Review: Twisted: A Pretty Little Liars Novel by Sara Shepard

I'll be honest. After the series had ended with the last book, and it was supposed to be finished I was kind of sad but understood. And then all of a sudden, the series was back from the grave, probably at least in part because of the success of the tv show. I was definitely skeptical, really could it come back and keep going after everything that had happened? Well I'm here to tell you it's TOTALLY BACK and just as great as it was before!

I'm going to try and keep this spoiler free.

So with the last book a lot of the questions were answered (it was supposed to be the last book after all). There was one possibility that was left open and this new book totally takes that and runs with it, it runs so far I still have no idea what's going on! But this book was awesome, it starts a whole new set of mysteries and the risks and possibilities for trouble are so much bigger that before.

As always, each of the girls have their own story lines, I always forget one of the big differences from the books to the tv show is that in the books the girls aren't actually friends that much of the time whereas on the tv show they are. So not surprisingly the girls aren't really on good terms for much of this book, but that's because they are keeping such a huge secret that they can't stand to look one another in the eye. Luckily by the end we know as much as they do regarding the secret (I think) so it's definitely satisfying in that way.

If you are a lover of PLL the books or the tv show I'd say read this. If you haven't read or watched PLL what are you watching for, it's so juicy and fun and scary and awesome! Get in on it! But seriously, if you are new to this series, start from the beginning, it wouldn't be much fun starting in the middle!

Twisted was released on July 5th 2011
Genre: Young Adult
4/5 Stars
Purchased

Amazon.com:

It’s been a year since the torturous notes from A stopped and the mystery of Alison DiLaurentis’s disappearance was finally put to rest. Now seniors in high school, Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily are older, but they’re not any wiser. The pretty little liars have more secrets than ever—twisted secrets that could destroy the perfect lives they’ve worked so hard to rebuild. 

Aria’s jealous of her boyfriend’s new exchange student. Spencer’s getting a little too cozy with her soon-to-be-stepbrother. Hanna’s one scandalous photo away from ruining her dad’s Senate campaign. And Emily will do anything to get a swim scholarship. 

Worst of all: Last spring break in Jamaica, they did something unforgivable. The girls are desperate to forget that fateful night, but they should know better than anyone that all secrets wash ashore . . . eventually.

Scott Pilgrim Vol 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Amazon.com:

Scott Pilgrim's life is so awesome. He's 23 years old, in a rock band, "between jobs," and dating a cute high school girl. Everything's fantastic until a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. But the path to Ms Flowers isn't covered in rose petals. Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends stand in the way between Scott and true happiness. Can Scott beat the bad guys and get the girl without turning his precious little life upside-down?

I'd always been interested in checking out the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels. And then the movie came out, so of course I went to that first. I ended up adoring the movie, probably my favorite so far of 2010, and left with my face hurting from laughing so hard. I then finally decided to give the graphic novels a whirl. I'm sort of under the impression that the movie spans all the books but we will find out if that is true!

I liked the illustration style of the book, because of the size and shape of the book, I was worried that it might be too manga for my taste (I haven't read a manga yet because I don't really like the style of art I've seen in the ones I've flipped through) but I turned out to be completely wrong and thought the illustrations were great, I especially liked the big eyes.

I couldn't help, and can't help here talking about how the graphic novel and movie are the same. You can definitely tell they stayed as close as they could for the movie to the graphic novel. I had to laugh at the fact that this weird hat that Scott wears in the movie originated in the graphic novel, and how close they got the people in the movie to look like the kids in the graphic novel.

And of course, I adore the story, it's cute, hilarious and just awesome. Can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life was released on August 18th 2004
Genre: Graphic Novel
4/5 Stars
Borrowed from Local Library

Degrassi: The Next Generation Extra Credit #3 and #4 by J. Torres art by Eric Kim (#3) and Steve Rolston (#4)

Missing You Degrassi: The Next Generation Extra Credit #3

Spinner has been dumped by Darcy for his cheating ways! But with God as his witness, he promises to get her back no matter what it takes - including resisting all manner of temptation, all summer long. When arch-nemesis Jay Hogart offers to help, Spinner finds himself torn between "good" and "evil." Which one will win out?

Considering what Liberty's been through recently, it's no wonder she's spending her summer vacation moping about. Her parents suspect post-partum depression, but something else is weighing on her mind. Could Liberty be planning a desperate move?

The third book in the Degrassi: TNG Extra Credit series takes us into Spinner and Liberty's worlds. I really like how this book shows what happens to Spinner over the summer so there is a bit of explanation when the new season starts and if he is or isn't back with Darcy!

I think this might have been my least favorite of the books illustration wise, some of the facial expressions were not really detailed enough and some of the wide shots were way too cartoony for me, it made for a disrupt in the story.

Overall though, another fun installment in the series!

Missing You was released on April 24th 2007
Genre: Graphic Novel/TV/Young Adult
4 Stars
Purchased from Amazon Marketplace

Safety Dance Degrassi The Next Generation Extra Credit #4

When Marco sees Dylan get into a fight with a homophobic hockey player, he's suddenly super self-conscious about the way the world looks at him. Dylan wants to take their relationship to the next level, but Marco is holding them back. What will it take for Marco to move forward? Ashley is back from merry ol' England but she's finding it hard to reconnect with her stepbrother Toby and to rekindle the romance with ex-boyfriend Jimmy. Is her talk of all things British keeping them at a distance...? Or is it her hideous hat?

Like the other books in this series, this book focuses on two characters, this time Marco and Ashley. Marco is/was one of my favorite characters so I loved that he got his own story in one of the graphic novels! I really love the author's sense of humor, bringing in the running gag through the books of Ashley's really ugly hat from the season finale of season 5. It was darn ugly!

What I liked about the artwork in this installment was how clean it was. Clean and crisp lines create my favorite types of graphic images in graphic novels!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading the Degrassi: TNG graphic novels, now that it's been a few years since these came out and there is a whole new cast of characters I would love to see a some new installments of the graphic novel series!

Safety Dance was released on May 8th 2007
Genre: Graphic Novel/TV/Young Adult
4 Stars
Purchased from Amazon Marketplace

Degrassi: The Next Generation Extra Credit #1 and #2 by J. Torres art by Ed Northcott (#1) and Ramon Perez (#2)

Turning Japanese Degrassi: The Next Generation Extra Credit #1

It's the end of Ellie's senior year, and as though final exams aren't enough to worry about, she's been placed in a compromising position by one of her bosses at a comic book company. Is quitting her only option?

J.T. turns to the Internet to help cope with the recent troubles in his life. But now he spends most of his time locked in his room, and he can't seem to move on. Is his new habit just making his problems worse?

I want to start off with some information that covers all 4 of the Degrassi Graphic Novels. They read just like episodes of the show, with two main plotlines. All 4 take place basically in the summer between Seasons 5 and 6 with some overlap into those 2 seasons. I'm not sure if I would suggest them for people that aren't familiar with the show, they just kind of jump in where the show left off so there isn't much framework for someone that is new to these characters.

Also, all 4 are illustrated by different people, I'm going to guess the reason for this was because these all came out in a short amount of time and it would be impossible for 1 person to illustrate them all that fast. Though because of the way the different artists draw the characters it helps that there is a page near the front of each book that shows all the characters who are main players in that specific story.

Onto the book, Ellie's internship at a Comic Book company alternates with J.T.s summer at home trying to get over his trying year. I definitely enjoyed Ellie's story more so, there were some great comic references and we got to see more of the characters in her story.

I enjoyed the art, especially the full page illustrations, they provided more detail and in turn more expression on the characters faces.

I think the author did a great job of staying in tune with the show right up to the signature ending without much resolution (which I found hilarious when I first started watching the show). It's hinted that that things will turn out ok but you never actually see it happen!

Turning Japanese was released on November 21st 2006
Genre: Graphic Novel/TV/Young Adult
4 Stars
Purchased from Amazon Marketplace


Suddenly Last Summer Degrassi: The Next Generation Extra Credit #2

Emma gets her groove back with the help of group therapy and a family trip to New York City. But as she returns to her old self, her relationship with Peter begins to suffer. Is he helping Emma recover--or holding her back?

While coaching at basketball camp, Jimmy finds himself dealing with the fallout of a hazing accident. Was the initiation just a prank, or did it cross the line? When the police get involved, Jimmy is faced with a touch decision?

I think Suddenly Last Summer is my favorite of the 4 graphic novels, and that's probably because part of it takes Emma and Manny and Emma's family to New York City! The other story involves Jimmy at basketball camp.

There is a great montage in the book that shows Emma and Manny in New York and the backgrounds are actual posterized photos of the city which makes for a really nice effect. I really like the sleek and stylized illustration this artist used as well, definitely my favorite of the bunch. I also really liked the Alice in Wonderland references.

All in all another great graphic novel from the Degrassi family!

Suddenly Last Summer was released on January 7th 2007
Genre: Graphic Novel/TV/Young Adult
4 Stars
Purchased from Amazon Marketplace

Blog Tour: Wicked Intetions by Elizabeth Hoyt

Amazon.com:

From the New York Times bestselling author of To Desire a Devil comes this thrilling tale of danger, desire, and dark passions.

A MAN CONTROLLED BY HIS DESIRES . . .

Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London's most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows St. Giles like the back of her hand-she's spent a lifetime caring for its inhabitants at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk . . .

A WOMAN HAUNTED BY HER PAST . . .

Caire makes a simple offer-in return for Temperance's help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to London's high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as cold calculation soon falls prey to a passion that neither can control-one that may well destroy them both.

