Reviewing is awesome. It's a medium of emptying our thoughts and feeling for a book and sharing it with other readers. This creates an awesome discussion where we can continue to look back on a book we enjoyed in the past and also create space for other books in our brain. However, this process of read, write, erase doesn't work sometimes.

I don't review every book I read because I CAN'T review some books. When I go to the keyboard, my mind freezes up, my fingers forget the letters on the keys, and I end up staring at my screen mind empty.

Thankfully, this isn't something that happens out of the blue. For me, it's a special side effect of a book hangover. I can spill my guts about all the love I feel for a book, but the beauty of talking is that I can speak all the gibberish in the world and my listener will understand that it's just my way of trying to put into words feelings that are beyond my span of vocabulary.

My reviews in my head.

Writing is different. I need to to make sense because how else are you going to see just how serious I am about my mindless gushing?

The past few months my life has been taken over my Outlander and while I read some books here and there in between, I think it would be fair to say that the series has bewitched my mind because I can't pull away. As I read each book I have a million thoughts and feelings and I write them on my Goodreads stats, then freak out a little because I don't want to spoil anyone.

I haven't written a review for Outlander, nor do I think I ever will. Just like I didn't for Harry Potter, Vampire Academy, Eon, The Bronze Horseman, The Infernal Devices, Graceling. These books are all favourites, and although I can try to put my feelings in words, those feelings are restricted to my limited vocabulary and I don't think I can do them justice. The great thing is that they are already popular and just by talking and recommending them to each other we can keep the buzz alive.

Book are awesome, just read them!

-MARI

To help with the positive-negative imbalance on this blog I'm writing about the few things that I hate in books. We all have them, sometimes we share them but never in full scale so here goes.

Disclaimer: This is a deviation from my normal style and is meant to share some of my pet peeves.  I do love a lot of the authors and book series found in the compiled blacklist throughout this post. I in no way wish to offend or disrespect anyone, it is simply a list of my experiences and some books that have fallen under each category for me.

SLOW BEGINNINGS
Hi there books with slow beginnings, I just want to let you know that I have the patience of a 3 year old and will throw you over the cribs railing if you don't capture my attention, now!

But, you know what's worse than books with slow beginnings? Sequels to books that continue the slow beginning tradition or start them. I understand that as a sequel that probably came out a year or so after the original you may see the need to refresh the readers memory. However, can we agree that this process can take place in concurrence with actually movement in the plot?

Slow pokes:

Visions (Omens#2) by Kelley Armstrong

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Biggest Flirt by Jennifer Echols

INSTALOVE
I think I just found everyones favourite. Who doesn't like it when two strangers look at each other and decide they found "the one".

Stay Out of My Bedroom.

I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre

Wild Cards (Better Than Perfect) by Simone Elkeles

Queen of Someday by Sherry Ficklin

INSTA-LOVE TRIANGLES
Who need two lusting folks when you can have three? The more the merrier, right?

Ugh

Fallen by Lauren Kate

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

THE JACOB-RENESME SYNDROME
Jacob why? Even my 13 years old mind thought that resolution of the Insta-Love Triangle issue was not acceptable. Please don't imprint on a newborn it doesn't matter how unique your situation is.

Faulty Imprint

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

FAKE SWEARING
Ughh... You bother me. I'm pretty sure teenagers created half the bad words in use today so give them some credit and say the words. You know you make it worse by substituting.

Don't you "bull poopie" me:

The House of Night Series by P.C and Kristin Cast

FAKE STRENGTH
Please don't lie to the reader. You say your strong then show me your strength. Yes, every strong person has their weaknesses, but don't melt when you see blonde hair and blue eyes. And if you can't manage that then try to not get hot and heavy in the middle of escaping.. just wait.

I'm Looking at You:

Reboot by Amy Tintera
Queen of Someday by Sherry D. Ficklin

Thanks for reading. What are you pet peeves?

