New Release: Element Part 2 by C.M. Doporto and Giveaway!

I'm excited to share with you my writing friend's new book release for Element Part 2! But before you read it, check out her first novel, Element Part 1, which is available for free at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble until June 30th!

What is Element Part 2 about?

College student, Natalie Vega, struggles in her quest to learn how she can have a normal life, which includes her boyfriend Ryan, and also help the world that has been experiencing the effects of global warming. While her supernatural powers are unknown and are a secret to most in the world, an evil business tycoon learns of her abilities and has other plans for Natalie and his empire.

Book trailer:

Download now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the author:

CM Doporto lives in the great state of Texas with her husband and son enjoying life with their extensive family along with their Chihuahua, Mexican Redhead Parrot and several fish.

She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from The University of Texas at Arlington. She briefly worked in the area of Public Relations and Advertising and then pursued a career in the field of Human Resources. CM considers herself a life-long learner and returned to school and earned her Master of Art's Degree in Organizational Development from Dallas Baptist University.

She writes Young Adult and New Adult Sci-Fi/Urban Fantasy stories about ordinary women who do extraordinary things, become a heroine, and find love along the way. CM is a member of Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and Romance Writers of America and is associated with the Young Adult Special Interest Chapter.

Web/blog: http://cmdoporto.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/cmdoportowriter

Twitter: @cm_doporto

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/cmdoporto

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/cmdoporto

And be sure to enter the Rafflecopter for the giveaway!

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The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr Review

Title: The Lucy Variations
Author: Sara Zarr
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Goodreads

The Lucy Variations is about Lucy Beck-Moreau, a sixteen-year old piano prodigy who quit abruptly eight months prior to the start of the book. She and her brother, Gus, have had piano lessons drilled into them from the start thanks to their overbearing grandfather and mother. When Lucy quit, her grandfather said that her decision was final, and she couldn't go back. Now, Lucy is starting to miss playing, and she's conflicted about how to handle it. She befriends Gus' new piano teacher, Will, and together they help Lucy decide how to move toward her future. 

I'm conflicted myself about how I feel about this book. Zarr writes beautifully, and I found myself flying through the pages. The end, though, left me feeling unsatisfied and slightly cringe-y. Lucy's relationship with Will seemed too friendly, far too fast, especially considering their age difference. I'm not quite sure how Zarr intended us to interpret things, but their relationship was at the very least reciprocally flirty.

At several points during the book, I felt like things were going to take a turn for the more serious or exciting. *SPOILER ALERT* Numerous times, for instance, references to alcoholism are made, or Lucy overdoing it when drinking once (at Thanksgiving). I assumed we'd uncover some kind of family secret or story, but that turned into...a dead end. Reyna's father implies that some significance will come of his divorce and behavior, and it's never brought up again. It's explicitly pointed out that Lucy's friend Carson has feelings for her...and nothing happens. At one point Will's wife, Aruna, gets in the middle of their flirty friendship. Rather than that turning into a conflict, it's almost immediately dropped. I think the story would have been far more interesting if that had been fully developed. *END SPOILER ALERT*

Ultimately, I was disappointed by The Lucy Variations. The main conflict of the story - whether or not Lucy should play piano again - seemed trite. She did not have to overcome major barriers, like learning to play again or dealing with rejection. The only thing standing in her way was the fact that her grandfather would be unhappy about it, and even that didn't seem like it would last all that long. The rest of the issues -- ones that could be deemed more important, like her friendship with Reyna or relationship with her mother -- were left largely unresolved. Regardless, the writing itself was excellent, and reading this book is easy and engaging.

Winger by Andrew Smith Review

Title: Winger
Author: Andrew Smith
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Goodreads

I'm still reeling from the ending of this book. I had to hold it and hug and carry it around with me after I finished it because I wasn't ready to leave it behind just yet. It is easily the best book I have read this year. Seriously.

