Review: This One is Mine by Maria Semple

Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life--except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again. Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap. For all their recklessness, Violet and Sally will discover that David and Jeremy have a few surprises of their own. THIS ONE IS MINE is a compassionate and wickedly funny satire about our need for more - and the often disastrous choices we make in the name of happiness. 

Title: This One is Mine
Author: Maria Semple
Format: paperback, 289 pages
Genre: contemporary fiction
Source: publisher (thanks Gigi!)
Published: March 2010
Buy the book: book depo


My Thoughts
This One is Mine is about the never-ending journey to find complete happiness (even when it’s staring you right in the bloody eye) and the disastrous choices made in the pursuit of that happiness.

Violet is a 40-something bored housewife. (She gave up her career as a television writer to start a family.) She’s got it all: a successful husband, David, who’s a rock-n-roll manager, a beautiful daughter, financial security, a massive house with staff, and yet she’s miserably unhappy.

Then Violet meets Teddy Reyes, a bass player who’s battling his own demons. She becomes immediately infatuated with him, even with all his faults. Teddy is epitome of the-one-to-stay-away-from. He screams DANGER in every possible way. Although Violet isn't oblivious to the warning signs, she just chooses to ignore them. I found myself screaming at Violet NO! Don’t do that! What were you thinking?!! There were a lot of red flags that she just blatantly ignored. Teddy's past and vices don’t deter Violet, instead it only makes her want to help him in every possible way. (And made me want to smack her.) But he sparks her sexuality in a new and different way and she doesn’t want to lose that. She's looking to find herself and she tries doing so with Teddy as her vessel.

Sally, Violet's sister-in-law and David’s sister, has had a rough life. Having been a type-one diabetic since she was three, she’s always had to look to David for financial support and she’s determined to cut that string. Unfortunately for Sally, she has a massive debt thanks to a good-for-nothing ex-boyfriend. Now she’s single, which to Sally is unacceptable and just won’t do. She is on the prowl to find her future, successful husband and only the best will do. Enter Jeremy. He’s basically what Sally is looking for, even with his weird quirks, and the two date and later get married. Sally makes a poor, selfish decision (for all the wrong reasons) and jeopardizes their marriage.

Teddy’s presence in Violet’s life brings these characters all together. Everyone’s paths seem to eventually cross and intertwine with Teddy’s. Makes you wonder what if Violet and Teddy never met...?

Reading This One is Mine wasn't at all what I had expected from reading the book blurb. This is not your typical novel about an extra marital affair. These are not your run of the mill characters. These characters are gritty, shallow and fun to read. Their lives are like a train wreck; you're afraid to look at the horrific mangled mess but your curiosity gets the best of you and you have to take a peek. I had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next, and to see where these character's lives were going to go. I may not have agreed with Violet’s choices but I certainly wanted to know where her two feet were going to land. Violet is one character that I won’t soon forget.

Semple has a great ability to take a simple, streamline plot and turn it into an unforgettable story. 

The Book Vixen's Rating

Teaser Tuesday: The Season

Blackmoor's grey eyes darkened, narrowing on the garment in question, then rising to meet her gaze. The look in his eyes was one she'd never seen before, and it sent a tremor of excitement through her as she felt heart rising in her cheeks again.

p. 65-66, The Season by Sarah MacLean




Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others.
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Review: Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Title: Chasing Brooklyn
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Genre: Young Adult
Source: library
Published: December 14, 2009 by Simon Pulse

Restless souls and empty hearts.

Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.

Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

Book Battle: The Contenders

Let's get ready to rumble! Here are the two books that Rachel from Jacob's Beloved and I will be judging:

 

In this corner we have:

 

Ash by Malinda Lo

Cinderella retold

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.

I'm interested to see how this retake on the fairy tale Cinderella turns out.  

---

And in this corner we have:

 

The Season by Sarah MacLean

Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued -- in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own. Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet.

When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband? Romance abounds as this year's season begins!

