Book Blather

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase’s family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

Short of it: This is not an action-based book and is a bit slow moving. However, it’s a fantastic book with memorable characters.

Plot: I went into this one thinking it would be a cute beach read. A nice little romance with lots of kissing and falling in love. Instead what I got was so much more. Yes, there was lots of kissing and falling in love, but for me it wasn’t the heart of the novel. In fact, I would say the heart and soul of the book is family. How different families function and how the picture perfect ones are far from perfect or the best.

The plot is rather slow moving, but in a way it was perfect. I love character-driven stories way more than plot-driven ones. However, it does speed up a bit about halfway through when a bombshell is dropped. I won’t spoil anything, but it’s massive. It challenges the boundaries of family and what is right and wrong. Samantha truly struggles with doing the right thing, especially since it means that everything in her world could crumble. It was something that no 17 year old should ever have to decide and my heart went out to her fully. While I’m not sure that ending was 100% believable (are people really that nice?), it stayed in character with how the family acted.

Character:  I liked Samantha a lot. She knew her mother’s opinions of the world were skewed and she wasn’t afraid to jump the tracks, so to speak, when the opportunity came. While I hated that she hide Jase from her mother for a while I also completely understand. It’s hard to come clean with something you know will upset your parents even when you know how wrong they are. Plus, Samantha was kind of painted as the mature, perfect child and I imagine that pressure made it harder. Overall, Samantha is a great character and one easy to relate to.

However, I do have to say the Garrett children are what truly stole the show, especially George and Patsy. Seriously, how could you not love a little girl whose first words were boob and poop? Or a little boy who knows too much trivia (and is often scared by it). I kind of wanted to hug and squish them and made me wish I had kids like them in my life.

Romance: This is what a relationship should be. There was no instant love between Jase and Samantha, but a slow building romance. Yes, it may have been a little weird that he suddenly climbs up to her roof and how she decides to just go over the next day, but oddly enough it worked for me. It was this awkward sweetness that I could see happening in real life. And even though she’s pulled into Jase and his family’s life instantly, there is still a period of getting to know each other and creating a friendship. The fact that the first kiss doesn’t come until 100 pages was perfect. Jase knew that Samantha wouldn’t be an easy girl to catch, but he was willing to give her the time and attention needed to win her over. Sure, there are still a few flaws here and there, but overall their relationship is one of the most down to earth & healthiest I’ve read in a long time.

Writing: This was the only place I had some issues. There were several spots that the wording was quite rough and I had to read them three or four times to make sure I was understanding it correctly. Granted it wasn’t a lot, but the few that happened really pulled me out of the story. However, I was reading an ARC and these areas may have been corrected since then. Overall, Fitzpatrick knows how to write a beautiful story. A fabulous debut and I look forward to what she creates next.

Librarian-Mode: I’ve seen several people say this an Anna and the French Kiss read-a-like, but I’m not sure that it fits. Sure, romance lovers will eat this up, but I think it’s better paired with Sarah Dessen or Elizabeth Scott.

Violet is off to a study course in Italy. Her mom thinks she’s doing it for her university applications, but Violet has an ulterior motive. After seeing a painting of a beautiful young Italian aristocrat who could be her twin, she is determined to find out if there’s a connection between them.     At Villa Barbiano, home of the summer school, Violet meets two American girls, an English scholarship girl, and the daughter of the woman who runs the program, Elisa, who resents the foreigners and undermines them every chance she gets.     Being in Italy is a dream come true for Violet, especially when she meets the dark, brooding Luca, heir to the castle on the hill–the very castle featured in the portrait that brought her to Italy. And Violet is determined to uncover its secrets no matter what the cost.

Short of it: Henderson’s writing is solid, but overall I was disappointed by the lack of action and conclusion for this novel. I feel like it’s sorely incomplete with book two (and three?) and therefore hard to thoroughly enjoy.

Plot: After reading 300+ pages I can’t really say what happened in this book beyond Violet has a mystery to solve and a hot thing for a boy that she meets in Italy. At the end of the book she is no closer to solving her mystery or hooking up with the boy. I felt so frustrated when I got to the last page and was told I should read the next book to see where Violet’s story will go. I don’t mind series, I really don’t, but I would have liked there to be more to Flirting in Italian. I was interested to find out more about why Violet looks so much like this family, but instead all I got was girl bonding, parties, long sighs over boys, and lessons about Italy. Just not enough to wet my appetite. I will continue on to book two, but only because I want to know how it all goes. It does look like this will be a trilogy, so I only hope book two offers more than book one did.