A BARGAIN NEITHER COULD REFUSE

Being new to the romance genre I knew Elizabeth Hoyt was an author I had to try. What better way to start than with the beginning of a new series! And it did not disappoint.

Instantly I was taken by Temperance, here is a character I hadn't met before, a widowed woman with a large family helping run basically a small orphanage, her day to day problems were very different that the ones of more heroines I have read about. And Lord Caire, he was a lot "darker" than most of the heros I've read about. It was just a really nice change of pace.

And there is also a mystery, an almost Jack the Ripper type mystery and I really think romance and mystery jive very well together! The setting for this story was rather spooky a bad area of London where people get attacked at night, again very different. I also must say it's probably the naughtiest historical romance I've read!

There was also a side story with Temperance's sister Silence (what horrid names this people have!) that I feel isn't quiet over so I hope to see her again as this series progresses. Mysteries still remain but some are solved. I've read a bit of the next book, Notorious Pleasures and it looks like it could be even better!

Overall I think I find myself very much a fan of Elizabeth Hoyt and can't want to read more by her!

Wicked Intentions was released on August 1st 2010
Genre: Historical Romance
4/5 Stars
ARC provided by the publisher

Wanted (Pretty Little Liars #8)

**WARNING SPOILERS FROM PREVIOUS BOOKS**

Amazon.com:

In Rosewood, majestic estates sprawl for acres, and Tiffany toggle bracelets dangle from every girl's wrist. But not all that glitters is gold, and the town harbors secrets darker than anyone could imagine—like the truth about what really happened the night Alison DiLaurentis went missing. . . .

Back in middle school, Ali plucked Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer from obscurity and turned them into the beautiful, popular girls everyone wanted to be. Ali was the best friend they ever had. But she also made them do terrible things and taunted them with their worst secrets. Now, three years later, all their questions about Ali have finally been answered and they can put this awful chapter of their lives behind them. Or so they think.

Not every story has a happy ending, especially when four pretty little liars have done so many wicked things. In the dramatic conclusion of Sara Shepard's bestselling Pretty Little Liars series, Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer could get everything they've ever wanted—unless A has one more horrifying twist in store.

By the time you close this book for the final time, you will know all, well all the author wanted you to know. It starts with a shocking revelation and that carries through the rest of the book. I sort of wish this would have happened in the previous book or closer to the end of this book because it basically takes over the entire book.

By the time of the big reveal, of who A is and who Ali’s killer is I didn’t really see any suspects left except for one, and oh guess what, it was them! So while it wasn’t so shocking by the outcome there was a little twist in there I hadn’t expected at all that put a whole new perspective on the series! I really liked that!

Overall reading this series has been one of the best reading experiences I've had in a long while, I don’t remember being so addicted to a series, I think I read them in about 2 weeks. Great stuff!

Wanted was released on June 8th 2010
Genre: Young Adult
4/5 Stars
Purchased at Borders

Just Like Me, Only Better by Carol Snow

Amazon.com:

From the author of Here Today, Gone to Maui, the story of a woman who finally got a life...some else's.

Ever since Veronica's husband found the love of his life-not her-she's been a walking zombie with runny mascara. It doesn't help that she keeps getting mistaken for Haley Rush-the Hollywood starlet whose dazzling life is plastered on every magazine. When Haley's manager offers Veronica a job as a celebrity double, it only takes a moment before she says yes. Veronica gets to drive Haley's car, wear her phenomenal clothes-and have fun with her hot celebrity boyfriend, Brady Ellis. Too bad the job's only part-time, and at the end of the day she has to return to her life as a cash-strapped substitute teacher and cub scout mom. But when real sparks fly with Brady, is it a fantasy come true or a disaster in disguise?

This book was FUNNY! I mean I had a feeling it would be funny because of the premise but Veronica, some of the things she said were just hilarious! I loved the idea of a regular down on her luck single-mother, going through a hard time after a divorce diving into the world of glitz and glam and pretending to be a celebrity. It never gets old, someone being thrown into a completely new situation.

And she sure meets some characters out in Hollywood from the actress she's being the body-double for to the hairdresser she swaps gossip with. The people she meets on her journey, they could easily be two-dimensional but the author writes them in such a way that they have some personality behind the cliche you would expect.

What I really liked about this book was that not only is it funny, it's rather heartfelt, watching Veronica process her divorce and seeing her ex-husband move on, she has to re-find her place in the world. Another great thing in this book is there is a bit of romance! And I thought who she ended up with was a nice surprise! I just would have wished for a bit more wrap up at the end of the book, it ended a bit too quickly for me! Overall a very fun book!

Just Like Me, Only Better was released on April 6th 2010
Genre: Chick Lit
4/5 Stars
Review copy provided by marketing firm

Heartless (Pretty Little Liars #7) by Sara Shepard

**WARNING SPOILERS FROM PREVIOUS BOOKS**

Amazon.com:

Four gorgeous girls are telling very ugly stories.