Winger is about Ryan Dean "Winger" West (Ryan Dean is his first name but he hates his middle name so good luck getting that out of him), a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids. He plays rugby and is in love with his best friend, Annie. He's smart, funny, and is constantly thinking about girls. And he's two years younger than everyone else in his grade. Every question I ever had about the mind of a teenage boy was answered in this hilarious coming-of-age story.

The book begins during the start of Winger's junior year. He is having to stay in "O Hall" (Opportunity Hall), which is a dorm for delinquent students. Winger is in there for stealing a teacher's phone to call Annie while she was visiting her parents over the weekend. No electronics are allowed at their boarding school: cell phones, iPods, anything. So when he got caught, he was sent to stay in O Hall and share a room with the biggest asshole on the rugby team. He is afraid of the guys that live in O Hall and misses the privacy and space he had in his own room with his friends but he isn't going to let anything get in the way of making his junior year awesome. And he's going to get Annie to see him as not a fourteen-year-old "kid".

Winger feels somewhat like a slice-of-life story at the beginning. It's hilarious, well-written, and the characters jump off the page but it's a contemporary story about Winger's life and trying to get the girl. I started it not thinking it was going to be a book that had much more than some funny scenes and a cute romance story. I liked it and enjoyed it but it wasn't until the end that I realized how tightly the characters had wrapped themselves around my heart. I felt like I knew the guys that Winger played rugby with, the residents of O Hall, his old roommates, and Annie.

I can't wait until everyone I know has read Winger. It's powerful, heartbreaking, hilarious, and at times cringe-worthy. It's a coming-of-age story that resonates with more than just fourteen-year-old boys. This twenty-four-year old girl, who has never stepped foot in a boarding school, fell in love with Winger and his friends. If there is any book that I'll push on you this year, it will be this one.

Favorite quote:

"You know, nothing ever goes back exactly the way it was. Things just expand and contract. Like the universe, like breathing. But you'll never fill your lungs up with the same air twice. Sometimes, it would be cool if you could pause and rewind and do over. But I think anyone would get tired of that after one or two times."

Right of Way by Lauren Barnholdt Review

Title: Right of Way
Author: Lauren Barnholdt
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: July 9th 2013
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Goodreads

RIGHT OF WAY is a road trip contemporary YA book that is told in dual perspectives, one from Jace's point of view and one from Peyton's. This story is also told in past and the present. After Peyton travels to Florida for her uncle's wedding, she is left without a ride home and the only person who seems willing to give her a ride is her ex boyfriend, Jace. Immediately we can tell that something huge happened in the past between them, and as the road trip and story unfold, we learn that both Jace and Peyton are keeping secrets that are pushing them further and further apart.

I love Lauren Barnholdt's novels, and I was really excited to see this new one from her--especially since I was a huge fan of TWO WAY STREET. It's a very light, cutesy read that would be perfect to devour by the pool over the summer. The dialogue is quick and sweet and the chemistry between both characters is light and fun.

Because I'm loving list reviews, here are my top 5 reasons why I loved RIGHT OF WAY:
5. The tension and undeniable chemistry between both main characters.
4. Family problems--specifically with Peyton's mother--that seemed real and unique.
3. The pacing leaves you wanting to devour more pages so you can understand what happened between Jace and Peyton.
2. The fact that both main characters are dealing with flaws of their own.
1. Road. Trip. Book. Need I say more?

Update: Our Little Book Charity That Was Asked to be Taken Down

Hi everyone,

Some of you may have seen that our previous children's books charity, "Books for Kids", has slowly been dissolving online. The three of us have been working frantically this month to take everything with the title "Books for Kids" down from the internet, which included our beloved videos, blog posts, social media promos, and our entire website.

You're probably wondering why.

At the beginning of May, we received a letter from a charity under a similar name commending us for our efforts of outreach to these children in hospitals by donating books. However, they told us they had federal rights to their name, and that ours was too similar, so we received a cease and disist letter. If we did not take everything with our name down in 4 weeks, attornies would become involved.

As you can imagine, this was heartbreaking and problematic for us. We'd worked so hard for three years to build this up, put a LOT of our own money and time into this nonprofit effort. And to be honest, I was upset. If we were a business earning money, I could understand the problem. But we're both nonprofits. 100% of our money goes to giving these children books. I probably spent well over $500 of my own money getting this started. We earn nothing from this.

But all we can really do is move forward, which is what we're doing. We wanted to come out and explain this because we know some of you were wondering why our 2013 charity effort has been moving slowly, and we're here to tell you that this is just a minor set back. We're not giving up our efforts completely.

As of right now, BFK has been renamed "I Eat Words Charity." We've been having a tough time coming up with a name that 1) doesn't have a domain taken 2) isn't already an organization (we want to avoid any repeats of this situation) and 3) is creative.

You can find the I Eat Words Charity information on this website on our "I Eat Words Charity" page.

2013 has been a tough and frustrating year for me personally with a lot of set backs, and I truly, truly apologize that we haven't gone through with making our 2013 effort yet. I promise you that 100% of your money and donations WILL go to the children and these hospitals this year.

That being said, if you have any suggestions for charity names, please leave them in the comments! We're open and ready for ideas, for a fresh, new start in our efforts toward making kids and teens happy with the enjoyable pleasure of a book. :)

Again, thank you for your time and patience with us while we deal with this. It's much appreciated!

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen Review

Title: The Moon and More
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Penguin Group
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Goodreads

Let's start with the obvious: this is a total Sarah Dessen fangirl blog. I can safely say that Farrah, Britney, and myself grew up reading, feeling, loving her stuff, and this will probably be a completely biased review.

The Moon and More's protagonist is Emaline, a recent high school graduate who has lived in Colby, Dessen's frequently-used beach setting, her entire life. Emaline's family is a bit unusual; her mother had Emaline when she was a teenager, accidentally pregnant by a visiting city boy. Emaline's father has not been a constant part of her life, until her later high school years when he began pushing her to do her best academically and get accepted to a top-notch school: Columbia.

Meanwhile, Emaline also got a full-ride scholarship to a nearby university, where her boyfriend of three years, Luke, is going. Emaline's mother married her "Dad," (she clarifies between her two paternal figures by referring to them as Dad and Father) when she was three, and along with him came her two older (step-)sisters, Margo and Amber. Emaline's best friends comprise a couple: Morris, a slow-moving, unambitious boy who she's known since she was young, and Daisy, Colby's own "fashionista," as she hates to be called.

Then come Theo and Ivy, two New Yorkers who have arrived to complete a documentary on a renowned local artist. Their attitudes toward Colby and their general demeanor is completely different than anything Emaline is used to, though she repeatedly has to interact with them because her family owns the rental company that oversees their house for the summer. As Emaline's last summer in Colby winds down, she finds herself entwined in several pieces of drama that force her to face questions about her own decisions, life, and future.

Honestly, this was not my favorite Dessen book (that bar is set impossibly high), but it was not my least favorite, either. The main thing I disliked about it was the lack of focus on Emaline's immediate family. Though there is a story involving her father, and I understand why Dessen wouldn't want to go too in-depth with her relationships with the rest of the family, I was especially disappointed by the lack of detail about her relationship with her sisters. Though we see tiny moments that illuminate their different dynamics, I'm always a sucker for Dessen's ability to capture the tenuous relationships between teenagers and their family members. Sisters and mothers, in particular, are always wonderfully illustrated. That felt lacking in this one, and I missed it sorely.

Something that felt slightly off in this book in comparison to Dessen's others was her inclusion of a few mini-dramas within the book. They don't actually involve the characters, but are relayed to us through Emaline and almost seem out of place. She explains, for instance, the back story behind "Gerts," the bracelets first presented to us in What Happened to Goodbye. I didn't really see the point in this, since it didn't end up affecting the main story much at all and almost seemed excessive. There are a few more instances of this happening throughout The Moon and More, though the others (particularly one) were used well to illustrate Dessen's (and Emaline's) point. I don't remember Dessen using this particular writing device in the past, so it stood out to me while I read the book.

I don't want to bias anyone with my own opinion about Emaline's love life, so I'll keep quiet on that, but I will say that I loved the way it ended. It was realistic, for one, and it reminded me of some of Dessen's earlier books, all of which I love. Something I've noticed about Dessen's work that has kept me a lifelong fan is her portrayal of women in general. Though she'll occasionally write the "mean girl," she never shies away from also making them more than their stereotype, and more often than not ultimately redeems their character. Though we've come to expect, for instance, the wicked stepmother, the evil boss, or the snobby teen queen as tropes in young adult fiction, Dessen often sets her female characters up that way before going completely off the map to humanize them. This is one of my favorite things about her as an author, and she pulls it off again perfectly in The Moon & More.

 

Sarah Dessen Challenge: May Wrap Up Discussion - The Truth About Forever

 

The Truth About Forever Wrap Up Post!

 

I actually cheated and read this one in January, which is when I had the idea to start a Sarah Dessen reread month. The Truth About Forever is one of my absolute favorites, mostly because of the vast and different arrangement of fun characters! I loved the Monica-isms and Bert's nerdiness and Wes' mystery and intrigue and chaotic "Please God, I'm begging you" Delia and, of course, rule-following Macy.

 

One of the biggest reasons I truly enjoyed this book was because Macy evolves so well. We see how she is at the beginning when Jason leaves for Brain Camp. She's tired of living in this perfect bubble everyone has created for her, and throughout the novel we're just waiting for her to break free and truly become who she really is. Topped with beautiful writing and a cute boy, this is everything you'll need in a summer book!

 

I wanted to share one of my favorite scenes from this book. I have a lot of favorite quotes, but I really felt like this scene verged upon Macy breaking out of her shell and, quite frankly, got her to quit putting up with hateful girl's BS while at her job in the library:

 

"We can help you over here," Bethany said to him. "Did you have a question?"

"Um, sort of," Wes said, glancing at me, a mild smile on his face. "But—"
"I can answer it," Bethany said solidly, so confidently. Amanda, beside her, nodded, seconding this.
"Really, it's fine," he said, then looked at me again. He raised his eyebrows, and I just shrugged. "Okay, so—"
"She's only a trainee, she won't know the answer," Bethany told him, pushing her chair over closer to
where he was, her voice too loud, bossy even. "It's better if you ask me. Or ask us."
Then, and only then, did I see the tiniest flicker of annoyance on Wes's face. "You know," Wes said, "I think she'll know it."
"She won't. Ask me."
Now it wasn't just a flicker. Wes looked at me, narrowing his eyes, and for a second I just stared back.
Whatever happens, I thought, happens. For the first time, time at the info desk was flying.
"Okay," he said slowly, moving down the counter. He leaned on his elbows, closer to Bethany, and she sat up even straighter, readying herself, like someone onJeopardy awaiting the Daily Double. "So here's my question."
Amanda picked up a pen, as if there might be a written portion.
"Last night," Wes said, his voice serious, "when the supplies were being packed up, what happened to
the big tongs?"
The sick part was that Bethany, for a second, looked as if she was actually flipping through her mental Rolodex for the answer. I watched her swallow, then purse her lips. "Well," she said. But that was all.
I could feel myself smiling. A real smile.
Wes looked at Amanda. "Do you know?"
Amanda shook her head slowly.
"All right," he said, turning back to look at me. "Better ask the trainee, then. Macy?"
I could feel Amanda and Bethany looking at me. "They're in the bottom of that cart with the broken
back wheel, under the aprons," I said. "There wasn't room for them with the other serving stuff.” 

I think I really said OH SNAP after reading this scene!

 

Here's what Sarah Dessen says inspired her to write about WISH: 

 

 

 

That's about all I have thought-wise on this book! Did you read The Truth About Forever this month? If so, what did you think?! Leave your thoughts in the comments :)

 

June's Sarah Dessen read: THE MOON AND MORE!!! Who's excited for a new Dessen book?!?!