I am going to admit, this is not a book I would have picked up had it not been for the Book Battle. I am a bit imitated by this being a historical/regency romance. I haven't tasted this genre before so I'm interested to see if I like it. Who knows, it could open up a whole new reading realm for me.

 

So, what do you think about the contenders? Have you read them (if you have, don't give too much away)? Are they on your wishlist? Rachel and I will select the winner of this round sometime on or around May 8th. So stay tuned!

For the latest on the YA Bloggers Debut Book Battle, be sure to check out The Shady Glade!

Book Battle: Meet My Partner!

I've been partnered up with the lovely Rachel, from Jacob's Beloved. I originally thought the name behind her blog was in reference to Jacob from the Twilight Saga (Team Jacob!) but found out I was completely wrong. Here is the significance behind Jacob's Beloved:

My husband came up with this nickname years ago when I was stumped on a forum nickname to use. I loved it instantly. The Biblical story of Jacob and Rachel is one of my favorites, and those that are familiar with the Bible will understand that it means my real name is Rachel. Those that aren't familiar with it may simply be intrigued by the name and be enticed to find out more.

Rachel and I have been blogging for about the same amount of time (I've been at it only a few months longer). She enjoys reading YA (I am such a YA junkie!!) among other genres:

My biggest interest regarding genre is Fantasy. Since having children, parenting books have become very useful to me, and I appreciate cookbooks, though I wouldn't call them "reading" material. I also enjoy biblical fiction, christian non-fiction, self-help, general fiction, young adult, some classics, and a small amount of science fiction. Many of the titles I read come from a collection of favorite authors. Sometimes I pick random books from library discards or bargain stores, and I also peruse the suggestions that Amazon makes to find new titles and authors. Since becoming a book blogger I add to my Wish List from the reviews I read on other book blogs.

She's also participating in a TON of reading challenges! Be sure to check out Rachel's blog, Jacob's Beloved. You can also find her on Goodreads and Twitter. Tell her The Book Vixen sent you :)

 

For the latest on the YA Bloggers Debut Book Battle, be sure to check out The Shady Glade!

YA Bloggers Debut Book Battle

The Shady Glade is hosting the first ever YA Bloggers Debut Book Battle and it starts today! And I am happy to announce that I will be one of the judges :D

 

Here is a list of the nominees:

Eighth-Grade Superzero by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee
Ash by Malinda Lo
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard
Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Season by Sarah MacLean
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

 

I won't reveal which books I will be judging just yet. Stay tuned...

Which of these books are your top 3 picks?

On My Wishlist (22)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every  Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't  actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an  event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready  for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more  click here.

The Crescent by Jordan Deen

Becoming a werewolf is not an option for seventeen-year-old Lacey Quinn, but death can be a strong motivator.   Lacey is so focused on her future that everyday life has passed her by. Counting down the days to her eighteenth birthday, Lacey is almost home free. But when she falls for the mysterious Alex Morris, she lands in the middle of an ancient war between two enemy wolf packs. Tempting dreams, tantalizing lies and a dangerous love triangle ensues leaving Lacey heartbroken and confused. Lacey's fate rests in the hands of Alex and Brandon, but both are pulling her strings for their own agendas. Even as she slips further into the dark world of werewolves, Lacey struggles to find the truth and save the only family she's ever know.  

Because I love werewolves.

Seers of Light by Jennifer DeLucy

Lillian Hunt has never truly lived. Always sensing more to the world than is easily perceived, she fears that her instincts are stubborn flights of fancy, or worse, mental instability. But some things—disappearing strangers, tangible dreams, and visits from malevolent creatures—cannot be ignored. Before it's too late, Lillian is ripped from the only existence she’s ever known and thrust into a reality that she always suspected, but could scarcely believe. She must learn the truth about who she is, the powerful beings that wish to destroy her, and the two men who would die to protect her.

Jennifer DeLucy has created a unique, enchanting tale of destiny and the ageless power of love in her debut novel, Seers of Light. DeLucy's novel charms readers with quirky characters, while sketching a haunting portrait of one woman's journey on the path of the supernaturally gifted. But be prepared. Once you've entered the world of Seers, you will never be the same.