First Emily, Aria, Hanna, and Spencer claimed they found a dead body in the woods behind Spencer's house, only to have it vanish without a trace. Then, when the same woods went up in flames, they swore they saw someone who's supposed to be dead rise from the ashes. And even after all that, the pretty little liars are still playing with fire. Call me heartless, but it's about time someone shut these liars up for good. After all, nobody likes a girl who cries wolf—least of all me. . . .

-A

Heartless finds the girls all exploring their own individual hunches in the disappearance of Ali and who A is. My favorite storyline is Emily’s who goes undercover as a Amish girl to try to find out some information that A has hinted at and least favorite I think was Aria going to a seance. But one by one they all knock suspects off the list or become even more sure of what the answer to the mystery is.

When reading this book, my mind was boggled, there was only one book left and so many many things were still open ended I had no idea where the story was going! All I knew was A was EVIL! It's definitely as addicting as the rest of the series and ends with another great cliffhanger!

Heartless was released in paperback on June 8th 2010
Genre: Young Adult
4/5 Stars
Purchased at Borders

Blog Tour: And One Last Thing.... by Molly Harper

Amazon.com:

"If Singletree’s only florist didn’t deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger."

Lacey Terwilliger’s shock and humiliation over her husband’s philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike’s company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike’s family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike’s defamation lawsuit.

Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family’s lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.

Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing?

With the recent Chick Lit and Women’s Fiction I’ve been reading there has been this great balance between the humor and silliness and the heartfelt and real emotions and the book And One Last Thing... is no exception.

The always horrible issue of cheating and divorce is made a lot easier to handle when main character Lacey sends out an email detailing her horrible husband’s activities. The fallout of that is crazy! To protect herself and get away from it all she stays at a family cabin where she expects to find isolation...

But instead she finds a grumpy but attractive man that wants to be left alone. One thing I really liked about this book was the idea of these two people basically being isolated from everyone else so if they have interactions it’s going to be with each other. I don’t normally find that that happens a lot in books at least for this long of a time period.

I thought Lacey and Monroe’s relationship was sweet, they are first friends helping each other out, specifically Monroe helps Lacey decide where her life should take her next and then they become more. I found this book to be a lot of fun. Lacey was surrounded by a great cast of secondary characters including her brother, the woman that her husband is having an affair with (I love how they almost have it out in a parking lot!) It's definitely making me want to check out the authors Jane Jameson series!

And One Last Thing... was released on July 27th 2010
Genre: Chick Lit
4/5 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher

Wicked (Pretty Little Liars #5) by Sara Shepard

**WARNING SPOILERS FROM PREVIOUS BOOKS**

Amazon.com:

In idyllic Rosewood, Pennsylvania, four very pretty girls just can't help but be bad. . . .

Hanna will do anything to be Rosewood's queen bee. Spencer's digging up her family's secrets. Emily can't stop thinking about her new boyfriend. And Aria approves a little too strongly of her mom's taste in men.

Now that Ali's killer is finally behind bars, the girls think they're safe. But those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. And they should know by now that I'm always watching. . . .

-A

I found Wicked to be a bit like a new beginning, a slightly calmer entrance into the second half of the series. That's not to say there weren't things going on, but it didn't have me basically tearing out the pages to get to the end like the previous two books (Perfect and Unbelievable). I guess knowing who A was, was enough to calm me down, temporarily.

So now we have a suspect in Ali's murder who is behind bars, but was it really him or is the real killer still out there? I thought he was still out there, but you be the judge. I thought the introduction of Hanna's soon to be stepsister Kate as a regular fixture in her household to be a great renewal of Hanna's plotline. Wicked is also the introduction to a semi-bizarre and almost distracting plot about Spencer's family that spans the rest of the books. I feel like the plot was given more importance then it really deserved, I really enjoyed it, but in the end it just distracted from the bigger picture.

Most interestingly, this book introduces another A, I know ANOTHER A?! It seems like it would be cheesy but this new A is even scarier than the first! And because of that the book ends in a big old cliffhanger!

Wicked was released November 25th 2008
Genre: Young Adult
4/5 Stars
Purchased at Borders

Unbelievable (Pretty Little Liars #4) by Sara Shepard

**WARNING SPOILERS FROM PREVIOUS BOOKS**

Amazon.com:

Four pretty little liars' charmed lives have turned into living nightmares.

Emily's been shipped off to Iowa to live with her überconservative cousins. Aria's boyfriend is behind bars—because of her. Spencer's afraid she was involved in Ali's murder. But Hanna's fate is far worse: She's clinging to life in the hospital because she knew too much.

If these girls don't start listening to me, Hanna's going to look like the lucky one.

