going too far by Jennifer Echols

Synopsis:

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from the backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far ... and almost doesn't make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge - and over ...




My review:

going too far a story by the wonderful author Jennifer Echols is a book that I read a couple of years back and just recently fished out of my bookshelf to read it again.
Even the second time I enjoyed reading the book very much and thought that I couldn't withhold it from you any longer.

Meg is a seventeen year old senior at high school and there is nothing she wants more than to get out of the boring town she is living with her parents.
A lot of things happened there in the past she just wants to forget and what better way is there than to run away  ... and leave a mark.

John on the other hand just wants to stay in town and put everything back in place. He acts like a though and strict adult which he's not. There are things in his life that he wants to undo and protect everyone else from.

Both of them can't be more different and still there is something that connects them: their secrets.
They have secrets of their own that they're not aware of and so it happens that they drive each other right into the mess.

There are a few reasons why I like this book very much.
Firstly, there is the chemistry between John and Meg. From the first day on they met, it's just there.
Secondly, John. Actually, there are no more words needed but I just want to give you a little teaser: sexy, big, uniform, serious, funny, ... I mean how can you not like him?
I do have to be on Meg's side here: It's sexy as hell when he puts on his serious act "Never thouch me while I'm in uniform!" - Don't you want to do it even more now?
Though, thirdly, the stroy is very serious and the two of them have to deal with a lot of stuff it's also funny; Meg is alway good for a come-back and tries to provoke everyone around her.
My list would go on and on ... but you just have to read for yourself!

going too far is a book that you don't want to take out of your hands not even the second time! - Compelling, real, funny, provocative - a real page-turner.

A perfect summer read

All we want for our summer holidays is to have fun, get tanned, spend a lot of time with our friends and fall in love.
But on the top of our list: read as many books as possible.
Why not have a look in to the life of someone else and root for their love life (if ours isn't cookin')
Just right before summer ends .. a few books you might want to take a look at.

1. Where I belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

Meet Corrinne. She's living every girl's dream in New York City—shopping sprees at Barneys, open access to the best clubs and parties, and her own horse at the country club. Her perfect life is perfectly on track. At least it was. . . .

When Corrinne's father is laid off, her world suddenly falls apart. Instead of heading to boarding school, she's stripped of her credit cards and shipped off to the boonies of Texas to live with her grandparents. On her own in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the life she's supposed to be living. She doesn't care who she stomps on in the process. But when Corrinne makes an unlikely friend and discovers a total hottie at work, she begins to wonder if her life B.R.—before the recession—was as perfect as it seemed.

My thoughts: 3/5 Stars
It's an easy read but somehow the story isn't new. A crossing between Hannah Montana  - The Movie (I don't know why I even know this one) and the Carrie Diaries (TV show).

2. Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker

Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life. Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now. Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart? 

My thoughts: 3/5 Stars. 

Girl meets boy. Girl tries to ignore boy and pretend that she doesn't like him. Boy makes girl laugh. Girl falls for boy.
Lovely summer read if you like to enjoy the weather outside .. maybe sailing?

3. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. 

My thoughts: 4/5 Stars
Who doesn't like a road trip with some friends?
Travelling around the country and discovering places where once people you loved spent their time. You'll fall in love with Amy and Roger!

4. Not That Kind Of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

Natalie Sterling wants to be in control. She wants her friends to be loyal. She wants her classmates to elect her student council president. She wants to find the right guy, not the usual jerk her school has to offer. She wants a good reputation, because she believes that will lead to good things. But life is messy, and it's very hard to be in control of it. Not when there are freshman girls running around in a pack, trying to get senior guys to sleep with them. Not when your friends have secrets they're no longer comfortable sharing. Not when the boy you once dismissed ends up being the boy you wants to sleep with yourself - but only in secret, with nobody ever finding out. Slut or saint? Winner or loser? Natalie is getting tired of these forced choices - and is now going to find a way to live life in the sometimes messy, sometimes wonderful in-between.

My thoughts: 4/5 Stars
You should know me by now. I do love a good high school love-hate relationship - it couldn't be better.
It turns out that not every guy is a jerk even if he looks like one.
Keep in mind to stay true to yourself. You shouldn't change for anyone!
 

A quick read for a nice weeked. Even if you don't like them all, I am sure one or two of them will catch you eye and mind!

I have enjoyed reading all of the books. Some more the others less ...
If you go and pick up one of the books let me know what you think! 

-Lola

p.s.: You want to know more about one of the books? - Just tell me!

10 Things I ❤ about books

1. The smell of a new book. It's just wonderful.

2. I get really exicted just at the thought of buying new books. Strolling through the bookshelves or scrolling down the websites and reading the summaries.

