Book Nerds Across America

GoodReads description:

Maggie is a seventeen year old girl who's had a bad year. She was smart and on track but then her mom left, her dad is depressed, she's graduating, barely, and her boyfriend of almost three years dumped her for a college football scholarship. Lately she thinks life is all about hanging on by a thread and is gripping tight with everything she has. 
Then she meets Caleb. She saves his life and instantly knows there's something about him that's intriguing but she is supposed to be on her way to a date with his cousin. But things change when they touch, sparks ignite. Literally. 
They imprint with each other and she sees their future life together flash before her eyes. She learns that not only is she his soul mate, and can feel his heartbeat in her chest, but there is a whole other world of people with gifts and abilities that she never knew existed. She herself is experiencing supernatural changes unlike anything she's ever felt before and she needs the touch of his skin to survive. 
Now, not only has her dad come out of his depression to be a father again, and a pain as well, but Caleb's enemies know he's imprinted and are after Maggie to stop them both from gaining their abilities and take her from him. 
Can Caleb save her or will they be forced to live without each other after just finding one another?

GoodReads description:

In the sequel, Maggie learns much more about all the strange things that happened to her, and has to face new ones. She rebels against it, but ultimately, must face it for her new families sake and maybe even her life. Bish went from being her biggest supporter to her biggest pain in the butt and Kyle's intentions to attract her interest may not be so innocent. Caleb and Maggie face many new obstacles together and fight to work through them but will one that should be a good thing be too much for Maggie to handle?

In the third installment of the Significance series, we begin with Maggie and Caleb in the clutches of a new enemy; the Virtuoso council. Not only do they have to deal with the consequences of taking the lives of the Watsons and the council attempting to take Maggie away to keep their precious Visionary safe, but they must deal with Marla as well. All are determined to undermine, control and use Caleb and Maggie's rare gifts for their own uses, some wish to destroy them entirely. Then Maggie's father and Bish are threatened but the council forbids the presense of humans. Peter and the family fight and stand beside them every step of the way to save Maggie's father, to keep Caleb and Maggie together when the corrupted council is so set on keeping them apart and to stop Marla and whatever she has up her sleeve. Then Maggie has the shock of her life when she discovers something about her real father. It may change everything for everyone. Stay tuned as the story continues.

OMG! Not since Nicole Williams' Eden Trilogy have I been so consumed by a series! Shelly Crane had pulled me into her world and let me tell you how much.  I started this first book on a late Sunday night and I thought that I would read a few chapter before heading to bed.  Before I knew it was 1 AM and I had to be up in a few hours for work.  I had to wait until my lunch hour to read the book again. THEN I was so consumed again I was 15 minutes late coming back from lunch.  Now, I had to wait until I got home to pick it up again. THEN I was so consumed that I burnt my husband and my dinner and we had to order take-out (I am lucky though because my husband understands). I just could NOT stop reading.  

I have two books I am dying to read sitting on the corner of my coffee table, winking at me as I go by. But I have not opened them. And I won't -- until Sunday, April 8th. Because they both contain love triangles, and my Lenten Booknerd Challenge was to give up books with love triangles. Like any other Lenten sacrifice I have made, this was difficult! There are frankly a lot of love triangles out there! But I persevered in staying away from them, and I am proud of myself for doing so.

Now, for the other challenges: I started with a Stand Alone book: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green which was such a great book! I had been wanting to read it for awhile, so it was a bonus that it fit into one of our Lenten challenges. Next, I tackled the Book Jacque Chose for Me: Between by Cyndi Tefft. Well....it's a good thing I liked the John Green book! With that behind me, I tried a Book That's Been in My TBR the Longest: The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. I struck out on this one. My last Challenge book was another Book That's Been in My TBR the Longest: The Maze Runner by James Dashner. Ehhh....

So, it appears that the only one of the Challenges (besides my personal one) that led me to a book I really enjoyed was the Stand Alone Challenge! This is a little unfortunate, especially with the books that have been in my TBR the longest. Oh well. At least now I know -- AND they are off my pile!

Overall, I had a lot of fun with my #Lent4BN Challenges! It was fun to deviate from my set list of what I plan to read and add some different elements into the mix.

Lent is almost over and I was afraid that might not make my goal.  My goal was to read 20 books in 40 days.  It was a little bit harder than what I thought, it was coming down to the wire.  However, I finished it today!

Not all the books have post (that will be coming though).  The ones that I do have post to will be linked.  I am very proud of myself and all the Book Nerds!! I think this might be fun to do again .... soon!

Here are the Books that I read during Lent:


1.  Fever by Lauren DeStefano

2.  The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

3.  Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

4.  Midnight Sun by Stephanie Myers

5.  The Great Gasby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

6.  Fallen by Lauren Falter

7.  The Awakening (Vampire Diaries) by L. J. Smith

8.  Stealing Grace by Shelly Crane

9.  Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

10.  Intuition by J. Myers

11.  Destined by Jessie Harrell

12.  Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace

13.  Because of Law by Abbi Glines

14.  A Weekend With Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly

15.  Entangled by Nikki Jefford

16.  Significance by Shelly Crane

17.  Accordance by Shelly Crane

18.  Defiance by Shelly Crane

19.  First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky

20.  The Promise by Jessica Sorensen

There were a couple more books but I did not count them because I did not finish them.  I had a blast doing this Lent Challenge.

I really enjoyed the BN4Lent challenges this month.  I completed not only my assigned reading from Flo Anna and the French Kiss, but an additional assignment from Teri Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready.  I also completed the "stand alone" challenge, but I can't post my review until April 14th due to an ARC tour requirement.  Check back on the 14th for my review of First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky. 

With 3 days remaining, I have one challenge left to complete.  I came up with the brilliant idea for us to read the book that has been on our TBR list the longest.  For me, this is Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince...the 6th book in the series.  I really do LOVE the Harry Potter series.  I don't have a good reason for why I haven't finished the series before now...aside from the fact that it was not available in electronic format and I own the hard copies which are HUGE.  At the end of 2010 I read books 4 and 5, but then my arm needed a break, so I went back to my e-books for a while.  This challenge was just the incentive I needed to get back into the Potter series.  I am a third of the way through the 652 pages, so I will be VERY busy the next few days.  While I am sure most, if not all of you, have already read this book...you can look forward to my thoughts and comments about it sometime this weekend. 

This leaves one final challenge left unmentioned.  Was I able to avoid mysteries for the entire Lenten season????  The answer to this is....YES!!  I did receive a mystery from an author a couple of weeks ago that I agreed to review with one stipulation....I would not be able to read the book until after our challenge was over.  While giving up mysteries was not easy, I am thrilled with all of the books I completed this month.  I am also left wondering how I never met Etienne St. Clair, Logan Keeley, and Zachary Moore prior to this.  Clearly I need some more challenges in the future to prevent me from missing out on these AMAZING characters my fellow BookNerds were keeping all to themselves.

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella:

We were left wondering what happen to Alex and Lena after their big escape from the land of the cured at the end of Delirium.  Now we are looking for answers to all of the following questions as we read Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver.  Is Alex alive or dead?  Did Lena make it to the Wilds and can she survive? 
Mary's Review

The moment I put Delirium down was the moment I wanted Book 2.  I can honestly say that I have the same feelings with this book.  I am dying for Book 3! I did not think the Lauren Oliver would be able to suck me back into Lena's world,  but she did. The only thing that I was unsure of, at first, was the layout of the chapters.  "Then" and "Now" I thought that to be a bit strange.  However, once I got into the issues of Lena, Julian, Raven, Tack, and the others I did not mind it so much.  In all honesty, it was kind of different and made the story stand out a bit more.  I was also very happy to see a stronger and more determined Lena! That was awesome! The one thing the Lauren Oliver does best is the "cliff-hangers" and O.M.G did she leave us with a good one!

I will be counting the days until Book 3!!

Teri's Review:

Like Mary I was begging to get my hands on this book. I couldn't wait to see what happened with Alex and Lena. Unlike Mary, I wasn't fond of it..it had those middle book blues for me. Not saying it wasn't good, because it was, but not in the sense I wanted it to be. I didn't like the jumping back and forth between the "Then" and "Now". I really found the "Then" chapters boring and slow. but I also knew they were needed to set up the story of how Lena got to the "Now" . You did however get to see Lena become a strong independent person out in the wilds, where in Delirium she depended so much on Alex to show her the way. The people she interacts with all have stories, and they play a part in the "Now" also. My problem with the "Now  " was I just really did not like Julian AT ALL. I didn't feel the romance between them, I thought he was  really a bit of a cry baby, whiny..... He wasn't a strong person, pampered I guess you would say. I liked the excitement that came in the "Now" the protests, the escapes..it made these parts fast and entertaining to me and it helped me get thru the book rather quickly. I will say this..once again I am waiting patiently for one of Lauren Oliver's books, because once again..she left me with my mouth hanging open when I closed the back cover....

Jacque's Review:

There is one thing we book nerds seem to agree on, the concept of Then and Now chapters was very odd at first.  Like Teri, I felt that the Then chapters were very slow.  The first 60 pages were actually a struggle for me.  I was beginning to think this book was not going to live up to my expectations.  The setup and detail they contained was essential, but I felt like the story was not moving forward.  Once I met Julian in the Now chapters, I was hooked and that is where I wanted to stay.

By the end of the book I was a member of Team Julian.  He was a lot like Lena was in Delirium.  He was taught to believe certain things his entire life and now he is being exposed to a whole new way of thinking.  While he did come from a privileged upbringing, I did not think he was spoiled like Teri did.  His father was abusive and I just wanted him to get away from his family and to live his life on his own terms.

The love story was not at all like it was with Alex for several very good reasons.  Lena is still trying to get over the loss of Alex, Lena and Julian are learning to trust each other, and Julian has a lot to learn about the Wildes and living life freely.  They start to depend on each other and their relationship develops very slowly.  I felt that it was realistic given the circumstances and was actually really sweet.

The ending was a bit of a shock, but I can't say I was surprised.  I was expecting something like that from Lauren Oliver after the way she left us hanging at the end of Delirium.  Requiem, the final installment in this series, is scheduled to be released in February 2013.  There will be A LOT of anxious readers waiting to see how this trilogy comes to a close.  I have no idea which direction this story will take and can't wait to see what Lauren has in store for us next.  

Flo's Review:

What?! The Book Nerds are all in agreement about something?! I didn't like the "Then" chapters either, but I also understand why they were needed, so you could see Lena's growth and development. But like Tee said, it felt very middle book. I did really enjoy the "Now" chapters. I really liked the whole "Now" story and that's what kept me reading. I was not expecting either of the two big twists at the end of the book! And I can honestly say I can't wait for Requiem because ...how do I say this without giving away spoilers?...this is a rare instance where I don't have a clear favorite.

GoodReads Description:

Twin witches Graylee and Charlene Perez agree on one rule: No dating warlocks. 

Not so easy when a certain rogue warlock is convinced he and Graylee belong together and will use anything, including magic, to try and impress Gray. When Charlene’s boyfriend dumps her, she threatens to kill either herself or the girl who stole Blake. Somehow, Gray ends up dead. 

A Resurrection Spell Gone Wrong: 

Two months after dying, Gray wakes up in Charlene’s body. As a witch, can anyone blame her mother for attempting to bring her daughter back to life? Only now Gray’s stuck sharing her sister’s body 50/50 in twenty-four hour shifts. 