-A

Finally, some damn answers! Not all of them of course because there are 4 more books in the series but enough to briefly satisfy. I love how in Unbelievable Emily is shipping off to live with relatives (because her family is basically appalled by her, nice ones they are). I wondered how that would work, how she could still be part of the story but she really still was. I think in the previous book and a bit in this one, the "Rosewood Stalker" is mentioned a lot and then fizzles out, I wish that plotline would have turned into something more. In the end it just got roped into something else.

The aftermath of Hanna's hit and run leaves her with some gaps in her memory. That plotline in Perfect was INSANE! I was freaking out when I was reading it. Along with Perfect, this book really ramps up the plot, you know you are so close to answers you just have to keep going and going!

A few red herrings were in place to help the revelation of A (yes we finally get to find out!) more surprising. But honestly my suspicions about who A was from earlier in the book were proven right so for me nothing too shocking, but I was glad to finally know and know WHY!

So while this book wraps up one mystery it leaves open another and there is far far more to come!

Unbelievable was released on November 28th 2008
Genre: Young Adult
4/5 Stars
Purchased at Half Price Books

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Amazon.com:

Everyone has something to hide—especially high school juniors spencer, aria, emily, and hanna.

Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful.

But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.

How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and all the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling.

-A

With the tv show coming out I decided it was finally time to read Pretty Little Liars! And boy am I glad I did! If nothing just the idea of the mystery had me going crazy trying to figure out what was going on!

I love how the book alternates from all 4 of the girl's perspectives. Right off the bat I found Spencer to be the most interesting, always competing with her sister for EVERYTHING, including boys and Hanna to be the least interesting, she's a bit of a shoplifter and has overgone a pretty physical and social makeover. Not sure why but she doesn't interest me as much as the others.

A lot of times in stories (and in life) of any kind people obsess about horrible things happening and then they never end up happening but in Pretty Little Liars they DO happen and it's really interesting seeing how the characters can go on from these massive blows. You don't usually get to read stories like this, at least I don't think so. It's also interesting how the story can stay together with these 4 girls not even being friends anymore really. You'd think it would make it harder to read, these 4 different totally separate storylines yet even though they aren't friendly they still need to depend on each other from time to time when it comes to A. Good balance of separate and together.

It seems from what I've been told the 8 books in this series add up to one really long story so I will be interested to see where it goes from here. Sidenote: It's about a week after I finished this book (when I'm writing this) and I've read through 4, these are addicting!

Pretty Little Liars was released on August 21st 2007.
Genre: Young Adult
4/5 Stars
ARC picked up via donation to school district summer program at independent bookstore like 4 years ago.

The Double Blog Dare Tour!

Today I'm excited to be part of The Double Blog Dare Tour for Alison Dare! Alison Dare, always up for an adventure insisted on traveling to New York City and BEA with me last month, during our busy schedule we managed to snap a few pictures!

Here's Alison doing some sightseeing at St Thomas's Cathedral

She even got to meet some bloggers for dinner, Gail and Sharon!

Here's Alison at the start of the first day of BEA while waiting to enter the Childrens Breakfast she looks more confident than I felt!

And finally, if I can't take on my schedule she sure will. She came out fighting and was a real trooper!

If you want to share your own Alison Dare adventures and be entered to win a special Alison Dare Prize pack check out this post for all the details!

Now onto my reviews!


Alison Dare: Little Miss Adventure by J. Torres and J. Bone

Tundra Books:

Alison Dare: Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft in fabulous, graphic adventures.Alison Dare is not your typical twelve-year-old. She's the daughter of an archaeologist/adventurer and the masked hero known as the Blue Scarab. To top it off, she's also the niece of an international super-spy; it's no surprise that a craving for danger is in her blood! Unfortunately, her parents have locked her away at the prestigious St. Joan's Academy for Girls, hoping that this would lead to a more "normal" life for their daughter.

But despite all the strict rules at the school, Alison and her best pals - Wendy and Dot - somehow manage to find themselves involved in adventures that rival those of Alison's globetrotting, planet-saving relatives. Whether it's magic genies, super-powered bank robbers, or a dastardly baron bent on world domination, Alison Dare delivers the best thrills since Indiana Jones and more action than Lara Croft!

Let me start by saying even though this is Volume 1 of the set it really read like Volume 2. We are literally thrown into the action with pretty much no introduction. I found Volume 2 to seem more introductory but oh well.

Little Miss Adventures is a series of stories that range from Alison getting into trouble on one of her mother's dig sites, the story of how her parents met (my favorite!) her mother is a world-renowned archaeologist and her father is a masked superhero, the Blue Scarab, to Alison helping her parents fight bad guys at the museum.

I love, love LOVE the illustration style used in these graphic novels. So crisp and clean but also really detailed. It lacks nothing by being in black and white. While I didn't actually read comics as a kid, these certainly would have been the kind to catch my fancy and they still do today!

