Blitz: My Clueless Broken Heart by Jennifer DiGiovanni

Title: My Clueless Broken Heart

Author: Jennifer DiGiovanni

Genre: YA Romance

Becca Thornton is clueless when it comes to love. Why else would she break up with Will Gamen, a boy at the top of the hottie short list for every other girl?

Because, if she’s being totally honest, Becca will admit the truth. Her heart belongs to someone else. For as long as she can remember, Travis Brennen has been unavailable. When Travis unexpectedly rolls back into town, Becca realizes for the first time that her feelings for him might be mutual. But Travis and Becca come from what he calls “different circumstances.” Becca’s parents are world-famous scientists and Travis’s dad is the caretaker on the Thornton family’s estate. Still, Becca can’t change the way she feels about him, no matter how hard her parents try to keep them apart. She’ll just need to find a way to prove to her parents that Travis isn’t the guy they’ve always assumed him to be. Becca’s earned the right to grow up, make her own choices, and fall in love, even if she ends up with a broken heart.

Get the book for free on Amazon today!

Author Bio

Jennifer DiGiovanni is a freelance writer and YA author of the School Dayz series. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, working on home design projects, or trying to meet the daily goals on her Fitbit. She also likes to try new sports and activities, from archery to ballroom dancing, with varying degrees of success.

@JenniferDiGiov2

Jennifer DiGiovanni Facebook

@SwoonRomance

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ARC Review: Last Day on Mars by Kevin Emerson

Last Day on Mars by Kevin Emerson

It is Earth year 2213—but, of course, there is no Earth anymore. Not since it was burned to a cinder by the sun, which has mysteriously begun the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to Mars, but this was only a temporary solution while we prepare for a second trip: a one-hundred-fifty-year journey to a distant star, our best guess at where we might find a new home.

Liam Saunders-Chang is one of the last humans left on Mars. The son of two scientists who have been racing against time to create technology vital to humanity’s survival, Liam, along with his friend Phoebe, will be on the very last starliner to depart before Mars, like Earth before it, is destroyed.

Or so he thinks. Because before this day is over, Liam and Phoebe will make a series of profound discoveries about the nature of time and space, and find out that the human race is just one of many in our universe locked in a desperate struggle for survival.

Pages: 324

Format: ARC Paperback

Published By: Walden Pond Press

Genre: Middle Grade - Sci-fi
Series: Chronicle of the Dark Star

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book free to read and review, thanks to Walden Pond Press and Jean BookNerd.

Rating:
✮✮✮✮

Review:
Last Day on Mars was a great beginning to what could turn out to be a wonderful MG series. There were scenes with a lot of action, and then there were also some slow scenes. Overall, it was a very quick read, which could be read in one sitting. The book was really interesting, and was very entertaining. If you have never read a sci-fi book, I feel like this one could easily be a gateway book into this genre.

I really liked Liam as a character. He was a pretty well-developed character, and at times I thought he was mature for a 13 year old, but he wasn't lacking the behavior of a 13 year old at other points. The relationships in the story were pretty decent. Liam and Mina's relationship was not focused on a lot during the book, but I thought it was a pretty important to the story, moreso towards the end. I also really enjoyed the friendship between Liam and Phoebe, it was a nice addition to the story. One of the other characters I really loved in the story was JEFF, the panda robot. He was a definite and very much needed comical relief in my opinion.

By the end of the book, I had a lot of unanswered questions, which I hope will be answered by the end of the series. There was a lot going on that you don't know as the story is progressing, and a good portion of what you don't know during the progression isn't answered by the end. I feel like the book left on a somewhat cliffhanger, like I didn't feel like it was a huge cliffhanger, but it did leave you wondering, what?, which I thought was really good, because it leaves you wanting to get your hand on the next book in the series.

Dream Cast: Last Day on Mars by Kevin Emerson

Dream Cast featuring the book cast of Last Day on Mars

This is Kevin Emerson's Dream Cast. I find it quite interesting, because it is not at all how I had pictured the characters from the book. I just love how easy it is for people to see characters differently. Thanks Kevin for sharing your dreamcast! If you would like to tell me who you thought of when or a similar actor to what you imagined the characters to look like, share below in the comments.

Liam Saunders-Chang

Caleb McLaughlin (Stranger Things, Broadway’s The Lion King)

Mina Saunders-Chang

Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games)

Phoebe Dawson

Jenna Ortega (Jane the Virgin)

JEFF (Voice Of)

Mark Hamill (Star Wars)

Liam’s Dad, Gerald Saunders-Chang

Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd, The Boxtrolls)

Liam’s Mom, Lana Saunders-Chang

Renee Elise Goldsberry (Broadway’s Hamilton)

Phoebe’s Dad, Paolo Dawson

Diego Luna (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)

Phoebe’s Mom, Ariana Dawson

Rosario Dawson (Daredevil)

Week at a Glance #8

Current Week Goals: So I was sick the previous week, and didn't accomplish any reading, so my goals are slightly the same with just a minor change.




