catherine McKenzie
Pub date: June 2013
Pages: 368
Publisher: Harper Collins

Source: I bought the book because I love reading Catherine’s books.

About The Book:

When a married man suffers a sudden fatal accident, two women are shattered-his wife and someone else”s-and past secrets, desires and regrets are brought to light.

While walking home from work one evening, Jeff Manning is struck by a car and killed. Not one but two women fall to pieces at the news: his wife, Claire, and his co-worker Tish. Reeling from her loss, Claire must comfort her grieving son and contend with funeral arrangements, well-meaning family members and the arrival of Jeff”s estranged brother-her ex-boyfriend-Tim.

With Tish”s co-workers in the dark about her connection to Jeff outside the workplace, she volunteers to attend the funeral on the company”s behalf, but only she knows the true risk of inserting herself into the wreckage of Jeff”s life. Told through the three voices of Jeff, Tish and Claire, Hidden explores the complexity of relationships, our personal choices and the responsibilities we have to the ones we love.

I always love reading Catherine’s books and I actually read this when it came out in June. This was actually my vacation book. I was going to review the book in the summer but I held off because I was hoping I could have gotten on her blog tour.

This is Catherine’s fourth book and all her books are stand alone. This was one of my favorites from Catherine to date.

When I read the synopsis I knew that this would be an emotional read and it was. I didn’t zip through the book like I normally do because I wanted to take it all in and at times I really wanted to just read it because there was alot of action and suspense because you never knew when secrets would be revealed.

Everyone dies but what if someone you loved died that had a secret? What if this secret was about to rock your world and change everything? We all have secrets, small and big.

Hidden is told in three points of view: Jeff (a married man who has been living a double life), Claire (Jeff’s wife who has no clue about her husband’s double life) and Tish (the secret love). I am always worried when there is multiple points of view told in the book but Catherine did a fantastic job of separating them so you knew who was who.

I actually enjoyed this because you got to discover more about the characters then you might not normally know about them in a normal story.

I think one of the elements that I really enjoyed was the mystery in the book because you had to keep asking yourself did Jeff really cheat on Claire with Tish? At times I have to say yea I think he did and then other times I was shaking my head no knowing if he did or didn’t. Will we ever find out if he did?

Jeff and Tish work for the same company but in different locations, Springfield (yes there are two). Their relationship starts out work related and then slowly builds into something. You can see the hesitation in both because they are both married with kids. No ones about their relationship as they have kept it hidden.

I was surprised because I thought that I would end up hating Jeff and Tish but I actually didn’t which is surprising. I know my heart was breaking for what Claire was going through with the lose of her husband and dealing with that as well as their son who is struggling with this as well. I actually was happy when Claire was putting two and two together wondering if her husband did cheat. It takes alot of courage to admit that their might have been something.

I loved that no one was perfect in the book. Everyone had flaws and secrets.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Review/ Identity Theft by Anna Davies

Posted on May 6, 2013April 14, 2014 by Cindy

Title: Identity Theft
Author: Anna Davies
Pub Date: May 2013
Publisher: Scholastic Inc
Pages: 256

Source: I purchased this book.

Series: Point Horror

It’s the return of Point Horror for the Internet generation! Don”t open the door. Don”t answer your phone. And whatever you do, DON”T turn on your computer . . .

Hayley is going to have the best year ever. After years of careful planning, she”s ready to serve as student council president AND editor-in-chief of the newspaper. Ivy League, here she comes!

However, just before student council elections, someone creates a fake facebook profile for Hayley and starts posting inappropriate photos and incriminating updates. It must be the work of a highly skilled Photoshopper, but the attention to detail is scary. The embarrassing photos of “Hayley” in her bathing suit reveal a birthmark on her back – a birth mark Hayley has never shown in public . . . .

The situation escalates until Hayley”s mother reveals some shocking information. Hayley isn”t an only child: She has a twin sister who was adopted by a different family. And that”s not all. Soon, Hayley discovers that her long-lost sister isn”t just playing a prank – she”s plotting to take over Hayley”s life . . . by any means necessary.

This is the second title/book from the relaunched of Point Horror by Scholastic and my very first time reading Anna Davies. The first title/book is called Defriended which I am currently reading.

I have to say that this was a quick and fast read. I read it in two days. It was an okay story but as I was reading this I realized that this is geared more towards the younger crowd then me. I remember reading horror books when I was in high school and let me say that they scared the heck out of me. You all know what I am talking about right?

Hayley is a typical high school student who is working very hard to make a name for herself (in a good way) and she is an over achiever who spends more time studying then doing anything fun and having friends. She is determined to get into an elite college on a scholarship. Things are on the right track since she doesn’t do anything but study. She is constantly checking online to make sure her name is in good standings in case the admissions team sees anything.

Then one day as she is looking she spots a fake facebook account and this freaks Haley out because she has no idea who has done this and is quick to blame Adam who is going for that same scholarship. Could it be Adam who did all this or is there someone else that Hayley doesn’t know about? I have to admit I was curious about who was doing this considering the extent they were going to and why they would do this.

Will this person’s actions jeopardize Hayley’s chance to get into the college?

I also have to say that I think more of a story could have developed and I was left wondering about numerous things such as Haley’s twin sister, Jamie and I wanted to know more about her and why she was doing what she was doing (being able to break in to Haley’s house, steal stuff from her etc), and why did Haley think it was okay to go to Jamie’s and then instantly be committed to a mental hospital and finally Jamie’s death so very confusing. There was so many unanswered questions.

Is it just me or does anyone else hate that?