The race is on for Gray to find a way back inside her own body before Charlene purges her from existence. Raj McKenna is rumored to meddle in the black arts, not to mention he’s after Gray’s invisibility spell and worse – her heart. But Raj might be the only one powerful enough to save Gray from fading away forever.


Mary's Review:

Flo's #Lent4BN Challenge: Read a Book That's Been In Your TBR Pile the Longest


Ok, I tried to complete this challenge with The Truth About Forever and failed, so I decided to give it another chance by trying another book that's been in my TBR just as long. This trilogy by James Dashner is a favorite of some of the girls at Down With the Capitol, a Hunger Games fansite I also work on, so I've been meaning try it out for awhile. With everything I had heard about it, I was expecting to love it.

Well...

It was better than the TTAF because I did actually finish it! And I enjoyed it. I wanted to see if the Gladers would figure a way out of the Maze. But here was my main problem: characters. In order for me to really enjoy a book, I have to enjoy the main character(s). Most of the time, this means I have to like them, but I'm pretty sure there are some instances where this means I just absolutely despise them as well and have to keep reading to see what happens to them. (I can't think of anything off the top of my head, though.) But I didn't like Thomas. He frankly annoyed the klunk out of me. I agreed with the Gladers when they got annoyed at him for asking too many questions at inopportune times. I agreed with Alby when he got annoyed at Thomas because Thomas was whining that Alby didn't like him. Alby said something along the lines of: it's not about liking you, but strange things have been going on since you arrived and we're trying to figure them out. Thomas questioned EVERYTHING the Gladers did even though they've been there two years, so they clearly know what's up. And he'd been there, what, a day or two? The Gladers would get insulted with Thomas' questions and I agreed with them! At one point Minho said something along the lines of: that's insulting. Don't you think we've thought of that? and I agreed! Then, after asking a bazillion questions at highly inopportune times, when people asked questions of him, he just wanted them to follow him and blindly trust him, at one point saying, "I'm done with explaining!" So they can stop in the middle of a crisis to answer your annoying questions, but you won't explain anything to them?!?!

I didn't really like Teresa either. She wasn't nice to the Gladers. They were suspicious of her, but she freaking told them she initiated the end! Of course they were! Yet they still took care of her and fed her through her coma phase and then she repays them by being unfriendly to everyone but Thomas and Chuck.

There's another scene that annoyed me, but I don't want to be spoilery.

So, I'm not sure that I'll keep reading the trilogy. I am kind of interested to see how they fare in The Scorch Trials, but can I deal with Thomas as I find out? I'm not sure.

One final note: I heard they are making this into a movie. This will be one gross, gory production!! I can't even begin to imagine how'll they translate a Griever to the big screen.

Click here to read Mary's review of The Maze Runner.

Coming this April all 4 Book Nerds will be heading to Chicago, Illinois to attend the RT BookLovers Convention.  We are so excited about this and are counting down the days.  However, I (Mary) got to thinking about all of the authors that are going to be there and wanted to know more about the ones that I have not really heard from and I thought that I would share it with you all too. What I have come up with is the authors name, their books, and I have linked to GoodReads so you can read the description of the book and author. Let me just tell you after doing this my "to-read" list has grown (again) !!


Jus Accardo is the author of the Denazen series.

Ann Aguirre is the author of the Razorland series, Sirantha Jax series, and Corine Solomon series.

Josephine Angelini is the author of the Starcrossed series.  Here at Book Nerds we are big fans of Josephine's and cannot wait to meet her.


Jennifer L Armentrout is the author of the Covenant and Lux series. Book Nerd Mary is very excited about meeting Jennifer due to she is a fellow West Virginian and an amazing author.


Kelley Armstrong is the author of the Darkerst Powers, Darkest Rising, and Women of the Otherworld series.

Brodi Ashton is the author of the Everneath series.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the author of Rasied by Wolves, Tattoo, The Squad, and Golden series.

Charlotte Bennardo is the author of Sirenz series.

Franny Billingsley is the author of Chime, The Folk Keeper, Well Wished, and Big Bad Bunny

Jenna Black (aka Jennifer Barlow) is the suthor of Faeriewalker, Morgan Kingsley, Nikki Glass, and The Guardians of the Night series.

Rachel Caine is the author of The Morganville Vampires, Weather Warden, Outcast Season, Revivalist, and Red Letter Days series.

Ally Carter is the author of Gallagher Girls, Heist Society, and Cheating at Solitaire series.

Kiera Cass is the author of the book The Siren and the Selection series.

Elizabeth Cheryl is the author of The Summerland Novel.

Tera Lynn Childs is the author of Oh.My.Gods., Fins, Medusa Girls and City Chicks series.

Cinda Chima is the author of The Heir Chronicles and Seven Realms series.

Rosemary Clement Moore is the author Maggie Quinn: Girl vs Evil series, Splendor Falls, Texas Gothic, Brimstone and many others.

Kristi Cook is the author of Winterhaven series.

Carey Corp is the author of The Halo Chronicles: The Guardian and The Way Life Was Forever.

Kady Cross is the author of the Steampunk Chronicles series.

Melissa De La Cruz is the author of Blue Bloods, The Au Pairs, The Beauchamp Family, The Ashley, Angles on Sunset Boulevard, and Girl series.

Tracy Deebs (aka Tracy Wolff) is the author of Tempest series.

Shannon Delany is the author of the 13 to Life series.

Kimberly Derting is the author of the Body Finder and The Pledge series.

Bree Despain is the author of The Dark Divine series and other books.

Anne Elizabeth is the author of numerous books.

Jennifer Estep is the author of Elemental Assassin, Mythos Academy, and Bigtime series.

Kami Garcia is the author Caster Chronicles and Legion series.

Cole Gibsen is the author of Katana and Breathless.

