ARC Tour & Review: God is in the Pancakes by Robin Epstein

Fifteen-year-old Grace Manning is a candy striper in a nursing home, and Mr. Sands is the one patient who makes the job bearable. He keeps up with her sarcasm, teaches her to play poker . . . and one day cheerfully asks her to help him die. At first Grace says no way, but as Mr. Sands’s disease progresses, she’s not so sure. Grace tries to avoid the wrenching decision by praying for a miracle, stuffing herself with pancakes, and running away from all feelings, including the new ones she has for her best friend Eric. But Mr. Sands is getting worse, and she can’t avoid him forever.

A reader can only hope to find a best friend in the pages of a book they're reading.  Most die hard readers aren't understood, my family and friends can't seem to grasp how I can read so fast, let alone why I would have more fun sometimes reading rather than watching a television show.  I'm just weird I guess?  My point (and yes I do have one) is that when you spend so much of your time reading, you feel lucky to find a character or two that you not only like and can relate to but also one that in the end you've grown attached to like you would a best friend.  You come to care about them and what ultimately happens to them.  They are hard to find but after reading Robin Epstein's story I think I owe her a thank you card for introducing me to Grace.

She was not the only good character in the story, but she was by far my favorite.  Watching her journey with Mr. Sands and the difficult situations she had to deal with was intense and very memorable.  On a side note...I think more elderly men should start rocking a faux-hawk and begin a new trend!

Epstein will sober readers up who are not expecting the very real and very heavy issues that Grace is confronted with.  No one wants to lose a loved one but it's unfortunately a part of life and Epstein uses Grace and Mr. Sands to try and walk readers through the reality of it all.  The decisions we're faced with, the pain one goes through, the affect it has on others, and everything else. 

I was surprised it was Epstein's debut YA novel and am impressed with the quality of it overall.  I'm looking forward to reading more of her work in the future, and I know this one is sure to stay with me for a long time to come.

I gave God is in the Pancakes 3 shamrocks!!!

ARC Tour & Review: The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff

The absolute value of any number, positive or negative, is its distance from zero: |-1| = 1

Noah, Lily, and Simon have been a trio forever. But as they enter high school, their relationships shift and their world starts to fall apart. Privately, each is dealing with a family crisis—divorce, abuse, and a parent's illness. Yet as they try to escape the pain and reach out for the connections they once counted on, they slip—like soap in a shower. Noah’s got it bad for Lily, but he knows too well Lily sees only Simon. Simon is indifferent, suddenly inscrutable to his friends. All stand alone in their heartache and grief.

We all know that no two people are the same.  Everyone deals with different situations, everyone has an image they want to project to others, and everyone deals with problems (be they big or small) at some point in their lives.  Steve Brezenoff introduces us to Noah, Lily and Simon and gives us a taste of his take on relationships and what brings us together and the distance that is inevitably between us.

I've really become a fan of author's giving us multiple narrators and points of views.  This book is broken into sections, each featuring one of the characters and giving us their story.  Each section may seem like you'll be given the same version of the same story, but by hearing and seeing it through each respective character you really start to understand how there is more than one side to every story.  It also becomes obvious that every little detail affects every individual differently.

Brezenoff doesn't give his readers fairy tales or sugar coated story lines.  The issues he brought to the table are real and they're not all pleasant.  Drug use, abuse, heart break and the like.  Unfortunately these are also not subjects people are unfamiliar with.  Readers will be able to relate in some way shape, or form and will be able to appreciate how Brezenoff wove his creation together.

I gave The Absolute Value of -1 3 shamrocks!!!

ARC Tour & Review: A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

When the principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program, Fiona Sheehan believes that her life can’t get any worse. Then she marries her “husband”: Jerky jock Todd, whose cheerleader girlfriend, Amanda, has had it in for Fiona since day one of second grade. Even worse? Amanda is paired with Fiona’s long-term crush, Gabe. At least Fiona is doing better than her best friend, Marcie, who is paired up with the very quiet, very mysterious Johnny Mercer. Pranks, fights, misunderstandings, and reconciliations ensue in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors about mistaken first impressions, convoluted coupling, and hidden crushes.


There have not been many books that have made me laugh out loud, but this accomplished that on several different occasions.  Sure books have made me smile and even been funny, but not usually enough to have me embarrassing myself in public when I bust out laughing and no one knows why exactly.  Kristin Walker just knows how to write so that it hits your funny bone.

This is not a gushing romance novel.  I would equate it to having a chick flick's amount of wooing, and a realistic amount of idiotic mistakes being made by the characters themselves in the process of seeking said romance.  It was fabulous to read and highly entertaining to see how it unfolded.  It was good fun from start to finish and a super quick read at that.  I think it would be the perfect book for a rainy afternoon, I had it finished in one sitting without a problem.

The idea that a high school would make a marriage education class a graduation requirement for seniors was a little bit of a stretch in my opinion but I couldn't have cared less because it was just too much fun to watch them all squirm.  I know that's a terrible thing to say, but it's just fiction right?

Following along as Fiona gets paired with the popular jock Todd, her best friend Marcie is paired with the quiet loner Johnnie, and Todd's cheerleader girlfriend gets matched up with Fiona's crush Gabe, it was just pure comedy.  All mixed up but with no choice but to participate and slug it out, these seniors have their work cut out for them, not to mention their holding onto their sanity.  I loved it all and I'm positive so will any other reader and fan of YA literature.

I gave A Match Made In High School 4 shamrocks(without a doubt)!!!!

ARC Tour & Review: Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Restless souls and empty hearts.

Brooklyn can’t sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca died a year ago, and now their friend Gabe has died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there, waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca chasing her through her dreams.

Nico can’t stop. He’s always running, trying so hard not to feel the pain of missing Lucca. But when he begins receiving messages from his dead brother, telling him to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.


This is a book that is both heart breaking and breath taking all at once.  There is so much pain in Brooklyn and Nico's life after Lucca dies and then his good friend Gabe soon after, that at times it was hard to read.  Brooklyn lost her first love and someone she considered to be her soul mate.  Nico lost his brother and best friend all at once.  I honestly can't imagine and I don't want to try.  But through Lisa Schroeder's powerful verse I feel like I was taken on a journey that was both eye opening and good for the soul.

A year after Lucca's death, Gabe ends his life.  People believed the guilt he felt over being the driver of the car the night of the accident that killed Lucca was too much for him to live with.  Shortly after Gabe's death, Brooklyn starts dreaming of Gabe and not in a comforting way.  It's like he's visiting her in her dreams to send a message and not a gentle, soothing one, she's terrified.  She's having these awful nightmares and doesn't seem to understand what he's trying to say to her, if he's trying to tell her anything at all.  At the same time Lucca visits Nico and begins asking him to "help" Brooklyn, with no further details or any kind of explanation.  And so the the story really begins.  The journey these two take is remarkable and life changing.  I could try my best to describe it but I would fall terribly short and would not do the book, or Schroeder justice.

To deal with her grief, Brooklyn writes letters to Lucca, beautiful, pleading, heartfelt letters.  Sometimes I'd get to a page where she'd write one asking for his help and it would just break my heart; she felt so alone and missed him so much.  Watching Nico and hearing his side of things was also both wonderful and terrible.  He was struggling just like Brooklyn, but in different ways.  He too felt like he was on his own, his parents were in no state to offer him much support when they were having trouble themselves with the loss of their son, so he attempted to put on a good front around them, tried to lessen the burden on them.  So seeing Nico latch onto a purpose, to help Brooklyn at Lucca's request and together their training for the "finish line" was inspiring.

Like I said at the beginning, this story was both heart breaking and breath taking and it has instantly been placed on my 2010 favorites list and will be added to my collection for all time.

I gave Chasing Brooklyn 4 shamrocks!!!!

In My Mailbox (18)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board.

You guys know the drill by now...I’ve learned that it’s a great idea to really try and stop by at least two or three lists because I’m constantly finding out about new books that I’ve later added to my TBR list.

This past week I got a few to add to my collection, and a few that I must pass on as part of the ARC tours, but regardless I'm super excited to get started!

ARC tours

The Julian Game by Adele Griffin (Around the World ARC Tours)

New girl Raye Archer is desperate for a way into the In crowd, so when ice-queen Ella Parker chooses her to get back at her ex, the gorgeous Julian Kilgarry, Raye is more than game. Even if it means creating a fake Facebook identity as “Elizabeth” so that she can learn enough about Julian to sabotage him. While a fun and dangerous thrill at first, what Raye hadn’t counted on was falling for Julian herself—and igniting Ella’s rage. 

As Raye works to reconcile the temptress Elizabeth with her real-life self, Ella serves up her own revenge. Now it’s Raye who falls victim, as Ella creates an online smear campaign of nasty rumors and trashy photographs. Suddenly notorious, Raye has to find a way out of the web of deceit that she’s helped to build, and back to the relationships that matter.

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder (1 ARC Tours)

Brooklyn can’t sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca died a year ago, and now their friend Gabe has died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there, waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca chasing her through her dreams. 

Nico can’t stop. He’s always running, trying so hard not to feel the pain of missing Lucca. But when he begins receiving messages from his dead brother, telling him to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

Indigo Blues by Danielle Joseph (Traveling ARC Tours)

Even though you tossed me away, I'm here to stay.
Oh, Indigo, how could you let me go . . .

-from "Indigo Blues" written by Adam Spade, performed by Blank Stare

Indigo:

I never asked to be famous—or infamous. Such is my fate for briefly dating (and dumping) Adam Spade. Yes, the Adam from the indie rock band who wrote "Indigo Blues"—the song that gave the band overnight success, propelled them to New York City, and stole my precious anonymity. Now I'm pawed by fans, stalked by reporters, and pegged as a vicious heartbreaker. And Adam is still calling me. Doesn't he have better things to do?

Adam:

With a hit single and a promising career, I should be on top of the world. People on the street are beginning to recognize me, which is cool. And scary. The band is counting on me to write another hit, but I can't stop thinking about Indigo. Why won't she answer the phone?

Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick (Holly's ARC Tours)

Claire is a #hopelessromantic. Lottie is determined to set up her BFF with Mr. Perfect. Will wants his #secretcrush to finally notice him. Bennett is a man with a plan. 

Claire can’t believe it when her dream guy starts following her on Twitter. She never thought he noticed her, and suddenly he seems to understand her better than almost anyone.

But the Twitterverse can be a confusing place, especially when friends act differently online than they do in person. Things get even more complicated when Claire realizes she’s falling for someone else, the last person she ever would have expected….

Swapped Books

Summer In Paris by Michele Ashman Bell (thanks to Page and Goodreads Book Swap)

Kenzie Williams feels like she has it all; wealth, friends, popularity and talent. But when her father tells her that he has declared bankruptcy, her whole world in New York City turns upside down. Her parents' solution while they sort through their financial and marital problems is to send Kenzie to live with her relatives in Paris...Idaho!

Feeling like she's been sentenced to three months in Hickville Prison, Kenzie arrives in Idaho feeling like a square peg with name brand clothes, in a round, horribly podunk, hole.

Leaving everything she loves behind, Kenzie is forced to get up at the crack of dawn, do chores, and hang out with her cousin's loser friends. She feels like she's about to die until she meets Adam White, the town outcast, who's been accused of killing his best friend and is being blamed for some trouble that's been happening around town.

Not only is Adam the best-looking guy she's ever seen, but he's also the most fascinating guy she's ever met and Kenzie is determined to get to know him and find out his secret. But, the longer she stays in Paris, the more she realizes, Adam isn't the only one keeping secrets.

Bought

The Summoning (Darkest Powers, #1) by Kelley Armstrong

After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home.

At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…

Won from Contests

Titus and Atreus (The Angel Saga, #1) by Meridi Myers (thanks to Kelsey from The Book Scout)

Grief-stricken by the loss of his parents, Titus Attwater is convinced his life will never improve. His older sister ignores his calls, his grades in school have plummeted, and his house, once a place of warmth and security, is now lonely, cold, and alien. 

But when a young man appears one night in Titus's house, claiming he came in upstairs through the full-length mirror, Titus's life gets turned upside-down. For, as Titus soon discovers, this intruder is not from Earth. Against his will, Titus is kidnapped and taken to another world, a place like Earth but markedly different. It is here where he will befriend angels, face assassins, and help a young prince unravel a prophecy that proves much darker and more twisted than any of them had imagined.

I plan on laying low and curling up with all these great books this weekend, what did you guys get?  Any recommendations for me?  Have a great weekend and as always happy reading!