I will note that there is a lot of drinking mentioned, but the book is set in Europe where drinking ages are much different than here in the US. In fact, they are all old enough to be able to enjoying the wine they have. One thing I really liked was the several mentions that Italians do not drink to get drunk. And the one girl who does get hammered gets reprimanded for it the next day. I don’t know if Italian teens are truly that responsible, but I was glad it was handled maturely/as part of the experience.

Character: I don’t know how I feel about Violet. She’s a likable character, but she’s also a bit forgettable. I know she likes to think outside the box and that she likes art, but there isn’t much to know beyond that. Most of her focus is either on the mystery, longing for Luca, or on her fellow classmates/her lessons. While none of the girls are fully rounded, someone like Paige who is loud and proud stick out more in my mind than Violet.

She’s also got this weird wishy-washy insecurity thing going. One moment she is comparing herself to the other girls and how she doesn’t measure up and the next she’s cool with it. The majority of it has to do with her body and is constantly described as having “meat on her bones” but she’s not fat. I would assume she is average, healthy size, but sometimes it was hard to tell. Several times she says she’s not fat, but she’s also not super skinny or athletic and she’s not 100% happy with her body either. I suppose that’s true of all women, but it was weird to her flip-flop so often on if she was secure with herself/her body or not.

Romance: I’ll be the first to admit that Violet and Luca’s moments are HOT, but I’m not sure I’m feeling it yet. Luca is rather standoffish and at times mean. He may be sex reincarnated, but he is not someone I would want my friends to date. I hate how she gets so wrapped up in him and melts at a simple glance. But I know bad boys are still hot, so I’m sure I’ll be in the minority in this opinion. Luca does have several good moments, though, and I’m hoping as the series continues his true side will come out more and he’ll become a love interest I can get behind.

Writing: I won’t lie Henderson has a great style. For all I disliked about the book, it wasn’t until I peeked at the end of the book that putting it aside even crossed my mind. But even with knowing there wouldn’t be a true conclusion I still continued until the last page. Add in the fact, that while disappointed, I plan on checking out the next book. That’s skill. Henderson knows how to tell a story, I just wish there had been more of it in this one. I’ll probably check out her other books in hopes of finding something more satisfying.

Librarian-Mode: This is your classic beach read novel. It’ll go well with Dessen and general chick-lit fans. It would also go quite well with Jenny Hanh’s Summer series.

If you’ve read Flirting in Italian be sure to leave me a comment letting me know what you thought!

Sports Illustrated Kids Pro Files Baseball is a must – have book for every young baseball fan and player. This 96 – page book profiles 15 of the big leagues ‘ hottest stars and features SI Kids’ signature content :great writing, fun trivia, amazing statistics, and dynamic photography. But Pro Files Baseball also delves deeper, providing insider tips from major league coaches on how to hit, pitch and field just like the stars in the book. Experts help break down each baseball skill so that young players can learn to play like the pros. In Pro Files Baseball, fans will not only read all about Albert Pujols and his accomplishments, but they ‘ll also learn how to smack home runs like the St. Louis Cardinals slugger.

I’m calling this more of a spotlight than review due to how hard it is to review a non-fiction book like this. In 98 pages, Pro Files: Baseball covers 15 great players from a variety of teams. These aren’t old time legends ala Babe Ruth, but current players who are still in the game. Admittedly, I’m a bit out of the baseball loop anymore, but the players chosen such as Ichiro, Felix Hernandez, & Mariano Rivera had impressive stories & stats. Each player has 6 pages dedicated to them that include biographies, resume, personal and career stats, and how to play like them.

There were many things I really liked about this book, but I thought I would highlight just a few of them.

• The little inside information they gave on each player such as favorite cartoon character, favorite movie, and athletes they admired as a kid.
• That it told the good, bad, and ugly. Being a pro-ball player isn’t issue and certainly isn’t all sunshine and roses. I loved reading how a couple of the players really had a dip in performance but with hard work and determination they were able to make it back to the top.
• That baseball isn’t all about skill that you’re born with. The common thread that all these players had were how much hard work they put into the game. They were the first one on the field for practices, reviewed tapes of their pitches, and many other things.
• How many weren’t stars from the very start. Several were discovered in unlikely places, with small signing bonuses, but came and proved they had what it took. Sometimes it just takes that one person to believe you have something special before you can show it to the world.