I think my favorite characters would have to be, Alison of course (she'd kill me if I said otherwise), her father the Blue Scarab (and also a librarian) and her Uncle the master of disguise Johnny Dare. He would show up at the most random times totally unrecognizable there to help Alison and her family fight the bad guys!

Overall a fun graphic novel adventure good for any age!

Alison Dare: Little Miss Adventures was released on May 11th 2010
Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel
3.5/5 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher

Alison Dare: The Heart of the Maiden by J. Torres and J. Bone

Tundra Books:

Alison Dare: Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft in fabulous, graphic adventures.Alison Dare is not your typical twelve-year-old. She's the daughter of an archaeologist/adventurer and the masked hero known as the Blue Scarab. To top it off, she's also the niece of an international super-spy; it's no surprise that a craving for danger is in her blood! Unfortunately, her parents have locked her away at the prestigious St. Joan's Academy for Girls, hoping that this would lead to a more "normal" life for their daughter.

But despite all the strict rules at the school, Alison and her best pals - Wendy and Dot - somehow manage to find themselves involved in adventures that rival those of Alison's globetrotting, planet-saving relatives. Whether it's magic genies, super-powered bank robbers, or a dastardly baron bent on world domination, Alison Dare delivers the best thrills since Indiana Jones and more action than Lara Croft!

I think that in Volume 2: The Heart of the Maiden, Alison really shines. These stories take place at Alison's boarding school with her two friends, Wendy and Dot. I like how the entire book contributes to one larger story unlike Volume 1: Little Miss Adventures. We still have all the same characters and Alison getting into trouble and being sneaky but it all ends up focusing on a mystery at Alison's school involving the nuns, the heart of the maiden, ninjas, and a other few hilarious things!

Again the illustrations are phenomenal and Uncle Johnny shows up at the craziest times to help. I hope we can expect this series to continue! I haven't gotten my fill yet!

Alison Dare: The Heart of the Madien was released on May 11th 2010
Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel
4/5 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher

The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

Sourcebooks Fire:

After getting dumped by her boyfriend, sixteen-year-old Mia Gordon is looking forward to spending a relaxing summer in the Hamptons with her glamorous cousins. But when she arrives, her cousins are distant, moody, and caught up with a fast crowd. Mia finds herself lonelier than ever.

That's when she meets her next-door-neighbor, Simon Ross. Simon isn't like the snobby party boys her cousins seem obsessed with; he's funny, artistic, and utterly adventurous. And from the very first time he encourages Mia to go skinny-dipping, she's caught up in a current impossible to resist.

Timeless in feel, The Summer of Skinny-Dipping is a poignant, literary read sure to dazzle tweens and teens alike.

The Summer of Skinning Dipping exudes summer and that I really liked that about it. You brush off (or try to) the school year and set off for a new adventure, summer. This summer Mia is met with some challenges and some surprises. In her cousin Corine she finds someone pretty different from who she remembers being attached to at the hip. It's something that is very hard to grasp when someone you thought you knew becomes a different person, a person that you don't relate so well to anymore. Do you just go along with it or do you do what you want to even in the face of laughter?

I really admired Mia's struggle to keep her cousin's friendship but stay true to herself, she's sensitive but honest in her journey. And in the midst of this Mia meets Simon who encourages her to just be herself and maybe even push the boundaries a little bit. I found their relationship to develop a lot more realistic than others I've seen.

There are a great mix of elements in this story that kept me interested and I few answers I was definitely reading for. What is going on with Mia's parents? Why is Corine so angry at her mother? It was a nice balance of light summery things and rather important things that can be learned about yourself and others over one summer.

I will say that the ending definitely took me by surprise and I haven't totally made my mind up about that, luckily the author has agreed to stop by later this summer to talk a bit more about that!

The Summer of Skinny Dipping was released on June 1st 2010!
Genre: Young Adult
4/5 Stars
ARC provided by the publisher

Sourcebooks Fire is holding a contest for copies of the book over in their ning! To enter you need to think up a original summer romance title and share a little bit about why you picked the title! The reasoning for this is because the author of The Summer of Skinny Dipping came up with her title before her story! Enter here!

A Lady Never Tells by Candace Camp

Amazon.com:

Meet three noble bachelors and a quartet of American girls of questionable manners! New York Times bestselling author Candace Camp delights with an exciting new series featuring love, laughter, and intrigue.

When Mary Bascombe’s stepfather tries to sell her and her sisters to the highest bidder after their mother’s death, she resolves to take drastic action. Although their British mother was estranged from her family, Mary decides the four will flee to London and take their place in society as granddaughters of the Earl of Stewkesbury.

