Book Review: TRUE by Erin McCarthy

Book: TRUE by Erin McCarthy
Genre: New Adult Romance
Rating:★★★☆☆
For: Review
From: NetGalley (released May 7, 2013)

Something about the description for this book caught my eye and so I accepted a copy from NetGalley to review. After a page I thought, hmmm.... not sure if this book is for me! But, of course, I kept reading and was sucked into the story despite that first impression.

Yes, this book is categorized into the fairly new marketing niche we are calling New Adult. My understanding is that this means it features characters in college, out on their own, and discovering all sorts of things about life. But I think that it is also assumed that books falling into this category will be full of all things sex related and all will be well and okay.... including fairly graphic "almost" rape scenes.

So my review of this book is one of those mixed ones. On one hand, I enjoyed the characters and became invested in their story and what would happen and how it would all turn out. The girl was a good sort of girl who felt the need to venture on a new path. She falls for the bad boy, a boy that in reality, she discovers, is a pretty good kid. He has his own issues, dealing with his mom and his brothers and all sorts of deep life issues. This part, I liked.

On the other hand, there was just too much stuff (sex, drugs, abuse, drinking, etc.) included for me to really "like" this book. Yes, I was uncomfortable reading it. And while I've read many uncomfortable books that I ended up loving and learning form, this one I think does not fit that category for me. This one was just blatantly out there. And I picked this one up to "read now" because I was in a major mood for romance, but the actual romance was only a small part, which was very frustrating for me.

And so, basically, if this is an indication of what this new New Adult thing is going to be, I'm not sure I'm on board! And it bugs me because I think that this niche for books would be a good one really, in theory. I just think it doesn't have to be ALL about the sex, you know?

I know this is quite the hotly debated topic around the book blogosphere, so there you have my take. What do you think?

Granted, I will most likely give these books (meaning NA) more chances. I think there's a few more waiting on my Kindle. And I know I've already read a few that would fit nicely in this category had it existed for them. For instance Markus Zusak's I Am the Messenger is a perfect example. And you know how I feel about that book! So, I guess we'll see before I totally brush them off. (While I love YA with all my heart, maybe I'll find I'm "too old" for NA!)

So bottom line: I enjoyed the actually story and the characters (3 stars worth I suppose!) but the execution and method was not to my taste. (I also think had I been more up on this author's previous books, I could have predicted this final outcome!)

By the way for those interested, this appears to be the first of a series similar to the Perfect Chemistry one where the next book follows the brother's story. I like that actually. Cool.

Other Reviews: 

True shows accepting and living the hand that you’ve been dealt in life while finding friendship, love and connection with someone completely opposite. From Readers Confession

BUT my most favorite thing in the story were the tattoos... I was so touch with that... It makes me want to cry... From Books Mystify

Overall, this was a highly enjoyable read. I should have expected it, coming from McCarthy but I'm still a little leery of the New Adult category as a whole. From The Book Swarm

On the surface this novel seems to be rather similar to many of the New Adult books I’ve read in the past year. But True is different. The characters have a lot of depth. The plot has twists and turns. From WhY.A.Not

Utah Book Month 2013 Sign Ups!

 Calling all Utah book bloggers and authors, and anyone else that wants to participate!

We are gearing up for our annual Utah Book Month celebration happening in August.

Here's all the info from over at the official Utah Book Month blog:

Some things to know:

• The celebration will take place during the month of August. 
• You can sign up to participate however much or little you want. 
• Everyone is welcome to participate, whether you live in Utah or not, but remember you'll be reviewing and spotlighting Utah authors, books and bloggers.
• If you want to do a spotlight on a Utah author or blogger, you can choose to do that however you want... whether it be a formal interview or an informal Q and A, or simply spotlight them from information you find yourself on their website... or some other creative way you come up with. 
• We will assign you the blogger and/or author you'll be highlighting (you can make your preferences known in the sign up form below.)
• We hope to wrap up the celebration with an In Real Life party, just like we did last year. Plan now!
• To stay up to date with what's happening, be sure to follow the blog and our Twitter: @UtahBooks

If you'd like to sign up, go ahead and fill out this form. Thanks!!