There wasn’t anything I necessarily disliked about the book. I am a Chicago fan, so I was sad to see that no Chicago team players were included, but that’s okay. There are a lot of teams and players out there and not everyone can be considered an elite. I have a feeling that baseball fanatics will know most of the information provided as it was just the basics, but I think it’s a good book to have in a collection. In fact, I had one of my managers order it knowing our boys will eat it up. I plan to put my review copy in our summer reading book handouts and I don’t expect it to remain around long.

It’s the summer before senior year and the alluring Angel is ready to have fun. She’s not like her best friend, Inggy, who has a steady boyfriend, good grades, and college plans. Angel isn’t sure what she wants to do yet, but she has confidence and experience beyond her years. Still, her summer doesn’t start out as planned. Her good friend Joey doesn’t want to fool around anymore, he wants to be her boyfriend, while Angel doesn’t want to be tied down. As Joey pulls away, and Inggy tours colleges, Angel finds herself  spending more time with Inggy’s boyfriend, Cork. With its cast of vivid and memorable characters, this tale from the Jersey shore is sure to make some waves.

Short of it: There is something about this fast-paced book that is addicting and hard to put down. However, I’m still not sure that means it is good. There was a lot of promise to Jersey Angel but ultimately I think it fell flat for me.

Plot: Jersey Angel is your classic slice of life story. There is no real conflict, plot, or even ending. Instead, it focuses on Angel’s day-to-day life, which includes hook-ups, teen pregnancy, family issues and parties with friends. While I’ve never been a fan of slice of lives (and still am not) this one is somehow addicting. While I had trouble putting it down, I was ultimately let down. There was so much potential that Bauman could have tapped into but merely glossed over. One of my biggest issues is the lack of consequences. Angel does a lot of questionable things, including betraying her best friend, but never has to deal with any fallout. Internally she does feel guilty, but she doesn’t stop and I had high hopes of her deceit being found out.

The one thing I did like was Angel coming to terms with her future. She’s always known that she’s not cut out for college or some big shot career. While I think her choice is aiming low, it seems to be one she’ll be happy with at least for a while. Who knows, maybe in a couple years she’ll go back to get her degree, but for now, she seems satisfied with the road ahead of her. Personally, I have known a lot of people like this and it was nice to see their choices represented for once.

Character: I can understand Angel, but I can’t relate to her. Honestly, I felt sorry for her. I saw her as a weak female who let sex rule her life. I don’t even believe it was because she lacked a moral compass. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but she didn’t have the willpower to stop it. Angel reminds me a lot of those girls who will do anything for attention/to feel loved and instead of finding love they get empty, meaningless sex. Of course, her mother was basically an older version of Angel, which may explain a lot of Angel’s attitude and actions. Angel is by no means a role model, but I do think quite a few teenage girls will be able to connect and relate to her. My only hope is that they’ll realize this lifestyle won’t give them what they crave and be willing to find the boys that will care for them past sex. By the end of the book, Angel is basically at this point. I’m not sure she’s fully ready to give up her heart, but it does feel like she’ll give up the sleeping around.

Romance: Romance does not exist in Jersey Angel. Seriously, I feel like all the relationships depicted were completely and utterly unhealthy. And in Angel’s case, her life was just one hook-up after another. When I say there is a lot of sex, I do mean a lot. It’s pretty to safe to say there is almost a sex scene per chapter. While I do think that pushes this book into the older teen realm, I don’t feel as if it was overly graphic. There were a few basic details/descriptions here and there, but nothing that made me cringe/blush. Honestly, it wasn’t even that steamy. Angel treated the act of sex as someone else may treat brushing their teeth. It fulfilled a desire, but there was little to nothing sexy about it.

Writing: This is an area I don’t really have any complaints about. The more I’ve thought about Jersey Angel the more I realize it was Bauman’s writing that kept me reading. I know this isn’t the most favorable review in the world, but when I say I couldn’t put the book down I mean it. Had it not been nearing 4 am I would have easily finished it in one sitting. For me, that speaks volumes of her ability to spin a story. While this one didn’t quite work for me, I will be looking into other books she has written.