-MARI

This is a wonderful meme type post hosted by Jessi @ Novel Heartbeat. Basically, there is a topic pertaining to the blogger every Thursday. This way we can all get to know the person behind the blog.

Mari's Goals and Dreams

Yikes, if someone had asked me this a year ago I would've written them the world's longest essay. Now that I've caught a whiff of just how out of reach some of those dreams are, I've shrunk the list. Not that I've given up, but I think I'll take life one step at a time and try to enjoy.

For goals, beyond personal improvements which are always taking place, I have some academic ones. I'm in university for a commerce degree so I would really like to achieve that while maintaining a high average. And since we're already on the topic of business, I want more business clothes... They're just so pretty!

In the long terms my goals are to get a nice job that travels! I'm leaving it vague on purpose, you never know where you end up.

At this exact point in time, my one real dream is to travel. I want to see places but I don't want to go alone or don't have the guts to do it alone, just yet. I'm working on it.

Move to a bigger city would be a start. I love Ottawa but I want to also live in other places. The travelling job will help with this. Someplace in Europe would be nice or anywhere warm: Vancouver, LA etc.

Visit Scotland! Visit Russia! Visit Italy ahhhhh Yes. I want to travel and sight see.

P.E.'s Goals and Dreams

Academic goals notwithstanding, I think my goals have also simplified. I'm also in management so obviously I want to be employed after I graduate. I don't know about which field, so one goal is to figure out what I like and what I'm good at. 

Most of my goals are short term. Be a good person today. Be happy today, and tomorrow. Probably the biggest thing I'm trying to work on is productivity. I spend an inordinate amount of time doing nothing and although I've always gotten everything I need done on time, I want to learn about being more productive now. That means I'm trying to make effective routines for things like sleeping, laundry, food, and school work. 

I don't know if I have many dreams. Maybe paying off all my student loans? I've never been able to picture where I'll be in the future, so I've decided that the best way to get to somewhere I would want to be is to be where I want to be. That means that if I make the right choice now and am happy now, then I shouldn't need to worry about the future. In general, I want to be educated and open-minded; someone fair that has earned a lot of respect. 

This was pretty hard, how about you?

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Date of Publication: Aug 20/2013
Pages: 486
Source: Library

Twenty-four-year-old Olivia Taylor Jones has the perfect life. The only daughter of a wealthy, prominent Chicago family, she has an Ivy League education, pursues volunteerism and philanthropy, and is engaged to a handsome young tech firm CEO with political ambitions.

But Olivia’s world is shattered when she learns that she’s adopted. Her real parents? Todd and Pamela Larsen, notorious serial killers serving a life sentence. When the news brings a maelstrom of unwanted publicity to her adopted family and fiancé, Olivia decides to find out the truth about the Larsens.

Olivia ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, an old and cloistered community that takes a particular interest in both Olivia and her efforts to uncover her birth parents’ past.

Aided by her mother’s former lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, Olivia focuses on the Larsens’ last crime, the one her birth mother swears will prove their innocence. But as she and Gabriel start investigating the case, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies. Because there are darker secrets behind her new home and powers lurking in the shadows that have their own plans for her.

GOODREADS

Review:
Omens is what I would call a beautiful mishmash of paranormal/thriller/mystery and suspense. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and for at least the first 30% of the book, I was wondering if it was supposed to paranormal or not. I think the vagueness of genre actually helped build the aspect of suspense and mystery which set up for quite an awesome read. 

Omens introduces us to the socialite main character, Olivia Taylor-Jones, Masters in Victorian Lit and fiance of Mr. Right. However, it’s not long before her perfect little world is disturbed with the news of her adoption and the identity of her biological parents, Pamela and Todd Larsen, a couple of serial killers, becoming public.

This book was fascinating to read in so many aspects. First there was Olivia coming to term with her new situation. Then it progressed to her actually getting actively involved in the situation and then came all the creepy and crazy stuff.. Who am I kidding, that stuff started quite early, it’s why the book was so fun. I say fun but I was scared mindless half the time… Note: this book probably wasn’t meant to be that scary.

