Weekend Read - Poison's Kiss

This book is crazy, in a good way so far. The characters and world are really intriguing. Can’t wait to see what happens next.

Review - Under Rose-Tainted Skies

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

* Read via NetGalley for review

My Favorite Quotes/Lines:

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m deeply concerned about my carbon footprint, but I’ve watched enough horror movies to know that when I’m home alone, I’m 98 percent less likely to die if the lights are on.”

“Why do people keep telling me to be myself? Honestly. It’s like they’ve never even met me.”

4 out of 5 gnomes

This book shows how harsh a mental illness can be. I like that the story doesn’t pull any punches and shows the good and bad days.

It’s great that her mom is in the picture and that she is so understanding of everything. I think it would have been interesting to see things from her point of view too but what we do learn is still important.

Then there’s Luke who has the whole boy next door thing going on. The slow build between him and Norah is well done. It all just comes down to understanding.

The ending was unexpected but I think it was well done. I also really liked that love doesn't magically fix everything and that it will likely be an ongoing struggle. The story does leave you with hope for the characters too.

Sentence Sneak Peek - Under Rose-Tainted Skies

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

The first sentence from each chapter of Under Rose-Tainted Skies, it's a mini summary of what you can expect to read.

* Read via NetGalley for review
* Spoilers are highlighted like so :)

“I’M GOING TO KILL the damn blackbird sitting on my windowsill, chirping and squeaking at the top of its lungs.”

“COAT ON, KEYS IN hand, my mom has a grin plastered across her face and I know my Internet connection lives to fight another day.”

“HOME SAFE AND SOUND, at last.”

“IT’S SUNDAY.”

“YOU MIGHT THINK THAT now that sustenance has been thrown into the mix, my debilitating agoraphobia will take a back seat to my survival instincts.”

“THE GROCERY-BAG DEBACLE AND an overabundance of human contact has straight up sucked out all my energy.”

“MOSS HAS STARTED TO cover my skin by the time this panic attack is spent.”

“IT’S FIVE O’CLOCK, AND I’m reaching into the fridge for a block of cheese when there’s a knock at the door.”

“I WAKE WITH A START, cold and drenched in blue light from the standby screen on the television.”

“IT’S WEDNESDAY.”

“I LIE AWAKE WORRYING ABOUT the party all night, like it’s some crazed serial killer terrorizing our small suburban neighborhood.”

“FRIDAY HAPENS, DESPITE MY spending all of Thursday wishing for a Sleeping Beauty-style reprieve, for the world to fall into unconsciousness and wake up on Monday with zero memory of Luke’s party or why it didn’t happen.”

“I HAVE A PLAN.”

“IT STARTS THE SECOND I begin the Green Mile trudge back to my bedroom; so many thoughts, wrapped around my body like iron chains.”

“I DON’T KNOW WHEN NIGHT turns into day.”

“DR. REEVES’S PEP TALK is pretty good as sustaining fuel.”

“I HATE YOU.”

“IT’S GONE DARK.”

“MY HAND IS SHAKING.”

“DEAR LUKE . . .”

“IT’S ONLY 7:10 WHEN my cruel mind forces my eyes open.”

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO say.”

“ANOTHER MONDAY MORNING ARRIVES, but, for the first time since June, it looks like it’s going to rain.”

“I SLINK BACK INSIDE THE house and close the door.”

“LUKE STEPS INSIDE, ARMS open, but he looks less like he’s trying to touch me and more like he’s trying to round up a flock of spooked sheep.”

“I SPEND TUESDAY WALKING AROUND on colorful clouds.”

“MAYBE WE SHOULD WRAP up early?”

“WHEN I GET BACK to my room, the stress balls, along with the happy-shiny pamphlets, get dumped in the bottom drawer of my dresser, where I’m almost certain they’ll stay until the day I die.”

“LUKE DROPS BY EVERY night after school for the next week.”

“WHEN LUKE SUGGESTED WE sit and count stars the following Friday, I was suspicious.”

“IT’S FRIDAY NIGHT, AND for the first time in forever Luke isn’t here.”

“Norah,

I’m so sorry.”

“NORAH, HONEY.”

“IT GETS TO FIVE and I’m watching a woman on television turn a pair of old net curtains into what she says will be a “traffic-stopping tunic.”

“IT STINGS WHEN I open my eyes.”

“GENTLE FINGERS STROKE MY cheek, and my eyes flicker open.”

Review - Showing Off - (Upside Down Magic #3)

Showing Off - (Upside Down Magic #3) by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins

4 out of 5 gnomes

These books continue to be a lot of fun. It’s always great to learn more about the kids in the Upside Down magic class. You even get to find out what their teacher’s power is.

