Beyond the Books: The REAL me.

This Weeks Topic: The Real Me.

Hosted by Kissin' Blue Karen

If you really knew me, you'd know I love to cook! I'm obsessed with finding new recipes and am always watching the Food Network and Cooking Channel. Lately, my obsession has been fish, particularly salmon. I finally found a fool-proof salmon recipe. I've made it with the lemon-butter sauce mentioned in the video as well as mango-salsa, pictured below!

Mango salsa

The whole meal

The recipe!

Film Feature: Minions

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John and I recently saw The Minion movie. Mainly because I loooove Despicable Me (it's one of my favorite children's movies). While it was entertaining, it was a bit of a let down. I just don't think the minions were enough of a main character. Their evil counterpart, Scarlet Overkill, was just a bit too much for my taste. Gru has a lovable side and the girls really soften his harsh edges. Scarlet didn't have any of that...she was just mean and selfish...and that is pretty much it. Overall, I'd recommend this if you're a fan of the series, but it's not much of a standalone film.

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Hollywood Witch Hunter by Valerie Tejeda

Book Summery (Via Goodreads):From the moment she first learned the truth about witches…she knew she was born to fight them.
Now, at sixteen, Iris is the lone girl on the Witch Hunters Special Ops Team.
But when Iris meets a boy named Arlo, he might just be the key to preventing an evil uprising in Southern California.
Together they're ready to protect the human race at all costs. Because that's what witch hunters do.
Welcome to Hollywood. 

Book Review:
The premise of this book sounded fun, and to be honest, it was! This was a quick paced read that was engaging from page one. The main character Iris is likable, as is her male counterpoint Arlo. I liked the back story of the witches and Iris' interactions with them. While the pacing was quick, I felt like the story suffered a bit. Tegeda created a rich backstory, but the overall story arc could have been fleshed out a little bit more. There is more of Iris' story and I'd love to read it! I didn't see anything about Hollywood Witch Hunter becoming a series, but it definitely should be! The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, and I'm dying to know more! Overall, a great summer read. Hopefully it will become a series!

Thanks to Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for this copy.
Published July 20, 2015
This is my honest review.

Cover Art Commentary: 
I'll be honest...this isn't my favorite cover. While it within the "Hollywood" theme, it just is a bit gimmicky.

Rating:

Weekly Round-Up 7/19 - 7/25

Life This Week:

The kitties got declawed this week! I feel terrible for doing it, but they were ruining a lot of stuff...mainly the curtains and couches. They're still able to chew with their sharp little teeth...the mini blinds, my shoes, our picture frames...but I hope they outgrow that at some point. They've been very cuddly and often meow until they can physically see John and I, or each other. 

Books Read and Reviewed:

Song of Summer by Laura Lee Anderson

Top Ten Tuesday:

Books That Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters

Beyond the Books:

Your Dream Career

What I am Currently Reading:

What I Will Be Reading Next:

Randomness:

Beyond the Books: Your Dream Career

This Weeks Topic: Your Dream Career

Hosted by Kissin' Blue Karen

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So it's pretty obvious that my dream job would be a librarian. I'm really lucky because John is a librarian, so I get to live vicariously through him. :) 

Song of Summer by Laura Lee Anderson

Book Summery (Via Goodreads):The thirteen qualities of Robin’s Perfect Man range from the mildly important “Handsome” to the all-important “Great taste in music.” After all, Westfield’s best high school folk musician can’t go out with some shmuck who only listens to top 40 crap. When hot Carter Paulson walks in the door of Robin’s diner, it looks like the list may have come to life. It’s not until the end of the meal that she realizes he’s profoundly deaf.
Carter isn’t looking for a girlfriend. Especially not a hearing one. Not that he has anything against hearing girls, they just don’t speak the same language. But when the cute waitress at Grape Country Dairy makes an effort to talk with him, he takes her out on his yellow Ducati motorcycle.
Told in first person alternating perspectives, language, music, and culture go along for the ride as Carter and Robin find their song.

