Lisa Marie Pottgen's Blog, page 22
February 7, 2014
Just a Brief Update
As you may be aware, Just Another Rabid Reader has been a bit quieter than what you had gotten accustomed to over this time last year. There were some life circumstances that came up and I felt the need to pull back a bit. Please rest assured that I am still here and am finally getting back on track. After a somewhat extended hiatus, I am now building up a cache of reviews and you should see the return of fairly frequent content here very soon again. Within a week or two, I should have a fair number of posts set to go on standby and scheduled up so that I can guarantee a fairly regular posting of reviews in the coming weeks to months. I do not want to find myself in a position of not having any content again, so before there is a plethora of posts coming, I want to get some reviews drafted up so that I can ensure that there won’t be another dry spell. Happy reading, and I look forward to getting back into the swing and getting to know more of my readers!
© 2014, Lisa Pottgen. All rights reserved.
Just a Brief Update is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
January 29, 2014
ARC Review: Belonging by Karen Ann Hopkins
Title: Beloning
Author: Karen Ann Hopkins
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: April 30, 2013
Page Count: 408
Where I got it: Publisher via Netgalley
Where you can get it: Amazon
How much: List Price 9.99
Format I read it in: eARC
Challenges: 2014 Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge.
Description/Blurb:
I left everything I knew behind.
But it was worth it. He was worth it.
No one thought an ordinary girl like me would last two minutes living with the Amish, not even me. There are a lot more rules and a lot less freedom, and I miss my family and the life I once had. Worst of all, Noah and I aren’t even allowed to see each other. Not until I’ve proven myself.
If I can find a way to make it work, we’ll be Noah & Rose together forever.
But not everybody believes this is where I belong.
My Thoughts:
Belonging by Karen Ann Hopkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The roller coaster ride of Noah and Rose continues in this, the second installment of this series.
I had originally read the third book in the series before the first and second, and I thought in reading the earlier installments, it would be harder to follow along because I already knew how the story was going to end. Yet, I felt so compelled to keep going because there were so many unexpected and impossible to have predicted turns in the plot.
I love the idea of being able to do whatever it takes to be with the one you love, and it is a notion I feel lost in the world we live in now. I have frequently stated that I am not a fan of romance novels, because I just can’t believe in the happily ever after when it is so infrequently what happens in reality, but it will be books like this that will change that perspective for me in a heartbeat.
Ms. Hopkins has created a world in which true love triumphs. No matter what the world (and Rose’s family) throws at this young couple, they are determined to be together. Will love win out? Well, you are going to just have to read it to find out!
There were a few minor editing missteps but overall the book was well written, well edited, and I read all of it’s 400 pages in less than 36 hours.
This story was well written, and there are a few plot twists toward the end that will leave your heat racing and unable to put this page-turner down. I am sad to have finished all three books in this series and look forward to whatever else this author has coming for us rabid readers in the future.
Thank you to the author and the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.
**DISCLAIMER** In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this opinion, and the thoughts are my own. Links above will take you to a site where you can PURCHASE a copy. Using those links will take you through an affiliate link and I will receive a small percentage of the purchase cost. You are in no way obligated to use affiliate links and there is no additional cost to do so.
© 2014, Lisa Pottgen. All rights reserved.
ARC Review: Belonging by Karen Ann Hopkins is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
January 28, 2014
ARC Review: Forever by Karen Ann Hopkins
Title: Forever
Author: Karen Ann Hopkins
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Page Count: 336
Where I got it: Publisher via Netgalley
Where you can get it: Amazon
How much: List Price 9.99
Format I read it in: eARC
Challenges: 2014 Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge.
Read During Bout of Books 9.0
Description/Blurb:
All I want is my happily-ever-after.
That’s all I’ve wanted since meeting Noah Miller.
From the day we met, the world has tried to keep Noah and me from being together, but now that I’m carrying his child, no one will be able to tear us apart. Or so I hope. But Noah and I have made some mistakes along the way, and the consequences are impacting the people we love. Worse, there’s a storm on the horizon, and it’s sure to cause serious devastation.