Review # 8 Prodigy

Posted on February 26, 2013April 14, 2014 by Cindy

Title: Prodigy (Book 2 in Legend Series)
Author: Marie Lu
Pub Date: January 2013
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 384

Source: I was lucky enough to get an Advance Readers Copy from the Publisher at BEA 2012.

About the book:
June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

In this highly-anticipated sequel, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action.

This is the second book in the Legend series and the only down part to having read the first book and this one is now the long wait for book which is only suppose to come out in 2014. That is a year away.

I admit I took my time reading this because I wanted to savour the book but still dying to find out what happens. I also found that the book started a bit slower then Legend did and I found that I was sucked in much faster then this one. None the less I did enjoy the book.

The book opens up nine days later from where Legend ended. June and Day are heading towards Las Vegas in search of the Patriots help. They are both wanted by the Republic.

The Patriots have conditions when they offer June and Day assistance and protection. The first thing the Patriots do is give Day the medical help he needs for his leg that has turned badly affected from not getting the proper care when he was shot.

June and Day agree to help out the Patriots thinking that this will be better for them and everyone involved because the Elector needs to come down and things need to get back to the way they were before. The mission requires Day to kill the new Elector, Anden, (the old elector has died) because they think that nothing will change while he is in control. As the story progresses new information comes to light that make June and Day question who they can and cannot trust.

Will they be able to go through with the Patriots plan or will things change that make June and Day question who they can and cannot trust? Will Day uncover the truth before its too late?

I loved how there was enough action happening that you had to continue to read the book and the surprising twists and turns the came out. I am so excited and can’t wait for book three to come out.

Review # 7 A Howl for a Highlander

Posted on February 23, 2013April 14, 2014 by Cindy

Title: A Howl for a Highlander (book 10 in Werewolf Series)
Author: Terry Spear
Pub Date: February 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Pages: 328

Source: I received an ARC’s copy of the book from the publisher for review. Thanks alot Sourcebooks for sending me this.

About the book:
Praise for Heart of the Highland Wolf:

“Highlanders and werewolves. Be still my heart!”—The Good, the Bad, and the Unread

A Highland Wolf on a Mission…

Duncan MacNeill is hell-bent on catching the thief who’s stolen the clan’s fortune and run off to Grand Cayman Island. Duncan has rarely left his homeland and he couldn’t care less about an island paradise. He never expected to find a beautiful distraction who will show him just how appealing paradise can be…

Meets a Dangerous Distraction…

Lone wolf and botanist Shelley Campbell headed to the island to study the old growth forests. She didn’t count on meeting a handsome Highlander who can’t keep his paws off her.

Praise for Dreaming of the Wolf:

“Intense and swoon-inducing…The chemistry is steamy.”—USA Today Happy Ever After

“Fascinating characters and an exciting, action packed plot.”—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars

“Intriguing…The queen of werewolf drama Terry Spear provides a powerful take of love and war.”—Midwest Book Review

If you are a reader of my blog you know exactly how I feel about Terry Spear’s books …… I LOVE them and I can’t believe I am in my 10th book of hers.

With that being said I have to admit I always get a little nervous when I am reading a series of books because I wonder will this book be as good as the last one? Well I can honestly say whole hearted that yes this did surpass my expectations. OMG I loved this book.

I admit that I did read this extremely fast. I started it last night and read before going to bed, well needless to say this girl didn’t go to sleep until almost midnight and even then I wanted to stay up all night to read this. I was good and put the book down and was shocked that I read about half of it.

Thankfully this morning I really didn’t have to be anywhere after driving Michael to school so I rushed home and hoped to finish this before going to his school to volunteer in the library after lunch. Sadly that didn’t happen but I did manage to finish it once we got home from school.

One of the things I love about Terry’s books is that she will carry characters over from a previous book and in this case from Heart of the Highland Wolf. Another nice thing about the books is that you really don’t have to read the previous book to know what is going on which I love. Even though they are a part of the series the books are basically stand alones.

Duncan is on a mission to get the money back that was stolen from his clan by another werewolf from America named Sal. He not only has stolen from Duncan’s clan but several other people and he is hoping that all the money will be returned to the rightful owners.

Now you know that all illegal money is stored in a bank on the Caymen Islands so you can guess that this story will be taking place there.

Shortly after landing in the Caymens, Duncan gets a whiff of a female wolf in the airport and he goes out of his way to find out who this person is because he thinks that she shouldn’t be on her own. He quickly makes contact with her and discovers that she is an American. He has no interest at first and knows that he is there to get the money back for his clan but honestly Duncan is your typical male taken in by a pretty lady.

This pretty wolf is Shelly, and she is a university professor and botanist. She is there to do research on the forest and plants at the reserve. She quickly discovers that the funding she was suppose to get has vanished.

We quickly discover the man behind all this is Sal. The two wolves have something in common. Until Shelly becomes the love interest of Sal who has every interest is making Shelly his mate. Thankfully Duncan has his eye on her and will stop at nothing to make her his.

Will Duncan be able to get his money back? Or will Shelly get in the way of things and distract him?

I loved how this book was a page turner right from the beginning. You couldn’t help but want to sit and read for hours. There was alot of suspense and action happening. I loved how the book wasn’t loaded down with steamy love scenes and thought there was just the right amount for this book.

I loved how Shelly wasn’t playing the damsel in distress and she could hold her own like any male alpha which I love. I love a strong and confident character and I can’t wait to see where this will go with them.

The next book in the series is A Highland Werewolf Wedding and its set to release in May 2013. Thankfully I don’t have to wait long to read this because I actually got an copy from the publisher. Now I am just trying to hide it so I don’t read it now.