David Macinnis Gill is the author of Black Hole Sun series.

Traci Hall is the author of the Boadicea and Rhiannon Godfrey series.

Cynthia Hall is the author of the Unearthly series.

Alyxandra Harvey is the author of Drake Chronicles series.

Jill Hathaway is the author of Slide series.

Leanna Renee Hieber is the author of Strangely Beautiful and Magic Most Foul series.

Nancy Holder is the author of Wicked, Angel, Crusade, Wolf Springs Chronicles, Possessions, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: The Unseen Trilogy, and Saving Grace series.

Colleen Houck is the author of The Tiger Saga.

Amailie Howard is the author of the Bloodspell series.

Michele Jaffe is the author of Bad Kitty, Arboreeti Family, and Bad Kitty: The Graphic Novel series.

Sophie Jordan is the author of Firelight, The Penwich School for Virtuous Girls, The Derrings, and Forgotten Princesses.

Stacey Kade is the author of The Ghost and The Goth series.

Laura Kreitzer is the author of Timeless and Summer Chronicles series.

Stephanie Kuehnert is the author of I wanna Be Your Joey Ramone and Ballads of Suburbia.

Mary Lindsey is the author of Soul series and Annabel.

Mari Mancusi is the author of Blood Coven and numerous other books.

Melissa Marr is the author of Wicked Lovely and Wicked Lovely: Desert Tales series.

Emily McKay (aka Ivy Adams) is the author of The International Kissing Club.

Richelle Mead is the author of Vampire Academy, Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, Bloodlines, Vampire Academy: The Graphics Novel, Storm Born Comic, and Age of X series.

Dawn Rae Miller is the author of Larkstorm series.

Saundra Mitchell is the author of The Vespertine series.

Alyson Noel is the author of The Immortals, Riley Bloom, and The Soul Seekers series.

Erica O'Rourke is the author of Torn series.

Jana Oliver is the author of The Demon Trappers and Time Rovers series, along with other books.

Stephanie Perkins is the author of Anna and The French Kiss and Lola and The Boy Next Door.  Book Nerds Flo and Jacque love these books.

C. Allyn Pierson is the author of Mr. Darcy's Little Sister and And This Our Life: Chronicles of the Darcy Family: Book 1. Book Nerd Mary is a fan of these books also.

Aprilynne Pike is the author of Wings series.

Amy Plum is the author of Revenants series.  All the Book Nerds are excited to meet Amy, but Book Nerd Mary may burst when she meets Amy!!

Sarah Rees Brennan is the author of The Demon's Lexicon and The Lynburn Legacy, along with numerous other books.

Beth Revis is the author of Across the University series. Book Nerds Flo and Mary have read these books and are excited to meet Beth Revis.

Veronica Roth is the author of Divergent series. All 4 Book Nerds loved Divergent and are counting down the days to Insurgent.

Carrie Ryan is the author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth and numerous other books.

Suzanna Selfors is the author of Coffeehouse Angel, Saving Juliet, Mad Love, and numerous others.

Kristen Simmons is the author of Article 5 series.

Jeri Smith-Ready is the author of Shade, WVMP Radio, and Aspect of Crow series.  The Book Nerds are big fans of the Shade books and cannot wait to meet Jeri Smith-Ready.

Margaret Stohl is the author of Icons, Caster Chronicles, and other books.

Rachel Vincent is the author of Shifters, Soul Screamers, and Unbound series.

Veronica Wolff is the author of The Watchers, Highlands, Clan MacAlphin, and Sierra Falls series.

Natalie Zaman is the author of Sirenz series.

Jace, Clary, Simon, and the rest of the Mortal Instrument characters are some of our favorites here on Book Nerds.  We are so excited about the new book City of Lost Souls coming out on May 8th, 2012.

I recently was on one of my favorite site: Mundie Moms when I saw that they were going to host a read-a-long for City of Fallen Angels.  I was able to contact them and they were so kind to let us, Book Nerds, link their read-a-long.

The staff at Mundie Moms are so amazing and kind and I visit their site as often as possible because they always have such honest reviews of books, current information and the up coming movie and great giveaways.

If you go over to Mundie Moms fill out the form and the read-a-long, enjoy the read-a-long and be enter in a give-a-way for City of Lost Souls.

I know a few Book Nerds that will enjoy this read-a-long and I hope that you all can join in too. Remember just head over to Mundie Moms and enjoy!

One of our Book Nerd Lent Challenges was to choose a book for another Book Nerd to read. I used this great opportunity to have Jacque finally read one of my most favorite books ever. In return, she made me read about Fabio in a kilt. No, it's not fair. She clearly got the better end of the deal.

The book Jacque chose for me was Between by Cyndi Tefft. She actually hadn't read it, but Teri has and I believe she gave it 5 stars. Well, this will be another one of those scenarios of Book Nerds division, because at most, it gets 2 stars from me.


Here's the Goodreads summary: "It just figures that the love of Lindsey Water's life isn't alive at all, but the grim reaper, complete with a dimpled smile and Scottish accent. After transporting souls to heaven for the last 300 years, Aiden MacRae has all but given up on finding the one whose love will redeem him and allow him entry through the pearly gates. Torn between her growing attraction to Aiden and heaven's siren song, Lindsey must learn the hard way whether love really can transcend all boundaries."


It was Just. Too. Much. All of it. Let's start with Aiden MacRae. It's one of those scenarios like the chicken vs. the egg. I don't know what came first. Does he remind me of Fabio because I think he's overdone and trying to hard to sexy and perfect? Or is he overdone and trying to hard to sexy and perfect, thus making him a Fabio in my eyes?! And the accent! I understand he's Scottish and he has one, but I've read several books with hot Scottish men and didn't want to groan because every word was over-affected.

