Stacking the Shelves

Haven't posted StS since early March so I thought I would share with you guys what I got since then. I bought all of them except Side Effects May Vary and Charm and Strange. I won those two books. And, my mom bought Lola and the Boy Next Door for my birthday since she knew how much I love Stephanie Perkins and her characters(especially Lola and Cricket). 

I still need to read Ruins, Into the Still Blue, Charm and Strange, Cress and The Winner's Curse. 

I'm currently reading Side Effects May Vary and it's really interesting. Plus, the main character doesn't give a damn about anything or anybody which is refreshing since most of the main characters I've come across with are too good to be true. 

Sorry for the day/night pictures. I took them a couple of minutes apart and they still look weird. 

Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor

Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor

Publisher: Harper Teen      

Publication date: February 18th 2014
My rating: 4.5 stars

Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.

Even when she isn't sure what to say.

Even when Olivia misses months of school.

Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.

The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.

In this incandescent page-turner, which follows in the tradition of The Fault in Our Stars, Melissa Kantor artfully explores the idea that the worst thing to happen to you might not be something that is actually happening to you. Raw, irreverent, and honest, Zoe's unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

Everybody knows how much I love to read realistic stories. I can never get tired of them. At first I didn't want to read Maybe One Day because the first cover was giving me some fantasy/paranormal vibes. I didn't read the blurb so I ignored it altogether. And then one day, the cover was changed and I had to read the blurb. Once I did, I knew I would be reading it sooner of later. It turned out to be later because I didn't read the book for months. I'm not even sure why that happened. 

Zoe and Olivia were inseparable. They've been friends since they were little. They were thinking about being professional dancers one day and living in Manhattan together and then Olivia got sick. What seemed to be a simple case of flu, turned out to be leukemia. Now both girls need to find a way to stay strong despite everything that's going on. 

Maybe One Day was a hard book to read. I'm still not sure what to say about it. I did cry towards the end a lot. I was expecting it because Kantor did prepare us for the worst. I was waiting for it to happen a lot sooner but I'm glad it didn't. 

Zoe was impulsive and in the moment type of person while Olivia was usually the kinder person who was well liked in every circle. They complimented each other in every possible way. Their friendship was the center of this novel. Nothing else came even close. Not even the romance which was believable and hot despite the fact Zoe and Calvin not having a lot of scenes. He was suck a good guy I found myself wishing he was a bigger part of the novel even tough it was obvious he would be there for Zoe, no matter what. 

i'm glad I read this book even though it made me feel mad sad and mad at the same time because not everyone can win against leukemia. I'll be on the lookout for other Melissa Kantor books because she proved herself as a writer with this wonderful story about friendship. 

A new day, a new blog design

Hi, lovely people! I'm so happy I finally finished my new blog design with a little help from my friend who happens to be an awesome designer, Doroty. She helped with css which I know nothing about.

I made 3 test blogs with different designs. Crazy, right? The biggest problem for me was that I liked them all. It wasn't an easy job to decide which template goes up. In the end this one looked the best. All of them are minimalist but this one was a little more upbeat, even though it's gray.

I'm glad to be rid of the old design which I started hating and didn't even want to visit my own blog.

Cover Reveal: Rival by Penelope Douglas

Title: Rival

Series: Fall Away, #2

Author: Penelope Douglas

Genre: NA / Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 26, 2014

*Pre-order links*

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*Synopsis*

From the New Adult sensation and New York Times bestselling author of Until You

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war…

She’s back.

For the three years she’s been away at boarding school, there was no word from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night.

I was stupid then, but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game…

I’m back.

Three years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he’s better than me.

But I won’t be scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff and fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how much he affects me….

*Purchase books 1 & 2 of the Fall Away series*

     

*Buy Links - Bully*

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*Buy Links - Until You*

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*About Penelope*

Penelope Douglas is a writer and teacher in Las Vegas. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she is the oldest of five children. Penelope attended the University of Northern Iowa, earning a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, because her father told her to "just get the degree!" She then earned a Masters of Science in Education at Loyola University in New Orleans, because she hated Public Administration. One night, she got tipsy and told the bouncer at the bar where she worked that his son was hot, and three years later they were married. To the son, not the bouncer. They have spawn, but just one. A daughter named Aydan. Penelope loves sweets, the show Sons of Anarchy, and she shops at Target almost daily.

*Connect with Penelope*

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*Giveaway*

(5) $10 GC from either Amazon or Barnes&Noble

(1) Signed set of Bully & Until You (original copy)

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