Book Review:
This is the quintessential summer read! This book has a little bit of everything...romance, humor, drama. It's perfect if you are looking for a lighter story. I love the ease of Robin's and Carter's relationship. It took me back to meeting John and falling in love. I also really enjoyed how each character was comfortable in their own skin. I wish more YA characters were like this! I loved the musical notes and the incorporation of sign language. Let me back up for a second...in high school one of my friends was deaf so I learned ASL in order to communicate with her. This took me back to falling in love with the language and the deaf community. It's so under-appreciated. My only criticism is that the ending felt a bit rushed and unfinished to me. It just didn't feel like a true ending. I hope the author decides to continue this into a series. Highly recommended for your perfect summer read!

Thanks to Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for this copy.
Published July 7 2015
This is my honest review.

Cover Art Commentary:
Love the bright colors and fun design. I wish more covers were like this!

Rating:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

5 to 1 by Holly Bodger

The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Pantomime by Laura Lam

Everyday by David Levithan

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

Weekly Round-Up 7/12 - 7/18

Life This Week:

Once again, this past week has been extremely busy. John and I actually had to cut things out so we could have some down time together, which we've been sorely lacking. Also, the kittens got into our prescriptions last Friday and I rushed them to the vet. Fortunately, they only took a small dose of a medication that is actually safe for pets. Imagine my relief!  

Books Read and Reviewed:

5 to 1 by Holly Bodger

Top Ten Tuesday:

Last Ten Books That Came Into My Possession

Beyond the Books:

Which do you prefer, Pool or Beach?

What I am Currently Reading:

What I Will Be Reading Next:

Randomness:

5 to 1 by Holly Bodger

Book Summery (Via Goodreads):In the year 2054, after decades of gender selection, India now has a ratio of five boys for every girl, making women an incredibly valuable commodity. Tired of marrying off their daughters to the highest bidder and determined to finally make marriage fair, the women who form the country of Koyanagar have instituted a series of tests so that every boy has the chance to win a wife.
Sudasa doesn’t want to be a wife, and Kiran, a boy forced to compete in the test to become her husband, has other plans as well. Sudasa’s family wants nothing more than for their daughter to do the right thing and pick a husband who will keep her comfortable—and caged. Kiran’s family wants him to escape by failing the tests. As the tests advance, Sudasa and Kiran thwart each other at every turn until they slowly realize that they just might want the same thing.
This beautiful, unique novel is told from alternating points of view—Sudasa’s in verse and Kiran’s in prose—allowing readers to experience both characters’ pain and their brave struggle for hope.

Book Review:
The description is pretty straight forward. The story follows along fairly close. I enjoyed the back story and political influences. The alternating writing styles of verse and prose was a fun mash-up I must say. I also adored the cultural influences. I was a little disappointed by the lack of build within the plot. I think this is an excellent beginning to a series, but I don't see any plans from the author to continue this story. You learn a lot about the city, the politics, the "games" to determine a husband, but Sudsa and Kiran have very different plans. It was those plans that I would have liked to seen more of. Do they follow through on their plans? What happens after the games are over? The pacing is phenomenal and I truly would like to read more from this author! Overall, I'd recommend this book to those looking for a fast, interesting read.

Cover Art Commentary:
This cover is gorgeous! I love the colors and the design.

Rating:

Beyond the Books: Which do you prefer, Pool or Beach?

This Weeks Topic: Which do you prefer, Pool or Beach?

Hosted by Kissin' Blue Karen

To be honest, I prefer neither. I'm not really a water person. If I had to pick, I guess I would pick the pool because everything I need would be nearby.

What to participate? Go here!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Last Ten Books That Came Into My Possession

Top Ten Tuesday: Last Ten Books That Came Into My Possession

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

 From the library:

On my Nook:

From Netgalley: