Summer Reading Challenge 2014: Serenade by Emily Kiebel #SRC2014

This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope that you enjoy these reviews (and books)!

The tenth book on our schedule is Serenade by author Emily Kiebel.

About the book:

Suddenly the voice she prized is now dangerously seductive.
Lorelei Clark’s only concern was her future as a classically trained soprano, that is, until the day her father was tragically killed. Shattered by his death, she hesitantly accepts an invitation from a mysterious aunt to visit her lavish oceanside home in Cape Cod. She quickly discovers that her aunt and the two women who live with her are harboring a frightening secret – they are sirens, terrifying mythical creatures responsible for singing doomed sailors to their deaths. Even more astounding, Lorelei is one of them.

In this new world where water comes alive at her touch and an ancient power pulses beneath the tide, the most important rule Lorelei must learn is that a siren never interferes with fate. When she breaks this rule by rescuing a handsome sailor who should have died at sea, the sirens vow she must finish the job or face grave consequences. Finding herself inexplicably attracted to him, she must fight to keep him safe from the others, even if it means risking her own life – and her heart – in the process.

Serenade centers around Lorelei from Colorado who is currently in college pursuing music.  Her dad has just recently died and her mom does not think that Lorelei should go back to school in Maine.  Lorelei is of course devastated about the loss of her dad and finds that it is hard to return to her old life.  One day she receives a letter from a great aunt that she did not know that she even had.  This aunt, Helen, invites her to her house in Massachusetts for a visit.  At first Lorelei is unsure if she should go, but decides to take a break from her studies and heads to Helen's house.  When Lorelei arrives, she finds that not only does Helen live there but that she has two cousins (Calliope and Deidre) that live there as well.  She finds out that they all have the gift of Song in common.  One morning Lorelei witnesses something strange and when she confronts Helen about it, Helen tells Lorelei that she is a Siren just like the three of them.  Their jobs as Sirens are to help people die, nothing evil and not to kill them, but to help with their suffering.  Of course, Lorelei has a problem coming to grips with this, but she decides to try and harness her gifts through the help of Helen.  After some practice, Lorelei is given a job of helping two individuals pass through after they are involved in a shipwreck.  However, Lorelei has a hard time trying to guide one of the shipwrecked members, Tyler, into death.  She instead decides to help him to one of the rescue boats.  Because of this act, a balance has been thrown off and Helen and Calliope inform her that this act must be reversed.  They tell her that she must guide Tyler to death or there will be consequences.  After Calliope threatens to do the deed herself, Lorelei reluctantly agrees to follow through with finding Tyler to guide him to death.  Once she meets Tyler again, there is a connection and she decides to take fate into her own hands.  When this happens, Lorelei learns that there is not only good people with this gift, but also evil.  Lorelei decides to make a very tough decision that is not necessarily what she wants, but what needs to be done.

This book has a lot of interesting characters that support Lorelei and people like her.  Some of the people that are there to help are a complete shock to her.  She still has a lot to learn about herself, the people around her and this new gift.  She learns about her family and why everyone is the way they are.  Why wouldn't her mother tell Lorelei about these three women in her family?  You will have to read the book to find out!  The ending is a definite cliffhanger and you will want the next book in the series to already be written! :)  

About the author:

Emily Kiebel was raised in Colorado and went on to study classical music and English at Concordia University. She found a love for singing early in life and now sings professionally and directs a local church choir. In her spare time, she can be found exploring the natural beauty of the great outdoors with her beloved dogs, Ginny and Diggory, cooking for friends and family, traveling or dragging her friends along to obscure historical sites. Serenade is her debut novel.

Connect with the author:

·         Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1plaRTH

·         Website: http://emilykiebel.com/

·         Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1n6yXwD

If you want to find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge click the image above!

Summer Reading Challenge 2014: Elly in Love by Colleen Oakes #SRC2014

This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope that you enjoy these reviews (and books)!

The ninth book on our schedule is Elly in Love by Author Colleen Oakes.  

About the book:

Curvy wedding florist Elly Jordan has had quite a year. First, she had to design her ex-husband’s wedding to the mistress who split them up, and then she broke up with the hottest musician this side of St. Louis. Three months have passed since then, and now Elly is primed for what promises to be the best wedding season of her life.

Helped by her loyal friends, Elly is on the verge of opening a chic flower boutique uptown when BlissBride, a popular wedding reality show, asks her to design the wedding of a famous—make that infamous–celebrity. Elly is about to get everything she’s ever wanted, when a stranger shows up at her store with a request that changes every aspect of her life–including her budding relationship with deli owner Keith. As she struggles to stay calm in the midst of growing chaos, Elly will learn the true meaning of love and sacrifice.