Plus, there's the slightly annoying "I've known you appoximately 3 minutes but I already love you soooo much that I want all your babies and would take a bullet for you and you can do no wrong EVER" factor. Call me a cynic. I believe in attraction it first sight. A connection of sorts. But deep, undying, unending, unquestioned love? That takes more than the, what, DAY it took Lindsey & Aiden. (On a side note, perhaps this is another reason I'm Team Jacob?)

Anyway, so Lindsey falls in love with Aiden after .2 seconds and decides "Forget heaven! I wanna hang out with Fabio!" And he tells her about his past (long story short and non-spoilery: he screwed up) and of course Lindsey is all, "That's okay! You're amazing!" and then the two of them start traveling to different periods in time and the book seemingly has no plot for several chapters while they just kinda wander around.*

*I do want to address the traveling, because that IS cool. Basically, they can both go to any place where one of them has been before. So, he takes her to an old school fancy ball and to Paris. She takes him to a nice night she had with her family. But as an outsider, she sees that the way she remembers it is really happier than it actually was. That was interesting.

Anyway, then after knowing each other like a day or two something happens that I won't reveal because it's spoilery, but it relates to my rant up above, and I was done! I gave it more than 100 pages like I try to do with all books, but I couldn't give it more than that.

Jacque came up with this challenge. We all have those books that we put on our TBR pile, and somehow they just keep getting pushed back. It makes you wonder...what book started your TBR pile? What's at the very bottom? If you have a Goodreads account, finding the answer can be as easy as pulling up your "To Read" pile and looking at the first item. In my case, I needed a new audiobook for my morning & nightly commutes, so I grabbed the bottom 3 on CD.


That's how I got to The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. Ever since I started book blogging, and probably even before, I had heard about her stories. She has a lot of books and they are all in the contemporary YA chick lit vein. Perfect! I love it. She has been likened to Elizabeth Scott, whose books I have read a couple of and really enjoyed. Whenever I would find one of Sarah Dessen's books on sale, I would grab it. Thus, I currently own 3 to 4 of her titles, and I have never read one of them. So, of the books I had, I checked out which one seemed to be the most popular, and The Truth About Forever won.

Unfortunately, I found that I did not like this book, and I had to abandon it after almost 130 pages. I was trying to hang on...but I just couldn't. In the 130 pages I read...not much has happened! The story has just barely started. I found descriptions that could be a page, or at most two, dragged on and on and on for no reason. For example, there is a part of the book where Macy, the protagonist, is discussing her Dad's love of those infomercial gadgets that you can order from Home Shopping Network late at night. This could have been stated, then an example or two shared, and we would have gotten the point. But she talked about it for waaaaay longer than she needed to. I didn't feel that we needed detail and explanation of pretty much every single item that her Dad had bought. There were other parts of the story where the same thing happened -- a scene was waaaay longer than it needed to be. I get that cute dialogue really helps you to know the characters in a "show don't tell" kind of way. But the story also needs to move forward and a conversation about nothing really that goes on and on and on feels unnecessary to me.

The other thing that I did not enjoy were the extensive flashbacks. I understand that we need context and background. But if you want to talk about the past so much, set the story in the past. There were so many flashbacks in this book that, as I said before, the story itself was crawling forward. It felt like it didn't go anywhere between the extra long random dialogue, the scenes of unnecessary over description, and the flashbacks interrupting the story all the time. Seriously...how I mentioned I stopped around page 130? Enough of the actual story had happened that it felt like it should be page 27. In all the write ups and descriptions, I kept reading about this great love interest named Wes. I'm sure he's swoon-worthy and all that --but really?! If he is a main character, why haven't he and Macy had ANY real interactions and I'm supposedly 34% through with the book?!

I will say, I bet if I had stuck with it through to the end, it would probably be really neat to see the transition in Macy. Also, the characters do capture your heart: Bert, with the Bertmobile; Delia with "DearGodPleaseI'mBeggingYou"; crazy, bubbly Kristy. I did enjoy all the scenes when Macy was hanging out with the Wish crew.

I am not sure if I will try another Sarah Dessen book. I should, since I own 3 more. But I was talking with a friend on Twitter and she shared a similar reaction to another one of her books. I'm not sure what to do here.

Any Sarah Dessen fans out there? Can you, I don't know, leave me a comment? Any one else? Thoughts?

Goodreads Description:

Laura Cubus was perfectly content with her life. A junior in high school, she felt perfectly normal. She had good friends, a great family, and did well in school. Nothing particularly exciting ever happened where she lived, and everything was stable. 

But that all drastically changes when a new student arrives at Laura's school. Wild rumours swirl about his past, and Laura becomes determined to find out the truth. 

As she gets to know the mysterious student, he shares with her an ancient secret... one that may yet put both of them in grave danger. 

And for the first time in her life, Laura is exposed to a completely unfamiliar world. She is swept away on an exhilarating journey that takes to a place where romance and great destiny may yet await... and where supernatural powers run rampant. 


Mary's Review:


I typically pick a book because I enjoy the description and the cover. I know, I know, you should never judge a book by its cover but sometimes I do.  I just cannot help it.  That is the same thing that I did with this book and the story came up short.


I did finish this book but I should have stopped in the middle of it because it was just bad. It started out with Laura wanted to get the attention of the school most popular guy, then that fell through.  However, Lucas was there to save the day.


The next thing I knew they were in a dream, there were vampires, and then they were being chased.

Goodreads Description:

A powerful demon has been trapped under the city of London for over 300 years. Now, however, malevolent forces are at work in the 17th century, planning to unleash terror and chaos on the world. Two rival secret societies the Liberati and the Praesidum - are caught in a battle that threatens to destroy the city and its unknowing inhabitants. 

