Teaser Tuesday[201]: Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



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Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Publisher: MTV Books
Release Date: 2011
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.

Goodreads Synopsis:

She's writing about him. He's writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines.. 

For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter. . . . except this story could come true.

Excerpt:

“The crowd noise died off but Summer was still squealing. Manohar was shouting, ‘Erin Blackwell, I love you and I am sorry for every negative comment I ever made about your lascivious stories.’” (Paperback, pg. 119)

What are you reading right now?

Manga Review: Inu x Boku SS, Volume 10, by Cocoa Fujiwara

Rating (Out of 5): ~4
Publisher: Yen Press
Release Date: February 23, 2016
Volumes: 11.
Spoilers?: Light.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Volume: 1. 9. 11.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The threat of the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons has driven the residents of Ayakashi Hall to take refuge at their family homes--whether they'd like to or not. But when they're apart, the situation seems even more hopeless, and one by one the group reassembles at the place that brought them together. Whatever the future holds, they will face it with a united front!

Review:

This volume includes the group getting separated, seeing what their families want to do with them to keep them “safe”, and then reuniting again. It’s satisfying to see them stand up for themselves, and to see which characters pair up with each other so quickly or reluctantly.
Roromiya and Watanuki are so sweet and I just love them loving each other. Zange is a sweet guy, even if he tries to hide it, and I love all the bromance between the guys. Then there’s Nobara and Sorinozuka, who really have the most open relationship, but it is a real friendship.
Most of them get out relatively easily, but they have to form a rescue mission to get Soushi out. This, of course, shows the new start to Soushi and Ririchiyo’s relationship. They just break my heart every time—they’re been thrown together and torn apart way too many times, it hurts so bad. And now they’re finally back together, and they’re so cute and heartbreakingly sweet.
This leads to the cliffhanger, which sounds rather horrible. The next volume is the last, and I seriously can’t wait to see how it all ends, and I just hope that it’s good. I don’t think I can stand any more heartbreak with these characters, seriously.

Manga Review: Citrus, Volume 2, by Saburouta

Rating (Out of 5): ~3-3.5
Publisher: Seven Seas
Release Date: April 2015
Volumes: 4+
Spoilers?: No.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A yuri tale like no other, now a New York Times manga best seller!

Yuzu and Mei may be step-sisters, but that's about all the two girls have in common. Yuzu is an outgoing girly-girl who cares more about fashion than school work, while Mei is the serious student council president. Yet despite their differences, or perhaps because of them, the two girls find themselves drawn to each other...


Mei has been running herself ragged trying to oversee the school, and Yuzu is worried about her. When Mei's dad comes home from a business trip, however, it looks like the cavalry has arrived. Unfortunately, his presence opens up old wounds between father and daughter, and Yuzu finds herself caught in the middle. Will Yuzu put aside her feelings for Mei to help fix this family feud? 

Review:

The drama in this series! Why am I surprised by it? Why did I think this wouldn’t be so dramatic and characterized? What did I expect, really?
There’s more family drama for Mei and Yuzu. Mei is hurt from what her father did years ago, and with her grandfather being so harsh, she doesn’t know what to do with herself. And when her father shows up, it’s hard on her, but it finally brings some closure.
Then there’s Mei’s best friend, who’s jealous of Yuzu stealing her attention and starts putting the moves on Mei. Given that Mei doesn’t have any attraction to Momo, she doesn’t take any of it seriously. There’s mainly just a rivalry between Yuzu and Momo, but the friendship between Momo and Mei is actually really sweet.
Mei hasn’t been given Yuzu’s attraction to her any real attention or respect, either, until the end of this volume when she starts feeling it in return. I like that Yuzu believed herself to be straight up until Mei, but once she starts feeling attracted, she gives in to it and she doesn’t hold back. Mei is now starting to really understand it, though, and return those feelings.
The ending introduces a new character that I’m sure will bring a new batch of drama.
I’m rather enjoying this series. I like the genuine attraction between the main characters, and the way they’re growing to figure it out.

Manga Review: Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 15, by Kiiro Yumi and Hiro Arikawa

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5
Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Volumes: 15.
Spoilers?: Light.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Volume: 1. 14.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In the near future, the federal government creates a committee to rid society of books it deems unsuitable. The libraries vow to protect their collections, and with the help of local governments, form a military group to defend themselves--the Library Forces!