April 2013 Reading Wrap Up

I really enjoyed this month's books! What a bunch of different things I ended up consuming! This really hasn't been a bad month considering I hardly read the last week. I was on such a roll there for a bit, and then came to a screeching halt. I'm working on getting the momentum back this week!

Anyway, here's what I read this month:

Pivot Point by Kasie West: Addison has to use her ability to see the consequences of choices in order to pick who she will live with, her mom or her dad.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor: Karou unravels many mysterious things about her strange upbringing, which leads her to a discovery she never saw coming.

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa: The continuing story of Ally and her quest to find a cure to the plague that has taken over her world

Diary of a Single Mormon Female by Aleesa Sutton: Diary entries from the author detailing her desire to some day get married.

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak: Ed has to decipher the clues on the cards he starts getting in the mail which leads him to help out random people in his town.

Doppelganger by Milda Harris: Citrus discovers that she has been copied and her life has been taken over!

Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham: Franny wants to become an actress, but it's a hard, frustrating, and sometimes funny, endeavor.

True by Erin McCarthy: Rory starts dating bad boy Tyler and finds out that he might not be so very bad after all.

Favorites of the bunch: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Pivot Point and of course I Am the Messenger.

Plans for May:

• maybe possibly re-read 1984 for book club
• finish Quintana of Charyn
• maybe possibly finish Vanity Fair!! :)
• read some things for Once Upon a Time like:
• Hood
• Everbound
• read some more NetGalley books like:
• Transparent
• The Rose Thorn
• read The Lucy Variations which also comes out this month

What's on your list?

Top Ten Tuesday: Descriptive Book Words That I Love

I love the top ten prompt this week! We are to list words or phrases (most likely found in a book description or blurb) that makes us want to buy a book, maybe even right that very moment. Here's a few I like:

Top Ten Words/Phrases That Make Me Want to Buy a Book

1. a haunting and chilling tale
2.  epic... anything
3. a soap opera-y saga
4. the curse of the forbidden love
5. full of quirky humor
6. a magnificant medieval adventure
7. saturated with court intrigue
8. there's a dark and mysterious stranger
9. a rockin and rollin music mash up
10. complicated by a many-layered plot

I could go on....

Can you imagine a book, one book, that would be described by all those words I've listed? Wow. 

What words would be on your list? Write a post and link up over at The Broke and the Bookish!

Book Review: Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham

Book: Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, sort of chick lit?
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
For: Review
From: NetGalley (released April 30, 2013)

When I heard somewhere that Lauren Graham (of Gilmore Girls and now Parenthood fame) had a book coming out I was all over that in an instant. I checked NetGalley and sure enough, there it was! And then I was even approved to read it!

The big question... can she write as well as she can act? My answer? Yep!

Here's the story of a girl trying to make it big as an actress in New York. It takes place in the mid 90s so it has a bit of a fun "retro" feel to it. (Can the mid 90s be retro already?) This girl, Fanny, has some spunk and humor about her that makes people quite like her, but she is still struggling in the acting world.

I found it fun to see what a person goes through in this industry when they are just starting out. From taking acting classes, to performing showcases where agents are recruiting  to running here and there for auditions and appointments. It sounds pretty grueling.

And I read just yesterday in the ET magazine that Lauren Graham wanted to make the point that in the 90s there were no cell phones, so everyone relied on their answer machines to get messages, which could be at times a bit iffy. And frustrating.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the story. Fanny and her friends were very likable and there were lots of funny moments and lots of heart felt moments. I felt her frustration and was really rooting for her to get her big break!

The little bit of romance was fun too. It's one of those kinds were she ends up with a guy that she thinks is most awesome, but we the readers know that the real true perfect guy is someone else and we are like, Hey Franny! Can't you see what's going on here??? And we are holding our breaths hoping she does see it in the end.

Ah...the end... my only complaint! It needed, like, another chapter to REALLY wrap things up! More more! I needed more!

Bottom line: I totally enjoyed this book! Lauren Graham, is there anything you can't do?

Other Reviews:

Little touches of truth and humor collected to add up to lovely book. From The Bluestocking Society

Someday, Someday, Maybe is everything that was great about “Gilmore Girls”: snappy writing; believable friendships; realistic, scathing dialogue. From Write Meg!