When a truant schoolboy, Ben, finds a scroll revealing the location of magical seals that bind the demon, this throws him into the centre of a dangerous plot that leads to the Great Fire of London. Ben must overcome his own problems - fear of failure, desire for revenge, guilt over his parents deaths - if he is to protect the city, and confront the evil demon. 

As the plot unfolds, a little more of the mystery about Ben s own past and his parents deaths is made known. Ultimately, Ben and his friends must combat sorcery, defeat the evil Liberati and destroy the demon if they are to save their city and themselves. 

Mary's Review:


I really enjoyed this book because it has a little bit of history and demons.  I really enjoyed this book and it was a fairly quick read.  Richard Denning does a wonderful job of describing London in 1666 and you could feel like you are really in that time.

Also, I enjoyed the characters Ben, Freya, Tobias and Gabriel.  Their interactions and adventures were really interesting, enjoyable, and (somewhat) believable.  I think the most enjoyable character was Ben.  I like the way Denning puts pieces throughout the plot of Ben and his family.  However, there are a few slow parts but Denning does explain the supernatural plot very well.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves history and supernatural.

Goodreads Descriptions:

Marcus Hardy had hoped to enjoy a year away at college while he put the summer he’d rather forget behind him. But instead, he’s jerked right back to the coastal town of Sea Breeze, Alabama due to a family crisis. His dear ol' dad found himself a girlfriend only a few years older than Marcus. So now his sister needs help dealing with their mother who is mentally falling apart. The only bright spot to returning is the fascinating red head who sleeps over several times a week. The problem is she's sleeping in bed with his new roommate, Cage Watson. 

Willow “Low” Foster needs a place to live. Running to Cage’s apartment every time her sister kicks her out isn’t exactly a long term solution. Juggling her courses at the local community college and a part time job doesn’t produce excess income. But Cage has a new roommate and suddenly sleeping over at her best friend’s apartment isn’t such a bad thing. Not when she gets to see those sexy green eyes of Marcus Hardy’s twinkle when he smiles at her like he wants her there. 
Even though Cage seems a little territorial where Low is concerned, Marcus finds time to spend with Low without upsetting his roommate. Cage may use his small college baseball star persona to sleep with every hot female in his path but he’s still under the disillusion that when he’s through sowing his wild oats, he’s going to marry Low. Marcus intends to change that assumption for both Cage and Low. Until his carefully laid plans come crashing down with a revelation he never expected. He’ll have to choose between Low or his family. Because once the truth comes out.... there’s no other choice.

Good reads Summary

College sophomore Bryn Dawson is a self-proclaimed poster child for normal. However, the day William Hayward enters her life, normalcy is the last thing Bryn will be able to count on if she wants to be with him. Too mysterious and appealing to be good for a girl, Bryn feels drawn to him in a way that seems out of her control—as if fate is orchestrating it.

Despite every red flag and warning siren going off in her head telling her not to, Bryn falls hard for William, knowing he’s categorically different from anyone she’s ever met. She never imagined how right she was. When William takes her deeper into the rabbit hole of his world, Bryn must decide just how much she is willing to sacrifice to be with him, knowing no matter what, fate always finds a way to have the last laugh.

Spinning a new twist on star-crossed lovers, Eternal Eden will put Bryn through a gauntlet of turmoil, challenging her to find the power within herself to become the heroine in her own story

Teri's Review


This book was my Lent Challenge book brought forth by Mary. Each of us got to pick a book for the other to read. Mary had been trying to get me to read this book for months now..with this challenge she was able to finally force me to read it LOL!. Not that I am sorry, I liked the book...I just didn't love it as much as she did!


I liked Bryn, she was strong and independent. I liked William. I kind of even thought at the beginning he was super dreamy. I just didn't like them together as much. They, especially William just got a bit mushy for my liking. Don't get me wrong I love a good romance just as much as the next person..but this was a bit to much for me.


The story was predictable . I saw alot of the things happening before I actually read them, but it never stopped me from turning the page. Nicole Williams take on Immortally was a bit different than others I had read and I liked that it was. My biggest problem with this book, other than the spew of sugar from Williams mouth, was the way he found Bryn. Mary and I even had a discussion about this. I had a hard time believing the possibility of it happening. Which by the way is laughable in itself as I was just fine with the fact that William as Immortal and had lived 250 years!


The biggest enjoyment I received from this book, was as Mary predicted...Patrick . She knows my love for a cocky boy! The few times he made his appearance known were always my favorites. I just wish that Williams would have included him more so I could have gotten to know him better. In fact, I looked forward to the fleeting moments I was able to spend with him.


Will I read the next two books in the trilogy? I am not sure yet. I can imagine the ending right now. Its just the road leading to it that may detour me. But of course, if a sexy blond in a Maserati MC-12 were to drive by and lead me down it...I'm sure I would take a spin!


xx Teri

Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop

We are so lucky to be part of the Lucky Leprechaun Hop that is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and author Cindy Thomas and do we have an amazing giveaway.

 The BookNerds will be giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card. Just fill out the form below and on March 23rd we will announce the winners. We will announce the winner on our Twitter account @booknerdsblog

Best of Luck!

Lisa McMann is known for the Wake Series; however this book takes a whole different perspective from that series.  The Book Nerds were very excited about reading this book and each (of course) of us have different opinions about it.

Mary's Review

I finished this book in no time.  It was a quick read.  First, I had to get through the first few chapters, they seems to drag a bit and there was a lot of "fillers", at least that is what I thought.  However, I am so glad that I kept reading this.  It was outstanding. 

At the age 7, Ethan was kidnapped from his home.  His family goes through this whirlwind trying to find him, but they never did. Until he is 16 and he returns.  He goes back to his Mom, Dad, brother Blake, and his baby sister Gracie.  Then his "girl-friend" Cami, whom he becomes close too.  The problem is that he does not remember a lot before the kidnapping.  It almost made me think that his mind was earased. I truly felt so bad for Ethan because everything was being thrown at him at once.  He was trying to take it all in but it was so hard for him. 