This book lets you learn more about Pepper and Nory too. I love Pepper’s idea for the future. Plus Nory might finally be able to accept herself (hopefully.)

The main events here are a surprising new friend and the whole school has a talent show. The talent show of course leads to plenty of conflicts but also shows what everyone can do.

Review - The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily

The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

My Favorite Quotes/Lines:

“They were confused by how their dark cloud of a son could have brought home such a sunbeam.”

“Forced gaiety is the worst. I need sincerity to feel the season.”

“I don’t trifle with subpar carbs.”

“Ladies, gentlemen, distinguished librarians.”

3 gnomes and a gnome hat out of 5 gnomes

I loved/still love the first book about Dash and Lilly. I love getting to see the characters again but also wonder if this book was necessary.

It took more than a little while for me to connect with the characters again. To be more specific, it was Lily I really had trouble connecting with this time. I know she's been sheltered a lot and what not but at times I was just thinking what/why would you do that. Her decision making skills are a bit shaky it seems and you kind of want to sit her down and say maybe act your age.

After awhile though the story finally clicked with me. The first book is still the best but the end of this one is worthwhile too. The catastrophes toward the end brought everything together nicely.

Review - Love and First Sight

Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist

* Read via NetGalley for review

3 gnomes and a gnome hat out of 5 gnomes

This was an interesting read. It really makes you think about how people view the world.

Will’s point of view, being a blind teenager makes for a great perspective. I like his sense of humor too. Plus you get the whole new to school narrative which is always fun to read.

Cecily feels a bit underdeveloped compared to Will. I think I just wanted to know more about her. Beyond the whole what she hides aspect.

Cecily and Will are a unique pair. They get over their problems awfully fast though. Then when things are just starting to get to the meat of the matter the book ends...

Sentence Sneak Peek - Love and First Sight

Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist

The first sentence from each chapter of Love and First Sight, it's a mini summary of what you can expect to read.

* Spoilers are highlighted like so :)
* Read via NetGalley for review

“Vice Principal Larry Johnston extends his hand.”

“In between each class, Mr. Johnston takes me by my locker so I can learn the route from each classroom.”

“I’m waiting at the edge of the curb.”

“By my second day at my new school, I know all my routes.”

“In the art museum the next afternoon, each click of my cane on the hard smooth floor reverberates like a shotgun blast.”

“After I get home from the museum, I go to my bedroom and plop down on the bed to listen to music.”

“That Friday I sit alone at lunch.”

“Dr. Bianchi, the doctor who is doing the experimental surgery, works in an office building at PU’s med school.”

“On Sunday, it takes a while to persuade Mom to let me walk to Whitford’s by myself.”

“On Monday at the start of journalism class, Mrs. Everbrook asks everyone who wants to audition for the morning announcements to raise their hand.”

“The news comes later that week when Mom picks me up from school.”

“As I waste stomach space ingesting large quantities of pointless beta-carotene at lunch the next day, my friends and I discuss the homecoming dance.”

“On Saturday, as she is driving to my house to pick me up before homecoming, Cecily calls my cell.”

“On the Monday after homecoming—the day I’m supposed to make a decision about my operation—Mrs. Everbrook calls me over to her desk.”

“The stem cell transplant happens three days later, on Thursday.”

“The weeks tick by slowly.”

“The next morning, on Friday, Mom takes me to Dr. Bianchi’s office to get the bandages removed.”

“When I wake up Saturday morning, I am immediately assaulted by insanity.”

“I wake up the next morning alone in my dark room.”

“The muscles around my eyelids get tired from closing them so often, which I do to give my eyes a rest and block out the dizziness.”

“On Tuesday evening, I’m sitting at my desk reviewing my toy blocks.”

“On Wednesday, I ask Cecily to drive us to Mole Hill Park so I can witness my first sunset.”

“When I get home, I am still high on the ecstatic rush of being so close to Cecily’s face.”

“Maybe this is why Facebook is so popular: Deep down, everyone wants to put their face on display.”

“Thursday afternoon, Cecily and I sit on my bed to work on homework.”

“Friday morning in journalism class, I peer out from under my sunglasses and try to look at some of the other kids sitting across the room near Cecily.”

“Cecily drove her mom’s car to school today and offers to give me a ride home.”

“I spend the weekend alone in my room, coming out only to partake in the absolute minimum levels of eating and bathroom use.”

“In the car on the way home, Mom can tell there’s a problem.”

“Being in a car with other people is the opposite visual experience of being in a building with them.”

“Going number two: the number one common denominator of America,” says Whitford.”

“We finally arrive in Los Angeles, where traffic slows us to a crawl.”