The little town of Cainsville was very picturesque in my mind; I mean gargoyles! I also appreciated the slight history provided about the settlers, its development along with its inhabitants and their abilities. As per the title, our heroine could interpret omens. A poppy is a death omen and a black cat is good luck. These omens ranged from intriguing to down right sending chills up my spine, depending on the context. But all in all, a very interesting addition.

Olivia or Eden Larsen, was an enjoyable narrator. I appreciated being in her head as she was very intelligent and courageous. She can't stand to sit around and be “protected” and I respected that. She is one of those women who likes to take her life in her own hands and I’m glad to say hers were capable hands as our brooding main man finds out.

Gabriel Bowen is a successful young defence lawyer that strolls around in a Jaguar and has a special relationship with money and biker gangs. Gabriel was the misunderstood bad boy. He was big and tall and successful because he wasn't afraid of getting his hands dirty. I loved how he made mistakes in dealing with Olivia. His only interests are money and success but his partnership with her teaches him a bit about friendship and trust. I would like more than friendship and I can see the possibility in the horizon which makes me very excited as the slow and sensual ones are always the best.

The plot itself was engaging and suspenseful but I did have a little bit of an issue with the twist. To me, it popped out of nowhere. At first they were investigating something very plausible and then bam, random thing that ended up being connected. It sent me for a bit of a twirl but otherwise I did thoroughly enjoy the mystery. 

Overall, a nice mystery read with a dash of paranormal and suspense on the side. Also, for those worried about the adult rating, besides the characters' ages (24+) and a sex scene in the beginning, the only other graphic scenes are those of violence as the genre entails. Definitely recommend it to mature young adult readers.

-MARI

And my late 2014 loving continues. As mentioned in past posts, I read 39 books in 2014 (including textbooks hehe). Now I've pinned down my absolute favourites. Here goes.

Outlander

Yes, I read this one at the end of the year but it blew my mind. Blew it all the way to Scotland, through Craigh Na Dun and pushed it back a few hundred years into the 17th century. Followed closely by a rainy horseback ride (on Donas) right into Jamie Fraser's heart. I'm serious.

Mistress of Rome (Review)

 GLADIATORRRSSSS. (This posts might soon turn into gibberish because of my undying lust for all these books.) This book totally fed my Ancient Rome and romantic gladiator craving. Only problem is I need more always more and good thing because there are sequels! More like companions but I'll be checking them out.

Isla and the Happily Ever After (Review)

I'm glad that I stayed away from the reviews about this one because it seems the story didn't wow some people and as a person who can get put off a book by negative reviews I tread carefully. This book was like magic for me, I want to say that it was even better than Anna but I can't quite bring myself because I feel like I'm not a good judge especially since my memory of Isla is fresh while Anna's has become vague with the passage of time. It doesn't matter which is "better", the most important thing is that they are both so fantastic and after the Lola (not my favourite) I'm glad to see a beautiful ending to this amazing series.  

Prisoner of Night and Fog (Review)

I was instantly hooked by the synopsis of this one, I loved the idea but as a cautious reader I was horrified of disappointment. I shouldn't have been. Blankman surpassed each and every one of my expectations, I just wish there was more. Glad to hear there is a sequel but for those who aren't too keen on starting yet another series, I would say this one can stand alone quite well. Read the sequel or don't, but don't miss this one.

Heir of Fire (Review)
I don't know how I loved a book with so little Chaol and Celeana scenes but omg I did, I loved it all. I especially loved the new characters Rowan and Aedion. This series has tell tale signs of remaining on my eternal favourites list. P.E. needs to continue this series... please pressure her :)

Take Me On (Review)

There are two contemporaries on this list and they couldn't be more different from each other. Take Me On is one of my favourite types of stories-- it surrounds athletes! Especially MMA. It's amazing to see a girl who can hold her own in a fight but the story also explores the fact that just because she can fight doesn't mean that she doesn't need people to love and defend her. The family aspect of the story was on point. McGarry's best thus far, IMO.

