Review: Double Click by Lisa Becker

Publication date: 27th March, 2013
Publisher: Create Space
Links: Amazon|Goodreads|CreateSpace
Source: Review copy
Rating: 4/5 stars

Fans of the romantic hit Click: An Online Love Story will enjoy another voyeuristic dive into the lives of Renee, Shelley, Ashley, Mark and Ethan, as Double Click picks up with their lives six months later. Are Renee and Ethan soul mates? Does Mark ever go on a date? Has Shelley run out of sexual conquests in Los Angeles? Will Ashley's judgmental nature sabotage her budding relationship? Through a marriage proposal, wedding, new baby and unexpected love twist, Double Click answers these questions and more. Readers will continue to cheer, laugh, cry and cringe following the email exploits of Renee and friends.

REVIEW

Double Click is the sequel to Click, a book I reviewed not long ago that chronicled the online dating adventures of Renee in the form of short, pun-filled, energetic and fun back-and-forth emails! Double Click is equally entertaining and ha-larious... where you're not as much privy to the online dating scene but it does a great job of sucking you into the lives of Renee, her best friends Mark, Shelley and Ashley! There's secrets, unexpected pairings, proposals and pregnancy blues in the ultra-cute second part to this fabulous feel-good series!

One thing I was really missing in Click was more of Mark's story! This is done complete justice to in Double Click. You're going to be sooo surprised when you find out who he ends up with! Mark's love interest made me giggle so much. They are so um, compatible. It was interesting to see the different ways in which his friends reacted to her and made her feel welcome (or not welcome)!

There's also a lot going on with Shelley... much more than her multiple business trips, that's for sure. And I grew quite fond of Ashley by the end of the book... in spite of her reverting back to the "old Ashley" with her pregnancy blues.

More than anything, I loved the parts in Double Click where Renee, Shelley, Ashley and their friends were just hanging out. The very light and very fun banter was enough to bring a smile to my face! While a great deal happened in the course of this book... there was no rush in pacing with scenes both relevant and completely irrelevant to the plot. With the email format, I found myself LIKING this utterly normal sequence and pace of events!

Double Click is the kind of book you read while lounging around. It's quick and it's fun and best of all, it manages to be what it is with consistent characterization and absolutely no suspension from reality! I liked Double Click even more than its predecessor and would totally recommend it if you're looking for a cute and hilarious read!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Blog Makeover!

I thought it was about time and thanks to Fahima @ I Read, Ergo I Write, it finally finally happened! She took time out to design the beautiful blog header you probably saw a few minutes back before scrolling down to this post! I cannot get over how much I love it! From the black cat to all those titles I loved reading throughout the year to the purple specs, the attention to detail is the coolest part!

Also, while customising the background and layout to go with the header, I finally got the Comment Reply feature and social media icons at the end of every post back! Don't know how that happened. I had a big problem with Comment Reply and the lack of social media icons in the previous layout.

So...it's a great start to the summer! Hope you like the changes as much as I do!

Feature and Follow Friday #10

Feature and Follow is a weekly blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read!

Q:  Is there a song that reminds you of a book? Or vice versa? What is the song & the book?

I'm sure there is! It's just that I can't really think of anything at the moment. Instead, I'm going to talk about a song that I practically discovered because of the book and will always associate with the book! It's Asleep by The Smiths which... well, I think you would've got it by now... practically feels like the heart and soul of The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. 

The protagonist Charlie discovers the song in the mix-tape his sister's boyfriend made for his sister. I downloaded it the minute Charlie described the way he felt about the song and I listened to it on repeat while reading the rest of the book. While watching the movie, I nearly squealed when the song was played! The movie wouldn't have been the same without Asleep by The Smiths in the soundtrack.

Also, Expectations by Belle and Sebastian (oh, I fell in love with this song the minute I listened to it) is a song I'm listening to on loop at the moment and I would love to think of a book it goes with! I cannot think of any good matches though. I thought Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett... in terms of general feel... but probably not! 

But I'm going to feature it anyway ;)

Which song reminds you of which book?

While I'm on GFC, Linky and can be followed by email, I'd prefer it if you could follow me on Facebook (Link to my page) since my Page is brand new ;)

ARC Review: The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa

Publication date: 30th April, 2013
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Links: Amazon | Goodreads | The Book Depository
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4.5/ 5 stars

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

REVIEW

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa exceeded expectations last summer as I tore through the post-apocalyptic vampire awesomeness that it was. It was
Clever
Fast paced
Well characterised
Insightful
Gave me the right kind of kick!
Not your average in-season vampire book

The Eternity Cure, book two in Julie Kagawa's Blood of Eden series was equally engaging in every way. Most second books end up being more of a filler and a watered down version of the first part, but not The Eternity Cure!  There's enough conflict and adventure to keep things going.