If we can get through this, we’ll finally be Rose and Noah—a family, forever.
But first we have to survive the road ahead. And happily-ever-after is a long way off.
My Thoughts: ★★★★
When I requested this title from Netgalley, I did not realize that it was a sequel, and I wish I had done my homework more on this. However, having not read the rest of the series, I was still able to read and enjoy this novel, which I did not think was possible for me without having the background information to be able to fully understand what was happening.
It is possible that there will be spoilers in this review for the first two books in the series, so if there are, I apologize! I try to stay spoiler free, but without having read the rest, it is hard for me to be certain.
Rose is an American teenage girl. Noah is an Amish boy. The cultures and worlds that these young characters live in could not be more different. And yet, love transcends all boundaries, all cultures and all dividing lines.
Personally, I know very little about Amish culture, having never been exposed to it in my short lifetime. But, I felt that the author painted a very good picture of what the lifestyle is like and what the families do and how the community bands together, even after they have fought.
This novel contains both a Romeo and Juliet style love story and a Hatfields and McCoys style family quarrel.
I found this story enjoyable and easy to read, and I read the entire novel in less than 24 hours. I could feel a connection to the characters and I laughed with them during their triumphs and cried with them during their struggles and losses.
I will be purchasing the other books in this series and will read them and then re-read this one, and I am sure I will enjoy it even more!
**DISCLAIMER** In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this opinion, and the thoughts are my own. Links above will take you to a site where you can PURCHASE a copy. Using those links will take you through an affiliate link and I will receive a small percentage of the purchase cost. You are in no way obligated to use affiliate links and there is no additional cost to do so. Clicking will take you to more information about the book on Goodreads. Clicking will take you to the authors website.
Related articles
Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins© 2014, Lisa Pottgen. All rights reserved.
ARC Review: Forever by Karen Ann Hopkins is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
January 27, 2014
Review: Temptation
Title: Temptation
Author: Karen Ann Hopkins
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: June 26, 2012
Page Count: 385
Where I got it: Purchased via Amazon
Where you can get it: Amazon
How much: List Price 9.99
Format I read it in: Kindle
Description/Blurb:
Your heart misleads you. That’s what my friends and family say.
But I love Noah. And he loves me. We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other’s arms. It should be ROSE & NOAH forever, easy.
But it won’t be.
Because he’s Amish. And I’m not.
My Thoughts:
Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I technically cheated, having read the final book in the series before the first. But after reading the third book, and then realizing I also had the second for review, I decided I needed to purchase the first one and find out how the story began.
Once again, the story is well written and well edited, finding only one major editing error in the form of an extra word or two, and I cannot even remember what page it was on. The fact that I could keep reading in spite of an error like that is a testament to how well written and captivating this story really is.
To get a glimpse into how Noah and Rose’s story began, to get a glimpse into how these two worlds collided, was like a breath of fresh air into my pollution clouded lungs. All around us in the real world, we see how complicated relationships can be, how much life can cloud our judgment and make decisions impossible.
And yet, here are two young people with insurmountable obstacles who try everything in their power to make things work, despite the odds being stacked against them.
How would you handle falling in love with a guy who was from a completely different culture, a completely different world? I couldn’t even begin to imagine.
This author has a gift for painting a picture and drawing you into a world and a life beyond your wildest imagination and I cannot wait to read more.
**DISCLAIMER** In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received a copy of this book from the publisher via in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this opinion, and the thoughts are my own. Links above will take you to a site where you can PURCHASE a copy. Using those links will take you through an affiliate link and I will receive a small percentage of the purchase cost. You are in no way obligated to use affiliate links and there is no additional cost to do so.
© 2014, Lisa Pottgen. All rights reserved.
Review: Temptation is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
January 25, 2014
Review: A Shimmer of Angels
Title: A Shimmer of Angels
Author: Lisa M Basso
Publisher: Month9Books
Publication Date: January 29, 2013
Page Count: 321
Where I got it: Publisher Via Netgalley
Where you can get it: Amazon
How much: List Price 10.99
Format I read it in: eARC
Challenges: 2014 Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge.
Description/Blurb:
In this compelling and spirited debut novel, 16-year-old Rayna Evans has spent the last three years in a mental institution for seeing angels—intent on remaining free, she ignores signs that she may be slipping into a world she has tried to climb out of. When her hallucinations begin showing up at school, can she keep her sanity and prevent students from dying at the hands of angels she cannot admit to seeing? Psychiatry, fantasy, and realism come together here in a story of a young girl struggling with identity, secrets, and confronting her greatest fears.
My Thoughts:
A Shimmer of Angels by Lisa M. Basso
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I am so glad to finally find a young adult fantasy story that breaks away from the mold of vampires and werewolves and is truly new and unique.
Angels. Both heavenly and fallen. And Rayna spent so long being convinced that she was crazy that she had no idea that they really existed.
This one took me a little longer to read than books usually do thanks to life happening around me lately, but I am so glad I requested this one on Netgalley. I really enjoyed reading this tale of self discovery and experiencing the raw emotions that go with a story like this.
The characters will grab your heart and take you on the ride of a lifetime. You will not be able to get through this one without your mind questioning a lot of what you believe.
**DISCLAIMER** In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this opinion, and the thoughts are my own. Links above will take you to a site where you can PURCHASE a copy. Using those links will take you through an affiliate link and I will receive a small percentage of the purchase cost. You are in no way obligated to use affiliate links and there is no additional cost to do so.
© 2014, Lisa Pottgen. All rights reserved.
Review: A Shimmer of Angels is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
January 21, 2014
Premier Virtual Author Book Tours Presents Into You by Riley J. Ford
Page Count: 253
Where I got it: Author for Blog Tour
Where you can get it: Amazon
How much: List Price 9.99
Format I read it in: Kindle
Description/Blurb:
***Mature Content Warning: Mild profanity and a graphic murder scene. Adult situations in a teen setting. While humorous, this book also explores the underbelly of teen life. 18+
What if you could know exactly what your friends are thinking? High school student Winter Reynolds can, but there’s a catch…She can only read people’s thoughts when she’s kissing them.
When a member of the track team is murdered, Winter has an opportunity to use her special ability to find the killer. Trouble is, kissing everyone on the track team isn’t such a good idea when you have a new boyfriend. Talk about complications!
Should Winter persevere using her secret power to catch the murderer still in their midst, even if it means risking her relationship with her one true love?
INTO YOU is:
A teen paranormal romance with a twist
A young adult romantic comedy that will tickle your funny bone with its offbeat humor
A murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end
A humorous mystery romance that explores ESP and mind-reading
An exploration of social issues that teens face
A must-read that has already hit the teen best sellers lists
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
3-1/2 stars
I received this book as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
I struggled a bit with this one. The concept seemed a bit far fetched and hard for me to wrap my head around.
What would you do if you could kiss someone and see their deepest thoughts? I would probably think I had completely lost my mind. I don’t think I would be able to kiss all of those people and not vomit, personally.
This story hits on some tough topics, rape, murder, teen pregnancy, and shouldn’t be read by the faint of heart or a younger teen.
I did find myself stumbling at one point with an editing error and it distracted me a bit. “they covered their hands with their mouths” was on the page in the bathroom scene where Winter tries to learn Darcy’s secrets. But other than that, it was well edited and well written. I liked the story and the concept, but think the subject matter might have been a little heave for the target audience.
**DISCLAIMER** In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received a copy of this book from the author as part of a blog tour in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this opinion, and the thoughts are my own. Links above will take you to a site where you can PURCHASE a copy. Using those links will take you through an affiliate link and I will receive a small percentage of the purchase cost. You are in no way obligated to use affiliate links and there is no additional cost to do so.
© 2014, Lisa Pottgen. All rights reserved.