This book had so many twist and turns and I loved it!! The ending was nuts though and I was thinking that it was going to be turned into a series.  However, when I finished the book I tweeted Lisa McMann (I was unsure if she would reply because she is so popular) but she did:

I can still say that I an shocked that it is a stand-alone but it is one book that you will not forget anytime soon!

Jacque's Review:

The story is told from Ethan's point of view.  We can hear all of his thoughts, which were typical of any 16 year-old boy.  He is moody, full of hormones, and trying to deal with a very difficult situation.  I thought the interactions between Ethan and his brother were very realistic given the circumstances, so I felt bad for both of them.  I also enjoyed the relationship that developed between Cami (a neighbor girl he was friends with before the abduction) and Ethan.  Cami was a great source of support for Ethan as he tried to integrate himself back into a life he had completely forgotten.

The problem I had with this book likely comes from the fact that I have a son who just turned 7.  I couldn't comprehend how Ethan could not remember his house, his family, or any of his friends.  My son can remember things from past family vacations, friends from pre-school, etc.  Something did not add up, but I couldn't figure out why.  What sort of trauma did this child endure for him to COMPLETELY forget his past? 

Mary alluded to the ending.  I will not spoil it for those who have not read it, but I personally did not care for it.  I would have given this book 4* until the last few pages. I ultimately decided to give it 3*.  One scene brought the book from "I REALLY liked it" to "I liked it" according to my goodreads definitions.  I was in a state of shock.  The ending was so abrupt and I wasn't prepared for it.  Perhaps I should have seen it coming, but I didn't.


Teri's Review:  

 Ugg this book. I mean I really liked it...yet I hated it also. I will say the story is fascinating , it kept me reading all one afternoon and I don't think I put it down once. The tension surrounding Ethan's family when he come's back after being away for so long was felt in this book. The love of his little sister for him, he called her the replacement child and the hate of his brother, who was there the fated day that he disappeared. His brother remembers every detail of Ethan getting into the car and leaving. Ethan however remembers nothing of it, actually he remembers very little of his life before his " new" mother. We read Ethan's struggles at trying to remember details especially about the girl he was so close to as a child. He has now fallen in love with her, but his brother also has somewhat of a crush on her causing alot of tension between the two. The twists in this book keep coming..and they keep you reading, but the ending..oh the ending...it left me sitting there, holding the book and saying WTF....


Flo's Review

I wanted my review to be as unspoiled as possible by other reviews, so I have not read any -- not even the other BookNerds’ -- as I write this. This is one of the most difficult books I’ve ever had to evaluate. Why? Because -- it didn’t take long to read. It was literally a page-turner. I read the majority of it on a plane, where I’d planned to go to sleep, but couldn’t make myself stop reading. Usually, this means at least a 3 star (out of 5) book for me -- if not 4 or 5. But in order to rank a book that highly, I have to feel that I liked it enough to encourage other people to read it…and I don’t know that I did. I don’t know that You, Blog Reader, should go read this book. It’s an interesting study in just how important book endings are. I was SO unsettled by the ending. So so unsettled. I literally re-read it about 8 times to make sure I understood what happened. It left me very distressed. But even with that…I can’t say it was a good ending, or a bad ending. It just disturbed me. And that is about all I can say about this book. My final verdict: I don’t know. I just don’t know what to think.

Goodreads Description:

She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen; gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But... they are brother and sister.

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending

Mary's Review:

The challenge was that another BookNerd would choose another BookNerd to read any book they chose.  Teri challenge me to read Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma.  I read the Goodreads description I was like "EEWW! No way!" But Teri reassured me that this book was amazing and I would love it.  She was right I should never judge a book or situation EVER!

Maya and Lochan are so mature beyond their years and are the best of friends.  There mother is never around and when she is all there are is excuses and "sickness".  So, there they are raising their 3 siblings, paying bills, cooking, cleaning, and going to school.  Their whole situation is crazy! They should be teenagers having fun, getting grounded, and just be a teenager.  That is not happening.  You can really see their love bloom, even through all the heartache, and I feel so bad for them because they cannot be together at all.

I never saw the ending of the book coming.  I needed a whole box of tissues and I CRIED SO MUCH!  This book made me think a lot and one thing that I did learn was to never judge a situation EVER!

Teri was right this book was amazing and I will never question her judgment again.

The Book Nerds were lucky enough to be asked to host a stop on the blog tour for Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler. For those of you not familiar, Jackie's series is a unique take on the story of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I just love this idea -- so creative! -- and was beyond thrilled when I received a copy of Rage from Jackie's publisher. I went back to read the first book -- Hunger -- which I reviewed here. Then I came back around to Rage, the second book. (Here's my review.) Needless to say, I was super excited when the idea of hosting a stop on the blog tour for the third book, Loss, came up. My review will be coming shortly, but for now -- here's a guest post from Jackie herself! (Hint: There's a giveaway at the end.)  ~Flo~



Names are a big deal. Just ask the kid who hates her given name. J
Authors usually get to name their books. (I say “usually” because there’s always a chance that the publisher will change the book title.) This can be migraine-inducing at times—we all want the perfect names for our novels—but other times, names can come easily. When I wrote Hunger, which looked at eating disorders and Famine, well, the name was pretty much a given from the start. Ditto for Rage, which focused on self-injury and War.

LOSS, though, isn’t as straightforward. Its focus is on bullying and Pestilence, with a subfocus on Alzheimer’s. So why did I choose to name the book “Loss”?