Because someone recommended it to me. 

Far From You by Lisa Schroeder

Lost and alone...down the rabbit hole

Years have passed since Alice lost her mother to cancer, but time hasn't quite healed the wound. Alice copes the best she can, by writing her music, losing herself in the love of her boyfriend, and distancing herself from her father and his new wife.

But when a deadly snowstorm traps Alice with her stepmother and newborn half-sister, she'll face issues she's been avoiding for too long. As Alice looks to the heavens for guidance, she discovers something wonderful.

Perhaps she's not so alone after all... 

Because I've read I Heart You, You Haunt Me and Chasing Brooklyn and I have fallen in love with Schroeder's style of verse-writing. 


What's on your wishlist? 

Book Release and Giveaway: Hannah's List

Occasionally, we get an opportunity to change our lives—whether it’s another chance at love, changing the path we’ve chosen or going back and making amends for the past. Hannah’s List is the story of a widower who is given an unexpected letter from his wife on the first anniversary of her death. In a remarkable act of love, Hannah includes a list of three women for him to consider marrying. With a unique twist and intriguing element, readers will be in for a wonderful story of a love that transcends time, hope that is exceptionally unselfish, and the possibility of a future otherwise unfathomable. An unexpected letter. An impossible request. The gift of a second chance.

 

 

 

For more information on Hannah's List by Debbie Macomber, please visit http://hannahslist.com. In stores April 27, 2010.

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

With more than 100 million copies of her books in print, Debbie Macomber is one of today’s most popular authors.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author is best known for her ability to create compelling characters and bring their stories to life in her books. Drawing on her own experiences and observations, Debbie writes heartwarming tales about small-town life, home, family and enduring friendships. Every book features the delightful sense of humor that readers around the world clamor for.

---

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.

Thanks to Chelsy at Big Honcho Media, I have goodies to give away!!

One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive:

Enjoy additional titles by Debbie Macomber with a $25 VISA gift card

Copy of Hannah’s List Two (2) additional winners will receive a copy of the book!

Simply fill out THIS FORM to enter:

Extra Entries:

+2 For tweeting about this giveaway. (Psst! You can easily tweet about this giveaway by clicking on the SHARE button located on the bottom of this post.)

 

Double your chances of winning! Check out Patti The Book Addict - She's also giving away copies of this book and a $25 VISA gift card.

 

Giveaway ends Friday, May 7th, 2010. Book giveaway is open to participants with a United States mailing address only. (International readers can enter if they have a friend in the States who can accept their prizes by mail.) Winners will be chosen randomly. Winners will be selected, emailed and announced on my blog some time after the giveaway ends. Winners will have 72 hours to claim their prize before a new winner is selected. Prizes to be mailed directly from Big Honcho Media. The Book Vixen is not responsible for lost or damaged prizes. Good luck to all who enter!

I received a review copy of Hannah's List in support of this post.

Review: I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

Girl meets boy.

Girl loses boy.

Girl gets boy back...

...sort of.

Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear his voice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she's crazy, but she knows he's here.

Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.

Title: I Heart You, You Haunt Me 
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Format: paperback, 227 pages 
Genre: Young Adult 
Source: won from Ivy from Book Reader Times 
Published: January 2008
Buy the book: book depo


My Thoughts 
Ava is grieving the loss of her boyfriend, Jackson, who died in a freak accident. She is carrying around a huge weight of guilt on her shoulders. She feels completely responsible for his death and cannot move on. She doesn’t eat, doesn’t sleep, and doesn’t function in normal everyday rituals. Her family and friends are worried about her but she just can’t let go of Jackson. Everything she does, sees, hears reminds her of him. Then Ava sees Jackson’s ghost and starts to feel his presence on a day-to-day basis. She sees messages that he leaves for her. The radio plays by itself, specific songs with a specific purpose and meaning.