Premier Virtual Author Book Tours Presents Into You by Riley J. Ford is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
January 17, 2014
Review: Sia by Josh Grayson
Title: Sia
Author: Josh Grayson
Publication Date: November 18, 2013
Page Count: 308
Where I got it: Via Netgalley
Where you can get it: Amazon
How much: List Price 11.99
Format I read it in: eARC
Challenges: 2014 Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge.
Description/Blurb:
When seventeen-year-old Sia wakes up on a park bench, she has no idea who or where she is. Yet after a week of being homeless, she’s reunited with her family. At school, she’s powerful and popular. At home, she’s wealthy beyond her dreams. But she quickly realizes her perfect life is a lie. Her family is falling apart and her friends are snobby, cruel and plastic. Worse yet, she discovers she was the cruelest one. Mortified by her past, she embarks on a journey of redemption and falls for Kyle, the “geek” she once tormented. Yet all the time she wonders if, when her memories return, she’ll become the bully she was before…and if she’ll lose Kyle.
Sia by Josh Grayson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
The rating should really be 2-1/2 but Goodreads and other places don’t allow half stars.
I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to love this one, and with ARCs I try to ignore poor editing, typos, grammar errors, et cetera because I know that a lot of times, the book will be edited before it hits the general public. But I also know that that is not ALWAYS the case.
The premise was hugely intriguing. Popular teenage girl wakes up on a park bench and has no idea who she is.
But instead of trying to figure out who she is and where she is from and where she belongs, she essentially goes into hiding and lives like a homeless person and makes no effort to figure out any of her own stuff.
After a week (a week!) on the streets, she gets into it with a soup kitchen volunteer and runs away, getting hit by a car, and I assume the boy from the soup kitchen told the paramedics and cops who she was, because the doctor knows her name and she is reunited with her parents.
I was a bit bothered by how people around her changed so drastically because she wanted them to. It doesn’t work that way in reality, so that was a hard one for me to grasp.
There was an awful lot of cliche and a lot of very simplistic writing. While this made for an easy, quick read, it left me with a lot of…confusion and a lack of closure. It just seemed to easy. The ending felt rushed and the characters at the beginning (the homeless people) seemed more developed, while they were not as integral a part of the story in the long run. Yet her parents, the friends she makes, the friends she had, they seemed flat and one dimensional to me.
I struggled with writing this review because I really, really wanted to like this one, but I feel like I am at a loss here. The author gets a major A for effort because the idea and the premise were awesome, just they could have been executed better. I enjoyed reading, but feel like it could have been so much more.
View all my reviews
**DISCLAIMER** In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this opinion, and the thoughts are my own. Links above will take you to a site where you can PURCHASE a copy. Using those links will take you through an affiliate link and I will receive a small percentage of the purchase cost. You are in no way obligated to use affiliate links and there is no additional cost to do so.
© 2014, Lisa Pottgen. All rights reserved.
Review: Sia by Josh Grayson is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
January 14, 2014
Bout of Books 9.0 Wrap up #boutofbooks
The goals were as follows:
Read at least 3 hours a day.
Read at least 5 books.
Complete 2-3 challenges.
Participate in at least one Twitter Party
The only goal I did not meet was reading 5 books. I read 4 of the 5 I listed as books to read for this readathon, and I feel really good about that.
I read just shy of 1500 pages this week, and that is with essentially having 2 lost days due to illness of a child and being a parent. I feel really good about that. I made a good start toward my challenges for this year and am confident that my participation in bout of books will get me well on my way for my goals for 2014.
As a Bonus..I got to talking with another participant and we started a buddy read on a book that has been sitting on my shelf for quite a while and I just never got around to starting! I love readathons because of the friendships I form during them, so I declare this bout of books a success! How did the rest of you do?
© 2014, Lisa Pottgen. All rights reserved.
Bout of Books 9.0 Wrap up #boutofbooks is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
January 13, 2014
Review: School Spirits
Title: School Spirits
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: May 14, 2013
Page Count: 304
Where I got it: Publisher via Netgalley
Where you can get it: Amazon
How much: List Price 17.99
Format I read it in: eARC
Challenges: 2014 Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge.