Librarian-Mode: I don’t know exactly what to pair this one up with. Part of me wants to say Gossip Girls, but I’m not sure that’s completely accurate. I do think teens who like the show Jersey Shore may like Jersey Angel. While not the same, I could easily see the plot of Jersey Angel being an episode on the Jersey Shore, especially when you consider the crazy hook-ups and partying. However, with it being a YA bodice ripper, it will pretty much sell itself to teens.

Short of it:  While it got off to a slow start, Bitterblue was a worth the long wait. Cashore weaved the companion novels together gracefully. My only slight disappointment was I wanted more. The story wraps nicely, but I feel like there is still so much to tell. My hope is that Cashore will decide to revisit the Seven Kingdoms in the future.

Plot: The storyline for this one starts off quite slow, but for good reason. Bitterblue has been kept under mountains of paperwork since she took her reign and has no idea what is happening in her kingdom. The web of lies and deceit that Lech weaved was enormous and would have been difficult for Bitterblue to sort through with an army of help behind her. It’s near impossible to do when everyone is trying to derail her. Not to mention her own memories are quite hazy. Honestly, I’m glad Cashore didn’t rush that period of awakening, even if it meant a slowly, less-action filled beginning.

However, once Bitterblue starts to take action into her own hands, things really start to roll. I don’t want to give away too much of the book, so I won’t say too much more. Old favorites, including Katsa and Po, will return and the many truths will be revealed. The depths of Lech madness is horrifying, although not surprising. While Bitterblue will never know the full story to his madness, this is most likely for the best. I doubt any reasoning could make his madness okay. Not to mention anything more would have been too much for poor Bitterblue to handle. While strong, I believe knowing everything would have made her crumble.

Character: I liked Bitterblue. She was a bit naive and too trusting, but all things considered it is understandable. She had been thrown into this position when she was only 10 years old with very little training. The people around her were supposed to help build a better Kingdom, not keep her in the dark. Bitterblue does have spunk though. She may not be a Katsa, but in her position she could never be that brazen or bold. However, when she realized how many lies has been fed to her over the years, she had no problem finding out the truth on her own. Yes, she may have been a bit foolish at time, but she learned from every mistake and used it to make herself stronger. Bitterblue has all the makings of a good Queen and the legacy she leaves behind would make her mother proud.

I know this story is about Bitterblue, but I wanted to touch a bit on Po. Out of the characters we’ve seen before he around the most. Po has always been one of my favorite characters, but I felt like some of his charm was missing in this story. I can’t put my finger quite on it, but he felt different. I know a lot had to do with the guilt of hiding his secret, but that was something he had been dealing with most of his life. I know Cashore was trying to compensate for her “cureness” for being blind, but in the process she changed him. Don’t get me wrong, I still adore Po, but he just wasn’t the same. I’d be interested to see if anyone else felt the shift/change in him as well.

Romance: Oh, Saf and Bitterblue. I feel like I can’t say too much without giving anything away with this one. While they were from different worlds, they worked. Saf was the spark she needed to push her out of her shell and truly open her eyes. Without him, I thinks he would have stayed in the web of lies much, much longer than she did. He was her guide, per say, to a world she knew nothing about. His street smarts helped her get around and, honestly, stay alive. Yes, they fought, but there were true, deep feelings for each other. I was pleased with how Cashore handled their relationship, especially the final outcome.

I do believe there is a secondary relationship between Gideon and Bitterblue as well. Okay, so this may be reaching a little, but I think it’s still plausible, especially near the end. In no way, shape, or form does Cashore state they are romantically entwined, but there are little hints that they could be if Saf doesn’t work out. The seedlings are there, but I suppose it will be up to the reader if it ever blooms. (And personally, I think it will, but I don’t want to spoil things for anyone who has not read it yet.)

Writing: Cashore is a brilliant writer and Bitterblue is no exception. All three of her books have been captivating. The worlds and characters she creates are some of my favorite to exist. I was sad to turn the last page as it felt like I was saying goodbye to dear friends. I can’t wait to meet her next week and express my love in person. And I certainly can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.

Librarian-Mode: I’m going to assume that anyone who has read Bitterblue has already read Graceling and Fire as well. There are many great fantasy novels out there, but I think Tamora Pierce is one of the best matches for Cashore lovers, especially her Tricksters duo and Beka Cooper trilogy.