I Heart You, You Haunt Me is a story about a loss, grief, guilt and moving on. It’s a pretty emotional story that had me in tears a few times. 

The only thing I would have liked to see was a more complete ending. The ending of the story was open-ended; it felt like I was leaving Ava without properly saying goodbye. I wasn’t ready to let go of her yet.

This book is written in verse, which I wasn’t expecting at all. I have to admit, this caught me off guard at first. I’m used to reading a book full of words and sentences that fill up the pages. This book is a little bit different. Schroeder does a wonderful job of conveying a story about loss, grief, and moving on written in verses. She brings the story to life in a poetic way. The words carry quite an impact with their placement and the liveliness jumps right off the page. Schroeder’s words display a special kind of vitality that makes a strong presence. This was my first read by Schroeder and definitely won’t be my last! 

The Book Vixen's Rating

Teaser Tuesday: Will Grayson, Will Grayson

"There aren't that many Will Graysons," he says. "It's gotta mean something, one Will Grayson meeting another Will Grayson in a random porn store where neither Will Grayson belongs."

p. 114, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others.
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

On My Wishlist (21)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every  Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't  actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an  event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready  for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more  click here.

Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian 

Natalie Sterling wants to be in control. She wants her friends to be loyal. She wants her classmates to elect her student council president. She wants to find the right guy, not the usual jerk her school has to offer. She wants a good reputation, because she believes that will lead to good things.

But life is messy, and it's very hard to be in control of it. Not when there are freshman girls running around in a pack, trying to get senior guys to sleep with them. Not when your friends have secrets they're no longer comfortable sharing. Not when the boy you once dismissed ends up being the boy you want to sleep with yourself - but only in secret, with nobody ever finding out.
Slut or saint? Winner or loser? Natalie is getting tired of these forced choices - and is now going to find a way to live life in the sometimes messy, sometimes wonderful in-between. 

The Julian Game by Adele Griffin

New girl Raye Archer is desperate for a way into the In crowd, so when ice-queen Ella Parker chooses her to get back at her ex, the gorgeous Julian Kilgarry, Raye is more than game. Even if it means creating a fake Facebook identity as “Elizabeth” so that she can learn enough about Julian to sabotage him. While a fun and dangerous thrill at first, what Raye hadn’t counted on was falling for Julian herself—and igniting Ella’s rage.

As Raye works to reconcile the temptress Elizabeth with her real-life self, Ella serves up her own revenge. Now it’s Raye who falls victim, as Ella creates an online smear campaign of nasty rumors and trashy photographs. Suddenly notorious, Raye has to find a way out of the web of deceit that she’s helped to build, and back to the relationships that matter.

Adele Griffin’s riveting novel explores the issues of generation Facebook: the desire to be someone else, real versus online friends, and the pitfalls and fallouts of posting your personal life online for all the world to judge.

Empty by Suzanne Weyn

It's the near future - the very near future - and the fossil fuels are running out. No gas. No oil. Which means no driving. No heat. Supermarkets are empty. Malls have shut down. Life has just become more local than we ever knew it could be.

Nobody expected the end to come this fast. And in the small town of Spring Valley, decisions that once seemed easy are quickly becoming matters of life and death. There is hope - there has to be hope - just there are also sacrifices that need to be made, and a whole society that needs to be rethought.

Teens like Nicki, Tom, and Leila may find what they need to survive. But their lives are never going to be the same again. 

What's on your wishlist?

Blog Tour: Arson by Estevan Vega

When Estevan Vega contacted me to see if I would be interested in review his book Arson, I couldn't resist! The cover is amazing; it's dark and eerie yet eye-catching. I read the blurb and I knew I had to get my hands on this book. I read the book and found myself in awe of Vega's writing. The book ends with quite a cliffhanger but don't fear, a sequel is in the works. Though, I may stalk and nudge him in the ribs from time to time to get him to hurry up...KIDDING! (mostly.) You can read my review of Arson here.