Dashing Sir Royce Winslow doubts the honesty of the young women’s claim—despite their charms, they seem to be hiding something. His attraction to feisty Mary, however, is no ruse, so when the sisters are shipped off to Willowmere, the earl’s country estate, to acquire some polish, Royce is quick to join them. When an unknown villain attempts a kidnapping, Royce and Mary are thrown together as they confront the danger . . . and Royce learns that while high society may sing the praises of proper behavior, it is a most improper American who is winning his heart.

Having read just a small stack of historical romances I think I am beginning to understand the common plot elements that most novels in the genre possess. I have also begun to see what is unique to each story and I think in A Lady Never Tells that would be the strong sense of family.

Right away we are introduced to the four Bascombe sisters, headed by eldest sister Mary. They are right off the boat from America and aren't afraid to use their mouths and weapons (seriously) to stop a thief from taking a satchel of important papers. They are a refreshing family, unlike any I have seen so far in the historical romances I have read. They are a great match for the refined Sir Royce Winslow and his brothers. They are amused by each other because they are so very different. I never got tired of these characters! There are also secondary characters, cousins and friends that were really great as well!

The relationship between Mary and Royce while not an uncommon one in the genre is a lot of fun! It seems whenever these two are alone naughty things happen. So it should be said that A Lady Never tells is higher on the steamy scale. While their arguments were typical I still really enjoyed reading their story and carried it around with me everywhere I went most of the few days I was reading it.

I think this book is a great set up for the Willowmere trilogy and I simply cannot wait to read the next book, A Gentleman Always Remembers. I will be getting it as soon as it comes out!

A Lady Never Tells was released on April 27th
Genre: Historical Romance
4/5 Stars
ARC provided by Amazon Vine

Cinderella retold by Beth Bracken and illustrated by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins

Capstone Publishers:

Cinderella's wicked stepmother won't let her go to the ball. But with a little help from a Fairy Godmother, she'll be getting there in style. There's just one catch. At midnight, her magical gown will turn back into dirty old rags.

Like Rapunzel, Cinderella is illustrated by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins and he shines here as well. I especially loved how he treated the women's hair and silhouettes in Cinderella. He has again used watercolor to create these beautiful washes of color but small details too. Thought again I would have wished the speech bubbles be hand drawn.

I love the story of Cinderella and with the addition of Jeffrey Stewart Timmins's illustration this is a winning rendition. Like the other Capstone offerings from the Graphic Spin line in the back of the book you will find a history of the fairy tale, discussions and writing prompts. Cinderella is a reading level of 2.1 or I.

Cinderella was released on September 1st 2009
Genre: Childrens Graphic Novel
4/5 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher

Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn

Amazon.com:

Ten Things You Should Know About This Book

1. Sebastian Grey is a devilishly handsome rogue with a secret.

2. Annabel Winslow's family voted her The Winslow Most Likely to Speak Her Mind and The Winslow Most Likely to Fall Asleep in Church.

3. Sebastian's uncle is the Earl of Newbury, and if he dies without siring an heir, Sebastian inherits everything.

4. Lord Newbury detests Sebastian and will stop at nothing to prevent this from happening.

5. Lord Newbury has decided that Annabel is the answer to all of his problems.

6. Annabel does not want to marry Lord Newbury, especially when she finds out he once romanced her grandmother.

7 is shocking, 8 is delicious, and 9 is downright wicked, all of which lead the way to

10. Happily. Ever. After.

My adventure in historical romance continues and what a fun book Ten Things I Love About You was! I really liked Annabel and LOVED Sebastian. He was played off as a bit of a rake but he was so darn sweet and a very nice guy! He has a secret occupation that no one else knows about but makes him so very endearing, that was definitely my favorite part of the story.

And Annabel's struggle between doing what's right for her family and what's right for her, stuck between a mean (and disgusting) uncle and his nephew he hates. It happens accidentally but when it comes down to it, words are had, fists are thrown and it's kind of awesome.

Another great character was Annabel's grandmother, oh god lord this lady had a mouth on her and she made every scene she was in! But really all the secondary characters were great like Sebastian's relatives and Annabel's cousin.

Ten Things I Love About You has a really great balance of humor and the dramatics and for those of you that want to know it's light on the sensual scenes but there is still a touch of it there. I've been hearing for awhile know Julia Quinn is a talented author and I would have to agree! I can't wait to go back and read some of her earlier books including The Duke and I!

Ten Things I Love About You will be released on May 25th 2010
Genre: Historical Romance
4/5 Stars
E-galley provided by publisher

Check out the super cute trailer below. Is it just me or are book trailers getting better and better? Love this one!

Rapunzel retold by Stephanie Peters and illustrated by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins

Capstone Publishers:

Long ago, a beautiful maiden named Rapunzel lived a life of loneliness. Taken at birth by an evil witch, she remained hidden, locked within a giant tower. Then one day, a prince heard her voice through the forest. To reach her, he must climb Rapunzel’s lovely locks and avoid being caught by the witch.