3. Opening the book for the first time and having a peek in the middle or the end.

4. Books come alive. Not just from the movies but also from your thoughts.

5. You can easily carry them around and take them with you wherever you want.

6. Every book is different: The cover. The story. The size.

7. The books are always better than the movies.

 

8. Books extend your vocabulary.

 

9. They make you creative.

 

10. The books we read give us stuff to talk about.

 

 

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Synopsis

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there's an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.





My review

Allyson has always been the good kid. She never really had her teenage phase and she doesn't mind not going mainstream.
As a graduation present her parents sent her on a journey she will never forget.
Together with her best friend she travels Europe and meets Willem.
Until that day the trip isn't at all what she thought it would be but when Willem intives her to go to Paris for one day she says yes.
Together they explore the city and it's more than Allyson wished for. For one day she can be someone else. Someone exciting and experienced. But every day has an ending. Even if it's not the way you want it to.

A year goes by and Allyson hasn't been herself ever since. Can she find Willem with the few information she has? Will she be whole again?

Just one day, a book by Gayle Forman that inspired me. And I bet it will inspire you!
Have you ever been traveling? - No, I should ask this differently. Have you ever been spontaneously traveling with a complete stranger and not thinking about the consequences?
Did one day or person change your entire life?Think about it. What was it like?

When I still went to school I had the chance to go to Paris for a few days and even though I didn't really appreciated it back then .. I knew there was something special about the city. I wanted to go back ever since.

I really enjoyed reading the story about Allyson and Willem. About the things they exeprienced. The good thing: Both, Willem and Ally are nearly grown ups. They can "move" something. Be someone.
That's one big thing that inspired me. This book/the story animates you to do something. To go out and explore the world. To take a risk and be spontaneous.

I know, that doesn't say much about the story itself but that's what comes to my mind when I think about the book.
We should take our time and have a look around. Take time to make new friends, travel the world and try out something new.
Our time is precious and we won't get it back, so we have to make the best out of it.
Fall in love with a city. Find true love by "accident" and just .. live!

Read it for yourself and let me know what you think!

p.s.: Just one Year is coming out very soon! ;)

Meant to be by Lauren Morrill

Synopsis

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.


My review

Julia Lichtenstein is what some people call a dork. She loves books, always follows the rules and is a model student.
Also, Julia believes in the one true love, her MTB.

Jason Lippincott is the exact opposite, so she thinks. He's loud, always flirting with other girls and he doesn't know anything about culture.

When the two of them get paired together on their spring break trip to London Julia fears that this might be the worst week of her life.
They have never even spoke one word to each other and now they should wander around London? - So when Jason takes Julia to a party she doesn't even want to go she's breaking rule after rule. Now this mysterious guy named Chris is always texting her and Jason wants to help her find him .. It's all too much.
She should stay at home, dream about her "Meant to be" and not get annoyed by Jason.

I loved this book from the first page to the last. I loved Julia! I saw so many things in her that reminded me of myself. She's always carrying a book with her. She's a little Miss-know-it-all and she loves swimming. This made the book so much better.
Jason annoying Julia, the best thing. You never know what he is going to do next or what she's going to say. It's the kind of relationship I love, you should know this by now. ;)
While there are many ups and downs you don't only get to know the characters but also the city of London.
One of the many reasons I devoured this book in two days. Though the only thing that bugged me are the descriptions of the directions. They don't really fit with the picture that I have in my head from when I lived there. But with the time I could get over it and with every chapter I was so excited and wondering what will happen.

If you think you know what happens at the end .. think again.
While I thought I knew exactly what was coming, I didn't!

The book is not perfect because there are a few bits that I missed that the author could have solved in the end but other than that I have nothing bad to say.

An amazing story taking place in the most amazing city. You will devour chapter by chapter, like I did.
Lauren Morrill's debut novel and it's worth every hour you will spent reading it.

Favourite Books

You know it too, don't you? You're sitting in school, at work or someplace else and the only thing you want to do is take out your book and start reading again.

The story just won't leave you until you're with it.

I do have this a lot and in the following I will show you my all time favourite books, for now.

 

1. Adorkable by Sarra Manning

 

 

2. Meant to be by Lauren Morrill

 

 

3. going too far by Jennifer Echols

 

4. before I die by Jenny Downham

 

5. Time of my life by Cecelia Ahern

 

 

So tell me, what are your all time favourite books and why are they your favourites?

 

 

- Lola

The Statistical Probability of Love at first sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Synopsis

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of Hadley's life ...
Her father is getting married in London to a woman she's never met, and she's just missed her flight.
Hadley has never believed in destiny or fate before ...
But stuck at the airport in New York, today is the day she meets Oliver. He's british. He's cute. And he's on her new flight.








My review

Hadley and Oliver meet at the airport on their way to London.
She is off to a wedding, feeling as miserable and grumpy as she can because it is her father's.
He is off to a wedding as well, so she thinks, and is just the sweet gentleman he can be by helping her.

Hadley shouldn't be on this flight because if she were just a few minutes earlier nothing of this would have happened.
She wouldn't have met Oliver.
She wouldn't learn a lot about herself.
She wouldn't have fallen in love.

While Hadley is mainly pissed at her father for marrying again and leaving her and her mother behind she's at her worst. And now that she missed her flight, something that never happened before, it can't get any worse.
And there's Oliver. Cute, funny, thoughtful Oliver. Sitting right next to her. Telling her stories and making her laugh.
Could she really have fallen in love with him in just a few hours?
She tells him everything but what does she really know about him?
On their way over to London Hadley and Oliver get to know each other and themselves. They learn what it really means to know someone.
Now that they found each other Hadley doesn't really want to say goodbye. She wants to talk a little more and find out what is going on between them but before she can say anything Oliver is gone.
London is a big city, will she find him? He only told her a few little things about his childhood .. will this be enough?

How exciting is it to know that they met on the airport?
I for once think it's a lovely thought and it makes me want to plan my next trip. Who knows maybe I will meet my love at first sight and the statistical probability just showed us that it's possible.

The statistical probability of love at first sight is a lovely book and I really enjoyed reading it.
It's fresh, it's funny and it's sad.
Proof that you can fall in love in no matter of time .. and everywhere.

Just One Day

So, I just finished Just One Day by Gayle Forman and there's a part of a song that I think fits very well with the book.

 

No more tears, my heart is dry
I don't laugh and I don't cry
I don't think about you all the time
But when I do, I wonder why

 

 

Have you read the book already? What are your thoughts?

Let me know! - Review is coming real soon.

 

 

- Lola

 

 





Adorkable by Sarra Manning

Synopsis

Jeane Smith's a blogger, a dreamer, a dare-to-dreamer, a jumble sale queen, CEO of her own lifestyle brand and has half a million followers on twitter.

Michael Lee's star of school, stage and playing field. A golden boy in a Jack Wills hoodie.

They have nothing in common but a pair of cheating exes. So why can't they stop snogging?








My review

Adorkable is a lovely book about an independet girl named Jeane Smith who is living on her own, in an apartmant in London.
Jeane starts to write a blog about the things that are happening in her life, that she loves, hates and things that might be important to other people.
Only 17 years old, Jeane makes something out of her life. She has her own lifestyle brand, earns her own money and writes for different magazines and talks on international congresses.
What more does she want?

Michael Lee can't stand Jeane at all. Eveytime he sees her, he just wants to turn around and get as far away from her as possible.
He is a good student, loves his brand clothes and his life. Everything comes easy for him. The only problem is his overprotective mother.

Two teenager and they can't be more different but somehow, so it seems, they end up together.

While I was reading "Adorkable" I could relate to most of the things that Jeane says.
I don't know if it's her unique style (which I totally loved, by the way) or if it is the fact that she is just a "normal" teenage girl looking for herself, always saying what she thinks and still she falls for the "boring" boy.
He's the exact opposite from her and did I already mentioned that I really, really like the " I don't like you - You don't like me" - Phase at the beginning?
When I read a book and they are finally getting together I'm often very disappointed because I like the excitement at the beginning but I guess and hope that I'm not the only one.
This book is different!
Even if they are together they always have something that they can't stand about each other and that makes it even more fun to read.
I like that the book is up-to-date. Like, Jeane is always on twitter (who isn't anymore) and writing her blog ( I should take some advice from her on how to organise my blog entries!).
And Michael, he's always wearing the most popular brands these days (yeah I know, it's not about the looks .. )

I've spent my last year in London and I got so excited reading the book because I knew what the author was talking about when they were around, I fell in love all over again.
While they both try to figure out what exactly it is that's going on between them it seems that their families are trying hard to make their lifes as difficult as they can.
Can they handle the things that are going on, or will there be a big bang and they can't hold it any longer?

The book is an easy read. I had a good few laughs and a smile on my face the whole three days I was reading it even though I nearly had to cry on one or two occasions.
As you can see there is something for everyone in this book!
If you don't like the story you will definitely love the characters and if not the characters at least the conversations they are having.
Well, I don't want to give away too much. - You have to read it and get into the world of geeks, dorks, bloggers and ... the cool kids.
I can just recommend the book and definitely say it was one of the best books I've read last year.
Go and grab a copy for yourself and your friend!

On this note, I quess I have to read it again ;)

Someone knows me

" I need to fold down pages and flag passages with sticky notes. I need to experience books, not just read them. I never go anywhere without a book in my bag [...]

