We Can't Be Friends

Not gonna lie, I wasn't thrilled when I started reading this.

Now, that may just be because this is the companion book to The Dead Inside, which I actually have not read yet.

So Cyndy Etler just spent 16 months in Straight Inc., a tough love rehab center. (I don't know much about the center because it's mostly addressed in the first book) 

From what I gathered, Straight is a no bullshit center that mentally destroys the patients. They tear them down, calling them druggie. Including Cyndy who smoked pot once and had a sip of alcohol. They referred to her as a "dry druggie" meaning that she is addicted before she even had a choice. Which honestly I find ridiculous, but that's on the treatment center, not the author.

We Can't Be Friends picks up as Cyndy is getting out of Straight. She's still attending AA meetings, but how does a 15 year old make it through a meeting where she has no peers... She finds a young people addiction group which she begins attending and that starts her slippery slope with boys. These boys only want one thing, sex. Which she learns rather quickly that "no" meant virtually nothing to some of them, but it's okay because she felt loved for a few minutes. 

This book also deals with a lot of popularity issues. The cover itself even begs the questions "How far will you go to fit in?" I feel like that's something every teenager goes through, which is why it was so relatable. No one wants to be the odd one out, everyone has to have someone and honestly I feel like that was one of the biggest overall topics for the book. You can't let others love you before you love yourself. 

All in all, I think this was a testament to finding yourself, discovering who you want to be and how you want to get there.

Huge thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for providing me with a copy!

If you want to learn more about the author check out my post Meet Cyndy Etler!

Mark your calendars, We Can't Be Friends hits shelves October 3rd!

Rescued

Okay, so I was crying before I was 40 pages in.

By 200 pages in, I was sobbing.

I actually had to stop reading to get a grip on myself.

Okay, so let me start with a little background.

Featured in the picture above is my senior rescue dog, Sophie.

She came to me from a man that was only feeding her a few times a week.

He had shaved her, but only half of her in attempt to get rid of her fleas.

She had hardly any teeth.

She shakes, she doesn't like loud noises, hates thunderstorms, and has incredibly sensitive paws (I mean hardly walks on grass and ice in the winter is COMPLETELY out of the question).

But she is by far the best thing in my life and I am so glad she came to me when she did.

We've been together almost 2 years now and she's nearly 10 years old. 

She's the sweetest pup in the entire world and I love her to pieces.

Okay, so for the book.

Rescued is about second-chance dogs who are given a new life. 

Most of these dogs have never felt love.

Most of these dogs have never had a home to call their own.

Most of these dogs were abused, left in shelters, or even worse, left in the streets to die alone.

I honestly cannot wrap my head around people so heartless to abuse dogs.

This book was about second chances and giving those dogs a home that cherished them.

It's about showing these dogs love and compassion.
It's about giving them a life they never expected.

It's about coaxing them out from underneath the coffee table and giving them a warm, comfortable play to lay their heads.

It's about exploring new territory and learning how to live with a rescue.

It's about becoming a dog mom (or dog dad) who experiences a new kind of love, a love like no other.

The satisfaction you get from rescuing a dog from their previous life and showing them what it means to have a family is something I never expected to experience. It has changed my life.

My Sophie girl, has shown me so much love and has taught me how to take care of another living being. She has always been my number one priority and will be for many years to come. 

We have grown up together these last couple of years and I have cherished every second of it.

I would love to hear all of your adoption stories and see pics of your precious pups.

I am HIGHLY recommending this book to anyone and everyone.

Biggest thanks to Penguins First Reads Program for hooking me up with an advanced copy.

Mark your calendars, Rescued hits shelves October 3rd!

Looking for other books by Peter Zheutlin?
Rescue Road
The Dog Went Over the Mountain

Berserker Street Team!

I am so happy to announce that I am a part of the Berserker Street Team!

I will be updating with new pics and details about the book until it releases in October! 

I was given this amazing poster, button, and chapter sampler!

So, now I want to take a moment to talk about the book.

Hanne Hemstad has a gift, a gift that her family believes is truly a curse. She knows how to keep it a secret, but she also knows how to use it.

The Hemstad family lives on a farm in Norway. Hanne had to drop out of school to help her drunken father with the farm. Luckily, her gift helps in that aspect. That is, until her father loses a few bets and she feels drawn to take matters into her own hands. She has an overwhelming desire to protect those close to her, those she loves. Even if it means hurting them in the process.

Hanne kills three men and finds herself on the run, hopefully to America.

The chapter sampler was very, very short but I definitely think I will enjoy this book! 

Stay tuned for more details on this awesome new series!!!

First Chapter of Turtles All the Way Down

So guys, this is a new thing I'm going to try out. 

I have never done this kind of post before, but I hope you all enjoy it!

 

I love, love, LOVE, that John Green reads us the first chapter of his new book Turtles All the Way Down! This book is his first book since The Fault in Our Stars (which I absolutely loved). I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy.

Turtles All the Way Down hits shelves October 10th!

Looking for other books by John Green?

