Feature and Follow Friday #2

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. 

This week's question is:

Best Cover? What is the best cover of a book that you’ve read and didn’t like?

Answer: The one book that immediately came to my mind when I read the question is Lauren Kate's Fallen. The covers of the all the four books in the series are simply beautiful, but the books in themselves... They're not all THAT bad, but they're not all that great either. I had a hard time getting through them all. As much as I love angels, the Fallen series is just not there, for me at least. Nevertheless, the covers are absolutely beautiful, and I'm sharing all four covers here!

I'd like to know your Follow Friday! And yes, we'll follow back. :)

Happy Friday everyone!

Sarika



Review- Measuring Up by Nyrae Dawn

Goodreads Summary-

Seventeen-year-old Annabel Conway is tired of the Hillcrest High School elite making her life miserable because she’s not a size two. This summer, she's hiring a personal trainer to help her lose weight. 

Annabel doesn’t expect her trainer to be a gorgeous guy around her age. Boys like Tegan are jerks. They pretend to like girls like her so they can make an idiot out of them. Been there, done that. Totally not going there again. She kind of hates him on principal. Blond. Muscular. Funny. It doesn’t help that he knows her measurements!

Soon, Tegan's so much more than that. He’s the boy who teaches her to box when she has a bad day. Who jogs with her and lets her set the pace. Who kisses her until she melts. He makes her feel beautiful regardless of what the scale says. Unlike her mom, he doesn’t expect perfection, and he doesn't try to shield her from the world like her dad and best friend. Tegan likes her the way she is.

But what happens when he’s not there? He can’t always be there… 

Will Annabel be able to stand on her own and learn that she already measures up? That her worth doesn’t lie in what the world thinks, the scale says, or even what Tegan tells her—but in herself?

Review-

This wasn't the first book by Nyrae Dawn that I've read. I loved What A Boy Wants and What A Boy Needs by her and so my expectations of Measuring Up were high. Surely, Nyrae Dawn does not disappoint.

Measuring Up is the story of Annabel who has weight issues. Its her struggle to overcome her insecurities and the other problems which she's facing. This is the first time I've read a book  written from the girl's POV from Nyrae and she has nailed it perfectly. Annabel is sweet yet strong and determined. You want her to succeed and I was cheering for her all along in the book. It was easy to connect with her. I'm sure all of us at some point in our lives have been unsure of our self and  that makes Annabel so easy to relate to.

Then there's Tegan. He balances out Annabel perfectly. He has his own battles to overcome but he cares deeply for Annabel. Together,  Annabel and Tegan's romance was endearing and sweet. They had chemistry. I enjoyed their banter and hoped they got through every obstacle life threw at them. Annabel's best friend, Emily and Tegan's brother, Tim and mom, Dana made for wonderful characters as well.

If you're looking for a YA contemporary romance which will make you feel good this is the book  you're looking for. Oh and the dedication in the book was just beautiful. That was worth mentioning. I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Nyrae Dawn.

Measuring Up by Nyrae Dawn

 X 4

        Janhvi

Waiting On Wednesday #2



"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling

Publication Date: September 27, 2012

Goodreads Summary-

When Barry Fairweather dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils… Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.

Many people seem to have mixed feelings about The Casual Vacancy. But hey, it is a J. K. Rowling book after all, and I'm sure it'll be great! I'm really looking forward to reading this one. :)

I would like to know what's your Waiting On Wednesday!

Sarika

Review- Weighted by Ciara Knight

Goodreads Summary: 

The Great War of 2185 is over, but my nightmare has just begun. I am being held captive in the Queen’s ship awaiting interrogation. My only possible ally is the princess, but I’m unsure if she is really my friend or a trap set by the Queen to fool me into sharing the secret of my gift. A gift I keep hidden even from myself. It swirls inside my body begging for release, but it is the one thing the Queen can never discover. Will I have the strength to keep the secret? I’ll know the answer soon. If the stories are true about the interrogators, I’ll either be dead or a traitor to my people by morning.

REVIEW: 

Author Ciara Knight gifted me a Kindle copy of Weighted that I won in a giveaway form Anagha @ BookSpark. I was interested in reading the book, which is 31 pages long, and I finished it in one sitting.

The synopsis itself caught my attention, since the story is set in 2185. Raeth is a Neumarian and possesses a power that the Queen believes will annihilate the human population. Hence, she is captured and tortured. Some of the scenes were quite cruel, but I think that makes it more real. I liked both, Princess Semara and Bendar, who seemed genuinely nice people and help Raeth. I did feel bad for Raeth for everything that she's been through. I hope we get to see more about her family and her life before the Great War in the coming books.
Overall, Weighted was an interesting and good read, though I wish it was longer! But then again, it is a novella, and I am waiting to read the first book in The Neumarian Chronicles. I love the word "Neumarian", by the way!