Of course, initially, I got the feeling it was just going to be Allie Going Places in search of Kanin, her Master with minimal Zeke flashbacks... but thankfully, no. Rescuing Kanin, the vampire Allie owes her life to, from the clutches of Totally Deranged Sarren, isn't just a series of carefully-constructed obstacles. Jackal, Allie's blood brother... yes, the Prince character who wrecked havoc in the climax of the first installment, breathes life into the first half of the novel! You want to hate him, just like Allie does... yet he is so... three dimensional, I guess. Slippery, manipulative and yet his witticisms make you laugh and somehow, he earns your sympathy and makes you root for him!

There's also a search for the cure from the Red Lung virus, made worse by the new strain of the virus that's twice as deadly as far as survival of the human AND vampire races are concerned. This, again, is enlivened by wonderful character-centric plotlines. The Zeke-Allie relationship is as heartwarming and heartbreaking as ever (Zeke: must you always be such a saint?) and Stick's reappearance is a totally baffling yet brilliant touch to the plot! It was by no means a conventional turn of events and I loved how what Allie and Stick shared all those years was never in anyway forgotten. It added so much depth to the layers of hurt, desire for growth and much more that had disturbed Stick all along.

All in all, just like the first part of the Blood of Eden series, The Immortal Rules, The Eternity Cure is one heck of an adrenaline rush! I was constantly eager to know more, get to the bottom of the characters, the plot, the VIRUS, all while wondering about the fate of the characters we got to know so well in the previous part but don't really make an appearance here. As an amazing bridge book, I am not just waiting for the next book in the series but I'm no more uncertain about the Blood of Eden series having all the elements of an epic saga!!

As I said in my review of the previous part, it's post-apocalyptic dystopian vampire YA! If the genre itself has you excited, this is definitely a series you must check out. I wasn't the biggest fan of Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series, but in this series, she has nailed it!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

If you liked The Immortal Rules, you will love The Eternity Cure! Definitely preorder-worthy!

Review: Dante's Girl and The Opposite of Hallelujah

Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole and The Opposite of Hallelujah by Anna Jarzeb are two very different YA 3/5 star reads!

Dante's Girl is a book you'll probably want to save for a lazy summer afternoon... it's sweet, sometimes a little too sweet and while I liked it, I didn't love it.

The Opposite of Hallelujah is a crushing coming of age tale featuring a down to earth narrator which at its crux, will tear your heart apart.

Review: Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole

Publisher: Lakehouse Press
Date of publication: 24th June, 2012
Rating: 3/5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Links: Amazon | Goodreads | The Book Depository

The collage cover is ADORABLE and well, so is the book. Dante's Girl is another book taking on the dream-boy-in-dream-destination theme. Reece's chance encounter with Dante happens while boarding her last flight to London where she spends every summer with her father. Son of the most important man in a gorgeous-unheard-of Greek island, Dante is too good to be true. And so is the rest of her summer at said Mediterranean paradise, where she inadvertently ends up.

If you are willing to suspend disbelief, drink in the over-the-top-ness of certain situations and sigh happily rather than roll your eyes every time Dante is described as "beautiful", this book practically has your name written on it. It has that breezy stream-of-consciousness writing style that's perfect for this kind of book... and the main character, Reece, is down to earth, starry eyed and ordinary in a manner that is lovable. It has all the prerequisites of a dreamy summer romance.

I, however, couldn't sigh happily every time Dante was described as "beautiful" and did roll my eyes at some of the over-the-top situations. But despite my lukewarm feelings towards this book (it's a like-not-love for me), I am certain it does have the potential to be in your love-love-love list.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Review: The Opposite of Hallelujah by Anna Jarzeb

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Date of publication: October 9th, 2012
Rating: 3/5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Flipkart India

I had NO idea what this book was about till I dove headfirst into it. And I'm glad. It made the plot, at its core, all the more heart crushingly poignant.

The Opposite of Hallelujah opens with the arrival of Caro's elder sister, Hannah who had left home eight years ago. Hannah's departure from the family is something Caro could never understand, making her the sister Caro pretended was dead. Eight years later, Caro still feels the need to hide Hannah's existence. Only when clues to what made Hannah leave in the first place are unearthed, Caro is shocked at what has sister has been dealing with all along.

I could relate to Caro's annoyance and unexplainable shame when it came to explaining her sister. Her sister, Hannah, was after all mostly absent during her pivotal years as a kid and there was no concrete explanation for her absence. There is something so flinchingly honest about so many of the conflicts, Caro's own thoughts and how she coldly ignored what she didn't understand. And when the rationale behind Hannah's choices is delved into, the impact of the raw pain and guilt that had been suppressed for so long gave me the chills.