- Meant to be, Lauren Morrill

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Synopsis

Things in Delilah Hannaford’s life have a tendency to fall apart. She used to be a good student, but she can’t seem to keep it together anymore. Her “boyfriend” isn’t much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family’s painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced back together again?

 

My review

Fixing Delilah is not the first book I've read from Sarah Ockler and this is maybe one of the reasons why I chose to buy this book. I liked her writing and the story of “Twenty Boy Summer”. It actually brought me to tears a few times.
But I have to be honest: I expected “Fixing Delilah” to be a little more different because I think the synopsis overstated the story.

It’s a book about broken families and self-discovery.  Family is a big part of our lives and no matter what, they’ll always be there. We can’t run away from mistakes because some day we have to deal with it one way or the other.
 

Delilah Hannaford is a sixteen-year-old girl who currently has lots of trouble on her side. Her friends are not her friends anymore, her boyfriend really isn’t much of a boyfriend and her mum is working day and night. Her dad got killed before she was even born.
Welcome to Delilah Hannaford’s life, where a family isn’t much of a family anymore. Now she has to deal with the death of her grandmother, fixing the relationship with her mother and her long-missed friend Patrick.

It has never been easy for Delilah, growing up without a dad and a mother who is working more and more hours every day. Her friends aren’t the ones she thought they are and even the one person she should trust is not the one she is looking for. On top of all the teenage problems her grandmother died whom she didn’t saw in nearly more than eight years. No one is telling her about the fight that parted her family back then, until they get back to the town she used to live for eight years. Old memories are coming back. Old friendships reconnect and new relationships are build.
But even after her grandmas death no one wants to talk about what happened years ago. Delilah is determined to find out more about her family and who she really is.
While her mother wants to get out of town as soon as possible, she and her aunt are taking their time.
They want to fix her grandmother’s house and put it on sale but it turns out that deep inside no one is ready to leave it again.
During that time Delilah spends a lot of time with her childhood best friend Patrick and they start to fall in love.

I don’t want to give away too much of the book’s storyline but get ready for a few surprises at the end.

Fixing Delilah is the second book of Sarah Ockler and even though I think the story of the book doesn’t fulfill the description of the synopsis and the first book of hers, it has its own ups and downs.

It didn’t thrill me like I thought it would but despite that I really enjoyed reading it.
The focus is mainly on Delilah’s search for identity, where she’s coming from. She is looking for answers about her family and why she is like she is. The book addresses a mother-daughter relationship and shows us how important it is to talk to each other and take some time for one another.
One the other hand it’s also about true friends and how they can change your life.

Sometimes I didn’t understand Delilah’s actions at all. In my opinion she overacts a few times and her whole situation was just overstated. I think it would’ve been nice to write something more about Delilah’s situation before they went away for the summer holidays because it obviously changed her a lot and is a big part of the story.
I had a problem with her relationship with Patrick and how they rekindled.
I mean, if I wouldn’t have seen my childhood friend for over eight years, don’t keep any contact and then suddenly see him again when we’re both teenagers I guess I wouldn’t tell him everything right away.
It’s normal that you change a lot during that time and grow up to a totally different person.
Delilah and Patrick don’t have any problems at all and just like that, they’re best friends again.
I doubt it’s very believable.
But throughout the story their relationship develops and I start to like them as a couple.

In the end I think it’s a good book because the author told the story very realistic, in a way.
I liked it and just can recommend it to everyone who’s looking for a good YA-book. It’s definitely a story to think about.

How to find the perfect book

We all know it. We all had it.
The desperate search for the perfect book to read. How do we find it and how do we know it's the right one?
I guess we all read tons of bad written books before we find a few treasures. But what exactly is it, that makes us like the book so much?

Maybe it's nothing new for you or maybe you just got into reading .. take your time:

1. Decide on a genre

First steps first, you have to decide on a genre you'd like to read! It can be thriller, horror, romance, YA-books .. It's easier to read if you're really interested in the idea and concept of the book.

2. The book cover

Well, I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but lets be honest, a great cover catches our eye rather than a plain boring one. So, first move made you have a book in your hand but what know?

3. Summary

Just read the summary on the back? - For some books this might be enough but not every summary does exactly what it promises.

4. Reviews

Instead of going home with the book it would be more clever if you check the reviews on the internet and though everyone has its own opinion it can be really helpful! If there are more good reviews than bad, your decision to buy the book is almost made. Are there more bad reviews than good ones, you have to think a second time and if it's really worth trying to read it.

5. Look inside

Go on, have a look inside the book, read a few pages and let the words get to you.
Now, if you're still interested in the book, buy it! Just do it and don't regret it ;)

 - Lola

At the moment ..

.. these are the books I'm looking forward to read

and these are some of the books I have to review