The book looks at different types of loss. There’s loss of memory—the protagonist’s grandfather is suffering from Alzheimer’s. There’s loss of sanity—the primary antagonist is flat-out crazy, partially due to dementia.  There’s loss of self-esteem—the protagonist is horribly bullied and doesn’t have the strength at first to stand his ground. “Loss” means the act of losing, and that best describes Billy, the protagonist: he’s constantly losing himself every time he gets beaten down. There’s his loss of control when he finally has the power to strike back against his tormentors. (Not a major spoiler; it’s on the back cover copy. **whistles innocently**)

And loss happens when we say good-bye for a final time, whether we’re walking away from part of ourselves, from people in our lives, or from a situation. From loss comes grief…and, eventually, healing and moving on.

Ultimately, Billy, the protagonist, experiences loss in many forms before he comes of age. And so, LOSS was the perfect name for the book.

And happily, my editor didn’t change it. J
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

LOSS by Jackie Morse Kessler comes out March 20, 2012! 
GIVEAWAY: One lucky commenter below will win a small cover poster of LOSS—and will be entered in the grand prize drawing! The grand prize winner will receive signed copies of HUNGER, RAGE and LOSS—and will get to name a character in BREATH, the fourth book in the Riders of the Apocalypse series. The grand prize winner will be picked on Sunday, April 1, 2012. No foolin’. 

Jacque came up with this awesome challenge.  The rule was simple: step 1 - go to GoodReads and figure out which book was on there the longest.  Step 2 - Read the book! Simple!

Mary's Review of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I had heard so many things about this book and I figured out that either you love it or do not.  I am on the do not side.  I know that this is a classic and stands the test of time but I was not all that into it. 

When Jacque came up with this challenge I was very excited because I knew that this was on my "To-Read" list the longest.  I kept putting it off (& no real reason why), so I picked up and started reading.

I was sucked into the world of West Egg and East Egg.  The lives of Nick, Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Jordan was nothing more than a soap opera.  We have affairs, distrust, liars, and parties.  What more do you need?  Well, I don't know but I was not into this book and it took a lot out of me to finish.  I have read other books by Fitzgerald and LOVED them but this was not one of them.

However, I can mark it off my list!

This Challenge was brought forth by Jacque. It's no secret that the Book Nerds all love our series books, and there are plenty out there for us to choose from! But sometimes it just seems like every time I want to add a book to my TBR, I really have to plan to add 3 books, because I am actually starting a new trilogy. There is something to be said for reading a book and know that the you have completed the story. No frustrating cliffhangers with yearlong waits for conclusion. Just a few hundred pages and you know everything you're going to know.

For this Challenge, I read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I had read a chapter or two before Lent, but had to set it aside. Now, I had a perfect excuse to come back to it. I wanted to read this book because so many people on my Twitter timeline read it right when it came out and gave it amazing reviews. I heard stories of many tears shed, and for this girl who has likely read and certainly loved almost every single Lurlene McDaniel book, I knew it would be right up my alley. It was. The book contained so many elements that made me love it: it broke my heart until I shed literal tears. I fell in love with the cute and quirky lead guy. The two main characters were clever word nerds. I couldn't make myself go to bed, even though it was way pst my bedtime, because I had to finish it. I admired the writing so much, I now want to go read every single thing John Green has ever written. Most importantly, it made me think about why I believe the way I do. Even though I read the majority of the book in a day, it will stay with me forever. ~Flo~

Jacque's BN4Lent Challenge #2

One of our BN4Lent challenges this month is to read a book assigned to us by a fellow Book Nerd.  Flo and I selected a book for each other.  I can only hope that the book I assigned her, Between by Cindi Tefft, is anywhere close to as enjoyable as this 5* book she gave me. (I haven't read Between yet, but it was recommended to me by Teri...who I will never second guess again since reading Shade).

 Here is a link to Flo's review of Anna and the French Kiss.  She gives a great synopsis of the characters and explains how Paris really comes to life in this book.  I have never been to Paris, but I have been planning a trip to London for as long as I can remember.  After reading this book and Die for Me by Amy Plum, I am 100% sure I will add Paris as a second destination to this future trip.

I am VERY glad that Flo finally talked me into reading Anna.  I absolutely LOVED Étienne...yes, to me he is Étienne and not St. Clair.  If you have read the book you will understand why.  His perfect hair, his accent, his sense of humor, his British slang...*swoons*.  But he was a real teenage boy.  His life isn't perfect and we can feel the pain and struggles that he is going through.

I could read the next to last chapter of this book 100 times and never get tired of it.  It was beautifully written and I am honestly adding several quotes from this book to my reading journal for future reference.  A while back, I could not figure out why Flo wanted one of my B&N coupons to buy a copy of this book when she had already read it.  I TOTALLY understand now.  If I can find a copy with this cover on it...I will absolutely do the same thing.  Since I have been in the mood to borrow quotes from my favorite fictional characters lately...here is one from Étienne.  Anna and the French Kiss is "brilliant".  If you enjoy YA fiction, this is a must read.

We could not decide on just one book for the month of March, so we are having a double feature.  Both of the books are the second to be released in their respective trilogies.  Delirium and Wither were both read alongs on the blog in 2011.  You can click on the links to see our comments about the books and to find out what "Teams" we were on.

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

The second book in The Chemical Garden Trilogy reveals a world as captivating—and as dangerous—as the one Rhine left behind in Wither. Rhine and Gabriel may have escaped the beautiful prison of Wither’s mansion, but they are far from escaping danger. First they’re chased for stealing a getaway boat, and then the fleeing pair ends up in the eerie den of Madame, an old woman who collects girls and sells them to the highest bidders. Worst of all, Vaughn, Rhine’s sinister father-in-law, seems to be on her trail every step of the way. Rhine remains determined to get to her brother in Manhattan—but the road they are on is long and perilous.


Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite. (Barnes and Noble Overview)