Cruel Beauty and The Winner's Curse (R&R)

These guys definitely deserve singular recognition but for the sake of time we're going to adore them together. These two were definitely standouts in the new fantasy reads of 2014 category. I loved how unique each story was. The authors have created fantastic new worlds in each book but the highlights for me were the witty and smart characters. The females were strong, courageous and tenacious, I loved them. I'm sure we'll be hearing great things about these two series in the years to come.

So many good books!

-MARI

Author: Ann Aguirre
Date of Publication: Aug26/14
Pages: 352
Source: Library

Nadia Conrad has big dreams, and she's determined to make them come true—for her parents' sake as well as her own. But between maintaining her college scholarship and working at the local day care to support herself, she barely has time to think, let alone date. Then she moves into a new apartment and meets the taciturn yet irresistible guy in 1B…. 

Daniel Tyler has grown up too fast. Becoming a single dad at twenty turned his life upside down—and brought him heartache he can't risk again. Now, as he raises his four-year-old son while balancing a full-time construction management job and night classes, a social life is out of the question. The last thing he wants is for four noisy students to move into the apartment upstairs. But one night, Nadia's and Ty's paths cross, and soon they can't stay away from each other. 

The timing is all wrong—but love happens when it happens. And you can't know what you truly need until you stand to lose it.

GOODREADS

Review:
It seems that every DNF review starts with the premise/disclaimer "So I finally got to pick this one up after having read many positive reviews and enjoyed the sound of the synopsis.” And once again that is exactly the case with this one, unfortunately it’s followed by the default, “However, I couldn’t get into the story”.

I Want It That Way is Ann Aguirre, author of YA Enclave Series’, foray into new adult. The story is about Nadia who moves into apartment 2B with her roommates: BFF Lauren, playboy Max and gay friend Angus. They all make an adorable cast, playing, dating and bonding. However, Nadia’s attentions is drawn by the hot downstairs neighbour Ty, a grumpy and tired young father. Mutual interest rises and the rest is history. 

I liked how Nadia came from modest means and was not the common NA heroine with serious psychological damage. She was driven and dedicated to her Special Education degree and this was shown through her daily activities, school, daycare, practicum, home, repeat. It was nice to see a character have a life for once and complain about not having time to eat but sometimes I felt like there was a junk paragraph in the middle of the page telling me that Nadia went to work today where everything was same old, same old; a little unnecessary.

Ty was alright. I did’t really understand him. He was hard to relate to not because he was a father, I think that was my favourite bit about him. His interactions with his 4 year old son, Sam, were wonderful. His job and architecture major were also nice additions, but anything beyond that and voyaging into the world of social skills were questionable. I didn’t find him romantic and for a romance that’s a major of a killer. I’ll say it this way, there were no sparks flying, it was all tell and no show and I can’t take that.

I guess whenever the story surrounds a common or cliche story line there are risks. That could’ve been the main problem here but my issue was more general. There was a wide disconnect between the reader, the character and the plot. Despite being in Nadia's head, I didn’t connect with her, I didn’t understand how or why she started to like Ty (besides the fact that he is a ginger). And the push and pull was all kind of nonsensical for me. I was lost and felt nothing. I skimmed through the sex scene and felt nothing.

It honestly, is too bad because people have enjoyed it, but the direction the story was taking by 56% of the way through was not something that pulls me enough to keep me on the hook. I was intrigued by the possible development of Lauren and Max’s relationship in the future books, so maybe I’ll try that one, but this book is not for me. 

-MARI

A new year is upon us and although I've never been the type to like new years resolutions my sleep deprived mind thinks i should give it a try this year.

Run down of last year's resolution:

1. Stick to my goals.
2. Be more involved in the blogosphere.
3. Read over 50 books.
4. Write better quality posts.
5. Continue the post a day streak.
6. Be more social media friendly.