Try:

The Fault in Our Stars

Looking For Alaska

Paper Towns

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Author Message: The Long Ride Home

Tawni Waters has a message for you!

If you're reading The Long Ride Home, you're probably as weird as I am, which makes me love you already. I'm glad a kindred spirit picked it up, as this book is a huge piece of my heart. It translates many of my life's most important experiences and loves to fiction. I was pregnant at the age of 18, but I've never written about the subject until now. I don't know what took me so long, except maybe when I was younger, there was shame involved in being a pregnant teen, so I sort of buried the experience in the recesses of my psyche. I had my daughter when I was 19, and she was one-half of the best things that ever happened to me. (The other was her brother, who came along later.) Th relationship between Harley and her mother is largely based on my relationship with my daughter, so one of the greatest loves of my life is hidden in the pages of this book. And last but not least, my beloved dad died when I was Harley's age. I've never written about the death of a parent, but I think I took my feelings about losing him at such a young age and buried them in poor Harley's tormented little psyche. So go easy on her for being such a psycho. Oh, and did I mention that much of my adult life has been a road trip? I love travel. I always say my heaven will be an unending road trip. I think it's so cool the way that when you take a road trip, you take a spiritual and mental journey as well. I tried to bury that truth in this book. So love or hate the book, you can at least know that your author knows that about which she writes. Write to me on Facebook and tell me what you think. I love to hear from my readers!!

So about the book....

After the loss of her mother, Harley can barely handle her grief. And she can't shake the guilt that it was her fault. No matter how she tries to dull the pain, the memories of all she lost keep resurfacing. Her only distraction is Dean, her best friend (with benefits), but even their relationship has become an emotional mindefield since the night they spent together on the beach...

Harley's one true escape? The open road. So she sets out on a cross-country trip to scatter her mother's ashes. This is her chance to finally make peace with her mom's death, and with Dean by her side, it may be just what they need to get over the awkwardness between them.

Except, Harley has a secret, one that has the potential to change her life- and Dean's- forever. And no matter the distance they travel, there is no avoiding the truth.

Sourcebooks Fire is also giving away 5 copies of The Long Way Home!

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

If you want to connect with Tawni Waters on social media:

Author Website: https://www.tawniwaters.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tawnieewaters

Twitter: @TawniWaters

Instagram: @TawniWaters

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7832862.Tawni_Waters

Behind the Song

What a great anthology!! 

The idea behind this anthology was music. Do you ever hear a song and picture the story the music is telling? Well this is an entire book of just that, short stories describing the songs. It features many, many authors and just as many musicians. Some stories are personal experiences (looking at you G. Love) while some stories are purely fiction (looking at you Jonathan Maberry).  Each story was different and I honestly enjoyed most of them. I loved listening to the song before reading the story so I could get my mindset where the author is. 

Just a little biased here, but Ellen Hopkins wrote an amazing story inspired by The Eagles' Hotel California, even includes lyrics from the song (which is hilarious to me because I regularly slip song lyrics into every day conversations). The wonderful, Suzanne Young wrote a great story inspired by Jimmy Eat World's The Middle, which included lots of emotions you go through growing up and honestly may have been my favorite story in the anthology. 

Overall, it was a great read and I would definitely suggest it to music lovers everywhere.

K.M. Walton penned a special message about this book and what it means to her!

If you liked this but want a book that is more personal, check out my review of Party Of One by Dave Holmes!!

I'm so thankful that Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley provided me an advanced copy of Behind the Song, which is out now!

Looking for authors in this anthology?
Suzanne Young (The Program Series)
Ellen Hopkins (Crank Trilogy + more)

Author Message: Behind the Song

K.M. Walton has a message for you! Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for not only setting up this blog tour, but also for allowing me to giveaway ONE FREE COPY of Behind the Song to one of you all! Giveaway details will be below the author message. :)

BEHIND THE SONG is a YA anthology focused on music. Regardless of genre, everyone has a favorite song, a song that takes up residence in your soul. Music speaks to us all, it's a universal language that has the power to make us cry, take us to another time, break down barriers, open hearts and minds. It cements moments. It stirs the magic within.

I got the idea for the anthology while listening to Radiohead in my car, creating an entire backstory in my head, a short story that matched what Thom Yorke was singing about. I always do that, always have. I hit a red light and thought, what if I got YA authors and musicians to choose their favorite songs and use it as an inspiration for a short story of personal essay? My gut told me it would make an incredible anthology. I jotted down the idea on a post-it and emailed my agent as soon as I got home. Thankfully, he loved the idea and guided me on how to start the process of making the book a reality. 

I am still in shock that I managed to land my incredible list of contributors. To work with such talented writers and musicians was a thrill from start to finish. Everyone involved has worked so hard and put so much heart into their pieces. I can't wait for readers to experience each contribution- they're all amazing and unique- and then listen to the song that inspired it. It's quire an unforgettable experience, trust me.

Mark your calendars, Behind the Song hits shelves September 1st!

Check out more on Behind the Song!

I also snagged an advanced copy of this through NetGalley, so check out my review! :)

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED
Winner is Zoe!