It has it moments of great charm but it also has some stuff I just didn't care about. From A Girl, Books and Other Things

Currently: Sad and Glad

C U R R E N T L Y

(written Sunday afternoon)

I am sad that I didn't get to participate in the readathon yesterday, but I am glad that I spent a bunch of time with family: a Japanese festival, shopping, going out to eat, etc.

I am sad that I didn't get to participate in World Book Night this past week, but I'm glad that I can try again for a chance next year! 

I am sad that I didn't find time to go to Writing for Charity yesterday either, but I'm glad that the authors do this event and I will try for next year!

I am sad that Malcolm got voted out of Survivor, but I'm glad Cochran is still there!

I am sad that April is almost over, but I'm glad that June is almost here.

I am sad that school is almost over, but I'm glad that school is almost over......

I am  GLAD I finally got to see Jurassic Park 3D in the theater, but sad I couldn't get more family members to come with.

I am glad that I got Quintana of Charyn, but sad that I haven't had more time to read it and actually concentrate on it.

I am glad that it's getting warmer, but sad that it means stifling heat is just around the corner.

I am glad that I finally had some ideas for blog discussion posts, but I'm sad that I already forgot them all because I never stopped long enough to write them down.

I am glad that we have a Trader Joe's now, but sad that it's still too far away to shop at frequently.

I am glad that no one got hurt today when my son decided to spray pepper spray in the house, but I'm sad that I wasn't here to witness the ensuing excitement!

I am sad that my daughter is going away tomorrow for two months, but I am glad she is going to have an awesome experience studying in Spain!

I am sad that Facetime doesn't work on my Android phone, but I'm glad that it DOES work on the kids' ipods and the husband's ipad!

I am sad that we won't see her (my daughter) for two months, but I'm glad that we get to go pick her up and meet her in Madrid!

Wahoo! Here's to the happy and sad things in life!

Book Review: Diary of a Single Mormon Female by Aleesa Sutton

Book: Diary of a Single Mormon Female by Aleesa Sutton
Genre: Memoir
Rating:★★★★☆
For: Review
From: ebook sent by the author

When I first heard the pitch for this book, I was skeptical. Mostly because I'm not single and perhaps I wouldn't relate. Also, because I'm always worried about "Mormon" books and how authors will portray the church, depending where their head is regarding the church at the time of writing.

But I accepted anyway and thought it might be an interesting one to check out.

Of course, once I started reading, I was pretty much hooked. Turns out, I actually could relate quite well, not necessarily the state of singleness and the experiences found therein, but pretty much everything else.

This book is just what it says it is... a diary. The author takes excerpts from her own diaries and journals as she was growing up and shares them. Brave brave thing to do! She starts out showing us her boy craziness at the age of ten and it goes from there, growing in craziness all through her teen and high school years. It's very fun to read these happy and naive journal entries from a girl who knows everything is going to work out to be happily ever after. It sounded exactly like my own journal.

In between all her entries we get little snippets of her now current feelings regarding what she wrote then... the hindsight is 20/20 thing, you know? These little observations are pretty funny, a little sad, quite cynical at times, but interesting nonetheless.

Anyway, we move to college years and all the dating and ins and outs of love she goes through. Somehow, she manages to get through all of BYU without getting married, something most of us don't manage  And now she has that feeling... now what do I do? It's fun to see her figure out her life from there and all the experiences she has, which, at the time she may have felt a little bitter about or at least frustrated with, and yet I hope looking back she can see all the things she accomplished and all the life she has been able to  live... because she is single.

Bottom line: In the end, I had a really fun time reading this book!

Other Reviews:

I was laughing on nearly every page because of how real Aleesa’s experiences are to life as an unmarried member of the church From Of Munchkins and Manuscripts

Chapters include: "The Hunk of Burnin' Love"; "Was I Weak-Butted?"; "Who Talks About Grandpa's Migraine Headaches on a Dream Date??"; "Virgins, in This Day and Age!" and "Do You Think I Have Nerves of Steel?" From GoodKindles

One woman’s story about coping without Mr. Right in a church focused on marriage and family. From Pauline Wiles