Did I stick to my goals? Well, I would say yes for the most part but there is always room to improve. Maybe if my goals were always in front of me I would've remembered and abided by them but that's something I'll keep in mind for this year. 

I'm a shy person for the most part, I can be very crazy and outgoing with my friends but outside that I am very introverted, so for me to get too involved socially is a big thing. Nevertheless, I made baby steps this year, with the help of P.E. and twitter. My way of getting involved in the blogosphere was mostly tackled by discussion posts and responses to current events in the blogosphere. For example, Kathleen Hale and Seeking Diversity (1, 2, 3 ). I plan to keep this up for 2015 but also try and read more posts and comment more; they are so important. 

So... I was supposed to read 50 then it went down to 40 and at the last minute, 39. I read 39 books. Am I sad, a little. But I really appreciated the variety of books I read this year. The largest book I read was over 950 pages, I tries some adult, some historical, some sci-fi. It's been a good year.

For the better part of the year we stuck to posting everyday but life has been hectic and we've been lazy. Also my only source of internet is at university so I'm sorry for being really quiet, I'll work on fixing this.

The biggest thing for 2014 on the social media front was P.E. and I finally launched our The Sirenic Codex Instagram page. Both P.E. and I love taking pictures and it's fun to share parts of our life with everyone through pictures.

Follow us

2014 was a good blog year for us. I love seeing all your beautiful comments on our posts. It does wonders to our confidence and need to continue reading a writing. You guys are the best. I especially want to thank those who have continuously come back to the TSC, read our posts and shown us so much love. You know who you are and your continuous support means the world.

On to 2015:

Finish the series (all the books that are out so far).
One of the highlights of my year in 2014 was discovering and falling in love with the Outlander Series. I'll be doing this in the background as I read other books since books 3 + are all over a thousand pages so they'll take a while. I'm also thinking of doing outlander discussions, let me know if anyone is up for that.

Read some business books beside my textbook. 
I'm in university for business and I've come to realize that the subject fascinates me. I think the next step for me in my reading journey is to broaden my scope and read non-fiction, get a real peak into whats up the road for me in the business world. I'm especially interested in books like How Google Works by Eric Schmidt.

Read diverse books.
I'm going to start ask myself to be more active in choosing books that represent a diverse audience. There have been many discussions on this topic on TSC, now I'm going to try and walk the walk. My goal is to be open and seek more diverse reads and hopefully shine a light on them on my yearly wrap up.

Now for some personal ones.

Go to a concert.
Yup, never been. I've never had a singer that I like so much that I would put forth the effort to see them live. 19 years old, I think it's time.

Visit P.E. in Montreal. Our trip to BEA is wobbly and uncertain but a parent free fun weekend with the blogger bud should feed my rebelliousness for the year :)

I'm going to stop before I get too ahead of myself. Happy New Year everyone. Wishing you and your families lots of love from the cold North.

-MARI

So the Goodreads challenge started somewhere along the lines of 50 books. Sometime midway through the year that number shrunk to 40 and on December 31... to 39. Cuz I refuse to fail! But who am I kidding, I lost that thing.

Number Read

39 books. A little on the low side but it's just a number and doesn't encompass the joy I got from all these books this year and the amount of time spent enjoying each one.

Largest Book

The sheer beauty of Dragonfly in Amber. What a fantastic trek. Glad to say, I didn't notice the whooping 950ish pages. They whizzed by and I miss them.

Diverse Reads

I define this as books that contained diverse settings and people of different cultures and geographical backgrounds.

Outlander
Scotland!! I loved seeing Gaelic on the pages. There is nothing better than seeing another cultures language on the pages, foreign but real and beautiful.  In the first two books we got a whiff of1700s living in Scotland, England and France.

I Hunt Killers 
Connie is a sexy and strong black character. I loved the relationship that was between the protagonist and Connie. In a tiny racist town, the son of a convicted serial killer and an African American beauty stand tall against peoples prejudices, an awesome sight.