Review:

Iku finishes her solo mission of getting the author to a safe place. She’s smart, and she’s careful, and she does her best. And when she finally completes it and gets to go back home, she’s too afraid to visit Dojo in the hospital.
She finally builds up the courage after some insisting, and ugh this scene! He has to push her to actually say what she promised she would say, and it’s so sweet. It’s adorable and heartwarming and just everything I wanted it to be. It was perfect.
The ending jumps forward, giving us a glimpse of what happens to them in the future, and it’s sweet. It’s nice to see that everyone is doing okay. Komaki and Marie I like seeing more of, and I’m not surprised by Tezuka and Shibazaki’s status.
There is mention of extra side volumes, and I seriously want those to be licensed extremely badly. I just want more of these characters, and would love to see more released over here. Otherwise, it was a pretty fantastic series and I loved it.

Novel Review: Stars Above: A Lunar Chronicles Collection by Marissa Meyer

Rating (Out of 5): ~4-4.5
Genre: YA Sci-fi Fairy-tale Retelling, Novella Collection
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan)
Release Date: February 2, 2016
Spoilers?: No.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.
Wishlist Thursday. Teaser Tuesday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The enchantment continues....

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

--
The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.
Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch….
The Queen’s Army: In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.
Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.
The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit.
After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.
The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a game called The Princess
The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.

Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century...

The Cover:

I absolutely love this cover. It's beautiful and goes along with the other colors so well. The image works well for a last collection of the series. I love it.

Review:

A couple of these stories had been released before, but I’d only read one of them, and there’s a nice variety here.
There’s a story featuring Scarlet and her grandma when she was little, during the time that Cinder was first brought over. There’s Wolf’s past, when he was first brought into the army and went through the transformation. Cinder’s story, and Cinder and Kai’s first meeting through Kai’s eyes. There’s a little mermaid-based side-story featuring different characters.
My favorites, though, would have to be Thorne’s story, from when he was growing up and rebelling against his family, and how he helped a girl classmate. Thorne is fun and a sweetheart even when he tries not to be. And Cress’s story, when she was taken from the other shells and used for the queens surveillance. Her story is just sad and hopeless.
But, of course, the main story that everyone is looking forward to, the last one, a last little epilogue. I will admit that I’d wanted more from the other characters point-of-view. But aside from that, it was perfect and adorable. We get to see all the characters again, see how they’re doing and what the world is like now, and there’s a wedding and scheming and it’s just so cute. I love it.
This series could not be more perfect and I will always be wanting more of it. I’m just kind of obsessed with the characters and everything about it.

Wishlist Thursday[158]: The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson

The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance; Shakespeare Much Ado About Nothing Retelling
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Trixie Watson has two very important goals for senior year: to finally save enough to buy the set of Doctor Who figurines at the local comic books store, and to place third in her class and knock Ben West--and his horrendous new mustache that he spent all summer growing--down to number four.

Trixie will do anything to get her name ranked over Ben's, including give up sleep and comic books--well, maybe not comic books--but definitely sleep. After all, the war of Watson v. West is as vicious as the Doctor v. Daleks and Browncoats v. Alliance combined, and it goes all the way back to the infamous monkey bars incident in the first grade. Over a decade later, it's time to declare a champion once and for all.

The war is Trixie's for the winning, until her best friend starts dating Ben's best friend and the two are unceremoniously dumped together and told to play nice. Finding common ground is odious and tooth-pullingly-painful, but Trixie and Ben's cautious truce slowly transforms into a fandom-based tentative friendship. When Trixie's best friend gets expelled for cheating and Trixie cries foul play, however, they have to choose who to believe and which side they're on--and they might not pick the same side. 

Why?:

I’m not usually a big fan of Shakespeare retellings, but this one sounds very cute, and I’m a sucker for nerdy characters. I also watched a webseries based on Much Ado About Nothing and found it super cute and funny, and so I’m even more open to reading this one.

What’s on your list?

Manga Review: Noragami: Stray God, Volume 13, by Adachitoka

Rating (Out of 5): ~4-4.5
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: April 19, 2016
Volumes: 16+
Spoilers?: No.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Volume: 1. 12. 14.
Add on Goodreads 

Amazon Synopsis:

PLAYING WITH FIRE

Hiyori knows Kōto’s real identity, and she’s determined not to let him mess with her anymore. When he comes to pick on her again, she confronts him about Yato and refuses to back down. She’s not afraid of him, but incurring the wrath of Yato’s father comes with dire consequences.