RATING:

X 3

Sarika





Teaser Tuesday #2

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B 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 & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser-

"Its one thing to be afraid. Because I am. I'm scared as hell of a lot of stuff, but it's an entirely different thing for people to know I'm afraid."

-Measuring Up by Nyrae Dawn

Goodreads Summary-

Seventeen-year-old Annabel Conway is tired of the Hillcrest High School elite making her life miserable because she’s not a size two. This summer, she's hiring a personal trainer to help her lose weight. 

Annabel doesn’t expect her trainer to be a gorgeous guy around her age. Boys like Tegan are jerks. They pretend to like girls like her so they can make an idiot out of them. Been there, done that. Totally not going there again. She kind of hates him on principal. Blond. Muscular. Funny. It doesn’t help that he knows her measurements!

Soon, Tegan's so much more than that. He’s the boy who teaches her to box when she has a bad day. Who jogs with her and lets her set the pace. Who kisses her until she melts. He makes her feel beautiful regardless of what the scale says. Unlike her mom, he doesn’t expect perfection, and he doesn't try to shield her from the world like her dad and best friend. Tegan likes her the way she is.

But what happens when he’s not there? He can’t always be there… 

Will Annabel be able to stand on her own and learn that she already measures up? That her worth doesn’t lie in what the world thinks, the scale says, or even what Tegan tells her—but in herself?

                                       What's your teaser this week?

                                                Janhvi

Review- Oceans Between Us by Helen Scott Taylor

Goodreads Summary:

He's a wealthy Italian celebrity used to dating beautiful women. She's a guesthouse cook without a penny to her name. When tragedy brings them together for a few weeks, an unlikely romance blossoms. But he has commitments that take him back to his jet-setting life, while her future lies in a remote English village. Is it possible for two people from such different walks of life to find a way to be together?

REVIEW:

After reading Helen Scott Taylor's Unbreak My Heart, I was really looking forward to reading her next contemporary romance novel, Oceans Between Us, which I received as a gift from the author for having reviewed Unbreak My Heart.
Oceans Between Us is a beautiful story of Maria Gardener, a complete girl-next-door and Dino Rossellini, an Italian Opera singer. The beginning of the story was very heart- breaking, as Dino's son is adopted without him being aware of it. It leaves him devastated and he moves to Porthale to find some peace and solace. That is where he comes across Crow's Nest, a warm and homely guest house that belongs to the Gardeners. Maria is so keen on taking care of Dino and making his stay as pleasant as possible. It was very touching to read how much one can care for someone you don't even know. I don't want to get much into the storyline as I know I'll end up with tons of spoilers! So I will just stick to the tons of other amazing aspects of the book.
I absolutely loved Maria. She was so easy to relate to. Nowadays, most of the leading female protagonists are kick- ass and daring (which is awesome, no doubt), while Maria was so gentle, caring and wonderful. Her simplicity made her so much more desirable and admirable. Dino too was a great guy. Not just his hot Italian looks, but even as a person, he was simple, down-to-earth and a real sweetheart! Both Maria's and Dino's families- who played such an important role in the story- were splendid and it was so much of fun to read about them. The relationship between Maria and her sister, Christine was so lovely, and so was the one between Dino and his mom. The Italians made such a fantastic family, and were heart- warming to read about. The few secondary characters also made the story more lively, practical and joyous! I loved that both Maria and Dino value their families, and have immense respect for them too.
My most favourite and treasured part of the story was when Maria and Dino are just roaming in Porthale, which is where they have their first kiss. That was absolutely remarkable!
Overall, an absolutely sweet, realistic and marvellous read, Oceans Between Us is just the perfect book. I took my own sweet time reading this one as I didn't want it to get over! I literally moved at a snail's pace, but I was so excited to move ahead that I was compelled to turn the pages...
I'd like to thank Helen Scott Taylor for being so kind to gift a copy of her book, and for just writing this beautiful story! It is definitely worth a million bucks. :)

RATING:

X 5

Sarika





Fan Art #1

Hey guys! I've decided to share some of my Fan Art with you all. I'm not an artist or anything, I simply love to draw. I'm not exactly great with memory drawing, so I stick to book cover art or some random book-related pictures that I find online. Basically, I've been drawing fan art since a long time, so I'm just going to scan them and put them up.  

Since this is my first Fan Art post, I've decided to go with something that I'm sure most of you'll love- HARRY POTTER! I'm a huge fan. Well, that's an understatement. It's more like I breathe and live Harry Potter. :)

I drew the Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry crest, that you find on the first page of all the Harry Potter books. I hope you guys like it! It's not perfect, but I did it out of my pure HP obsession!

Here you go!