Today, I have Estevan Vega here as part of the Arson blog tour. Arson will be released on May 4th, 2010. Estevan Vega kindly answered some of my questions.

Review: Decal Girl Skin

I recently got an Amazon Kindle and I cannot have it be nekkid. So I got a skin and a case for it. (I will post my review on the case at a later date.) The case will protect it from being scratched and dinged up while in my purse. The skin will protect it from my grubby, slimy fingers while holding it. I admit though, I also got a skin to jazz up the bleak white appearance of the Kindle o_O

I decided to go with Decal Girl because I've heard great things about their products and if you damage the skin during installation, they'll send you a new one free (you just pay the shipping). With that kind of guarantee, I knew it was the right choice.

 

Designs

Decal Girl has lots of designs to choose from for the Kindle (they have 499 specifically for the Kindle 2 alone!). As soon I saw the Tree of Books design, I knew it was the one I wanted. You have two choices for the skin finish: high-gloss or matte. Fiction Vixen recommended to go with the matte finish and I highly recommend you do the same, especially for an eReader. The reason being is so that you don't have the glare from the high-gloss distracting you from your reading.  

One difference I noticed about the skins from Decal Girl is that the skin pieces that go on the navigation buttons (Next Page, Previous Page, Home, etc.) are labeled. I can't see any labels on the skin pieces from GelaSkins (the other vendor I was considering). I know that with time I will learn which buttons are which but I'd still like them to be labeled. (I am known to have a blonde moment from time to time.)

Cut
The skins from Decal Girl go around and in between the buttons on the keyboard of the Amazon Kindle 2. Other skins, like the ones from GelaSkins, do not go around the buttons. I only see this dilemma for the Amazon Kindle (1, 2 and DX) due to the keyboard, whereas with the Barnes and Noble Nook you won't run into this because it has a touch screen. And you won't run into this problem with the Sony Touch because it doesn't appear that GelaSkins have skins for this devise (at least that I could find). Back to the cut; the cut enhances the appearance of the skin dramatically. The main reason you select a skin is based on appearance, right?

Here are pictures of two different skins from two different vendors. The first one, Tree of Books, is from Decal Girl. The second one, The Enamored Owl, is from GelaSkins. See the difference in the cut?

Price

The price for the Tree of Books skin, in high-gloss is $14.99. If you go with the matte finish (which I recommend you do to avoid the glare), its an extra $5. (I got 10% off my order by using the promo-code "PSPHOME".) GelaSkins for the Amazon Kindle 2 are $19.95. I can't tell if the skin is high-gloss or matte. 

 

Delivery

It took 6 days to get from Delaware to California (and that was using the cheapest shipping rate) from the day I ordered it to the day I received it. It came in a somewhat sturdy cardboard, with a bright orange "DO NOT BEND" label on the front. The skin was in an enclosed plastic pouch, which was inside an open-ended plastic bag. Inside the plastic pouch was another, more sturdier, piece of cardboard. My skin came undamaged and free of any creases or wrinkles.

 

Installation

The installation was not as difficult as I had imagined it would be. I was deathly afraid to apply the skin in worry of installing it crooked and/or full of creases. I didn't get the skin on perfectly; there are two small creases which I can't seam to smooth out. But it is good enough, even for me (Ms. OCD). The installation took about 5 minutes.

 

Bottom Line

I love the skin from Decal Girl! I don't plan to replace the skin on my Kindle anytime soon but I am getting one for my laptop. And I'm definitely getting it from Decal Girl.

The Book Vixen Rating

 

 

Give Me Some Skin!

I finally succumbed to my desire of getting an eReader. I had narrowed it down between the Amazon Kindle 2, Barnes and Noble Nook and the Sony Touch (PRS-600). And boy, was that a difficult decision to make! In the end, I went with the Amazon Kindle 2. I'll talk about why I went with the Kindle when I do my review on it in about a month or so.

I ordered a skin from Decal Girl and it came in the mail today. (Come back tomorrow for my in-depth review.) Here are some pictures of my new toy Kindle, before and after the application.