Isla and the Happily Ever After
School in Paris, home in NYC, son of Senator, Daughter of hipsters, ex-girlfriend of indian heritage. I adore this friend group.

Prisoner of Smoke and Fog
I adored the clash of cultures, prejudice and reality of being Jewish vs. Nazi. Also, great representation of Nazi life, 1940's time period and mental illnesses like psychosis.

Thanks for Reading! 

MARI

Author: Renée Carlino
Date of Publication: August 20 2013
Pages: 320
Source: Kobo

"You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together…then you'll hear the sound of your soul."

Mia Kelly thinks she has it all figured out. She's an Ivy League graduate, a classically trained pianist, and the beloved daughter of a sensible mother and offbeat father. Yet Mia has been stalling since graduation, torn between putting her business degree to use and exploring music, her true love.


When her father unexpectedly dies, she decides to pick up the threads of his life while she figures out her own. Uprooting herself from Ann Arbor to New York City, Mia takes over her father's café, a treasured neighborhood institution that plays host to undiscovered musicians and artists. She's denied herself the thrilling and unpredictable life of a musician, but a chance encounter with Will, a sweet, gorgeous, and charming guitarist, offers her a glimpse of what could be. When Will becomes her friend and then her roommate, she does everything in her power to suppress her passions-for him, for music-but her father's legacy slowly opens her heart to the possibility of something more.

Review:

Books like this give me a peak into what NA will soon blossom into. A rich age category of books with new adult characters facing the next level of life’s curve balls. I’m awaiting that day because if YA walked me through my teenage years then NA is the next phase.

Sweet Thing, from start to finish, is a story of growing up and coming into oneself. Renee Carlino is true to this central theme which becomes evident from the very first page: “The big questions… what do you want to do with the rest of your life? Who will you marry if you marry at all? What career will you choose? Do you want children? It seemed like everything I knew at twenty five morphed into everything I didn’t know by twenty six, when I was suddenly hit with the realization that many of the decisions we make in out twenties, are permanent”. 

However, that isn’t all this book is. The other topics include, family, love, age, friends, status. The main character Mia is a straight up “Gap ad” kind of girl. She wear monochromatic clothing, holds a business degree from Brown and the only hitch in her perfect image is the fact that she is the daughter of a hippy free-to-life Manhattan Coffee Shop owner who taught her to live life through music. Through out the story Mia has a tough time coming to terms with her musician self and understanding that holding a desk job doesn’t make a person more worthy than a starving musician. Occupations don’t make people and love can’t be won through careful calculation and a thick pay cheque.

Many of these realizations came with the help of another very special character, Will Ryan, 29, easy going, musical genius and resident starving musician. Will and Mia hit it off on a plane ride and one thing leads to another and the two end up as roommates. I adored the moments they spent together as roommates. Their relationship developed from general interest to friendship and slowly, painstakingly, to romance. 

My heart honestly hurt for Will who so obviously pined for our confused heroine and had to deal with a lot of her issues. Mia put Will through a lot of awful stringing along and I truly respect him for still managing to stick to his feels but he also had moments when he cracked under the pressure of all the unfairness and we saw a erratic version of him. Something we all have but isn’t often portrayed in literature.

This book is a tribute to all the wonderful people who popped in and helped Mia come into herself and deal with her losses. Her father, despite being the central loss, was present in spirit throughout. There was also her mom, Jenny, Sheil, Martha and all the people at Kell’s Cafe. It just goes to show that people are very important and Mia was lucky to have many people who loved her and supported her no matter what.

Mia was a numbskull when it came to life and sometimes life needs to kick you in the butt to wake you up and that’s what Mia figures out. I hope the rest of us can do it with a little less trouble. Overall a great read.

-Mari

Outlander series #3-6

Outlander (#3-6) - Diana Gabaldon

So this happened. After my last book haul titled helpfully as A Very Scottish Book Haul, I think this was a given next step. I'm really enjoying this series and actually finished Book 2 last night so I'm dying to dive into Voyager and am glad to have the next few.