I would love to hear what you'll think!

Hope everyone is having a great week-end!



Sarika



Cover Reveal- Timeless by Michelle Madow

On Thursday, 23rd August, 2012, Michelle Madow revealed the cover of Timless (Transcend Time Saga #3) , the final part of the Transcend Time Saga. The previous books in the series are Remembrance (Transcend Time Saga #1) and Vengeance (Transcend Time Saga #2) .

Here is the cover, designed by Michelle Madow hereself!

Such a spectacular cover!

Make sure you stop by Michelle Madow's Blog  and enter the great giveaway going on, hosted by the author herself. I am definitely looking forward to this series. :)

Sarika





Feature and Follow Friday #1

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. 

This week's question is:

Worst cover? What is the worst cover of a book that you've read and loved?

Answer: My answer to this one is Tempting The Best Man by J.Lynn. Its not that the cover is exactly bad but it has absolutely nothing to do with the book or the characters in the book. I just think that there could have been more to the cover. The book is really good but the cover may give you second thoughts.

Link me to your Follow Friday and I'll follow back. :)

Happy Friday everybody!

Janhvi

Review- Unbreak My Heart by Helen Scott Taylor

Goodreads Summary:

Andre Le Court first set eyes on Kate Frost when he was two and she was a babe in her mother's arms. He's twenty-five now, and he still remembers the moment perfectly, the moment Kate Frost slipped inside his heart.

His family owned a big hotel, her parents worked there. Andre's father spent years trying to separate his son from the daughter of the hired help. Eventually he grew desperate and sent Andre away to boarding school.

Nine years later, Kate turns up on the doorstep of Andre's prestigious hotel with the paparazzi at her heels and the six-week-old daughter of her celebrity ex in her arms. She has nowhere left to run except back to the place where she left her heart all those years ago.

Andre lost Kate once. He can't lose her again. But he has an image to maintain, a reputation as a successful businessman. A bohemian young woman with beads in her hair is not a suitable wife for him.

In Andre, Kate sees tantalizing glimpses of the boy she adored. But most of the time she hardly recognizes the powerful, successful man he's become, his lifestyle so like that of his despised father.

Can they forgive the pain of the past, accept each other as they are now, and rediscover the childhood love that was snatched away from them?

REVIEW:

I was in the mood to read a pure contemporary romance, between two normal people who have a simple and sweet love story, and I unexpectedly came across Unbreak My Heart at the right time, when it was free on Amazon. I quickly downloaded a copy and was looking forward to reading it. The cover of the book itself is so pretty, I make sure I look at it every time I open my Kindle app!
Unbreak My Heart is the story of childhood sweethearts, Andre and Kate. Andre's family owns prominent hotels, where Kate's parents worked. Being two years older to Kate, Andre was with her since she was born and they grew up together, sharing their dreams and aspirations. Realising that the Andre- Kate relationship won't do any good for Andre's professional life, his dad sends him away to boarding school, putting a blotch on the beautiful friendship nourished by both the kids. Andre gets into his new life and gets busy with fulfilling his grandfather's dream of making the Caspian an extraordinary hotel. To avoid the pain of separation, Kate gets in a relationship with Daniel Crowther and has his baby. Later, realising that only his fame and fortune are what mattered most to Dan, she leaves him and the only hope she has is Andre. From there on starts another wonderful Andre and Kate journey with several ups and downs, that are a natural part and parcel of normal life and that's what makes them realise that they were really never apart from one another. All of their feelings are mutual.
The story was absolutely amazing and the book itself, a complete page turner. I found myself admiring both the protagonists, understanding each ones perspective. Kate's daughter, Keiko, brought happiness and some really sweet moments between the three (Andre, Kate and Keiko), who, in a very out of nowhere and completely genuine manner, made for a perfect family. A lovely tale of true love as it transcends from childhood to adolescence to adulthood, the story gets you back to your senses and makes you believe that the concept of soul- mates is, in fact, very much true and the power of love will always overcome practically anything. A sweet, lovely and romantic read, Unbreak My Heart is highly recommended and definitely worth reading! I thoroughly enjoyed EVERY page and am now looking forward to reading more books by author Helen Scott Taylor.

RATING:

X 4

Sarika



Waiting On Wednesday #1

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Stormdancer By Jay Kristoff

      Publication Date: September 1, 2012

Goodreads Summary-

Griffins are supposed to be extinct. So when Yukiko and her warrior father Masaru are sent to capture one for the Shogun, they fear that their lives are over. Everyone knows what happens to those who fail him, no matter how hopeless the task.

But the mission proves far less impossible, and far more deadly, than anyone expects – and soon Yukiko finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in her country's last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled griffin for company. But trapped together in the forest, Yukiko and Buruu soon discover a friendship that neither of them expected.