Elly in Love is the second book in a series.  However, if you did not read the first book, Elly in Bloom, you will not be completely lost.  This book is about Elly Jordan who is a florist living in the St. Louis area.  She does not have any family left after the death of her mother.  However, she does have a great set of friends and a too-good-to-be true boyfriend that make up for that.  Elly has a great business opportunity when the producers of BlissBride seek her out as a possible vendor for a celebrity wedding.  With this opportunity, the Snarky Teenager (that's her name in the book, I'm not being mean!) that works for Elly has an idea for opening a second, but different, location.  Elly agrees that with the money and exposure from the show this would be the perfect time to open another business.  Things seem to be going smoothly  for Elly (who is actually very clumsy herself!) until a stranger turns up at her door.  It turns out that this stranger is a half-brother that Elly never knew existed.  Elly accepts him into her home hoping to connect with the only family she has left.  Things start off rocky for the two and eventually there is something hard that happens that they must both decide how to deal with.  As if the celebrity wedding, "reality" show, new brother and second business aren't enough to deal with, it seems that Elly's too-good-to-be-true boyfriend is hiding something very important from her.  Elly has to learn to juggle all of these things and be happy with her life.

This book was very funny at times.  Elly was hysterical.  I loved how she tried to be funny, was not very graceful, but she also had a really good heart.  The relationship with her employee, Snarky Teenager, were very comical as well.  I found myself wanting to know more about how the relationship with Elly and her half-brother grew.  Elly was always encouraging the people around her, even when she was super stressed and bone tired. (Isn't it great to have a friend like that??)  I think that when I have time (after the Summer Reading Challange), I would like to go back and read the first book in this series.  I was very happy to see that there would be another book in this series.  I cannot wait to read about how Elly and her friends (and brother!) turn out!

About the author:

Colleen Oakes is the author of the Elly in Bloom series and the YA fantasy Queen of Hearts Saga, both published via SparkPress, a BookSparks imprint. She lives in North Denver with her husband and son. When not writing, Colleen enjoys swimming, traveling, and immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. She is currently at work on the last Elly novel and her second YA fantasy series, Wendy Darling.

Connect with the author:

·         Facebook:  http://on.fb.me/1hJGIL6

·         Twitter: https://twitter.com/ColleenBlooms

·         Website: http://colleenoakes.net/

·        Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1jl5CvV

If you want to find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge click the image above!

Summer Reading Challenge 2014: My Last Kiss by Bethany Neal #SRC2014

This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope that you enjoy these reviews (and books)!

The eighth book on our schedule is My Last Kiss by Author Bethany Neal.  

About the book:

What if your last kiss was with the wrong boy?

Cassidy Haines remembers her first kiss vividly. It was on the old covered bridge the summer before her freshman year with her boyfriend of three years, Ethan Keys. But her last kiss--the one she shared with someone at her seventeenth birthday party the night she died--is a blur. Cassidy is trapped in the living world, not only mourning the loss of her human body, but left with the grim suspicion that her untimely death wasn't a suicide as everyone assumes. She can't remember anything from the weeks leading up to her birthday and she's worried that she may have betrayed her boyfriend.

If Cassidy is to uncover the truth about that fateful night and make amends with the only boy she'll ever love, she must face her past and all the decisions she made--good and bad--that led to her last kiss

This book starts off with Cassidy's first kiss with her boyfriend, Ethan.  After that point, Cassidy is stuck in between life and death.  Seeing her dead body is a shock to her.  She doesn't know how she has died.  Was it an accident, suicide or murder?  She can't remember anything about what happened in her life in the few weeks leading to her death.  That's what this book revolves around.  Cassidy observes her friends and family to find out what happened to her.  The only person that can see her is her boyfriend Ethan.  At first he thinks he is just imagining her due to grief, but he accepts that she is a ghost.  Something bad besides Cassidy's death happens that night and they work together to find out what happened to her. Cassidy's memory starts to come back to her in bits and pieces as she's observing.  Cassidy finds out she isn't who she thought she was and neither were the people she was closest to.  Everyone has their own lies that unfortunately lead to Cassidy's death.  

This book was great!  This book was written very well and was highly entertaining.  There were twists to the book that kept you engrossed in the book.  I wanted Cassidy to find out what really happened, but at the same time it was sad knowing if she did that her and Ethan really wouldn't be together anymore.  The characters were fun and they always kept you guessing if they killed Cassidy or if she killed herself.  I enjoyed seeing the point of view from the other characters and finding out that Cassidy didn't always know what was going on in their lives even if they were close friends.  She also finds out who was truly her friends and who wasn't.  Cassidy realizes that she did some things that she isn't proud of in the few weeks before her death, but you find out she is still a good person.  Seeing her family without her hurts her and so does seeing their grief.  However, she knows that if she finds out what really happened to her, she can help them and Ethan.  I can't wait to read another book by Bethany Neal!

About the author:

Bethany Neal writes young-adult novels with a little dark side and a lot of kissing from her Ann Arbor, Michigan home. She graduated from Bowling Green State University and is obsessed with (but not limited to): nail polish, ginormous rings, pigs, pickles, and dessert. My Last Kiss is her first novel. 

Connect with the author:

·         Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1jIueTb

·         Twitter: @BethDazzled

·         Website: http://www.bethanyneal.com/

If you want to find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge click the image above!

Summer Reading Challenge 2014: The Walk-In Closet by Abdi Nazemian #SRC2014

This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope that you enjoy these reviews (and books)!

The seventh book on our schedule is The Walk-In Closet by Author Abdi Nazemian.  

About the book:

Kara Walker has never found much glamour in her own life, especially not when compared to the life of her best friend Bobby Ebadi. Bobby, along with his sophisticated parents Leila and Hossein, is everything Kara always wanted to be. The trio provides the perfect antidote to what Kara views as the more mundane problems of her girlfriends and her divorced parents.

And so when the Ebadis assume that Kara is Bobby’s girlfriend, she willingly steps into the role. She enjoys the perks of life in this closet, not only Leila’s designer hand-me-downs and free rent, but also the excitement of living life as an Ebadi.

As Kara’s 30^th birthday approaches, Leila and Hossein up the pressure. They are ready for Kara to assume the mantle of the next Mrs. Ebadi, and Bobby seems prepared to give them what they want: the illusion of a traditional home and grandchildren. How far will Kara be willing to go? And will she be willing to pull the Persian rug out from under them when she discovers that her own secret is just one of many lurking inside the Ebadi closet?

Kara has just celebrated a milestone birthday (30) and she's living a pretty good life. She lives in a great apartment, wears designer clothes (that are given to her), receives a new car, all thanks to the Ebadi's. Leila and Hossein Ebadi are the parents of her best friend, Bobby. Bobby is non-working screenwriter and party boy. The Ebadi's love Kara and they pay for her and Bobby's lifestyle in hopes that they will soon marry. Kara and Bobby have a great relationship but there is a serious problem with their relationship: Bobby is gay. Bobby being gay is apparent to everyone except to his parents. Bobby and Kara have an agreement to keep the charade going until the other person meets someone.  However his parents are trying everything to get them to marry and are pressuring for grandchildren.  It becomes all too much for Kara to keep up the act.  Kara starts to question whether what they are doing is right and she tries to find her own life.  She meets a stranger in an usual way and tries to keep it to herself.  However the relationship with this stranger starts to affect her relationship with Bobby, her friends and the other Ebadi family members.  The past of the Ebadi's starts to affect her future and all of it finally comes to blows.  

I enjoyed this book because of the characters and their Persian culture.  The Ebadi's are Persians that have immigrated from Iran to Los Angeles.  It is funny at times when Leila tries to find out what certain words in the English language mean.  However throughout the story you learn how each family member has tried to adapt (whether for good or bad) to the new culture.  I think people can relate to the main message of the book.  It seems like all of the characters struggle with acceptance and what will happen if their true selves come to light.  There is another message of seeing what you want to see due to pride and the Ebadi's are faced with a challenge when a major plot twist happens.  Will Kara continue to coast through life or will she finally live her own life?

About the author:

Abdi Nazemian is the screenwriter of The Quiet, Celeste in the City, Beautiful Girl, and the short film Revolution, which he also directed.  He is an alumnus of the Sundance Writer’s Lab, a mentor at the Outfest Screenwriter’s Lab, and has taught screenwriting at UCLA Extension.  He lives in Los Angeles with his two children, and his dog Hedy Lamarr. The Walk-In Closet is his first novel.

Connect with the author:

·         Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1jkYO07

·         Twitter: @abdaddy

·         Website: http://abdaddy.com

·         Goodreads: http://bit.ly/QC54K1

If you want to find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge click the image above!

Summer Reading Challenge 2014: After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid #SRC2014

 

This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope you enjoy these reviews (and books)!

The sixth book on our schedule is After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

This is a momentous occasion. I am about to write a review that doesn't have anything negative to say about the book. Considering my last review was not very complimentary, I think this is worth celebrating!

About the book:

When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.
Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?