Curses and Smoke 

Curses and Smoke - Vicky Alvear Shecter

This ones a library book that I've been meaning to pick up. I love Ancient Rome and Volcanos and Gladiators!!!

I came by these two lovely addition to my bookshelf this week whilst at the library. My total shopping came down to a whooping $2.00 , I'm quite proud :)

Nana - Ai Yazawa 
I read Nana a couple of years ago, I never finished the series but the story has stayed with me and I loved the first volume. Also, Ai Yazawa is one of my favourite mangaka's, I adore her art. She is also the author of Paradise Kiss, another all time favourite.

Godchild - Kaori Yuki
This one was a on the spot pick. I've never heard of it before but the synopsis and art looks good. Should be fun.

-MARI

Outlander- Diana Gabaldon (Outlander #1)

Release Date: July 26, 2005

Age Group: Adult

Pages: 627

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

 Goodreads.  

Hehe!!

• -Time travel done right: I am very cautious to time travel because albite liking history, I don't much like the integration of the modern with the old. But with this book both periods are history at this point. Makes for a fantastic read. 
• 
  
• -Scotland. The visuals, the brilliance, the gallantry, the rudimentary stable talk, and the kilts... Who can forget the kilts. 
• 
  
• -Scottish men. "You are safe," he said firmly. "You have my name and my family, my clan, and if necessary, the protection of my body as well. " 
• 
  
• -Political Intrigue. The story moves from post-WW2 to 1740s Scotland in the middle of the battle for Scotland. 
• 
  
• -Jamie Fraser -- "Je Suis Pres!" --- Swoon
• 
  
• -Phenomenal leading lady, Clare Randall. 
• 
  
• -Because I say so? 
• 
  
• -Because you are missing out on life without having read it. 
• 
  
• -Because I'm dying to share it with people. 
• 
  
• -Because... please? 
• 
  
• -Ohh also Sam Hueghen is hot.. there that should do it. Should've started with that.

Similar Titles: (Adult historical romances I enjoyed)

• The Bronze Horseman -  Paullina Simmons
• Mistress of Rome - Kate Quinn
• Outlander Tv Show!

Book Trailer:

-MARI

Author: Julie Cross
Date of Publication: October 7, 2014
Pages: 320
Source: Bought
Life loves a good curveball…

Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas's life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she's living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals' super-hot rookie pitcher.

But nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team. Annie has enough on her plate without taking their friendship to the next level. The last thing she should be doing is falling in love.

But baseball isn't just a game. It's life. And sometimes, it can break your heart… 

GOODREADS

Review:

Some might describe me as the farthest thing from athletic but I stand by my 6th-grade fame as the captain of the girls silver medal soccer and volleyball teams. I’m also a fan of hockey and a tennis coach though I can’t say that I’m that good at any of those… Either way, sports have been a part of my life despite my body’s inclination at being bad at it (yes I’m diverting blame) hence, sports books are some of my favourites.

I love the characters in sports books. They are always so determined, so hungry for the win, so dedicated and these are all qualities I value. I’m also a little starstruck by people who have the skill and luck to make it into the major leagues. Whatever Life Throws at You has a nice combination of all of this. I get my peek into a Major League Baseball life and I get my driven characters.

Annie starts out as a fun character. Within the first few chapters she has already been caught red-handed in the team locker room and hilarity ensues. She is charming and the charm appeals to other characters and readers. Annie is a long distance runner, one of the best, and it is obvious that she is very intent on winning. Sometimes the win is all she wants which is relatable. But Annie soon also realizes that winning the race might not the most important thing.

Annie's obvious other half is Brody, an up-and-coming, off limits MLB player with a rough past. He starts out as a cliché, but he proves to be otherwise. He is smart, dedicated and caring. I enjoyed his relationship with Annie’s dad, his pitching coach. I can see young players bonding with their coaches who are their to help them and who believe in them.