Meanwhile, the country around them verges on the brink of collapse. A toxic fuel is slowly choking the land; the omnipotent, machine-powered Lotus Guild is publicly burning those they deem Impure; and the Shogun cares about nothing but his own dominion. Yukiko has always been uneasy in the shadow of power, when she learns the awful truth of what the Shogun has done, both to her country and to her own family she's determined to do something about it.

Returning to the city, Yukiko and Buruu plan to make the Shogun pay for his crimes – but what can one girl and a flightless griffin do against the might of an empire?

Are you excited about Stormdancer as much as I am? What's your Waiting On Wednesday?

Janhvi

Review- I Loved You First by Reena Jacobs

Goodreads Summary:

My best friend was more than just a best friend to me. Three words summed it up: I heart him. I’d never tell him though. I wasn’t stupid. Besides, what he’d told no one, but me, was a little something I wished I could forget… or ignore. He was gay. I guess gay wouldn’t be bad if I wasn’t so in love with him. Now it was just cruel.

Stereotypes run amok in this college love story: Parties, alcohol, hookups, and breakups. Alexandria Carmichael may find it a bit much as she deals with the unreturned love from the boy who completes her. When all is revealed, not only does she risk losing her best friend forever, but also herself. Without her childhood companion for support, Alexandria takes a journey of self-discovery but fears what she’ll find at the end.

In the month of July, author Reena Jacobs' book, I Loved You First, celebrated it's first anniversary! As part of the 1 year celebration, a new cover for the book was launched!

                                                        So this was the initial cover.

Which later became this!

I love them both, but the new one... there's just something about the girl and her expression that screams ALEX (the female protagonist)!

REVIEW: 

I Loved You First by Reena Jacobs is a very sweet read. By that, I mean the story is very different, something that I had not read before and I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it!
The book is a story of two best friends, Seth and Alexandria, who have been BFFs since first grade. Alex is deeply in love with her best friend, however, the tiny problem here is that Seth is gay. Both of them keep their secrets to themselves. Alex is the only one who knows Seth's secret and Seth realises hers eventually. The whole concept of Seth being a 'closet gay' according to Alex, really makes one consider the problems faced by LGBTs. Yes, the book has a message to convey. Seth isn't open about his orientation and pretends to be like any other guy. He gets himself involved in sports and girls even, and Alex has been over shadowed by his popularity since childhood. A ton of interesting events make the book so interesting!
Without revealing much, I would just like to say that the book has a wonderful ending and the other characters add so much of shine and stand out in the presence of both Seth and Alex. This book won't take up much time, so give it a go! The book is a joyful and completely interesting read about practical, daily and genuine stuff.

RATING:

X 4

                              

Sarika

Teaser Tuesday #1

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 & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser-

"I was here for you." The husky whisper in his voice made it hard for me to take a deep breath. Instead, I was making small little pants. "Oh," I whispered. He chuckled and lowered his head until his lips were hovering over mine."

-Because Of Low by Abbi Glines

Goodreads Summary-

Marcus Hardy had hoped to enjoy a year away at college while he put the summer he’d rather forget behind him. But instead, he’s jerked right back to the coastal town of Sea Breeze, Alabama due to a family crisis. His dear ol' dad found himself a girlfriend only a few years older than Marcus. So now his sister needs help dealing with their mother who is mentally falling apart. The only bright spot to returning is the fascinating red head who sleeps over several times a week. The problem is she's sleeping in bed with his new roommate, Cage York. 

Willow “Low” Foster needs a place to live. Running to Cage’s apartment every time her sister kicks her out isn’t exactly a long term solution. Juggling her courses at the local community college and a part time job doesn’t produce excess income. But Cage has a new roommate and suddenly sleeping over at her best friend’s apartment isn’t such a bad thing. Not when she gets to see those sexy green eyes of Marcus Hardy’s twinkle when he smiles at her like he wants her there. 
Even though Cage seems a little territorial where Low is concerned, Marcus finds time to spend with Low without upsetting his roommate. Cage may use his small college baseball star persona to sleep with every hot female in his path but he’s still under the disillusion that when he’s through sowing his wild oats, he’s going to marry Low. Marcus intends to change that assumption for both Cage and Low. Until his carefully laid plans come crashing down with a revelation he never expected. He’ll have to choose between Low or his family. Because once the truth comes out.... there’s no other choice.

What's your teaser for this week?

Janhvi

Welcome to The Readdicts!

Hey there!

This blog, The Readdicts will be run by my best friend, Janhvi Jagtap and I, Sarika Patkotwar.
We are truly, madly and deeply in love with books and reading is something that we LOVE to do.
We'll predominantly be talking about books and reading, and ocassionally, tons of random stuff!

Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you around soon. :)

Cheers!