Received: Library (Overdrive)
Format: E-book
Review: N/A (I am doing short updates on Goodreads, follow me or friend me if you want to see what I thought of this book)









Received: Library
Format: Hardback
Review: N/A (I am doing short updates on Goodreads, follow me or friend me if you want to see what I thought of this book)









Previous Week Accomplishments:




Received: Janina Rossiter (Librarything)
Format: E-Book
Review: http://readingforthestarsmoon.blogspot.com/2017/02/review-tovi-penguin-goes-on-treasure.html

Review: Tovi the Penguin goes on a treasure hunt in Paris by Janina Rossiter

Tovi the Penguin goes on a treasure hunt in Paris by Janina Rossiter

Tovi and his friends are visiting the beautiful city of Paris.
All of a sudden Tovi falls deeply in love with someone on a poster. He wants to meet her!
But he doesn't know where to find her. Luckily his friends help him by leading him on a treasure hunt.
What an adventure! Will Tovi find his treasure? Let’s find out...

Tovi books are designed in a simple animated way to give young readers the impression of watching a short film where Tovi and his friends play out their adventures.

The books are aimed at children aged 2-6 (picturebooks), who hopefully will join Tovi in his mini-adventures, and learn something about life and the world around them. As the lovable characters in these books share a whole range of experiences, they learn about sharing, about helping each other, and most important, they learn the value of friendship.

You'll be surprised what an exciting time little penguins can have!

Pages: 32

Format: E-Book

Published By: Create Space

Genre: Childrens
Series: Tovi the Penguin

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book free to read and review, thanks to Janina Rossiter via Librarything

Rating:
✮✮✮✮

Review:
Tovi the Penguin goes on a treasure hunt in Paris was such a cute, little story. It was just overall such a nice, quick read, with enjoyable characters and a wonderful storyline. The graphics were also a really nice touch. I thoroughly enjoyed the color scheme choice the author made for this book. I feel that it also quite informational (in the aspect that it is for children) with mentioning of famous Parisian locations. I would highly recommend this story to parents of young children, and it would be the kind of book that I would read to younger siblings, and children I care for.

Trailer Reveal: As You Lay Sleeping by Katlyn Duncan

As You Lay Sleeping
by Katlyn Duncan
Genre: YA Thriller
Release Date: February 22nd, 2017
HQ Digital

Summary from Goodreads:

I did it all for you…

Cara’s boyfriend is dead.

When fingers start pointing at her, she knows she’s in more trouble than she originally thought. Because Cara can see that something isn’t right.

As her carefully constructed life begins to crumble, Cara isn’t sure who she is anymore.

But maybe that’s exactly what someone wants her to think…

BOOK TRAILER:

About the Author

I've been writing and reading since I can remember. My fondest memories were pushing mom out of the house to get the latest Goosebumps installment. Even though I went to school and worked in the field of science, my head has always been in the clouds.

Outside of writing, I enjoy spending time with my hubs, pup, and sometimes a good rom-com.

Release Blitz: Midnight Rose by Dani Hart

Title: Midnight Rose
Author: Dani Hart
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Release Date: Feb 13, 2017
Add to TBR

My grandfather had once told me that life was an unpredictable beast—one moment calm with a full belly and heavy eyes, and the next, digging its paws in the dirt, snarling just before it took down its next victim. Until recently, I would argue with that notion, listing all the reasons why my life was as predictable as the tides coming and going. While I listened, I was young and never put much thought into a lot of the things my grandfather told me, but all that changed when the Hunters moved back to Sandpoint. More specifically, Wes Hunter. That was when the impossible became possible and the predictable became unpredictable.

As Abigail Rose looked down on her new world, she couldn’t deny the things she had seen and all the things she had learned. There were days she wished she could go back to her old life, but she had changed. Evolved. She was no longer a love-struck seventeen year old. She was a chosen leader and her path was undeniable. The black and white was fading to gray, and the only thing between mortals and immortals was her.

 

  

I'm a...

Mom

Firefighter Wife

Sister

Sister-In-Law

Daughter

Aunt

Friend

Writer

Reader

and so many other things.

I love my life and am so grateful for all of the support and have the courage to live a dream.

  

Week at a Glance #7

Current Week Goals: So I gave up on my previous current week goals, hopefully in the future, I will be able to get them done, but I just had other books that I had to read and I wanted to focus more on them so, here are my "fresh" current week goals.




Received: Library (Overdrive)
Format: E-book
Review: N/A (I am doing short updates on Goodreads, follow me or friend me if you want to see what I thought of this book)









Received: Library
Format: Hardback
Review: N/A (I am doing short updates on Goodreads, follow me or friend me if you want to see what I thought of this book)











Received: Kindle Unlimited
Format: E-book
Review: Will Be Added Later










Previous Week Accomplishments:




Received: Library (Overdrive)
Format: E-Book
Review: https://readingforthestarsmoon.blogspot.com/2017/02/review-lovely-reckless-by-kami-garcia.html









Received: Library (Overdrive)
Format: E-Book
Review: http://readingforthestarsmoon.blogspot.com/2017/02/review-will-and-whit-by.html










Received: Shari Tharp
Format: Paperback
Review: http://readingforthestarsmoon.blogspot.com/2017/02/review-gertrude-and-tobys-friday.html

Review: Gertrude and Toby's Friday Adventure (Gertrude and Toby #1) by Shari Tharp

Gertrude and Toby's Friday Adventure by Shari Tharp

Gertrude the goat and her best friend Toby the tortoise are adventurers. No sitting around on the boring farm for them! They love to explore, and every Friday they sneak off the farm for some extra fun. One Friday, Gertrude and Toby decide to visit the local candy store in town. They discover yummy goodies and treats, but soon find that the treats are not free!? Uh oh! The market owner grabs Toby. He demands money for the candy that Gertrude and Toby have taken by mistake. Gertrude must find a way to save her friend and get back home before Farmer Sam returns.