While the book dealt with heavy themes, there was this innocence about it that made me fall in love with the story. I felt a part of the Mitchell family, loved getting to know Caro's love interest, Father Bob and the other secondary characters also felt so real... they instantly stole my heart! I cannot imagine going through that roller coaster of confusion, pain and epiphany again, it's just that kind of book but I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. While it was more of a one-time read for me, it was definitely a compelling one at that.

Rating: 3/5 stars

NOTE: Another, yes, I'm really alive note to this post! This time, for real. I'll hopefully get to reviewing all the ARCs that have piled up over the last couple of months! It's great to be back. :) Hope you've been awesome ^^

Cover Feature: Double Click by Lisa Becker

It's going to take a while until I'll be fully active on the blog. But I'm still reading. A lot.

And it's still awesome.

And I wish I could post reviews in between last-minute assignments and project submissions and tests... but somehow, that doesn't seem to be happening in my final month of college.

Till then, I thought I'd do a belated cover feature of Double Click by Lisa Becker, sequel to the breezily quirky Click! I remember feeling giddy and excited when I heard there was a sequel. I had assumed it was a standalone and was kind of thrown off by all the loose ends! So here we go...

Click! An Online Love Story Facebook Page for updates on Double Click!

Don't you love the cover? It's equal parts sassy and light... just like the series! I found the first book, Click, to be "a quick, fun and witty read. To be fair, it's the kind of story that even if I've read a dozen times in a dozen different perspectives, I'd never get bored of. "

Judging the book by its (back)cover... I am absolutely psyched for another cyber dating spree! The best part? This time, it looks like Mark, my favourite character from Click who persuades Renee to get into the whole online dating game with him, gets some action too!

All right, have a nice weekend everybody <3

Book Blitz: Forty Days by Stephanie Parent!

Publication year: 12th February, 2013
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Buy Links: Amazon | Goodreads

from goodreads

The entire village knows Neima’s grandfather is a madman. For years the old man has prophesied that a great flood is coming, a flood disastrous enough to blot out the entire earth. He’s even built an enormous ark that he claims will allow his family to survive the deluge. But no one believes the ravings of a lunatic…

…until the rain starts. And doesn’t stop. Soon sixteen-year-old Neima finds her entire world transformed, her life and those of the people she loves in peril. Trapped on the ark with her grandfather Noah, the rest of her family, and a noisy, filthy, and hungry assortment of wild animals, will Neima find a way to survive?

With lions, tigers, and bears oh my, elephants and flamingos too, along with rivalries and betrayals, a mysterious stowaway, and perhaps even an unexpected romance, FORTY DAYS is not your grandfather’s Noah’s Ark story.

FORTY DAYS is approximately 45000 words, the length of a shorter novel, and is the first installment in a two-part epic story. It does contain a cliffhanger ending.

Readers looking for a traditional, religiously oriented version of the Noah’s Ark story should be warned that FORTY DAYS may not appeal to them. The novel will, however, appeal to lovers of apocalyptic fiction, historical fiction, and romance, as well as anyone who’s ever dreamed of having a baby elephant as a pet.

EXCERPT

Mouths are moving, people must be screaming, the trembling goats beside me must be squealing, but the only sounds left in the world are the crash of water and wind and the boom of thunder. I urge the goats forward, but as soon as they find their footing they slip again, and I do as well. It takes all my attention just to make some slow progress toward the ark, dragging the goats behind me, and I have to narrow my eyes against the increasingly sharp barbs of the raindrops. So I don’t even try to see what’s going on with my father and Noah, Munzir and the ruined fire. And I don’t see the shape approaching me as I stumble onward, till I’m only a few steps from the ark’s open doors—

—and a cold, wet hand grabs my arm.

It’s Jorin, his eyes wide and his lips moving furiously, though I can’t make out a single word. I try to pull away from him and he just comes closer, his mouth moving even faster; every minute facet of his expression beseeches me to listen, to understand. I’m doing my best to hold on to my anger against him, but it’s slipping away, a mere gust of hot air that means nothing as the world breaks into pieces around us. And then I no longer care what he’s saying; I only want to tell him: Go back, now, while you can still cross the river. I hope your home is strong. Stay safe.

I must be speaking aloud, for Jorin’s lips have stopped moving and he’s leaning even closer, as though he can pluck my words out of the wind. Then a hand grabs my other arm—Father. He takes the goats’ tethers from me and pulls me away from Jorin, into the ark. And I let him.

About the author

Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.