This is a love story about what happens when the love fades. It’s about staying in love, seizing love, forsaking love, and committing to love with everything you’ve got. And above all, After I Do is the story of a couple caught up in an old game—and searching for a new road to happily ever after.

After I Do tells the story of Lauren and Ryan, a young married couple who have been drifting apart. The novel begins with flashbacks: how Lauren and Ryan met, their first date, their engagement, and then gives readers a glimpse of the conflicts that they begin having and how they escalate. These glimpses allow readers to see what is happening in their marriage, and it is a much more effective tool than a description or summary of their fights would have been. It made everything seem more realistic and definitely made me want to keep reading to see how they would save – or end – things. Ultimately, they decide to take a year off from being married with the rule that they can’t contact one another. 

There aren't really any huge twists in this novel, but it still kept my attention and made me want to finish it as quickly as possible. I found it intriguing to read about how their relationship deteriorated and the solutions that others offered during their year apart. Those who are married or in a long term relationship may enjoy this more than single folks because of the focus on romantic relationships and how partners change over time.

After I Do will be available for checkout in the Vise Library soon!

About the author:

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author and essayist from Acton, Massachusetts. She graduated from Emerson College with a degree in Media Studies. Her first novel, Forever, Interrupted, was named one of the “11 Debuts We Love” by Kirkus Reviews. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex, and her dog, Rabbit. Her forthcoming novel, After I Do, will be published July 1, 2014.

Connect with the author:

·        Facebook: http://on.fb.me/QCF5T8

·        Twitter: https://twitter.com/tjenkinsreid

·        Website: http://www.taylorjenkinsreid.com/

·        Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1uZBWfi

To find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge, click the link above!

  

Summer Reading Challenge 2014: The Revealed by Jessica Hickam #SRC2014

This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope that you enjoy these reviews (and books)!

The fourth book on our schedule is The Revealed by author Jessica Hickam.  

About the book:

Lily Atwood lives in what used to be called Washington, D.C. Her father is one of the most powerful men in the world, having been a vital part of rebuilding and reuniting humanity after the war that killed over five billion people. Now he’s running to be one of its leaders.
But in the rediscovered peace on Earth, a new enemy has risen. They call themselves the Revealed – a powerful underground organization that has been kidnapping 18 year olds across the globe without reservation. No one knows why they are kidnapping these teens, but it’s clear something is different about these people. They can set fires with a snap of their fingers and create a wind strong enough to barrel over a tree with a flick of their wrist. No one has been able to stop them, and they have targeted Lily as their next victim.

But Lily has waited too long to break free from her father’s shadow to let some rebel organization just ruin everything. Not without a fight.

The Revealed by Jessica Hickam is a debut novel for this author.  This book will be the start of a YA series.   This book is set in a post war-torn America and the country is getting back on its feet.  Even though there are no wars going on at the moment, there is a struggle with some special individuals that call themselves The Revealed. This book had me wondering who The Revealed were and what comes next after this book.

Lily Atwood is an eighteen year old who for most of her life has been in the spotlight due to her family.  Her dad is running for the first President that America has had since the war that happened all over the globe.  Lily is frightened because The Revealed have made it known that before her 19th birthday that they will take her.  In the mean time, Lily's parents are determined to keep her safe from The Revealed and do not allow her many freedoms.  No one knows who The Revealed are or what they do to the teenagers that they capture.  Her father's opponent is an old family friend named Roderick Westerfield and he has a son named Kai.  Kai is a couple of years older than Lily.  Kai and Lilly used to be friends until something happened in high school to change that.  Kai is back in town (he is in the military) and wants Lily to trust him as a friend, at first.  However, when she is finally able to trust him, he leaves to go on a mission without so much as a goodbye. As Lily's deadline with The Revealed approaches she becomes more reckless and determined to live her life.  Some people do not appear to be who they say they are and that includes The Revealed.  

This debut novel was very entertaining.  I enjoyed finding out what happens to Lily and her family and friends.  There is a major event that happens that Lily has to forget her old life and you wonder what is in store for her next.  This was a fun read and easy to get through.  I cannot wait for the next book to come out to find out what happens next!

About the author:

After graduating from Arizona State University in 2011, Jessica relocated to Los Angeles where she now works in the film industry. From acting to assisting on the Paramount feature Star Trek: Into Darkness, her experiences have only reinforced her love for living in other worlds – whether they be from her own imagination or someone else’s. The Revealed is her first novel.

·  Connect with the author:

·         Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1hSZuJa

·         Twitter: https://twitter.com/JHickam

·         Website: http://jessicahickam.com/

·         Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1hSZBoi