Whatever Life Throws At You does have its weaknesses. It’s not high literature, it just good fiction, it’s amusing. There are rough patches with some under developed characters and plots of convenience but they don’t take too much away from the enjoyment of the book. 

One thing that did bother be is the huge taboo and over analysis of Annie and Brody’s age difference of a whopping 2 years… I realize the 2 years was the difference between legal and illegal but it could have been handled more maturely especially on Annie’s behalf who at some point acted quite immaturely. 

I picked this book up on a whim, I read the synopsis and was engrossed. My gut seemed to be right because I devoured this book in a couple of sittings and despite the problems I noted in this book. They might bother other readers but for me they didn’t pose an issue. I noticed their existence but my enjoyment of the story was far greater than any annoyance. 

Whatever Life Throws At You is fun. I’m a fan of sport literature and Miranda Kenneally, anyone who identifies with one of those two might want to give this one a go. I’ll be adding Julie Cross to my authors list.

-MARI

Author: Stephanie Perkins
Date of Publication: August 14, 2014
Pages: 352
Source: Library Ebook

Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last?

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series. 

GOODREADS

Review:
It feels like I'm revealing a part of my soul when I say that I relate to Isla. The good, the bad, the ugly; I have asked many of the same questions over the years. This book really hit the nail on the head for me. That's probably why I'm still reeling.

In this companion series, Stephanie has brought forth three very different stories. Anna and St. Clair were two quirky and charming individuals who became compatible friends and then lovers. Lola and Cricket presented us with the childhood friends and boy next door story paired up against the backdrop of Lola's eccentric style and personality. In Isla and Josh, we get youthful passion, innocence, confusion and that beautiful nerdy love for reading that I'm sure we can all relate to.

The story began with a cute scene in which we were introduced to our narrator and her long time crush, Josh, St.Clair's artist best friend. For me the beginning was a little choppy and it took a bit for me to adjust but before long we were in Paris and things were starting to heat up between Josh and Isla.

One of the best things about this book was the characters' romantic history. Neither were the stereotypical "romance virgins" that are so popular in YA. Quite the opposite, Isla and Josh have both been in passionate relationships before. The relationship between the two of them actually grew from physical attraction to companionship and finally love, with some bumps along the way. It was quite nice to see a youthful relationship in the way it would occur in real life. Yes, teens can and are sexually and romantically active but no, this does not mean that they are any less serious about their relationships. I felt that Isla and Josh were very mature for their age which I loved.

This book also addresses some issues that the characters faced, from coming to terms with a distant family and trying to understand oneself and what you are meant to do in this world. The latter I have a lot of experience with and like Isla I still don't have the answers.

Isla was this amazingly intelligent introvert and Josh was this talented artist and resident cool kid. How could I not fall for their heartfelt story of youth, family, friends and love? They broke my heart with some of their insecurities but instead of being mad at them and not understanding their actions I rolled right along with them, completely engrossed.

The book was set in three places: Manhattan, Paris and a little glimpse of Barcelona. Perkins brought each location to life with actual destinations along with great facts and descriptions that makes the reader want to pull out a map and find their own Right Way! 

Speaking of the Right Way, Isla's best friend Kurt was amazing. I loved reading about their relationship and his obsessions for mapping. Also, it's aways great to see disabilities incorporated into books with no judgement. Isla's two sisters Gen and Hattie were great additions as well. Hattie started out as a brat but I enjoyed the growth of their relationship by the end. Finally, this wouldn't be a Perkins book without a glimpse of the fantastic Anna and St. Clair, wow. They were there for only a little bit but their essence was there in Josh, in his loneliness and his art. 

To those waiting to pick this one up and those who may not have enjoyed Lola, give this one a go. If anything I've described sounds like something you would enjoy then rest assured that I wasn't able to capture enough of this book to really give you a feel of exactly how amazing it is. It is incredible. I am heartbroken to know that there is no more. 

-MARI