Description/Blurb:
Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy’s mom decides they need to take a break. Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who’s always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush. Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt? Rachel Hawkins’ delightful spin-off brings the same wit and charm as the New York Times best-selling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance!
My Thoughts:
School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What would you do if you had never been a normal teenage girl, and all of a sudden, you had to act like one? Would you be able to play the part without getting attached? Would you be able to just do your job and do what needed to be done and then move on without a second thought?
Read this book, and you will find out whether or not Izzy Brannick was able to do that. The answer to how that goes will probably surprise you as much as it did me.
While some parts of the plot in this story felt like filler, or didn’t always make sense, the characters were real and I could feel myself going through the things they were going through and experiencing the turbulent experiences with them.
I was really amused about the high school soap opera that Izzy watches to try to find out how to act. I laughed because as a teenager I was one of those kids who didn’t feel like I fit. It seemed like something I might have done as a teenager if I would have thought of it!
I wish I could see what was happening now, though. While I enjoyed this story, I feel like I have too many unanswered questions and it does not look like this one will be a series from all of my digging about, so I will never find the answers to them. IF the author is reading this, I really would like to know MORE!!!
**DISCLAIMER** In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this opinion, and the thoughts are my own. Links above will take you to a site where you can PURCHASE a copy. Using those links will take you through an affiliate link and I will receive a small percentage of the purchase cost. You are in no way obligated to use affiliate links and there is no additional cost to do so.
© 2014, Lisa Pottgen. All rights reserved.
Review: School Spirits is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
January 9, 2014
ARC Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter
Title: Pawn
Author: Aimee Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: November 26, 2013
Page Count: 347
Where I got it: Publisher via Netgalley
Where you can get it: Amazon
How much: List Price 17.99
Format I read it in: eARC
Challenges: 2014 Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge.
Description/Blurb:
YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING.
For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.
If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister’s niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.
There’s only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that’s not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she’s only beginning to understand.
Pawn by Aimee Carter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am amazed at how much I enjoyed this book. I really had no idea what to expect when I picked it, but I had so many good things about this author, I really wanted to have a chance to read and review this book
What would you do if you just found out your life’s destiny was to clean up crap for the rest of your life? And then, what if someone presented you an opportunity to live a life that was far beyond your wildest dreams?
That is what happens to Kitty Kitty scored a III on her testing. What you don’t realize right away and is just a subtle undertone is that Kitty has dyslexia, and this kept her from being able to do her best on the testing.
This absolutely thrilled me to no end. I have recently stated my concern about there not being enough characters in books geared toward young adults who have to overcome obstacles. So I was ecstatic to see that this main character had a disability and was able to still make a difference in the world.
I fell in love with Kitty and Benjy, and I despised Daxton from the beginning! Knox and Celia I had mixed feelings about, and I still don’t know how I feel about them.
When I found out where and what Elsewhere really was, I was….appalled? Disgusted? Frightened? I am not sure what the right word is. But the reality for me was that, you know what, it could really happen that way if the world were overpopulated, and someone thought they could use that as a platform to advance themselves.
This author has painted a picture of a world that could feasibly be our future. It is ever more possible that it could really end up that way and then, where would we be? Would you want your fate decided by one family of people who controlled everything?
I am so glad I decided to read this one, though because I absolutely loved the story and cannot wait to see what more Aimee Carter has in store for us.
I am anxiously awaiting the next installment now and have added Aimee Carter to my “automatically buy what this person writes” list.
**DISCLAIMER** In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this opinion, and the thoughts are my own. Links above will take you to a site where you can PURCHASE a copy. Using those links will take you through an affiliate link and I will receive a small percentage of the purchase cost. You are in no way obligated to use affiliate links and there is no additional cost to do so.
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So Not a Pawn Star: Pawn by Aimee Carter© 2014, Lisa Pottgen. All rights reserved.
ARC Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