Of the four children's graphic novels from Capstone I've read I think the books illustrated by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins are my favorite. What a beautiful mix of dark, haunting imagery created with the soft touch of watercolor. The way he creates his characters are so interesting, I especially liked the Witch in Rapunzel. The only thing I would have changed would have been to have the speech bubbles and text also handdone instead of computer generated, I feel like it took away from the magic of the illustration and sort of sticks out like a sore thumb.

The actual story was a great rendition of the fairy tale I remember. I just love that witch! And as with the other books from the Graphic Spin series you can find a glossary, history, discussions and writing prompts in the back of the book. The reading level of Rapunzel is 2.5 or L. This would be a great introduction to the fable for children.

Rapunzel was released March 30th 2009
Genre: Children's Graphic Novel
4/5 Stars
Review copy provided by the publisher

Slow Hands by Leslie Kelly

Amazon.com:

His price? Pure pleasure... This is Maddy Turner's lucky day. The civilized society girl just bid on sexy rogue Jake Wallace at a charity bachelor auction and won! But Maddy knows Jake's dirty little secret. And it should keep her from trying out her new boy toy. Too bad she can't stop herself from indulging in raw, quite uncivilized sex all the same....

Jake Wallace is utterly bewitched by Maddy and utterly bewildered. How can this tantalizing woman melt so rapturously under his ministrations one moment, then turn into a haughty queen the next? He's determined to get to the bottom of Maddy's agenda. One slow, delicious inch at a time...

My first e-book! Yay! Ok onto the actual book. Slow Hands was my second book from the Blaze line and I liked it a lot more than my first one, which was a collection of short stories that were so short I didn't really buy the chemistry. In Slow Hands Jake and Maddy actually get the page count to get to know each other to make the story believable.

I love the whole idea of mistaken identity. When Maddy first bids on Jake she thinks he's a male escort, a male escort that she has a chemistry with, but still a male escort. It takes Jake awhile to figure this out and when he does he's dumbstruck but also kind of finds it funny, he's just an EMT that wants to do his family and sisters proud! I thought it was pretty funny!

I really liked their relationship, Maddy doesn't find herself lovable for many reasons including her appearance and her family history but Jake is awe-struck by her and wants her to know it. So as you might suspect their chemistry was great!

Overall Slow Hands has resorted my faith in the Blaze line and I can't wait to check out more books by Leslie Kelly, including Heated Rush which tells the story of the real male escort and the women that bid on him thinking he was an EMT!

Slow Hands was released on June 1st 2008
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Category
4/5 Stars
Free E-book from BarnesandNoble.com

Laid edited by Shannon T. Boodram

Amazon.com:

In this hard-hitting anthology, journalist Shannon T. Boodram collects the compelling and personal firsthand accounts of young people dealing with sex in today’s world. Laid covers a range of important topics, from teens’ first times to STIs, abstinence to unplanned pregnancies. Boodram, an up-and-coming voice for her generation, engages teens and twentysomethings in honest dialogue and explores how they see and experience sex, how and why it shapes their beliefs, and what they have learned about themselves and their sexuality through their actions. Laid is a great conversation-starter, and doesn’t shy away from the personal topics. A great resource for young people, Laid invites teens and young adults to take a close-up look at sex and sexuality. Boodram’s chapters offer more than 40 personal narratives, from both female and male voices, with in-depth analyses, facts, and Q&As to further the discourse. Responsible and thought-provoking, Laid offers a range of honest perspectives on young adult sexuality in today’s easy access culture.

Laid is an anthology of personal stories about young people's experiences with sex, be it first times, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, rape, love and everything in between. It has the very important element of person stories and emotions that are missing from the sexual education people receive. The introduction of emotion and personal stories made it for me, so much more important and meaningful than the lists and statistics you would find in health class. If it could happen to this person it could happen to you. It made it more real.

I like how the stories were grouped into themed sections, though it did get tough reading some of the more serious stories all in a row. Overall the stories were pretty easy to relate to and understand. Though, I noticed in a few cases I didn't feel like I had enough backstory or was confused by a few things mentioned by the person. I definitely preferred the narratives to the poetic selections but I liked that there was a variety of writing methods used by the different authors. The perspectives are also varied from both men and women, straight and gay. The editor really did her job fleshing it out with variety to the best of her ability. You can tell how important this anthology is to her, sharing her own stories throughout and sharing insight that she's learned through her work as a sexual educator.

And while this is a book of personal stories there are still the facts and figures you'd expect, and also a Q&A after each chapter with all the questions you might have about what you have just read and also checkpoints to reflect on you own experiences and perspective. I think this book is a really important tool for teaching and learning about sexuality for young and old alike. I can't think of a soul that shouldn't read this.

Laid was released on September 15th 2009
Genre: Sexuality, Non-Fiction
4/5 Stars
Review copy provided by the publisher