Pages: 48

Format: Paperback

Published By: Atlas Publishing

Genre: Childrens - Fantasy
Series: Gertrude and Toby

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book free to read and review, thanks to Shari Tharp.

Rating:
✮✮✮✮✮

Review:

I really enjoyed this cute little story. It was adorable, and I just loved the aspects of fairy tales that were added in. I would highly recommend this book for adults with young children. It would definitely be the book that I would read to younger family members or children that I babysit because it is a wonderful little story, with characters children could love. It's the kind of book that children could even possibly find funny because it has that hint of silliness about it, which is what makes it such a cute read. The illustrations were wonderful, and I just think they added a nice touch to the story.

Review: Will & Whit by Laura Lee Gulledge

Will & Whit by Laura Lee Gulledge

Wilhelmina “Will” Huckstep is a creative soul struggling to come to terms with a family tragedy. She crafts whimsical lamps, in part to deal with her fear of the dark. As she wraps up another summer in her mountain town, she longs for unplugged adventures with her fellow creative friends, Autumn, Noel, and Reese. Little does she know that she will get her wish in the form of an arts carnival and a blackout, courtesy of a hurricane named Whitney, which forces Will to face her fear of darkness.

Laura Lee Gulledge’s signature visual metaphors will be on full display in this all-new graphic novel, a moving look at shedding light on the dark corners of life.

Pages: 192

Format: E-Book

Published By: Amulet Paperbacks

Genre: YA - Graphic Novel, Realistic Fiction

Rating:
✮✮

Review:

This story just wasn't for me. It didn't hook my attention, and it was slow throughout the story. I didn't really connect with any of the characters, or really care much about them as the story progressed. The only thing that I really enjoyed were the graphics in the story. They were pretty awesome, but it didn't really make up for the fact that I couldn't get into the plot. There was also a sad element to the story that I thought was good, but again, it didn't make up for the rest of the plot.

2017 February Emojiathon (Readathon)

february emojiathon

This is my first readathon of the year, it lasts for the month of February. I had meant to post my goals for this readathon at the beginning of the month, so technically as I am posting this I have already been working to achieve these goals, but I'm going to go ahead and let you all know my goals for this readathon here.

The purpose of the Emojiathon is to read 4 of the 25 challenge (I am going to aim for more than that, but as I have a busy life I don't know if that will work out.)

- read a book about a marginalized group

I chose this book because I am minoring in Deaf Studies, and a group that I feel doesn't really get recognized as a marginalized group would be the Deaf Community, so I wanted to read a book with a character who was deaf.

- read a book that was gifted to you

I got this book from a really good friend of mine who was dying for me to read this book series, and obviously I want to read it, and it's a really popular book series, so hopefully I will get to it for this challenge.

- read a romance/contemporary

I have already completed this goal for the challenge, with the amazing book, Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia. You can check out my review here.

- read a book you bought because of its cover

As I shared in my Book Courtship Tag, I have no idea what this book is even about, but I just love the cover. So I really don't have much to say about this book.

- read a book that makes you happy

I chose Metaltown because Kristen Simmons wrote it, and I absolutely loved her Article 5 Series, and just looking at that cover and thinking about this book makes me happy.

- read a thriller or horror

I am actually going to try to read both books in this series during the month of February. I don't know how well that will go.

- read a futuristic/sci-fi book

I am really looking forward to reading this book and finishing the series. I loved the first two books in the series, but this one was a little slow when I first attempted to read it, so I plan to start over and see if it's any better this time.

- freebie! Read any book

I have already finished this book, and you can check out my feelings for the book here.

- read a 2016/2017 release

I have been wanting to read a V.E. Schwab book for the longest time after I saw a post on Jessethereader's vlog, that was just really great and interesting, and made me want to check her books out.

- read a cry-worthy book

I have heard that this is a really sad book, and it seems weird to plan a book to read for this category when I don't even know if I am going to cry, but since I've heard it's sad, I am going to leave it here.

- read a book you’ve been anticipating

If you have been following my posts, then you know that this was one of my most anticipated reads for 2017.

- read a book in under 24 hours

This took me maybe an hour, and sadly I didn't like it and there is a short review that can be found on Goodreads, but I did not review the book on my actual blog.

- read a book you’ve seen everywhere

I actually just bought this book, and hope that it comes in in time for me to read it for this readathon.

- buddy read a book

I am currently working on completing this challenge. If you would like to follow along with my thoughts on Throne of Glass, because I don't think I will be reviewing this book, you can follow here.