Review:

Yato’s father is the worst. I hate him and what he’s done to Yato.
In this volume, he attack Hiyori, indirectly but right where it hurts. We see how horrible he really scarred Yato in the past, and then when he threatens Hiyori, the two close in to protect her. Surprisingly enough, Bishamon also tries to help Yato in the fight, because she’s after his father for her own reasons.
I do like the way that things end, how they turn out. I’m not surprised, because even though it was bad, I trusted that Yato would figure it out in a better way. I like the way it shows up his father, too, that jerk.
This volume is bad, and it gets very dark for a while. But it turns out pretty well, for the moment. I’m looking forward to seeing how things change next, where the story goes from here. Every new volume has a surprise, and I’m impressed with each one. I can’t wait for the next one, and I’m so glad that I don’t have to wait long yet.

Teaser Tuesday[200]: All The Truth That’s In Me by Julie Berry

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

----------------------------------------------------------

All The Truth That’s In Me by Julie Berry
Genre: YA Realistic, Kidnapping
Publisher: Viking (Penguin)
Release Date: 2013
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years ago, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family.

Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as long as she can remember—even if he doesn’t know it—her childhood friend, Lucas.

But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever.

This startlingly original novel will shock and disturb you; it will fill you with Judith’s passion and longing; and its mysteries will keep you feverishly turning the pages until the very last.

Excerpt:

“She buries her face in his neck and sobs into his ear. He flops an arm around her.
Everyone averts their eyes but you.” (Hardback, pg. 86)

What are you reading right now?

Manga Review: Dragon Ball Full Color Freeza Arc, Volume 1, by Akira Toriyama

Rating (Out of 5): ~3
Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Spoilers?: No.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Akira Toriyama's original, bestselling series now in a full-color version!


After his epic battle with Vegeta, Son Goku must obtain the wish-granting Dragon Balls in order to resurrect their fallen allies! Their search will take them all the way to the planet Namek, where the evil Freeza and his minions are slaughtering the Namekians in order to fulfill Freeza’s wish for immortality. What will it take to defeat this great evil?

Review:

Since I’m not a normal reader of the Dragon Ball books nor do I watch the show, this was a little slow to start for me. I don’t really have any background for the characters or the storyline—I’ve really only read the one book. But it’s a pretty simple story to follow.
It’s surprisingly brutal, with a lot of character deaths happening, a lot of fighting, only most of it brushed off and eased over. But it is a story based on fighting, so I’m not surprised by that part.
Vegeta, Son Goku and Kuririn, and Freeza and his men, are all invading planet Namek to find the dragon balls and to stop each other from finding them all. Son Goku and Kuririn stay in the background mostly, out of the fighting because they know they’re weaker and they are waiting for backup, a.k.a. Goku. Vegeta and Freeza’s group are the ones doing most of the fighting and most of the killing. As we reached the end of the volume, Vegeta is fighting and Goku has almost reached the planet.
This is still a surprisingly fun read. I’m not the audience it’s aimed at, and I have barely read any of the books. But it’s still fun to read, easy to follow, a bit childish but in a good and purposeful way. It’s fun and I can see the appeal.


A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Barakamon, Volume 2, by Satsuki Yoshino

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5
Publisher: Yen Press
Release Date: December 2014
Volumes: 13+
Spoilers?: No.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

His house suddenly a hangout for the local kids, weird rumors about him getting spread all over the island in the span of day... Handsome young calligrapher Seishuu Handa, unused to rural life, can't take it anymore and collapses from the weight of it all......?! The equally heartwarming and hilarious tale of a sullen city boy teacher and his tolerant island neighbors continues! Will Handa finally start to learn that living life at a slow pace isn't all that bad...?

Review:

Now that I’ve finished Yotsuba&!, I must admit that this series is not at quite that level. But, that’s a little unfair, because nothing is really on level with Yotsuba&!. Yotsuba is amazing and nothing can really equal it.
The humor is a little similar, and the setting and main plot is similar. Differently, though, there’s more of a main plot here, and a lot more characters. We’re also following Seishuu, a new adult professional calligrapher new to country life, not a young girl.
Seishuu, a.k.a. Sensei, still doesn’t quite understand country life. It’s very small town, with one convenience store, one school with small classes. He sees Naru’s family often, as Naru goes to his house all the time, along with her friends. He gets pulled into helping the school, he finds out he’s allergic to cats (despite his love for them), he gets sick and goes to the hospital. We find out that Tama, an aspiring mangaka, is an intense developing fujoshi. We end with the arrival of Seishuu’s friends or colleagues, but not knowing where he is in town.
While this series doesn’t quite live up to Yotsuba&! standards, it’s still very enjoyable. It’s funny, I really like the setting, and the cast of characters is great. I look forward to reading the next one.